Clipper ships in the sky
June 17, 2006
Here’s a fascinating survey article from the Economist. During the Age of Sail, the world’s goods moved in slow motion in the holds of clipper ships. Today, goods speed around the world in the cargo containers of giant MD-11 freighter-jets.
The physical internet | Economist.com
21st-century clippers
Frederick Smith, FedEx’s chief executive, compares his company’s jets to clippers, the sailing ships that once carried cargoes on the trade winds. Mr Smith pioneered the air-express business in the early 1970s by delivering a few hundred parcels overnight to a handful of American cities using Falcon aircraft the size of an executive jet. At Memphis airport, the parcels were sorted on a table. Many of his contemporaries thought he was mad: who would pay to send packages by air? He almost went bust. But now FedEx has ordered a fleet of double-deck Airbus A380s to help cope with demand. Rival UPS has also placed orders for the huge new Airbus. Neither company wants any seats inside, just space for lots of cargo. If they were passenger airlines, UPS and FedEx would now rank among the world’s biggest carriers.
Watching a visionary like Frederick Smith create such a change in the world of commerce is fascinating to me. Maybe I dream about life in the Age of Sail, but what’s happening in my own age is much more exciting.
Dave, dreamer.
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One Response to “Clipper ships in the sky”
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Hello Dave,
My name is Dusan Zitny from Slovakia . I was fascinated by your ship model caled Pride of Baltimore II. I am 45 years old and i am ship and plane modeler too. I would like to build a RC model of Pride of Baltimore II but i have not a plane its. I saw a small plane from your page about PoBII from Model Shipyard kit. I have a biggies request on you. Can you give me advise where i be able to obtain this scheme ( plane ) of construction?
To buy the all model PoBII only on account of scheme of contruction, it is expensive for me. I am complainsant to buy your scheme of contruction if you don’t need it eventually.
Many thank acknowledgments in your apprehension beforehand and i am looking forward to answer.
Dusan, dreamer too.