I misread you and you, in the earlier read - mis read me .
You have assumed I have no respect for aero engineering .
Not so
vehemently not so.
My only argument is a mis conception that formal engineering knowledge is the end path to any development of new ideas.
On the three legged stool thing - --my whimsical thought was "what if -for some unknown reason --engine power and airframe materials were "magically" far improved?
Would the airplane have developed as it did ?
I don't think so - but there is no way to prove such a thought .
I stand tho, by by premise that most -if not almost all advances in aircraft have been a direct result of better , lighter powerplants .
Next the advances in airframe structures and lastly (by no means unimportantly -- the aerodynamic TESTING and development used to utilize these two advances .
Let's turn it around
If we try for an advance in aeronautic improvement with no improvement in power or airframe technology-- the changes would me comparitavely small.
N/Y?
From th Wrigh Bros Flyer - the real advances came from bette powerplants -- then th airframes were improved to utilize this .
So what if say Glen Curtiss - a motorcycle racer had come up with a 200 hp power plant on his first try.
Would the June Bug ever have materialized?
The Japanese Zero Sen was brilliantly engineed simply to take advantage of th only engine available a small powerful aircooled design.
(Aircooled engines are NOT easy to streamline )
The The ME262 - jet engines -(what if the Jumos were as powerful as those on a Lear?)
This is why I am so keen on power to weight/wingloading testing.
My own doodling simply reinforces my earlier thoughts .
In models (this is a model forum) weight and power are the driving forces in new development.
The art of streamlining/ airfoil selection,adherance to windtunnel airfoil data tc., is secondary- important -but the ability to develop designs using these factors (power and weigh reduction) provides aircraft (toys to be sure ) that do things their full scale counterparts can not even approach.
But what IF that power were available ?????