The U.S. effort to keep its dominance in the world's aircraft market took an unexpected turn last week. The Administration leaned toward ordering not just one supersonic airliner, but two: long-range and short-range versions.
Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Agency said that sometime this month, it will recommend a winner in the design competition between Lockheed Aircraft Corp. and Boeing Aircraft Co. for the long-range, 1,800-m.p.h. model to be used in overseas flights. President Johnson is expected to make the final decision about Jan. 1. The FAA also ordered a quick investigation of whether either design could be adapted into a medium-size SST...