As maybe a final kick at it:
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The Air Ministry picked the Bouton-Paul Defiant, Fairey Battle,  Hampden, and Bristol Blenheim as winners.  The US thought the Brewster Buffalo was a suitable front-line aircraft.
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By contrast, the Fairey Swordfish, Hawker Hurricane,  Supermarine Spitfire, and DH Mosquito were all initially privately developed.
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The Vickers Wellington was initially viewed with Air Ministry skepticism, as was the Avro design that eventually became the Lancaster.
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Parsons built the Turbinia without assistance from the Admiralty.  Only after the unwanted demonstration at Spithead did the Admiralty take interest.
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Orville and Wilbur Wright never received a penny of government subsidy in developing the Flyer.
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Bureaucrats know about bureaucratic politics.
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Entrepreneurs know about innovative products.
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Governments are not entrepreneurs, nor should they pretend to be.
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Other than CD Howe, Governments have a terrible history of trying to pick winners in technology.