If, by "using as little metal as possible", you mean "lightweight metallic structures":
Considered changing to a different industry?
I have no idea what that means.
See Clandestino's response
I have no idea what he/she/it is on about either.
what you call "the demise of the British aircraft industry", I would call the "rationalisation". Britain still has a strong involvement in aerospace through BAE Systems
You must be living on another planet. Maybe Australia qualifies as one? Britain, once the dominant force in aircraft manufacture, now just makes bits for Airbus Industrie. They are as involved in aerospace as Shane Warne is in the Australian test side.