If this came out of the OG, we don't really have the luxury of saying that the credited response is incorrect; the GMAC says it's the best choice, and therefore all we can do is try to understand what makes A better than the other choices. Here, B is clearly wrong; as you pointed out, the modifier issue takes it out of the running. The other choices all use the proposed new style of aircraft as the subject of the sentence. Although I understand your point-- technically, one would say that it's the aircraft doing the skimming, not the style-- you should read it as if the subject is "aircraft" and "new style of" is modifying that noun. If there was a choice that said "aircraft designed in a new style" or something similar, that would be more easily identifiable as correct. But if all choices have the same issue, we have to look past that issue and find other reasons to eliminate answers.

In both C and D here, the placement of the pronoun "its" makes it unclear whether it refers to the aircraft or to Earth. And E makes it sound like there are proponents of skimming along the atmosphere, rather than proponents of the aircraft. A isn't an ideal sentence, but it's the best one here.

OH.....THIS IS TOTALLY inexplicable FROM OG... But I do agree with you on this: if all choices have the same issue, we have to look past that issue and find other reasons to eliminate answers. I think this would be the TAKEAWAY FROM YOUR POST. N the worst thing is, makers change reasons to eliminate options when a new version comes out just to confuse test takers..

I don't know why GMAT sc has been changing..I dont know why there are different explanations in OG11 and OG12...
Lets have one example from OG11...

The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.

(A) The development of a new jumbo rocket that is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and at a lower cost.
(B) The development of a new jumbo rocket is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration and be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
(C) The new development of a jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit at a lower cost than the space shuttle.
(D) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle can, and at a lower cost.
(E) A newly developed jumbo rocket, which is expected to carry the United States into its next phase of space exploration, will be able to deliver a heavier load of instruments into orbit than the space shuttle and to cost less.

OG Says that They will not be delivered not by the development of a rocket but the rocket itself..The moment I read above problem of "new style of aircraft", I thought this problem would be exactly similar this jumbo rocket..
N i went on to check that error but was not found in any of the options...
B was wrong for sure.. But rest had the same problem...

800Bob says that there would always be one BEST options and rest 4 options would be wrong for explicable reason...
One can not find the best reason for selecting A except its superior to other options in terms of grammar and wording...
But after seeing this problem, you would always have to select the best of the worst options...

adi_800 wrote:According to its proponents, proposed new
style of aircraft could, by skimming along the
top of the atmosphere, fly between most points
on Earth in under two hours.

A. According to its proponents, proposed new
style of aircraft could, by skimming along the
top of the atmosphere, fly between most points
on Earth in under two hours.

B. By skimming along the top of the atmosphere,
proponents of a proposed new style of aircraft
say it could fly between most points on Earth In
under two hours.

C. A proposed new style of aircraft could fly
between most points on Earth in under two
hours, according to its proponents, with It
skimming along the top of the atmosphere.

D. A proposed new style of aircraft, say Its
proponents, could fly between most points on
Earth in under two hours because of Its
skimming along the top of the atmosphere.

E. According to its proponents, skimming along
the top of the atmosphere makes it possible
that a proposed new style of aircraft could
fly between most points on Earth in under two hours


[spoiler]OA is A.
How can we have A as the correct answer...In fact all options sound wrong to me.
A-> A says new style could fly blah blah blah...How can a proposed style could fly...It should be the aircraft that could fly.
B-> Modifier problem... Proponents are not skimming.
C-> Same as A
D-> Same as A
E-> Same as A[/spoiler]

Always deal with issues of grammar before you deal with issues of meaning. If you can't spot a clear grammatical error in A, don't eliminate it.

Since each of the remaining answer choices has a clear grammatical error, A is the best answer choice.

Notice that I say "best". The GMAT writers don't ask us to choose the correct answer; they slyly ask us to choose the best answer choice. Answer choice A might not be great, but it's better than the remaining answer choices.

Oh yes..
Grammar, then Meaning, and then concision should be the order...
I missed it!!
Thanks!!