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Originally Posted by Nesti
....You are still communicating inputs to actuators through electrical wires and electronic devices. I prefer torque tubes, cables (wires), butterfly cams, push-pull tubes.......
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I mentioned earlier "Wright fliers" and that technlogy moves on. While you may not like it, an aircraft like the A380 simply would not be flying due to the weight limitations these ancient systems impose.
FBW systems don't hang off a single wire. Wire looms can be and are tested.
There are numerous pathways to the flight controls which is not the case (particularly in light aircraft) in conventional systems where failure of a single pulley means you are not going home. Ever.
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Originally Posted by Nesti
If you prefer being baby-sat, that's fine by me, but I'd feel a little insulted myself.
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All Pilots would like to think we're Chuck Yeager, seat of the pants test flying is not warranted or encouraged in regular public transport operations!
Pilot error is still the single biggest cause of hull losses, so having an aircraft that looks after you (and everyone else) works for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesti
And as an ex engineer I am telling you that there is more to systems than what you see on the flight deck, or the colorful schematics in your manuals or checklist procedures.
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Are you suggesting our manuals are wrong? ( I could see some serious legal issues there) or that (pilot) systems knowlege is a waste of time? Sure we don't have to know how to fix a hydraulic line/EBHA but it would be remiss not knowing what it's connected to.
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Originally Posted by Nesti
I'm happy to trust my knowledge and experience in how and why aircraft systems and components fail over your log hours any day.....
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Maybe. But Enginners always get to go home after a bad day at the office. Pilot's don't have the same luxury and are faced problems extending far beyond the nuts and bolts of the airframe.
FBW systems offer multiple levels of redundancy, excellent protection of the flight envelope and airframe. Yet despite exhaustive testing and very safe flight histories we have a retired LAME who says they are not safe.
This is not true of non FBW systems. Sorry, I'll happily put my butt into a system that looks after me.
And if I think some rouge computer is trying to kill me, I can still switch it off.