When Boeing began developing the 767 aircraft program in the late 1970s, the company founded Flight Deck Technology Group, whose engineers devoted themselves to the development of Flight Management Computer (FMC) and Control Display Unit (CDU). Back then nobody thought about something like the prospect of using Wi-Fi in the clouds to quickly connect and redeem offers on the likes of casino bonus CA platforms, and whether that would interfere with the aircraft’s core communication systems.
The new FMC system has been designed as the heart of aircraft flight planning and navigation functions. Boeing merged earlier designs of the performance management computer and navigational computer into a single FMC that would integrate many functions (e.g. Navigation, performance and operation). Boeing used the experience from other research projects to develop an advanced implementation of the FMC.
There are many questions about the crash of the Germanwings plane on Tuesday. CNBC spoke to industry experts to understand how computer systems became part of how we fly today. In the late 1950s, electronic computers became small enough to be used in airplanes.
The following six sections describe potential improvements in information-related technologies such as more complex models of the whole air transport system, more robust and upgradeable computer software and hardware, communication, navigation and surveillance systems, ATM aircraft operations and more focused aircraft sensors.
Before take-off, the pilot enters a route into the computer and gives it a start and end position. The route consists of a series of points recorded by the computer, each of which has its own speed and altitude. Information about speed, altitude and turbulence is recorded by the computer to make the necessary changes.
The display of cross-tracking errors on the FMCS Progress page was an original feature of Boeing FMCS and remains a fundamental indicator of deviation from the path.
These new systems will help flight crew manage travel expenses and ensure the safe completion of the flight. Flying by wire means that the pilot’s control commands are transmitted by hydraulically actuated cylinders in the tail, supported by wire-to-wire systems and mechanical rod systems for cable control. Another factor is autopilot, one of the many autopilots that steer the aircraft on a course pre-programmed by the pilot.
Today, autopilots are so sophisticated that most aircraft with more than 20 seats have autopilot systems. Aircraft developers prefer technologies that allow people to use their strengths in flight. At the DLRS Institute of Flight Systems, engineers developed the Active Sidestick, which enables the pilot to feel part of the other pilots and the computer that controls the aircraft at all times.
Under certain circumstances, it can be activated to send the plane into an endless loop or dive. The computer, which controls the automatic thrust control system, believes the plane is on the ground and reduces engine power. Pilots often ignore this because they place too much trust in the computer.
Pilot has only four seconds to diagnose the error and activate a special emergency switch to launch recovery manoeuvre before losing control of the plane and crashing, as happened with Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. Boeing is currently working to fix the software problem on all aircraft approved by regulators.