Software changes delay Boeing 787 release
By Wes | July 31st, 2009
When something as complicated and large as a modern jumbo jet requires a change of software, a change of any parts, the adjustments run the risk of becoming systemic throughout the whole design. While it’s unlikely that changing a nut or bolt will cause system wide adjustments to be made, changes in the design and the materials used to make the new Boeing 787 for example, have caused the developer Crane to now re-write the software for the jet’s first of a kind all electric braking system. According to Crane the changes now need to be made to the software to compensate for aircraft level changes, this translates as a change in engine power, propeller, overall speed or weight/and or payload of the plane, temperature of gear etc. Software is originally written with parameters in mind to react to a specific set of real world variables the coding is meant to deal with; sometimes a lot of coding. It’s a lot of work to re-write software, less than coming up with it from scratch, but this has set the release of the 787 back and has shed light on supply chain challenges that Boeing has experienced in its anticipated launch of the innovative new jet, which is touted as the most fuel efficient jet yet and utelizes the most modern composite materials in its design.
With all the sensors and automated controls in today’s jetliners, software has become in increasingly integral part of flying. Though it wasn’t the software that malfunctioned in the Air France crash, officials have attributed it to air speed sensors used commonly on Airbus jets, software has caused airport delays and confusion for pilots having to deal with autopilot errors. This makes the search for black boxes, especially for the Air France one, of paramount importance. When so much can go wrong, it’s crucial that we know exactly how it happened so we can eliminate errors in design, coding, pilot training or policy- how far is a safe distance from thunderstorms for example. And in light of the complicated sytsem that is a jet, my hat goes off to the pilots, technicians and software designers that make the whole thing work for the more than three million people a day who fly.
I for one am glad to hear that the software needed to be re-written. I’d rather hear that than hear about another frightening airline story. I don’t like flying. Ironic, Being that my dad is a pilot.
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Tags: Air France Crash, autopilot, Boeing 787, breaks, Software
