Ken S. Tucker

On Jun 19, 10:15 am, "BDS" <skyh...@m> wrote:
> "Ken S. Tucker" <dynam...@vianet.on.ca> wrote
>
> > Yup, electronics/electrical is the wave of the future,
> > and that's from a guy who prefers crank windows to
> > them thar fancy power windows in cars!
> > From satellite technology, to your hard-drive motors,
> > to auto focusing cameras...we're in the digital servo-
> > -age. May dinosaurs R.I.P.
> > Ken
>
> It will be difficult to compete with mechanical actuation as far as
> reliability vs. cost in a product meant for the consumer market, and in a
> critical application such as movement of control surfaces.
>
> Satellite technology won't be cheap enough for GA, and I've had enough
> hard-drive, camera, and consumer electronics problems to know I don't want
> that level of reliability in an aircraft. If your camera refuses to focus
> properly, nobody dies.
>
> Our aircraft uses servos in the autopilot system. In the last 16 years
> we've had both the pitch and trim servos fail. Consider the consequences of
> that if the servos were the primary means of control.

I studied your post carefully, and I agree.
The system, works like,
......actuators......
a<--/\/\/---/\/\/--->b
.......1........2..........

True actuator #1 can fail, then actuator #2
still works, then actuator #1 is replaced.
Asking the question about the F-16, "fly-by-
wire" fighter, dated 1972, do we have failures
due to the electonics and servos?
Ken