Originally Posted by
dinbangkok
Regardless of whether you're a pilot or not, surely the question that needs to be answered is simple: How is it remotely OK for Boeing (or any other manufacturer), to sell a passenger aircraft that needs software to correct an aerodynamic imbalance in the design of the aircraft (prone to pitching up)?
There are several exhibits of this out in the market: 777, 787, and soon to come 777X. These models all have full FBW systems that enable the bare airframe to have aerodynamic characteristics that with out any control system functionality at all would not be certifiable. The motivation is that these models have been able to design in improved performance because they have been able to take advantage of control system functions to yield certifiable handling qualities. The key, of course, is that the availability and reliability including any failure mode effects must be acceptable. Certification requirements cover all aspects of this.