Originally Posted by
Vilters
What I don't understand (well I do because building airplanes is all about keeping the costs down) is why they keep using these "obsolete" and fragile vane sensors.
Back in 1979 when we first got the F-16's we where all too happy to see "new" differential pressure activated AOA sensors. => But => But => And that is where it all goes dark => They are more expensive.
Having had some professional exposure to differential pressure sensors, thank you, I'd rather take the vane.
Differential pressure sensors are bitches, even more than pitot tubes and static pressure ports. After all you have two tubes which can get congested by a lot of things.
The vane however is an extreme simplistic design. If it can be turned on the ground and if heating is present nothing should go wrong there.
So my odds are on the wiring harness as well.
Timing conditions within the Software have also been mentioned. From my profesionnal experience I would rule that out as well, as such systems monitor their execution times constantly and will declare themselfes faulty if problems are detected in this domain.
Regards
B