Originally Posted by
60FltMech
JohnDix,
I just can’t see an aircraft with a mass of push pull tubes, mixers, bellcranks and Hydraulic lines being the future of Army Aviation(or VTOL in general), someone has to crack the code on simplifying these systems, while also keeping redundancy for battle damage or other emergencies.
FltMech
the illusion of FBW is simplicity. It is imminently more complex than push pull or cable systems. Software is a vast ocean of possibilities and decisions with many hidden (and deadly) traps as evidenced by numerous complex failures from software based systems of the past.
no one has certified a civil FBW rotorcraft or tiltrotor yet and it is not because of the workload. It’s very challenging to prove safety to dozens of strongly opinionated regulatory specialists from all major authorities. EVTOL’s can naively project confidence but they are massively unprepared for the gauntlet of “what if-isms” that will come on the way to type cert.
it sure is a ton simpler to just use SAS/SCAS to reduce pilot workload while still preserving basic mechanical function in nearly all conditions. Mechanical failure is extremely rare in reality.