DozyWannabe:
If u read on you will notice that I state a ban on the A320 is both inane and ludacrous. Indeed, Airbus have altered some of the interface problems they had with their new family design.. problems occured with the MCP as well as the FMC I believe, which both incorporate a large segment of the FMS.
My point was that for a relatively new a/c it has had more teathing problems and disasters than the 737, I still fly quite happily on the A320 as a pax, but would just rather fly the 737 as a pilot.. fortunately for me my wish is granted.
To my knowledge the A320 family still has a stagnant A/T, and the joysticks are pressure input (arithmetic, not direct feedback such as the Boeing.. o.k so why the CAPT and the F/O would be pulling and pushing their respective joysticks at the same time is a good point, but least this anomaly would be noticed on the 737)
The A320 still has hard limits.. bank and g load limiters, again irrespective of the mistrust this system has with pilots.. what happens if there's terrain or an a/c to avoid.. stuffed! TCAS II requires the other a/c to be Mode S equipped, and GPWS just like TCAS II is not infallable, GPWS in particular works on IRS or GPS position although the RA gives solid readouts.
Maybe I am nit-picking.. the A320 is a soild, reliable and efficient airliner, but I personally feel the Boeing 737 ideology is more effective.. in particular the human-computer interface that you previously referred to.
Yes, Boeing did deny the rudder incident.. no suprise there, it is their
PR team who will protect the manufacturer under any circumstances. Airbus have a history for similar behaviour, in particular blaming the pilots (the Azores engines out approach on the A330 is a classic.. albeit a maintenance issue that caued the incident and nothing to do with the A330's systems). I am affraid that is the nature of life.. not just jet airliner manufacturers.
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