Originally Posted by pacplyer
Explain to my dumb brain sector8, how a certified RR engine has been commanded to full power via the FADEC and nothing happens.
Well, that is the $500m question, is it not?
Could it perhaps be the reason why there has been no further word from the AAIB/Boeing/Rolls Royce? They haven't figured it out yet.
Please forgive my obvious stupidity; I don't have an E&E but as I understand the relationship, the EEC may command full power, but it is up to the FADEC to honor or modify or reject that demand. Right?
FADEC is a concept, a "philosophy", if you will. It stands for Full Authority Digital Engine Control, and means a computer controls the fuel metering valve (the "throttle"), gives the desired thrust, and protects the engine. There is no way to manually override the fuel valve position. EEC is the actual computer that does the work. Sometimes the computer as such is also referred to as "The FADEC".
How stupid it is that we sit around f*cking with this when the obvious solution is to engineer this airplane like the 747 with a physical cable to the FCU.
Someone in the know please corerct me but I am pretty certain that the 747-400 also has FADEC-controlled engines, as all current airliners have. Hydromechanical control got out of fashion a long time ago. Concorde was the first airliner with full-authority electronic engine control, although it was not digital.
But maybe I'm just old school, and didn't have to worry about !!!!! like a computer deciding I didn't know what the hell I was talking about as the PIC when in the moment of truth my nanosecond brain decided that all the f*cking computers in the world were wrong and I needed MAX POWER NOW!
Old school or not, it wouldn't hurt to check the facts. Btw, cables can break, and need constant re-adjustment due to lengthening, and on multi-engine aircraft all enginess are never adjusted equally leading to thrust-lever staggering in normal operation to get them all to the same power output.
You modern aviators are just amazing to me.
Right. Never let the facts get in the way of a good rant.
What do you think should happen in the spilt second that the PIC decides max power is needed? A computer vote? A cyber committee? A democracy?
Why do you feel entitled to make comments about stuff you obviously have no clue about?
And just so you know: The AAIB stated that the Fuel Metering Valve (the "throttle", that ultimately controls the amount of fuel going to the spray nozzles) was fully open. Just as it would have been with a mechanically controlled engine.
Meanwhile, I'm not going to board a 777 or any scarebus or any other FADEC machine till this is sorted out.
Good luck finding a passenger aircraft in service with a modern western carrier that has non-FADEC engine control.
Contrary to popular belief, fly-by-wire has nothing to do with engine control. Even most non-FBW airliners have FADEC these days.
Bernd