hetfield;
The design is to keep it flying until one/some/all flt ctl computers are back. It's not designed to fly an approach.
That applies to the 330/340 but less so to the 320 series - the aircraft can (and has, I have been told by someone who did it, in test flights) be flown to the landing on the stab trim alone. I've done it in the sim and while it's not pretty, it isn't an automatic accident either.
That said, I see the anti-AB, anti-fbw troups are out in force, jawing without having the slightest idea as to what happened, (because they don't yet know) and why, (because they haven't flown the Airbus and know nothing about it), but ready to tell us, without knowledge and understanding, that any Airbus incident is "proof that the Airbus, and fbw are dangerous", which is nonsense.
The issues associated with the 320 series are knowledge and training based, not design based.
The Boeing question has not been answered, nor have any obvious-though-unasked questions regarding military aircraft and fbw. One would be much farther ahead in learning about and discussing the habits of the DC10 and MD11. "The DC10 Case", (
Suny press) is well worth reading. No such books are available/written on the Airbus and fbw because the accident rate is not anomalous when compared with similar types/routes etc.
CerealAbuser;
When you lose the FBW the Airbus still gives you mechanical flight...does it not?...
In a word, yes. Providing the aircraft has hydraulics, the rudder and horizontal stab are available. There are no fatal accidents caused through loss of control through failure of fbw. Such failure is far more rare than loss of control through complete loss of hydraulics,
which has resulted in fatal accidents.