Machinbird:
Isn't comparing windshield and pitot heating like comparing apples and oranges? Very different systems, performing different functions with different operating principles.
Very different devices, sure, but they're heated just enough to keep ice from accumulating. They're in the exact same icing, which is reportedly outside of certification requirements, yet no report of windshield icing over?
I don't think FBW by itself is such a big deal, except it would seem easier to incorporate a reversionary pitch/power mode.