Originally Posted by
bubbers44
Quoting Dick Rutan: "The Airbus computer system algorithm is designed by a bunch of computer nerds who have no understanding of aviation".
I
knew some of the people who designed the "Airbus computer system algorithm
(s)" (I worked in the next office...). They were not 'computer nerds', I can assure you. They knew what they were doing.
Whether the original design specifications, thought up by 'system engineers' (not 'computer nerds' as such), with totally new 'control laws', were equally well thought out, is a question I'm still asking myself to this day.
There
IS too much confusion here between
system design and it's
physical implementation, which can be mechanical or electro-hydraulic-mechanical (as in the very olden days), with analog computers (as in 'my' Concorde days... but there were many other similar systems, from Trident to early 747 to VC10 to the F-104... I'll leave it to the oldies among us to expand the list), or with digital computers (as in the A320 for a start, and most present-day A&B flight control systems).
The fact that the switch from analog to digital happened at the same time as the switch from 'steam gauges' to 'glass' tends to confuse the issue even further.
Given the challenge, the A320 flight control system could probably have been implemented as an analog system, but it would have been heavier, more expensive, and more difficult to flight test and optimise. "Been there, done that"....
bubbers, from your quote, I have my doubts about Dick Rutan's insight in flight control system design, even if I'm the first to admit he designed some pretty unique aeroplanes !