BEagle ...
Originally Posted by BEagle
The current A310 mission software works fine in 'planning mode' on a Win8.1u1 platform and adding a GPS card / app plus a manual fuel entry window for in-flight use wouldn't be difficult ...
Again ... my interest is purely with the "solution" approach here
I'd been wondering why this approach hadn't been adopted for the A330 MRTT AAR Mission System requirement
A fully "integrated" system is a given in terms of sourcing aircraft systems data as BEagle states ... however the "computation" of that data doesn't need to be done on an integral/bespoke computer which is part of the aircraft infrastructure. Far better to have a common Data Interface/Output that sources the required variables (fuel states, air data, nav system) from the aircraft and then use a detachable Toughbook (e.g. like the Panasonic ... but not exclusively) to AAR Mission Plan. Note that the design of the Data Interface would need to prevent any possibility of the AAR Mission System corrupting critical aircraft systems (Data Pull only).
As a "tactical" solution (the software development meaning of 'tactical" ... not military), this could be quickly and relatively cheaply done ... but no iPAD's please !
A "strategic" solution could then follow once the Data Interface had been delivered.
The benefits ...
(1) Almost immediately the End User gains a credible/proven AAR Mission Planning capability.
(2) The Data Interface becomes a common delivery feature ... like with the A400M ... thus achieving standardisation in AAR operations.
(3) The detachable Tougbook could then be used for pre-flight planning away from the aircraft and then plugged in to run the mission. Ideally you would use two devices, one as a back-up.
Interestingly Benefit (3) isn't that far removed from the solution used by a certain A320 civilian operator in orange livery that use Touhbooks in the cockpit for a variety of legacy paper based tasks ... Weight & Balance, Route Planning and Fuel Burn calcs ... albeit I believe, as yet, on a standalone basis.
An interesting debate
Coff.