PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Boeing, Airbus at odds over black boxes that eject
Old 8th Oct 2014, 00:20
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EEngr
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Awaiting to be shot down by the engineering fraternity!
You mean the accountants.

Such a system could be developed. For a price. The unintended ejection 'risk' could be mitigated by proper design and location of the capsule (pod, whatever) to make it no more than an expensive nuisance. Placing such a device on what is essentially the exterior of the aircraft is going to require sealed hull penetrations as well as immunity to lightning and static discharge. But these problems have been solved with other equipment (antennas) and, given enough money, could be solved here.

Maintenance will be an issue. I'm assuming the ejection operation requirement will define some minimum reliability level. Maximum tolerable level of unwanted ejections plus minimum levels of failure to operate. Its likely that the mechanism will require some periodic check, which will cost the airlines some money.

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