Aviation Related Design Ideas

[BartonBoy]

Hello fellow aviators,

I am a third year Computer Aided Design student at Bournemouth University actively seeking aviation related design ideas for my fourth year project. I have necessary aviation related experience (PPL & FISO)

The product can be either a new innovative design solution or alternatively a design improvement for an existing product on the market.

Have you ever come across a product that makes you want to cringe due to it's poor design qualities? Or perhaps you have a new idea, which would offer a solution to a problem.

Pilots, ATCO's and enthusiasts, please post replies to this topic if you have any ideas, even if they appear to be ridiculous! I will be very interested to hear your opinions.

Many thanks for your support,

Matt

[Genghis the Engineer]

Have you ever come across a product that makes you want to cringe due to it's poor design qualities?

Does a Cessna 172 count?

G

[OzExpat]

How about a reverse thrust system for a Cessna 550? :}

[18-Wheeler]

Have you ever come across a product that makes you want to cringe due to it's poor design qualities?

Airbus.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Now we've had our bit of fun.

Bartonboy, may I strongly suggest seeing if your college library can get hold of a copy of "Design for Safety", by David Thurston, ISBN 0-02-618501-6

The book covers everything you are likely to want for your project - common problems with GA aircraft, examples of good and bad practice, and a lot of superb examples of dreadful ergonomic design that the author (rightly in my opinion) thinks need sorting out.

G

[BartonBoy]

Like the comments guys!

G, many thanks for the book reference, I shall certainly be on the lookout for a copy of "Design for Safety". This will certainly form a good basis for my project.

Keep them coming guys :ok:

[rhythm method]

Definite design improvement required for the 'new' cockpit door for the BAe146 and RJ family.

Try emailing BAe (Woodford?) to see the hash they have made of it so far!

You may be too late though, cos I suspect a nursery school child may have improved it for them already!!!

RM

[BartonBoy]

RM,

Suprisingly enough, the company I am working for at the moment on my placement year, have worked on the BAe 146 RJ in the past! It would be quite ironic if they ever had the opportunity to re-design the cockpit door. Or maybe we should all leave it to the nursery school children after all! ;)

BB

[cwatters]

Perhaps you could change the design of "something" so that it converts into a air cot for babies. Ideally something essential like the drinks cart so they can't go missing when pax want to fly long haul with 6 week old twins!

[McAero]

Design a food/drink trolley that won't smack your elbow as the air steward(ess) rushes down the aisle.

[Zoom]

How about an economy class seat that doesn't smash the knees in of the passenger behind?

Or a decent economy class in-flight meal?

[McAero]

In-flight earphones that have more than the 2 volume settings currently installed....very quiet, or very loud.

[Pub User]

Zoom has it.

I'm sure there must be a way of arranging seats to give all users extra legroom.

Make sure you patent it before publication.

[BartonBoy]

As long as you guys don't patent your ideas!!

Please keep posting your ideas fellow aviators!

BB

[blowtorch]

Seat spacing is controlled by the accountants in the airline. More seats less space more revenue. Who cares about the "steerage class" pax? We had an A320 running cross country non-stop and in "steerage" I was fine even tho I am tall. But one day I found the seats were suddenly closer than normal. Seems they added 20 more! F/A suggested I complain to company but being a non-rev it wasn't easy to do. Perhaps fixed seat tracks would be nice to have so they cannot move them at a whim. What you see is what you get. Then you can decide if you want to continue using that carrier.

[FakePilot]

What some bunks instead of seats? Pax choice of course. You could probably get the same density but there'd be problems with evac I think.

[Jetstream Rider]

Whatever you do try to keep it simple and do it well. Far too many people try to design/evaluate a huge idea or system and get hopelessley overloaded. Its better to come up with an angled bit of metal that generates a lovely vortex (as seen on many aircraft) than a blowing system with triple redundancy, variable speed, flashing lights and a whistle.

Leave that to the teams of people who have the time and backup to do it. If you weren't at university then you could do what you like, but to do well and get the result you want, keep it simple.

Here are some ideas though:

1. Anti noise system for swithcing off moaning cabin crew (would have to work on moaning only, so that intelligent and happy conversations could continue). Would also work well with certain pilots.

2. Roster glasses - when looking at roster through these it looks as if you have all the good destinations and all the days off you want. (A deluxe pair would make other crews rosters look awful in addition).

And now seriously:

How about a low cost and reliable electronic flight bag system for light aircraft and microlights. Would need low power consumption and would ideally be portable. Wireless updating would be an advantage as well as the ability to download personalised waypoints from a GPS. Consider battery powered as well, and redundancy.

To fit in with keeping it simple, I don't mean design the whole thing down to the nuts and bolts. I mean look at the system and the problems and possible solutions then develop that a bit and make a (working) model, perhaps with a dummy "box" and a bit of demo software on a laptop.

Good luck.