Fly by wireless? Is it a viable concept?

[aviate1138]

Not sure I would want to fly or travel on a fly by wireless aeroplane. [New Scientist isn't what it used to be]

Fly-by-wireless set for take-off - tech - 07 September 2009 - New Scientist

[MU3001A]

[Donkey497]

Getting the control signal to the point of application might be OK, but you still need to get electrical power there as well.

Short of direct, line of sight microwave transmission to each consumer, I don't think there's currently any other viable way to transmit useful levels of electrical power to discrete consumer points other than by cabling & I can't see the point in setting up microwave waveguide systems in a plane & converting power to & from microwave form to zip it about the aircraft when you can just run a lighter & more flexible cable.

And if you're running a power cable, why not just superimpose a control signal on top of the power transmission?

Feel free to correct me if I'm not fully up to date.......

[keith smith]

I cannot imagine anything more dangerous.Many of the devices and systems that it is suggested be connected by this meansare in the category of safety of life.The threat of deliberate or accidental interference to metal connectos is bad enough, but doing it to critical microwave transmissions boggles the mind.
As far as weight is concerned wouldn't fibre optics be better with high bandwidth and less interference-prone. I thought that the military had been doing it this way for some time. Perhaps somebody could correct me if not.
Keith

[Denti]

It was often alluded as the next step in fly by wire technology to transfer the signals via fibre optics. Since signal and power transfer are different systems still it might be viable to use fibre optics instead of electric transfer. As you said there are numerous advantages in using fibre optivs vs. electric signal transfer, however as far as i know it is a technology not used on new aircraft concepts in civil aviation.

[keith smith]

Denti
Iam pretty sure it hasn't reached civil aviation yet, but is it practiced in the military side?

[Pugilistic Animus]

Whether for good or bad, new ideas are dangerous---perhaps we should get FBW correct first

[leewan]

but is it practiced in the military side?

I guess UAVs count as fly by wireless.

[Storminnorm]

Interesting bit this, I always thought that the now defunct
Britannia engines, the Proteus, had "Radio Controlled"
throttle/engine controls?
Perhaps I'm wrong. It was a long time ago.

[steamchicken]

I would think the biggest issue here is that with enough energy you can spoil any radio system at a distance

[good spark]

storminnorm
brit had an ultra throttle system, electric and dodgy.

[good spark]

in fact there is a fully wireless system on some freighters i have worked on
its belly hold fire detection.







gs