Very interesting - sounds like the last step before a completely un-manned drone airliner - "The controller can uplink speed, heading, and altitude changes to the airplane. These show up on a second line right under the speed, heading and altitude displays on the mode control panel. If you pilot wants to use them, he can press a XFR button next to each window. The controller can even uplink a conditional clearance, like - After passing point XYZ, climb to FL390. If you accept this, it will do it automatically."
On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 11:59 PM, <relng...@aol.com> wrote: > Over the last ten years there have been many posts here and elsewhere > bewailing "all them electronics" in late model MBs which make the > ownership of > one a nightmare when the cars get a few years on them. So they think. > > So take warning because the following post will may bring on a fainting > spell. > > From a pilot friend. > > ------------------------------ > > > > > > I just completed the first pilot training class on the > > 787 at United Airlines, an airplane which is destined to replace the 767 > > and live for many years after I retire. Here's what I've learned in 787 > > training so far. By the way, last night we passed our MV (maneuvers > > validation) check ride, with emergency after emergency, and the FAA > > observing. Tonight was our LOE (line-oriented evaluation), again with > > FAA - this time 2 FAA observers. It's 0200 and I just got back to the > > hotel and poured a well-earned glass of wine to celebrate. I now have a > > type rating in the 787. Phew. I'm pretty confident this will be the last > > one for me. > > > > > > > > I've summarized some of the major differences and unique > > features of the 787 versus more traditional "old school" airplanes like > > the 777 (not kidding) - from the pilot's viewpoint. Our "Differences" > > course takes 11 days to gain an FAA type rating, which is a "common" > > type rating with the 777. The course has been like drinking from a fire > > hose, but has finally come together. Some of our pilots attended > > Boeing's 5-day differences course, and deemed it unacceptable. The FAA > > approved the Boeing 5-day course, but our guys decided it lacked too > > much information. FAA is observing our checkrides now, and taking our > > course as well, to certify the training. We're just the guinea pigs. > > > > A computer nerd would describe the 787 as 17 computer servers > > packaged in a kevlar frame. The central brains is the Common Core System > > (CCS). Two Common Computing Resources (CCRs) coordinate the > > communications of all the computer systems, isolating faults and > > covering failed systems with working systems. When battery power is > > first applied to the airplane in the morning, it takes about 50 seconds > > for the L CCR to boot up. After this, a few displays light up and you > > can start the APU. If there is a major loss of cockpit displays, this > > may require a CCR reboot, which would take about a minute. Here are a > > few of the major features and differences from the 777. > > > > Electrics - Though a smaller plane, the 787 has 4 times the > > electric generating power of the 777 - 1.4 gigawatts. Generators produce > > 235 VAC for the big power users. Other systems use the traditional 115 > > VAC and 28 VDC. There are 17 scattered Remote Power Distribution Units > > which power about 900 loads throughout the plane. The big power > > distribution system is in the aft belly, along with a Power Electronics > > Cooling System (PECS). This is a liquid cooling system for the large > > motor power distribution system. There's also an Integrated Cooling > > System (ICS), which provides refrigerated air for the galley carts and > > cabin air, and a Miscellaneous Equipment Cooling System for Inflight > > Entertainment Equipment. > > > > > > > > If 3 of the 4 engine generators fail, the APU starts itself. The APU > > drives two generators, and can be operated up to the airplane's max > > altitude of 43,000 feet. If you lose all 4 engine generators, the RAT > > (ram air turbine) drops out (like a windmill), powering essential buses. > > (It also provides hydraulic power to flight controls if needed). > > > > If you lose all 4 engine generators and the two APU generators (a really > > bad day), you are down to Standby Power. The RAT will drop out and > > provide power, but even if it fails, you still have the autopilot and > > captain's flight director and instruments, FMC, 2 IRSs, VHF radios, etc. > > If you're down to batteries only, with no RAT, you'd better get it on > > the ground, as battery time is limited. Brakes and antiskid are electric > > - 28V - so you don't lose brakes or antiskid even when you're down to > > just standby power. > > > > Normal flight controls are hydraulic with a couple exceptions. Engine > > driven and electric hydraulic pumps operate at 5000 psi (versus normal > > 3000 psi) to allow for smaller tubing sizes and actuators, thus saving > > weight. If you lose all 3 hydraulic systems (another bad day), you still > > have two spoiler panels on each wing which are electrically powered all > > the time, as is the stabilizer trim. You can still fly the airplane (no > > flaps, though). If you're having an even worse day and you lose all > > hydraulics and all generators, flight control power is still coming from > > separate Permanent Magnet Generators (PMGs) which produce power even if > > both engines quit and are windmilling. If the PMGs fail, too, your > > flight controls will be powered by the 28 V standby bus. > > > > If you lose all 3 pitot/static systems or air data computers, the > > airplane reverts to angle of attack speed (converts AOA to IAS), and > > this is displayed on the normal PFDs (primary flight displays) airspeed > > indicator tapes. GPS altitude is substituted for air data altitude and > > displayed on the PFD altimeter tapes. Very convenient. > > > > If you lose both Attitude and Heading Reference Units (AHRUs), it > > reverts to the standby instrument built-in attitude & heading gyro, but > > displays this on both pilot's PFDs for convenience. > > > > If you lose both Inertial Reference Units, it will substitute GPS > > position, and nothing is lost. > > > > If someone turns one or both IRSs off in flight (I hate it when they do > > that), you can realign them - as long as one of the GPSs is working! > > > > There is no pneumatic system. The only engine bleed is used for that > > engine's anti-ice. Wing anti-ice is electric. Each of two air > > conditioning packs control two CACs, which are electric cabin air > > compressors. The four CACs share two air inlets on the belly. Each pack > > controller controls two CACs, but if a pack controller fails, the > > remaining pack controller takes over control of all 4 CACs. > > > > There are no circuit breakers in the cockpit. To check on them, or if > > you get a message that one has opened (more likely), you select the CBIC > > (circuit breaker indication and control) display on one of the MFDs > > (multi function displays). There you can reset the virtual C/B if it is > > an "electronic" circuit breaker. You can't reset a popped "thermal" > > circuit breaker. > > > > If you have an APU fire on the ground or inflight, the fire > > extinguishing bottle is automatically discharged. If there is a cargo > > fire, the first two of seven bottles will automatically discharge also. > > > > There's a Nitrogen Generation System which provides automatic full-time > > flammability protection by displacing fuel vapors in the fuel tanks with > > nitrogen (Remember TWA 800?). > > > > Like the 767 and 777, the 787 also has full CPDLC capability > > (controller-to-pilot datalink communications). In addition, its full > > FANS capability includes ADS-B in & out. The controller can uplink > > speed, heading, and altitude changes to the airplane. These show up on a > > second line right under the speed, heading and altitude displays on the > > mode control panel. If you pilot wants to use them, he can press a XFR > > button next to each window. The controller can even uplink a conditional > > clearance, like - After passing point XYZ, climb to FL390. If you accept > > this, it will do it automatically. > > > > Fuel system - like the 777, the 787 has a fuel dump system which > > automatically dumps down to your maximum landing weight, if that is what > > you want. In addition, it has a Fuel Balance switch which automatically > > balances your L & R main tanks for you. No more opening crossfeed valves > > and turning off fuel pumps in flight. No more forgetting to turn them > > back on, either. > > > > Flight Controls - An "Autodrag" function operates when the airplane is > > high on approach and landing flaps have been selected. It extends the > > ailerons and two most outboard spoilers, while maintaining airspeed, to > > assist in glidepath capture from above, if you are high on the > > glideslope. The feature removes itself below 500 feet. > > > > Cruise flaps is an automated function when level at cruise. It > > symmetrically moves the flaps, ailerons, flaperons, and spoilers based > > on weight, airspeed and altitude to optimize cruise performance by > > varying the wing camber, thus reducing drag. > > > > Gust suppression - Vertical gust suppression enhances ride quality when > > in vertical gusts and turbulence. It uses symmetric deflection of > > flaperons and elevators to smooth the bumps. This should result in fewer > > whitecaps in passengers' coffee and cocktails. Lateral gust suppression > > improves the ride when on approach by making yaw commands in response to > > lateral gusts and turbulence. > > > > Instrument Approaches - The airplane is actually approved for autoland > > based not only on ILS but on GLS approaches - GPS with Ground based > > augmentation system, which corrects the GPS signals. GLS minimums are > > the same as CAT I ILSs - 200' and 1/2 mile visibility. Our airline is > > not yet approved for GLS autolandings yet, though we will be doing GLS > > approaches. > > > > Special Cat I & II HUD approaches - These allow lower than normal > > minimums when the Heads Up Devices are used at certain approved airports > > (HUDs). The HUDs include runway centerline guidance which helps you stay > > on the centerline on takeoff when visibility is greatly reduced. It uses > > either ILS or GLS for this. > > > > Cabin - Pressurization differential pressure maximum is 9.4 psid, so the > > cabin altitude is only 6000 feet when at the max cruising altitude of > > 43,000 feet. There is a cockpit humidifier switch, and cabin air > > humidification is fully automatic. Cabin windows are larger than other > > airplanes, and window shading is electronic. The passenger can select 5 > > levels of shading, from clear to black. The flight attendants can > > control the cabin lighting temperature - mood lighting - to aid in > > dealing with changing time zones (evening light after dinner, morning > > light to wake up, etc.). > > > > Much of the cockpit seems like it was designed by Apple. The Control > > Display Units (CDUs) are virtual, so you can move them from one MFD to > > another. In fact, you can configure the displays in 48 different ways, I > > think, though we have found a few favorites we will use to keep it > > simple. To move the cursor from one MFD to another, you can either use a > > button, or you can "flick" your finger across the trackpad (Cursor > > Control Device) to fling the cursor from one screen to the next - much > > like an iPad. > > > > I'm going home this morning, and will return for a 777 simulator ride > > before I go back to work. They want to make sure we've still got the > > old-fashioned legacy airplane in our brain before we fly the 777 again, > > even though it shares a "common type rating". We won't get the first 787 > > until October, and begin operations in November or December. At that > > time I'll return for at least 4 days refresher training before beginning > > IOE - initial operating experience in the airplane - with passengers. > > > > What a ride. It may be "fuel efficient", but I'm glad someone else is > > paying for the gas. > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > -- OK Don 2001 ML320 2012 Passat TDI DSG 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
