If the aircraft industry
opens up to the software industry (and commodity consumer electronics),
Sure thing. Go have a talk with your region's aircraft certification office
about commondity consumer electronics installed in the aircraft. Let us
know how it turns out. On second thought, don't bother, we already know the
answer.
there would be an explosion in interchangeable options, driving the
price very low. Once this happens, the cabins of low-end aircraft
might start too look like this:
assuming your "low-end aircraft" means a piston single....
1. electronic flight log book
can buy these now
2. data logging for everything, for every second of the trip
can do some of this now in MFDs, like engine data
3. maps of entire planet, in multiple forms.
for a piston single ? what the hell for ?
4. flat-panel displays, 1 for each occupant, independent headsets.
5. full-blown entertainment system with library of say, 10,000 songs.
6. DVD players, one for each occupant.
entertainment systems are available today
7. auto-pilot with every type of NAV-AID
are you even a pilot ?
8. software radio for tuning to any frequency...simulatneously.
software controlled digital radios are in avionics today. you're going to
listen to all the frequencies simultaneously ? GPS/FMS will cue up com and
nav frequencies today
9. on-screen assistance for flight patterns (smoke ring tunnels, etc.)
go look at the SATS web site
10. black-box recording of detailed information
expensive and unnecessary, unless its already in some needed equipment
11. real-time narration of history/geography or region immediately
below
go buy a book or put a DVD in
12. computer-controlled climatization, including seat warming
small planes could use improvement here
13. seat-massagers
oh please, get real
14. overhead satellite reception (Sirius, etc.)
this is how you get weather now
15. computer controlled occupant-independent lighting
why does a computer need to get involved
14. laser mount for night-time alignment
existing products show this to be irritating and useless, that's what flight
instruments are for
15. multiple digital cameras mounted inside and outside for trip
recording
you can get these
16. advanced noise cancellation using speakers (superposition so you
can hear still hear radio while the noise is being cancelled)
whatever
Congratulations, you've just doubled the cost of your airplane and put on
enough weight to leave a passenger at home.
There's a lot of innovation going on in the avionics industry for bizjets
and smaller. Most of what you've listed is available, on the way soon, or
being researched. But it is not going to be installed because its a
"commodity consumer electronics". It's going to get installed when somebody
can sell enough of them at a price people will buy it at, and when the FAA
approves the item and its installation. To keep advocating that you should
be able to purchase your primary flight display running Windows from
Wal-Mart is making you look like a fool. And I'm a fool for wasting my time
talking about this when I need to get back to my avionics schematics.
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