Le Chaud Lapin wrote:

A computer at the center of control would probably end up reducing the
overall weight.

It's funny how people tend to gravitate towards a "central control" idea
even though a totally distributed system is much better. Imagine if
all the ILSs in the world were connected to a central computer and what
happens when that computer fails.

Now, I'm not sure how much improvement is really needed for an airplane.
Airplanes are extremely elegant because of their simplicity. If you
ask a mechanical engineer to design something that converts forward
motion into lift with no moving parts, I doubt that he will come up with
a wing.

We have added a few things such as altimeters, airspeed indicators, etc.
These make flying easier and safer, but strictly speaking, do not
make the plane fly. Next, we add radios, transponders and the like.
Again, these help controllers on the ground with safety considerations,
but don't make the plane fly.

So what does a "central control" add?