Why Not Use PC To Make Glass Cockpit?

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.