Why Not Use PC To Make Glass Cockpit?

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 23:02:25 GMT, john smith wrote:

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:
Being a software developer, I am very suprised to discover that not
every aicraft costing over $30,000 has a full-featured glass cockpit.
Unless I am missing somethnig, it appears that everything that a pilot
needs can be made with very very cheap hardware.

Already been done.
10-15 years ago Burt Rutan had one of his aircraft (Catbird?) completely
controlled by an Apple laptop computer with custom coded software.

His asymetric twin, Boomerang used a laptop for much of the
instrumentation.

Nathan Young wrote:
On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 23:02:25 GMT, john smith wrote:

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:
Being a software developer, I am very suprised to discover that not
every aicraft costing over $30,000 has a full-featured glass cockpit.
Unless I am missing somethnig, it appears that everything that a pilot
needs can be made with very very cheap hardware.

Already been done.
10-15 years ago Burt Rutan had one of his aircraft (Catbird?) completely
controlled by an Apple laptop computer with custom coded software.

His asymetric twin, Boomerang used a laptop for much of the
instrumentation.

I think this is just wonderful. I've always dreamed of making an
ultr-lightweight aircraft using advance controls like this.

Hopefully in a few years I will be able to jettison my current
occupation and devote my effort to it full-time.

-Chaud Lapin