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> How much aeronautics/airworthiness/safety R/D is actually conducted by the FAA? Virtually none. It's widely recognized that airine mfg. technology is a rapid
by redis_mlc 5y ago
> How much aeronautics/airworthiness/safety R/D is actually conducted by the FAA?
Virtually none. It's widely recognized that airine mfg. technology is a rapidly moving target, and the FAA is not in the airline mfg. business.
The FAA is in the business of collecting and reviewing certification data, which is why the fake MCAS paperwork is a really big deal.
NASA operates the X-planes R/D program, not the FAA.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/images/X-Planes/index.html https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/images/X-Planes/index...
- redis_mlc 5y agoJust to add to my comment above, the FAA does have a very important role in air crew and evacuation standards and testing. Not spendy, but getting the pax out 30 seconds faster can save a lot of lives, for example. One hole that I can think of is when a jet lands, but doesn't depressurize and open the doors. There have been a couple airline disasters that killed all the crew and pax when that happened - the pax either suffocated or died of smoke inhalation, and nobody deplaned. Another is that the more entertainment systems that get wired up to seats, the more electrical fires will occur. The Swissair crash off Newfoundland was bad, but there will be more.