4 ms·

I commented about this in one of the other threads, but didn't really get to the important point, so I'll throw it out here. Basically every new airliner desig

I commented about this in one of the other threads, but didn't really get to the important point, so I'll throw it out here. Basically every new airliner design suffers delays and problems entering commercial service. That's not new, but the level of media saturation (aided by this "internet" thing) probably is. The other thing that's new... is that the planes aren't crashing and killing people. New airliners of yore had a tendency to do that (as with the DC-10's cargo door, for example). The last two to enter service -- the A380 and the 787 -- have both had problems that resulted in voluntary or involuntary grounding, but the planes have stayed in the air, landed safely when in-flight problems occurred, and everybody's survived those problems. Which, given how vastly more complex modern airliners are, is really a hell of an accomplishment.

jessaustin 14y ago
It's a real testament to the safety practices of modern aircraft design, manufacture, maintenance, and management. I'm not convinced that someone from the space industry, which by the statistics has worse results, would have anything to teach them. It would be great if some of the aircraft industry's techniques could influence IT (although admittedly many of the things we do are less life-threatening than flying at 35,000 ft). It would be even better if they could influence medicine. Far too many people die because there is no systematic measurement and analysis of medical practice.
venomsnake 14y ago
This was a friendly jab. I have a few friends that work as a technicians and engineers, so i know what the challenges in the industry are. But battery overheating problem seems like someone underestimated the problem gravely - it is not something new or surprising.
- lmm 14y ago
  We get a story about it happening on a new laptop every few years - it seems like every time you create a new battery there's a risk of this. One would hope Boeing would use an old, certified design, but perhaps modern in-flight entertainment systems use enough power that they needed higher-capacity batteries than had previously been used on aeroplanes?
  - jrockway 14y ago
    The batteries are not for IFE. One is for starting the APU (a generator that starts the main engines and supplies power on the ground), and the other is for supplying the critical systems when both engines and the APU fail simultaneously (i.e., they run out of gas). When the engines are turning, there is no shortage of power for amenities. They used LiIon batteries for the same reason your laptop and phone do: they're small and have good energy density. The older technologies are not. Weight is a big deal and when you want 10% better fuel economy than you had before, you need to cut every gram.

jessaustin 14y ago

It's a real testament to the safety practices of modern aircraft design, manufacture, maintenance, and management. I'm not convinced that someone from the space industry, which by the statistics has worse results, would have anything to teach them. It would be great if some of the aircraft industry's techniques could influence IT (although admittedly many of the things we do are less life-threatening than flying at 35,000 ft). It would be even better if they could influence medicine. Far too many people die because there is no systematic measurement and analysis of medical practice.

venomsnake 14y ago

This was a friendly jab. I have a few friends that work as a technicians and engineers, so i know what the challenges in the industry are. But battery overheating problem seems like someone underestimated the problem gravely - it is not something new or surprising.

lmm 14y ago
We get a story about it happening on a new laptop every few years - it seems like every time you create a new battery there's a risk of this. One would hope Boeing would use an old, certified design, but perhaps modern in-flight entertainment systems use enough power that they needed higher-capacity batteries than had previously been used on aeroplanes?
- jrockway 14y ago
  The batteries are not for IFE. One is for starting the APU (a generator that starts the main engines and supplies power on the ground), and the other is for supplying the critical systems when both engines and the APU fail simultaneously (i.e., they run out of gas). When the engines are turning, there is no shortage of power for amenities. They used LiIon batteries for the same reason your laptop and phone do: they're small and have good energy density. The older technologies are not. Weight is a big deal and when you want 10% better fuel economy than you had before, you need to cut every gram.