Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site tekred.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekred!normb
From: normb@tekred.UUCP (Norm Babcock )
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: X-29 Article
Message-ID: <313@tekred.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 5-Apr-85 17:09:48 EST
Article-I.D.: tekred.313
Posted: Fri Apr  5 17:09:48 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 7-Apr-85 03:16:15 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Redmond OR
Lines: 18


This months Mechanixs Illus has an article on the X-29,
written by the test pilot. After the usual stuff about
how tough it is to get a new plane into the air, (preflight
checks take over an hour), they talked a little about the
flight control systems.

There are three voting on-board flight computers. Two can
fail, the remaining can control the plane. They call it
'fly-by-wire'. If all three are fail, it changes to 'fly-
by- prayer'. Evidently the aircraft is so unstable in pitch
because of the swept forward wings, that they estimate it
would take just two-tenths of a second to self-destruct, due
to excessive loads. The pilot did say that the thing is a joy
to fly. I'd bet that X-29 pilots will get real close to their
friendly computer maintenance man.  

tektronix!tekred!normb