Word: computerizes
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...wire controls make thousands of computerized adjustments a minute, allowing pilots to fly planes that are far more streamlined -- but less stable -- than those of the past. Many U.S. military planes are now completely computer controlled, including the F-14 and F-16 fighters and the B-1B bomber. But those planes do not need to be as stable as commercial airliners. Says Tom Foxworth, a pilot for a major U.S. airline: "The difference is that if things go wrong, military pilots can pull a switch and bail out. But your Aunt Tilly in the back of a commercial airliner...
The computers of advanced aircraft like the A320 are also programmed to prevent pilot error by limiting the plane's response to dangerous commands. But some pilots believe such safeguards could be a handicap in emergency situations that require sudden maneuvers, like those necessary to avoid a collision. Says John...
Computer-controlled jets are attractive to the airlines at least partly because of their low operating costs. The gadgetry of the A320 eliminates the need for a third member of the cockpit crew, creating a cost-cutting advantage for airlines struggling for profits in the age of deregulation. Airbus also...
...moving in the same direction as Airbus, but more cautiously. The new Boeing 757 and 767 models have computer-controlled engines, though the wing and tail surfaces are still linked to the cockpit by hydraulics. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, the replacement for the DC-10, will be fully computerized, but the wing and tail surfaces will have a mechanical backup system so that "whatever the airplane is capable of, the pilot can get full response," a spokesman says. Nonetheless, mechanical linkages will no doubt be obsolete someday. Boeing is even studying the feasibility of controls that will be connected...
Welcome to the eccentric world of recreational hoboing. The tramp from Beverly Glen is Actor Bobb Hopkins, 39, founder of the National Hobo Association. He drives a Mercedes and until recently lived near affluent Century City in Los Angeles. On the road he carries a secret credit card, which he...