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Developer of X-Plane builds autopilot to land plane during engine failure (x-plane.com)
11 points by michael_miller on Oct 27, 2012 | hide | past | favorite | 3 comments


Given the low level of software quality and the abundance of software defects in the X-Plane product,no one should ever use this Autopilot in the absence of an FAA / EASA certification approval. A Certification process which is first and foremost based on the establishment of a safety culture of "life critical" product development which Laminar Research does not currently practice, and which is currently "ad-hock". Safety critical systems must never be developed with the "worse is better" mentality.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." Richard Feynman


This product is also not "revolutionary" in any way, as Austin Meyer hypes. NASA developed this technology over a decade ago during both the AGATE and SATS research programs.

http://cafefoundation.org/v2/tech_enablingtech_eCFI.php


Here is a video of it in actual use [1] mounted on Austin Meyer's custom built Evo [2]

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl_Vmypg76k

[2] http://www.x-plane.com/hardware/evo/evo.html




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