Boeing Using Technology from Spacecraft, UAVs to Bolster Safety of 737 MAX Written 24 August 2020

Bloomberg  reports that The Boeing Company “is preparing to bolster the long-term safety of its troubled 737 Max with technology borrowed from space vehicles and urban drones that can provide data to help back up its sensors.” The system – “known as synthetic air data – takes existing information on the aircraft, runs it through a computer program and produces readings that mimic what costly additional sensors provide.” University of Minnesota aerospace engineering Professor Demoz Gebre-Egziabher “and others caution the technology involves knotty challenges, and it’s most likely not something Boeing can slap on the Max in a few months.” The “new suite of virtual sensors Boeing is planning to add to the plane is a result of demands by the European Aviation Safety Agency, which has repeatedly said it wants even more protections for the Max.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)