According to the Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, the buildings in London where the king's cabinet worked (the Treasury and the Privy Council) were called the "Cockpit" because they were built on the site of a theater called The Cockpit (torn down in 1635), which itself was built in the place where a "cockpit" for cock-fighting had once stood prior to the 1580s. However, a convergent etymology does involve reference to cock fighting. The same term later came to designate the place from which a sailing vessel is steered, because it is also located in the rear, and is often in a well or "pit". Thus by the 18th century, "cockpit" had come to designate an area in the rear lower deck of a warship where the wounded were taken. The midshipmen and master's mates were later berthed in the cockpit, and it served as the action station for the ship's surgeon and his mates during battle. The word "cockswain" in turn derives from the old English terms for "boat-servant" ( coque is the French word for "shell" and swain was old English for boy or servant). It referred to an area in the rear of a ship where the cockswain's station was located, the cockswain being the pilot of a smaller "boat" that could be dispatched from the ship to board another ship or to bring people ashore. Airbus adds that no relocation of the computers in the avionics bay will be necessary.The word cockpit seems to have been used as a nautical term in the 17th century, without reference to cock fighting.
Suppliers including Thales, Safran, Collins and Liebherr are participating in the equipment updates for the programme. “Ramp-up will be done over 2023 to standardise E-rudder by early 2024,” says Airbus, adding that the simpler system will save fuel and reduce maintenance costs.
#AIRBUS A320 COCKPIT SOFTWARE#
The primary flight-control computers will have updated hardware and software, and software changes will be made to several others, while the rudder-actuation systems will be modified.
#AIRBUS A320 COCKPIT PLUS#
The rudder will be controlled through the two elevator-aileron computers, for normal law, and the two remaining spoiler-elevator computers, plus the back-up module, in direct law.Īirbus will also reconfigure control of the inboard spoilers, which were previously tied to the third spoiler-elevator computer. The E-rudder programme will replace the mechanical interface with an electrical one, saving some 40kg in weight by enable the removal of several fixtures and three computer units.īoth flight-augmentation computers and one of the spoiler-elevator computers will be withdrawn, along with the yaw-damper and rudder-trim actuators, and the travel limiter unit.Ĭonversion to the E-rudder system involves installing a new rudder-pedal unit in the cockpit, new rudder-position sensors, and a back-up control module. Under the current A320 and A320neo fly-by-wire architecture, seven computers – two flight-augmentation computers, two elevator-aileron computers, and three spoiler-elevator computers – handle the flight-control surfaces.īut although the flight-augmentation computers provide input for yaw damping, rudder travel limit and trim, the rudder system retains mechanical linkages between the pedals in the cockpit and the hydraulic rudder actuators.Īirbus will convert production of A320neo-family jets to feature E-rudder as standard But it will not be fitted to conventional A320-family jets, nor will it be available as a retrofit. The E-rudder will become standard on the A319neo, A320neo and A321neo range. While the initial delivery had been intended at the end of this year, with an A320neo powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines, Airbus says it is “reviewing the introduction scenario” given the disruption from the pandemic. The modification will coincide with the entry into service of the long-range A321XLR which is being developed with the ‘E-rudder’ architecture in mind.
#AIRBUS A320 COCKPIT FULL#
Decade of Airline Excellence Awards 2020Īirbus is aiming to replace the mechanical rudder controls on A320neo-family aircraft, switching to a full electric rudder system by early 2024.
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