On Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:29:37 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:51:14 +0100, Mike wrote:

Boeings have always had issues with their design. 737 rudder
hydraulics for example were a death trap waiting to happen and some
****wits let them keep flying despite a serious design issue being
known about for 15 years... and as for the 747, we have fuel tanks
that explode, engines that fall off, lightning strikes that make the
wing fall off to name but a few.

The 737 issue was with the rudder screw.

No, it's not *that* rudder problem which was on the MD80 and a
lubrication (or lack of) issue.

The 737's problem was associated with actuator reversal. Pilot
commands right rudder and gets left, commands left rudder and gets
right. Planes kept falling out of the sky killing all on board, one
pilot survived and told them what happened yet Boeing still said it
*couldn't* happen. Eventually they found out it did, and then, with
greta releuctance finally agreed to modify the actuators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737_rudder_issues


An engine that fell from I
think an AA DC10 was caused by a pylon fitting that was damaged by
a engine refit.

Happened on 747's too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Al_Flight_1862


Flight 800 fuel tank exploded under extraordinary
conditions and was corrected. As far as lightning taking out a wing,
what flight was that?

Yet another 747, 9th May 1976 near Madrid

http://aviation-safety.net/database/...?id=19760509-0


Didn't an Airbus 310's rudder rip completely off the fuselage a few
years ago.

Yes, in October 2001 near NYC

Boeing has been making some pretty reliable military and
civilian aircraft for 60 years. Airbus?

39 years, the heritage of the constituent companies of Airbus goes
back way before then though. 'Airbus' were crashing planes when Mr
Boeing was still in short pants

All newer military aircraft depend entirely upon a 'robot' to fly
them. A human can't respond fast enough to fly an aircraft
purposefully designed to be aerodynamically unstable like the
F/A 117, F16, YF 22, F 18/e.

There is no element of response on such aircraft, you often have to
move controls in completely the opposite direction and at a different
rate to what you might perceive to be the right one


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