Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics.airliners Path: news From: driscoll@src.honeywell.com (Kevin Driscoll) Subject: Re: REVIEW of _FMC User's Guide_ X-Submission-Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 10:48:24 CST References: Message-ID: Approved: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM X-Submission-Message-Id: <9212171648.AA18464@couqusmungus.src.honeywell.co> Sender: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Date: 17 Dec 92 13:27:34 PST > The book is oriented around the Smiths Industries FMS, in use on the 737, > but the author explicitly addresses differences and similarities with the > Honeywell lineage, which is in use on more types of airplanes. The phrase "more types" more correctly should be "all other types" since the FMS on all commercial transport airplanes except the 737 are Honeywell's. However, saying that there is a lineage is a bit strong. Being a modern customer driven company 8^), we build the FMS that the airframer wants. That is why on over half the flights where I fly the A320 jump seat, the pilots ask me why the A320 FMS is not as good as the Boeing versions. And the answer is -- "That is the way Airbus wanted it." With the differences in FMSs, it is hard to see how one manual can cover them all. The NW pilots I have talked to universal like the A320's FMS manual. You may want to order one from Honeywell pubs. With the way that ATAs are now piloted, I think an FMS manual is the closest thing there is to a "pilot's guide" to the airplane.