Boeing Starliner: 2 SW bugs found, patched, uploaded in-flight to avoid disaster

[MadTux]

So thats basically what happens if you put wings onto a M$ Windoze PC?

The craziest part is that most airliners wouldn't even need FlybyWire. Only planes such as F16, F22, F35... which are designed to be aerodynamically unstable in some conditions, for max maneuverability, really need it. Not even a manual mode, where you control the hydraulics directly, is build into it.

So, just like with M$ Windoze, you keep adding crap, because you can, until it crashes.

[tom66]

Airbus aircraft are almost entirely fly by wire and they work pretty well, with a few documented incidents but primarily down to crew training.  Nothing unsafe about a well-designed FBW aircraft, it just requires competent engineers and management, along with a strict and independent regulator to test it. 

[tszaboo]

I guess they needed...
                                                                    ...over the air update!

  ba dumm tss. Slowly awkwardly walks out.

[eugenenine]

And if you are wondering "Is 1 million lines of code a lot?" then  https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/million-lines-of-code/

Some comparisons with similar projects (the "machine" category):

Space shuttle                0.4 million
F22 Raptor fighter         1.7 million
Hubble space telescope  2 million
Boeing 787                   6.5 million (avionics and support)
F35 fighter                   24 million

windows 10        50 million   https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-lines-of-code/a8f77f5c-0661-4895-9c77-2efd42429409
Linux                   27million  https://www.linux.com/news/linux-in-2020-27-8-million-lines-of-code-in-the-kernel-1-3-million-in-systemd/

The F35 could be its own OS

[rdl]

Don't confuse basic fly-by-wire with stability control systems. Manual fly-by-wire is how it all started.

In other news:

NASA declares Starliner mishap a “high visibility close call” (Ars Technica)

"Boeing stands ready to repeat an OFT."