Aviation electronics, also called avionics. A very fancy term, isn't it? The subject is even fancier. Avionics, in nut shell is the application of electronics engineering for the purpose of navigation, guidance and control of any aerial vehicle. When I say aerial vehicle, it can be an aeroplane, a helicopter, a space shuttle, a missile, a satellite launch vehicle, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)- any thing that flies through unnatural means.
Man flew for the first time on 17th December 1903, when Orville Wright took to the skies in his Wright flier. At that time, there was nothing called avionics. Avionics came into being with the start of World War II. Advantages of having air superiority had been realised and acknowledged at the end of World War I, but by the beginning of WW II both Allies and the Nazis jumped into a technology race which saw many inventions like RADARs, Jet Engines and of course, Avionics!!
Today, after almost eight decades of WW II, avionics has become an indispensable part of aviation. Almost 75% of the cost of a modern day airliner is that of its avionics, majority of technological evolution is taking place in the field of avionics and the world has moved on from mechanical aeroplanes to fully electronic aeroplanes. Be it flight controls or engine controls, navigation or communication, instrumentation or weapon deliver, avionics is ubiquitous. So next time when you see a plane or a helicopter zip by the sky, or watch a missile or launch vehicle being successfully tested on TV, just remember, Avionics is at work!!!!
Man flew for the first time on 17th December 1903, when Orville Wright took to the skies in his Wright flier. At that time, there was nothing called avionics. Avionics came into being with the start of World War II. Advantages of having air superiority had been realised and acknowledged at the end of World War I, but by the beginning of WW II both Allies and the Nazis jumped into a technology race which saw many inventions like RADARs, Jet Engines and of course, Avionics!!
Today, after almost eight decades of WW II, avionics has become an indispensable part of aviation. Almost 75% of the cost of a modern day airliner is that of its avionics, majority of technological evolution is taking place in the field of avionics and the world has moved on from mechanical aeroplanes to fully electronic aeroplanes. Be it flight controls or engine controls, navigation or communication, instrumentation or weapon deliver, avionics is ubiquitous. So next time when you see a plane or a helicopter zip by the sky, or watch a missile or launch vehicle being successfully tested on TV, just remember, Avionics is at work!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment