Zack,
--snip--
>Anyhow, "avionics" hardware is more robust than you think. I'd take
>my chances with everyone being allowed to be armed - the hijacker
>isn't getting more than one or two shots. Airplanes can fly with lots
>of damage.
>The knowledge that no attempt is going to work is a great deterrent.
It might interest you to know, that Boeing airliners still use
control cables for flight functions. So, avionics might be damaged
beyond use, but flight control is still enabled.
I can't speak for the 787. But All other models default to
control cables when electrical power is lost. Not so for Airbus planes,
as they didn't keep control cables for flight surfaces after the A330,
if memory serves me correct here. Boeing took a lot of heat for that
decision, but it was the best selling point put forth when =all= electrical
power is lost - as did happen with a 767, back a bit ago.
The engines resort to a 'flight idle' condition which still
allows flight and landing in the case that all electrical power is lost.
ET
--
Politics: The bane of liberty.
Freedom has no need for politics.
Tyranny has every need for politics.
Politics is that art of convincing others that they need to be
enslaved for the good of the many, or the few, or even the one.
