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Airbus has to use inch fasteners at least to
fasten American engines to the wings. I do not know more, but I do hope that
Airbus used metric as wherever possible.
Just as our navy, it has to use FFU in some areas,
but it uses metric wherever possible. The instruments of their helicopters are
metric, except for altitude and speed. They measure water depth in
meters; I saw all that on an open day and I was extremely pleased. Years
ago, while on land exercise, navy personnel had to use yards and
miles. That is a thing of the past.
Han
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, 2003-02-14 0:22
Subject: [USMA:24846] Re: New space
Shuttle
2003-02-13
That information was discussed on this list some years
ago. Airbus uses the same fasteners (inch based) that are used on
American planes. If you know something the rest of us don't, fill us
in. I for sure would love to believe Airbus is 100 % metric.
But, until proven so, I can't.
BTW, "thou" is a British term. The US uses "mil"
to mean 0.001 inches.
John
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, 2003-01-11 15:50
Subject: RE: [USMA:24795] New space
Shuttle
Where on earth do you get the idea Airbus uses FFU? From my experience
dealing with French aircraft manufacturers, they are 100% metric, but all
manuals include FFU as well as the metric. The engines however are made in
the US and are normally all FFU. The same would go for ArianeSpace
except the engines are made in Europe also. I subscribe to Flight
International printed in Britain, which is predominantly metric with
some FFU in brackets when they convert from some US source, otherwise it's
all metric. An interesting aside, I was talking to our aircraft maintenance
technician who told me a cut in an aircraft tire was OK as the depth did not
exceed 160 Thou! I asked what is that to someone who did not deal in Thou
(Thousands of an inch), turns out it was 4 mm, he seemed impressed that this
was something he understood much better than the 160 Thou. When measuring
the brake pad remaining on each brake, he used millimeters only with no inch
conversion. The Wheel assembly (gear) is made my Messier Dowty and the Tires
by Michelin.
Mike Payne
----- Original Message -----
Sent: 09/2/03 21:43:59
Subject: [USMA:24795] New space
Shuttle
2003-02-09
Today's Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on a new
concept design for a future space shuttle. The article was written
by David Wood of Newhouse News Service.
I don't hear much about Ariennespace these
days. I'm wondering what they are doing. Do they produce their
parts and rockets in metric or are they like the Airbus and use FFU?
What does anyone know about the Chinese efforts in space? Do we know
for sure if they use metric in their designs? If they surpass NASA
in space, can we be guaranteed that they will be a powerful force in
metricating space and help reverse the US's FFU-ing of space? Will
the future space shuttles be designed and built in metric?
The article had a "picture" of a concept shuttle,
with Boeing's name all over it. If Boeing designs a future
replacement shuttle, can we count on it being metric? Can we really
trust NASA to follow their own rules and design all future projects in
metric?
John
--- Michael Payne
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