I don't believe the Caravelle or the Airbus were ever designed in US Customary, I believe all the design and data were in metric with USC provided to get the airplane certified in the United States. I know this happened with the Focker Friendship turboprop in the 50s and 60s, which was later built in the US by Fairchild. Focker had to provide the FAA with all USC data to get it certified, despite the law passed at the end of the civil war stating no objection to metric only.
Airbus and most aircraft manufacturers now use CATIA CAD software to design aircraft, this was and is developed by Dassault Systems in France. I fly Dassault aircraft and all of the original specifications are SI metric with USC data provided. For example delamination of the windshield is allowed up to 20 mm (with decimal inches provided). When looking at the maintenance computer on the aircraft all the units are SI only, you have to get out the printed maintenance manual to see the inch equivalents. I've spoken with some of the French engineers who apologize, they work only in metric, I tell them I prefer metric as well. Engine exhaust, oil temperatures, etc. on all jet aircraft are in Celsius, whereas smaller piston powered general aviation aircraft made in the USA display Fahrenheit temperatures with those made in Europe displaying SI units for temperature and pressure. The engines and Auxiliary Power Unit are another matter, engines are designed by Pratt and Whitney in the US and Canada and the APU in Phoenix, Arizona. All the design is in inches. Mike Payne On 13/02/2011, at 12:08 , Paul Trusten wrote: > Mr. Fisher ignores the higher purpose of metrication: to give the average > citizen a decimal system of measurement. He also ignores the fact that > metrication is intended to be complete and permanent. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Han Maenen > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: 13 February, 2011 06:06 > Subject: [USMA:49856] Re: Interesting anti-metric argument > > Dear All, > > It was interesting indeed, although I do not accept these arguments, of > course. This is what caught my eye: > "Among them, that Airbus Industrie, the European manufacturer of jetliners, > used the American (yes, American) system of measurement because it was more > accurate." > Just like the French Caravelle in the 50's and 60's had to be designed and > built to USC, Airbus has to use USC. I think, but I am not sure, that the > situation has improved and that Airbus now uses both. > But the argument that USC is more 'accurate' than SI makes me howl. USC and > British Imperial have been second hand metric systems since at least 1959, > based on the 'metric' inch, the 'metric' pound and Imperial had the UK > 'metric' gallon: The imperial (UK) gallon was legally defined as 4.54609 L. > In fact, I consider USC and Imperial as todays' versions of Napoleons' second > hand metric system 'the Systeme Usuel', that was based on the weights and > measures of Paris, and appeared on the scene in 1812, 199 years ago, on > Februay 12. > An inch based on the length of three barley corns can never be used for high > tech work, but an inch defined as 25.4 mm can and is used for such work. And > that supposedy makes USC and Imperial more 'accurate' than SI! > > Greetings, > > Han Maenen > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Pat Naughtin > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Saturday, 2011, February 12 23:16 > Subject: [USMA:49852] Interesting anti-metric argument > > Dear All, > > I have not met with this (1999) anti-metric argument previously. You might > find it of interest. > > See http://www.zaimoni.com/George/Metrics.htm > > Cheers, > > Pat Naughtin LCAMS > Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, see > http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html > Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY > PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, > Geelong, Australia > Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 > > Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped > thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric > system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands > each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat > provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and > professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in > Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian > Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the > UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com for more metrication > information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the > free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: > http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe. > >
