>
> The FAA has many specifications, some of them very specific to a
particular
> instrument such as an altimeter, and some much more general ones such as
(I
> think I'm remembering the number correctly, but I am over 50, you know)
> DO-178B which specifies how software is to be tested for various levels of
> life-criticality.
>
> A few FAA specifications are available for free from their website or from
> the gov't printing office, but most of them are maintained by a private
> firm, which charges quite substantial fees for copies (As I recall, it is
> several hundred $$$ for DO-178B).
>
> If you are interested in pursuing avionics development, I would suggest
> joining the EAA (expreimental aircraft association), which is a member of
> the consortium that controls that FAA-document-controlling private firm.
A
> couple of years ago when I had more spare time and was actively trying to
> learn how to build electronic instruments, I contacted the home office of
> the EAA, and found that, while most of their members were more interested
in
> building airplanes, there were a few who were interested in the gizmos on
> the panels, and the organization was interested in helping them obtain the
> necessary documents.
>
> Aviation is very strange.  It has its commercial side which is incredibly
> bogged down in FAA red tape, insurance, and lawyers -- to the extent that
> Cessna has three lawyers for every engineer on their staff.  The
commercial
> builders make one or two hundred small planes a year.  And then there's
the
> "experimental" homebuilt side, where you can build just about anything you
> want, and if you can convince one inspector that it will fly and not kill
> you or some bystander, you can get it licensed as a real airplane.
> Homebuilders build one or two thousand small planes a year.
>

There is far more room for inovation in the Experimental category.  These
airplanes are faster (and slower depending on your taste) than the factory
built.  Most of the technology that the factory is putting in is from the
60's.

A lot of the builders are engineers, and not afraid of challenges.  I know
of
a couple of "projects" using PIC's to monitor engine funtions, homeade
autopilots, specialized safety systems, etc.  These people are very
interested
in doing things better, safer, and cheaper.

http://www.eaa.org I think

tc