Aerospace Software

The First Successful Commercial Aircraft

Perhaps you already know this, perhaps you don't. I certainly didn't when I first read about it many years ago in a "non-aerospace" related book: The Fifth Discipline by Peter M. Senge. 

At the least, such information could be conversation starters (for nerds?). At best they remind you of the innovations that goes almost unnoticed, which we take for take for granted, but which established an industry that you and I are today part of.

Here's the blast from the past ... enjoy!

The Wright Brothers proved that powered flight was possible, but the McDonnell Douglas DC-3, introduced in 1935, ushered in the era of commercial air travel. The DC-3 was the first plane that supported itself economically as well as aerodynamically. During those intervening thirty years (a typical time period for incubating basic innovations), myriad experiments with commercial flight had failed. ...[E]arly planes were not reliable and cost effective on an appropriate scale.

The DC-3, for the first time, brought together five critical component technologies that formed a successful ensemble. They were: the variable-pitch propeller, retractable landing gear [the pilot of the 2nd B787 flight will understand this!], a type of light-weight molded body construction called "monocoque," radial air-cooled engine, and wing flaps. To succeed, the DC-3 needed all five; four was not enough. One year earlier, the Boeing 247 was introduced with all of them except wing flaps. Lacking wing flaps, Boeing's engineers found that the plane was unstable on take-off and landing and had to downsize the engine.

Wanted to know about aircraft business and didn't know who to ask?

I have been in the Aerospace domain for quite some time now, but never managed to get a good overall picture.
Why? I guess I have been lazy. One could always reserach on Internet.
Besides, there is always osmosis - one absorbs what is going on just by being in the business, even if it is Aerospace Software domain.

Ok we all know that there is Boeing and Airbus and Embraer and Bombardier and the lot.
But what is the dynamics of the aerospace market?
How do the major player interact?
Let me make it simpler ... How is an aircraft sold?
Why should an airline choose one over the other?
How did Airbus manage to overtake Boeing (for a short while!) even though it came in late?
Millions of questions ...

Some of these have been answered. I have, in my hand, a very interesting book called Boeing Versus Airbus written by John NewHouse. I am still reading the book, but already am forming a good impression of the aircraft-domain-dynamics.

So if you are like me, and always wanted to get the whole picture, look no further. Go buy this book.

Programming Embedded Systems by Michael Barr and Anthony Massa

Programming Embedded Systems is an essential reading at AKS. I should qualify that: I refer to the first edition. I used to wonder if Michael Barr would come up with an updated edition. To my pleasant surprise, while browsing at Foyle's, I chanced upon a single copy of the next edition. Just started reading it. I bet it would be as entertaining (yes! technical books can be entertaining) as the first version.

Managing Humans by Michael Lopp

Very interesting and I would gladly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read a management book written by someone who has seen it all - in other words, a hands on management book.

However, I would be careful to set the context first. Michael Lopp is clearly from the "non-embedded domain" and the following extracts can never be found in a book written by a manager from the aerospace domain:

" A well-written specification will document all of your details, but do you have the time to write and maintain specifications? I don't. I'm coming up on a decade and a half of working at fairly successful companies, and I can count the number of useful specifications I've read on two hands. Really."

That said, keeping the correct context in mind there are many things to learn from Michael. After all, software industry is human intensive and handling humans is an art that can only be refined by experience and knowledge.

See better reviews in http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Humans-Humorous-Software-Engineering/dp/159059844X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203273053&sr=1-1