Boeing delays Dreamliner again

While you can't really test quality into a product, testing is often vital to reduce risk of major failure due to design or production issues. Aircraft manufacturers always do extensive testing on new planes because safety is of paramount importance. From Investors.com:

Boeing said it discovered areas around the part of the plane where the wings join the fuselage that need to be reinforced during recent tests on the airplanes.

Scott Fancher, Boeing's 787 program manager, said the 36 areas — 18 on each side — cover about 1 to 2 square inches each.

"We're talking about a relatively small number of parts and a relatively simple modification here, and we are designing it so the parts can be installed in fully assembled aircraft," he said in a conference call. "We are already moving toward a solution."

During a test late last month that involved bending the 787's wings to simulate flight conditions, workers discovered greater-than-expected stress in the plane's so-called side-of-body structure, according to Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of airplane programs for Boeing's commercial airplane division. Further tests completed late last week showed the plane needed structural reinforcement before it could be flown, he said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, testing showed stresses that the design model didn't predict, and would "would severely limit the plane's flight test abilities". It was a costly decision for management, but going ahead with flight tests against their engineers' advice would have been a worse PR and fiscal nightmare:

Boeing's Dreamliner program was already running nearly two years behind schedule. With the plane's latest delay, it is unclear when Boeing will finally fly the 787 or deliver the airplane to its first scheduled customer, Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. In a statement, ANA chastised Chicago-based Boeing for not providing guidance on an updated delivery schedule.

The setback will likely cost the company millions of dollars in penalties and concession to customers who have ordered the plane.

I'd much rather they got it built right than on schedule!

Metro computer malfunction?

Yesterday, there was a tragic crash on the Washington DC Metrorail system. It killed nine. Tonight, there are indications that computer malfunction may have been at least partly to blame. From Associated Press (h/t Drudge Report):

WASHINGTON – Investigators looking into the deadly crash of two Metro transit trains focused Tuesday on why a computerized system failed to halt an oncoming train, and why the train failed to stop even though the emergency brake was pressed.

At the time of the crash, the train was also operating in automatic mode, meaning it was controlled primarily by computer. In that mode, the operator's main job is to open and close the doors and respond in case of an emergency.

I took Metro to work today, and it was somewhat surreal to hear the PA system announcer gingerly refer to "a situation" at the Fort Totten station requiring the use of shuttle buses and an extra hour of travel time for affected Red Line passengers.

Stop Waxman-Markey!

Speaker Pelosi has scheduled the Waxman-Markey Bill for a vote this week, even though the ink is barely dry on it. The bill is formally known as H. R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Politico reports, "House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has overcome one of the last big obstacles standing in the path of his landmark climate-change bill, cutting a deal with Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, who sought greater protections in the bill for farmers and other rural interests. Their agreement sets the stage for a vote Friday in the House." (h/t Lucianne.com)

The Competitive Enterprise Institute is one of the organizations campaigning against the bill:
"We urge that voters contact their Representative immediately by calling the House switchboard at (202) 225-3121. Tell your Representative to vote No on H. R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Voters may also send their Member an e-mail by going to www.cei.org/1984 and clicking on the link to the action page."

Why do I object to this legislation? Basically, it does nothing to solve the problems it's ostensibly written for, but will inflict huge costs on our country. Whether you believe or not that humans and greenhouse gases (e.g. CO2) will lead to further climate warming, this is a terrible bill.

1. As Hugh Hewitt noted on his radio show this evening, it's not designed to solve global warming, it's designed to raise revenue. Over at MasterResource.org, Chip Knappenberger writes:

Without a large reduction in the carbon dioxide emissions from both China and India—not just a commitment but an actual reduction—there will be nothing climatologically gained from any restrictions on U.S. emissions, regardless whether they come about from the Waxman-Markey bill (or other cap-and-trade proposals), from a direct carbon tax, or through some EPA regulations.

2. The energy taxes will raise prices throughout the economy. Remember $4.00 gasoline? A few years from now that may seem awfully cheap! Many people argue that gas should be at least $10/gallon to "properly" account for its alleged environmental costs. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors is just the latest example. But this legislation also hits coal and natural gas, which together provide about 70% of our electric supply if my math is right. (Data from Energy Information Administration) So electric cars won't be a bargain either. Naturally, that's made some House member nervous. PlanetGore has background on some of the horse trading here and here.

3. Because of price inflation, economic output (GDP) will less than it would be without the energy taxes. Heritage Foundation has run the numbers and they are staggering:

Higher energy costs create a significantly slower economy and reduce America’s growth potential. Heritage analysis finds that by 2035, a projected 2.5 million jobs are lost below the baseline (without a cap and trade bill). The average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) lost is $393 billion, hitting a high of $662 billion in 2035. The negative economic impacts accumulate, and the national debt is no exception. The increase in family-of-four debt, solely because of Waxman-Markey, hits an almost unbelievable $114,915 by 2035.

4. If you're concerned about our dependence on foreign oil, it would make more sense to encourage development of domestic sources even as alternative sources emerge from the R&D phase over the next couple of decades. But this bill does nothing to encourage domestic production or otherwise increase supply.

Newt Gingrich now heads up American Solutions. They have lots more information and an online petition I've signed:

http://www.americansolutions.com/take-action/petition/index3.php

Tell your Congressional Representative to vote NO and spread the word to your friends. We can't afford this bill.

Posted on both RareKate Writes and Thwarting Murphy blogs.

Space Poop

One of the challenges a designer should think about is that the real end-user may not fit the assumptions. Take the toilets on the International Space Station, for instance. From Pravda:

Until recently, Russian cosmonauts and US astronauts did not distinguish between their toilets and used the one that was closer. However, the food, which space researchers eat, differs greatly. The Russian space food is more savoury, more natural and more diverse, which US astronauts acknowledge too.

The menu of the Russian crew has over 300 dishes. Here is the daily menu of Valery Korzun, the commander:

Breakfast: curds and nuts, mashed potatoes with nuts, apple-quince chip sticks, sugarless coffee and vitamins.

Lunch: jellied pike perch, borsch with meat, goulash with buckwheat, bread, black currant juice, sugarless tea.

Supper: rice and meat, broccoli and cheese, nuts, tea with sugar.

Second supper: dried beef, cashew nuts, peaches, grape juice.

It just so happens that the consistency of fecal matter turns out to be rather thick against the background of such a diet.

The menu of US astronauts is nutritious as well, but it looks more like a diet ration and presumably consists of exotic fruit, vegetables, sea food and low-fat meat. That is why, their waste is much softer. Engineers took account of these peculiarities when designing the sewage system for the ISS. It just so happens that the solid Russian waste ruined the US toilets in space.

The astronauts were sick and tired of toilet breakdowns and unpleasant odors. NASA was eventually forced to order a toilet system from Russia. US tax payers paid $19 million for the space toilet. The new construction was installed in the US department of the ISS.

(H/T The Corner)

I don't really care if the story is completely factual or not. The fact remains that end-users seldom care about the design specs, and will find novel ways to use and abuse products over time.

Cross-posted at RareKate Writes.