Last Plane Without a Computer

[Charles Talleyrand]

I'm going to guess the last successful airliner without a computer was
the Boeing 737 original version. And the largest sucessful airliner
without a computer was the Boeing 747 original. And I believe the last
successful large bomber without a computer was the B-47. Can anyone
confirm or refute this?

In particular, no internet source says if the engine controllers were
mechanical or computer.

Definitions:
There can be no necessary computer at all. Not in the engine
controller nor in the flight controls. If there is a computer, the
plane should be useable with that computer turned off.

A computer is an electronic machine with a CPU, RAM, and software.
Mechanical computing devices do not count for this exorcise (though
they are interesting).

-Curious
-Kitplane01

[Brett]

"Charles Talleyrand" > wrote:
> I'm going to guess the last successful airliner without a computer was
> the Boeing 737 original version. And the largest sucessful airliner
> without a computer was the Boeing 747 original. And I believe the last
> successful large bomber without a computer was the B-47. Can anyone
> confirm or refute this?

The B-47 had a bombing and navigation system that included an analog
computer.

[David Dyer-Bennet]

"Brett" > writes:

> "Charles Talleyrand" > wrote:
> > I'm going to guess the last successful airliner without a computer was
> > the Boeing 737 original version. And the largest sucessful airliner
> > without a computer was the Boeing 747 original. And I believe the last
> > successful large bomber without a computer was the B-47. Can anyone
> > confirm or refute this?
>
> The B-47 had a bombing and navigation system that included an analog
> computer.

Yeah, but he defined computer, and his definition clearly limits it to
digital computers.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, >, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com/> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/>
Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>

[Brett]

"David Dyer-Bennet" > wrote:
> "Brett" > writes:
>
> > "Charles Talleyrand" > wrote:
> > > I'm going to guess the last successful airliner without a computer was
> > > the Boeing 737 original version. And the largest sucessful airliner
> > > without a computer was the Boeing 747 original. And I believe the
last
> > > successful large bomber without a computer was the B-47. Can anyone
> > > confirm or refute this?
> >
> > The B-47 had a bombing and navigation system that included an analog
> > computer.
>
> Yeah, but he defined computer, and his definition clearly limits it to
> digital computers.

Well "his definition" should have come before his claim of what didn't have
them.

[Robert M. Gary]

Didn't the original 737 have a fuel computer (really just a calculator,
but still electronic with CPU, etc)? I'm not sure what you mean by
"software" the line between "software" and "firmware" is pretty blurry
to me, but then again, I've worked as an engineeer designing both. You
can update the "software" of the caluclator by changing out the chip.

-Robert

[David Dyer-Bennet]

"Brett" > writes:

> "David Dyer-Bennet" > wrote:
> > "Brett" > writes:
> >
> > > "Charles Talleyrand" > wrote:
> > > > I'm going to guess the last successful airliner without a computer was
> > > > the Boeing 737 original version. And the largest sucessful airliner
> > > > without a computer was the Boeing 747 original. And I believe the
> last
> > > > successful large bomber without a computer was the B-47. Can anyone
> > > > confirm or refute this?
> > >
> > > The B-47 had a bombing and navigation system that included an analog
> > > computer.
> >
> > Yeah, but he defined computer, and his definition clearly limits it to
> > digital computers.
>
> Well "his definition" should have come before his claim of what didn't have
> them.

Or you should have read to the end of his message before responding.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, >, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com/> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/>
Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>

[Brett]

"David Dyer-Bennet" > wrote:
> "Brett" > writes:
>
> > "David Dyer-Bennet" > wrote:
> > > "Brett" > writes:
> > >
> > > > "Charles Talleyrand" > wrote:
> > > > > I'm going to guess the last successful airliner without a computer
was
> > > > > the Boeing 737 original version. And the largest sucessful
airliner
> > > > > without a computer was the Boeing 747 original. And I believe the
> > last
> > > > > successful large bomber without a computer was the B-47. Can
anyone
> > > > > confirm or refute this?
> > > >
> > > > The B-47 had a bombing and navigation system that included an analog
> > > > computer.
> > >
> > > Yeah, but he defined computer, and his definition clearly limits it to
> > > digital computers.
> >
> > Well "his definition" should have come before his claim of what didn't
have
> > them.
>
> Or you should have read to the end of his message before responding.

Nah, if he wants to use his own definition of a computer his post should
have started with it.
So when his opening paragraph was garbage, the rest of it got dumped.

[[email protected]]

On 20-Nov-2005, "Charles Talleyrand" > wrote:

> I'm going to guess the last successful airliner without a computer was
> the Boeing 737 original version. And the largest sucessful airliner
> without a computer was the Boeing 747 original.


I have no idea if this is true or not, but the B-747 was certificated after
the B-737 so if neither had a computer then the 737 couldn't be last.

Also, are you considering only airplanes from the US? I suspect that some
Russian airliners and/or bombers from later dates didn't have computers.

--
-Elliott Drucker

[Diamond Jim]

"james cho" > wrote in message
...
> Charles Talleyrand wrote:
> > A computer is an electronic machine with a CPU, RAM, and software.
> > Mechanical computing devices do not count for this exorcise (though
> > they are interesting).
> That definition of "electronic computer" is limited to modern digital
> microcomputers. Why not include analog computers?
>
>
> james

Why not include mechanical computers?

[Don Hammer]

I flew a B-707 that had two INS's and a Loran. All three were
certainly computers of the digital kind. Before that a 1969 G-II with
the same INS.