Avionics - A 'new' senior partner in aeronautics

The application of electronic devices to aviation, particularly to air vehicles, has given rise to the term avionics. This term is now widely understood. The extent to which the technology that it represents is pervading aeronautics, however, is much less so. Although avionics often refers only to mission equipment packages (MEPs), increasing use of the term vehicle management system (VMS) by practitioners indicates its broader usage, and both MEP and VMS uses of avionics are considered in this paper. Several specific engineering developments that have made the influence of avionics so profound for aeronautics are summarized. It is noted that the earliest applications were in the form of equipment add-ons to existing vehicle types. However, the benefits of exploiting avionics and the increasing need to rely on them have now reached a level that requires their capabilities to be accounted for at every stage of aeronautical vehicle system design. As a result, the integration of avionics into the aircraft development process is now a matter of primary concern. Further, with the power of present-day digital technology, the associated software has become as complex and crucial as hardware. After reviewing the growing number of functions for which the capabilities of avionics are being used, the additional impact of so-called smart materials and structures is introduced, and the implications of avionics for aircraft designers and aerospace engineering educators are discussed.