1.1. Avionics systems development

From the very beginning of aviation, electricity and airborne electronic systems have been inseparably connected. The development of aircraft technology would not have been possible without continuous progress in electrical engineering, radio communications, navigation, and automatic control systems. A simplified overview of the historical evolution of avionics is presented in Table 1. During the early stages of aviation, pilots relied mainly on visual navigation and basic mechanical instruments. However, as aircraft performance, speed, and operational range increased, more sophisticated onboard systems became necessary to ensure flight safety and mission effectiveness.

The Second World War provided a major stimulus for the rapid development of avionics technologies. Military requirements accelerated advancements in wireless communication, radio navigation, radar, autopilot systems, and electronic targeting equipment. These technologies significantly improved aircraft operational capabilities and laid the foundation for modern aviation electronics. For example, the Boeing B-29 bomber of World War II incorporated approximately two to three thousand avionic components. Later, the B-52 bomber, actively used during the Vietnam War, contained more than fifty thousand electronic components, while the supersonic B-58 bomber employed nearly ninety-five thousand components. Such growth clearly illustrates the increasing complexity and importance of avionics systems in military and civil aviation.

Avionic systems are designed to provide pilots with the ability to safely, efficiently, and economically operate aircraft from one point on Earth to another. These systems support navigation, communication, surveillance, flight control, engine monitoring, weather detection, collision avoidance, and many other critical functions. Modern avionics significantly reduce pilot workload and improve situational awareness, thereby increasing both operational efficiency and flight safety.

One of the primary objectives of avionics is the automation of aircraft control processes. Automation enables onboard systems to perform a wide range of functions necessary for safe and efficient flight operations while minimizing the number of required crew members. Continuous improvement of avionics systems has resulted in a gradual reduction of cockpit crew size over time. Whereas early commercial aircraft often required a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer, and radio operator, advances in avionics and automation technologies eventually reduced the standard flight crew to only two persons: the captain and the first officer.

The intensive development of airborne electronic systems during and after World War II, together with technological competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War period, contributed to the establishment of the fundamental avionics architectures that are still recognizable today. By the late 1960s, the basic systems for communication, navigation, flight control, and flight information display had already been formed. However, these early avionics systems were primarily based on analog technology. Each onboard system consisted of numerous independent units connected through dedicated point-to-point wiring. Information was transmitted using analog voltage variations or discrete switching signals. As a result, avionics equipment occupied considerable space, added substantial weight to the aircraft, and required intensive maintenance.

The introduction of digital electronics and digital data buses revolutionized avionics design. Digital technologies enabled significant reductions in the size and weight of onboard equipment while simultaneously increasing reliability, functionality, and computational capability. Integrated modular avionics, fly-by-wire systems, satellite navigation, glass cockpits, and advanced flight management systems became possible due to these technological advances. Today, avionics systems represent one of the most valuable and technologically sophisticated elements of modern aircraft, accounting for approximately 60% of the total cost of a contemporary passenger aircraft. . At present the cost of avionic systems account for roughly 60% of passenger aircraft.