Apparently the FAA didn't think is was necessary to have fire suppression in the avionics bay area.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/25 ... sb_report/

Harkins back to Value Jet 592 in my mind where fire suppression systems were not required in the forward cargo holds of MD-80s.

Woops.

I don't know of any other transport category a/c that has fire suppression in an avionics bay.

Normally you have

-Engines/APU & cargo fire protection. That's it.

Wheel well detection only.

Obviously, there were numerous engineering challenges with regard to the 787 but it is, by accounts, a fine machine, present circumstances notwithstanding.

That said, Lithium Ion batteries scare the crap out of me.

If you have ever seen one light off, it is darn impressive - as long as it is not beneath your seat.

Otherwise, it's terrifying.

Look for videos of a "Willie/Pete" grenade. You'll get the idea.

I'm pretty sure there isn't much fire suppression is going to do about a battery fire like that.

It would be cool you could eject the battery core like the Enterprise can eject its warp drive when it is about to go critical.

Sorry. I got to get off that SyFy Channel.

It's really screwing me up.

That article, with its "penny wise, pound foolish" comment is a very poor excuse for journalism.

Agreed. The facts are not in.

Moreover, Boeing hardly pinched pennies in building the 78.

What's a "SyFy" channel?

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=54017&hilit=pulse+weapon

I think they just pop the Dilithium Crystals, not the entire warp drive assembly.
The WDA is tied in with enviro grid on the EBC-1, whereas the DCs are just primary for WDA at +WD factor 1.9 or so. Just sayn.

Agreed. The facts are not in.

Moreover, Boeing hardly pinched pennies in building the 78.

I think the decision was as much political as monetary. Japanese airlines have been reliable purchasers of Boeing aircraft for many years and I suspect there was considerable pressure to include Japanese parts.

However, nobody knows yet whether the problem is in the Japanese battery, the French monitoring system, or some other part originating in Somalia.

Fire suppression for LiIon ain't easy. According to a recent AW&ST article; once they
begin thermal runaway, it's a chain reaction with no way to stop it until all the fuel is
exhausted ... and one of the thermal runaway byproducts is oxygen which feeds the
thermal runaway.

They also said that the Cessna certified the CJ4 with LiIon; and after problems, replaced
LiIon all with NiCad.

LiIon batteries (as cargo) are believed to have downed two 747's and one DC8
freighters.

According to a retired UPS pilot I know the freighter fire was detected by onboard sensors that transmitted a warning to the ground via ACARS. The guys on the ground knew there was a fire. Or had reason to suspect there might be. The guys in the cockpit did not and nobody thought to inform them until it was too late.
"It's a trucking company," my friend said. "Not an airline."
Robin

Star Trek ?

Next we will have toliet seats for the the Kingons