Overcoming the Generation Gap in aircraft designs with executable specifications

This paper discusses and demonstrates Model- Based Engineering (MBE) methodologies for systems of systems design to permit co-existence and interoperability among diverse generations of aircraft. It shows the limitations of holistic model- based design methodologies to overcome design challenges for complex avionics systems. The paper shows how legacy aircraft architectures can be analyzed by means of executable specifications and how future aircraft can be derived from existing legacy system level models. It is shown how legacy architectures can be modernized with technology from future aircraft and avionics by utilization, evaluation and validation of executable system models at aircraft level. Two example applications of this methodology from recent German government funded research projects are shown to illustrate the concept for closing the Generation Gap for avionics systems and aircraft in general.