Avionics bay

Flight recorder (orange) in the aft equipment center of Boeing 747

Avionics bay, also known as E&E bay or electronic equipment bay in aerospace engineering is known as compartment in an aircraft that houses the avionics and other electronic equipment, such as flight control computers, navigation systems, communication systems, and other electronic equipment essential for the operation. It is designed to be modular with individual components that can be easily removed and replaced in case of failure and is designed to be highly reliable and fault-tolerant with various backup systems.[1][2]

Battery fire being investigated in the Aft Electronics Bay of Boeing 787

In larger commercial airplanes, the main avionics compartment is typically located in the forward section of the aircraft under the cockpit.[3] Purpose of its location is to provide easy access to the avionics and other electronic equipment for maintenance and repair.

Avionics bay of a passenger aircraft

For example, on larger aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400, the avionics bays are divided into 3 parts - the main equipment center (MEC), the center equipment center (CEC) and the aft equipment center (AEC).[4]

  1. ^ "Airbus Avionics - AviationHunt". 2022-07-31. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  2. ^ Brady, Chris. "The Boeing 737 E & E Bay". The Boeing 737 Technical Site. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  3. ^ Guenzel, Per-Oliver. "Cabin attendant falling through the avionics bay access panel in cockpit" (PDF).
  4. ^ Dorr, Robert F. (2002). Airliner Tech Series - Boeing 747-400. Vol. 10. Specialty Press Publishers and Wholesalers. ISBN 1-58007-055-8.