[El Gato]

The Shuttle uses specially built IBM AP-101 flight computers whose architecture has been around since at least the very early 1970's. I believe their instruction set is similar to old IBM 360 mainframe computers. Over the years the AP-101 has been upgraded to newer versions that contain more memory and features, but it still retains essentially the same instruction set.

A different version of the same processor was used in the Saturn V, IIRC. Plus the AWACS uses one too. The AWACS one is called the 4 PI, in fact I think think the whole family is called that, by IBM(well the company was IBM until recently, I've lost track of what it is now). It's called that because architecturally it's essentionally two 360s. (You figure it out) The AWACS people refer to it as their "steam driven computer". It does the job, barely in some cases, and not so well in others, but it does it. Those too have fairly recently been upgraded.

BTW the B-52 uses 386s in the navigation system, mainly to drive the displsy I think.

[plano29]

The AWACS people refer to it as their "steam driven computer".

I think those old flight computers comsume the same amount of power as a hair dryer or small oven.