Import substitution of software in aviation. Why don't we take off?

We continue the story of a redneck coder who just can’t become a millionaire. Now there will be a touching story of how we began to replace imports of MATLAB in aviation, when no one asked us to do so, and before it became fashionable and youthful!

As I already said, American corruption turned a nuclear physicist into a coder, but I couldn’t immediately get far from nuclear reactors, despite all my isolation. Therefore, our company’s first commercially successful projects were related to “shit and steam” technologies, as the navy calls the nuclear reactor of nuclear submarines. Don’t ask why the reactor is nuclear and the submarine is nuclear, science doesn’t know. But in the end, our software began to be used for the design of nuclear reactor control systems: first as a modeling system, then for automatic generation of control software, then more, and now our code is located directly in the control system.

Our first foray into aviation was at the dawn of our rapid activity, somewhere in 2010 – 2012. Although this was not a drop-in, but rather a random drop-in as a result of Brownian motion across different conferences. You know how things happen because of promiscuous relationships. At one of the conferences, a developer of interfaces for pilot frames for a helicopter ran into us. He was tired of drawing aerobatic footage in CorelDraw. The problem was that the images in CorelDraw are static, but on the device during the flight the pilot can make switches, and the images constantly change during the flight.

The development cycle then was as follows: the developer, creating technical specifications for the programmer, drew in CorelDraw what he wanted to see and described the switching logic in text. All this went to the manufacturer of the device, programming took place there, the device came to the developer-customer and then, as always, it turned out that it was done not quite right and a little wrong. It needs to be redone. It was necessary to repeat the explanations again for the device programmers, which greatly slowed down the process and annoyed the customer.

This is a standard story for all programmers. Because the programmer didn’t read the technical specifications, and if he did, he didn’t understand, and even if he did understand, it wasn’t right.

And at one of our presentations, quite by accident, a flight frame developer saw how a valve control window pops up on a calculated thermal-hydraulic diagram in SimInTech, and then failures are introduced. The picture looked something like this:

If you're interested, you can see how it works in a video demonstration. follow the link

From my point of view, you need to have either professional deformation and see video footage of helicopter control everywhere, or simply an infinitely rich imagination in order to imagine helicopters when looking at the valves. But for better or worse, the flight sequence designer asked us to tweak the technical animation system a bit, and we did it.

After this, instead of endless approvals with the manufacturer of the equipment for the appearance and switching logic using an endless set of static pictures and text, you can immediately create a working pilot frame and “live” test any operating and switching logic, even before they start cutting all this beauty in a specialized software on expensive devices.

Aviation traditionally uses the Esterel Scade package to create control software and flight instruments. He is all certified and qualified from head to toe, and an Esterel Scade license costs as much as a small plane, well, or a wing from a Boeing 737.

At one enterprise they proudly showed me a prototype of an aircraft cockpit on ordinary monitors and computers; it was a stand for testing ergonomics with video frames as in Figure 2. When asked what software you used, they proudly answered Esterel Scade.

– It costs a lot for a license!

– Well, it’s expensive, but it’s a certified product.

– It is also certified to generate code for the on-board control system so that you can create software for the device that is installed in a real aircraft. That's why he's so expensive. You just have monitors and computers to evaluate ergonomics, why do you need certification? For that kind of money, they will draw you a porn movie pixel by pixel in 4K, and not just these pathetic pointers and numbers. And there will still be a budget left to conduct a real casting with professional artists of any genre.

At that time they could not explain to me why they should pay more if the difference is not visible.

We sold a couple of licenses to helicopter pilots and, in principle, did not aim for more. Which was logical, because at that time all avionics were bought in the West ready-made, and there weren’t that many of our enterprises that needed a system for designing flight personnel and software for aircraft instruments. I didn’t see a serious market there then. And we returned from the high romance of aviation back down to pipes, reactors and other boring heavy pieces of hardware.

And the main story began after the control system for the reactor compartment of one of the domestic nuclear power plants was programmed using our software. I don’t know why, but the implementation of our code for nuclear power plants had a devastating effect on my fragile mind.

The main developer had already programmed for the RBMK before and he once even caught an AZ at an operating nuclear power plant, so he was calm as an elephant. Most likely, its last nerve cells were destroyed during the adjustment of the RBMK. Therefore, he calmly chewed his food and reassured me as best he could: “Calm down, I’m telling you, I’ve done this a hundred times!”

I couldn’t get too angry and didn’t sleep for weeks. I was scared to open the news. Suddenly the nuclear power plant with our software has already exploded (t-t-t). I was afraid to look at the phone, suddenly there was a message that the nuclear power plant stopped due to an error in our software and we now have to pay for all the downtime. I would like to note that a nuclear power plant is a terribly expensive machine for printing money. The fact is that the main costs are for construction, and when the nuclear power plant is already launched, the wild generation of money begins. The cost of nuclear fuel in the price of electricity from a nuclear power plant is absolutely nothing; turn on the nuclear power plant – money flows. Stopped it and there were losses. Every day of unplanned downtime of a nuclear power plant costs crazy amounts of money.

Since I have a rich and sick imagination, the horrors of possible problems did not allow me to sleep. And even heavy doses of alcohol helped little. I was already thinking about switching to other substances, despite the fact that I had not yet fully realized myself in alcohol. But the case of illegal and criminal chemicals helped here. But not in the way you might already think.

One day after another evening from Friday to Monday, I got into a criminal story. It was a classic scam among extinguished clubgoers. First, a taxi picks you up at the club, then it breaks down, and the driver calls a friend who will take you there under the motto “customer focus is our everything.” You change trains and, even if you were accompanied by friends, the car number is already different, and the driver who picked you up already has an alibi. The driver of the second taxi asks permission to stop and buy some water. Logically, it’s already morning, and he worked all night. He stops at the store, grabs a Red Bull for himself, and, out of the kindness of his heart, takes the same can of energy drink for a client. It is useful for the client, that is, for me, after a binge. The level of customer focus is skyrocketing. I drink and also fly away. I landed on a bench in another area of ​​the city, thank God, the same thing, but without money and documents. The last thing I remember, despite the fact that the dose of alcohol in the club was close to lethal, I still noticed that the can was open, and I could even think that it was strange, but I could no longer think and fell asleep.

The most wonderful thing about waking up was the feeling that I had gotten enough sleep after all the weeks of insomnia. What’s typical is that my anxiety and restlessness disappeared, I slept like a baby and was a cucumber in the morning. The anxiety dissipated and I felt dry and comfortable again. It cost me about 3,000 – 5,000 rubles, which I had left after the club. I think a psychologist would have cost more.

I have heard that some wealthy businessmen spend a lot of money on retreats, traveling to special places abroad to try the herbs of Indian shamans in special institutions. You drink a special potion to pass out, then piss yourself, shit yourself and vomit on the mattress under the supervision of specially trained staff, in order to cleanse yourself, achieve zen and enlightenment. I achieved healing and enlightenment without even pissing myself, for only a measly 5,000 rubles, except that I had to get a new passport out of the blue. (I don’t recommend repeating it!)

Having reached a new level of awareness, I suddenly decided that we were ready for further breakthroughs (we also participate in a breakthrough, but that’s another story). And the life cycle of our company already seemed to me like biological evolution: we started under water, like fish (we made software for submarines), then we got to land and became arthropods (our software controls nuclear power plants), the next step and the next element is air, and that means aviation! I was sure of this (awareness is like that). If I decide to do something, I will definitely drink it.

After sleeping on a bench under the influence of criminal chemicals, my mind cleared, my third eye opened, and I decided that we were ready for aviation simulation. We have flight video frames and images of instruments, there is software code generation for control systems important for the safety of nuclear power plants, and there is Russian software – a replacement for Simulink. Do you have Sumulink? Then we are coming to you. And we can't be stopped!

It was 2014, Crimea was ours, and the smell of sanctions, import substitution and big money was clearly in the air.

Our chief technical specialist melancholy asked my idea to conquer the ocean of air:

– And you won’t be afraid to fly, knowing that our software is used in aviation?

– No, I won’t be afraid to fly, because Russia has a developed railway network.

– What if we sell our software to Russian Railways?

– Then we will have one problem: lamba or fera. There will still be a risk that a plane will fall on the lamp. But in a lamb I can probably put up with such a risk, and who has it easy now?

So we went into aviation. What do you need when you enter a new field of science and technology? Of course, you need a partner, as Lenya Golubkov taught us from the MMM advertisement. I'm not a freeloader, I'm a partner!

We are specialists in “shit and steam”, and here we have aviation. This means that we need a specialist who will professionally explain why the plane flies but does not flap its wings. Of course, nuclear scientists have experience in flying a thousand-ton RBMK reactor cover made of metal structures and concrete, but it flew low, close and not for long, and this was clearly not enough for us to enter aviation. We need competent specialists.

This is how we reach a scientific institute where there are people involved in modeling the movement of aircraft. Moreover, they just used Simulink as the basis for their developments. For brevity, we will further call this development, say, SimFly. Here it is! The finger of fate and the hand of God. The stars have aligned. It would seem that it’s simpler: we replace Simulink with our software and, voila, we earn money, which MATLAB shovels.

The first meeting with the SimFly developers went with a bang. The leader was a real authoritative scientist, he said that his models of the flight dynamics of an aircraft (aircraft) in Simulink are the most dynamic of the flight and the most flight of the dynamic, and the SimulinkAerospace toolbox was written by some half-educated students. And he, like a real scientist, threw out the Simulink Aerospace toolbox and created his own domestic library of blocks.

He told an amazing story about how he, a great developer, was swindled by arrogant Russian MATLAB sellers trying to rip off Aerospace Toolbox and Aerospace Blockset.

“Can you imagine what these impudent sellers told me, the world authority in the field of aircraft dynamics? “We,” they say, “are the exclusive sellers of Matlab Simulink in the Russian Federation, and only we make decisions in what configuration to sell to you. Since you are an institute related to aviation, then be so kind as to buy Aerospace Toolbox and Aerospace Blockset from us, otherwise we will not sell you anything at all.”

I answer them: “Why do I need your student’s craft, if I myself, with these hands, assembled my own Aerospace Toolbox from integrators and adders with dividers. And most importantly, your axes are directed in the other direction; we can’t use your Aerospace Toolbox at all, because the planes will stick into the ground!”

“So what? – they answer – Buy everything or nothing.” Those freaks!

But, like a real scientist, I called my friend in England, complained about the Russian MATLAB sellers to their white owner, and he put these pathetic traders in their place. And now our institute buys Matlab Simulink without any Aerospace Toolbox, Aerospace Blockset and other slag, and our SimFly is used in all aviation design bureaus in Russia, nearby galaxies and surrounding areas.”

After listening to this story, I became emotional and brushed away a tear of emotion. For the first time, I saw in person a person who did real import substitution of MATLAB components. At that moment I felt like a little wild Mowgli, to whom the old experienced Baloo was telling the secrets of hunting. Before me stood a living legend who really replaced imports of Simulink Aerospace and Aerospace Blockset, when I was still walking under the table in children’s panties and selling French software. I was thrilled with admiration and I wanted to say: “You and I are of the same blood, our pack will fight by the deep water with red dogs. MATLAB won't work!

Everything coincided, now we have a real scientist, he does not like red MATLAB sales dogs, just like me. And most importantly, he has deep scientific knowledge in the field of modeling, and such international authority that even in Britain they listen to him, and at his call they change the terms of sale of MATLAB. Here he is – a real partner, with whom we will now break into aviation and tear everyone to the British flag. I came up with a congenial plan, which I immediately proposed: let’s transfer SimFly to our software and divide the money that goes into MATLAB!

My calculation was simple: using shuttle diplomacy methods, I received a commercial offer on Matalb Simulink. There was a fantastic amount: $76,500 for one workstation with Aerospace Toolbox and Aerospace Blockset components.

It turned out that if we imported MATLAB Simulink together, we could share $75,000 from one workplace! And this is not bad money at all.

And if the SimFly library, according to the developer, is used in all aviation design bureaus in Russia and abroad, and even the British know and respect it, then the money is in our pocket. We can lower the price to $50,000. And everyone, absolutely everyone, will be happy. After all, the design bureau will save $25,000, I offered $25,000 for SimFly, well, I’m also taking $25,000 for myself. Am I a trembling creature or do I have the right? An excellent plan for making money, reliable as Raskolnikov’s ax.

Having received such fantastic figures, I became interested in how much MATLAB earns and how much can be obtained from its import substitution. We turn on shuttle diplomacy again and receive the following letter from MATLAB sellers:

15 million bucks a year goes from Russian military organizations for American software! It's just some kind of holiday! Now we will replace all this, and even lower the price to 10 million or even 5 million, but it’s still millions of dollars! Hurray, we are rich!

To prove that we can replace Simulink, we took the aircraft lateral motion model from the SimFly developers and carefully reassembled it into SimInTech. Of course, everything matched down to the penny – everything worked out.

To make it convenient for great scientists, we, with the help of MAI specialists, have collected different options for creating models, both in the form of a system of blocks and in a built-in programming language.

It is clear that scientists in a special scientific institute must be able to edit the models to take into account all the latest amendments to Newton’s laws. Therefore, an open interface with the ability to make changes was used for all blocks. For example, the following figure shows a model with an open programming language editor, which describes the calculation of an aircraft in quaternions, completely open for editing by specialists.

In the shortest possible time, a library of blocks was created that were needed to calculate the flight dynamics of the aircraft.

I reasoned like this: if our not very skillful crooked hands of nuclear physicists, accustomed to the valves and pipes of nuclear power plants, with the help of MAI specialists were able to assemble and launch a model of an airplane, a model of an aerial bomb and create movement in quaternions and Euler angles, then real aerodynamic scientists They will collect everything like two fingers on the asphalt. Moreover, they have already done the same in the form of SimFly. (As we later found out, this is not easy, but very simple. Here is an article about comparing flight dynamics in SimInTech and Simulink).

In short, the money was already in my pocket.

The only small thing left is to go through the SimFly users, give each a $25,000 discount and divide the remaining $50,000 in half with the SimFly developers. For the cost of just one license, we could rebuild everything from Simulink in our software three times. Moreover, great flight dynamics specialists are on our side; we are in the same pack and the same blood.

We began to negotiate with real scientists to transfer SimFly to our library of flight dynamics blocks, and discussed how much we could pay for it. While there is no real customer, we were preparing to invest our money. Things went swimmingly.

And here is another magical coincidence. As specially, one of the design bureaus announces a competition for MATLAB Simulink. The budget has been allocated, you can divide the money. Let me remind you that it was 2014, Crimea was ours and import substitution had already begun, at least in cheeses and jamon. Then it’s a matter of technique – all that remains is to lure a pack of red dogs to the black rocks near the big water and tear them to the British flag.

Then I write an official letter to the director of the design bureau with approximately the following text: “We ask you to stop the procedure for purchasing enemy software, since there is a truly domestic one, which is better and cheaper than the bourgeois one. Because this contradicts the policy of the party, the government and personally the comrade president. We inform you that our software is successfully used in the nuclear industry and, thanks to this, our ships ply the oceans, and Rosatom’s package of foreign orders amounts to many billions of dollars, and no one buys your planes, because the software you want to use is ungodly and not kosher. Take our solution, you will be happy with a big discount.

Answer us, otherwise

if you don't answer

We’ll write in Sporlotto!”

Such a letter can no longer be left unanswered, and the design bureau begins to prepare a justification where they must explain that without American software no plane will fly anywhere. Where do they turn for justification? Correctly to the scientific institute where our partner, ally, veteran of import substitution and personal enemy of MATLAB Simulink sellers works. This powerful old man, a giant of thought and the father of Russian democracy, will not let you down.

You can put champagne in the refrigerator and split the money.

Imagine my surprise when after some time I received a response from KB. Something like this:

“Thank you very much for the offer, your appeal is very important to us, but we cannot accept it. Here's an expert opinion”

And I see a conclusion from this very institute, where the following was written in black and white:

“Unlike SimInTech, the MATLAB/Simulink environment has been used for many years… Many projects have been completed in this environment… A variety of software has been created that expands the capabilities of MATLAB/Simulink in the field of aircraft flight dynamics, speeds up and simplifies research and calculations…. Thus, in our country MATLAB/Simulink is a kind of “industry standard”…we consider it impossible to abandon MATLAB/Simulink in favor of SimInTech…”

Instead of fighting at the black rock, Tabaqui went north. And no help came, no reinforcements were sent…

At that moment, I clearly understood that Russia has only two allies in the matter of import substitution: the US State Department and Ursula von der Leyen personally.

There were still 10 years left before sanctions were imposed on design software.