How does the FOVE system work with the Airbus FMS?

Question

The Flight Operations Versatile Environment (FOVE) is a separate software system used with Airbus aircraft by dispatchers to determine performance data to enter into the FMS. There seems to be little info on the interwebs about it.

Since the FMS takes the parameters and makes its own calculations, I'm not sure why a separate system is needed. A U.K. CAA bulletin says:

"As [FOVE] gives more accurate performance figures it is generally used on occasions where takeoff performance is more limiting."

In what way does it produce more accurate figures than the aircraft's own FMS? Is FOVE created by Airbus or a third party? If it's third party, has Airbus approved it?

How does FOVE work with the FMS? Do they just override the FMS calculations, or does it give them alternate data to enter into the FMS to create the required parameters?

Answer 1

(Source)

Whether the FMS is capable or not of calculating the V-speeds, it should be checked and may be overridden. It is because the airplane database wouldn't know if there's a temporary crane that will affect the climb limit weight, or if 400 ft of the runway are unusable due to maintenance, for example. In other words, 10,000' corrected-length runways are not always the same.

As to FOVE, it is an Airbus tool made by Airbus. The Airbus LPC (Less Paper in the Cockpit) is a laptop* used by the pilots. Essentially an EFB (electronic flight bag). This laptop serves two functions. One, is having the manuals in electronic format, two, is the FOVE—which handles all the performance related calculations.

* Depending on the company, the laptop can be a tablet, or an integrated EFB. I can't speak for the integrated, but the laptop/tablet do not communicate with the FMS, and changes are done manually.

It is more accurate than manual calculation, because manual calculations rely on approved graphs. Interpreting graphs inherently reduces accuracy. See below for a 737-800 example:

(Click to view)

And that's for one flap setting and one condition.

Even if converted to table format, still there will be gaps between any two values, whereas a computer can produce those 'in-between' values, which may provide a takeoff performance advantage.

(Source)

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See here for FOVE training manual that has lots of screenshots, etc.

Answer 2

The FOVE system as described in your reference is a computer program to calculate takeoff performance parameters (simplified: limit weights and associated thrust and speeds) which the FMS is not able to do by itself for a variety of reasons, most notably lack of processing power and storage size.

The FOVE outputs are then manually entered into the FMS to serve as inputs/targets/limits during takeoff.

Other options of deriving the same data are looking them up in manufacturer or operator created data tables (the Performance Manual in your reference) or graphs or using an electronic means of computation e.g. in an Electronic Flight Bag on the flight deck.

I'm not sure whether FOVE is an Airbus-provided software or created by the operator or a third party. There are other, similar software solutions by a variety of companies including Airbus and Boeing for their product lines.

Common to all of them is that in order for them to be permitted for EASA and FAA operations, they will have to be based on certified performance data provided by the manufacturer.

As my answer is very general, I have not provided references for my musings at this point. If useful, I might be able to dig out some links for further reading in the (European) morning.