Patent ID: 8401729

Claim:
A diagnostic system for an aircraft, said aircraft being one of a plurality of aircraft forming an aircraft fleet, said system comprising: an outside center located remote from said aircraft at a manufacturer of said aircraft, said outside center having a database in which are stored a plurality of aircraft models in digital form, each aircraft model corresponding to one of said aircraft in said aircraft fleet and an aircraft repair manual, a central unit remote from said outside center and from said aircraft, said central unit being configured to exchange information about said aircraft with said outside center, at least one portable device equipped with a visual display as well as with a wireless communication device to communicate remotely between said portable device and the central unit when the portable device is outside and inside the aircraft and to communicate remotely between said portable device and said outside center when the portable device is outside and inside the aircraft, wherein the portable device is configured to access at least one aircraft model of said aircraft models in digital form, wherein the visual display of the portable device is interactive and comprises a first interactive display zone for displaying, based on one aircraft model, selection options for aircraft parts, the visual display further comprises a second display zone for displaying, a graphical representation of an aircraft part selected via said interactive first display zone, and the first interactive display zone and the second display zone are displayed at a same time, wherein after the damage to said aircraft has been repaired, communicating information concerning repairs effected to the manufacturer at the outside center, and after having received the information concerning the repairs effected on said aircraft, modifying the digital model of said aircraft by said aircraft manufacturer in such a way that the modified digital model integrates the repairs effected.