Originally Posted by
pineteam
Haha yes of course! But we first change the pitch to adjust the vertical speed then adjust the thrust as required to maintain the speed.
Yeah, I was just being cheeky since KayPam made a comment about the thrust response as a function of VS change, to which you seemed to make a correction of sorts with a very basic statement. So we’re on the same page.
However, wouldn’t it be better technique to make the adjustment at the same time? Why wait until speed decays and then correct it? Why not maintain the correct speed to begin with?
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To the general discussion about raw data enhancements, yeah there have been some suggestions that are interesting thought experiments (like a cross rate indicator tacked onto the localizer, or zoomed in artificial horizon, etc.) but would probably get laughed out of the design room. If it’s not based on something that existed on steam gauge instruments, it’s probably pie in the sky fantasy. It’s like a steampunk alternate history where EFIS was never invented and mechanical instrument design continued. Never gonna happen in even the wildest possibility of real reality.
But OTOH, there have been some glaring omissions that I consider a near criminal link in the feedback loop of cutting the pilot out of flying because it’s too difficult to fly. Like my plane the CRJ, there are no tick marks on the N1 gauge! I’m not even asking about 10ths, I would settle for quarters or
anything to give me a rough at-a-glance reference. So I’ve resorted to using the “N1” label at the bottom left of the right gauge, as the only tick mark. So my initial settings are on it, just a bit under it, or needle pointing down at a 45 degree angle, etc. Like FullWings says, inventing workarounds for designers’ failure to consider that humans might use it some day. Or maybe they thought the numerical readout would suffice, and have never experience the difference between quickly and fluidly setting an analog-style gauge compared to interpreting numbers, when you’re multitasking with 5 simultaneous things... especially when this numerical readout is 45 degrees away from everything else you’re looking at.
Of course it’s no problem when the autopilot’s flying it and all you have to do is set the thrust to work the speed tape...
And yes it should be on the PFD too, that’s a great suggestion (but I’m not holding my breath). It’s in every sense a primary flight control as is the artificial horizon. To anyone inclined to reply that the result (airspeed) is more important than the input (thrust) so should be looked at instead, consider that the same relationship exists between everything else and the attitude, so by the same logic the artificial horizon should be removed also.