Jetstream Rider
You mention you have seen a Russian version where the ground appears to be on the top. That is a new one on me – but perhaps we are not talking about the same thing.
The Russian A/I display that I refer to has an aeroplane symbol that is free to roll with respect to the cockpit coaming and is viewed against a pitch drum that rotates about a horizontal axis fixed in the plane of the instrument panel. This makes for a very simple and reliable instrument which has no toppling limits like our A/Hs.
Back in 1990 I talked at length with the Mikoyan tps including their CTP Valery Menitsky and they were very open saying they had thoroughly evaluated both modes of display but still favoured theirs. Afterwards I attended the SETP symposium in LA in 1990 to help Valery give a paper there and afterwards there was an open discussion with the floor. During this I explained that before I did a MiG-29 evaluation that included a lot of manoeuvring in cloud (the base was 300ft) I had great reservations about unlearning my instinctive reactions and what model I should use in my head to ensure I did not get confused.
The model came from a nice soak in a bath the night before the flight where I reasoned that the view of this rolling aircraft against the pitch ladder was just like looking at my leader when I was flying line astern on him as he manoeuvred against the sky (something fighter pilots spend a lot of time doing) I reasoned that all I had to do was ‘remotely control my leader’ and make HIM do what I wanted MY aircraft to do. Bingo it worked like a charm and seemed very natural. Given that I was 57 at the time and had not flown a fast jet for several years the fact that I found it so natural must say a lot for the concept.
Of course (as an aside) this is how a lot of modern flight sim guys fly ‘their aircraft’ by viewing it from behind.
JF