Cocpit design requirements
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Would love to have a HUD. The main reason for omitting it is the lack of space - both overhead and on the coaming. This thing is tiny! Secondly we've got such a small allocation for weight, that we can't afford to have 'luxuries' like HUD in the standard fit.
Would a blended display of synthetic vision and IR camera not be good enough to fly even though it's head down?
For the military and SAR versions, helmet mounted optics would be the answer, but we can't really envisage bizjet pilots wanting to wear them for day to day operations.
All the screens are identical, so for dispatch it would be a quick job to swap them, and the avionics behind them will reconfigure should a channel fail.
From my research, display screens now have an MTBF of around 16,000 hours, so I'm fairly confident that screen failure would be a very rare occurance.
Would a blended display of synthetic vision and IR camera not be good enough to fly even though it's head down?
For the military and SAR versions, helmet mounted optics would be the answer, but we can't really envisage bizjet pilots wanting to wear them for day to day operations.
All the screens are identical, so for dispatch it would be a quick job to swap them, and the avionics behind them will reconfigure should a channel fail.
From my research, display screens now have an MTBF of around 16,000 hours, so I'm fairly confident that screen failure would be a very rare occurance.
I have to agree about the HUD, or something HUD-like. If I was flying single pilot operations, potentially at low level, then the situational awareness benefits would be very much appreciated. The head-down screens (compared to older analogue instruments) will help, but flying a complex machine like this on a mission (civil or military - consider possibly SAR missions, into a remote site, onto a ship...) a pilot very much needs to keep their head up as far as possible.
Personally, I'd not worry massively about making a pilot wear a helmet in an aircraft like this - the issue however is the large cost and complexity of introducing such a system, which is far in excess of that for a HUD. Plus, the major part of the computing power still needs to be put in the aircraft somewhere. That will be crippling.
In that cockpit, the obvious HUD positioning would probably be in the roof, similar to the B787 dreamliner...
A further thought - have you considered the cockpit view around a 360°x360° sphere. It's never going to be perfect, but it's not clear to me that you've got quite what you want there. View ahead and above is good - but have your crew got adequate view downwards and rearwards for operations in the hover?
A further further thought - which seat is your Captain - left (like an aeroplane) or right (like a helicopter); your control layout and logic may need to reflect this reality.
Yet another thought - that central pillar in the cockpit, splitting the two windscreen sections, is just begging to have your CWP in it. Aviation Enterprises did something similar in their Magnum, which worked really well.
G
Personally, I'd not worry massively about making a pilot wear a helmet in an aircraft like this - the issue however is the large cost and complexity of introducing such a system, which is far in excess of that for a HUD. Plus, the major part of the computing power still needs to be put in the aircraft somewhere. That will be crippling.
In that cockpit, the obvious HUD positioning would probably be in the roof, similar to the B787 dreamliner...
A further thought - have you considered the cockpit view around a 360°x360° sphere. It's never going to be perfect, but it's not clear to me that you've got quite what you want there. View ahead and above is good - but have your crew got adequate view downwards and rearwards for operations in the hover?
A further further thought - which seat is your Captain - left (like an aeroplane) or right (like a helicopter); your control layout and logic may need to reflect this reality.
Yet another thought - that central pillar in the cockpit, splitting the two windscreen sections, is just begging to have your CWP in it. Aviation Enterprises did something similar in their Magnum, which worked really well.
G
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Originally Posted by Ghengis
a pilot very much needs to keep their head up as far as possible.
Originally Posted by Ghengis
large cost and complexity... computing power... That will be crippling.
Originally Posted by Ghengis
In that cockpit, the obvious HUD positioning would probably be in the roof, similar to the B787 dreamliner...
Originally Posted by Ghengis
A further thought - have you considered the cockpit view around a 360°x360° sphere.
Originally Posted by Ghengis
A further further thought - which seat is your Captain - left (like an aeroplane) or right (like a helicopter); your control layout and logic may need to reflect this reality.
Originally Posted by Ghengis
Yet another thought - that central pillar in the cockpit, splitting the two windscreen sections, is just begging to have your CWP in it. Aviation Enterprises did something similar in their Magnum, which worked really well.
Couldn't find any pics of the inside of the aircraft you mentioned, but I can imagine what you're getting at. Aside from the attention getters, I hadn't planned on having any seperate warning panel, just the central display.
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Simpler, smaller HUD?
Glum,
Not worked on one myself (all ours are either Rockwell Collins (Flight Dynamics) or Thales projection HUDs) but the BAE Q-HUD was the one I had in mind. Best thing has to be that there's no Overhead Unit.
Must agree with you, a CWP is not a normal fit if you have an EICAS display.
Not worked on one myself (all ours are either Rockwell Collins (Flight Dynamics) or Thales projection HUDs) but the BAE Q-HUD was the one I had in mind. Best thing has to be that there's no Overhead Unit.
Must agree with you, a CWP is not a normal fit if you have an EICAS display.
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Glum,
You realise that there'll be a price to pay for all this expertise - a link to your paper when it's finished. Perhaps our Moderator can be persuaded to add it to the Sticky at the top of the forum.... BTW what sort of Autothrottle are you going to have or just a simple APR for when one engine fails? I'm assuming that everything's cross-coupled mechanically.
You realise that there'll be a price to pay for all this expertise - a link to your paper when it's finished. Perhaps our Moderator can be persuaded to add it to the Sticky at the top of the forum.... BTW what sort of Autothrottle are you going to have or just a simple APR for when one engine fails? I'm assuming that everything's cross-coupled mechanically.
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Originally Posted by ICT
You realise that there'll be a price to pay for all this expertise - a link to your paper when it's finished.
Originally Posted by ICT
BTW what sort of Autothrottle are you going to have or just a simple APR for when one engine fails? I'm assuming that everything's cross-coupled mechanically.
It cannot autorotate.
Since both engines are running full FADEC systems, the autothrottle is pretty easy to implement.
However, I believe that with OEI the autothrottle will trip off, since the guys simply do not have the time to write the code. It will obviously require a whole new set of parameters to work against. Obviously given time then that mode would be catered for too.
My pilot-based thoughts. Some have been mentioned by others too.
It needs sun visors. That looks like a lot of window area, heavily raked so difficult to get the sun & heat out of your face. Not just darkened visors either. Proper opaque things that can be positioned pretty much anywhere. It's bloody annoying flying into a facefull of low sun and the only available screens can only dim the glare a little. Or can't be positioned to cover the particular spot that the sun is in. In all the aircraft I've flown, what I would have loved are blinds on each window that can be pulled down. If they can go all the way to the bottom of the windows and have the exterior facing surface reflective then they can double as sunscreens while parked.
Why overhead throttles? Sure, we all get used to throttle or trim knobs mounted above but I find it less comfortable than a lower, pedestal mounted set.
Numerous cockpit lights, individually controlled, both ambient & spot. Make sure at least one narrow beam spot per pilot seat can shine right where approach charts & paperwork will be held or worked on. That light needs to have a narrow field to reduce glare. A light on a curly cord is nice too - there's always spots that one would like to look at that's not directly exposed to light. One of the few things I really liked about the Islander. I could even shine it out the window to look for icing. Oh, and forget incandescent bulbs. Use LEDs.
A spot to stick approach plates/charts while in use so they can be seen without obstructing the displays or interfering with operating switches & buttons. It must allow for bound documents, not just single sheets. Not everyone uses Jepps. and their annoying 'take the page out, put the page back in every single time you wish to use a chart' system. OK if two crew and the PNF can do the task but a right pain single pilot.
Lots & lots & lots of storage space/bins/drawers for manuals, charts, paperwork and the like, jacket, pilot's flight bag (pilot's bag reachable from the seat), pen holders, place to put a cup that can capture spills. How much empty space is there in the central pedestal? Same question for those side pods.
Make CB panels grouped & mapped to represent the system(s).
Make sure seats can move far enough rearwards so that feet can't reach the pedals. Good for when a pax. is in the other seat or you're the PNF or even just want to stretch for bit.
Don't agree with replacing rudder/anti-torque pedals with twistable grips. The input is still needed so why move the inceptor? You make one part of the body have to work harder or with more complexity while leaving the previously used body part doing nothing.
Don't do what Garmin did with the terrain alert on their GNS430/530 kit. The bloody alert occludes the entire map requiring an input to remove even though the advisory box also has a warning too. It's a right pain in the bum. You can disable the terrain alert, but only after each avionic power on then it defaults back to enabled after each shutdown. Unfortunately that disables all terrain warning, including the less obtrusive one in the advisory area. It's not that I don't want the alert, I just don't want that big bloody alert blocking the screen I want to look at.
Use knobs where possible, not a keypad. Keypads are a pain while bouncing around through turbulence. At least a knob can be gripped for support while using it. Make sure it has decent detents & resistance to movement or overshooting the desired selection happens. Don't use push-push selection for either-or functions. Use push-pull so the force applied acts as feedback. Also it means you can apply force contrary to the undesired choice to make sure it doesn't happen. I flew an aircraft once with an altitude warning selector that was push-push to choose 100' or 10' increments while rotating the knob to select value. Bloody hated it! I was always bumping it during use and having to go back to undo the selection in the unwanted scale. It was the one that crystalized my dislike of too-soft detents too.
Definitely a hard switch to select altimetry scale. Also while on about hard vs soft switches: A hard switch for any function that gets used a lot eg heading bug, nav. course and the like. Transponder codes too, in a way. having to drill through menus to bring up a transponder setting page isn't on. OK I think to have TXDR select hard button (or semi-permanent soft button) then use a multi function input knob or pad
Auto-altitude arm. Once I enter the next alt. in the panel, I shouldn't then have to arm the thing. Starting the climb or descent should then activate the mode. A Kingair 200 I fly is annoying that way. If the arm button isn't selected then it will happily bust an altitude even though the altitude has been set in the alerting system.
Fuel gauges that aren't in the pax. field of view. Or at least, aren't obvious. Makes pax nervous to see the guage getting low - especially if there's still another couple of hours left to fly. They don't know how much fuel is in other tanks but they've just seen the rate the gauges moved towards empty. Piper's PA31, for example, has two large fuel gauges mounted in the center overhead panel and looking straight back at the pax compartment. There are four fuel tanks but the indicating system only shows the tank selected. Pax aren't happy when you're trying to use all of the aux. fuel because it *looks* like the plane is low on fuel, never mind the other 3 hours left in the main tanks. When I fly that type I have to dick around on the last 1/4 of each aux with one engine selected back to main so at least one guage shows plenty of fuel while the other engine uses the last of its aux., then select that one to main so the 1st engine can use its remaining aux.
Shouldn't have to be said but all switches reachable from the captain's seat. That B200 I mentioned earlier has a hot amenities bar but it's impossible to switch on or off from the captain's seat. OK if flown with a co-pilot but not when single pilot. I suppose I could switch it on as a climb into my seat, pull the CB prior to start, and then reset the CB after start - but I shouldn't have to.
Make sure avionics databases can be upgraded using standard SD or USB memory devices. USB preferably due to ubiquity. I should be able to bring the memory device from my PC to the plane, plug it in and have the databases updated. None of this serial port + laptop dragged to the cockpit to download the update. Also the ability to upload flight plans generated on a PC and download monitoring information such flight & engine data for later analysis. Monitoring data must be in an open format, not some closed binary requiring special software to access eg CSV plain text instead of M$ .XLS or similar. Just about anything can open or import a plain text file.
Any hot battery buss courtesy lights should also have master switch near the exit so that they can all be switched off just prior to shutting the door after parking. Some the aircraft I fly have hot buss courtesy & cockpit light switches scattered through out the aircraft. The number of times I've had to go back through the plane to make sure *every* hot light is off so the battery doesn't discharge... Also any automatic courtesy light needs to have a selectable auto/off/on switch eg in baggage compartments. Sometimes I need or want to leave the door open without the light on, other times I don't want the light on at all.
XM weather (or equivalent)! I consider it to be the biggest advance in weather safety since onboard Wx radar. US centric, I know but that's where I am now & satellite weather is truly wonderful. The number of times I've either been able to do a flight where previously I'd have cancelled or delayed, or been able to save hundreds of track miles by having the big picture + immediately available TAFS & METARS.
Probably heaps of other things I've forgotten but have sat there wishing it was so, or not so.
PS: An aux. audio IN jack please, with automatic muting. I have this nice little MP3 player that works really well in the aircraft I fly...
It needs sun visors. That looks like a lot of window area, heavily raked so difficult to get the sun & heat out of your face. Not just darkened visors either. Proper opaque things that can be positioned pretty much anywhere. It's bloody annoying flying into a facefull of low sun and the only available screens can only dim the glare a little. Or can't be positioned to cover the particular spot that the sun is in. In all the aircraft I've flown, what I would have loved are blinds on each window that can be pulled down. If they can go all the way to the bottom of the windows and have the exterior facing surface reflective then they can double as sunscreens while parked.
Why overhead throttles? Sure, we all get used to throttle or trim knobs mounted above but I find it less comfortable than a lower, pedestal mounted set.
Numerous cockpit lights, individually controlled, both ambient & spot. Make sure at least one narrow beam spot per pilot seat can shine right where approach charts & paperwork will be held or worked on. That light needs to have a narrow field to reduce glare. A light on a curly cord is nice too - there's always spots that one would like to look at that's not directly exposed to light. One of the few things I really liked about the Islander. I could even shine it out the window to look for icing. Oh, and forget incandescent bulbs. Use LEDs.
A spot to stick approach plates/charts while in use so they can be seen without obstructing the displays or interfering with operating switches & buttons. It must allow for bound documents, not just single sheets. Not everyone uses Jepps. and their annoying 'take the page out, put the page back in every single time you wish to use a chart' system. OK if two crew and the PNF can do the task but a right pain single pilot.
Lots & lots & lots of storage space/bins/drawers for manuals, charts, paperwork and the like, jacket, pilot's flight bag (pilot's bag reachable from the seat), pen holders, place to put a cup that can capture spills. How much empty space is there in the central pedestal? Same question for those side pods.
Make CB panels grouped & mapped to represent the system(s).
Make sure seats can move far enough rearwards so that feet can't reach the pedals. Good for when a pax. is in the other seat or you're the PNF or even just want to stretch for bit.
Don't agree with replacing rudder/anti-torque pedals with twistable grips. The input is still needed so why move the inceptor? You make one part of the body have to work harder or with more complexity while leaving the previously used body part doing nothing.
Don't do what Garmin did with the terrain alert on their GNS430/530 kit. The bloody alert occludes the entire map requiring an input to remove even though the advisory box also has a warning too. It's a right pain in the bum. You can disable the terrain alert, but only after each avionic power on then it defaults back to enabled after each shutdown. Unfortunately that disables all terrain warning, including the less obtrusive one in the advisory area. It's not that I don't want the alert, I just don't want that big bloody alert blocking the screen I want to look at.
Use knobs where possible, not a keypad. Keypads are a pain while bouncing around through turbulence. At least a knob can be gripped for support while using it. Make sure it has decent detents & resistance to movement or overshooting the desired selection happens. Don't use push-push selection for either-or functions. Use push-pull so the force applied acts as feedback. Also it means you can apply force contrary to the undesired choice to make sure it doesn't happen. I flew an aircraft once with an altitude warning selector that was push-push to choose 100' or 10' increments while rotating the knob to select value. Bloody hated it! I was always bumping it during use and having to go back to undo the selection in the unwanted scale. It was the one that crystalized my dislike of too-soft detents too.
Definitely a hard switch to select altimetry scale. Also while on about hard vs soft switches: A hard switch for any function that gets used a lot eg heading bug, nav. course and the like. Transponder codes too, in a way. having to drill through menus to bring up a transponder setting page isn't on. OK I think to have TXDR select hard button (or semi-permanent soft button) then use a multi function input knob or pad
Auto-altitude arm. Once I enter the next alt. in the panel, I shouldn't then have to arm the thing. Starting the climb or descent should then activate the mode. A Kingair 200 I fly is annoying that way. If the arm button isn't selected then it will happily bust an altitude even though the altitude has been set in the alerting system.
Fuel gauges that aren't in the pax. field of view. Or at least, aren't obvious. Makes pax nervous to see the guage getting low - especially if there's still another couple of hours left to fly. They don't know how much fuel is in other tanks but they've just seen the rate the gauges moved towards empty. Piper's PA31, for example, has two large fuel gauges mounted in the center overhead panel and looking straight back at the pax compartment. There are four fuel tanks but the indicating system only shows the tank selected. Pax aren't happy when you're trying to use all of the aux. fuel because it *looks* like the plane is low on fuel, never mind the other 3 hours left in the main tanks. When I fly that type I have to dick around on the last 1/4 of each aux with one engine selected back to main so at least one guage shows plenty of fuel while the other engine uses the last of its aux., then select that one to main so the 1st engine can use its remaining aux.
Shouldn't have to be said but all switches reachable from the captain's seat. That B200 I mentioned earlier has a hot amenities bar but it's impossible to switch on or off from the captain's seat. OK if flown with a co-pilot but not when single pilot. I suppose I could switch it on as a climb into my seat, pull the CB prior to start, and then reset the CB after start - but I shouldn't have to.
Make sure avionics databases can be upgraded using standard SD or USB memory devices. USB preferably due to ubiquity. I should be able to bring the memory device from my PC to the plane, plug it in and have the databases updated. None of this serial port + laptop dragged to the cockpit to download the update. Also the ability to upload flight plans generated on a PC and download monitoring information such flight & engine data for later analysis. Monitoring data must be in an open format, not some closed binary requiring special software to access eg CSV plain text instead of M$ .XLS or similar. Just about anything can open or import a plain text file.
Any hot battery buss courtesy lights should also have master switch near the exit so that they can all be switched off just prior to shutting the door after parking. Some the aircraft I fly have hot buss courtesy & cockpit light switches scattered through out the aircraft. The number of times I've had to go back through the plane to make sure *every* hot light is off so the battery doesn't discharge... Also any automatic courtesy light needs to have a selectable auto/off/on switch eg in baggage compartments. Sometimes I need or want to leave the door open without the light on, other times I don't want the light on at all.
XM weather (or equivalent)! I consider it to be the biggest advance in weather safety since onboard Wx radar. US centric, I know but that's where I am now & satellite weather is truly wonderful. The number of times I've either been able to do a flight where previously I'd have cancelled or delayed, or been able to save hundreds of track miles by having the big picture + immediately available TAFS & METARS.
Probably heaps of other things I've forgotten but have sat there wishing it was so, or not so.
PS: An aux. audio IN jack please, with automatic muting. I have this nice little MP3 player that works really well in the aircraft I fly...
Last edited by Tinstaafl; 20th Feb 2011 at 06:08.
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Tinstaafl said:
"Numerous cockpit lights, individually controlled, both ambient & spot. Make sure at least one narrow beam spot per pilot seat can shine right where approach charts & paperwork will be held or worked on. That light needs to have a narrow field to reduce glare. A light on a curly cord is nice too - there's always spots that one would like to look at that's not directly exposed to light. One of the few things I really liked about the Islander. I could even shine it out the window to look for icing. Oh, and forget incandescent bulbs. Use LEDs."
LEDs have so low a power requirement it should be possible to have the required burn time and light output without trailing cables - just pull it off the charging plug.
"A spot to stick approach plates/charts while in use so they can be seen without obstructing the displays or interfering with operating switches & buttons. It must allow for bound documents, not just single sheets. Not everyone uses Jepps. and their annoying 'take the page out, put the page back in every single time you wish to use a chart' system. OK if two crew and the PNF can do the task but a right pain single pilot."
I would suggest an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) would be better especially for a single pilot. You can also use it as a convenient additional weather display, preloaded routes, maps, live airport picture (including own ship), weight & balance.....
"Numerous cockpit lights, individually controlled, both ambient & spot. Make sure at least one narrow beam spot per pilot seat can shine right where approach charts & paperwork will be held or worked on. That light needs to have a narrow field to reduce glare. A light on a curly cord is nice too - there's always spots that one would like to look at that's not directly exposed to light. One of the few things I really liked about the Islander. I could even shine it out the window to look for icing. Oh, and forget incandescent bulbs. Use LEDs."
LEDs have so low a power requirement it should be possible to have the required burn time and light output without trailing cables - just pull it off the charging plug.
"A spot to stick approach plates/charts while in use so they can be seen without obstructing the displays or interfering with operating switches & buttons. It must allow for bound documents, not just single sheets. Not everyone uses Jepps. and their annoying 'take the page out, put the page back in every single time you wish to use a chart' system. OK if two crew and the PNF can do the task but a right pain single pilot."
I would suggest an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) would be better especially for a single pilot. You can also use it as a convenient additional weather display, preloaded routes, maps, live airport picture (including own ship), weight & balance.....
My preference is for a light on a cable. Can't get lost that way, although a secondary LED torch with a charging station is a good idea.
EFB data subscription can be expensive and aren't easily approved in some parts of the world. They also can't remove the inevitable paperwork so I still would want to see a narrow spot for writing, reading checklists (if they're not electronic), manuals, paper based information for non-EFB airstrips and the like.
EFB data subscription can be expensive and aren't easily approved in some parts of the world. They also can't remove the inevitable paperwork so I still would want to see a narrow spot for writing, reading checklists (if they're not electronic), manuals, paper based information for non-EFB airstrips and the like.
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It needs sun visors…If they can go all the way to the bottom of the windows and have the exterior facing surface reflective then they can double as sunscreens while parked.
Like this idea a lot. I’ve passed the info on to the cockpit structure designer…
Why overhead throttles? Sure, we all get used to throttle or trim knobs mounted above but I find it less comfortable than a lower, pedestal mounted set.
They’re just ‘conditioning’ levers. Three settings: Ground idle, flight idle and auto – at which point the main throttle comes into play.
Numerous cockpit lights, individually controlled, both ambient & spot…Oh, and forget incandescent bulbs. Use LEDs.
Absolutely. Although with all the terminal charts etc available on the main screens the intention is that you won’t really have to use paper maps. I do know there are always charts to write on, notes to take and other books to look at though, so lighting is being addressed.
Have you used finger lights?
A spot to stick approach plates/charts while in use so they can be seen without obstructing the displays or interfering with operating switches & buttons.
As above, we’re intending to have all charts on the main displays, so there isn’t a need to have others clipped to something. Are we being naïve?
Lots & lots & lots of storage space/bins/drawers for manuals, charts, paperwork and the like, jacket, pilot's flight bag (pilot's bag reachable from the seat), pen holders, place to put a cup that can capture spills. How much empty space is there in the central pedestal? Same question for those side pods.
Storage space? Hmmm, it’s a pretty tiny cockpit so I’m not sure how much room there will be for ‘stuff’ but I do appreciate pilots need storage. I’ll speak to the cockpit structure designer about using some of the space in the side pods…
Make CB panels grouped & mapped to represent the system(s).
CB’s will be controlled through the touchscreen, so of course will be grouped by system. Mapped to represent the systems will need some thought…
Make sure seats can move far enough rearwards so that feet can't reach the pedals. Good for when a pax. is in the other seat or you're the PNF or even just want to stretch for bit.
Nice thought, but I don’t think there’s room - I’m not entirely convinced the crew will be able to get in without climbing over the chairs at present! Max endurance is only about 3 hours, so hopefully not too onerous.
Don't agree with replacing rudder/anti-torque pedals with twistable grips. The input is still needed so why move the inceptor?
Save weight, and for most of the flight they’re not used - all roll commands have cross coupling performed by the Flight control system. We’ve actually decided to keep the pedals as it was felt a step too far on such an ‘odd’ aircraft as a tiltrotor. I can however see them being removed in the future, since the playstation generation manage perfectly well with a twist joystick…
Don't do what Garmin did with the terrain alert on their GNS430/530 kit. The bloody alert occludes the entire map requiring an input to remove even though the advisory box also has a warning too.
Good heads up.
It's a right pain in the bum. You can disable the terrain alert, but only after each avionic power on then it defaults back to enabled after each shutdown.
Safety reasons I suspect.
Use knobs where possible, not a keypad. Keypads are a pain while bouncing around through turbulence. At least a knob can be gripped for support while using it.
We’re basing our design on the Garmin G3000, and having seen several video’s the touchscreen does seem pretty easy to use due to the raised band round the display. Additionally there are knobs which can be used in place of the touchscreen should you prefer to, of it fail.
Don't use push-push selection for either-or functions. Use push-pull so the force applied acts as feedback.
Ah, more good advice!
Definitely a hard switch to select altimetry scale. Also while on about hard vs soft switches: A hard switch for any function that gets used a lot eg heading bug, nav. course and the like. Transponder codes too, in a way. having to drill through menus to bring up a transponder setting page isn't on.
Ok, I was considering a separate control for the IFF since I appreciate the code does change often.
Auto-altitude arm. Once I enter the next alt. in the panel, I shouldn't then have to arm the thing.
I planned on having the rotary to set the height, then press the knob to activate it (like my BMW sat nav). Text will be orange when not active, and green when active.
Fuel gauges that aren't in the pax. field of view. Or at least, aren't obvious.
Hmmm, they get displayed at the top of the centre panel along with the engine info. Maybe we should move this to the bottom of the display…
Shouldn't have to be said but all switches reachable from the captain's seat.
Naturally. Especially for single pilot ops! There really aren’t many switches anyway…
Make sure avionics databases can be upgraded using standard SD or USB memory devices. USB preferably due to ubiquity. I should be able to bring the memory device from my PC to the plane, plug it in and have the databases updated.
Absolutely how we’re doing it.
Monitoring data must be in an open format, not some closed binary requiring special software to access eg CSV plain text instead of M$ .XLS or similar. Just about anything can open or import a plain text file.
Interesting thought, I’ll pass that on.
Any hot battery buss courtesy lights should also have master switch near the exit so that they can all be switched off just prior to shutting the door after parking. Some the aircraft I fly have hot buss courtesy & cockpit light switches scattered through out the aircraft.
Yeah, I worked on the L1011, which has a ‘ground bus’ switch by the door which brings the lights & sockets on for cleaning crew.
Also any automatic courtesy light needs to have a selectable auto/off/on switch eg in baggage compartments. Sometimes I need or want to leave the door open without the light on, other times I don't want the light on at all.
Ok.
XM weather (or equivalent)! I consider it to be the biggest advance in weather safety since onboard Wx radar. US centric, I know but that's where I am now & satellite weather is truly wonderful.
Do you think it feasible to have the weather fed to the FMS such that it can reroute automatically around bad weather? We have a couple of guys working on that…
PS: An aux. audio IN jack please, with automatic muting. I have this nice little MP3 player that works really well in the aircraft I fly...
We have an icon for music on our touchscreen… ;o)
Great feedback, thank you.
Like this idea a lot. I’ve passed the info on to the cockpit structure designer…
Why overhead throttles? Sure, we all get used to throttle or trim knobs mounted above but I find it less comfortable than a lower, pedestal mounted set.
They’re just ‘conditioning’ levers. Three settings: Ground idle, flight idle and auto – at which point the main throttle comes into play.
Numerous cockpit lights, individually controlled, both ambient & spot…Oh, and forget incandescent bulbs. Use LEDs.
Absolutely. Although with all the terminal charts etc available on the main screens the intention is that you won’t really have to use paper maps. I do know there are always charts to write on, notes to take and other books to look at though, so lighting is being addressed.
Have you used finger lights?
A spot to stick approach plates/charts while in use so they can be seen without obstructing the displays or interfering with operating switches & buttons.
As above, we’re intending to have all charts on the main displays, so there isn’t a need to have others clipped to something. Are we being naïve?
Lots & lots & lots of storage space/bins/drawers for manuals, charts, paperwork and the like, jacket, pilot's flight bag (pilot's bag reachable from the seat), pen holders, place to put a cup that can capture spills. How much empty space is there in the central pedestal? Same question for those side pods.
Storage space? Hmmm, it’s a pretty tiny cockpit so I’m not sure how much room there will be for ‘stuff’ but I do appreciate pilots need storage. I’ll speak to the cockpit structure designer about using some of the space in the side pods…
Make CB panels grouped & mapped to represent the system(s).
CB’s will be controlled through the touchscreen, so of course will be grouped by system. Mapped to represent the systems will need some thought…
Make sure seats can move far enough rearwards so that feet can't reach the pedals. Good for when a pax. is in the other seat or you're the PNF or even just want to stretch for bit.
Nice thought, but I don’t think there’s room - I’m not entirely convinced the crew will be able to get in without climbing over the chairs at present! Max endurance is only about 3 hours, so hopefully not too onerous.
Don't agree with replacing rudder/anti-torque pedals with twistable grips. The input is still needed so why move the inceptor?
Save weight, and for most of the flight they’re not used - all roll commands have cross coupling performed by the Flight control system. We’ve actually decided to keep the pedals as it was felt a step too far on such an ‘odd’ aircraft as a tiltrotor. I can however see them being removed in the future, since the playstation generation manage perfectly well with a twist joystick…
Don't do what Garmin did with the terrain alert on their GNS430/530 kit. The bloody alert occludes the entire map requiring an input to remove even though the advisory box also has a warning too.
Good heads up.
It's a right pain in the bum. You can disable the terrain alert, but only after each avionic power on then it defaults back to enabled after each shutdown.
Safety reasons I suspect.
Use knobs where possible, not a keypad. Keypads are a pain while bouncing around through turbulence. At least a knob can be gripped for support while using it.
We’re basing our design on the Garmin G3000, and having seen several video’s the touchscreen does seem pretty easy to use due to the raised band round the display. Additionally there are knobs which can be used in place of the touchscreen should you prefer to, of it fail.
Don't use push-push selection for either-or functions. Use push-pull so the force applied acts as feedback.
Ah, more good advice!
Definitely a hard switch to select altimetry scale. Also while on about hard vs soft switches: A hard switch for any function that gets used a lot eg heading bug, nav. course and the like. Transponder codes too, in a way. having to drill through menus to bring up a transponder setting page isn't on.
Ok, I was considering a separate control for the IFF since I appreciate the code does change often.
Auto-altitude arm. Once I enter the next alt. in the panel, I shouldn't then have to arm the thing.
I planned on having the rotary to set the height, then press the knob to activate it (like my BMW sat nav). Text will be orange when not active, and green when active.
Fuel gauges that aren't in the pax. field of view. Or at least, aren't obvious.
Hmmm, they get displayed at the top of the centre panel along with the engine info. Maybe we should move this to the bottom of the display…
Shouldn't have to be said but all switches reachable from the captain's seat.
Naturally. Especially for single pilot ops! There really aren’t many switches anyway…
Make sure avionics databases can be upgraded using standard SD or USB memory devices. USB preferably due to ubiquity. I should be able to bring the memory device from my PC to the plane, plug it in and have the databases updated.
Absolutely how we’re doing it.
Monitoring data must be in an open format, not some closed binary requiring special software to access eg CSV plain text instead of M$ .XLS or similar. Just about anything can open or import a plain text file.
Interesting thought, I’ll pass that on.
Any hot battery buss courtesy lights should also have master switch near the exit so that they can all be switched off just prior to shutting the door after parking. Some the aircraft I fly have hot buss courtesy & cockpit light switches scattered through out the aircraft.
Yeah, I worked on the L1011, which has a ‘ground bus’ switch by the door which brings the lights & sockets on for cleaning crew.
Also any automatic courtesy light needs to have a selectable auto/off/on switch eg in baggage compartments. Sometimes I need or want to leave the door open without the light on, other times I don't want the light on at all.
Ok.
XM weather (or equivalent)! I consider it to be the biggest advance in weather safety since onboard Wx radar. US centric, I know but that's where I am now & satellite weather is truly wonderful.
Do you think it feasible to have the weather fed to the FMS such that it can reroute automatically around bad weather? We have a couple of guys working on that…
PS: An aux. audio IN jack please, with automatic muting. I have this nice little MP3 player that works really well in the aircraft I fly...
We have an icon for music on our touchscreen… ;o)
Great feedback, thank you.
Finger lights don't work when your hands are holding onto controls, setting switches & the like. Still need a narrow beam onto a viewing/work area. Whilst screen based charts are good, not all airstrips have charted procedures or diagrams. Companies that operate in the bush will usually have their own paperwork with information about the strip or landing area. Can include diagrams, textual description, limitations, mandatory items etc. Ditto things like search & rescue patterns. I used to be qualified in Australia as a civil SAR pilot. One of the things we did was drop smoke/flares, stores & rafts, following an instrument-like pattern to get accurate timing & positioning in winds. Need to be able to read that stuff. Paper maps & charts are still useful, even with electronic versions. If this is planned to be a useful utility aircraft then you have to expect it will spend a lot of time off the beaten track.
A feature request that could help: The ability to upload scanned charts/documents for display on the screen. Even better if the software allows the uploaded chart's scale to be entered + some reference point lat/longs so that the GPS position can be overlayed.
Another software feature request: Using the stored charts be able to plan or enter a route by touching cumulative waypoints on the screen, designate some as intermediate landing/refuel points and have a box-out form appear with known data & new data to be added (eg fuel upload). While doing the planning have a range ring on display that's calibrated to known or entered fuel on board and pre-set fuel flow. In flight the range ring could use measured FF against known quantity & grounds speed.
Also avionics based: Weight & balance calculations. Automatic if appropriate sensors are present, or manual if not.
Climbing over seats is surprisingly common so that's not a bother. If you can't find a way to extend the seat rail aft then try to find a way to have adjustable rudder pedals. If it's not pressurised then extending the footwell a bit into the nose shouldn't be too hard. Beech, in their Bonanzas & Barons have rather useful collapsible pedals so pax. can't interfere when the pedals are stowed. Another option could be to space the L & R pedals apart, leaving a gap between them that would give a bit of extra leg room.Sitting in a cramped space for two or three hours without being able to stretch one's legs is unpleasant & distracting. Even worse if you have a whole day of it.
Red/green mode lights for the altitude selector is nice but I'd still rather have the act of selecting the altitude automatically arm the mode, with it becoming active once a climb or descent is commanded.
If the throttles are to be on the pedestal, I'm not sure I like the idea of the condition levers being elsewhere.
If the CBs are to be operated remotely instead of physically, how will you guarantee redundancy so that no matter what the pilot can ensure that power was cut to the problem circuit. Thinking of fires here, and how they can completely disable remote switches if they burn through the control wiring. I know I like to be able to have the all-but-guaranteed ability to kill the power through any circuit to just by by reaching over & pulling the CB.
Hard switched code selectorsfor the TXDR is preferred but I could live with a softswitch as long as it was always able to be be accessed ie a permanently displayed TXDR switch on the screen that, when activated, sets the data intput buttons/knobs to IFF code entry. Still need a permanent IDENT button. Shortcuts/fast access to the emergency code(s) could be considered too. Garmin have on their transponder equipment
Meant to ask, is it pressurised? If not, then how about being able to open the windows. Not just a crack or a storm window but the whole thing wide open. Not inflight, but on the ground for ventilation and even egress. Again, have a look at Beech Bonanzas & Barons: Both mid fuselage windows are top-hinged & have a mechanism that holds the window open a small amount (but I'd like a more) and also pull a pin to release the limiter & the window swings up fully to be an emergency exit. Your design's crew side windows could be forward-hinged...
I don't think autoflight routing around Wx is feasable. Weather, traffic & ATC demands are too variable. And no matter what the avionics show, Mark 1 eyeball is still a final arbiter of what's out there. The number of times what I see out the window is worse than the XM or radar shows and choose not to go there, or the XM or stormscope shows something that isn't there. XM information can be old too. It's not real time.
Are fuel tanks in the wings? How does the crew get up there to refuel or check the caps? A couple of permanently extended or flip out steps in the fuselage would be nice eg Cessna's step kit for their high wing singles. The steps don't have to be large - just enough for a toe purchase while climbing onto the roof. Didn't need steps in an Islander because I could stand on the R. pax door edge & pull myself up onto the wing using the R. engine cowl & roof. Also what about checking engine oil pre-flight? Will the dipstick/sight guage be accessible without a ladder?
Just some more thoughts....
Good luck with your project.
A feature request that could help: The ability to upload scanned charts/documents for display on the screen. Even better if the software allows the uploaded chart's scale to be entered + some reference point lat/longs so that the GPS position can be overlayed.
Another software feature request: Using the stored charts be able to plan or enter a route by touching cumulative waypoints on the screen, designate some as intermediate landing/refuel points and have a box-out form appear with known data & new data to be added (eg fuel upload). While doing the planning have a range ring on display that's calibrated to known or entered fuel on board and pre-set fuel flow. In flight the range ring could use measured FF against known quantity & grounds speed.
Also avionics based: Weight & balance calculations. Automatic if appropriate sensors are present, or manual if not.
Climbing over seats is surprisingly common so that's not a bother. If you can't find a way to extend the seat rail aft then try to find a way to have adjustable rudder pedals. If it's not pressurised then extending the footwell a bit into the nose shouldn't be too hard. Beech, in their Bonanzas & Barons have rather useful collapsible pedals so pax. can't interfere when the pedals are stowed. Another option could be to space the L & R pedals apart, leaving a gap between them that would give a bit of extra leg room.Sitting in a cramped space for two or three hours without being able to stretch one's legs is unpleasant & distracting. Even worse if you have a whole day of it.
Red/green mode lights for the altitude selector is nice but I'd still rather have the act of selecting the altitude automatically arm the mode, with it becoming active once a climb or descent is commanded.
If the throttles are to be on the pedestal, I'm not sure I like the idea of the condition levers being elsewhere.
If the CBs are to be operated remotely instead of physically, how will you guarantee redundancy so that no matter what the pilot can ensure that power was cut to the problem circuit. Thinking of fires here, and how they can completely disable remote switches if they burn through the control wiring. I know I like to be able to have the all-but-guaranteed ability to kill the power through any circuit to just by by reaching over & pulling the CB.
Hard switched code selectorsfor the TXDR is preferred but I could live with a softswitch as long as it was always able to be be accessed ie a permanently displayed TXDR switch on the screen that, when activated, sets the data intput buttons/knobs to IFF code entry. Still need a permanent IDENT button. Shortcuts/fast access to the emergency code(s) could be considered too. Garmin have on their transponder equipment
Meant to ask, is it pressurised? If not, then how about being able to open the windows. Not just a crack or a storm window but the whole thing wide open. Not inflight, but on the ground for ventilation and even egress. Again, have a look at Beech Bonanzas & Barons: Both mid fuselage windows are top-hinged & have a mechanism that holds the window open a small amount (but I'd like a more) and also pull a pin to release the limiter & the window swings up fully to be an emergency exit. Your design's crew side windows could be forward-hinged...
I don't think autoflight routing around Wx is feasable. Weather, traffic & ATC demands are too variable. And no matter what the avionics show, Mark 1 eyeball is still a final arbiter of what's out there. The number of times what I see out the window is worse than the XM or radar shows and choose not to go there, or the XM or stormscope shows something that isn't there. XM information can be old too. It's not real time.
Are fuel tanks in the wings? How does the crew get up there to refuel or check the caps? A couple of permanently extended or flip out steps in the fuselage would be nice eg Cessna's step kit for their high wing singles. The steps don't have to be large - just enough for a toe purchase while climbing onto the roof. Didn't need steps in an Islander because I could stand on the R. pax door edge & pull myself up onto the wing using the R. engine cowl & roof. Also what about checking engine oil pre-flight? Will the dipstick/sight guage be accessible without a ladder?
Just some more thoughts....
Good luck with your project.
Last edited by Tinstaafl; 23rd Feb 2011 at 04:28.
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Well we had our PDR last week, with examiners from Airbus giving feedback on the 80 designs it's taking to develop this little puddle jumper.
Overall they were pleased with what we've achieved, though observed that we hadn't put enough emphasis on safety - at least in our presentations.
Guess it's easy to run away with our creative sides, and let slip the bonds of reality!
Overall they were pleased with what we've achieved, though observed that we hadn't put enough emphasis on safety - at least in our presentations.
Guess it's easy to run away with our creative sides, and let slip the bonds of reality!
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Forgive me, as I may be arriving late at this party, but have you considered fitting TSAS?
Some years ago, I had the pleasure of trying out NASA/USN's TSAS. It consisted of a pad installed on the pilot's seat and a waistcoat worn by the pilot, connected to a small pneumatic system.
ABSTRACT:
Pilots and astronauts do not experience spatial disorientation in normal day-to-day terrestrial activities. On the ground, the perception of position and motion is determined by central nervous system integration of concordant and redundant information from multiple sensory channels (somatosensory, vestibular and visual) which collectively yield veridical perceptions. In the acceleration environments experienced by pilots and astronauts, the somatosensory and vestibular senses frequently present false but concordant information concerning the direction of gravity or down. When presented with conflicting sensory stimuli, it is normal for pilots and astronauts to experience episodes of disorientation. Visual instruments and displays developed over the past 70 yr have not solved the problem. A simple solution to maintain spatial orientation is to provide true information using the same sensory channels we use so successfully on Earth.
METHODS:
The Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) developed by NASA and the U.S. Navy uses a matrix of mechanical tactile stimulators (tactors) applied on the torso and limbs to convey orientation cues (e.g., gravity vector) in an intuitive fashion to the skin. A series of in-flight experiments to validate and test a variety of tactile displays and concepts has been carried out in both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
RESULTS:
Pilots were able to fly complex maneuvers with no instruments or outside visual references (blindfolded) with less than 20 min of training. Recovery from unusual attitudes solely by tactile cues was trivial. Lab tests have shown the TSAS improves performance under conditions of high workload.
CONCLUSIONS:
When orientation information is presented via intuitive tactile displays spatial orientation is easily maintained in altered sensory conditions including unusual acceleration environments.
abstract ends
I've written before that I initially perceived this to be snake oil... However, the system enabled me to hover a medium helicopter with which I was not familiar, in simulated white-out conditions, with great accuracy (I wasn't current in rotary wing flying then, either). The system was programmable through various modes according to the task, for example, hover, transition, tactical weapons modes, etc.
It works by providing tactile stimuli, and the immediate way such stimuli are transmitted to the brain is central to the system's effectiveness. Response is immediate and instinctive.
For example, if you set it ip for a six foot hover, and you sink slightly, the seat pad taps the pilot's posterior at a rate dictated by the deviation; drift left, and the left side of the torso receives a similar cue.
I wrote before: "our tactile senses are enormously overlooked in flight deck design" and I stand by those words now.
Some years ago, I had the pleasure of trying out NASA/USN's TSAS. It consisted of a pad installed on the pilot's seat and a waistcoat worn by the pilot, connected to a small pneumatic system.
ABSTRACT:
Pilots and astronauts do not experience spatial disorientation in normal day-to-day terrestrial activities. On the ground, the perception of position and motion is determined by central nervous system integration of concordant and redundant information from multiple sensory channels (somatosensory, vestibular and visual) which collectively yield veridical perceptions. In the acceleration environments experienced by pilots and astronauts, the somatosensory and vestibular senses frequently present false but concordant information concerning the direction of gravity or down. When presented with conflicting sensory stimuli, it is normal for pilots and astronauts to experience episodes of disorientation. Visual instruments and displays developed over the past 70 yr have not solved the problem. A simple solution to maintain spatial orientation is to provide true information using the same sensory channels we use so successfully on Earth.
METHODS:
The Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) developed by NASA and the U.S. Navy uses a matrix of mechanical tactile stimulators (tactors) applied on the torso and limbs to convey orientation cues (e.g., gravity vector) in an intuitive fashion to the skin. A series of in-flight experiments to validate and test a variety of tactile displays and concepts has been carried out in both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
RESULTS:
Pilots were able to fly complex maneuvers with no instruments or outside visual references (blindfolded) with less than 20 min of training. Recovery from unusual attitudes solely by tactile cues was trivial. Lab tests have shown the TSAS improves performance under conditions of high workload.
CONCLUSIONS:
When orientation information is presented via intuitive tactile displays spatial orientation is easily maintained in altered sensory conditions including unusual acceleration environments.
abstract ends
I've written before that I initially perceived this to be snake oil... However, the system enabled me to hover a medium helicopter with which I was not familiar, in simulated white-out conditions, with great accuracy (I wasn't current in rotary wing flying then, either). The system was programmable through various modes according to the task, for example, hover, transition, tactical weapons modes, etc.
It works by providing tactile stimuli, and the immediate way such stimuli are transmitted to the brain is central to the system's effectiveness. Response is immediate and instinctive.
For example, if you set it ip for a six foot hover, and you sink slightly, the seat pad taps the pilot's posterior at a rate dictated by the deviation; drift left, and the left side of the torso receives a similar cue.
I wrote before: "our tactile senses are enormously overlooked in flight deck design" and I stand by those words now.
Last edited by Kerling-Approsh KG; 15th Mar 2011 at 18:35.
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That's very interesting. Do you have any links to some more material I can read?
I wonder how this could be linked to SA, in the prevention of CFIT? Might make an interesting topic for my next thesis...
I wonder how this could be linked to SA, in the prevention of CFIT? Might make an interesting topic for my next thesis...
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Another plea for assistance!
I'm designing the different pages for the touchscreen controller, and am struggling to find a definitive list of charts / documents. So far I have:
Terminal
En-route low level
En-route high level
En-route supplements
NOTAMS
Special - anything particular to a mission, such as SAR / CASEVAC
Anything else I should add?
I'm designing the different pages for the touchscreen controller, and am struggling to find a definitive list of charts / documents. So far I have:
Terminal
En-route low level
En-route high level
En-route supplements
NOTAMS
Special - anything particular to a mission, such as SAR / CASEVAC
Anything else I should add?
- Met (graphical and textual)
- Instrument approach / hold procedures
- Terrain (ordnance survey equivalent) mapping
- MOM / POH
- Aircraft Performance (ODM in military terminology)
- Weight and balance management
- Checklists (separately normal and quick reference / emergency procedures, even 'though you'll want them on paper in the cockpit as well)
- Systems manuals.
For most applications, you will also want some form of secure messaging system.
Please, please, please, can your NOTAM presentation be primarily graphical.
G
- Instrument approach / hold procedures
- Terrain (ordnance survey equivalent) mapping
- MOM / POH
- Aircraft Performance (ODM in military terminology)
- Weight and balance management
- Checklists (separately normal and quick reference / emergency procedures, even 'though you'll want them on paper in the cockpit as well)
- Systems manuals.
For most applications, you will also want some form of secure messaging system.
Please, please, please, can your NOTAM presentation be primarily graphical.
G
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Thanks Genghis!
I totally agree about the NOTAMS, in fact they ought to be added to any maps currently being displayed to the pilot - no reason they can't be as far as I can tell.
I totally agree about the NOTAMS, in fact they ought to be added to any maps currently being displayed to the pilot - no reason they can't be as far as I can tell.
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The thesis deadline draws near, so here's the latest CATIA drawing of the cockpit...
It incoporates many of the issues you have all raised, and I have actually cited this thread in my write up as a source of requirements.
Thank you so much for the input
It incoporates many of the issues you have all raised, and I have actually cited this thread in my write up as a source of requirements.
Thank you so much for the input
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As a final post my thesis was awarded 77%, so again, thanks to all those who contributed, and if anyone is interested in reading it let me know!