Combined attitude/heading indicator

[Ultranomad]

Hi everyone, I am trying to find out more about the combined attitude/heading indicator where pitch, bank and heading are all indicated by movements of a globe with parallels and meridians drawn on it. As far as I know, it was used on A-4 and F-4, maybe elsewhere.
Could anyone tell:
- the manufacturer and model number(s)
- whether in production today, and any references, if so
- if you are a pilot, your personal attitude (no pun intended) to this type of device: would you want one on your own plane instead of conventional artificial horizon?
Thanks!

[Intruder]

All I remember from the A-4 is that it was called the AJB-3 (or "Abba Jabba").

I suspect that electronic versions of the instrument would be preferable today. I wonder if anyone has the graphics expertise to make it look 3D without trying to boot Windows in the airplane...

[Ultranomad]

Originally Posted by Intruder

All I remember from the A-4 is that it was called the AJB-3 (or "Abba Jabba").

Oh thanks. It was a no-brainer to find further info on the web: AJB-3 was made by Texas Instruments, and another similar system, AJB-7 - by Lear Siegler. Now, the question is: all references I found indicated it was a component of LABS; how deeply was the indicator integrated into the bombing system?

Originally Posted by Intruder

I suspect that electronic versions of the instrument would be preferable today. I wonder if anyone has the graphics expertise to make it look 3D without trying to boot Windows in the airplane...

Yes indeed! In fact, I have first seen it on a simulated A-4 in Flightgear simulator, and quickly realized how convenient it could be for all kinds of maneuvering, including aerobatics. There, it was visualized quite nicely. Doing it in a self-contained instrument would not be that difficult. In fact, if there is a sufficient demand, I am willing to lead the development of such a gizmo.

[Intruder]

Now, the question is: all references I found indicated it was a component of LABS; how deeply was the indicator integrated into the bombing system?

Only to the extent that a current Flight Director is integrated into the Attitude Indicator...

The AJB-3 had a set of needles that cued pitch and roll/heading for LABS. Other than that, it was used as the normal attitude indicator when the weapons system was disarmed. The advantage was that it did not "tumble" like a normal attitude indicator when going through the vertical -- it was stable through any maneuver.