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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1841.PDF
Captain's flight instrument panel for the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, with dial flight directors and tape displays for speed and height values AVIATION ELECTRONICS... 1 : 60 to 1 : 3. At the time of the all-weather symposium reported in previous pages, two of the FAA fleet of test aircraft were gathering data respectively on extended range VHF and on altitude encoding transponders. An enormous effort is being made to solve the ATC problems being encountered today. The unique computer-driven simulator environment (CDSE) can be used tc simulate various types of data acquisition, tracking and navigation systems allowing the experimenters to control error distributions. With the large digital computer it is possible to collect and analyse simulation data while the problem is in progress. The computer contains 32,678 words of high-speed core memory, plus an auxiliary core of 98,000 words, and it is capable of performing 250,000 additions per second. Information for viewing by controllers is transmitted direct to Charactron displays and through TV camera chain to individual Conrac TV displays having a repertoire of 52 characters. Simul taneous display of up to 1,000 characters is possible on each of the four displays provided. It is positively uncanny to observe the alphanumeric characters showing aircraft identity, height, position and time early or late on ETA, move across the c.r.t. from the reporting point to the "gate" for the runway in use. What a difference such displays will make to the present-day controllers' task, if and when they become available! The inputs to the com puter are provided by "pilots" sitting at keyboards, each "pilot" "flying" five aircraft at a time. Nine keyboards are at present in use, although the maximum capability of the system is 31. A second ATC simulator, much less exotic than CDSE, was being used in an examination of the current Los Angeles area traffic problems. Sixty radar target generators each produce one trace and are individually manned by "pilots" who "fly" prescribed flight-plans, respond to clearances issued by the controllers and produce a radar target having the characteristics of the aircraft simulated. Performance characteristics of the "aircraft" may be changed by a selector switch, maximum performance being 2,500kt and 80,000ft/min climb or descent. The simulated airspace is 400 miles square and 100,000ft high. Simulated air-ground communications are provided from each of the 60 "pilot" positions. A further 40 positions are available through a "patch" panel. System performance data are obtained from data sheets com pleted by the simulator pilots, and communication workload is measured by the use of electro-mechanical counter-timers. The controllers' displays, of the flight progress board and fiat-face radar type, are in a room apart from the target consoles. Control events will eventually be recorded, and a play-back feature will allow reconstruction of the particular problem. Flight simulators are being used for a variety of purposes. An old F-100A simulator mounted in a gunnery training dome being 648 FLIGHT International, 17 October 1963 used for collision-avoidance and proximity-warning indicator (PWI) programmes. A Type 60 Link simulator is being used to examine the instrument-flying problems of light or general aviation aircraft. The complementary Little Guy project, aimed at eliminat ing a large measure of the skill at present required for instrument- flying, continues and new instrument-panel layouts are being examined. The joint Netherlands/USA project to establish the merits of various approach and runway lighting configurations is continuing with the use of a Dehmel single-engined simulator. In this pro gramme a camera is positioned over moving rubber belts bearing the various light patterns to reproduce the position and attitude of the simulator during manual ILS approaches. The camera image is projected in front of the pilot and is used for visual transitions in low approaches, landings and "go-arounds." Dutch, Scandi navian, US and British pilots are, or will be involved. Each run is recorded and a questionnaire completed. A minimum of 1,000 runs are planned on the three different light patterns currently available on the belts, which are readily interchanged. Weather conditions are varied by the positioning of a curtain or screen over the belt. This particular programme is a continuation of the valuable work already carried out by the Netherlands in DC-3 and Super Constellation aircraft at Eelde and Cologne airports. After the FAA meeting, other discussions at Atlantic City ventured into the realms of micro-electronics and it was forecast that autopilots and other black boxes will eventually be reduced to one-fifth of their present size. Passing mention was made of the experience being gained with flight recorders. The general impression appears to be that in creasingly valuable uses will be found for such equipment, perhaps eventually resulting in "on condition" maintenance when required instead of at fixed intervals. Some new developments include the use of an IBM computer for rapid detection of out-of-limits parameters once the analogue tapes have been converted to digital. It is also possible to transmit the information from out-stations to a central computer at main base over the normal telephone circuits, when a maintenance requirement exists. Flight Director Systems The supersonic transport featured only briefly, when it was suggested that its weather radar may have to move to K-band frequencies. The FAA also requires, in its request for proposals, that micro-electronic techniques be considered for all the electronic equipment. Considerable interest in the Lockheed C-141 jet freighter is being maintained. Joint military/civil certification is a key part of the project. The flight instrument layout of this aircraft shows the USAF's satisfaction with vertical tape instruments, which give the main pilot's panel a neat, uncluttered appearance. Although some human factors/medical controversy still remains, there is an increasing swing to the new instruments. Scanning patterns are simplified and an out-of-step parameter is more easily detected. The moving tapes will be coloured if the trend in favour of pure white lighting on the flight deck continues. The C-141 flight engineer's panel provides an interesting side-by-side contrast between dial and tape instruments. The flight instruments show altitude, vertical speed and terrain clearance (radio altimeter) in one package to the right of the director horizon, and airspeed, Mach number and safe speed to the left of the director horizon. "Command" functions and warning flags are incorporated and height can be shown by separate tapes for thousands and hundreds of feet, if required. At the Collins Radio Company plant at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attention is concentrated on the new solid-state radios, the peripheral command indicator (PCI) and the FD-108 flight director instru ments. The new radios are being bought by many airlines and significantly reduce weight, volume, current consumption, cost and maintenance. For example, a com/nav package formerly composed of seven cases totalling 2£ ATR, weighing 80.21b and consuming 432W is reduced to four cases weighing 47.41b and consuming only 305 W. Reliability is greatly increased by elimination of mc-ing parts, and by reduction of temperatures. The VOR/ILS receiver has self-test feature that gives a similar result on VOR as that obtained when the set is tuned to a ground- based VOR test beacon (VOT) signal. To perform the test a receivable VOR frequency is set and 0° or 180° radials selectee on the omni-bearing selector. A spring-loaded toggle switch is oper<'l~j and the accuracy of the equipment is then checked by the
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