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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0459.PDF
FLIGHT International, 21 February 1981 509 simply by pushing the button. This is all the action needed. STATUS on the left CRT then indi cates (for example) GEN 1 OFF. The so-called "dark, quiet cockpit" means that if there are no lights showing, it's OK to go. To quote an Airbus pilot: "The system analyses the fault and indicates the action, resulting in a massive reduction in crew mental workload. We free the pilot from manuals—except where it's easier to look it up than to put it all on the CRT." All kindred functions are co- located—for example, flight controls and hydraulics, which have hitherto had warning displays on both the pilots' and the engineer's panels. In all abnormal situations, Ecam diagnoses the problem, displays the actions to be performed, and—with the help of the graphic "systems page" —helps the crew to understand the operational impact of the problem. The left CRT gives advisories arising from abnormalities—for example, FLAPS SLOW, or GEN 2 INOP. The manual mode is always avail able, and crewmembers can call up any system page they need. This facility, and the routine use of sys tem pages during normal operating checks, brings an additional bonus re marked upon by many visitors to the Airbus simulator: every flight is a re fresher course on aircraft systems. These today are buried in infimidat- ingly big manuals, are often far too complex graphically, and probably haven't been looked at since the crew's last course—some pilots last saw a diagram of the fuel system in the classroom weeks or months ago. Departure checks include DOOR STATUS, with an actual plan of the aircraft door configuration—green for doors that are locked and amber for those improperly or not yet closed. The slide-arming status is shown also. Temporarily used systems, for ex ample, APU or fuel crossfeed, re main on MEMO (left-hand CRT) until cancelled. These are examples of routine systems-monitoring. Also available is a "systems-trending" display. When a system is operating irregularly, but before it becomes worthy of an actual warning, the corresponding "system page" is displayed in an advisory mode. For example, if generator oil temperature is still green but rising, the system page will flash appropri ately. The actual warning displays are similarly straightforward. For ex ample, if the parking brake is still on, or the lowspeed aileron pitch-trim is not in the take-off range, a warning is displayed on the left-hand CRT under CONFIGURATION; and on the right-hand CRT the relevant system page, showing amber for the offending part, will appear. If take-off confiura- tion check shows (for example) pitch- trim in red, this must be set. The engine-starting sequence is dis played by Ecam, but all the main engine readings Nl, N2 and EGT are retained in conventional electro mechanical-instrument form. In the event of a "heavy failure"— say an engine fire on take-off—the primary problem is immediately shown on the left CRT, indicating the action required and the secondary or "consequential" failure actions to per form. There is no need to refer to a paper checklist. For example, BRAKE HOT is followed by "fan on and delay take-off to cool." When the actions have been performed, the display is erased. For heavy failures a gong chimes to draw attention to the left Ecam warning and action displays. The left CRT flags the failure in red, denotes the affected system, and indicates action in blue. For heavy failures the red warning is rectangled, to indicate that there are consequential problems not shown on the initial displays. If, say, there is a spoiler fault, the systems page on the right CRT shows in red the spoilers which are not available; the left CRT indicates the required action, and advises reference to the hand book for the consequential increase in landing distance and other effects. Conclusion: How many pilots who have seen the new simulator have agreed that conversion to the new displays will be simple? "All," a senior Airbus pilot replies. "Even if you haven't had the course you can understand this, and you have a permanent systems-refresher every time you fly." Only man has the ability to inte grate the external as well as the in ternal elements of an emergency, and the new cockpit is intended to help that judgement by presenting full and immediate information on all the in ternal elements. Cockpit procedures will change with the FFCC, probably quite radically. This side of the new development has not yet been thought right through. What about standard operating pro cedures and crew co-ordination? Obviously, whether there is a three- man crew or a two-man crew, the pushbuttons must not be pushed by anyone and everyone. Airbus pilots say that the three-man crew will have C3, who is either a pilot or flight engineer, taking the actions with the captain co-ordinating. C3 can manage any part of the over head panel quite easily from the jump- seat position. It is admitted that the two-crew procedure is not yet de cided. The most important point here is to ensure that procedures observe the golden rule that there is "always somebody minding the trajectory." Air France pilots feel, collectively if not individually, that the CRT display is one step forward enough without also eliminating the flight-engineer's station. The safety implication of this reservation is respected. But nobodv can doubt that—two-man or three- man crew, FFCC or SFCC—the old electromechanical instruments are one day going to seem as old fashioned as the Gosport speaking tube. All that Airbus pilots will reply when asked whether the FFCC is, in certification terms, a one-man aircraft, is a diplomatic: "Even today's 747 can be flown by one stewardess." D Airbus A300s line up at the Toulouse "Abreuvoir"—the "cattle trough" where final flight preparations and maintenance are carried out before the aircraft are delivered to the airlines mB^im*
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