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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 2403.PDF
surroundings, as it is on the pages of let down sheets. Safe altitude would be imme diately obvious to the crew. The next major hardware step in displays will be the use of flat screens. Boeing is already committed to this step. The prom ised economy in power, and reduced needs for heat dissipation, are as attractive as the space savings. Liquid crystal displays are prime contenders, although light-emitting diodes have already been widely used for secondary-instrument or warning-panel applications. The FMS is important in the control and management of navigation and performance, and so is becoming increasingly closely inte grated with Efis. FMS inputs are usually made through a control and display unit (CDU). The relationship between control and display is important to the pilot. Input has developed around keyboards, but any consensus on their design has still to come. Full alphanumeric keyboards are possible with the larger CDU, but some dexterity may be needed to locate a key precisely. Composite keyboards are used on smaller navigation controllers, and the dexterity here is in the selection of alpha or numeric, and sometimes in repeat keying for a given character. With practice their use becomes a reflex action, and the adaptability of the human operative is revealed yet again. Dedicated keys can be used for frequent functions, or soft keys for more flexibility. Line keys, either side of the display, can be used in menu sequences, and for entries via a "scratch-pad". But CDUs that look similar have subtle differences, especially in the order of operations, making the need to forget and relearn important for the pilot training on a new aircraft type. Future proposals may introduce touch-sensitive screens and voice control, each of which offers advantages and entails risks for the man/machine interface. Screens can be adapted for surface finger keying by means of electrostatic or pressure sensing—or crossed infrared beams. A screen covers a much larger area than a typi cal cockpit keyboard, which has a nearby surround that can be used for hand support, so the accuracy with which a finger can be aimed must be considered. Voice control depends upon reliable word recognition under all circumstances of environmental noise—airflow, engines, and systems, normal and abnormal, and it must be able to function over a range of levels of pitch in the human voice. All possible mixes of equipment and scenarios are being investigated in a joint Nasa/Lockheed long-term programme which involves three simulators and support ing complexes for various synthetic environ ments (see Flight, June 8, 1985). These research cockpits are targeted at different facets of the future aviation scene for displays and controls: systems, human factors, and ATC interfaces. S3 Cessna's latest Citation V business jet follows the Efis fashion SOUTHERN AIR. THE TRANSPORT OF KINGS. RAMSES When a major Hollywood studio needed an airplane large enough to hold the 55-foot King Kong, they called Southern Air. When the Egyptian Museum needed to move a fragile collec tion of priceless Ramses 11 arti facts, the choice was simple. Southern Air. Southern Air, with the world's largest commercial fleet, is the only U.S. carrier able to offer the oversized and unique capacity of 17 versatile L-100 Hercules. Boastinga 50,000-pound pay- load and a 6,000-cubic foot volume, each of our Hercs can deliver bulk, palletized KONG or combination cargo to virtu ally any location around the world. No matter how remote the site. Combine the power of the Here with a fleet of 12 hushkitted Boeing 707s, immediate avail ability, worldwide operating authority and quick turnaround time-and what have you got? A cargoairlinefitforaking. Ortwo. So, when you've got some thing big, bulky or just plain unusual to ship, give your cargo the royal treatment. Call Southern Airat (305) 871-0600. Ad Hoc Charters, project support and contract services available. SOUTHERN AIR TRANSPORT THE UNCOMMON CARRIER 6355 N.W 36th Street, 6th Floor, Miami, FL33166 U.S.A. Mailingaddress: P.O. Box 52-4093, Miami, FL33152 U.S.A. SITA:MIA00SJ 1-800-327-6456 Telex: 518856 Fax:(305)871-6392 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 3 September 1988 91
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