Aerospatiale's proposed design for the flight-deck of the Future Large Aircraft (FLA) military transport strongly reflects its Airbus Industrie heritage, with two crew members (for most missions), a "dark" cockpit based around five head-down displays and fly-by-wire side-stick controls. Specific to the FLA will be a pair of head-up displays for low-level tactical missions, plus a cursor-controlled/touch screen "mission-management interface" in front of each pilot. This enables functions such as flight-plan modification, messaging, cargo loading and navigation management to be carried out. The request for proposals for the FLA is due to be submitted to Airbus Military Company early in 1997, with (if funding is agreed) firm orders from the five principal nations involved in the programme by mid-1998. Service entry is set for the first half of 2004.
Source: Flight International