Defense Intelligence Reference Document Cockpits In The Era Of Breakthrough Flight

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Flight-Mode Control
In contemporary aircraft, the flight-mode control panel is often located prominently in
the glare shield. It contains displays and controls for the autopilot and for setting
headings, speeds, and other operational parameters. In breakthrough-era craft, there
will likely be no need for a glare shield, since all images of the exterior will be projected
indirectly; thus, the intensity of the light can be limited. Nonetheless, having a
prominent location for the flight-mode display is critical.
Vehicle Status Indicators
The status of critical operating parameters of the vehicle, such as its fuel level and
engine temperature, is essential. Note the prominence of those displays in the center of
the flight deck. However, other than knowing that similar displays and controls will be
required for breakthrough-era cockpits, it is too early to speculate on their details.
Joystick, Throttles, and Keypads
Some sort of physical controls are required to fly the aircraft. On contemporary aircraft,
these include the joystick (side-mounted), rudder pedals, and throttle controls. Fine-
tuning controls that manage features such as trim settings and flight heading can be
located on separate panels. The details of these controls are dependent on the methods
of flight. For a breakthrough craft, it is reasonable to speculate that six-degree-of-
freedom controls will be accommodated by whatever method is most natural for pilots.
Figure 12. Space Cockpit Visions Circa 1959. Taken directly from Seifert's 1959 book, Space Technology, this
is an artist's rendering of a "space travel control station," It is offered here to convey the provisional nature of far-
future speculations, including the speculations offered In this report.
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