Navigation Display

Louie1975

Well-Known Member
I read in a couple of places that one of the benefits of Airbus going to sidestick controller vs. the traditional control column was better visibilty of the displays in the cockpit.
Since then, I've wondered, does the control wheel get in the way of any displays? In some pictures on airliners.net, especially on MD-80s and maybe 757/767s, it looks like the crt right below the main one(nav display?) is completely blocked off by the wheel. Is this the case when you are really sitting there?
 
No the yoke will not block your panel if the seat is position correctly.

The real advantage of the sidestick (apart from the extra room) is it actually costs less to operate. It cost approximately $3 a month in fuel to fly a can of soda around on an airliner for a month, I would estimate a yoke ways about as much as 50 cans of soda costing the airline $150 per month or $1800 per year. If you had a fleet of 300 aircraft with yokes in a year you would save $540,000 in fuel.
 
Iain, you have entirely too much time on your hands.
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Sometimes it is hard to see items behind the yoke. For example, in my current airplane, even with the seat positioned correctly, I sometimes have to move my head to see the FMS. The trick is to make that anything that is flight critical can be easily seen.

If you have a yoke mounted GPS or kneeboard, those can also block some of the instruments.

If you have a chance, look in an airplane that uses sidesticks (the Cirrus, for example) and you will be truly amazed at how much panel real estate the sidestick frees up.
 
Hey everybody, it's silly question time. Is the sidestick difficult to get used to? I don't know how similar a joystick may handle as compared to a sidestick, but I find them kind of annoying. Making turns while keeping the nose level is particularly problematic, it's often hard to tell whether the joystick is perfectly centered. Turns with a yoke seem to be much easier. Any Airbus drivers care to comment?
 
It is all about getting used to it. Remember the F-16 is also side stick as was the Wright Flyer I believe. The yoke is the new guy on the block!
 
The captain I'm flying with flew the A-7, F-16, F-117 and the F-15 and he could probably tell you all about the center versus sidestick. Even shot some bad guys in Iraq part one.

I almost had him talked into an 'interview' for the website, but he backed out after I pulled a few sheets out of the ACARS printer and started asking questions.

Ack!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Remember the F-16 is also side stick as was the Wright Flyer I believe.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Wright Flyer didn't have a stick at all!
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It used a saddle that the pilot layed in and moved with his hips side to side to control the "warp" of the the wings (essentially alieron) and the rudder/elevator was controlled with a flat board similar to a sled's steering mechanism only rigged to handle rudder and elevator inputs.
 
Actually the flyer did have a stick - the left hand was used to control the elevator and the rudder was linked to the wing warping.
 
Hehe knew that would get me - never, ever use blanket statements.
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But, technically it's still not a stick - it would be a lever (it only had motion in one plane).

I'd never heard that the rudder was linked to the wing warp. Interesting.
Tri-pacers or Colts (and Ercoupes) do the same thing with the rudder/alierons.
 
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