HOTAS, an abbreviation for
Hands On Throttle-And-Stick, is the name
given to the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle stick
and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit, allowing the pilot to access
vital cockpit functions and fly the aircraft without having to remove his
hands from the throttle and flight controls. Application of the concept was
pioneered by the English Electric Lightning[1] and is widely used on all
modern fighter aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
HOTAS is a shorthand term which refers to the pattern of controls in the
modern fighter aircraft cockpit. Having all switches on
the stick and throttle allows the pilot to keep his "hands on throttle-and-
stick", thus allowing him to remain focused on more important duties
than looking for controls in the cockpit. The goal is to improve the
pilot's situational awareness, his ability to manipulate switch and button
controls in turbulence, under stress, or during high G-force maneuvers,
to improve his reaction time, to minimize instances when he must
remove his hands from one or the other of the aircraft's controls to use
another aircraft system, and total time spent doing so.
The concept has also been applied to the steering wheels of
modern open-wheel racecars, like those used in Formula One and
the Indy Racing League. HOTAS has been adapted for game
controllersused for flight simulators (most such controllers are based on
the F-16 Fighting Falcon's) and in cars equipped with radio controls on
the steering wheel. In the modern military aircraft cockpit the HOTAS
concept is sometimes enhanced by the use of Direct Voice Input to
produce the so-called "V-TAS" concept, and augmented with helmet
mounted display systems such as the "Schlem" used in the MiG-
29 and Su-27, which allow the pilot to control various systems using his
line of sight, and to guide missiles by simply looking at the target.
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HOTAS
The F-22 features a side-stick controller (like the F-16) and two throttles that are the aircraft's primary
flight controls. The GEC-built stick is located on the right console with a swing-out, adjustable arm rest.
The stick is force sensitive and moves only about one-quarter of an inch. The throttles are located on the
left console. HOTAS switches, both shape and texture coded, are used to control more than 60 different
time-critical functions.[4]
A Multi-function display (MFD) (part of Multi Function structures) is a
small screen (CRT or LCD) in an aircraft surrounded by
multiple buttons that can be used to display information to the pilot in
numerous configurable ways. Often an MFD will be used in concert with
a Primary Flight Display. MFDs are part of the digital era of modern
planes or helicopter. The first MFD were introduced by air forces. The
advantage of an MFD over analog display is that an MFD does not
consume much space in the cockpit. For example the cockpit of RAH-66
"Comanche" does not have analog dials or gauges at all. All information
is displayed on the MFD pages. The possible MFD pages could differ for
every plane, complementing their abilities (in combat).
Many MFDs allow the pilot to display their navigation route, moving map,
weather radar, NEXRAD, GPWS, TCAS and airport information all on
the same screen.
MFDs are added to the Space Shuttle (as the glass cockpit) starting in
1998 replacing the analog instruments and CRTs. The information being
displayed is similar, and the glass cockpit was first flown on the STS-
101 mission.
In modern automotive technology, MFDs are used in cars to display
navigation, entertainment and vehicle status information.
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The multi-function display typically shows a moving map on the right
side, and engine instrumentation on the left. Most of the other screens in
the G1000 system are accessed by turning the knob on the lower right
corner of the unit. Screens available from the MFD other than the map
include the setup menus, information about nearest airports
and NAVAIDs, Mode S traffic reports, terrain awareness, XM radio, flight
plan programming, and GPS RAIM prediction.
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hud
he monochrome Head-Up Display (HUD) by GEC offers a wide field of view (30 degrees wide and 25
degrees deep) and serves as a primary flight instrument for the pilot. The HUD is approximately
4.5 inches tall with standardized symbology compatible with that used head down. [2]
The HUD is planned to also benefit from added protection (a rubber buffer strip) that will effectively shield
the polycarbonate of the canopy when it flexes during a bird-strike and should prevent it shattering.
Design is also underway for a HUD that will collapse during a bird-strike. [2]
The Integrated Control Panel (ICP) is the primary means for manual pilot entry of communications,
navigation, and autopilot data. Located under the glare shield and HUD in the upper centre of the
instrument panel, this keypad entry system also has some double click functions, much like a computer
mouse, for rapid pilot access/use.[2]
There are six liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in the cockpit. These present information in full colour,
are fully readable in direct sunlight and offer less weight and size than traditional CRT displays. Two Up-
Front Displays (UFDs) (3"x4") located to the left and right of the ICP are used to display Integrated
Caution/ Advisory/ Warning (ICAW) data, communications/ navigation/ identification (CNI) data and also
serve as the Stand-by Flight instrumentation Group and Fuel Quantity Indicator (SFG/FQI). [2]
The Stand-by Flight Group also presented on LCD, shows basic flight information, such as artificial
horizon, needed to fly the aircraft in Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The SFG is tied to the
last source of power in the aircraft, so if everything else fails, the pilot will still be able to fly the aircraft. [2]
The colour Primary Multi-Function Display (PMFD) (8"x8") is located in the middle of the instrument panel,
under the ICP. It is the pilot's principal display for aircraft navigation (including waypoints and route of
flight) and Situation Assessment (SA).[2]
Three Secondary Multi-Function Displays (SMFDs) (6.25" x 6.25") are located on either side of the PMFD
and under the PMFD between the pilot's knees. These are used for displaying tactical (both offensive and
defensive) information as well as non-tactical information (such as checklists, subsystem status, engine
thrust output, and stores management).[2]
