Mil-Spec inspired car dashboards then and now...

[Boomhauer]

All the military aviation news mags make much gesticulation and masturbation about "all glass cockpit" upgrades in existing fleets or new aircraft rollouts. Pilots I had gave a disdainful sniff at our aircraft and it's "steam gauges." (Pitot static, direct read, and other such barbaric stuff) I dunno, that all glass stuff is pretty cool until the power goes out... A car needs water temp, oil pressure, and RPM. Nothing more.

Oh, believe me, I agree. I am NOT a fan of glass cockpits at all...I don't mind a few electronic instruments, but everything needs to be backed up by old fashioned steam gauges. I am also not a fan of FADEC engine control...and, when it comes to single engine general aviation, I despise electric flaps.

Now, GPS is about the best thing since sliced bread. I love it. But that is taken care of with a small 5 inch screen in the radio stack, no problem...



These are also pretty cool. It's a slide in replacement for the horizontal situation indicator and artificial horizon. Move your current horizon down to in place of the turn coordinator, or off to the side, and you still have it for backup. Easy installation, hooks up to your static instruments. Gives me most of the benefits of a glass cockpit with low cost. And they are coming out with other displays, so it's very modular.

And I'd like to have some more gauges in my car (gauges give me comfort). Who wouldn't want their car IFR certified for those really foggy days? But not that crappy Lambo dashboard...

[Manedwolf]

S'why I said "inspired", not "like". It's makers of cars-for-the-beyond-wealthy going "LOOK! IT R FIGHTER JET KINDA!".

Cirrus aircraft do have really nice cockpit layouts, I agree.

[Gewehr98]

Cirrus aircraft do have really nice cockpit layouts, I agree.

Too bad they keep crashing... 

[Manedwolf]

Cirrus aircraft do have really nice cockpit layouts, I agree.

Too bad they keep crashing... 

There is that.

If that keeps up, they're going to be the 21st century Beechcraft v-tail.

[Boomhauer]

Cirrus aircraft do have really nice cockpit layouts, I agree.

Too bad they keep crashing... 

There is that.

If that keeps up, they're going to be the 21st century Beechcraft v-tail.

They already are the 21st century Vtail docter killers.

The plane is very expensive. Insurance rates are sky high (last quote I looked at for a low time pilot was 10K for the first year- it reduces as more time is gained in type). The aircraft is not forgiving like Cessnas and Pipers are...I've heard it's gliding characteristics described as "glides like a set of car keys). I'm also told that if you deploy the chute, that's an automatic writeoff for the airframe. Parts and maintence is also quite expensive. The glass cockpit tends to attract the attention of pilots who should be looking outside of the cockpit (yes, they have traffic collision avoidance (TCAS), but it can't be relied on to catch everything). The "weeping wings" deice is not certified for flight into known icing, yet some pilots try to take it into icing.

Cirrus tried to incorporate the latest and greatest features into the design (composite construction, glass cockpit, TKS weeping wings deice (it pumps fluid and spreads it on the leading edges), TCAS, an airframe parachute (that isn't as usuable as one would wish). The safety features are great if properly used, but some pilots rely on them to save their bacon instead of aviating safely like they are supposed to do.

S'why I said "inspired", not "like". Wink It's makers of cars-for-the-beyond-wealthy going "LOOK! IT R FIGHTER JET KINDA!". cheesy

I still say it looks like the cockpit from a crappy 1980s action movie. They couldn't have made it cooler and less dorky?

[Hawkmoon]

HankB say:

Automobile controls ought to be simple and intuitive, not ergonomic nightmares . . .

Like this!

Willys Overland, circa 1943

Yes -- except with a tachometer

[Firethorn]

A car needs water temp, oil pressure, and RPM. Nothing more.

Personally, I think that the speedometer is more useful than the rest of the above.

Heck, in most cases, especially with automatic transmissions or a hybrid vehicle, you don't need RPM.  Heck, even for manuals you don't necessarily need RPM, just operate on engine sound.  Water temp - nice to know a bit, along with oil pressure can be handled by a trouble light instead of an actual 'gauge'.

Though if you start getting into 'useful' secondary gauges, voltage is a good one as well.

edit - oh yeah, and if you want people to be economical, I've read that placing a mpg gauge/readout can change people's driving to save something like 10-20% gas mileage simply by changing driving patterns.  Especially when gas is expensive.