Vote your choice - Clickable Cockpits or Not

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by WhiteSnake

In a Dogfight a Pilot is Not going to look at the Switch or Lever he needs to operate, They design a Cocpit in such a way the Pilot can easly use them with out having to look, some switches, levers are also designed in such a way you cant engage them accedently or by how they feel or by a safety device.
Basicly all the things you would need in a Dogfight are configured in such a way that you didnt need to look at them, and in somecases the Cockpit panel would have an indication of the setting its on also.

Think about your Car, wen you need to use the indicators, whipers, or headlights/highbeam/lowbeam etc. or change gears your not looking at the switches and levers your operating also (i hope) you just do that automaticly and to help you there are lights on your instrument pannel indicating if the lighrts etc are on or not.

Maybe someone will make a Controle Pannel in the future you can use on a Seperate Touchscreen to controle all the difrent functions of the Aircraft, and wen you change to a model or country the pannel changes apearance and functions.

I don't think the study of ergonomics was as advanced in late 30's as it is now and standardisation was anything but common when laying out aircraft cockpits. ( Just look in the IL2 aircraft guide!).

Conversion onto type was a fairly detailed process even switching from one mark of an aircraft to another which is why even to this day you need to get endorsements on your licences before flying a new type of plane.

Hey, even switching between European and Australian cars will have you flicking on the wipers when you wanted to indicate!! We don't automatically know where a switch will be, (It's not allways logical, sometimes they were just put where they fitted) We have to learn where they are. And jumping from one plane (or car for that matter) can lead to mistakes (possibly fatal!).

Fortunately with a fairly small plane set it shouldn't take too long to learn our cockpit layouts.


I for one will be mapping all my essential functions to my HOTAS and switch pannel.

Cheers!