ET0436 Aircraft Instrument Systems Assignment (Report)
ET0436 Aircraft Instrument Systems Assignment (Report)
SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC
AIRCRAFT FLIGHT
INSTRUMENTS: PILATUS PC-21
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Introduction 3
B. Objective 3
F. Conclusion 12
G. References 13
A. INTRODUCTION
Aircraft instruments are considered some of the most vital parts and components in an
aircraft in which lacking of any would cause the whole aircraft to be unable to operate or
function ideally. The purpose of these instruments are to advise pilots of the many different
environmental conditions existing within and outside the aircraft which may include altitude,
attitude, cabin temperature, pressure, present position etc. Examples of aircraft instruments
include artificial horizon, directional gyro, altimeter, airspeed indicator, vertical speed
indicator alongside turn and slip indicator. They are normally located within the cockpit in two
basic layouts namely Basic Six or Basic T Layout.
Moreover, there are four main elements in an aircraft instrument system which further
explain how it operates, namely detecting element, measuring element, coupling element and
indicating element. The functions of the respective elements are reflected below:
1. Detecting element: Detects changes in value while physical quantities and conditions are
presented
2. Measuring element: Measures the value of the physical quantity or condition in terms of
translatory or angular displacements
3. Coupling element: Displacements are magnified and transmitted to their respective systems
4. Indicating element: Exhibits the value of the measured quantity by the relative positions of
a scale and a pointer
In this report, we will be discussing the aircraft instrument systems that are present on
the Pilatus-PC 21 aircraft in terms of various aspects such as layout, orientation, elements and
their respective function etc.
B. OBJECTIVE
The objective of this report is to search, study, familiarise and understand the information
of the flight instruments present on the Pilatus PC-12. On another note, we are expected to also
conduct research on the layout and presentation of the instruments on the aircraft cockpit itself.
Both research and report were completed through the following three stages namely
Information Gathering Stage, Report Writing Stage and Evaluation Stage.
Being one of the world’s most advanced pilot training aircraft, it also boasts state-of-the-
art technologies that are incorporated into its instruments and systems which include
pressurised cockpits, air conditioning, anti-G system and on-board oxygen generation. The
picture below provides indication to some of the vital parts and systems on-board this particular
aircraft.
The table below encompasses some of the basic information regarding the aircraft in
terms of general characteristics and performance.
1. General Characteristics
Crew 2 Wing Area 11.221 m2
Length 11.233 m (36 ft 10 in) Empty Weight 2,270 kg (5,004 lb)
Wingspan 9.108 m (29 ft 11 in) Max take-off weight Aerobic - 3,100 kg (6,834 lb)
Height 3.74 m (12 ft 3 in) Normal - 4,250 kg (9,370 lb)
Engine Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-68B turboprop engine 1,200 kW (1,600 hp)
2. Performance
Power / Mass 0.39 kW/kg (0.24 hp/lb) Maximum speed 685 km/h (426 mph, 370 kn)
Range 1,333 km (828 mi, 720 nm) Rate of climb 20.317 m/s (3,999.4 ft/min)
Service ceiling 11,580 m (37,990 ft) Wing loading 208 kg/m2 (43 lb/sq ft)
g limits +8.0 -4.0 aerobatic ; +5.0 -2.5 utility
Stall speed 170 km/h (110 mph, 92 knots) with gear and flaps up
Stall speed 20 km/h (12 mph, 11 knots) with gear and flaps down
Nevertheless, this report will focus on the aircraft instrument systems embedded within
the aircraft’s cockpit instrumentation panel. Firstly, the cockpit is installed with three 6 inch
by 8 inch active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) which makes up the Primary Flight
Display (PFD) that is embedded in the central shaft. Located above the PFD is the Up-Front
Control Panel (UFCP) equipped with bezel-mounted display buttons and control panel buttons
associated with the aircraft’s navigation, mission, system, and tactical data. Furthermore,
located on both sides of the UFCP are the secondary flight display and the engine monitoring
display respectively which is responsible displaying important system information and vital
engine data.
As for both forward and rear cockpits, the former is equipped with a Flight Visions
SparrowHawk head-up display with the FVD-4000 HUD symbol generator while the latter is
equipped with a full-colour HUD repeater screen which displays real-time images from the
HUD camera overlaid with the HUD symbology information. The aforementioned CMC
Electronics FV-4000 mission computer is incorporated with a 500 MHz G4 Power PC
processor, each with 512 MB of memory for real-time data processing with high refresh rate.
Figure 3. Flight Visions SparrowHawk heads-up display (Left), CMC FVD-4000 Avionics
Computer (Right)
From the aspect of avionics systems, the aircraft is said to be highly flexible as it allows
adaptation, system enhancement, and modification to suit the pilot training phase especially its
navigation suite which encompasses an integrated laser inertia navigation sensor, global
positioning system and a Kalman filter. The above system uses the ARINC 1553B data bus
interface as well as certain military standards and protocols.
Figure 4. (Bottom)
ARINC 1553B data bus
interface integrated into
the aircraft’s navigation
system (bottom)
Encompasses two main indicators including Artificial Horizon (Gyro Horizon, Horizontal
Situation Indicator) and Directional Gyro (Direction Indicator, Attitude Director Indicator) that
aims to reduce pilot workload and enhance situational
awareness by means of combining several information
indicators and instruments onto a single electronic display. The
Artificial Horizon, is a gyroscopic instrument that displays the
orientation of the aircraft (ascent or descent) with respect to the
Earth’s horizon (horizontal plane) for navigational purposes in
incidents where the natural horizon is obscured. On the other
hand, the Directional Gyro is a gyroscopic instrument that
informs the pilot of the aircraft’s heading or otherwise direction.
The secondary flight display (SFD) located on the left of the cockpit panel hosts a panel which
is a combination of the aircraft’s artificial horizon, airspeed and vertical speed. As the
indications imply, it is responsible for showing the orientation of the aircraft (ascent or descent)
with respect to the Earth’s horizon while also indicating the true speed at which the aircraft is
flying along with the rate that the aircraft is climbing or descending.
Figure 8. Secondary Flight Display (SFD) – Artificial Horizon, Airspeed Indicator, Vertical
Speed Indicator
The secondary flight display (SFD) which is located on the right of the cockpit panel hosts an
engine monitoring display which is mainly responsible in providing engine related parameters
and information to the pilot and the flight crew. These parameters are collected from various
aircraft sensors and systems and then sent to the central computer system for analysis which
assists in identifying any damage or impending failure on the aircraft’s engine. Some of the
indicators that are displayed include rotational speed of the engine (rpm), fuel consumption
rate etc.
A heads-up display (HUD) is a means of presenting all vital information of the aircraft to the
pilot or the aircrew such as airspeed, altitude, artificial horizon, turn and bank degree, angle of
attack etc. in the line of their external forward vision in which all of it is projected onto a small
“see-through” screen located right in front of pilot’s line of sight. They are specially designed
in a way that holographic images are incorporated so that the screen appears to be far out in
front of the aircraft so that the pilot does not need to change his eye focus. For the Pilatus PC-
21, the HUD that is incorporated into the system is the SparrowHawk HUD manufactured by
Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC).
The Up-Front Control Panel (UFCP) is an extension of the aircraft’s Heads-Up Display (HUD)
as it consists a series of illuminated and programmable buttons, displays and indicators which
allows the pilot to interface with the aircraft’s subsystems e.g. Communications (COMS),
Instrument Landing System (ILS), Fuel, Marker System (MRK), Navigation (NAV),
Transponder (TPDR), Tactical Air Navigation System (TCN) etc.
Figure 11.
Up-Front
Control
Panel
onboard
the Pilatus
PC-21
The Heads-Up Display Repeater (HUDR) is an instrument that allows an instructor or a co-
pilot to have access or to view the same information that the pilot is observing through the
Heads-Up Display (HUD) which provides flexibility in the operation of the aircraft especially
in the training aspect of the pilots.
Figure 12. Heads-Up Display Repeater (HUDR) installed on the Pilatus PC-21
The engine monitoring display is associated with providing engine related parameters and data
to the pilot and the aircrew. Its operation involves the collection and storage of various
information obtained from the aircraft engine and is then sent to the central flight computer for
further analysis to determine any abnormal activity which might indicate impending failure or
suggests that the engine is damaged. Some of the parameters that are shown on the display
include engine pressure ratio (EPR), exhaust gas temperature gauge (EGT), engine rotation
speed, fuel consumption rate etc.
The dedicated warning panel installed in the cockpit of an aircraft is also known as Cockpit
Warning Systems, Annunciator Panel, Aircraft Warnings and Caution Panels etc. As the name
implies, it is mainly responsible for the indication of the status of respective equipment and
systems on board the aircraft while providing lighting indications, displays and aural warnings
to the pilots should critical situations arise.
With the incorporation of four main components, the Flight Management System (FMS) in
simple words is a computer that is responsible for the navigation, performance and the
operations of the aircraft such as Very High Frequency Omni Range (VOR), Distance
Measurement Equipment (DME), Global Positioning System (GPS), Instrument Landing
System (ILS) attitude and heading. As mentioned, the system consists of flight management
computer (FMC), Automatic Flight Control or Automatic Flight Guidance System (AFC or
AFGS), Aircraft Navigation System and Electronic Flight Instrument System. Technically
speaking, the computer controls all operations throughout the flight from take-off till
landing which includes aircraft locations, departure runway, approach procedure, alternate
routes, flight plan etc.
In aviation, the autopilot control panel is also known as mode control panel. Such an instrument
provides control over advanced autopilot with its associated systems such as automated flight
direction system (AFDS) and auto-throttle system. From the pilot’s aspect, this particular
system enables him/her to select which part of the aircraft flight is to be controlled
automatically. For example, the roll, pitch, yaw, auto-throttles, heading, speed, vertical speed,
flight altitude of a particular aircraft along its flight path.
Figure 18. Mission Data Recorder (Left), Flight Data Recorder (Right)
F. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, aircraft instruments are extremely vital and important in the daily
operations of an aircraft in which lacking any one of it would deem the aircraft unflyable.
Moreover, the existence of these instruments are to reduce the pilot’s workload while advising
them of the internal and external conditions of the aircraft such as altitude, attitude, temperature,
heading, pressure, present position etc. Furthermore, the incorporation of four main elements
(detecting element, measuring element, coupling element, indicating element) to the aircraft’s
instrument system also ensures smooth transmission of data from the respective sensors to the
instrumentation panels within the cockpit. Therefore, it is undeniably important that aircraft
instruments do play a very important role in the aviation industry.
Lastly, the Pilatus PC-21, which is considered as one of the most advanced training
aircraft in the world has incorporated a comprehensive system of state-of-the-art instruments
within the aircraft to ensure smooth and high quality operations for its users and consumers.
The instruments that were discussed include Primary Flight Display (PFD), Secondary Flight
Display (SFD), Heads-Up Display (HUD), Heads-Up Display Repeater (HUDR), Up Front
Control Panel, Engine Monitoring Display, Multifunctional Displays, Dedicated Warning
Panel, Flight Management System, Autopilot Control Panel and Mission Data Recorder. With
all the research conducted and report completed, this has gave us an opportunity to better
appreciate the importance of aircraft instruments towards the aircraft itself and the aviation
industry.
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