FUTURE HELICOPTER COCKPIT DESIGN

The research and development laboratories of avionic companies throughout the world are producing a fascinating range of equipments and systems which are destined to be the basic ingredients in helicopter cockpit engineering developments. This will ultimately result in the 1990’s helicopter cockpit bearing little resemblance to its current day counterparts. Electronic displays, multifunction controls and displays and voice control systems provide enormous opportunities for the helicopter designer and operator to achieve operational benefits such as improved safety and operator performance and system benefits such as reduced weight, improved reliability and maintainability. The introduction of these technologies must be considered very carefully. Despite the criticisms which may be levelled at existing systems, there is a considerable background of design, development and operator experience with them and by comparison many new technologies are completely new and untried in the helicopter environment. The consequence of this at Westland is a phased programme which aims to progressively introduce new technologies in selected vehicles over the next ten years.