Salon du Bourget 2011

[Chock 17,769]

In the middle picture of the 787 cockpit, what is the box on top of the dashboard immediately above the autopilot controls? Anyone know?

That's a module from GoFlight to make the Boeing 787 compatible with FS9 :( It has other functions too, for example, a little animated paperclip character can pop up on the MFDs to assist you: "It looks like you're trying to land at Le Bourget..."Al

[wedgantilles 76]

Nice pics, thanks for taking the time to post them. Quite cool to see the Beriev 200 attending. I wish someone would do a serious version of that for FS; the Beriev really is an interesting aeroplane.Al

Yeah I also really enjoyed seeing that plane it's just so strange compared to the other aircraft, with the reactors over the wings and the very long landing gear on both side. But it flew really nicely and they even droped 19tons of water as part of their flight program for the show :) I also really like the mix of Helicopter and Plane, the X³ that just can switch between being an airplane and an helicopter, with no tail rotor but two engins on both little wings that take over about after they get to 180Km/h, and that then the main rotor just doesn't do anything and is idled. It was really surprising how this plane could take of and land like an helicopter but also climb like an airplane. Very nice to see, and looks like a really piece of art in ingeniry.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

"It looks like you're trying to land at Le Bourget..."

That made my day. Thank you.

[jbassue 181]

The 787 cockpit reminds me of the 737 lol

[ilias 0]

Sorry for not replying a bit sooner. Regarding the black box you see on top of the MCP it is difficult to answer. I am not sure if Boeing would like to disclose what is there on the 787. Usually it depends on the flight test phase. It is used primarily for telemetry data as well as secondary source indications. I know it sounds vague, but test aircraft cockpits are places with "funny" devices where no picture neither disclosure of them is allowed. I have seen anything from an iPad displaying information from a gadget installed on the radome to a Tom Tom navigator used, not for GPS of course, but to display sensor information from an experimental project. What I am trying to say is that flight test cockpits have custom made devices installed or fixed (in the case of this black box) which any manufacturer is not keen on disclosing as it would be a description of flight test issues or future innovations. If there are any Boeing employees on this forum they might be more keen to describe what the device displays.Regarding the 787 cockpit, I can say from experience it is quite a departure in terms of Human-Machine interface. As much a departure as can be for a commercial aircraft. The four displays and the input method (touchpad) are probably the most outstanding ones. The FMS can be controlled via the touchpad with a cursor moving between what once was LSK-RSK or alternatively a knob allowing also the selection of items and lines. I even dare to say it looks outdated for the Ipad generation which will certainly have the tendency to touch the FMS screen. Already customer airline pilots tend do this initially on cockpit demonstrations. But I guess this post should not be an essay on human factors and technological progress of interfaces.Hope that was a bit helpful. Ilias Pyette

[MorsAbAlto 19]

The huge screens and the grey finish make the 787 flightdeck almost look like one of those homebuilt cockpits that some sim pilots use. Not in a bad way, but it's interesting how these environments converge at least from an ergonomic point of view.