It all started in commercial applications…
The 747 Flight Deck - 30 Years of
Modern Technology:
This digitized image
contrasts today's high-technology 747-400 flight deck (left), with the late-1960s
version of the first-generation of 747s, at right. New technology has
continually been added to meet changing market requirements. Today's 747-400
has six cathode ray tube displays, while the original 747 had
electro-mechanical displays. Avionics in today's -400 are all digital; previous
747s used analog computing.
Of the 971 lights, gauges and
switches in the original 747 flight deck, only 365 remain in the 747-400. All
of this adds up to greater efficiency for airlines and an easier job for pilots.
The flight crew for the 747-400 consists of two pilots; for earlier 747s, a
flight engineer was also required. Source:
http://www.boeing.com/news/feature/747evolution/
The picture below is a split
illustration of a Boeing 747 cockpit – circa 2000 on the left and 1969 on the
right.
Boeing 747 Glass Cockpit - Now Boeing 747 Cockpit – “then” (Circa 1968)
Definition: What is a “glass”
cockpit?
A modern commercial example – The
Boeing 747 – “Then and Now”
History and Background –
Technology Profile
How does it work? – A brief explanation
of the glass cockpit components
The Transformation from commercial use to General Aviation – Recent Applications