F/A-18 Cockpit Overview

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Cornelia Short
5 years ago
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It is basically going to be your second home so to speak.

1 F/A-18 Cockpit Overview Hey Nugget! Welcome aboard to the VFA-201 st Hunters Squadron! This training syllabus is to help you get (briefly) familiar with your working environment. It is basically going to be your second home so to speak. So having knowledge in where items are located throughout the cockpit is a vital asset in order for you to manipulate the aircraft when a situation needs to be resolved. Shall we start? Jane s has given us a 3D semi-functional cockpit in which we can manipulate buttons, levers, switches and so forth but not all of these

2 work, hence why it is semi-functional. This syllabus will only concentrate on the ones that work. Use the photo above as reference unless there is another photo available. MDI, MPCD, EFD, UFC MDI stands for Multipurpose Display Indicators and they are two of them in the cockpit. They are located on the far left and far right on the top row in which three screens are located. Around each screen there are twenty pushbuttons that you can activate by pushing onto them. Each button is programmed with a special parameter depending on the mode. To find out more information about the MDI, please check the F/A-18 Manual page MPCD. This is the Multipurpose Color Display, which means that this display has the ability to display color up to a range of 40NM. If you go over that, you will just get a blank screen. You can find this display in the lower in the center. More information on this display can be found on page 4-52 of the manual. EFD: This stands for Electronic Fuel Display, which essentially displays the fuel and engine data. This display is located to the right of the MPCD or beneath the left MPD. You can also set your BINGO setting here. The engine data presented shown is only fraction of what can be shown in the ENGINE menu when clicking on one of the MPDs or MPCDs. For more information, check page 4-54 in the manual. UFC: Stands for Up-Front Controller and is located in the center in between the two MPDs. This is a touch screen display so you can use your mouse button to manipulate several features. Contained in the UFC is a scratchpad in which you can input a numeric value up to 9,999 for the AP or for the RADIAL. Detailed information can be found on page Warning Lights Commonly known, as idiot lights are you to inform you the state of your aircraft whether there s a SAM launch, AAA fire, AP, laser designation, EMCON, or something of a serious nature such a damaged engine or even fire. These lights can be found on top of the left and right MPDs. The FIRE, MASTER CAUTION and APU fire indicators can be clicked on to enable, disable or reset. At the far left of the left MPD, there is a status indicator of the onboard fire extinguisher.

Jettisoning Ordnance Located at left of the EFD and left MPD, this is where

3 You can also click on this light to enable the onboard fireextinguishing system. Jettisoning Ordnance Located at left of the EFD and left MPD, this is where you select which hardpoint(s) to jettison off the aircraft when you are ingressing into an ACM that needs more maneuverability or emergency procedures.

4 In order for you to operate this system, all you need to do is highlight the corresponding hardpoint that is located on the Jettison Station (it is located to the right of the gear lever or left of the EFD) with a mouse click and then proceed to the Jettison knob that is located under the gear lever (the gear lever works!). Then click the mouse onto the knob several times until it says STORES. Finally, click on the Jettison button. On the Jettison knob there are several settings: EMERG: Emergency. Setting the knob to this detent will jettison all stores. SAFE: Prevents any store being jettison. Always move the knob back to this location after jettisoning hardpoints! L/R FUSELAGE MISSILE: Left or Right Ordnance that is attached to the fuselage. STORES: Whatever is highlighted on the Jettison stations will be dropped, thus only selected stores will be jettison. You will also notice the landing gear and flaps status lights next to the Jettison knob. COURSE (CRS)/HEADING (HDG) Usually used in conjunction HIS for navigation, these are toggle switches that are located to the left of the MPCD or under the EFD. To use the toggle, just click either on the top or bottom to increase or decrease the HDG or CRS bug. Analog Gauges/Tail Hook Looking to the right of the MPCD and right MPD, you ll see some analog gauges and a lever. The lever is for manipulating the tail hook for those carrier landings so be sure to have this down or you ll have a BOLTER!

Underneath the MPCD there are two more analog gauges and four toggle switches. Let s talk a bit more about the gauges shown and why are they here. Well, let s start off on why.

About the gauges, at the very top left you have the Attitude Reference Indicator and on the lower row to the left you have the Standby Airspeed Indicator, Standby Altitude Indicator and Vertical

5 Underneath the MPCD there are two more analog gauges and four toggle switches. Let s talk a bit more about the gauges shown and why are they here. Well, let s start off on why. The main reasons why they are there are for backup in case the electronics malfunction or are destroyed. Aircraft was flying with before the age electronics! About the gauges, at the very top left you have the Attitude Reference Indicator and on the lower row to the left you have the Standby Airspeed Indicator, Standby Altitude Indicator and Vertical Speed Indicator. Proceeding underneath the MPCD starting from the top, you have an analog clock. HUD/Altitude/EMCON/ Toggles These switches are located underneath the UFC and on top of the MPCD. Symbol Reject Switch: This is switch is located to the very far left and there are three positions for it. Its main purpose is to declutter the HUD

6 Symbol Brightness Control: It is located next to the Symbol Reject Switch. Clicking this knob will change the color and brightness of the HUD display. NAVFLIR Video Switch: It is a three-position switch and is located to the right. It has listings for Black, White and Off. Altitude Switch: Located near the bottom where it says RDR. This toggles BARO and RDR altitude settings. EMCON Button: It is located at the top row at the very right. You depress this button to enable/disable this mode of operation. You can find out more information about these toggles on page There you have it Nugget! I hope you have a better understanding of your office. NOTE: In the manual it states that the fuel probe, anti-collision/form lights and flap toggle switches work. I have not been able to get them to function. 201 st XO Julian Jewels Data

Contents: Introduction Page Hardware...Page Connecting Inputs and Outputs..Page Software.Page 6

Contents: Introduction Page Hardware...Page Connecting Inputs and Outputs..Page Software.Page 6 Contents: Introduction Page 3 1. Hardware...Page 4 2. Connecting Inputs and Outputs..Page 5 3. Software.Page 6 4. Testing Connected Inputs/Outputs Page 7 5. Configuring Digital Inputs Page 8 6. Configuring