Aircraft cockpit displays.  

The cockpit is the point from which the pilot controls all of the operation of the aircraft. For a combat aircraft, the crew is confined to this area, so every single control necessary must be provided. In any aircraft, these controls must be easily reached, easily operated and logically arranged, so that the pilot instinctively knows where to find them, and the possibility of inadvertent or incorrect operation is minimised. All the information the crew need to carry out their duties must be presented in a clear and logical way, and no vital indication must be missed. As far as the pilot is concerned, the cockpit is the most important part of the aircraft. Since it is the pilot's workplace, it must also be as comfortable and safe as possible.

To meet all these requirements, the cockpit is very complicated, with every suitable surface used for cockpit instruments and controls. Although the cockpit of each aircraft type is different to every other, the general layout follows certain patterns, which helps crew to adjust quickly when they fly different aircraft types.

Cockpit instruments. 

The greatest problem facing cockpit designers is to decide what information to show and in what format. At any time, there is a priority associated with each type of information, and the highest-priority information must be easily located and conveyed. If too much low-priority information is shown, the most important could be lost in a mass of data. However, if too little is shown, the crew may not have the information they need to fly the mission successfully.

The instruments which are in constant use are grouped together directly in front of the pilot, on the main instrument panel, with other instruments and controls arranged in groups to either side and on side consoles. Instruments which need to be seen by two or more crew members are duplicated, or may be placed centrally if the crew are seated side-by-side.

Whatever the aircraft, the pilot needs to know its attitude, and its position and speed in three dimensions. The instruments which provide this are placed centrally on the instrument panel. The instruments are placed in the same positions on the instrument panel, although in some cockpit layouts the functions of two or more instruments can be combined. The so-called glass cockpits go even further, with perhaps two display units performing the functions of all of these instruments.

The instruments needed to give basic information are attitude indicators, horizontal situation indicators, air-speed indicators (ASIs), Machmeters (high-speed aircraft only), altimeters, vertical speed indicators.