[mikhael]

So, I'm stuck writing a research paper about a topic related to one of my hobbies. I used video games for the hobby, and I'd like to do something with the history of the military aircraft control system, with a focus on the development of HOTAS gear. I've dropped an email to the Air Force Research Laboratory to get information on their research into warfighter/aircraft interface design.

I found out, btw, that a frenchman, Louis Beloit is the originator of thejoystick as a unified roll/pitch control.

So, do any of the rest of you have any websites, names or links that might help me get somewhere on this thing?

[Corsair]

HOTAS? What's it stand for?

[Thorn]

Hands-On Throttle & Stick

[Liberator]

Basically, it's a system of control that allows a pilot to control most of the key functions of controling an aircraft while keeping his hands on the controls all the time.

[Nico]

Well, apart from the F16 being the first one with the stick on the right and not between the legs, I don't know much about HOTAS either, sorry...

[Zarax]

The F16 was the first to use the flight by wire, not the HOTAS...
HOTAS has been invented by Eugene Adam, a MCDonnell-Douglas Engineer.
My source is one of the Tom Clancy's "technical" books, so it should be accurate enough...

[mikhael]

Eugene Adam, eh? That should be useful. Thanks.

[Nico]

Originally posted by Zarax
The F16 was the first to use the flight by wire, not the HOTAS...
HOTAS has been invented by Eugene Adam, a MCDonnell-Douglas Engineer.
My source is one of the Tom Clancy's "technical" books, so it should be accurate enough...

Did I say HOTAS? No, I said "on the side rather than between the legs". There's a huge difference there, isn't it?

[Zarax]

Not really, since HOTAS is the acronym for hands on throttle and stick, and by coincidence also the stick where you said it...

[diamondgeezer]

www.airliners.net

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Zarax
The F16 was the first to use the flight by wire, not the HOTAS...
HOTAS has been invented by Eugene Adam, a MCDonnell-Douglas Engineer.
My source is one of the Tom Clancy's "technical" books, so it should be accurate enough...

Which clancy technical book is that? I might be able to get it at the library.

[Zarax]

It's the one about the USAF, but there is not really much more info on it, most referrals to Eugene Adam (or Adams) are about some aircraft's cockpit and little else... You might fare better by looking for MD stuff...

[mikhael]

They're not very forthcoming. I'm hitting dead ends all over the place. Its like no one decided to write down any thinking on aircraft control system design between WW2 and the present.

I might have to gather photos of various cockpits over the past century and just give commentary on the changes.

[pyro-manic]

It's probably linked to the introduction of jet propulsion and power-assisted controls/fly-by-wire. It might be an idea to look at some of the late prop-fighters (Hawker Typhoon, Lockheed P-38, etc) - they had problems with  control at high speeds, because the pilots weren't strong enough to move the surfaces (hell, I can feel it fighting me when I'm flying a Piper Tomahawk at 120kt, so god knows how hard it would've been at 400 ). It got worse when fast jets became the norm (hence FBW).
Might be a good angle to take.

[mikhael]

Aha... that's a good angle, and it follows naturally from where I was going next quite well. (the Spruce Goose and its fly-by-hydraulic system, etc).

Thanks.

Anyone know where the rudder pedals came from? I know the rudder was initially linked with the wing-warping controls, but I'm having trouble finding info on how we went from the roll lever controlling roll and yaw to having a dedicated control for yaw.

[IceFire]

Originally posted by pyro-manic
It's probably linked to the introduction of jet propulsion and power-assisted controls/fly-by-wire. It might be an idea to look at some of the late prop-fighters (Hawker Typhoon, Lockheed P-38, etc) - they had problems with  control at high speeds, because the pilots weren't strong enough to move the surfaces (hell, I can feel it fighting me when I'm flying a Piper Tomahawk at 120kt, so god knows how hard it would've been at 400 ). It got worse when fast jets became the norm (hence FBW).
Might be a good angle to take.

Actually the Typhoon was quite at home in the high seep region.  Its successor, the Hawker Tempest even more so.  Both of those aircraft had problems with controls at slow speeds since the surfaces were optimized for best response at higher speeds (both aircraft could achieve 400 mph or better at sea level which far exceeds other contemporary prop fighters).  The post-war Tempests were equipped with spring tab ailerons however...that wasn't so much of a control thing to the point but to enhance the pilots ability to affect the ailerons to a greater extent.

P-38 had different problems.  It entered a state of compressability much sooner than other types.  Essentially the speeds over the aircraft were at such rate that the control surfaces would no longer respond. I forget how they deal with that now...but I think it has more to do with control surface design.  The late P-38L had a power assist aileron for high speed roll rate too.

FBW was more of an invention to deal with unstable aircraft control I think.  Since the F-16 was one of those designed intentionally to be unstable to enhance manuverability and thus needing computers to help keep the plane stable I thought that fly-by-wire was chiefly designed for that.  Correct me if I'm wrong.