Word: cockpit
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...fighter simulator, the strap-in harness pulls back on the trainee's chest when the jet slows down. Similar controls regulate the pilot's G suit, rushing air into pockets in the legs and abdomen to mimic the circulatory effects that accompany supersonic flight. Even the cockpit seat contributes to the illusion; the cushion contains seven air bladders that are pressurized or depressurized according to the flight maneuver...
Computer-controlled jets are attractive to the airlines at least partly because of their low operating costs. The gadgetry of the A320 eliminates the need for a third member of the cockpit crew, creating a cost-cutting advantage for airlines struggling for profits in the age of deregulation. Airbus also boasts that the plane is 40% more fuel efficient than older, comparably sized models like the Boeing 727 because of its lighter weight and streamlined profile...
...aircraft builders are moving in the same direction as Airbus, but more cautiously. The new Boeing 757 and 767 models have computer-controlled engines, though the wing and tail surfaces are still linked to the cockpit by hydraulics. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, the replacement for the DC-10, will be fully computerized, but the wing and tail surfaces will have a mechanical backup system so that "whatever the airplane is capable of, the pilot can get full response," a spokesman says. Nonetheless, mechanical linkages will no doubt be obsolete someday. Boeing is even studying the feasibility of controls that...
...small strip of cargo tube that held the plane together. In 1981 a 737 flown by Far Eastern Air Transport was not so lucky. It tore completely apart over Taiwan, dooming all 110 aboard. In both accidents, the plane's skin fractured on the top side just behind the cockpit...
...single fatal accident in more than 30 years, and Singapore Airlines, whose planes average less than four years old. JAL, in the aftermath of its 747 wreck, began assigning teams of mechanics to specific planes and, to instill pride, even inscribing their names on a plaque in the cockpit...