The Journey of Flight.pdf - Valkyrie Cadet

The size of an airplane and its tasks determine how many instruments there will be in the cockpit.
The purpose of the instruments is to convey to the pilot some information. This might be attitude
information, such as which way is up. It might be position information, such as miles from the airport.
It might even be weapon information, such as lethal shot distances.
It is not absolutely necessary to have any instruments for the pilot to monitor. An airplane can be
flown without instruments. Crop dusters and ultralights rely on the pilot’s eyes and ears to provide
enough environmental clues to remain aloft. However, as the mission becomes more complex, it is
often necessary to give the pilot more than his eyes and ears can provide.
Early Early Early Early Early Aircraf Aircraf Aircraft Aircraf Aircraft
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Instr Instruments
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The first aviators had to rely on their senses, as there were no flight instruments. Instruments were
then invented to help the pilot. Although they were very primitive by today’s standards, many early
instruments proved to be adequate for “low and slow” aircraft.
Airspeed was first judged by the force of the wind on the pilot’s face and the whine of wind through
the rigging. If the pitch of the wind whistling through the wires was “right,” the airspeed was correct.
Early airspeed indicators were merely wind gauges.
When pilots could see farther than they intended to fly, heading indicators and navigational
instruments were unnecessary luxuries. Similarly, altimeters were not of much value when the aircraft
Cockpit and instrument panel of the immortal P-51 Mustang. (EAA)
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could get only a few hundred feet off
the ground. When they could climb
higher, perhaps above an altitude where
the air was thin enough to cause the pilot
to pass out, altimeters became a safety
necessity.
In the early days, it was possible to
estimate how long the fuel would last,
but it was also easy for pilots to forget
to check takeoff time and then to have
to guess when the fuel would run out.
The problem was solved by putting a
stick with a cork on it in the fuel tank.
By tying a piece of colored string near
the top of the stick, another safety
feature was added. When the string
disappeared, it was time to land.
The attitude of the aircraft was
extremely critical in the early days.
Pilots solved this problem by tying a
piece of heavy string to the aircraft. If
the string was flying straight back, the
pilot was doing fine. However, if the