What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

[theterminator93]

Now we're talking.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

The more buttons, the better!

...I mean, I was exaggerating. But to elaborate on my point, I really prefer A. the look of buttons, and B. the tactile feel of pushing a button vs. turning a dial.

 

[XR7-4.6]

...I mean, I was exaggerating. But to elaborate on my point, I really prefer A. the look of buttons, and B. the tactile feel of pushing a button vs. turning a dial.

I can’t argue with A but I’m fairly sure the blind would have an easier time operating the knobs, which I’d say makes them pretty tactile . At least in the blower speed and blend settings; clockwise more speed/more heat/counterclockwise less speed/colder. The function selector is the least ergonomic of the trio but ironically it’s the one part shared between manual and SATC

 

[CDsDontBurn]

Now we're talking.

View attachment 16533

What type of aircraft is this?

I take it you're in the right seat as copilot?

How many hours did you have to do, and studying behind it, to get this far?

 

[Irv]

That's all great until there's so many damn buttons that you don't remember what they all do without also looking or feeling the number of buttons from the edge. Meanwhile, you're supposed to be driving. Polar opposite ends of the tactile spectrum have the same cognitive net effect.

This is why having your fingers one key off where they're supposed to be on a keyboard without feeling for the nubs on the F and J keys produces the most hilarious nonsense that everyone's done, like "Tjos weel" (This week) or "Facebppl" (Facebook). But at least you're (hopefully) not driving when that happens.

As for cockpits, there are reasons why they are the way that they are and obtaining a private pilot license is a time-consuming endeavor, never mind a commercial pilot license, never mind all the additional training to be more than marginally competent, unlike going to your local DMV to get your comparatively "free candy" personal vehicle driver license.

The right solution for the right job. If a shaped dial on the dashboard with detents eliminates 5-8 buttons representing different modes of the same function, then it makes sense. Out of all the arbitrary solutions for problems that didn't previously exist, buttons and non-detented, positionless levers are the worst offenders of why modern automatic transmission shifters are complete trash.

In other words, 7 buttons on the pre-refresh MN12 HVAC controls kind of suck.

 

[Chingon1]

@XR7-4.6 my only gripe is the lack of a volume knob, I CANT STAND button volume . Besides that I like how slick it looks.

 

[Grog6]

For settings, I prefer knobs. Operating mode can be buttons. Pushbutton volume sux.
Brandon, What are you flying with 6 engines?

 

[theterminator93]

What type of aircraft is this?

I take it you're in the right seat as copilot?

How many hours did you have to do, and studying behind it, to get this far?

Brandon, What are you flying with 6 engines?

I wish I was the one who took the picture, let alone see the thing fly, or be on the flight deck at all. At the very least I've seen the aircraft a few times, though.

That's the XB-70 - '60s prototype Mach 3 bomber. I had a deep fascination with it in high school (and still do, for that matter) - I wrote Dryden for info when I was creating a 3D model of it for MSFS 2k2 (no good ones existed at the time) and they mailed me a Xerox'd copy of the flight manual along with a scrap piece of the wrecked A/V2. Then my brother stole it, and lost it.

I had to give @XB-70 a bit of a shoutout when he joined for that reason.

As for cockpits, there are reasons why they are the way that they are and obtaining a private pilot license is a time-consuming endeavor, never mind a commercial pilot license, never mind all the additional training to be more than marginally competent, unlike going to your local DMV to get your comparatively "free candy" personal vehicle driver license.

One of the hardest parts of the instrument rating was learning the advanced features of the avionics, and being able to manipulate them to get what I needed out of them quickly and efficiently while copying down and following instructions from ATC... sometimes while being shaken around like a martini.

 

[Kidd-7]

I can’t argue with A but I’m fairly sure the blind would have an easier time operating the knobs, which I’d say makes them pretty tactile . At least in the blower speed and blend settings; clockwise more speed/more heat/counterclockwise less speed/colder. The function selector is the least ergonomic of the trio but ironically it’s the one part shared between manual and SATC

because the blind drive....