Is “flight director attitude indicator” an inside joke about flight directors?
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The flight director attitude indicator is the spacecraft equivalent of the attitude indicator (also called an artifical horizon) on an aircraft.
Why was the "flight director" part added to the name? Is this some inside joke about cranky flight directors?
Not really related:
Attitude error needles on Apollo FDAI
avionics
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
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up vote
6
down vote
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The flight director attitude indicator is the spacecraft equivalent of the attitude indicator (also called an artifical horizon) on an aircraft.
Why was the "flight director" part added to the name? Is this some inside joke about cranky flight directors?
Not really related:
Attitude error needles on Apollo FDAI
avionics
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
not sure, but possibly related: space.stackexchange.com/a/14815/12102
– uhoh
Nov 18 at 11:54
My guess would be that the term "flight director" here is used in the sense of computes and displays the proper pitch and bank angles. Not adding as an answer because "guess" isn't the same as "answer."
– Wayne Conrad
Nov 18 at 12:46
1
Not really related? Actually totally related.
– Russell Borogove
Nov 18 at 13:28
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
The flight director attitude indicator is the spacecraft equivalent of the attitude indicator (also called an artifical horizon) on an aircraft.
Why was the "flight director" part added to the name? Is this some inside joke about cranky flight directors?
Not really related:
Attitude error needles on Apollo FDAI
avionics
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
The flight director attitude indicator is the spacecraft equivalent of the attitude indicator (also called an artifical horizon) on an aircraft.
Why was the "flight director" part added to the name? Is this some inside joke about cranky flight directors?
Not really related:
Attitude error needles on Apollo FDAI
avionics
avionics
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
asked Nov 18 at 8:12
Dr Sheldon
4,1281343
4,1281343
not sure, but possibly related: space.stackexchange.com/a/14815/12102
– uhoh
Nov 18 at 11:54
My guess would be that the term "flight director" here is used in the sense of computes and displays the proper pitch and bank angles. Not adding as an answer because "guess" isn't the same as "answer."
– Wayne Conrad
Nov 18 at 12:46
1
Not really related? Actually totally related.
– Russell Borogove
Nov 18 at 13:28
add a comment |
not sure, but possibly related: space.stackexchange.com/a/14815/12102
– uhoh
Nov 18 at 11:54
My guess would be that the term "flight director" here is used in the sense of computes and displays the proper pitch and bank angles. Not adding as an answer because "guess" isn't the same as "answer."
– Wayne Conrad
Nov 18 at 12:46
1
Not really related? Actually totally related.
– Russell Borogove
Nov 18 at 13:28
not sure, but possibly related: space.stackexchange.com/a/14815/12102
– uhoh
Nov 18 at 11:54
not sure, but possibly related: space.stackexchange.com/a/14815/12102
– uhoh
Nov 18 at 11:54
My guess would be that the term "flight director" here is used in the sense of computes and displays the proper pitch and bank angles. Not adding as an answer because "guess" isn't the same as "answer."
– Wayne Conrad
Nov 18 at 12:46
My guess would be that the term "flight director" here is used in the sense of computes and displays the proper pitch and bank angles. Not adding as an answer because "guess" isn't the same as "answer."
– Wayne Conrad
Nov 18 at 12:46
1
1
Not really related? Actually totally related.
– Russell Borogove
Nov 18 at 13:28
Not really related? Actually totally related.
– Russell Borogove
Nov 18 at 13:28
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
12
down vote
accepted
No, it's not an inside joke -- though after the FDAI was named, the name may have contributed to jokes! In avionics, a "flight director" is:
...an instrument system consisting of electronic components that compute and indicate the aircraft attitude required to attain and maintain a preselected flight condition. A command bar on the aircraft’s attitude indicator shows the pilot how much and in what direction the attitude of the aircraft must be changed to achieve the desired result. ...
Essentially, a flight director system is an autopilot system without the servos. All of the same sensing and computations are made, but the pilot controls the airplane and makes maneuvers by following the commands displayed on the instrument panel.
The FDAI, in addition to indicating the current attitude, has three needles (marked on your diagram) which indicate the attitude error in each axis -- i.e. how far off a desired orientation the spacecraft is in roll, pitch, and yaw. Those error needles serve as the "flight director". Once the position of the error needles is zeroed, the spacecraft is in the desired attitude.
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
12
down vote
accepted
No, it's not an inside joke -- though after the FDAI was named, the name may have contributed to jokes! In avionics, a "flight director" is:
...an instrument system consisting of electronic components that compute and indicate the aircraft attitude required to attain and maintain a preselected flight condition. A command bar on the aircraft’s attitude indicator shows the pilot how much and in what direction the attitude of the aircraft must be changed to achieve the desired result. ...
Essentially, a flight director system is an autopilot system without the servos. All of the same sensing and computations are made, but the pilot controls the airplane and makes maneuvers by following the commands displayed on the instrument panel.
The FDAI, in addition to indicating the current attitude, has three needles (marked on your diagram) which indicate the attitude error in each axis -- i.e. how far off a desired orientation the spacecraft is in roll, pitch, and yaw. Those error needles serve as the "flight director". Once the position of the error needles is zeroed, the spacecraft is in the desired attitude.
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
add a comment |
up vote
12
down vote
accepted
No, it's not an inside joke -- though after the FDAI was named, the name may have contributed to jokes! In avionics, a "flight director" is:
...an instrument system consisting of electronic components that compute and indicate the aircraft attitude required to attain and maintain a preselected flight condition. A command bar on the aircraft’s attitude indicator shows the pilot how much and in what direction the attitude of the aircraft must be changed to achieve the desired result. ...
Essentially, a flight director system is an autopilot system without the servos. All of the same sensing and computations are made, but the pilot controls the airplane and makes maneuvers by following the commands displayed on the instrument panel.
The FDAI, in addition to indicating the current attitude, has three needles (marked on your diagram) which indicate the attitude error in each axis -- i.e. how far off a desired orientation the spacecraft is in roll, pitch, and yaw. Those error needles serve as the "flight director". Once the position of the error needles is zeroed, the spacecraft is in the desired attitude.
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
add a comment |
up vote
12
down vote
accepted
up vote
12
down vote
accepted
No, it's not an inside joke -- though after the FDAI was named, the name may have contributed to jokes! In avionics, a "flight director" is:
...an instrument system consisting of electronic components that compute and indicate the aircraft attitude required to attain and maintain a preselected flight condition. A command bar on the aircraft’s attitude indicator shows the pilot how much and in what direction the attitude of the aircraft must be changed to achieve the desired result. ...
Essentially, a flight director system is an autopilot system without the servos. All of the same sensing and computations are made, but the pilot controls the airplane and makes maneuvers by following the commands displayed on the instrument panel.
The FDAI, in addition to indicating the current attitude, has three needles (marked on your diagram) which indicate the attitude error in each axis -- i.e. how far off a desired orientation the spacecraft is in roll, pitch, and yaw. Those error needles serve as the "flight director". Once the position of the error needles is zeroed, the spacecraft is in the desired attitude.
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
No, it's not an inside joke -- though after the FDAI was named, the name may have contributed to jokes! In avionics, a "flight director" is:
...an instrument system consisting of electronic components that compute and indicate the aircraft attitude required to attain and maintain a preselected flight condition. A command bar on the aircraft’s attitude indicator shows the pilot how much and in what direction the attitude of the aircraft must be changed to achieve the desired result. ...
Essentially, a flight director system is an autopilot system without the servos. All of the same sensing and computations are made, but the pilot controls the airplane and makes maneuvers by following the commands displayed on the instrument panel.
The FDAI, in addition to indicating the current attitude, has three needles (marked on your diagram) which indicate the attitude error in each axis -- i.e. how far off a desired orientation the spacecraft is in roll, pitch, and yaw. Those error needles serve as the "flight director". Once the position of the error needles is zeroed, the spacecraft is in the desired attitude.
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
edited Nov 18 at 13:43
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
answered Nov 18 at 13:26
Russell Borogove
78.4k2256340
78.4k2256340
add a comment |
add a comment |
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not sure, but possibly related: space.stackexchange.com/a/14815/12102
– uhoh
Nov 18 at 11:54
My guess would be that the term "flight director" here is used in the sense of computes and displays the proper pitch and bank angles. Not adding as an answer because "guess" isn't the same as "answer."
– Wayne Conrad
Nov 18 at 12:46
1
Not really related? Actually totally related.
– Russell Borogove
Nov 18 at 13:28