engineer

I am an amateur designer and currently designing a cockpit design for light aircrafts. I want to know common problems encountered by new and learning pilots when training and using the cockpits of light aircraft. Here are questions that would help in my study and design. Your feedback will be highly appreciated.
1. Number of hours flown? ____________
2. How do you feel about the current cockpit designs on light aircraft?
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Not Satisfied Very Dissatisfied
3. Instruments
A. What instruments do you find using most frequently?
*********************B. Is the current arrangement intuitive or would you change the layout?
YES NO if NO, go to C
C. What important instruments are positioned incorrectly?

4. Have you ever been involved in an emergency situation?
YES NO
5. If YES, did you have enough time and space to exit?
YES NO
6. If NO, what can be done to improve in such a situation?
7. Generally, is there anything you would want to be changed, improved or replaced?
8. Which controls do you prefer?
YOKE STICK other__________
9. If STICK is preferred, which position?
A) On the edge of the seat between the pilots legs?
B) On the left and right hand sides for the captain and first officer respectively?
C) On the centre console for both pilots
10. Which seat harnesses do you prefer?
3 POINT 5 POINT OTHER _____________
11. What displays/instruments do you prefer?
DIGITAL ANALOGUE
12. What type of canopy design would you prefer?
BUBBLE TYPE GULLWING TYPE OTHER ******_______***________
13. Which canopy design configuration do you prefer?
A) Sliding, as a single piece
B) Swinging
C) Doors on each side
14. Which throttle position do you prefer?
Centre console
On the front instrument panel
Over head, (for swinging and door canopy design)
15. Would you be more comfortable with an overhead panel?
YES NO
16. Does anything in the cockpit hinder the external view?
*****************17. Rank 1 to 5 with the most important being no. 1
COMFORT
SAFETY
ERGONOMICS
VENTILATION
EASE OF ENTRY + EXIT
FLIGHT CONTROL POSITIONG
18. Do you prefer to have an adjustable seat to set the perfect flying position?
YES NO

Thank you

TonyWilliams

You'll get lots of responses on the Experimental Aircraft Association forum. I think you need to be a member; not sure.

Cubdriver

It is going to be very hard to take your survey seriously without some idea what you are doing it for and what you are designing. "Light aircraft" is way too vague even for internet. Some people consider a Bombardier Challenger light, while others only reserve the term for sport planes and ultralights. Give a weight class, type of a mission, number of passengers, cert basis, something. Maybe use an existing aircraft as a starting point if you have no specific information. Even clean sheet airplanes are highly derivative, that is how most of them start. Also, there aren't many aircraft designers at these forums (none). For this and your other thread you may want to venture over to the Eng Tips website.

Gajre539

Light aircraft is too broad. These are my responses with Cessna 172s, G1000 172/182s, Piper Arrows, Senecas and Aztecs in mind.

1. Number of hours flown? - 2000 hours, 1650 as a flight instructor

2. How do you feel about the current cockpit designs on light aircraft?
New aircraft? Conventional 6 pack cockpit or Glass cockpits or Both?
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Not Satisfied Very Dissatisfied

3. Instruments
A. What instruments do you find using most frequently?
- All the instruments in the 6 pack conventional panel.
B. Is the current arrangement intuitive or would you change the layout?
- I'm used to the standard layout, wouldn't change it.
C. What important instruments are positioned incorrectly?
N/A

4. Have you ever been involved in an emergency situation? - YES

5. If YES, did you have enough time and space to exit? YES

6. If NO, what can be done to improve in such a situation? - N/A

7. Generally, is there anything you would want to be changed, improved or replaced? - No.

8. Which controls do you prefer? - YOKE

9. If STICK is preferred, which position? - N/A

10. Which seat harnesses do you prefer? - 3 point in a light trainer, 5 point if I was doing spins on a daily basis

11. What displays/instruments do you prefer? - Both analog and digital, they both display the same information on different formats and layouts.

12. What type of canopy design would you prefer? - N/A

13. Which canopy design configuration do you prefer? - Doors on each side

14. Which throttle position do you prefer? - Center console

15. Would you be more comfortable with an overhead panel? - Yes, but not if it had a throttle quadrant on it

16. Does anything in the cockpit hinder the external view? -No

17. Rank 1 to 5 with the most important being no. 1
COMFORT - 6
SAFETY - 1
ERGONOMICS - 4
VENTILATION - 5
EASE OF ENTRY + EXIT - 2
FLIGHT CONTROL POSITION - 3

18. Do you prefer to have an adjustable seat to set the perfect flying position? - YES

engineer

Thank you Gajre539. Your feedback was highly helpful and contributed to my study. Thanks.