Research Paper on:
Overview of 'the Glass Cockpit' Technology

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
According to the Defense Department (1997), "a popular saying in World War II (WW II) was A pilots eyes are his finest weapon. Even today, in this age  of radar, infrared imaging system head-up displays, and electronic warfare, a pilots eyes are still his finest weapon. " Part of that protection included the glass cockpit which allowed  the pilot a wider and more secure visual range, plus allowing natural daylight for the observation of the instrument panel. The "Flying machines" Although much was made of the "air  adventures" at Kitty Hawk in December 1903. The Wright Brothers were big time news and the public learned that their twelve second flight occurred after four years of work  and research. Yet they were still afraid of these open-air cockpit "contraptions." The single and first American "airline" passenger is not recorded until 1908. The first scheduled  air service began in Florida on Jan. 1, 1914. The eighteen-mile trip was made in 23 minutes from Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg, and was called the St.Petersburg-Tampa Air  Boat Line. World War I Grumman made some of the first commercial history in the use of the glass cockpit: "At the conclusion of Grummans 1931test flights, the  Navy took custody of the XFF-1 and began their own series of tests. Aside from some minor bugs, the XFF-1 was everything Grumman had claimed it would be. Handling and  maneuverability were excellent. Climb and ceiling were adequate if not exceptional. Most impressive was the planes speed. It proved to be considerably faster than the Navys current single-seat Boeing F4B-4  fighter. During speed trials, the XFF-1 attained a maximum speed of 195 mph.* Overall, the XFF-1 outperformed anything in the Navy inventory. Better yet, no major changes would be required.