Since coming into service in 1970, the Boeing 747 has become a legend in its time. Within 55 years of production, Boeing kicked off more than 34 civilian and military variantsquite the record number of variations from one single jetliner created. The cockpit of this legendary bird has undergone several makeovers with the evolution of technology, too, from a maze of analog gauges to a sleek, fully digital interface.
The 747-100, the original variant, featured a cockpit devoid of digital screens. Pilots had to monitor a myriad of analog gauges displaying information about hydraulics, electrical, power plants, and more. The engine panel alone boasted 16 gauges, four for each engine. To assist the pilots, a flight engineer was tasked with monitoring 50 gauges, switches, lights, and circuit breakers, filtering the critical information to the pilots. Additionally, the 747-100 introduced the Inertial Navigation System (INS), a technology developed for the Apollo program, eliminating the need for a dedicated flight navigator.
The 747-400 was much more revolutionary with the glass cockpit. Six CRT screens and three FMC replaced most of the analog gauges. Each pilot had two dedicated displays: a PFD for flight instruments and an MFD for supplemental information. The EICAS occupied the middle pair of displays, by which pilots could observe the aircraft’s systems. Route planning, fuel calculations, and optimization of cruising parameters, all this was done by FMCs. This breakthrough in glass cockpit technology virtually ended the need for a flight engineer as computers began performing most of the processing work.
The latest variant, the 747-8, has a cockpit modeled after Boeing’s ultra-modern 787 Dreamliner. Gone are the old CRT screens, as sleek Liquid Crystal Displays replaced them. The two EICAS screens were combined into one, and an electronic checklist screen reduced recourse to paper documents. The option for two more Boeing Class 3 EFB screens also on the list greatly facilitated the work of the crew, including communication with dispatchers and ATC. The FMCs were upgraded to meet all the new requirements; terrain avoidance, traffic collision avoidance, and transponder functions were handled by the Rockwell Collins CISS 2100 configurable integrated surveillance system.