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Reports on the design and installation of a Head Up Display unit from Flight Visions, the FV‐2000 HUD, which has been fitted into Beachcraft’s King Air for private and commercial pilots. However, with the many models and revision levels of this popular aircraft, Flight Visions found it was spending too much time cutting and fitting styrofoam mockups of the HUD in sample aircraft. So it turned to modern technology in the form of the FaroArm digitizer from FARO Technologies (Lake Mary, FL) and CADKEY, a computer‐aided design (CAD) system from Cadkey (Windsor, CT).

By the use of novel design and manufacturing techniques, MGA Developments Ltd. of Coventry have manufactured all the root and strut fairings for the new NDN Fieldmaster. The Fieldmaster is an advanced crop‐spraying and fire‐fighting aircraft which made its successful maiden flight on December 17, 1981 with Desmond Norman, founder of NDN, at the controls.

Real flight is cognitively demanding; accordingly, both indicators and display panel layout should be user-friendly to improve pilot-aircraft interaction. Poor pilot-interface interactions in aircrafts could result in accidents. Although a general reason of accidents is improper displays, relatively few studies were conducted on interfaces. This study aims to present an optimization model to create intuitively integrated user-friendly cockpit interfaces.

Subjectivity within most usability evaluation techniques could bring about interface design problems. A priori information about indicator’s possible locations may be available or unavailable. Thus different analytical approaches must be applied for modifications and new interface designs. Relative layout design (RLD) model was developed and used in new interface designs to optimize locations of indicators. This model was based on layout optimization and constructed in accordance with design requirements, ergonomic considerations with the pilot preferences. RLD model optimizes interface design by deploying indicators to the best locations to improve usability of display panel, pilot-aircraft interaction and flight safety.

Optimum interfaces for two problem instances were gathered by RLD model in 15.77 CPU(s) with 10 indicators and 542.51 CPU(s) with 19 indicators. A comparison between relative and existing cockpit interfaces reveals that locations of six navigation and four mechanical system indicators are different. The differences may stem from pilots’ preferences and relativity constraints. Both interfaces are more similar for the central part of the display panel. The objective function value of relative interface design (Opt: 527938) is far better than existing interface (737100). The RLD model improved usability of existing interface (28.61 per cent considering decrease in the objective function values from 737100 to 527938.

Future cockpit and new helicopter interface designs may involve RLD model as an alternative interface design tool. Furthermore, other layout optimization problems, e.g. circuit boards, microchips and engines, etc. could be handled in a more realistic manner by RLD model.

Originality and impact of this study related to development and employment of a new optimization model (RLD) on cockpit interface design for the first time. Engineering requirements, human factors, ergonomics and pilots’ preferences are simultaneously considered in the RLD model. The subjectivity within usability evaluation techniques could be diminished in this way. The contributions of RLD model to classical facility layout models are relativity constraints with the physical constrictions and ergonomic objective function weights. Novelty of this paper is the development and employment of a new optimization model (RLD) to locate indicators.

Semantic modelling is an essential prerequisite for designing the intelligent human–computer interaction in future aircraft cockpit. The purpose of this paper is to outline an ontology-based solution to this issue.

The scenario elements are defined considering the cognitive behaviours, system functions, interaction behaviours and interaction situation. The knowledge model consists of a five-tuple array including concepts, relations, functions, axioms and instances. Using the theory of belief-desire-intention, the meta-model of cognitive behaviours is established. The meta-model of system functions is formed under the architecture of sub-functions. Supported by information flows, the meta-model of interaction behaviours is presented. Based on the socio-technical characteristics, the meta-model of interaction situation is proposed. The knowledge representation and reasoning process is visualized with the semantic web rule language (SWRL) on the Protégé platform. Finally, verification and evaluation are carried out to assess the rationality and quality of the ontology model. Application scenarios of the proposed modelling method are also illustrated.

Verification results show that the knowledge reasoning based on SWRL rules can further enrich the knowledge base in terms of instance attributes and thereby improve the adaptability and learning ability of the ontology model in different simulations. Evaluation results show that the ontology model has a good quality with high cohesion and low coupling.

The approach presented in this paper can be applied to model complex human–machine–environment systems, from a semantics-driven perspective, especially for designing future cockpits.

Different from the traditional approaches, the method proposed in this paper tries to deal with the socio-technical modelling issues concerning multidimensional information semantics. Meanwhile, the constructed model has the ability of autonomous reasoning to adapt to complex situations.

About 70% of all aircraft accidents are caused by human–machine interaction, thus identifying and quantifying performance shaping factors is a significant challenge in the study of human reliability. An information flow field model of human–machine interaction is put forward to help better pinpoint the factors influencing performance and to make up for the lack of a model of information flow and feedback processes in the aircraft cockpit. To enhance the efficacy of the human–machine interaction, this paper aims to examine the important coupling factors in the system using the findings of the simulation.

The performance-shaping factors were retrieved from the model, which was created to thoroughly describe the information flow. The coupling degree between the performance shaping factors was calculated, and simulation and sensitivity analysis are based on system dynamics.

The results show that the efficacy of human–computer interaction is significantly influenced by individual important factors and coupling factors. To decrease the frequency of accidents after seven hours, attention should be paid to these factors.

The novelty of this work lies in proposing a theoretical model of cockpit information flow and using system dynamics to analyse the effect of the factors in the human–machine loop on human–machine efficacy.

The purpose of this paper is to draw a metaphorical parallel between a pilot in the cockpit of the latest, ultra‐modern US fighter F22 and that of a chief executive officer (CEO) managing his corporation in responding to global competitive challenges.

This paper is inspired by the embedded, “system of systems (SoS) thinking” in the text of the very ancient Chinese Art of War by Sun Tzu. The approach here is to illustrate how such a 2,500‐year‐old thinking may be applied through the emerging discipline of SoS. For designing a CEO‐responsive, informative system, the innovations in designing the cockpit for a pilot in the latest US fighter jet, F22, is utilized.

Today's corporate world management has, in the past, drawn heavily from the military (for example, operations research). Whilst there is a vast difference between the pilot's cockpit in an F22 and the lap‐top of the CEO, the need for deadly accurate, often reflexive decisions is the same. It is becoming a fact of business life that speed of deadly accurate responses is necessary to ensure the survival of corporations, especially for firms operating in rapidly changing technologies, or top executives who have to cope effectively with informatively intensive yet fast changing environments, such as in the financial markets.

This paper illustrates how it is still possible for managers to draw inspirations in designing corporate systems through examples taken from the military. Sun Tzu drew inspirations on organizing for flexibility by observing and thus grasping the essential nature of water. Similarly, it may be useful to draw parallels in innovative design of an F22 pilot's cockpit for the CEO or managers having to make fast yet deadly responses.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the philosophical baseline of two popular business schemes, the business model and a latter variation of human resource costing and accounting (HRCA). The aim is to identify crucial assumptions inherent in the models that may influence attempts of creating a symbiosis between them.

The paper provides a conceptual perspective on the two models. Data for the paper were gathered during a case study on the usefulness of HRCA for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME) as well as from extensive literature readings. These data have been compiled and analysed under the influence of Weick's method for generating theory.

While the business model and HRCA share a common purpose they try to provide different qualities to the organisation. Whereas the former seeks to realise dreams and ambitions, the latter supports displacements of threats towards organisations and managers. This difference is a potential source of friction that may result in a harmful organisational behaviour.

The paper also expands on the theoretical baseline of two popular business schemes. By identifying crucial differences, amendments and adaptions are possible to make within organisation or among business consultants that could override the problems. Some suggestions are made on this issue.

The paper expands the theoretical and philosophical understanding of popular business schemes. By introducing a theory of happiness a new perspective providing crucial information of the function of the two business schemes is revealed.

THE shape of the hood, windscreen and quarter‐lights of the early P.1127 and Kestrel aircraft was carefully chosen to give the pilot maximum possible downward view over the nose and sides of the fuselage to cater for V/S.T.O.L. manoeuvres.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first to carry out a comprehensive literature review for state of the art regarding airline schedule planning and second to identify some new research directions that might help academic researchers and practitioners.

The authors mainly focus on the research work appeared in the last three decades. The search process was conducted in database searches using four keywords: “Flight scheduling,” “Fleet assignment,” “Aircraft maintenance routing” (AMR), and “Crew scheduling”. Moreover, the combination of the keywords was used to find the integrated models. Any duplications due to database variety and the articles that were written in non-English language were discarded.

The authors studied 106 research papers and categorized them into five categories. In addition, according to the model features, subcategories were further identified. Moreover, after discussing up-to-date research work, the authors suggested some future directions in order to contribute to the existing literature.

The presented categories and subcategories were based on the model characteristics rather than the model formulation and solution methodology that are commonly used in the literature. One advantage of this classification is that it might help scholars to deeply understand the main variation between the models. On the other hand, identifying future research opportunities should help academic researchers and practitioners to develop new models and improve the performance of the existing models.

This study proposed some considerations in order to enhance the efficiency of the schedule planning process practically, for example, using the dynamic Stackelberg game strategy for market competition in flight scheduling, considering re-fleeting mechanism under heterogeneous fleet for fleet assignment, and considering the stochastic departure and arrival times for AMR.

In the literature, all the review papers focused only on one category of the five categories. Then, this category was classified according to the model formulation and solution methodology. However, in this work, the authors attempted to propose a comprehensive review for all categories for the first time and develop new classifications for each category. The proposed classifications are hence novel and significant.

The global manufacturing industry is becoming more competitive. Munjal Showa, a shock absorber manufacturer in India, is using indigenous development of technology by incorporating concepts of lean manufacturing, total productive maintenance (TPM) and low cost automation techniques to increase their competitiveness. This new approach helps the company to reduce cost of manufacturing and to increase the productivity by reducing cycle time and down time. The aim of this paper is to offer an in depth study of the four phases of indigenous development of machines at Munjal Showa Ltd.

The paper offers an in depth study of the four phases of indigenous development of machines at Munjal Showa Ltd with the benefits and results.

Proper understanding of process requirements and tool designing in accordance with process requirement are the two major factors which help to down size the machine and to identify unnecessary parts. By applying these techniques on BC‐21 machine, Munjal Showa is able to reduce the space used by 68 percent, break downs by 93 percent, cycle time by 48 percent and an increase in productivity by 52 percent.

The paper is looking at only one company as an example which is a limitation and cannot be generalized for all industries.

Indigenous development enables company to reduce costs and service machines quickly as they themselves have developed the machines.

Physical fatigue of incumbents at the shop floor is considerably reduced by using concepts like cockpit layout and combining of processes on a single machine. Improves job satisfaction and productivity of shop floor employees.

In India, this is one of its kind initiatives taken up by the business excellence team at Munjal Showa Ltd.