The pilot and copilot each have a set, and there is a pair of shared DUs (display units) in the center (arranged top-and-bottom). The two main displays in front of the pilot are the PFD (primary flight display left) and ND (navigational display right). I'll start with the pilot's side of the main panel. There's also an onboard weather radar that sends out radio waves ahead of the plane looking for storm clouds. The COMM radios let the pilot talk to ATC and the NAV radios let the pilot navigate to or from ground radio navigation stations. Radios: The 737 has three communication (COMM) radios and three navigation (NAV) radios. By integrating these changes over time, the airplane can track its position, though it gets increasingly inaccurate over time. An IRU is a gyroscope that records changes in acceleration. Navigation: The 737 is equipped with two independent GPS antennas and three IRUs (inertial reference units). In the event of depressurization, the oxygen masks will drop and oxygen canisters will supply pressurized oxygen to the passengers and flight crew. Oxygen: The 737 has two independent oxygen systems - one for flight crew and one for passengers. The aircraft can also accept external air from a mobile air cart. The airplane is split into two separate "zones" which can have their own temperature settings. In the event one electrical source (APU, battery) must power both transfer buses, a bus tie system connects the two buses.īleed air: Bleed air (siphoned from each engine) powers the air conditioners and anti-ice system, and pressurizes the hydraulic and fuel pumps. Typically in flight each engine generator is hooked up to one of the transfer buses. Each electrical source (battery, generator, ground power) can be hooked up to one of two transfer buses that move the electricity to aircraft systems. The aircraft can also accept external ground power from a mobile generator. There is also a standby battery in the event the main battery is drained. When the engines are off, the aircraft uses an onboard battery to power its systems. System A and B each power a subset of the preceding list, with the standby system providing emergency hydraulic power to the critical systems only.Įlectrical: Each engine (including the APU) has its own generator that can power the aircraft's electronics (lights, avionics, galley, in-flight entertainment, etc.). The hydraulic system also powers the landing gear, flaps, and slats, thrust reversers, as well as a few other minor things. Hydraulics: The engines power three redundant hydraulic systems (systems A and B, and the standby system) which actuate the flight controls (elevators, rudder, ailerons) that maneuver the aircraft in flight. Normally the left center fuel pump sends fuel to the left engine, and vice versa, but there is a cross feed valve that opens to allow the left center pump to provide fuel pressure to the right engine in the event the right center pump fails (or vice versa). The center tank drains first, then the wing tanks. Each tank has two redundant fuel pumps, for a total of six. Electrically-powered fuel pumps transfer fuel from the tanks to the engines. (The APU is started by the battery, if you're curious.) Fuel flow to the engines is electronically controlled.įuel: The 737 has three fuel tanks: one in each wing, and a center tank in the fuselage. The engines are started by an APU (auxiliary power unit) - the APU is itself a mini-jet engine that is used to start the two big boys under the wing. So without further ado, here is a non-complete list of all the systems that the pilot or copilot might need to manage:Įngine: Our 737 has two CFM56-7 turbofan engines with thrust-reversing capability. So, before we can talk about what all the switches in the cockpit do, we need to know what systems the 737-600 has onboard. For our example, we're going to be flying a 737-600, a modernized 737 with glass-cockpit displays and digital avionics.
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