This is a comprehensive introduction to the cockpit control panel of modern civil aviation aircraft (represented by Boeing B737NG and Airbus A320 series). The design of modern cockpit follows the principles of "dark cabin" and "vitrification", that is, under normal circumstances, only the screen lights up, and the main control is carried out by electronic equipment.
The layout of the cockpit can be roughly divided into the following main areas:
1. Center dashboard/center console
Located between two pilots, it is the core of aircraft control.
Thrust control lever (throttle lever): controls the thrust of the engine. Usually the captain and the co-pilot have one set each.
Steering wheel/sidebar:
Boeing: The traditional "steering wheel" is used to control aileron (roll) and elevator (pitch). Turn left and right to control roll, and push forward/pull back to control pitch.
Airbus: "Sidebar", located at the pilot's side. Similarly, the left and right twisting controls the roll, and the forward push/backward pull controls the pitch. Airbus's sidebar is a typical example of fly-by-wire control.
Rudder pedal: controls the rudder on the vertical tail, which is used to control the yaw (nose turning left and right) of the aircraft during take-off, landing and crosswind correction. At the same time, the upper part of the pedal also controls the front wheel to turn.
Flap handle:
2026/1/4