With the development over the last half decade of very highly manoeuverable aircraft, a new design question has arisen. This is, how do we as aircraft designers ensure that the future fighter pilot can function in an environment which pushes not only his mental but also his physiological limits to the utmost? The new generation of aircraft offers substantial increases in sustained turn rate and hence g levels. Furthermore a proliferation of controls and displays confront the pilot from which he has to collect, collate, integrate and interpret data which is not currently presented in anything like a logical manner with respect to his present flight phase.

This paper is an attempt to describe a systematic design approach to a cockpit for the future generation fighter aircraft. The paper will show the pilot's physiological limitations to high sustained g forces, the likely performance of a new generation fighter and the amount of g tolerance a pilot should find useful. Methods of providing this increased tolerance will be discussed. An analytical method of assessing aircraft information presentation requirements will also be shown which will enable information to be presented in a more logical manner.