The F-22's cockpit represents a revolution over current "pilot offices", as it is designed to let the pilot
         operate as a tactician, not a sensor operator. Humans are good differentiators, but they are poor
         integrators. The F-22 cockpit lets the pilot do what humans do best, and it fully utilizes the power of the
         computer to do what it does best.
         While that change to tactician is the biggest advance the F-22 have: cockpit has over current fighter
         cockpits, there are also several other distinctive features:

              The F-22's cockpit is one of the very first "all-glass" cockpits for tactical fighters - there are no
              traditional round dial, standby or dedicated gauges.
              It accommodates the largest range of pilots (the central 99% of the Air Force pilot population) of
              any tactical aircraft.
              It is the first baseline Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible cockpit.
              It has designed-in growth capability for helmet-mounted systems.
              The canopy is the largest piece of polycarbonate formed in the world with the largest Zone 1
              (highest quality) optics for compatibility with helmet-mounted systems.

         While functionality is critical, the F-22's cockpit design also ensures pilot safety with an improved
         version of the proven ACES II ejection seat and a new pilot personal equipment and life support
         ensemble.

         The GEC-built Head-Up Display (HUD) offers a wide field of view (30 degrees horizontally by 25
         degrees vertically) and serves as a primary flight instrument for the pilot. The F-22's HUD is
         approximately 4.5 inches tall and uses standardized symbology developed by the Air Force Instrument
         Flight Center. It does not present information in color, but the tactical symbol set is the same that is used
         on the F-22's head down displays (HDDs).
         During F-22 canopy birdstrike tests, it was found that the HUD combiner glass would shatter the
         canopy. To solve this problem for EMD, the F-22 HUD will have a rubber buffer strip on it that will
         effectively shield the polycarbonate of the canopy when it flexes during a birdstrike from hitting the
         optical glass in the HUD and shattering. Design is also underway for a HUD that will collapse during a
         birdstrike, but would remain upright under all other conditions. Additionally, the team is investigating the
         possibility of having the HUD combiner glass laminated similar to household safety glass to preclude
         flying glass in the cockpit following birdstrike.
         The Integrated Control Panel (ICP) is the primary means for manual pilot data entry for
         communications, navigation, and autopilot data. Located under the glareshield and HUD in center top of
         the instrument panel, this keypad entry system also has some double click functions, much like a
         computer mouse for rapid pilot access/use.
         There are six liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in the cockpit. These present information in full color
         and are fully readable in direct sunlight. LCDs offer lower weight and less size than the cathode ray tube
         (CRT) displays used in most current aircraft. The lower power requirements also provide a reliability
         improvement over CRTs.
         The two Up-Front Displays (UFDs) measure 3"x4" in size and are located to the left and right of the
         ICP. The UFDs are used to display Integrated Caution/Advisory/Warning (ICAW) data,
         communications/navigation/identification (CNI) data and serve as the Stand-by Flight instrumentation
         Group and Fuel Quantity Indicator (SFG/FQI).
         A total of 12 individual ICAW messages can appear at one time on the UFD and additional ones can
         appear on sub-pages of the display.
         Two aspects of the ICAW display differentiate it from a traditional warning light panels. First, all
         ICAW fault messages are filtered to eliminate extraneous messages and tell the pilot specifically and
         succinctly what the problem is.
         The second is the electronic checklist. When an ICAW message occurs, the pilot depresses the
         checklist push button (called a bezel button) on the bottom of the UFD and the associated checklist
         appears on the left hand Secondary Multi-Function Display (SMFD) (see below). This function also
         provides access to non-emergency checklists for display to the pilot.
         In addition to the visual warning on the display, the aircraft has an audio system that alerts the pilot. A
         Caution is indicated only by the word "caution", while a Warning is announced with the specific problem
         - that is, "Warning. Engine Failure".
         The Stand-by Flight Group is always in operation and, although it is presented on an LCD display, it
         shows the basic information (such as an artificial horizon) the pilot needs to fly the aircraft. The SFG is
         tied to the last source of power in the aircraft, so if everything else fails, the pilot will still be able to fly the
         aircraft.
         The Primary Multi-Function Display (PMFD) is a 8"x8" color display that is located in the middle of
         the instrument panel, under the ICP. It is the pilotís principal display for aircraft navigation (including
         showing waypoints and route of flight) and Situation Assessment (SA) or a "God's-eye view" of the
         entire environment around (above, below, both sides, front and back) the aircraft.
         Three Secondary Multi-Function Displays (SMFDs) are all 6.25" x 6.25" and two of them are
         located on either side of the PMFD on the instrument panel with the third underneath the PMFD
         between the pilot's knees. These are used for displaying tactical (both offensive and defensive)
         information as well as non-tactical information (such as checklists, subsystem status, engine thrust output,
         and stores management).

         The tactical information shown on the displays is all intuitive to the pilotñhe can tell the situation
         around him by a glance at the screen. Enemy aircraft are shown as red triangles, friendly aircraft are
         green circles, unknown aircraft are shown as yellow squares, and wingmen are shown as blue F-22s.
         Surface-to-air missile sites are represented by pentagons (along with an indication of exactly what type
         missile it is) and its lethal range.
         In addition to shape and color, the symbols are further refined. A filled-in triangle means that the pilot
         has a missile firing-quality solution against the target, while an open triangle is not a firing-quality solution.
         The pilot has a cursor on each screen, and he can ask the aircraft's avionics system to retrieve more
         information. The system can determine to a 98% probability the target's type of aircraft. If the system
         can't make an identification to that degree, the aircraft is shown as an unknown.
         Likewise, one of the original objectives for the F-22 was to increase the percentage of fighter pilots
         who make "kills". The Inter/Intra Flight Data Link (IFDL) is one of the powerful tools that make all
         F-22s more capable. Each F-22 can be linked together to trade information without radio calls with each
         F-22s in a flight or between flight.
         Each pilot is then free to operate more autonomously because, for example, the leader can tell at a
         glance what his wing man's fuel state is, weapons remaining, and even the enemy aircraft targeted.
         Classical tactics based on visual "tally" (visual identification) and violent formation maneuvers that reduce
         the wing man to "hanging on" may have to be rethought in light of such capabilities.

         The F-22 features a side-stick controller (like an F-16) and two throttles that are the aircraft's
         primary flight controls. The GEC-built stick is located on the right console and there is a swing-out,
         adjustable arm rest. The stick is force sensitive and has a throw of only about one-quarter of an inch. The
         throttles are located on the left console.
         Both the stick and the throttles are high-use controls during air combat. To support pilot functional
         requirements, the grips include buttons and switches (that are both shape and texture coded) to control
         more than 60 different time-critical functions. These buttons are used for controlling the offensive
         (weapons targeting and release) and defensive systems (although some, like chaff and flares, can operate
         both automatically and manually) as well as display management.
 

         Previous fighter cockpits were sized to accommodate the 5th percentile to 95th percentile pilots (a
         range of only 90%). The F-22 cockpit is sized to accommodate the 0.5 percentile to 99.5 percentile
         pilots (the body size of the central 99% of the Air Force pilot population) This represents the largest
         range of pilots accommodated by any tactical aircraft now in service. The rudder pedals are adjustable.
         The pilot has 15-degree over-the-nose visibility and excellent over-the-side and aft visibility as well.
 

         The cockpit interior lighting is fully Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible, as is the exterior lighting.
         The cockpit panels feature extended life, self-balancing, electroluminescent (EL) edge-lit panels with an
         integral life-limiting circuit that runs the lights at the correct power setting throughout their life. It starts at
         one-half power and gradually increases the power output to insure consistent panel light intensity over
         time. As a result, the cockpit always presents a well-balanced lighting system to the pilot (there is not a
         mottled look in the cockpit). The panels produce low amounts of heat and power and are very reliable.
         The aircraft also has integral position and anti-collision lights (including strobes) on the wings. The low
         voltage electroluminescent formation lights are located at critical positions for night flight operations on
         the aircraft (on the forward fuselage (both sides) under the chine, on the tip of the upper left and right
         wings, and on the outside of both vertical stabilizers. There are similar air refueling lights on the butterfly
         doors that cover the air refueling receptacle.
 

         The F-22 life support system  integrates all critical
        components of clothing, protective gear, and aircraft equipment necessary to sustain the pilot's life while
         flying the aircraft. In the past, these components had been designed and produced separately.
         The life support system components include:

              An on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS) that supplies breathable air to the pilot.
              An integrated breathing regulator/anti-g valve (BRAG) that controls flow and pressure to the mask
              and pressure garments.
              A chemical/biological/cold-water immersion (CB/CWI) protection ensemble.
              An upper body counterpressure garment and a lower body anti-G garment acts a partial pressure
              suit at high altitudes.
              An air-cooling garment, which is also going to be used by pilots on the Army's RAH-66
              Comanche helicopter provides thermal relief for the pilot.
              Helmet and helmet-mounted systems including C/B goggles and C/B hood; and the MBU-22/P
              breathing mask and hose system.

         The Boeing-led life support development and its suppliers designed the life support system with the
         F-22's advanced performance capabilities in mind. The separate components of the life-support system
         must simultaneously meet pilot protection requirements established by the Air Force in the areas of higher
         altitude flight, acceleration, heat distress, cold water immersion, chemical and biological environments,
         fire, noise, and high-speed/high-altitude ejection.
         Escape-system tests have demonstrated that the life-support system will protect pilots when exposed
         to wind speeds of up to 600 knots. Current life-support systems are designed to provide protection only
         up to 450 knots.
         The head mounted portions of the life-support system are approximately 30 percent lighter than
         existing systems, which improves mobility and endurance time for pilots. With its advanced design, the
         HGU-86/P helmet that will be used by F-22 pilots during EMD reduces the stresses on a pilot's neck by
         20 percent during high-speed ejection compared to the current HGU-55/P helmets. The F-22 helmet fits
         more securely as the result of an ear cup tensioning device and is easily fitted to a pilotís head. The
         helmet provides improved passive noise protection and incorporates an Active Noise Reduction (ANR)
         system for superior pilot protection.
         The chemical/biological/cold water immersion garment is to be worn by pilots when they fly over large
         bodies of cold water or into chemical/biological warfare situations. These garments meet or exceed Air
         Force requirements. During cold water immersion tests, the body temperature of test subjects wearing
         the garments fell no more than a fraction of a degree after sitting in nearly 32-degree Fahrenheit water for
         two hours. Current CWI suits allow body temperatures to drop below the minimum of 96.8 degrees F
         within an hour and a half. Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees F.
         Other advantages of the F-22 life support system include its ability to fit a wider range of sizes and
         body shapes (the central 99% of the US Air Force pilot population).
 

         The F-22's canopy is approximately 140 inches long, 45 inches wide, 27 inches tall, and weighs
         approximately 360 pounds. It is a rotate/translate design, which means that it comes down, slides
         forward, and locks in place with pins. It is a much more complex piece of equipment than it would
         appear to be.
         The F-22 canopy's transparency (made by Sierracin) features the largest piece of monolithic
         polycarbonate material being formed today. It has no canopy bow and offers the pilot superior optics
         (Zone 1 quality) throughout (not just in the area near the HUD) and it offers the requisite stealth features.
         The canopy is resistant to chemical/biological and environmental agents, and has been successfully
         tested to withstand the impact of a four-pound bird at 350 knots. It also protects the pilot from lightning
         strikes.
         The 3/4" polycarbonate transparency is actually made of two 3/8" thick sheets that are heated and
         fusion bonded (the sheets actually meld to become a single-piece article) and then drape forged. The
         F-16's canopy, for comparison, is made up of laminated sheets. A laminated canopy generally offers
         better birdstrike protection, and because of the lower altitude where the F-16 operates, this is an
         advantage. However, lamination also adds weight as well as reduced optics.
         There is no chance of a post-ejection canopy-seat-pilot collision as the canopy (with frame) weighs
         slightly more on one side than the other. When the canopy is jettisoned, the weight differential is enough
         to make it slice nearly ninety degrees to the right as it clears the aircraft.
 

         The F-22 uses an improved version of the ACES II (Advanced Concept Ejection Seat) ejection seat
         that is used in nearly every other Air Force jet combat aircraft
         (F-16, F-117, F-15, A-10, B-1, B-2). The seat has a center mounted (between the pilotís legs) ejection
         control.
         The F-22 version of the McDonnell Douglas-built ACES II includes several improvements over the
         previous seat models. These improvements include:

              The addition of an active arm restraint system to eliminate arm flail injuries during high speed
              ejections.
              An improved fast-acting seat stabilization drogue parachute system to provide increased seat
              stability and safety for the pilot during high-speed ejections. The drogue is located behind the
              pilot's head, rather than in the back of the seat and is mortar-deployed.
              A new electronic seat and aircraft sequencing system that improves the timing of the various events
              that have to happen in order for the pilot to eject (initiation, canopy jettison, and seat catapult
              ignition).
              A larger oxygen bottle gives the ejecting pilot more breathing air to support ejection at higher
              altitudes (if required).

         The F-22 ACES II ejection system utilizes the standard analog three-mode seat sequencer that
         automatically senses the seat speed and altitude, and then selects the proper mode for optimum seat
         performance and safe recovery of the pilot. Mode 1 is low speed, low altitude; Mode 2 is high speed,
         low altitude; and Mode 3 is high altitude.