Concorde cockpit - Glareshield panels

The Concorde glareshield panels on the Captain and first officer sides are identical but mirror images of each other.

 

The story goes that before these panels were fitted the sun shining in through the cockpit windows interfered with the ability to see the instruments, a cardboard sunsheld was manufactured and used on the prototypes. Unfortunately the test pilots of the era were less than impressed with it and it ended up being thrown from the DV window once the test aircraft had landed.

 

The permanent solution was to fit these panels to the upper edge of the instrument console. Success! it worked.

 

Some lights for indication were added during development and what you see to the left is the result.

1. Steering indication

2. Auto land indication

Autoland indication - Illuminates when the autoland system is engaged

Steering indication - Illuminates when the steering system is engaged