The first Allied military operation during the Second World War involving FEs occurred in February 1941 with a Short Stirling it was the first four-engined bomber-raid of the war by the RAF. ĭuring the war the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax bombers employed FEs, as these large aircraft employed only a single pilot. The FE did not have ignition, throttle and propeller controls, thus a person in the cockpit was also required to start the engines. The FE panel was located in the pylon between the fuselage and the wing. The first US military aircraft to include a FE was the Consolidated PBY which was introduced into naval service in 1936. On the Do X the FE operated a large and complex engineering station similar to later large transport aircraft to monitor the twelve engines. Earlier referred to as a "flight mechanic" on the four-engine commercial seaplanes like the Sikorsky S-42, Martin M-130 and the Boeing 314 Clipper, the FE's role was referred to as an "engineer" (much like a ship's engineer) on the first very large flying boat, the Dornier Do X. Traditionally, the FE station has been usually placed on the main flight deck just aft of the pilot and copilot, and close to the navigator. The FE is therefore an integrated member of the flight deck crew who works in close coordination with the two pilots during all phases of flight. The FE did not actually fly the airplane instead, the FE's position had a specialized control panel allowing for the monitoring and control of various aircraft systems. In order to dedicate a person to monitor an aircraft's engines and its other critical flight systems, the position of "flight engineer" (FE) was created. Smaller twinjets ( DC-9, 737) were never complex enough to require a flight engineer, while later large two, three, and four-engine jets ( Airbus A300, MD-11, 747-400, and later) were designed with sufficient automation to eliminate the position. Whereas the four-engine Douglas DC-4 did not require an FE, the FAA type certificates of subsequent four-engine reciprocating engine airplanes ( Boeing 307 and 377, DC-6, DC-7, Constellation) and early three- and four-engine jets ( Boeing 707, 727, early 747s, DC-8, DC-10, L-1011) required flight engineers. civilian aircraft that require a flight engineer as part of the crew, the FE must possess an FAA Flight Engineer Certificate with reciprocating, turboprop, or turbojet ratings appropriate to the aircraft. In earlier days, most larger aircraft were designed and built with a flight engineer's position. In most modern aircraft, their complex systems are both monitored and adjusted by electronic microprocessors and computers, resulting in the elimination of the flight engineer's position. A similar crew position exists on some spacecraft. Flight engineers can still be found on some larger fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters. In the early era of aviation, the position was sometimes referred to as the "air mechanic". JSTOR ( August 2009) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī flight engineer on an Avro Lancaster checks settings on the control panel from his seat in the cockpitĪ flight engineer ( FE), also sometimes called an air engineer, is the member of an aircraft's flight crew who monitors and operates its complex aircraft systems.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
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