Attitude Indicator vs Artificial Horizon

[PT6-114A]

I was told some long time ago that the term “artificial horizon” was not correct as you can’t see yaw hence forth call it an “Attitude indicator” seemed to make sense to me.

[digits_]

I was told some long time ago that the term “artificial horizon” was not correct as you can’t see yaw hence forth call it an “Attitude indicator” seemed to make sense to me.

How would one see yaw on a real horizon?

[Thair81]

15 years after I asked the question initially and the debate has started up again. Impressive. Glad the old question can still generate a bit of thought and discussion.

This has got to be some sort of record for this “esteemed” message board.

[‘Bob’]

I was told some long time ago that the term “artificial horizon” was not correct as you can’t see yaw hence forth call it an “Attitude indicator” seemed to make sense to me.

How would one see yaw on a real horizon?

By looking at the terrain features moving sideways.

But maybe they didn’t have synthetic vision a long time ago.

[digits_]

I was told some long time ago that the term “artificial horizon” was not correct as you can’t see yaw hence forth call it an “Attitude indicator” seemed to make sense to me.

How would one see yaw on a real horizon?

By looking at the terrain features moving sideways.

But maybe they didn’t have synthetic vision a long time ago.

That could be a crosswind as well.

[‘Bob’]

Would have to be one hell of a crosswind. They generally make things move at oblique angles to the horizon, not parallel to it.

[penguinair]

I had the same questions based on the Buddy Holly plane crash story...After a lot of searching, I finally found a website and youtube video explaining the clear differences that we have all "heard tell" about. In short, it is the opposite visual cues provided by the Sperry Attitude Gyro vs the Conventional Gyro...

https://aviation.stackexchange.com/ques ... pside-down

...and the YouTube video that the link above references...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhwCHNoezts

[CaptDukeNukem]

Does it show your position relative to the horizon? If yes; you’re in business

[Big Pistons Forever]

The only thing I care about is whether it has a roll pointer or sky pointer.

The original Chinese AI in my Nanchang has color coding opposite to what Western units have. The blue is on the bottom and the brown is on the top. I have never been able to find an explanation as to why this is. Anybody got any ideas ?

[Posthumane]

BPF, a Nanchang pilot told me it's because the AI they use is a "fixed ball in space" design similar to the Sperry attitude gyro. In the Sperry, a pitch up would cause the airplane wings to move down to the blue side of the fixed ball, and when pitching down the wings would move up to the brown side. Is this how the Nanchang one works too?

[bodyflyer2]

Let's be careful here about what we're talking about. If I got this right - and I'm a bit new at this:

In general, an AI and AH indicate in the same manner when it comes to pitch and roll.
The thing about "they work opposite in pitch" only applies to very specific odd instruments that are no longer common. Such as that Sperry instrument mentioned in the Buddy Holly crash stuff, or perhaps the old Russian instruments.

So we can have an AI in a climbing bank:

Screenshot 2024-02-11 at 15-22-23 Title Watch Your Attitude A Complete Guide to Aircraft Attitude Indicators.png (132.36 KiB) Viewed 385 times

Or an electronic EFIS that works the same way in a climb:

Screenshot 2024-02-11 at 15-22-41 Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) SKYbrary Aviation Safety.png (338.87 KiB) Viewed 385 times

And finally, a climbing bank for an old Gyro Horizon or Artificial Horizon ..... versus the Sperry F3 "Attitude Gyro" in particular, of the Buddy Holly crash era, which is different:

2024-02-11_152505.png (776.22 KiB) Viewed 385 times

(That's out of the youtube video Penguinair posted about the Buddy Holly crash in 1959.)

I don't know what other instruments used, but the Sperry F3 certainly pops up as being unusual when one googles it.

I'm being a bit pedantic here with all the pic as I wanted to be clear to myself too, that I've got this stuff straight! Comments of course welcome.

[rigpiggy]

I remember a few years back some company had a rebuild that would pa int the blue/Brown on the old AH's TC caused quite a kerfuffle in not allowing it. Legal vs safe tw!ts