Advances in inertial navigation

For the first 50 years or so after the Wright brothers conclusively demonstrated that heavier than air flight was a feasible and controllable activity, aeroplanes were equipped with relatively simple sets of instruments and electronic devices. This relative simplicity was true of both civil and military aircraft, and included the devices fitted as aids to navigation, for the control of aircraft systems and the displays connected with them, and the operation of weapons systems where appropriate. However, in recent years, aircraft have become integrated systems rather than vehicles that happen to carry a number of disconnected mechanical and electronic devices. One of the best examples of system integration is the navigation/attack (Navattack) system of a modern military aircraft