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X-47B takes off from a carrier

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Phil Brown

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May 14, 2013, 2:15:50 PM5/14/13
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In the Tale Of The Man Who was Too Lazy To Fail RAH writes that
carrier landings were finally automated. Well, the first part has been
done: a drone was catapulted from a carrier and landings are next-all
by computer without an operator.
And it has a bomb bay.

MajorOz

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May 14, 2013, 2:24:13 PM5/14/13
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...and hellfire missiles

Prescient old fart, Our Master..........

Phil Brown

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May 14, 2013, 2:55:18 PM5/14/13
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BTW, F/A 18 launches are already automated. If you look you will see
the pilot's hands on grips on the canopy and the control off the deck
is automated.
Not the landing though.

lal_truckee

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May 14, 2013, 10:23:42 PM5/14/13
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On 5/14/13 11:15 AM, Phil Brown wrote:

> And it has a bomb bay.

One might expect "Second Variety" would be required reading at the
Academies. One apparently would be expecting too much foresight in
notoriously hindsighted organizations.

I SFenally anticipate reports of hacked drones turning back on launch crews.

MajorOz

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May 14, 2013, 11:01:49 PM5/14/13
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On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 1:55:18 PM UTC-5, Phil Brown wrote:
> BTW, F/A 18 launches are already automated. If you look you will see
>
> the pilot's hands on grips on the canopy and the control off the deck
>
> is automated.

Well........if you consider that automated......OK

>
> Not the landing though.

Phil Brown

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May 15, 2013, 4:34:28 PM5/15/13
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Well, the computer is flying the plane off the deck....

Bill Leary

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May 15, 2013, 5:21:15 PM5/15/13
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"Phil Brown" wrote in message
news:26b26e28-dffb-41be...@ys5g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...
> In the Tale Of The Man Who was Too Lazy To Fail RAH writes
> that carrier landings were finally automated.
> ((..omitted..))

Yes, one of my favorite bits:

"Later on, the process was made semiautomatic, then automatic, but when it
was finally perfected, carriers for aeroplanes were obsolete - a capsule
description of most human "progress": By the time you learn how, it's too
late."

"But it often turns out that what you have learned applies to some new
problem. Or we would still be swinging from trees."

- Bill

MajorOz

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May 15, 2013, 7:30:23 PM5/15/13
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The one IN the plane, not some system on the carrier.

And....until the wheels leave the deck NOBODY is controlling it....only inertia.

(however, type of a/c, load, wind, etc. all are "dialed" into the catapult)

deto...@gmail.com

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May 20, 2013, 4:30:20 PM5/20/13
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The F/A 18 does have an onboard flight computer that could land the plane quite acceptably. Most F/A 18 pilots prefer their own skills to a bunch of finicky electrons. As an ancient tronotologist, I have a hard time arguing against their reasoning.

--
Regards,
Dann

Phil Brown

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May 28, 2013, 12:40:54 AM5/28/13
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The drone is flying itself, not a computer on the carrier, or any
place else.
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