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I would object to the premise of the question: > I would want to build in a way for the plane to try and save itself if possible In a combat situation, I woul
by gnode 8y ago
I would object to the premise of the question:
> I would want to build in a way for the plane to try and save itself if possible
In a combat situation, I would imagine you'd want to destroy the aircraft if you lost control of it, to prevent the enemy recovering: the working aircraft itself, the technology it contains, or any sensitive reconnaissance recorded on it.
- kejaed 8y agoAs someone who has worked on the F/A-18 (actually CF-18) mission computer software, when the pilot ejects the mission computers start to erase the sensitive information that they contain.
- adrianmonk 8y agoI think that's a very valid objection. However, you could ask a similar question with a modified premise: you'd want to build in a way to have control over the fate of the airplane. Depending on the situation, the right thing might be to safely land it (if in friendly territory), destroy it as thoroughly as possible (if in hostile territory), or protect lives on the ground (if you don't think you can land it). But whatever the goal may be, maybe the autopilot could do better than leaving it to chance. EDIT: I forgot about a fourth possibility. If in hostile territory, maybe use the autopilot to turn the plane into a weapon. You're leaking fuel so fast there's no way you'll make it back to base, but maybe you still have enough fuel to pick up a lot of speed before slamming into a nearby enemy asset.