4 ms·

More like it'll fly itself while the pilot engages in other tasks. Every pound of weapons officer/navigator is a pound you can't put on target all else being e

More like it'll fly itself while the pilot engages in other tasks. Every pound of weapons officer/navigator is a pound you can't put on target all else being equal.

ErroneousBosh 3mo ago
So like some sort of automatic pilot then?
- cucumber3732842 3mo ago
  Conventional autpilot is like a zip tie on the throttle, only it deals in outputs (your actual heading) rather than inputs (pedals and stick) I assume what they're going for here is something substantially smarter and more reactive to changing conditions than that. Something that can be used during the "unscripted" parts of the flight during which a) you're most likely to have multiple crew working hard b) you're most likely to be pushing the limits of what one crew can do.
  - rogerrogerr 3mo ago
    > Conventional autpilot is like a zip tie on the throttle, only it deals in outputs (your actual heading) rather than inputs (pedals and stick) What does this mean? I’m a pilot and none of it is making any sense.
    - cucumber3732842 3mo ago
      Auto pilot holds your setting, for the most part. Yeah you can program turns and stuff and there's simple automation but for the most part it deals in simple fixed things that are defined at the time you engage it. Like putting a zip tie on the throttle of just about anything so the linkage can't move and you get one constant setting that holds.
jackb4040 3mo ago
* You're absolutely right. My altitude is dropping precipitously. Let me check my elevator position to see if that's causing the problem. * Bash Check elevator position * Thought for 8s
throw310822 3mo ago
Does the presence of humans on board limit the maneuverability of these aircraft in any way? E.g. in terms of acceleration?
- rvba 3mo ago
  Yes. Humans can survive 9g for only a few seconds, while a drone could do much sharper manouvers
  - ChrisMarshallNY 3mo ago
    But they also have their limits. Bolts and trusses (and solder joints) have tensile strength limits, but it can be higher than what humans can take.
    - Peanuts99 3mo ago
      Not in this case, but if you aren't building it to put humans in it at all, you can build it with higher requirements in mind. Traditionally there's no point building a plane that can withstand much over 9g.
  - StableAlkyne 3mo ago
    While they can, drones are still limited by physics. Sure, the aircraft can pull a ton of G's to defeat a missile or achieve a firing solution. Maybe it even succeeded at that. It still pulled 9+ Gs and has burned an incredible amount of kinetic energy doing do. And the harder it pulls, the quicker it bleeds speed. It might not be able to defeat the next missile or outmaneuver the other plane's buddies because it is now slow and very likely outside its optimal turning speed. Even today, missiles can pull dozens of G's yet still are defeatable by humans who can only pull about 9.
wartywhoa23 3mo ago
"I apologize, that was indeed a wedding party, not a terrorist camp I wrongly assumed. You are totally right, wasting those 3 Hydras was unacceptable. On a brighter side, we've got 39 more to go! Should I seek another target looking similar to the one I unintentionally destroyed so as to tune my decision-making, or give you an advice on how to wipe the traces of this mishap from the mission data recorder?"

More like it'll fly itself while the pilot engages in other tasks. Every pound of weapons officer/navigator is a pound you can't put on target all else being equal.

ErroneousBosh 3mo ago

So like some sort of automatic pilot then?

cucumber3732842 3mo ago
Conventional autpilot is like a zip tie on the throttle, only it deals in outputs (your actual heading) rather than inputs (pedals and stick) I assume what they're going for here is something substantially smarter and more reactive to changing conditions than that. Something that can be used during the "unscripted" parts of the flight during which a) you're most likely to have multiple crew working hard b) you're most likely to be pushing the limits of what one crew can do.
- rogerrogerr 3mo ago
  > Conventional autpilot is like a zip tie on the throttle, only it deals in outputs (your actual heading) rather than inputs (pedals and stick) What does this mean? I’m a pilot and none of it is making any sense.
  - cucumber3732842 3mo ago
    Auto pilot holds your setting, for the most part. Yeah you can program turns and stuff and there's simple automation but for the most part it deals in simple fixed things that are defined at the time you engage it. Like putting a zip tie on the throttle of just about anything so the linkage can't move and you get one constant setting that holds.

jackb4040 3mo ago

* You're absolutely right. My altitude is dropping precipitously. Let me check my elevator position to see if that's causing the problem. * Bash Check elevator position * Thought for 8s

throw310822 3mo ago

Does the presence of humans on board limit the maneuverability of these aircraft in any way? E.g. in terms of acceleration?

rvba 3mo ago
Yes. Humans can survive 9g for only a few seconds, while a drone could do much sharper manouvers
- ChrisMarshallNY 3mo ago
  But they also have their limits. Bolts and trusses (and solder joints) have tensile strength limits, but it can be higher than what humans can take.
  - Peanuts99 3mo ago
    Not in this case, but if you aren't building it to put humans in it at all, you can build it with higher requirements in mind. Traditionally there's no point building a plane that can withstand much over 9g.
- StableAlkyne 3mo ago
  While they can, drones are still limited by physics. Sure, the aircraft can pull a ton of G's to defeat a missile or achieve a firing solution. Maybe it even succeeded at that. It still pulled 9+ Gs and has burned an incredible amount of kinetic energy doing do. And the harder it pulls, the quicker it bleeds speed. It might not be able to defeat the next missile or outmaneuver the other plane's buddies because it is now slow and very likely outside its optimal turning speed. Even today, missiles can pull dozens of G's yet still are defeatable by humans who can only pull about 9.

wartywhoa23 3mo ago

"I apologize, that was indeed a wedding party, not a terrorist camp I wrongly assumed. You are totally right, wasting those 3 Hydras was unacceptable. On a brighter side, we've got 39 more to go! Should I seek another target looking similar to the one I unintentionally destroyed so as to tune my decision-making, or give you an advice on how to wipe the traces of this mishap from the mission data recorder?"