tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post3972756697963603655..comments2024-03-27T20:37:08.065+01:00Comments on Defence and Freedom: "UAVs can sustain higher G loads than pilots". Really?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-37240439949309929332011-12-18T14:51:23.329+01:002011-12-18T14:51:23.329+01:00OK, sounds like humans will be able to handle a lo...OK, sounds like humans will be able to handle a lot more g with continuous development of suits, so it's questionable that UAVs can become numerous equivalent fighter aircrafts. But I would count on having a double, single and no seat configuration of future fighter aircrafts. A few no-seat fighters, UAVs, allow for much improved capabilities through human (pilot aces) reinforcements during a dangerous engagement. The problem is that the connection can be hacked or jammed and especially hacking can turn this system very dangerous. One precaution against such hacking can be no direct information transfer to the UAV, but short range buddy to buddy data transfer using if possible different codes and more than one buddy for the transfer. I'm not sure, but the US spy plane crash in China could in theory have been due to such an unmanned fighter.<br />Another possibility derived from the UAV can be to back up each man in a plane by a team instead of the lone weapon systems officer in the back seat of old. Such a team could in theory include a much better pilot, so the pilot on board not necessarily navigates his aircraft in combat, but solves other tasks and is the manned back-up against any successful hacking. That would be for sure a very strange thing from today's pilot's perspective. <br />But just imagine a case like WWII Japan. If they could have kept their diminishing number of trained military pilots in safety for directing combat from far away, less trained pilots could have operated the aircrafts until meeting an engagement that exceeded their skills. Under these circumstances the trained military pilots take over control. This can be seen as an improved way of armouring the pilots seat, as the Americans did that helped them to build up a trained force.<br /><br />But why always presume that a useful fighter UAV needs all the ecpensive avionics? Can't it be a small wingman if it uses imitation and very high g maneuvers to guide enemy missiles away from the manned aircraft (like helicopters protected ships during the Falkland War). Now give it some own missile capability to help the pilot in the manned aircraft win any dogfight by ordering his personally programmed wingman to outmaneuver and shoot the enemy based on data mostly transmitted from the manned aircraft with the much more expensive avionics suit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-87616521393802743512009-03-31T21:57:00.000+02:002009-03-31T21:57:00.000+02:00Not really. A rule of thumb was that 60% of the co...Not really. A rule of thumb was that 60% of the costs were avionics costs - mostly all those limited edition black boxes and the radar.<BR/><BR/>An ejection seat weights less than 150 kg, breathing equipment maybe 50 kg, pressurized cabin and glass a lot more, but overall pilot sustainment weight should be much less than a ton (in a fighter).<BR/><BR/>I don't buy into the "air combat is too complex for computers" slogan of the air forces.<BR/><BR/>Today's air combat requires pilots who develop tactics, even within hours. They need to understand their and the opposing hardware as well as a lot of physics stuff.<BR/><BR/>It takes a lot of training to think in 3D.<BR/>Most players who use fighter simulations on computers merely use medium range missiles and in close combat they turn, turn, turn. 3D maneuvering is much more complex.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-45150006106036913812009-03-31T20:56:00.000+02:002009-03-31T20:56:00.000+02:00Gravity aside, UAVs are cheap. I don't know what i...Gravity aside, UAVs are cheap. I don't know what it is now, but in the late 1990s about 2/3s of the cost and 1/3 of the weight was devoted to pilot sustainability. The other important factor for UAVs is because of a lack of gravity your average geek can defeat a manned aircraft in air to air combat while eating Doritos and a snickers bar.ENhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12193563623321560413noreply@blogger.com