"Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal" wrote in message
...
On 4/6/04 8:11 PM, in article , "Tarver
Engineering" wrote:


There is no difference in stick forces or "break out" as you're calling it
between CAS, DEL, or MECH modes. Perhaps you're talking about the
feedback
force that is added when the stick is displaced from its neutral position?
That is certainly not a "break out."

The stick doesn't move for electric modes.

How many F-18 hours a year in the air are you and monkey getting Woody?
50?
20?


Per year? Absolutely ZERO in MECH, more than 150 or so in CAS, less than
1
in DEL (spin recovery mode).

Look, Tarver, I've accumulated enough hours in the Hornet to have more
than
a clue about its systems and how to employ them than you do.

I did not comment on your ability to operate the F-18 wood man. You
insutled me in assuming that because you do not know something that I could
not know it. I can assure you that I know more about the
electric/electronic systems in the F-18 than you ever possibly could. I
have the advantage over you, in having brought dead F-18s back to life and
having integrated F-18 aircraft hardware and software to a computer. When I
wrote simulator, it is not the kind you think of, but something to do
controls research on.

You see, once long ago some in NASA and USN were certain that GE was lying
about their F-18 flight control computer. Much anger was exchanged between
NASA Lewis and GE and Congress was ready to get involved. Using Gould's
software we were able to input GE's numbers and match the airplane at
Dryden. Martha Evans and a delegation went back to NASA Lewis where before
a couple of Congress critters Lewis demanded that Dryden adjust their
simulation results to match Lewis, Martha just laid the airplane strip chart
over our simulation results and showed they matched.

Next thing you know Congress is having a comittee meeting and Bob Myers is
going with Martha to testify. It was all quite a big deal and Dryden was
able to become a flight test center again on the achievement. I remember
Bob comming to my office every morning to see if I was still showing up, as
Martha was hanging on by a thread in those days.