If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
F-102's easy to fly ( Lars Larson Trying to Help OR NG home for 2 weeks of leave.
"Bill Shatzer" wrote in message ... On 7 Mar 2004, Hal Lillywhite wrote: Bill Shatzer wrote in message ... from a book I just happen to have handy: The Delta Dagger was the first interceptor to be delivered as a complete weapons system - the weapons, the electronic equipment, and the plane itself functioned as a unit. The F-102 could be flown remotely through its Remote Control Flight System (RCFS). All the pilot had to do was take off and land the plane; the technical experts on the ground took care of the rest. During emergencies and under certain operational circumstances, the pilot had overriding capabilities. Still confident, Hal? Yup. Your quotation says *nothing* about actually engaging the enemy under remote control. It's one thing to direct an aircraft remotely in normal flight, quite another to direct it in the combat environment where the target is evasive and well-armed, perhaps accompanied by well-armed escorts. I already admited that it could be *flown* remotely, the question is if it could effectively engage in combat under remote control. Well, with the SAGE system, the ground folks even pushed the button for missile launch. I think the F-102 was upgraded to the full SAGE system by the time the dubya was flying 'em but I can't find a definitive reference. Still, the SAGE was basically an RCFS system with a semi-automatic ground control element introduced - rather than ground controllers telling the aircraft where and how to fly, a computer took over most of those functions. But, in any case, what part of, "All the pilot had to do was take off and land the plane; the technical experts on the ground took care of the rest." is difficult to understand? Ground control flies the a/c to the intercept point. If the pilot has to push the button to arm the AIM-4, confirm that the lock-on light is lit (or, he gets "tone", however it worked with the AIM-4/F-102), and push the launch button or whether that is down automatically from the ground makes little difference in the level of pilot skill required. You're not likely to find manuevering bombers over texas. They lacked the fuel to do that. You're not going to find "well armed bombers" over texas - Soviet bombers carried 'bout the same armament as did US bombers of that era which is to say a tail gun and that's about it (and as the range of an AIM-4 was five to ten miles (depending on the model) and the range of aerial guns was less than half the smaller number, the amount of bomber armament was more or less irrelevent - which was why they didn't carry much. And you're definately not going to find enemy escort fighters over texas. But, this is an interesting diversion but it's pretty much exhausted my interest. You may have the last word iffen you want. But still, the dubya flying F-102s was No Big Deal. And attempts to turn him into some superman for so doing just miss the mark completely. No one is saying he's a superman, just that he had to have some sort of smarts to make it through and train on an aircraft that was anything but easy to fly. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Lars Larson Trying to Help OR NG home for 2 weeks of leave. | Brian | Military Aviation | 0 | March 8th 04 12:55 AM |