comp.lang.ada
 help / color / mirror / Atom feed
* Re: Ada Success Story II
@ 1997-03-05  0:00 Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93
  1997-03-05  0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
  1997-03-05  0:00 ` Peter Amey
  0 siblings, 2 replies; 20+ messages in thread
From: Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93 @ 1997-03-05  0:00 UTC (permalink / raw)



Jon S Anthony <jsa@ALEXANDRIA.AMERICAN.EDU> writes:
>>     The F22 is not the first plane to use thrust vectoring. There were
>>     a number of research programs that mounted thrust vectoring
>>     nozzles on things like the F15. We've even built a 3-D nozzle for
>>     the F100 engines used by F15s and F16s - nicknamed "the eyeball"
>
>Are these the engines that are to go on the "F15X"?  My understanding
>was that this was going to be an actual production version.  Yes?  No?
>
    There might probably be some plans to retrofit some subset of the
    existing fleet with "production" thrust vectoring nozzles, but I
    am personally unaware of any such activity or operation...

    What we've mostly done is build "technology demonstrators" which
    someone will take and mount on the back end of an available plane
    and fly it around to see if it works the way you thought it
    should. We usually do that research in order to better design a
    future engine.

    It's pretty costly to retrofit some existing airframe and you may
    not get all the performance you'd expect because the airframe was
    never designed with the intent of utilizing the nozzle. Ultimately
    - if the nozzles do what you'd like - you'd be able to remove all
    the control surfaces off the back of the airplane.

    I'm afraid that I don't know anything about the "F15X" (some
    experiment being done by McDonnel Douglas?) at the moment.
    Anything you can tell me about it so I could find out who to ask?
    There might be some interesting control work being done there.

    MDC

Marin David Condic, Senior Computer Engineer    ATT:        561.796.8997
M/S 731-96                                      Technet:    796.8997
Pratt & Whitney, GESP                           Fax:        561.796.4669
P.O. Box 109600                                 Internet:   CONDICMA@PWFL.COM
West Palm Beach, FL 33410-9600                  Internet:   CONDIC@FLINET.COM
===============================================================================
    "Eagles may soar, but a weasle never gets sucked up into a jet
    engine."

        --  Author Unknown
===============================================================================




^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 20+ messages in thread
* Re: Ada Success Story II
@ 1997-03-10  0:00 Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93
  1997-03-11  0:00 ` 
  0 siblings, 1 reply; 20+ messages in thread
From: Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93 @ 1997-03-10  0:00 UTC (permalink / raw)



Jon S Anthony <jsa@ALEXANDRIA.AMERICAN.EDU> writes:
>> I suppose one could do away with some of the control surfaces on
>> planes with vectoring nozzles, but I just don't see it happening in
>> the real world. What happens if your engine flames out? You'd
>> probably have no chance to attempt to relight it, you'd just have to
>> punch out immediately. I suspect thrust vectoring would work best in
>> conjunction with control surfaces on a plane specifically designed
>> for it.
>
>This seems right to me too.  BTW, even punching out would probably not
>be under your control.  My understanding is that the EFA is so
>unstable that any control loss would be so violent and disorienting
>that you would not be quick enough to punch out on your own.
>
    Actually, nobody has any plans to remove the control surfaces from
    the tail of the plane any time soon. It's more of a long range
    goal which - if you prove out the technology of thrust vectoring -
    would be an atainable (and desirable) thing to do. (reduce drag,
    weight, etc.)

    Flame outs? Nobody is talking about doing this sort of thing on
    single engine craft just yet. *IF* it gets done, it would first be
    done on a dual engine craft similar to the F15 or F22. *IF* it
    worked successfully there and you started building enough
    confidence in the design (and in your Ada-programmed engine
    control's ability to keep the engine from stalling (had to get an
    Ada point in there ;-)) you might start designing a single engine
    craft around it.

    As for punching out of a mach-1 airplane that's gone unstable
    because the flight control went casters-up (Programmed in C?) -
    that sounds like a perfectly good way to ruin your whole day.
    There was a time when Aerospace Engineers didn't like fly-by-wire
    because they felt it wasn't reliable like their good, old, leaky
    hydraulics. And a time when hydraulics weren't considered as
    reliable as cables & pullies. Hence I think there will come a time
    when thrust vectoring nozzles will get enough trust to replace
    tail surfaces and pilots won't punch out of any more aircraft then
    than they do now because an actuator sticks & won't move the
    control surfaces.

    MDC

Marin David Condic, Senior Computer Engineer    ATT:        561.796.8997
M/S 731-96                                      Technet:    796.8997
Pratt & Whitney, GESP                           Fax:        561.796.4669
P.O. Box 109600                                 Internet:   CONDICMA@PWFL.COM
West Palm Beach, FL 33410-9600                  Internet:   CONDIC@FLINET.COM
===============================================================================
    "Eagles may soar, but a weasle never gets sucked up into a jet engine."

        --  Author Unknown
===============================================================================




^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 20+ messages in thread
* Re: Ada Success Story II
@ 1997-03-02  0:00 Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93
  1997-03-03  0:00 ` Robert S. White
                   ` (2 more replies)
  0 siblings, 3 replies; 20+ messages in thread
From: Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93 @ 1997-03-02  0:00 UTC (permalink / raw)



Dale Pontius <pontius@BTV.VNET.IBM.COM> writes:
>There was a flyoff between the YF22 and the YF23, which the YF22
>won. What were they doing for flight software on the flyoff? I
>could believe hacked F16 software, or something like that, except
>isn't the F22 the first plane to use thrust vectoring?
>
    For the record, the Pratt engines used in both the YF22 & YF23 had
    engine controls programmed in Ada. The contract officer overseeing
    our development efforts looked at how we develop control software
    in Ada and pronounced himself "suitably whelmed" and in commenting
    on our use of Ada said words to the effect of: "to think, I had to
    see it from an *engine* company" (as opposed to an avionics
    company, most of whom were staying away from Ada in droves.)

    The F22 is not the first plane to use thrust vectoring. There were
    a number of research programs that mounted thrust vectoring
    nozzles on things like the F15. We've even built a 3-D nozzle for
    the F100 engines used by F15s and F16s - nicknamed "the eyeball"
    because of it's ability to swivel around and open&close much like
    the pupil of an eye. The Harrier most certainly does thrust
    vectoring. And if one would want to pick a few nits, the
    commercial airliners have been using thrust vectoring (thrust
    reversers) long before the Air Force was willing to take a chance
    on such technology.

    Still, it's pretty cool to watch them test the F119 engine and
    have it pull its thrust vectoring tricks on the stand. There's a
    lot of technological advancement in this particular engine.

    MDC

Marin David Condic, Senior Computer Engineer    ATT:        561.796.8997
M/S 731-96                                      Technet:    796.8997
Pratt & Whitney, GESP                           Fax:        561.796.4669
P.O. Box 109600                                 Internet:   CONDICMA@PWFL.COM
West Palm Beach, FL 33410-9600                  Internet:   CONDIC@FLINET.COM
===============================================================================
    "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."

        --  Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure
            de Guerre.
===============================================================================




^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 20+ messages in thread
* Ada Success Story II
@ 1997-02-27  0:00 Ken Garlington
  1997-02-27  0:00 ` Dale Pontius
  1997-03-05  0:00 ` Ender
  0 siblings, 2 replies; 20+ messages in thread
From: Ken Garlington @ 1997-02-27  0:00 UTC (permalink / raw)



rlove@raptor.neosoft.com (Robert B. Love) wrote:

<< With people so quick to blame Ada for the loss of Ariane I'd
like to point out that Saturday's Titan 4B flew with a new
flight computer programmed in Ada.  While I'm sketchy on details
they used a 1750 computer on a 1553 bus.  An old combination
of hardware but new for the Titan family.

Anybody from LockMart care to comment? >>

----------------------------------------------------------------

I can't comment on the Titan 4B, since it's not my division.
There may be a press release available on www.lmco.com in the
near future providing more details on the launch.

Speaking of press releases, here's another Ada success story in
the works from _my_ division of Lockheed Martin:

----------------------------------------------------------------

This information has been provided to the news media, with USAF
approval.  It refers to the initial software release in December; an
updated software package has since been released.

F-22 FIRST FLIGHT SOFTWARE PROGRAM COMPLETED

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems recently
released the first complete Operational Flight Program (OFP) for the
F-22 aircraft.  The software package was electronically transmitted via
a secure communication link to Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in
Marietta, Ga., where the F-22 is undergoing final assembly.
	The delivered OFP includes the computing power to control the major
subsystems needed for the first flight of the aircraft, including the
hydraulics and electrical power systems, flight controls, cockpit
displays and engine controls.   Elements of the software have been
developed by Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, Lockheed Martin
Aeronautical Systems and Boeing Military Airplanes Division.
	Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, Fort Worth, Tex., is
responsible for system testing and integration of the OFP for the
initial aircraft.  The initial software release includes 275,000 lines
of software code, of which Tactical Aircraft Systems developed about 57
percent.  An additional 1,450,000 lines of code will be developed during
Engineering and Manufacturing Development of the advanced avionics
systems for the F-22.
	The flyable software developed by F-22 team members and major suppliers
is integrated at Fort Worth and assembled into a single OFP for the
initial aircraft.  The OFP is loaded on the aircraft at the Marietta
site using a Portable Maintenance Aid (PMA) that was developed by
Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems and Allied Signal.   	
	"The OFP assembly and load processes, demonstrated with this initial
release, encompass a significant advancement in software supportability
that will be used throughout the F-22 EMD, production, and field support
phases," said Charla K. Wise, F-22 vice president and program director
at Tactical Aircraft Systems.
	"The concept improves software reliability and maintainability,
simplifies the software update process, and will reduce life cycle cost
for the customer," Wise said.   "The quality and integrity of the total
software package is key to the success of any new fighter aircraft
flight- test program.  We are encouraged that major milestones in F-22
software development are occurring on schedule with no unforeseen
problems."
	Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems used the initial OFP release for
power-on testing of the first F-22 EMD aircraft.  Two additional
software releases are scheduled prior to the first flight of the F-22 in
May, to incorporate changes recommended as a result of the integration
testing at Fort Worth.
	The F-22 is being developed as the new air dominance fighter for the
U.S. Air Force.
			# # #




^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 20+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~1997-03-11  0:00 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 20+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
1997-03-05  0:00 Ada Success Story II Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93
1997-03-05  0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1997-03-06  0:00   ` Rob Wells
1997-03-07  0:00     ` Mike Stark
1997-03-06  0:00   ` Larry J. Elmore
1997-03-07  0:00     ` Mike Stark
1997-03-07  0:00   ` Jon S Anthony
1997-03-09  0:00     ` JP Thornley
1997-03-05  0:00 ` Peter Amey
  -- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
1997-03-10  0:00 Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93
1997-03-11  0:00 ` 
1997-03-02  0:00 Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93
1997-03-03  0:00 ` Robert S. White
1997-03-03  0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1997-03-07  0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1997-02-27  0:00 Ken Garlington
1997-02-27  0:00 ` Dale Pontius
1997-02-27  0:00   ` Larry Kilgallen
1997-02-28  0:00   ` Dale Pontius
1997-03-05  0:00 ` Ender

This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox