Re: Ada Success Story II

["Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93" <condicma@PWFL.COM>]

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
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