forgive me if this has been discussed previously.... was in a discussion with my son last night, I was wondering, why we don't have Pilotless fighter planes yet? (or do we?) My rational was the Fighter Jets of today can handle and produce more G's than our Pilots can withstand... So too me it only makes sense that to get the most out of todays current fighter planes, a pilotless fighter would be a distinct advantage when comes to evasive maneuvers when locked onto by ground missiles or air to air missiles, or even dog fight (which in todays age seems highly unlikely)...Not to mention the savings of life when pilotless plane is shot down. Or at very least an auto pilot mode of some sort, that pilot can activate which allows the plane to maneuver at increase G load, which pilot would black out from, kick in auto pilot, execute evasive actions, put plane and pilot out of harms way till pilot comes too. thoughts?
Yes, and the US military calls them a "UAV" for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or "RPA" for Remotely Piloted Aircraft. If you do a google seach for "Fighter UAV" you'll see lots of info on them. .
I don't believe we are quite there yet for pilotless fighter aircraft, and there really isn't a need for an air to air drone. For years some of the old F106's and F-4 phantoms down at Tyndall AFB were remotely piloted for target practice, yet there were control issues on some (i believe they use older F16/15 models as drones now) and there was always a chase plane in case they had to remotely detonate.
In 1971 at Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL) we initially called them RPVs - Remotely Piloted Vehicles. We were the first to create them and my boss and mentor invented the electrostatic autopilot as well http://diydrones.com/m/profile?screenName=34hkde2jp1ejy Fun times, declassified now of course Sent via itty bitty electrons
Dogfighting drones are unnecessary. Other UAVs already do many of the things a fighter will do. Some things better, others not so much. The time is already here though. Ciao! Hannibal
...and has probably already retired (barring a large scale conflict against Iran, North Korea, or the like).
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ?Breaking Point,? Air Force Says - The Daily Beast Interesting article about the current drone situation.
Ritchie and Cunnigham would be the last two pilots with DeBellevue WSO. A couple of 3-kill guys (both retired) around from Desert Storm and Kosovo.
Only two new Aces came out of the VN war. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the first ace, and Steve "Cinco" Ritchie, the last ace. Many would debate the other three "Aces" but as far as I'm concerned there were only two. Ciao! Hannibal p.s. Your 328 looks stunning!
Will- Then you would be wrong. Most of those kills were made with radar guided Sparrows. No lock-on, no guidance.
That is true, but does not change anything. If you care to actually delve into what occurred in the air during each of those engagements, who made the decisions, and who put the aircraft in a position such that the missiles could get a solution, you might understand my thinking. Yours is not wrong, it just reflects a different understanding of the same reality. There were WSOs who never even knew what their pilot was firing at until they saw the target explode. You can always decide what you want to continue ultimately respecting. I'm very biased as S.R. is a wonderful friend, and one of the greatest people I've ever had the honor to know. I do not profess to know his views on the subject, but as a fighter pilot, I sure as hell know mine! As for me and my children, who all have the greatest aces from all our wars, from every service, and every country indelibly etched in their memory, they have their own answers and have always been prepared to defend them with sound arguments. Ciao! Hannibal
Will- Disagree completely and I believe Steve would too, especially considering the WSOs he was lucky enough to have in his back seat. Why don't you ask him? The official USAF source for air to air kills is the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB near Montgomery, AL. They list two USAF pilots and three USAF WSOs as aces during VietNam. The F-4C and F-4D did not have a gun, so air to air kills were definitely a two man affair. Incidentally, all USAF two seat fighters were dual control, so the GIB was part copilot and part everything else. But the official source has spoken, so neither your nor my opinion counts for anything.
I totally hear you, my friend. And I agree that in most cases the details you consider are valid regarding the close teamwork required to accomplish these missions, and any fighter mission, for that matter. I also know exactly what the official AF position is...I spent four years reciting it wrote when I was a cadet. I've since learned to arrive at my own conclusions. Regarding Cinco's views, I know what they are, and we have discussed it. It's just not for me to profess them in any way. I actually do think your opinion counts. I just happen to think mine does too, though it's different than yours and the AFs. Ciao! Hannibal
Will- That causes me to lose a whole lot of respect for Steve. I have known a lot of aces over the years, all the way from Ray Brooks to Robin Olds, and they never bad-mouthed their wingmen or crewmates.
He hasn't either...I didn't say that. He's never said anything bad about anyone so please don't read that into what I'm saying. I have my opinions and those are the only ones I'm voicing. Sorry if I confused the issue. I respect all these guys, WSO or pilot. I'll just shut up now... Utmost respect, Hannibal
Off topic Col Acree is my neighbor who was interviewed for this article. History channel also filmed a one hour segment about him Not an ace, but my hero nevertheless http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/vietnam/airpower/wildweasel.aspx And he's one of the nicest people on the planet. Sent via itty bitty electrons
Great article! The folks who flew in VN are a great part of our flying heritage and deserve more recognition than our country affords them...that goes for all our VN vets, actually. Ciao! Hannibal
