747 as fighter jet

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie


The one thing I noticed most when flying the 757 simulator was how incredibly sluggish the thing was to control. Even after flying games like MS flight simulator, flying the engineering simulators still took me a bit by surprise.

Lumbering down the runway, and then wallowing accross the sky . . . .

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

With respect the the ABL, missles have to be fired from the direction the laser is aimed at.
The laser beam has only a small field of view. The flexability required to reposition the laser would either require banks of mirrors for full effectiveness or the ability of move the full laser to a different orientation quickly.

There is a mirror which is mounted on a swiveling head.

picture

Notice the field of view for the mirror. Depending on the effectiveness of the laser and location; you have a narrow time/attack field to operate in.

Variation of a theme - LANTIRN Targeting Pod used the same 'Eyeball & Gimbal' mechanism since the 80's and they can 'paint' the target while traveling at 500 MPH in the air, orbit or circle the target
and wait for the ordinance to strike home.
The aircraft with the LANTIRN can launch the missle if it has them, call for a Army Unit to lob a laser seeking artillary shell, or a hellfire missle, or any nearby attack platform that carries compatible seeking ordinance.

POP ! - goes the weasel.

 

[EagleKeeper]

As you previously pointed out; for a stationary or slow moving/manuverable target it would be effective.

For a high speed intelligent weapon, the challenges grow quickly.

 

[skyking]

This has been a good read. Nice posting, OP.

It got me to thinking about the next stage of fighter aircraft, the unmanned fighter.
The human component is the limiting factor in current evasive and combat manueverability, with a practical limit of around 9G's.
We can easily construct aircraft that will do 16~20 G manuvering, but that takes the pilot out of the game.
What if the OP's 747 is a launch or control platform for some medium range, smart robotic aircraft that can super-cruise on out to meet the enemy, out manuever them, and launch a few short range high speed missles? Put the forward controllers in the 747.
that keeps the human casualty rate down, if you can indeed "control your airspace".

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
As you previously pointed out; for a stationary or slow moving/manuverable target it would be effective.

For a high speed intelligent weapon, the challenges grow quickly.

But due to the distance, it wouldn't have to change angle very quickly in order to track an object 50 miles away that's going 1,000 mph.

 

[Evadman]

I would love to see a 747 in a vertical climb contest, or pulling 9 G's.