Drone on steroids: F-16 takes off with empty cockpit

[enhanced_deficit]

Technologically this is awesome but can this development be postponed till the drone king SWC (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?419799-Shoes-hit-quot-war-criminal-quot-Obama-s-photo-during-his-South-Africa-visit&p=5101343&viewfull=1#post5101343) (or what some call 'gift from hell' (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?428515-James-Woods-on-Obama-He%E2%80%99s-the-%E2%80%98gift-from-hell%E2%80%99&)) is out of office and someone with a sense of morality, conscience and respect for the Constitution is selected/elected/puppeted/planted etc to the WH:




24 September 2013

Empty F-16 jet tested by Boeing and US Air Force


http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/70091000/jpg/_70091377_ght2.jpg
By Leo Kelion Technology reporter
The pilotless jet flew over the Gulf of Mexico on the test carried out on 19 September

Boeing has revealed that it has retrofitted retired fighter jets to turn them into drones.
It said that one of the Lockheed Martin F-16 made a first flight with an empty cockpit last week.
Two US Air Force pilots controlled the plane from the ground as it flew from a Florida base to the Gulf of Mexico.
Boeing suggested that the innovation could ultimately be used to help train pilots, providing an adversary they could practise firing on.
The jet - which had previously sat mothballed at an Arizona site for 15 years - flew at an altitude of 40,000ft (12.2km) and a speed of Mach 1.47 (1,119mph/1,800km/h).
It carried out a series of manoeuvres including a barrel roll and a "split S" - a move in which the aircraft turns upside down before making a half loop so that it flies the right-way-up in the opposite direction. This can be used in combat to evade missile lock-ons.
Boeing said the unmanned F16 was followed by two chase planes to ensure it stayed in sight, and also contained equipment that would have allowed it to self-destruct if necessary.
The firm added that the flight attained 7Gs of acceleration but was capable of carrying out manoeuvres at 9Gs - something that might cause physical problems for a pilot.
"It flew great, everything worked great, [it] made a beautiful landing - probably one of the best landings I've ever seen," said Paul Cejas, the project's chief engineer.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24231077


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj4M636mE0s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj4M636mE0s

[Brian4Liberty]

Yeah, technologically speaking, this is something. Drones of the future will do maneuvers that no plane with a human in it can do. On board pilots may become obsolete.

[heavenlyboy34]

waHOO, the boys get new toys of death and destruction! :(

[Paulbot99]

Just keeping America safe from those crazy Constitutionalist terrorists! ;)

[enhanced_deficit]

Yeah, technologically speaking, this is something. Drones of the future will do maneuvers that no plane with a human in it can do. On board pilots may become obsolete.

Freedom doesn't need pilots, charts its own course.

[fr33]

I hope one of it's flights ends up something like the Houston PD drone that crashed into their armored vehicle.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Kind of old news...

F-16's were the early test platform for a new avionics package that was designed to save pilots lives in case they blacked out or had a medical emergency in flight. It was also designed to stop hijackings in progress in their tracks. It basically lets ground control take control of the aircraft and have a pilot on the ground bring it down safely. This research was done in the late 1990's. Supposedly, shortly after 9/11 the first units were being installed in commercial airliners...

Interesting timing...

-t

[FindLiberty]

:d
...new avionics package that [MAY BE USED TO FACILITATE] hijackings. It basically lets [A TERRORIST] pilot on the ground [USE] commercial airliners [AS REMOTE GUIDED MISSLES] :q

[presence]

Why is the first image in my mind a group of anti US hackers laughing in their bunker.

[jkr]

WHAT
COULD
POSSIBLY
GO
WRONG?

http://images.wikia.com/terminator/images/5/5d/HK-Tank_HK-Aerial.JPG

[coastie]

Kind of old news...

F-16's were the early test platform for a new avionics package that was designed to save pilots lives in case they blacked out or had a medical emergency in flight. It was also designed to stop hijackings in progress in their tracks. It basically lets ground control take control of the aircraft and have a pilot on the ground bring it down safely. This research was done in the late 1990's. Supposedly, shortly after 9/11 the first units were being installed in commercial airliners...

Interesting timing...

-t

The base they're speaking of is more than likely Tyndall AFB where I live. These drone QF-16's have been flying around here for months, this is most certainly not new.

I was just talking several weeks ago with an extremely reliable source about this very thing over beer and bar b q when a couple flew over the house. He said then they were drones.

[Uriel999]

The base they're speaking of is more than likely Tyndall AFB where I live. These drone QF-16's have been flying around here for months, this is most certainly not new.

I was just talking several weeks ago with an extremely reliable source about this very thing over beer and bar b q when a couple flew over the house. He said then they were drones.

I miss home.... Doesn't surprise me, I grew up just a few miles away from Tyndall. I saw all sorts of weird things flying late at night there. They do some crazy stuff there.

[enhanced_deficit]

Good points, it does open up new potential foul play risks.
This news is new for public, tests likely done before press release cameras rolled this week.

Video of such first flight has been leaked to tax payers:

Sep 25, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj4M636mE0s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj4M636mE0s


There are apparently 260 F-16s in line to be converted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTDExcRrTkA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTDExcRrTkA

[Anti Federalist]

Danke wept.

The future is fail.

[Scrapmo]

Technologically this is awesome but can this development be postponed till the drone king SWC (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?419799-Shoes-hit-quot-war-criminal-quot-Obama-s-photo-during-his-South-Africa-visit&p=5101343&viewfull=1#post5101343) (or what some call 'gift from hell' (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?428515-James-Woods-on-Obama-He%E2%80%99s-the-%E2%80%98gift-from-hell%E2%80%99&)) is out of office and someone with a sense of morality, conscience and respect for the Constitution is selected/elected/puppeted/planted etc to the WH:


Dont hold your breath. Who was the last president with those qualities?

[enhanced_deficit]

Dont hold your breath. Who was the last president with those qualities?

Ok, valid point.
Should have phrased as below:


Technologically this is awesome but can this development be postponed till the drone king SWC (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?419799-Shoes-hit-quot-war-criminal-quot-Obama-s-photo-during-his-South-Africa-visit&p=5101343&viewfull=1#post5101343) (or what some call 'gift from hell' (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?428515-James-Woods-on-Obama-He%E2%80%99s-the-%E2%80%98gift-from-hell%E2%80%99&)) is out of office and someone with a shred of morality, conscience and some respect for the Constitution is selected/elected/puppeted/planted etc to the WH:



Danke wept.

The future is fail.

No need to be alarmed, only 260 F-16s are in line to be converted to drones in the current batch.

[Peace Piper]

Kind of old news...

Supposedly, shortly after 9/11 the first units were being installed in commercial airliners...

Interesting timing...

-t

This remote tech was all but perfected in the early 1980's

so much so that a Boeing 720 flew 14 flights and 69 approaches by remote

then they crashed the plane




The Controlled Impact Demonstration (or colloquially the Crash In the Desert) was a joint project between NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aimed at acquiring data, as well as demonstrating and testing new technologies, with the intent of improving occupant crash survivability, by crashing a Boeing 720 aircraft. The tests involved the efforts of NASA Ames Research Center, Langley Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center, the FAA, and General Electric, and required more than 4 years of work before the test occurred...


...Over a series of 14 flights...During the flights the aircraft made approximately 69 approaches, to about 150 feet (46 m) above the prepared crash site, under remote control.

On the morning of December 1, 1984, the test aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, made a left-hand departure and climbed to an altitude of 2,300 feet (700 m). The aircraft was remotely flown by NASA research pilot Fitzhugh Fulton from the NASA Dryden Remotely Controlled Vehicle Facility. All fuel tanks were filled with a total of 76,000 pounds (34,000 kg) of AMK and all engines ran from start-up to impact (flight time was 9 minutes) on the modified Jet-A. It then began a descent-to-landing along the roughly 3.8-degree glideslope to a specially prepared runway on the east side of Rogers Dry Lake, with the landing gear remaining retracted.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/CID_practice.jpg/800px-CID_practice.jpg

Passing the decision height of 150 feet (46 m) above ground level (AGL), the aircraft turned slightly to the right of the desired path. The aircraft entered into a situation known as a Dutch Roll. Slightly above that decision point at which the pilot was to execute a "go-around", there appeared to be enough altitude to maneuver back to the center-line of the runway...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Impact_Demonstration


That was 1984. Imagine how much better remote tech was in 2001.

[Scrapmo]

Ok, valid point.
Should have phrased as below:


I should have added that it wasn't a rhetorical question. Sorry if it sounded snarky. I was honestly trying to think of the last president who wasnt morally bankrupt. :confused: