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Aviation Geeks unite?! Anybody else care about planes here?

What's your level of interest in aviation?!


  • Total voters
    50
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That's a pretty plane -- looks like a shrunken Concorde, although not quite as fast (Mach 1.7 vs. just over Mach 2). Of course, they'll have to find a way to mitigate the sonic boom or it'll never be allowed to fly over populated areas.
 
Another flying freak: the somewhat misnamed 1952 Horton "Wingless" (not to be confused with Germany's Horten flying wings). An early attempt at a blended-wing-body design, this ungainly-looking aircraft, modified from a Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, actually flew several times but was never put into production.

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Another flying freak: the somewhat misnamed 1952 Horton "Wingless" (not to be confused with Germany's Horten flying wings). An early attempt at a blended-wing-body design, this ungainly-looking aircraft, modified from a Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, actually flew several times but was never put into production.

rncn63K.jpg

What a nice looking aircraft, and yes, I like oddballs like that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnelli_UB-14
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnelli_CBY-3
Another pair of oddballs. :mallory:


You know what those old days people dared to try odd or different designs. Just it really does feel like people were willing to try something different in the hopes that it would work well.
 
not quite planes by those in the pointy section.

There's a program underway with Cathay Pacific a major player to certify aircraft such as the A350 for single pilot operations during long haul flights once the plane is a cruise altitude.

https://www.reuters.com/business/ae...bus-single-pilot-system-long-haul-2021-06-16/

There is some pushback from unions concerned over job losses but they also raise the question of safety.

The avionics and other systems are very advanced now that they can handle a lot of things (can you spell autoland?) but I'm not sure how comfortable I'd feel with only person in the cockpit.

There would be systems to monitor the pilots alert status so if they nodded off or had a medical emergency another pilot would be summoned.

Both seats would be filled during the take and landing phases.

I guess most people wouldn't be aware of it there was only person in the cockpit but still I'm not sure I like the idea.
 
I don't like that idea at all, I'd like an extra pair of eyes and grey mass to keep an eye on things, technology all good and well but in this case, nope..
 
Not too keen on the idea of only one person in the cockpit either. Sure, the tech is mostly there, but if it fails (or one pilot is ill etc) :(
 
Not too keen on the idea of only one person in the cockpit either. Sure, the tech is mostly there, but if it fails (or one pilot is ill etc) :(

Everything in life is risk.... Flying is a risk even with two pilots. I'm not sure how good a fully automated plane would be but I'd not say no to fly in one if it had done a few good runs before my turn came along.
 
For me it is not an automation thing. Such commercial planes already use and depend on a great deal of automation. But as long as mental heath is a thing and lone pilots purposely direct planes into mountains or out over trackless oceans, I am going to want two pilots in the cockpit.
 
For me it is not an automation thing. Such commercial planes already use and depend on a great deal of automation. But as long as mental heath is a thing and lone pilots purposely direct planes into mountains or out over trackless oceans, I am going to want two pilots in the cockpit.

I feel the same. While I love technology and love the idea I don't wish to be the passenger on a plane that is travellng for hours with no human in the cockpit. I'd do it for short flights where it's like an hour or so but long commercial flight no bloody way.
 
No situation like could EVER happen in real life...right?

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Not so much that but situations like the DC-10 at Sioux City or the QANTAS A380, and the A320 in the Hudson are examples of no matter what the computers can do, there are soemthing that only only a human pilot can handle.
 
Not so much that but situations like the DC-10 at Sioux City or the QANTAS A380, and the A320 in the Hudson are examples of no matter what the computers can do, there are soemthing that only only a human pilot can handle.
Agreed. I doubt a computer could reach the conclusion that landing TACA 110 on a levee was the thing to do...
 
For some intersting military aircraft discussion, a guy named Ward Carroll has a youtube channel with some videos.

Carroll flew as a F-14 RIO and covers things from his experience going up against Migs during training when the U.S didn't admit to having them through to Tomcats in films such as Top Gun and Final Countdown.

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This one has also got some interesting stuff including inside the cockpit on a variety of aircraft.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmpahmxWXajV0-tuMMzSzAg
 
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