[geeks] Not sure if they were running Vista...

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:28:35 -0500 (EST)
der Mouse <mouse at Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA> wrote:

> > I find it hard to believe that the planes were in danger.  A friend
> > of mine trained in an F-16, which also has purely computerized
> > navigation, and they were required to know how to operate without it,
> > even complete missions without it.
> 
> > Does anyone here believe that F-22 pilots are not trained the same
> > way?
> 
> I've heard (and seen) it said that modern fighter planes are
> aerodynamically unstable and cannot be flown by anything with a
> reaction time longer than a millsecond or so, 

That's called deliberate aerodynamic instability.  The F-16 is the same way.

The plane is made deliberately unstable so it can change attitude quicker
than a stable aircraft. The computer system continuously makes fast and tiny
changes in the control surfaces to keep the plane stable and/or neutral.

> which seems to me to run counter to what you're saying.

I don't follow you.

The plane's control system didn't fail, the nav system did.

> Is this not true, or is there something else I'm missing, or what?

I'm not even sure the plane could survive if the control system failed.

I suppose they might have an emergency deployable control surface that will
stabilize the aircraft, perhaps even the air brakes, but they didn't mention
any such problem.

-- 
shannon           | The determined programmer can write a FORTRAN
                  | program in any language.