Message posted by Rocketfox on April 03, 2002 at 7:21:15 PST:
True. We didn't touch on camouflage {though my experience in Overhead Imagery shows that a Green-and-Brown pattern does little good when it's parked on a concrete ramp...} It does work well when it's moving though.. We didn't mention trackbreakers. which would include, I expect active cancellation or redirection. Been around for some time now. One of the new things being investigated is the Active Decoy, a Refidgerator-sized drone that electronically simulates a full-sized aircraft... Another is electronic projection, where the return looks like it's coming from somewhere else than where it really is. There is some work being done with active noise cancellation, where the sound is broadcasted 180 degress out of phase. Bulky to date, but there's hope. One thing I would like to see is work being done on those pesky bomb bay doors. you would think {especially if you don't know any better than I do} that instead of opening the way they do now, by swinging down, that they would be able to all them to slide out of position, like pocket doors, into the fuselage. Or, if they aren't critical to the strength of the airframe, {and being hinged, I can't see how they would be,not being an engineer} making the doors out of fiberglass or solid RAM. anything would be better than a return suddenly appearing out of nowhere, even if it's nearly too late. Also, how hard would it be to cast the bombs with facets? I mean it's deosn't have to coast as much to make new molds for components that it does to replace airframes.. While we're on the subject of bombs, I've passed along the concept of ordnance that plays "follow the leader". cost-effective, and workable, or so I'm told.. more on that if it ever goes farther than some trash receptacle at Aberdeen..
I hear rumours that there's a holographic component in the works, which coincides with the false radar return, for one plane in the terminal run phase can appear like a squadron. The theory behind that seems to be confusion of both radar guided and electro-optical targeting systems.
The problem with active systems is, of course, that of transmission detection. Anyone with a radar daetctor knows that the theory is that the emitter can be detected farther than the signal can return. In Tactical situation I would expect this is not Good Thing. Far better are passive systems.
In Reply to: I'm a tad surprised no one mentioned... posted by F-117A Webmaster on April 03, 2002 at 1:15:08 PST:
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