shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) (07/11/90)
From: Mary Shafer <shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov>
Oops. I talked about the Ducks, I made snide remarks about the Ducks,
but I didn't tell you what a Duck is. It's an observation plane, a
pusher-puller. I think it's an O-2, made by Cessna, and that there's
a civil version. The FACs fly in these, since they can fly low and
slow and loiter over the area.
I was asked why NASA was designing a military display system--that's
easy, we aren't. I work in flying qualities, the essence of which
is how the pilot/aircraft combination works in performing a specific
task. The task has to be well defined, so that all the pilots are
flying the same task; the task has to be difficult, so that the pilot
is challenged; the task has to be realistic; so that it's meaningful.
A good display can help immeasurable in the definition of the task
and in the evaluation of the task performance. I'm not designing a
real display, I'm interested in a tool that will help me look at the
flying qualities. You'll never see my display on your HUD.
About the various weapons systems--I mentioned that the briefings on
these were classified. That means that I can't talk about these any
more, since my knowledge base has been contaminated with classified
information. Before, it was just hearsay, which I'm allowed to repeat
at will.
Marshal is the holding pattern. They do straight-ins for the carrier,
so Marshal is just above and before the point where you'd start your
straight-in.
The yeoman who gave me directions was entirely correct with respect to
the front of the building and I found the building-referenced system
very useful. The problem was my inability to tell left from right
early in the morning.
Anything else you-all want explained? I freely admit that I wrote a
rather cryptic version, but I'll gladly explain, at length, anything
you want. (In fact, try to stop me--unless Bill cooperates, it won't
work!) I just didn't want to insult the group readers by explaining
_everything_, including the obvious.
--
Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASA
"A MiG at your six is better than no MiG at all"--Unknown US fighter pilotmilitary@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) (07/18/90)
From: uw-beaver!mcgp1!flak (Dan Flak) In article <1990Jul11.025320.23246@cbnews.att.com> shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) writes: > > >From: Mary Shafer <shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov> > >Oops. I talked about the Ducks, I made snide remarks about the Ducks, >but I didn't tell you what a Duck is. It's an observation plane, a >pusher-puller. I think it's an O-2, made by Cessna, and that there's >a civil version. The FACs fly in these, since they can fly low and >slow and loiter over the area. Ahem, that's Oscar Duece to you ma'm! :-). Used to fly those things in Southeast US. It is, indeed, a pushme-pullyou made by Cessna. "Forty five hundred foot takeoff roll - too much weight and not enough coal" (from a FAC 'drinking song' c. 1970). The civilian version flown by little old ladies from Passadena is called a Skymaster. -- Dan Flak - McCaw Cellular Communications Inc., 201 Elliot Ave W., Suite 105, Seattle, Wa 98119, 206-286-4355, (usenet: thebes!mcgp1!flak)