gudeman@arizona.edu (David Gudeman) (01/25/89)
Here's a thought from someone with a stronger background in imagination than in engineering. How about a forward-pointing heat-seeking missle with a drag chute? When you have someone on your tail, you release the missile, the missile pops its chute and the parachute holds the missile (approximately) in place until the enemy plane has passed. After a delay the missile looks for a heat source. When it finds one, it fires up, releases the chute, and homes in on the enemy tailpipe. This has the advantage that it uses a heat-seeking missile. That is an advantage isn't it? Aren't heat-seeking missiles cheaper and more reliable than radar guided ones? Another advantage is that the missile doesn't have to use fuel to get behind the pursuing plane, though it will have to accelate from a near standstill. The chute would presumably be attached to the missile's center of gravity in such a way as to hold the missile horizontal. The missile may need need to actively keep itself pointing forward or aerodynamics may be enough, I don't know. Rather than a time delay, a better strategy might be for the missile to immediately lock onto the plane it was fired from, and to not take off until it senses a stronger heat source than the one it is locked on to. That is, after the firing plane has gotten far enough away, and the following plane has passed near the missile, the missile picks up the following plane. What sort of response time would the following plane typically have? I can't estimate that without knowing typical speeds and following distances in airfights. If response time is long enough, the following plane could avoid the missile or destroy it.
kluksdah@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (Norman C. Kluksdahl) (01/26/89)
From: kluksdah@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (Norman C. Kluksdahl)
In article <3461@cbnews.ATT.COM>, gudeman@arizona.edu (David Gudeman) writes:
: Here's a thought from someone with a stronger background in
: imagination than in engineering. How about a forward-pointing
: heat-seeking missle with a drag chute?
: After a delay the missile looks for a heat source.
: When it finds one, it fires up, releases the chute, and homes in on
: the enemy tailpipe.
:
: Rather than a time delay, a better strategy might be for the missile
: to immediately lock onto the plane it was fired from, and to not take
: off until it senses a stronger heat source than the one it is locked
: on to.
And what happens when a well-trained opponent sees the missile being
released, and breaks off pursuit, or lays back? Or if he isn't quite
close enough and the missile starts actively seeking before he passes
it?
I know that I wouldn't pop such a missile, knowing that there is a finite
probability that the sucker is going up MY pipe!!!!!!!!!!
Norman Kluksdahl Arizona State University
..ncar!noao!asuvax!enuxha!kluksdah
standard disclaimer implied