John,
Very interesting insight there. I am left wondering if our Tiltrotor would be quite as capable, since I suspect the power-to-weight isn't quite on a par with a Harrier.
We have two RTM322-01/9A Making somewhere between 1566kw (max continuous) and 2204kW (30 seconds OEI). Bolted to those are a pair of rotors approx 8m in diameter (final sizing still under design).
Not quite a Pegasus!
Still, I have raised your points with some of the design guys more focussed on the control systems, and it's opened their eyes - we were expecting this to be a very tricky phase and therefor had resigned ourselves to completely autonomous control.
To those who've raised the tone (
) issues, and that of annoying warning systems that's great input. Sounds like a common dissatisfaction there.
We have had it pointed out to us that engineers have a tendancy to design arcraft for engineers, but it isn't engineers who fly aircraft!
