Lazy fish-heads....

[tablet_eraser]

Seems future RN (and RAF) JSF pilots might not need to worry about hazardous landings on CVF...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4567923.stm

Surprised it took so long to come round to this idea. It makes a lot of sense - would have been better if it had happened sooner, I suppose. I'm no expert, but I'm told that our diddy CVSs (think HMS ARK ROYAL vs USS RONALD REAGAN...) are subject to some nasty buffeting from the sea sometimes. Maybe someone in the know could comment?

TE

[Navaleye]

What a good idea. I'd like to hear what John Farley has to say about it. I'd guess that it would used in a fashion similar to the commercial autoland system i.e bad weather/poor visibility etc

[BossEyed]

Some more info here. (http://www.qinetiq.com/home/newsroom/news_releases_homepage/2005/2nd_quarter/QinetiQs_JSF_world_first.html)

Well done Bedford (with Boscombe support), MOD & QQ.

[BOAC]

ooh err missus! The thought of ANYTHING automatic trying to land on a pitching rolling deck gives me the........................:uhoh:

Well done 'Q' if you've cracked it!

Edited to say: forgot 'heaving':yuk:

[tucumseh]

The QQ article says:

“Later technology developed by QinetiQ's predecessor include the Microwave Aircraft Digital Guidance Equipment (MADGE), developed as a tactical approach and landing system and was subsequently adopted by the Royal Navy for precision recovery of aircraft to the INVINCIBLE class aircraft carriers”.

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I always thought MEL (later Thorn Radar, Racal Radar and now Thales) held the IPR on MADGE. Certainly the ARI and TGRI numbers indicate this (23252 / 23253). MoD funded mods to MEL’s generic design, and then Phase 2, which included;

MDDLS – MADGE Dummy Deck Landing System
NFIMS – Near Field Integrity Monitoring System
DATS - Digital Acquisition and Transmission System

A system ahead of its time, which suffered from the inexplicable decision to have MEL build the kit, but award the 2nd Line ATE contract to someone else. Not surprisingly, the kit arrived first, and when the ATE turned up it didn’t work. If I recall, the beginning of the end was a supply manager declaring all the LRUs consumable, yet sub-assys repairable. A bit like having a puncture, repairing it, but scrapping the rest of the car.

[BossEyed]

RAE came up with the MADGE concept, I believe, and constructed initial breadboard equipment for research trials. IIRC, the research vessel "Colonel Templar" was used along with kit orginally flown on the Bedford Wessex (?). (This was a little bit before my time).

Once shown to be promising, the concept was passed to Industry to develop to a production standard, as was common in the era of the non-nuclear research establishments.

I expect someone will be along in a minute who was involved in the initial Bedford trials of MADGE to confirm or deny; that seems to be the way with PPRuNe. :D

[exleckie]

Did you know that the software is windows based??????????

With Bill Gates' record it won't be long until there is an, erm, well, crash followed by no option to reboot.


(Do you get spider solitaire as standard?)

[ImageGear]

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Blue screen of death".

"Windows" (a portal to take you to the scene of the crash) :eek:

Not recommended for high availability, life critical systems.

Imagegear.

[Lower Hangar]

Did the initial bench integration with FRS1 Avionics and subsequent Dunsfold & A&AEE Flight Trials followed by Sea Trials on 'new' Ark Royal off Gib....all in all a very intersting programme integrating MADGE with existing HUD & NAV systems Highlight was getting 'beaten up' by v.v. LLevel XII Buccs out of Gib......made my 'younger' BAe engineers shout 'whoopee'