More like it'll fly itself while the pilot engages in other tasks.

Every pound of weapons officer/navigator is a pound you can't put on target all else being equal.

jackb4040 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

* You're absolutely right. My altitude is dropping precipitously. Let me check my elevator position to see if that's causing the problem.

* Bash Check elevator position

* Thought for 8s

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wartywhoa23 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

"I apologize, that was indeed a wedding party, not a terrorist camp I wrongly assumed. You are totally right, wasting those 3 Hydras was unacceptable. On a brighter side, we've got 39 more to go!

Should I seek another target looking similar to the one I unintentionally destroyed so as to tune my decision-making, or give you an advice on how to wipe the traces of this mishap from the mission data recorder?"

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ErroneousBosh 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

So like some sort of automatic pilot then?

	▲	cucumber3732842 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Conventional autpilot is like a zip tie on the throttle, only it deals in outputs (your actual heading) rather than inputs (pedals and stick) I assume what they're going for here is something substantially smarter and more reactive to changing conditions than that. Something that can be used during the "unscripted" parts of the flight during which a) you're most likely to have multiple crew working hard b) you're most likely to be pushing the limits of what one crew can do.

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throw310822 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Does the presence of humans on board limit the maneuverability of these aircraft in any way? E.g. in terms of acceleration?

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rvba 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Yes. Humans can survive 9g for only a few seconds, while a drone could do much sharper manouvers

	▲	StableAlkyne 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		While they can, drones are still limited by physics. Sure, the aircraft can pull a ton of G's to defeat a missile or achieve a firing solution. Maybe it even succeeded at that. It still pulled 9+ Gs and has burned an incredible amount of kinetic energy doing do. And the harder it pulls, the quicker it bleeds speed. It might not be able to defeat the next missile or outmaneuver the other plane's buddies because it is now slow and very likely outside its optimal turning speed. Even today, missiles can pull dozens of G's yet still are defeatable by humans who can only pull about 9.
	▲	ChrisMarshallNY 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		But they also have their limits. Bolts and trusses (and solder joints) have tensile strength limits, but it can be higher than what humans can take.