Telling our WSO to take over the plane? (F-4E)

[foxmagnet]

Airforce Phantoms had control stick in the back seat.

So If I needed to do other work like reading the map/kneeboard, adjusting speaker volume, adjusting some settings, manipulating aircraft functions etc, while flying

Would I be able to tell WSO in the back to take over and stabilize the aircraft(just fly in straight line) for short time?

This wouldn't be able for Naval Phantoms but It would be a convinient feature added to new Jester AI.

Edited December 20, 2022 by foxmagnet

[Czechnology]

I'd imagine so, to my understanding F-14 already has a semi competent front seat AI, and Belsimtek under ED taught the AI to fly a chopper. Probably not that hard to give Jester the capability to fly the bird straight and level, probably some gentle turns. I just wouldn't expect him to be able to run T/O and landing for you, or following waypoints, stuff like that.

[Aussie_Mantis]

5 hours ago, Czechnology said:

I'd imagine so, to my understanding F-14 already has a semi competent front seat AI, and Belsimtek under ED taught the AI to fly a chopper. Probably not that hard to give Jester the capability to fly the bird straight and level, probably some gentle turns. I just wouldn't expect him to be able to run T/O and landing for you, or following waypoints, stuff like that.

The visibility from rear cockpit is only +/- 3 degrees to the front if you swivel your head a bit to look past the the seat that blocks. Yes, a landing is possible, I just wouldn't expect it to be that smooth or centered. There were a few stories from Vietnam about landing them using rear cockpit controls...

Edited December 20, 2022 by Aussie_Mantis

[Diesel_Thunder]

On 12/20/2022 at 8:59 AM, Aussie_Mantis said:

The visibility from rear cockpit is only +/- 3 degrees to the front if you swivel your head a bit to look past the the seat that blocks. Yes, a landing is possible, I just wouldn't expect it to be that smooth or centered. There were a few stories from Vietnam about landing them using rear cockpit controls...

 

To go along with that, here's what the view in the back seat is like. This is looking forward at eye level in a D model.

 

[Dragon1-1]

Yeah, notice that the thing you've got in your face in an ILS course/glideslope indicator. As long as your landing site has ILS, this can be more useful than being able to see out front. The Phantom is very much capable of being landed from the backseat, although it's obviously not the first resort.

[JayTSX]

I'd say since HB already has an AI for "flying" (i.e. Iceman), that a Jester capable of keeping the plane level is not too big of a stretch.

Also HB said on multiple occasions that their AI is modular and expandable so I guess it wouldn't be too complicated to implement some Iceman functionality in Jester... but there's also an autopilot right?

[Dragon1-1]

AFAIK, there isn't. It was never a priority in US fighters, and the F-5, for example, lacks one. Telling the Jester to hold the stick might be the only way of having this functionality.

[JayTSX]

Oh ok maybe I mixed something up with the naval ones? Did quite some cross reading trying to get behind all the systems... but if there's no AP I guess Jester will get some flight experience ^^

But again Iceman is a thing so why shouldn't they just add a basic try-not-to-crash function.

[Yannick Pancake]

At least in other Sims the F-4E has an altitude hold ...

[Dragon1-1]

What other sims? The only one I can think of that would qualify is SF2, not exactly a study-level sim. The Phantom is more complex than the F-5, but generally, US fighters of the era were light on automation. 

Fighters made for civilian sims are known to take liberties with the systems, so I would take them with a grain of salt, too.