Look ma no hands: Super Hornet Demonstrates Unpiloted Carrier Approaches

A Super Hornet has demonstrated the ability to conduct unpiloted approaches to aircraft carries. The aircraft were waved off by the carrier at 420 feet. The F/A-18 has been configured to act as a UCAS substitute to test critial components. landings cannot occur until a "precision, Differential GPS system is installed on the aircraft and the ship" Not sure what exactly that is myself but it can't be that much of a hurdle.

Researchers are analyzing data from the first “hands-off” live-fly operations around an aircraft carrier—information that could lead to a specially modified F/A-18F Super Hornet landing on a ship without a pilot touching the controls in as little as two years.

A pair of Boeing test pilots just completed a series of unannounced landing approaches and waveoffs with the USS Harry S. Truman operating near Norfolk, Va., on May 17-18. They closed to within 420 ft. of the carrier before conducting a ship-controlled waveoff. The test aircraft—the first two-seat F/A-18F built—has been reconfigured as a surrogate unmanned combat air system (UCAS).
Super Hornet Demonstrates Unpiloted Approaches

[edit on 6/5/07 by FredT]

landings cannot occur until a "precision, Differential GPS system is installed on the aircraft and the ship" Not sure what exactly that is myself but it can't be that much of a hurdle.

Just speculating here but could it possibly be something that takes account of the aircraft making a steady approach at a constant rate of descent while the deck pitches up and down in the swell and the relative positions of the two?

Originally posted by FredT
. landings cannot occur until a "precision, Differential GPS system is installed on the aircraft and the ship" Not sure what exactly that is myself but it can't be that much of a hurdle.

A differential GPS system is one that doesnt just use satellites for the signal - it uses base stations positioned around the globe to further refine the positioning data to make it *very* accurate.

Differential GPS is also the reason Selective Availability was turned off on the GPS signal, since differential GPS base stations automatically included correcting information for the inaccuracy SA included in the GPS satellite signal.

This is a great development for carrier avation. The ability to land hands-off will make night landing on ships easier and safer for the pilots. this system should also cut down on a common cause of wave-offs.

Tim

I think they were doing this on a carrier that my father was on back in the mid to late 1950's.

Here it is.

USS Antietam