If you intend to read this don't go any farther. SPOILERS AHEAD.



Aside from a couple of quick annoying references such has "sub under what's left of the polar ice cap." And, referring to a fast attack sub named the USS Michelle Obama both authors are ex military. One is an Admiral. I've heard this guy interviewed as an expert on a couple of podcasts. The main premise is China finds a way to hack the US's computers and takes control. It starts with a F35 jet is taken over and remotely flown to an Iranian airport. Aircraft from carriers can't fly. Pilots can't eject and simply drop into the water. Advanced avionics packages are useless without an internet connection.

Okay stupid question time. Is this possible?
And, I have to stop reading this type of book. None of it ever stacks up, or is even close to Clancy.

Can’t speak to all of it but ejection seats have nothing to do with electronics. Purely a mechanical function.

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:
Can’t speak to all of it but ejection seats have nothing to do with electronics. Purely a mechanical function.

More like an explosive function

quote:

Originally posted by low8option:

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:
Can’t speak to all of it but ejection seats have nothing to do with electronics. Purely a mechanical function.

More like an explosive function

Is it completely mechanical, like something hitting a primer/detonator that sets off the charge or is the seat charge electronically set off in response to pulling the lever? Is it still pulling a lever to eject?

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:

quote:

Originally posted by low8option:

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:
Can’t speak to all of it but ejection seats have nothing to do with electronics. Purely a mechanical function.

More like an explosive function

Is it completely mechanical, like something hitting a primer/detonator that sets off the charge or is the seat charge electronically set off in response to pulling the lever? Is it still pulling a lever to eject?

Not sure about the more modern aircraft however, in the F-14A, B and D models, about the only thing electronic, electrical, or with a battery was the emer beacon (not counting the motor to raise/lower the seat and ICS/radio connections.

In an aircraft modernized / designed and deployed over the next decade and some politician's affinity toward electronics being mankind's savior, electronics in the ejection seat system (for the aircrew safety to ensure they are not injured during the ejection), is not unthinkable.

Stupid yes but, just imagine the outcry when aircrew injuries from ejections become widely known an the public demands a "fix" through social media shaming politicians and military pers.

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
Is it still pulling a lever to eject?

To my knowledge yes. It certainly was in the A-4 and the Harrier. In those it wasn’t a lever, it was a handle (at the base of the seat between your legs and another at the top of the headrest in the Skyhawk; only the lower handle between your legs in the Harrier).

Given that aircrews lives depend on the seat working 100% of the time when their world goes to shit I can’t fathom relying on anything electric, hydraulic, magnetic, etc as it’s all prone to failure.

Not that mechanical systems can’t fail. They do. Our squadron lost a Harrier pilot in Spain when the seat malfunctioned. But given the success rate I’d still take a mechanically actuated ejection seat every time.

This is starting to sound like movies where the airplanes around the world can't land because the ILS is out. 99% of the world will believe it.

I was an AME in the Navy from 78 to 84. I worked on A7E Corsair II. I had the ejection seat,A/C and gaseous and Liquid oxygen. The A7 was subsonic. The seat an EscapacII solid fuel propelled seat. At zero altitude,zero airspeed the seat came out at a forward attitude to a height of 130 feet. A man/seat separator,commonly known as the “Ear Burner” separates the pilot from the seat. The preferred method was Facescreen handle above the pilots head. The one between the legs was secondary. The rocket made enough negative Gs that the pilot was usually an inch shorter after ejection. The supersonic aircraft had a whole different system. It pulls the torso upright and the heels in. Early systems were haphazard. The Army Air Corps didn’t want the ejection seats nor parachutes because they thought they would be bad for morale.

We seem to be focusing on the ejection seat issue. As far as I can tell its only one part of the novel. These people seem to think that GPS and communications fail under this so called hack. And, someone else can remotely fly our fighter jets. I've finished this turd of a novel and I can't recommend it to anyone. I just don't see how this is possible.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:


Okay stupid question time. Is this possible?

Who knows?
When did we fist start to think that the internet would exist or everyone could carry their phone with them where ever they went?

Sounds the like the Battle Star Galactica reboot where the Cylons hacked the defense grid and left the planetary defenses down. Is it possible? I doubt it. They might have some limited success but just turning off the American military? No. The Russians helped the Iranians jam the American stealth drone and managed to trick it to land in the desert in Iran in 2011 but that is a little piece of our overall military picture.

Horribly overpriced as well. Rather small novel but the Kindle price is $12.99.