Mark Watson:
>Well, maybe for small craft with high agility and a single point of
>control, like current aircraft, that may be true. But for a low
>agility craft I would see joystick/rudder/pedals as pretty useless
... are large submarines steered that way? (Steve?) Once you have
>something like that then it might make sense to extrapolate a common
>interface which was useful for piloting all kinds of craft across the
>range. Or maybe not - its difficult to imagine given that the extent
>to which our perspective, based on 60 or so years of experience compared
>with the thousands of years for the Imperium. Truth is you can't see
>that kind of change coming till it hits you in the face.
A submarine uses two control yokes similar to an airliner's (one to
control the planes and one for the rudder), plus a wheel about 30"
across (speed control forward) , plus a 20" wheel (speed control
backwards). Plus the guy who controls trim, who sits at a panel full
of switches and pushbuttons. Plus the guy who actually gives the orders,
of course. He just stands around drinking coffee and trying to look
like he knows what is going on.
Most Navy surface ships have similar controls, though I am given to
understand that the newest stuff has a wheel about half the size of your
car's steering wheel, plus a throttle.
---Steve