Controls and maneuverability

Hi!

Mark suggested that on spacecraft with low maneuverability a
stick and rudder type control system is not necessary.  When you're
moving really slowly, or don't have much agility, you don't really
need a high performance type control panel for low performance
engines.  This is mostly true.

However, the normal traveller spacecraft is capable of at least 1G
acceleration for maneuvering.  Now let's look at a comparable
performance:  The only aircraft *I* know of with a large production
that has a 1 to 1 thrust to weight ratio (hence 1G acceleration)
is the high performance fighter, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.
Therefore, those clunky old 1G Type A Free Traders got a whole
hullovalot more maneuverability than most people realize!

The only powered traveller space craft that have less than 1G
maneuver are those equipped with either Mass Drivers, or Ion
Drives.  Even those craft will need some sort of directional
controllers and maneuvering jets.  So, why would one design a
control panel just for those two cases that would require special
training in order to operate them?  If the pilot trained on a
control stick (or one of the other types I mentioned) why bother
changing it?  I don't know for certain, but I'm willing to bet you
that the Skylab, Salyut, Mir, and the proposed Station Freedom all
had/have/will have joystick attitude controllers for the rare times
that the stations need re-alignment.

Traveller space craft that have less thrust than one of today's top
interceptors are the exception, not the rule.  Now, the F-15 may be
capable of 9G turns, so maybe you disagree with me over the
definition of maneuverabilty/thrust.  But, as a student pilot, I
was not allowed to put the Cessna 152 into maneuvers that were more
than 1G (60 degrees angle of bank)  (My CFI had this temper ya
know... :-)  Anyway, I'll tell ya.  *I* wouldn't wanna fly
maneuvers like that without the kind control afforded by a stick or
some similar control system.  1G is a *lot* more than it sounds
like.  If you don't like plane analogies, 1G is more maneuver than
ANY automobile is or will be ever capable of.

Scott 2G Kellogg