Practicality of Mechs

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-11-02 02:35am

So basically, the power loader from Aliens.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-11-02 04:52pm

neoolong wrote:So basically, the power loader from Aliens.

Which the USAF abandon as unsafe, impractical and less effective then conventional bomb trolleys and lifts. That thing is a real project and was use operationally for trials in the late 70's.

Admiral Piett · Post by **Admiral Piett** » 2002-11-02 05:03pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Which the USAF abandon as unsafe, impractical and less effective then conventional bomb trolleys and lifts. That thing is a real project and was use operationally for trials in the late 70's.

Dis they really do that?

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-11-02 05:11pm

Admiral Piett wrote:
Sea Skimmer wrote:Which the USAF abandon as unsafe, impractical and less effective then conventional bomb trolleys and lifts. That thing is a real project and was use operationally for trials in the late 70's.
Dis they really do that?

Yes. The bomb loader seen in Aliens is one of several of USAF built to do just that, load bombs. It could handle a Mk82 or several forms of pylon, there where plans for a larger version that could load Mk83's.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-11-02 05:47pm

I never said it was good. Just that that is what the description sounded like. Though it seemed like it would be really easy to stumble in. The center of gravity seemed kinda high and the feet seemed kind of small.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-11-02 06:42pm

neoolong wrote:I never said it was good. Just that that is what the description sounded like. Though it seemed like it would be really easy to stumble in. The center of gravity seemed kinda high and the feet seemed kind of small.

Stability was a problem, though the feet had some very heavy weights in them. There where several cases of the things tipping over when the operator reached out to far while holding a bomb.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-11-02 07:07pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Stability was a problem, though the feet had some very heavy weights in them. There where several cases of the things tipping over when the operator reached out to far while holding a bomb.

Stability is a problem with all crane-type devices. I worked at Darlington NGS shortly after a crane tipped over into the "moat", killing its operator. A mech, by having a high centre of gravity, merely exacerbates the problem.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-11-02 07:19pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Sea Skimmer wrote:Stability was a problem, though the feet had some very heavy weights in them. There where several cases of the things tipping over when the operator reached out to far while holding a bomb.
Stability is a problem with all crane-type devices. I worked at Darlington NGS shortly after a crane tipped over into the "moat", killing its operator. A mech, by having a high centre of gravity, merely exacerbates the problem.

At least cranes can deploy stablizers to provide wider and more firm bases. Some tube and rocket artillery peices do this as well.

The conventional bomb loading gear though is highly stable the trolleys really can't tip over at all, there only about two feet high, and the lifts also have very wide and heavy bases that make accidents highly unlikely. Even pitching carrier decks accidents with the same equipment are very rare.

Solid Snake · Post by **Solid Snake** » 2002-11-03 12:36am

A fighter or tank would do their job much better then a mech or gundam. If you could downsize it to an infantry uber-suit, for cheap, it would be better. Like that stupid infantry suit the US Army is trying to put out for soldiers in 2025

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2002-11-03 12:40am

SolidSnake wrote:A fighter or tank would do their job much better then a mech or gundam. If you could downsize it to an infantry uber-suit, for cheap, it would be better. Like that stupid infantry suit the US Army is trying to put out for soldiers in 2025

You mean the one where it looks like he is going on a motorcross?

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-11-03 05:03pm

I think its that black suit you see on TechTV or Discovery channel.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2002-11-04 01:32am

TrailerParkJawa wrote:I think its that black suit you see on TechTV or Discovery channel.

Thats the one I was thinking of. As an ex grunt, you can keep all that bull shit. Maybe a Flir system and a compass on a hud would be handy but thats about all.

Super-Gagme · Post by **Super-Gagme** » 2002-11-04 07:49am

Check this out http://www.discover.com/feb_02/feattech.html

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-11-05 01:59pm

Thats the one I was thinking of. As an ex grunt, you can keep all that bull shit. Maybe a Flir system and a compass on a hud would be handy but thats about all.

I find it interesting in none of the high-tech future combat shows, do they discuss the downside of all this gear. ie) Its heavy, it uses batteries, etc.

I do like the show on Tech TV about future fighting, because they occassionly throw in comments about systems like this. One guy said "we dont even know if you really need all this stuff or just spend more time training to be more proficient." or something to that effect.

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2002-11-06 10:22am

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Admiral Piett wrote:
Sea Skimmer wrote:Which the USAF abandon as unsafe, impractical and less effective then conventional bomb trolleys and lifts. That thing is a real project and was use operationally for trials in the late 70's.
Dis they really do that?
Yes. The bomb loader seen in Aliens is one of several of USAF built to do just that, load bombs. It could handle a Mk82 or several forms of pylon, there where plans for a larger version that could load Mk83's.

You've got to be kidding me. Everything I've read says that the Powerloader in Aliens was just a metal and plastic prop held up by several offscreen operators and a hydraulic truck. I've even seen pics of the thing under construction in the studio. There's no way the military would have built something that advanced (with such noticably tiny feet) in the '70s. I would've heard of it by now; people would mention it everytime the word 'powersuit' pops up, and I have yet to have seen it anywhere except in movie magazines and film prop articles. No way that even resembles anything real.