Thanks to friend of the blog DensityDuck, I discover that the brilliant folks at Lockheed’s Skunk Works seem to have been reading my 1986 novel Hardwired. How else to explain their re-creation of the aircraft from that work, here called Various? Complete with the pop-up— or rather pop-down— weapons bay?
Hardwired is one of the few books I’ve literally read the covers off over the (now) decades, and I’d drawn a mental picture of the Delta that comes awfully close to that sales video.
Still, Cowboy’s legend wouldn’t have acquired the same luster if he’d controlled the deltas and panzers remotely, which leads me to wonder if technology in a post-apocalytpic future would deny us even our heroes…
@ TCWriter, if it helps, in the future, jamming technology will be so good, remote controlling an aircraft will give the enemy a chance to use it to bomb your own location. The only argument I can make against AI driven aircraft is Skynet.
@ Anonymous, this is the first generation. I am sure the future ones will be bigger and the guns will be smaller (Doing more damage per round).
@ WJW, I must admit to being somewhat disappointed that you have not reviewed the Scott Pilgrim movie. If you ignore the previews (and the first 15 minutes) , I would think it would be your kind of movie. It was very complex with quite a bit of character development.
Reconnaissance and stand-off craft can be operated remotely, but I figure fighter craft will still need pilots for some time to come, so Cowboy can remain employed.
Sorry, but I haven’t had a chance to viddy the Scott Pilgrim movie. Since I live ages away from the nearest multiplex, and most of my film viewing is done at 3 in the morning, I’ll probably end up waiting for the video.
Walter — employees (by which I mean specifically engineers) of the Skunk Works have had access to Hardwired since it came out; I don’t know if my parents borrowed my copy, but they both worked there when it was headquartered at the Burbank Airport (Before it became Bob Hope).
What is interesting is that in the very small amount of UNclassified things we could discuss, several concepts I’d read in Hardwired were discussed. I wouldn’t know if they were used or modified or what.
Deuce, I was kinda keeping my ear to the ground back in that period. I knew people who knew people. Maybe some of the people were reading my books, too.
I doubt anyone discussed anything classified with me, but then if you line up a bunch of unclassified stuff, it’s not hard to draw conclusions.
Hardwired is one of the few books I’ve literally read the covers off over the (now) decades, and I’d drawn a mental picture of the Delta that comes awfully close to that sales video.
Still, Cowboy’s legend wouldn’t have acquired the same luster if he’d controlled the deltas and panzers remotely, which leads me to wonder if technology in a post-apocalytpic future would deny us even our heroes…
I always pictured them as being larger than what the video shows–Cowboy was pouring what seemed like tons of ammunition into the shuttle.
@ TCWriter, if it helps, in the future, jamming technology will be so good, remote controlling an aircraft will give the enemy a chance to use it to bomb your own location. The only argument I can make against AI driven aircraft is Skynet.
@ Anonymous, this is the first generation. I am sure the future ones will be bigger and the guns will be smaller (Doing more damage per round).
@ WJW, I must admit to being somewhat disappointed that you have not reviewed the Scott Pilgrim movie. If you ignore the previews (and the first 15 minutes) , I would think it would be your kind of movie. It was very complex with quite a bit of character development.
Was that a jukebox tucked into the corner on the flight deck?
Reconnaissance and stand-off craft can be operated remotely, but I figure fighter craft will still need pilots for some time to come, so Cowboy can remain employed.
Sorry, but I haven’t had a chance to viddy the Scott Pilgrim movie. Since I live ages away from the nearest multiplex, and most of my film viewing is done at 3 in the morning, I’ll probably end up waiting for the video.
Walter — employees (by which I mean specifically engineers) of the Skunk Works have had access to Hardwired since it came out; I don’t know if my parents borrowed my copy, but they both worked there when it was headquartered at the Burbank Airport (Before it became Bob Hope).
What is interesting is that in the very small amount of UNclassified things we could discuss, several concepts I’d read in Hardwired were discussed. I wouldn’t know if they were used or modified or what.
And that was back in 1986-1988.
Deuce, I was kinda keeping my ear to the ground back in that period. I knew people who knew people. Maybe some of the people were reading my books, too.
I doubt anyone discussed anything classified with me, but then if you line up a bunch of unclassified stuff, it’s not hard to draw conclusions.
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