Defense Intelligence Reference Document Cockpits In The Era Of Breakthrough Flight

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• The energy supply for these features resides on the vehicle and is considered to
have a dynamic interplay with the motion of the vehicle. The energy can be
transferred to and from the environment surrounding the craft as a consequence of
the propulsive maneuvers.
Sanity Check on Predictions
Objectively, the propulsion physics predictions offered in this report should be
interpreted as informed conjectures or, at best, well-reasoned speculations. Absent of
verified theories and engineering implementations, it is premature to consider this first
study as the last word on this topic. Further progress will likely reduce the span of
options and provide greater insight into implementation details.
It must also be stressed that these interpretive predictions and cockpit implications are
solely generated by the author and, thus, have not yet been published or debated with
other scientists and engineers. Therefore, the reader should consider these predictions
to be an initial step into the process.
VEHICLE AND COCKPIT IMPLICATIONS
Ideally, it is desirable to have a vehicle that can move in any direction, at any speed, in
both air and space, without limitations. These features imply the need to have
technological mastery over the forces of gravity and inertia and mastery over those
aspects of nature that impose the light-speed limit. Based on projections of the
underlying physics, such abilities would have secondary characteristics that affect how
such motions are monitored and controlled.
Degrees of Freedom
Unlike an aircraft, whose motion consists basically of deviations from constant forward
motion, or a helicopter, whose motion is dominated by the dynamics of its main rotors,
a breakthrough propulsion vehicle would allow the full six degrees of freedom, including
the ability to remain fixed relative to a desired reference. For example, if we start with
the situation of a vehicle hovering over the ground, the breakthrough vehicle should be
able to change its orientation (yaw, pitch, or roll) without affecting its altitude or lateral
position. Similarly, it should be able move up/down or laterally without the need to
induce pitch or roll maneuvers (Figure 1).
Such novel motion leads to two major differences from legacy cockpits:
• Independent control inputs are needed for the full six degrees of freedom (yaw,
pitch, and roll; and laterally, x [fore-aft], y [left-right], and z [up-down]).
• New display methods are required to convey position, orientation, and motion for all
those degrees of freedom.
The control methods need not copy legacy methods from airplanes or helicopters-
methods that are based on the mechanisms of their origin (Figure 2). Instead, future
cockpit designs are now free to use control methods tailored to the natural
action/reaction of pilots, while the vehicle's interfaces perform the function of
converting pilot inputs to drive the vehicle's motion. Whether such a system consists of
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