Most important advancement.

[Cam]

What would you say is the most important advancement that has been made in the Military and Space field.

Personally I'd have to say the Saturn V rocket. It put people on the moon, and if I'm not mistaken it is still one of the most powerful rockets to date.

[Mungous]

What would you say is the most important advancement that has been made in the Military and Space field.

Personally I'd have to say the Saturn V rocket. It put people on the moon, and if I'm not mistaken it is still one of the most powerful rockets to date.
Yep, but it sure is expensive.

I'd say the satellite is the most important. Communications, spying & recon, mapping, television, internet - all kinds of things. ;-)

[Chris@YYZ]

a re-useable spacecraft is/was a pretty big advancement

[DAL767-400ER]

If I'd have to single out something, I'd say UAVs adn UCAVs are a pretty important advancement, by being able to keep its 'pilots' at home safely, instead of flying in war zones. Plus, I'd also put Boeing's Bird of Prey over, which IMO could be a very important advancement in coming years.

[Mungous]

a re-useable spacecraft is/was a pretty big advancement
Except for science, I don't think it really had a huge impact. It hasn't exactly gotten us a great deal further as average citizens.
If I'd have to single out something, I'd say UAVs adn UCAVs are a pretty important advancement, by being able to keep its 'pilots' at home safely, instead of flying in war zones. Plus, I'd also put Boeing's Bird of Prey over, which IMO could be a very important advancement in coming years.
Agreed, they are great, but are they of benefit to the world? Or just the military during a war. Granted, they save having to put a human in the air, but someone who joins the air force would surely bear the 'death' factor in mind? ;-)

[Top_Gun]

Shuttle for Space,

UCAVs for the Military side.

[DAL767-400ER]

Agreed, they are great, but are they of benefit to the world? Or just the military during a war. Granted, they save having to put a human in the air, but someone who joins the air force would surely bear the 'death' factor in mind? ;-)
Going my that, the first part of this forum is of no benefit to the world ;) . But anyway, in a way I do consider them a benefit, even with them being military planes. The thing is that often enough, technology originally used in the military for 'non-benefiting' roles have found its way into the civil world, and I'd expect the same to be happening with the UAV technology.

[YYZPICS]

UAV's for sure

[scramjet]

Going my that, the first part of this forum is of no benefit to the world ;) . But anyway, in a way I do consider them a benefit, even with them being military planes. The thing is that often enough, technology originally used in the military for 'non-benefiting' roles have found its way into the civil world, and I'd expect the same to be happening with the UAV technology.
Yeah, someone was or is developing a UAV that can 'orbit' high above cities to provide cheap wireless communications without the large expenses of launching a satellite. Also, UAVs will probably come into play for law enforcement such as the USCG one I posted about awhile ago.

[NBGTowerGuy]

The most important advancement ever would have to be the cup holder. Where else would you put those (insert beverage here) cans on those long flights.

[DAL767-400ER]

Where else would you put those (insert beverage here) cans on those long flights.
I thought that's what pilots have their FO's for :-P ?

[avro_arrow_25206]

and I'd expect the same to be happening with the UAV technology.
I expect to see Unmanned jet airliners flying robots around the world.

[screaming_emu]

Painting hot chicks on the sides of planes

[Chris@YYZ]

Painting hot chicks on the sides of planes

thats not really new, they did that in WW2 ;)

[DAL767-400ER]

thats not really new, they did that in WW2 ;)
Nobody said that any advancement would have to be recent ;) , and since they didn't paint hot chicks on the planes from the get-go, it can be considered an advancement :-P .

[Simpleboy]

Most important advancement, our ability to kill/torture each other?
Could also put the wheel on that, i mean, the wheels is used everywhere, or at least the basic idea/shape is.

I expect to see Unmanned jet airliners flying robots around the world.
Intersting idea, but i think no, if something went wrong, a peron in the plane with thousands of hours of training and experience is going to do a hell of a lot more to make sure the plane doesnt crash than someone sitting with a remote control (so to speak), since his life is also at risk.

[screaming_emu]

Intersting idea, but i think no, if something went wrong, a peron in the plane with thousands of hours of training and experience is going to do a hell of a lot more to make sure the plane doesnt crash than someone sitting with a remote control (so to speak), since his life is also at risk.

I agree, as one can see with autopilots, its easy to have a computer fly the airplane, but really the hardest part about being a pilot is the decision making aspects of it. I dont see the general public trusting their lives to an unmanned aircraft.

[avro_arrow_25206]

I agree, as one can see with autopilots, its easy to have a computer fly the airplane, but really the hardest part about being a pilot is the decision making aspects of it. I dont see the general public trusting their lives to an unmanned aircraft.
They trust unmanned escalators, why not this?

But really, if this does become somewhat reliable, and if the airlines are still looking for ways to cut costs--- look out :uhoh:

[screaming_emu]

They trust unmanned escalators, why not this?

But really, if this does become somewhat reliable, and if the airlines are still looking for ways to cut costs--- look out :uhoh:

There's a bit more decision making going on when flying an airplane. Stealing this from a standup comedian, when an escalaor breaks, it just becomes stairs.

[avro_arrow_25206]

There's a bit more decision making going on when flying an airplane. Stealing this from a standup comedian, when an escalaor breaks, it just becomes stairs.
I was going to counter with unmanned elevator, but I guess it would become a private suite when it breaks...

[scramjet]

I think pilots will be around for awhile yet. Yes aircraft will get more and more automated, but there will always be a need for highly skilled pilots to manage and program the system and to supplement the decision making process (particularly in emergencies) particularly when the craft is carrying passengers. Case in point: manned spacecraft have been highly automated pretty much since their invention; however, they still carry pilots for the some of the above reasons and the fact that some reusable crafts are aerodynamic. Several times pilots have had to perform functions manually in these spacecraft including several manual reentry alignments when the computer system failed. Furthermore, unmanned aerial vehicles still call for occasional remote pilot inputs and unmanned rockets call for pre flight programming.
If you think about it, computers could potentially automate pretty much every profession in the next hundred years, even engineers ;)

[RobinB]

Unfortunatly, all of you are wrong - there is only one word that "advanced" aviation (and other things we take for granted in day to day life - for example micro-wave overns) and that, unfortunatly, is "WAR"

[scramjet]

Unfortunatly, all of you are wrong - there is only one word that "advanced" aviation (and other things we take for granted in day to day life - for example micro-wave overns) and that, unfortunatly, is "WAR"
Yeah, its really a shame

[avro_arrow_25206]

Unfortunatly, all of you are wrong - there is only one word that "advanced" aviation (and other things we take for granted in day to day life - for example micro-wave overns) and that, unfortunatly, is "WAR"
Not just aviation, it pretty much advanced civilization and our quality of life