[extropy-chat] Rapid prototyping makes police state more likely

[Eugen Leitl]

On Mon, Sep 25, 2006 at 05:14:47PM -0700, spike wrote:

> This is something that keeps me awake nights.  Building a cruise missile
> would not be at all difficult technically.  A Cessna 152 has a high wing, so
> the center of lift is above the CG, and the thrust center is forward of the
> center of pressure, so the craft is inherently stable.  So the up-down
> control is just throttle, and the left right control can be done stick-only,
> forget the rudder, so only two actuators are required, and a simple GPS
> system could be used for guidance, and there you have a cruise missile (of

You arguably don't even need GPS: 
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/remote-flying-with-vr-goggles-and-a-camera-202964.php

Again, this has been possible a whole while ago, yet nobody
has been killed that way yet. 

> sorts) with a payload of over 200 kg, a range of over 400 km, it is as cheap

200 kg is not very much.

> as a mid-sized car and is nearly indistinguishable from Ma and Pa Kettle out
> for a Sunday ride.  Oy vey.  We need PAC3s in place everywhere, soon.

I'm so looking forward to the friendly fire incidents. Wheee!

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
______________________________________________________________
ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820            http://www.ativel.com
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