gerwalk..will it be possible in REAL LIFE ?

[JET7]

The Gerwalk mode, plane having a leg to hover/maneuver/walk/strafe/jump... in animation that is, will it be possible in reality in the future?

[Ghost Train]

I'd answer the question similarly for all SciFi mechs with legs - I just don't see it. A helicopter can fill all the above rolls extremely well (well except jump and walk lol). Jumping and walking are pretty meaningless when you can overcome terrain simply by flying past it at low altitudes. The ease in which a flight of Apaches can demolish enemy armor, infantry, and other ground elements today is proof of this. Given that it would have redundant value, there would be no motivation to actually build it.

Perhaps in space there is some room for the gerwalk, as thrust vectoring is important, something the legs can assist with.

[markoN1]

Walking and jumping doesnt make any sence, yes.Making the plane that could lower down legs like in series is possible imo.But i think that biggest problem will be keeping the balance during flight:)

[JET7]

if the legs are impossible,.. an arm or a moving/controllable arm do you think its possible while the plane hovers? If VTOL (VERTICAL TAKE OFF AND LANDING) is old news, a plane that hovers and an arm that extends to pickup objects..like rescueing a chick on a falling bldg (minmei)

[JET7]

hmm

[Graham]

Moving, this topic, as it shouldn't be in the toy forum.

Graham

[eugimon]

possible, yes. worth doing? No.

The goal on any aircraft is to make it light as possible to save room for stuff like fuel and ammunition. All the mechanics necessary to make the engines swing down, absorb the shock of taking weight, etc would pretty much make it worthless for anything else. And even if one day we have the magically materials and fuel to make it possible any aircraft without all that extra weight would still be cheaper and superior in performance.

[Temjin]

if the legs are impossible,.. an arm or a moving/controllable arm do you think its possible while the plane hovers? If VTOL (VERTICAL TAKE OFF AND LANDING) is old news, a plane that hovers and an arm that extends to pickup objects..like rescueing a chick on a falling bldg (minmei)

Very possible, but I don't think we will see it in our life time. All birds have gerwalks, so the idea might not be as impractical as we think.

Bigdog

Petman

"High-Speed Robot Hand" to pick up chicks...

[Mr March]

Almost anything is possible, but it takes very specific circumstances and conditions to make the improbable probable or practical. The GERWALK is feasible in Macross for numerous reasons like powerful cheap energy, very advanced technology, low maintenance engineering, a hyper-growth economy, the need for anti-giant combat systems, the social/political will to support alien countermeasures, etc. Without all those myriad conditions, there are simply too many other alternatives that better fit current and near-future military needs.

[anime52k8]

same argument that never goes anywhere is exactly the same and not going anywhere.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=32754&hl=practicality&st=0

to sum up: No you can't build a giant robot or transforming fighter with modern technologies, and no matter how good technology gets it will never be practical/worth it to build a giant robot or transforming fighter because you could build a conventional tank/Jet/helicopter/any other military vehicle under the sun using the same technology that do the same job better and with less cost per unit.

furthermore, Even if you limit it just to a fighter plane with swing down legs or arms, it would still be totally impractical. there are dozens of VTOL methods better than big ass robot legs and what the hell are you ever going to need to pick up with a big ass robot arm on your Mach 2 capable fighter jet?

[Product9]

Almost anything is possible, but it takes very specific circumstances and conditions to make the improbable probable or practical. The GERWALK is feasible in Macross for numerous reasons like powerful cheap energy, very advanced technology, low maintenance engineering, a hyper-growth economy, the need for anti-giant combat systems, the social/political will to support alien countermeasures, etc. Without all those myriad conditions, there are simply too many other alternatives that better fit current and near-future military needs.

So, just make the above happen and you'll have your GERWALK.

I am a proponent of mecha in the real world. But mostly because I am a proponent of spending time/money/other resources on things that I simply think are cool.

IMO, the best use of bipedal vehicles with easy-to-use manipulator arms would be in search and rescue. I could go on and on about the pros and cons of man-shaped machines, but it's mostly been said before, and I don't feel like it right now.

Best of luck to us all.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Product9

[Mr March]

So, just make the above happen and you'll have your GERWALK.

I'm afraid that right now I'm much too busy bending space-time in our universe. I'm altering the laws of physics such that women grow larger more firm breasts. It requires a great deal of my concentration and godly powers. Once I'm done that, I'll see if I can make time for the GERWALK

[Seto Kaiba]

will it be possible in reality in the future?

Oh, I'm sure that as technology continues to advance, it'll eventually be possible to do something like that... but I doubt it will ever be practical enough for anyone to want to.

[Dynaman]

Very possible, but I don't think we will see it in our life time. All birds have gerwalks, so the idea might not be as impractical as we think.

Birds and Planes fly in very different ways - all the motive power for a bird is in the chest and wing muscles, for aircraft it is the thrust out the back (provided by engines in various spots in various planes). Birds also need the legs for walking on the ground where a plane's equivalent is a small set of wheels.

Although it might be possible someday it would never be practical, even the much easier to do tilt-rotor aircraft is only just becomming operational after a decades long development time.

[Zinjo]

Oh, I'm sure that as technology continues to advance, it'll eventually be possible to do something like that... but I doubt it will ever be practical enough for anyone to want to.

I'd suggest it's much less a question of practicality and more of necessity.

Macross provided a "reason" for a transforming jet and the GERWALK mode became an unanticipated side effect of the transformation process.

The technology may someday be quite easily available, however without a compelling need for it, it won't happen. The most we might see are transforming RC aircraft...

[Ghost Train]

How about we just clone one of these, and strap giant lasers on its back:

Edited October 16, 2010 by Ghost Train

[Temjin]

Birds and Planes fly in very different ways - all the motive power for a bird is in the chest and wing muscles, for aircraft it is the thrust out the back (provided by engines in various spots in various planes). Birds also need the legs for walking on the ground where a plane's equivalent is a small set of wheels.

Although it might be possible someday it would never be practical, even the much easier to do tilt-rotor aircraft is only just becomming operational after a decades long development time.

There are other applications other then public transportation or military. Of course, it's not practical to drive a F1 race car to work and shopping. I think Zinjo said about the transforming RC aircraft is in the "RIGHT" direction.

On the "LEFT" direction, we might never see anything close to that, and that kind of future is also very possible.

[big F]

While it may not be practicable or necessary it would be nice to see.

More likely would be exo suit type aplications. Like in Aliens with the exo suit used to work like a power enhancement for a person. The obvious miiltary enhancements would be usefull, but most likely it only would be used in civlian aplications and search and rescue and probably hazardous environments. Not quite the same as a transformable fighter but probably as near as you will get.

[frothymug]

Starship Troopers style?

[Dynaman]

There are other applications other then public transportation or military.

True - but it's hard to imagine anything where a Gerwalk capable aircraft would be more usable then a helicopter (on the one hand) or as cost effective as a jet (on the other). The problem with a Gerwalk capable plane is that any of the parts that need to go from Jet propulsion out the back to downward thrust will require beefing up the components thus making them heavier or more expensive (or both). Even the JSF, which has vectored thrust, is only using the VERTOL mode in the Marine configuration.