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in an A…6E。
Some of the displays were not yet hooked up since development work was not yet plete。 Consequently the three…dimensional information presentations on the pilot's holographic Heads…Up Display could not be tested。
The phased…array radar in the nose received Toad's attention next。 The antenna was flat and fixed； it did not rotate or move。 Actually it was made up of several hundred miniature antennas； individually varying their pulse frequencies to steer or focus the main beam。 A conventional radar dish would have acted as a reflector to send the enemy's radar signals back to him。 Toad tuned the radar to optimize the presentation and dictated his switch and dial positions on the ICS； which； like the radar presentation； was being recorded on tape for later study。
The next major pieces of gear he turned on and integrated into the system were； for him； the most interesting。 Two new infrared search and tracking systems that were able to distinguish major targets as far away as a hundred miles； depending upon the aircraft's altitude and the relative heat value of the target。 One could be used for searching for enemy fighters while the other was used to navigate or locate a target on the ground。 The range of these sensors was a tenfold improvement over the relatively primitive IR gear in the A…6E。 Since a stealthy attack plane would fly most of its mission with its radar off； these new gizmos would literally be the eyes of the bombardier…navigator。
Toad took a second to glance to his left。 Smoke had the F…14 about a hundred feet away in perfect formation。 The backseater's helmet was hidden behind his camera； which was pointed this way。
That videotape would show every twitch of the flight control surfaces。 Toad turned back to the task at hand。
He felt the plane awing as Rita experimented with the controls and advanced and retarded each throttle independently。 She was talking on the radio； telling Smoke what she was doing； reading the engine performance data to the people on the ground so it could be coordinated with the telemetry data； giving her impressions of the feel of the plane。
〃Seems responsive and sensitive in all axes；〃 she said。 〃Engine response is good； automatic systems functioning as advertised； dot a hundred feet a minute more climb than I expected。 Fuel flow fifty pounds per hour high。 Oil pressure in the green； exhaust gas temps are a hundred high。 I like it。 A nice plane。〃
She leveled the plane at Plight Level 240 at 。72 Mach； 420 knots true。 Toad checked the range and depression angles of the radar and IR sensors； and ran checks on the inertial and puter。
Thirty minutes later； after hitting three navigation checkpoints； Rita dropped the nose two degrees and began a power…on descent back toward Tonopah。 She leveled at 5；000 feet at 550 knots and raced toward the field。 Smoke Judy was a hundred feet away on the right side； immobile in relation to the stealth bird。
In the backseat Toad ran an attack。 His target was the hangar that had housed the plane。 The system gave Rita steering and time and distance to go to a laser…guided bomb release。 Everything worked as advertised。 No weapon was released because the plane carried none； but a tone sounded on the radio and was captured on all the tapes； and it ceased abruptly at the weapons…release point； interrupted by the electronic pulse to the empty bomb rack cunningly faired into the airplane's belly。
After three attacks at different altitudes； Rita slowed the plane with speed brakes and dropped the gear and flaps。 She entered the landing pattern。
Two fleet Landing Signal Officers that Jake had borrowed from Miramar…they had flown the F…14 to Tonopah…stood on the end of the runway in a portable radio…equipped trailer that a truck had delivered。 They had spent the last three days painting the outline of a carrier deck on the air force's main runway and rigging a portable Optical Landing System…OLS…which the truck had also delivered。 Now they watched Rita make simulated carrier approaches flying the ball； the 〃meatball；〃 on the OLS。 Jake Grafton stood beside them。
〃Paddles has you；〃 the senior man told Rita as she passed the ninety…degree position。 One other LSO wrote while the first watched the approach with the radiotelephone transceiver held to his ear and dictated his ments。
〃On speed； little lined up left； little too much power。。。〃 The plane swept past and its wheels whacked into the runway； right on the line that marked the target touchdown point。 The nose wheel smacked down and the engines roared and Rita flew it off the runway。 The LSO shouted to his writer； 〃The pass。〃
Jake Grafton stared at the plane in the pattern。 It just looks weird； he told himself。 The lifting fuselage and invisible intakes and the canards and the black color； it didn't look like a real airplane。 Then he knew。 It looked like a model。 It looked like one of those plastic planes he had glued together and held at arm's length and marveled at。
〃You're carrying too much power in the groove；〃 the LSO told Rita after the second pass。
〃I'm just floating down with the power way back；〃 she replied。 〃And we're hearing a little rumble。 Maybe incipient pressor stall。 I'll use the boards next time around。〃
The Consolidated engineers had thought the speed brakes would be unnecessary in the pattern。 Yet with the intakes on top of the plane； behind the cockpit； maybe the air reaching them was too turbulent when the plane was all cocked up in the landing configuration。 Jake Grafton began to chew on his lower lip。 The air force doesn't land planes like this； he reminded himself。 They wouldn't have tried these maneuvers when they flew the plane。
With the boards out the plane approached at a slightly higher nose attitude； its engine noise louder。 The speed brakes allowed…required…Rita to e in with a higher power setting。 〃This feels better；〃 she mented。 〃But I'm still hearing that rumble。 Little more pronounced now； if anything。〃
〃Looks better；〃 the junior LSO told Jake。 〃I think the boards give her more control。〃
〃Six…hundred…feet…a…minute sink rate；〃 Rita reported。 Once again the main mounts smacked in with puffs of fried rubber from each tire as it rotated up to speed。 The main oleos pressed and the nose slapped down； then she was adding power and pulling the nose right back up into the sky。
After the sixth pass she pulled the throttles back to idle and the plane stayed on the deck。 The engine noise was really subdued。
〃Quiet bugger； ain't it？〃 one LSO said； grinning。 〃We'll have to call this one the Burglar。 First we had the Intruder； now the Burglar。〃
〃I think it ought to be called the Penetrator；〃 the senior man said。 〃'Yeah； baby； I'm a Penetrator pilot'。〃 He cackled at his own wit。
When Rita cleared the runway； Smoke Judy called the LSOs。 〃Since you guys are all set up； how about giving me a couple？〃
〃If you got the gas； you get the pass；〃 the LSO radioed。
The debriefing took until 9 P。M。 with an hour break for dinner。 The telemetry data and the videotapes were played and studied。 Rita and Toad were each carefully debriefed as a dozen engineers gathered around and the naval officers hovered in the background。
The plan