New in the Mojave.
New in the Mojave.
(OP)
Seen the latest goings on in the Mojave?
A half million pound payload, six engines, 385 ft wingspan. All carbon, of course. Not unambitious, these Californians.
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/si...
http://tinyurl.com/mojaveKGET (http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/specialreports/sto...
(10 min movie.)
http://aviationweek.com/blog/inside-rocs-lair
I do like the way Rutan just quietly got on and made 200,000# of structure (about a third? Not sure what the fuel load is) before word got out. (Well, before I heard about it, anyway, but I don't read Aviation Week regularly.)
A half million pound payload, six engines, 385 ft wingspan. All carbon, of course. Not unambitious, these Californians.
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/si...
http://tinyurl.com/mojaveKGET (http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/specialreports/sto...
(10 min movie.)
http://aviationweek.com/blog/inside-rocs-lair
I do like the way Rutan just quietly got on and made 200,000# of structure (about a third? Not sure what the fuel load is) before word got out. (Well, before I heard about it, anyway, but I don't read Aviation Week regularly.)





RE: New in the Mojave.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: New in the Mojave.
I had breakfast at the airport on Saturday, they had a fly in going on so got to see a few classic light aircraft and a random North American Sabre while I ate my cactus & eggs.
Back in school in the late 90's I remember contemplating a similar approach to lower cost space flight, though I was thinking more like the F-15 ASAT - supersonic zoom climb by the air breathing 'mother-ship' before launching the rocket pay load.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: New in the Mojave.
...although most of his ideas usually lead to onsey-twosey-threesey vehicles for highly specialized purposes. Regretfully, none of these out-there concepts has been successful on a mass [factory] production basis.
His homebuilts did 'take-off en-mass [70's, 80's, 90's]'... but the individualized construction quality and flying skills of each builder, lead to some quirky/variable flying characterstics... some were wonderful machines; some were scary/dangerous machines.
I am certain that this flying whale will fulfill its role of heavy-lift for launch-vehicles.
What I amm curious/concerned about is how this vehicle will be programed for "the drop" [liberation', etc] of a 100,000#+ launch vehicle filled with hyper-dangerous liquid propellants [or is this slated only for solid fuel vehicles?]... including safe separation/escape enelops for routine launches and emerency scenarios [yes emergencies will inevitably happen]. I wonder if there is a crew escape system/process?
Regards, Wil Taylor
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RE: New in the Mojave.