The issue is could any alternate shuttle design using early 1970s technology, the same development budget and having vaguely similar capability have been dramatically superior to the shuttle as flown. That is the ultimate reason for discussions like this -- not because of historical quibbles but the allegation there was some dramatically superior unchosen design.
Triamese Pdf found on my HD. Something that surprised me reading it: seems the Triamese orbiter used a Gemini-B for crew escape ! Certainly heavy and cramped, but at least mostly proven escape system. Weird.
The issue is could any alternate shuttle design using early 1970s technology, the same development budget and having vaguely similar capability have been dramatically superior to the shuttle as flown. That is the ultimate reason for discussions like this -- not because of historical quibbles but the allegation there was some dramatically superior unchosen design.I have never seen anyone -- not John Logsdon or anyone else -- credibly articulate the authoritative engineering basis for exactly what this unchosen super design was. In fact the emphasis on macro-level design issues like wings, payload size, etc has diverted focus from proper historical scholarship.
The Triamese is one of my favorite Shuttle concept. Alas it was eliminated in September 1969 for the reasons mentionned by Lobo - achieving full commonality between boosters and orbiters proved too difficult. https://space.nss.org/the-space-shuttle-decsion-chapter-5/I remember in 2002 when my first Internet searches brought me to this website. https://www.pmview.com/spaceodysseytwo/spacelvs/Never heard of Starclipper and Triamese before. Never realized that Shuttle pre-history reached back as far as 1968, 13 years ahead of its first flight. My mind was blown.
Shirley... surely, you can't be serious. I. just. said. I was.surprised. Triamese. used.a Gemini-B. as. an. escape. system. Nothing. more.
Always down for more H-33 art
Art by Robert McCall
I also found an uncropped version
I wonder if the drop tanks could be placed below the wings, somewhat in classical fighter aircraft fashion. although there is already the booster underneath the orbiter...