Quote from: Robotbeat on 12/27/2012 03:29 amWhat the heck does this have to do with anything?Well with WK2 unavailable for widening the flight envelope how else can you get the altitude and speed you need to test its landing range?
What the heck does this have to do with anything?
The "Super Valkyrie"?
Quote from: vt_hokie on 12/27/2012 04:34 pmThe "Super Valkyrie"?I think they need an aircraft that flew some time this century.
I have to ask this question so, sorry. What happens if Dreamchaser cannot get a ride?
Quote from: mr. mark on 12/27/2012 07:55 pmI have to ask this question so, sorry. What happens if Dreamchaser cannot get a ride?Wonder if the Star Grazer L-1011 is available from Orbital, since the Pegasus don't have many missions lined up.
Since we are still discussing this allow me to give you another option. Jet airliners often ferry extra engines on a pylon beneath their wings. Theoretically they could adapt one under a Boeing 747 or a DC10 for example with sufficient clearance for DC... Like I keep saying there are many alternatives all that is required is “lateral thinking”...
Quote from: Rocket Science on 12/28/2012 12:00 amSince we are still discussing this allow me to give you another option. Jet airliners often ferry extra engines on a pylon beneath their wings. Theoretically they could adapt one under a Boeing 747 or a DC10 for example with sufficient clearance for DC... Like I keep saying there are many alternatives all that is required is “lateral thinking”...Now this I did not know. I'd always figured they'd put the engine on a standard engine pod location and fly with 3 live engines (thinking further I can see this being difficult with modern 2 engine designs). Is this a design certification (IE all aircraft of a type can do it) or does it need special clearance from the relevant authorities?The ground clearance should be adequate but the inter-pod separation?It's something I've never seen before but I'm guessing the joker is in the paperwork. I strongly doubt you can hire an aircraft from an airline, hang DC on the pylon, run the tests and hand the aircraft back to them. But definitely something I'll be filling in the "More common than you think" drawer. [edit]Read one of the links posted. The DC-8 hit M1.01 in a dive from 52kft to 41kft in 1961. I did not believe any big commercial jet had deliberately done this. http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/tech_ops/read.main/200315/Reply from Viscount724.And in the press release for it (a bit suspicious) the implication is even that it is "routine" and they were going to ship it to a customer. http://www.dc8.org/library/supersonic/index.phpThis link shows a fairly detailed description of the DC-8 flight which might be relevant should you could consider repeating it.http://www.dc-8jet.com/0-dc8-sst-flight.htmSkip the drop test and drop the whole aircraft? [edit]
Quote from: john smith 19 on 12/28/2012 07:15 amQuote from: Rocket Science on 12/28/2012 12:00 amSince we are still discussing this allow me to give you another option. Jet airliners often ferry extra engines on a pylon beneath their wings. Theoretically they could adapt one under a Boeing 747 or a DC10 for example with sufficient clearance for DC... Like I keep saying there are many alternatives all that is required is “lateral thinking”...Now this I did not know. I'd always figured they'd put the engine on a standard engine pod location and fly with 3 live engines (thinking further I can see this being difficult with modern 2 engine designs). Is this a design certification (IE all aircraft of a type can do it) or does it need special clearance from the relevant authorities?The ground clearance should be adequate but the inter-pod separation?It's something I've never seen before but I'm guessing the joker is in the paperwork. I strongly doubt you can hire an aircraft from an airline, hang DC on the pylon, run the tests and hand the aircraft back to them. But definitely something I'll be filling in the "More common than you think" drawer. [edit]Read one of the links posted. The DC-8 hit M1.01 in a dive from 52kft to 41kft in 1961. I did not believe any big commercial jet had deliberately done this. http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/tech_ops/read.main/200315/Reply from Viscount724.And in the press release for it (a bit suspicious) the implication is even that it is "routine" and they were going to ship it to a customer. http://www.dc8.org/library/supersonic/index.phpThis link shows a fairly detailed description of the DC-8 flight which might be relevant should you could consider repeating it.http://www.dc-8jet.com/0-dc8-sst-flight.htmSkip the drop test and drop the whole aircraft? [edit]I don’t want to take this OT but if you are interested in engine out discussion there is more to read here:http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/tech_ops/read.main/308222/When it comes to using an airliner for a DC drop test there is no need to take one out of service. There are loads of these sitting out in the desert for long term storage that can be leased or purchased if the wish to and modified. Since these flights are going to be over an experimental flight test range with no paying passengers, the normal airliner regs don’t need to be complied with. Conceivably you could remove one engine from a 747, lightly load it with fuel and use the pylon to carry and drop DC from it with modifications... No need for high Mach numbers to drop DC...
Based on what I'm hearing, it looks like there will be no drop test until late 2013- 2014. It takes time to adapt out a system and look at all possibilities.
Quote from: mr. mark on 12/28/2012 02:54 pmBased on what I'm hearing, it looks like there will be no drop test until late 2013- 2014. It takes time to adapt out a system and look at all possibilities. Attaching a jettisonable parachute to DC's tail, and dropping from high altitude by helicopter doesn't sound like the sort of thing that would take till late 2013, or does it?
Quote from: adrianwyard on 12/28/2012 02:58 pmQuote from: mr. mark on 12/28/2012 02:54 pmBased on what I'm hearing, it looks like there will be no drop test until late 2013- 2014. It takes time to adapt out a system and look at all possibilities. Attaching a jettisonable parachute to DC's tail, and dropping from high altitude by helicopter doesn't sound like the sort of thing that would take till late 2013, or does it?There are definately some low altitude / low speed tests they can do with the helicopter, including the first free-flight and landing tests.
Where is Stratolaunch on the modifications to their carrier aircraft? It would certainly be large enough to handle a Dreamchaser.