Space Ship Two - General Thread

[docmordrid]

I have to ask this question: what is the lift capability of WKII, compared with the Orbital L1011 parked down the street?

Did some Google'ing and found a page stating a generic L1011-500's cargo capacity is 27,896.4 kg and WK2's is  30,500 kg

[docmordrid]

I think the fake painted windows are kind of corny. 

Ever think there may be something in there they don't want you to see?

[Orbiter]

Nice, WKII is out to the public.

[gospacex]

I think the fake painted windows are kind of corny. 

Ever think there may be something in there they don't want you to see?

I think it's done just for the sake of symmetry. They obviously need only one pilot in the carrier plane, so the second hull has no cockpit. But "blind" hull with no windows would look less pretty, so they painted windows on

[Ronsmytheiii]

Cnn interviewed Richard Branson:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2008/07/28/branson.space.intv.cnn

[gospacex]

SS1 reached about 2200 mph. Orbital velocity is about 17,500 mph.

So it reached about 13% of orbital velocity, but only about 1.5% of orbital kinetic energy.

May I also point out at its miserable failure to reach astronomical costs associated with our current orbital vehicles.

[vt_hokie]

I think it's done just for the sake of symmetry. They obviously need only one pilot in the carrier plane, so the second hull has no cockpit. But "blind" hull with no windows would look less pretty, so they painted windows on

Yeah, I know, I just think it would look better being asymmetric than with cheesy fake painted windows.  It's like when automakers cheat and put fake windows on a car, like on the C pillar of the Chrysler Sebring.

[Jim]

May I also point out at its miserable failure to reach astronomical costs associated with our current orbital vehicles.

Asinine comment
It is not a valid comparison, because it is not an orbital vehicle.  Buy 1000 SS2's and you still can't get to orbit.   It is like comparing a Cessna 150 with a 747.   Of course, the Cessna is cheaper but it can't do transcontinental flights like the 747.

[gospacex]

May I also point out at its miserable failure to reach astronomical costs associated with our current orbital vehicles.

Asinine comment
It is not a valid comparison, because it is not an orbital vehicle.  Buy 1000 SS2's and you still can't get to orbit.   It is like comparing a Cessna 150 with a 747.   Of course, the Cessna is cheaper but it can't do transcontinental flights like the 747.

Let's return to this discussion in, say, seven years.

Meanwhile, here is WhiteKnightTwo video from the mentioned URL, re-encoded with x264 codec. 10.8 mb instead of 90 mb.

[Chris Bergin]

Is this site going to cover this suborbital joyride? I know there was a lot of anger when Branson had the cheek to mention it was safer than Shuttle. Rediculous to compare this SS2 to Shuttle, unless you're asking if SS2 fits inside the payload bay

I've no plans for coverage of Paris Hilton's few minutes of micro G. Forum threads are ok for SS2 development, but yes, there's rediculous comments about comparing with the shuttle in the past, and now this: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=13885.msg301176;boardseen#new

They need to buck their ideas up.

[Swatch]

y'know... I've always thought...

"That must be one strong-arse center wing section on WKII"

I can only imagine what kind of torques it may see in adverse conditions.

Pretty bird, but they are a tad bit pretentious about their little sillouettes.

[Orbiter]

Is this site going to cover this suborbital joyride? I know there was a lot of anger when Branson had the cheek to mention it was safer than Shuttle. Rediculous to compare this SS2 to Shuttle, unless you're asking if SS2 fits inside the payload bay

I've no plans for coverage of Paris Hilton's few minutes of micro G. Forum threads are ok for SS2 development, but yes, there's rediculous comments about comparing with the shuttle in the past, and now this: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=13885.msg301176;boardseen#new

They need to buck their ideas up.

Why not the first manned launch?

[Ronsmytheiii]

Why not the first manned launch?

Better yet, cover the test flights (if you can) and the first one, then make a mega Virgin Galactic thread.

[Jim]

May I also point out at its miserable failure to reach astronomical costs associated with our current orbital vehicles.

Asinine comment
It is not a valid comparison, because it is not an orbital vehicle.  Buy 1000 SS2's and you still can't get to orbit.   It is like comparing a Cessna 150 with a 747.   Of course, the Cessna is cheaper but it can't do transcontinental flights like the 747.

Let's return to this discussion in, say, seven years.

SS2 isn't going to get into orbit 7 years from now neither.  Burt is not at the helm of Scaled anymore, so SS3 is doubtful

[Jeff Lerner]

Why not the first manned launch?

Better yet, cover the test flights (if you can) and the first one, then make a mega Virgin Galactic thread.

Don't think we need a new mega Virgin Galactic thread...there are plenty of forum sections, including this one that would be appropriate...

..and yes, I think the ongoing SS2 development should be covered as well as the 1st commercial flight...don't care if Paris is aboard or not...it's still newsworthy, still related to manned spaceflight albeit sub-orbital for now and frankly, if I had the money to spare, I'd sign up in a second...closest I would ever make it to space in my lifetime...makes my "bucket" list...

[Herb Schaltegger]

y'know... I've always thought...

"That must be one strong-arse center wing section on WKII"

I can only imagine what kind of torques it may see in adverse conditions.

Pretty bird, but they are a tad bit pretentious about their little sillouettes.

Well think about it: White Knight Two is NOT a general-purpose aircraft and will probably never get anywhere near anything resembling "adverse conditions" except completely by accident.  That said, a few couple of spars arranged properly will create plenty of strength to resist torque.  And using it to carry a winged "second stage" so to speak (SS2) helps reduce bending loads because its own wings help offset its weight loads at any appreciable airspeed. 

[gospacex]

Let's return to this discussion in, say, seven years.

SS2 isn't going to get into orbit 7 years from now neither.  Burt is not at the helm of Scaled anymore, so SS3 is doubtful

It does not need to get into orbit. Think about it. Is getting into orbit a biggest problem of US manned spaceflight program? Not at all. The problem is quite different.

[Swatch]

Well think about it: White Knight Two is NOT a general-purpose aircraft and will probably never get anywhere near anything resembling "adverse conditions" except completely by accident.  That said, a few couple of spars arranged properly will create plenty of strength to resist torque.  And using it to carry a winged "second stage" so to speak (SS2) helps reduce bending loads because its own wings help offset its weight loads at any appreciable airspeed. 

I'm aware its not a general-purpose aircraft, but as you alluded to, accidents may happen.

That being said though, you have a multitude of torques acting on the aircraft's spar.   You have torque from engines, torque from drag of fuselages, torque from drag of SS2, torque from reaction of tail surfaces, torque from wing lift, etc.   Not to mention, with its expansive wingspan, a respectable bending moment arm on that center section.  Keep in mind, even though SS2 will be providing lift, that lift is not likely to be applied through CoM the entire time (more torque).  All said, I'm sure that center section sees a fair share of loading.

I am also sure that they have designed it to take those loads, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's probably a very strong section of wing which was the point of my original observation.

[vt_hokie]

The original carrier aircraft always reminded me a bit of my team's design from our senior design project at Virginia Tech.  It evolved from the original concept of our team's fearless leader, who said he was inspired by the P-38 Lightning!  I wonder where he is these days...

[clongton]

Sweet!