Author Topic: Space Ship Two - General Thread (Read 748588 times)

JMS · « **Reply #160 on:** 05/02/2009 04:52 pm »

It's not necessarily "PR" that they would not make a big deal out of the strike.
It's more than possible it isn't a big deal and is already well understood. Test programs refine procedures as they nibble away at the edges of performance. This may require a design tweak or simply a change in procedure.
Any aircraft can suffer a tail strike under the right circumstances. I don't as yet see any evidence WK2 is inherently prone to strikes once they refine the flight procedures.

Nomadd · « **Reply #161 on:** 05/02/2009 09:18 pm »

I'm betting it's mainly a procedure change. I remember when the second full SS1 flight spiraled. It was mainly because the pilot went completely vertical, and the control surfaces stopped doing anything because of the airflow past the wings being messed up. The fix was pretty much "Don't go vertical and if you do, use control thrusters a little earlier"
They were flying two weeks later. I'd put Burt's "feel" for things above all the formulas in MIT any day. To steal a quote that was originally meant for Kelly Johnson, "That bastard Rutan can see the air"

Alpha Control · « **Reply #162 on:** 06/01/2009 03:56 pm »

Update on SS2 rocket motor tests from AvWeek:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/Spaceshiptwo060109.xml&headline=SpaceShipTwo%20Rocket%20Tests%20Successful&channel=space

jabe · « **Reply #163 on:** 06/09/2009 11:02 am »

Looks like another test flight with White knight 2. Check here for test flight updates. Looks like the flights are going to be more often now..2 flights in under a week. Captive carry for spaceship 2 should be by the end of the year..which will be cool to see.. and then the boring drop tests...

jb

edit:from Hyperbola blog...looks like SS2 rocket motor test was full duration..so they are close to having all the pieces. Lets hope no major issues were found during the firing

ChefPat · « **Reply #164 on:** 06/11/2009 12:37 pm »

Quote from: jabe on 06/09/2009 11:02 am

Lets hope no major issues were found during the firing

Lets hope they did find any major issues during the test & they won't find them later on.

jabe · « **Reply #165 on:** 06/16/2009 09:00 pm »

They did a test flight Monday I believe and they hope to get Whiteknight2 to 50 kft. (no updates here yet.) which is around the drop height with Spaceship2. Since it isn't carrying SS2 how how should it be able to go with out the mass of SS2 attached? The takeoff distance should be pretty short as well I'm assuming. Anyone able to enlighten me at all on possible stats?
cheers
jb
edit:
update is now at the Scaled site. Looks like it went to 52.4 kft. Same pilot in all test flights. Is this normal for the same pilot to fly all the test flights?
Update#2: fromJeff Foust at spaceport america ground breaking..looks like SS@ first flight Dec 7..

Lewis007 · « **Reply #166 on:** 06/20/2009 09:23 am »

The Spaceport America flyby of White Knight Two (during its tenth testflight) was cancelled on June 19. During the descent toward the Spaceport America, the pilots (Siebold and Nichols) experienced a failure of a speedbrake actuator, and elected to make a precautionary landing at Williams Gateway airport near Phoenix.
More information at http://scaled.com/projects/t1b/logs-WK2.htm and http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/hyperbola/2009/06/.
The diversion can be seen at the FlightAware website: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N348MS

The flyover is now planned for today (June 20), according to the press release of SpacePort America: http://www.spaceportamerica.com/news/press-releases/245-virgingalacticmothershipflyoverlascruces.html

patmamu · « **Reply #167 on:** 06/20/2009 10:21 pm »

WhiteKnight Two made three low level flyovers of the Las Cruces International Airport today for spectators.

Here is a short article with a picture.

http://www.space.com/news/090620-white-knight-flight.html

NUAETIUS · « **Reply #168 on:** 06/20/2009 11:23 pm »

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfoust/3643822249/

First picture I have seen with the landing gear up. Eve is a really beautiful plane, one of the most graceful I have seen built in years.

Lewis007 · « **Reply #169 on:** 07/06/2009 07:40 pm »

Some pictures of the June 19 testflight of WhiteKnight 2 are available on this website: http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/photos/virgingalactic/virgin-galactics-white-knight-two-at-phoenix-31610.aspx

Lewis007 · « **Reply #170 on:** 07/06/2009 07:55 pm »

A video of the WhiteKnight Two flyover of the Las Cruces International Airport on June 20 is available at this BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8111258.stm

It is a cool video (especially the end), and therefore a pity that I did not manage to download it...

Crispy · « **Reply #171 on:** 07/06/2009 11:06 pm »

Quote from: Lewis007 on 07/06/2009 07:55 pm

A video of the WhiteKnight Two flyover of the Las Cruces International Airport on June 20 is available at this BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8111258.stm

It is a cool video (especially the end), and therefore a pity that I did not manage to download it...

also available on YouTube here

Orbiter · « **Reply #172 on:** 07/06/2009 11:59 pm »

Wonder when we will see Eve and Enterprise in action together.

jabe · « **Reply #173 on:** 07/07/2009 01:36 am »

Quote from: Orbiter on 07/06/2009 11:59 pm

Wonder when we will see Eve and Enterprise in action together.

I remember reading SOMEWHERE..can't find it now..that they will debut together before christmas this year..the 7th comes to mind. If i find the reference I'll edit it in..
jb

edit:found it here. From hyperbola blogs. Was actually linked in an earlier post of mine at top of this page

fans0902 · « **Reply #174 on:** 07/26/2009 01:10 am »

DATE:25/02/09
SOURCE:Flight International
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo mothership to make public debut this July
By Rob Coppinger
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo (SS2) mothership WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) is to fly publicly for the first time at this year's Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on the event's opening day, 27 July.
..
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How About Now?

Finn · « **Reply #175 on:** 07/28/2009 07:26 pm »

Quote from: fans0902 on 07/26/2009 01:10 am

DATE:25/02/09
SOURCE:Flight International
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo mothership to make public debut this July
By Rob Coppinger
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo (SS2) mothership WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) is to fly publicly for the first time at this year's Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on the event's opening day, 27 July.

TV news clip about the Oshkosh air show: