Author Topic: SpaceShipTwo image (Read 13140 times)

Flightstar · « **on:** 03/01/2006 06:32 pm »

Don't know if this is new, but putting it here in case it is. Was e-mailed to me.

Crispy · « **Reply #1 on:** 03/01/2006 06:36 pm »

Very interesting. What do we reckon, seats down the sides, with a central aisle for free-fall fun?

Jim · « **Reply #2 on:** 03/01/2006 06:37 pm »

Not very many windows for the passengers. Looks like just the minimum required for the pilot

Jamie Young · « **Reply #3 on:** 03/01/2006 06:43 pm »

A lot more internal area that SS1, there's the extra capacity. I bet there's room to go floating.

Mark Max Q · « **Reply #4 on:** 03/01/2006 06:45 pm »

Looks cool to me!

nacnud · « **Reply #5 on:** 03/01/2006 11:07 pm »

Hummm, interesting but it looks extremly dodgy , not sure about this one.

Crispy · « **Reply #6 on:** 03/01/2006 11:14 pm »

Hang on a minute - this thing flies supersonic doesn't it? And don't you want a sharper shape for supersonic flight?

Quote

Hummm, interesting but it looks extremly dodgy

Maybe. I'd say it looks more catty. Boom-tish.

David AF · « **Reply #7 on:** 03/02/2006 01:09 am »

I have the feeling this design will be for longer durations before re-entry. Sure looks like one fat body with an aft dimension. Need to see more images.

NASA_Twix_JSC · « **Reply #8 on:** 03/02/2006 01:41 am »

Sure is interesting. Trust in Burt, he knows what he's doing with even the strangest of shapes.

Jamie Young · « **Reply #9 on:** 03/02/2006 03:13 am »

I think that is a good point. It's Burt Rutan and he's a pioneer with the strange shaped vehicles.

Cool to see the image.

simonbp · « **Reply #10 on:** 03/02/2006 03:51 am »

Though hopefully he will allow some real aerodynamic testing this time, as opposed the couple-of-CFD-runs-and-a-prayer approach they took with SS1...

Simon

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #11 on:** 03/02/2006 11:33 am »

Seen as this is public now, I'm moving it.

Captain Scarlet · « **Reply #12 on:** 03/02/2006 12:29 pm »

Looks like a platapus!

hyper_snyper · « **Reply #13 on:** 03/02/2006 02:58 pm »

I doubt that's the final design. Going from what Burt has said, there should be more windows.

James Lowe1 · « **Reply #14 on:** 03/05/2006 06:33 pm »

Thread moved.

Polecat · « **Reply #15 on:** 03/06/2006 03:45 am »

It looks marketable, but I do not think it will be the final design also.

hyper_snyper · « **Reply #16 on:** 03/19/2006 04:30 pm »

This article claims that design work is finished on SS2 and production will begin this summer.

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The design of SpaceShipTwo is complete, and construction is slated for this summer with test flights scheduled for late next year. The project's $100 million first phase is financed by Branson's Virgin Group, said Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn.

Given Scaled's secretive nature it's hard to tell what the status really is. Production this summer and test flights over a year later does seem a bit odd, though. Anyway, I hope we're given some sort of unveiling soon or at least some inkling as to what's going on over at Mojave.

JimNtexas · « **Reply #17 on:** 03/26/2006 05:17 am »

Not enough windows for the passengers and crew.

Benny · « **Reply #18 on:** 03/30/2006 09:56 am »

Is there any verification if they are going to use the VLA (Very Large Aircraft) Scaled
designed and produced for t/Space as the mothership for SpaceShipTwo?

Benny · « **Reply #19 on:** 04/03/2006 12:48 pm »

BTW there is quite an interesting article on space.com about SS2/ Virgin Galactic.
They started collecting money from their prospective costumers (13 Mio. US-D).
The article also notes that the Design of SS2 is complete. ( I think there has been
the same statement based on another article somewhere in the Forum)

http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_060403.html

Tap-Sa · « **Reply #20 on:** 04/03/2006 02:12 pm »

Quote

Benny - 30/3/2006 12:56 PM

Is there any verification if they are going to use the VLA (Very Large Aircraft) Scaled
designed and produced for t/Space as the mothership for SpaceShipTwo?

Unless t/Space has secretly raised hundreds of millions the VLA is just a concept. And it's an overkill to loft SS2, order of magnitude difference in payload weights.

Benny · « **Reply #21 on:** 04/03/2006 02:26 pm »

Quote

Tap-Sa - 3/4/2006 9:12 AM

Quote
Benny - 30/3/2006 12:56 PM

Is there any verification if they are going to use the VLA (Very Large Aircraft) Scaled
designed and produced for t/Space as the mothership for SpaceShipTwo?

Unless t/Space has secretly raised hundreds of millions the VLA is just a concept. And it's an overkill to loft SS2, order of magnitude difference in payload weights.

Oh ok -thanks! I just thaught I had read some article claiming that SS2 and VLA would be the likely config.
- Thanks again.

publiusr · « **Reply #22 on:** 04/05/2006 06:58 pm »

Quote

Benny - 30/3/2006 3:56 AM

Is there any verification if they are going to use the VLA (Very Large Aircraft) Scaled
designed and produced for t/Space as the mothership for SpaceShipTwo?

Rutan really doesn't have any experience building large aircraft. It would be best if branson and t/Space split the cost of bringing finishing a second AN-225.

Benny · « **Reply #23 on:** 04/17/2006 11:48 am »

Branson also said the SpaceShipTwo engineering design details will be revealed in
2007 and that suborbital flights for space tourists are expected to start in 2008.
Astronaut-pilots are being readied. (http://www.spaceports.blogspot.com/)

I am a little confused: I thought SS2 would be introduced to the public in the first
half of 2006???

mlorrey · « **Reply #24 on:** 05/06/2006 10:36 pm »

Quote

Crispy - 1/3/2006 6:14 PM

Hang on a minute - this thing flies supersonic doesn't it? And don't you want a sharper shape for supersonic flight?

Quote
Hummm, interesting but it looks extremly dodgy

Maybe. I'd say it looks more catty. Boom-tish.

No, at the altitude that the SS2 is reaching Mach 1 at during ascent, atmospheric drag is minimal. On the way back, they want to maximize supersonic drag. Having the large round nose also minimizes TPS heating at the hottest point by spreading it out, so it likely won't need any exotic or ablative materials.

I like how they've increased the outboard horizontal stab area and span, that should mean much more stability (that roll problem will be eliminated), and I note that the wing seems more appropriate for supersonic flight as well.

mlorrey · « **Reply #25 on:** 05/06/2006 11:15 pm »

Quote

publiusr - 5/4/2006 1:58 PM
Rutan really doesn't have any experience building large aircraft. It would be best if branson and t/Space split the cost of bringing finishing a second AN-225.

Hmmm... Voyager, Global Flyer: both aircraft with wingspans over 110 feet. Proteus and White Knight: wingspans of 85 and 93 feet.

Not huge planes, but not small either. I suspect what we wind up seeing from Rutan will be impressive.

publiusr · « **Reply #26 on:** 05/18/2006 09:58 pm »

I don't go by wingspan, I go by mass. Rutan is good at building spindly. A true VLA is something else again. AN-225 is the way Branson should go. The existing AN-225 has been flying special cargo missions for quite some time.