Video News Reel capturing VSS Enterprise's first 'captive carry' flight and comments from the pilot.
Any thoughts on how the evolution of the test flights of the SS2 will go?SS1 I guess had 2 captive carry before drop tests but it seems that won't happen for a while for SS2.I was surprised with the 3 hour test flight. I thought they would do a quick up and down first. Can't wait for flight update at Scaled when posted here.Will they slowly add mass to SS2 till it is fully loaded before a drop test(not fueled of course). What additional flight envelopes expansion will they need?TOTAL speculation..Maybe SS2 isn't flight ready yet hence the delay in drop test?jb
So what now?...The first gliding test (from 10-12,000 foot altitude)on April 12th? Any bets?Mr. Rutan likes to pick historical dates (October 4; December 17, etc.)
Flight WK2 Flight 25 / CC-01Date: 22 Mar 10 Flight Time: 2.9 hrPilot: Stucky CoPilot: NicholsFTE: KalogiannisObjectives: Captive taxi handlingSpeed/altitude envelope expansionCaptive performance, stability and control evaluationSS2 systems EvaluationPhoto and videoResults:All objectives achieved. Systems performed as designed. Kudos to the entire team for executing an exceptionally clean and successful first captive flight!
Fire: 04Date: 30 March 10Objectives: Perform fourth full scale flight design RM2 hot-fire – planned flight fuel Performed flight design Rocket System evaluation Pressurization system evaluation Data Acquisition system evaluation Fuel formulation evaluation Nozzle evaluation CTN structural evaluation Valve/Injector evaluationResults:All objectives completed. Performed successful hot-fire, including oxidizer flow and pressurization systems, data acquisition system measurements, structural evaluation, nozzle ablation, and fuel regression rate data collection. Determined stability levels.
So no flights into space before 2011.
Quote from: Garrett on 03/09/2010 12:25 pmSo no flights into space before 2011.Maybe after all of the bravado and the harsh criticism of government programs, they're finally learning that even modest goals, like building a stunt plane that can hit Mach 3 briefly before coasting to the arbitrary boundary of space and falling back to Earth, aren't so easy to achieve!
Quote from: vt_hokie on 05/17/2010 06:33 amQuote from: Garrett on 03/09/2010 12:25 pmSo no flights into space before 2011.Maybe after all of the bravado and the harsh criticism of government programs, they're finally learning that even modest goals, like building a stunt plane that can hit Mach 3 briefly before coasting to the arbitrary boundary of space and falling back to Earth, aren't so easy to achieve!No one said it was easy. When has government run an active passenger service spaceplane? BTW.. first slight of Tier 1 was 2004.
they're finally learning that even modest goals, like building a stunt plane that can hit Mach 3 briefly before coasting to the arbitrary boundary of space and falling back to Earth..
