Author Topic: Armadillo Aerospace - New Video Update (Read 50949 times)

braddock · « **Reply #20 on:** 05/30/2007 02:44 am »

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Jason - 29/5/2007 9:49 PM

Does Armadillo do it's test flights in Oklahoma? Because there is a new Temporary flight restriction near Sherman OK. for a Lunar Lander prototype test flight. http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_7_2647.html

Nice find. Yes, Armadillo often does tethered tests at OK Spaceport, and they plan to start untethered free flights any time now.

From their May 6th update at http://armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=345

"We put in a request to do untethered free flights at the Oklahoma Spaceport next weekend, but the FAA is insisting on two weeks prior notice to use our permit, which seems excessive and annoying. We are now requesting permitted flights every single weekend for the rest of the year, which is probably not exactly what they wanted. We are going to try and go the following weekend, but the weekend after that is killed by the ISDC conference (come see Pixel and meet some of the Armadillo crew if you are in the area) and a meeting of the Personal Spaceflight Federation." (May 6th)

Jason · « **Reply #21 on:** 05/30/2007 03:14 am »

Well this TFR is for altitudes up to 8500 ft. So maybe these will be untethered.

hop · « **Reply #22 on:** 06/04/2007 09:08 am »

June 4th update from armadillo, including video of LLC1 flight profile at Oklahoma http://armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=346

ericr · « **Reply #23 on:** 06/04/2007 09:52 am »

Wow!

The video from Oklahoma is fantastic.

Years of hard work, but Armadillo is flyin' now baby!

Congrats to the whole team. Maybe John will give you double your regular pay in June

ericr · « **Reply #24 on:** 06/04/2007 09:53 am »

Chris,

Isn't this worth writing a story?

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #25 on:** 06/04/2007 04:18 pm »

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ericr - 4/6/2007 10:53 AM

Chris,

Isn't this worth writing a story?

Yep, but we need someone who can write it up (I'm snowed under with STS-117 and I believe Braddock is still a very busy man). We'd also need something fresh for us, as simply repeating what is already out there on the official site is not very newsworthy.

Anyone who knows of a solution to the above, mail me.

jimvela · « **Reply #26 on:** 06/04/2007 10:17 pm »

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Chris Bergin - 4/6/2007 10:18 AM

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ericr - 4/6/2007 10:53 AM

Chris,

Isn't this worth writing a story?

Yep, but we need someone who can write it up (I'm snowed under with STS-117 and I believe Braddock is still a very busy man). We'd also need something fresh for us, as simply repeating what is already out there on the official site is not very newsworthy.

Anyone who knows of a solution to the above, mail me.

"Armadillo ready to win the Lunar Lander Challenge?".

Congrats to these guys, doing this on a shoestring budget and with little but determination and sweat is a huge accomplishment.

I was unable to go to last years' X Prize cup, but will be going this year to see them in action, along with the Masten folks.

Hope the Armadillo guys have some merchandise ready to sell, I'll be looking for something with Widget on it...

There's more than a few of us that would take a trip down and pay to watch them test on random weekends, if there were a viewing stand. Hint, Hint.

braddock · « **Reply #27 on:** 06/04/2007 11:34 pm »

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Chris Bergin - 4/6/2007 12:18 PM

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ericr - 4/6/2007 10:53 AM
Isn't this worth writing a story?

Yep, but we need someone who can write it up (I'm snowed under with STS-117 and I believe Braddock is still a very busy man).

Busy indeed! And I've been wanting to do an Armadillo story for months, but alas I've got a business to run. Someone qualified around here should step up to the plate.

Armadillo is a challenge because they put everything out there, so it is hard to get a unique line. You either need a very well written and researched feature which is worthy of the site (tough for a first story), an interview (a lot of work and responsibility), or the gift of a days lead on some event. Lower profile new-space companies are begging for exposure though, and they all have a story to tell.

I'm thrilled to see Armadillo flying!

MKremer · « **Reply #28 on:** 06/05/2007 01:06 am »

Great demos and videos, but when will there be any kind of test for both flight duration and translation across to a different landing pad and back again? (and will anything like that be tested before the actual competition?)

IMO, if they demonstrate *that* beforehand it's not only positive PR, but facts that might help ensure more/additional investments to help future endeavours.

HIP2BSQRE · « **Reply #29 on:** 06/05/2007 01:28 am »

Did they not do a full flight profile on 6/2.:

Full LLC1 flight

One June 2, we conducted a complete LLC 1 operational profile at the Oklahoma Spaceport. Everything went great. Representatives from AST and the X-Prize Cup were present. This was the first flight under experimental permit rules from a licensed spaceport. Both legs of the flight landed within a meter of the pad center, and our operation time was only an hour and a half.

http://media.armadilloaerospace.com/2007_06_03/LLC1demo.mpg

jimvela · « **Reply #30 on:** 06/05/2007 01:40 am »

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MKremer -
Great demos and videos, but when will there be any kind of test for both flight duration and translation across to a different landing pad and back again? (and will anything like that be tested before the actual competition?)

IMO, if they demonstrate *that* beforehand it's not only positive PR, but facts that might help ensure more/additional investments to help future endeavours.

Did you read the whole update?

What is this, then?:
http://media.armadilloaerospace.com/2007_06_03/LLC1demo.mpg

Quoting snippets from the update cut/paste (all emphasis and highlighting mine):

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"One June 2, we conducted a complete LLC 1 operational profile at the Oklahoma Spaceport. Everything went great."

"The lovely range with two concrete pads was an overgrown field the week before."

Looks to me like they've already demonstrated the capability to win... I'll bet that they do more than just that one test flight between now and then as well...

MKremer · « **Reply #31 on:** 06/05/2007 04:09 am »

Sheesh. OK, I agree they accomplished altitude/duration/time winning points... but what about getting from point A to point B, refuelling, then from point B back again to point A?
Haven't seen proof of that yet is what I meant.

jimvela · « **Reply #32 on:** 06/05/2007 05:44 am »

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MKremer - 4/6/2007 10:09 PM

Sheesh. OK, I agree they accomplished altitude/duration/time winning points... but what about getting from point A to point B, refuelling, then from point B back again to point A?
Haven't seen proof of that yet is what I meant.

Did you actually watch the linked video? In particular, the time-lapse portion in the middle where they re-fuel the vehicle and then proceed to fly the return leg?

docmordrid · « **Reply #33 on:** 06/05/2007 06:21 am »

Certainly looks like they fulfilled the horizontal translation requirement to me.

MKremer · « **Reply #34 on:** 06/05/2007 07:32 am »

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jimvela - 5/6/2007 12:44 AM

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MKremer - 4/6/2007 10:09 PM

Sheesh. OK, I agree they accomplished altitude/duration/time winning points... but what about getting from point A to point B, refuelling, then from point B back again to point A?
Haven't seen proof of that yet is what I meant.

Did you actually watch the linked video? In particular, the time-lapse portion in the middle where they re-fuel the vehicle and then proceed to fly the return leg?

Um, yes, I did... and they did a great job of refueling and getting the vehicle airborne again quickly.

What I see, other than that, is a vertical takeoff, hover with small corrections, then a vertical descent. Both times. There's nothing that makes obvious the vehicle went from launchpad A and translated downrange to launchpad B, then refuelled and took off to return back to launchpad A again.
It was just up-down-land-refuel-up-down-land to and from the same pad.

If they really want to make it obvious they're taking off and landing at different pads, make either pad A or pad B have obviously different markings - maybe an orange circle outside of the orange X for only one pad.

hop · « **Reply #35 on:** 06/05/2007 09:38 am »

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MKremer - 5/6/2007 12:32 AM
What I see, other than that, is a vertical takeoff, hover with small corrections, then a vertical descent.

Watch more closely. The camera is too zoomed in for most of the flight to tell that it is translating against a blue sky, but that's what the "hover with small corrections" is.

The still photos included with the update should also make it clear.

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If they really want to make it obvious they're taking off and landing at different pads, make either pad A or pad B have obviously different markings

I imagine John expects his readers to take "we conducted a complete LLC 1 operational profile" at face value. He's not claiming he landed on the moon or anything crazy like that :bleh:

savuporo · « **Reply #36 on:** 06/05/2007 10:17 am »

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What I see, other than that, is a vertical takeoff, hover with small corrections, then a vertical descent.

Thats just ridiculous. They completed full LLC1 flight profile, like they did at last years XP cup, only this time accurately on the pad and without landing gear accidents. The horizontal translation flight part is also on the video.
are you saying they did video editing to lie to us ? and John Carmack is lying in his update posting ? why would they do that ? they have already demonstrated before what Pixel is capable of

your accusation is completely and utterly silly.

BTW, Armadillo guys will actually respond to questions in this Q&A forum thread:
http://spacefellowship.com/Forum/about396-1095.html

savuporo · « **Reply #37 on:** 06/05/2007 01:46 pm »

Not to mention, FAA and XPrize reps were on site witnessing the event
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/06/04/213350.aspx

Hootz · « **Reply #38 on:** 06/05/2007 04:04 pm »

Hehe....the HPR builder inside me dreams of the video of it going straight up for the 192 seconds...hehe. Oh yeah, I forgot it was a lander

Good on all the crew at Armadillo!!!

jimvela · « **Reply #39 on:** 06/05/2007 06:59 pm »

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What I see, other than that, is a vertical takeoff, hover with small corrections, then a vertical descent. Both times.

Look carefully at that "Hover with small corrections". Note that the engine is deflected slightly off-center and that the vehicle is tipped slightly off-level. That off-center nozzle deflection is what adds the horizontal thrust component that allows translation.

The whole thing looks like a decently working system to me, with some minor oscillations and apparently a fair amount of excess control authority to let the operator command the vehicle around interactively.

If you still see some misrepresentation in this, then you've either got an agenda (e.g. I'm feeding a troll), or you're simply some kind of conspiracy nut.