A Rocket Plane Has Been Born

[why06]

Many here have said it was to complicated to be done yet time and time again I said it is nothing harder than attaching a rocket to a jet....Finally I stand here with verifiable evidence that a rocket plane can be produce for the price of a Lear Jet<font color="yellow">...well sort of.... <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br /><font color="white"><br />I present to all who come and welcome it....The Rocket Plane:<br /><br />http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviationspace/40c1bb3e575bc010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html<br /><br />here in a brand new issue of popular sciense.... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[why06]

q <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[qso1]

Good to see some actual hardware is being constructed or in this case, heavily modified. Competition for the Rutan spaceships. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[PistolPete]

Rocketplane Ltd. is the ba$tard offspring of Pioneer Rocketplane which was started by Mitchell Burnside Clapp and Robert Zubrin. When I read the article, I found it kinda funny that pretty much everyone that was in the company has since left for various reasons, and after Clapp finally left, flight hardware finally started to get produced.<br /><br />Hmm..... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

I figured it was the Pioneer Rocketplane company when I saw the plane itself but I didn't read the article. The fact something is finally under construction is encouraging as it shows private companies are starting to get serious about going into space. Even if it is just the suborbital tourism for now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[docm]

I'm waiting to see if the SABRE engines reach fruition. SABRE is a modified liquid-air cycle engine (LACE) that can run as either an air breathihng jet or rocket, depending on the need. If that thing ever flies spaceplanes could make a huge comeback....might even get an X-Wing fighter <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/main.php?content=sabre<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SABRE <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[virusxp]

Well, SABRE engine is actually the only realistic way to see a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane in our lifetime. And the only way to stop paying $10000/kg to launch something into orbit.<br />But its a shame, that they get so little funding...

 

[mdodson]

"...Competition for the Rutan spaceships."<br /><br />These guys WERE X-Prize entrants, and gave a briefing at the award ceremony. But haven't come close! (laughing) I suspect that Rutan doesn't care about competitors, and is motivated by one-upping NASA.

 

[qso1]

By competition, I'm referring to production competition if or when either get their vehicles to operational status. And when one has to worry about the other getting market share, production will be even more important.<br /><br />Rutan was unopposed during the X prize effort. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[j05h]

> Rutan was unopposed during the X prize effort.<br /><br />Except for the 20+ teams competing against him. Burt Rutan is a giant among midgets.<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"Burt Rutan is a giant among midgets."</font><br /><br /><b>Surely</b> you're not considering Brian Feeney to be a midget. What?!?! Didn't you read his press releases? They were right on Burt's tail. Why back in 2004, their first launch was going to be in September... um October... maybe Nov-... hold on... in December. Ok January. Waitaminute it's too cold. Come spring they'd launch...<br /><br /><i>"We now take a brief 2-year intermission to the sound of crickets"</i><br /><br />(it's now October 2006)<br /><br />...they have a one-man vehicle they'll be launching this fall. Their follow-on spaceship is on the drawing boards. It's great. If ferrari were to design a spaceship -- it'd look like this one. They're a leading contender to be the second company offering suborbital flights. (the claims continue, but my fingers would get tired typing everything in).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It wounds me to think that you might consider this outstanding orator and one of the worlds leading minds in spaceship development a 'midget'. *sigh* some people simply don't appreciate true genius.

 

[josh_simonson]

What's the ISP of a liquid air rocket though?

 

[why06]

<font color="yellow">How should I know?<font color="white"><br /><br /><font color="blue">But literally-<font color="white"> you need to know what kind of rocket first:<br />-size<br />-weight<br />-the kind of fuel (probaly liquid Hydrogen and Oxygen)<br />-kind of engine ( different engine proform different ways)<br />-etc.<br /><br /><br /><br />Why did you ask this question again <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> ?</font></font></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[josh_simonson]

What I meant by that is, being 80% inert, liquid air is a poor propellant. I ran it in the air force specific impulse program with H2 as the fuel and got vacuum isp of ~180 when I added 8 LN2s for each LO2 to the fuel mix of the RS68 to simulate it with liquid air instead of LOX. That's really not enough ISP to get you anywhere in a single stage.<br /><br />Andrews alchemist aces contraption does produce LOX on the fly, but it consumes LH2 to do so and requires a large first stage aircraft to carry that tankage.