Old X-plane project - Suborbital?

[ace5]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/xfv-12-pics.htm<br /><br />http://www.studenten.net/customasp/axl/plane.asp?cat_id=7&ple_id=590&page=0<br /><br />I like the design of XFV-12. Pretty beautiful. I wonder if it could be mounted on a B-747 or An-225 and go suborbital, adding a rocket engine in the place of the jet engine.

 

[ace5]

I wonder if this design could be used for a suborbital TSTO concept:<br /><br />http://www.luft46.com/tpart/tp212-1.jpg

 

[nacnud]

Both designs use air breathing engines, I very much doubt that they could be modified to reach suborbital altitudes. <br /><br />Although the XFV-12 is a cool looking plane that I hadn't heard of before, thanks for the link <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[ace5]

Maybe the air intakes could be deleted and a rocket motor fitted to the airframe. The vehicle could be lifted by a mother-aircraft, something like Tier One.

 

[propforce]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The Aurora is not real? <br /><br />I've seen pictures, good credible witnesses and at least 2 articles in Aviation journals about it. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Well... please provide links to proof otherwise.<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>My br--in-law, USAF Acad. Grad, worked in the USAF as a fighter pilot, consultant and programmer for simulation cabins and and currently works in Aerospace industry near San Diego. <br /><br />He confirms Aurora, along with many other credible human sources, too. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Easy there cowboy.... you don't want to get your bro-inlaw in trouble, <font color="yellow">if the Aurora is secret and classified !!!</font><br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The "Blackbird" SR-70 didn't exist either, right? What do you think superseded it as it did the U-2? They just gave up the whole spy aircraft program? <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Here's proof that the SR-71 exist<br />http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf35.htm<br /><br /><p><hr />I think you know the truth. Sadly, you might be afraid to lose your pension..... <p><hr /><br />Hold on there cowboy, no need to make personal attack.<br /><br />Provide proof that Aurora exist.<br /><br />It's far better to keep your mouth shut and let others think you're an idiot, rather than remove all doubts by opening your mouth.<br /></p></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[nacnud]

You do know that the Aurora name came from a budget inventory and was used as a way of funding for the B2 stealth bomber, don't you?<br /><br />There has always been a lot of talk about Aurora, hypersonic, pulse detonation engines, stealth etc but I have yet to see any convincing evidence for it.<br />

 

[propforce]

10~15 yrs ago here in Southern California, the local paper reported sonic booms with contrails in the sky. They estimated this 'bird' was going at approx. Mach 6 <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />But neither NASA nor the Air Force could confirm any flight test was going on at the time <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[propforce]

<i>"..... Oh yes, I remember, that was swamp gas. ..."</i><br /><br />Ummm.. yeah, that was it.... ah hem... you know... come to think of it.... what was I thinking... swamp gas !! yeah that's it, that's what I was thinking.... swamp gas... yup that's it... ah hem.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"The "Blackbird" SR-70 didn't exist either, right? What do you think superseded it as it did the U-2? They just gave up the whole spy aircraft program? "</font><br /><br />Actually -- yes. At least if you're talking in terms of high-altitude recon planes. 98% of the utility of the SR-71 has been replaced by satellites. My father is a retired Air Force Colonel. He flew tankers and later worked in maintainance. He said the SR-71 was hugely expensive to fly and a major pain in the ass. Because it carried little fuel (and the fuel tanks leaked until it was at speed), every time it flew there had to be three tankers in the air (Primary, Secondary, Backup) plus another crewed tanker sitting on the ground as emergency backup.<br /><br />The only portion of the SR-71s duties that *can't* be fulfilled by satellites is real-time recon when there is not a satellite overhead. For this -- the military is using UAVs. They're cheaper, don't risk the loss of a pilot, and are directly in the hands of the people that need them, and so can provide more timely data.<br /><br />There's also talk of building high-altitude dirigibles to recon battlefield areas -- but this isn't really filling a hole left by the loss of the SR-71 but instead providing an entirely new capabaility. These would allow <b>long-term</b> (days, weeks, possibly months) of continuous real-time recon over the battelfield.<br />