Virgin Galactic

[cameraman]

Burt Rutan sure comes up with interesting looking planes:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Eve-1.gif


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Eve-2.gif

Not sure that I am quite ready to sign up for a ride quite yet though...

[Gnam]

Read that it has the same wingspan as a WWII B-29 bomber. :thumbup:

[dando]

You rolling in $200K of spare coin? :eek:

My question is do the mirrors work? ;)

-Kevin

[nrc]

Read that it has the same wingspan as a WWII B-29 bomber. :thumbup:

Similar nose art, too. :)

[Ankf00]

missing the saturn V and SR-71 on their little milestones of aviation heiroglyphic dealie.

and considering the old man worked on X-15 50 years ago which accomplished the same things his new toys are accomplishing, pretty arrogant to include the new toys in that lineage

[Sean Malone]

Dumb question from a dumb guy but how will they keep the two sides from ripping apart in the middle? Looks fragile to me.

[nrc]

Dumb question from a dumb guy but how will they keep the two sides from ripping apart in the middle? Looks fragile to me.

Don't try to fly them in different directions? :gomer:

[KLang]

Dumb question from a dumb guy but how will they keep the two sides from ripping apart in the middle? Looks fragile to me.

I can't answer your question but that actually looks pretty sturdy compared to some of his other creations. :)

[cameraman]

Dumb question from a dumb guy but how will they keep the two sides from ripping apart in the middle? Looks fragile to me. That middle bit is where they plan on hanging the spacecraft so I'd guess that there is some seriously sturdy spar running through that wing.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Eve-3.gif

[Insomniac]

Do you think the inside seats are cheaper than the outside seats?

[oddlycalm]

Dumb question from a dumb guy but how will they keep the two sides from ripping apart in the middle? Looks fragile to me.
The wing spar runs the full length of the wing side to side. The spar is generally the single strongest structural member of an airframe. I say generally because there are some moments in history where that proved not to be the case....:eek: :laugh: World's Worst Aircraft (http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Worst-Aircraft-Jim-Winchester/dp/0760767424)

BTW, my first reaction was that the twin fuselage layout would provide the opportunity to make rude gestures to the folks on the other side....:gomer: I always try to take the high road.

oc

[Elmo T]

Dumb question from a dumb guy but how will they keep the two sides from ripping apart in the middle? Looks fragile to me.


http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/web/080221-F-1234S-023.jpg

[Don Quixote]

How does the flight attendant get from one cabin to the other? :gomer:

[Insomniac]

I thought I had seen something similar before. Now it makes sense. The White Knight brings the Space Ship up to a high altitude and lets it launch from there. The $200k isn't to ride in that thing. (As cameraman's picture above shows.)

[TravelGal]

I'm sorry but I am :rofl::rofl::rofl: reading this thread. You GUYS! LOL LOL!

[ferrarigod]

missing the saturn V and SR-71 on their little milestones of aviation heiroglyphic dealie.


you can't see the sr-71 cause it's going to fast.

[dando]

I wonder if fares will be cheaper if booked on a Tues? :gomer:

-Kevin

[TravelGal]

I wonder if fares will be cheaper if booked on a Tues? :gomer:

-Kevin

SCREAMS of laughter. YOU GUYS! LOL LOL LOL

[Ankf00]

no mirrors here...
http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/content/Presspacks/Galatic%20Girl2.jpg



and here's the cowling

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v612/Ankf00/milestonesaviation.jpg

[coolhand]

I cannot recognize the prop and jet below the 747

[Ankf00]

I'll take "The Sound Barrier" for $1000, Alex

[dando]

I cannot recognize the prop and jet below the 747

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-1

The prop is probably generic for the fighter planes of the WWII era, but think P-51 or the like.

-Kevin

[Don Quixote]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-1

The prop is probably generic for the fighter planes of the WWII era, but think P-51 or the like.

-Kevin
Maybe the Spirit of St Louis?

[Ankf00]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-1

The prop is probably generic for the fighter planes of the WWII era, but think P-51 or the like.

-Kevin

"Trans-Atlantic Flight" for $200, Alex.

[dando]

Maybe the Spirit of St Louis?

Good point. :gomer:

-Kevin

[ChampcarShark]

I already started saving my coins to get a ticket for the next generation spaceships. Maybe when the New Mexico spaceport opens, it is in my backyard.

Cool ships thou

[KLang]

SpaceShip Two unveiled:


Story (http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-unveils-spaceshiptwo-the-worlds-first-commercial-manned-spaceship/)


Edit: Sorry about the size. I'll see if I can find something smaller.

[KLang]

VSS Enterprise, first unpowered manned flight: story (http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=31823)

http://images.spaceref.com/news/2010/5068224405_048653fe6d_o.jpg

http://images.spaceref.com/news/2010/5068685162_c815ecf013_o.jpg

[dando]

Do the mirrors work? :gomer: :D

-Kevin

[racer2c]

Somewhere Robert Heinlein is smiling.:thumbup:

[TravelGal]

From last Thursday's Association of Retail Travel agents briefing. Hey, I was away, okay? Just catching up.

Branson Says He Will Launch Spaceship Within Next 12 Months
Branson says his company, Virgin Galactic, hopes to launch a spaceship within 12 months, kicking off commercial space travel. Business magnate Richard Branson hopes to launch a vessel into space within the next 12 months, kicking off an era of commercial space travel. He told CNN yesterday "The mother ship is finished... The rocket tests are going extremely well, and so I think that we're now on track for a launch within 12 months of today," He sees Virgin Galactic sending people into space and launching satellites for far less than the cost of government-run programs and to offer high-speed intercontinental flights. Virgin has already sold some 430 tickets for space travel at $200,000 a ticket.

Earlier this year, the US space agency distributed nearly $270 million in seed money to four companies, Boeing, SpaceX, Sierra Nevada and Blue Origin, to boost their bids to be first in the new space era.

[KLang]

Seeing breaking news from several sources that SpaceShip Two has crashed during a test flight. :( Hoping for the best.

[KLang]

STATEMENT FROM VIRGIN GALACTIC
.

Virgin Galactic’s partner Scaled Composites conducted a powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo earlier today. During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle. Our first concern is the status of the pilots, which is unknown at this time. We will work closely with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident and provide updates as soon as we are able to do so.

[Napoleon]

The reports I saw said one pilot died, one rescued.

[dando]

Bad week for Rocketman.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-virgin-galactics-spaceship-anomaly-testing-20141031-story.html

:(

[Gnam]

Sad to see the loss of life. Hopefully, future generations won't so casually throw away all the lessons we are re-learning.

One report said the aircraft exploded shortly after the engine ignited at 50,000 ft.
The other report said one of the pilots deployed his parachute. That is a long way to fall. :(

[JoeBob]

Space is HARD. Making space flight accessible and affordable is REALLY hard.

Sadly, lives are lost in pursuit of difficult dreams.

Hopefully they're able to pick up the pieces and continue.

It's a tough business.

[Napoleon]

So this morning they are saying they think some "booms" on the rear/tail that deploy/rotate to slow the plane may have done so prematurely, and that is what caused the breakup.

[JoeBob]

Here's a video that shows the first test of the "feathers"

eEmLOU8zTSE

From NTSB: Approximately 9 seconds after ignition, the "feather" parameters changed from lock to unlock. In order for feathering to be commanded by pilots, a “feather” handle must be moved in addition to the unlock handle. Approximately 2 seconds later, just above Mach 1.0, feathers moved toward the extended position even though the “feather” handle was not moved, after which the telemetry data terminated. Engine burn was nominal up until feather extension. Review of cockpit forward looking camera shows that the feather was unlocked by the copilot. Normal procedures are to unlock feathers after Mach 1.4 so aerodynamic forces do not extend feathers prematurely.

[Gnam]

HAL, please lock the tail booms. Lock the tail booms, HAL. HAL?

[SteveH]

as it occurred...

706

707

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/11/ntsb-spaceshiptwo-broke-apart-when-feathering-activated-early/

[SteveH]

Virgin Galactic pilot defied the odds to survive crash (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-virgin-survivor-20141105-story.html#page=1)

Amazing, absolutely amazing