(Jim C) wrote in message . com...
Did anyone notice that the high altitude nozzle extension seems
to be attached when first fired but does not seem to be there
later? The picks at scaled.com show the large black extension
at first but after burnout it is gone (2nd powered flight). The best
view of it is during the cold flow test during an earlier flight.
It also seems that the first powered flight didn't use it at all.

Since Spaceship One isn't exactly operating at its planned-for "high
altitudes," they probably removed the extended nozzle to study other
aspects of the engine's performance before adding the complication of
the new nozzle.

Mike Miller, Materials Engineer