Jorge R. Frank wrote:
[...]
And therein lies the rub: we will never progress to the point where
we can
"do" wings unless we build more vehicles *with* wings.

Well, we can do that with X-43-like programs -- send up some 6 meter
models, and UAV them back to the ground, and count how many pieces you
get. Meantime, capsules can be used for transport and to help evolve
the internal systems (e.g., LSS, RCS, exo-atmospheric guidance
software, Bose-Einstein Consendate Gyros, ...).

I will be interested in seeing what Mr Rutan comes up with. Ray
Schmitt and Kim Keller have indicated that some recent progress in TPS
might make a small winged vehicle easier. We'll see. You can be sure
that the sexiness of winged vehicles will keep people trying to do it
until it can be done well, even if it isn't a continuous development
line.

/dps