Pete:

Actually, we are not in disagreement with respect to the value,
importance, appropriateness, and timing of conceptual design
versus building something that should never have gotten past
the drawing board/tube.

Having said that, I am currently extremely enthused about our
last two (unpublished) design iterations. If either of these pan
out and live up to my current expectations, then, yes, with
funding, I would be ready to commit to preliminary design,
component testing, followed by prototype detailed design,
fabrication, flight test and initial operation as an operational
prototype based upon one of these new (related) concepts. True,
any design can always be improved (the Wright Brothers
should never have flown until they had a better design).
However, a space transport can be far from perfect and still
clobber the existing way of doing business. Dutch Kindleberger
used to say that at some point you have to shoot the engineer.

My reply to Derek's post stems from two emotions:

1) Strong feelings that parallel yours with respect to the
importance of conceptual design and the need for far more
emphasis on conceptual design instead rushing ahead to
build another "white elephant." I have said for many years
that the most important technology of all is system-level
conceptual design--which should be done in many heads
in as decentralized manner as possible. There is no such
thing as "duplication," when it comes to system-level
conceptual design and R&D in general. The tendency of
the bureaucracy to force R&D into planned categories is
folly and very destructive. The best system-level conceptual
design depends only on better packaging of component things
we already know how to do; and this should be open to as
many individuals and companies as possible.

2) My basic agreement with Derek that, at some point, we
need to get on with the show--coupled with my current excitement
over our latest conceptual designs.

Stand by for further (conceptual) definition of these latest
ideas. Perhaps realistic reevaluation will dampen this latest
excitement. But right now, it looks "breakthrough good."
If and when it continues to look good, I'll publish the new
concepts on our web site and let others critique them.

Best regards,
Len
PanAero, Inc.
(change x to len)
http://www.tour2space.com