Inflatable Re-entry Rotor System?

(TKalbfus) wrote in message ...
The rotor-driven compressor used to stuff gas into the compressed gas
cylinder would also be reversible as a pneumatically-driven motor.

The rotor hub used to control pitch could use the newer elastomeric
rotor bearing technology:

http://www2.chicago-rawhide.com/aero...lastomeric.htm

Comments?

Presumable it would touch down at the Kennedy Space center, why is recharging
the battery considered important at that point?


Well, capturing the rotational energy of the rotors for later use
could then be applied to power the rotors for a controlled final
touchdown. This would allow the spacecraft to function out of
conventional airports, since it would be landing like a regular
helicopter (ie. the Roton philosophy).

Some other fellow who responded to my post, said that it might be more
efficient to use the rotors themselves as a flywheel, by weighting the
rotor tips. This would allow them to directly capture the rotational
energy, and avoid further conversion losses, and would simplify the
sytem and reduce the mass of further equipment required. Pretty clever
suggestion. Perhaps the centrifugal force of the weighted tips could
also help to keep the rotors rigid.

I would also wonder if electrorheological fluid or some other
electrically/magnetically-sensitive property could be used to make a
rotor that is suddenly stiff or flaccid on demand.