SpaceShipOne Busts Sound Barrier

A good way to celebrate the anniversary.

http://www.scaled.com/projects/tiero...ews/121703.htm

They're getting good. Well done to Burt and the team!

..spade.

"Rand Simberg" wrote in message
...
A good way to celebrate the anniversary.

http://www.scaled.com/projects/tiero...ews/121703.htm

This is some of the best news for private space, ever, with a promise of the
best being yet to come.
".spade." wrote in message
...
They're getting good. Well done to Burt and the team!

.spade.

"Rand Simberg" wrote in message
...
A good way to celebrate the anniversary.

http://www.scaled.com/projects/tiero...ews/121703.htm

http://www.scaled.com/projects/tiero...ews/121703.htm

Not only did they break the sound barrier, but they did some tests of
the inflight reconfiguration (is there a less awkward term? Maybe
not, since I'm not particularly aware of other aircraft that have a
similar capability):

He then configured the ship in its high-drag "feathered" shape to
simulate the condition it will experience when it enters the
atmosphere after a space flight. . . . After descending in feathered
flight for about a minute, Brian reconfigured the ship to its
conventional glider shape and flew a 12-minute glide to landing at
Scaled's home airport of Mojave.

Hard to believe this is the first small company supersonic aircraft,
but I can't think of a counterexample.

"Jim Kingdon" wrote in message
news
Hard to believe this is the first small company supersonic aircraft,
but I can't think of a counterexample.

Jim Bede's BD-10. At least two were built and flown. They had a top speed of
930 mph.

-Kim-

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 04:31:10 -0800 (PST), in a place far, far away,
"Kim Keller" made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:

"Jim Kingdon" wrote in message
news
Hard to believe this is the first small company supersonic aircraft,
but I can't think of a counterexample.

Jim Bede's BD-10. At least two were built and flown. They had a top speed of
930 mph.

A theoretical top speed perhaps. I don't think they ever achieved it,
or anything close.

h (Rand Simberg) wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 04:31:10 -0800 (PST), in a place far, far away,
"Kim Keller" made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:

"Jim Kingdon" wrote in message
news
Hard to believe this is the first small company supersonic aircraft,
but I can't think of a counterexample.

Jim Bede's BD-10. At least two were built and flown. They had a top speed of
930 mph.

A theoretical top speed perhaps. I don't think they ever achieved it,
or anything close.

Right-o. At least two BD-10 rekitted themselves inflight arounf Mach 0.8.

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 04:31:10 -0800 (PST), "Kim Keller"
wrote:

"Jim Kingdon" wrote in message
news
Hard to believe this is the first small company supersonic aircraft,
but I can't think of a counterexample.

Jim Bede's BD-10. At least two were built and flown. They had a top speed of
930 mph.

Er, they may well have had, but they never flew anywhere near that
fast. When discussing aircraft, like other vehicles, it's important
to keep actual and predicted number separate.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer

"Mary Shafer" wrote in message
...
Er, they may well have had, but they never flew anywhere near that
fast. When discussing aircraft, like other vehicles, it's important
to keep actual and predicted number separate.

Sorry. I was under the impression they had.

-Kim-

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 19:00:13 -0800 (PST), "Kim Keller"
wrote:

"Mary Shafer" wrote in message
...
Er, they may well have had, but they never flew anywhere near that
fast. When discussing aircraft, like other vehicles, it's important
to keep actual and predicted number separate.

Sorry. I was under the impression they had.

Don't be sorry. You thought exactly what they wanted you to think and
they were very clever about it.

I'm not sure, and the SETP proceedings are still boxed up so I can't
check, that the BD-10 ever got above Mach 0.8 or so. At first it was
an engine-inlet problem but I think it turned into a aerodynamic
problem (predicted thrust not being enough, meaning the engine didn't
meet spec or drag was much higher than expected).

Now, this is all by memory and is probably seriously wrong here and
there, so don't believe the details, just the general outline. Bede
sold off the BD-10, subsequent owners didn't have any more success
going over Mach 1, at least two prototypes crashed and killed the
pilot (who was the owner, I think), and, maybe, the BD-10 has lost
enough momentum that's it's over.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer