VSS Enterprise completes first flight under its carrier aircraft

In sci.space.policy Jeff Findley wrote:
The fueselage design for SS2 and WK2 are shared, so they both have
lots of windows. The nose art is interesting too. ;-)

Indeed. Given the origins of the name for the mother ship, the nose
art would do Oedipus proud Well that tears it I suspect I'll be on
the Virgin Galactic no-fly list for that one

From there being only the one windshield wiper on the far starboard
window I guess they don't expect a co-pilot to have to fly the WK2 in
bad weather.

rick jones
--
I don't interest myself in "why." I think more often in terms of
"when," sometimes "where;" always "how much." - Joubert
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway...
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...

Rick Jones writes:
From there being only the one windshield wiper on the far starboard
window I guess they don't expect a co-pilot to have to fly the WK2 in
bad weather.

Um, I think the lighting is playing games here. If I look carefully
enough I think I can see a wiper on the 'close' starboard window
as well.

For the WK2 is there only one 'pilot' position per 'pod'?
So does that mean the pilot and co-pilot are physically separate?
I don't believe the WK1 even *had* a co-pilot...

?

Dave

In sci.space.policy David Spain wrote:
Rick Jones writes:
From there being only the one windshield wiper on the far starboard
window I guess they don't expect a co-pilot to have to fly the WK2 in
bad weather.

Um, I think the lighting is playing games here. If I look carefully
enough I think I can see a wiper on the 'close' starboard window
as well.

Hmm, looking at the full resolution shot, I think I see what you are
talking about, but to me it looks like reflection, nothing more. Of
course, my eyes ain't exactly 20/20. Still, there are similarly long and
thin bright streaks following that line forward towards the nose.

I found another image at:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...26tbs%3Disch:1

which, unless it got reversed somewhere, shows no wipers on the
inboard port side where we see the bright streak in the wikipedia
image. (looking at the second picture, towing must be fun - looks like
it is going to use a pair of tugs so I guess that means two tug
drivers)

rick jones
--
the road to hell is paved with business decisions...
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway...
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...

On 3/25/2010 6:44 AM, Jeff Findley wrote:

They aren't selling trips to the middle class (i.e. this isn't marketed to
the same people who are looking for "deals" on cruise liners). Instead,
it's going to be a joy ride for the rich and famous. These are the same
sort of people who would book flights on the Concorde when it was still
flying and who think nothing of dropping $100k plus for yet another car in
their stable. Why? Because they can!

This is similar to early airlines. They were only affordable by the rich an
famous. When the rich were traveling long distances by airplanes, the
middle class was still stuck traveling by slow, smoke belching coal fired
trains and ships.

Note that the Concorde is now out of service, and no one is scrambling
to replicate its abilities in a new SST to appeal to the clientele who
used it, including one that its designers probably never anticipated:
supermodels crossing the Atlantic as fast as possible to keep their skin
from drying out in the low pressure dry air of an airliner's cabin.
The Concorde also had the advantage of taking you from one place to
another...as currently planned, SS2 will take off and land at the same
airport, which means it really is basically a hyper-expensive amusement
park ride.
For that matter, they can't even get a supersonic business jet project
off of the ground.
Once SpaceShip 2 comes on line its first flights will be full due to the
bragging rights of saying you've been in space.
Those bragging rights are going to be considerably less impressive once
several dozen people have done it, and I think that it's going to be
hard to keep the operation profitable after the first couple of years.
For starters, it really doesn't have the cachet of having flown on a
orbital flight, and who of the rich and famous wants to settle for
second best?
Sure, owning a Ferrari Testarossa is impressive...until the guy shows up
in the Bugatti Veyron at 250 mph, and your trophy wife attaches herself
to his crotch like a lamprey. :-)


Pat

On 3/25/2010 7:50 AM, David Spain wrote:

There's no friendships formed like those formed when sharing a life
threatning risk together

That's just what Jesse James used to think when he was banging away on
those sluts in his office while poor Sandra Bullock just trustingly
waited out in the Monster Garage.
But those tattooed bitches turned on him the first chance they got, and
now "Razzie"'s life is in ruins.
Now picture that happening on a tourist spaceship, and you have the plot
for Lifetime Movie Channel's new movie: "Star-Cursed Lovers".

Pat

On 3/25/2010 9:05 AM, Rick Jones wrote:


I wonder if WK2 has windows in the roof,

Yes, it does:
http://www.liftingfaces.com/2008/07/...hite-knight-2/

Pat

On 3/25/2010 9:51 AM, Jeff Findley wrote:

The fueselage design for SS2 and WK2 are shared, so they both have lots of
windows. The nose art is interesting too. ;-)

That's "Galactic Girl"... based on a old photo of Branson's mom, Eve:
http://www.lemonodor.com/archives/im...actic-girl.jpg

Pat

On 3/25/2010 10:32 AM, David Spain wrote:

For the WK2 is there only one 'pilot' position per 'pod'?
So does that mean the pilot and co-pilot are physically separate?
I don't believe the WK1 even *had* a co-pilot...

Both pilot and copilot are in the left fuselage; the right fuselage
doesn't have a flight deck:
http://www.eaa.org/news/2008/2008-01-24_ss2.asp

Pat

On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:28:31 -0800, Pat Flannery wrote:

virgin

Why does that crap fascinate so many people? It's a lousy sounding
rocket. It is orders of magnitude away from LEO.

I think people just don't understand. It plays on their ignorance.

On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:26:09 -0400, David Spain wrote:

At $1,000 with or without a Zero-G experience, it'd be my highest ride
to date, on an aircraft with incredible views, comfortable seats and a
suborbital launch viewing stand that couldn't be beat!

This vehicle will have longer lines for paying customers than SS2
will....

Dave

Well shoot. I'll make you barf for $100. Why do you want to pay so much?