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Rocket Racing League
Was reading this latest announcement:
http://www.rocketracingleague.com So when they say "rocket racing," I'm assuming that they mean a vehicle with onboard oxidizer and fuel propellant, as opposed to air-breathing jet aircraft. I guess that stipulation would be useful, as far as focusing impetus on propulsion systems useful for spaceflight. But they seem to be pitching the Long-EZ as the stock model for this competition. Isn't that a bit confining in regards to harnessing competition to stimulate useful design innovations? I realize that there aren't a whole lot of designs on hand to choose from when starting a brand new competition like this, but will they allow people to branch out from this design, or will the specifications be very tight? Other than providing a festive sporting event, is the goal of this competition to stimulate newer and better types of rocket aircraft, or rather purely to hone the skills of competing pilots using a single common rocket platform? Even in NASCAR, IndyCar, FormulaOne, they allow for a certain amount of customization of the vehicle, so that the competing drivers can obtain an edge on the vehicle side, rather than relying purely on driving skills alone. Also, I notice that the rocket-powered LongEZ has that alcohol fueltank slung low on the underside of the craft. I assume that's for safety in keeping the tank away from the fuselage, but isn't that thing hung too low near the ground? If you were to have a hard landing at the end of the race, causing the landing gear to buckle, wouldn't that tank possibly end up scraping the ground, possibly even igniting the fuel? I dunno, just my opinion, but either they need to lengthen that landing gear, or else bring the tank a little closer to the fuselage. Comments? |
#3
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On 2005-10-06, wrote:
I agree with your comments. It can not really help with inovation using a stock plane. Apparently a new model is in development for use after the Long-Ez , but I feel it would be best to have an open competition to stimulate research and development of new ideas, engines etc. Maybe it is there plan after the concept of the competion has been proven to create an Unlimited Rocket class. The reports I read suggested they've announced a stock model to start it off, simply due to the fact that if "build your own" was a prequisite they'd get a lot fewer entrants. They seemed happy to go with privately-designed models in future. -- -Andrew Gray |
#4
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In article ,
Andrew Gray wrote: On 2005-10-06, wrote: I agree with your comments. It can not really help with inovation using a stock plane. Apparently a new model is in development for use after the Long-Ez , but I feel it would be best to have an open competition to stimulate research and development of new ideas, engines etc. Maybe it is there plan after the concept of the competion has been proven to create an Unlimited Rocket class. The reports I read suggested they've announced a stock model to start it off, simply due to the fact that if "build your own" was a prequisite they'd get a lot fewer entrants. They seemed happy to go with privately-designed models in future. If they are going to fly races requireing refuelling several times then that might well push fast-turnaround technology. If you can fly for 15 minutes on a tankful, and everyone takes 15 minutes to refuel, then the team that figures out how to refuel in 10 minutes will win. -- Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+- Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O---------- |
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Bruce Hoult wrote:
If they are going to fly races requireing refuelling several times then that might well push fast-turnaround technology. If you can fly for 15 minutes on a tankful, and everyone takes 15 minutes to refuel, then the team that figures out how to refuel in 10 minutes will win. I think a team that figures out how to make a tankful of fuel last for 15 minutes is going to win, even if it takes twenty minutes to refuel. |
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wrote:
I agree with your comments. It can not really help with inovation using a stock plane. Apparently a new model is in development for use after the Long-Ez , but I feel it would be best to have an open competition to stimulate research and development of new ideas, engines etc. Maybe it is there plan after the concept of the competion has been proven to create an Unlimited Rocket class. I'm not sure, but I seem to remember reading somewhere in the last year or so, of someone re-making (though not with the same rocket engine design) the Me-163 Komet.... -- You know what to remove, to reply.... http://www.geocities.com/stardolphin1/link2.htm |
#7
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In article ,
Joann Evans wrote: I'm not sure, but I seem to remember reading somewhere in the last year or so, of someone re-making (though not with the same rocket engine design) the Me-163 Komet.... That was one of the ideas XCOR floated -- along with a Bell X-1 replica -- at the time that they had built rocket engines but didn't have anything to demonstrate them on. When no customers appeared wanting an X-1 or Me-163 replica they put their engines onto the chief engineer's personal Long-Ez as a demonstration aircraft. -- Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+- Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O---------- |
#8
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Bruce Hoult wrote: I'm not sure, but I seem to remember reading somewhere in the last year or so, of someone re-making (though not with the same rocket engine design) the Me-163 Komet.... That was one of the ideas XCOR floated -- along with a Bell X-1 replica -- at the time that they had built rocket engines but didn't have anything to demonstrate them on. "Fly your own Me-163 Komet!" No, if I were trying to convince people my product was safe, that wouldn't be the plane I'd choose to rebuild...still, could be worse: "Fly your own Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka Kamikaze! It's "Baka" to the future with XCOR's newest fly'n fliver! Comes with free tanto knife, headband, and bottle of saki...you'll be the hit of Fleet Week when you buzz an American carrier in your sleek gray beauty. (Note: Recommended for experienced pilots only, as it has no landing gear)" ;-) |
#9
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On 2005-10-07, Joann Evans wrote:
wrote: I agree with your comments. It can not really help with inovation using a stock plane. Apparently a new model is in development for use after the Long-Ez , but I feel it would be best to have an open competition to stimulate research and development of new ideas, engines etc. Maybe it is there plan after the concept of the competion has been proven to create an Unlimited Rocket class. I'm not sure, but I seem to remember reading somewhere in the last year or so, of someone re-making (though not with the same rocket engine design) the Me-163 Komet.... Someone was certainly building half-a-dozen Me-262 replicas a couple of years back. (IIRC, a major problem was fitting in the engines - the cowlings were far too big for them!) -- -Andrew Gray |
#10
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Andrew Gray wrote: Someone was certainly building half-a-dozen Me-262 replicas a couple of years back. (IIRC, a major problem was fitting in the engines - the cowlings were far too big for them!) http://www.stormbirds.com/project/general/updates.htm Pat |
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