EZ + jet

Add a small jet propulsion to each wing tip of EZ plane and draw fuel
from wing tanks. After reach 5 mile altitude, jettison jet engines and
fire up rocket, drawing fuel from separate tank attached to bottom of
EZ. Reach 62 mile altitude. Eliminate need of mother ship like the
White Knight. Feasible or no?

Rich wrote:

Add a small jet propulsion to each wing tip of EZ plane and draw fuel
from wing tanks. After reach 5 mile altitude, jettison jet engines and
fire up rocket, drawing fuel from separate tank attached to bottom of
EZ. Reach 62 mile altitude. Eliminate need of mother ship like the
White Knight. Feasible or no?



Jets way out on the wingtips mean that if one quits, the plane is going
to end up in a spin in no time flat.
You'd need a very large belly tank to get to 62 miles altitude, and the
plane is neither heat resistant enough or structurally strong enough to
withstand the reentry. SpaceShipOne got fairly hot on the way back into
the atmosphere.
You'd also need more powerful rockets that generate more thrust than the
vehicle weighs, as the wings will become ineffective at around 100,000
feet, and a reaction control system to keep the aircraft properly
aligned while it is outside the atmosphere.
By the time you made all the changes that would be required, the
aircraft would end up looking like SpaceShipOne.

Pat