[Project] G42-200 StarLiner

[halcyon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarvesteR

 We don't see airline pilots wearing ACES suits (thankfully), so why should G42 pilots wear them?

Because commercial aircraft don't go into space. The G42 does.

[Hlynkacg]

And yet the crew of a submarine doesn't usually wear scuba gear.

[Eli13]

yes but they dont often have to abort or take scuba dives. And its slightly safer per fatality percentage.

[Moach]

but thing is.... if a pressure leak is detected shortly after takeoff, a G42 crew would not be in space...

unlike a vertical launch vehicle, a space-plane pilot has a lot of time to rethink his plans and turn the ship around if a situation were to arise....
so i think the pressure suit is a bit of overprotection IMHO... it's not like the G42 could suffer fatal decompression within seconds shortly after launch and put the crew in a now-we're-screwed scenario...

it actually quite a smooth ride up there... in case something goes wrong, just throttle down, let her coast back and find somewhere not too embarrassing to ditch

[Eli13]

then again, if its flying someone important, they're gonna have some overkill saftey protocols. (pun intended.) plus the last thing anyone wants is someones remains shipped back in a box, military or not. we prefer not to use UCGO coffins.

[Moach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eli13

 then again, if its flying someone important, they're gonna have some overkill saftey protocols. (pun intended.) plus the last thing anyone wants is someones remains shipped back in a box, military or not. we prefer not to use UCGO coffins.

do i hear a call for an Air-Force-One repaint within those lines?

[Eli13]

well as nice as that would be.... sure why not?

[Fabri91]

I'll bet Raymond Loewy, who designed the livery, would never have guessed what one day would wear it!

[Eli13]

His Stute Avanti perhaps? Man i love that car.

[Moach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by halcyon

 (...) commercial aircraft don't go into space. The G42 does.

it sure does!





yes - this means i have succeeded in finding a realistic setting in which the G42-200 is capable of SSTO operation!


this pic was taken a few mins after MECO from the test ascent - about 15% oxy remained in the 85k tank... fuel had a little more slack - an excellent result, considering this test launch was for a direct-up ISS shuttle scenario without any actual cargo in the bay...


i reckon this should guarantee the ability to fly the infamous intercept-leg (which allows KSC-to-moon* launch) whilst being fuel-tight enough so that DARTS and external tanks would be needed to pull off such a stunt with a heavy payload

also, the slack in fuel vs oxidizer should also allow something quite unprecedented in space-flight -- the G42 can perform a powered approach and landing - and quite possibly, taxi itself back to the ramp afterwards

and most gloriously, the launch was done with an 80% fuel load in the main tanks (205k max, took off with ~180k)
this means we can also taxi TO the runway before a flight


i think i'm happy with the engines, now... -finally- that is

guess now we need those OMS jets

[halcyon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hlynkacg

 And yet the crew of a submarine doesn't usually wear scuba gear.

Okay, question.
Will the G42 go completely into space? At least to LEO?
From what I've seen, the answer is yes.
The space shuttle also goes into LEO.
They wear suits on ascent and reentry, in case the cabin loses pressure.

And we're talking about space lol.
What does a submarine have to do with it?

[Eli13]

I think hes referring to leaks, scuba as a crude comparison to ACES suits. I got what he was saying, as in leaks and human safety.

[Moach]

ok, the '42 is now reentry-rated

i have successfully (perhaps not too graciously, though) completed a reentry, descent, approach and landing - following the same test flight i started earlier...

it was NOT a standard reentry, i must say... i'm not quite sure what series of pilot-mistakes
on my end put me in this situation, but it's nice to know that the G42 can handle a "spiral reentry" as i call it...

i had done this before, and the idea is this - instead of using high AoA to stall 'er and bluntly descend into subsonic flight (which requires heavy RCS correction throughout the descent) i flew a VERY off-course glide path... aerobrakeMFD was showing my impact point somewhere in the amazon, rather than KSC, which i had targeted

but if one turns the ship to almost 90 degrees of bank, all that lift energy is converted into direction change... i did manage to somehow keep it under control (X52 FTW), and did a high-velocity fly-by of the Caribbean, Mexico and other parts of the gulf, before gliding it back to Florida

the toughest part of the flight involved an ill-advised but survivable 5g turn... nothing the G42 can't handle, but mostly incompatible with space-tourism flights, i guess...

the RCS system was switched OFF as soon as i got any responsiveness from the ACS... i did not have to turn it back on after that

anyways, i got it to stop just around the KSC area... a few more turns to bleed off excess velocity and i went subsonic just over the runway... after i glided her down below 10k, i ram-started the engines and flew it down just like a regular airliner to a very satisfying centerline touchdown



the OMS thrusters are still not installed, tho

[halcyon]

So the reentry is similar to the shuttle s-turns to maintain a high AoA without skipping out of the atmosphere?

Cool! Maybe I can use GlideslopeMFD on the WIP-1 test.

[Grover]

But if we can get attitude hold AP, along with CoG shift, then high AoA reentry will be possible, and not so heavy on the RCS either.

Should be an interesting WIP test, with mostly manual controls, theres sure gonna be variety