Orbiter Romantica (a hypothetical scenarior)

[Keatah]

Orbiter Romantica:

Hypothetically - If by some bit of magic a ship from Orbiter materialized out in the field across town, would you be able to pilot it? Let us take liberty here and assume the controls, displays, and abilities of the ship are exactly like that as portrayed in the simulation. What do you think your skill set would allow you to do?

1- Start the engines and perhaps taxi around town.
2- Complete some atmospheric flying.
3- Do sub-orbital hops.
4- Get into orbit and back down.
5- Make a delivery run to the ISS or something.
6- Get to the moon.
7- Make it to any planet, moon, or asteroid, anytime anyplace.
8- I'm doing experiments designing my own ships and mfd's and have been everywhere already.
9- Hyperdrive babycakes! There is no substitute!

Furthermore, if you were taking your s.o. out on a date, which craft would you choose and why? Where would you go?

 

[Pipcard]

Well, I would think it's too risky.

 

[sorindafabico]

I would do anything with IMFD onboard

 

[Eli13]

I would do anything with IMFD onboard

But would your body be able to withstand some of the G-Forces involved?

 

[Cras]

But would your body be able to withstand some of the G-Forces involved?

Yes?

 

[Ghostrider]

I could probably handle the DGIV-2 without problems - it's got so many autopilot programs it's nigh on impossible to screw up unless you mess up the entry interface, and there's a display to tell you that. Of course I'd take the uberpowered, ubersupplied version just to be on the safe side.

As for the date... Either a single orbit to let her see the sunrise from 250km up or a suborbital hop to a city of her choosing. Unless Brighton Beach base was a reality, and even then a 3-days trip may be too long. Oh well, if the craft has functional baths and a shower, I guess we would know how to pass the time between MCCs.

 

[jedidia]

With the atmosphere model provided by realityTM and me haing no practical piloting expierience whatsoever, I don't think it would end well...

 

[mojoey]

A Tranquility Sea Honeymoon would be epic...

I could...theoretically...pilot Glider's Dragon.

 

[River Crab]

But would your body be able to withstand some of the G-Forces involved?

Real-life Orbiter? MY BODY IS READY.

 

[george7378]

I think I could fly the DG-IV if all the MFDs and autopilot functions were available, and I think I could certainly survive a short mission, but I think the biggest difference would not be in the flying - it would be the disorientation of making the step from a 3D world on a 2D screen to actually having to do everything in a fully immersive 3D world.

 

[sorindafabico]

But would your body be able to withstand some of the G-Forces involved?

G-Force? What is G-Force? :shifty:

 

[Loru]

From all orbiter vessels I want this one:

But seriously I think I could pilot DG-IV from Earth to the Moon. Assuming it will have IMFD and all default and DG-IV specific gizmos.

 

[Ghostrider]

G-Force? What is G-Force? :shifty:

A covert operative FBI team. Guinea pigs. All of them. Except for the star-nosed mole who works as tactical support.

 

[sorindafabico]

Talking seriously, if wikipedia is right, "a typical person can handle about 5 G before losing consciousness", so I can pilot all the DG-like vessels if they were real and have IMFD installed - my reentry peak would be < 3.5 G.

 

[Eli13]

Well, that's if you're lucky enough to find yourself not on a ballistic trajectory. And that's just your reentry, what's the peak for ascent? Or for a hard emergency maneuver in atmosphere?

 

[C3PO]

Hypothetically - If by some bit of magic a ship from Orbiter materialized out in the field across town, would you be able to pilot it? Let us take liberty here and assume the controls, displays, and abilities of the ship are exactly like that as portrayed in the simulation.

Does that include Time acceleration?

Do you think that a 15 year old racing sim wiz would be a good driver? Would a good Starcraft player make a good general?

Sims are good for training particular aspects of real life, and particularly good for training dangerous things that you wouldn't risk doing in real life.

But real life is too complex to be modeled in any sim, and the removal of the [Restart] button does have more impact than most people realize.

 

[sitha241]

I agree that I would (with help of MFD's and some autopilots and fully fueled ship) be able to fly DG-IV 2 in orbit and to ISS and Moon..thats what I would dare to go..and for G forces, few days ago couple of my friends and I went to new-build playground in my village and I opened G-measuring app in my phone and endured 3.2 G in that spinning wheel (carousel?) But it ended me vomiting in bush

I just now realised that sum was 3.2 not actual acceleration..asumed my phone normally shows 9.6 g it was about 2.2 g

 

[sorindafabico]

Well, that's if you're lucky enough to find yourself not on a ballistic trajectory. And that's just your reentry, what's the peak for ascent? Or for a hard emergency maneuver in atmosphere?

Ballistic reentry with DG-like vessel and proper deorbit maneuver?

The ascent peak is < 3 G in XR series if I don't use scram + full main and < 2 G in DG/DGIV.

I know I would need proper training in the real world, but since we're talking about an unlikely situation (an Orbiter spacecraft spawning), I'm considering I would able to control the ship in a "standard" flight.

 

[asbjos]

I think I've heard that the Space Shuttle had about 3 G's at ascent and only 1,5 G's at re-entry.

 

[Eli13]

Does that include Time acceleration?

Do you think that a 15 year old racing sim wiz would be a good driver? Would a good Starcraft player make a good general?

Sims are good for training particular aspects of real life, and particularly good for training dangerous things that you wouldn't risk doing in real life.

But real life is too complex to be modeled in any sim, and the removal of the [Restart] button does have more impact than most people realize.

Well, I'd like to think I'm at least an OK driver.