Suborbitals & ranges

[Hurricane]

Well I saw that although most (real-life) suborbitals get really fast, they barely go far. How come? And is it possible to extend the range?

 

[mojoey]

The higher you go, the range will increase, the decrease due to the rotation of the Earth. A combination for pitch and height will increase the range. As to the particulars of it all...no idea.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Well, it depends on the intended mission. SS1/2 for example, just need to go up and down, not downrange. In fact, they want to minimize the ground track, so they can keep a small restricted airspace for their flights. They are therefor optimized for a quick climb and descent. SS3, on the other hand, will be for long-range hops. That design will need to be drastically different, with great l/d for the mach 5+ region. the two styles of craft are very different.

 

[Hurricane]

And what about the X-15? Same story? It could go up as high as the Karman line, where there's almost no air to oppose its motion.
And basically can the X-15 go farther than 450 kilometers?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Yeah, that's the general idea. However, it was optimized for research on materials and environmental conditions, not range. Put a larger lifting surface on it, like a larger wing, and you could "skip" along the upper atmosphere. Try it with a stock DG or a G42 on reentry. Just keep a shallow angle (and the wings in HPC position on the G42) and ride along.

 

[Hurricane]

Okay, got the idea. I can make it go farther :thumbup:
That's good to know, I will use that info! :tiphat:

~Thanks alot!