Here’s a great video of SpaceShipTwo‘s latest test flight over New Mexico. It’s scheduled to carry its first paying passengers later this year. I recommend watching it in full-screen mode.
Wish I could afford to take a trip aboard her . . .
Peter
The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Here’s a great video of SpaceShipTwo‘s latest test flight over New Mexico. It’s scheduled to carry its first paying passengers later this year. I recommend watching it in full-screen mode.
Wish I could afford to take a trip aboard her . . .
Peter
Cool. What's the sparks / lightning / string or whatever shipping around the nozzle around 1:20 or so, and a little later when viewed straight back from the fuselage around 1:50?
Those are some interesting little gyrations both in pitch and roll during the pitch up… Makes me wonder about control authority…
That looks like fun. Given the ability & $$$ to do so, I'd go in a New York minute.
Pretty bird. Looks like a good ride, but I do not need to be one of the first, but maybe some day.
Rolf: at a good guess, this thing's basically a glider on re-entry. Gliders tend to have a string (or several) that tell the pilot which way the airflow is going over the nose, to they can correct for being the tiniest bit askew. (Instant response, too – no instrument lag to string in the airflow.) Therefore, I'd hazard it's a string, for the same purpose.
OldNFO – makes me wonder how much air they've actually got going over the surfaces – and when do they pass through mach 1 on the way down? The very concept of a supersonic glider stretches my brain.