white knight: air-launched sst

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gg - 11 Dec 2003 22:30 GMT

Would a supersonic jet the size of the spaceship-one gain much performance
by being launched from underneath the white-knight from 48,000ft?

Toby

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Joann Evans - 13 Dec 2003 02:51 GMT

> Would a supersonic jet the size of the spaceship-one gain much performance
> by being launched from underneath the white-knight from 48,000ft?
>
> Toby

I don't understand the question. When complete, SpaceShipOne will be
an air dropped supersonic *rocket.*

And by no means the first one, at that.

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gg - 15 Dec 2003 23:23 GMT

> > Would a supersonic jet the size of the spaceship-one gain much performance
> > by being launched from underneath the white-knight from 48,000ft?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> And by no means the first one, at that.

I was wondered if the range of an air-launched, air-breathing jet aeroplane
the size of spaceshipone would gain much range from being air-launched?
Could it have a much improved mass fraction compared to a similar sized jet
plane that must take off conventionally?

In a similar vein, could a ramjet powered plane (supersonic) be usefully
launched from underneath the whiteknight?

Toby

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Space Forum / Space Flight / December 2003

white knight: air-launched sst