Replies

I sure hope this hasn't been posted at an earlier date but this link leads to cornucopia of nicely cataloged airshows and a rich offering of rare warbird pics. Click on the flaming F-111 at the bottom of the page to access tons of airshow louges: http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/SpaceShipOne2004

1 posted on 07/12/2004 7:40:58 AM PDT by PeteePie

Nice! Thanks for posting the link to the pictures.

2 posted on 07/12/2004 7:51:05 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer

Woohoo. Capitalists in space!!

3 posted on 07/12/2004 8:05:04 AM PDT by farfromhome (Was Clinton a good president? That depends on what your definition of 'was' is.)

Great photos and narration.

Thanks

4 posted on 07/12/2004 8:16:09 AM PDT by skyman

Thanks much. We were there and loved the show. Everyone was walking around with huge grins plastered on their faces.

5 posted on 07/12/2004 8:56:08 AM PDT by Mycroft Holmes (Fnord!)

6 posted on 07/12/2004 12:32:12 PM PDT by snopercod (The very basis of our freedom is that we are a Federation of Sovereign States -- Ronald Reagan)

Seems SpaceShipOne is scheduled for the X-Prize attempt in late September.

8 posted on 07/12/2004 12:39:50 PM PDT by RightWhale (Withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and establish property rights)

We didn't realize it at the time, but there were a couple of serious malfunctions as the craft accelerated to more than Mach 2.9 (2150 mph or 3460 km/h). About 7 seconds after ignition, a 60 knot (70 mph or 110 km/h) wind shear caused an unintended 90 degree rotation, which the pilot corrected. Just 10 seconds after starting its climb it reached Mach 1, and the rocket continued burning for another 66 seconds before automatically shutting down.

Late during this powered phase, one of the motors which control the trim adjustment malfunctioned and although Melvill quickly swapped to a backup system the ship wasn't quite at the right angle as it climbed. The combined anomalies put it 20 miles off course and ultimately cost about 30,000 feet of altitude.

This very nearly resulted in the failure of the test to reach its initial goal of 100 kilometers, in fact SpaceShipOne ended up getting to an altitude of 100,124 meters - only one tenth of one percent above its target altitude, and quite a long way short of the intended altitude of 108,000 meters..

9 posted on 07/12/2004 12:41:57 PM PDT by snopercod (The very basis of our freedom is that we are a Federation of Sovereign States -- Ronald Reagan)

Thanks for the link! The pictures were outstanding! And so were the ones at the photo gallery link at the bottom of the page. I can see I'm going to spend a lot of time checking out all that's there. Thanks again!

10 posted on 07/12/2004 3:07:14 PM PDT by GBA

Excellent commentary and pics!

12 posted on 07/12/2004 6:27:47 PM PDT by B4Ranch (We're going to take things away from you (guns) on behalf of the common good." Hillary 6/29/2004)

Tuned in on TV for the flight, it was really a great moment. *BUMP*

15 posted on 07/13/2004 8:38:56 AM PDT by newzjunkey (No more Floridas: Can "W" actually win this thing outright?)

18 posted on 07/14/2004 6:20:11 AM PDT by Professional Engineer (Yes, you are special. Just like the rest of us.)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794