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#31
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On Thu, 6 Oct 2005 11:05:05 -0400, "Your Name Here"
wrote: Why not? Other than the League of Women Voters, Little League, and 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the only other leagues that come readily to mind are organizations of fictitious super heroes. Ok. There was the League of Nations, but it was another grandiose failure. And who can forget the Hanseatic League? Gotta admit the project is interesting, from the engineering and logistics point of view. The airplanes themselves will have to be shipped from venue to venue, as will all the specialist gear to service them, the pit stations, the jumbotron screens, etc. When you add the aircraft assemblers and pit stop crews (who might be the same people) and the computer and video operations folks, this is a pretty big logistical tail. The rocket technicians, at minimum, will be on a full-time payroll and while the computer and video gear could be rented, the rocket-specific stuff can't. So it's an expensive operation, especially if there are only a few events per year. But Dr. Diamandis is rich, so breaking even isn't a big driver. I'd guess it will be the first time that two or more rocket-powered aircraft have been in flight at the same time at the same location. If they do implement the "pit stop" aspect, that will undoubtedly be the first time a manned rocket system has been designed for rapid refueling. The Xcor people have made two flights within a few hours, but the RRL is talking minutes, not hours. All the avionics will probably be powered by batteries (rockets don't run generators).... which means if the RRL is planning a whole afternoon's worth or racin', they'll need to either rapid-charge the batteries or plan on including a rapid battery-switch capability at the pit stops. With a differential-GPS-based navigation system used for separation, they'll probably need dual electrical systems. They certainly could operate a separate APU, running on ordinary fuel, but that does increase weight and complexity. The use of a rocket mostly drives them to a canard configuration, and that might be a problem. One reason folks didn't like the Solitaire canard sailplane is that the canard tended to block the visibility when flying with other sailplanes in a thermal. I'd guess the same thing applies to racing. And then we get the whole racing aspect. The comparison is made to NASCAR, which probably isn't too apt. After all, the cars on the NASCAR circuit are owned by different racing teams, which I understand are quite competitive. All the planes in the RRL are being built to the same design, and will be operated by one "team"...the RRL itself. Of course, NASCAR has some fairly stringent limitations which tend to even out the performance differences between cars. Which makes it a competition against *drivers*...who can pick the best line into the curves, who has the guts to ride six inches behind another car and save fuel by drafting, who can bluff out and intimidate other drivers, etc. And of course, the RRL will have NONE of that. The pilots won't need any "race smarts" since they're following pre-programmed courses. "Each pilot will follow his or her own "virtual tunnel" of space with the aid of satellite-navigation technology, safely separated from their competitors by a minimum distance" (BBC News). Any good autopilot can do that. In any case, the race pilots will be following a computer-generated course, "safely separated from their competitors." NASCAR drivers will be laughing their tails off. Plus, of course, since the tracks are pre-programmed...the winner of the "race" is already known, right? This is starting to sound less like NASCAR and more like pro wrestling. :-) I'm really neutral about auto racing, but I have to admit the starts are exciting...dozens of cars, packed in the tight group, hauling down the straightaway waiting for the green flag. Nothing like that in the RRL:"... the X-racers will take off from a runway both in a staggered fashion and side-by side..." I'm betting they won't be able to launch more than two at a time, side-by-side, but it should be fun to watch...I bet there's never before been a formation takeoff of rocket planes. Although it really won't be "formation," since the engines aren't throttleable. Hard to fly formation without fine adjustments of engine power. Staggered takeoffs work at Reno since the planes can go aloft and join up into a start formation. But the X-racers only have four minutes of fuel. That'll take some careful planning to join up more than two airplanes for an in-air start so that they'll have the same amount of fuel and be at the same altitude. TWO airplanes, it's no problem...launch at the same time, and stay balls-out until they complete the course. However, I expect they probably won't cram more than two of these things across a typical runway. What they might do is arrange separate courses for the planes, all set to converge at the finish line so that each plane will have some fuel left. They can then finish by racing past the checkered flag with rockets a'blazing. In this case, planes launched FIRST may be at an advantage...since they'll probably be lighter since they've burned off more fuel. But then, we forget the pit stop. The race may indeed go longer than the ten minutes or so of flight the rocket fuel gives them. Watching the pit crews is one aspect of NASCAR that I find interesting... watching the cars get fueled, have their tires changed, suspensions tweaked, and sometimes even minor damage repaired in 20 seconds or less. The RRL pit stops are expected to take about forty times longer. Kind of lacks drama. From what little information is given on the web page, it's obvious that the RRL will show very little "head to head" racing like Reno. In car races, it's pretty easy to tell who to watch. But I suspect the computer tote boards will be the only way for RRL viewers and attendees to tell what's happening. As a NOVELTY item, though...it sounds pretty cool. I'll probably go, if one's held locally. Might even watch it on TV...but it sounds like an event that just screams for TIVO. Ron Wanttaja |
#32
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"Morgans" wrote in message
... Who would be willing to sit in a plane of this type, while it is being refueled? Not the pilots mentioned, with the possible exception of zoomie. Who will be a pit crew member, once they realized what they are being asked to do? I can't imagine who, can you? Hmmm...... Instead of refueling the plane, have the pilot jump in a second one which is ready to go. Then the pit crew can refuel the first one, switch batteries, etc. Non-stop action in the air and on the ground. Rich "Shoot the swamp rat, Luke. Use the force. . ." S. |
#33
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"Ron Wanttaja" wrote As a NOVELTY item, though...it sounds pretty cool. I'll probably go, if one's held locally. Might even watch it on TV...but it sounds like an event that just screams for TIVO. You are being very kind, tonight. It sounds like it will have all the drama of watching paint dry, to me. This is all supposing that it happens, which I suspect it won't. The money man didn't get the money by being stupid, and sooner of later, he will understand that he has been conned. Of course, some people say they watch racing to see wrecks. Those people will no doubt enjoy seeing the explosions that will happen during the pit stop. Not if, but when; if they try to rush this type of refueling activity. Once again, smarter heads will prevail, I suspect. Who would be willing to sit in a plane of this type, while it is being refueled? Not the pilots mentioned, with the possible exception of zoomie. Who will be a pit crew member, once they realized what they are being asked to do? I can't imagine who, can you? -- Jim in NC |
#34
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One accidental spill of the propellent and the explosion in the pits
would make Hiroshima look like a wet match. Frank M.Hitlaw Jakarta,Indonesia |
#35
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On Fri, 7 Oct 2005 00:02:40 -0400, "Morgans" wrote:
"Ron Wanttaja" wrote As a NOVELTY item, though...it sounds pretty cool. I'll probably go, if one's held locally. Might even watch it on TV...but it sounds like an event that just screams for TIVO. You are being very kind, tonight. It sounds like it will have all the drama of watching paint dry, to me. MXC has been into repeats for quite a while...guess I'm getting desperate for quasi-sports. :-) The analogy didn't occur to me until a bit later, but what the "racing" actually consists of is near-simultaneous independent time trials. EVERYONE is just flying against the clock. Like I said, they can arrange the routes so that all the given trials end at the same time, but that's artificial. This is all supposing that it happens, which I suspect it won't. The money man didn't get the money by being stupid, and sooner of later, he will understand that he has been conned. Diamandis is the man behind the X-Prize. I've indicated my opinion of the uselessness of sub-orbital flight in past postings, but the man's tactic worked. A rocket was built to take the prize, and several other contestants were getting close. Instead of the ground-hugging rocket league, if Diamandis just put his efforts into a "Y-Prize" (for the first spacecraft to stay above 100 km for more than 90 minutes, and repeat the flight within two weeks) that would REALLY be worth something. We need cheap travel to low Earth orbit more than terrestrial bread and circuses. I don't see the rocket league as a money-making enterprise, but, hey, it's his money. If he gets his rocks off by collecting rocket ships and sycophants, that's his business. Of course, some people say they watch racing to see wrecks. Those people will no doubt enjoy seeing the explosions that will happen during the pit stop. Not if, but when; if they try to rush this type of refueling activity. Once again, smarter heads will prevail, I suspect. Who would be willing to sit in a plane of this type, while it is being refueled? Not the pilots mentioned, with the possible exception of zoomie. Who will be a pit crew member, once they realized what they are being asked to do? I can't imagine who, can you? Well...remember, the Xcor-type rockets are fueled with alcohol. No more dangerous, really, the fuels used any other type of racing. True, they also have to include a big load of liquid oxygen. Xcor's Long-EZ puts the oxygen in tanks where the passenger normally sits. I really know nothing about handing LOX, but I wouldn't want to sit in the front seat during loading. Still, remember that these are NOT competitive vehicles. The designers can add safety barriers and whatnot, and it won't affect racing because all the aircraft are of identical design. Your point about "watching races to see wrecks" has another corollary. In NASCAR, wrecks are expected and don't interrupt the show longer than it takes to sweep the plastic and metal off the track. A wreck during a rocket league event is different...the airfield would close down, and that's the end of it. The average NASCAR fan will probably be quite incensed. And just think how the other pilots feel if one of them splatters the only runway when all the other racers have expended their four minutes of rocket fuel. Ron "Vr...and Bingo!" Wanttaja |
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