"I believe the Rutan thing will only (!) fly at around mach two point something...still an amazing achievement for a private venture. "
..which makes this feat all the more remarkable... the big players have been using a sledgehammer to crack a nut !
well ok, it's not that simple.
Surely the physicists out there must be able to tell us if this concept is good for a truly orbital flight ?
It is refreshing to see Rutan and his team getting the headlines for a venture that is a credit to the USA.