BTW I don't know to what extent the philosophy behind SS2 parallels that of SS1, but that craft was approached with maximum simplicity: direct control linkage (a hard landing was caused by a vacuum lock), minimum automation. Ironically, given the patriotism of the likes of SS1 pilot Brian Binnie, more a Soviet-program kind of minimalist pragmatism. When posts here have queried protections in the avionics over the past few days, I have repeatedly been reminded just how seat-of-the-pants SS1 very much seemed to be.