Virgin Galactic - Powered Flight

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29th Apr 2013, 20:11

#1 (permalink)

smujsmith

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Virgin Galactic - Powered Flight

Looks like Sir Richard has a powered spaceship now -

Galactic is go! Richard Branson's tourist spaceship makes it first powered flight | Mail Online

That's a hell of a reheat plume

Smudge

29th Apr 2013, 20:32

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BBK

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Standing by to be corrected but I believe it's a rocket motor so not exactly reheat!!

Also, military???

29th Apr 2013, 20:50

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500N

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Impressive none the less.

What I would do for a ride in that.

29th Apr 2013, 21:10

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Stuff

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Also, military???

There was a plan at one point to fly it out of Lossiemouth, that's enough of a tenuous link for me.

Impressive acceleration

29th Apr 2013, 22:03

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dead_pan

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That looks like one hell of a ride. The drop from the mothership is going to be a real butt clencher - no doubt the Virgin marketing machine will be telling punters they will experience a 'small jolt' as they separate...

29th Apr 2013, 22:04

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500N

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Stuff

"Impressive acceleration

"

Not as impressive as that Ramjet the US military is playing with

That I would like to see.

30th Apr 2013, 05:19

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VX275

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Also, military???

Quote:

At the WK2 controls were Virgin Galactic’s Chief Pilot Dave Mackay, assisted by Clint Nichols and Brian Maisler, co-pilot and flight test engineer, respectively,

Well I knew Dave Mackay when he was in the RAF.

30th Apr 2013, 06:10

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Roland Pulfrew

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And according to ITV News, they've now achieved supersonic in that small rocket ship.

30th Apr 2013, 06:20

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SOSL

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Congratulations and Jubilations!!

Rgds SOS

(Sir Cliff has now been replaced by Sir Richard!)

Last edited by SOSL; 30th Apr 2013 at 06:53. Reason: The Journo has fixed the article in the link above

1st May 2013, 11:44

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MFC_Fly

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Also, military???

Such comments always make me smile.

The way I see it is this forum is "a forum for the professionals who fly the non-civilian hardware, and the backroom boys and girls without whom nothing would leave the ground" (my highlight) not a forum that has to have posts that only relate to military aviation subjects

Last edited by MFC_Fly; 1st May 2013 at 11:45.

1st May 2013, 18:55

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Always Up

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Absolutely amazing, been following this since they won the X prize. I'm a big fan of Richard Branson, hats off to him he has the skills to open up space, albeit sub orbital at the moment, to the commercial market. Only taken some 50 years! I'm saving up for a ticket now