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11:45 ET
Last question from the press conference here in NY's Museum of Natural history (see first post), from me: How does the new SS2 design correct the excess dihedral effect that caused SS1 to roll on the way out of the atmosphere on the first X PRIZE flight. The ship rolled 29 times on the way out of the atmosphere, and while Rutan insisted that it wasn't dangerous, it scared the hell out of us watching on the ground. While it may not have been a problem going out, it sure would have been a problem if it had reentered that way. Fortunately, pilot Mike Melville, was able to stop the rolling motion using onboard compressed air thrusters.
Short answer, from aerodynamicist Jim Tighe: We put the wings on the bottom of the fuselage instead of on the top, as in SS1.
Longer answer, from Rutan: "I knew that SpaceShipOne would have way too much dihedral effect," but he optimized the design for the feather that hinges the back of the spacecraft upward to allow it to reenter safely. The new placement of the wings makes the feather on SS2 less effective, so Tighe designed the twin tail booms with an upward sweep to compensate.
A statement from outgoing FAA associate administrator Patty Grace Smith, who has been a booster for commercial spaceflight:
"This is going to catch hold like a wildfire we have never seen."
Longer answer, from Rutan: "I knew that SpaceShipOne would have way too much dihedral effect," but he optimized the design for the feather that hinges the back of the spacecraft upward to allow it to reenter safely. The new placement of the wings makes the feather on SS2 less effective, so Tighe designed the twin tail booms with an upward sweep to compensate.
A statement from outgoing FAA associate administrator Patty Grace Smith, who has been a booster for commercial spaceflight:
"This is going to catch hold like a wildfire we have never seen."
See our previous coverage here.
