Discussion Mk II

[kerick]

I found a little something about two programs that are definitely part RW.
The Dynasoar X-20 space plane.
The X-15 delta wing proposal.
Both are available from Fantastic Plastic and could be whiffed a number of ways. More to follow.

[Weaver]

I found a little something about two programs that are definitely part RW.
The Dynasoar X-20 space plane.
The X-15 delta wing proposal.
Both are available from Fantastic Plastic and could be whiffed a number of ways. More to follow.

The X-15C delta was a looker too, but then I do like deltas...

[Weaver]

1. Von Braun Retriever Rocket(s).
I have two of these. Not sure what the what-if would be, possibly making them more real-world practical (attitude jets, replace the nose-mounted reactor+shadow-shield with solar panels and radiators, bigger engine bell, put the comms dish on a tower so that half it's arc isn't blocked by the tanks).

Good mods. It's a pretty good kit for its age, too. The bottle suit in the airlock is a bit awkward.

Yes, I've test-fitted quite a lot of it and it seems to go together nicely as far as I can tell. Both mine are the Glencoe re-pops not original Stombeckers too, so that's even more impressive from decades old molds.

By awkward, do you mean the design of the bottle suit or the fit of the parts in the kit?

I actually really like the concept of the bottle suit, although I'm not keen on the small thruster mounted on top of the clear dome! Astronauts on EVA do most of their work with their hands, but they're really awkward because of the thick gloves, and even then, their fingers end up freezing cold after a few hours because the gloves just can't be made thick enough. Meanwhile, their legs present all the suit articulation problems of the arms, but are hardly used. The bottle suit puts the astronaut in a shirt-sleeve environment, in a craft which is not much bigger than an EVA suit, but which has gyros, maneuvering thrusters and is MUCH easier to heat and cool. A real one might need a bit more volume for systems than the Von Braun one, being more cylindrical than cone-shaped, but I still think it's a good idea.

2. Willy Ley Space Taxi.
Got one, but it makes so little sense to me that I'm struggling to come up with a scheme for it, and there's WAY less info online about this than there is about the Von Braun projects.

I enjoyed this one - the surface is covered in bolts and the thrusters on each end are rudimentary. Maybe a bigger thruster at one end, attitude thrusters and manipulator arms?

What I don't get is the logic of the basic concept:

If the cargo can stand being in the vacuum of space for loading/unloading, then why does it need to be enclosed for the journey? Couldn't you just strap it to an open frame or cage?

Why do the passengers, who DO benefit from an enclosed environment, have to travel in the open cages, wrigging their way past the engines to get in and out?

How does the shirt-sleeves pilot get in and out of the craft? It seems incapable of making an airtight docking at any face: does he have to put a space suit on just to enter and leave? If that's so, then that's a real PITA: we know now from real-life spaceflight that putting an EVA suit on takes hours, not minutes.


My thoughts are much the same as yours:

Bigger engine at the back with bigger spherical tanks in the rear cage.

Attitude jets.

Scrap the front cage (a shame, 'cos it's nicely molded) and replace it with manipulator arms and a docking hatch for the pilot.

Make the cabin door airtight so that astronaut passengers can at least take their helmets and gloves off in the cabin and replenish their suit supplies.
Make