RLV Design Discussion

[RanulfC]

I love that shuttle II art.

Something similar made it into Iron Man
https://screenrant.com/iron-man-coolest-armor-transformers-optimus-prime/ scroll down

Gundam even seems to have used Bono's approach

H.L.L.V.

The Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle[1], or HLV/ HLLV, is a Karaba's Earth-Space transport vehicle introduced in the anime Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. An alternate version of the Zeon's HLV deployed in the One Year War, the HLLV was developed as a transport vehicle for vertical atmospheric launch from...

gundam.fandom.com

I seem to remember a huge vehicle that looked like a giant Energiya/Buran deal--- a lot like the B2 ASLV but exaggerated even more in favor of the booster---below (far left)

From Dwayne's page here:

The Space Review: Higher burning: The Air Launched Sortie Vehicle of the 1980s

Gundam may have copied that G.I. Joe episode that had F-14s into space.

Shuttles have made it into SF quite a few times:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/64931759

--But the shuttle from the latest Iron Man looks the most plausible

Looked familiar

Randy

 

[Archibald]

What's that ?

 

[robunos]

Armstrong-Whitworh called, they'd like their 'Pyramid' back . . .

cheers,
Robin.

 

[RanulfC]

What's that ?

Sorry I thought the title transferred too

"Dr. Zooch" Lifting Body and launch vehicle model rocket. The lifting body is joking called (by the designer ) "the Screaming Death Wedge" or SDW Lifting Body. It actually flies "upside down" to the way it was designed.

See:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4lJ67Jg3_g

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBIyI5p53ww


The patch reads" "Don't Ask" IIRC

Armstrong-Whitworth called, they'd like their 'Pyramid' back . . .

cheers,
Robin.

Very close but no they can't have it back. We need "ANT IN SPACE!"

Randy

 

[publiusr]

My razor blades stay sharp in that hobby pyramid

Now I see no SSMEs on the pyramid, so they ET better have Energia/SLS type engines, or that lifting body goes into the drink. That set up could mean different shaped orbiters could be flown…within reason. One. Faget straight wing…a lifting body…a waverider…all able to be tested at high speed…with variable shaped payloads …or no payloads…crew only. At end of life, such a true STS allows large scale hypersonic tests and the winning configuration scaled up for a true winged RLV.

 

[RanulfC]

My razor blades stay sharp in that hobby pyramid

Now I see no SSMEs on the pyramid, so they ET better have Energia/SLS type engines, or that lifting body goes into the drink. That set up could mean different shaped orbiters could be flown…within reason. One. Faget straight wing…a lifting body…a waverider…all able to be tested at high speed…with variable shaped payloads …or no payloads…crew only. At end of life, such a true STS allows large scale hypersonic tests and the winning configuration scaled up for a true winged RLV.

Sorry for the scale but I can't get my password to work on the thread ATM, but...


The "ET" is actually a booster rocket as per the first and third picture in the post I quoted. This of course is because this is a model rocket and the "pyramid" is just a glider but it's pretty much an expendable rocket and SRB's with a space glider payload.

In fact, the 'Dr. Zooch, Return to Flight Shuttle" (and Standard Shuttle) used the same set up so yes you could use a different "shuttle" with the same system, to a point

In reality the forces would be vastly different for a 'booster' and a side mounted engine set as you'd have vastly different forces for a top mounted versus a side-mounted payload.

Edit: More examples of gliders:


Randy