Virgin Galactic

[Toaster]

Eric Mc said:

The feathering system lock was "unlocked" too early. This allowed the tail section to move into the feathered position whilst the aircraft was accelerating through the Max Q - the period of maximum dynamic pressure on the vehicle. This was enough to cause structural break up and loss of the vehicle.

At Mac1.4 the feather is unlocked........view the simulator http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-3300... 'all this time the rockets are still burning and we are feeling this tremendous acceleration'...'at 20knots the feather is raised'

So was it really unlocked too early.......

let the debate & opinions commence

[RobDickinson]

Toaster said:

‘“It becomes a much more expensive and much more exhaustive program than what [Virgin Galactic leadership] originally bought in to.”’
—a veteran former project engineer

Who would have thought...

[Eric Mc]

ash73 said:

Good, does it mean they can get on with it?

They've been "getting on with it" for months. The replacement craft is about 50% complete.

[Eric Mc]

Who knows?

At least they are giving it a go.

[Eric Mc]

Toaster - you have made that point multiple times on this thread. Repeating it ad nauseum is not going to make your point any more or less valid - only more tedious.

[Eric Mc]

OK

But could you start your own thread for slagging off this project please as you have effectively hijacked this one to the point where I don't really want to make any more contributions to a thread I originated.

[Eric Mc]

As you have probably noticed, most of your most recent comments have elicited a deafening silence. And that is what you will be getting from me now as well.

Thanks for hijacking and wrecking this thread.

[Eric Mc]

Thank you.

[qube_TA]

The crash investigation has been completed now

http://www.virgingalactic.com/ntsb-concludes-scale...

I was wondering, one pilot was killed and the other 'seriously injured', how is he doing now?

It will be great to see another test flight.

[Eric Mc]

I'm sure it will happen.

Scaled Composites does not come out very well in the NTSB report. The NTSB criticise them for not putting some system into place which would have prevented premature deployment of the feathering device.

The attributes of the accident remind me a bit of the problems that were experienced by the deep stall conditions experienced by T-Tail aircraft in the early 1960s which, eventually, resulted in anti-deep stall devices (stick shakers/pushers etc) being fitted to T Tail aircraft.

[Eric Mc]

The NTSB has released video footage of the actual flight which runs up to the moment just before the craft disintegrated -

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/07/29/video-shows-s...

[Leithen]

Looks like testing is set to resume this year.

[Eric Mc]

As they have been saying for quite a while.

Let's hope they have better luck in the next round of tests.

[mybrainhurts]

I'm not sure I'm at ease with the gurning beardie peering down at me from orbit...

[Eric Mc]

He won't be in orbit.

[Toaster]

Eric Mc said:

He won't be in orbit.

Indeed, neither is this risky Fun fare ride going in to Orbit its just pointless it has no purpose !

[Eric Mc]

Getting all philosophical, are we?

What's the point of life, I sometimes ask myself.

[Toaster]

Eric Mc said:

Getting all philosophical, are we? What's the point of life, I sometimes ask myself.

Nope not me, so not sure who the 'we' is and my comment is Factual Eric rather than philosophical, The Virgin 'trip' is not orbital even Chris Hadfield is quoted as saying they are "just going to go up and fall back down again".

[Eric Mc]

Your insight is astonishing. Where do you obtain such erudition?

[Toaster]

Eric Mc said:

Your insight is astonishing. Where do you obtain such erudition?

You must have been looking in the Mirror when you asked that one, but seriously I think you read the same picture books as me when you were at School