ZZASSGL@cms.umrcc.ac.uk ("Geoff. Lane. Tel UK-061 275 6051") (01/23/89)
It pleases a middle-aged Brit's heart good to see so much interest in the Concorde as its one of the few projects that a British government did not chicken out of as the price exceeded hopelessly under-estimated development costs. Despite the high price per aircraft the research work that had to be done was used elsewhere and probably would have had to be done in any case. Right - now some space - Both the American and British Governments have made some vague noises about very fast and very high altitude jet/rocket craft at various times. It seems to me that such projects are the ONLY way that anybody outside of the space mafia will ever get out of the atmosphere. There is no point in waiting for NASA to develop a craft that is cheap or safe enough(and would YOU trust any USSR flying machine?). The only existing experts in designing and building high performance flying machines - the commercial aircraft builders - must be given sufficient incentive to produce the hardware that is required. Despite recent events I think that even PAN-AM could do the job if a profit could be seen inside a few years. This of course implies none of the very silly "You can't park that thing here" arguments that various governments get upto in the aviation business. geoff. PS I just had a thought - do you remember the visual joke in the film 2001 where the instructions for the 0G toilet almost totally covered the door? Well if we wait long enough not only will the instructions be lengthy, they may also be a translation from the Japanese!
dkrause@orion.cf.uci.edu (Doug Krause) (01/24/89)
In article <23.Jan.89.14:10:19.GMT.ZZASSGL@UK.AC.UMRCC.CMS> ZZASSGL@cms.umrcc.ac.uk ("Geoff. Lane. Tel UK-061 275 6051") writes: > >It pleases a middle-aged Brit's heart good to see so much interest in >PS I just had a thought - do you remember the visual joke in the film >2001 where the instructions for the 0G toilet almost totally covered >the door? Well if we wait long enough not only will the instructions >be lengthy, they may also be a translation from the Japanese! My roommate and I thought it would have been great if Dr. Floyd would have been slowly stepping on his left foot and then on his right ... (with appropriate facial expressions) :-) Douglas Krause "You can't legislate morality" -George Bush -------------------------------------------------------------------- University of California, Irvine ARPANET: dkrause@orion.cf.uci.edu "Irvine? Where's Irvine?" BITNET: DJKrause@ucivmsa
bob@etive.ed.ac.uk (Bob Gray) (01/27/89)
In article <23.Jan.89.14:10:19.GMT.ZZASSGL@UK.AC.UMRCC.CMS> ZZASSGL@cms.umrcc.ac.uk ("Geoff. Lane. Tel UK-061 275 6051") writes: >It pleases a middle-aged Brit's heart good to see so much interest in >the Concorde as its one of the few projects that a British government did >not chicken out of as the price exceeded hopelessly under-estimated >development costs. Despite the high price per aircraft the research >work that had to be done was used elsewhere and probably would have had >to be done in any case. > >Right - now some space - Both the American and British Governments have >made some vague noises about very fast and very high altitude jet/rocket >craft at various times. It seems to me that such projects are the ONLY Not quite. The British government made some very specific noises about jet/rocket craft. No immediate profits: no money. The government representative at the ESA meeting at the end of last year had much the same attitude. Heavy criticism for ESA because the proposed plans do not mention how the proposed activities can be made to return a profit. The only reason Britain is puting money into the Columbus module for the space station is because advisors have decided that the remote observation data obtained from the polar platforms can be made profitable. And Hotol? Alan Bond, the designer, tried to put together a rescue package from private investors, late last year after the Government had dropped the project. The deal fell through, Bond says, because Rolls Royce don't want the engine developed, and wouldn't release their patents. Alan Bond is back working for the UK Atomic Energy Authority and says "My involvement with Hotol is finished; there is nothing more I can do". Rolls Royce meanwhile are to have talks with the people developing the NASP for the US airforce and Navy to see if there are any "areas of common interest". Bob.