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-   -   Boat Tail over Nation's Capitol (https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/boat-tail-over-nations-capitol-21494.html)

aerohead 04-17-2012 05:54 PM

Boat Tail over Nation's Capitol
 
Taxpayers in Washington D.C. got a final glimpse of a performing boat tail as NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery made a few overflights during its final flight atop its 747 carrier en route to Dulles Airport and Smithsonian Museum.
Perhaps Steven Chu was looking up and got a clue.Perhaps not.
PS 'the things that pass for knowledge I can't understand.' Becker & Fagen

t vago 04-17-2012 06:46 PM

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/dam/...axi-4-0417.JPG

HyperMileQC 04-17-2012 06:59 PM

Something like this happened in montreal in 1983. Enterprise, the prototype spaceshuttle fixed to a B-747, had a flight over montreal and its metropolitain region.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/2499/shuttle.png

BamZipPow 04-17-2012 08:14 PM

It takes a whole day to attach that tail cone on the shuttle... ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C55ukk9Fqq0

ProDarwin 04-17-2012 10:24 PM

I saw it fly over work several times between 9:45 and 11:00. I work just at the northern edge of Dulles Airport. Cool sight to see... being an astronaut was every kids dream back when I was in elementary school.

larrybuck 04-18-2012 12:07 AM

A final tooting the horn as it were; honoring those who voted to spend the money that it took!

I'm not against the space programs, just thinking about people in power positions sometimes go overboard in patting themselves on the back, so to speak.

KamperBob 04-18-2012 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerohead (Post 301251)
Taxpayers in Washington D.C. got a final glimpse of a performing boat tail as NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery made a few overflights during its final flight atop its 747 carrier en route to Dulles Airport and Smithsonian Museum.
Perhaps Steven Chu was looking up and got a clue.Perhaps not.
PS 'the things that pass for knowledge I can't understand.' Becker & Fagen

Interesting. I was a fan of the shuttle program and feel sad about its end. More casual than hard core so I missed the tail cones. I wonder if it was to (a) reduce drag for piggy backing, (b) protect the rockets, or (c) both. If (a) it seems steeper than ideal per template but top view would help complete the picture. It also occurs to me that two streamline bodies in close proximity might be something that NASA analyzed at some point so it seems naturally curious to ponder what they might've published that might be of interest to us in the ground effect game. Interesting indeed. Thanks, Phil.

ChazInMT 04-18-2012 08:16 AM

How things behave in free air are different than ground effect, you can't compare them directly.

euromodder 04-18-2012 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyperMileQC (Post 301265)
Something like this happened in montreal in 1983. Enterprise, the prototype spaceshuttle fixed to a B-747, had a flight over montreal and its metropolitain region.

NASA have been on a European tour with the Shuttle - I've seen it fly overhead as a young kid, apparently in June 1983.

The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search

skyking 04-18-2012 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChazInMT (Post 301413)
How things behave in free air are different than ground effect, you can't compare them directly.

In one way they are identical. That big bluff flat area is bad either way, unless you have a bazajillion pounds of thrust filling the void :P

basjoos 04-18-2012 09:33 AM

The boattail was solely to reduce drag as the 747 had a very short range and had to make too many refueling stops between CA and FL when carrying the shuttle with the rocket nozzles exposed. That boattail shape is the shortest curve that will retain attached airflow and similar in shape to that found on the Questair Venture and on some helicopter bodies.

euromodder 04-18-2012 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KamperBob (Post 301403)
More casual than hard core so I missed the tail cones. I wonder if it was to (a) reduce drag for piggy backing

It's there to reduce drag, to not blanket out the 747's tailfin and avoid buffeting of the 747's tail.

Quote:

If (a) it seems steeper than ideal per template but top view would help complete the picture.
It also tapers in plan view.

tjts1 04-18-2012 12:40 PM

Flying without the tail cone caused massive buffeting on the 747 as well as loss of rudder control hence the 2 extra vertical stabilizes on the 747.
http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/in...9_20122264.jpg

The space shuttle carrier and Enterprise flew several glide tests in the 70s without the tail cone.
http://latimesphoto.files.wordpress....nterprise1.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sCPzEZaA8I

tru 04-18-2012 02:18 PM

i should of woke up earlier to watch it leave...

aerohead 04-18-2012 05:31 PM

Enterprise
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by tjts1 (Post 301453)
Flying without the tail cone caused massive buffeting on the 747 as well as loss of rudder control hence the 2 extra vertical stabilizes on the 747.
http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/in...9_20122264.jpg

The space shuttle carrier and Enterprise flew several glide tests in the 70s without the tail cone.
http://latimesphoto.files.wordpress....nterprise1.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sCPzEZaA8I

Enterprise flew at least one glide test with the boat tail in place and it doubled the glide distance.

skyking 04-18-2012 05:37 PM

I bet it did!


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