Aerotow Video

[Nick Gilbert]

Check this out :
http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/Medium/EM-0008-02.mpg

(approx 2.1 mb)

[Nick Gilbert]

And this one :
http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/Medium/EM-0008-01.mpg

also 2.1mb

The parent page is here :
http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/index.html

[John Giddy]

I notice they are using "low tow" Probably don't want to tip up the
Galaxy (?) near the ground...
Cheers, John G.

"Nick Gilbert" > wrote in message
...
> And this one :
> http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/Medium/EM-0008-01.mpg
>
> also 2.1mb
>
> The parent page is here :
> http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/index.html
>
>

[Ted Wagner]

Golly. I can hear the glider pilot calling out "2000 feet!" -- no doubt the
safe ejection altitude.

"Nick Gilbert" > wrote in message
...
> Check this out :
> http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/Medium/EM-0008-02.mpg
>
> (approx 2.1 mb)
>
>

[303pilot]

Use of the low tow position makes me wonder why the Aussies are flying US
ships?

"Ted Wagner" > wrote in message
news:vGw6c.112730$h23.3317@fed1read06...
> Golly. I can hear the glider pilot calling out "2000 feet!" -- no doubt
the
> safe ejection altitude.
>
> "Nick Gilbert" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Check this out :
> > http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/Medium/EM-0008-02.mpg
> >
> > (approx 2.1 mb)
> >
> >
>
>

[Nick Gilbert]

they are?? explain?


"303pilot" <brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom> wrote in message
...
> Use of the low tow position makes me wonder why the Aussies are flying US
> ships?
>
> "Ted Wagner" > wrote in message
> news:vGw6c.112730$h23.3317@fed1read06...
> > Golly. I can hear the glider pilot calling out "2000 feet!" -- no doubt
> the
> > safe ejection altitude.
> >
> > "Nick Gilbert" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > Check this out :
> > > http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/Medium/EM-0008-02.mpg
> > >
> > > (approx 2.1 mb)
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[303pilot]

Joking.
The video show a US fighter jet of some type being towed behind a big
honking tanker-looking airplane. The jet is in a low tow position. I
understand from reading this group that low tow is the preferred position in
Australia. High tow is the most common in the US. I jokingly inferred from
the tow position that the pilots were Aussies. I have no direct knowledge
of the actual event or its participants.


"Nick Gilbert" > wrote in message
...
> they are?? explain?
>
>
> "303pilot" <brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom> wrote in message
> ...
> > Use of the low tow position makes me wonder why the Aussies are flying
US
> > ships?
> >
> > "Ted Wagner" > wrote in message
> > news:vGw6c.112730$h23.3317@fed1read06...
> > > Golly. I can hear the glider pilot calling out "2000 feet!" -- no
doubt
> > the
> > > safe ejection altitude.
> > >
> > > "Nick Gilbert" > wrote in message
> > > ...
> > > > Check this out :
> > > > http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/Eclipse/Medium/EM-0008-02.mpg
> > > >
> > > > (approx 2.1 mb)
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Bruce Hoult]

In article >,
"303pilot" <brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom> wrote:

> The video show a US fighter jet of some type being towed behind a big
> honking tanker-looking airplane.

F5 & C5, I think.

A private company (Kelly Aerospace) bought the F5 and hired the
transport plane in order to access the practicality of aerotowing a
rocket-propelled aircraft in order to act as a 0th stage before they
light the rocket at 40,000 ft and Mach 0.8.

You'll notice that all current and previous rockets that go into orbit
have multiple stages which are destroyed in the process of being used.
It would be much cheaper if you could get into orbit with a single
reusable stage (don't throw anything away). It is theoretically just on
the edge of possibiluty to do this with chemical fuels, but you need
something like 95% of your takeoff weight to be fuel, leaving very
little for structure, engines, pasengers etc. That's hard to do. In
fact, it's a rule of thumb for aircraft designers that sufficiently
strong landing gear alone weighs 3% of takeoff weight.

So a cheap and fully reusable 0th stage make a really big economic
difference and various people have proposed various schemes. You can
carry the rocket on top of or underneath another aircraft. Or you can
aerotow the rocket. Or you can do mid-air refuelling (if you take off
with nearly empty tanks then your wings and landing gear can be smaller
and lighter, and you can use a shorter runway).

That's if you want to go into orbit. If you just want to do an X-Prize
style flight then single stage from the ground is no problem.

-- Bruce

[Shawn Curry]

Bruce Hoult wrote:
> In article >,
> "303pilot" <brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom> wrote:
>
>
>>The video show a US fighter jet of some type being towed behind a big
>>honking tanker-looking airplane.
>
>
> F5 & C5, I think.

F106 & C141

[Guy Byars]

> You'll notice that all current and previous rockets that go into orbit
> have multiple stages which are destroyed in the process of being used.

The Pegasus launch vehicle uses an L-1011 as a first stage which is
certainly not destroyed each launch.

http://spaceflightnow.com/pegasus/hessi/

[Bruce Hoult]

In article >,
"Guy Byars" > wrote:

> > You'll notice that all current and previous rockets that go into orbit
> > have multiple stages which are destroyed in the process of being used.
>
> The Pegasus launch vehicle uses an L-1011 as a first stage which is
> certainly not destroyed each launch.

But the Pegasus itself is!

-- Bruce

[F.L. Whiteley]

"Shawn Curry" > wrote in message
news:9i0ac.127472$Cb.1458149@attbi_s51...
> Bruce Hoult wrote:
> > In article >,
> > "303pilot" <brentUNDERSCOREsullivanATbmcDOTcom> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>The video show a US fighter jet of some type being towed behind a big
> >>honking tanker-looking airplane.
> >
> >
> > F5 & C5, I think.
>
> F106 & C141
The plan was to have 24/7 'all-weather, on-demand' replacement capability
for the Iridium (and I suppose most other low orbit) constellation
satellites. The F106 was dynamically stable in low tow, allowing hands off
towing. High tow it had to be flown. 23,000lb weak link IIRC. Engine in
the F106 was running at idle for safety's sake.