On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 12:55:47 GMT, "Jim"
wrote:

During the late 70s the first Space Shuttle did glide tests after being
launched from the Boeing 747 Shuttle Transporter.

Does anybody know how the Shuttle was released from the back of the 747.
Did the 747 have to (unbelievably!) roll inverted for the release, or did it
pitch down to an extreme attitude or was there some other method?

At what altitude was the glide tests commenced?

cheers

Gordon


The shuttle on top, at the positive angle of attack it was mounted,
contributed a significant amount of lift to the combined
747-Enterprise configuration.

The shuttle essentially "dropped" the 747. In other words, the 747
was flying along normally and when the shuttle released it, it went
down because of the loss of lift and then made a turn away from the
shuttle.

And, again, just from memory, the altitude was much lower than 40,000
feet. More like the upper 20s or very low 30s.

Mike Weller