On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 07:38:39 -0600, "Jeff Crowell" wrote:

Peter Kemp wrote:
According to BBC reports quoting Rutan there were severe control
problems that forced the pilot (ok, ok, astronaut) to resort to backup
controls just after boost (uncommanded roll) and again near Apogee
(nothing specific mentioned).

From where I sit, let's call him a a pilot... he WAS driving, after all,
not just watching the pretty lights.

Melville and Rutan were on Leno last night, pilot said the problem
was with the trim system near/at apogee, not control system, though
ISTR someone mentioning right after the flight that they had had
some roll instability during the flight, and right after launch it looked
in the video as if the plane (spacecraft?) was rolling back and forth
about 40-50 degrees each way from vertical.


Jeff

At apogee there would be almost no control authority (lack of sufficient air
molecules). Do they have a thruster system for control at that altitude??

Al Minyard