From: skunk-works-digest-owner@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu To: skunk-works-digest@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu Subject: Skunk Works Digest V2 #69 Reply-To: skunk-works-digest@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu Precedence: bulk Skunk Works Digest Tuesday, 2 February 1993 Volume 02 : Number 069 In this issue: From Air International Re: Aurora Story Aurora Story KH-9/JC-130 Bulk response Re: Aurora Story See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the skunk-works or skunk-works-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: urf@ki.icl.se (Urban F) Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 19:07:55 MET Subject: From Air International An article in the Feb 93 issue of Air International on hypersonic vehicles (part 2) deals a lot with NASP and related vehicles, as well as the principles of supersonic combustion and air breathing rockets. In connection with a description of the Russian ramjet/scramjets launched on SAMs it is mentioned that a lot of resources has been expended on hypersonic projects since the mid 1980's. There was one unpowered launch in 1989 and one in 1990, one powered in 1991 and one in 1992. During the first test, ramjet operation started at Mach 5, maximum speed in scramjet mode was Mach 6 at 28 km and combustion airflow speed was Mach 3. (On the way down an other test was performed.) The Soviet Union seriously persued hypersonic research, one goal was a "high-Mach" cruise missile, another a combat aircraft to "match a Mach 12-20 design goal, that would have been preceded by a research demonstrator weighing approximately 70,000 kg and designated TA". Involved where the Tupolev and Lyulka design bureaux. The writer almost makes us think the M-12 was a practical solution. An interesting quote: "It is interesting to note that the D-21 masked a variety of test objectives not least of which concerned a very unusual form of propulsion that has since found application elsewhere, frequently seen from another country." SAPHYRE and SWERVE are also mentioned. On the latter is said: "Winged and slender with sophisticated trajectory and energy management, SWERVE has been flying for almost ten years and routinely explores the Mach 2-14 region following launch by a classified Sandia Laboratories rocket. It is capable of energetic manoeuvring and its data is a key to understanding the capabilities NASP would provide for the military." - -- Urban Fredriksson urf@icl.se ------------------------------ From: kent@Camex.COM Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 13:04:21 EST Subject: Re: Aurora Story Sorry, correction on a time: There was an Aurora story on the BBC World Service at the tail end of the News Hour program this morning (1300 UTC). Those of you with shortwave radios or CSPAN BBC audio might want to check out the 2100 UTC (4 pm EST) edition, they often repeat these stories, but I don't know the cycle on this one. - -- Kent Borg kent@camex.com or kentborg@aol.com (when it is *working*) H:(617) 776-6899 W:(617) 426-3577 The Quote that usually appears here will not be seen so that we can bring you the following message: Camex is collapsing, so any Hot Job offers... ------------------------------ From: kent@Camex.COM Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 12:54:22 EST Subject: Aurora Story There was an Aurora story on the BBC World Service at the tail end of the News Hour program this morning (1300 UTC). Those of you with shortwave radios or CSPAN BBC audio might want to check out the 2100 UTC (5 pm EST) edition, they often repeat these stories, but I don't know the cycle on this one. - -- ------------------------------ From: kuryakin@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Rick Pavek) Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 10:17:14 PST Subject: KH-9/JC-130 dean wrote: >Hmmm... interesting. The last KH-9 was launched about the same time. >That must have put them out of the space business. I suppose they >could have used either the JC or HC versions for D-21 missions. >The MC's belong to the Special Operations folks, so chances are >they didn't get involved with these more "mundane" missions. :-> Well, the Manned Orbital Laboratory was supposedly going to be the KH-10, and the KH-11 was, from what I recall, able to dump it's data digitally to a ground station, so the KH-9 was probably the last to have capsules to be recovered. At least that's what I recall from _Deep Black_. Rick Pavek | Never ask a droid to outdo its program. kuryakin@bcstec.ca.boeing.com | Seattle, WA | It wastes your time | and annoys the droid. ------------------------------ From: George Allegrezza 01-Feb-1993 1300 Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 13:33:01 EST Subject: Bulk response Larry continues the thread about Timberwind: >>>[. . .] due in part to >>>secrecy and in part to fear that public outcry against a nuclear-powered, >>>ground-launched booster would be politically embarrassing to the program. >>I find it hard to imagine that a program in as much political deep doo-doo as >>SDI would willingly add to its troubles on the Hill by proposing routine >>use of an in-atmosphere nuclear rocket. >I've wondered for a long time if the concerns you mention about such a thing >are still such a big issue during a nuclear war, and if someone >might have actually explored such a thing to the development stage. In other >words such a vehicle would only be used in certain scenarios where it's >drawbacks didn't matter any longer. Does this sound feasible? Well, no, once an N-war has started the environment becomes rather unpleasant rather quickly. However, SDI deployment would have taken place in peacetime, over a number of years, at significant expense and under intense public attention/scrutiny. Remember the Christics? If we postulate, as Aftergood has done, that Timberwind is intended for a surface-launched ABM interceptor, to be used only when the stuff has hit the fan, we still have the operational problem of the (many) reactors requiring maintenance, the ground crews' needs for proficiency training and practice firing, etc. Still not practical in my view. >One loose-end that bothers me are those three people badly radiated in >their automobile, by what appeared to be a nuclear rocket, in Dec. 1980 >near Houston Texas. The so-called Cash-Landrum case. I only know a little about this case. But even if the event was caused by a N-rocket research program, that doesn't lead directly to the conclusions of the FAS and others about a large-scale deployment. Project Pluto got more than a few research dollars until people thought about the operational constraints from a purely military perspective. Note also that Cash-Landrum occurred a few years before the SDI speech and well before the supposed initiation of Timberwind. Also, an airborne nuclear reactor might be used for other applications, such as power for a MHD-like propulsion system, about which Larry probably knows more than anybody, or as a power source for an airborne directed-energy weapon. In either case, fission products might be retained aboard the platform. Maybe Brian B. wants to comment? Rick Pavek writes, on MC-130s: >Since the MC-130 uses the same Fulton recovery system, I'd presume >the bird _could_ be used for the purpose of recovering film cannisters, >but I have no idea if they would have been. Personnel extractions were >the main purpose. Is this the same nose-mounted recovery system used by James Bond and Pussy Galore in "Thunderball"? If so, it was manufactured in Danbury, Connecticut, where I grew up. The company used to demonstrate it every year at the local airport, using a target dummy and a P2V. Neat as hell, when you're eight years old. Alex (wcsswag@alfred.ccs.carleton.ca) writes re: the CF-105: >But I believe they were >planning on using Falcon missiles, and most probably Genies as >well(no need to worry missile accuracy, on the last one:-) For the CF-105's primary armament, RCA and Computing Devices of Canada were teamed to develop the Sparrow II, which had approximately the same performance targets as the AIM-120 (in 1959), including terminal active radar homing. The fire control radar for the CF-105 was the largest airborne radar transmitter ever fitted to an aircraft up to that point. That program died along with the Arrow. Changing subjects . . . back to hypersonics. For those who enjoyed Dennis Jenkins' Aerofax on the Space Shuttle, especially the preliminary information on early hypersonics programs and Shuttle precursors, Jenkins has a new book for you. Entitled "Space Shuttle: the History of Developing the National Space Transportation System", Motorbooks International, ISBN 0-9633974-0-0, it expands on Jenkins' earlier work, with over 1000 line drawings and 250+ photographs. There is A LOT on pre-Shuttle development, lifting body research, and a gold mine of stuff on the Phase A, B, B', B'', and ASSC Shuttle designs. About the only well-known program that gets neglected is the Army/JPL Apollo lifting body RV series from Convair, GE, and Martin. This is frustrating, since LUNEX is mentioned in several places. There's even a line drawing of a Republic design for the Aerospaceplane program of the late 1950s. The general progression and layout is very familiar to those who have read Hallion's "Hypersonic Revolution". As that isn't generally available, Jenkins' book provides a good substitute, with better artwork :-). George George Allegrezza "Nobody can own two NFL teams, even if Digital Equipment Corporation they are Italian." Littleton MA USA -- Billy Clyde Puckett, "Semi-Tough" allegrezza@tnpubs.enet.dec.com ------------------------------ From: kent@Camex.COM Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 13:04:21 EST Subject: Re: Aurora Story Sorry, correction on a time: There was an Aurora story on the BBC World Service at the tail end of the News Hour program this morning (1300 UTC). Those of you with shortwave radios or CSPAN BBC audio might want to check out the 2100 UTC (4 pm EST) edition, they often repeat these stories, but I don't know the cycle on this one. - -- Kent Borg kent@camex.com or kentborg@aol.com (when it is *working*) H:(617) 776-6899 W:(617) 426-3577 The Quote that usually appears here will not be seen so that we can bring you the following message: Camex is collapsing, so any Hot Job offers... ------------------------------ End of Skunk Works Digest V2 #69 ******************************** To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "listserv@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu". 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