>
>Very cool technology... I love this sort of stuff.
>
>On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 9:26 AM, Chris Trask <christrask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>
> > Many years ago there was a programme in Britain to develop an engine
> > that would operate as a jet in the atmosphere and convert to a rocket for
> > space travel, much like the engine described in Joseph Poyer's novel "North
> > Cape". Well, it seem that there is now a working model of a similar
> > effort, again in Britain:
> >
> > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20510112
>
The Joseph Poyer novel described a futuristic spy plane that had an
interesting engine. It could function as a conventional turojet for lower
atmosphere. For upper atmosphere the turbine and compressor blades would
collapse and the engine functioned as a ram jet. Above the atmosphere a
clamshell closed over the inlet and liquid oxygen was used so the engine
functioned as a rocket. Cool.
The aircraft proper was supersonic, with variable geometry, and about the
size of a 727. The pilot interfaced with the controls mentally, and he was
injected with all sorts of drugs to enhance his performance. Air-to-air
refueling was accomplished with a B-58 that had been converted into a tanker to
carry something even more exotic than JP-7. Still a good technology read.
Chris
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