British Secret Projects 5: Britain's Space Shuttle by Dan Sharp

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http://www.crecy.co.uk/british-secret-projects-5
 
I like that! :D

The old Military Space Technology volume only touched on that!
 
Sounds very interesting the fact they've managed to make a book about one project is an achievement.

Again, a little annoyed at the typo in the blurb where the book is described as "British Secret Projects No. 7..."
When it seems impossible to read a modern book or article that does not contain multiple typos and incorrect dates it seems even web content editors can't be arsed these days. Doesn't bode well for the production of the books.
(Bill Gunston's Jet and Turbine Engines 4th Ed. is the only book I've read recently where I haven't found a single typo. Proof I think that the typewriter generation were more careful about what they wrote. The fact Word highlights spelling and grammar errors seems only to have led people to ignore them.)
 
Hi,

as I expected before,after discovered many new Projects,the publishers must produce a next
generation of revised editions to many of Secret Aircraft Projects books generally;

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,23676.msg240846.html#msg240846
 
newsdeskdan said:
Hood said:
Sounds very interesting the fact they've managed to make a book about one project is an achievement.

Thanks... I think. I've covered a couple of the competing projects too though. English Electric and BAC get seven out of nine chapters. HSA, Bristol Siddeley, Junkers, Bolkow, ERNO, Nord, SNECMA and Dassault get a chapter and contemporary American stuff gets one too.

Are you the author of the book?And will your book contains much new information of HOTOL and Skylon ?
 
As America and Russia stepped up their efforts during the early 1960s to design ever faster bombers and put men and equipment into space, Britain quietly set to work devising its own hypersonic aircraft and manned space vehicles. British Secret Projects 5: Britain’s Space Shuttles tells the story of how, from 1963 to 1966, English Electric/BAC’s Preston works secretly led the world in re-useable spacecraft design. A huge variety of designs formed the P.42 project and the end result was the ‘Multi-Unit Space Transport And Recovery Device’ (MUSTARD), which pre-dated the Space Shuttle programme by six years. Based on unique access to the original project drawings, photographs, archives and interviews with surviving members of the design team, British Secret Projects No. 7: Britain’s Space Shuttles offers a unique insight into this hitherto little-known chapter in the secret history of UK space science.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

ISBN: 9781910809020
Binding: Hardback
Dimentions: 280mm x 210mm
Pages: 224
Photos/Illus: 200 photos & Drawings
This product will be in stock on Friday 30. September, 2016.
 

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I'm really looking forward to this, I remember the picture of MUSTARD by Wilf Hardy in Look and Learn many years ago, I used to have a copy of "An economic approach to space transportation" the paper by Tom Smith either in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society or the Royal Aeronautical Society magazine from 1966 I see that this is available on PDF on the Internet but they are asking for £20 to view it I hope I can find my paper copy!
 
AlanDavies said:
I'm really looking forward to this, I remember the picture of MUSTARD by Wilf Hardy in Look and Learn many years ago, I used to have a copy of "An economic approach to space transportation" the paper by Tom Smith either in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society or the Royal Aeronautical Society magazine from 1966 I see that this is available on PDF on the Internet but they are asking for £20 to view it I hope I can find my paper copy!

Wilf Hardy's 1978 Look and Learn painting of Mustard is rather spectacular. I licensed it for use in Britain's Space Shuttle some time ago but whether we will have room to squeeze it in somewhere is another matter.
If you can find it, the sequel to 'An economic approach to space transportation', 'Economic space transportation: thoughts on missions, size and operational sensitivity' by Tom Derbyshire, Bill Clegg and Tom Smith (1966) is also well worth a look.
 
Book looks great. MUSTARD is mosdef a favourite of mine. One wonders why feasible, low cost, SLVs always end up with no political support? MUSTARD + DC-X/Y would have transformed space access.

Please excuse this nitpick moment but the artwork of the MUSTARD launch shows all three elements with the same serial number (XS960). Since they can be 'stand alone' units (or is it 'fly alone'?) and could be mixed and matched wouldn't each have its own unique serial number? Certainly you would want individual serials for maintenance and logistics management.
 
I can't wait to read it, however, some of these book blurbs make laugh. It predated the shuttle by six years, but the Dynasoar predated these by "X" years, and the Sanger anit-podal bomber predated these by... you get the idea.
 
Thank you for the recommendation of the other discussion paper, I will have to look out for a copy. Your book is already on my Christmas list! I think the last article I read on MUSTARD was in Space Voyager magazine many years ago (one of the other articles in the magazine was whether to buy a Commodore 64, Spectrum or BBC Micro!)
Regards
Alan
 
AlanDavies said:
Thank you for the recommendation of the other discussion paper, I will have to look out for a copy. Your book is already on my Christmas list! I think the last article I read on MUSTARD was in Space Voyager magazine many years ago (one of the other articles in the magazine was whether to buy a Commodore 64, Spectrum or BBC Micro!)
Regards
Alan

Yes, Space Voyager editor Wendy Graham's Tom Smith interview still makes interesting reading. It was quoted extensively in his obituary in the Telegraph.
 
That is a very sexy looking concept!!! Beautiful drawing.
 
And you're going to tell us that the carrier aircraft would reach Mach 2 with that sitting on top of it?
 
That short text says b+gger all about the aerodynamics of a SST with a dirty great launcher on top.
 
It also doesn't claim it will do Mach 2.0 with the launcher on it, merely that its a Mach 2.0 SST.
 
For some reason I can't see images in this thread, apart from the one holding up '10' that is.

I can see the images in the DC-10 ALCM carrier thread.

Chris
 
Ah, that won't work where I'm bobbing about, probably blocked.

Ta

Chris
 
CJGibson said:
Ah, that won't work where I'm bobbing about, probably blocked.

Ta

Chris

You're not missing much Chris. No one's mentioned it yet, but having the satellite vehicle positioned directly in front of that single central tail fin's probably not the best idea in the world...
 
Ah, seen it now thanks. It was also proposed to be launched from under a TSR.2 - with very long undercarriage. See BSP4.

Chris
 
Here's a list of the designs you can expect to find in British Secret Projects 5: Britain's Space Shuttle - at least the ones that dimensions were available for

English Electric
P.30M
P.30R/1
P.42 Scheme 1 Mach 5 research aircraft (EAG 3272 preliminary issue)
P.42 Scheme 2 Mach 5 aircraft (EAG 3273)
P.42 Scheme 3/2 Mach 5 aircraft (EAG 3277/2)
P.42 Scheme 4 Mach 4.5 aircraft (EAG 3280)
P.42 Scheme 4/1 Mach 4.5 aircraft (EAG 3280/1)
P.42 Scheme 4/2 Mach 4 aircraft (EAG 3280/2)
P.42 Scheme 5/1 Mach 5 aircraft (EAG 3281/1)
P.42 Scheme 5/2 Mach 5 aircraft (EAG 3281/2)
P.42 Scheme 5/3 Mach 5 aircraft (EAG 3281/3)
P.42 Scheme 6/2 Mach 4 aircraft (EAG 3282/2)
P.42 Scheme 6/3 Mach 4 aircraft (EAG 3282/3)
P.42 Scheme 7/1 Mach 4 aircraft and booster (EAG 3299/1)
P.42 Scheme 8/1 Mach 4 aircraft (EAG 3303/1)
P.42 Scheme 8/2 comparison hydrogen-kerosene aircraft (EAG 3303/2)
P.42 Scheme 9/1 Mach 4 aircraft integrated and cambered (EAG 3308/1)
P.42 Scheme 11/1 Space vehicle (EAG 3316/2)
P.42 Scheme 11/1 Booster (EAG 3316/3)
P.42 Scheme 11/4 Mach 4 aircraft boost or cruise launch (EAG 3316/4)
P.42 Scheme 11/5 aircraft liquid hydrogen booster only (EAG 3316/5)
P.42 Scheme 11/7 Mach 4 aircraft kerosene boost or cruise launch (EAG 3316/7)
Recoverable S-1 booster for Saturn C-1B (EAG 4391)
P.42 Scheme 11/10 Mach 4 canard aircraft kerosene boost or cruise launch (EAG 4392)
P.42 Scheme 11/11 Mach 4 aircraft kerosene boost or cruise launch (EAG 4394)
P.42 Scheme 11/12 Mach 4 aircraft kerosene boost or cruise launch (EAG 4395)
P.42 Scheme 11/13 Mach 4 aircraft kerosene boost or cruise launch (EAG 4396 issue 2)
P.42 Scheme 11/14 Mach 4 transport aircraft (EAG 4397)
P.42 Scheme 11/17 Mach 4 aircraft kerosene booster (EAG 4407)
P.42 Mach 2.2 kerosene booster aircraft (EAG 4409)
P.42 Scheme 19 Mach 0.9 kerosene booster aircraft (EAG 4410)
Vertical take-off horizontal landing Mach 7 booster (EAG 4403/4411)
P.42 Scheme 20 Mach 0.9 kerosene booster aircraft (EAG 4412)
P.42 3rd stage spacecraft for Mach 2.2 launch (EAG 4413)
P.42 2nd stage booster for Mach 2.2 launch (EAG 4413)
Variable geometry re-entry vehicle (EAG 4414)
P.42 Mach 4 booster (EAG 4415 preliminary issue)
P.42 Mach 4 booster (EAG 4415 issue 1)
P.42 Mach 4 booster (EAG 4416 preliminary issue)
P.42 Mach 4 booster (EAG 4416 issue 1)
P.42 Mach 4 booster (EAG 4418)
P.42 Recoverable Rocket (EAG 4423 preliminary issue)
P.42 Recoverable Rocket (EAG 4423 issue 1)
P.42 Mach 4 kerosene booster aircraft (EAG 4424 preliminary issue)
P.42 Mach 4 aircraft (EAG 4426)
P.42 Mach 4 aircraft with weapons (EAG 4426/1)
Mach 4 naval aircraft (EAG 4427)
Mach 4 naval aircraft with weapons (EAG 4427/1)
Mach 4 naval aircraft with weapons (EAG 4427/2)
Winged re-entry vehicle (EAG 4428)
Recoverable first-stage rocket – research (EAG 4429)
Recoverable first-stage rocket (manned) (EAG 4430)
Recoverable first-stage rocket (EAG 4431)

British Aircraft Corporation
Mach 4 booster with flashjets (EAG 4432)
Recoverable first-stage research vehicle – Monex fuel (EAG 4433)
Mach 4 booster, kerosene fuelled (EAG 4435)
Recoverable space module (EAG 4437 preliminary issue)
Mustard Scheme 1 (EAG 4437 issue 1)
Mach 4 booster (EAG 4438 part 1)
Mach 4 booster (EAG 4438 part 2)
Mach 4 booster (EAG 4438 part 3)
Mustard Scheme 2 (EAG unknown)
Reconnaissance aircraft (EAG 4441)
Mustard Scheme 3 (EAG 4442)
Mach 0.8 launch or transport aircraft (EAG 4444)
4,000sq ft boost aircraft (EAG 4446)
Mustard Scheme 4 (EAG 4450 outline)
Mustard Scheme 4 (EAG 4450)
Mach 7 boost aircraft (EAG 4453)
Mustard Scheme 5 (EAG 4454)
Mustard low-speed glider (EAG 4455)
Mach 10 VTO cruise vehicle (EAG 4456 preliminary issue)
Mach 10 VTO cruise vehicle (EAG unknown)
Mach 10 VTO cruise vehicle (EAG 4456 issue 2)
Untitled high-speed vehicle (EAG 4458)
Untitled high-speed vehicle (EAG 4459)
Mach 4 aircraft (EAG unknown)
Mustard Scheme 6 (EAG 4463)
Skinless Mustard expendable booster (EAG 4464)
Mustard Scheme 7 (EAG 4465)
Liquid hydrogen aircraft x 3 (EAG 4468)
Mustard Scheme 8 (EAG 4470)
Mustard Scheme 9 (EAG 4471)
Mustard Scheme 10 (EAG 4472)
Mustard Scheme 11 (EAG 4473)
Mustard Scheme 12 (EAG 4474)
Mustard Scheme 13 (EAG 4476)
Mustard Scheme 14 (EAG 4477)
Mustard Scheme 15 (EAG 4478)
Mustard unnumbered final scheme (EAG unknown)

Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Manned Satellite (May 1959)
Manned Satellite (August 1959)

A. V. Roe & Company
Z 101/35 (manned Blue Steel)

Bell Aircraft Corporation
Bell hypersonic transport (transport vehicle)
Bell hypersonic transport (booster)

Boeing
Model 922

Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Type 198 (start of joint studies)
Bristol Type 198 (4 January 1960)
Bristol Type 198 (16 September 1960)

Avions Marcel Dassault
Transporteur Aérospatial (TAS) 2 booster

Douglas Aircraft Company
Astro A1 test vehicle (1962)
Astro A2 spacecraft (1962)
Astro B booster (1962)
Astro A2 spacecraft (1963)
Astro B booster (1963)

Hawker Siddeley Aircraft
Hawker Siddeley SST (start of joint studies)
Hawker Siddeley SST (final configuration)
Type 1019/A1 (early)
Type 1019/A1 (late)
Type 1019/A5
Type 1019/A6
Type 1019/E2
Type 1019/E5
Type 1019/E6 (foreplanes)
Type 1019/E6 (no foreplanes)
Type 1019/H1
Type 1019/H2
Aerospace Transporter (ejector-ramjet)
Aerospace Transporter (turboramjets)
Aerospace Transporter (rockets)
Aerospace Transporter orbiter (early)
Aerospace Transporter orbiter (late)

Junkers
Raumtransporter RT8-1-01 (booster)
Raumtransporter RT8-2-01 (spacecraft)

Martin Marietta Corporation
Astrorocket AR-7A
Astrorocket AR-10A

Nord-SNECMA-ERNO
Aerospace Transporter (booster)
Aerospace Transporter (spacecraft)

Republic Aviation Corporation
Mach 25 vehicle
AP-100 Mach 2.3 V/STOL aircraft
Mach 4.25 bomber
Mach 7 aircraft
 
BSP5: Britain's Space Shuttle is out now, it would seem!
 

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Congrats!!

I've got to place an order for my copy ASAP then ;)
 
I received my copy of the book from Crecy today. I have to say that the book is absolutely fantastic with tons of new information and some great General Arrangement drawings, superb pictures by Daniel Uhr and I think Luca Landini. I have been fascinated by this project for many years and have had to content myself with a small number of articles collected over the years but now have this book that has more information than I thought could have possibly survived over the years. I hadn't realised that there so many versions of Mustard let alone all the other Aerospace Transporters studied by BAC.
Hope Dan Sharp is proud of his book, he ought to be!
 
newsdeskdan said:
Here's a list of the designs you can expect to find in British Secret Projects 5: Britain's Space Shuttle - at least the ones that dimensions were available for

*Only* 132 entries... Seems a bit light on the content <insert irony emoji>...

Ordered from Crecy today and hoping the package finds a high speed mail plane to Australia.
 
Abraham Gubler said:
newsdeskdan said:
Here's a list of the designs you can expect to find in British Secret Projects 5: Britain's Space Shuttle - at least the ones that dimensions were available for

*Only* 132 entries... Seems a bit light on the content <insert irony emoji>...

Ordered from Crecy today and hoping the package finds a high speed mail plane to Australia.

Yes, sadly it wasn't possible to find accurate dimensions for absolutely everything that's featured in the book.
 
AlanDavies said:
I received my copy of the book from Crecy today. I have to say that the book is absolutely fantastic with tons of new information and some great General Arrangement drawings, superb pictures by Daniel Uhr and I think Luca Landini. I have been fascinated by this project for many years and have had to content myself with a small number of articles collected over the years but now have this book that has more information than I thought could have possibly survived over the years. I hadn't realised that there so many versions of Mustard let alone all the other Aerospace Transporters studied by BAC.
Hope Dan Sharp is proud of his book, he ought to be!

Thanks - I hope I've done the subject matter justice.
 
You certainly have done the subject justice.
I think I meant Luca Landino in my last post and I meant to mention the excellent profiles by Chris Sandham Bailey as well.
I really hadn't realised how deep the research by BAC had been, Mustard seems to have been a realistic project and I really wish it had been built, this is a fascinating read.
Alan
 
Any idea why Amazon still claims the book will only become available on March 15, 2017?

Martin
 
No idea. Amazon.co.uk shows it out of stock but there are 11 vendors in the 'offers' section of the listing now offering it for sale, including the book depository from whom I've ordered a remarkably cut-price example. Says it's been dispatched...
 
.

Especially as "The Book Depository" is an Amazon company.

(They do occasionally have better deals than Amazon.co.uk)
 
First book out for a review! B)
Tim Robinson ‏@RAeSTimR said:
Fascinating looking book turned up for review: British Secret Projects 5: Britain's Space Shuttles #avgeek

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/RAeSTimR/status/798800751417925632
https://twitter.com/RAeSTimR/status/798803331506315264
 
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