Enterprise TSTO

[hesham]

From Russian file 5/1982;


and in article about VKS,here is a strange all wing space launcher aircraft project (MVKA).

 

[flateric]

That's not ours, Hesham.

 

[Stargazer]

That's not ours, Hesham.

Indeed. Not only it says "Enterprise" in the caption, but if you look carefully, hesham, you'll notice that the TsAGI's journal NEVER shows ANY Soviet project (at least in any of the issues that are available for downloading).

 

[hesham]

OK my dears,


and please transfer it to a suitable place.

 

[Orionblamblam]

It's a Len Cormier design, I believe.

 

[hesham]

And from 15/1981 file,


may be my dear Flateric can explain what was MVKA,with a looks like aircraft.

 

[flateric]

Hesham, every article in TI is compilation of foreign papers translated. Every article has references list published at the end, but you even didnt care to dont crop them while posting. Facepalm.
Many of the concepts on pics are widely known like Beta or StarRaker. Do some research work yourself.

 

[hesham]

OK my dear Flateric.

 

[martinbayer]

It's a Len Cormier design, I believe.

Correct - the design is outlined in Cormier's AIAA Paper 79-0879 named "Utility of High Bypass Turbofans for a Two-Stage Transport". The orbiter was actually called "L'Entreprise" and featured a single SSME, while the carrier aircraft incorporated the wings and landing gear from a Boeing 747. Both the orbiter and the carrier were pojected to weigh 250 metric tons each at takeoff. Interestingly, the orbiter mass corresponds to the payload capability of the An-225, and several years after Cormier's publication there was an initial concept of a rocket propelled orbiter launched from atop an An-225 http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/images/how_much_new_technology_is_required_for_future_reusable_launch_systems.3b.gif, which later turned into the Interim Hotol concept http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/portwin/Images/hot4.gif - note the different positions of the vertical stabiliser. I had always the suspicion that Cormier's design was at least in part a motivation for the creation of the An-225.

Martin