Reaction Engines SABRE engine (Skylon Spaceplane)

Unfortunately I have to call BS.
It is very much changed days since Macrihanish was a weapons storage site and RAF. deployment base
... the reality is Marcrihanish is at the arse end of nowhere, bad road connections (no real maintenance since it became no longer needed) and not much support infrastructure (other than a naval fuel farm further round the peninsula)
Like most of Scotland, NOT suitable for commercial space ventures without a LOT of government backing expenditure (ie. NOT going to happen)
 
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TsrJoe said:
Marcrihanish is at the arse end of nowhere, bad road connections and not much support infrastructure.
Like most of Scotland, NOT suitable for commercial space ventures without a LOT of government backing expenditure (ie. NOT going to happen)
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The name spelling by itself is a major deterrent. I keep reading Marcri-hashish even if I never, ever smoked herb.
 
That was why it was chosen to be the main NATO fighter base to guard the western aproaches to the UK during the Cold War TsrJoe the other base that was not chosen was East Fortune (now home to an aviation mauseum).
 
Unfortunately, East Fortune has a road cut through its runway which mainly has fallen into disrepair. Other than the on site museum, the whole site is pretty much derelict. and would require massive investment from non existant public funds to bring up to any usable standard. Added to which Edinburgh to the North and N.Berwick to the East further ensures in non viability :/

Lossiemouth would be the obvious ideal, but that is now the sole remaining major RAF. base in Scotland with the transfer of Kinross and Leuchars to non operational status. And after massive investment, resurfacing, new hangers etc is home to Poseidon and Wedgetail
 
TsrJoe said:
Lossiemouth would be the obvious ideal, but that is now the sole remaining major RAF. base in Scotland with the transfer of Kinross and Leuchars to non operational status. And after massive investment, resurfacing, new hangers etc is home to Poseidon and Wedgetail
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It's got to be realised just how loud these spaceplane concepts are. For Skylon it was looking at having to wear hearing protection, whilst inside a building, a mile away from the runway. I just don't see how this is compatible with concurrent use of an airfield with other users. It's more like having a bespoke launch pad laid down horizontally over multiple miles leading pretty much straight out over the sea into a closeable danger area.
 

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