The McDonnell Douglas Model 176 Developments

[Archibald]

What's the big round thing between the tanks and below the '176 ?

 

[RanulfC]

What's the big round thing between the tanks and below the '176 ?

Probably an SRB "zero" stage, because pure LH2 rockets are inefficient for getting off the ground in a timely manner. This is specifically a problem with something the size of the 176 as they don't have the propellent to "fool around" in getting moving.

Edit: More interesting to me is why do the drop tanks look like they have nozzles on them as well? They are supposed to be what feeds the Model 176 engines. Possibly a 2.5 stage booster set up? Not sure that the 176 has enough propellant on board to make orbit that way but...

Randy

 

[Scott Kenny]

Is it weird that I thought the 176 was to drop a squad anywhere in the world in an hour?

 

[martinbayer]

People weren't afraid of wild lay-outs then.

Other than embracing the staging principle, it's definitely not the way I would do it, since they were apparently oblivious of the KISS rule - see my FSSC-16 concept on this august forum...

 

[martinbayer]

What are your thoughts on this similar project? (SpaceLiner)

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-europe-starship.htmlhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12567-025-00625-8
That might be the last gasp of winged TSTO concepts.

TLDR, but if it's a *truly* fully reusable TSTO, more power to them.

 

[Archibald]

Is it weird that I thought the 176 was to drop a squad anywhere in the world in an hour?

SUSTAIN - https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ort-and-insertion-sustain-and-hot-eagle.5386/