Re: Control electronics
That’s a really good point — thanks, Stuart.
I agree that the reaction experienced by the truss is the principal driving factor in the relationship of the truss and the plane. This is why I have been discussing variations of piston launchers — by controlling the reaction force of the launcher we can derive stabilization. Consider F=ma; by taking the mass of the launcher and knowing its acceleration, we have a recoil reaction force getting the plane going NOW, in a degree we can control.
So consider a plane held by its wings or fuselage, with quite short but sturdy and lightweight guide trusses. By enclosing its engine(s) in designed devices, we can control that force (we need tests, of course).
Now, by taking the moment of inertia of the launcher and the moment arm of the launch force into consideration, you can design a system to get the plane moving really fast off the line, which admittedly isn’t usually the way you launch a plane.
But here we have the unique experiment of being able to design anything we like. Now, I fully appreciate there are professionals working on this who KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING in a way we can only dream of doing it. So I'm just shooting the moon in thinking about this, because, well, why not? (The plane was designed only on the basis of looking cool, not much actual aeronautical thought was given to it. The high-aspect wing is a good idea, I agree; think of the U-2 for example. I am a bit concerned about structural stress in a long thin wing, it could be a limiting factor in how much thrust capture we can use. It’s a design tradeoff.)
I guess my central point is, if we design for dynamic equilibrium, the launch action will happen so quickly that it won’t really matter what the launcher forces are from other sources like the balloon — it would act the same in freefall, although it could go in any direction unless gyro-stablilized now that I think about it.
Let’s think about this. suggestions are welcome.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
