On Tuesday Virgin Galactic rolled WhiteKnightTwo out of its hanger “as part of a gearing up process.”.
Is it cracked or not? On Tuesday Virgin Galactic rolled WhiteKnightTwo out of its hanger “as part of a gearing up process.”.
Though the above article is very vague about what is being done, this article explains that they are doing taxi tests of new landing gear. The timing, however, makes me suspect that this is also a public relations ploy to counter yesterday’s reports about cracks in the vehicle’s wings.
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Is it cracked or not? On Tuesday Virgin Galactic rolled WhiteKnightTwo out of its hanger “as part of a gearing up process.”.
Though the above article is very vague about what is being done, this article explains that they are doing taxi tests of new landing gear. The timing, however, makes me suspect that this is also a public relations ploy to counter yesterday’s reports about cracks in the vehicle’s wings.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
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One has to wonder why Scaled composites would turn over the aircraft to Virgin with known issues, almost like they are washing their hands of the whole thing.
More baffling is this: Why would Virgin Galactic accept the aircraft with known problems?
The whole situation is puzzling.
The article says they are testing new brakes since all the old ones tested caused trouble with the plane.
This doesn’t sound like a brake problem at all. The brakes that planes use have been around since the 1950’s. Its the basis for automobile disk brakes.
What it sounds like is something is happening to the plane when the brakes are used. Like when landing.
I bet the whole of the landing gear structure is causing all the cracks we are hearing about. I am guessing but I wonder if they have added an anti skid brake system to it in hopes that it will keep any extra stress and vibration out.
It all might have something to do with the fact that the brakes are made and tuned for when the extra weight of the space craft is added in but when its not connected I bet the brakes lock up real hard and vibrate and bounce that craft around quite a bit on landing. Possibly causing cracks.
If anyone has ever hauled anything on a trailer with brakes before I bet you have noticed what happens when you turn the trailer brakes up all the way and you have no load on the trailer. It locks up the wheels as soon as you hit the brakes and bounces the trailer around.
If Virgins right and its just surface glue splitting, its not much past cosmetic. If the spar itself had cracks. They’ll need to replace the wing.