Date: Tue, 6 Apr 93 05:11:10 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #423 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Tue, 6 Apr 93 Volume 16 : Issue 423 Today's Topics: Area Rule (was Re: Space Research Spin Off) Celebrate Liberty! 1993 Comet in Temporary Orbit Around Jupiter? Luddites in space Mars Observer Update #2 - 03/29/93 Metric vs English nuclear waste Orbit data - help needed Quaint US Archaisms Space Research Spin Off (2 msgs) Sr-71 in propoganda films? Vulcan? (No, not the guy with the ears!) Why use AC at 20kHz for SSF power Welcome to the Space Digest!! Please send your messages to "space@isu.isunet.edu", and (un)subscription requests of the form "Subscribe Space " to one of these addresses: listserv@uga (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle (THENET), or space-REQUEST@isu.isunet.edu (Internet). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 19:48:19 GMT From: Henry Spencer Subject: Area Rule (was Re: Space Research Spin Off) Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Apr5.133619.1@fnalf.fnal.gov> higgins@fnalf.fnal.gov (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey) writes: >The story all young airplane buffs learn is that the Convair XF-92, a >delta-wing experimental fighter for the Air Force, couldn't break Mach >1 ... they designed the similar-looking F-102 >with a Coke-bottle fuselage, so as the wings got wider, the fuselage >got narrower and the total area grew only slowly... Bill, turn in your tin wings. :-) Right outline, but wrong details. Nobody ever expected the XF-92A to be supersonic; it was just a one-shot demonstrator to verify that delta wings had acceptable flying properties. It was the F-102 that was supposed to be supersonic and failed to be so, and the F-102A that cured the problem. (If being fussy, it was the prototype YF-102 that found the snag and the YF-102A that demonstrated that the problem was fixed.) Less widely known is that Convair didn't shrink the fuselage at the point of maximum wing cross-section, because they *couldn't* -- no room. What they did was fatten it up fore and aft. The smoother variation of overall cross-section more than made up for the extra bulk. -- All work is one man's work. | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology - Kipling | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 93 20:12:35 GMT From: Bob Waldrop Subject: Celebrate Liberty! 1993 Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio,rec.nude,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.cb,rec.radio.shortwave,sci.aeronautic,sci.aeronautics,sci.astro,sci.econ,sci.med,sci.misc,sci.space,soc.bi Announcing. . . Announcing. . . Announcing. . .Announcing. . . CELEBRATE LIBERTY! 1993 LIBERTARIAN PARTY NATIONAL CONVENTION AND POLITICAL EXPO THE MARRIOTT HOTEL AND THE SALT PALACE SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH INCLUDES INFORMATION ON DELEGATE DEALS! (Back by Popular Demand!) The convention will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center and the Marriott Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah. The business sessions, Karl Hess Institute, and Political Expo are at the Salt Palace; breakfasts, parties, and banquet are at the Marriott Hotel. Marriott Hotel room rates are $79.00 night, plus 10.5% tax ($87.17 total). This rate is good for one to four persons room occupancy. Double is one or two beds; 3 or 4 people is 2 beds. You can make your reservations direct with the hotel (801-531-0800), or you can purchase your room through one of MGP's payment plans. MGP will provide assistance in matching roommates if requested. August 30, 31, Sept. 1: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Winning Elections, but Didn't Know Where to Ask! Three days of intensive campaign training conducted by Sal Guzzetta, a 25 year veteran of more than 200 campaigns. Students receive 990 pages of professional campaign manuals. Everything from strategy and targeting to opposition research, fundraising, and field operations. Price: $150 if purchased by May 1, 1993 $175 thereafter August 31 and Sept. 1: Platform, Bylaws, Credentials and National committee meetings. Shoot out in Salt Lake! PLEDGE versus Committee for a Libertarian Majority. Will the party's membership and platform definitions change? Is compromise possible? The Platform and Bylaws committees are responsible for making recommendations to the convention concerning changes in those documents. At this convention, the party will only consider deletions to the platform. The Convention Rules would have to be amended by a 2/3 vote to change this rule. The meetings are open to the public. There is no charge for attending. Sept. 2-5, 1993: Celebrate Liberty! Begins Political Expo Opens Sept. 2, 1993: 9 AM -- Credentials Committee report to the delegates. 10:30 -- Gala Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address by Russell Means. 1:00 -- After lunch break, convention business continues (see "Standing Order of Business" from the "Convention Rules of the Libertarian Party" at the end of this document. Karl Hess Institute of Libertarian Politics Begins, runs in tandem with the business sessions. Sept. 3, 1993: Dawns Early Light, Green Dragon Inn (morning and evening), with Karl Hess Institute and convention business in between. Sept. 4, 1993: Dawns Early Light, Freedom Rock '93, Karl Hess Institute, convention business. Sept. 5, 1993: Dawns Early Light, Convention Banquet, Karl Hess Institute, convention business, Joyful Noise. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS: DAWNS EARLY LIGHT Three great convention breakfasts to start your days right, featuring science fiction author L. Neil Smith, psychiatrist and author Dr. Thomas Szasz, and South African Libertarian leader Frances Kendall. GREEN DRAGON INN "Opening night" party, named after the famous inn where Sam Adams and his crowd plotted trouble for the British over pints of ale and beer. Music, food, drink, and comedy. FREEDOM ROCK '93 Free downtown rock concert Friday night, with drum circle, comic Tim Slagle, Middle Eastern dancer, reggae, and local classic rock-n-roll bands. Will be widely publicized in the local area. Major outreach opportunity. BANQUET Vivaldi and Mozart, fine dining, in the elegant Marriott Grand Ballroom (black tie optional). Dancing follows. POLITICAL EXPO Exhibits and vendors. FREE admission. Event will be widely publicized in local area for maximum draw. Major Outreach opportunity. KARL HESS INSTITUTE OF LIBERTARIAN POLITICS Workshops, speakers, roundtable discussions in these areas: LIBERTY: NEXT GENERATION High school and college age Libertarians talk about what matters to them and the 20- something generation. AGENDA 2000 Considers key issues of the 1990s. Environment. Health Care. 21st Century Economics. Drug War. Second Amendment. Social Services. Foreign Policy. Crime & Violence. AIDS. THE GREAT DEBATE LP Strategy and tactics. Media. Ballot Access. Initiatives. Feminist Issues. Presidential Campaigns. LP Elected Officials. Grassroots. Early look at the 1996 presidential nomination. VALUES FOR THE 90s Community. Children. Abundance. Home Schooling. Religion and Liberty. Race. CAMPUS FOCUS Organizing. Academia. Blue Collar Youth. CONVENTION PACKAGE DESCRIPTIONS AND PRICES TOTAL EVENT: All activities, Aug. 30-Sept. 5, $400, including 3 day candidate training Full Celebration: All convention activities, Sept. 2-5, $300 Late Riser No breakfasts, everything else Sept. 2-5, $250 Thrift No breakfasts or banquet, $150 Issues Focus Karl Hess Institute, $125 Basic Convention packet, souvenirs, two Karl Hess Institute speakers Free Political Expo, Access to convention hall, Keynote Address, Joyful Noise, Freedom Rock '93, three free outreach speakers. PLEASE NOTE: -- PRICES INCREASE MAY 1, 1993 -- Special student prices are available to anyone under 25 years of age or who is enrolled in a college or university. -- Six and seven month payment plans are available which can include housing (if requested). -- To add the three day candidate training to any package below (except "Total Event"), add $150 to the price. -- All prices are in U.S. dollars. -- Advertising is available in the convention program; exhibits and sponsorships are available for the Political Expo. Free Political Expo admission and MGP promotions will draw visitors from the surrounding community (one million people live within a 30 minute drive of the Expo). -- If your special interest group, organization, committee, or cause would like to schedule space for a presentation, contact us. -- MGP conducts a drawing each month and gives away FREE hotel nights. The sooner you register, the more chances you have to win. -- Roommate match service available upon request. OTHER EVENTS: "Anti-Federalist Two" MGP sponsored writing contest. June submission deadline. Contact MGP for prospectus. "The Libertarian Games" Friendly competition -- marksmanship, computer programming, chess, maybe more. Libertarians for Gay & Lesbian Concerns Business meeting, social night, sponsored by LGLC. ??? YOUR EVENT CAN BE LISTED HERE. Contact MGP for details. ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS! Special discounts are available for college and high school students. We will work on casual housing opportunities for the "Poverty Caucus". College Libertarians will meet at Celebrate Liberty! and discuss the future of their movement on campuses. Contact MGP for more details. LIST OF SPEAKERS (as of March 14, 1993): Dean Ahmad Jim Hudler Sheldon Richman Karen Allard Jeff Hummel Kathleen Richman Rick Arnold Alexander Joseph Dan Rosenthal Dr. George Ayittey Frances Kendall Dr. Mary Ruwart Alan Boch Martin Luther King Dagny Sharon Richard Boddie Me-Me King Jane Shaw Gus Dizerega Henry Lamb Sandy Shaw Larry Dodge Amy Lassen L. Neil Smith Dr. Richard Ebeling Scott Lieberman Eric Sterling Don Ernsberger Dr. Nancy Lord Dr. Richard Stroup Bill Evers Russell Means Dr. Thomas Szasz Bonnie Flickenger Vince Miller Michael Tanner John Fund Maury Modine Sojourner Truth Doris Gordon David Nolan Yuri Tuvim Leon Hadar Randall O'Toole Bob Waldrop Patrick Henry James Ostrowski Terree Wasley Karl Hess Dirk Pearson Perry Willis Dr. Karl Hess Jr. Bob Poole Richard Winger Jacob Honrberger Carole Ann Rand Jarret Wollstein Brigham Young UPCOMING CONVENTION DEVELOPMENTS! On May 1st, prices increase for convention packages, candidate training, and exhibits/advertising: New prices for convention packages will be: Total Event: $450 Full Celebration: $350 Late Riser: $275 Thrift: $175 Issues Focus: $150 Basic: $30 Free: $0 These prices good through July 2, 1993. BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! ANNOUNCING THE DELEGATE DEALS! Available May 1, 1993 I: Business Focus: All convention activities except Karl Hess Institute -- $275 II: Delegate Celebration, includes a complete set of Karl Hess Institute audio tapes instead of institute tickets -- $350 STANDING ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR A LIBERTARIAN PARTY CONVENTION 1. Call to order 2. Credentials Committee report 3. Adoption of agenda 4. Treasurer's report 5. Bylaws and Rules Committee report (Non-nominating conventions only) 6. Platform Committee report (At non-Presidential nominating conventions only deletions may be considered.) 7. Nomination of Party candidates for President and Vice-President (in appropriate years) 8. Election of Party Officers and at-large members of the National Committee 9. Election of Judicial Committee 10. Resolutions 11. Other business FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, GRUMBLES OR GRINS, SUGGESTIONS OR CRITICISM, AND TO REGISTER, CONTACT: MORNING GLORY PRODUCTIONS, INC. P.O. Box 526175 Salt Lake City, UT 84152 801.582.3318 E-mail: Bob.Waldrop@f418.n104.z1.fidonet.org Make Checks Payable to Morning Glory Productions, Inc. -- Don't blame me; I voted Libertarian. Disclaimer: I speak for myself, except as noted; Copyright 1993 Rich Thomson UUCP: ...!uunet!dsd.es.com!rthomson Rich Thomson Internet: rthomson@dsd.es.com IRC: _Rich_ PEXt Programmer ------------------------------ Date: 5 Apr 1993 19:17:08 GMT From: Rob Unverzagt Subject: Comet in Temporary Orbit Around Jupiter? Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary In article <5APR199318045045@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov> baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) writes: > According the IAU Circular #5744, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 1993e, may be > temporarily in orbit around Jupiter. The comet had apparently made a > close flyby of Jupiter sometime in 1992 resulting in the breakup of the > comet. Attempts to determine the comet's orbit has been complicated by > the near impossibility of measuring the comet's center of mass. > Am I missing something -- what does knowing the comet's center of mass do for you in orbit determination? Shag -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rob Unverzagt | shag@aerospace.aero.org | Tuesday is soylent green day. unverzagt@courier2.aero.org | ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 17:49:35 GMT From: fred j mccall 575-3539 Subject: Luddites in space Newsgroups: sci.space,talk.politics.space In <1pfie8$5pv@access.digex.com> prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: >I guess the best response would be to point out that you like mohney >couldn't have been very good economists. You couldn't get jobs in the field. Only 'the best' if you are equating that with 'the stupidest'. What I do now pays better than being an economist, Pat. I never had any intention of getting a *job* as an economist -- I just took it because I thought it was neat. >Now considering that one of the partners in the medical practice that I go >to never went to med school what does that mean. SChools only teach dogma. >Unless you are going to get a PhD, all you are doing is learning the >dogma of the faculty. And in fact numerous people conduct highly >valuable research without having a Degree at all. If you think "schools only teach dogma" you either have a great deal to unlearn or have been exposed to some pretty poor schooling; perhaps both. Personally, I had everything from a strict Monetarist with libertarian leanings to a Left-wing Statist as professors. >The best computer guys I ever worked with never had their degrees in either >EE or CS or Math. Ward was a statistician. Bob was a physicist. >Russ white was an English major, Andy was an architect. That's nice. Now, repeat after me, "The singular of data is not anecdote." [And the last time I checked, statistics was math and physics required a lot of math plus the ability to do logical abstract reasoning -- good qualities for someone doing software.] >I suppose you think Ovishinky was an idiot because he never finished >High School. Out of all the people who don't finish high school, how many of the are Ovishinkys (or equivalent)? >My Grandfather is one of the greatest economists to live >in in this century, and I probably learned more about the fundamentals >of economic theory hanging around him then in all the classes I did >take as an undergrad. Oh? Which Nobel did he win? Do you understand the difference between casual knowledge picked up 'hanging around' and systematic teaching (and learning)? >You see I took the classes, I just never bothered >with the detail work to get the major. 'Detail work'? You mean like actually dropping by the Departmental office and filling out a form? >I actually ended up with more classes >in acctg, Finance and Economics then my brother who had a degree in economics. Now there are three quite separate things. Subtract off all but about 6 hours of the Accounting and Finance -- still got enough for a degree in Economics? >So fred. Do you with all your Brilliant economic reasoning think that >the last administrations economic policies were advantageous to the >american people and th economy? Oh, he wants political opinions, now? Perhaps you would like to tell me what you see as *being* the ecomomic policies of the last administration, Pat? >Or here. Postulate what role Space has in improving our GNP over the >next 10 years, and what should be done to implement it and what levels >of funding should be committed. Gee, essay questions, yet? Get back to me when you have your PhD and I'm taking a course from you. Until then, I don't see *YOU* answering (or attempting to answer) your 'questions', so you must not care enough to learn enough to see the answers. [Over the next 10 years, the answer is 'not much', Pat, other than aerospace development. Space is long term exploration; you don't expect 'economic' returns from that over a 10 year span to be entered on a balance sheet.] -- "Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live in the real world." -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 4 Apr 1993 15:02:47 GMT From: Eric H Seale Subject: Mars Observer Update #2 - 03/29/93 Newsgroups: sci.space schumach@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher) writes: >What's the deal with MO, anyway? First they decide after it's halfway >there to turn the instruments on before insertion, instead of waiting >8 months to circularize the orbit. Now JPL is holding "anomalous >orbit insertion" exercizes. Am I ignorant, or are neither of these >typical mission activities? Can't vouch for why JPL changed their collective minds on instrument power-on (maybe), but "anomaly" exercises during interplanetary cruise are pretty standard stuff. These just make sure everybody's trained (for fast reactions) in case something weird happens... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 93 19:52:15 GMT From: Dave Jones Subject: Metric vs English Newsgroups: sci.space Keith Mancus (mancus@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov) wrote: > Bruce_Dunn@mindlink.bc.ca (Bruce Dunn) writes: > > SI neatly separates the concepts of "mass", "force" and "weight" > > which have gotten horribly tangled up in the US system. > > This is not a problem with English units. A pound is defined to > be a unit of force, period. There is a perfectly good unit called > the slug, which is the mass of an object weighing 32.2 lbs at sea level. > (g = 32.2 ft/sec^2, of course.) > American Military English units, perhaps. Us real English types were once taught that a pound is mass and a poundal is force (being that force that causes 1 pound to accelerate at 1 ft.s-2). We had a rare olde tyme doing our exams in those units and metric as well. -- ||Nothing can prepare you for the revelation ||"You have reached the phone ||that your favorite movie director is a dweeb.|| system of Muzak, Inc. ||---------------------------------------------|| While you wait you will hear ||Dave Jones (dj@ekcolor.ssd.kodak.com)--------|| live US Senate proceedings" ------------------------------ Date: 5 Apr 1993 07:57:34 -0400 From: Matthew DeLuca Subject: nuclear waste Newsgroups: sci.space In article <841@rins.ryukoku.ac.jp> will@rins.ryukoku.ac.jp (William Reiken) writes: > Well this pretty much says it. I have gotten alot of replys to this >and it looks like oil is only on Earth. So if those greedy little oil companys >who obviously don't give **** about it uses up all the oil then that leaves us >high a dry. Greedy little oil companies? Don't blame them; oil companies just supply the demand created by you, me, and just about everyone else on the planet. If we run out, its all our faults. -- Matthew DeLuca Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!matthew Internet: matthew@phantom.gatech.edu ------------------------------ Date: 5 Apr 93 19:05:46 GMT From: "David H. Chien" Subject: Orbit data - help needed Newsgroups: sci.space I have the "osculating elements at perigee" of an orbit, which I need to convert to something useful, preferably distance from the earth in evenly spaced time intervals. A GSM coordinate system is preferable, but I convert from other systems. C, pascal, or fortran code, or if you can point me to a book or something that'd be great. here's the first few lines of the file. 0 () 1 (2X, A3, 7X, A30) 2 (2X, I5, 2X, A3, 2X, E24.18) 3 (4X, A3, 7X, E24.18) 1 SMA SEMI-MAJOR AXIS 1 ECC ECCENTRICITY 1 INC INCLINATION 1 OMG RA OF ASCENDING NODE 1 POM ARGUMENT OF PERICENTRE 1 TRA TRUE ANOMALY 1 HAP APOCENTRE HEIGHT 1 HPE PERICENTRE HEIGHT 2 3 BEG 0.167290000000000000E+05 3 SMA 0.829159999999995925E+05 3 ECC 0.692307999999998591E+00 3 INC 0.899999999999999858E+02 3 OMG 0.184369999999999994E+03 3 POM 0.336549999999999955E+03 3 TRA 0.359999999999999943E+03 3 HAP 0.133941270127999174E+06 3 HPE 0.191344498719999910E+05 2 1 REF 0.167317532658774153E+05 3 SMA 0.829125167527418671E+05 3 ECC 0.691472268118590319E+00 3 INC 0.899596754214342091E+02 3 OMG 0.184377521828175002E+03 3 POM 0.336683788851850579E+03 3 TRA 0.153847166458030088E-05 3 HAP 0.133866082767180880E+06 3 HPE 0.192026707383028306E+05 Thanks in advance, larry kepko lkepko@igpp.ucla.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 20:43:12 GMT From: Nick Haines Subject: Quaint US Archaisms Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Apr2.170157.24251@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman) writes: The metric system is based on powers of ten. The Imperial system is based on integer fractions. The only reason we like the metric system is because we have eight fingers and two thumbs which we learned to use as counters. In the natural world, very few things are found grouped in patterns of 10. Instead almost everything has a geometric basis best pictured as groupings of integer fractions arrayed in an exponential scale. The Imperial system is vastly better suited to dealing with nature than a system based on the artifact of our having eight fingers and two thumbs. What completely bogus reasoning. The metric system is just as `exponential,' `geometric,' and `natural' as the imperial. In addition, all metric units lie on scales with these ratios: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: etc and have names related by a simple and uniform prefix system. The imperial units have a multiplicity of names from random historical sources (anyone for why a gill is called a gill?), are based on a bunch of different scales: length (from furlongs down): 3: 8: 10: 11: 2: 3: 12: 2: 2: 2: 2: etc (not counting a few units which simply don't fit here: the nautical mile, the thousandth of an inch, the rod) mass (from tons down): 20: 8: 14: 16: 16 (not counting the whole parallel system of apothecary measures) liquid (from barrels down): 42: 2: 2: 2: 4: 5: 2: 3: ??? (of course that's in the UK, in the US replace the 4: 5: with a 16:, and the fluid ounce is about 5% different, and there are many different sizes of barrel...) And so on in other fields (dry measure, anyone?). Of course the units of force have the same names as those of weight, but in order to use them you need to keep useful constants like the omnipresent 32.???? ft/sec^2 around. Maybe you'd like to go over again how this system is _so_ natural and _so_ easy to use, Gary? While you're at it, you can figure out for us the weight of 17 barrels and a quart of foo (density 17lb 2 3/4 oz per cubic foot) on the moon (gravity 5 ft 7 3/32 in/sec^2). Let's face it, even the imperial system uses a basically metric way of relating quantities (i.e. that would be written as 5.59 ft/sec^2); the only thing you're hanging on to is the right to express the same quantity as 1731 inches, 144.25 feet, 48.0833 yards or 2.186 chains. What everyone else is saying is _why_ do you want to do that? Any apparent remaining complexity in the SI system is due to the multiplicity of the aforesaid prefixes. In fact what's going on (and the fundamental difference between SI and imperial) is that you have exactly one unit of each type, and all values of that type are expressed as some multiple of the unit. Oh, and the other advantage is that you don't have shit constants like 32.??? hanging around. Nick Haines nickh@cmu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 19:39:09 GMT From: Henry Spencer Subject: Space Research Spin Off Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1ppm7j$ip@access.digex.net> prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: >I thought the area rule was pioneered by Boeing. >NASA guys developed the rule, but no-one knew if it worked >until Boeing built the hardware 727 and maybe the FB-111????? Nope. The decisive triumph of the area rule was when Convair's YF-102 -- contractually commmitted to being a Mach 1.5 fighter and actually found to be incapable of going supersonic in level flight -- was turned into the area-ruled YF-102A which met the specs. This was well before either the 727 or the FB-111; the 102 flew in late 1953, and Convair spent most of the first half of 1954 figuring out what went wrong and most of the second half building the first 102A. -- All work is one man's work. | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology - Kipling | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 5 Apr 1993 16:39:05 -0400 From: Pat Subject: Space Research Spin Off Newsgroups: sci.space In article henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <1ppm7j$ip@access.digex.net> prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: |>I thought the area rule was pioneered by Boeing. |>NASA guys developed the rule, but no-one knew if it worked |>until Boeing built the hardware 727 and maybe the FB-111????? | |Nope. The decisive triumph of the area rule was when Convair's YF-102 -- |contractually commmitted to being a Mach 1.5 fighter and actually found |to be incapable of going supersonic in level flight -- was turned into |the area-ruled YF-102A which met the specs. This was well before either |the 727 or the FB-111; the 102 flew in late 1953, and Convair spent most |of the first half of 1954 figuring out what went wrong and most of the |second half building the first 102A. |-- |All work is one man's work. | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology | - Kipling | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry Good thing i stuck in a couple of question marks up there. I seem to recall, somebody built or at least proposed a wasp waisetd Passenger civil transport. I thought it was a 727, but maybe it was a DC- 8,9??? Sure it had a funny passenger compartment, but on the other hand it seemed to save fuel. I thought Area rules applied even before transonic speeds, just not as badly. pat ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 19:20:20 GMT From: fred j mccall 575-3539 Subject: Sr-71 in propoganda films? Newsgroups: sci.space In <1phv98$jbk@access.digex.net> prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: >THe SR-71 stopped being a real secret by the mid 70's. >I had a friend in high school who had a poster with it's picture. It was known well before that. I built a model of it sometime in the mid 60's, billed as YF-12A/SR-71. The model was based on YF-12A specs and had a big radar in the nose and 8 AAMs in closed bays on the underside of the fuselage. The description, even then, read "speeds in excess of Mach 3 at altitudes exceeding 80,000 feet." -- "Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live in the real world." -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 19:28:50 GMT From: Henry Spencer Subject: Vulcan? (No, not the guy with the ears!) Newsgroups: sci.space In article neff@iaiowa.physics.uiowa.edu (John S. Neff) writes: >>All that I know is that there were apparently two sightings at >>drastically different times of a small planet that was inside Mercury's >>orbit... > >... As far as I know the original observation >has not been explained, but I could be wrong about that. It has been suggested that the one or two plausible observations of Vulcan that did occur may have been sightings of Icarus or some other asteroid. There is definitely no planet of any noticeable size inside Mercury's orbit, but some of the inner-system asteroids do sometimes get closer to the Sun than Mercury. -- All work is one man's work. | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology - Kipling | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 18:35:33 GMT From: fred j mccall 575-3539 Subject: Why use AC at 20kHz for SSF power Newsgroups: sci.space In <1993Apr2.231946.17440@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> hack@arabia.uucp (Edmund Hack) writes: >In article <1pgdno$3t1@access.digex.net> prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: >> >>I always thought GD's Fighter plants were in Long Island. >> >No, Northrup has a plant on Long Island. >GD's former fighter business was in Fort Worth. It now belongs to >Lockheed. Bell was doing some of the V-22 R&D in Fort Worth. I think >the LTV plant at NAS Dallas is closed. (Actually, the plant was owned by >DOD and used by LTV). I've spent serious amounts of time at NAS Dallas over the last half-dozen plus years (most recently with Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit #109) and don't recall an LTV plant there. Doesn't mean it wasn't, or even isn't (I was sort of busy), but I don't recall it so I would expect that it is indeed closed. I believe they're also talking about moving the Reserve Wings to Carswell AFB over in Fort Worth to get some use out of the much bigger runways and perhaps decrease the aggravation level of the ATC folks out at DFW. -- "Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live in the real world." -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me. ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 423 ------------------------------