tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post8222514728005889142..comments2023-09-23T07:12:58.944-04:00Comments on Sulako's Blog: Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-77891841744433144752007-02-25T15:36:00.000-05:002007-02-25T15:36:00.000-05:00How to practice your shuttle landings (or how to m...How to practice your shuttle landings (or how to make a GII really fun to fly):<BR/><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle_Training_Aircraft" REL="nofollow">wikipedia article</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-32753739848402818242007-02-25T14:58:00.000-05:002007-02-25T14:58:00.000-05:00The glide angle on landing varies between 18 and 2...The glide angle on landing varies between 18 and 22 degrees nose down - basically it flies (glides) like a brick.<BR/><BR/>And the Commander and Pilot both need their glider pilot's license.<BR/><BR/>The automation is almost total... the computers can do everything to land the unit except lower the landing gear (and speed brake? parachute?). The designers didn't want a computer glitch or bug to lower the gear at the wrong time (e.g. on-orbit), because once lowered they cannot be raised, and then you lose the craft. And so the wires don't exist to connect the computers to the gear-down switch. Recently a re-design was effected where a patch cable can be plugged between here&there so the shuttle computers can complete the full landing unmanned (including gear deployment) if the fligth controllers decide to land a damaged unit unmanned - if it can get to ground the computers can then deploy the landing gear.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11726267862761677407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-17921048715289619642007-02-25T08:04:00.000-05:002007-02-25T08:04:00.000-05:00I really enjoy the final where it looks like a 300...I really enjoy the final where it looks like a 300 kt dive to the middle marker and then flare to bleed off speed. Whoa! <BR/><BR/>Now THAT would be an, um, embarrassing time to have a gear up landing. Maybe that's what the chase plane is really for... I think I need to get me one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-42543201377743989702007-02-24T15:46:00.000-05:002007-02-24T15:46:00.000-05:00Watching the re-entry in the days when that sort o...Watching the re-entry in the days when that sort of thing was actually broadcast, I realized that from the de-orbit burn at around 400,000 feet to touchdown takes about the same length of time it takes our airliners/bizjets to descend to land from about 35,000 feet. Whoo heee.Aluwingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16518739658424324739noreply@blogger.com