Comments on: Daring Men in Seven Nations Aim to Harness GIANT Rockets

By: Keith

Keith — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:47:07 +0000

Why don’t we have these rocket transports up and running by now? Too many wars costing trillions, and too many banking and mortgage scandals that also cost “billions and billions” (according to Arthur C. Clarke).

By: beagledad

beagledad — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:25:13 +0000

It certainly looks to me like a safe and fuel-efficient way to transport three people across the Atlantic. I just can’t figure out why we don’t have them up and running by now.

By: mrdweeb

mrdweeb — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:27:10 +0000

I don’t think you want to put the combustion chamber above the fuel. But they did put the crew on top of the rocket, unlike our current space shuttle.

By: Kruk

Kruk — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:11:23 +0000

This shows a basic difference in design philosophy between then and now. Currently the trend is toward just a few very large rocket nozzles, which necessarily produce very intense thrust. But in the 1930’s the trend was very many small rocket nozzles, which would have produced a much gentler thrust, allowing the casual poses of the passengers and pilot.

By: slim

slim — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:44:04 +0000

I love the illustration of the passenger compartment. One businessman in coat and tie is calmly reading his paper while the pilot with his pilot’s cap is standing at the control panel impervious to G forces.

By: Delk

Delk — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:25:34 +0000

Hm, I wonder how the author felt when he heard about the Germans developing the V1 & V2. “Bearing commercial traffic at enormous speeds” indeed.

That aside, the Title had me chuckling.