On 29 May 2003, David Masten wrote: > Having watched the Indy 500... I am wondering if a VTVL vehicle > with engine out on (crash) landing can be designed to practically > disintegrate while the crew/passenger compartment remains intact and the > passengers walk away.
You're not the first one to come up with that idea. In principle it's reasonable, given a design which puts the cabin on top (which is by no means to be taken for granted -- Roton put it in the middle). Adding a requirement for predictable crush behavior will not endear you to the guy designing the tanks, however. :-)
I think Andrew is on to the right solution for this, tho. If you size the dump panels and other outlets from the tank correctly, you can use the gas in the tank as an airbag to help cushion the fall and take some of the design load off the tank.
-p
Mars or Bust! www.marssociety.com
_______________________________________________ ERPS-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
