You're nose gear is going to require moving/deleting the fwd bomb-aimer/gunner position but it might be plausible. You still have to be careful due to take off angle and it might extend the take off run.
Randy
The US wasn't impressed with the V2 at all since by the point they got examples flying, (and a lot still didn't due to missed sabotage and poor quality construction) the US had already developed better technology (pressure supported tanks and vectoring engines) anyway. (It didn't help that the...
Kind of too bad though as some of his other concepts and work actually deserved more consideration and time which it didn't get because of his fixation on Mars. Things like the Blackhorse/Pioneer Aerial Propellant Transfer Spaceplane and Hypersonic Skyhook could allow cheaper and better access...
More likely he's known as an "advanced propulsion" (or "bug-nuts-crazy propulsion" given the NSWR concept :) ) and access guy rather than for Mars. TTL the "Mars Underground" didn't get the same boost since Mars was on the table and without that there's no need for "Mars Direct" (and a very...
Considering the use of the X-15 I'd like to see a plausible X-15B but I'm not looking for miracles :) Considering the background seems to be about the same they the US is headed for the Moon and the Soviets still have no real incentive to do more than play to their current strengths and continue...
I'd assume a lot of secondary cocooning with some sort of boundary between the capsule and the interior because the hypergolic propellants for the RCS will leak slightly no matter how 'sealed' they are and in a 'contained' area they will build up.
And there's the problem because it's an...
One of my sets of notes on timelines I'll likely never write, is one where the original Atlas (the five engine behemoth) is brought into use (if not service) and we've got that kind of throw-weight to work with instead of the OTL Atlas where we had wait to get the Titan to have the same payload...
I'd be really wary of that set up due to knowing that thrusters are going to 'leak' and such but it's quite a design :)
The leadership of course is the issue because there's no real 'incentive' for them to do this... But if there WAS a good reason then doing so would the onus is then on the...
Yep the "Ferry Rocket" would be replaced with a "Cargo Rocket" which would bring supplies and pre-assembled part into orbit, initially to build the Space Station but eventually to bring supplies and new material into orbit. The winged "Ferry" got all the press because it was manned (and...
Even if the N1 worked it wasn't likely the Soviets would have used it to be 'second' to the Moon as the mission plan was quite obviously and well understood to be much lower quality than the American Apollo program. What they really needed (assuming they have the will to actually admit to still...
Incorrect actually :)
NASA went to the Air Force saying "IF you had a cargo bay of "x by x" size and payload capability could you find use for it?" The Air Force, (assuming that they would NEVER use anything NASA offered anyway but what the heck) said "Sure, we could use that size payload bay"...
Coupled either with a more 'conventional' booster that could have the Shuttle swapped out with a pure cargo lifter, (since NASA will be NASA it's kind of a given that they will still insist on large space station modules which is what the Shuttle bay was designed around) or a system where the...
Ah yes one of my favorite "what ifs"... And to answer Juumanistra, the structural reinforcing was about equivalent to the later Atlas III so doable in context :)
I don't disagree :)
IIRC though it's often labeled as a "Flyback Atlas" I've also seen it labeled as a version of a "flyback F1"...