What if the Space Shuttle...

Sachyriel

Banned
... was called the Orca-class Space Vehicle? I mean, doesn't it look kinda like a whale with it's Killer-whale-esque features? Long high dorsal fin, small window/eyes, black and white colouring (albeit a bit reversed, but the US flag isn't too big on the SS), bigger than lots of people, powerful locomotion (for what it does), survives in an environment not suited for man, and pretty expensive to move it about the country and maintain.

Male-orca-sculpture4.jpg


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Does anyone have some design changes (to the shuttle...not the Orca) that would bring the two closer together to make the name more likely?
 
I got one more comparison, both of them have got the aerodynamic flying abilities of a brick.

(this made me think about A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)

"O no, not again."
 
I don't think either of them are intended to fly well. Orcas, one can be sure are poor flyers. The space shuttle, well, it's meant to have a slow and not as horribly hot descent as other possibilities.
 
Well if the shuttle would only consist of the Orbiter, then I think it could be named "Orca". It is just that the Shuttle in its entirety looks more like an Orca strapped to a giant rocket, but well if you would name it that I guess the ASPCA would have objected.

If instead of a delta wing the Orbiter would have forward swept wings and a black vertical tail it would definitely look more like an orca.
 
for the black and white colouring is no problem with the heatshield tiles

but wings are another question

forward swept wings are simply ripp off during launch by the airpressure
but why have wings at all ?

there nice concept called Lifting Body
A lifting body is a fuselage that generates lift without the shape of a typical thin and flat wing structure

800px-Martin_X-24A_USAF.jpg

the X-24 look more like Orca as the Space "Brick" Shuttle :rolleyes:
 
for the black and white colouring is no problem with the heatshield tiles

but wings are another question

forward swept wings are simply ripp off during launch by the airpressure
but why have wings at all ?

the X-24 look more like Orca as the Space "Brick" Shuttle :rolleyes:

I know forward swept wings aren't possible, but still it would make it look more like an orca.

I am sorry, but IMO the Orbiter looks way more like an orca then the X-24 does.
To me it looks more like a moth or something.
 
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