SpaceShipThree?

That carrier aircraft for the 'SS3' illustrated in the hyperbola story is no WK2, note the six engines for one thing.

"The Dyna-Soar was designed for Mach 5"

More like Mach 25

Good point. I guess it must be White Knight Three, then.

Suborbital flight from London to Australia would be a neat trick. Unless they are planning on a multiple skip trajectory (which probably involves hypersonic air breathing engines to maintain speed), the speeds involved would be close to low earth orbit speeds. Fractional orbital, in other words.

Could always do the Sanger skip Paul.

Still, If this ship is an unpowered glider, it won't be landing at Heathrow.

Could always do the Sanger skip Paul.Could that get from London to Australia? I have my doubts at reasonably achievable hypersonic L/D ratios and short enough skips to keep the peak acceleration tolerable.

I confess I don't really follow the commercial guys, and I'm not up on what they're doing, but seeing these articles is frustrating. It's been almost 4 years since the flight of SS1. How long have they been at this? When are they finally going to actually do something?

In the 1960's, in a period of 4 years, we completed the Mercury program, launched ~12 Gemini spacecraft into orbit - two of them in orbit at the same time - developed techniques for rendezvous and docking, saw several astronauts work outside their capsules, endured a fatal accident, sent a crew of three astronauts around the Moon and were preparing for a manned lunar landing. None of this had ever been done before.

So far, over the same period of time, the commercial guys have shot one pilot on a corkscrewing rocket ride to the approximate final altitude of a shuttle first stage, and tossed a handful of jelly beans into the air. Be still, my heart.

Make no mistake, I want them to succeed in what they claim they are trying to achieve, but instead I'm getting the increasing feeling of watching a bunch of rich boys playing with their toys.

In the 1960's, in a period of 4 years, we completed the Mercury program, launched ~12 Gemini spacecraft into orbit - two of them in orbit at the same time - developed techniques for rendezvous and docking, saw several astronauts work outside their capsules, endured a fatal accident, sent a crew of three astronauts around the Moon and were preparing for a manned lunar landing. None of this had ever been done before.

Do you have any idea how much taxpayer money was spent, in current dollars, to accomplish those things?

When the commercial folks get even a small fraction of that amount, they'll make rapid progress.

"So far, over the same period of time, the commercial guys have shot one pilot on a corkscrewing rocket ride to the approximate final altitude of a shuttle first stage, and tossed a handful of jelly beans into the air. Be still, my heart."

Ouch! Please put that lighter away; some of us are very flammable ^_^ (and it was two guys on three flights, one of them riding twice, also it was m&m's if I remember correctly --I'd prefer jellybeans myself).

Since we're already operating in fantasy land with the Flight guesswork illustration why not add a feature of yet another Scaled Composites airplane, one which would make the WK3 look even more distinct (and beautiful, and futuristic); the multiple wings part of ATTT giving such a possible WK3 more lift within the confines of wingspans suited for most runways etc. and also more crossbeams for more attachment points for a future SS3.