Although this photo has a lot of reflection in it you can see the window portals on the other side of the WhiteKnightTwo's (WK2) cabin and very feintly you can see the rings of reinforcement of material around them and nothing inbetween, as it were
credit: Virgin Galactic
Compare that to this official photo of the interior of the prototype SpaceShipTwo, which has an identical cabin to the WK2, and the reinforcement ring is plain to see, suggesting that the rumours were right and that the WK2 Virgin Galactic rolled out on 28 July was, like the Boeing 787 at its roll out, just an empty vessel
Hyperbola had heard rumours that the aircraft had nothing inside but it has only been confirmed more recently by Mojave sources and others that that was the case
It explains why despite claims at the time of imminent flight tests, come the end of September nothing had happened. My sources had not even reported taxi trials or engine run tests
At the end of September Virgin Galactic's president Will Whitehorn told Flight that "the first flight trials will take place...possibly within the next few weeks."
We are now three weeks into October and still not even a single taxi trial but last week Forbes.com reported that Sir Richard Branson told them that flight tests would begin in November
I'll ensure my Meerkats out in the Mojave desert are keeping a watchful eye...
It explains why despite claims at the time of imminent flight tests, come the end of September nothing had happened. My sources had not even reported taxi trials or engine run tests
At the end of September Virgin Galactic's president Will Whitehorn told Flight that "the first flight trials will take place...possibly within the next few weeks."
We are now three weeks into October and still not even a single taxi trial but last week Forbes.com reported that Sir Richard Branson told them that flight tests would begin in November
I'll ensure my Meerkats out in the Mojave desert are keeping a watchful eye...
on October 21, 2008 6:00 AM | Reply
There are many reasons for this.
1) Schedule and budget are always problematic on the best of flight
projects, nothing wildly uncommon if things are slipping a bit.
2) Scaled is famous for working to payments, if VG is having cash
flow problems particularly given the global credit crisis, the workers
may have been pulled to work on other cash flowing programs for now.
3) even the smallest of bugs can delay a flight test program.
4) VG has all the motivation in the world to drag feet slowly, particularly
as Space Ship two is delayed due to the engine issues of last year.
on January 3, 2009 8:07 PM | Reply
I'am glad that they are taking their time, and getting it right, I would not want it to fall out of the sky over our RRR film and space training ranch. Look for the Pyramid just over the hill from the mojave space port, on randsburg rd.