Legendary Aircraft Designer - Burt Rutan on CrazyEngineers to answer your questions!

[The_Big_K]

CEans,

Mr. Burt Rutan – the legendary designer of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, SpaceShipOne, Voyager and many more crafts has agreed to answer your questions on CrazyEngineers!

It all started with Leonardo Da Vinci when he designed the first prototype of Helicopter. Then centuries later, Orville & Wilbur Wright took the next step in aviation with their first flying machine. Man began flying and so did his imagination. The 20^th century saw the man conquering the moon. Now, in the 21^st century, we want something more!

Ever dreamed of orbiting around the Earth and experiencing the lower values of the ‘g’? Well, I bet you did! Modern engineers have come forward to turn your childhood dreams into reality. Legendary aircraft/spacecraft designer Burt Rutan is the man you should rely on. Famous for designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircrafts; Mr. Rutan continues to change the world with his spacecrafts – SpaceShipOne & SpaceShipTwo!

Check out following YouTube Animation of SpaceShipTwo in which Burt Rutan and Sir Richard Branson talk about the project–

YouTube - SpaceShipTwo

We are extremely proud to have Burt Rutan to answer your queries on CrazyEngineers! So tighten your seat belts and get ready to take the flight in space with the one and only – Burt Rutan.

We will collect questions for Mr. Rutan till 28^th February, 2008. Post your questions in this thread.



Burt Rutan @ TED

[just2rock]

Sir, thanks in advance for answering an Electronic System Engineer,R&D.

Sir,
Will the future 2020 will let us see high end FLYING CAR which will eradicate Bulky expensive todays helicoptor with those making a SUPER highway in the skies in the near future, that Engineer Paul Moller , Moller International and his project team is currently looking forward to.Sir i want to know from you that how and when will such technology be nicely priced to cater needs of middle class society or will it be heavily priced in future...and also it will be very kind of you if you can discuss a bit on the TECHNOLOGY related to "FLYING cars"...

Yours ,
SOUMIK,INDIA
mail id:-mail.for.soumik@gmail.com

[The_Big_K]

Hurry up everyone! We'll collect the questions till 28^th February.

Here's wikipedia link for more information about Mr. Burt Rutan:-

Burt Rutan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rutan's Voyager @ NASM -



The SpaceShipOne -

[ankitbahri]

greetings sir,
my question is related to a SINGLE CYLINDER WATER COOLED DIESEL ENGINE. is it possible, sir, to attach a turbocharger to the diesel engine? will the exhaust have enough energy to impart continous motion to the turbine in the turbo? will the power get affected?

ankit

[The_Big_K]

So far, I've received few questions in email and two here. I guess the response is poor. Probably, because many of us don't know about (or worse, are not interested in) the Virgin Galactic's Space Travel project for common man.

Have you guys checked the YouTube video [check my post above] ? I recommend that you watch it.

I bet you'll have lots of questions for Mr. Rutan. I'd like to point out that this is one of the rare opportunities that we all have to know from the legend himself.

[ps: If we continue to get such a poor response, we'll have to halt this activity for our future small talks]

[mayurpathak]

Greetings Sir,

Many thanks for taking out time for us and answering the questions. Please find my questions below-

1. Spaceship Two uses the coveted 'feathered reentry system.' How different is it from other atmospheric reentries. What are the advantages?

2. Lot of things have been said about the safety of the space shuttles, especially after the Columbia debacle. What are the safety measures taken in the Spaceship Two? How do you compare it with other Aircrafts?

Thanks in advance!

Mayur

[l0rd]

Sir congratulations for your great achievement & donation to mankind.

Whose been the inspiration for you??

Sir i would like to know about
1.) "This vehicle is designed to go into the atmosphere in the worst case straight in or upside down and it'll correct."

2.) Also the wings are designed to to move in 90 deg direction, feature mechanism (up and back). So (according to me ) this applies that wings may have very minute gap between joints,while re-entering can this gap prove fatal to high temperature?

3.) Are there any special medic services for newbies (passengers) who r not prone to high changes in 'g' .

4.) Is there any emergency exit in harsh situations?



sorry sir if i m too foolish.
thanking you,
Sanket.

[The_Big_K]

Good going.

Please note that no question is stupid. So ask whatever you want to know. Just make sure that you ask something related to Mr. Rutan's work.

Waiting for more questions! Keep them coming!

[becool]

Hello sir...First of all its a great pleasure and honour to be able to interact with you..Sir,i would like to ask you a couple of questions..
1) Who designs the complete architecture of such spaceships considering that it is actually a commercial sort of aircraft and not "mission on moon" sorts?And what all goes into creating such a marvel?

2) How will a common person of any country be able to experience your marvel?

[xheavenlyx]

Greetings!

1. Sir, I watched the documentary "Black Sky: The Race For Space". In that you said something I will never forget, "Research should be defined as doing something where half of the people think its impossible and the other half who think, hmm, maybe it will work" and " ... so a true creative researcher has to have confidence in Nonsense! " . For most of my engineering days I have lived off this thought, but its not easy. Can you tell us, how do you overcome the negativity, destructive criticism, and de-motivation you would receive throughout and still move on and finish the projects?


2. Sir, How is it that your company is able to secure good funding to build so many wonderful projects?


*NOTE*

For the interested watch this awesome discovery documentary "Black Space" YouTube - Black Sky The Race For Space - SpaceShipOne (Part-1)!!!

He truly is a crazy engineer! He says it himself


How many of you knew that he and his company was the FIRST EVER PRIVATE VENTURE INTO SPACE. This has been done by only 3 other powerful governments and just 2 aircrafts before them, the space craft (discovery/colubus etc and all other missions by NASA) and one fighter jet! In the above documentary it is shown how they with just millions (not billions that go into gov funded projects) they made an aircraft which can carry a person into space.

[mansouryar]

First I thank admin for informing me of such a great possibility to contact to Burt Rutan. Now, my question is:
Hi Mr. Rutan; I have a theory on traversable wormholes for faster than light travels. I plan to realize it via private sector at Iran, but there are many unpleasant legal involvements for doing that with the government and the military. I mean I cannot act as freely as I like. Do you have any advice for me to act as independently as possible?

[The_Big_K]

Originally Posted by xheavenlyx

*NOTE*

For the interested watch this awesome discovery documentary "Black Space" YouTube - Black Sky The Race For Space - SpaceShipOne (Part-1)!!!

He truly is a crazy engineer! He says it himself

...and that supports my belief (since childhood) that Crazy Engineers have the ability to make a difference!

One more day to go, friends! We'll not accept questions after 28^th February, 2008.

[l0rd]

Hello Sir,
I had 1 more interesting question to ask.

Sir recently I came across very impressive and interesting topic 'ANTIMATTER' . Sir in many fiction novels and movies ANTIMATTER is shown as a huge source of energy in future.

Sir we would like to know how will this energy (if possible) utilized in future? Is it possible for space traveling?
Also will it be economically implemented successfully?

Though CERN has developed its will it be used by private aided companies(like your company?).

What is your View overall on 'ANTIMATTER'.

Thanking You,
Sanket.