Re: Why Mars?

From: Scott Lowther (scottlowther_at_ix.netcomSPAMBLOK.com)
Date: 11/17/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 05:40:04 GMT

G EddieA95 wrote:

>>And you think many airports could handle hypersonic transports?
>>
>>Bandwidth is far easier to install than new longer and thicker runways
>>and LH2 or LCH4 service.
>>
>
> The SR71 used neither of those fuels. Why couldn't you use JP7 in a manrated
> scramjet?

Scramjets are hard enough with hydrogen. P&W has had success witha
hydrocarbon scramjet, but it's far from proven.

>
>
>>That's nice. A 777 can get you anywhere in the world in a day or so. An
>>HST will be as big a time-saving revolution as the 777 did from taking a
>>boat.
>>
>>
>
> And 777s don't land everywhere, either. You still need shuttle flights to an
> overseas hub. No problemo for HST.

Ok. So now you have the HST replacing an increasingly smaller fraction
of the total travel time. For example:

1 hour getting to the airport
2 hours waiting
.5 hours delay on the ground while in the plane
2 hours in puddle jumper
3 hours waiting for connection
.5 hours delay on the ground while in the plane
X hours in flight
3 hours waiting for connection
.5 hours delay on the ground while in the plane
2 hours in puddle jumper
.5 hours getting out of airport

That gives you 15+X hours travel time. If the basic flight is 12 hours,
and the HST flight is 1.5 hours... you're cutting your travel time from
27 hours to 16.5 hours, at probably ten times the cost. Eh. And for any
flight less than that, say, transcontinental (that's what, 6-8 hours?)
the trade jsut gets worse and worse.

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