Pegasus VTOVL Launcher and Transport

[@jerrystone9453]

This was really great to see. It's a superb piece of animation and it brought back lots of memories. Thank you for your work on it. I bought "Frontiers of Space" when it first came out, along with the other books in the series by Ken Gatland, who used to be President of the British Interplanetary Society. Unfortunately most of my 500+ space books are in store at the moment so I can't look at it or scan anything. I remember the plug-nozzle being a revolutionary design, allowing it to also act as a heatshield during re-entry, and because it works so well with a large diameter, that led to the ROMBUS and Pegasus designs, with a massive diameter - and ability to carry a massive number of people. *** January 13, 2021 will be the centenary of Philip Bono's birth. I'm on the Events Committee at the BIS, and I think we should have a special event to celebrate his work. It's a Wednesday, which is when we usually hold our evening meetings. As we're in the UK it would mean an early start for you, Perry :) but maybe we could make it a world-wide event, with activities taking place in various locations. If anyone would like to be involved in any way, then write to me at jerry.stone2001(at)gmail.com

[@fragomatik]

Thank you, Jerry. It's great to see these pioneers recognised and appreciated. As a space-crazy tween growing up in the 70's, Gatland's books with their incredible illustrations fired my imagination. I think it's a wonderful idea to mark the occasion of Bono's 100th! An early start doesn't daunt me lol! I will Pin your post and send you a PM.

[@nickwalker4936]

The absolute scale of this thing is insane, mostly how wide it is compared to other rockets.

[@fragomatik]

Check out this real footage of the McDonnell Douglas DC-XA Delta Clipper in 1993 - it was designed by the same engineer (Phil Bono) who designed Pegasus: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKu7lId8m7tmgtU

[@nickwalker4936]

f r a g o m a t i k I’m aware of the clipper, one of my favorite rocket designs.

[@stuartyoung4182]

Wow! I HAVE the "Frontiers of Space" book (it was my souvenir from the London Planetarium, circa 1975) - emphasis on "have" - because I still "have" it (just pulled it off my bookshelf). You've brought the illustrations in the book to life - illustrations with which I've been familiar since I was age 15! Fantastic video!

[@fragomatik]

Thanks for sharing your story, Stuart! I had a copy - emphasis on *had* - when I was a lad of about the same age as you were, back in the early 70's. I bought it from a library sale at school here in Australia, and had it for many years. Alas, somehow it got misplaced over the years and I've never managed to find it again. It was a truly inspirational book for me, sparkling a life long interest in the subject. I'm so glad you enjoyed my salute to Phil Bono and his vision!

[@Jason-gt2kx]

Cool concept. I am so glad today we have billionaire space enthusiasts to actually build concepts like this...

[@fragomatik]

That's so true! Visionaries of every generation inspire and influence the next generation's ideas... Can you imagine what Phil Bono could have achieved with today's technology?

[@pablojr2127]

I dont comment often, but I have to say your channel is clearly one of the best out there, I LOVE your work, thank you for showing it here. I mean, it's clear, rigorous, educational, simple, while aesthetic, and always inspiring - a real work of art. Thank you.

[@fragomatik]

Wow, thank you so much for this wonderful comment! The reason I make these videos is for like-minded folks, like you! Sharing the sense of wonder, and an optimistic hope for humanity's potential as we take these first tentative steps into the Universe is what motivates me. Thanks for making it worth while, friend!👍 🙂👍

[@ufoengines]

SO COOL! Thanks for this post! I remember as a kid reading that soon we will rocket from one side of the planet to the other in less than forty minutes . I love to try it, maybe not has the first passengers but somewhere along passenger one thousand .

[@kerbodynamicx472]

The predecessor of the mighty Starship in development

[@fragomatik]

Much pioneering work was done since the 60's...and then abandoned, for one reason or another. Bono's SSTOs in the 60's, Delta Clipper in the 90's, X-33 in the early 2000's. Although not an SSTO, Starship is very exciting. Cool to see if SpaceX can pull it off! I hope so!

[@3d-marabu]

Hello Perry my friend, this is again a great 3D work :)) So great as always....just as you are not used to it differently from you ;) And I see, has our reentry plasma sequence in your video found a use. Looks great ;) Greeting Karsten

[@fragomatik]

Hello Karsten, thank you! There is a credit and a link to your youtube channel in the video description text, as once again I have modified your plasma fx for re-entry and exhaust flames. Thanks again Mr Wizard lol!

[@3d-marabu]

@@fragomatik My dear, I have already noticed that you have mentioned me. By the way, I am currently building a new and uncomplicated 3D galaxy object with Imagine, which I may upload to imagine3d.org today. You'll be surprised how easy it is to build a high-resolution galaxy, where the individual stars and star clusters will be visible depending on the camera's distance. ;-)

[@rodrigojuniordasilvasa8803]

sweet

[@ufoengines]

So Cool ! Thanks for this post. I read as a kid that "In the future" we would point to point rocket travel here on earth soon using this tech . Anywhere on the planet in forty minutes . The Chrysler company was also in this tech for Apollo. Glad these Philip Bono ideas are coming back en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Bono .

[@caav56]

This animation is absolutely awesome! But may you, please, tell me, where can I read more about tank-retaining variable-geometry Pegasus you mention at 2:09?

[@fragomatik]

Thank you! My main online sources for this project are listed in the links below. So far as variable geometry goes, my main source was the 1969 publication "Frontiers of Space" (by Philip Bono and Kenneth Gatland) which I believe is currently out of print. I no longer have access to the physical book, but I recall mention and an illustration of the variable geometry version, which was only intended for military passengers due to the increased deceleration forces encountered during re-entry. I guess they figured it would be too bumpy a ride for ordinary fare-paying passengers 😁! Unfortunately there is no online or digital copy of the book, that I am aware of. However, the following links provide illustrations and some info on the variable geometry variant: Illustration Sources: retroscifiart.tumblr.com/post/144625259528/images-from-frontiers-of-space-1971-by-philip (page 82) www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/27183372094/in/album-72157669057850210/ ( the above is part of a larger album: www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/sets/72157669057850210 ) Main Sources: www.astronautix.com/p/pegasusvtovl.html www.astronautix.com/b/bono.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Bono Hope this helps 🚀!

[@caav56]

@@fragomatik Thank you a hundred times! Those illustrations and data will help me a lot in what I'm trying to write. Though it sucks, that there's no online or even digital version of the book. Hopefully, one day, someone does make it. P.S. I wonder, if those jettisonable tanks could've been made into kinda-flyback, a la Paraglider Gemini or current-day payload fairings of Falcon 9 rockets...

[@fragomatik]

I believe in the original designs the drop-tanks would splash-down onto the ocean via parachute, for subsequent recovery. I suppose a "modern" variant could have the drop-tanks self-landing like SpaceX's booster, depending on the additional mass and complexity of the recovery system.

[@caav56]

@@fragomatik Landing like Falcon 9 booster would require the fuel tanks to have their own landing gear, oxidizer tanks and engines, while parafoil wing recovery will require... well, parafoil wing (and maybe pontoons or skids, with the former being inflatable) for winged flyback. Booster already has engines and oxidizer tanks for hoverslam landings, needing only the control surfaces and landing gear added, while the tanks... not so much,. And yes, I also think original version had a splashdown recovery. Just... I'm now writing something and I wonder, how could this part be adapted to the level of tech at this point of tale, which is not that far away from the current-day one.

[@fragomatik]

Just FYI, here's another pic from the FLICKR album, showing recoverable booster tanks w/parachutes: www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/27190929783/in/album-72157669057850210/

[@reasonforlife214]

Do the Liberty Ship. Nuclear lightbulb SSTO 1000tones to LEO and propulsive landing.3056secs of ISP

[@jeffreygunter417]

Is this a close relative of the DC-30? They had those top level prints posted at the Disney Land Rocket to Mars ride. Looks about the same. Some times I would just go in and look at the Blue Prints.. This was well done. Please make similar content. Thanks Again, Hedra~

[@fragomatik]

Hey there, glad you enjoyed! I'm not sure about "DC-30", but could you be referring to the "DC-X" (ie. the Delta Clipper experimental craft)? The Delta Clipper was a VTOVL spacecraft prototype which was supposedly based on Bono's work, and was built by McDonnell-Douglas (of which Bono was an employee). Also, according to wikipedia the "Mission to Mars" attraction was initially sponsored by McDonnell-Douglas. So yeah, maybe the blueprints you admired were related to that?

[@jeffreygunter417]

@@fragomatik Nope, this was a smaller looking version of your presentation. A set of Mc Donald Dooulgas drawing s on loan when the did a refresh on the original rocket to the moon at Disney Land in LA. I saw your presentation and it was clearly a different take on the same set of parameters.

[@jstrotha0975]

THICC

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@fragomatik >>> 👍👍