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RocketLab Discussion Thread


Kryten

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If there's a Rocket Lab thread, already I could not find it. 

 

Question is - who thought up trying to catch a stage with a helicopter?  Having flown in a lot of helos I know the pilots are gutsy - but this is crazy 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rocket-lab-booster-recovery-reusability/

That just seems like a recipe for having to pickle the load after it starts swinging uncontrollably. 

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  On 11/24/2020 at 9:01 PM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Question is - who thought up trying to catch a stage with a helicopter?  Having flown in a lot of helos I know the pilots are gutsy - but this is crazy 

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I don't think the concept as a whole is new, but it's never been executed with a rocket booster. I think ULA wants to catch the Vulcan engines out of the air? 
It's been done with film canisters dropped from space, at least.

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  On 11/24/2020 at 9:06 PM, RealKerbal3x said:

@JoeSchmuckatelli This is the main Rocket Lab thread:

Also, they tested catching a stage mass sim and it looked pretty good:

 

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That was studly as hell.  Gonna have to pass this on to my pilot friend and see if he'd do it.

 

EDIT - Okay, he say's "HELL NO" (and the dude was a jarhead 46 pilot - and they'll fly through or carry anything)

  On 11/24/2020 at 9:11 PM, cubinator said:

I don't think the concept as a whole is new, but it's never been executed with a rocket booster. I think ULA wants to catch the Vulcan engines out of the air? 
It's been done with film canisters dropped from space, at least.

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there is (to my mind) a whole heck of a lot of difference between the weight of a film canister and a rocket stage.

 

However - having seen the video, some things made sense; not using a round chute, but rather a rectangular one made a hell of a lot of difference - those can have a predictable flight path.

Edited by JoeSchmuckatelli
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  On 11/24/2020 at 9:01 PM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Question is - who thought up trying to catch a stage with a helicopter?  Having flown in a lot of helos I know the pilots are gutsy - but this is crazy 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rocket-lab-booster-recovery-reusability/

That just seems like a recipe for having to pickle the load after it starts swinging uncontrollably. 

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Mad lads: https://thespacereview.com/article/3741/1

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  On 11/24/2020 at 9:01 PM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

If there's a Rocket Lab thread, already I could not find it. 

 

Question is - who thought up trying to catch a stage with a helicopter?  Having flown in a lot of helos I know the pilots are gutsy - but this is crazy 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rocket-lab-booster-recovery-reusability/

That just seems like a recipe for having to pickle the load after it starts swinging uncontrollably. 

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They did an test of this with an mass simulator. Dropped from one helicopter, parachute deploy and catch it with another. 

Now catching the booster will be harder but the idea is pretty solid. 

They can carry pretty heavy or bulky loads under helicopters, stuff like trucks and artillery. Putting it on the boat might be an challenge, an net might help here. 

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  On 11/25/2020 at 12:26 PM, magnemoe said:

They did an test of this with an mass simulator. Dropped from one helicopter, parachute deploy and catch it with another. 

Now catching the booster will be harder but the idea is pretty solid. 

They can carry pretty heavy or bulky loads under helicopters, stuff like trucks and artillery. Putting it on the boat might be an challenge, an net might help here. 

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One of my many tasks I performed in my early days in the Corps was hooking up loads to CH - 46 and CH - 53 helicopters.  I've helped them schlep a lot of heavy gear across the sky, artillery included. 

 

I've also seen what happens when things go wrong - which was the impetus for my post. 

The idea of trying to capture a dynamic load with both the load and the bird on the move is... Creative. 

 

That they found pilots willing to do it... Stunning. 

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  On 11/25/2020 at 1:33 PM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

One of my many tasks I performed in my early days in the Corps was hooking up loads to CH - 46 and CH - 53 helicopters.  I've helped them schlep a lot of heavy gear across the sky, artillery included. 

 

I've also seen what happens when things go wrong - which was the impetus for my post. 

The idea of trying to capture a dynamic load with both the load and the bird on the move is... Creative. 

 

That they found pilots willing to do it... Stunning. 

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It is creative, now back in the 50 and 60's the US had an system for picking up an man from the ground with an plane who is weirder. 
I guess they do something similar here you grab and then you spool out cable to not get an large jolt. You can always winch in afterward. 

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  On 11/25/2020 at 2:42 PM, magnemoe said:

It is creative, now back in the 50 and 60's the US had an system for picking up an man from the ground with an plane who is weirder. 
I guess they do something similar here you grab and then you spool out cable to not get an large jolt. You can always winch in afterward. 

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  On 11/25/2020 at 7:25 PM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Had you not posted that - I was thinking about SPIE rigging.   

 

What's the slowest a plane can fly?  Even a 40kt jerk from a rope does not sound fun.

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No but it was used multiple times. And as they catch the rope with the hook at the front its no line to spool out who I assumed they used. 
Now controlling an hook hanging in the wind below the helicopter might be the hardest part. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  On 12/15/2020 at 3:08 AM, YNM said:

I'll be having an exam...

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At least you will likely be awake...

  Reveal hidden contents

 

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  On 12/15/2020 at 4:39 AM, tater said:
  On 12/15/2020 at 3:08 AM, YNM said:

I'll be having an exam...

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At least you will likely be awake...

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Well, my exam is over now, thought it was going to be when I'm doing it XD (by the livestream it looked as such, but based on the T-0 given in the tweet it's well after).

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