New Runway

[RoboRay]

4 hours ago, Sgt Doomball said:

the rocket was an attempt to start the scramjet engine but it failed and the rocket is ejected after launch

 

Even without the giant-wheeled rocket contraption underneath, your plane basically doesn't have wings...  that's a problem.

[MR L A]

Nah, imo it is long enough for any adequately designed craft to take off on, and long enough for shuttles returning from orbit to land on and stop.

I wouldn't mind a North/South facing runway though, maybe one that intersects with the current one

[Sgt Doomball]

thanks

[Gargamel]

Yeah, the Mk2 X scram jet requires mach 4 give or take.  Or around 1400 m/s.   If you are below 20,000m at this speed, the plane will burn up before the engine comes to full thrust.    When I play around with this engine, I have trouble not going to orbit with it.   I find it almost useless as there is such a narrow flight envelope that it can run efficiently, not burn up the plane, and not enter orbit. 

Even if you did get the scram jet to light while on the rocket sled, you wouldn't survive the temps. 

If you want to try a rocket sled, cheat the vessel to the polar ice caps.   Those are the closest thing we have to a giant lake bed. 

 

But we don't need a longer runway, but I sure wouldn't mind a second one at an angle to the first......

Edited March 22, 2018 by Gargamel