This collection of interview notes describes the McDonnell Aircraft Company's research in hypesonics in the early 1960's. It also shows a close-up of a roll-bonded titanium structural member in a process pioneered by Kelly Johnson at Lockheed Skunkworks, and illustrates the layout of the Model 176 hypersonic orbital glider.

"In a 1964 brief, Rollie Quest of McDonnell Douglas Astronautics, St. Louis, presented a fully reusable hypersonic glider, the so-called model 176, intended to be the crew delivery, crew return, crew rescue, and re-supply vehicle for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) crew. The Model 176 began with the collaboration of Robert Masek of McDonnell Douglas and Alfred Draper of AFFDL in the late 1950’s on hypersonic control issues. After a series of experimental and flight tests with different configurations the “X” tail configuration and the FDL-7C/D glider configurations emerged as the configuration that was inherently stable over the Mach range and had earth circumferential glide range.

Something has to change to support the flight rate such a commercial infrastructure would require. However, it must be said that this particular status quo is comfortable, and profitable, for the telecommunications and launcher companies. In order to achieve a transportation system to space analogous to the transcontinental railroad, i.e., that can support a commercial space infrastructure, the shift must be to include an airbreathing launcher to meet the high flight rate requirements.

Does enough support evidence exist for Aurora? Yes. Don’t over estimate what it takes to do!" - Prof. Paul Czysz

File Size: 248kb (PDF 7)
PDF Link: Paul Czysz Hypersonic Design Interview Notes

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