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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Did anybody check out the Truckee Air show last Saturday? Kait and I were there for the first couple of hours.
This was a 4-way today:
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Jul 11, 2013 - 12:46am PT
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More on the Proton failure:
"By July 4, engineers in Baikonur deciphered available telemetry from the failed rocket. Early in the process, one source reported an emergency cutoff in one of six engines on Proton's first stage in the first few seconds of the failed launch. Other unofficial sources then elaborated that a failed steering mechanism, known by Russian abbreviation as RM, placed the engine into an extreme position making it too difficult for the flight control system to correct a wrong direction of thrust with remaining five engines.
By the end of July 2, it became known that the liftoff of the ill-fated rocket had taken place 0.4 seconds ahead of schedule, potentially forcing the vehicle to start its flight with its engines at less than full thrust. According to the flight program, the rocket had to lift off at exactly 06:38:22.000 Moscow Time, with an acceptable deviation of 0.05 seconds earlier or later. However, the flight control system got an apparently faulty signal that the actual liftoff had taken place at 06:38:21.585, or 0.415 seconds too soon.
As a result, the rocket's flight control system could activate an emergency flight sequence designed to take the vehicle away from the launch complex. The telemetry also showed the temperature near the engine at 1,200 degrees, or three times higher than normal, likely an evidence of the fire in the area. Finally, the emergency engine cutoff signal for at least one engine was issued just four seconds into the flight, not at T+17 seconds as was previously reported.
On July 4, a source at GKNPTs Khrunichev reported on the online forum of the Novosti Kosmonavtiki magazine that an interface plate connecting a series of cables from ground equipment to the aft end of the launch vehicle, had separated earlier than planned. The plate, designed to shift by around 5 millimeters, normally trails the rocket for few millimeters and separates as the vehicle rises above the pad. However in this case, it apparently moved by as much as 11 millimeters before the rocket had a chance to leave the pad. As a result, all electrical connections between the pad and the rocket were severed, while the vehicle's engines were yet to develop their full thrust. At that point, the engines could still propel the rocket into the air, but could not keep it in stable flight. (According to the telemetry, the pressure inside the combustion chambers of the engines was 90 kilograms per square centimeter, instead of required 150 kilograms per square centimeter.) The flight control system could interpret such a situation as an emergency, (even if the rocket was still standing on the launch pad), and sharply throttle all engines to a maximum thrust in order to prevent the vehicle from falling onto the launch pad. In turn, the sharp increase in thrust could cause a fire detected by temperature sensors.
If confirmed, such a scenario would make the cable interface plate of the launch pad a culprit in the abnormal liftoff and the subsequent crash. The exact reason for the plate to go down was not immediately clear, but it could be due to its wrong installation or a mechanical failure. The erratic behavior of the rocket during its short flight also remained to be explained under such a scenario. According to one theory surfaced on July 6, the flight control system was receiving reversed readings of angular velocity from onboard sensors due to their wrong wiring, however the condition of the debris after the crash would not allow to confirm such a possibility."
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2013 - 07:51pm PT
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It hasn't been posted on Youtube, but here is a great video of the DC-10 VLAT dropping on the Carpenter One fire on Mt. Charleston. Guy with the video camera gets painted pretty good...our whole crew got painted by a PB4Y back on 01 near Reno...that stuff sucks to get off your skin and it hurts. lol.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201264243355357
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jul 18, 2013 - 08:23pm PT
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Those DC-10 fire retardant bombers are now based at my home field, KCPR (Casper, WY). No other reason than the long (10,100 feet) main runway, 3-21. During W.W. II it was a training base for B17 and B24 aircrews. It also was a base where Chuck Yeager received his advanced training in the P51 Mustang.
Last evening I spent an hour of training on chandelles, lazy eights, and steep spiral descents in anticipation of an upcoming Commercial Pilot checkride. Nothing quite like steep bank turns, too. A 55 degree angle of bank is the current standard, and pulling close to 2 g's in the turns.
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Chugach
Trad climber
Vermont
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Jul 18, 2013 - 10:33pm PT
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Jul 21, 2013 - 11:29pm PT
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Kulula Airline of South Africa has a unique approach to marketing. Fly the friendly skies of Kulula.....
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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Jul 22, 2013 - 09:11pm PT
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The youngest Muir (to date)... One more jump and the child is certified.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Jul 23, 2013 - 11:18am PT
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nice picture rob! one day i'll be certified..
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perswig
climber
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Jul 26, 2013 - 08:47pm PT
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Dale
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perswig
climber
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Jul 27, 2013 - 09:38am PT
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Well, damn, Hank ... that beats the hell out of MY post.
Keep up the good work!
Dale
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jul 28, 2013 - 10:56pm PT
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You can't go wrong with the FemaleHuckingMoabMonkey's. Fun and talented group of females. Ha haa!
Makes my day look boring...
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jul 29, 2013 - 11:37pm PT
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Jul 30, 2013 - 01:35am PT
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Great shot!
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Jul 30, 2013 - 02:00am PT
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Now that's my kind of porn!
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