FOR THE NEW WARFARE ENVIRONMENT
Several years ago, I patented concepts for space launch and range extension for weapons. I traded my patents for ten percent of a new partnership. While my partners made an effort, they failed to make payments for the patents, which expired. Since then, they also allowed the company to collapse, and I now own ten percent of nothing. I see uses for the concept that require no patents and reaches some new applications for the military.
Drones may be slow targets, and rockets must carry their oxidizer mass. For range a turbine engine can be an asset for this two-stage system. Working with instead of fighting physics will yield new solutions. This vehicle makes the weapon part of the aerodynamics to reduce the wing area and drag of the carrier stage. It can also be a stealthy shape and fly below some radar systems. Guidance on the first stage may be inertial to approach the general target area. There may be no need for satellite guidance in the early flight, only a silent inertial system. On arrival in a target environment the weapon stage may separate and lock a target while using high speed for surprise. New technology may eliminate vertical surfaces for stealth. Hypersonic speeds may be available with new propulsion systems. The carrier stage can return to base as a reusable system. It may also be equipped for reconnaissance imaging on the return flight.
I don’t have all the answers, but I might have some of the questions.
Three patents and a 3D printed model here…Imagine what your smart guys could do with this!
Are you bored in retirement, looking for a challenge without the hassles of big aerospace? If you could use a modest income to supplement your Social Security why don’t we work from home to build a bold new future?
I had a great career as I greatly enjoy bringing ideas to the shop as blueprints that build the future. I was eventually branded “unemployable” which is the new “too old”. But hey, I got to live with my dad in Arizona and shared his last years. At night I used my Siemens NX CAD license to get three patents which may yet deliver a new path to space launch. They were good enough to draw support from some very top-level NASA veterans so they may eventually make some money…for my kids!
I am supporting a NASA SBIR now on the propulsion side and it is fun. Our team struggles with a shortage of good engineers, and interns do take a little time to train. I watched an interesting video from Aphelion Aerospace advocating very low-cost vehicles and development. One idea was to emphasize volunteer help in the early stages. Interns volunteer until they have to pay off their student loans and finish their education. We end up providing part of that education and they don’t pay tuition either! I have seen some interest from older engineers, but they too need their day job. I know there are some exciting ideas that lack the initial development because talent is scarce and expensive.
I once called my venture “Don Quixote Aerospace” but we still have too many youth on board! Perhaps we should go back to that brand with a new (old) crew! As a draftsman I witnessed a transition from blueprints to advertising art as solid models flesh out ideas for marketing. It is now possible to develop wild ideas and flesh the vision out as images that explain concepts to customers and investors. CAD tools are only part of the assets that are used, and vendors are offering these to startups at low cost. Siemens has a special package price for aerospace startups that could flesh out ideas that you never had a chance to develop. Perhaps now it the time to “Oldly go where no (young) man has gone before!”
I know a couple of new space ventures that have ideas in development. They don’t have big money, but they do have big ideas. I suspect you have a few of those too! We could be brewing ideas as a team and begin to illustrate those in CAD models for initial concepts. If we can draw more talent in marketing, management, computers, guidance, aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, and unmanned ground vehicles there are a lot of possibilities.
There are ideas that have been considered and rejected for decades that may have new life with new technologies that some of you old soldiers are already aware of. I had a few ideas and combined them with some of these new technologies to bring dead things back to life. We will need concepts, feasibility studies, and computer analysis tools. Considering the kind of talent that may have time to entertain this there are ways to get seed funding.
I envision offering initially free services to other ventures for concepts as a foot in the door. With experienced talent there are opportunities to illustrate ideas to provoke seed funding. Components that are available for other ventures can add market value. I currently enjoy minimum wage work that augments my Social Security. I can eat chips and salsa while streaming Star Trek and churning out real starships! This led us to our phase 2 SBIR and hours of frantic design, changes, and lining up vendors and partners. No one is bored!
Wheatland Wyoming is on the migration route of buzzards which grace our trees every fall and spring. This has been a great place for this old buzzard, but you can work from your own nest. Would you consider joining the Buzzardworks?
David Luther
Luther Engineering Design
905 15th St
Wheatland, WY 82201
307-331-5574
diluther@mail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-luther-1ba93bb5/
I am pleased to announce the launch of Luther Engineering Design LLC in Wheatland Wyoming.
Some of you may have followed my Don Quixote Aerospace blog (Now Luther Engineering Design) long enough to remember that I was branded “unemployable”, which is the new “too old” of course! I moved in with my dad and enjoyed helping him in his last years. I also worked at night to launch three patents for horizontal launch to space, which I sold to Exodus Space Corporation, along with my old Exodus Aerospace LLC. Now I have augmented my Social Security by supporting other ventures with my Siemens NX CAD services. Suddenly working from home is in fashion and I am ahead of my time!
My patents covered airframe innovation, and now I am assisting a customer on a NASA SBIR for propulsion. I have more new inventions for airframes and other products in non-aerospace fields as well. My bread-and-butter work is still helping customers deliver top end CAD models and blueprints at minimum wage prices. I enjoy my work and startup ventures often engage my mind with exciting new technologies. I’m not retired, I’m inspired!
My work is no longer just David Luther making ends meet, so moving my work under an LLC is important to protect assets under incorporation. We are actually cranking out a lot of hours making scary machines and we may be threatened with more work to come. At a conference in Phoenix Tim Pickens warned us that it may not always be a good thing when you win the money contract. Now you have to get the work done!
El Tigre suborbital space tourism vehicle
20 years ago I had a vision to teach computer design skills to our local youth in Michigan. I received a classroom, computers and software and offered students a chance to help design rockets. My church, my employer, and several new rocket ventures helped bring this together. Unfortunately I was laid off and had to move out of state before we got very far along.
As I travelled for work I spent nights providing free blueprints for those rocket ventures. Over the years I met good people and learned about aerospace. I obtained patents and launched a company of my own. Now I am focused on inventions to cut weight and drag on launch vehicles. I am working with Frontier Astronautics in Chugwater Wyoming on NASA contracts for rocket engines.
Now that I have a home in Wheatland Wyoming I am able to stay in one place and return to my 20 year old vision for STEM education. As Wyoming consdiers manufacturing to bolster the economy do we have interest from students in aerospace? I may be able to help put a program together now.
ARE YOU READY TO BOLDLY GO?
This an article from the Oakland Press from back in the day. Can we get this together in this day of distance learning?
ENGINEER HOPES PLAN TO EDUCATE TEENS TAKES OFF
By RENEE WIGHTMAN Of The Oakland Press (Oakland County Michigan)
David Luther thinks the sky is the limit for the career aspirations of Clarkston area youth. Well, sort of. He is organizing a project in Clarkston for teens to use their computer drafting skills to design a manned spacecraft.
The Millennium Academy program is a joint venture of the McMath Hulbert Astronomical Society and the Clarkston Christian Association, founded by Mt. Zion Church of Clarkston.
Luther expects to have curriculum in place by June for students to learn basic line drawing programs and other computer- aided drafting applications. “I think the kids can get a good experience with this. They pick it up right away.” He said. And I hope to draw some adults to this.
Everyone has a talent and a skill. I want to begin to attract people that have new talents haven’t even thought of”
Luther, 53, of Lake Orion, is a contract engineer with General Motors Corp. and has 20 years of drafting and design experience. He meets with Millennium Academy pupils each Thursday at the Clarkston Christian Association, 5529 Sashabaw Road.
His ultimate goal for the program is to coordinate a group effort to build a manned space vehicle. When student designs are complete, three amateur rocketry clubs based in the western United States the U.S. Rockets team, Project SORAC (Sub-Orbital Rocket Amateur Class) and Aerodesic Research team will consider building the craft.
The teams plan to compete for the “X” prize, a $250,000 award given by the Space Frontier Foundation for the first civilian built craft to be launched into space.
“To my amazement, they’re doing this stuff. This is a real enterprise, not a science fiction enterprise”, he said.
Until recently, civilians were prohibited from designing and building spacecraft, Luther said. Government funding cuts in NASA research led to the encouragement of civilian involvement.
Luther said the drive for continued research and development led to an act by the U.S. Congress allowing civilians to create their own rocketry experiments.
Jim Ross, director of the privately owned McMath Hulbert Observatory in Lake Angelus, said software will be made available on the Internet for those interested in learning computer- aided drafting techniques. He said students also will be invited to visit the observatory for drafting lessons.
We want to develop off-site capabilities for design, so they could be around the corner or around the world;’ Ross said. ” The students will come out here and we will link them to the Clarkston Christian Association.”
He added a goal of the project is to connect to area schools, creating “computer learning centers.”
Luther first thought of the Millennium Academy idea in 1994, when working with youths on several projects in Pennsylvania such as building a model of the solar system. He also has served as a camp leader for Christian youth groups.
Luther plans to introduce students to a system called Unigraphics Solutions, which adds animation to drawings and determines the amount of stress placed on each working part.
Luther said some U.S.-based companies may send rockets to the moon as a commercial venture or for mining asteroids. I’m kind of mind-boggled by all the possibilities,” he said. “There’s something alive going on here.
“We can do things in a moral manner; in a Christian way. I’m not the source of the power, but I enjoy seeing it go through me.”
Contact David Luther 307-331-5574 or email diluther@mail.com
A SLOW DAY
I wasted most of yesterday, probably a bit obsessed with the news of the pandemic. But I am grateful to be in a remote place in Wyoming; still no cases in Platte county. Until recently I have used my time and CAD tools to promote space ventures. I was forced into working from home as an “unemployable” (too old) worker. But I obtained and sold three patents for horizontal launch technologies. As a mere draftsman I caught the attention of a group of aerospace veterans.
SPACE NOBODIES, FEW CREDENTIALS
Perhaps you are among those who think that rocket science is only for geniuses. But experts often get wrapped up in details and fail to observe opportunities. As a draftsman I saw ideas taking shape before the engineers knew what the project would look like. If there was room to solve problems, I could point it out before they were aware of it.
OBSERVATION
For 50 years ideas have been evaluated, including horizontal launch to space. When ideas are abandoned, they sometimes include some good features. Anyone who sees the opportunity may be able to bring the good ideas back to life.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
I have offered blueprint services to new space ventures in my spare time since 2000. It was supposed to be a drafting class that I offered to students in a community center in Clarkston Michigan. But I lost my job and had to serve the rocket guys on my own time. Bad news brought good hobby jobs. But some rocket guys are not geniuses, and there were a few bad ideas through history. Sorting these out may still reveal some good ideas.
20 YEARS HORIZONTAL LAUNCH
The X-Prize brought out a lot of ideas, including revived interest in horizontal launch. Conversations with those who do the rocket science still yields a lot of pessimism. But NASA has been looking at this for decades in spite of the challenges. I contributed briefly to some teams with ideas that were not measuring up. I started looking for better ways to use the atmosphere as an asset for space launch. Opportunities have been appearing along the way.
MAJOR VENTURES SERVED
Offering free CAD services does draw interest, so through the years I have been able to contribute to several good horizontal launch ventures. We bid on funding from government and private sources with no success. In some cases the investors decided to reconsider these launch markets years after turning us down. Ventures may build in small steps as Xcor did, or go for the big venture like Bristol Spaceplanes. Without huge funding from a visionary billionaire it is hard to draw out investment for a long development. But I gathered experience from each of the ventures I supported. I had an inside look at the best of the old and new ideas being considered. I got an education in possibilities that schools have not seen yet.
TOO OR BIG TOO SMALL?
So the launch venture has to show a viable team that can deliver a lot of new technology. It has to show a solid case to deliver paying customers within a sensible development timeline. The decision may be wether to show enough big market excitement, or to show small affordable development steps. Too big demands huge investment, and too small falls short of the big satellite customers. Another factor is overcoming the physics of atmospheric flight. More than one new technology may be needed, as decades of proposals have been abandoned.
DESPAIR IN THE AIR
If I am distracted by the coronavirus, all other launch ventures also face the collapse of the economy, and loss of their workforce. What can be done when we can only work from home, and how long will this last?
DINOSAURS STUNNED
Big aerospace needs big money and government. Even Virgin Galactic would do better with more air travel. Spacex and other companies are shifting to health care. And we all know how dysfunctional government is now. No new launch venture will be landing big investment for pie in the sky dreams.
MAMMAL RATS THRIVE
This is the time when small ventures who normally must work from home on no budget may thrive. Small ventures that can deliver pieces of the solution may survive on SBIR work and shoestring budgets. As mammals rose from the destruction of the dinosaurs, there may be growth for innovation in low places.
WYOMING RIGHT
As it happened my unemployment led me to live with my father in Arizona. I used my spare time to care for dad, and to get patents for new technology. Bad news gifted me with good time with my father, and a vision for the future. I was also in Phoenix for several Space Access Conferences. I met Tim Bendel of Frontier Astronautics, and Michael Carden of XL Space Systems there. I had worked on a Hydrogen Peroxide rocket before, and they offer that technology in Chugwater Wyoming. When my father passed away I bought a trailer and toured new space ventures across America. What I saw in Chugwater led me to buy a house near there. Few new space ventures seemed to be building what we need like what we found at Frontier Astronautics. We need to see real hardware and innovation was happening here. It also re-connected me to family in the area as well, so it was a homecoming for me. It certainly was a change from all the congestion and chaos of the big cities of industry. Big sky and a clear view of the stars at night! As you scroll down through this blog you will find the chronicles of my travels in new space.
HTP NUMBER THREE…I have been exposed to this technology before
Space planes have enough problems without cryogenic fuels. Bulky tanks had complicated my interest in blended wing bodies. For space the blended wing body offers reduced drag and mass. They may also feature the rounded leading edges that dissipate reentry heat without being too blunt for acceleration on ascent. Hydrogen Peroxide can fit in odd wing body shapes at room temperature. It can be transported and stored easily. I had worked on HTP propulsion years earlier, so this renewed my interest.
This NASA technical report confirmed our interest in HTP. “Summary and Conclusions A trade study considering two alternate oxidizers, liquid oxygen or 90% hydrogen peroxide, for a rocket based combined cycle demonstrator vehicle was completed. Given the limited energy requirement (AV) of the demonstrator vehicle (Mach 0.7 to 7), the higher density and mass ratio of 90% hydrogen peroxide yielded similar vehicle performance when compared to LOX. Additionally, hydrogen peroxide provided system simplification, increased flight safety and packaging advantages. After consideration of the technical and programmatic details, 90% hydrogen peroxide was selected over liquid oxygen for use in the ISTAR program.”
SMALLER, FASTER, CHEAPER
After several big ventures struggled to get funding, I am looking at focusing on developing needed elements instead of funding a whole launch venture. People with better credentials than mine are working on that and I may be able to contribute a few useful tools for their efforts. In the past I published ideas that combined old and new technologies to reduce drag and mass. Some of my suggestions may be used with my patents. There are more possibilities that we may be able to explore Now. The key is affordable validation.
HARDWARE IN THE AIR
You can’t get there without hardware in the air. Xcor did great things in their incremental growth. Building a manned vehicle presented challenges in propulsion and airframes complicated by the need for high reliability. I hope to have a more relaxed mission with unmanned vehicles. Even that will follow a very conservative learning curve, as we are really focused on growing our team.
THE TEAM IS THE DREAM
I am returning to the idea of encouraging young engineers as my original class proposed to do. A such volunteers in Laramie and Boulder may be our best asset. If we can come together like Xcor did we can build in small steps towards real contributions. But our steps will be a bit smaller and slower than their team. It will take time to learn both the technologies and the business skills. To me a company is the group of people you will spend much of your life with, not buildings and machines.
ISOLATION IS HERMIT NORMAL
Wyoming has been pioneering social isolation since 1890! As an old hermit the only change has been spraying my groceries with bleach. In the next few weeks we who collect Social Security may be elevated to being the wealthy people in town who still have income. With a few small CAD jobs on the side I may be funding the first prototypes. We have team members mostly in a reasonable driving distance who may do research and fabrication from home. This horizontal integration will be tested when components are brought together for assembly! Our young engineers may learn to research vendors and costs to help target our first investment needs. But our first flight will be in easy learning step, not a giant leap.
HELPING OUR PARTNER FIRMS
By identifying assets for airframes and propulsion we may be able to contribute to any of the ventures I have served in the past. It may take many breakthrough solutions to make horizontal launch viable. We have two new patents pending now, and potential for more on the way. By keeping the learning curve to small steps we may not get buried in deadlines and market issues. We may need to watch SBIR opportunities and learn to win them. We may seek help from schools and government along the way. At least we can focus on the immediate airframe needs and assist on propulsion. We will focus on single stage testing and not get entangled in staging issues for now. But there are assets that can help ventures with staged or single stage designs now. We hope to identify more of those to advance the art.
BACK TO SCHOOL
We will all be learning and we welcome good direction. If you have skills in technology or business, this plan is just beginning to unfold now. For now we are all volunteers, but we may identify a path to profit as we grow.
FAITH
During the great depression a few individuals like Howard Hughes contributed to aviation technology. That represented a glimpse of hope for future adventure to a struggling nation. We may hope for forward thinking investors to water the seeds of innovation during this viral disruption. From our small steps we may see our way to resume the growth we need.
ENTERPRISE IS MORE THAN A STAR SHIP…IT IS A FELLWOSHIP.
Can Wyoming build jobs for these?
I find myself rambling here as I enjoy small town life in Wheatland, but lacking technical assets to move aerospace projects. Wheatland is not far from a new space venture in Chugwater, and Laramie offers some engineering talent at the University of Wyoming. I know one Colorado manufacturer that does have a hangar at the airport in Cheyenne. But we are challenged by a lot of miles of highway between us and needed resources.
Colorado aerospace is booming, but workers may struggle to make ends meet. Should we be encouraging more education to seed this industry in our more affordable state? We are close enough to draw some business from Denver if we have advantages to offer. I know that the University of Wyoming did accommodate one student by offering an aerospace class not long ago. Is it possible to seed interest with high school students to revive aerospace interest with the college? Not if the government keeps cutting their funding!
I sold three patents to help launch Exodus Space Corporation which landed in Denver. But we didn’t stop there. I have two new patents pending that enable better horizontal launch to space. But I am also teamed with engineers and interns working on a NASA SBIR for a propulsion project with Frontier Astronautics of Chugwater Wyoming.
I would enjoy contributing to a non profit venture if it would help the state and our industry. I have some interest in building a model airplane to demonstrate my new patents. There is free software available from NASA for aspiring engineers that can help make this fly. Entrepreneurs may build a path to new industry on this foundation. Do we have assets that could grow into a strong industry in Wyoming?
While I have not offered a real solid plan for this, I invite input from all to better solutions. I had a lot of fun doing the CAD designs for my model airplanes, and now the professionals are chasing the investment to make Exodus Space Corporation into a real industry. I would enjoy offering my new concepts for students to grow with. Do we have any innovative solutions out there?
David Luther
307-331-5574
GOING TO MARS? REALLY?? ON FRIDAY THE 13TH?
People are recruiting volunteers to go to Mars…on a one way ticket. If you are considering that invitation do consider taking a simulated Mars mission. That is what I offered to our interns at the University of Wyoming. How could we do that? My experience of over two years living in a 16 ft. box offers some insight. In my quest to meet builders who can fabricate space qualified vehicles I have been using my travel trailer to advantage. It has moved from Mojave to Michigan and a few trips to Texas and Wyoming on the quest and it has been educational.
So we can actually set up camp in a remote mountain camp and support our design work on the computers with the self contained generator and life support of this trailer. Some pioneers may chose tent shelters even as a Mars base may have multiple dwellings. But many features of civilization are available with a kitchen and head facilities. This could be an interesting venture for our new Meetup groups. We can have recreation and get some work done at the same time.
When I left our interns in Colorado and Laramie Wyoming I went on a test run, a reconnaissance mission for our simulated Mars mission. Between Laramie and Wheatland on Highway 34 there is a game area in the mountains. The Tom Thorne/Beth Williams wildlife management area is perfect…sort of. It is situated at altitude so you have a partial high altitude low oxygen environment. There are few trees on the mountains and the landscape is a bit barren. The roads are challenging, and weather can deliver a bit of interest.
So we left Laramie and passed the usual prairie and antelope along highway 34. There was a cloud over the mountains as we passed from the high plains down through the 8,000+ ft. pass to the canyon below. That is typical for the warm air to be agitated by the mountains and then turn out crank weather for the valley below. At the entrance to the game area we dropped into low range four wheel drive for the truck trail in. We were greeted by an unusual sign that set the tone for the mystery ahead.
A blank white sign had a hand scrawled message: “Stephen Dell Jester was murdered here 2016.” Now I know Stephen, he is my electrician in Wheatland, about 25 miles away. Later I learned that he has some strange acquaintances and this was just a prank. But there was no cell signal to confirm that on our first night. Just a foggy grey mystery night shaping up in the Wyoming Wilderness.
As we pressed on through the narrow road with my wide load we found the river flowing over the bridge. Spring runoff was heavy, but I locked the rear differential and plunged in. We made it with no problem, and continued on…to another flooded ford! Again we hit the gas and plunged through the torrent successfully. Weaving through the narrow passage through trees and branches led uphill to a lake and three campsites. The only level one was number three, high above the lake on a ledge. This seemed a perfect spot for a Mars landing. Perhaps we will name it “Murphy’s Landing” after this trip.
THE MAJORITY POPULATION OF WYOMING
STARTING IN
AND DIVING IN
OUR FIRST WARM GREETING
OUR LANDING SITE; PUNCTUATION BY THE N.R.A.
CAMPING AREA “C”
AND THE PREVIOUS TENANT OF OUR CAMPSITE…
WINTER IS HARD ON COYOTES TOO!
REMOTE…LIKE MARS.
VERY REMOTE…
STILL DARING US TO EXPLORE OFF THE LEASH A BIT
QUIET SOLITUDE
PERFECT FOR SKINNY-DIPPING (OR FURRY DIPPING IF YOU PREFER)
WE HIKED DOWN THE ROAD BACK INTO THE VALLEY BELOW
CHECKING OUT THE RUNOFF FROM A HIGH WATERFALL
WHERE I NOTICED A BROKEN PIECE OF METAL…THAT FIT MY HITCH LOCK KEY!
THE TRAILER HASN’T ROLLED OFF THE CLIFF INTO THE LAKE…YET.
WHY YES, THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE OF THESE TO BREAK ON ME NOW.
SPARE PARTS…DON’T LEAVE EARTH WITHOUT SOME…LOTS OF THEM!
SKID PAN IS A BIT BENT TOO…PROBABLY FROM ARIZONA THOUGH.
LICENCE PLATE NEARLY RIPPED OFF TOO…NEW SCREWS MOVED TO THE BOTTOM HOLES.
OLD ARMY HABITS PAY OFF ON MARS
A TRUCK CAME IN…WAS THIS THE INSANE CAMPGROUND ELECTRICIAN KILLER?
THEY SET UP AT THE LAKE SO I GOT OUT THE SUPER ZOOM CAMERA…
NAH, JUST A KID OUT FISHING WITH HIS GIRL…IN SHORTS? PERHAPS THEY ARE CRAZY.
COUNTY 13 ON PLATE IS NEAR DOUGLASS. EITHER THEY ARE WAY MORE USED TO THE COLD UP THERE OR THEY WENT TO COLLEGE IN LARAMIE AND EDUCATED THEIR BRAINS OUT? SEE THE GOOSE BUMPS?
EVEN THE GOOSE SAYS: “TAKE HER TO A NICE MOVIE NEXT TIME YA SILLY GOOSE!”
WE ENJOYED A QUIET NIGHT…WITH THE DOOR LOCKED, BEAR SPRAY AND A MACHETTE NEAR BY.
WHILE MY FEROCIOUS GUARD DOG ENJOYED A SOUND NIGHT’S SLEEP. (AND HOGGED THE BED)
WE SURVIVED TO A MISTY SATURDAY THE 14TH.
FOREBODING…
GRIM, THREATENING…
SO WE STARTED HOME
AND RE-CROSSED THE FLOODED CREEK. NOTICE THAT WHITE WATER?
A BIG ROCK UNDER THERE
WHICH BENT BOTH RIMS AND FLATTENED THE TIRES. ONLY ONE SPARE…
SO A FAST 50 MILE RUN TO WHEATLAND AND BACK GOT THE RIMS BEAT OUT, BUT I DID HAVE A KILLER TIRE TO REPLACE. SEE THE BARE CORDS? BAD NEWS GOOD NEWS; IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE AS A HIGH SPEED BLOWOUT!
SOON WE HAD THE WHEELS DOWN AND THE JACKS GOING UP FOR THE ROAD AGAIN.
WE SQUEEZE BETWEEN THE TREES TO HOME PORT,
UNLOADED THE LAUNDRY AND GROCERIES
AND SALVAGED MY LAUNDRY WITH SPRAY AND WASH!
AND SOME DAY WE MAY MOW THE LAWN
Well if I haven’t scared off all of our potential interns and partners yet we may have to do this again with a bigger crew. And you may visit another mountain range then, the Snowy Range offers free camping south west of Laramie. In 2013 I went there as a shakedown trip before another Arizona run. SHAKEDOWN BREAKDOWN offers another look at the adventure of engineering design in the field. By the way I called the same RV repair service when I was in Laramie this time too!
While there are problems in every enterprise, the crew of the enterprise is the key to the plot. That is the reason for the mobile office, to move relationships in face to face meetings. We can’t hire everybody and move them to some glorious office in a metropolis with traffic jams and high crime rates. I hope you’re not disappointed. For now I hope to increase the amount of time my computers can spend at your location. We can work from home with limited time as long as we have relationships than can grow trust and eventually equity in the venture.
We will be cultivating new relationships in Colorado and Wyoming through our Meetup dot com group: Laramie Aerospace Meetup. (Which has since closed) We will talk to the Experimental Aircraft Association in Cheyenne, and Tripoli rocketry groups as well. I hope to tour firms in Wyoming and Colorado, universities, and related ventures. We just launched this “Horizontal In Line Launch Staging (HILLS)” project on the STEMN space project website too.
There is a Missile Silo in Chugwater Wyoming with two new space ventures blazing trails to the new frontier. In fact, Frontier Astronautics is a great field trip we will put together soon. this can stir a lot of interest with aviation and rocketry interests. Aero and Space need to start talking to each other again! Perhaps we can get a tour of Sierra Nevada’s Dreamchaser project in Colorado too?
This trailer was modified to provide a complete self contained field office for our search for new space solutions. It was 5 years old in 2012 and now it has 4 more years of service. Things go wrong per Murphy’s law, but we can go on with a little effort, and a little duct tape. The purpose to find vendors and partners is paying off. Now we are ready to build one small step with flight hardware. But investors want to see more than technology. A viable productive team is a major part of their decision process. And investment is another area where innovation is ongoing in this “Space Corner” of Wyoming and Colorado.
All new prototype work at Don Quixote Aerospace (unincorporated) will focus on suborbital single stage validation. Orbital and two stage variants are now under Exodus Space Corporation.
REENTRY
With the cargo loaded and secured we left Phoenix on May 5, 2016. We proceeded to get lost, a flat tire, and a quiet night somewhere (??) in the Mongolon Rim country of Arizona. National forests let you stay almost anywhere for free camping, so who cares where the “right” spot is? A half day drive took us to a favorite south east of Gallup New Mexico. The Cibola National forest offered a mountain top rest with great views by day and stars by night.
Another half day took us to Storrie Lake State Park with lots of waves as winds gusted to 50 mph; just like Wyoming! Easy half day drives relieve the stress of driving and allowed us to enjoy the natural beauty of the west as we traveled. The next stop took us to the Sugarite Canyon State park near the Colorado border. Dog and I love snooping around the beaver dams and bear tracks there. Dog lurks in her car “cave” back seat all night to guard us. I have a can of bear spray in case she ever does see one!
The longest leg took us through Denver traffic to Longmont Colorado. The Boulder County fairgrounds camp is another favorite stop over because it offers meetings with partners in the University of Colorado and area businesses. We met intern Will Pfouts and Shadowair drones owner Jim Macdonald at this stop. We also got engineer Chris Mento by phone to firm up plans for aircraft development.
By Wednesday May 11 we were ready to head north to Laramie Wyoming for two more nights. The road north from Colorado passed through high population areas aqnd high altitude areas. We fought grades and gusts as we moved north into the true high plains country. Laramie is situated at 7,000 feet and greeted us with wind and cold. We got water and sewer connections but we had to bring the hose in to prevent freezing! Thursday brought calm warm weather though so dog got some sun bathing in. I got the barbecue so we can keep eating too! We have a good trailer repair man here so the water pump and refrigerator got some work done too.
On Thursday the 12th dog and I greeted Jordan Edson and David Case from the University of Wyoming. We hope to foster interest in the “space corners” of Wyoming and Colorado on Meetup dot com. There are schools, space ventures, and field trips of interest coming up in the future. Now our business meetings are complete and we will start working on a hardline airframe design in the coming weeks.
CLEAN AND ROLLING NORTH
ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY IS WOODED AND MUCH COOLER THAN PHOENIX!
UNLESS YOU GET A FLAT TIRE JUST BEFORE NIGHT FALL!
BUT I DID GET A GOOD USED TIRE IN HERBER ARIZONA THE NEXT DAY
AND CONTINUED ON TO THE CIBOLA NATIONAL FOREST
EAST OF GALLUP NEW MEXICO
WHERE I CLIMBED A ROCKY KNOLL FOR A SHOT OF THE RED CLIFFS
NORTH OF HIGHWAY 40
CLIMBINMG AT ALTITUDE WORE US OUT FOR A GOOD NIGHT’S REST
AND DOG GETS HER NIGHT OF GUARDING CAMP FROM HER “CAVE” IN THE CAR
FOLLOWED BY A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE…
FOLLOWED BY SLEET AND MUD BEFORE WE COULD GET ON THE ROAD!
WE WENT ON TO STORRIE LAKE STATE PARK IN CENTRAl NEW MEXICO
IT WAS WINDY AND COLD…JUST LIKE HOME IN WYOMING!
BUT HALF-LAB HAD TO GET HALF-WET ANYWAY
(BUT HALF COON DOG DID CHASE OFF A COON IN COLORADO LATER!)
ANOTHER HALF DAY DRIVE TOOK US TO SUGARITE CANYON
NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER
WE RESERVED A GREAT CAMP SITE AMONG THE JUST LEAFING TREES
EXPLORED TRAILS AND BEAVER DAMS THERE
YUP…BEAVER FER SURE!
AND LATER, OTHER INTERESTING CRITTERS
ROLLING NORTH IN COLORADO NEVER FEELING TOO BIG
TO THE BOULDER COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN LONGMONT COLORADO
WHERE WE MET WITH JIM MACDONALD OF SHADOWAIR AND INTERN WILL PFOUTS
MEETINGS AND HIKES WERE PRODUCTIVE BUT WE HAVE MORE
MEETINGS IN LARAMIE SO OFF WE GO
AFTER A FREEZING NIGHT IN THE KOA CAMP IN LARAMIE,
DOG FINALLY GOT TO WARM IN THE SUN!
LARAMIE IS NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND EVEN THE HIGH PLAINS ARE AT 7,000 FEET!
DAVID CASE (LEFT) AND JORDAN EDSON JOINED US IN LARAMIE
WE WILL NEED INTERNS TO GET WORK DONE FOR THE PROTOTYPE
NOW WE HAVE COMPLETED ALL BUT ONE PART OF OUR MISSION…
WE LOAD FOR A SPECIAL PLACE AHEAD
PREPARE TO MARCH ORDER
My time in Arizona is winding down after the Space Access 2016 conference. My time lately has been used to shop, hike in the desert trails, and get a new pair of glasses. My Windows computer crashed and was revived with Windows 8 instead of the 8.1 that forced itself on my and messed up the whole computer. We also blocked any future invasion of Windows number ten. As a final defense I began training our new Macbook Pro to carry on in future operations.
We also replaced the now defunct Starband satellite dish with a Verizon Jetpack hot spot. It should work wherever there is cell coverage. It has not been too reliable in the Phoenix area though. When I get back to Wheatland this pitiful Libre Office suite will also be replaced with the real Microsoft Office.
While living in the trailer I had the opportunity to do repairs and cleaning on this mobile field office and rolling cubicle. Arizona hosts a multitude of trailer repair and supply retailers. Naturally the SUV also wanted attention so a flat tire got a patch job. Then the vehicle got the first major cleaning in over a year…just in time for a rain storm.
While in the Phoenix area I visited the vendors who are prepared to help fabricate our prototype. Mace Aviation fabricates advanced composites, and offers skills from Space Ship One and the Lockheed Skunk Works. Performance One Aviation delivers composite aircraft assembly for high performance composite aircraft. I took time to photograph construction details that may suggest direction for our design crews.
I also visited our model builder to see progress. We had been hindered by the former builder’s medical problems. We should be back on schedule with that build now. That design previewed the detail needed for the next prototype design including center of gravity projections. It generated a lot of blueprints and laser cut parts. No wonder it is taking a while to build!
As we travel north we will visit partners in Boulder and Laramie for a couple of days each. This should allow a leisurely and productive trip. Later I will visit Frontier Astronautics to plan propulsion and guidance ideas. Now we begin packing for liftoff!
BACK IN THE PARK WHERE THE TRAILER FIRST BECAME HQ IN 2012
ENJOYING THE TRAILS AGAIN
AND VIEWS OF APACHE JUNCTION AND SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN
WITH ALL THE LOCAL COLOR
THIS EQUIPMENT IS GONE INTO HISTORY NOW..
.
REPLACED BY THIS!
AND THIS MACBOOK WILL REPLACE THE DESKTOP FOR CAD WORK SOON
WHILE THE TRAILER IS REPAIRED
AND CLEANED
AND A TIRE GETS PATCHED TOO
THE VEHICLE GETS WASHED AND WAXED..
.
INSIDE AND OUT.
..
JUST IN TIME FOR A RAIN STORM!
VISITING MACE AVIATION OUR FABRICATION TEAM
AND PERFORMANCE ONE FOR ASSEMBLY
COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
AND SOME OF THE “KITS” THEY BUILD
DON LANDRUS OUR MODEL BUILDER
AND TWO STAGES SHAPING UP
BACK IN CAMP ANTICIPATING THE ORDER TO LAUNCH!
PROVISIONS FOR THE JOURNEY
AND MOTIVATION
BEATING THE HEAT!
ONE LAST LOOK BACK AT APACHE JUNCTION
THE WAGON IS HITCHED UP AGAIN
SHOWTIME AGAIN
During my stay in Arizona my home state of Wyoming voted in the Democratic primaries. I sent an absentee ballot for Bernie Sanders. I saw both parties diving into the pig pit of corporate donations with despair. There comes a time when the pendulum must swing to the side that has been neglected longest. Workers are taking a hit and I was reminded of how bad it can get during my drive through Colorado.
In southern Colorado there is a monument to the Ludlow massacre. 102 years ago today a chapter of shame was recorded against American corporate greed. We are again seeing capitalism becoming a new form of slavery. We can expect this age of information to make a difference as many are learning about corruption in our government that protects corporate greed in the 21st century. Godless capitalism is just as bad as godless communism. Be sure that people will awaken and make adjustments. It is already happening in the face of massive campaign corruption. Will it ever be so bad as to see sixty six men women and children massacred again? It may be time to start thinking about responsible management.
As we frame a new corporation we should heed the warning and plan to care for employees. A company is the group to whom we will relate for many years. We should remember that enterprise is more than a starship, it is a fellowship. Initially we seek volunteer help but we want that to become equity in the venture. As we present value to investors this should become long term employment with tangible rewards. We welcome new founding partners and encourage investors to consider the value of happy workers. Loyalty is becoming a valuable asset in this day.
The Space Access 2016 conference brought a few bits of news and possible assets to our venture. We hope to follow up new connections and partnerships. But our old connections in Wyoming and Arizona are also adding more value each year. Getting funded is the first step to take care of our partners. Frontier Astronautics is pioneering new avenues to funding in Wyoming now. That brings us to a new direction for Don Quixote Aerospace. I want to incubate new space industries in our “Space Corners”. Our part of Wyoming and Colorado hosts XL Space Systems, Speedup, Frontier Astronautics, Don Quixote Aerospace, and Sierra Nevada Corporation. The Universities of Wyoming and Colorado offer many assets. With volunteers our own venture can now design a basic prototype.
This won’t be an orbital vehicle, but a solid working aircraft. The systems and airframes to demonstrate flight and staging are enough. We will deliver enough basic design for a modest vehicle with such assets as we can apply initially. Modest performance limits problems with control and thermal issues. With basic design we can deliver data for performance projections. All this offers a proposal to initiate investment with a modest price tag.
There are enough patented and new technologies to assure investors ownership of real value. These are all scalable to orbital applications in another stage of investment. It is imperative to deliver flying hardware in operation early on. The vehicles may be small and uncomplicated, but they must demonstrate an undeniable future for space launch technology. From blueprints and engineering analysis investment stages with real value in future launch services.
We are not initially funded and manned with all the professional help we will need. But the design is not far removed from modern home built aircraft technologies. Our volunteer engineers and vendors can observe mistakes and suggest refinements. Interns can feel free to contribute fresh ideas, with no fear of making mistakes. We will all make mistakes and make the solutions to reach the goal. In the process we welcome other skill sets in management and marketing to join the venture. Creative funding ventures are in the works.
THE ROAD TO THE VISION started with remembering workers of the past…
THE UNITED MINE WORKERS MAINTAIN A MEMORIAL TO A MASSACRE
THE LUDLOW MASSACRE WOULD BE FORGOTTEN BUT FOR THIS
THIS IS NOW A DESOLATE PLACE NEAR THE NEW MEXICO BORDER
LITTLE REMAINS OF THEIR MEMORIES HERE
BUT THE EMPTINESS AND GHOSTS OF THE PAST
OUR SPACE CONFERENCE IS NOT EMPTY THOUGH
INNOVATORS GATHER TO WATCH THE FUTURE GROW HERE
AND THE GOVERNMENT HOPES TO SEE THE FRUIT.
EVEN IF IT IS FRUITY.
GEE, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE LAUNCH THAT ROCKET?
BROKEN WINDOWS? MELTED PAVEMENT?
I JUST LOVE THESE VERTICAL LAUNCH GUYS!
(THEY WILL MAKE OUR CASE)
WE DID GET TO SEE SPACEX LAND ON THE BARGE THOUGH
WHILE I DID EXPRESS A LITTLE SKEPTICISM
IF YOUR BIC DOESN’T FLICK…BOOM!
TIM BENDEL OF FRONTIER ASTRONAUTICS HAD SOME NEWS FOR US
100% HTP IS PRODUCED ON TIM’S WYOMING SITE BY XL SPACE SYSTEMS
BUT THIS MAY BE THE BEST PRODUCT:
SEED FUNDING TO GROW PAYCHECKS FOR EVERYONE.
TIM IS ALSO PLANTING AN EQUITY CROWD FUNDING SITE TAILORED TO NEW SPACE.
WE HAVE A VIABLE NEW SPACE CORNER IN WYOMING.
BACK IN CAMP WE REST UP AND ENJOY HIKES IN THE DESERT.
WHERE THE NATIVES WATCH WE WHO INVADE.
WHILE OTHER INVADERS WATCH US BOTH. YES, ALIENS SURELY LAND IN ARIZONA!
BUT WE HAVE HEROES TO SAVE US…
IF YOU CAN ENDURE THE SILLINESS!
AND THE GHOSTS OF REAL HEROES BYGONE. I THOUGHT I HAD SNAPPED A B-25 UNTIL I ENLARGED THIS… FOUR ENGINES! A FLYING B-24 IS VERY RARE.
MESA’S FALCON FIELD HOSTS A NUMBER OF OLD WARBIRDS SO THE VALLEY OFTEN REVERBERATES WITH THE SOUND OF HEAVY RADIAL ENGINES.
THE WHOLE WORLD IS TURNING ALIEN…MEN’S WEAR?? MAYBE ON FIRE ISLAND!
ARIZONA RETAIL STORES HELP US TO RESUPPLY.NOW WE HAVE TIME TO MAKE REPAIRS
WE WILL CONTINUE TO FINISH OUR WORK IN ARIZONA AT THE VENDOR SHOPS WHO WILL BRING THE PROTOTYPE TO LIFE. THIS IS A PLACE FOR THE AERO IN AEROSPACE.
AND THERE IS STILL TIME TO EXPLORE THE SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN HIKING TRAILS AND THE LAND OF THE LOST DUTCHMAN MINE. Note: what a shame so many come to the conference and never discover Arizona assets and natural beauty!
MORE HAPPY TRAILS TO COME…
ON THE WAY TO THE NEW FRONTIER.
Luther Engineering Design 