Pilot Archive

Well...by moving at a lower velocity, your turning circle will be smaller, generally speaking.

Is this not enough of a maneuverability boost, in your opinion? If so, I can see what you are saying, although Iwould not necessarily agree.

Domingo

its suppose to be in the way the X shape of the s-foils puts the manovering thrusters and the engine thrust both. i would theroize.

i don know i have read in several books that the Split foils are what give it its best manoverbility.

designed to be a space supirority star fighter.

Hm... I am no aerospace engineer by any means... but...

The F14 Tomcat is a variable wing aircraft. The purpose of the wing settings are to allow for higher speed (reducing resistance, when the wings are swept back) and increased lift (more stable flight while at lower speeds - allowing for a more agile fighter). [Disclaimer, this is the very very very dumbed down version... Any of you who may be math geniuses or engineers, feel free to elaborate ]

I can imagine the X-Wing being loosely based on a similar idea... [even though there is "no" resistance in space...]

Which leads me to a tangent.... Since the space shuttles use gas bursts for its engines.... space cannot be a true vacum can it? What is the definition of a vacum? Can oxygen exist in a vacuum (even if it is 1/100000000000000000000000~)?

My brain hurts!

The "gas" that's bursting is a hydrogen and oxygen mix, I believe. So that's where your oxygen comes from.

Yes, my point being can space really be called a vacuum if oxygen is present? (granted it is present at EXTREEEEMELY low quantities).

Well a vacuum doesn't mean devoid of oxygen, it means devoid of everything. So since space does have stuff in it, obviously, its not a 100% vacuum. I guess that's why they usually say something "exists within a vacuum."

Its not quite nothing, but its mostly nothing...

=)

"In a 'near' vacuum, no one can hear you scream." =)

There is so much going on in space, that it can't be 100% vacuum. Nebulae, stars being born and dieing etc, all put stuff into space. I would hazard a guess that the S-foils do do a similar thing to the "Tomcat", but obviously aerodynamics won't come into it, as they do with the Tomcat. I'd have to get a degree in Aeronaughticle engineering to have a proper say in this matter. Plus we are dealing with Science fiction with regards the S-foils, and we all know, science goes out the window, when sci-fi walks in.

So why again does a X-Wing lose speed when the s-foils are open seeing as aerodynamics isn't an issue in space?

1. The opened foil allows for a better configuration of the shield matrix. In a combat configuration, this reduces available power to the engines. (This theory dosen't really apply to JTL, as shield strength dosen't vary with foil configuration.)


2. Opening the foils (while in cannon supports point #1) allows for a better spread of fire, diverts power to the weapons, which reduces engine power. (This better fits the JTL mechanics.)


3. Or the foil config was simply put in place to better match the Star Wars we all know, and increase imersion.

If you have others, I enjoy counterviewpoints.

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Kirkmeister wrote:
There is so much going on in space, that it can't be 100% vacuum. Nebulae, stars being born and dieing etc, all put stuff into space. I would hazard a guess that the S-foils do do a similar thing to the "Tomcat", but obviously aerodynamics won't come into it, as they do with the Tomcat. I'd have to get a degree in Aeronaughticle engineering to have a proper say in this matter. Plus we are dealing with Science fiction with regards the S-foils, and we all know, science goes out the window, when sci-fi walks in.

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ok... space isn't a 100% vacuum... however, it isn't because of whether or not there is stuff in space. It is all about ambient pressure. On earth we have gravity which pulls air toward it which creates air preasure. In space there is very little gravity except near other planets and stars and such, so there is no air pressure (either oxygen, hydrogen or whatever). Therefore, without "air" pressure you have a vacuum.

Message Edited by PaceNebulon on 09-21-2005 01:55 PM

I still maintain, as I said in the other forum, that it was a silly line in a movie that they suddenly had to make up a complex system to maintain. I wish the ARC and Actis foils did something.