Notes on fabrication of spacecraft, continued

Speculation alert still applies:  Series continued from last post.

Due to an error of omission, there has to be a rethinking of this launch system.  Since the X-37C won't fit inside of the X-33 aeroshell, there are two choices:

1. Put the X-37C inline with the X-33 or,
2. Put the X-37C on top of the X-33

Frankly, I don't like either choice.  Nothing would have been more elegant than to be able to put the entire package inside the X-33.  Now the X-33 has to be really big in order to house the entire thing, and that would be a problem.  Well, if this was easy, anybody could do it.

Actually the idea of riding on top of the X-33 shell occurred to me, but I still thought that the darned thing could fit inside.

Now the 747 would be carrying two birds on top, the X-33 and the X-37C on top of the X-33.  A triple decker, or is it a double decker?

The ride on top of the NTR isn't too bad.  It reminds me of the Space Shuttle and the ET.  It may affect drag, though.  How much I don't know.

Also don't know how it would ride on top of the 747.  It may be too hard to control.

Here's a pic of the X-37C with some dimensions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boeing_X-37B_after_landing_at_Vandenberg_AFB,_3_December_2010.jpg

The revised X-33 would have the NTR's fuel tank in the same place, but would lift off of it and leave a bit hole in the fuselage.  I'm thinking this could be filled in after the release of the NTR/X-37C so as to keep its aerodynamic shape.  A form could be raised by inflating it into position.  This could also be used as a force to separate the two craft from each other so that the NTR could go to space.

Try to imagine the whole thing now:  The 747 with a X-33 atop of it, plus an X-37C on top of all of it.

The X-33/X37-C combo might stand 20 feet or more above the fuselage of the 747.  The X-33 would still be about the same size as before, which is 69 feet long.  Thus, it would be smaller than the Shuttle.  It would probably ride a little higher.  I'm a little worried about stability.

Now, assuming the entire proposition hasn't been made impractical, we go on to consider the layout of the X-33 in the next post.