It looks like a lot for the 747 to carry. I'd like to see how the 747 is reinforced inside to be able to carry such a load.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Orin
I suppose using a similar installation to the one they use to get it off again.wtwhitener wrote:I would like to know how they get the shuttle up on top?!!
Have you been to the wikipedia link? :Case wrote:I suppose using a similar installation to the one they use to get it off again.wtwhitener wrote:I would like to know how they get the shuttle up on top?!!
Looking aft in the picture below, I can see two sets of green-painted, A-frame shaped ribs that look to be roughly where the rear of the shuttle would be when mounted. They project noticeably further into the cabin than the other ribs. I'm guessing this is the reinforcement.orin stepanek wrote:It looks like a lot for the 747 to carry. I'd like to see how the 747 is reinforced inside to be able to carry such a load.
iamlucky13 wrote:[...] the empty 747 alone weighs 323,000 pounds (about 150,000 kg) [...]
BMAONE23 wrote:Fuel Capacity
47,210 gallons (316,307 lbs) jet fuel
It is typical for them to be able to carry their own weight in fuel, but in practice they will usually trade off some fuel/range for cargo capacity. If you consider the weight of the shuttle and the max take off weight of the carrier, you will see they must do this for the ferry flights, so BMAONE23's numbers are a little off.Pete wrote:is it common for planes to carry their own weight in jet fuel?
How is the shuttle attached to the carrier? Bolts?
Talking of ball and socket joints...iamlucky13 wrote: The shuttle attaches to the carrier aircraft using the same ball-and-socket type joints that it uses to attach to the external tank during launch. The balls on the carrier or the external tank legs fit into three sockets (two aft, one forward) on the underside of the shuttle and carry most of the loads. The ball and socket are held together by a bolt. During launch, this is an explosive bolt that is triggered by the computer to jetison the tank when empty. I'm pretty sure they use a normal bolt for ferry flights.
Good question! I actually was going to mention that originally, but decided to keep the post a little shorter.Andy Wade wrote:Talking of ball and socket joints...
My understanding is that the tiles covering the shuttle are extremely heat resistant and to my mind a hole(s) in the surface of the underside is just asking for trouble. So what do they do with the holes to get round this problem?
One would hope so, eh lucky? Then again, what was the Mars mission where some whizkid used imperial units when he should have used metric, or was it vice versa?iamlucky13 wrote:The ball and socket are held together by a bolt. During launch, this is an explosive bolt that is triggered by the computer to jetison the tank when empty. I'm pretty sure they use a normal bolt for ferry flights.
Can you give us some idea of how complicated. After all, mixing up imperial/metric is a simple thing even if it occurs as part of a complicated task.iamlucky13 wrote:By the way, the Mars imperial-metric mix-up was pretty involved. Having studied it a little bit, I understand how it happened. It was definitely preventable and embarrassing, but a lot more complicated than people give NASA credit for.