fairwater@gmail.com (Derek Lyons) wrote:   
      
   >The real question is...  Why add a *second* propulsion system in the   
   >first place?  If you need a rocket to get from to the scramjet range,   
   >and then a rocket to get from scramjet range to orbital range...  What   
   >is the scramjet adding?   
   >   
   >D.   
      
   What if you don't want to get to orbit?  Let's drop the bias, ok?  If a   
   scramjet isn't useful for putting something in orbit, that doesn't mean it   
   ain't useful at all.   
      
   There are clearly potential uses for scramjets that do not involve   
   spaceflight at all, and others that involve it only indirectly -- say, as a   
   reuseable air-launch carrier.  Those need to be considered.   
      
   As best I can determine, there is no better forum that this one for such   
   discussion.  Let's drop the blinders and consider other possibilities.  To   
   quote Henry's sig, "the box isn't our friend".   
      
   /kenw   
   Ken Wallewein   
   K&M Systems Integration   
   Phone (403)274-7848   
   Fax   (403)275-4535   
   kenw@kmsi.net   
   www.kmsi.net   
      
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