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RobCaswell — Final Approach
Published: 2011-03-11 03:27:01 +0000 UTC; Views: 7831; Favourites: 84; Downloads: 471
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Description
Just a shot from an air show I recently (well, back in 2001) attended.....Model by MattC. Obsession by moi.
DAZ Studio. Photoshop.
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Comments: 51
Yeah, it's a fave of mine too. It may be a 40 year old design now, but it still feels fresh somehow.... and that's pretty amazing, right there!
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Fantastic! I have always wanted to see this ship portrayed in an atmospheric setting. I once modified a model kit by putting landing gear from another jet model on it.
Your work here is beautiful right down to the soft motion blur.
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Thanks. This was one of those spur of the moment pieces that just fell together. I've had a couple of the Aurora kits and I think I tried to use 727 landing gear on it just as you did
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Funny!!!! But no worries. Just keep havin' fun. Your art is just great to behold no matter what the genre!!!!
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What a great pic. Looks like shot from a camera.
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Thanks. I was going for that "hand held look".
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Oh this is a cool shot / angle to view!!
Also considering the SPACE SHUTTLE'S last flight and landing just days ago.
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And unplanned "homage" of sorts, I guess.
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Not all the Shuttles, just Discovery. Endeavor and Atlantis still have one flight to go apiece.
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Oh really? Wasn't aware. Thank you for the info tip.
It's insane that, we of all nations, -don't already have a space worthy man-rated vehicle of our own to rely upon.
The "Delta Clipper" really have should have been the next step forward for a reusable vehicle.
Ever read the book "Halfway to Anywhere" by Harry G. Stine?!!
Hmm, imagine a space vehicle that's really been constructed, and its a cross between the The DC-X and "Space:1999, "Eagle Transporter".
I'm of the thought that the "Eagle"'s concept can be actualized -with today's technological know-how.
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Yeah, Brilliant stuff-he also wrote "The Third Industrial Revolution" about space-based manufacturing. We had a program in place that would've replaced the Shuttle in time for this end of program (which was called for safety concerns, by the Columbia Board in 2003) but the Venture Star was cancelled for "Budget Concerns" in a time when the Federal Budget actually had a surplus.
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Well, The Venturestar was a "balloon sack of fuel cells without a spinal column", if you're familiar with its internal engineering construction.
Hardly a replacement for anything.
And I'm not too crazy about the "Constellation" program.
We designed Apollo, for Christ sake,.. and what, we now think that two rockets are better than "the one that did it all"???
To me, that's not "technological design progress" or "common sense thought". Yeah, it was all about the budgets.
You won't get progress if you keep weening to money concerns.
Yeah, I know this too: No bucks,-No Buck Rogers".
Well, if that's our thinking, -then that's why we have "the social problem".
Of all of them we see and experience today!
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Yeah, what he said.....
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Well... a little variety is nice.
...when I'm not obsessing
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I wonder if I should bring up the Moon Bus. Or that ball-shaped lunar shuttle. Nah. He'd finally crack up and start doing the Jupiter II in all kinds of weird places. Like that diner Lonestar and Barf went to near the end of "Spaceballs."
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Shhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!......
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Really unique to see this traditionally thought of as a spaceship, in the atmosphere, it does have wings after all. It also makes me wonder why NASA hasn't made one of them? Considering they aren't using the shuttle anymore. 
Good thinking outside the box, mate!
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I think Drell-7 and Ptrope deserve any credit for dragging my arse outta the box
And I'm willing to bet America still has access to space under a black project... that we'll find out about 30 years from now....
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Well, they kinda got to considering they have a space-station with people on board who need to be fed and supplied. I suppose NASA will be developing a shuttle replacement rocket that'll be more low-cost, although if I were them I'd keep a shuttle in reserve in-case on large payload emergencies.
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I don't think so. The U.S. is buying launch (and landing) of crew and supplies from the Russians. Also, of course, its not all up to the U.S.--its an International lab, and ESA, Russia and Japan all have supply craft for consumables, and there are always enough Soyuz vehicles docked to the station to get the whole crew off in an emergency.
As far as manned space goes, I'm afraid we put all our eggs in one basket, and made no provision for what would happen when the basket wore out. Thanks to the cost-cutting done at the beginning of the Shuttle program, the Shuttle was dangerous, expensive, unsuited to progressive upgrading, and compromised to the point of meeting none of real purposes for a shuttle. Given this limitations, its done a lot of amazing stuff, but, as the system ages, it gets more and more unreliable, and its time to retire it before we lose another crew.
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I knew us Brits should have got into our own manned space program. We could have complete and total dominance over the entire world by now, and the U.S. would be a this giant rocket making factory for the expansion of the Galactic British Empire! 
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Yep, and I'd be with you all the way! Dan Dare was always a fav of mine....
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I'm gonna have to work on some British themed Sci-Fi stuff. 
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It'll happen once we stop blowing each other up, you'd think that would have gone out of fashion by now.
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What makes this one stand out, is the fact that it's not a prefect, sun-lit day. The overcast, cloudy sky gives a greater feel of reality than a sunny day would have. Great job!
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Thanks! 
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I tried to model it on shuttle approach pics. Frankly some of those can look even MORE stunning
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Okay, I hope I'm spelling this right ....
"Dayam!!"
Now that is a beautiful thang - it's like being there as she flies overhead. Really sweet shot. One can almost hear the sonic boom ...
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Isn't "Dayam" the British spelling?????
This one is MOSTLY your fault. I got inspired by your night landing and... well, this is what fell out.
Ah, the vicious circle of DA inspiration - no one is safe!
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Ah, the infection spreads - excellent!
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Dammit! I've got a bad case of Monolith Fever (also known as "Bowman's Syndrome", or more colloquially, "a bought of the H. A. L.s....")
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Not to worry - you're merely on an odyssey of self-discovery, albeit one of prime proportions.
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Thanks. Like usual it one that sorta hit me in the moment. I can't seem to PLAN anything this effective, if I try
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I can understand how you feel. She's beautiful! And I've never seen her bottom like this. Urrm, I mean the ship. Great work, sir.
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I think her top and bottom views are the nicest. Very sleek - especially when compared to our stubby shuttles
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