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3DSC-60F Goliath Heavy Lift Shuttle
sorceress21269
Posts: 577Member
The SC-60 Goliath medium lift shuttle is a sturdy relic of grass roots aerospace technology that has served reliably with the USTO Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force and Solar Guard for over thirty years. It is the only remaining aerospacecraft in military service that relies completely on aerodynamics for lift during atmospheric operation. However, despite its lack of modern repellor lift systems and VTOL capability the tough and flexible multi-mission capable airframe remains a favorite among the transport aerospacecraft community. And additionally, Goliaths are still the most widely used transport category shuttles in service with the Unified Military Spacelift Command.
During the mid twenty first century the last C-130 Hercules was decommissioned after an airframe service history of over one hundred years. This amazing aircraft was only the first in a line of medium lift transports to establish themselves as a military icon recognizable by many to be an important and common use mode of transporting military goods and personnel from place to place. Operating between both established military airfields and the unimproved short runways of forward logistics support bases aircraft such as the Herc and it's replacement the C-17 Globemaster have always been a highly necessary instrument of the military.
Once the advanced aerospace technology of the IPFT (Ion Pulsed Fusion Turbine) engine had become practical and safe for mass production the need for a medium lift aerospace capable transport had finally become possible. Using dangerous and unreliable chemically fueled rocket boosters to get payloads into orbit was no longer necessary in lieu of breakthroughs in advancing ion propulsion technology. So a base design was selected as inspiration for the new advanced line of shuttles. The long service reliability of the Herc and the Globemaster were looked to for such inspiration and the Goliath was born. The prototype model XC-59 had its first flight in May of 2106 and became the first non-chemically fueled "spaceplane" to achieve a stable orbit after only it's forth test flight. The XC-59 underwent so many systems improvements and design upgrades through its test program the United States Air Force, the original contractor for the Goliath, decided to re-designate the production test model the SC-60 with the first operational ships delivered to the USAF as the SC-60A.
The A model of the Goliath flew with a perfect safety record until January of 2111 when a Goliath crashed on short final to runway 23R at MCAS Cherry Point, NC, killing all six crewmembers on board. An extensive investigation of the incident revealed that internal thermal damage during re-entry had been sustained to the ship's port winglet frame causing the structure to break free on approach. The resulting directional instability caused the ship to enter a "dutch roll" attitude, which the pilot attempted to overcome by adding power. This had the devastating effect of causing the ship to roll 90A° over only 200ft above the ground. Cockpit voice recordings revealed that initial efforts by the flight crew to overcome the "dutch roll" attitude by the recommended use of opposite rudder were ineffective and that both the ship commander and first officer had no idea they had lost the port winglet. This resulted in their attempt to correct the instability issue by adding power to increase airspeed. The cause of the thermal damage was found to be plasma leakage into the winglet structure through the TKS deice fluid micro lattice ports on the leading edge of the winglet. The leakage was possible due to a chemical breakdown of the thermal barrier flap's composite lining. The thermal barrier flap, during re-entry configuration, would normally rotate into place within the TKS leading edge fairing sealing up the micro lattice ports to prevent plasma entry. The result of the investigation's findings subsequently grounded the entire Goliath fleet until a patch for the barrier failure could be installed on all ships and thoroughly tested.
The design flaw in the winglet thermal barrier system was manufactured out of all subsequent Goliath's coming off of the production line. With other improvements made within various avionics systems along with enhancements to the Goliath's zero G maneuvering thruster system and the addition of more powerful engines the SC-60B was born. This model of the Goliath came online just as the United Suns Treaty Organization was established and was ordered by all of the branches of the USTO military with the exception of the Army. The USTO Army had adopted the tradition of the former United States Army's policy of operating only a few cursory and specialized function fixed wing aircraft and decided by the nature of it's operational guidelines to not incorporate any aerospacecraft into its air wings. The B model however, proved to be every bit as useful to the other three braches of the USTO military along with the Transportation Ministry's Solar Guard and served with a perfect safety record until the last one was flown to the bone yard by an Air Force Reserve crew for level two storage in 2170. Though retired by the USTO the second production model of the Goliath is still in service today by both civilian cargo operators and the Aquellan Defense Force Reserves.
In 2120 the specialized C model of the Goliath made its debut coming on line with the USTO Navy. This Goliath model was the first transport of its kind as its mission was solely designated for medical evac. The medivac Goliath was given the nickname " Archangel " and was equipped with two completely outfitted surgical suites, a six-bed triage bay along with an isolation ward capable of catering to twenty-five patients. The Archangel made it's mark in history during the Keffix Plague outbreak on Nephedia Azar providing much needed medical relief to the planet's population through the whole two month long ordeal. The USTO Navy's Medical Corp's effort's to aid the sick Nephedian population was a key contributing factor to Nephedia being inducted into the USTO as the fourth outlying colony to join the alliance. The C model is still in front line service today with the USTO Navy as well as the Nephedian Militia and Aquellan Defense Force.
When Akaran raiders attacked the Anuba IV commercial agricolony in 2133 the colony's founders negotiated a mutual defense pact with six other rimward non-USTO sanctioned colonies and the privateer army of the Colonial Guard was founded. This well funded paramilitary force had a need for aerospace capable medium lift transports and ordered a customized version of the Goliath from manufacturer Lockheed Aerospace. The operational theater of the Colonial Guard was often confined to remote locations and surface bases with short unimproved runways abated by extreme weather and atmospheric conditions. So a hardier version of the already tough and sturdy Goliath was developed. The new ship, the SC-60D, was given a heavy duty landing gear system designed for rugged short field operation, uprated engines improving thrust to weight ratio and climb performance in lower pressure atmosphere's and/or higher G worlds. Additionally, specialized defensive technology was purchased from the sympathetic Nephedian Government, which added a sensor detection countermeasures suite to the ship. The D version was quickly recognized as a valuable military asset after successful use by the Solar Guard. Impressed with the new model the USTO Marines purchased 20 of the Goliath D's and upgraded them further with state of the art USTO avionics and re-designating the improved D mod to the E mod. Now produced off the line from Lockheed the SC-60E is also in service supporting USTO Navy and Air Force special warfare commands.
The latest version of the Goliath the SC-60F started production in 2152 and boasts a whole host of improvements to the design. Newer high efficiency ITF-40-AII IPFT technology engines produced by Pratt and Whitney use a newly developed Xenon isotope fuel in place of non-radiated Xenon to improve engine output by 3000 lbs of thrust. The new engines compliment an all-composite aerospaceframe making the F model nearly 2 metric tons lighter then it's predecessor. These features give an additional 4750 lbs of cargo capacity to the Goliath moving it into the heavy transport category. The F mod also is the first Goliath to have an onboard weapons system in the form of four chin mounted PHIDS turrets giving the transport a much needed bite when operating under combat conditions. The new Goliath also has a reduced sensor silhouette thanks to upgrades to the transports EAW systems and the addition of the classified Phantom MKII defense package.
During the mid twenty first century the last C-130 Hercules was decommissioned after an airframe service history of over one hundred years. This amazing aircraft was only the first in a line of medium lift transports to establish themselves as a military icon recognizable by many to be an important and common use mode of transporting military goods and personnel from place to place. Operating between both established military airfields and the unimproved short runways of forward logistics support bases aircraft such as the Herc and it's replacement the C-17 Globemaster have always been a highly necessary instrument of the military.
Once the advanced aerospace technology of the IPFT (Ion Pulsed Fusion Turbine) engine had become practical and safe for mass production the need for a medium lift aerospace capable transport had finally become possible. Using dangerous and unreliable chemically fueled rocket boosters to get payloads into orbit was no longer necessary in lieu of breakthroughs in advancing ion propulsion technology. So a base design was selected as inspiration for the new advanced line of shuttles. The long service reliability of the Herc and the Globemaster were looked to for such inspiration and the Goliath was born. The prototype model XC-59 had its first flight in May of 2106 and became the first non-chemically fueled "spaceplane" to achieve a stable orbit after only it's forth test flight. The XC-59 underwent so many systems improvements and design upgrades through its test program the United States Air Force, the original contractor for the Goliath, decided to re-designate the production test model the SC-60 with the first operational ships delivered to the USAF as the SC-60A.
The A model of the Goliath flew with a perfect safety record until January of 2111 when a Goliath crashed on short final to runway 23R at MCAS Cherry Point, NC, killing all six crewmembers on board. An extensive investigation of the incident revealed that internal thermal damage during re-entry had been sustained to the ship's port winglet frame causing the structure to break free on approach. The resulting directional instability caused the ship to enter a "dutch roll" attitude, which the pilot attempted to overcome by adding power. This had the devastating effect of causing the ship to roll 90A° over only 200ft above the ground. Cockpit voice recordings revealed that initial efforts by the flight crew to overcome the "dutch roll" attitude by the recommended use of opposite rudder were ineffective and that both the ship commander and first officer had no idea they had lost the port winglet. This resulted in their attempt to correct the instability issue by adding power to increase airspeed. The cause of the thermal damage was found to be plasma leakage into the winglet structure through the TKS deice fluid micro lattice ports on the leading edge of the winglet. The leakage was possible due to a chemical breakdown of the thermal barrier flap's composite lining. The thermal barrier flap, during re-entry configuration, would normally rotate into place within the TKS leading edge fairing sealing up the micro lattice ports to prevent plasma entry. The result of the investigation's findings subsequently grounded the entire Goliath fleet until a patch for the barrier failure could be installed on all ships and thoroughly tested.
The design flaw in the winglet thermal barrier system was manufactured out of all subsequent Goliath's coming off of the production line. With other improvements made within various avionics systems along with enhancements to the Goliath's zero G maneuvering thruster system and the addition of more powerful engines the SC-60B was born. This model of the Goliath came online just as the United Suns Treaty Organization was established and was ordered by all of the branches of the USTO military with the exception of the Army. The USTO Army had adopted the tradition of the former United States Army's policy of operating only a few cursory and specialized function fixed wing aircraft and decided by the nature of it's operational guidelines to not incorporate any aerospacecraft into its air wings. The B model however, proved to be every bit as useful to the other three braches of the USTO military along with the Transportation Ministry's Solar Guard and served with a perfect safety record until the last one was flown to the bone yard by an Air Force Reserve crew for level two storage in 2170. Though retired by the USTO the second production model of the Goliath is still in service today by both civilian cargo operators and the Aquellan Defense Force Reserves.
In 2120 the specialized C model of the Goliath made its debut coming on line with the USTO Navy. This Goliath model was the first transport of its kind as its mission was solely designated for medical evac. The medivac Goliath was given the nickname " Archangel " and was equipped with two completely outfitted surgical suites, a six-bed triage bay along with an isolation ward capable of catering to twenty-five patients. The Archangel made it's mark in history during the Keffix Plague outbreak on Nephedia Azar providing much needed medical relief to the planet's population through the whole two month long ordeal. The USTO Navy's Medical Corp's effort's to aid the sick Nephedian population was a key contributing factor to Nephedia being inducted into the USTO as the fourth outlying colony to join the alliance. The C model is still in front line service today with the USTO Navy as well as the Nephedian Militia and Aquellan Defense Force.
When Akaran raiders attacked the Anuba IV commercial agricolony in 2133 the colony's founders negotiated a mutual defense pact with six other rimward non-USTO sanctioned colonies and the privateer army of the Colonial Guard was founded. This well funded paramilitary force had a need for aerospace capable medium lift transports and ordered a customized version of the Goliath from manufacturer Lockheed Aerospace. The operational theater of the Colonial Guard was often confined to remote locations and surface bases with short unimproved runways abated by extreme weather and atmospheric conditions. So a hardier version of the already tough and sturdy Goliath was developed. The new ship, the SC-60D, was given a heavy duty landing gear system designed for rugged short field operation, uprated engines improving thrust to weight ratio and climb performance in lower pressure atmosphere's and/or higher G worlds. Additionally, specialized defensive technology was purchased from the sympathetic Nephedian Government, which added a sensor detection countermeasures suite to the ship. The D version was quickly recognized as a valuable military asset after successful use by the Solar Guard. Impressed with the new model the USTO Marines purchased 20 of the Goliath D's and upgraded them further with state of the art USTO avionics and re-designating the improved D mod to the E mod. Now produced off the line from Lockheed the SC-60E is also in service supporting USTO Navy and Air Force special warfare commands.
The latest version of the Goliath the SC-60F started production in 2152 and boasts a whole host of improvements to the design. Newer high efficiency ITF-40-AII IPFT technology engines produced by Pratt and Whitney use a newly developed Xenon isotope fuel in place of non-radiated Xenon to improve engine output by 3000 lbs of thrust. The new engines compliment an all-composite aerospaceframe making the F model nearly 2 metric tons lighter then it's predecessor. These features give an additional 4750 lbs of cargo capacity to the Goliath moving it into the heavy transport category. The F mod also is the first Goliath to have an onboard weapons system in the form of four chin mounted PHIDS turrets giving the transport a much needed bite when operating under combat conditions. The new Goliath also has a reduced sensor silhouette thanks to upgrades to the transports EAW systems and the addition of the classified Phantom MKII defense package.
Post edited by sorceress21 on
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I added another image... The SC-60C
Not as a criticism of you in particular, but of fictional aerospace designs in general, why does almost everyone list the manufacturer as Lockheed? Yes, they're a great company, but they don't build everything. (And despite how it looks, this has nothing to do with the fact that I work for their biggest defense competitor!
Also I can tell you that I did design it with some bit of expertise being I am a current corporate pilot and former Naval aviator. Sorry I hate the term aviatrix...Ugh!
And why did I choose Lockheed? Because if you read the text you'd understand the Goliath's lineage began with the Herc!
Sorry in advance for the attitude there Earl Shives but negative begets negative!
that said, i do hate it when people try to impose fact onto fiction...
And I think it's okay to state one's opinion about the design but not about fictional background information. It's her imagination!
Cheers,
Fafnir_6
The design is very cool.
Aviatrix? Never heard the term used much myself.
Back to the art! The little details like the various markings, formation lights and thrusters I think are what really sells this design as realistic. I'm looking forward to seeing that dorsal view! :thumb:
And my cheapo software is QuickCAD 8.. Illustrator huh, well you wanna buy it for me a13d!!
By the way, love the design, <edit>sorceress21</edit>. Would love to see a dorsal shot of it.
DAve
This one:
Keep it up!
Additional info: This shuttle is all aerodynamic flight. It has no VTOL capability. It needs a runway. I am setting the landing distance at a realistic 3500 ft for the design. The fuselage also has a design that gives additional lift in ground effect lowering the landing speed even more.
Approach speed for the Goliath would be around 120 KIAS, flaps and slats fully extended with a throttle back on short final bringing the speed down to about 105 KIAS over the numbers. And then when landing is assured the power setting goes to idle chopping speed more down to about 90 KIAS on touchdown.
And for the record: This is a sci-fi design ya'll, I'm not pretending that it could actually fly without extensive design changes made by an aerospace engineer let alone the fact that it's engine technology is highly theoretical and far from real. But as a pilot I do have some aerodynamic knowledge so I don't think the realism is too far off the mark.