[Meta] [RFC] Fenspace 2022, take 2

[Ace Dreamer]

If they wanted to go with a waved airframe and a couple of waved-up test engines, I think they could have a demonstrator flying sometime in 2009, if not earlier.  British space fandom would queue-up to help them.

If they want something waved, there is no reason to build something as complicated as SKYLON. You can just wave a 40 tons truck.

They understand how the Skylon works.  They've designed it.  They think they know how to build it.  Waving a 40tn truck is not something they'd even consider.  How does it work?

I could see the British government unofficially asking
Brains to help them, late Summer 2008. If they were happy with him
waving-up an airframe from plywood and mylar, with glued-on ceramic heat
tiles, I doubt it would take him more than a month.

I think we have established that the Earth nations do NOT embrace waved
spaceflight this early... otherwise there wont be much space left for
Fenspace.

I'd agree with you.  So, why doesn't it happen?  Is officialdom scared of using handwavium on that scale?  Have critical staff of "Reaction Engines Ltd" already left for Fenspace?  Has the company relocated to Australia?  L5?

Meanwhile, they could be ordering the real hard-tech
airframe from aircraft manufacturers, and handwaving-up the missing tech
in their helium-pre-cooler. Then reverse-engineering that.

I think you are making this "reverse engineer Handwavium stuff" much too easy.

In this case, not really.  They've already built most of this kit, they know all the theory, they know how it is going to work.  There are just a few niggling engineering details.  Some of which will cause "Of course!" moments when they see how handwavium has done it.

Fuel, load, start proof-of-concept flights. I think you
could pry-loose money from the UK government and the EU by taking a few
official parties into orbit...(I think the design says up to thirty
astronauts.) Pretty sure you could sell them on 4.6hr flights from
Brussels to Sidney, Australia, too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_Engines_A2

Yes, but please lets move this closer to Season 2 than Season 0... I
think there is a reason why the current consensus of the early history
of Earth is that the large nations do not use Handwavium that quickly.

Again, I agree with you.  What is stopping even smallish nations like the UK from using handwavium?  There are quite a few amateur engineers and tinkerers in the UK, some of whom have garden sheds, and are not afraid to use them! [grin]
(There's a possibility - waved garden sheds in orbit...)
There are UK businessmen who will weep at the possibilities of handwavium.  Think about "Dragons' Den":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragons%27_Den
which started in 2005 in the UK.  By 2007, 2008 at the latest, I'd guarantee there will be loads of proposals involving handwavium.
Should we just say "Dragons' Den" doesn't exist in the Fenspace setting?  Even if it doesn't, isn't the urge still going to be there?
If you want a mad idea, "British Caravan Holidays On The Moon" (you know someone will try it...  Special kiddie space suits...  Free bucket and spade...).
Ignoring business, what are these societies going to be doing in the Fenspace setting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L5_Society
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Space_Society
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_In ... ry_Society
http://www.bis-space.com/
These are the people who have been space advocates, in some cases for more than 70 years...
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind