Blade the Ballistic Cruiser

After careful study of my LNG VTOL plane, I saw that it was actually supersonic capable, thanks to its clean fuselage and rocket-based engine. Carrying LOX on board changes everything. Coupled with a new trajectory for flight, the result is an economical Ballistic Cruiser. I will explain each detail in a separate article. Blade the Ballistic Cruiser (BtBC), coupled with its specially designed VTOL Airport, turns travel into a form of urban transportation. I designed the whole system to reduce door-to-door time, not just the time spent in the air (which makes no sense if you waste more time on the ground just to fly).

My VTOL design and its ability to reach hypersonic speeds were made possible by the removal of turbofan engines—they are the CRT of aviation. The key was the use of LNG & LOX powered, low-pressure, low-profile, slit-exit, regenerative-cooled, Tesla valve integrated, 3D-printed unified rocket engines. However, on its own, it would be very fuel-inefficient. I added many features to the plane to make it economical and able to withstand hypersonic speeds; double or triple purposing components was the solution most of the time.

Economical Vertical Takeoff and Landing is made possible by dedicated VTOL engines. These unified engines are so compact and lightweight that it is more economical to dedicate engines for specific tasks instead of moving them around for different phases of flight. The doors covering the VTOL engines double as the landing legs. These doors open parallel to the nose of the plane and are covered by carbon fiber fabric to form a closed skirt. The top sections of these skirts are slightly open to allow ambient air intake. When the VTOL engines are fired, they form a low-pressure zone at the opening of the skirt, which pulls more air inside and improves fuel efficiency through an afterburner effect and augmented air. The plane clears the ground nose-up and the tandem wings start generating lift. At that time, the ducted rocket engine is fired, generating horizontal acceleration. The tandem bi-wings have low stall speeds, generating required lift very fast so that the VTOL engines can be shut down with minimal fuel consumption. Once the engines are shut down, the doors close and the belly of the plane becomes aerodynamically smooth.

Unlike planes with air-breathing engines, carrying LOX on board allows the BtBC to accelerate faster and reach higher altitudes and speeds. The duct covering its engine uses the air trapped and pressurized under the belly of the plane as high-bypass air. The fuel-rich burn of the rocket engine gets an additional boost from ambient oxygen to generate a free afterburner effect. Coupled with augmented air, the fuel efficiency of the plane is improved considerably compared to standard rocket engines. Having LOX on board allows the plane to fly at higher altitudes to reduce drag and reach higher speeds independent of ambient oxygen levels. Even at altitudes where oxygen levels are low, the augmented air effect remains.

Once the destination is reached, the plane circles the VTOL Airport and descends like a conventional plane. However, at the last minute, its VTOL engines kick in and the BtBC lands vertically on the pad.