Posts by thag

A-level results accidentally put on interwebs a week early

@SunBoy

It's even worse if you happen to work for a school in England as a data manager. You get the worst of Edexcel, AQA, WJEC et al; and the DfE and Crapita too. Results day has got nothing on school census day, when we are expected to return data to the DfE about every student in school, including information about every course that sixth formers are taking. This has to include the QAN (qualification accreditation number) and Discount Code from the exam board. Trying to get the right ones of these is a hellish experience. Trying to get Crapita SIMS Course Mangler to listen to what you're telling it is even worse. Post-16 funding depends on getting it right. Every single course/student error can cost the school £1500. I can only assume it's some perverse way for the government to cut back on funding.

Can you handle LOHAN's substantial globes?

@frankgobbo

No, all you need is a couple of micro servos available from any radio control hobby shop. I'd suggest a delta design with control surfaces configured as elevons to save weight. Keep the servos inboard in the warm and use appropriate pushrods.

Alternatively...

Since the vehicle is a space plane it presumably has wings and some means of roll and pitch control. Why not simply launch it at 45 degrees (or possibly less) from vertical to clear the balloon envelope and then pitch to vertical? You could either use an accelerometer to determine time to pitch up, or simply do it on a timed basis. Experiments at ground level might be useful if you've enough dosh for the rocket motors.