Re: What is the long term goal?
I think you missed the point of the feathered tail design. That is the whole reason for this craft. By feathering the tail it avoids high re-entry speeds and the associated heat. I think Branson has messed up Rutan's idea though, by making it into a joyride machine for his rich and famous buddies. Burt Rutan is a genius and he was hoping for applications that were more serious.
Still as they say, money talks bullshit walks.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
