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# would you need wings in space?
let us have a NERD FIGHT! ;)
(, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 0:34, archived)
# I would assume the wings would affect the handling and centre of mass.
(, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 0:37, archived)
# in space????
come on. You'll have to do better than that ;)
(, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 0:38, archived)
# Mass would affect the way the rockets pushed it, if it wasn't pushing directly into the centre of mass it would just spin the object around in circles.
I just made that up, but it sounds fairly credible so if I present it as fact then no one will challenge it.
(, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 0:41, archived)
# As Newton once said . . .
(, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 0:54, archived)
# you are correct
although the effect would be tiny, so they would be very very big circles. raising the height of your seat would have a similar effect.
(, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 1:18, archived)
# He is so not correct.
In the vacuum of space there is no mass if there is no gravity to affect that. The mass of the vehicle only comes into effect when it has to counter the mass of force ( motor ) and is total so wings would not have any effect on how propulsion would work in a vacuum
motor engines on a ship can only work against the motion of the vehicle. If stationary it will pivot at the furthest body point from the motor at the pint that marks the centre of the circumference of the circle created by the direction of the propulsion. Which could be wing or not so the wing is moot out of atmosphere.
The rocket can only affect the vehicle by opposition to the vehicle and the result will depend upon the angle of that opposition to the direction and momentum of the vehicle.

sorry for being late and obfuscating :)

(, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 1:36, archived)