Excalibur V1 - VTOL Single Stage to Orbit Space Plane

Excalibur is a true single stage to orbit space plane. It can take off conventionally or vertically, climbing out to an altitude of 35,000-40,000ft altitude, at which time the primary engines engage, accelerating the aircraft to beyond mach 10 around 100,000 ft altitude and continues through 9.73 km/s (16,500mph) at orbital insertion, with apx 20% fuel reserves remaining,

Vertical Take Off and Landing Capabilities are for Defense / Government Applications Only. Commercial operations will be available for NON vtol variations.

Excalibur VTOL SSTO Aircraft derived from a request from the Dept. of Defense, for Novel Response Space Delivery. Which originated from the Dept of Defense goal for capabilities for rapid deployment to space, and global point to point capabilities,

The short answer, is this possible? Yes, it is. The key points are technologies and configuration. This aircraft is primarily composed of graphene and carbon fiber, making the craft extremely light and severely high strength, structurally.

• Overall, Excalibur weighs apx. 75+% less then a liquid fueled aircraft of similar scale and fuel capacity. In aerospace, weight equal's drag. Excalibur by comparison is light as a feather, requiring much less energy density for flight.

Additionally, this aircraft does not use any type of ceramic tiles for thermal management. Instead, it uses superconducting plasma actuation, which creates a plasma shield around the craft during re-entry, and also gives the aircraft control authority during re-entry.  Additionally, the aircraft slows itself before entering the phase of re-entry that friction with the atmosphere creates the majority of thermal loads, via it's Reverse Vacuum Engine.

The aircraft reaches into new capabilities never heard of. via it's lifting technologies and propulsion.  IO Aircraft Inc has developed super conducting electric duct fans, which are similar to thrust characteristic of kero fueled jet engines, via our graphene technologies. Not just structurally. This means the electric motors uses to drive the fan units are multiple times more shaft horsepower/kw vs copper based motors, with less energy input, less weight, and less heat. This was originally developed for evtol and superconducting power generation.  But upon DOD's Request, we configured it for Space Planes.

• Overall both Excalibur and Titan series of aircraft, are full end to end capabilities for both access to space and global point to point.

Furthermore, this aircraft lowers costs beyond 95% of any entity in existence for access to space. V1, meant for up to 500 LBS payloads, costs per launch are apx $200,000 to LEO, apx $300,000 to GEO, which equates at maximum payload capacity, $400 per LBS or  $881.85 per Kilo.

That is whether the aircraft launches vertically, or conventionally from any airport globally.

• Turn around times for this aircraft, due to the technologies and capabilities involved, are apx 2-4 hours. Excalibur is 100% re-usable with similar maintenance costs of private jets. This is achieved through technology innovation and minimizing wear and stress on the aircraft itself.
   

Excalibur is not just a launch vehicle, but the craft can also conduct a wide variety of capabilities.

• Debri removal

• Service satellites

• Cargo delivery to stations,

• Cargo delivery to lunar orbit

• Capture and retrieve existing objects in any orbit, returning it to the ground for either decommissioning or refurbishment, to re-launch to orbit.

Excalibur is designed for beyond 1,000 flights/launches, for normalized low cost access to space. As common as business jets and commercial flights.

Costs

• Serial Production: $7 million estimate per unit, ($40 million 1st aircraft including infrastructure and personnel costs.)

• Maintenance Costs between flights: Apx $20,000

• Schedule Maintenance (10 flights): $200,000 (Includes swapping the U-TBCC Engines)
   

• Maintenance costs are factored into the avg launch costs of $200,000 to LEO. 

Ground equipment and launch infrastructure. Compressed Hydrogen and Compressed Oxygen fueling, quite similar to a hydrogen fuel cell car.  Plus compressed Argon.  Most other infrastructure is similar to the jet market. APU's, tugs. etc.  No launch pads or any other proprietary complex infrastructure is required.

• Compression from ground equipment to 16,000 PSI will be conducted onboard via it's own system.

Specs

Kero 84 Gallons / 700 LBS for the turbine assembly. Most consumed ascending to ignition altitude. 9716 Cu In X 2

H2 and O2 Tanks (Gaseous = 16,000 PSI) *Patented

• O2 285,896 Cu In (Gaseous) 1,238 Gallon / Weight: 1,032.4 LBS (If it were liquid 10,324 LBS)
   

• H2 49,3216 Cu In (Gaseous) 2,135 Gallons / Weight: 1,780 LBS (If it were liquid 17806 LBS)
   

• Fwd Reverse VAC 4,194 X 2 Cu In (Gaseous H2/O2) 234 Gallons / 195 LBS

• Thrusters 2,600 X 6 Cu In (Gaseous H2/O2 or COLD Argon) 66 Gallons / 55 LBS

• Rear ION 2,600 X 6 Cu In (Gaseous - Argon) 66 Gallons / 55 LBS

Weight

• Aircraft 2,500 LBS  (BOW)

• Fuel 3,117 LBS MAX

• Kero 700 LBS

• Payload 500 LBS

TOW 6,817 LBS TOW (Take off weight at max fuel capacity and 500 LBS payload)

The weight comparison of a similar aircraft of the scale of Excalibur Smallsat V1, would be a Hondajet, with an MTOW of 10,600 LBS. Excalibur at maximum fuel and payload capacity is 36% less weight.

 

Another comparison for smallsat launch liquid fueled rockets, Astra mass, is apx 66,000 LBS using liquid fuels. Excalibur V1 smallsat is only about 10% of the total mass vs Astra, and slightly heavier payload capacity to orbit,

• 6,117 LBS at primary engine ignition at 35,000-40,000FT
  
  VTOL Ratio 1.2+ to 1

Primary Engines

Aerospike: Up to 80,000 LBS Thrust
 

U-TBCC (Scramjet/Rocket Mode) Up to 100,000 LBS Thrust

• Propulsion will never exceed 50% Thrust Capabilities, and maintain 2-4G Acceleration from 40,000 FT to 9.73 KM/S at orbital insertion
   

• ION Propulsion. Aircraft can change head in orbit, direct to geo synchronous orbit, change heading to solar synchronous orbit, lunar orbit, or exit earth's orbit entirely for intra-solar activities

**Excalibur can also exceed Mach 15 in Atmosphere at 120,000ft Altitude and can also operate above the Karman Line, which is an altitude of 62 Miles / 100km, without continuing acceleration for orbital insertion.

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