HOME | DD

Description
Re-entry was frightening in its pace - Black became dark blue, which in turn became a mixture or orange, yellow, and white-pink as the friction of descending through the atmosphere began. The belly of the Dove turned red to orange in heat, furious burning air flowing around the fuselage. The Dove looked like it was being incinerated. Inside the men rocked as the ship shuddered to the fierce forces.

Then as sudden as it appeared, the fury of re-entry was over, ahead was a field of peaceful white and pink clouds, almost a literal blanket. Above was a gorgeous sun filled sky with oranges and yellows along blues. It looked like a sunset.

Ross thought it was beautiful.

The Dove was now speeding into the cloud layer, sensors showed no obstructions. On that, the Dove unfolded its wings from upright re-entry position to down gliding mode. The decent was now smoother, slower, and controlled. The pair felt everything was going to plan.

The Dove hit the cloud cover and for a few seconds the canopy view was of peaceful pink, white and lilac mist.

All that then disappeared to reveal something that made the men shudder and blink.

Below was a barren, darken world. Worse there were flashes of lightning. The canopy windows were dashed with rain, the Dove was rocking in reaction to violent winds and they were coming down fast.

Ross was concerned but switched his mind to professionalism and took hold of what was occurring. The computers were doing their tasks, so there was no real need to worry. The sole thing he feared was the turbulence they were experiencing; even with the best computer flight system, no aircraft was immune to the forces of nature, and lifting bodies were especially vulnerable. Strong winds, miss timed turns, or any other influence can cause such ships to "Dutch Roll" - or revolve fiercely in flight. When that happens, lifting bodies became twirling projectiles.

The turbulence was not easing, and the world looked more foreboding. The sole pleasure was that the rain had gone. Ross did not want to see Kane, for he feared he may see his co-pilot's own trepidation. Ross thought himself to kill this fear with his professionalism again.

"Time check" He ordered.

"Three minutes to the landing site, four minutes to touchdown" Kane replied - no doubt in the same way and reason.

Just then a violent shudder of turbulence struck them, the Dove span into the dreaded Dutch roll - worse, the pair could see walls of rock close by, illuminated by the brief flashes of lightning.

Ross said nothing and hoped that it was just the once.

The Dove rolled again. Enough, thought Ross.

"Manual!" he yelled "give me Manual!"

Kane struggled to get to the Manual Override Button – and it appeared like ages. His silver gloved finger managed to stab it and the button lit. Ross felt the sticks come loose and he held them firm, taking control. In the nick of time too – the Dove swooped over a large peak of rock and banked a mountain wall.

“Landing lights!” Kane obeyed and they came on – lighting up a terrifying strip of peaks and spears of rock - as the Dove was coming in – way too low and fast.

“VERTICAL TRHUSTERS!! FULL FLAPS!!!”

This is a sort of memorised exert from a childhood fave film of the time called Journey to the far side of the Sun. It was done by Gerry Anderson and was about the discovery and rush to a planet that orbited the opposite side of the sun to ours - and is seen as ideal for colonising. The mission was to get there first, and in that typical style of Mr Anderson, his team came up with a plausable but ambitious orbital system that would deploy a lifting body to the planet. Known as the Dove.

I loved that lifting body shaped craft and this is my depiction.

The film is not "brilliant" but if you like Gerry Anderson (as I do), its a good distraction, and it ends so typically Gerry - guess!

Description
Re-entry was frightening in its pace - Black became dark blue, which in turn became a mixture or orange, yellow, and white-pink as the friction of descending through the atmosphere began. The belly of the Dove turned red to orange in heat, furious burning air flowing around the fuselage. The Dove looked like it was being incinerated. Inside the men rocked as the ship shuddered to the fierce forces.

Then as sudden as it appeared, the fury of re-entry was over, ahead was a field of peaceful white and pink clouds, almost a literal blanket. Above was a gorgeous sun filled sky with oranges and yellows along blues. It looked like a sunset.

Ross thought it was beautiful.

The Dove was now speeding into the cloud layer, sensors showed no obstructions. On that, the Dove unfolded its wings from upright re-entry position to down gliding mode. The decent was now smoother, slower, and controlled. The pair felt everything was going to plan.

The Dove hit the cloud cover and for a few seconds the canopy view was of peaceful pink, white and lilac mist.

All that then disappeared to reveal something that made the men shudder and blink.

Below was a barren, darken world. Worse there were flashes of lightning. The canopy windows were dashed with rain, the Dove was rocking in reaction to violent winds and they were coming down fast.

Ross was concerned but switched his mind to professionalism and took hold of what was occurring. The computers were doing their tasks, so there was no real need to worry. The sole thing he feared was the turbulence they were experiencing; even with the best computer flight system, no aircraft was immune to the forces of nature, and lifting bodies were especially vulnerable. Strong winds, miss timed turns, or any other influence can cause such ships to "Dutch Roll" - or revolve fiercely in flight. When that happens, lifting bodies became twirling projectiles.

The turbulence was not easing, and the world looked more foreboding. The sole pleasure was that the rain had gone. Ross did not want to see Kane, for he feared he may see his co-pilot's own trepidation. Ross thought himself to kill this fear with his professionalism again.

"Time check" He ordered.

"Three minutes to the landing site, four minutes to touchdown" Kane replied - no doubt in the same way and reason.

Just then a violent shudder of turbulence struck them, the Dove span into the dreaded Dutch roll - worse, the pair could see walls of rock close by, illuminated by the brief flashes of lightning.

Ross said nothing and hoped that it was just the once.

The Dove rolled again. Enough, thought Ross.

"Manual!" he yelled "give me Manual!"

Kane struggled to get to the Manual Override Button – and it appeared like ages. His silver gloved finger managed to stab it and the button lit. Ross felt the sticks come loose and he held them firm, taking control. In the nick of time too – the Dove swooped over a large peak of rock and banked a mountain wall.

“Landing lights!” Kane obeyed and they came on – lighting up a terrifying strip of peaks and spears of rock - as the Dove was coming in – way too low and fast.

“VERTICAL TRHUSTERS!! FULL FLAPS!!!”

This is a sort of memorised exert from a childhood fave film of the time called Journey to the far side of the Sun. It was done by Gerry Anderson and was about the discovery and rush to a planet that orbited the opposite side of the sun to ours - and is seen as ideal for colonising. The mission was to get there first, and in that typical style of Mr Anderson, his team came up with a plausable but ambitious orbital system that would deploy a lifting body to the planet. Known as the Dove.

I loved that lifting body shaped craft and this is my depiction.

The film is not "brilliant" but if you like Gerry Anderson (as I do), its a good distraction, and it ends so typically Gerry - guess!