400 Days till XPC 2008

I will boldly predict that there will be NG-LLC prize money for 2008. We only have ~400 days until the 2008 XPC, 280 days till the FAA permit app must be accepted. What are our plans? In no particular order...

1)Simplify.
Make one valve work, not two,
Go to blow down pressurization (for at least the 90 sec vehicle.)

2)Add more diagnostic automation.
Add some more feedback to the open loop vales so we can automagically determine their health.We need both position and current feedback from each valve. I may convert the valves to www.openservo.org derived control electronics.

3)Build a more robust vehicle.
Most plumbing, stainless not aluminum.
sturdier landing gear.

4)Find a more benign transport system.

5)Try other fuels and gasses
IPA (cleaner) and E85 cheaper.
Do at least one burn with 100% Nitrogen pressurization.
With our long thin tanks it might not be as bad as it is for Carmacks Spherical tanks. I've been told that a shot of He followed by N2 pressurization is not bad. the Russians use Nitrogen to pressurize their Lox tanks, and Nitrogen is a Lot Lot Lot cheaper than Hydrogen.
(Self presurized Lox might be similar....)

7)Put better data logging software in place.
( I write embedded S/W for a living and the shoemakers kids have no shoes.)

8)Convert the simulator to a hardware in loop tester.

9)Make the control system fly the helicopter, and publish ALL the results.

10)Try a impinging injector rather than a pintile.

11)Try Charles Pooleys Lox pre-burner idea.

12)Build and leave set up a good valve and injector flow test setup.