Dan, I suspect that the figure given is a nominal figure. It's interesting to google "Boeing Delta IV Medium Plus Launch vehicle" (omitting the parenthethical information in the original message) and seeing what pops up. The USAF tends to describe the Delta IV in metric with ifp parenthetical indications. Boeing's pages do it the other way 'round.
It turns out that Boeing has a 4 m (13 ft) configuration and a 5 m (16.7 ft) configuration in the Delta IV Medium Plus family. Dare we hope that Boeing has discovered the metric system? A paragraph from a Boeing press release says, "The Delta IV fleet is designed to offer both commercial and government customers a wide range of payload capability. For missions to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), the range extends from 2.2 metric tons (Delta IV Small) through 13.2 metric tons (Delta IV Heavy)." http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/1998/news_release_980910c.html I wonder if their rocket division isn't just a bit more metricated than their airplane division, possibly because of NASA's 1988 "transistion". Or because of USAF pressure. Jim On Wednesday 29 June 2005 17:49, Daniel wrote: > But, if it was designed in non-metric, would the diameter be an exact 4 m? > > Dan > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Hillger, Don > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Wednesday, 2005-06-29 15:46 > Subject: [USMA:33406] metric usage in launch vehicle > > > In my field, meteorology, metric units are not uncommon, but I was > reading a document about the launch of the next weather satellite, GOES-N, > to occur next month, and was surprised to see the description as, > > > > quote: "a Boeing Delta IV Medium Plus (4,2) Launch vehicle. The first > digit is the parenthesis refers to the diameter of the second stage in > meters, and the second digit refers to the number of strap-on solid rocket > motors (SRMs)." end quote. > > > > This does not necessarily mean that the rocket was designed in metric > units, although that might be true (?), only that it's marketed metrically, > I suspect for the non-U.S. market. > > > > Don > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- >--- > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.6/33 - Release Date: 2005-06-28 -- James R. Frysinger Lifetime Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist Senior Member, IEEE http://www.cofc.edu/~frysingj [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Office: Physics Lab Manager, Lecturer Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University/College of Charleston 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424 843.953.7644 (phone) 843.953.4824 (FAX) Home: 10 Captiva Row Charleston, SC 29407 843.225.0805
