Re: Dropships and Lead Rot

>Dropships vs. Dropcaps:
>
>Why assume the cap goes down with no thrust and the dropship with?

Sure, you can power the cap.  That raises your cost significantly.  And 
would almost definitely be used to slow down the cap, to keep the cap
from 
becoming a ballistic splat.  *shudder* Bad thoughts of Kra'vak and
caps...

Terminal V is usually fast enough, it's the slowing down without hurting

that's the hard part.

>Also, if they both had no thrust, the cap should have higher
>V(terminal).

Possibly...  You're assuming mismatched aerodynamics.  I will note, that
in 
this atmosphere, a bowling ball and a feather, the bowling ball comes
down 
faster.  Yes, mismatched aerodynamics, but in the other direction than 
yours.	:)

>If they both have thrust, figure the mass being pushed against air
>resistance is less for the dropcap. (Or more particularly, I'd assume a
>higher thrust to mass ratio for the DC, plus some ablative components).

First statement I won't agree with.  Second sounds fine...  But also
note 
less fuel...  Specifically I doubt it has enough fuel to accelerate and 
de-accelerate...  There's also the fact that at some point, you get a
very 
ineffieciant way to ship people down...  Lot of money, mass, and volume
per 
pod for little to no advantage.

>And you can catch something that falls out of a plane, if you can both
>get to V(terminal) and your V(terminal) is faster. (ie skydiver A goes
>into widespread attitude, resulting in lower V(terminal) and skydiver B
>dives (faster V(terminal)) to catch up.

Yep, you can.  No arguements.  And if you put a jetpack on the back of
one, 
they can catch someone without such.  However, which will make it to the

earth, alive, first, the plane they jumped out of, the freefalling 
skydiver, or the man with a jetpack?

>2) I'd guess a treatment of cleaning using a base to neutralize the
>acetic acid (baking soda or soda water?) and then a cutting or grinding
>or wire brushing off the powder might remove the infection. Then comes
>the sealing task. What to use? How to attach the mini to its base if
>epoxy and PVA and cyanoacrylate are problematic?

Might I suggest reversing that...  Clean the area first, then use the 
base?  You're more likely to penetrate the infected areas that way.  Not

sure on this, however.