What is the climb rate of a Air/Raft?

[atpollard]

All of these are missing the downward gravity acceleration. You need to add the 1 unit down to every step.

It is there … I just stopped drawing it in after Time 0 and Time 1.

Look at Time 1. The RED vertical component of the thrust vector is 1.996 G V (V for Vertical). Since gravity is -1G V (vertical) … shown in black as 1G … the resulting Vertical Acceleration Vector (in BLUE) is 1.996 G - 1G = 0.996 G V (for Vertical). LOOK, the BLUE arrow is labeled 0.996 G Vertical!

Now look at Time 2. Although the Gravity Vector is not drawn (since it did not change and just cluttered the diagram), but the RED 1.878 G vertical thrust vector - the constant 1G gravity vector yields the 0.878 G vertical acceleration vector in BLUE.

Then when you add the vertical vectors (+ 1.878G - 1G) and horizontal vectors (+0.679G) you get a total acceleration vector for the rocket at Time 2 of 1.112G.

I drew it that way because the drawing represented the math that was done earlier. The math was easiest if one resolves the horizontal and vertical separately. If we really want to focus on strictly GRAPHIC solutions, then draw a vector 2 “units” (G) long at a 45 degree angle and a second vector from the tip down 1 “unit” (G) for gravity. What is the length of the resulting vector connecting the start and finish positions? (Longer than 1!)

 

[infojunky]

Ok, just to throw in a monkey wrench in...

A Speeder can make orbit within a hour... (a +1g craft)

A amusing point, looking at the text and table in Striker, while working from an apparent thrust equation in the Grav speed table, the result is a maximum speed in KPH. As such while it looks like we are working with brute thrust, the indicated top speed result means we aren't.

Again I quote "Anti-gravity is the second major breakthrough. The postulated technology produces both neutralization of weight and lateral thrust."

Consider lateral thrust as quoted above, one can say that the resultant speed is perpendicular to gravity vector that is being neutralized, and as such the climb rate is note the same as the absolute horizontal speed. (note with a liberal application of set theory is entirely consistent with RAW and text)