Perry updated his web site with a bunch of pictures I took
on our private space shuttle tour.

http://www.ductedfan.com

This one is interesting. The black cover is the fuel pipe cover.
Something like one swimming pool's worth of fuel goes through this
30 to 36 inch diameter pipe every second as I recall.

My brother worked for LMSC at Houston NASA a few years back.  (In fact, if
you see an astronaut standing in a foot restraint on the arm, or using a
hand power tool, you see my brother's work.)  You are right that the flow
rates are impressive.  The pipes that transfer the LOX and LH2 from the
external fuel tank are monsters, and have these really interesting
butterfly valves to close them immediately prior to shuttle/tank
separation. The valves have special safety interlocks (read: big friggin'
hunks of aluminum) to prevent their premature closure...  The main shuttle
engines, aside from being a substantial source of the propulsion, are also
a main source of directional control during ascension and the *only*
source once up around FL700 or so.

Russell Kent

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