Clark Lindsey has some details of an Aviation Week (subscription required, so no link) article on the planned SpaceShip One flight in the latest RLV News. Well worth a read.

Hmm the part about:

"Asymmetries in the thrust due to possible erosion in the nozzle near the end of the burn could be difficult to compensate since the very low pressure provides weak control authority. The cold gas attitude control thrusters are "very weak compared to a conventional surface biting into thick air.'"

Sounds like the flight could get pretty hairy toward the top. Hope the feathered entry design really does naturally orient itself as advertised on reentry.

I would have thought that one of the design requirements for the engine would have been, well, to not do that.

I wonder if Burt has chewed out Jim Benson at SpaceDev (the engine contractor) over that.