We are only talking about possibilities so far, so just showing that it could theoretically be done is always the first step. As for the physics I'm not sure what concerns you need to have about (minimally) diagonally partitioned VL cells. The only real concern here is whether the red squares have enough surface area to adequately vent the exhaust from each missile. The ducting could easily be designed so that each missile uses both vents. Or they could just be standard cold-launched.
Both cold and hot launch methods need to sort out the gas dynamics within the canister environment, and changing the container geometry will affect this.
Yes, in this case a small corner is clipped off. I'm not overly concerned that the "gas dynamics" would be so dramatically changed as to render both hot and cold launch impossible. If you're concerned about cold launch the other free corner could be identically clipped so as to make the entire cross section symmetrical, though I'm not sure even this simple step is necessary. Hot launch seems to be even less of a concern as to the gas distribution. Regardless both methods could just utilize a simple rail, making any tail gas dynamics even less of an issue.
Symmetry isn’t the problem. Anyways, I don’t think this concern is prohibitive, but I imagine it’s not a trivial question either.
I’m sure it could be done. Doesn’t mean that it will be though. The jury’s still out on this idea.
The use of a rail for cold launch could easily render a change in cell cross section irrelevant. Outside the use of a rail, via use of a clipped corner on the opposite side of the diagonal the pressure on any two opposite sides of the missile would be identical which would then ensure a straight vertical exit for the missile as the gas expands inside the cell. As for hot launch, they would just need to pay attention to potential new hotspots in the cell walls, a problem also easily solved.
LOL seeing you're still on it: in a unit square Dec 11, 2017 each of your red squares would have an area of (sqrt(2)-1)^2, which is about 0.17 (p*p, in magenta, below);
You forgot that r +/- p would have to be smaller in actuality due to limitations like fins and spacers or rails.LOL seeing you're still on it: in a unit square Dec 11, 2017 each of your red squares would have an area of (sqrt(2)-1)^2, which is about 0.17 (p*p, in magenta, below);
the area of an orange circle below is \pi*(1.5-sqrt(2)), which is about 0.27, so
2*0.27+2*0.17, about 88% of the total area, could theoretically be used for missiles' bodies and vents:
(Dec 11, 2017 I might've simplified "r" to (1 - sqrt(2)/2), but I just didn't)
