Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: rpm on February 28, 2005, 11:39:22 AM
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(http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/TECH/02/28/globalflyer.fossett/story.02.global.flyer.jpg)
(CNN) -- U.S. adventurer Steve Fossett says he has last-minute nerves as he prepares an attempt on the "last great aviation record" by piloting an airplane alone around the world without refueling or stopping.
If the skies remain clear the 60-year-old former investor will take off Monday from Salina, Kansas, in the single-jet-engined Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, loaded with more than four times its own weight in fuel.
Over the 80 hours the challenge is expected to take, Fossett will fly to Europe and the Middle East, over Asia and the Pacific, and back to Kansas.
If he succeeds, he will have broken several records including the longest time flying non-stop without refueling. But if he fails, his life is in serious danger.
The most dangerous part of the attempt is the take-off, due to take place between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time (2100 and 0000 GMT).
GlobalFlyer has never been tested with a full load of fuel and any unexpected turbulence or technical problems could spell disaster.
The project is partly sponsored by Sir Richard Branson's company Virgin and the British entrepreneur is in Kansas to wish his friend and former ballooning colleague well.
At a news conference at mission control in Kansas State University on Sunday, Fossett appeared strained as reporters' questions focused on what might happen if something went wrong.
"I suppose I am a little bit of a nervous person -- perhaps it is justified in this case," he said.
"It will be very scary to take off in a plane this heavy and the consequences of something going wrong...
"There is very little margin for things like turbulence and tail winds."
Originally scheduled to launch on February 2, unsatisfactory weather has prompted mission planners to delay the flight several times.
The GlobalFlyer consists of three hulls attached to a 35-meter (114-foot) wing that measures more than half the wingspan of a Boeing 747. Twin "boom" hulls on either side of the cockpit hull each carry almost 2,500 kilograms (5,500 pounds) of fuel. The plane is expected to reach heights of 17,000 meters (52,000 feet) and travel at speeds in excess of 250 knots (440 kph, 285 mph).
Atop the plane's 7-foot cockpit is a single jet engine, which must propel the aircraft throughout its 15,500 km (25,000-mile) trek.
"The first solo nonstop is a grand endeavor," said Fossett. "If successful, I hope to earn a place in aviation history in the legacy of Wiley Post." In 1933, Post rounded the globe after stopping 11 times in just under eight days.
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Best of luck Steve!! Quite an ambitious undertaking for a 60 year old man!
For those that want to follow along - http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/ Site is moving a bit slow now, but it's there.
Cougar
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if he uses a auto pilot, does that qualify as "flying alone"?
must stay awake....must stay awake......must staaa.....zzzzzzzzzz
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I grew up in Salina and learned to fly at the airport (old Schilling Airbase for B-47's). It's got a verrrryy longgg runway.
It's a rather strong wind out of the NW today in KC, so I hope he can still attempt it this afternoon.
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Sting... where u been? We all need to do lunch again.
Plus you should dust off the keyboard and come play with the group again. Been having some good times.
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You got it Toad....been damn busy lately. I'll try to get on tonite.
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Just log into Teamspeak and we'll tell you where were are.
You may have to relocate the server. Same name, diff IP. Do the standard scan for 13th, password is the same.
Questions?
See me in the squad forum, Mr.!
;)
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Wonder why he didn't connect the twin boom elevators ala P-38?
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Originally posted by Halo
Wonder why he didn't connect the twin boom elevators ala P-38?
Over 60 years of engineering prolly says otherwise..
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Originally posted by Halo
Wonder why he didn't connect the twin boom elevators ala P-38?
Extra weight?
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Originally posted by Thrawn
Extra weight?
...& in a far aft position in an overloaded plane
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Good luck to the guy. We have too few pioneering things like this left to do in the world.
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Rutan's Voyager was sort of like GlobalFlyer except had elevators or brace or whatever in front. Just seems like need some kind of connection in addition to the wing between the two booms (mostly fuel tanks).
P-38s, F-82s, OV-10s, C-119s, Venoms, Saab 21s, FW-189s -- all these famous twin boomers were connected by more than wing.
Is GlobalFlyer the first unconnected twin boomer? Apparently not, but the only one I can think of is that Space Ship One and White Knight combination that set altitude records.
Those booms look too independent without the tails connected. Connecting the tails wouldn't add much weight with light composites, and that should be offset by added lift. (No, I'm not an engineer ... just guessing).
Can't be that much different from a catamaran (this guy is a record-holding sailor too). Need solid braces at each end.
Apparently the disconnect is to avoid interfering with the jet engine exhaust. And the host site reports engine noise was a problem for the pilot until that was alleviated.
So maybe the engine should have been mounted a little higher yet and perhaps the pilot should have been prone more like Voyager. And that might have gotten the engine exhaust above a tail joining the two booms.
Maybe maybe maybe. Whatever the design tradeoffs, with only the wing connecting the twin booms, any severe turbulence or stress would have to have more serious effect. Let's hope the design encounters only fair weather and is not tested too severely.
Just saw the flight has taken off and will be back to Kansas in about three days. Good luck to a bold endeavor.
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I would think the reason is drag. You don't need extra lift from the tail, just stabilization. Drag = less fuel efficient.
Also from the photo it appears the engine is centerline. Having a wing in the way would seem to be a bad thing.
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Looks like he's airborne!
Longitude Latitude
N43.48958 W82.36977
Altitude Speed
38,297ft 311.00 knots
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I was just watching the live cockpit feed when I saw
LOSS OF DATA
across the screen.
Now I can't get it to refresh...
:eek:
EDIT: I have the feed back...phew!!
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Longitude Latitude
N43.48958 W82.36977
Is he still there rpm or has he moved? Keep us posted please.:p
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He's not too far from making landfall at Morocco right now. http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/MissionControl/Tracking/ if you want to follow along. The site moves EXTREMELY slow so be patient.
Thanks for posting about this RPM. It's getting zero news coverage and I would've hated to have missed out on this. There's just not that many more opportunities to watch aviation history made right in front of your eyes.
Cougar
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Moving fine for me.
He just made feet dry over Morocco.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/209_1081438631_swoop.gif)
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Over Libya right now...
*chaff*
*chaff*
*chaff*
*chaff*
*chaff*
*chaff*
where's that damn border?
*chaff*
*chaff*
Glad this sucker's made of fiberglass...
*chaff*
*chaff*
*chaff*
I wonder if an SA-6 can get this high?
*chaff*
*chaff*
*chaff*
Stinkin Rutan wouldn't glue on that towed decoy, cheap bastage, even some tin cans on a long string would be something...
*chaff*
*chaff*
*chaff*
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Yeah I hope he won't have to pass anywhere near russian airspace.
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Originally posted by Siaf__csf
Yeah I hope he won't have to pass anywhere near russian airspace.
That could be a good thing for real. Zeppelin company tried to fly one of their blimps from Germany to Japan last summer, and the Russians had promised to give overflight rights to them. They started their journey but they had to stop here because they didn't get their rights in time. After a month or so they had to give up and head back home.
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Those whacky Russians and their faulty government infrastructure, so cute :D
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Almost ready to exit Saudi Arabia. You know, at 49,830 feet, not a lot of aircraft are going to get high enough to get a close look.
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Wonder if he gets to overfly Iran or swing south?
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Looks like he swung south and went over the Gulf.
(http://195.92.231.9/mapped_images/GlobalFlyerRegion.jpg)
Longitude / Latitude
E77.51393 N23.27618
Altitude Speed
46,859ft 296.00 knots
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Hey, the pic is updating here! Don't even have to leave the BBS!
Score!!!
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I wonder if he is on "go" pills?
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Originally posted by Cougar68
It's getting zero news coverage and I would've hated to have missed out on this.
Cougar
Hmmmmm....was the first thing I saw on the tube when I got up at 4:30 this morning on channel 5 out of Big D.
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Cool, glad to hear it Jackal. I went scouring the news channels as he was prepping for takeoff to see if anyone was covering it or even mentioning the event. I guess now that it's getting closer to being reality more people are talking.
He's halfway now!!! Will hook up with the chase plane in Honolulu next.
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OhOh..........
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/03/02/globalflyer.fossett/index.html
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I'm hoping the glitch is just a glitch and not a real problem.
Eagl, :rofl
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Why would the onboard guage determine how much fuel they loaded? Don't they normally measure it from the truck?
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looks like they didnt pay the poor kid who makes $7 an hour at the ramp enough when he was gassin her up
i hope they can make it nevertheless
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Gimli Glider II?
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Originally posted by Cougar68
Best of luck Steve!! Quite an ambitious undertaking for a 60 year old man!
For those that want to follow along - http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/ Site is moving a bit slow now, but it's there.
Cougar
Hmmm. They need more bandwidth. Can't get on the site.
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The site is moving real slow and goes down every now and then. It eventually comes back though.
It's looking like the fuel loss may not prevent the flight from completing. He needs to average a 58 knot tailwind to make it using the numbers they have and he's been getting a bit better than that. They believe it's a systems failure and not an actual fuel loss but they don't want to take a chance.
Cougar
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fuel guage error, drama, tension, can he make it?
publicty stunt?
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If he aborts the mission due to a gauge malfunction, it will be an embarrassment to the U.S. Hardships have been encountered in MANY aviation records:
Apollo 11- Ten seconds of fuel left and the landing site was blocked by a huge crater
Apollo (17?)- Radar altimeter went out, pilot was ready to land it by hand.
Burt Rutan- Engines quit on Voyager and only restarted at less than 2000 feet altitude
Rutan- Space craft went into a hard spin while leaving earths atmosphere.
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Why the U.S.? It's a private venture financed by Branson.
Actually, why an embarrassment at all? The engineering feat alone is notworthy, throw in how far he's already traveled and I'd say that's far from embarrassing.
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The US is far from having a monopoly on failures during aviation record attempts. I have a hard time with your list of "failures" though. Voyager finished it's round the world trip, when Apollo 11 landed it still had 30 seconds of fuel in the tanks, and while the Rutan spacecraft went into a spin, the pilot was still able to recover and complete the first space flight by a private company. Where's the failure?
Regardless of whether Scott can make it all the way or not, this is a heck of an accomplishment for a privateer.
Cougar
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Your reading comprehension is immaculate. I was listing hardships, not failures.
The fact of the matter is, non-stop around the world flight is not something new. The only difference in this case is that there is only 1 pilot flying the aircraft.
Landing the aircraft and ending the pursuit of the world record, only to realize that it was due to a gauge malfunction would be embarrassing.
Also, in the Guiness book of world records, beside the name of every record holder is the country he is from.
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Originally posted by SunTracker
The only difference in this case is that there is only 1 pilot flying the aircraft.
as i asked before, is he "flying' the plane all the time, or is he on autopilot, and if he is on autopilot how can you say only one "pilot" flew the plane? is the autopilot not a "pilot"?
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At first I thought he didnt have one as he says he is going to be awake for the entire flight but upon searching it does appear he has one.
Moore said Fossett had indicated he plans to stay awake during the entire flight, though he could sleep for brief periods and rely on the autopilot.
http://www.saljournal.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/4665/format/html/displaystory.html
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Autopilot, GPS, chase plane ... it is not Lindy crossing the Atlantic, but still commendable. (Geez, still get worn out watching Jimmy Stewart trying to stay awake in that movie ... )
He's past Hawaii, tailwinds strong, going for successful completion, landing back at Salina today!
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Originally posted by john9001
as i asked before, is he "flying' the plane all the time, or is he on autopilot, and if he is on autopilot how can you say only one "pilot" flew the plane? is the autopilot not a "pilot"?
No John an autopilot is a piece of equipment. It does what the 'pilot' tells it to. There is only one pilot on board. It may not be Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic but it's quite a feat nonetheless.
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Autopilot, circumnavigate this plane around the globe
/command successful
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Wtg rpm for posting that tracking page here ... can't get to the site, probably overload before landing.
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He is over Denver now. Looks like he will get to the landing ok. I hope he can land the plane safely.
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Almost there!
(http://195.92.231.9/mapped_images/GlobalFlyerRegion.jpg)
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Fox news is going to broadcast his approach live
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He's close it's on TV now. CNN was cutting away to talk about trival BS so I switched over to FOX lol.
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LOL CNN seems more concerned with why rich guys have to blow money on things like this than the significance of the flight.
Woot he just touched down!!
WTG Steve!!
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Wheels stopped! WTFG!
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Better to blow money on a flight than a bunch of orange thingys in a park.
Congrats Steve and Scaled Composites!
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Heh, fuel left over to taxi with. :)
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This is too cool hehe
:D
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Bubbleheaded FOX News babes... "Why is he just driving around?" "Is he just showing off?"
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Bubble headed news babes on all networks...
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Yeah but the ones on FOX are hotter
;)
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Right wing tire looks a little flat hehe
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Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Bubble headed news babes on all networks...
Too true.
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WOOT!
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Watched the landing, was great.
Not much left in the area of civilian aviation anymore. Wonder what someone will try in the future.
to the team that did this feat!
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Originally posted by Maverick
Not much left in the area of civilian aviation anymore. Wonder what someone will try in the future.
"Swiss adventurer's dreams for solar-powered plane take flight"
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/050227/1/3qwe0.html
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I think the biggest signifigance is that the last 2 major accomplishments in aerospace have been privetly funded and designed by the same people. (the virgin atlantic guy funded the space ship one right??) and Rutan designed both craft.
WTG, I see a trend here.
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On Wednesday, Fossett broke the record for the longest nonstop, unrefueled flight by a jet. That particular record — 12,532 miles (20,168 kilometers) — was set by a B-52 bomber in 1962.
wow didn't know that...WTG
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Vigin and Wutan, do it again.
When do I book my orbital round the world ticket?
:aok
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Originally posted by Maverick
Watched the landing, was great.
Not much left in the area of civilian aviation anymore. Wonder what someone will try in the future.
to the team that did this feat!
Now lets see him do it inverted lol
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Time to see who can bore through the Earth and come out on the opposite side.
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Originally posted by Halo
Time to see who can bore through the Earth and come out on the opposite side.
lol
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If you do, you will come out on china
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OR make a hole and end up in the middle of the India Ocean and get intercepted by MiG-28s