Around the world glider project

[[email protected]]

>From the Czech news service.

Headline: Brno pilots plan to fly around the world in glider

BRNO (PDM staff with CTK) 12 July - A team of experts from the
Brno-based Sport Aviation Association is preparing for the first ever
flight around the world in a glider, association head Vladislav Zejda
told CTK yesterday.

The model of the glider could be ready next year, after which the
flight could take place, he said. Zejda's daughter Hana Zejdova, the
holder of the most world aviation records in the Czech Republic, is to
be one of the glider pilots.

The project is financially very demanding and will cost the equivalent
of more than CZK five billion, Zejda said.

However, if the mission is a success, it will become a milestone in the
history of aviation, he added.

"There have been around-the-world flights on a plane with both a
plunger- and jet-type engine, but the only unpowered flight was in a
balloon. It has never been done on a glider," he said.

The plane under construction is to be the top achievement of modern
aviation technology, with regards to its construction and aerodynamics
and aviation electronics and navigation systems.

"We are cooperating with domestic and foreign experts on the project,
for instance, with NASA and renowned aircraft producers," Zejda said.

The route of the flight has not yet been determined, but a route across
the Himalayas seems to be the most advantageous, he said. The time of
the flight is estimated at five or six days.

The project is being implemented under the auspices of South Moravian
regional governor Stanislav Juranek, and the region has contributed CZK
200,000 to its financing.

Zejdova is the first Czech pilot to receive the Lilienthal medal, which
has been awarded annually since 1939 for extraordinary sport
achievements. Zajdova, 43, is also the winner of other prizes and the
holder of more than 50 gliding world records.

(USD 1 = CZK 25.402)

CTK news edited by the staff of the Prague Daily Monitor, a Monitor CE
service.

[[email protected]]

How high of a tow is he planning to take?

[For Example John Smith]

Beware the 1% rule....
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> How high of a tow is he planning to take?
>

[01-- Zero One]

Let's see... 1% of 25,000 miles.....?



"For Example John Smith" > wrote in message
:

> Beware the 1% rule....
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > How high of a tow is he planning to take?
> >

[Stefan]

01-- Zero One wrote:

> Let's see... 1% of 25,000 miles.....?

That project has already been done. It's called space shuttle and they
self launched to far less than 1% ...

Stefan

[Tony Verhulst]

>> Let's see... 1% of 25,000 miles.....?
>
> That project has already been done. It's called space shuttle and they
> self launched to far less than 1% ...

Well sure, at orbital speed. I wonder that the L/D is at 250 miles AGL
at 60 kts? :-).

Tony V

[Andy Blackburn]

At 20:48 12 July 2005, 01-- Zero One wrote:
>Let's see... 1% of 25,000 miles.....?
>

There are also some well-known sink holes along the
route:

Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Sea of Japan

With a big enough tailwind however...

[ventus2]

Would they have to recalculate for IAS/TAS at 250 miles? That would be a
negative ASI I could imagine.

CK

>
> Well sure, at orbital speed. I wonder that the L/D is at 250 miles AGL
> at 60 kts? :-).

[[email protected]]

Think I lost my first reply to the oort cloud, alas. The short version
follows:

Press Release: We are going to fly around world. We need $200M to do
this. We have $8K in seed money from the county seat. We have made
contact with certain well-known aviation organizations to establish our
credibility. Please send a check to feed our favorite vices: hyperbole
and hubris. BTW, we're pretty good glider pilots, so there's at least a
slight chance we might pull this off, but only if we get lots of money
in hand.

If the scheme is grand enough, I guess it's news, not fraud.

Nice job if you can get it. At the very least, I'd be interested to see
the team's plan.

[For Example John Smith]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Nice job if you can get it. At the very least, I'd be interested to see
> the team's plan.
>
That'll be $50k, please

[Erkki Mikola]

> kirjoitti
legroups.com...
> >From the Czech news service.
>
> Headline: Brno pilots plan to fly around the world in glider
>
> BRNO (PDM staff with CTK) 12 July - A team of experts from the
> Brno-based Sport Aviation Association is preparing for the first ever
> flight around the world in a glider, association head Vladislav Zejda
> told CTK yesterday.

Is this a newspiece?
I found http://www.radio.cz/en/article/35215 which is from Dec.2002
http://archiv.radio.cz/php/parse.phtml?soubor=/english/magazine/14-12-02.xml#1

But in general, it would be nice to hear wether there are any thermals on
the oceans?
They are mentioned at least here
http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/wildlife/birds/albatross.shtml
"Albatrosses are supreme gliders; with modified wings to maximize the
updrafts and thermals over the open ocean. Albatrosses are best observed
during rough weather, when high waves create strong uplifting air currents,
enabling them to remain aloft with hardly a wing beat for hours on end."

And what would be the ideal heigth to soar over the ocean? Is it over 20km
as Hana Zejdova said in the interview? Or is it so low over the water
surface, that you (or the glider) can utilize vertical air movements caused
by the water waves in the horizontal wind.

Is it possible to soar above these air waves?

And if it it impossible to glide over the ocean, could it be still possible
to make a record how long man can soar from from west to east over land
areas? And allow him to come down in the evenings for sleep and continue in
the morning? It would be a famous and memorable air rally even that way,
especially if it is flown as competition, and if it is possible to fly from
Siberia to Alaska across Bering Sea

Fancy imagination?
--
Erkki Mikola

[Andy from Oz]

Erkki Mikola wrote:
>
> > kirjoitti
> legroups.com...
>
>> >From the Czech news service.
>>
>> Headline: Brno pilots plan to fly around the world in glider
>>
>> BRNO (PDM staff with CTK) 12 July - A team of experts from the
>> Brno-based Sport Aviation Association is preparing for the first ever
>> flight around the world in a glider, association head Vladislav Zejda
>> told CTK yesterday.
>
>
> Is this a newspiece?
> I found http://www.radio.cz/en/article/35215 which is from Dec.2002
> http://archiv.radio.cz/php/parse.phtml?soubor=/english/magazine/14-12-02.xml#1
>
>
> But in general, it would be nice to hear wether there are any thermals
> on the oceans?
> They are mentioned at least here
> http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/wildlife/birds/albatross.shtml
> "Albatrosses are supreme gliders; with modified wings to maximize the
> updrafts and thermals over the open ocean. Albatrosses are best observed
> during rough weather, when high waves create strong uplifting air
> currents, enabling them to remain aloft with hardly a wing beat for
> hours on end."
>
> And what would be the ideal heigth to soar over the ocean? Is it over
> 20km as Hana Zejdova said in the interview? Or is it so low over the
> water surface, that you (or the glider) can utilize vertical air
> movements caused by the water waves in the horizontal wind.
>
> Is it possible to soar above these air waves?
>
> And if it it impossible to glide over the ocean, could it be still
> possible to make a record how long man can soar from from west to east
> over land areas? And allow him to come down in the evenings for sleep
> and continue in the morning? It would be a famous and memorable air
> rally even that way, especially if it is flown as competition, and if it
> is possible to fly from Siberia to Alaska across Bering Sea
>
> Fancy imagination?
> --
> Erkki Mikola
>
>
The upcurrents produced by waves are not thermals but literally wave
effect as found over mountain ranges and which allow gliders to get to
over 20 000ft. Albatrosses also use the wind gradient. The wind blows
faster a little way above the wave compared to lower down and this can
be utiliseed by trading ground speed for height while keeping airspeed
constant, true soaring!