Best Glider for Altitude Record Attempt?

What glider will provide the best characteristics for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

What are those characteristics...air foil design, lofting
characteristics, L/D ratio, oxygen system, etc.

What publications provide the design information for
mountain wave ascents?

Jer
Jerome Conners, PE
Comstock Aeronautics and Engineering
PO Box 509
Virginia City, NV 89440
775-834-8363 (work)
775-834-8364 (FAX)
775-847-0214 (home)

Grob 102

"Jerome Conners" wrote in message
...
What glider will provide the best characteristics for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

What are those characteristics...air foil design, lofting
characteristics, L/D ratio, oxygen system, etc.

What publications provide the design information for
mountain wave ascents?

Jer
Jerome Conners, PE
Comstock Aeronautics and Engineering
PO Box 509
Virginia City, NV 89440
775-834-8363 (work)
775-834-8364 (FAX)
775-847-0214 (home)

John Shelton wrote:
Grob 102

"Jerome Conners" wrote in message
...

What glider will provide the best characteristics for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

The Perlan project is using a DG 505M

http://www.firnspiegel.com/perlan/

They are also designing a special glider for the project. Their site is
a place to start.

--
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change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Foster is using a modified DG505, I believe.
Wad.
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"Jerome Conners" wrote in message
...
What glider will provide the best characteristics for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

What are those characteristics...air foil design, lofting
characteristics, L/D ratio, oxygen system, etc.

What publications provide the design information for
mountain wave ascents?

Jer
Jerome Conners, PE
Comstock Aeronautics and Engineering
PO Box 509
Virginia City, NV 89440
775-834-8363 (work)
775-834-8364 (FAX)
775-847-0214 (home)

2-32, all metal strong as hell, no gelcoat to crack.

Sam Fly

Jerome Conners wrote:
What glider will provide the best characteristics for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

What are those characteristics...air foil design, lofting
characteristics, L/D ratio, oxygen system, etc.

What publications provide the design information for
mountain wave ascents?

Jer
Jerome Conners, PE
Comstock Aeronautics and Engineering
PO Box 509
Virginia City, NV 89440
775-834-8363 (work)
775-834-8364 (FAX)
775-847-0214 (home)

2-33. Same advantages as 2-32 plus a whole lot cheaper
if your only way down again is by parachute.

More seriously, is the glider critical or is it a question
of meteorology, breathing equipment and crew endurance
?

Ian



At 23:48 13 December 2003, Sam Fly wrote:
2-32, all metal strong as hell, no gelcoat to crack.

Sam Fly

Jerome Conners wrote:
What glider will provide the best characteristics
for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

What are those characteristics...air foil design,
lofting
characteristics, L/D ratio, oxygen system, etc.

What publications provide the design information for
mountain wave ascents?

Jer
Jerome Conners, PE
Comstock Aeronautics and Engineering
PO Box 509
Virginia City, NV 89440
775-834-8363 (work)
775-834-8364 (FAX)
775-847-0214 (home)

Read "Exploring the Monster" by Robert F. Whelan, Wind Canyon Books, Inc.,
ISBN 1-891118-32-3.

On 19th March 1952 Larry Edgar and Harold Klieforth set the world absolute
altitude record to 44,255ft. in a Pratt-Read two-seat glider. This had a
best glide ratio of about 24 at 60 mph, and a min. sink of about 3.45ft/sec.
at 51 mph (figures from the book), it also had poor penetration. They were
flying from Bishop, California.

They had state-of-the-art oxygen equipment and clothing, supplied by the
military because they were taking part in government funded research. In
those days military equipment was designed for unheated and unpressurised
cockpits.

They deliberately left 700 fpm lift when the altimeter read 44,000 ft
because they considered that they had reached the limit of their equipment.

I believe this two-seater record still stands, it was beaten by a single
seater in 1961.

I understand that the Perlan project is using a DG505M, with the engine
removed so that the space and weight allowance for the engine can be used
for high altitude equipment.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"Jerome Conners" wrote in message
...

What glider will provide the best characteristics for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

What are those characteristics...air foil design, lofting
characteristics, L/D ratio, oxygen system, etc.

What publications provide the design information for
mountain wave ascents?

Jer
Jerome Conners, PE
Comstock Aeronautics and Engineering
PO Box 509
Virginia City, NV 89440
775-834-8363 (work)
775-834-8364 (FAX)
775-847-0214 (home)

Jerome Conners wrote:
What glider will provide the best characteristics for
mountain wave ascents to record heights?

What are those characteristics...air foil design, lofting
characteristics, L/D ratio, oxygen system, etc.

Jerome Conners, PE

I really think that a nice high Vne would be great,
since during a record attempt one would want wicked
winds aloft (120+ knots on the nose) and it would be
terrifying to choose between exceeding Vne/flutter
speed or drift downwind uncontrollably.

Sounds like a Jantar might be a real solid choice
Apparently without water ballast which might freeze...
Maybe an LS-4? I'm considering these factors myself...

I believe the absolute record is 49,011 ft. set in 1986 by Bob Harris, flying a
Grob 102 out of California City.

Bob

SparrowHawk: All CARBON, strong as hell, no gelcoat to crack, and if
you can get above your release altitude, in most states you have set a
new ultralight climb record.