Global Flyer Success

Montblack wrote:

("Dan Nafe" wrote)

Is it safe to say that there are no more distance records to be broken?



Manned Earth orbit - private company

(Solar powered) around the globe.


Montblack

Human powered trans Atlantic...

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

"Dan Nafe" wrote ...
Is it safe to say that there are no more distance records to be broken?

Both the Voyager and the Global Flyer claim to have "flown around the world"
on the basis of a rather broad and arbitrary definition of that goal. That
definiton includes a minimum distance of 19,863.7 NM. A very long distance
indeed and the Global Flyer went 19,880 NM.

But wait a minute, the circumference of the earth is 21,639 NM. A much
longer mission and neither the Voyager nor the Global Flyer had that sort of
range. So, yes, there is still a distance record out there. That of truely
"flying around the world" unrefueled. A true circumnavigation requires that
you pass through at least two points on the earth that are opposite each
other on the globe.

Rich

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 10:30:33 -0800, "Richard Isakson"
wrote:

But wait a minute, the circumference of the earth is 21,639 NM. A much
longer mission and neither the Voyager nor the Global Flyer had that sort of
range. So, yes, there is still a distance record out there. That of truely
"flying around the world" unrefueled. A true circumnavigation requires that
you pass through at least two points on the earth that are opposite each
other on the globe.

Rich

And let's not forget, the non stop circumnavigation by glider has yet
to be accomplished. Around the world without refueling by Moller air
car? Flying boat around the world without refueling? Heck, we're
just getting started here.

Corky Scott

"Corky Scott" wrote in message ...
And let's not forget, the non stop circumnavigation by glider has yet
to be accomplished.

I've often wondered if there's enough lift on one side of a jet stream to
hold up a glider.

Around the world without refueling by Moller air car?

Wrong record. That's around the block by Moller air car.

Rich

"Corky Scott" wrote

Around the world without refueling by Moller air
car? Heck, we're just getting started here.

Dang, Corky! Gotta stop drinking coke while reading the newsgroup. It
burns on the way out the nose!
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:
"Corky Scott" wrote

Around the world without refueling by Moller air

car? Heck, we're just getting started here.


Dang, Corky! Gotta stop drinking coke while reading the newsgroup. It
burns on the way out the nose!

Awww, Jim, you should have expected it In this NG there was bound to
be someone to say it.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired wrote:


Human powered trans Atlantic...

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired
Nah! The fuel weighs too much!
I'd take about 6 days with at least
40 big mac's a day that's a lot of
fuel to carry around.

John

Earlier, Richard Isakson wrote:

I've often wondered if there's enough lift
on one side of a jet stream to hold up a
glider.

It's been two or three decades, but I know I've seen an article in
Soaring or Technical Soaring that discusses the feasability of a
related soaring flight technique. Specifically, the article suggested a
theoretically feasable technique involving maneuvers in the shear zone
at the edge of the jet stream. I remember thinking that it was one of
those "sure, it works in theory..." kinds of things.

Thanks, Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com

Earlier, T o d d P a t t i s t wrote:

The main problem is that it's hard to pressurize a leaky
cockpit without an engine.

A couple years ago when I was putting together a business plan for a
Perlan competitor I did design studies and a couple of low-dollar
experiments that explored several ways of reducing leakage to very
managable rates. Given those leakage rates, it seemed quite feasable to
supply pressurization from compressed gas reservoirs for a twelve-hour
flight profile.

I wonder what they did for the Spaceship One? Of course, their flight
profile is relatively brief...

Bob K.

"T o d d P a t t i s t" wrote ...
"Richard Isakson" wrote:

I've often wondered if there's enough lift on one side of a jet stream to
hold up a glider.

I've wondered that too. I've also wondered if you could
milk it for dynamic lift (fly racetrack pattern and pull up
on each leg).

That's an interesting idea. I've never thought about dynamic lift on that
scale. I'll try running some numbers to see if it makes any sense. I was
thinking that a jet stream core, as it moves up and down in latitude on a
spinning globe, might end up with some lateral vorticity that could be used
to surf on.

Rich