Here's a photo of the aircraft from the official website, it reminds me of the Lockheed P-38 Lightening:

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Another view, mostly carbon fiber of course....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Pilot Steve Fossett, the man actually making the attempt on the left, and Virgin Atlantic owner whathisname, on the right:

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

looks kind of like a P-38

while I don't doubt that this would be quite an accomplishment, wouldn't the pilot be able to take breaks, use an autopilot,etc? I'm not familiar with any rules that govern this sort of thing, is that allowed?

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"Fossett holds dozens of aviation and nautical records, including the fastest flight of a nonsupersonic airplane -- 742.02 mph (1,193.9 kph)."

What am I missing? What's a "nonsupersonic plane". Wouldn't this be pretty easy to do by simply taking a faster plane and flying slower?

~Matt

I'm not sure. I know from what I read he has to manage the center of gravity of the aircraft constantly as it changes from fuel consumption. Most of the aircraft's take-off weight, 80% I believe, is fuel so the flight control characteristics are changing constatnly as the fuel is consumed. I wager that has to be monitored constantly.

There are a strict set of guidelines governing aviation records I believe (but don't know for fact), and I would imagie one may be "no-auto pilot"

As for the fastest non-supersonic flight thing, well, imagine taking a ford focus up to 350 mph ground speed and living to tell about it. I think what they are refering to is the fastest flight by an aricraft not specifically intended to break the sound barrier. In WWII some pilots would approach the sound barrier during certain air combat maneuvers and it often ended in structural failures due to the shock waves accumulating on the leading edges of the aircraft. A few aircraft were lost. At the time, little was understood about breaking the sound barrier or the incredibly dangerous envelope of flight that is 20 mph +/- the sound barrier. When Chuck Yeager finally did it in the Bell X-1 rocket power aircraft the plane was specifically built for supersonic transitional flight with exception airframe strength and unusual aerodynamic characteristics. A subsonic aircraft approaching those speeds is really pushing the limits.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I thought this was a sexual post involving over a minute.

I read about this the other day and I yawned. So what? I'm far more inspired by something that has value to humanity. Lindbergh's flight opened the way for trans-Atlantic air travel. The milestones of the space race (in both the east and west) made us understand space as "the next frontier" and culminated in what truly was a milestone in human evolution. The space shuttle made us believe space travel could be routine (although we've found that its probably far from being so). Even Rutan's winning of the Ansari X-Prize has helped us believe that perhaps, within our lifetimes, regular people can fly into space too.

So, assuming there is nothing revolutionary about the technology of this airplane, this, to me, is nothing more than some rich chap with time on his hands and money to burn who's trying to stay awake for a few days. I'd say the same about their silly hot-air balloon challenge a few years ago.

Flying? He's no athlete...hell...there isn't even a ball involved...how in the hell can this be sports...let alone endurance sports...

;->

A foolish view Quad. These things are worth more than the fame of a "rich chap with time on his hands and money to burn." A logical equivalent of your view would be that Nextel Cup or F1 racing have no meaning and value to humanity...clearly this is not the case...

Hey , Tom..."the other guy" is Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic mogul, billionaire, adventurer..etc etc...this guy ain't sitting at home counting his money...hes always out doing something crazy...I love the guy.

I think he's single as well. Always with some supermodel on his arm..

"assuming there is nothing revolutionary about the technology of this airplane"

Darn those assumptions.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Hmm, you must have missed the part about the diplomatic wrangling necessary to overfly Libya and land in Egypt. Oh, and China too.

These efforts unite the world and humanity and inspire people to explore and do things they have never done. There are precious few opportunities like this left on earth.

No doubt, this is absolutely huge.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

no. i'm with quad. sure 80 hours in a small cabin is challenging, claustrophobic - but IMO more on par with that dude that stood on top of a pole in nyc for 48hours than yuri's space orbit. But people are inspired by different things I suppose. If I had a hundred jillion bucks lying around maybe I would build a nifty plane, too.

Er, what's the nextel cup? F1 is like Nascar, right? Oh the humanity! ;)

It's a "stunt" not an "endurance event."

I base that assumption on the fact that an airplane achieved a non-stop RTW flight almost 20 years ago - with two pilots taking turns.

So, again, I see this as just some rich chap hoping he can stay awake for 80 hours.

Yup. I'm more impressed with Dann Kazarnean who is trying to run 300 miles straight. (about 80 hours), in last months runner's world. Now that's endurance. Sitting for 80 hours is perserverance.

They showed his wife on MTV Cribs yesterday, not single.

Tom,

Interesting post. I noticed the Williams International engine. Wonder if it was developed at the 15 mile facility up in Commerce?

FYI - Williams has done a lot of government work refining the cruise missle.

-Andrew

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Ban Wetsuits !! Wetsuitsareforwimps.org/net/gov

Er, what's the nextel cup? F1 is like Nascar, right? Oh the humanity! ;)

Nice dig...left myself open for that one, didn't I? ;->

Of course, I DO know where the REAL "World's Center of Racing" is...and its NOT in some podunk beachfront in Florida...but I DO like Cup racing...hell...I like any kind of racing you can put on...

No, I caught that. It just didn't impress me.

If this is about diplomacy, I'd rather see these guys put some of that capital towards feeding hungry people. I'd find that more inspiring.

Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against rich guys doing stuff like this, and I would bet that both are very generous philanthropists. This just doesn't inspire or impress me.

Well, good point. Here's the math on that though. If the project costs, say, $10 million, it probably receives 10 times worth that in press coverage and visibility.

Fossett's flight benefits the charity ORBIS, a prject where a converted DC-10 flying hospital aricraft flys around the world to fight blindness in children.

Now, Fossett could have called the whole thing off and just given the $10 Million to ORBIS. But instead, being the clever business guy he is (it's no accident he's a buzillionare), he piggybacked ORBIS on the project and raised awareness and dollars for the charity. Kind of a rich guy's Team in Training.

Sometimes people bemoan wealthy people as thogh they had "taken" something or are squandering their welth on trivial things. Baloney. Fossett earned his wealth through risk and intellect and elbow grease- the same thing is takes to fly a converted DC-10 around the world ten times to help cure childhood blindness or be the first man to fly around the world solo, non-stop.

Guys like Fossett aren't takers, they are builders, explorers, givers.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

And now you know....the rest...of the story.

See, now I was more impressed with Bob Brown, the Cornish postman who won the Run Across America (3100 miles) by averaging over 52 miles per day for 71 days!

Now, that IS endurance.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS