GlobalFlyer around the world flight
Guest Ed
Guest
I just came across an article in Aviation Week about this plane, the GlobalFlyer, which will be piloted by Steve Fosset to attempt the first around-the-world, no-refueling, solo flight. It is built by Scaled Composites, designed by Burt Rutan (who designed the Voyager aircraft and the Spaceship 1). I found several links with a Google search, but here is the first one that had a photo:
http://www.netcomposites.com/news.asp?1910
I hope this URL works; I've never tried posting a URL on this site before.
A few interesting facts about the aircraft:
Maximum takeoff weight is 22,000 pounds, and a zero-fuel weight of 3,700 pounds (including pilot). That means 83% of the weight is fuel.
(Passengers will please refrain from smoking for the duration of the flight! 😳)
It has a single Williams FJ44-3 ATW turbofan engine.
It uses JP-4 fuel, because that has a lower freezing point than the more common JET-A fuel-- they give the fuel a three cold soak before loading, to get enough fuel onboard for the trip. If they used JET-A, they couldn't load enough fuel to complete the trip by a few percent.
It is so streamlined that it has to have drogue chutes to allow a reasonable approach angle for landing.
This is so freakin' cool! I love this kind of way-out-on-the-hairy-edge kind of technology.
Ed
3 Answers
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I wonder what it would be like to fly it in real life?
Guest Ed
Guest
Sorry, I meant to say the fuel gets a "three-DAY cold soak."
Oh, flight sim content: it would be extremely cool if someone would do a sim version of this or the Voyager. 😀
Ed
Guest
mypilot wrote:
I wonder what it would be like to fly it in real life?
Well, for one thing it requires a really long runway. . . 😀
Ed
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