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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ OT: Steve Fossett around-the-world flight

Posted by: airsix Mar 3 2005, 12:22 PM

Looks like Steve is about to make it (ETA about 1 hour) on his solo non-stop flight. Has anyone else been paying attention to this? I love aviation, aerospace, and nautical record-setting stuff.

-Ben M.

Posted by: bondo Mar 3 2005, 12:29 PM

Wow, didn't hear about it... Is he using a fancy airplane like voyager, or can you do it now in an unloaded 777?

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 3 2005, 12:30 PM

hope he's not flying in a 914......what's he flying in?

Posted by: URY914 Mar 3 2005, 12:32 PM

I want to drive around the world in a 914.

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 3 2005, 12:34 PM

me too....i think we could mount the engine backwards and attach a HUGE propeller on top of where the impeller is....it could happen!

Posted by: URY914 Mar 3 2005, 12:35 PM

It ain't no Beachcraft...

Attached thumbnail(s)

Posted by: bondo Mar 3 2005, 12:36 PM

Found the link: http://www.globalflyer.com/

It may take a few attempts, everybody seems to be looking at it right now.

Posted by: balljoint Mar 3 2005, 12:36 PM

Over 70 hours without a bathroom break? They'd better clear a line through the crowd when he lands...it's going to be close.

Posted by: airsix Mar 3 2005, 12:43 PM

QUOTE (bondo @ Mar 3 2005, 10:29 AM)
Wow, didn't hear about it... Is he using a fancy airplane like voyager, or can you do it now in an unloaded 777?

Yep, his plane is like Voyager. Designed by the same guy - Burt Rutan. Greatest aircraft designer of our generation without question.

-Ben M.

Posted by: bondo Mar 3 2005, 12:51 PM

QUOTE (airsix @ Mar 3 2005, 11:43 AM)

QUOTE (bondo @ Mar 3 2005, 10:29 AM)
Wow, didn't hear about it... Is he using a fancy airplane like voyager, or can you do it now in an unloaded 777?

Yep, his plane is like Voyager. Designed by the same guy - Burt Rutan. Greatest aircraft designer of our generation without question.

-Ben M.

I agree, awesome stuff. That x-prize win blew my mind. He's also a Cal Poly grad!

I have to wonder though.. if you took a 777, ripped out all the interior, added a couple more fuel tanks, and ran it on one engine... would it make it? You'd have alot more room, and you could keep one of the bathrooms I know there are nonstop flights from LA to london.. Do they use the 777 for that?

Posted by: balljoint Mar 3 2005, 01:22 PM

Wait a minute. There's no front windshield. How does he see where he's going, hang his head out?

Neat stuff.

Posted by: JmuRiz Mar 3 2005, 01:27 PM

See that little bubble below the engine...that's the window...cool eh?
Looks like he'll be landing in 10 min or so. I'm glad to see he's doing it from Kansas too, I used to live in the small plane capital of the world (Wichita)

Posted by: balljoint Mar 3 2005, 01:37 PM

Got it, thanks, I was wondering how advanced avation electronics were.

Posted by: ArtechnikA Mar 3 2005, 01:42 PM

QUOTE (balljoint @ Mar 3 2005, 01:36 PM)
Over 70 hours without a bathroom break?

sez who? ya got a lot of privacy in a single-seat aircraft over the Pacific...

i remember the press conference after Jeanna Yeager and Dick Rutan's Voyager flight when Dick Rutan said "I'm just going to answer the two most frequently asked questions first and get them out of the way. first, never again in a million years; second, we put in a plastic bag and dropped it overboard."

Posted by: Qarl Mar 3 2005, 01:53 PM

Touchdown!

5 feet short! Dang. Better luck next time.

Posted by: balljoint Mar 3 2005, 01:57 PM

QUOTE (ArtechnikA @ Mar 3 2005, 02:42 PM)
"we put in a plastic bag and dropped it overboard."

Oh okay then, that plane didn't look big enough for a person to cross their legs in anyway.

#1 is not too bad, on that long flight he 'prolly just wizzed back in his own beer bottles right?

#2? Eew, need a strong Ziploc for that one.

Posted by: RON S. Mar 3 2005, 01:57 PM

I just love it.

It's great to be fortunate enough to be born in a free country.People get to do a lot of really neat stuff.
Me,I'm holding out for that Sub-orbital flight when they become available.I told the wife I'm gonna do it.
To hell with leaving the grand kids any inheritance.Spend it in retirement.

Ron

Posted by: Eric_Shea Mar 3 2005, 04:30 PM

QUOTE
#1 is not too bad, on that long flight he 'prolly just wizzed back in his own beer bottles right?

Posted by: kwales Mar 3 2005, 08:44 PM

Yeah,

Way cool what they can do now. As for pissing in a container, my dad the AF pilot used to do that.

Whole lot easier goin to the bathroom in a plane than in space. In space, ya need a toilet where the sh*t is supposed to hit the fan

God only knows why he used the old Schilling AFB runway in Salina. It is one big ass flat piece of ground around there and the runway was built for multiple B-52 takeoffs.

Ken

Posted by: redshift Mar 3 2005, 09:03 PM

They used it for several reasons. Clear airspace. Crunch time, from wheels up, to the coast, work out bugs.. Ego; Make the press come to our rich asses, and wait.

East coast: Bad! No time to work out bugs.

West coast: Bad, Tall mountains, low angle climb-out bad for economy, and windy..

The fuel dump story is an F'IN lie. (hey! get over here to the TV! The rich guy could die!)

M

Posted by: redshift Mar 3 2005, 09:07 PM

Oh, and Kelly Johnson is still the aeronut genius of our lifetime.

Rutan is not quite his equal...

IMFHO!

M