posted on Mar, 2 2005 @ 06:02 AM
Taking off from Kansas, the Global Flyer (with its three hulls and 13 fuel tanks) plans to circle the globe in 80 hours carrying four times its own
weight in fuel
www.newscientist.com
To claim the record, the aeroplane must travel a total of 36,787 km in fewer than 80 hours. The trimaran-like design weighs 9979 kilograms fully
loaded and fuelled, and has an impressive wingspan of 34.7 m.
Pilot Steve Fossett, who already holds dozens of world records for endurance voyages in planes, boats and balloons, plans to stay awake for the entire
trip, mainly to manage the distribution of fuel inside the aircraft to keep it balanced. He will, however, be able to take brief naps thanks to an
onboard autopilot.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
That's great, but doesn't the space shuttle circle the earth like
once every 90 minutes? Err, so what's the point of this waste of
time and money then?
[edit on 2-3-2005 by warthog911]
[edit on 2-3-2005 by warthog911]