Perlan Project: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:40, 21 November 2023

Revision as of 23:47, 21 November 2023

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|locations = [[Beaverton, Oregon]], [[United States of America|USA]]

|area_served = Global

|key_people = [[Einar Enevoldson]], <small>Founder &and Chairmanchairman</small><br>[[Elizabeth Austin (meteorologist)|Elizabeth Austin]], <small>Chief Meteorologist</small><br>[[Ed Warnock]], <small>CEO</small><br>Jim Payne,<small>Chief Pilot</small><br>[[Morgan Sandercock]], <small>Donor and Project Manager</small><br>[[Dennis Tito]], <small>Major Donor</small><br>[[Stéphane Fymat]], <small>Head of Build and Fundraising</small>

|homepage = [http://www.perlanproject.org/ www.perlanproject.org]

}}

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|url=http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61941e70-7245-4089-83bb-da3da7240d6e

|access-date=5 September 2017

}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2017/09/perlan-sets-new-world-record.html | title=Airbus Perlan Mission II Soars into History, Sets New World Record for Glider Altitude &#124; Airbus | date=28 October 2021 }}</ref> These flights used the custom designed and built pressurized high-altitude [[Windward Performance Perlan II]] glider, sponsored by [[Airbus]]. They also collected data about Earth’sEarth's atmosphere and its ozone layer.

==Meteorological basis of the missions==

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Enevoldson and Fossett flew the sailplane from [[California City]] for shakedown and preliminary high altitude flights in the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevadas]] of California, reaching over 42,000 feet in Spring 2002. In Summer 2002, the sailplane was shipped to [[Omarama]], New Zealand, where it flew during three winters without reaching the stratosphere. The timing was too early in the season.

Perlan Mission I was designed to prove Enevoldson’sEnevoldson's thesis by actually flying into and climbing these stratospheric mountain waves. In 2005, the sailplane was shipped to [[El Calafate]], Argentina, a small town at 50° south latitude. Five attempts in a three-week period, none in favorable weather conditions, were unsuccessful. In 2006, the forecast offered very favorable conditions on 28 August but at 33,000 feet, in a strong climb, Steve Fossett's pressure suit inflated prematurely and excessively, and the flight was aborted. The next day, on 29 August, after one of the pressure suit regulators had been changed, the weather conditions were still favorable, the team made another attempt. After a four-hour climb, Enevoldson and Fossett reached the record altitude of 50,671 feet (15,460m), validating the concept.

Because the record flight of 29 August 2006 proved Enevoldson's thesis, Steve Fossett agreed to fund, progressively, the next mission: to build a special purpose sailplane with a pressurized cabin to fly to 90,000 feet. At the time of Steve's death on 3 September 2007, the structural and aerodynamic design of the fuselage had been completed, along with the aerodynamic design of the entire sailplane. Funding for the remainder of the Perlan Project was lost with Steve's death, and a search for new funding was begun.

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In 2014, [[Airbus]] agreed to become the title sponsor, and provide sufficient funding for completion of the aircraft, flight testing and the altitude flights. The mission as renamed the [[Airbus Perlan Mission II]].

[[RDD Enterprises]], an aviation research, design &and development company based in [[Redmond, Oregon]], took over the manufacture of the Perlan 2.

===Flight campaigns===