New Glider Altitude Record

[Ray Tackett]

[Ralph Jones]

And I thought I did a good one with 32,000...

[Tom Charlton]

76,100 feet

Hi Ray,
Yup, been watch’n this endeavor for awhile. Shoot’n for 90K . . . boggles the mind.
The concept of being at these kinds of altitudes, sans pressure suit, is beyond scary.
Don’t’cha know, at the true airspeeds they need to fly, they got’a be flirt’n with control surface flutter with attendant loss of the vehicle.

Regards,
Tom Charlton (who’d need to be proffered a huge pile of cash to do what they’re doing)

[Tom Charlton]

And I thought I did a good one with 32,000...

Hi Ralph,
I’ve flown aerial mapping flights at 25K in an unpressurized Cessna 411 long ago. Even with a diluter demand system scared the bejesus out’a me<g>. I guy can catch a case of stupid then dead real quick up there<ng>.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[Bill Bridges]

Hi Ralph,
I’ve flown aerial mapping flights at 25K in an unpressurized Cessna 411 long ago. Even with a diluter demand system scared the bejesus out’a me<g>. I guy can catch a case of stupid then dead real quick up there<ng>.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

One of my Army buddies talks about high altitude mapping using a Mohawk.

[Terry Carraway]

Hi Ralph,
I’ve flown aerial mapping flights at 25K in an unpressurized Cessna 411 long ago. Even with a diluter demand system scared the bejesus out’a me<g>. I guy can catch a case of stupid then dead real quick up there<ng>.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

I read about the previous record and this one. The glider is actually pressurized.

And they did a tow up to 40K. So, while very high, not so much altitude gain.

My best was 18,000 in WV in a Grob 102.

[Randy Sohn]

My best was.

Wow, just readin' here and am jsut amazed, we had a Schwiezer (spellling?) 1-23 at Lubbock/Hobbs and thought I was lucky to be able to fly it a few times.

best, randy

[Ralph Jones]

Schwiezer (spellling?) 1-23

Schweizer. German fiberglass squeezed them out of the glider market a while back and they're a helicopter company now, though there are a lot of their products still flying. Their 2-32 had a wide back seat that could hold two people, and most of that fleet got bought up by a tourist-ride chain.

[Tom Charlton]

The glider is actually pressurized.

* The cabin will be pressurized to 8.5 psi (14,500 feet). Pure oxygen rebreather system.

Ya’but Terry, Won’t be pressurized when high speed aileron flutter rips the wing off. At altitude they’re flying a high % of mach.

* At 90,000 ft air density is less than 2% of what it is at sea level.
* TAS at 90,000 is 350 knots.
* M1 is about 585 kt. So flying at about mach 0.6.
* Wing span of 84 feet.
* I'm sure they've done the engineering but . . . mighty fast for a long, experimental, slender wing.

http://perlanproject.org/

And they did a tow up to 40K. So, while very high, not so much altitude gain.

No question they could use the wave to get to 40K. It’s the fact that they are able to continue on up!

My best was 18,000 in WV in a Grob 102.

Hey . . . I got to cloud bases in a clunky ole schweizer here in FL<ha>. Can’t do da wave here<g>!

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[Terry Carraway]

Schweizer. German fiberglass squeezed them out of the glider market a while back and they're a helicopter company now, though there are a lot of their products still flying. Their 2-32 had a wide back seat that could hold two people, and most of that fleet got bought up by a tourist-ride chain.

And how many people got their primary training in a 2-33, or the predecessor, the 2-22, also known as the Brick. ]

And the 1-26 is still a well patronized one design class.

I have time in 2-33, 1-26, and 1-36.

[Terry Carraway]

* The cabin will be pressurized to 8.5 psi (14,500 feet). Pure oxygen rebreather system.

Ya’but Terry, Won’t be pressurized when high speed aileron flutter rips the wing off. At altitude they’re flying a high % of mach.

* At 90,000 ft air density is less than 2% of what it is at sea level.
* TAS at 90,000 is 350 knots.
* M1 is about 585 kt. So flying at about mach 0.6.
* Wing span of 84 feet.
* I'm sure they've done the engineering but . . . mighty fast for a long, experimental, slender wing.

http://perlanproject.org/

No question they could use the wave to get to 40K. It’s the fact that they are able to continue on up!


Hey . . . I got to cloud bases in a clunky ole schweizer here in FL<ha>. Can’t do da wave here<g>!

Regards,
Tom Charlton

The old "coffin corner" where Vne (TAS) comes to meet Stall speed (IAS).

No, the used a tow plane to 40K, not the wave. In that region, the bottom of the wave could be well into the upper 20s, low 30s.

Even more impressive, I did a 1+10 in a 2-33 in thermals just west of San Antonio.

[Tom Tyson]

And how many people got their primary training in a 2-33, or the predecessor, the 2-22, also known as the Brick. ]

And the 1-26 is still a well patronized one design class.

I have time in 2-33, 1-26, and 1-36.

Soloed in 2-22, 2-33 & 1-26 on 3/24/1966.

[Tom Charlton]

Good to see that many avsiggers have sailplane experience in their past.
Hard to pinpoint exactly any one thing about that background that forever makes you a better pilot, but better pilot you are.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[Ray Tackett]

Hard to pinpoint exactly any one thing about that background that forever makes you a better pilot, but better pilot you are.

How about stick-and-rudder skills and a solid feel for energy management? I got mine in wood-and-fabric taildraggers without flaps. Aerobatics in a Stearman were a big part of it for me. Cubs on wheels and skis did a lot, too.

Lotsa "systems operators" with pilot certificates these automated, glass cockpit days.

(My glider time is one ride.)

[Tom Charlton]

How about stick-and-rudder skills and a solid feel for energy management? I got mine in wood-and-fabric taildraggers without flaps. Aerobatics in a Stearman were a big part of it for me. Cubs on wheels and skis did a lot, too.

Hi Ray,
Yup, all that stuff sort’a cumulatively adds up and makes a positive difference.

Lotsa "systems operators" with pilot certificates these automated, glass cockpit days.

I spoz that’s largely what’s needed in today’s environment . . . until a bunch of geese clog up both of your motors. Or until the flight crew pancakes your airliner into the Atlantic because nobody recognizes we're in a deep stall <ng>

Suspect there’ll be additional such events with higher demand for pilots and more pilot-mill / ab-initio training.

Hoping my Southwest crew to Dilute and return are a bunch of sailplane, tailwheel love’n aerobatic aficionado geezers.<g>

Regards,
Tom Charlton