SETBACK SUFFERED BY GLOBALFLYER.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer MOJAVE - The Mojave-built GlobalFlyer's preparations for another record-setting around-the-world flight have been delayed after the aircraft's wing was damaged during a ground accident. The Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer The Scaled Composites Model 311 Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer (FAA: N277SF) is an aircraft designed by Burt Rutan in which Steve Fossett flew a solo nonstop airplane flight around the world in a time of 67 hours 1 minute from February 28, 2005 until March 3, 2005. received ``considerable damage'' when its wing tip collided with a fuel truck at the airport in Salina Salina (səlī`nə), city (1990 pop. 42,303), seat of Saline co., central Kans., on the Smoky Hill River; founded 1858 by settlers opposed to slavery, inc. 1870. , Kan., on Wednesday. The aircraft had just been fueled for a test flight when the accident occurred. It was not immediately known what impact the incident would have on the GlobalFlyer team's plans to set a record for the longest flight. The accident canceled a planned flight today to Florida to begin preparations for the record attempt. ``Everyone involved in the record attempt is as disappointed as I am that repositioning could not take place as planned,'' said pilot Steve Fossett James Stephen Fossett (born April 22, 1944 - missing September 3, 2007) is an American aviator, sailor and adventurer. Fossett made his fortune in the financial services industry and is best known for many world records including five nonstop circumnavigations of the Earth: as a . ``We are currently assessing the damage for how long the repairs will take to see when we can get back on track.'' The GlobalFlyer team is shooting to break the distance records of 24,987 miles for the longest aircraft flight, set by the Voyager airplane in 1986, and the 25,361 mile mark set by the balloon Breitling Orbiter Breitling Orbiter was the name of three different Rozière Balloons made by Cameron Balloons to circumnavigate the globe. The first two balloons never made it, while the third made a successful attempt in 1999. 2 in 1989. GlobalFlyer was designed by Burt Rutan Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan (born June 17, 1943 in Estacada, Oregon) is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft. and built by his Scaled Composites Scaled Composites (often abbreviated as Scaled), formerly the Rutan Aircraft Factory, is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States and is headed by aircraft designer Burt Rutan. company in Mojave. Rutan also designed the Voyager aircraft. Virgin Atlantic Airways signed an agreement with NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. to use Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral) U.S. launch site for manned space missions. [U.S. Hist.: WB, So:562] See : Astronautics in Florida as the starting point for the flight, which is to cover 29,000 miles and end in London. No exact date has been set, but the flight was expected to take place in February. The flight will be piloted by Fossett, who made a 20,373-mile solo nonstop flight around the world in the GlobalFlyer that concluded on March 3. During the attempt for the longest flight, Fossett is expected to pilot the aircraft to altitudes of about 45,000 feet and at speeds faster than 285 mph. During Fossett's around-the-world flight, GlobalFlyer had a mysterious loss of more than 3,000 pounds of fuel. Despite that, Fossett was able to complete the flight and still had 1,500 pounds of fuel when he landed. Engineers established that the fuel escaped through vents in the fuel tank behind the engine. Scaled Composites has since modified the aircraft. Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer was damaged Wednesday when its wing tip collided with a fuel truck at a Kansas airport. The aircraft had just been fueled for a test flight. |
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