WIND FORECAST DELAYS GLOBALFLYER'S LAUNCH.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer MOJAVE - Forecasts for unfavorable winds have postponed at least until next week the launch of 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. for an attempt at a solo, nonstop flight around the world. The GlobalFlyer team had been looking at launching either Friday or Saturday, but forecasts predicted unacceptable ground winds at the 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., airport and turbulence during the ascent. The team is evaluating weather reports for a possible launch window of Tuesday to March 3. ``What a disappointment,'' 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 said in an e-mail announcing the postponement. ``As eager as I am to start this flight, everything must be right.'' The project is being financed by billionaire Sir Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 in Shamley Green, Surrey, England), is a British entrepreneur, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 , who invested $2.5 million in the adventure. If the flight is successful, it will be, in Branson's words, ``the last great aviation record left inside the Earth's atmosphere “Air” redirects here. For other uses, see Air (disambiguation). Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth and retained by the Earth's gravity. It contains roughly (by molar content/volume) 78% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0. .'' The 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 at his Scaled Composites company at Mojave Airport. Rutan has made a record-setting globe-circling airplane before. He designed and built Voyager, a plane that his brother, Dick Rutan, and co-pilot Geena Yeager flew around the world nonstop and unrefueled in 1986 in nine days. The jet-powered GlobalFlyer will also be a much higher-flying aircraft than the propeller-driven Voyager, which flew under 20,500 feet. GlobalFlyer is expected to fly as high as 52,000 feet - higher than jetliners. The flight is expected to take about 80 hours. Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com |
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