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Fuel Loss May Cut Short GlobalFlyer's Journey
chris mazuc writes "Apparently the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer has lost 2,600 lbs of fuel and might be forced to abort the attempt." According to the article, "Jon Karkow from Scaled Composites was unable to say whether it was due to leakage or evaporation. "We really don't know what it is... It's more than likely a system issue, such as a fuel venting line. It's been very puzzling for us, and we saw it quite early on.".
Aliens.
Aliens with a thirst for fuel.
air and light and time and space
Why not just land on a flying fortess and never really stop?
His plane was supposed to be loaded with 12400 hogsheads to make the 18,000 hectaire journey. Instead they used gallons.
Dear kind sir,
My dog visits this website (looks over my shoulder in me home office) and I do not wish he be exposed to such profanity. In the future please rememember this is a family oriented website (some stories have been posted about Disney).
Much thanks!
-Plastic.person
We men all know cars still have half a tank even when on empty.
"Let my takeoff-to-safe landings ratio always remain at 1:1."
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
Damn Jawas!
combustion...
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
They always screw you when you order "Full Service".
... start at the pole and roll it around the world in around 30 seconds. Then you could move out from there!
2600 lbs, huh? sounds like a phreaking problem.
"when the sun sets on the ghetto, all the broken stuff gets cold"
Lister: Oh god, aliens? Your explanation for anything slightly peculiar is aliens, isn't it? You lose your keys, it's aliens. A picture falls off the wall, it's aliens. That time we used up a whole bog roll in a day, you thought that was aliens as well. Rimmer: Well we didn't use it all, Lister. Who did? Lister: Rimmer, aliens used our bog roll? Rimmer: Just 'cause they're aliens doesn't mean to say they don't have to visit the little boys' room. Only they probably do something weird and alienesque, like it comes out of the top of their heads or something. Lister: Well I wouldn't like to be stuck behind one in a cinema.
I don't get it.
Gallons in the UK are about 20% bigger.
I guess the King wanted bigger jugs.
Why the hell is water heavier than fuel?
Much like yourself, water is more dense.
The Virgin web site has an interesting story about Branson giving Fossett a fancy watch to aid him on the flight,
Watch to the rescue: "When speaking at a press conference the day before take-off of the emergency systems in place in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer if something were to go drastically wrong, Sir Richard Branson promptly took off his watch and gave it to his great friend Steve Fossett." But here's the rest of the story.
According to people who were there, Richard Branson walks into the press conference holding two huge and obviously heavy suitcases when the topic came up about issues regarding the timing of the flight.
Branson sighs, puts down the suitcases and glances at his wrist. "It's now a quarter to six," he says, and goes on to explain the planned timing for the next day's flight.
"Hey, that's a pretty fancy watch!" exclaims Steve Fossett, the pilot.
Branson brightens a little. "Yeah, it's not bad. Check this out" - and he shows him a time zone display not just for every time zone in the world, but for the 86 largest metropoli. He hits a few buttons and from somewhere on the watch a voice says "The time is eleven minutes to six" in a posh British accent. A few more buttons and the same voice says something in Japanese. Branson continues, "I've put in regional accents for each city". The display is unbelievably high quality and the voice is simply astounding.
Fossett is struck dumb with admiration.
"That's not all," says Branson. He pushes a few more buttons and a tiny but very hi-resolution map of central London appears on the display. "The flashing dot shows our location by satellite positioning," explains Branson. "View recede ten," Branson says, and the display changes to show the whole of Greater London.
"I need this watch!" says Fossett.
"Oh, no, it's not ready for sale yet; this is a prototype and the inventor is still working out the bugs," says Branson. "But look at this," and he proceeds to demonstrate that the watch is also a very creditable little FM radio receiver with a digital tuner, a sonar device that can measure distances up to 125 meters, a pager with thermal paper printout and most impressive of all, the capacity for voice recordings of up to 300 standard-size books," though I only have 32 of my favourites in there so far" says Sir Richard.
"I've got to have this watch!" says Fossett. "It's just what I need for my flight!"
"No, you don't understand; it's not ready."
"I'll give you whatever you want for it! I'll give up my share of the royalties for the promotional tour after the flight!"
Branson abruptly makes his decision. "OK," he says and peels off the watch, handing it to Fossett, who starts happily away, heading to the plane.
"Hey, wait a minute," Sir Richard calls after Fossett, who turns around warily. Branson points to the two suitcases he'd been trying to lug into the press conference. "Don't forget your batteries."
Running out of fuel is hardly the worst case scenario that a lack of testing can produce :P
Clean coal harnesses the awesome power of the word 'clean'.
I'd carry out my life long dream to build a popsicle stick bridge to the moon. I'd try it every so often and get the press all excited about it. Then, of course, I'd fail and then I'd blame it on some technical problem.
That'd be great.
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
"exucated risks"
Somewhere between calculated, educated and lethal execution?
The screen says: LOSS OF DATA
It seems like we slashdoted the GlobalFlyer into the Pacific.