Comments on: Six Hours to Europe in Stratosphere Liner http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:00:37 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: guinan http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/comment-page-1/#comment-1048820 guinan Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:41:27 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/#comment-1048820 Did anyone else catch the good professor's name? Pretty much cool. Did anyone else catch the good professor’s name? Pretty much cool.

]]> By: Robert Inkol http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/comment-page-1/#comment-1048691 Robert Inkol Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:22:30 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/#comment-1048691 The idea of varying the wingspan to provide maximum lift at takeoff and low drag at cruising speed is interesting. Modern aircraft use flaps to achieve the same end. I would think that the wing extension mechanism would be extremely heavy. Aside from this, the short span configuration would also suffer from high induced drag at subsonic speeds. Another point of interest is that high strength aluminum alloys were in their infancy when the article was written. This is presumably why the plane is constructed from beryllium. At the time, the toxic properties of this metal were not fully understood. This metal did not become available in quantities until the 1950s and cost over $300 per pound in 2001 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium). Robert The idea of varying the wingspan to provide maximum lift at takeoff and low drag at cruising speed is interesting. Modern aircraft use flaps to achieve the same end. I would think that the wing extension mechanism would be extremely heavy. Aside from this, the short span configuration would also suffer from high induced drag at subsonic speeds.

Another point of interest is that high strength aluminum alloys were in their infancy when the article was written. This is presumably why the plane is constructed from beryllium. At the time, the toxic properties of this metal were not fully understood. This metal did not become available in quantities until the 1950s and cost over $300 per pound in 2001 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium).

Robert

]]> By: Blurgle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/comment-page-1/#comment-1048594 Blurgle Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:29:23 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/#comment-1048594 That's a common occurrence, isn't it? I remember reading an article (it might have even been on this website) about how inventors in the 1930s were trying to improve AM radio reception by broadcasting different channels on separate frequencies, by using single sideband, etc. The answer was FM radio. That’s a common occurrence, isn’t it? I remember reading an article (it might have even been on this website) about how inventors in the 1930s were trying to improve AM radio reception by broadcasting different channels on separate frequencies, by using single sideband, etc. The answer was FM radio.

]]> By: Alan J. Richer http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/comment-page-1/#comment-1048525 Alan J. Richer Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:54:50 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/#comment-1048525 Interesting. My own thought while reading this is that whoever came up with the concept of this strato-liner was aware of the issues - but was working WAY too hard to overcome them. Low air pressure, yes, cold, yes, but both of them reasonably easily overcome as by-products of the engines used to power the craft. This reminds me of the Victorian attempts at spacecraft design that had more of a relation to ironclad steamship design than aerodynamics and an understanding of the actual environment to be occupied. Alan Interesting.

My own thought while reading this is that whoever came up with the concept of this strato-liner was aware of the issues – but was working WAY too hard to overcome them. Low air pressure, yes, cold, yes, but both of them reasonably easily overcome as by-products of the engines used to power the craft.

This reminds me of the Victorian attempts at spacecraft design that had more of a relation to ironclad steamship design than aerodynamics and an understanding of the actual environment to be occupied.

Alan

]]> By: Dan http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/comment-page-1/#comment-1048517 Dan Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:05:20 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/six-hours-to-europe-in-stratosphere-liner/#comment-1048517 Wow, Wonder what they would of thought of the boeing 747 and 777 that runs that route many times a day in 6 hours and 30 minutes today or the Concorde that ran that route in just over 3 hours! Its amazing that only 75 years have passed. Sad to see the marvel that was the concorde retired making commercial aviation take a step back speedwise. Wow,
Wonder what they would of thought of the boeing 747 and 777 that runs that route many times a day in 6 hours and 30 minutes today or the Concorde that ran that route in just over 3 hours! Its amazing that only 75 years have passed. Sad to see the marvel that was the concorde retired making commercial aviation take a step back speedwise.

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