Perlan 2
Construction Process
Perlan 2, benefitting from the lessons learned on Perlan 1’s ascent, incorporates a pressurized cabin to allow its pilots to enjoy unencumbered flight, with full control over stick and rudder, and many small switches. The cabin pressure of 8.5 pounds per square inch (psi) gives a cabin atmosphere equal to flight at about 14,000 feet. With an empty weight of 1,500 pounds, and a wing area of 262 square feet, the 84-foot span machine is amazingly light for the structural strength required for stratospheric flight.
With more wing area than a conventional sailplane, it would stay aloft, but never compete with such craft at lower altitudes. But in the thin air at 90,000 feet, with 98 percent of the earth’s atmosphere beneath it, it will be unrivalled. Because it carries two into a very hazardous realm, it is equipped with specialized equipment, including dual-redundant oxygen rebreathers, a drogue parachute to allow rapid descent in the unlikely emergency, and a ballistic chute for a lower-altitude emergency descent.
Statistics
Crew | 2 |
Cabin Pressure | 8.5 PSID |
Empty Weight | 1500 lbs |
Gross Weight | 2000 lbs |
Wing Span | 84 ft |
Wing Area | 263 sq ft |
Aspect Ratio | 27 |
Wing Incidence | 1.5 ° |
Horiz. Tail Incidence | -0.5 ° |
Equipment
To do scientific research at the edge of space while keeping the crew safe the Perlan 2 has been equipped with:
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PERLAN 1
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
Perlan 1, a DG Flugzeugbau DG505M, originally carried a two-stroke engine for self-launching. The engine was replaced with oxygen tanks, scientific instruments, and non-rechargeable “primary” batteries for powering the radio, oxygen regulators and flight instruments. The sailplane was then towed to release altitude by a conventional tow plane.
Because the Perlan 1 was not pressurized, the pilots wore spacesuits borrowed from NASA. Though these suits kept the pilots safe, they presented difficulties to pilots Einar Enevoldsen and Steve Fossett in actually flying the aircraft. As the Perlan 1 climbed higher, the suits filled with air and became progressively more stiff, making it harder and harder to operate the flight controls.
STATISTICS
Crew | 2 |
Cabin Pressure | n/a |
Empty Weight | 860 lbs |
Gross Weight | 1389 lbs |
Wing Span | 59 ft |
Wing Area | 179 sq ft |
Aspect Ratio | 19.52 |
Max Speed | 168 mph |
Wing Loading | 7.8 lb/sq ft |
EQUIPMENT
To reach 50,000 feet while keeping the crew safe, the Perlan 1 was equipped with:
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