Perlan II Readies For Stratospheric Flight
The Airbus Perlan Mission II team, which aims to fly a pressurized glider to a record altitude of 90,000 feet, has been continuing its flight-test program in Minden, Nevada, and plans to relocate to Argentina this summer. “We have a lot of envelope expansion to do on the way up to the higher altitudes, and there are not a lot of wave episodes each season to get us progressively higher, so it is likely to take more than one season to get [to 90,000 feet],” team leader Einar Enevoldson said. He added that once the team reaches its goal, “we do not intend to declare victory and quit.” They will continue to explore the wave fields that form at high altitudes above Patagonia every winter.
GAMA: Aircraft Shipments Decline
General aviation aircraft shipments declined 3.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Piston aircraft remained relatively steady with 191 shipments for the first quarter of 2016, compared to 193 for the same period in 2015. Turboprops saw a 6.8 percent drop with 109 shipments, and business-jet shipments fell 4.7 percent, to 122 aircraft. Rotorcraft shipments fell 18.9 percent. GAMA said a soft global market is among the factors affecting shipments, while in the U.S., the industry anticipates a boost soon from long-awaited regulatory reforms.
