Little High Flying Action
- Thread starter Wally Hunt
- Start date
Pete McCluskey.
Lifetime Supporter
The first step out of the gondola must have made his arse pucker,
A great effort.
A great effort.
It takes all kinds doesn't it?
Talk about risk? Being the age I am, I know well what happened to numerous aircraft that came close to or exceeded the sound barrier when the shockwave or other aerodynamic forces ripped the aircraft to pieces.
I have to ask what possible gain in technology was achieved here? Is mankind in a better position in some way due to this man's "heroic" (by some counts) effort?
I don't claim to know it all and my mind is open, but right now, I somehow equate this to Evil Kneival type activity.. School me...
Talk about risk? Being the age I am, I know well what happened to numerous aircraft that came close to or exceeded the sound barrier when the shockwave or other aerodynamic forces ripped the aircraft to pieces.
I have to ask what possible gain in technology was achieved here? Is mankind in a better position in some way due to this man's "heroic" (by some counts) effort?
I don't claim to know it all and my mind is open, but right now, I somehow equate this to Evil Kneival type activity.. School me...
Jeff Young
GT40s Supporter
The work with Kittenger in the 60s was to help develop escape systems for high flying aircraft like the U2 and SR-71 and improve survivability. In the late 60s, an SR-71 disintegrated at altitude (about 80,000 feet) and at speed (Mach 3) in a few seconds. One crew member lived, one died.
These efforts had some effect on the design of the shuttle escape system (the boom and bail out system) that I think everyone realized would not really work.
I think the intent remains to try to find a way to get an astronaut out of a distintegrating vehicle at speed on ascent.
These efforts had some effect on the design of the shuttle escape system (the boom and bail out system) that I think everyone realized would not really work.
I think the intent remains to try to find a way to get an astronaut out of a distintegrating vehicle at speed on ascent.
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