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On August 29, 2006, Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson flew a modified glider to a record-setting altitude of 50,727 feet (15,445 m) over the Patagonia region of Argentina. By capitalizing on stratospheric "mountain waves" and the Polar Vortex that forms around Antarctica each winter, Fossett and Enevoldson were able beat the previous glider altitude record by over 1,500 feet. (The record was subsequently broken by the Airbus Perlan II, which reached 52,172 feet on September 3, 2017. Further record attempts are planned.)
The glider, called the Perlan (Norwegian for "pearl"), is modified from a Glaser-Dirks DG-500M manufactured by DG Flugzeugbau in 1995. Its original self-launching Rotax 535C engine was replaced with oxygen tanks, scientific equipment, and batteries. Because of this, the Perlan had to be towed into the air for release, and since the cockpit was unpressurized, pilots had to wear NASA spacesuits to combat the extreme altitude.
The Museum of Flight acquired the aircraft from the late Mr. Fossett’s Marathon Racing Company in 2009.
On August 29, 2006, Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson flew a modified glider to a record-setting altitude of 50,727 feet (15,445 m) over the Patagonia region of Argentina. By capitalizing on stratospheric "mountain waves" and the Polar Vortex that forms around Antarctica each winter, Fossett and Enevoldson were able beat the previous glider altitude record by over 1,500 feet. (The record was subsequently broken by the Airbus Perlan II, which reached 52,172 feet on September 3, 2017. Further record attempts are planned.)
The glider, called the Perlan (Norwegian for "pearl"), is modified from a Glaser-Dirks DG-500M manufactured by DG Flugzeugbau in 1995. Its original self-launching Rotax 535C engine was replaced with oxygen tanks, scientific equipment, and batteries. Because of this, the Perlan had to be towed into the air for release, and since the cockpit was unpressurized, pilots had to wear NASA spacesuits to combat the extreme altitude.
The Museum of Flight acquired the aircraft from the late Mr. Fossett’s Marathon Racing Company in 2009.
1995
