lazyfrog 0 #1 August 22, 2003 He's gonna do it soon (normally)... 22.08.2003 01:13 Un Français va tenter de franchir le mur du son en chute libre MONTREAL - Le parachutiste français Michel Fournier s'apprête à tenter son "grande saut" à 40 000 mètres d'altitude, au dessus du Canada. Il espère devenir le premier homme à franchir le mur du son en chute libre. Une tentative pourrait avoir lieu ce week-end. [ats] - Onze mois après avoir dû se résoudre à reporter ses essais, faute de conditions météorologiques favorables, cet ancien commandant de l'armée, âgé de 59 ans, a réinstallé depuis le 11 août son quartier général sur un site de lancement de ballon, en Saskatchewan, en plein centre du Canada. "Le saut est prévu dans peu de temps", a assuré son attachée de presse, Diane de Robiano, jointe par téléphone. "Toute l'équipe est prête, ils n'attendent plus qu'une plage météo", ce qui pourrait se produire dès ce week-end, a-t-elle ajouté. Pour réaliser son exploit, le parachutiste compte grimper dans un ballon gonflé à l'hélium jusqu'à 40 km d'altitude, d'où il se jettera dans le vide en espérant atteindre en vingt secondes les 1500 km/h, et donc dépasser la vitesse du son (1062 km/h). Ce "grand saut" d'une durée prévue de 6 minutes et 25 secondes doit lui permettre de pulvériser dans le même temps quatre records du monde: ceux de la durée et de la vitesse en chute libre, de l'altitude de saut en parachute et de l'altitude de vol humain en ballon. Michel Fournier inhalera de l'oxygène pur quatre heures avant le saut, ceci afin d'éliminer 91 % de l'azote, dissous dans le sang et les tissus, qui, en devenant gazeux avec la baisse de la pression atmosphérique pendant l'ascension, provoquerait une aéroembolie semblable à celle du plongeur qui ne respecte pas les paliers de décompression. Dans sa nacelle pressurisée, il effectuera son ascension de deux heures vers la stratosphère puis la mésosphère. Sa combinaison, également pressurisée à l'oxygène, est constituée de trois couches lui permettant de résister à une température de - 100 degrés pendant dix minutes.---------- Fumer tue, péter pue ------------- ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 August 22, 2003 Here's a Babel Fish translation: QuoteA French will try to cross the wall of the sound in free fall MONTREAL - the French parachutist Michel Fournier is on the point of trying his "large jump" with 40 000 meters of altitude, with the top of Canada. He hopes to become the first man to cross the wall of the sound in free fall. An attempt could take place this weekend. [ ATS ] - Eleven months after having had to be solved to defer its tests, for lack of favorable weather conditions, this old ordering army, 59 years old, reinstalled since August 11 its headquarters on a site of launching of balloon, in Saskatchewan, in full center of Canada. "the jump is envisaged in little time", ensured its attached of press, Diane de Robiano, joined by telephone. "All the team is not ready, they do not await any more but one beach weather", which could occur as of this weekend, it added. To carry out his exploit, the parachutist intends to climb in a balloon inflated with helium up to 40 km of altitude, from where it will jump into space while hoping to reach in twenty seconds the 1500 km/h, and thus to exceed the speed of sound (1062 km/h). This "great jump" one duration envisaged 6 minutes and 25 seconds must enable him to pulverize in same time four records of the world: those of the duration and the free falling speed, the altitude of jump in parachute and the altitude of human flight in balloon. Michel Fournier will inhale oxygen pure four hours before the jump, this in order to eliminate 91 % from nitrogen, dissolved in blood and the fabrics, which, while becoming gas with the fall of the atmospheric pressure during the rise, would cause a aéroembolie similar to that of the plunger which does not respect the stages of decompression. In its pressurized nacelle, it will carry out its two hours rise towards stratosphere then the mésosphère. Its combination, also pressurized with oxygen, consists of three layers enabling him to resist a temperature of - 100 degrees during ten minutes. up to now all is well, up to now all goes well, up to now all is well... Important it is not the fall... It is the landing - Mathieu Kassovitz- Hatred --"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrickyDicky 0 #3 August 22, 2003 I thought that guy in the 60s went faster than the speed of sound... or could it not be proved? UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phonics1981 0 #4 August 22, 2003 Joe Kittinger reached speeds around 714mph. The speed of sound varies with altitiude / air pressure etc. so i'm not sure whether or not he broke it for his given altitude. The speed of sound at sea level is about 340 m / s So i reckon Joe was just short...? Not 100% sure on this though ------------------------------------------------------ "Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!" ------------------------------------------------------ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 4 #5 August 22, 2003 Technically Kittinger wasn't in freefall, as he used a drogue. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #6 August 22, 2003 Don't tell that to all the people who do tandems or tandem masters LOL"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phonics1981 0 #7 August 22, 2003 QuoteTechnically Kittinger wasn't in freefall, as he used a drogue. If i was falling at 714mph, i would call it freefall!! The drouge was only used by Kittinger for stability to stop him spinning out of control when he had no air to work with at high altitudes ------------------------------------------------------ "Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!" ------------------------------------------------------ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #8 August 22, 2003 Here's the AndyMan translation: Aug 22/03 A Frenchman will try to break the sound barrier in freefall. Montreal = The french parachutist Michel Fournier is approaching his "big jump" from 40,000 meters, over Canada. He hopes to become the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall. An attempt could be done this weekend. [ATS] Eleven months after having been forced to postpone his last attempt because of weather, this 59 year old retired army officer returned to to the balloon launch site in Saskatchewan, in central Canada. "The jump should happen shortly", assured his press liason Diane De Robiano over telephone. "All his equipment is ready, we're just waiting for clear weather", which could happen this weekend, she added. To achieve this exploit, the parachutist will climb in a helium balloon to just over 40 km high, where he'll jump into the void expecting to reach speeds over 1500km/h in under 20 seconds - passing the speed of sound (1062 km/h). This "big jump" lasting 6 minutes, 25 seconds will shatter four world records at once: Longest, and fastest freefall, highest parachute jump and highest human flight in a balloon. Michel Fournier will breathe pure oxygen for four hours before the jump, which should elimite 91% of the nitrogen disolved in his blood and tissues, which during the increasingly low preassure of the climb would vaporize, causing the decompression sickness similar to those in deep sea divers. In a preassurized capsule, he'll climb for two hours towards the stratosphere, then the mesophere. The oxygen preasurised capsule is made of of three layers, which allows him to resist the frigid temperatures of -100 degrees for 10 minutes. Hope everything goes well, hope everything goes well. It's not the parachute that worries Michel, it's the landing. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazyfrog 0 #9 August 22, 2003 thanx andyman, aggiedave already translated it for the people who cant read french... but, who on earth can not read french ???---------- Fumer tue, péter pue ------------- ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #10 August 22, 2003 yeah... but Andyman's translation actually make sense!Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
winsor 187 #11 August 22, 2003 QuoteJoe Kittinger reached speeds around 714mph. The speed of sound varies with altitiude / air pressure etc. The speed of sound (in a gas) is a function of temperature only. Sonic velocity varies by the square root of (absolute) temperature. At around 820 degrees Celsius the speed of sound is double what it is at 0 degrees Celsius, which is more of a consideration with regard to maximum piston speed in a recip or blade speed in a turbine than for skydiving in general. However, at -100 degrees Celsius the speed of sound is about 76% of its value at room temperature, going from about 346 to 262 meters/second or 774 to 586 mph. This is all off the top of my head, so don't bank on accuracy to three digits, but the basic idea is sound. Blue skies, Winsor Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 94 #12 August 22, 2003 Here's a real good reference for speed of sound vs altitude. It does not go down nearly as much as you might think. http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/atmosphere/q0112.shtmlPeople are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
