The top of planet Earth is no longer exclusive territory for planes with super-powered engines. The Airbus Perlan 2 glider made history this Sunday (3) in El Calafate, in the Patagonia region of Argentina, climbing to more than 52,000 feet (15,850 meters) in altitude and setting a new record for this type of aircraft.
The glider commanded by pilot Jim Payne, from the United States, and co-pilot Morgan Sandercock, from Australia, reached an altitude of 52,172 feet (15,900 m), surpassing the old Perlan 1 mark of 50,671 feet, set in 2006, also in the skies of Argentine Patagonia.
“We are celebrating an incredible victory for aerospace innovation and scientific discovery, and we are so grateful to all the volunteers and sponsors whose years of tireless dedication made this achievement possible,” said Ed Warnock, director of the Perlan Project. “We will continue to tackle even higher altitudes and continue our science experiments to explore the mysteries of the stratosphere.”
The mark above 52,000 feet is just a fraction of the intended goal of the Perlan 2 program. The main goal of the team that designed the glider is to reach the range of 90,000 feet (27,430 m). As a comparison, commercial jets fly in the range of 35,000 feet (10,670 m).
The “hi-tech” glider sponsored by Airbus reached the new record taking advantage of the weather phenomena in Patagonia near the Andes Mountains, one of the few places in the world where “stratospheric mountain waves” and the “polar vortex” are found, that literally push the aircraft into the air.
In addition to being built to set new altitude records for unpowered aircraft, the Perlan 2 is also a scientific research platform. The glider carries special equipment that collects data and performs experiments on climate change, the effects of solar radiation on pilots and aircraft, and high-altitude flying.
The altitude record marked the end of the Perlan 2 flight season in Argentina, which began in May 2016 . The team will now return to the USA, where the glider will be modified and improved based on the experience acquired during this year of tests, in order to try a new record in the next opportunity.
