Perlan’s blog collects the thoughts and experiences of team members from the multiple disciplines needed to build and prepare the aircraft, plan the flight, and carry out the mission. Here, you’ll find insights from the designers, craftspeople, pilots, meteorologists, and support personnel who will make Perlan’s record ascents a reality. Perlan’s blog will be an opportunity to delve into the challenges and triumphs that travel with the giant sailplane.
We pressurised a test window for the first time today. We ran it up to the full design pressure although we did not test the (higher) proof pressure. There were no leaks and no problems with the window.
I expect we will find that the window is unbreakable. The test box will almost certainly fail before the window does.
The rebreather oxygen system has been tested in a simple form. Jim Murray has put together a re-configurable system using simple plumbing parts. This allows us to test different configurations to work out which is best.
The tests were very encouraging. The CO2 scrubber lasted much longer than predicted and the heat and moisture build-up were much less than predicted.
Now we know what configuration works best, we will continue testing the rebreather in cold and altitude conditions.
I have gained a new title on the project: Master of Imperfections. It’s my job to insert some little stuff-ups into the fabrication of the window test unit.
The first plug was given its first coat of epoxy today. The glistening covering makes it look like a beached whale, complete with dorsal fin and even a blowhole, thanks to the single remaining alignment hole.
The epoxy will cure overnight and then we can do more sanding.
The first fuselage plug is now all bonded (glued) together. The first two blocks of foam were levelled to within a hundredth of an inch – less than the thickness of a piece of paper. This makes a perfectly flat foundation for the other blocks. This is also the centreline of the fuselage so getting this line straight is necessary so that the other parts of the aircraft will fit and it will fly straight.
The other blocks were then aligned onto the first pair, using alignment rods and careful measuring before the epoxy resin was poured.
We may have found the perfect screen display to use in the Perlan glider. The Craggy Aero “Ultimate” computer is an exciting new development in soaring instruments.
The main advantage of this computer is the large sunlight-readable screen. We tested it outdoors in full sunshine against a conventional PDA. The Ultimate is the clear winner for readability, even though the PDA had a new “transreflective” screen.
The first fuselage plug has been completely machined. Einar has come up to Bend to view the progress.
The next step is to sand the plug by hand to remove the tool grooves and then it can be sealed with paint and the molding process begins.
