Missing Malaysian Flight
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Just read a comment on The Times website regarding this and it says. "
Quote:
Nigel Brodrick-Barker 52 minutes ago @Peter Jordan Is it remotely possible, Peter, that a lightweight aircraft, built of composite materials and flying at great altitude, could exit the gravitational pull of the Earth? Might this lost plane actually be in orbit?
Can anyone explain to me why this is guff?
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If escaping earth's gravity was so easy and could happen unintentionally, do you think NASA would have spent billions of dollars to build high power rockets to launch its space shuttles?
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Because the top speed of a Boeing 777 is 950km/h, and the escape velocity you need to escape the pull of the earth gravity is 11.2 km/s or ~40,000 km/h. Even down hill, with a following wind, it ain't gonna manage it!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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:thumbsup: Thanks.
You're welcome!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Shameel wrote:
do you think NASA would have spent billions of dollars to built high power roc on a space ready Biro when the Russians took a pencil
FTFY.
Um. They didn't, it's an urban myth. An ordinary Biro works fine in space since it uses capillary action to add ink to the ball. Pencils are not allowed in space, because the fragments that break off (in use and when you sharpen them) are both sharp (and thus rather uncomfortable to get your eyes for example) and highly conductive - with is a bad thing to have floating around in an area full of electrical equipment... :sigh:
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Um. They didn't, it's an urban myth. An ordinary Biro works fine in space since it uses capillary action to add ink to the ball. Pencils are not allowed in space, because the fragments that break off (in use and when you sharpen them) are both sharp (and thus rather uncomfortable to get your eyes for example) and highly conductive - with is a bad thing to have floating around in an area full of electrical equipment... :sigh:
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
OriginalGriff wrote:
They didn't, it's an urban myth.
I know but couldn't find the sarcasm icon.
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Just read a comment on The Times website regarding this and it says. "
Quote:
Nigel Brodrick-Barker 52 minutes ago @Peter Jordan Is it remotely possible, Peter, that a lightweight aircraft, built of composite materials and flying at great altitude, could exit the gravitational pull of the Earth? Might this lost plane actually be in orbit?
Can anyone explain to me why this is guff?
What baffles me is that you can locate something as small as a mobile phone anywhere on the Earth using GPS and you don't have the technology to locate an aircraft. I thought the Black Box must have a GPS transmitter that can relay the aircraft's location to the nearest satellite or ATC.
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Because the top speed of a Boeing 777 is 950km/h, and the escape velocity you need to escape the pull of the earth gravity is 11.2 km/s or ~40,000 km/h. Even down hill, with a following wind, it ain't gonna manage it!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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But surely, if it flies in a straight line rather than following the curvature of the earth ... :laugh:
Curve? What curve? The Earth is flat - ask DD!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Curve? What curve? The Earth is flat - ask DD!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
OriginalGriff wrote:
The Earth is flat - ask DD!
You don't see the words 'flat' and 'DD' in the same sentence very often.
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What baffles me is that you can locate something as small as a mobile phone anywhere on the Earth using GPS and you don't have the technology to locate an aircraft. I thought the Black Box must have a GPS transmitter that can relay the aircraft's location to the nearest satellite or ATC.
Nope. Black boxes have radio transmitters, but they are well buried in the plane superstructure to give them the best chance of survival and probably couldn't get a GPS signal. Heck, it's bad enough getting a good GPS contact when you are in a tunnel, never mind under the ocean! :laugh:
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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OriginalGriff wrote:
They didn't, it's an urban myth.
I know but couldn't find the sarcasm icon.
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What baffles me is that you can locate something as small as a mobile phone anywhere on the Earth using GPS and you don't have the technology to locate an aircraft. I thought the Black Box must have a GPS transmitter that can relay the aircraft's location to the nearest satellite or ATC.
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Not exactly 'Global' then is it? Should rename it. :laugh:
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Not exactly 'Global' then is it? Should rename it. :laugh:
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Not exactly 'Global' then is it? Should rename it. :laugh:
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What baffles me is that you can locate something as small as a mobile phone anywhere on the Earth using GPS and you don't have the technology to locate an aircraft. I thought the Black Box must have a GPS transmitter that can relay the aircraft's location to the nearest satellite or ATC.
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Just read a comment on The Times website regarding this and it says. "
Quote:
Nigel Brodrick-Barker 52 minutes ago @Peter Jordan Is it remotely possible, Peter, that a lightweight aircraft, built of composite materials and flying at great altitude, could exit the gravitational pull of the Earth? Might this lost plane actually be in orbit?
Can anyone explain to me why this is guff?
That Guy wrote:
exit the gravitational pull of the Earth .. in orbit
This is mutually exclusive. An object in orbit is in orbit because it is under the influence of gravity - without that, it would be flying off in a straight line. Also, an airplane with engines that breathe air (which is most of them, but not all) can never achieve orbit (not under their own power anyway). In order to achieve orbit, you need to raise your periapsis above the atmosphere, which can only do from above that altitude, which means you can't be using an air-breathing engine to do it. Achieving escape velocity with an airplane is possible if you cheat, just strap rockets to an airplane, and make it happen outside the atmosphere. Doesn't really count, in my opinion. With an actual airplane, inside the atmosphere, under its own power - not going to happen. For one, you'd need a blunt heat shield just to avoid disintegrating. Also, you couldn't have wings. And I'm not sure even a scramjet will still work at that speed (some predictions give it a maximum speed of Mach 24 - not enough).
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That Guy wrote:
exit the gravitational pull of the Earth .. in orbit
This is mutually exclusive. An object in orbit is in orbit because it is under the influence of gravity - without that, it would be flying off in a straight line. Also, an airplane with engines that breathe air (which is most of them, but not all) can never achieve orbit (not under their own power anyway). In order to achieve orbit, you need to raise your periapsis above the atmosphere, which can only do from above that altitude, which means you can't be using an air-breathing engine to do it. Achieving escape velocity with an airplane is possible if you cheat, just strap rockets to an airplane, and make it happen outside the atmosphere. Doesn't really count, in my opinion. With an actual airplane, inside the atmosphere, under its own power - not going to happen. For one, you'd need a blunt heat shield just to avoid disintegrating. Also, you couldn't have wings. And I'm not sure even a scramjet will still work at that speed (some predictions give it a maximum speed of Mach 24 - not enough).
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A story just broke on Fox News. Evidently the pilot 'floored it' and the plane is currently in space. Wow, aren't you embarrassed?
