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Does anyone know whether or not Kittinger did actually exceed the speed of sound. Since I first heard of his feat several years ago, I've gotten nothing but conflicting reports on whether or not he actually went supersonic. Taking statements from his story and combining them with some calculations, if his statements are accurate, it looks like he probably did break the sound barrier. In the standard atmosphere, the temperature at 102,800 ft is around 423 R, or -37 F. If it was 100 degress below zero like he said, it was around 63 degrees colder than standard. He says he reached 714 mph (1047 ft/s) @ 90,000 ft. On a standard day, the temp at 90,000 ft is 402 R, which corresponds to a speed of sound of 983 ft/s. If it was 63 degrees colder, the speed of sound would have been even less, around 902 ft/s. Even if he was off on his altitude by a little bit, the speed of sound is not 1047 ft/s until the temperature is 456 R (-3 F), which doesn't happen in the standard atmosphere until all the way down at 17,500 ft. So, if the standard atmosphere is representative of the actual atmosphere, and his statments are accurate, he probably broke the sound barrier. But if any of that is wrong, who knows? Does anyone have any data on human frontal area and drag coefficients to calculate what his terminal velocity would be? I'd also need to know how much he weighed including all his equipment, but I can probably guess on that. -Jeff Lewis > ---------------------------- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [email protected] > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Fwd: Joe Kittinger (Good Read) OT but good > > > > > Subject: Joe Kittinger (Good read) > > > > Joe Kittinger's 100,000 Ft. Balloon Jump in 1960 > > > > Joe Kittinger is not a household aviation name like > > Neil Armstrong > > or Chuck Yeager. But what he did for the U.S. space > > program is > > comparable. On Aug. 16, 1960, as research for the > > then- fledgling > > U.S. space program, Air Force Captain Joseph > > Kittinger rode a > > helium balloon to the edge of space, 102,800 feet > > above the earth, > > a feat in itself. Then, wearing just a thin > > pressure suit and breathing > > > > supplemental oxygen, he leaned over the cramped > > confines of his > > gondola and jumped--into the 110-degree-below-zero, > > near vacuum > > of space. Within seconds his body accelerated to > > 714mph in the > > thin air, breaking the sound barrier. After free > > falling for more > > than four and a half minutes, slowed finally by > > friction from the > > heavier air below, he felt his parachute open at > > 14,000 feet, and > > he coasted gently down to the New Mexico desert > > floor. > > > > Kittinger's feat showed scientists that astronauts > > could survive > > the harshness of space with just a pressure suit and > > that man > > could eject from aircraft at extreme altitudes and > > survive. > > Upon Kittinger's return to base, a congratulatory > > telegram was > > waiting from the Mercury Seven astronauts--including > > Alan > > Shepard and John Glenn. More than four decades later > > Kittinger's > > two world records--the highest parachute jump, and > > the only man > > to break the sound barrier without a craft and > > live--still stand. > > > > We decided to visit the retired colonel and Aviation > > Hall of Famer, > > now 75 at his home in Altamonte Springs, Florida, to > > recall his > > historic jump. > > > > FORBES GLOBAL: Take us back to New Mexico and Aug. > > 16, 1960. > > > > Joe Kittinger: We got up at 2 a.m. to start filling > > the helium balloon. > > At sea level, it was 35 to 40 feet wide and 200 feet > > high; at altitude, > > due to the low air pressure, it expanded to 25 > > stories in width, and > > still was 20 stories high! At 4 a.m., I began > > breathing pure oxygen > > for two hours. That's how long it takes to remove > > all the nitrogen > > from your blood so you don't get the bends going so > > high so fast. > > Then it was a lengthy dress procedure layering warm > > clothing > > under my pressure suit. They kept me in > > air-conditioning until it > > was time to launch because we were in the desert and > > I wasn't > > supposed to sweat. If I did, my clothes would > > freeze on the way > > up. > > > > How was your ascent? > > > > It took an hour and a half to get to altitude. It > > was cold. At > > 40,000 feet, the glove on my right hand hadn't > > inflated. I knew > > that if I radioed my doctor, he would abort the > > flight. If that > > happened, I knew I might never get another chance > > because > > there were lots of people who didn't want this test > > to happen. I > > took a calculated risk that I might lose use of my > > right hand. > > It quickly swelled up, and I did lose use for the > > duration of the > > flight. But the rest of the pressure suit worked. > > When I reached > > 102,800 feet, maximum altitude, I wasn't quite over > > the target. > > So I drifted for 11 minutes. The winds were out of > > the east. > > > > What's it look like from so high up? > > > > You can see about 400 miles in every direction. The > > most > > fascinating thing is that it's just black > > overhead-the transition > > from normal blue to black is very stark. You can't > > see stars > > because there's a lot of glare from the sun, so your > > pupils are > > too small. I was struck with the beauty of it. But > > I was also > > struck by how hostile it is: more than 100 degrees > > below zero, > > no air. If my protection suit failed, I would be > > dead in a few > > seconds. Blood actually boils above 62,000 feet. I > > went > > through my 46-step checklist, disconnected from the > > balloon's > > power Supply, and lost all communication with the > > ground. > > > > I was totally under power from the kit on my back. > > When > > everything was done, I stood up, turned around to > > the door, > > took one final look out and said a silent prayer: > > "Lord, take > > care of me now." Then I just jumped over the side. > > > > What were you thinking as you took that step? > > > > It's the beginning of a test. I had gone through > > simulations > > many times-more than 100. I rolled over and looked > > up, and > > there was the balloon just roaring into space. I > > realized that > > the balloon wasn't roaring into space; I was going > > down at > > a fantastic rate! At about 90,000 feet, I reached > > 714mph. The > > altimeter on my wrist was unwinding very rapidly. > > But there > > was no sense of speed. Where you determine speed is > > visual-- > > if you see something go flashing by. But nothing > > flashes by > > 20 miles up--there are no signposts there, and you > > are way > > above any clouds. When the chute opened, the rest > > of the > > jump was anticlimactic because everything had worked > > perfectly. > > I landed 12 or 13 minutes later, and there was my > > crew waiting. > > We were elated. > > > > How about your right hand? > > > > It hurt--there was quite a bit of swelling and the > > blood pressure > > in my arm was high. But that went away in a few > > days, and I > > regained full use of my hand. > > > > What about attempts to break your record? > > > > We did it for aircrews and astronauts--for the > > learning, not to > > set a record. They will be going up as skydivers. > > Somebody > > will beat it someday. Records are made to be > > busted. And I'll > > be elated. But I'll also be concerned that they're > > properly trained. > > If they're not, they're taking a heck of a risk. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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