Airbus Perlan 2 glider on way to Argentina

The Airbus Perlan Mission 2 glider is on its way to El Calafate, Argentina to attempt a new gliding world record for altitude. It’s hoped Perlan 2 will reach the stratosphere while collecting new data about the upper atmosphere.

For the past six months, the project team has been testing in Minden, Nevada.

“The project has achieved its test flight objectives in the US and now we’re ready to head to Argentina, where we will attain critical knowledge about our atmosphere. During our research flights we hope to set a new world altitude record for gliders,” said Ed Warnock, CEO of the Perlan Project.

Perlan 2 builds on the success of Perlan 1 which Steve Fossett flew.

The Perlan 2 glider is a pressurised sailplane designed to ride updrafts called ‘mountain waves’ that, in certain regions near the north and south poles, can reach into the stratosphere. For a brief period in August and September every year, the weather in the Andes mountains near El Calafate is often just right to generate these elusive stratospheric mountain waves.

Perlan 2 is designed to ride these waves up to 90,000 feet without requiring the two-person crew to wear pressure suits. The existing world gliding altitude record of 50,671 feet was set in 2006 by Steve Fossett and Perlan Project founder Einar Enevoldson in the unpressurised Perlan 1 glider.

Cockpit of the Perlan 2 is pressurised. Here Airbus chief Tom Enders goes for a flight.

“The extraordinary vision of the Perlan Project is to soar at heights where even powered aircraft can’t maintain level flight, and it’s been our privilege to help them get from a vision to a flying aircraft capable of reaching that goal,” said Allan McArtor, CEO of Airbus Group.

Interested observers can track Perlan 2 on its journey to El Calafate and subsequent flights via Twitter.

www.airbusgroup.com/Perlan