Expedition Global Eagle
The Global Eagle logo as it appeared on the nose of the fuselage during the early stages of the effort
Expedition Global Eagle was the first attempt in history to circumnavigate the globe using an autogyro.
Contents
- 1 History
- 2 Completed route details
- 3 Remaining route
- 4 Technical specifications
- 5 External links
- 6 References
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History
The autogyro is the last remaining type of aircraft which has not a yet been used to circumnavigate the globe.
The circumnavigation attempt trip commenced on 26 April 2004 under the patronage of General sir Michael Walker,
The Magni VPM M16 commencing its take-off roll. The same model was used in the Global Eagle expedition.
The expedition successfully completed the European leg of the journey which included Oostende, Belgium, Friedrichshafen, Germany, the Alps, Bolzano, Trento, Casaleggio Novara, the location of the Magni airfield in Italy,
Over Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Jones had to fly over the desert for hours and to battle sandstorms and hot weather at low altitudes while at higher altitudes it would become very cold.
Subsequently Jones arrived at Abu Dhabi and from there he flew to Muscat, Oman and then Gawadar and Ormara in Pakistan and, finally, Karachi.
From Karachi, Jones flew the autogyro to India where it navigated to Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Jaipur, New Delhi, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Patna and Baghdogra, sometimes through sandstorms, and finally landed during monsoon rains in the army base of Guwahati.
Jones and his support team then returned to the UK in order to revise the plans for the truncated trip to Australia. Upon returning to India they discovered that the gyro while at the army base of Guwahati had spent time submerged in water. The transponder, the radio and the rest of the instruments were damaged. As well, the flying controls and the cables needed to be replaced. The damage totalled BP₤10,000 and could not be raised on time.
Completed route details
The detailed route, times and other details of the completed trip were as follows:
- 26 April 2004: Departure from Middle Wallop — Ostend (Belgium): Total distance 300km, including 70km over the North Sea
- 30 April 2004 Ostend (EBOS, Belgium) — Friedrichshaven (Germany): — 630km Total distance since start : 930km
- 3 May 2004 Friedrichshafen (Germany) — Bolzano — Trento — Casaleggio, Novarra (Italy): — Total distance: 457 km
- 3–6 May 2004 While on the way to Bolsano 60 km/h wind gusts cause Eagle to force land on a sports field 30 km north of Bolsano in the Alps.
- 7 may 2004 : Departure from Bolsano at 0900z and landing at Magni airfield in Casaleggio, Italy 13:22 local time
- 10 May 2004 Depart Magni at 12:00 local time, refuelling at Forli LIPK 11:23–13:00 — refuelling at Pescara LIBP — Arrival Bari LIBD (Italy) 1700 — Trip distance: 828 km Total distance since start : 2,215 km
- 12 May 2004 — Lift-off from Bari at 10:21 local time — refuelling at Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport Corfu LGKR. — Arrival at Athens Airport at 16:30 — Trip distance: 700km Total distance since start : 2,915 km
- 13 May 2004 : Departure from Athens 0800 — Refuelling at Myconos — refuelling at Kos. Strong headwinds force landing at Rhodes LGRD.
- 14 May 2004. — Early morning lift-off from Rhodes and landing in Akrotiri (Cyprus) following a flight of more then 3 hours over the Mediterranean, with ground speed of sometimes over 170km/hr. Trip distance : 907 km Total distance since start : 3,822 km
- 16 May 2004 — Akrotiri (Cyprus) — Amman (Jordan) : 420km
- 17 — 19 may 2004 :Break: 3 days off.
- 20 may 2004 : Amman — Turaif (Saudi Arabia) — Ar’Ar : 580 km
- 21 may 2004 : Ar’Ar — Hafr-AL-Batin : 420km
- 22 may 2004: Hafr-AL-Batin — Al Quasumah — Jubail (Saudi Ar) — Bahrain: 593km. Total distance since start : 5,835 km
- 24 May 2004: Bahrain — Abu Dhabi (Arab Emirates) : 452 km
- 26 May 2004: Abu Dhabi — Muscat (Oman): 410 km. Total distance since start: 6,697 km
- 30 May 2004 : Muscat (Oman) — Karachi (Pakistan) : 880 km over the sea
- 1 June: Karachi — Ahmedabad (India) : 592 km.
- 2 June: Udaipur — Jaipur: 525 km.
- 3 June: Jaipur — Delhi (India): 249 km — Sandstorms. Total distance since start: 8,943 km. Barry Jones sick with stomach disease, resting.
- 7 June: Jones recovers, but the monsoon season has started. Waiting for delivery of administrative clearances
- 9 June: Departs from Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi, India) — Bareilly: 220km. Barry Jones forced to return back to Delhi due to inclement weather.
- 10 June 2004: Delhi — Bareilly: 249 km. Second attempt successful. Arrival at 10:05 local time.
- 11 June: Bareilly-Gorakhpur: 436km.
- 12 june : Gorakhpur — — Patna — Baghdogra : 552 km. Departure at 08:30 local time. Arrival at 16:10 local time. Total distance since start: 10,150 km
- 13 June : Baghdogra — Guwahati : 330 km. Delays due to bad weather
- 14 June: Bad weather for the whole week. Flight clearances need to be renewed. Jones considers returning to Delhi using a commercial flight.
- 15 June : Jones arrives in Delhi. Trying to recoup and rethink the plan. New flights will be over hills and jungles. Weather is bad.
- 21 June : Baghdogra — Guwahati: 330 km. Jones departure at 0353 and arrival at Guwahati in monsoon rain. Flight time: 3 hrs 40 minutes.
- 21 June : Rain continues. Total distance travelled since start: 10,480 km Route now changes to Australia as the final destination due to difficulties and bad weather.
- 1–5 October 2004 Barry Jones returns to India to re-evaluate mission. Decision is made to abandon effort.
Remaining route
This is the list of the unfinished part of the expedition:
- India — Imphal
- Burma — Mandalay Intl
- Laos — Luang Prabang
- Vietnam — Noibai Intl
- China — Wuxu — Baiyun
- Hong Kong — Hong Kong Intl
- China — Gaoqi — Changle — Lishe — Hongqiao — Liuting — Beijing Intl — Zhoushuizi — Taoxian — Dafangshen — Taiping
- Russia — Igatevo — Sokoc — Ugolny — Provideniya Bay
- Alaska - Tin City — Nome — Koyuk — Pitka — Minchumina — Cantwell — Gulkana
- Canada — Burwash — Atlin — Dease Lake — Smithers — Belia Coola — Puntzi Mountain — Pemberton — Abbotsford
- USA — Plan not finalised
- Canada — Mirabel Intl —- Bagotville — Rimouski — Sept-Iles — Wabush — Schefferville — Kuujjuaq — Quaqtaq — Kimmirut — Iqaluit — Pangnirtung — Qikiqtarjuaq
- Greenland — Kangerlussuaq — Kulusuk
- Iceland — Reykjavik — Hornafjordur
- Denmark — Vagar
- UK — Kirkwall — Wick — Inverness — Leuchars — Edinburgh — Carlisle — Dishforth — Middle Wallop
Technical specifications
The Magni gyrocopter model: Magni VPM M16 (Similar to the Magni M16 - 2000) used in the expedition had the following specifications:
- Weight: Empty weight 261/266 kg, maximum take-off gross weight 450 kg
- Maximum speed 115 mph
- Cruising speed 90 mph
- Absolute ceiling 4000 m
- Service ceiling 3500 m
- Take-off roll 70 m
- Landing roll from 0 to 30 m
- Rate of climb 5 m/s
- Fuel tank capacity 72 lt
- Rotor diameter 8230/8535 mm
- Propeller diameter 1700 mm
- Overall width 1800 mm
- Overall length 4655 mm
- Overall height 2600 mm
- Airframe: chrome-alloy aeronautical 4130 steel, tig welded. Fiberglass fairing, wheel pants and instrument panel.
- Seat: epoxy / fiberglass with integral fuel-tank,
- Instruments: rotor tachometer, altimeter, air speed indicator, Flydat and fuel gauge
- Engine used for expedition: 4 cylinders, 4 stroke, water cooled, 115 hp, with electric starter and mechanical prerotator. (Also available: Rotax 912 ULS, 100 Hp)
- Propeller: three-blades, carbon fiber, ground adjustable pitch.
- Rotor: two-blades, composite.
- Controls: double. Electric trim
External links
- Global Eagle pictures from Italian autogyro club
References
- ^ a b BBC News You only live twice? A Nottingham man is part of a team hoping to circumnavigate the globe in one of James Bond’s gadgets. Quote: “The autogyro is the only aircraft never to circumnavigate the globe. But now a team of soldiers are bidding to do just that and make a piece of aviation history.”
- ^ BBC News World Record With A Purpose
- ^ a b c d e Gulf News British pilot on a daring world tour for charity
- ^ Pilot battles on through illness, heat and storms Article from: Yorkshire Post Article date: May 19, 2004
- ^ Picture of liftoff from Middle Wallop
- ^ Picture of Honourary Armada escorting Global Eagle from Middle Wallop
- ^ Picture of Barry Jones over the Alps (Internet archive)
- ^ BBC News Monsoon stops record flight bid
- ^ a b Global Eagle website GE termination notice through Internet Archive
- ^ Earlier napshot of Global Eagle website through Internet Archive
- ^ Flight images from Web archive snapshot of Global Eagle website
- ^ a b c d BJR Systems Quote: “General Sir Michael Walker, Chief of Defence Staff, is the patron of Expedition Global Eagle.” and “The autogyro is now on the brink of making aviation history and in the bid to do so, WO2 Jones will closely follow the route taken by Brian Milton in 1998, when he became the first person to fly a microlight around the world.” and “The autogyro is the last remaining class of aircraft yet to circumnavigate the globe.”
- ^ a b c d BBC news Weather halts record flight bid
- ^ a b Mission Description from Chess Dynamics (sponsor) Quote: “Expedition Global Eagle is the worlds first attempt to fly around the world in an autogyro. Global Eagle departed in April 2004 and will take approximately three and a half months to complete its journey. which will see the gyroplane visit 25 different countries.”
- ^ a b c d Pilot celebrates distance record in ‘007′ gyroplane From the Northern Echo, first published Tuesday 25th Feb 2003. Quote: “After his landing yesterday he said: “I am absolutely delighted. There were several tricky moments but the journey has gone very well. I am now looking forward to celebrating with the rest of the team in Wick later on.” He said the flight had uncovered teething problems with the aircraft, Global Eagle, which would now be put right before he sets out on his next record attempt - flying round the world in June. “Soon after setting out I lost power to the radio and drifted off course towards America, without a visa. “I was forced to fly above the cloud over Wales, which was a totally new experience in an open-cockpit. “The hairiest bit was flying for about 50 miles over open sea, which is all right in a twin-engined helicopter but a different matter in a single-engined gyroplane. If the engine cuts out then that is it, you are down. “One thing that will need a rethink is the design of the cockpit - there was no room to read a map.”"
- ^ Army pilot breaks gyroplane flight record Independent, The (London), Feb 25, 2003
- ^ a b BBC news Army pilot’s gyroplane record bid 26 April 2004
- ^ Story of the record
- ^ Yorkshire pilot speaks of nerves over world trip Published Date: 15 April 2004 Julie Hemmings
- ^ Magni South Africa Newsletter p. 6
- ^ a b Proposed Route
- ^ a b Magni Gyro Details from Global Eagle Website
- ^ a b Picture of Barry Jones and his Magni Gyro
- ^ a b c Magnigyro website Quote:”The “Eagle” _ as the gyro is named _ left Middle Wallop (England) on 26th April 2003 and reached India after nearly 4 months’ flying over land and sea. This was a demonstration of the wide range of conditions a gyro can operate within.”
- ^ Picture of Barry Jones while flying over Italy
- ^ Picture of Barry Jones at Athens airport
- ^ Picture at Acrotiri Cyprus
- ^ a b c Global Eagle website details
- ^ Picture at Bahrain airport showing the autogyro
- ^ a b Picture of Brian Jones flying over the desert of Saudi Arabia
- ^ Picture of Global Eagle at Bahrain airport
- ^ Picture of Barry Jones over the sea of Oman
- ^ Picture taken while flying over Muscat Harbour
- ^ The Yorkshire Post The Eagle has landed – but pilot vows to try again Quote: “509-mile flight from Muscat to Karachi, the longest over water by an autogyro” 22 October 2004
- ^ a b Record attempt in doubt after gyro is damaged Published Date: 12 October 2004 DISASTER has struck a Yorkshire-based pilot’s attempt to set a world record by flying an autogyro from England to Australia single handed. Bill Bridge
- ^ a b Flyer UK Expedition Global Eagle washed out
- ^ Route page 1
- ^ Route page 2
- ^ Sports field details
- ^ Forced landing details from the diary
- ^ a b General Diary
- ^ Magni Airfield info
- ^ Diary entry on Greece
- ^ Supplementary route
- ^ Diary entry mentioning turbo
- ^ Engine and Turbo details
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_Global_Eagle”
Categories: Aviation | United Kingdom