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back to article PARIS in 89,000 ft climax

The Paper Aircraft Released Into Space team has spent the last three days sipping champagne and analysing data and images following last week's triumphant space plane mission. Here's an quick snap of the launch (.kmz location here), and the same seen from the main payload Kodak Zx1 video camera: The PARIS launch by José …

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  1. Ben 42
    Thumb Up

    Well done all around

    The videos are fantastic!

    That's really all I have to add. :-)

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hole in wing

    Perhaps a dab of glue/adhesive was accidentally left on the wing?

    --------------------------------------------------

    +1 for satellite idea. Perhaps broadcast patriotic songs for El Reg?

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  3. Kurgan
    Boffin

    Dynamics of the release

    I think that by looking at the videos we should be able to tell more about the dynamics of the release / balloon pop. Anyway, in my opinion, the best explanation is that ice (formed when water from the clouds condensed on the plane+box and then friezed when temperature dropped further) has kept the plane stuck to the box (after all, plane is very light and the air was calm, as we can see, so no wind to rip it off the box) also because if I get it right from the video, the plane was firmly kept pressed under the box by the release cable, so we have a big contact surface between the box and the plane that can become stuck with ice.

    Then the balloon popping made the plane break free because of the shock, not because of the gravity or of the parachute deployment, because otherwise we could have seen some seconds of descent with plane and box still stuck together.

    The video (box spinning) and the audio (wind noise) make it clear to me that the balloon popped exactly at release time, not one second after.

    Thinking of Vulture 2, a new release mechanism is needed, I suppose. But consider that if you hang the plane by the tail from a long wire, while it's good to avoid ice and to make a proper acceleration when launched, it is not good then going up in strong winds. The plane could swing and hit the box.

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    1. Stoneshop
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      Vertical launch

      You'd then want the box vertical as well. With a short U-shaped loop protruding from the rear of the plane (grabbed by a pin just like on PARIS 1), both ends of the U anchored inside the plane, so that there are no knots, twists or ends to snag on the edge of the hole. I'm still thinking about a mechanism to keep the plane from swinging (excessively) relative to the box, which would not be susceptible to icing.

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  4. Mips
    Jobs Horns

    Stop the recording at 1:14

    and you can see a very small aircraft below. Might be a Cessna but could be a Jumbo. Oops! Bombs away chaps, beware the Hun in the sun etc. etc.

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