pic: So, where was YOUR off-season held?

[JesseK]

I ran across an article today while reading about the new hydrogen-powered land speed record.

The SR-71 has been in a distant 2nd since NASA broke the record with their X-43A. Of course, there are major differences, such as a 10-second flight vs. a several-hour flight, but those are minor details so some. These days since we're all about energy efficiency, I don't see why we just aim for a nice round 1039.1876 mph at an altitude of 10km (~33,000 ft). That way a passenger plane that took off during daylight and headed east could maintain the use of solar energy no matter how far it had to fly...

Sounds like another good X-challenge to me.

[Eugene Fang]

Originally Posted by JesseK

)That way a passenger plane that took off during daylight and headed east could maintain the use of solar energy no matter how far it had to fly...

Sounds like another good X-challenge to me.

Do you mean west?

[JesseK]

Ah, yes ... west. Whoops!

[EricH]

I'd have to say that the SR-71 still holds the record for manned, reusable flight... And possibly the speed-to-size ratio.