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From: tcliftonr@cc.curtin.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: Skydiving at supersonic airspeeds
Message-ID: <1991Jun27.180343.8816@cc.curtin.edu.au>
Date: 27 Jun 91 10:03:43 GMT
References: <1991Jun24.135815.8781@cc.curtin.edu.au> <3547@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU>
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Lines: 24

In article <3547@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU>, mspurgeo@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Mike Spurgeon) writes:

> In article <1991Jun24.135815.8781@cc.curtin.edu.au>, tcliftonr@cc.curtin.edu.au writes:
>> How gung-ho do they have to be?  What a story that would
>> make!   "First supersonic skydiver in history strains for a
>> morsel more of the unknown..."
> 
> Are you guys forgetting that it's already been done?  If I'm not
> mistaken, subsequent calculations showed that Col. Kittinger DID
> go supersonic briefly on his 102,000 foot jump.

Well, some authors say that he did go supersonic.  But it doesnt 
check out.

Remember the postings last year, when we simulated Kittingers jump?

To get a free fall time of 277 seconds, a peak velocity of 460 mph
was obtained.  Definitely a world record, which still stands, but
not supersonic.  Even at -50 degrees, the speed of sound is still
greater than 500 mph.

I'll repost it or email if anyone's interested.

Roger Clifton.