Kris Niswonger

(NASA Laser Plane)

(Felix Baumgartner)

(RC Model Plane Trans Atlantic Model #5)

(Virgin Atlantic's Global Flyer)

The Laser Powered Airplane
We’ve seen some amazing aviation stories on the internet the last few months. In the September issue of the electronic newsletter we had the wonderful story of a man who flew across the English Channel without any propulsion. Austrian Felix Baumgartner became the first man to fly across the channel unaided, with only a tiny carbon fiber wing strapped to his back. One for the history books. To me this was the aviation story of the Summer. Baumgartner proved that man really can fly just like a bird. Then we had the story of the first RC model plane to cross the Atlantic. Dave Talley gave me the URL for that one, thanks Dave! This month we have the story of the world’s first laser powered plane. Full scale versions could circle a city continuously, providing communications or alerting us to traffic jams, to name just a couple of possible applications. You will find this story on the Front Page of both the ENL and the print version.

If you subscribe to e-HOT LINE, EAA’s electronic newsletter, you learned of Steve Fossett’s plans to circumnavigate the globe unrefueled, solo. It looks like an interesting plane it’s called the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer. Check out the huge fuel tanks! I will be sure to keep you updated on this evolving story.

In 2004 we can look forward to the world’s first privately funded space shot attempt. I was lucky enough to gain permission to reprint some FAQ’s and some amazing photos of Burt Rutan’s space vehicle, SpaceShipOne. Everything you wanted to know about this project is answered in Scaled Composite's Frequently Asked Questions piece starting on page 11 of the print version or on the Front Page of the ENL..

The electronic newsletter is coming along great and you should notice improvements to it on a monthly basis. Some new features this month include a sky background for title bars. (tables). Some great new aviation links, Lancair, Glasair and Aircraft Spruce to name a few. They are on the News and Aviation Links page. I also worked hard on compressing and improving the images for faster downloads. The average page should render 5-10 seconds faster if you are using dial-up. On the Print News page you will find two versions of Runway 35. Medium Resolution and High Resolution (longer download) for people with high speed access. Even the medium resolution prints great. Try it, once you do, I am confident you will drop the mailed hard copy, the quality is that much better!

Alex Roca gave us all an excellent update on his Zodiac project which is over half done. Way to go Alex! Keep up the great work. Dave and Miriam did an excellent job with Scenes from the Meeting and also Safety Corner. Many thanks to Dave and Miriam, they and all the other writers continue to make this newsletter the best in the nation. kgn

Kris Niswonger