On this day 1949

[lefty loose]

Understand in 1949 Captain James Gallagher and crew of 13 made the first non stop flight around the world in 94 hours and 1 minute, anyone know what aircraft and what is todays record?

[Dan Gerous]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Lady_II

[chevvron]

Was that the one where the tail gunner flew all the way backwards?

[Bull at a Gate]

I do not want to be picky, but “around the world” when the aircraft did not leave the northern hemisphere?

[oxenos]

You can walk around the world in one minute. You would need to wrap up - you would need to be about 15 yards from one of the poles.

[Not Long Here]

Originally Posted by oxenos

You can walk around the world in one minute. You would need to wrap up - you would need to be about 15 yards from one of the poles.

Along with another crew, we flew around the world about 20 times in 40 minutes. (2 x Nimrod at the North Pole)

[Bull at a Gate]

Suppose I shouldn’t have questioned the description of “around the world”. FAI rules require that the aircraft fly at least 36,787km and these guys did 37,742km. Different rules for yachts, they have to cross the equator.

Perhaps I should have looked this up before posting. Will do better next time.

[India Four Two]

Lucky Lady II still exists, sort of. I saw the bits during a peripatetic tour of the western US in 2015

The front fuselage is at Planes Of Fame, Chino, California:


The rear fuselage is at Planes Of Fame, Valle, Arizona:


The plan is (was?) to mate them with this KC-97 wing, also at Valle:

[Herod]

I believe that in order to be recognised as circumnavigation, the requirement is to reach the same latitude in both hemispheres. Even a quick "dip" will do.

[megan]

I believe that in order to be recognised as circumnavigation, the requirement is to reach the same latitude in both hemispheres. Even a quick "dip" will do

Basically the rules require a minimum distance of 36,770 km, all control points to be at latitudes less than 66 degrees 33 minutes and to cross all meridians, no need to cross the equator.

https://www.fai.org/sites/default/fi...ion_2_2013.pdf

[Herod]

Thanks Megan; I stand corrected.