The all-composite, twin-boom GlobalFlyer will be equipped with a digital autopilot that controls basic functions such as height, course and speed. The aircraft, which has a wingspan of 34.8m (114ft), features 17 fuel tanks in the wings and booms. Flight controls are mechanical with electric bungee trim, while the landing gear uses a pneumatic retraction system and gravity to lower.
At the end of the mission, the aircraft will weigh less than 1,800kg and be slowed for landing using parachutes deployed from the trailing edge. Virgin Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson, officially the reserve pilot for the attempt but unlikely to fly the aircraft, says the project has cost the airline "a couple of million dollars".
Source: Flight International
