News The Fedor Konyukhov's World Records Thread

[Soheil_Esy]

Hot air balloon pilot Fedor Konyukhov et al. set a new world record

Russian hot air balloon pilots Fedor Konyukhov and Ivan Menyaylo set a new world record for a hot air balloon flight when they touched down on Monday after more than 33 hours in the air.

25.01.2016

Russian aviation enthusiast Fedor Konyukhov and expert hot air balloon pilot Ivan Menyaylo entered the world record books on Monday when they touched down in the Ivanovo region of central Russia after 33 hours flying in a hot air balloon.

"We needed to stay in the air more than 29 hours, we manage to last 33 hours and 30 minutes," Konyukhov told RT after making a safe landing in the village of Shestunikha.

As well as being an intrepid explorer, Konyukhov is also an Orthodox priest. He has circumnavigated the globe four times, and crossed the Atlantic 15 times in a sailing boat, and once in a rowing boat.

Konyukhov is so far the only person in the world to have reached five of the extreme poles of the planet: he has traveled to Cape Horn, Mount Everest, the Arctic Ocean pole of inaccessibility, the South Pole and the North Pole, the latter three times.

The intrepid aviators began their flight at 7:51 Sunday morning, when they lifted off from the Sonino aerodrome in the Tula region of Russia and headed north east, flying over the regions of Moscow, Ryazan and Vladimir.

They broke the previous Russian record for a hot air balloon flight after 19 hours and 10 minutes of flight, after which they settled their sights on breaking the world record, set by American William Bussey in 1993. Bussey flew more than 1,200 km in 29 hours 14 minutes, from Amarillo, Texas, to Milbank, South Dakota.

"It was very cold, at night it was minus 35 degrees Celsius, during the day it was minus 20," explained Konyukhov.

"But for me that's practice, because in two months I'm flying from the North Pole, there it will be colder," he said.

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http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160125/1033692725/russia-hot-air-balloon-world-record.html

25 Jan, 2016

Russian adventurer Fyodor Konyukhov, 64, has set a new world record for hot-air balloon flight duration. Konyukhov and his teammate Ivan Menyailo have beaten William Bussey's 1993 record, which stood at 29 hours, 14 minutes and 35 seconds.

Under FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) rules, to set a new world record, pilots have to improve the present record by at least 1 percent.

The balloon operated by the daredevil Russian traveler took off from the Sonino airfield in Russia's Tula Region early Sunday morning. The travelers spent 32 hours and 20 minutes flying their hot air balloon, according to Konyukhov's official website.

“It was freezing up there. At night the temperature lowered to -35 degrees Celsius (-31 Fahrenheit) while at daytime it went up to -20C (-4F). The condensed water from the balloon was dropping upon us turning in icicles and we were very cold,” Konyukhov said in an interview to RT.

“It’s been a good lesson for me. I should now go through the gear I am about to take with me when I set for the next journey that will start on the North Pole,” he said.

“We’ve had so much to do that we barely had time to eat or drink. We didn’t even have time to talk to each other,” the traveler told RT, adding that, even so, at one point they managed to grab a bite of a chocolate bar and have a sip of water. Drinking tea won’t do any good when one is up there in the cold, let alone vodka, he said.

The travelers took some 50 cylinders each filled with 46 liters of gas. They were dropping cylinders one by one when they ran out of gas, while their support team was following the balloon and collecting the drop-out.

“We’ve been preparing for this flight for a whole year, building up physical and financial resources,” the traveler said.

Konyukhov, who is also an Orthodox priest, set Russia's record in 2015, when his balloon journey lasted over 19 hours.

The current flight came as part of preparations for a round-the-world balloon flight, which Konyukhov plans to conduct in summer at an altitude of 11,000 meters (36,089 feet). He plans to take off from Australia and spend more than two weeks flying over New Zealand, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Argentina, South Africa and then back to Australia.

Konyuknov said his family is extremely supportive of whatever adventure he undertakes. The traveler has three children, six grandchildren and a wife rooting and waiting for him at home. One of his sons, Oscar, follows him during all of the adventures.

Konyukhov set his previous world record in 2014. During a solo-rowing voyage across the Pacific Ocean he managed to reach the Australian coast, completing his adventure in a record 162 days. Konyukhov started his exploit from the Chilean port of Concon on December 22, 2013 and finished in the eastern Australian town of Mooloolaba, in the state of Queensland on May 31, 2014. The traveler wrote in his blog that he covered the distance of more than 17,408km (9,400 nautical miles) on the Turgoyak rowboat, crossing the ocean single-handedly, without entering ports and without any external help or assistance.

In 2002 Konyukhov set a world record by crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a 7-meter rowboat, the Uralaz, in 46 days and 4 hours. That record remained unbroken for 11 years.

https://cdn.rt.com/files/2016.01/original/56a68da3c36188126b8b4567.jpg

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https://www.rt.com/news/330113-konyukhov-world-record-balloon/

 

[Urwumpe]

Ah, he travelled along the historic clipper route.

 

[Soheil_Esy]

Future projects of Fedor Konyukhov et al.

Fyodor Konyukhov to circle Earth in balloon in new record attempt

November 20, 2015

Russian traveler announces attempt to break time set by Steve Fossett in 2002.

Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov, who has conquered both the North and South poles and the seven highest peaks in the world, has announced he plans to break the record set by American adventurer Steve Fossett, who was the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon.

"I have fear of every trip, I have not lost that feeling, and that's good," Konyukhov admitted at a press conference in Moscow.

"It helps me that the training takes several years, and it helps me to relax a little."

The traveler has nurtured the idea of a balloon flight for 20 years, inspired by two successful round-the-world flights – by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones in 1999 and by Fossett in 2002.

Konyukhov hopes to make the flight at the first attempt - something his predecessors failed to do. His solo flight on a balloon made by the British company Cameron Balloons is scheduled to start from the west coast of Australia in June 2016.

"Nobody in the world makes better balloons that the Brits, so our balloon is being made by Cameron Balloons, and it will fly on Russian helium," said Konyukhov.

According to preliminary calculations, the flight will last between 13 and 15 days at an altitude of 36,000 feet with a maximum speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).

The 64-year-old traveler will fly over the Australian desert, the Tasman Sea and New Zealand, the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island, the south of Chile and Argentina, the Atlantic Ocean and South Africa, the Indian Ocean. The total distance is 20,506 miles, or 33,000 km.

http://nl.media.rbth.ru/all/2015/11/19/konyukhov-map.jpg

"I'll have to sleep only about four hours a day in a special capsule, [and] wear a lightweight space suit," said Konyukhov.

"I'll take sublimated food products weighing about 3 kg and two 50-liter cans of drinking water."

The balloon will be equipped with the GLONASS navigation system, solar panels and video cameras, which should provide live coverage of the flight. The two-tier structure of the balloon, combining the use of helium and solar energy, will allow for the long flight.

One of the flight control centers, according to organizers, will be the office of Virgin Australia, owned by Richard Branson, the renowned British businessman and balloonist and Konyukhov's friend.


http://rbth.com/multimedia/people/2...earth-in-balloon-in-new-record-attempt_542565

Around the world on roziere balloon

After completing his solo row across the South Pacific Ocean from Chile to Australia in May 2014, Fedor Konyukhov announced that he intends to be back to the Green continent in the summer of 2016 for a quest to fly solo around the world on a Roziere balloon. The best season to fly an air balloon in the Southern Hemisphere is June through August, allowing just enough time to construct the balloon and prepare for the next expedition.

To date, the only person who was able to fly a helium/hot-air balloon (Roziere) - solo around the world non-stop was Steve Fossett. It was his sixth attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a balloon. The Spirit of Freedom, sponsored by the Bud Light Beer company was launched from Northam, West Australia on June 19th, 2002 and on July 3rd, 2002 landed in Queensland, Australia. The time on the 20,626.48 - mile flight was 13 days, 8 hours and 33 minutes. Total time in the air (from take off until landing) was 14 days, 19 hours and 51 minutes.

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/Distance08.jpg


The balloon used a combination of hot air and helium, known in the industry as a 'Roziere' balloon. Donald Cameron of Cameron Balloons Ltd. of Bristol, England designed it. The balloon envelope was 140 ft tall and 60 ft wide. It featured a mylar envelope or "tent" enclosing a small sealed helium balloon (623 cubic meters) at top and a secondary envelope, which enclosed a large sealed helium balloon (15.576 cubic meters). The twin envelopes minimized heat loss, and trapped solar heat during the day. Thirty-eight tanks of propane and ethane fuel hanging beside the capsule fed the burners on top. Fossett steered the balloon by ascending or descending to find wind blowing in the right direction. The balloon was equipped with a special onboard autopilot system called 'Comstock Autopilot’, which can maintain the balloon at a constant altitude by using a computer to control the burners. The gondola capsule was 2 by 1.5 meters and was not pressurized, forcing Fossett to use oxygen much of the time. The capsule was constructed of a combination of kevlar and carbon. During Mr. Fosset’s flight he averaged 4 hours of sleep each day, broken up into 45 minute naps. He had to regularly check on the burners outside the capsule while flying at the height of 6-8 thousand meters, speed of 200-300 km/h and 40 degrees below zero.

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/Distance05_530x400.jpg

As well as becoming the first to circumnavigate the globe in a Roziere balloon, Steve Fossett also smashed two of his own previous records for the longest duration solo flight and the farthest solo flight. He also set a record for the longest distance in a 24-hour period covering 5,126 km. While flying across the Indian Ocean, The Spirit of Freedom flew at the altitude of 10,700 meters, and up to speeds of 320 km/h.

Fedor Konyukhov will strive to improve the records and attempt to circumnavigate the world faster than 13 days. During the last 12 years since the American set these records, helium/hot-air balloon technology has gone through serious advancements. Fedor’s banking on the new and improved technology, materials and system of operating the Roziere balloon. His aircraft will be built in England at Cameron Balloons Ltd.

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/news/2015/ROUND-THE-WORLD_6.jpg

The flight is scheduled to start in Australia in June 2016. Starting the journey in winter eliminates the risk of being caught in tropical storms or cyclones. Fedor has selected Northam as a tentative location for beginning the flight. While circumnavigating the globe Fedor will pass over Australia - Tasman Sea - New Zealand- Pacific Ocean - South America (Chile, Argentina) - Atlantic Ocean - South Africa - Indian Ocean – and land in Australia.

Official sponsor of this project Russian building company MORTON - http://www.morton.ru

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/V18-480-MORTON_russia_6.jpg


http://konyukhov.ru/en/eng-proektyi/expedition/around-the-world-on-a-hot-air-balloon.html

 

[Soheil_Esy]

Ultimate altitude record for a hot air balloon

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Fyodor Konyukhov, together with the Italian pilot and inventor Paolo Bonanno, plans to establish an absolute altitude record for a hot air balloon.

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Fedor Konyukhov and Paolo Bonanno

To date, the absolute altitude record for a hot air balloon is hold by India. In 2005, Vijaypat Singhania (67), a pilot and businessman from India set an absolute record for a hot air balloon at 21,300 meters (70,000 feet). Taking off in Mumbai, he flew 240 km and landed in the province Panshale. The previous record was set back in 1988 by Per Lindstrand and amounted to 19,811 meters (Texas, USA).

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/652729_1.jpg


Technical data of the Indian balloon:

• Envelop volume: 1.6 million cubic feet (45,000 cubic meters)
  
• Construction height: 49 meters.
  
• Design takeoff weight: 1.8 tons
  
• Nacelle Weight: 560 kg (material: aluminum).
  
• 18 burners
  
• Climb time: 3 hours
  
• Descent time: 2 hours
  
• Lowest recorded temperature: minus 93 C degrees

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/652729_2_s.jpg


the balloon used by the Indian team was made in England by Cameron Balloon Engineering. It is worth noting that almost all the hot air balloons and Rosiere type airships which set world records were built at the factory in Bristol.

Technical data of the Russian-Italian hot air balloon for the 30 kilometers altitude flight.

• Envelop volume: 100,000 cubic meters (more than double of the Indian).
  
• Construction height: 73 meters
  
• Construction weight: 2.5 tons.

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/652729_3_s.jpg


The project manager of the Indian team was Colin Prescot, an Englishman. The chief engineer was the Italian Paolo Bonanno.

Paolo and Theodore have agreed to join forces and build a balloon that can reach a height of 30 kilometers and reach the lower stratosphere.

BUDGET

The project costs 500,000 euros.

The budget includes:

• Production of envelop: 230 000 euros
  
• Production of the titanium nacelle: 107,000 euros
  
• Burners and all equipment necessary for the flight: 163 000 euros
  
• Not included: delivery to the launch site.

Estimated starting place: Orenburg (Russia) and Baikonur (Kazakhstan).

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/L1160856_5.jpg
One of the hot air balloon burner

http://konyukhov.ru/projects/expedi...ekorda-vyisotyi-dlya-teplovogo-aerostata.html

 

[Soheil_Esy]

Future projects of Fedor Konyukhov et al.

Pacific Ocean Mariana Trench deep diving project

In January 23, 1960, a year before Yuri Gagarin's flight into space, an important event happened: Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh boarded the bathyscaphe Trieste and dived to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, to the deepest point, the Abyss Challenger (Challenger Deep). It is only 52 years later that a similar dive was carried out by a single diver. In March 2012, James Cameron made a successful dive into the Abyss Challenger.

Space has become more accessible to us than the depths of the oceans of our planet. In the history of development of ocean exploration, humans have reached the extreme depths only twice.

Fyodor Konyukhov's Expedition Headquarters has started to work on the project "Diving in the Mariana Trench in a submersible" with the aim of conquering the deepest depressions of the oceans.

The Russian project aims not at just touching the bottom of the deepest oceans, but also at staying two days and breaking the 90 nautical miles and to conduct research.

The bathyscaph is designed to carry a crew of two pilots and will be built by Australian company «Ron Allum Deepsea Services». The company was founded by a leading expert on submersibles. Ron Allum has more than 40 years of experience, engaged in the research of the oceans using submersibles.

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/ron-inspecting-sphere-942_6.jpg

In 1983, he was the leader of an expedition to study the deep-cave Cocklebiddy Cave on the coast of Australia. As part of the expedition team, he was able to dive to 6,250 meters and set a world record.

Since 2001, Ron is working with Canadian director James Cameron on filming the movie "Titanic", using Russian submersibles "Mir-1" and "Mir-2". The diving limit these submersibles were 6,000 meters. The depth of the Mariana Trench is 11,000 meters.

Ron started in 2005 the design of a platform able to dive into the Mariana Trench. The dive took place in March 2012.

To date, only a few countries have developed research submersibles:

• Russia: "Mir-1" and "Mir-2". Capable of diving to a depth of 6000 meters
  
• France:"Nautile", 6,000 meters
  
• Japan: "Shinkai-6500", dived to a record 6,527 m.
  
• China has buid his own bathyscaph, tests were carried out at a depth of 5,000 meters. By 2015, the Chinese dived to 7,000 meters.

Although the "Mir-1" and "Mir-2" have Russian names, these deep-water submersibles are neither Russian nor Soviet, but were ordered by the Finnish Rauma-Repola Oceanics.

Because of the enormous pressure on the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the working group will have to solve problems in four main areas:

• The production of material for the construction
  
• The creation of habitable compartment for the pilot
  
• Creation of a system of ballast
  
• Sources of electricity.

Based on the experience of previous dives, it is planned that the machine will have a vertical structure, and will fall under the weight of the water ballast. The unit will rotate around its axis during the dive. The rotation of the machine gives optimum hydrodynamic position, allowing to dive vertically, without deviation from the desired path. The ballast weights about 500 kg. The ballast will be discharged at the bottom of the ocean before surfacing. The steel ballast is attached with magnets and released with a button. There is a fallback with dropping ballast, as the galvanic connection of the ballast and deep-water apparatus begins to break down after a certain number of hours in the water, which eventually leads to the release of the ballast.

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/DCVAssembly-Yellow-V5_6.jpg

• The float is made of syntactic IsoFloat foam, which has the necessary pressure resistance and buoyancy. The foam was developed by an Australian company, McConagy Boats (also built for Ellen MacArthur's trimaran). Syntactic foam is used in marine and aerospace industries, where it is necessary to use strong, lightweight fillers. Using IsoFloat foam will eliminate the heavy metal case.
  
• Engines. The unit will have 12 horizontal engine to move on the ocean floor at a speed of 3 knots. Vertical machine may be lifted at a speed of 2.5 knots.
  
• Cabine. The pilot will be in the field of heavy-walled steel, secured to the shell by means of straps made of polyester. From the gondola, the pilot controls the devices unit. Life support system consists of two cylinders of liquefied oxygen. This amount will allow the pilot to operate 50 hours under water. Carbon dioxide is removed from the cabine by a scrubber.
  
  The device is equipped with two masts manipulators to collect soil and biological samples, as well as multiple HD cameras, 2D and 3D-camera for photographing small inhabitants of the depths.
  
• Project budget.
  
  Design and construction of deep-water vehicle for two researchers, 15 million dollars.
  
  Operating expenses for diving, 35,000 dollars per day, including vessel rent and logistics.

Since the beginning of the XXI century, interest of marine and especially Arctic nations for underwater research projects has grown. This is largely due to the hydrocarbon reserves of the Arctic shelf. In this regard, Russia needs to gain a foothold in the Arctic and Pacific oceans.

http://konyukhov.ru/assets/images/expeditions/600px-Cross_section_of_mariana_trench.svg.png

The Russian project of exploring the Mariana Trench would be a starting point for future projects. For further scientific substantiation of claims to increase the outer limits of the continental shelf in the Arctic, our country will need a number of additional studies, including underwater. The experience gained as a result of diving in the Mariana Trench, will be very useful for future work in the Russian sector of the Arctic Ocean.

http://konyukhov.ru/projects/expedi...niya-v-marianskuyu-vpadinu-tixogo-okeana.html

 

[Johnh]

Rozière Balloon Circumnavigation Attemp 2016

Future projects of Fedor Konyukhov et al.

"Morton" with Fedor aboard left Northam, Western Australia 7.33 AWST 11/07/2016.

17/07 14000 Km into the trip and approaching South America, on track to beat Fossetts record at the present time , was pretty slow across Australia but been flying around 130 to 140 KMH for the last couple of days.
At the present average the flight time is 13 days but a day or two in a jet stream could see a serious challenge to the record.

Track Map [URL="https://my.yb.tl/RRTW2016/map-only/"[/URL]

JohnH