QUOTE (BrianGood)
Rob [Balsamo] refuses to do any work on the flyover flight path after the blast by... claiming it would be speculation. Given the limited range of available airspeeds at different locations, there is a certain limited range of flight paths that would be possible between the minimum-possible radius turns to the left and the right and the maximum possible climb. If Rob would simply tell us the minimum radius turn that a 757 can make at various possible airspeeds, we could map all the possible flight paths.
I believe the tightest radius turn I've ever seen Balsamo declare aerodynamically possible for a 757 is 5000 feet. Such a U-turn to the north would take the plane over restricted airspace near the White House. Such a U-turn to the south would take the plane directly over the airport runways. Either one would cross I-395 at a low altitude and would cross the Reagan National flight paths, attracting attention. Undetected flyover is impossible and I believe Rob's unwillingness to discuss the issue reflects his awareness of the fact that it's impossible.
I believe the tightest radius turn I've ever seen Balsamo declare aerodynamically possible for a 757 is 5000 feet. Such a U-turn to the north would take the plane over restricted airspace near the White House. Such a U-turn to the south would take the plane directly over the airport runways. Either one would cross I-395 at a low altitude and would cross the Reagan National flight paths, attracting attention. Undetected flyover is impossible and I believe Rob's unwillingness to discuss the issue reflects his awareness of the fact that it's impossible.
QUOTE (BrianGood)
QUOTE (scott)
It seems that Rob has a fondness for things that can be calculated; I think he found that there were too many variables to properly calculate what would have happened to the plane once it arrived in pentagon airspace.
Not at all. There was a severely limited sector containing possible flight paths, given the limitations on mininum radius, ability to climb. This zone could be established. I suspect that the reason Rob doesn't want to do this is because he sees that a left turn heads inevitably into closed airspace near the white house and a right turn heads over the DCA runways, and straight ahead heads right over Bolling Air Force Base. None of these are viable flight paths for obvious reasons.
QUOTE (BrianGood)
QUOTE (scott)
I can convert things if I know the formulas, but first I need to know what to convert.
Miles per hour to feet per second. Find out how fast the plane goes to fly 800 feet from the impact site to Roosevelt's parking lot in ten seconds.