“Building a plane while flying it” or some variation has been used to describe innumerable situations, but is it as ridiculous and unprecedented as those who invoke it would have you believe? » about 5000 words
ADS-B is a civil aircraft tracking and telemetry standard that the FAA has ruled will replace transponders by 2020. Like a transponder, it’s used to identify air traffic, but with far more more information, such as altitude, heading, speed, and GPS location. The protocol also supports delivery of weather, terrain, and notices to aircraft. The […] » about 300 words
Kent Wien posted this photo of the tail of a Boeing 757 showing what looks like the exhaust end of a turbine. I had to ask what it was all about, and Kent explained: Ahh, very good question! There actually IS an engine back there. It’s the APU (auxiliary power unit) and it’s what keeps […] » about 200 words
Perhaps it’s just because I’m in the air again today, but I’m fascinated by Aaron Koblin‘s animation of aircraft activity, illustrating the pulsing, throbbing movements of aircraft over North America. Nah, this is hot. You’ll love it too.
Also worth checking out: Koblin’s other works.
While we’re still waiting for flying cars (or even just fuel efficient cars) I’m keeping track of tiny helicopters like the GEN H-4 and this one, the AirScooter II, pictured above. The company, AirScooter Corporation of Henderson NV, introduces the new craft with a tip of the hat to Igor Sikorsky‘s earliest designs featuring counter-rotating […] » about 500 words
Howard Hughes‘ Spruce Goose now rests in McMinnville, at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. The Goose is as long as a 747 with a wingspan a third again as broad, and for a short few seconds in 1947, it flew. The docent was incredibly pleased to tell us that the tail almost broke off during those […] » about 200 words
It’s nearing the end of 2005 and we still don’t have any flying cars like we were promised, but the GEN H-4 personal helicopter looks promising (and dangerous). Here it is in the air, and I might be crazy, but it looks to be controlled by weight-shift (even more photos). OhGizmo says it sells for […] » about 100 words