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Posts Tagged “

Airplanes

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chinese farmer

Chinese Farmer Flies Self-Built Airplane, Doesn't Wet Pants

Seeing as we crapped ourselves twice from just watching this clip, it's a wonder that this Chinese farmer manages to keep it together while flying this death-trap through the skies. The camera only points rearwards at the guy's crotch, but that's probably to show what gigantic balls this guy must have. The guy built this thing out of what looks like dirt and spare parts from broken aircraft, which is pretty much something we wouldn't want to be riding up 300 feet in the air. This reminds us of Mr. Woo, the Chinese Robot Farmer, who built working robots out of stuff he's found at the junk heap. [YouTube via MAKE]

3:20 PM on Thu Jun 26 2008
By Jason Chen
17,849 views, 104 comments

Latest by ARVash: [www.ifgogo.com] Just found out, this is real. It looked greenscreened, but I was WRONG :O. more »

tron guy

Tron Guy Buys Custom-Painted Aircraft To Match Tron Outfit

Tron Guy, whose wife calls him Jay Maynard, has just purchased a $140,000 aircraft. Why would the internet phenomenon spend so much money on a plane when it could be so much better used on some home exercise equipment? "I wanted a design that would leave no doubt in anyone's mind that it was Tron Guy's airplane." Well, alright then. [Wired]

6:30 PM on Thu Jun 19 2008
By Jason Chen
9,512 views, 62 comments

Latest by n/a: ...or a suit that fits. more »

biofuel

Air New Zealand to Power a 747 with Weed

OK, OK, so the weed in question is actually the jatropha plant, a weed indigenous to India and Africa. But still! Air New Zealand is planning to fill one of the four engines of a 747 with the weed and the remaining three engines with normal jet fuel to test the potential of using jatropha as a biofuel. More »

11:30 AM on Fri Jun 6 2008
By Adam Frucci
6,268 views, 67 comments

Latest by n/a: @Karinabob:Nope, just happen to read it in Scientific American Magazine a few months back."Jatropha" ringed a bell and it clicked on some few remaining brain cells...I'm always interested in anything that can eliminate Arab oil for good. I'm not fond more »

airplanes

European Union Tests Automated Airplane Seat-Back Spy Cams to Detect Terrorism Faces

The European Union's Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) is testing some kind of nebulous facial detection system that will suss out whether your expression is one of a terrorist planning on commandeering the ride or just diarrhea face. More »

3:30 PM on Fri May 30 2008
By Jason Chen
1,795 views, 40 comments

24

Jack Bauer Really Does Save Us From Terrorists

As far fetched as some of the tech the spy community plays with is, you'd think they were getting it from spy movies and stuff. Well, they're definitely watching. The Department of Homeland Security's latest idea to protect airports, a laser equipped drone that'll detect and blind missiles with a low-power laser (rather than a megadoom one) is named for Chloe on 24, because they apparently both track down bad guys. We're assuming project Jack kills them. And if they ever reveal one codenamed Solid Snake, all evildoers worldwide should simultaneously piss their pants and seek a career in handicrafts. [Danger Room] More »

6:00 PM on Fri May 23 2008
By matt buchanan
4,608 views, 25 comments

Latest by gibson042: @Jason: I understand from your posts that you would consider any government operating death camps to be a police state. Is that the entirety of it, or would lesser offenses also qualify? Please describe what defines a police more »

airplanes

June 29 Will Be Like Y2K for Airlines

America has never been a fan of frilly international standards, like the meter or the Kyoto Protocol, but for some reason the airline industry is switching flight plans for all domestic flights over to the international standard on June 29. According to our people's champion brother blog, you might wanna be prepared to at least stand around longer than usual—like Y2K, the switchover could make things screw-y and bork a whole bunch of flights, or it could be totally painless. Make sure your gadgets have a full battery charges, just in case. [FAA via Consumerist]

4:00 PM on Thu May 22 2008
By matt buchanan
5,773 views, 32 comments

Latest by genius74: Since that'll be the Iphone's 1 year anniversary, they should make it easier for Iphone owners to transition. Yes, random comment.. sue me.. more »

cia spytech

CIA Airlines: Inflatable Getaway Plane Delivered Upon Request

You find yourself held under "house arrest" in a remote jungle region of Indonesia, sometime in the late 1950s. You may have your suit, fedora and at least one halfway decent tie, but the chances of getting back to the US of A seem slim. The CIA thinks you're not so dispensable, so spytechs—with the help of the always patriotic Goodyear Company—build an inflatable airplane that they can drop into a jungle clearing. Here's what it looks like when fully inflated and ready for takeoff: More »

8:50 PM on Wed May 21 2008
By Wilson Rothman
16,072 views, 30 comments

Latest by DJrock3k: @Kingteddybear: Or on CBS's 'The Unit" more »

airplanes

Self-Healing Aircraft Could Save Passengers From a Fiery Death

Imagine if airplanes could miraculously heal cracks or holes in the skin during flight. Obviously, that would go a long way in boosting airline safety, not to mention the confidence of passengers. Interestingly enough, researchers in Britain are attempting to make this dream a reality using a technique that utilizes composite materials that "bleed" when damaged—creating a "scab" of sorts that mimics our own natural healing process. More »

8:20 PM on Tue May 20 2008
By Sean Fallon
6,639 views, 30 comments

space metals

Metals Manufactured In Space Could Increase Jet Engine Efficiency

The European Space Agency is looking into manufacturing intermetallic materials in zero gravity space to cut the weight of jet engines in half and increase fuel efficiency. Intermetallic materials are different than alloys in that they are combined at the molecular level, as opposed to merely melting down metals and creating a homogeneous mix. Scientists want to manufacture Titanium Aluminide up in space because on Earth, the difference in the metals' weight prevents the alloys from diffusing correctly. The ESA currently plans to go up to the International Space Station to conduct tests on the manufacturing process. [BBC via io9 via DViCE]

7:00 PM on Mon May 12 2008
By Adrian Covert
3,331 views, 25 comments

Latest by robotaks: PopsG, I thought about that too but I think that these metals wouldn't behave properly when hurled into space, I mean in the sense that they could sort of half mix properly, and half not, which would waste more money more »

fuel cells

DOT Says Fuel Cells Can Fly; FAA Still Afraid They Might Fry

The US DOT has approved transportation of methanol fuel cell cartridges in your baggage and carry-on luggage, according to one fuel-cell maker. If you're lucky enough to own a fuel-cell system, you'll definitely be able to fly with it come October, when the ruling goes into effect. But this ruling only allows you to carry the cells, not use them on the plane. I looked into it, and the FAA, a division of the DOT, is still apparently evaluating the fire hazards associated with in-flight operation. More »

9:23 AM on Thu May 1 2008
By Wilson Rothman
1,807 views, 16 comments

Latest by Jack: @Guy-Fawkes: It's not as much of a control of citizenry thing as you might think. Take the prohibition on laptop usage during take-off and landing. Most users of laptops would put it on the tray table which must be in more »

boeing dreamliner

How to Equip Your Dreamliner (Including 23" Displays for First Class Seats)

Probably trying to polish its current poor image, Boeing invited Fortune Magazine to get an inside look into the Dreamliner factory, secret orgy quarters, and the showroom, in which—after spending $150 million on an empty aircraft—you have to pick the seats, including their A/V entertainment equipment (like whopping 23" LCD monitors in first class), and even the coffee maker. Head to Fortune to see the entire video and gallery. [Fortune]

11:00 AM on Sat Apr 26 2008
By jesusdiaz
22,801 views, 17 comments

Latest by banned for iGay joke: few people really realise just how much goes into their new plane. and congrats to the Sukhoi team on their first flight yesterday.. [www.aviationweek.com] more »

hidden high mile club

Dreamliner's Secret Crew Quarters Should be Called Orgy Room

Here's one of Boeing Dreamliner's most closely guarded secrets: the Orgy Room. Boeing likes to call it "the Crew Quarters" but, come on, what images does this cozy compartment, hidden in the top of the composite fuselage bring to mind? Here's a hint: it has six tightly packed beds for flight attendants, who use them to "have siestas" when the flights are too long. What. Ever. [Fortune]

9:10 AM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By jesusdiaz
52,756 views, 74 comments

huge rc planes

Top Gun 2008: Biggest RC Airplane Competition in the World

They may not be made of LEGO or Star Wars-related, but if you like amazingly detailed, huge aircraft models—like the SR-71 above—head to Lakeland, Florida, and Top Gun 2008: the 20th anniversary edition of the biggest RC model competition in the world. It starts tomorrow, five days of pure nerdgasm watching the most stunning remote control aircraft in the world. More details, plus a gigantic gallery from 2007 after the jump. More »

4:30 PM on Tue Apr 22 2008
By jesusdiaz
90,364 views, 49 comments

Latest by Crescent: @Synthfilker: at the end of the vid I literally went: "YEAH BABY!!!" completely unintentional, fo real more »

airplanes

The History Behind the F-35B Vertical Lift: from Napkin to First Supersonic Plane

Dr. Paul Bevilaqua is the aerodynamicist who designed the F-35B shaft-driven lift fan years ago at Skunk Works, Lockheed Martin's advanced technology program. His invention changed short-take off and vertical-landing (STVOL) planes forever, making the Lightning II the first supersonic aircraft with this capability. To honor him, Lockheed Martin has released this new video, in which Dr. Bevilaqua explains how the project went from "napkin to production." More »

9:00 AM on Tue Apr 22 2008
By jesusdiaz
26,996 views, 67 comments

airplanes

Delta "Cozy Suite" Seats Make Economy Class Semi-Tolerable

It may not be as fancy as first class accommodations, but Delta's new "Cozy Suite" seats promise to make economy class seating less of a hellish, crippling nightmare. The major feature of the design is a staggered layout that increases privacy while simultaneously creating a space for weary travelers to rest their heads. It also allows passengers to enjoy 31-inches of leg room (2-inches better than the competition) and the ability to recline without disturbing the person behind them.
More »

7:30 PM on Mon Apr 21 2008
By Sean Fallon
21,862 views, 65 comments

Latest by n/a: @vertigo: You do realize that on any/all of Delta's aircraft (777, 767, 757) that have a capacity of 200+, when you're in 1st or Business, no one walks past you as they board into economy class, don't you? The main loading more »

cellphones

Roll Out Of Air France's In-Flight Cellphone Service Experiences Turbulence

Air France's in-flight cellphone trial has finally taken off, but with bumpy results. The New York Times hitched a ride on the French carrier recently and found several bugs in the system: More »

3:30 PM on Sat Apr 19 2008
By Elaine Chow
7,767 views, 22 comments

question of the day

Should Congress Ban Cellphone Calls on US Flights?

Europe may be ok with passengers making in-flight calls on their cellphones, but at least a few members of Congress have the foresight to see how this situation could become problematic in the US. A new bill has been introduced that promises to ban cellphone calls on US flights, but not text messaging and web surfing. The bill has yet to be passed, but the question is: Do you support a ban? More »

6:30 PM on Wed Apr 16 2008
By Sean Fallon
8,540 views, 117 comments

airplanes

Boeing Dreamliner Turns Into Nightmareliner After New Delay

We have been following the Boeing's 787 Dreamliner for a long time. It's a beautiful aircraft, which allegedly provides with a much-better flying experience—less noise, bigger windows, more space, and better fuel efficiency—thanks to its new construction processes and technologies. However, a new delay in its LEGO-like manufacturing process shows that Boeing is having very serious difficulties with its mass production, which will put them a whooping 18 months behind their original schedule. More »

9:00 AM on Sat Apr 12 2008
By jesusdiaz
25,872 views, 41 comments

Latest by n/a: Looks like we have another Airbus A380 on our hands... more »

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