Defense technology blog Ares reports on a mysterious flying object—most certainly a military classified aircraft—flying over the skies of Amarillo, Texas, on March 10. Aviation Week’s defense expert Bill Sweetman says this is unprecedented but he’s convinced it’s real.
"Some heavy big trucks being dropped from a military plane in the middle of the night," says the YouTube description, "huge machines, being launched at incredible speed!" Indeed. I love the faces of those soldiers waiting to jump after the trucks:
Thank you, PowerUp. Apparently the last time we had the opportunity to write about paper airplanes was back in 2011, when a Seattle doctor built a tiny one using a da Vinci surgical robot. This time out, it’s a Kickstarter project that brings smartphone control to the notoriously staid word of paper airplanes. The gadget’s setup is pretty simple, all said. At the front is a Bluetooth module and battery, while the back contains the propeller and rudder. Build a paper airplane, attach the PowerUp up and boom, you’ve got RC aircraft you can control with your smartphone. Creator Shai Goitein has taken the project to Kickstarter in an attempt to score $50,000 in funding. A pledge of $30 will get one of these little fliers in your hands, come May of next year. That’s plenty of time to practice your folding skills.
Filed under: Misc
If “fighter pilot” was your desired career, you’d better hurry up now that Boeing is looking to replace you with a robot. The company has retrofitted a retired F-16 fighter, which had laid dormant for 15 years, into a drone for combat training missions. Rather than risking life and limb in the cockpit, two test pilots can maneuver the craft, now called QF-16, from Florida’s Tyndall Air Force Base — presenting rookie flyers with a target that can hit 9G and supersonic speeds. There’s an explanatory video below, which explains the benefits of computer controlled planes but… wait a minute, isn’t this the plot of Stealth?
Filed under: Transportation
Via: The Register
Source: Boeing
This airplane is guaranteed to crash within a half hour or less, or your money back. Here’s the story. Darren Lewis and Phil Reilly built this awesome and surprisingly functional remote-controlled airplane out of an old Dominos Pizza box.
Well, a pizza box, an RC controller and $35 worth of parts. It even has an actuated rudder and ailerons. Pay attention Dominos. This is how I want my pizza delivered next time. It flies surprisingly well. It is actually a thing of beauty. But maybe that’s because I’m really hungry right now.
It proves that pizza box technology should be applied to aviation right away. Maybe it could shoot some breadstick missiles.
[via Neatorama]
Though most of us know that lightning bolts striking planes aren’t too much to worry about these days
The US Navy’s unmanned plane, the X-47B, has been in development for years. It first flew in 2011, began testing aboard an aircraft carrier in late 2012, and finally took off from a floating airstrip earlier this year. Taking off from a moving ship is easier than landing on one, of course, but the X-47B accomplished that task today when it successfully landed on the USS George H.W. Bush. And, just to show off, shortly thereafter the X-47B was launched from carrier via catapult and, once again, landed successfully. So, it looks to be only a matter of time before our Top Guns look more like Watson, and less like Tom Cruise.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: US Navy
Solar Impulse ends cross-country US flight slightly early in NY due to torn left wing
Posted in: Today's ChiliSolar Impulse has successfully hopped its way across the US, completing the final leg of its journey from Washington Dulles International Airport. While today marks the end of the effort at New York’s JFK airport as expected, the solar-powered aircraft landed a roughly three hours early — this, due to an eight-foot tear in its left wing discovered over Toms River, New Jersey. According to the crew, the breakage posed no significant threat to pilot André Borschberg, but it did mean a planned fly-by of the Statue of Liberty had to be nixed.
If you’ll recall, this was the first US-based trip for Solar Impulse, which the team used largely to raise further awareness about energy efficiency. Aside from that, you can bet some extra publicity can’t hurt before a future model is set to make a flight across the world in 2015. Relive Solar Impulse’s Across America start at Mountain View, CA here and get more info about the full endeavor at the source link. Livestream wrap-up embedded after the break.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Solar Impulse
Look. Up in the sky. It’s a bird! It’s a plane. It’s… Superman, with a gaping hole in his chest. This radio-controlled Superman was recently spotted flying the skies of San Diego. General Zod was nowhere to be seen.
This radio-controlled Superman plane was developed by engineer Otto Dieffenbach. Obviously Otto is a superhero fan who loves to create. He and his business partner Ed Hanley run a small startup company that develops R/C planes that look like people. In this case, the Man of Steel himself. Mostly they are comic characters for commercial promotion. They have also made a flying Iron Man and a winged lady named Ms. Emerson as shown in this video clip:
Unlike the real Superman, this radio-controlled plane can only reach speeds of up to 30 mph. If you want one, it’ll set you back about £5,000 (about $7600 USD).
[via Damn Geeky]
Airbus A350 completes maiden flight, uber-efficient Trent XWB engine shines
Posted in: Today's ChiliWith the Paris Air Show scheduled to lift off in earnest on Monday, Airbus is hoping to steal a bit of the limelight. After being conceived in 2004, the A350 finally took the public skies today in France, showcasing a highly-efficient Rolls-Royce XWB engine all the while. The jet is arguably being launched to compete with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, and as you’d expect, it’s the magic inside of the shell that’s most impressive. The Trent XWB engine was built specifically for the A350, replete with titanium blades and a mixture of technologies that have led to it being deemed the “world’s most efficient” airplane engine… as said by Rolls-Royce, anyway. To date, over 600 orders for the A350 have been placed, but the outfit is hoping to land even more contracts in the days ahead. Ideally, each will ship with a power port in every seat, satellite internet connections and an allergy for mechanical failures. (A boy can dream, right?)
Filed under: Transportation
Source: CNN, The New York Times, BBC