More on the Airbus and the Hawk

A couple of days ago I posted a photograph of an Airbus A380 flying in formation with a BAE Hawk advanced jet trainer, illustrating the vast difference in size between the two aircraft.

The planned formation fly-past of the A380 with no less than nine Hawks of the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows aerobatic display team took place at the Royal International Air Tattoo yesterday.  It re-emphasized the size difference between the aircraft.

The Red Arrows apparently had to maintain formation with extreme care, because the wake turbulence generated by so huge an aircraft as the A380 can throw around even large airliners for some miles behind it (which is why wake vortex separation classifications and distances are necessary).  A relatively tiny plane like a Hawk would be tossed around like a toy, possibly causing a collision or crash, if it got into such turbulent air.

You can read more about the display here.

Peter

Doofus Of The Day #715

Courtesy of Wirecutter, we find this photograph.

I'd say that's an instant Doofus award winner, wouldn't you? (Particularly if - or rather, given the windage area of his cargo, when! - he weaves a bit too close to the centerline as a car comes the other way . . . )





Peter

Ever heard of a Porsche tractor?

I hadn't, until I came across this report.

Porsche drivers do not generally have mud under their fingernails or ruddy complexions - but this month a special breed of the aficionados mark a 50th anniversary. It was half a century ago that the last Porsche tractor was made.

In a significant change of direction, the Stuttgart-based company stopped making its tractors in 1963 - the same year it started production of its now legendary 911 sports car.

Yet the 120-horsepower two-cylinder bright red tractors with the distinctive engine cover had by this time built up a loyal customer base for the great performance they consistently demonstrated.

. . .

Restored examples can now fetch up to €18,000 [about US $23,600], the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper said on Wednesday, but even bashed up ones are still worth a lot - and their value is rising.

There's more at the link, plus a photo gallery of images.  There's also an enthusiasts' Web site about them, and a number of videos of vintage Porsche tractors on YouTube.  Here's one example.

I can't help but feel a little disappointed.  I mean, I'm sure it's a perfectly adequate tractor . . . but being a Porsche, why isn't it plowing at a hundred miles an hour?





Peter

How (not) to get elected!

A German politician has demonstrated qualities that are likely to prove less than desirable to the electorate.  The German edition of The Local reports:

A would-be mayor of Frankfurt disgraced himself by throwing a high-ranking city official over a piano he was using to disrupt a prestigious award ceremony in the city hall.

. . .

The scuffle broke out in the Kaisersaal of Frankfurt's Römer city hall, when three-time mayoral candidate Carl-Maria Schulte, 60, began disturbing proceedings with loud cat calls, thumping the keys of a piano, the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper wrote on Thursday.

When the city's long-serving head of protocol Karlheinz Voß tried to calm Schulte and get him to leave, the latter lashed out and launched him over the piano, spokesman for the city Thomas Scheben - who wasn't himself present on the night – told the paper.

. . .

The ex-policeman, who has failed in a total of three bids to become Frankfurt's mayor, has a history of making a nuisance of himself at public events – either by grabbing the microphone or trying to mount the podium uninvited.

There's more at the link.

Personally, I'd be inclined to vote for him on the grounds of his potential entertainment value.  Think of the consternation and monkeyhouse during City Council meetings when he starts tossing recalcitrant councilors over the table!





Peter

A discovery to mark an anniversary

On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed on the moon, the first humans to set foot on any surface other than Earth's.

Just in time for today's anniversary, Jeff Bezos has announced that one of the Rocketdyne F-1 engines his team has retrieved from the Atlantic seabed has been positively identified as coming from the Saturn V rocket that launched Armstrong and Aldrin's Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

Today, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news. One of the conservators who was scanning the objects with a black light and a special lens filter has made a breakthrough discovery – “2044” – stenciled in black paint on the side of one of the massive thrust chambers. 2044 is the Rocketdyne serial number that correlates to NASA number 6044, which is the serial number for F-1 Engine #5 from Apollo 11. The intrepid conservator kept digging for more evidence, and after removing more corrosion at the base of the same thrust chamber, he found it – "Unit No 2044" – stamped into the metal surface.

44 years ago tomorrow Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, and now we have recovered a critical technological marvel that made it all possible.

There's more at the link, including (in older posts) further information about the rocket recovery program.  The photographs there are also much larger - open each in a new window to view them at full size.

Congratulations to Mr. Bezos and his team for a remarkable marine archaeological effort.  It's a great way to commemorate today's anniversary.

Peter

Two Super Hornet video clips

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and its EA-18G Growler electronic warfare variant are currently the front-line fighter and strike aircraft in the US Navy.  Here are two interesting video clips depicting the aircraft.

The first is from Boeing, showing an E-model (single-seat) on a pre-delivery check flight.  As you can see, the aircraft hasn't been painted in Navy colors yet.  The test pilot talks us through what's involved, with some great video shot from the cockpit.

The next, from the US Navy, is a G-model (two-seat) being launched from the prototype EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System) electrical catapult system, which will be installed on USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy's next carrier, when she becomes operational in 2016.  Note the absence of steam from the catapult track, unlike previous-generation catapults.

Very capable aircraft they are, too.  I hope Boeing gets to build its proposed 'Advanced Super Hornet', particularly with more powerful engines.  However, budget constraints may render that impossible.

Peter

The IRS scandal: Getting to the point

At last the truth behind the IRS scandal begins to come out.  It's looking more and more as if the agency's targeted harassment of conservative political groups was directed, orchestrated and controlled by its chief counsel - one of only two appointments to the IRS by the Obama administration.  In other words, this wasn't an accident;  it wasn't 'rogue bureaucrats' deciding for themselves what to do;  it was deliberate targeting by the Federal government of political opponents of the administration.

Peggy Noonan has an excellent summary of the implications.  In short, this appears to represent malfeasance of office, felonious conduct, and probably grounds for impeachment.  It's at least as bad as Watergate - probably worse, because Watergate didn't involve the deliberate subversion of Federal agencies for partisan political purposes.

It's that serious.

The question is, will the investigation proceed to its logical conclusion, or die in a mire of partisan politics, bickering and deal-making?





Peter

Review: 'Vulcan's Kittens' by Cedar Sanderson

I haven't done many reviews of books or movies or other entertainment on this blog before now.  I think that'll be changing, because now that I'm writing for a living, I can appreciate better what goes into a truly creative, interesting product, and I'd like to highlight those that catch my eye.

One such book is Vulcan's Kittens by Cedar Sanderson.  Miss D. and I had the pleasure of meeting Cedar and her partner at Libertycon 26 recently, and were immediately taken by her friendly good humor.  Miss D. picked up a copy of her book while we were there, and I finally managed to pry it out of her hands long enough to read it.  I can see now why she enjoyed it so much!

Vulcan's Kittens combines myth and legend from many cultures and periods of history, and plonks them all down in our time.  It's written firmly for the young adult market, from the point of view of a young teenage girl, but it's so well done that it draws you into her mindset, no matter what your own age or background.  In other words, it works for the adult market, too.  (At least, it did for me!)

I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but briefly, immortals are in conflict over whether to let humans develop technology that may raise them to their level, or destroy humanity in order to preserve their own position.  They've done that several times before, but this time some of the immortals are out to stop their fellows from doing it again.  Our young protagonist, Linnea, finds herself initially babysitting the children of one immortal, who takes the form of a cat - so inevitably her children are in the form of kittens.  Linnea is quickly forced to take a more active role, and defend the kittens while she's at it - but as immortal kittens get bigger, the question arises as to who's defending whom . . .

Vulcan's Kittens is a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it immensely.  Congratulations to Cedar on a great first book.  I want sequels!  Lots of sequels!  And I want an immortal kitty of my own!





Peter

Size matters!

British Airways is testing the first of its new Airbus A380 super-jumbo aircraft, undertaking flights in and near England to familiarize crews with its operation.  As part of the test program, it'll be flying its A380 in formation with two Hawk trainers (flown by the US Navy as the T-45 Goshawk) at the Royal International Air Tattoo this weekend.

Here's a photograph of the A380 in formation with one of them.  Just look at the disparity in size!

That really brings home how huge this airliner is.  The Hawk's fuselage is smaller in diameter than one of the A380's engines, and not much longer!  Read more about the flight here.

Peter

How cool is that?

Captain Hyrum Bronson decided to surprise his family when he returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, three weeks early.  Here's how he did it.

All together, now:  Awwww!  That's so cool it's almost deep-frozen!  Congratulations to the Bronson family on a unique reunion.

Peter

Awwww!

Courtesy of an e-mail from reader J. M., here's a cute video of a Great Dane meeting a gosling.

I'd love to know what that dog was thinking . . .



Peter

Hope he bought a lottery ticket after that . . .

The pilot of a banner-towing aircraft in California had the narrowest of narrow escapes the other day.

On the busy holiday weekend with many heading to the beach, the plane was one of the many advertisement banner-towing aircraft flying in the area.

According to preliminary reports from investigators, the Bellanca Scout plane apparently had trouble gaining altitude as it lifted off from Long Beach Airport runway 25L at about 1:15 p.m. Fire and airport officials believe the right wing of the plane struck a power line and was sheered (sic) off, eventually landing in a lot adjacent to the airport.

The pilot, described only as man about 45 years old, was able to jettison the banner, which landed next to the JSC industrial building near Walnut Avenue, before hitting the freeway embankment.

There's more at the link.

That's Interstate 405 you're looking at - the busiest and most congested freeway in the USA!  Despite having lost a wing, the plane missed all the traffic on the twelve-lane highway, plonking down on the verge where you see it.  The pilot walked away unhurt!

Talk about lucky . . .





Peter

A great image of propeller vortices

I'm sure many readers have seen, either in real life or in pictures, the trails of condensation left by aircraft as they move at high speed.  They usually come from the wingtips or other prominent features that leave distinctive patterns of disturbed air, which are highlighted in humid conditions.  They're known as 'wingtip vortices'.

The same effect produces the circular, coil-spring-like condensation patterns sometimes left by aircraft propellers.  Here's a great example, produced by a Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando II on its delivery flight from the manufacturer to Cannon AFB in New Mexico.

The image is from Lockheed Martin's Flickr photostream.  The full-size version makes great wallpaper for your computer screen.

Peter

Doofus Of The Day #714

Today's award goes to the city government of Washington D.C.

“People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.”

Someone needs to carve those words onto a wall in the D.C. Council legislative chamber.

Last week, the Council approved a measure that would require Walmart and other large retailers doing business in the District to pay a “living wage” of $12.50 per hour.

But… uh oh. Hypocrisy alert.

District government pays less than $12.50 per hour.

. . .

Council members went to great lengths to criticize Walmart's pay scale. They should have taken care of their own business first.

There's more at the link.  (The current legal minimum wage in D.C. is apparently $8.25 per hour.)

Yeah . . . when the mainstream media begin to pick holes in your hypocrisy, maybe it's time to try honesty instead?

Peter

The latest on the Trayvon Martin affair

Apart from the left-wing/progressive/black-activist 'lunatic fringe' attacks on George Zimmerman after he was acquitted on murder and manslaughter charges, there have been several other developments that have made me alternately nod in agreement and glower with fury.

First, Prof. Alan Dershowitz has rightly castigated Florida state prosecutor Angela Corey over her mind-bogglingly stupid claim that Zimmerman was a 'murderer' - after he'd been found not guilty.  He says Zimmerman has a case for defamation against her.  I'm sure he has, as has the man she fired for revealing to defense attorneys that she had withheld critical evidence from them.  I hope she gets sued for every cent she has, and then some.  To call this 'prosecutorial misconduct' is woefully inadequate.  In my opinion, it can only be described as felonious.  I hope there are criminal statutes that can be applied against her.  (She seems to have a history of this sort of behavior.)

Next, I've never been of one mind with Slate over its political and social opinions, but now and then it publishes an article that makes me think.  Two days ago William Saletan published a very balanced, thoughtful look at the Trayvon Martin case.  It began:

His death wasn’t about race, guns, or your pet issue. It was about misjudgment and overreaction—exactly what we’re doing now to the verdict.

There's more at the link.  Highly recommended reading.

Finally, Robert McCain points out that 'a Miami school cover-up policy led to Trayvon Martin's death'.  He'd been suspended from the school on two occasions for conduct that could be classified as misdemeanor or felony offenses, but the responsible police force had a policy of not bringing charges against schoolchildren, in order to reduce the statistics for juvenile offenses.  Because they didn't do so, Martin remained on the streets - where he met up with George Zimmerman one night.  He wouldn't have been there if Miami school police had done their job.

Plenty of food for thought there . . .

Peter

Print editions are up, too!

CreateSpace told me they'd take 5-7 business days to get my print edition pages up and running on Amazon and at their Web site, but they did it in 5-7 business hours!  Wish I'd known that earlier, but hey - at least it's up!  Take The Star Road now has e-book and print editions.  Ride The Rising Tide also has e-book and print editions.  I'll update the links (and the image links in the sidebar) as soon as Amazon gets the pages synched to each other, so that a single link will take you to a book's home page, with further links to both its editions there.

Again, if those of you with your own blogs or a social media presence would please spread the word about the availability of both books, in print and e-book format, I'll be very grateful.  Feel free to copy and paste the links above, if you don't want to make your own.  Thanks!

Peter

Book Two is up in e-book form - more to come

At last!  Book Two of the Maxwell Saga, 'Ride The Rising Tide', is up on Amazon in e-book format.  Click the link, or the thumbnail picture of the cover in the sidebar, to be taken to its product page.  Print editions of both books are currently being prepared by CreateSpace (I uploaded the final files and details this morning), and should be live by early next week.  I'll post details of them once that happens.

As for the first book, if my readers with blogs of their own will please be so kind as to let their readers know that Book 2 is available, I'll be very grateful to you.  Thanks in advance for spreading the word!

OK - now I've got to get on with Book 3.  No peace for the wicked, so they do tell me . . .

Peter

How a Sidewinder missile works (NOT!)

I don't think its designers ever envisaged something quite like this . . .

Peter

A Smart car - offroad???

I was amused to come across an advertisement where a Smart car was 'demonstrated' driving offroad.  Here it is, to set the scene before I continue.

Intrigued, I wondered whether anyone had actually tried to use the Smart car offroad.  Turns out lots of people have - YouTube has many videos about it.  Here's one from a Russian user.

That wasn't very successful, was it?  This gentleman had a better idea - he fitted tracks to his Smart car.  Just look at the difference they made!

So, I guess you can make the Smart car into at least a moderately usable offroad vehicle, given enough time, effort and money!  Whether that's a good idea or not is up to you, I guess . . .





Peter

Working hard on Book 2

If my eyes look square, with lines of text scrolling across them, don't worry - it's just overwork on Book 2 of the Maxwell Saga, and the print edition of Book 1.  I finalized the print version of Book 2 today, and will upload the Kindle version tomorrow.  The print version of Book 1 goes up within the next day or two, and I'll refresh the cover of the Kindle edition at the same time.  The estimated deadline to go live with everything is Monday 22nd July, but they may be up on Amazon prior to that date, if all goes well.  I then have to make sure that Amazon links the editions together, so that you can see both the Kindle and print editions of each book on the respective volumes' home pages.  That'll take a couple of days after everything's uploaded, I'm told.

No rest for me after it's all done - Book 3's second rewrite is only about 10% completed, and I have a long way to go with it.  That's due out in November or early December.  Prior to that, my prison chaplaincy memoir should be published in mid-September.  That's more than 90% complete, but I still have to figure out a cover for it, and work with Oleg to get that set up.

Miss D. has been a big help through all the formatting, editing, correcting and setting-up of the past few weeks.  I surely couldn't do all this without her!  I think I'm largely 'over the hump' as far as the learning curve goes with CreateSpace.  I might have to write a 'lessons learned' article about that, too!  There are all sorts of little things no-one tells you about, that you don't think about for yourself, but discover the hard way when they affect the appearance of the finished product.  Frustrating!

Watch this space over the next few days for the announcement when Book 2 goes live.  You'll see its cover appear in the sidebar as well, below the first volume.

Peter