Aviation Stuff

[deskslave]

So the Dreamliner. How's that working out?

 

[YankeeFan]

So the Dreamliner. How's that working out?

It's going to be fine, and will go one to be a groundbreaking, best selling plane.

 

[turski7]

Elon Musk continues to be my hero.

His latest? Not only has he built a rocket straight out of 1952 -- he put a cowboy on it.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/12/spacex-grasshopper-hover/

He was a little out of his league in Iron Man 2 though. Got a friend who works for SpaceX and the work they do is impressive. Got a quick tour of the facility as well. Very cool stuff.

 

[YankeeFan]

FAA grounds the 787.

 

[TigerVols]

Something tells me the Dreamliner's got some teething pains.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-dreamliner-investigation-20130122,0,1670747.story

 

[TigerVols]

I think I'll drive down to Holloman this weekend to see if I can spot these birds now that they've arrived home.

http://theaviationist.com/2013/01/25/coronet-raptors/#.URHSM1pxcsY

 

[Bamadog]

I guess you guys saw Iran's "stealth fighter" they displayed recently. What a crock!
http://theaviationist.com/2013/02/13/our-stealth-fighter-jet-is-not-a-mock-up-irans-defense-minister-says/#.UR0YSBwYckI

Picture shown of the new "fighter" flying over Iran revealed as a Photoshopped fake.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/irans-new-stealth-fighter-jet-caught-out-by-bloggers-in-faked-photoshop-image-blunder-8493530.html

Why this silly little airplane can't fly.
http://theaviationist.com/2013/02/04/iran-plane-cannot-fly/#.UR0YUxwYckI
If the prototype is powered by one J85, a tiny little turbojet (two power the F-5s used by the Iranian Air Force), it will be lucky to get off the grand on a warm day. And as small as it is, where do you put the weapons bays (every stealth aircraft has these), radar, FLIR and other goodies? The cockpit looked like it was built out of Burt Rutan's scrapyard. The downturned winglets are big-time hilarious. I bet that would lead to some serious yawing issues.
The whole thing reminds me of a Testor's "F-19" model kit I built when I was a kid.

 

[bigpern23]

I guess you guys saw Iran's "stealth fighter" they displayed recently. What a crock!
http://theaviationist.com/2013/02/13/our-stealth-fighter-jet-is-not-a-mock-up-irans-defense-minister-says/#.UR0YSBwYckI

Picture shown of the new "fighter" flying over Iran revealed as a Photoshopped fake.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/irans-new-stealth-fighter-jet-caught-out-by-bloggers-in-faked-photoshop-image-blunder-8493530.html

Why this silly little airplane can't fly.
http://theaviationist.com/2013/02/04/iran-plane-cannot-fly/#.UR0YUxwYckI
If the prototype is powered by one J85, a tiny little turbojet (two power the F-5s used by the Iranian Air Force), it will be lucky to get off the grand on a warm day. And as small as it is, where do you put the weapons bays (every stealth aircraft has these), radar, FLIR and other goodies? The cockpit looked like it was built out of Burt Rutan's scrapyard. The downturned winglets are big-time hilarious. I bet that would lead to some serious yawing issues.
The whole thing reminds me of a Testor's "F-19" model kit I built when I was a kid.

I loved that model jet.

 

[YankeeFan]

Neat article about Alaska Airlines from the NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/business/alaska-airlines-flying-above-an-industrys-troubles.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&pagewanted=all

 

[TigerVols]

I wonder if the Dreamliner really is safe to fly?

 

[deskslave]

Neat article about Alaska Airlines from the NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/business/alaska-airlines-flying-above-an-industrys-troubles.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&pagewanted=all

A month late, I realize, but you'd think that an article that focuses in part on the airline's obsession with timeliness and cost cutting would at least make a passing mention of how that obsession once helped kill 88 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Airlines_Flight_261

 

[OTD]

I wonder if the Dreamliner really is safe to fly?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tbd0mq8-iJE#!

I was talking to an aviation writer about the 787 before the battery deal surfaced. My concern was the composites used--I think I'd feel a little odd flying in a Dreamliner until they've got a few years' use on them.

 

[TigerVols]

From airplane porn, we move now to airport porn

http://youtu.be/xOVYWAm8pbI

 

[TigerVols]

Welp, that didn't last long,

“Strato-Goose”? Stratolaunch to Discontinue Operations After Single Flight.