Aviation Geeks unite?! Anybody else care about planes here?

[Marc]

Boeing's chief pilot on the 737 Max is likely looking at charges for misleading the FAA over safety issues with the aircraft.

https://www.thestar.com/business/th....html?li_source=LI&li_medium=thestar_business

Be interesting to see if Boeing stands by their man or he gets hung out to dry.

The max is also still grounded in China though the manufacturer is hoping for a return to service later this year though I wouldn't be surprised if there's an ulterior motive here.

Sometime in the next few months the comac 919 is due to enter service and it's a single isle narrow body with a seating capacity similar to the 737-max and delays with the American built aircraft could entice Chinese operators to switch to the home grown product.

 

[publiusr]

They're not the only ones with problems:

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2021/09...of-airspace-mishap-on-richard-branson-flight/

“The old adage, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, generally is a poor strategy in aviation.”

Interesting craft here
https://thefutureofthings.com/5443-seaphantom-supership/
https://wonderfulengineering.com/wa...f-35c-fighter-jet-mid-air-for-the-first-time/
https://wonderfulengineering.com/watch-new-evtol-test-flight-shows-how-close-we-are-to-flying-taxis/

Sea plane
https://interestingengineering.com/lockheed-martins-mc-130-seaplane-is-finally-in-the-works

On flying cars
https://interestingengineering.com/where-are-all-the-flying-cars
https://interestingengineering.com/...d-the-fastest-all-electric-plane-in-the-world

Wing-like homes
https://interestingengineering.com/architects-design-houses-with-3d-printed-steel-exoskeleton
https://interestingengineering.com/...wer-may-rise-in-the-heart-of-sunset-boulevard

Mars drone
https://wonderfulengineering.com/ch...-mars-one-that-will-travel-faster-than-sound/

 

[publiusr]

Shuttle pen
https://www.space.com/space-shuttle-enterprise-retro51-pen

New VTOL biz-jet
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/verticle-take-off-biz-jet.37997/

An old jet idea
http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=47338

CRANE

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B-52

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https://jalopnik.com/general-electric-wants-to-keep-americas-b-52s-in-the-ai-1844107214
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...surfaces-as-usaf-reviews-studies.22961/page-5
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/lf0gxy/went_to_the_start_of_the_american_hand_egg_game/

It will outlive all of us.

 

[MANT!]

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[publiusr]

Always loved Suntan…

 

[MANT!]

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[Marc]

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didn't realise the zero-zero seats when back that far. I can remember one being shown on an Australian technology show in the mid 80s but that might have been it was a new model from Martin-Baker rather than being the first of the zero-zero.

 

[Santaman]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_188
Strange one, but actually flew.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_188
Strange one, but actually flew.

I like the look of that

 

[publiusr]

The September 2021 issue of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets has an abstract on Skylon

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

The September 2021 issue of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets has an abstract on Skylon

Why do I keep thinking Thunderbirds every time I watch a video about that?

 

[Marc]

QANTAS is about to do it's longest ever non-stop flight.

A repatriation flight will go from the Buenos Aries in Argentina to Darwin in the Northern Territory (where there's a federal quarantine facility).

Non-stop, 17 hours, 14,683 kilometres via the south pole.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09...aires-to-darwin-repatriation-flight/100496976

Suspect they might get a big picky with how much luggage people can have. The range is of the A380 is 14.800km. That could be before you get into the reserves but still it's going to be pretty tight.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

That is interesting, hope they give a lot of coverage to this to see how it goes. 17 hours is long.

 

[XCV330]

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She never got to go to space, but she did fly.
Enterprise's first free flight

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

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She never got to go to space, but she did fly.
Enterprise's first free flight

That was amazing footage, thank you

 

[publiusr]

Buran video

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Some talk from TD Barnes about Area 51
https://thedebrief.org/area-51-engineer-reveals-the-secrets-behind-the-mysterious-base/

With recent declassifications, Barnes said he is finally able to talk about his work, including the rigorous selection process he and his fellow engineers underwent, a process he says eliminated 3 out of every 4 otherwise perfectly qualified candidates.

Ravens must like coffee

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[Malicia]

Started loading up my Concorde sim and practicing approach and landings so I can fly some routes again in a few weeks. I've saved EGVA to KIAH as a flight plan which is 4145nm and I'll be running on fumes when I land. Part of the enjoyment with Concorde is from managing the fuel transfers during each phase of flight.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

That poor drone....... He must really like coffee or just hate drones.

Hold on a moment since when did the Buran get into space?

 

[publiusr]

Nov. 15 1988.

I remember Dan Rather announcing it and a 3 second video.

Polyus was in place of Buran for Energia’s first launch…having SSME-like engines under the hydrogen tank like SLS. It had to gimbal hard to stay upright. Buran was launched, circled the planet and landed unmanned!

The fit and finish were not the best.

For Shuttle II, I would scale it up so that…like the analogue but unlike Buran itself…it would have jets. But good jets. Scale up the Energia system with the tankage made from the start to be used for wet workshops. Buran comes back from space a true, agile airplane. Not going to happen, I know.

But I can dream. I don’t mind wings like Musk does—it’s unwieldy tankage I hate

Maybe make all Starships tankers only. Spaceplane on one side, cargo on the other…perhaps sliding off Atlas ring style.
Starship comes home by itself. The spaceplane…like Enterprise D now relieved of its bulk has an easier time making it back.

Starship is simplified. After years of use… **then**cut holes for windows, chomper…whatever. Start with expendable upper stages for large payloads.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Isn't Buran the Russian space shuttle? I thought that thing never even got off the ground let alone into space.