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Sunday, March 23, 2014

New VTOL X-Plane Prototypes in the Works






The X-Plane revealed: US military concepts that can fly like a plane and hover like a helicopter
Four companies have been chosen to develop concepts
A winner is expected to be chosen in 2015 - with the first test flights scheduled for 2017
Will be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but land anywhere like a helicopter

By MARK PRIGG

The US Military has revealed plans for a radical new type of military aircraft - which can take off and land like a helicopter, but fly like a plane.

Called the VTOL X-Plane, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded four firms contracts to develop concept planes.

It is hoped they will begin flight tests in 2017, and be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but also land anywhere like a helicopter.

+4

Phantom Swift, built by Boeing, features two large lift fans ¿ inside the fuselage ¿ that provide efficient vertical lift. Once the aircraft transitions to cruise mode, the fans are covered. It also features smaller ducted fans on the wingtips that provide forward thrust, and provide additional lift and control in hover.




WHAT CAN THEY DO?



Although final specification shave not been decided, Darpa says the concepts will:

Achieve a top sustained flight speed of 300 kt-400 kt

Raise aircraft hover efficiency from 60 percent to at least 75 percent

Present a more favorable cruise lift-to-drag ratio of at least 10, up from 5-6

Carry a useful load of at least 40 percent of the vehicle’s projected gross weight of 10,000-12,000 pounds

'For generations, new designs for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft have remained unable to increase top speed without sacrificing range, efficiency or the ability to do useful work,' the agency said.

'DARPA’s VTOL Experimental Plane (VTOL X-Plane) program seeks to overcome these challenges through innovative cross-pollination between the fixed-wing and rotary-wing worlds, to enable radical improvements in vertical and cruise flight capabilities.'

Darpa has awarded prime contracts for Phase 1 of VTOL X-Plane to four companies: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, The Boeing Company Karem Aircraft, and the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.

'We were looking for different approaches to solve this extremely challenging problem, and we got them,' said Ashish Bagai, DARPA program manager.



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'The proposals we’ve chosen aim to create new technologies and incorporate existing ones that VTOL designs so far have not succeeded in developing.


'We’re eager to see if the performers can integrate their ideas into designs that could potentially achieve the performance goals we’ve set.'

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Karem Aircraft's VTOL X-Plane Concept was also selected to progress to the next stage.




The next major milestone for VTOL X-Plane is scheduled for late 2015, when the four performers are required to submit preliminary designs. At that point, DARPA plans to review the designs to decide which to build as a technology demonstrator, with the goal of performing flight tests in the 2017-18 timeframe.


'Proving these capabilities in a single aircraft has been the holy grail for tactical military aviation," said Dan Newman, Boeing Phantom Works Advanced Vertical Lift capture team lead.


It's Phantom Swift was one of the four designs chosen.

'We're confident that Phantom Swift could be the solution.'

+4

The Sikorsky VTOL X-Plane Concept which integrates ¿fixed wing aerodynamics and advanced rotor control to provide a low complexity configuration capable of meeting the challenging DARPA program goals.' The company expects it will first fly in the fourth quarter of 201.





Through a $17 million agreement with DARPA's Tactical Technology Office, Boeing intends to continue developing its technology for an aircraft that takes off and lands vertically, hovers and efficiently flies at speeds up to 400 knots.

'Designing an aircraft to perform a vertical takeoff, while maintaining adequate low-speed control, is challenging.


'Sustaining efficient hover is also difficult, and adding a high cruising speed is even more challenging,' Newman added.

After a 22-month effort involving several competitors, Darpa plans to select a model for fabrication and flight demonstration.





+4

DARPA has awarded prime contracts for Phase 1 of VTOL X-Plane to four companies: Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing, Karem Aircraft and Sikorsky. Three of the four¿Boeing (top), Karem Aircraft (middle) and Sikorsky (bottom)



Phantom Swift features two large lift fans – inside the fuselage – that provide efficient vertical lift. Once the aircraft transitions to cruise mode, the fans are covered.


It also features smaller ducted fans on the wingtips that provide forward thrust, and provide additional lift and control in hover.

Last year, Phantom Works used rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3-dimensional printing, to quickly design, build and fly a scaled-down Phantom Swift.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2586576/The-X-Plane-revealed-UU-military-concepts-fly-like-plane-hover-like-helicopter.html#ixzz2wl4E1Io0

Thursday, March 20, 2014

① LMA RAF COSFORD RC MODEL AIRCRAFT SHOW - 2013 FLIGHTLINE COMPILATION (...

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Bob Hoover -- Engine-out Aerobatics!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Delta Plane Loses Wing Panel During Flight



Delta Plane Loses Wing Panel During Flight


A panel on one of the wings on a Delta aircraft fell off during a flight from Orlando, Fla., to Atlanta, Ga., on Sunday, according to the airline.

The detached panel did not impact the aircraft's ability to fly or land, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said of Flight 2412.


"The crew, knowing that, followed procedure by declaring an emergency to air traffic control as they were landing, which gave them priority clearance to land and alerted ground crews," Black said.

The aircraft landed uneventfully at 7:30 p.m. Sunday and taxied to the gate. None of the 179 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight was injured.

The airline is inspecting the plane to determine why the panel came off.


First published March 16th 2014, 11:50 pm


© 2014 NBCNews.com

Friday, March 14, 2014

Hacker Claims Airplanes Vulnerable at 30,000 Feet


Hacker Claims Airplanes Vulnerable at 30,000 Feet
Text Size Published: Monday, 3 Jun 2013 | 1:05 PM ET
By: Scott Cohn | CNBC Senior Correspondent


Hacking the Skies?Monday, 3 Jun 2013 | 1:31 PM ET
Computer security specialist Brad "Renderman" Haines says he has proof a plane can be hacked mid flight, reports CNBC's Scott Cohn.


Cyber hackers have already shown what damage they can do, but this may be the scariest hacking story yet, if it came true.

What if they could hack into the air traffic control system? It's frightening to imagine, you're at 30-thousand feet and suddenly your pilot is flying blind or taking evasive action to avoid another plane.

Brad "Renderman" Haines, who works in IT support for a small company in Canada by day and is a hacker by night, told CNBC that he has proof that the air traffic control system can be hacked.

(Read More: Cyber Threats Escalate as Banks Go Paperless)

The Federal Aviation Administration's next generation air traffic control system, which, when it's fully in place by the end of this decade, is supposed to make flying "more convenient and dependable."

According to Haines, what it really does is make the whole system vulnerable to hackers because the system uses GPS (Global Positioning System) data instead of just radar.

"No good is gonna come of this," he added.

The problem with this is that the signals they are using are unencrypted and unauthenticated. And because it's unauthenticated, you can't prove that this actually came from the real plane.

In theory, that means a hacker could wreak havoc on the system by generating flights that don't exist.

"You could theoretically ground everybody," Haines said.

Haines and a fellow hacker put data that would be used in the FAA system, known as NextGen, into a flight simulator to show what could happen if the system is hacked.

"We were able to create a flight…we were able to take off from SFO [San Francisco] circle back over the bay, come back and buzz the tower," Haines explained.

The consequence of putting a ghost flight on the air traffic controller's panel could be disastrous.

"If I suddenly injected 50 extra flights onto their radar screen that they hadn't expected, they're going to be panicking trying to figure out what's going on," he said.

(Read More: Hacker Claims He Can Hijack Any Airplane Using a Mobile App)


Helen H. Richardson | Denver Post | Getty Images
Inside Denver's TRACON or Terminal Radar Approach Control center at DIA.


University of Texas professor Todd Humphreys is an expert on navigation systems, and thinks Haines is onto something.

"It ought to be obvious to the FAA. This is an obvious problem. This is something that's using antiquated technology from the 1980s," said Humphreys.

(Read More: CNBC's Ongoing Coverage of the Cyber Threat)

Haines said he brought his evidence to the FAA, but claimed they ignored him.

CNBC reached out to the FAA about his claims, and a spokesman said the agency has a thorough process in place to identify and mitigate risks in the system...the process is ongoing...and there are backups to ensure safe operations.

In the statement, the FAA declined to say what risks it has identified, saying that information is "security sensitive."

—By CNBC's Scott Cohn; Follow him on Twitter @ScottCohnCNBC


Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis

© 2014 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved.




Thursday, March 06, 2014

Redondo Beach man continues quest to build perfect Pan Am Boeing 747 model


Redondo Beach man continues quest to build perfect Pan Am Boeing 747 model
Redondo Beach resident Anthony Toth has built a replica of a Pan Am 747 in a City of Industry warehouse. Initially he had a smaller version of this in his garage, but he outgrew the space. After collecting parts, supplies and memorabillia for over 20 years Anthony has replicated the interior first class cabin, clipper cabin and upper lounge of a Pan Am 747. File photo. Jan. 12, 2013. (Stephen Carr / Staff Photographer)


By Brian Sumers, Daily Breeze


POSTED: 02/24/14, 8:25 PM PST |
Anthony Toth's replica of the Pan Am 747 cockpit. (Submitted photo)

It was a year ago, and Redondo Beach resident Anthony Toth was seemingly putting the finishing touches on his life’s dream.
He had rented a warehouse in the City of Industry, hired a contractor, spent more than $100,000 of his savings and built an exact replica of a large chunk of a Pan American World Airways Boeing 747.
Yes, a 747. The man dreams big.

From the outside, it didn’t look like much. But inside, it was perfect. In addition to an upper deck lounge with tables and yellow and orange chairs, Toth had a first-class section, complete with 18 seats, along with 26 powder blue seats in what the airline called Clipper Class, a premium economy-class section. And Toth had all the soft goods — the branded napkins, the drink stirrers, the headphones, the glassware — to go with it.

Twenty-five years ago, a few years before Pan Am folded, Toth had made nightly trips to an airline warehouse filled with the stuff, loading his Honda Civic with forgotten Pan Am-branded loot in the hope that he would someday re-create his favorite airplane.

Now he had achieved it. Former Pan Am flight attendants would marvel at his attention to detail. Sometimes, a few would come by and serve dinner to Toth and guests. The cabin was so familiar they knew what to do, remembering exactly how they served from the carts.

“It was just like the old days,” a former Pan Am flight attendant said after one dinner party.

Some people might have stopped there. They might have said that $100,000 was enough. They might have simply basked in the attention that comes with building a model of such impressive proportions. (Just about every television station in Los Angeles did a story on him last year.)

Not Toth.

Since he was last profiled a year ago by the Los Angeles News Group, Toth has been a busy man. He spent $6,000 on a cockpit, then took a week off work and spent another several thousand dollars hiring crews to transport and install it. While continuing to work as an executive at United Airlines, Toth also started renting out his aircraft interior for photo, film and television shoots.

The highlight of the past year? It might have been a one-week shoot by Playboy. There were a dozen naked women hanging out on board for seven days. “It was a shocking week for me,” he said.

Or it might have been a call from the AMC television show, “Mad Men.” He’s not allowed to say much about what he provided the show — that could give away a plot point for the notoriously secret program — but he was asked to provide specific props from a certain time period.

Whatever he gave “Mad Men” would have to be accurate. No corners could be cut.

“They want everything to be validated,” Toth said. “They are true to their craft. They re-create vintage aviation in the way I want it to be recreated.”

Toth now partners with Air Hollywood, a Pacoima company devoted to providing aviation props and sets to movie and television studios. He is considering moving his plane to the Air Hollywood headquarters, a switch that, while logistically difficult, would solve two main problems. For one, it could resolve tension at his city of Industry warehouse, where his neighbors sometimes seem puzzled about the catering trucks and other trailers that set up in the parking lot. For another, it would give him enough room to build a full 747 — nose to tail.

“If I want to play in this space,” he said, “I’m going to need a bigger airplane.”

In the past year, he has also had better luck renting out his ample collection of flight attendant uniforms. They include duds from a bunch of carriers, including Eastern Airlines, TWA, Braniff, Pan Am and British Airways. Renting uniforms is good for Toth’s bottom line, as acquisition costs are considerable.

A Pan Am uniform hat? That runs $700 to $800, he says. A Pan Am uniform? Toth says he recently bought two — for $1,000 apiece.

The uniforms are particularly tough to find. Pan Am was a special job for most of the flight attendants who worked there in the 1960s and ’70s.

“These are women in their 60s and 70s,” he said. “They don’t want to let go of them.”



Friday, February 28, 2014

Delta Airlines Concorde - What could have been

How Concorde would have looked in vintage Delta livery.

In an alternate Universe maybe it could have been.

Friday, February 21, 2014

UPS pilots complained of fatigue before fatal crash




UPS pilots complained of fatigue before fatal crash
By Mike Ahlers, CNN
updated 4:58 PM EST, Thu February 20, 2014

A UPS cargo plane crashed just short of the Birmingham, Alabama, airport last August, killing both pilots.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Two pilots talked about rest; transcript of cockpit conversation released at safety hearing
Pilot fatigue one of the hottest issues in commercial aviation; cargo pilots want one rest standard for all
The National Transportation Safety Board did not find any mechanical problems with Airbus jet
Plane crashed in August just short of runway in Alabama; both pilots killed


(CNN) -- Before boarding the last flight of his life, UPS cargo pilot Capt. Cerea Beal Jr. confided to a colleague: "These schedules over the past several years are killing me."

Just before takeoff, his co-pilot also expressed concern about fatigue.

In a conversation captured by the cockpit voice recorder, First Officer Shanda Fanning told Beal that she had just gotten a "good sleep," but she was still "so tired."

Both Beal, 58, and Fanning, 37, died last August when their plane, an Airbus A300, crashed just short of the Birmingham, Alabama, airport just before dawn.

Details of the conversations were revealed Thursday during a National Transportation Safety Board public hearing.

The board released documents around its investigation and heard testimony from UPS officials, pilots, and other experts.

Until Thursday, the issue of fatigue had received little attention in the UPS accident.

But with the release of the cockpit transcript and interview records, the crash of UPS flight 1354 is now part of one of the hottest debates in commercial aviation: pilot rest.

'One level of safety'

In January, the Federal Aviation Administration enacted new rest rules for all airline pilots. But the rule excludes cargo crew.

Cargo pilots say the FAA should have "one level of safety" for all pilots -- a sentiment expressed in the doomed cockpit -- and say government and industry should place the same value to cargo pilot's life that they give to airline pilot and passenger lives.

Cargo pilots have special rest needs, they say, because they typically fly "on the back side of the clock" -- at night -- which raises havoc with sleep rhythms and contributes to fatigue.

UPS argues that it gives pilots ample opportunity to sleep, that it has a non-punitive system for pilots who say they are too tired to fly, and that work hours have been largely negotiated with the pilots' union.

Finally, they stress that pilots share responsibility that they get adequate rest and are fit to fly.

Cockpit conversations

Even though the NTSB is months away from determining the probable cause of the accident, the rest issue erupted in full Thursday.

It was raised, in this case, by the ill-fated pilots themselves, their haunting words captured on the cockpit voice recorder.

As the plane cruised toward Birmingham, Beal noted the two-person crew would have two extra hours off-the-clock on the ground, and pointed out their rest period during a previous leg was cut short by a 30-minute ride to the hotel.

"This is where, ah, the passenger side (passenger airline pilots) ... they're gonna make out," he said.

"I mean I don't get that. You know, it should be one level of safety for everybody," he said.

Fanning agreed.

"It should be across the board to be honest. In my opinion, whether you are flying passengers or cargo or, you know, box of chocolates at night, if you're flying this time of day..." she said.

"The, you know, fatigue is definitely," she added, her voice becoming unintelligible.

"I was out and slept today. I slept in Rockford. I slept good," she said. "And I was out in that sleep room and when my alarm went off, I mean, I'm thinkin' 'I'm so tired,'" she said.

"I know," Beal responded, saying cargo companies "got a lot of nerve."

'They told us'

The union representing the 2,600 pilots who fly for UPS took note of the cockpit conversation.

"Pilots rarely get to speak for themselves from beyond the grave in these cases," said Brian Gaudet, a spokesman for the Independent Pilots Association.

"I'm going to take their word at face value. They told us what was going on at the beginning of that flight," he said.

UPS said its rules are within FAA requirements, and that it had a FAA-mandated fatigue risk management program.

A typical UPS pilot is on duty 70 hours a month, and flies less than half of that time.

UPS said both crew members were coming off extended time off. The captain had been off for eight days before beginning his final trip, and the first officer had flown just two of the previous 10 days.

Beal had flown 41 hours in the previous 30 days; Fanning had flown 31.

UPS representative Capt. Jon Snyder said that "a majority" of the company's flights occur at night, so the company can keep its commitment to deliver packages by 10 a.m.

"That's the nature of the business," he said.

Last year, he said, pilots flew 123,000 flights, and on 138 occasions called in to report they were too tired to fly.

In 96 cases, the company determined that the pilot was within his or her rights, and in 42 cases it deducted days from their sick days after concluding the pilots could have managed their rest periods better.

IPA representative Lauri Esposito said pilots are reluctant to call in tired.

"Members view it (the company's response) as being punitive; they get dinged for it."

At the hearing, experts testified Beal and Fanning missed numerous cues that the plane was descending too rapidly.

NTSB investigator in charge Dan Bower said he has found no indication that the plane had mechanical problems.

Democratic legislation proposed last year in the Senate proposes to align rest rules for cargo pilots with those of their passenger airline counterparts..


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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Hard Crosswind Landing

Friday, January 10, 2014

New amphibian born of frustration


AOPA: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
It is no accident that the new amphibian design envisioned by John Meekins and refined and engineered by the late Bill Husa bears more than a passing resemblance to the North American F-82 Twin Mustang. Meekins, a longtime pilot whose infatuation with aviation dates to his childhood, was searching for an amphibian about a decade ago that was fast, stable in the water, and able to carry his family. He tried a few, but none fit the bill. ^BW

New amphibian born of frustration
aopa.org
Many pilots have been frustrated in their search for an aircraft that perfectly suits their particular mission. Very few do what John Meekins did: start from scratch.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

One dead as small jet crashes on runway at Aspen airport


One dead as small jet crashes on runway at Aspen airport


Leigh Vogel / The Aspen Times via AP


Emergency crews work near a passenger plane that crashed upon landing at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday.
By Erik Ortiz and Jay Blackman, NBC News

At least one person died when a small jet crashed Sunday afternoon at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport in tony Aspen, Colo. — and at least two celebrities witnessed the fireball.

The aircraft burst into flames upon landing after 12:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. ET), according to witnesses. Among those who said they were at the airport at the time of the accident were singer LeAnn Rimes and comedian Kevin Nealon.

“Horrible plane crash here at Aspen airport,” Nealon tweeted. “Exploded into flames as it was landing. I think it was a private jet.”


Gretchen Hawkesby (@starshipfriends) / Twitter


Emergency crews respond to a small jet crash at an airport in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday.

“So sad! Horrible plane crash we just saw happen at the Aspen airport,” Rimes tweeted.


The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said that three people were on board. One passenger died and two others were taken to Aspen Valley Hospital, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said. By late afternoon, one patient was in fair condition, while the other was in critical condition.

Pictures from the scene uploaded to social media show the plane upside down as firefighters douse the aircraft with water.

The plane, a twin-engine Bombardier Challenger 600, had made a stop in Tucson, Ariz., after departing from Toluca in southern Mexico.

The airport was closed following the accident, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending two investigators to the scene.

Public records show the plane is registered to a Bank of Utah trustee. A bank spokesman told NBC News they would have “facilitated the sale” to a buyer, but couldn't immediately confirm who owned the aircraft.

The weather at the airport was overcast, and winds were 10-20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

64comments


© 2014 NBCNews.com

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Flaris Personal Jets Take Off




1 / 2






Flaris Personal Jets Take Off
Mary Grady
JULY 29, 2013


Flaris, a new aviation company based in Poland, made an unexpected appearance at the Paris Air Show in June with its prototype of a single-engine personal jet, the LAR01. The all-composite design allows for sweeping lines, with a sharp nose, a cabin that seats four, and long, narrow wings for aerodynamic efficiency. The small jet is the first aviation project from Metal-Master, a family-owned company that produces assembly-line equipment for European auto manufacturers. The company teamed with several local technology institutes as well as the designer Andrzej Frydrychewicz—who created the classic Wilga, Kruk, and Orlik airplanes—to bring the jet to completion.

The compact aircraft will take off from grass strips as short as 820 feet, the company says, and it will fly for up to 1,500 miles at speeds of up to 435 mph. The design also includes a ballistic parachute packed in the nose as an emergency-recovery option. The jet engine is produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada, and the cockpit is equipped with an avionics suite by Garmin. First flight for the aircraft is expected late this year, with deliveries to start in 2015. Sales will start next year at a price of about $1.5 million. (www.flaris.pl)
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Sunday, December 08, 2013

Unmasked: Area 51's Biggest, Stealthiest Spy Drone Yet




Unmasked: Area 51's Biggest, Stealthiest Spy Drone Yet
Posted By Zach Rosenberg  Friday, December 6, 2013 - 9:53 AM   Share


The drone that spied on bin Laden and on Iran's nukes was just the start. Meet its bigger, higher-flying, stealthier cousin, the Northrop Grumman RQ-180. It's probably been flying for a few years now, but you weren't supposed to know that; the existence of this secret project, based out of Area 51, was revealed Friday by Aviation Week.

The existence of the RQ-180 has been long rumored. Cryptic public statements by U.S. Air Force officials indicated a secret high-altitude reconnaissance drone, and Northrop officials frequently reference the broad strokes of the program. For that matter, it is likely not the only classified unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV. Other companies, including Lockheed and Boeing, also have a stable of smaller secretaircraft.

The RQ-180 is likely flying from the secret Air Force test facility at Groom Lake, Nevada, widely known as Area 51. Its exact specifications, including such crucial details as the number of engines, is unknown, but Aviation Week suggests a wingspan of over 130 feet, based on hangar construction at Northrop's Palmdale, California facility. The number of aircraft built is also unknown; however, a flight test program, relatively quick entry into service and open budget documents suggest a small fleet are flying routinely.

One such aircraft is Lockheed's RQ-170, first shown to the world in grainy pictures from Kandahar air base, Afghanistan, but only officially acknowledged after one crashed almost-intact in Iran. The RQ-170 was (and maybe still is) tasked by the CIA to spy on Iran's contentious nuclear program. The drone was reportedly used to spy on Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan before and during the raid that killed him. RQ-170 has also been reported in South Korea, possibly to look at North Korea's nuclear program. RQ-170 was impressive, but limited: it showed only some stealth characteristics, and was widely believed to be slightly outdated by the time it was discovered. The larger and stealthier RQ-180 would be able to fly higher, longer, allowing the CIA to watch the same targets for days at a time, and -- just maybe -- spy on more sophisticated countries.

The RQ-180 is based off the X-47B, a much smaller experimental aircraft that became the first drone to takeoff and land from an aircraft carrier. Where the smaller X-47B lacks range and stealth, RQ-180 evidently delivers. Though RQ-180 is far too large for an aircraft carrier, it may have the same air-to-air refueling capabilities as the X-47B, allowing it to stay in the air virtually indefinitely. It may also have attack capabilities: X-47B has bomb bays, which have thus far gone unused, and indeed Aviation Week suggests it is used for electronic attack and carries sophisticated sensors.

The aircraft's performance is said to be similar to Northrop's white-world entry, the RQ-4 Global Hawk, which can fly for days and cover thousands of miles. Hopefully the RQ-180 performs better; Global Hawk has received mixed marks on its evaluations, and the aircraft it was meant to replace, the venerable Lockheed U-2, will continue to fly for decades to come.

White-world reconnaissance capabilities, such as the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and a plethora of modified Beechcraft King Airs, are incapable of stealth and can easily be tracked on radar. Though few doubt stealthier capabilities, the Air Force has been closemouthed on its stealthy intelligence aircraft.

The Nevada desert has a long history of supporting whole squadrons of classified aircraft, including the famed Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 stealth fighter and the RQ-170. Often upon becoming public the aircraft are transferred to other facilities, usually the slightly-less-classified Tonopah Test Range airport. The wheels of declassification turn slowly, so as with RQ-170, details of the RQ-180 will likely remain opaque for years to come.


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Thursday, November 28, 2013

ANALYSIS: How the Gulf carriers are reshaping airliner design


ANALYSIS: How the Gulf carriers are reshaping airliner design

11:00 25 Nov 2013
Source:


It should be no surprise that the Gulf’s mega-carriers – and ­Emirates in particular – played such a huge role in the launch of ­Boeing’s 777X family at November’s Dubai air show.

The region’s carriers have of course been at the forefront of the launches of the last couple of large all-new widebodies. Emirates was the launch customer for the A380 and Qatar Airways for the A350 and, lo, they’re all there at the birth of Boeing’s new big twin.

Lufthansa was the first to announce a commitment for the 777X back in September, but the reality is that it is Emirates – ably assisted by Qatar ­Airways and Etihad – in the driving seat on the 777X.

The clout that the Gulf carriers now yield in “spec-ing” their new toys must frustrate the hell out of some of the legacy players. Their exacting requirements for all-year round very long-range performance from their Arabian hubs creates an aircraft with more capability than most European and US airlines require. Capability, in terms of additional weight and engine power, that these other airlines then find themselves burdened with.

And to rub salt into the wound, the design influence the Gulf carriers now have ensures that these airliners come with the performance that allows them to serve almost anywhere from the Gulf, thereby providing the ultimate competitive advantage over their old-school rivals.

But recent history shows the Gulf carriers don’t always have it their own way. Take Airbus’s 2011 redesign of the A350-1000 – which all three Gulf carriers have ordered. The revamp, which centred around more thrust and weight, went down like a lead balloon in Dubai and Doha. Emirates Airline president Tim Clark was frustrated by the fact that Airbus had implemented the revisions without dialogue. Qatar ­Airways boss Akbar Al Baker was even more candid, threatening to ­cancel his launch order and saying “Airbus is not listening to us”.

Airbus tactfully avoided any public row with its customers, but quietly explained that the changes would ensure the -1000 appealed to the world market. Its decision seems to have been vindicated, given the ­subsequent sales success that the revamped variant has enjoyed.

Perhaps that reticence to “listen” to its Gulf customers on the -1000 can be explained by unhappy memories of the A340-600. Egged on by Clark, ­Airbus developed a high gross weight version of the big quad-jet, only to have Emirates later cancel its order in favour of the 777-300ER instead.

There’s no doubting that Boeing has been fully engaged with all its ­clients on the 777X. Clark has made no secret of his involvement with the 777X’s development – he first ­mentioned an improved 777 variant to Flightglobal at the 2007 Dubai show, when Emirates unveiled a huge order for A350s. “It does not address the retirement of our 777-300ERs post-2016 and we continue to press Boeing for a replacement for those aircraft, despite the A350 order,” he said.

Clark is like a modern day Juan Trippe, the Pan Am founder who steered the development of the original Jumbo Jet with the famous line that if Boeing built it, Pan Am would buy it. The intriguing dynamic in Dubai was the revelation that Clark was acting not just for Emirates, but also on behalf of Gulf rival Qatar Airways.

The Doha-based airline allowed Emirates to represent its interests in 777X technical talks, and their orders were announced at a joint press conference where the usuually outspoken chief Akbar Al Baker shared the stage with Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

“[Al Baker] was satisfied that, if it was good for us, it would be good for him,” says Clark.

The ­relationship between manufacturer and customer that created the 747 ­arguably produced greater ­benefits for other carriers than it ever achieved for Pan Am.

Half a century on, that will not be repeated with the 777X.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

United States Sends B-52s Over China Air Defense Zone





Posted in: Asia Posted: November 26, 2013
United States Sends B-52s Over China Air Defense Zone




The United States sent two B-52 bombers over China’s Air Defense Zone, without notifying Beijing.


United States officials said on Tuesday, the two bombers went into a disputed area over the East China Sea challenging the country’s wish to expand its air zone.




Both countries have been at odds over China’s intentions and today’s actions are a clear indicator Washington will show Beijing that it will push back at Chinese attempts to claim the area.

The move by the United States also emphasizes the country’s strong relationship with Japan.

Americans are participating in military exercises this week and together with Japan they will challenge China to the vast portion of Ocean.

The United States and Japan have a long standing relationship dating back to after World War II and are giving China’s attempts at claiming that part of the sea a direct challenge.

On Tuesday, the United States flew the two Air Force bombers in direct defiance of Beijing’s express wishes that they be informed about such occurrence.

A United States defense official, who spoke to USA Today on condition of anonymity, says the B-52s took off from the island of Guam as part of a planned exercise.

China has claimed almost 1 million square miles off the East China Sea and says those waters belong the them, even though they reach as far as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

The Chinese government says all the natural resources including energy and sea life are their property. The United States disputes the claim.

China said it had designated much of the sea as an air defense zone under its control, arguing it would help “guard against potential air threats.”

“Last night we conducted a training exercise that was long-planned. It involved two aircraft flying from Guam and returning to Guam,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters on Tuesday.

The two aircraft spent “less than an hour” in China’s unilaterally-declared Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) and did not encounter Chinese planes, he said.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the B-52s incursion into the unilaterally claimed Chinese zone.

The United States State Department said on Tuesday the step appeared to be an attempt to “unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea.”

Pentagon officials said the United States views the area as international air space and American military aircraft would operate in the zone as it used to, without submitting flight plans to China in advance.



Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1044079/united-states-sends-b-52s-over-china-air-defense-zone/#1V6iB0A2jPmxkPZ8.99

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Tour the Boeing 737 Flight Simulator Built in a Garage

Watch The Maiden Flight Of An 18-Propeller Copter










Watch The Maiden Flight Of An 18-Propeller Copter


Francie Diep Posted 11.25.2013 at 3:10 pm


This helicopter-with-antlers is a test vehicle, made by the German company e-volo. It's battery-powered and emissions-free, according to the company. This is the first time it has flown.

The e-volo folks call the craft a volocopter. It works on the same principles as the quadcopter drones we've seen, except it's much, much larger. That cockpit there has seats for two people.

In an indoor test November 17, the company says it flew the volocopter—by remote control, without any passengers—nine times for a total airtime of 20 minutes.

The company plans eventually to produce and sell volocopters. Engineers are aiming for a craft that has a cruising speed of at least 54 knots, is able to fly up to 6,500 feet, can carry up to 992 pounds (450 kilograms), and flies for at least an hour. Those in Germany with a private pilot license should be able to fly it.


Copyright © 2013 Popular Science. A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Saturday, November 23, 2013

Catapult-launched, tactical bat drone wages electronic war




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Catapult-launched, tactical bat drone wages electronic war
22 NOVEMBER 13 by ALLEN MCDUFFEE





Northrop Grumman


Small, tactical drones may have a new role in military strikes after Northrop Grumman's catapult-launched Bat demonstrated an electronic attack capability for the first time in new tests.

With its 12-foot wingspan, the low-flying Bat, which maxes out at 70 miles per hour, was able to jam radar during tests. That means the Pentagon will soon have the option of deploying a flexible, largely undetectable drone with radar-jamming capability to protect manned aircraft against radar and surface-to-air missile guidance systems.

Bat continues to demonstrate capabilities that can normally only be achieved by larger, more expensive unmanned aircraft," said George Vardoulakis, Northrop Grumman's vice president of Medium Range Tactical Systems, in a statement. "Our customers now have a more mobile and affordable option for electronic warfare missions."

The tests, involving other unmanned and fixed-wing aircraft, took place last month at the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One Weapons and Tactics Instructor event at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, according to Northrop Grumman.

While the Bat has been in operation for some time, it has remained a surveillance vehicle until now. Northrop integrated its Pandora electronic attack payload -- a lightweight, low-cost derivative of the company's family of APR-39 systems -- on the Bat in less than two months.

According to Northrop, the Bat was a good candidate because of its price point, larger payload volume given its size and its ability to accept different-size fuel tanks and sensor payloads.


Bat is a runway-independent and fully autonomous vehicle that launches from a hydraulic rail launcher at sea or land and recovers into a portable net system, as seen in this video of earlier tests:
Bat Unmanned Aircraft System (BAT UAS) 12 First FlightNorthrop Grumman

This story first appeared on Wired.com.




Wednesday, October 23, 2013

China Developing Super Electromagnet Pulse Bomb To Use In War Against U.S. (Photos)



China Developing Super Electromagnet Pulse Bomb To Use In War Against U.S. (Photos)
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Declassified Intellegence Report Details China's Plans For War Against U.S (US government)

Alexander HigginsJersey City Civil Rights Examiner
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Once only a futuristic envision, China is developing a Super EMP bomb like the one in this Future Weapons Series report. (Future Weapons)
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July 24, 2011



China is gearing up for war against the United States and their top weapon is a super electromagnetic pulse bomb that can blanket the U.S. and send America back to the dark ages in less than one second.

Past reports from Chinese military websites and Asian newspapers have outlined a several attacks that China could launch to win a war against the more technologically and militarily advanced United States.

These strategical attacks, as a MITRE research report reveals, are part of an arsenal known as shashoujian or the assassin's mace.


Demystifying Shashoujian: China's 'Assassin's Mace' Concept

Interestingly, very few modern definitions of shashoujian can be documented. The most comprehensive Chinese military statement about shashoujian―that resembles a formal definition―comes from a PLA Air Force (PLAAF) officer, Senior Colonel Yang Zhibo, who, in 2002, served as a deputy researcher at the PLAAF Command College in the Office for Planning and Management Research. According to Yang, shashoujian can be “weapon systems and equipment” and/or a certain type of “combat method.” In a Kongjun Bao article, he wrote:


Basically, it is whatever the PLA needs to win future local wars under modern high-tech conditions. It includes two aspects: (1) weapon systems and equipment (e.g., hardware); and (2) every type of combat method (e.g., software). Weapons and equipment are the systems needed to deal with the enemy’s electronic warfare and information warfare, and to counter every type of weapon and equipment the enemy can use for firepower attack. [Shashoujian] [c]ombat methods include attacking different types of weapons, such as early warning aircraft, stealth aircraft, and cruise missiles, as well as the combat principles to deal with different situations.

To build a shashoujian, China must first complete a development program. It is a difficult, systematic process and not just one or two advanced weapons. It is something that all the services will use. It is an all-army, all-location, composite land, sea, and air system. It must also be a Chinese program that can use advanced foreign technology, but should not be purchased as a full system from abroad. One reason for not purchasing it from abroad is that these types of technology and tactics are common knowledge to everyone else, including the enemy. Second, other countries may not want to give China those types of technology and tactics, which are secret. Third, during wartime, political and foreign affairs (diplomacy) could possibly cut the flow of technology off from China In developing new combat methods research, combat methods constitute the full development of weapons and equipment technical and tactical capabilities, and the effective methods of raising combat effectiveness. The development of weapons, equipment, combat methods, and training must go hand-in-hand for them to be effective.

Source: MITRE

Military strategists have long predicted that the top attack in China's assassin's mace arsenal would be an Electromagnetic pulse bomb.

Watch: Future Weapons Series Report On The Threat Of Aa EMP

Now declassified defense intelligence reports reveals is already building the EMP super bomb according to a two page Washington Times report.


Report: China building electromagnetic pulse weapons for use against U.S. carriers

China's military is developing electromagnetic pulse weapons that Beijing plans to use against U.S. aircraft carriers in any future conflict over Taiwan, according to an intelligence report made public on Thursday.

Portions of a National Ground Intelligence Center study on the lethal effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons revealed that the arms are part of China’s so-called “assassin’s mace” arsenal - weapons that allow a technologically inferior China to defeat U.S. military forces.

EMP weapons mimic the gamma-ray pulse caused by a nuclear blast that knocks out all electronics, including computers and automobiles, over wide areas. The phenomenon was discovered in 1962 after an above ground nuclear test in the Pacific disabled electronics in Hawaii.

The declassified intelligence report, obtained by the private National Security Archive, provides details on China’s EMP weapons and plans for their use. Annual Pentagon reports on China's military in the past made only passing references to the arms.

“For use against Taiwan, China could detonate at a much lower altitude (30 to 40 kilometers) … to confine the EMP effects to Taiwan and its immediate vicinity and minimize damage to electronics on the mainland,” the report said.

The report, produced in 2005 and once labeled “secret,” stated that Chinese military writings have discussed building low-yield EMP warheads, but “it is not known whether [the Chinese] have actually done so.”

The report said that in addition to EMP weapons, “any low-yield strategic nuclear warhead (or tactical nuclear warheads) could be used with similar effects.”

“The DF-21 medium-range ballistic missile has been mentioned as a platform for the EMP attack against Taiwan,” the report said.

According to the report, China’s electronic weapons are part of what are called “trump card” or “assassin’s mace” weapons that “are based on new technology that has been developed in high secrecy.”

“Trump card would be applicable if the Chinese have developed new low-yield, possibly enhanced, EMP warheads, while assassin’s mace would apply if older warheads are employed,” the report said.

According to the report, China conducted EMP tests on mice, rats, rabbits, dogs and monkeys that produced eye, brain, bone marrow and other organ injuries. It stated that “it is clear the real purpose of the Chinese medical experiments is to learn the potential human effects of exposure to powerful EMP and [high-powered microwave] radiation.

[...]

Source: The Washington Times

As the Asia the Asia Times reports, an EMP strike launched from outer space would cripple the United States and "send it back into the dark ages" in a single strike.

WATCH: Video produced by the Center for Security Policy warning about the dangers of an EMP attack


AMERICA'S ACUPUNCTURE POINTSPART 1: Striking the US where it hurts

A noted Chinese theorist on modern warfare, Chang Mengxiong, compared China's form of fighting to "a Chinese boxer with a keen knowledge of vital body points who can bring an opponent to his knees with a minimum of movements". It is like key acupuncture points in ancient Chinese medicine. Puncture one vital point and the whole anatomy is affected. If America ever goes to war with China, say, over Taiwan, then America should be prepared for the following "acupuncture points" in its anatomy to be "punctured". Each of the vital points can bring America to its knees with a minimum of effort.

I) Electro-magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack

China and Russia are two potential US adversaries that have the capability for this kind of attack. An EMP attack can either come from an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), a long-range cruise missile, or an orbiting satellite armed with a nuclear or non-nuclear EMP warhead. A nuclear burst of one (or more) megaton some 400 kilometers over central United States (Omaha, Nebraska) can blanket the whole continental US with electro-magnetic pulse in less than one second.

An EMP attack will damage all electrical grids on the US mainland. It will disable computers and other similar electronic devices with microchips. Most businesses and industries will shut down. The entire US economy will practically grind to a halt. Satellites within line of sight of the EMP burst will also be damaged, adversely affecting military command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). Land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles will be rendered unserviceable in their silos. Anti-ballistic missile defenses will suffer the same fate. In short – total blackout. And American society as we know it will be thrown back to the Dark Ages.

Of course, the US may decide to strike first, but China and Russia now have the means of striking back with submarine-launched ballistic missiles with the same or even more devastating results. But knowing China's strategy of "active defense", when war with the US becomes imminent, China will surely not allow itself to be targeted first. It will seize the initiative as mandated by its doctrine by striking first.

China has repeatedly announced that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons. But as an old Chinese saying goes: "There can never be too much deception in war." If it means the survival of the whole Chinese nation that is at stake, China will surely not allow a public statement to tie its hands and prevent it from seizing the initiative. As another saying goes: "All is fair in love and war."

Source: Asian Times

The Asia Times article goes onto list cyber attack , interrupting the US foreign oil supply, an attack on the US dollar, and diplomatic isolation as other means of crushing the Untied States and goes into a detail on each of the methods of attacks.

But the most powerful attack, termed the Trump card, is development of a super EMP.

Here of some more of the attacks China may use in a war against the U.S.


AMERICA'S ACUPUNCTURE POINTSPART 2: The assassin's mace

If America ever goes to war with China, Chinese military doctrine suggests the US should expect attacks on a number of key points where it is particularly vulnerable - where a single jab would paralyze the entire nation. China would aim at targets such as the US electricity grid, its computer networks, its oil supply routes, and the dollar. Other vital "acupuncture" points are outlined below.
1) A powerful triumvirate - [The Alliance of Russia, China, And Iran]

No one ever imagined before 1991 that China and Russia would come together to form a close-knit alliance politically, diplomatically and, most important of all, militarily. For more than three decades before the break-up of the Soviet Union, China and the USSR had been bitter rivals, even going into a shooting war with each other along their common border.

[...]

Add to that the announcement of President George W Bush that the US would come to the aid of Taiwan in the event that China uses force against it; the sending of two aircraft carrier battle groups to waters near Taiwan in 1995-1996; and the naval show of strength of seven aircraft carrier battle groups converging off the China coast in August 2004. All these aggressive moves by superpower America pushed China to embrace its former bitter rival, Russia.

[...]

If we add Iran to the equation, we have a triumvirate that can pose a formidable challenge to the lone superpower. Iran is the most industrialized and the most populous nation in the Middle East. It is second only to Russia in terms of gas resources and also one of the largest oil producers in the world.

[...] Modern bottom-rising, rocket propelled sea mines and supersonic cruise missiles deployed along the long mountainous coastline of Iran, manned by "invisible" guerrillas, could indefinitely stop the flow of oil from the Gulf, from which the US gets 23% of its imported oil.

Japan also derives 90% of its oil from the Persian Gulf area, and Europe about 60%. In a major conflict, Iran can effectively deprive the US war machine and those of its key allies of much needed energy supplies.

Imagine the war machine of the superpower running out of gas. Imagine also a US economy minus 23% of its imported oil. This 23% can rise considerably once Chinese and Russian submarines start sinking US-bound oil tankers. The triumvirate of China, Russia, and Iran could bring the US to its knees with a minimum of movement.

2) The US's geopolitical disadvantage

Another "acupuncture point" in America’s anatomy [...] the US will be crossing thousands of miles of sea lanes of communication (SLOC) that can easily become a gauntlet of deadly Chinese and Russian submarines lying in ambush with bottom-rising sea mines, supercavitating rocket torpedoes, and supersonic cruise missiles that even aircraft carrier battle groups have no known defense against. Logistic and transport ships and oil tankers are particularly vulnerable.

The air corridors above these sea lanes will also be put at great risk by advanced air defense systems aboard Sovremenny destroyers or similar types of warships in Chinese and Russian inventories. [...]
Of course, the US has "forces in being" and "logistics in place" in numerous military bases scattered around the world, especially those strategically encircling China, Russia, and Iran. But when the shooting war starts, these bases will be the first to be hit by barrages of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and long-range land-attack cruise missiles armed with electro-magnetic pulse, anti-radar, thermobaric, and conventional warheads.

Following the missile barrages, the remnants of such weakened US military bases will easily be overwhelmed by blitzkrieg assaults from Russian and Chinese armored divisions in the Eurasian mainland. China, for instance, has four large armored units constantly on standby, poised to cross the Yili Corridor in Xinjiang province at a moment’s notice. The US base in Kyrgyzstan near the Chinese border would not stand a chance.

[...]

3) Asymmetric attack

Superpower America is particularly vulnerable to asymmetric attack. A classic example of asymmetric attack is the September 11, 2001, attack on America. Nineteen determined attackers, armed with nothing but box cutters, succeeded in toppling the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and causing the death of some 3,000 Americans. Notice the asymmetry of casualty ratio as well - the most lopsided casualty ratio ever recorded in history.

China, Russia, and Iran also possess asymmetric weapons that are designed to neutralize and defeat a superpower like America in a conventional conflict. Supersonic cruise missiles now in their inventories can defeat and sink US aircraft carriers. The same is true for medium- and short-range ballistic missiles with independently targetable warheads, extra-large bottom-rising, rocket-propelled sea mines (EM52s), and supercavitating rocket torpedoes (SHKVAL or "Squall"). The US Navy has no known defense against these weapons.

Iraqi insurgents are conducting a form of asymmetric warfare. They use improvised explosive devices, car bombs, booby traps and landmines against the most modern army the world has ever seen. The US's huge advantage in weaponry is negated by the fact that its soldiers cannot see their adversary. They are fighting against a "phantom" enemy - an invisible army.

[...]

Connected to asymmetric warfare is asynchronous warfare, where the weaker side bides its time to strike back. And it strikes at a time and place where the adversary is totally unprepared.

For example, if the US were to strike Iran’s underground nuclear facilities with bunker-busting tactical nuclear warheads, Iran could bide its time until it develops its own nuclear weapons. It could then use its Kilo class submarines, equipped with supersonic "moskit" cruise missiles armed with Iran’s own nuclear warheads, to hit New York, or Washington, DC as a payback to the US for using nuclear weapons against Iran. Or the Iranians could infiltrate nuclear scientists into the US, where they would fabricate a "dirty" bomb to be detonated near the US Congress, in full session while the president is making his annual state of the nation address.

The possibilities for asymmetric and asynchronous warfare are limitless. Various weapons are available to the asymmetric or asynchronous attacker. If a simple box cutter produced such devastating results on September 11, 2001, imagine what chemical or biological weapons dropped from a private aircraft could do to a crowded city; or trained hackers attacking the US banking system and other key infrastructure and basic services; or man-portable surface-to-air missiles attacking US airlines taking off or landing in various airports around the globe; or non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse weapons hitting New York City or the US Capitol. No amount of even the best intelligence in the world can totally guard against and stop a determined asymmetric attacker.

[...]

4) Attack on US's command and control

[...]

China now has the capability to identify and track satellites. And for more than two decades they have been busy developing anti-satellite weapons. China has been developing maneuverable nano-satellites that can neutralize other satellites. They do their work by maneuvering near a target satellite and neutralizing the target by electronic jamming, electro-magnetic pulse generation, clinging to the target and physically destroying it, bumping the target out of orbit, or simply exploding to bring the target satellite down with it. Such nano satellites can be launched in batches on demand by road-mobile DF21 or DF31 booster rockets.

Another anti-satellite weapon in the works is a land-based laser that blinds the sensitive sensors of satellites or even destroys them completely. Of course, if worse comes to worst, China can always use its weapon of last resort, destroying adversary satellites with a high-altitude nuclear burst. But this will only be used if China has not yet fully developed the other options when major hostilities start. With the neutralization of its C4ISR, America would be like "a blind man trying to catch fish with his bare hands", to quote Mao Zedong. In short, America would be brought to its knees.