Kent Wien posted this photo of the tail of a Boeing 757 showing what looks like the exhaust end of a turbine.
I had to ask what it was all about, and Kent explained:
Ahh, very good question! There actually IS an engine back there. It’s the APU (auxiliary power unit) and it’s what keeps the [...]

Posted July 28, 2007 by Casey Bisson
Categories: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. Tags: aircraft, answer, apu, auxiliary power unit, aviation, boeing 757, tail. One Comment.

Perhaps it’s just because I’m in the air again today, but I’m fascinated by Aaron Koblin’s animation of aircraft activity, illustrating the pulsing, throbbing movements of aircraft over North America. Nah, this is hot. You’ll love it too.
Also worth checking out: Koblin’s other works.
Aaron Koblin, aircraft, animation, aviation, flight, path

Posted December 3, 2006 by Casey Bisson
Categories: Libraries & Networked Information, Technology. Tags: Aaron Koblin, air, aircraft, animation, aviation, control, flight, path, traffic. 2 Comments.

While we’re still waiting for flying cars (or even just fuel efficient cars) I’m keeping track of tiny helicopters like the GEN H-4 and this one, the AirScooter II, pictured above.
The company, AirScooter Corporation of Henderson NV, introduces the new craft with a tip of the hat to Igor Sikorsky’s earliest designs featuring counter-rotating blades. [...]

Posted August 4, 2006 by Casey Bisson
Categories: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. Tags: aircraft, AirScooter, AirScooter II, aviation, helicopter, personal helicopter, rotary wing, rotorcraft, ultralight. 11 Comments.

Howard Hughes‘ Spruce Goose now rests in McMinnville, at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.
The Goose is as long as a 747 with a wingspan a third again as broad, and for a short few seconds in 1947, it flew.
The docent was incredibly pleased to tell us that the tail almost broke off during those few seconds [...]

Posted February 22, 2006 by Casey Bisson
Categories: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, Travel. Tags: aircraft, aviation, evergreen aviation, Evergreen Aviation Museum, flight, Howard Hughes, McMinnville, McMinnville OR, museum, oregon, Spruce Goose. 4 Comments.

It’s nearing the end of 2005 and we still don’t have any flying cars like we were promised, but the GEN H-4 personal helicopter looks promising (and dangerous). Here it is in the air, and I might be crazy, but it looks to be controlled by weight-shift (even more photos).
OhGizmo says it sells for about [...]

Posted October 29, 2005 by Casey Bisson
Categories: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. Tags: air, aircraft, aviation, flying car, flying cars, gen h-4, helicopter, horsepower, japan, odd, personal aircraft, personal helicopter, rotors, transportation, ultralight, weight shift. 8 Comments.