aircraft

The LA Times on December 10 reported that Predator drones such as those now being used by the Air Force and CIA were used to support police in their investigation of cattle rustling. Theft of livestock has long been a serious matter, but regulations and procedures typically make it difficult to sell stolen cattle. According […] » about 300 words

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 […] » about 200 words

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 […] » about 500 words

A friend pointed me to PlaneCrashInfo.com and I can’t help but explore. I was told to start with the pictures (which end in late 2001, and so don’t include recent incidents like the flaming nose-wheel at LAX or the overshot runway in Chicago), but it was the collection of “last words” transcripts from the cockpit […] » about 200 words

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 […] » about 200 words

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 100 words