Tales of Interest

[stroker]

It was neat, but not worth a huge drive to see. IMHO.

[gjc2]

I went to Madisonville, Tennessee.
Seeing a total solar eclipse was a bucket list item for me, it was a spectacular sight.
Well worth the very long drive.

[datachicane]

Holy crap, Oregon is on fire. Smoke's been crazy thick all summer, and there's no end to the heat and sun in sight. I've used my inhaler more in the month of August than in the last five years combined.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CorvgTUYYQOO2aHk7gR88XOVzRNT3EwXjusNY5DO4pdHnGR2yN DMBAAtBeQ-ZTfn-jUk5yIXDhtvP05WCPlwJq7NGeUu-C1VF-No4Cqf9Dvg_CDItqBpIc-VGE6aGbHQ-4zGIM_3qBPgVXUcVtaQby3KD8eAuumCuqQrjjUF4QEg_jQ-UX7SBe41s8vYnVEtm5pWTBqMnMKNmg7asR9gHJYTQgDlBl5bdm hvBbfvSDTED_BI_KpPoovdspjYHIQjLe24OdFSW6RwTvWKL_zR fO2E8AWw3l-nAHQ52FGZ6muaESQ5IHhPLiybnaEBcsBILweoBhoK2C_3d3Fw4 0CnqvR2GKikra_sahEgFQ15neSGGPWAxs7GUXYjofJBX1UIaGt-eQpuELRmD-FdsVIez1yUq1La_N10QVlgGAMEQVVkz4lOkgf-2JbuGbAAlD-O_RhmXnQMaBeRKv48edHz-IW-zHnM7rhuWlgwsjLcx6nei-sQSP2Nvnna_qkhN4_PNZYZkO--R8lQaqLURdXTvEwV3wNccpzO3sogj40miSojtvzCdWh489W93R Q56phrIEEoMyBmihypxJB_Ec5J7csJR2kXjFNfRGHQGQ0Prv2d tTojZeXC=w537-h955-no

[Elmo T]

I'd much rather be in a burning building versus a wildfire. :thumbdown:

These aren't the Oregon fires, but similar pilots are out there battling these fires. The b@lls on these pilots must be massive...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kAdHqAF8n8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QJTZXl_5BE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPedHJNQNUM

[datachicane]

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21366954_1419495211482242_7140584804492524509_o.jp g?oh=e77f392c88c36c1753e8b9333f94973d&oe=5A54F4EE

That's the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge, with the falls themselves just out of frame to the left. The photo was taken from Interstate 84, which (needless to say) is closed. The Eagle Creek fire has forced evacuations through a sizable chunk of the Columbia River Gorge, including 153 hikers and campers who were cut off, many of whom ended up airlifted out. The fire has grown to 10,000 acres, and has jumped the Columbia to Washington state, all thanks to some kids playing with firecrackers. This is a little one compared to some of the others burning here.

The entire Northwest is absolutely on fire. We had a dose of ash fall overnight, and the smoke is so thick it looks like dusk, all with temps hanging around 100F.

[TravelGal]

The entire Northwest is absolutely on fire. We had a dose of ash fall overnight, and the smoke is so thick it looks like dusk, all with temps hanging around 100F.

Brutal. Absolutely brutal. We had only a small sampling of it for the last few says. Basically a 5,000 acre brush fire. Nothing like you're experiencing. :(

[Elmo T]

The entire Northwest is absolutely on fire. We had a dose of ash fall overnight, and the smoke is so thick it looks like dusk, all with temps hanging around 100F.

My oldest lives in Seattle now - said it was raining ash there this AM.

And here on the East Coast, the urban search and rescue teams are gearing up for the the storm VA TF-2 is being deployed to Puerto Rico. I am sure others are moving now as well.

https://www.facebook.com/Virginia-Task-Force-2-Urban-Search-and-Rescue-Team-292526025619/

[SteveH]

Last night the moon was orange/red due to the fires in Canada.

[SteveH]

Beacon Rock Golf Course, North Bonneville WA

https://i.redd.it/5xcin759e4kz.jpg

[SteveH]

Columbia Gorge, OR last week and today

https://i.redd.it/njqv7g94c5kz.jpg

[datachicane]

For those who haven't been there, the Columbia River Gorge is one of the most stunningly beautiful places on earth, with dozens of massive waterfalls along the historic Gorge highway. Vista House, possibly my favorite place on the planet, is threatened by the fire tonight.

http://1photo1day.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Crown-Point-at-Columbia-River-Gorge-Oregon-20151107.jpg

https://beautifuloregon.com/wp-content/uploads/vista-house-crown-point-columbia-gorge-oregon-11615-9970.jpg

This is Multnomah Falls, just to the left of the lodge in the first picture I posted.

http://cdn.instabuildsites.com/uploads/ed19271f2700f1a231526c0761f5810e.jpg

This is Oneonta falls. Oneonta tunnel on the historic highway has already burned. There are countless equally beautiful spots either burned or threatened tonight.

http://img.bbs.duba.net/forum/201204/02/111317kgld8hdin1jh8x84.jpg

It's impossible to overstate how beloved the Gorge is here in the Northwest. Even if the structures survive, the woods and incredible scenery won't be the same in our lifetimes. A small group of teenagers, identified by the police, are apparently responsible, and if the stories from multiple witnesses are accurate the fire may well have been deliberately set. Beyond whatever comes out of the criminal justice system, their biggest fear should be the possibility that their names become public. This is absolutely heartbreaking.

[SteveH]

That's terrible. What a loss. The damage from the Yellowstone fires in 1988 is still very evident and will be for decades.

[datachicane]

It's encroaching on Bull Run, which is the water supply for the city of Portland.

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21414700_122101695114013_5146273651372204632_o.jpg ?oh=6b0576c20f333582793cb4a11f13fe52&oe=5A17B506

[Elmo T]

http://i68.tinypic.com/2w1wlqp.jpg


MAFFS 6 aircraft being flown by 146th Airlift Wing pilot Maj. Danny Ariza (left) and Capt. Nate Southwick (right) loadmaster Staff Sgt. Garrett Gillette. U.S. Air National Guard photo by: Tech. Sgt. Jeff Allen.

[TravelGal]

From an email with subject line: Voted #1 activity in Japan. Go karts! Who knew? http://maricar.com/

[chop456]

A small group of teenagers, identified by the police, are apparently responsible, and if the stories from multiple witnesses are accurate the fire may well have been deliberately set. Beyond whatever comes out of the criminal justice system, their biggest fear should be the possibility that their names become public. This is absolutely heartbreaking.

http://www.wweek.com/news/2017/09/08/oregon-state-police-say-they-have-obtained-cellphone-video-from-firecracker-throwing-teens-suspected-of-starting-the-columbia-river-gorge-fire/


"...if charges are filed."

Really?

[Insomniac]

Now they say the bones found on Nikumaroro Island are Amelia Earhart's.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-amelia-earhart-bones-analysis-20180307-story.html

[TravelGal]

From our daily newsletter. No comment...

Thai Airways Bans Fat People & Lap Children From Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" Business Class
Thai Airways' Corporate Image and Social Responsibility Division made the announcement. If your waistline exceeds 56 inches or you have child on your lap you have to fly in economy even if you paid for business. Flight Lieutenant Pratana Patanasiri, THAI Vice President, Aviation Safety, Security & Standards Department, clarified in the announcement that THAI has taken delivery of two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to its service fleet since September last year. He said that the aircraft manufacturer has a fixed airbag in the seat belt used on Business Class seats. With this latest version of a seatbelt, passengers with over a 56 inch waist could not fasten the belt safely. Therefore it is necessary for the company to abide by the safety standard rules by not allowing passengers with waistlines of over 56 inches and passengers travelling with infants on their laps to book the business class seats of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

[Elmo T]

Defense Intelligence Agency Study: Warp Drive, Dark Energy, and the Manipulation of Extra Dimensions (https://info.publicintelligence.net/DIA-WarpDrives.pdf)


...Even if an engine were designed that could propel а spacecraft to аn appreciable fraction of light speed, travel to even the closest stars would take many decades in the frame of reference of an observer оn Eaгth. Although these lengthy transit times would not make interstellar exploration impossible, they would certainly dampen the enthusiasm of governments or private individuals funding these missions. After all, а mission whose success is perhaps а century away would bе difficult to justify. In recent years, however, physicists have discovered two loopholes to Einstein’s ultimate speed limit: the Einstein-Rosen bridge (commonly referred to as а “wormhole”) and the warp drive. Fundamentally, both ideas involve manipulation of spacetime itself in some exotic way that allows for faster-than-light (FTL) travel...


DIA Study: Advanced Space Propulsion Based оn Vacuum (Spacetime Metric) Engineering (https://info.publicintelligence.net/DIA-AdvancedSpacePropulsion.pdf)

[TravelGal]

Decades-Long Investigation Into Bermuda Triangle Finally Explains Mysterious Disappearances
Travelwirenews reports British oceanographers have concluded a decades-long investigation into the Bermuda Triangle and finally determined what is behind the hundreds of mysterious disappearances in the region. The mysterious 700,000 sq m triangle, stretching between the tip of Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, and has been the center of public fascination for over 100 years, when reports first started emerging of an unusual amount of shipwrecks in the region. The New York Times claimed at least 50 ships, 20 aircraft, and more than 1,000 people have succumbed to the Triangle over the past 500 years. Now, researchers from the University of Southampton say ships are being sucked into the ocean by "rogue waves" over 30 meters (100ft) in height, and explained their theory on the Channel 5 documentary The Bermuda Triangle Enigma. "There are storms to the South and North, which come together... we've measured waves in excess of 30 metres. The bigger the boat gets, the more damage is done," Dr Simon Boxall, an oceanographer who led the study, told The Sun. While many theories to explain the disappearances have been floated about over the years, scientists first zeroed in on the freak wave hypothesis when a 18.5 meter rogue wave was measured in the North Sea by satellites in 1995. Rogue waves occur when an abnormally large wave crashes in the open sea. Normal waves of around 12 meters have a breaking pressure of 8.5 psi (pounds per square inch). Modern ships are designed to tolerate about 21 psi, but rogue waves can have a crushing pressure of up to 140 psi, enough to topple even the sturdiest of ships. For the documentary, Dr. Boxall and his team re-created the mammoth waves using indoor simulators and built a model of the USS Cyclops to see what effect it would have on the large ship. The Cyclops went missing in the triangle in 1918 with 309 people on board."If you can imagine rogue waves with peaks at either end, there's nothing below the boat, so it snaps in two. If it happens, it can sink in two to three minutes," said Boxall. Editor's note: But how does that explain what has happened to the planes that have disappeared?

[SteveH]

Rogue waves have downed 20 aircraft?!?!?!

Yikes :eek:

[TravelGal]

Rogue waves have downed 20 aircraft?!?!?!

Yikes :eek:

Exactly. That's why I love this newsletter. The editor makes these, shall we say, pointed, comments. :laugh:

[Insomniac]

Related: https://phys.org/news/2017-03-massive-rogue-rare-previously-thought.html

Part of it all is just the sheer volume of ships in that area over the last 500 years.

[TravelGal]

Reading through the daily onslaught of emails, my eye lit on this company. I have never heard of them before. I don't know anything about them. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Bupkis. But as the diligent TravelGal, I thought I should pass it along in case anyone here knows anyone who might be interested. Tours for Car Enthusiasts. https://carsandtravel.net/tours/

[SteveH]

Happy Friday
https://twitter.com/BMWMotorsport/status/1032266013918867462

:thumbup:

[TravelGal]

happy friday
https://twitter.com/bmwmotorsport/status/1032266013918867462

:thumbup:

you made my day. :):):):)

[nrc]

Happy Friday
https://twitter.com/BMWMotorsport/status/1032266013918867462

:thumbup:

Awesome. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

[SteveH]

watch this through the end, you will not be disappointed

https://youtu.be/cb0beML0xEk?t=1h6m50s

cannot embed

[TravelGal]

watch this through the end, you will not be disappointed

https://youtu.be/cb0beML0xEk?t=1h6m50s

cannot embed

When he started to rev the engine, I knew. The first part reminded me of one of my favorite Zanardi stories. He was riding around, in the lead, as usual, talking away. Ganassi said something about he shouldn't talk so much, he should concentrate on his driving (!). Alex said, "But Cheeep. EEEt's so lonesome out here." :laugh::laugh::laugh:

[rabbit]

watch this through the end, you will not be disappointed

https://youtu.be/cb0beML0xEk?t=1h6m50s

cannot embed

"I got the tires warmed up a little bit."

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Love that man!

[nrc]

This place is just five minutes away from us. I've gone by there hundreds of times and never known what it was.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVX_tm2N_sk

Seeing that many beautiful classic Mustangs crammed into one building in an industrial park makes me a little nervous. No idea how you insure all of that. :eek:

[SteveH]

Seeing that many beautiful classic Mustangs crammed into one building in an industrial park makes me a little nervous. No idea how you insure all of that. :eek:

I’m sure it can be insured. I assume this place was. I’ve driven by it dozens of times, between Springfield IL and St. Louis.


Fire at classic car lot destroys around 150 historic vehicles (http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/08/10/fire-at-classic-car-lot-destroys-around-150-historic-vehicles.html)

Still there
https://countryclassiccars.com

[Elmo T]

Seeing that many beautiful classic Mustangs crammed into one building in an industrial park makes me a little nervous. No idea how you insure all of that. :eek:

You can store them in a building equipped with fire sprinklers. I hear so many excuses why people don't want sprinklers - but then in a moment their buildings, their valuables, their families are gone. In hindsight, I guarantee it will see like a small price could have been paid to save it all. Just look at the museum fire in Brazil. :mad::rolleyes:

[nrc]

Yeah, it seems like sprinklers would be a good investment, particularly in an environment where exposed plumbing wouldn't be a big deal.

Thinking about it, all the flammable liquids in a garage might be a problem. But it seems like the benefit would come from potentially stopping a non-flammable liquid fire before it could reach those volatile liquids. What's the thinking on that?

[Elmo T]

Thinking about it, all the flammable liquids in a garage might be a problem. But it seems like the benefit would come from potentially stopping a non-flammable liquid fire before it could reach those volatile liquids. What's the thinking on that?

Not all sprinkler systems are the same. You design the sprinklers to protect the hazard - so you could design a system to handle a fire in what is essentially a parking garage.

And yes - sprinklers would control and confine an "ordinary" fire before it could spread. This is the same principle of a flammable liquids safety cabinet. The cabinet isn't about holding IN the fire - it is designed to keep an external fire from reaching the contents.

It is frustrating to hear that the cost outweighs the benefit - but how can you say that when it is priceless artifacts and pieces of history? :saywhat:

I like to use Independence Hall in Philly. Yes, it is not fully "historic" as it has modern fire protection systems. Yes, it cost a lot of money. But what would be lost if it was destroyed by fire?

[TravelGal]

You could while away a few minutes on this map. Click on "About" for the full skinny.

http://www.greatcirclemap.com/roadmap?routes=

[nrc]

Very cool. Almost as though the earth isn't flat. :)

[nrc]

Peter Jackson has restored some old WWI film footage and the results are pretty amazing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtz3KHWn1W8

[nrc]

The mother of all package thief traps.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxhDk-hwuo

[SteveH]

Kroger-owned grocery store begins fully driverless deliveries (https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/12/kroger-owned-grocery-store-begins-fully-driverless-deliveries/)

The future is now

[TravelGal]

The mother of all package thief traps.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxhDk-hwuo

I think I'm in love. :laugh::laugh: Is this an approved (by the group) VPN? I'd love to give him some business if it is.

[Insomniac]

I think I'm in love. :laugh::laugh: Is this an approved (by the group) VPN? I'd love to give him some business if it is.

When I was looking, NordVPN was on my short list, but I'm not a customer.

[TravelGal]

Calling Aviation geeks and buffs on OC. Any comments about this? My question is how wide is it? Will it fit at any conventional airport?

Boeing Unveils New Version Of Radical Wing Design
Boeing has unveiled a new truss-braced folding wing design it says will fly faster and higher than previous concepts. The US manufacturer says its new version of the Transonic Truss-based Wing will offer unprecedented aerodynamic efficiency while flying at Mach 0.8. It has been developed through a collaboration with NASA as part of the Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) program. The two organizations have been studying the concept for almost a decade in an attempt to adapt the long, thin wings seen on gliders to commercial aircraft. The latest design would see ultra-thin folding wings measuring 170ft from end to end made possible by the presence of an optimized truss supporting the extended length. "Originally, the TTBW was designed to fly at speeds of Mach 0.70 - 0.75,'' Boeing said on its website. "To increase the aircraft's cruise speed, the new concept now has an optimized truss and a modified wing sweep. "By adjusting the wing sweep angle, the truss can carry lift more efficiently. The end result was a more integrated design that significantly improved vehicle performance."

The new design came after extensive wind tunnel testing at NASA Ames Research Center. The aviation industry is searching for ways to meet ambitious environmental goals to become carbon neutral by 2020 and then halve greenhouse emissions relative to 2005 levels by 2050. Initiatives include a move to introduce the world's first global design certification aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions and a carbon offset scheme. New aircraft designs introduced from 2020 will be subject to the world's first global design standard. The design standard will apply to new aircraft from 2020 and also to deliveries of aircraft already in production from 2023. Manufacturers of in-production aircraft failing to meet the standard by 2028 will be forced to cease manufacturing the planes unless their designs are modified. The decision to adopt a global carbon offset scheme, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), was also a world-first. It will start as a voluntary scheme from 2021 to 2026 but will then become mandatory across the aviation industry.

[SteveH]

Strange looking design

https://bioage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef022ad38731f7200c-800wi


The Transonic Truss-Braced Wing boasts an extended wingspan of 170 feet, made possible by a truss that supports its weight.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/boeing-transonic-wing-scli-intl/index.html

[Insomniac]

Strange looking design

https://bioage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef022ad38731f7200c-800wi


https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/boeing-transonic-wing-scli-intl/index.html

Exit rows will have more leg room and an engine view now. :)

Does carbon neutral mean emissions stop going up?

[nrc]

Your brain is a dirty liar.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWfFco7K9v8

More at:
https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/ambiguous-cylinder-illusion-by-kokichi-sugihara

[TravelGal]

Airlineratings reports Delta had the future on its mind when it built the world's biggest jet engine test cell in Georgia. It was the first test cell built by a US airline in more than 20 years and is capable of running a mounted, stationary engine at full power with the 150,000 lbs of thrust. That's more than twice the capacity of Delta's current 68,000lb thrust test cell and a sizeable margin over the most powerful commercial jet engine in the world today, the 115,000 lb-thrust GE90 powering the Boeing 777. The airline says the 48ft high cell at its Atlanta base will allow it to test engines that are yet to be designed or built. PW1500 variants of the geared turbofan. There are already more than 7000 engines committed to the engine shop and test cell over the next three decades. Delta said the next steps included proving and data validation
It is close to a 127,000 sq. ft engine repair shop that opened in 2018 as part of a big investment in the company's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations. "These investments are about expanding Delta's business opportunities today while also setting us up for long-term growth," Delta chief executive Ed Bastian said at the test cell ribbon-cutting ceremony this week.

[nrc]

One of the two original Bullit movie cars - the one thought to have been junked and lost for ever - was found in a Mexican junkyard.

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/03/06/ford-mustang-found-in-mexican-junkyard-is-from-bullitt-expert-confirms.html
926

I thought that I had posted about this but I can't find it. Since the stunt car mentioned above was discovered, the actual primary car used in Bullit came out of hiding. It was kept under wraps in wonderfully worn survivor condition by a family in New Jersey until they rolled it out for public viewing in conjunction with Ford's rolling out of the 2019 Mustang Bullit. We saw the car in Detroit last year and it just ex

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/1968-ford-bullitt-mustang-fastback-is-the-rusty-star-of-detroit/

999

Now the family says that they're ready to part with the car and it will go up for auction in January. We saw the car in Detroit last year and it just exuded history. Mustang. Steve McQueen. A chase seen that defined chase scenes. How do you put a price on that? I'll be interested to see. I just hope they keep it exactly like it is.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/original-mustang-bullitt-sale/

[chop456]

There's a new Bullitt out in front of my local dealer. Love it.

Another nearby dealer (not Ford) has a used Focus RS in the bright blue color but instead of giving that the prime spot out in front, has chosen to park a Fiero in front of it. It's a really clean example, but...Fiero. :laugh:

[nrc]

Yeah, you don't wanna drive into an area where they're dropping fire retardant.

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1166460885834944512/0fblz6Vz?format=jpg&name=small

https://t.co/UkLX0UpgV0?amp=1

[stroker]

I wonder what engine that has...

[TravelGal]

I like the last line, "It's your job to do what you can to alleviate risk." A big dig at the people who refuse to leave when ordered to do so. It's bad enough when they think they can save their own house with a garden hose but even worse when they stay behind to "help" the firefighters. :shakehead:

[datachicane]

I wonder what engine that has...

S-code 390, or at least that's what it started life with.

[G.]

Yeah, you don't wanna drive into an area where they're dropping fire retardant.

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1166460885834944512/0fblz6Vz?format=jpg&name=small

https://t.co/UkLX0UpgV0?amp=1

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/NBC-7-Reporter-Fire-Retardant-Live-News-Tenaja-Fire-Cal-Fire-559514071.html

[TravelGal]

Email today from Marriott's Bonvoy (I hate that name) saying you can get VIP packages to select NFL football games in the US and the international games. Appears to be bidding process to use your points. I have about 30,000. That should get me to Van Nuys.

[nrc]

Tomorrow on December 7th Lauren Bruner will be the 44th and last crew member to have his remains interred on wreckage of the U.S.S. Arizona. There are still three surviving Arizona crew members, but they expect to be laid to rest with their families.

God bless them all.

https://apnews.com/26efaa7afe3e3fc1ba36005bbbbca2c3

[TravelGal]

Tomorrow on December 7th Lauren Bruner will be the 44th and last crew member to have his remains interred on wreckage of the U.S.S. Arizona. There are still three surviving Arizona crew members, but they expect to be laid to rest with their families.

God bless them all.

https://apnews.com/26efaa7afe3e3fc1ba36005bbbbca2c3

We don't really have an emoji of true sadness so I'll just say that I revere them all. May he, and they, rest in peace.

[nrc]

999

Now the family says that they're ready to part with the car and it will go up for auction in January. We saw the car in Detroit last year and it just exuded history. Mustang. Steve McQueen. A chase seen that defined chase scenes. How do you put a price on that? I'll be interested to see. I just hope they keep it exactly like it is.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/original-mustang-bullitt-sale/

The answer is in.

The most famous Mustang goes for 3.4 million dollars.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/classic-cars/iconic-68-bullitt-mustang-shatters-records-and-sells-for-dollar34m/ar-BBYQ2Ab

[TravelGal]

The answer is in.

The most famous Mustang goes for 3.4 million dollars.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/classic-cars/iconic-68-bullitt-mustang-shatters-records-and-sells-for-dollar34m/ar-BBYQ2Ab

I was wondering which thread to put this in. I'll add here. From the Daily News (newspaper of the San Fernando Valley, not the NYC rag). I rather liked this article better.

The Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT featured in the fillm "Bullitt" was sold Friday at a Florida auction house for $3.74 million. [less the 10% buyer premium]. The sale at Mecum Kissimmee marks the most expensive Mustang ever sold, surpassing a 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake that sold last year for a reported $2.2 million. Owner Sean Kiernan drove the car across the auction block and then addressed a crowd of about 25,000 before the bidding started. "This car had sold twice in its life; it's been in my family for 45 years. Each time it has sold, it was $3,500." Kiernan said, "So we're going to start it off at that price and go from there." Bidding surpassed $3 million in the first minute.

[nrc]

Painting 'Zebra Stripes' on Cows Wards Off Biting Flies

1032

https://www.realclearscience.com/quick_and_clear_science/2019/10/07/painting_zebra_stripes_on_cows_wards_off_biting_fl ies.html

[BigIrlFan]

HELls belles Im gone to paint some stripes on my befour I go fishin this spring. I allways get eat up by those skeeters. Im so sweet hahahahah Or maybe they liek that my blood is half beer hahahahahaha

[Elmo T]

I know there are more than a few aviation geeks here.

The record-breaking jet which still haunts a country (https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200615-the-record-breaking-jet-which-still-haunts-a-country)



Then came the Arrow. On 4 October 1957, 14,000 people watched a large hangar on the outskirts of Toronto open to reveal a beautiful, large, white, delta-wing aircraft. The plane was the Avro Arrow interceptor. A third longer and broader than today’s Eurofighter Typhoon, the Arrow could fly close to Mach 2.0 (1,500 mph, or the maximum speed of Concorde), and had the potential to fly even faster. It was Canada’s Can$250m (US$1,58bn today) bid to become an aviation superpower.

[TravelGal]

Comments from the Aviation Dudes in attendance? Sufur?

OXIS Energy And Texas Aircraft Manufacturing To Develop Brazil's First Fully Electric Commercial Aircraft for Flight Training and Regional Transportation
ENT reports the collaboration between OXIS Energy, Texas Aircraft, and two other forward-thinking Brazilian corporations will put Brazil at the forefront of designing, manufacturing and exporting the electrification of regional aircraft worldwide. The partnership will create highly skilled jobs throughout Brazil, and contribute to major exports both in products, services and expertise." The use of Sulfur as a non-conductive material provides enhanced safety and is superior to current Lithium-Ion technology. Its 90 kW battery system, which is 40% lighter than current Li-Ion technology will be powered by its "High Power" cell at 400Wh/kg. The Colt S-LSA is ideally suited for the training of commercial airline pilots. Despite the fallout from the COVID 19 pandemic, over the next decade there will be a growing shortage of commercial pilots throughout the world. Free from the high polluting effects of the lead-based fuel used in aircraft today, the all-electric Texas Aircraft eColt will provide an efficient, clean mechanism for new pilots whilst decreasing training costs substantially. All of the aircraft's key airframe and power components will be manufactured in Brazil. The aircraft will be designed and developed at the Texas Aircraft Manufacturing facility in Campinas. The Li-S battery cells will be made at the OXIS factory in Juiz de Fora. The powertrain will be supplied by WEG of Jaraguá do Sul. The battery and its Management System (BMS) will be provided by AKAER Group of São José dos Campos.

[TravelGal]

Another gem from my daily ARTA travel agent newsletter.

A Self-Flying Helicopter Just Made The World's First Commercial Trip With Passengers
The autonomous Ehang 216 accomplished the landmark feat in China, paving the way for eVTOL air-taxi flights. EHang wrote a new chapter in autonomous flight earlier this week with tours in its 216 eVTOL above the fisherman's wharf in Yantal, China. The aircraft manufacturer has demonstrated for several years that the 216 can fly without a pilot. But this is the first time any maker of any eVTOL has moved from prototype to commercial air tourism, showing the craft's potential as an air taxi. The 216 is a two-seat aircraft with 16 propellers turned by 16 electric motors and powered by a 17-kW battery. The aircraft cruises at roughly 60 mph, with a range of around 20 miles, depending on payload, according to published reports. While it flies itself autonomously, its operations can be overseen by either the passengers onboard or a central control station. The aircraft also has back-up systems that provide fail-safe protection. China-based Ehang, listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, has been faster to market than other competitors in the sector. It recently announced it would partner with the LN Holdings in Shenzen, China, to offer air-taxi service to and from the LN Garden Hotel. The company has targeted air taxi service as a major potential market, but it also projects the 216 will play a role in short-range delivery, emergency response and commercial logistics. The company said it plans to begin production of the 216 in Austria later this year.

[nrc]

Another gem from my daily ARTA travel agent newsletter.

A Self-Flying Helicopter Just Made The World's First Commercial Trip With Passengers
The autonomous Ehang 216 accomplished the landmark feat in China, paving the way for eVTOL air-taxi flights. EHang wrote a new chapter in autonomous flight earlier this week with tours in its 216 eVTOL above the fisherman's wharf in Yantal, China. The aircraft manufacturer has demonstrated for several years that the 216 can fly without a pilot. But this is the first time any maker of any eVTOL has moved from prototype to commercial air tourism, showing the craft's potential as an air taxi. The 216 is a two-seat aircraft with 16 propellers turned by 16 electric motors and powered by a 17-kW battery. The aircraft cruises at roughly 60 mph, with a range of around 20 miles, depending on payload, according to published reports. While it flies itself autonomously, its operations can be overseen by either the passengers onboard or a central control station. The aircraft also has back-up systems that provide fail-safe protection. China-based Ehang, listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, has been faster to market than other competitors in the sector. It recently announced it would partner with the LN Holdings in Shenzen, China, to offer air-taxi service to and from the LN Garden Hotel. The company has targeted air taxi service as a major potential market, but it also projects the 216 will play a role in short-range delivery, emergency response and commercial logistics. The company said it plans to begin production of the 216 in Austria later this year.

I wonder if 20 miles is the maximum range or the practical range (ie, with some safety margin and allowance for headwinds, etc). For many urban centers the trip from city center to airport is 10-20 miles so a round trip is going to require either rapid charging or a battery swap.

[nrc]

Just in case you thought 2020 was going to run out of crazy ****.

Pentagon consultant and astrophysicist Eric Davis briefed a Department of Defense (DOD) agency as recently as March about retrieving materials from “off-world vehicles not made on this earth.”

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a33413777/pentagon-ufo-program-materials-vehicles/

[TravelGal]

I wonder if 20 miles is the maximum range or the practical range (ie, with some safety margin and allowance for headwinds, etc). For many urban centers the trip from city center to airport is 10-20 miles so a round trip is going to require either rapid charging or a battery swap.

Good point. Or more than one helicopter in this scenario. In most countries, however, the newer airports are more like 30-40 miles from the city center. Even Denver airport (not Stapleton) is nearly 30 miles from downtown. Maybe the sulfur batteries from Brazil are more efficient? :confused:

[TravelGal]

Just in case you thought 2020 was going to run out of crazy ****.

Pentagon consultant and astrophysicist Eric Davis briefed a Department of Defense (DOD) agency as recently as March about retrieving materials from “off-world vehicles not made on this earth.”

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a33413777/pentagon-ufo-program-materials-vehicles/

:eek::eek: The "we used to do it but we don't any more" ruse. Never gets old.

[Elmo T]

I mean it is 2020, what could possibly go wrong? :saywhat::rofl:

Scientists Revive 100-Million-Year-Old Microbes Found Deep Below the Bottom of the Ocean (https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-revive-100-million-year-old-microbes-found-deep-below-the-bottom-of-the-ocean/)


With fine-tuned laboratory procedures, the scientists, led by Morono, incubated the samples to coax their microbes to grow. The results demonstrated that rather than being fossilized remains of life, the microbes in the sediment had survived, and were capable of growing and dividing

[TravelGal]

I mean it is 2020, what could possibly go wrong? :saywhat::rofl:

Scientists Revive 100-Million-Year-Old Microbes Found Deep Below the Bottom of the Ocean (https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-revive-100-million-year-old-microbes-found-deep-below-the-bottom-of-the-ocean/)

Calling Steven Spielberg, calling Steven Spielberg, your Jurassic Park phone is ringing.

[TravelGal]

New 'Bullet' Plane Is Revealed That Aims To Make Private Air Travel As Affordable As Commercial

TravelWireNews reports the much-anticipated Celera 500L 'bullet' plane which is set to revolutionize private air travel has been revealed.

The revolutionary 460 mph bullet-shaped plane does 25 miles to the gallon and makers claim it will make private air travel as affordable as commercial. It can travel at a cruising speed of 460 mph for more than 4,500 miles, yet it uses eight times less fuel bringing hourly operating costs down to at $328. It is hoped the the lower costs will make it a competitor for commercial travel. Developed by California-based Otto Aviation, the Celera is a six-person craft. Its range of more than 4,500 miles is twice that of other aircraft the same size. The plane is powered by a RED A03 engine. Otto Aviation plans for first commercial deliveries by 2025 but the cost will not be know until main production begins.

[nrc]

Carol Shelby's personal 427 Cobra sells for 5.4 million at Mecum auction.

https://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2021/01/17/carroll-shelby-427-cobra-roadster-sold-for-5-4-million-at-mecum-auctions/

I think I'd settle for a nice FIA 289 Cobra replica.

[nrc]

Meanwhile, RIP FCA, long live Stellantis? Sounds like one of those late night drug ads.

Looks pretty grim from the Chrysler brand. I think they should just cut bait on Fiat. Could they badge engineer the CUVs from Peugeot line and create something palatable for Merkins? The 508 could make a good looking 300 with a little grill work and a CUV is a CUV. But what about the Charger and Challenger? How long can they keep freshening up the same old panzers?

https://www.motortrend.com/news/stellantis-fca-peugeot-merger-chrysler-dodge-fate/

[TravelGal]

AA changing livery to a greener (i.e., let's save some money) option.
To keep its planes looking fresh, an airline has to refresh a plane's paint scheme about every eight to ten years. While it is not necessarily always a new livery or livery change, there are times when carriers tweak their paint scheme. When American's current mica gray livery was debuted in 2013 ,the plane's existing paint was removed entirely, revealing the bare skin of the aircraft. Since then, the airline has repainted all of its planes in the new livery but the time has come to give those planes a refresh. Instead going for a new look, the airline is going for the same color with a new, non-mica gray paint that looks nearly identical but is less expensive and lighter. The new color is called "Silver Eagle." The mica layer with the old paint adds around 62 pounds to the weight of a Boeing 737-800. The new paint makes the aircraft more fuel-efficient leading to incredible savings overall. With 282 Boeing 737-800s, each flying up to six trips per day saving 62 pounds of weight, the airline expects to save nearly 300,000 gallons of fuel annually in the Boeing 737-800 fleet alone. The refreshed livery will be gradually introduced, starting with the 737-800s. New aircraft that American has on order are expected to be delivered with the non-mica paint from the second half of 2021. According to Jill Naden, 787 Engineer at American, moving American's fleet to the Silver Eagle paint will save approximately one million gallons per year in fuel burn, which will reduce the carrier's carbon emissions by 9,525 metric tonnes each year after the airline's fleet is repainted.

[TravelGal]

I have no clue what thread to use so I'm putting this here. A friend is a high-powered attorney. He works from home. He has young kids. You already get the picture.

He recommended https://krisp.ai/ He uses it all the time but finds it particularly useful when speaking to judges and other court officials. It removes background noise. On both ends! If some of you audiophiles would give it a look and explain how it works, I'd very much appreciate it.

[SteveH]

I have no clue what thread to use so I'm putting this here. A friend is a high-powered attorney. He works from home. He has young kids. You already get the picture.

He recommended https://krisp.ai/ He uses it all the time but finds it particularly useful when speaking to judges and other court officials. It removes background noise. On both ends! If some of you audiophiles would give it a look and explain how it works, I'd very much appreciate it.

Thank you, I’ll definitely give this a try. Now that everyone has pivoted to video conferencing, the audio quality of calls has suffered.

[SteveH]

United 777 from Denver to Honolulu engine failure (https://avherald.com/h?article=4e35503b&opt=0)

Great videos

[SteveH]

https://mobile.twitter.com/jonostrower/status/1363285618327883777?s=10

[nrc]

Radio traffic from the incident. Thank God the fire didn't spread and the engine stayed attached with all that vibration.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7-zh7Sebr8

[SteveH]

Once the cowling was gone the Halon fire suppression was rendered ineffective.

[TravelGal]

Big news in travel agent land. Really scary pictures. Most thought it was darn lucky it wasn't a 737 although apparently a 737 had an emergency landing come back from, wait for it, Cancun.

[SteveH]

Damage to fuselage at wing root. Could be totaled

1067

[SteveH]

Your Face Is Not Your Own (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/18/magazine/facial-recognition-clearview-ai.html)


When a secretive start-up scraped the internet to build a facial-recognition tool, it tested a legal and ethical limit — and blew the future of privacy in America wide open.

[nrc]

If you're looking for a place to escape the coming robot uprising and safely store your car collection, your Montana car collector's retreat is waiting. No self-driving cars, please.

Includes a 50 car underground garage with dyno, an indoor wash bay, and it's own filling station.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a36291629/montana-50-car-garage-mansion-for-sale/
1077

[TravelGal]

MSC, Fincantieri And Snam Partner On Feasibility Study To Build First Oceangoing Hydrogen-Powered Cruise Ship :eek::eek:

Seatrade reports the Cruise Division of MSC Group, Fincantieri and Snam signed a memorandum of understanding to partner on a study that will assess the feasibility of designing and building the world’s first oceangoing cruise ship powered by hydrogen. During the next 12 months the three companies will study key factors related to the development of oceangoing hydrogen-powered cruise ships. These include arranging ship spaces to accommodate H2 technologies and fuel cells, technical parameters of on-board systems, calculating the potential greenhouse gas emissions savings and a technical and economic analysis of hydrogen supply and infrastructure. The cooperation will possibly be the object of future binding agreements to be discussed by all parties. Green hydrogen can be produced without fossil fuels, using renewable energy to split water in a process called electrolysis and can therefore be emissions-free on a full lifecycle basis. It can be used to generate electrical power through a fuel cell, emitting only water vapor and heat. This type of ‘green’ hydrogen holds great potential to contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, including cruising, whether in its pure form or as a hydrogen-derived fuel, said MSC which is working towards achieving net carbon neutral operations by 2050. Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group said: ‘As a company that has long made environmental sustainability its focus, we want to put ourselves at the forefront of the energy revolution for our sector and hydrogen can greatly contribute to this. Hydrogen could be a key enabler in achieving the target of net zero-emissions in shipping, accounting for approximately 3% of global CO2 emissions, as well as in all the hard to abate sectors,' Snam CEO Marco Alverà added. Energy infrastructure company Snam ranks among Italy’s largest listed companies by market capitalisation with subsidiaries around the world. ‘We are committed to concrete initiatives for sustainable heavy transport, on road, rail and by sea, promoting the use of renewable gases such hydrogen and bioLNG.’

[SteveH]

It’s just a study but I hope it is feasible. If so, it might apply to any ship.

[datachicane]

One of my biggest pet peeves is folks talking about hydrogen as if it's an energy source.

Unless my physics education is obsolete (and given the number of years elapsed, that's not unlikely), electrolysis of hydrogen from water requires significantly more energy than is present in the hydrogen you've just liberated. It's a net energy loss, not an energy source. That electricity has to come from somewhere, and the bulk of it worldwide comes from fossil fuels. That's a fact. Before raising the prospect of a nuclear future changing that game down the road, keep in mind that no nuclear power plant anywhere in the world has ever operated without significant and ongoing government subsidy, as there has never been a profitable business model to sell electricity at a rate that would allow you to build, operate, and eventually perform EOL decommissioning ($$$$$) of a nuclear plant. If you're a fan of big-government intervention into markets, it's the perfect solution.

That is precisely why nearly all hydrogen produced on earth by industry comes from cracking natural gas, which, get this- still results in a net loss of energy vs. just burning the natural gas on its own.

Hydrogen is a vector, a storage medium for energy, not an energy source. The cynic in me might suspect an ulterior motive for the likes of natural gas producers like Exxon-Mobil running full-page ads in Scientific American for decades touting the wonders of the upcoming hydrogen economy, but I'm sure I'm reading too much into that.

[TravelGal]

I was SO hoping someone would debunk this. It seemed off the mark to me but I don't have the science to refute it. The cynic in ME says it's a great way for cruise lines to pass cost on to consumers (in the cruise fare) while neutralizing the major polluter complaints they are fighting now.

[nrc]

It's hard to beat diesel electric for moving large, heavy objects long distances but, sorry, zero emissions is the only acceptable answer these days. it's a tough nut to crack for something as large as a cruise ship that has to move around in the open ocean for a week at time.

The majority of nuclear plants were designed in the '70s and built in the '80s. They're regulated to prevent the creation of ants the size of cars and giant, building stomping lizards; which is expensive. I haven't heard a good solution to the base load problem other than a new generation of smaller, safer nuclear plants.

[datachicane]

I am absolutely certain (since, well, they explicitly called it out :D ) that their plan is to buy electricity only from renewable, non-fossil fuel sources, but that's basically a PR bandaid- all that juice goes in the same bucket, regardless of source, and a new buyer of electricity on the kind of scale necessary to pull this off would have a fairly predictable impact on market prices, thereby making not only that shiny new wind turbine, but that marginal aging coal plant a more attractive business proposition than it would be otherwise. It's the equivalent of buying fifty gazillion cans of tuna and arguing that you're somehow dolphin-safe because you paid Chicken of the Sea an extra 5% for cans off the same truck as the regular dolphin-killing variety.

Trying to run a carbon-neutral cruise ship is a difficult technical nut to crack, but unless and until they pony up for their own dedicated wind farm (I wouldn't hold my breath), this is more a (relatively) low-effort marketing exercise than anything. I'm with nrc, they'd be better off buying diesel and paying for carbon offsets, or better yet invest in algae or crop-based biodiesel (although there are consequences with the latter , too). Don't even get me started with the fact that the average cruise ship dumps 30,000 gallons of poo overboard every day, with the predictable environmental impacts you'd expect. It's a dirty business, sure, but if you can't be bothered to tackle a relatively simple technical problem like wastewater treatment or storage, what makes you think there's the genuine will to do more than a PR bandaid here?

[G.]

1090

I didn't know that nuke plants required Big Gov't. subsidies.

If you used naval sized nukes, isn't decommissioning quite a bit easier than with a gridded nuke? Just bury the small nasty parts in concrete, lead, boron, carbon, whatever. Or just give it to the Ukraine to store it in Chernobyl. ;)

[datachicane]

1090

I didn't know that nuke plants required Big Gov't. subsidies.

If you used naval sized nukes, isn't decommissioning quite a bit easier than with a gridded nuke? Just bury the small nasty parts in concrete, lead, boron, carbon, whatever. Or just give it to the Ukraine to store it in Chernobyl. ;)

Yeah, but if you're putting the nuke on the boat anyway, why futz with all of that lossy monkey business with electrolysis and just dump the juice straight into the drive instead? I predict the same business-model issues that hamstring nukes on land, else some outfit somewhere in the world would have tried it with a supertanker or a giant container ship. Diesel is just far, far more cost effective, unless you have some unique (military) set of requirements that makes nuke worth the extra $$$.

Remember the Alcyon, the second Cousteau ship with those funky cylindrical wind turbines? Something like that technology with a serious energy diet might be a more promising direction.

[TravelGal]

dc you got me thinking about tankers. Here's what came up. Nuclear powered ships from submarines to icebreakers to air craft carriers.

https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/transport/nuclear-powered-ships.aspx

[datachicane]

That's an interesting article, and it explicitly calls out the high cost of operation for the failure of private-sector nuclear vessels (wessels?) to catch on.

[nrc]

Nuclear ice breakers. You learn something new every day.

Port access is probably the biggest problem for anyone considering a civilian nuclear ship. Fear of giant lizards and turtles again.

I wonder if you could design a nuclear tow boat that would stay outside the 12 mile limit. The main ship would have enough power to make the trip to shore and back at a

[TravelGal]

This just in! News to me. From a Canadian company. Anyone know more?

This coming November, we will be the first operator to trial Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Antarctica. A test quantity of 40,000 litres is being delivered by icebreaker ship onto the continent, where it will then be used for one of our many flights to the Geographic South Pole.

The test quantity is the first phase in a rapid-roll out of SAF across our system and marks an important, tangible step forward in the way we operate. Not only does SAF have 80% less carbon than conventional fuel, it also produces significantly less soot. This is especially important when operating in such a place as Antarctica as the black particles absorb the sun and exacerbate snow melt.

Having been Carbon Neutral since 2007, we have always strived to minimise our impact and have adapted our entire infrastructure with a mind firmly on the environment. However, in all that time, the one area we couldn't reduce was the fuel we were burning...until now.

In line with the Paris Agreement and the UK Net Zero target, over the next 3 years, I am incredibly proud to say that we will replace all Jet A-1 fuel it uses in Antarctica with SAF. This will have a massive impact on reducing the amount of carbon we actually burn, and for the remainder, we will continue to off-set all emissions with our fully accredited Carbon Neutral projects.

[nrc]

1098

Cooking oil waste and "forestry waste". Supposedly mostly cooking oil right now but look for "forestry waste" to ramp up to fill any increase in demand.

[SteveH]

Man Photographed as Baby on ‘Nevermind’ Cover Sues Nirvana, Alleging Child Pornography (https://variety.com/2021/music/news/nirvana-baby-nevermind-lawsuit-1235048465/amp/)


However, Robert Y. Lewis, Elden’s lawyer, offers an unusual interpretation of the image to argue that it crosses the line into child porn, writing that the inclusion of currency in the shot makes the baby appear “like a sex worker.”

[nrc]

Man Photographed as Baby on ‘Nevermind’ Cover Sues Nirvana, Alleging Child Pornography (https://variety.com/2021/music/news/nirvana-baby-nevermind-lawsuit-1235048465/amp/)

That dollar suddenly gains a whole new meaning. This just in, it turns out that the Venus de Milo was revenge porn.

[SteveH]

The Plan to Stop Every Respiratory Virus at Once (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/09/coronavirus-pandemic-ventilation-rethinking-air/620000/)

:thumbup: