Archive for July, 2007
I had no idea that this had progressed this far already:
NASA: X-48B Blended Wing Body Research Aircraft Makes First Flight
Boeing’s Phantom Works designed the X-48B flight test vehicles in cooperation with NASA and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to gather detailed information about the stability and flight-control characteristics of the blended wing body design, especially during takeoffs and landings.
The Boeing blended wing body design resembles a flying wing, but differs in that the wing blends smoothly into a wide, flat, tailless fuselage. This fuselage blending provides additional lift with less drag compared to a circular fuselage, translating to reduced fuel use at cruise conditions. Since the engines mount high on the back of the aircraft, there is less noise inside and on the ground when it is in flight.
Three turbojet engines enable the composite-skinned, 8.5 percent scale vehicle to fly up to 10,000 feet and 120 knots in its low-speed configuration. The aircraft is flown remotely from a ground control station in which the pilot uses conventional aircraft controls and instrumentation while looking at a monitor fed by a forward-looking camera on the aircraft.
Up to 25 flights are planned to gather data in these low-speed flight regimes. Then the X-48B may be used to test the aircraft’s low-noise and handling characteristics at transonic speeds.
Blended wing body aircraft offer the potential for greater internal capacity, increased efficiency, and general coolness. Some had thought that the next mid-air refuelling tanker aircraft should have been a blended wing body.
More, including another picture, below…
Read the rest of this entry »
EMILY BARNES/The Times-Union–07/26/07–Crew members watch as the decommissioned John F. Kennedy is turned around by tug boats before it departs Naval Station Mayport, July 26, 2007. The ship is on its way to Hampton Roads, Virginia, where it will remain until dredging work at a naval facility in Philadelphia can be completed, the Navy said. It will take about five days to tow the former aircraft carrier known as “Big John” to Virginia. (The Florida Times-Union/Emily Barnes)
This and more at Jacksonville.com. (via Alert 5)
Pentagon enlists Internet users to figure out the high-tech road ahead
A Pentagon office is taking advantage of the collaborative nature of the Internet as it studies potential applications for space-based solar power, according to one of the officials leading the effort.
I have long been a fan of the concept of the space-based energy beamed back to earth. I also realize how staggeringly unlikely such plans are. I wrote some about it back in the early days of MO at Just don’t get in between the transmitter and the receiver.
Shocking development: Democrats Abandon Transparency for Earmarks
For many folks, illegal bribery is only bad when the bribes aren’t coming your way.
Via Instapundit, who also noted the onging Alaska shenanigans.
On a related note, I just finished listening to Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders by Tom A. Coburn and John Hart.
Coburn goes into depth about the snatching of defeat from the jaws of victory during the government budget shutdown. I’ve always been mystified by that. At this point, I don’t know how anything is ever going to change.
Finally, Jay Tea notes the years of DC political experience of recent presidential candidates:
2004: Bush had four years, Kerry decades.
2000: Bush zero, Gore decades.
1996: Clinton four, Dole decades.
1992: Clinton zero, Bush over a decade.
1988 was an aberration, but come on — it was MIKE DUKAKIS. I recall one political commentator (I think it was Dave Barry) announced that “the union of crazed loners announce they are sitting out this election. They urge anyone who feels enough passion to kill either candidate should seek professional help.”
1984: Reagan with four years, Mondale with — again — over a decade.
1980: Reagan zero, Carter 4.
1976: Carter zero, Ford decades.
Pattern?
For what it’s worth, I think we’d probably be better off with DC fatcats in the White House and newbies in Congress. Maybe.
Also for what it’s worth, at least Congress seems incapable of doing anything. What we’ve seen of them over the past decade and more indicates that Congressional quagmire is about as good as it gets.
Insider: IED Fight Has “Strategic Flaw”
Go read at Danger Room.
TSA: Terrorists may be conducting dry runs
AP/MSNBC.com:
Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since last September.
The unclassified alert was distributed on July 20 by the Transportation Security Administration to federal air marshals, its own transportation security officers and other law enforcement agencies.
The seizures at airports in San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore included “wires, switches, pipes or tubes, cell phone components and dense clay-like substances,” including block cheese, the bulletin said. “The unusual nature and increase in number of these improvised items raise concern.”
This isn’t new, though news of the items found adds to the uneasy feeling Murdoc has. Recall the story told by Annie Jacobsen in Terror in the Skies (MO review here) about the odd behavior of supposed Syrian musicians and the subsequent and even odder behavior of our security apparatus.
Dry runs to probe our security? Practice for an actual attack? Deceptions to divert our attention from an attack? Deceptions merely to keep us off-balance? Coincidences that are unrelated to each other or terrorism in any way? Fabrications?
Knowing how our enemies fight, do we dare get complacent?
Of course, it’s probably too late to worry about getting complacent.
UPDATE: Beware the Cheese Bomb
U.S. Army Capt. Stephen Dobbins points out the source of insurgent fire to his troops while on a mission in Ambekiyah, Iraq, July 22, 2007. Dobbins is with Bravo Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. DoD photo by Senior Airman Steve Czyz, U.S. Air Force.
I’ve mentioned before that Murdoc’s family homeschools its two children. No, no counter-sniper classes or M-16 field stripping drills. But for those that have the opportunity and are up to the challenge (because it sure ain’t the easiest way to go…), homeschooling can have some great benefits. Not everything is roses, of course, but we certainly feel that the benefits outweigh the negatives by a wide margin.
A very valuable resource for those who choose this route is the weekly Carnival of Homeschooling. This week’s entry, over at Tami’s Blog, has state flowers as its theme. Check it out if interested.
Murdoc’s on the road again, and once again the wild-n-crazy Buckethead is going to help hold down the fort. I’m in the Denver area for the time being, running around looking for wifi after about four days without access or the chance to use what was available. Sorry for the no-notice delay in programming. (Excessive wedding reception celebration this past weekend contributed to the oversight, but I’ll never admit to that in writing…)
Meanwhile, a long but mostly well-reasoned discussion on the 2nd Amendment seems to be running on the recent post about black rifles, so go check it out and weigh in if interested in such things.
UPDATE: Also, I now see that a discussion about the net benefit of the existence of the USA has been running on the Congressional poll results post. Apparently, some think that the actual worst Congress ever was the one that passed the Declaration of Independence
As one commenter said, “Long Live the King!”
UPDATE 2: No, I don’t think he meant Elivs.
Greetings again, fellow Murdoc-cultists. The great and powerful Murdoc is once again goofing off, and has asked me to take up the slack with a few posts for you to educate and amuse yourself, and to productively use your time at work.
Our first topic is the troubled V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor, which is flying right over my head as we speak. The 418th flight test squadron out of Edwards in California has temporarily relocated to the tiny, tiny airport in Winchester, Va, only a half hour from my fastness in the wilderness. If you follow this link here, you can watch a very small video that shows some CV-22′s landing and whatnot, and hear the reporter mispronounce several words.
The reason the Ospreys are in my neck of the woods is simple. They need the bad weather that California simply refuses to provide. In particular, they’re looking for fog in which to test their terrain guidance systems. There’s typically a lot of fog up here, so they shouldn’t have too much trouble.
The Air Force version isn’t scheduled to enter service until 2009, but the Marine MV-22 will be heading to Iraq in September.
I haven’t actually seen one yet, they’re actually flying a bit west of where I live. I am thinking of driving the boy up to the airport to see if we can catch a glimpse of one of those, and if I do, I’ll post pics if I can get some decent ones.
Cross posted at that most excellent blog, the Ministry of Minor Perfidy. In fact, go there and read this post again.
