Videos: Boeing Goes Public With 7 Pax 'Space Station Taxi'... The CST-100

 I admit that I don't follow modern manned-spacecraft development very closely, and you can tell because I didn't even realize Boeing was developing a 7 seat spacecraft to serve as a low Earth orbit taxi!

 This video released yesterday gives a nice overview of the CST-100 project... and the one I found below shows a capsule drop-test from an Air-Crane where systems like the very critical parachute system and the air bag cushioning system used for terra firma landings were put to the test.

Video screenshot: Boeing CST-100 manned spacecraft capsule recovery drop test

 If I understand the information correctly, these drop tests actually took place in 2012, and they appear to have been very successful. The CST-100 is part of the NASA Commercial Crew Development program which is investing money in various projects from several manufacturers, and it shows that at the very least America is headed the right direction in having some form of successor to the Space Shuttle for getting our people up into space and back. Looks like I need to be paying more attention to what's going on!

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Video: Killer Drones - The Future Of Crop Dusting?

 The idea of killer drones is fine with me if they're all about killing insects that hurt crops. In fact, I'd say that the idea of using Quadcopter-style drones for crop dusting is probably the most logical and viable use for these unusual flying machines.

Video screenshot: view from above a crop dusting quadcopter

 The video above shows a quad from the people at armcopters.com demonstrating an electric powered drone with a nice spray rig installed. Their website says they have systems with 22 and 66 pound payload capacities, tho I don't see them available for purchase at the moment. You might think that payload impractical as a crop duster, but the ability to more accurately target the crops, and do so from a much lower altitude greatly reduces the amount of chemical required to be dispensed to be effective. Even more, the powerful downwash from the rotors helps drive that chemical deeper into the crops where it'll be even more effective.

Video screenshot: underneath view of the crop dusting quadcopter

 While we continue to see electric drone capabilities improve rapidly, their time aloft is often still relatively limited due to battery capacity. That's where an idea like the gas-powered collective pitch quad concept from Curtis Youngblood might be perfectly suited to applications needing higher payloads and much longer durations. 

 Without a doubt, the future of the drone in this world is a sticky wicket, but I gotta say I like 'em as crop dusters!

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Video: Mutant Offspring Of A Super Cub... The Amazing DoubleEnder!

 With me being very busy with day-job work and having ongoing issues with 'focus', I've never posted anything yet about the very unique DoubleEnder homebuilt bushplane even tho I've known about it for since well back into last year. But since it's on the cover of the latest Sport Aviation magazine I figured today was a good day to post a couple videos of this awesome mutant beast!

 As a guy with loads of homebuilt Breezy time, I really like that the pilot sits forward of the wing on the DoubleEnder, even if just barely... especially since a bushplane with enhanced all-around visibility is a really great idea. The DoubleEnder just looks like a really fun airplane to fly, plus you have the added power and safety of being a centerline twin. It'll sure be interesting to see if their goal to eventually make plans and/or kits available is achieved. I'm guessing there's a pretty good Alaska and worldwide market for such a fabulous flying machine. Find out more at BushPlaneDesign.com.

 I can just imagine a 12 seat version with two 600hp PT-6's on it! Maybe a 300 foot takeoff with 5,000 pounds of friends, food and fuel in a built-like-a-tank taildragger. Now that sounds like some serious fun : )

The twin engine DoubleEnder homebuilt bushplane (photo: BushPlaneDesign.com)

CoolPix: Getting Hooked On The F-35

(click pic for hi-res)  F-35B 'short takeoff' from aircraft carrier (photo: LockheedMartin)

 The recent trip to the Naval Aviation Museum didn't include any F-35 spotting at nearby Eglin AFB but I do wish it would have. I didn't have the time or energy to figure out if there was a spot you can hang out where one might be visible. I find myself quite drawn to the airplane these days even tho it's still easy to question whether the program is a good idea... but we are stuck with it at this point so let's encourage those working on the program to succeed!

 I do think there are far too many haters out there that would rather stir up a frenzy than acknowledge that this is one amazing aircraft. And, I suspect the haters are 90 to 100% people who don't know how to engineer an extreme carrier-capable aircraft, they are likely just people who (due to the internet) have a voice and they love to hear it make noise.

 While the CoolPix photo above is from last year showing an F-35B STOVL (short takeoff/vertical landing) making a short takeoff from a carrier deck (note the lift fan doors open and the downward rotation of the aft nozzle) there's an article from the U. S. Naval Institute about how the F-35C (the actual carrier variant) has recently completed shore-based testing of the redesigned hook. Problems catching the wire was an issue that many people made a big stink about, but as is the case when something doesn't work as originally envisioned, you make changes to the design. It's called development and every military aircraft goes thru lots of design changes along the way.

 The internet has made it possible for everyday people to have access to far more info than was ever available when aircraft like the F-14 or B-1 were being developed. The flow of info is great for those with an interest in the work of people handling tasks that are both extremely difficult and vitally important, but it also means that a lot of people who would be better off with their hands tied behind their back have access to the info too.

 Anyway, I hope you enjoy the very cool F-35B pic here and hopefully there will be a video available soon showing the F-35C catching the wire in those shore-based tests. 

Video: Brave New World Of Collective Pitch RC Quad Flying: Curtis Youngblood MantaRay

 If you're in the know about RC quad copters then you're probably aware that multiple world champion RC helicopter pilot and innovator Curtis Youngblood has pioneered the use of collective pitch blades into the quad copter concept. It's a lot like taking the tail rotor from an RC helicopter and adapting it for quad use... and tho the collective pitch adds some complexity, his design uses a single powerplant to drive all four rotorsets via belts and pulleys. His company CJ Youngblood Enterprises has been selling an electric collective pitch quad called the Stingray 500 since last year.

 What's especially unique about the video above is that this is a prototype for a larger collective pitch quad that also expands overall utility by being powered either by electric motor or via a gas engine. I only learned of the collective pitch quad idea yesterday, and in my research this morning I've seen how some in the traditional quad community don't see the advantages of a gas-powered quad... but the most obvious is the ability to dramatically increase flight time. It would also seem that payload potential would increase as well. Clearly the gas-powered quad is not meant to dominate the quad world, just dramatically expand it.

Video screenshot of the larger electric or gas powered MantaRay collective pitch quad 

 The bigger overall issue tho is the incredible increase in controllability that variable pitch blades allow. The smaller electric-only Stingray 500, which can be bought for $600, takes the quad into 3D hyper aerobatics. The two videos below give you a very good idea of what that really means. But the potential for a larger gas-powered quad like the MantaRay expands the commercial potential of the idea exponentially.

 Watching the video directly below of the Stingray is the closest thing I've ever seen to the flying robots seen in sci-fi films in the last 15 years... the ability and style in which this thing can be flown is straight up spooky. Beyond the extreme 3D nature of quads like the Stingray, Curtis is hoping the idea of extreme terrain racing might catch on where the capabilities of these amazing flying machines will break open an entirely new world of race courses and extreme pilots.

 Brace yourself for the brave new world... there's no stopping it now.

3 Videos: The Future Belongs To The Wingcopter! (OK... Maybe Not Just Yet)

 The Bubbleship VTOL from yesterdays Oblivion movie post has me cranked up on vertical flight concepts, so I did a little digging to see what VTOL dreamers are up to. I turned over a few rocks on youtube and found: the Wingcopter... and I gotta say this is a very impressive concept from a small team in Germany led by Jonathan Hesselbarth. It's just an RC model at this time but after several prototypes they seem to be on to a really good thing.

An impressive VTOL concept: the Wingcopter!  (photo: Wingcopter)

 When I observe a verti that's meant to achieve traditional high-speed forward flight, I'm looking for just one thing to impress me: transitions from vertical to forward and back again. The Wingcopter demonstrates this in the video above with amazing stability and control! You might have to watch the video several times to see that the the motors and props are moved back into the VTOL position at about the 29 second mark. The aircraft then decelerates to near stall speed when power is brought in again to complete the transition back to vertical flight. It doesn't just look 'doable', it looks like fun!

Onboard camera view with transition to forward flight and back to vertical

 The only big drawback I see with the concept thus far is that if this was a full-scale aircraft and the motor/prop assemblies became stuck in the forward flight mode, you've got a set of propellers that are going to extend well below the landing gear. That's a problem. My criteria for truly successful VTOL allows for a no-damage landing in the event that the hardware can't get out of forward-flight mode (sorry V-22 fans) - I can imagine tho that there'd be several possible modifications to the concept here to be able to meet that criteria. Overall, this is some seriously impressive work, both in the mechanics and the programming.

Detail of the motor/prop transition mechanics

 You can learn more about the various designs that led to this current configuration, as well as the mechanism that drives the pivot arms on the Wingcopter.com 'prototype' page. And, if you're interested in getting in on the fun with this amazing little flying machine, check out this page where you can actually purchase a Wingcopter ARF! Note that these guys don't appear to be in the RC kit biz, they just happen to be cool enough to to be willing to sell their work so you can experience it. No price is listed, you have to follow their contact link to inquire. 

 It's too early to say, but this just might be a truly viable VTOL concept for the future... Bravo Wingcopter!

Video: 'Amazon Prime Air' Makes A Fabulous Publicity Stunt For Cyber Monday

 I could be wrong, but Amazon Prime Air looks like nothing more than a very effective publicity stunt to me. The video above has received over 2 million views in well under 24 hours... and it just happens to be Cyber Monday, hmm. If you were in the retail sales biz, offering a massive inventory via the great big interwebs, wouldn't you love to have half the country chatting you up right now? Of course you would.

 Jeff Bezos might be serious about using octocopters (small unmanned electric drones) to deliver five-pound-and-under items directly to people's homes, but I honestly don't wanna see it happen. Ever. I think it's a bad idea.

 In a perfect world they would be great, but this world is far from perfect. Aside from all of the possible mechanical and electrical failure possibilities (which lead to an autonomous 10 pound object falling completely uncontrolled from the sky) the real issue here all about people trying to shoot them out of the air just for fun. And far worse than the 10 pound uncontrolled object falling from the sky that they hit with their favorite rifle, consider the 10 bullets they shot that missed their target... but found your head while you were mowing the backyard half a mile away.

 I say bad, bad, idea... but great publicity stunt. Btw, I love Amazon Prime, let's just keep the Air out of it, ok?!

Video screenshot of the 'Amazon Prime Air' drone concept delivering a small package

Video: Watch This Kid Shoot Down An F-35 With His F-18

 I honestly don't know the detailed politics of the F-35 vs F-18 debate, but I'm pretty sure if I did I'd be desperately looking for the government's OFF switch... however, I do know this video is very well done and it really did make me LOL!

 Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts about this issue, but I'm remaining silent. I'm just gonna laugh at the video and then go back to watching the world continue to collapse.  

 And hey, have a great day!

Video screenshot from the stunning F-35 takedown by the simple-n-old F-18

CoolPix: Retro-Art Desktop Pic Of The Amazing Bugatti 100p (Out Of The Past)

(click pic for hi-res)  Beautiful recent artwork of the Bugatti 100p by SkyGateCreations

 To me the Bugatti 100p is one of the most beautiful airplanes ever designed. It's also pretty fascinating that it never actually flew... but of course an extensive project to build a flying replica has been in the works for years now, and it's getting very close to completion. Check out the Bugatti 100p project on facebook for lots of pix and info on the replica.

 Recently a facebook friend of mine (Jenessa) created this fabulous art-deco drawing of the Bugatti and she put it on her SkyGateCreations page on deviantART where you can actually purchase a print of it. Jenessa also created the art for the 'Griffon' stickers that the Precious Metal team had available at Reno this year, and the airplane is wearing one of them too right behind the spinner. She's got talent AND a love for aviation! (especially for the really cool stuff : )

 Jenessa agreed to let me make the Bugatti available to you as a desktop image so you can celebrate the amazing Bugatti 100p in awesome style. To make it work best for desktop use, she removed the words leaving just the stunning lines of the airplane. I hope you download the size that works for you and enjoy. And thanx Jenessa for your great work!

Bugatti 100p by SkyGateCreations desktop pix:

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Video: SNC Dream Chaser 'Space Shuttle' Free-Flight Test: Successful, With A Problem

 This just released video shows the first free-flight test of the Sierra Nevada Corporation 'Dream Chaser' spaceplane on Saturday October 26, 2013. While the Dream Chaser will have the capability to carry up to seven crew members, this flight test was carried out with no one onboard using the automated flight control system. The video shows the lifting body space-shuttle-like vehicle being released from the Erikson Air-Crane helicopter and then flying extremely stable and right on glide path thru the short flight (less than one minute) and includes the approach to runway 22L at Edwards Air Force Base.

 What isn't seen in this video is the aftermath of the touchdown when the left landing gear failed to extend. During the flare the right main and nose gear deployed properly but for reasons yet unknown, the left main did not deploy. Some reports indicate that the vehicle sustained significant damage due to loss of control after touchdown.

 While the landing gear issue and subsequent damage to the test vehicle is certainly a setback, the team has much to celebrate with this test. A teleconference scheduled for later today will give insight into the damage to Dream Chaser and how the mishap will affect the program.

 It's interesting to note that it appears that the landing gear on this particular Dream Chaser, known as the engineering test article (ETA) which is not intended for any space flights, is not the same design as will be on the flight test article (FTA). I'm sure we'll here more about these details before long.

www.sncdreamchaser.com

Video screenshot of the Dream Chaser about to land without left main gear extended