1953 Wet Jet! Convair F2Y Sea Dart

 That the engineers even tried an idea like the Convair F2Y Sea Dart is pretty amazing to me... and it actually showed a surprising amount of promise (well at least compared to what seems like simply too much to ask of a jet powered aircraft).                  

 And while it did 'work', it just didn't have the power or functional success to get past prototypes.  But it's still a very interesting aviation achievement and makes for some really cool 1950's video to watch!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

H2O Boy! JetLev Water Propelled Jet Pack!

 After about 6 seconds of watching the JetLev water propelled jet pack, you're probably gonna be like me and want one really bad! This German engineered design is a truly unique concept that seems to work extremely well. The 4-stroke engine, either 155hp or 215hp (and the fuel) stay down on the water so it only has to lift you and the nozzle pack. Top speed is around 50 mph.        

 And sure, you can only go to a max altitude of about 50', but when you think it thru, isn't 50 feet high with a pile of semi-soft water under you a pretty good idea when flying a jet pack, hmmm? It looks like way more fun than a jet ski to me! Price is about $128,000 or $153,000 depending on model, and it goes on sale April 2009 with first deliveries expected in June.

Perfect Paper Airplane!

 I was looking for a cool paper airplane to make when I found some instructions on the net on how to make this one. Looked pretty sweet, so I gave it a try. It took me a couple tries, and a lot of ‘pause and play’ to get it figured out, but wow, what a great looking airplane, and it flew pretty nice too.

 Then I thought, hmmm, I bet it would look even nicer with some snazzy AirPigz graphics on it.  About 2 hours later I had a pattern made with graphics, and lines in key areas to make it easier to build. That’s when I knew that I should share this little guy with the world!

 The only modifications I made were to add both a paper clip and a staple.  The extra weight of the clip really gives this design some great penetration, and the staple helps hold it all together much better… that's especially good for the graphics.

 So, now you have a fun little project: print the pattern from the PDF file link below, then, watch the slick YouTube video that I made of the folding process. It might take a couple tries to get a good one, but hang in there, you're gonna want this - it really seems to be the perfect paper airplane!

 A couple quick things to note:  When you print the pattern, be sure to set the ‘page scaling’ to ‘none’ (as the screenshot below shows).  That way the lines will wind up in the right spot on the page where they’ll do you some good : )

 And then, let me know if you like this little paper airplane with the AirPigz paint job!  Leave a comment, send me a picture via email, let me know about it on twitter… I’d just like to know if you found this to be a fun project and if I should try to come up with more like it. Merry Christmas!

**  DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE PDF PATTERN FOR THE PAPER AIRPLANE  **

(be sure to set the page scaling to 'none' before you print) 

And then you're ready to watch the video instructions!

More Tailless Aircraft - Fantabulous Gyro Stabilized X-36 R/C Video

 This ultra-slick R/C X-36 model is awesome beyond belief!  This crazy thing has no vertical surfaces except for the ‘little fin’ that gets servoed up in emergency situations.  This is genius(!) plus probably massive amounts of trial and error all wrapped up into one fantabulous piece of backyard electric flyer.   

 Flight stabilization is achieved via gyros that appear to feed input into about a zillion control surfaces… and into the fully vectored thrust from two electric motors driving props!  It’s simply a stunning technological achievement!  The flying qualities look excellent too.  You must watch this video right now!

This Is Why Everyone Should Have A Super Cub!

Mach 1 Ride On Concorde At Oshkosh 88!

 If you tossed all the airplanes ever made into a really big bucket like popcorn and shook 'em up, there's only gonna be so many that work their way to the the top.  Concorde is definitely one of them.

 Few other aircraft have been able to stir such a wide range of people, and do so with such unanimous adoration. And while some might see Concorde's legacy tarnished by the crash in 2000, the truth is that this is an amazing aircraft that stands as a fabulous tribute to those who made her a reality.

 For Americans, possibly our greatest opportunities with Concorde came at Oshkosh in 85, 88, 90, 94, and 98. Not only did Concorde's presence there give us by far the closest look at this exotic beauty, but for a few people it was a relatively affordable chance to actually get to go for a ride.

 I was one of those fortunate few.  I recently found an old VHS tape I'd made in the corner of the basement in a grocery bag, almost forgotten. Check out the vid for a unique look at one of the world's greatest aircraft. 

A total of 20 Concordes were built, with 6 used for development and 14 put
into airline service... 7 for Air France and 7 like this one, for British Airways. 

 
Bristish Airways G-BOAF showing many of the curves that make Concorde so beautiful.

 
Air France F-BVFA on display at the National Air & Space Museum campanion
facilty, the Uvdar-Hazy Center located near Washington Dulles in Virgina.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/UdvarHazy/
 

 The video above is really just a home movie I made to have a record of the day I got to ride in a real SST.  But it means even more to me now that I'm 20 years older, and especially because Concorde is now retired.

 My experience tells me that no airplane electrified the air at Oshkosh like this one.  No other airplane has offered the world so much capability while also being so full of grace and beauty.  I suspect that no airplane will ever surpass the stunning collection of attributes that are found only in this intriguing collaboration between the British and the French.

 If you're young or maybe just new to aviation, I hope you'll take some time to learn about the history of this earth-shrinking machine.  There are so many stories that take you a lot deeper than 'that thing sure looks hot'.

 And while many will argue that Concorde wasn't a financial success... all I can say is that I've yet to see real success ever be defined by dollar bills (or Pounds, Francs or Euros).

 To learn more, a lot more, check out the links below.  Go experience Concorde!

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk/concordeChronology.html
Straight forward chronological history of Concorde 

http://www.concordesst.com/home.html
All things Concorde - great site! 

http://www.wingweb.co.uk/aircraft/SST_rise_and_fall.html 
Nice overview of the SST concepts including Concorde 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/concorde/
PBS Nova explores Concorde + innovative aircraft 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_uW5sLug_0
Fabulous video tribute to the amazing Concorde