If you’ve ever ridden a roller coaster, you may have felt a sense of weightlessness followed by abrupt heaviness. Going over bumps, through corkscrews, and around loops nearing a speed of 100 mph contributes to all those sensations—it’s also why you may feel a little queasy after getting off the ride. Roller coasters cause you [...]
The Lightweight Fighter Mafia contributed to the F-16 Fighter Falcon design used today. As founding members of the Fighter Mafia, John Boyd and Tom Christie did more than attract controversy by advocating for a new US air combat doctrine. The informal group wanted military reform in one way—do more with less. Boyd made his mark [...]
Long before Neil Armstrong made one giant leap for mankind (or, you know, didn’t, if that’s your belief), NASA’s work was a lot closer to home. In fact, it had nothing to do with aerospace at all. At least, not technically. The NASA we know and love today grew out of a federal agency founded [...]
With how popular commercial flying is today, it's hard to believe the multi-billion-dollar industry ever served anyone other than its passengers. Airplane development in World War 1 encouraged officials to consider the potential of using planes for fast commercial and mail transportation. By early 1918, Congress approved $100,000 to experiment with an air mail route. [...]
In between Iceland, Scotland, and Norway lies the Faroe Islands’ Vágar Airport—an airport completely reliant on a satellite-based navigation system. The airport has one runway and grass-covered hills surrounded by steep, rocky cliffs. Clouds above the water make landing on the remote island difficult to maneuver at times. Satellite-based landing increases flight safety. Europe's regional satellite-based augmentation [...]
When we think of radiation, we think scary. We think of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. We think of the Chernobyl disaster and radioactive boars running around Europe. Or we think of cancer—fatigue and hair loss. Do you think of bananas? Doubtful. Do you think of flying? Probably not. But there are doses of radiation thanks [...]
The International Paris Air Show began on June 19 and will continue until June 26. The International Exhibition of Aeronautics and Space (SIAE) host the event, and it is the 52nd edition of the largest and longest-running aerospace trade show in the world. The show is held every odd year and welcomes the latest in [...]
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is one of the most famous bombers from WWII and the most produced heavy bomber in history. With over 19,000 built, this American heavy bomber gained an esteemed record during the war as the response to a need for more Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. Design and Development The B-24 was created [...]
Utopia: a place of ideal perfection. Tall, bright buildings between smooth highways surrounded by green grass. Driverless cars making seamless lane changes. Computers performing jobs better than humans ever could. Appealing as this may sound, real life is a bit more… messy. Pilotless planes seem like something taken out of a Utopian society that will [...]
Technology and budget made building the JetStar a challenge. In the 1950s, aeronautical engineer Kelly Johnson designed the Lockheed JetStar. The design was originally produced for the US Air Force, but it was eventually used for business. Four Pratt & Whitney JT12A6 turbojets powered the aircraft with a swept wing and cruciform tail. Inflatable rubber deicing [...]
