Boston Dynamics has released a new video showing their latest Atlas humanoid robot. It’s able to open a door, walk through the woods and stack boxes on a shelf… it’s just about able to hold down a minimum wage job.
Feb 242016
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Feb 242016
If you want in on 10% to 20% savings on APR’s and such, act fast; I’ll be ending the sale later today.
UPDATE: sale has ended.
In the meantime, please enjoy this update to the 24X36 1/72 Dyna Soar/ Titan IIIc diagram:
Feb 242016
In the early 1970s, after the collapse of the SST program due to, in part, the rise in energy prices, Boeing, Lockheed, General Dynamics and NASA looked at the possibility of jetliners designed to fly economically right at the edge of the sound barrier. The idea was that there is an unavoidable spike in drag at Mach 1.00, but it would theoretically be possible to fly at, say, Mach 0.98 at relatively low drag. This would make the aircraft about 100 mph faster than conventional jetliners without being much more expensive. In order to pull this off, the jetliners would need to take advantage of every imaginable aerodynamic trick in the book… most obviously, area rule designing resulting in “wasp waisted” fuselages, and almost no straight lines… all curves. The problem is that this makes aircraft heavier and more expensive to build. Thus, no transonic airliners ever got any further than wind tunnel tests.
Below is a piece of Boeing art showing one of their designs for an Advanced Technology Transport. It was a Model 767 design, dash-number unknown.
Feb 232016
He’s had a rough go of it the past few months. He gets his quota of catnip… but maybe he should get a pile of it, like this cat:
Bought my cat a pound of catnip….. Good kitty.
Check out those eyes. That there is a cat that can see *forever.*
Feb 232016
A pig hat. It can get ya arrested.
Apparently there are people in the Netherlands who are so incapable of controlling themselves that they’ll turn into murderous ragemonsters if they see a kids pig-hat, and so therefore these terribly provocative bits of apparel must be removed from the public square.
I suddenly wish I owned stock in the company that makes pig hats, because I suspect they’re going to become real popular.
Feb 232016
An early 1970’s photo of a “mockup” of the Rockwell B-1 bomber. Rather than building an expensive plywood mockup that accurately recreated the complex curves of the B-1, this one was vastly simpler… a “side view” diagram of the B-1 with a few interior details, with a “shadow” on the floor. If you look carefully, it looks like this photo has been censored… the bays fore and aft of the main landing gear have been blacked out. Presumably these showed the payload of SRAMs and/or cruise missiles. One engine and the wing pivot system are included as actual 3-D items, probably mockups. Note that this is not the final B-1 design as built… the nose contours are a bit off.
Feb 232016
One of an extremely large large number of designs put forward for Weapons System 324A, Tactical Fighter X, which eventually became the F-111. This particular design, circa 1962, is the WADD 46 from the Wright Air Development Center and is pretty typical… a twin engine supersonic design with sizable variable-sweep wings.
Two full-rez pages from the WS324A Characteristics Summary have been posted to the 2016-02 APR Extras Dropbox folder for all $4 and up APR Patreon patrons.
Feb 222016
I’ve babbled about this a time or two in the past, but the specifics keep changing. But I think I’m zeroing in on the final form. The diagram below is meant for 24 X 36; the diagrams are at 1/72 scale. The final print will be black ink on white translucent mylar.
As shown here, it’s still a ways away from being complete; much more data to add, some refinements and additions to the diagrams, perhaps some artistic flourishes (though since I’m apparently devoid of any actual artistic talent, that sort of thing will be kept to an engineering minimum).
There will be only a limited number of these printed up, based on interest expressed in advance. The price is yet to be determined, but $50 is a very high upper limit. That comes from the price of something vaguely similar… the 24X36-on-white-mylar blueprints of the Nostromo from “Alien” and the Sulaco from “Aliens” that used to be available here:
Those two I got a few years ago, but only recently got around to framing (cheapo poster frames, but frames nonetheless). They look *spectacular.* And as they are substantially more spectacular than the X-20/Titan IIIc, my diagrams shouldn’t be priced at the same level.
If anyone has suggestions, I’d be interested.
Feb 222016
Ever since Raedthinn busted his fangs, his tongue has had a tendency to stick out. I assume it’s because one fang simply isn’t there to serve as a roadblock.
Feb 222016
Just brought Raedthinn home from the vet. He is, it seems, All Better… but that came at a substantial cost. In fact, two days at the vet cost more than a months work on USFP01 and USVP01 brought in. Behold:
So… time for another sale. For the next day or two or three, I’m running another Downloadable Stuff Sale. This applies to all APR’s and articles, USxPs, Air & Space Drawings & Documents, ANED01. As per usual… make your purchase using the Paypal buttons, and I’ll refund the sales difference.
Up to $50: 10% off
From $50.01 to $75: 15% off
More than $75: 20% off
UPDATE: Sale has ended as of 2/24/2016
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And as always, feel free to toss something into the Tip Jar if’n yer of a mind to:
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