RQ170 on display

 AARRRGH, aircraft, blather, news, politics, secrets, youtube  38 Responses »
Dec 082011
 

The Iranians have put on display what appears to be the RQ170 that went down. The color is odd, though. Could be a mockup. If it is the real thing, it’s in really good shape… indicating less of a shootdown and a crash than, perhaps, a hacking and rough landing.

[youtube vorWHmk38yE]

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Given that the Obama administration has shown itself willing to send weapons to the enemies of the US so that they can be used against the interests of the US in order to push the administrations social-change-ideology… one can be forgiven for wondering if perhaps this high-tech stealth aircraft was essentially “given” to the Iranians, who can be relied upon to share the technology with the Chinese and perhaps Russians. This would reduce Americas military technology lead… just the thing if your goals include knocking the US down a peg or three.

 Posted by at 11:55 am

Dog > Human

 AARRRGH, blather, cats, critters, news  8 Responses »
Dec 082011
 

This makes me want to hurt someone.

HEROIC HOUND

Short form: some jagoff sealed kittens in a  cat food bag, tossed bag into a road. Bag is found by a dog named Reagan who pulled the bag off the road, took it home, and would not stop whining until the dogs owner opened the bag and found the kittens that Reagan had rescued.

Unfortunately, the owner also found the kittens that Reagan had *not* been able to rescue.

This story is a mixture of heartwarming and enragingly horrific. SCOTT MAD

 Posted by at 1:06 am

My *other* websites

 APR, blather, new products, news, photography  No Responses »
Dec 072011
 

While they’re pretty basic, my photography website and the APR-specific website are both up and running.

Photography: http://www.artbyearthlings.com/

Aerospace Projects Review: http://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/

If’n your stuck on what to get people for Christmas, I heartily suggest you take a gander at the photo website. The prices there are… negotiable. If you want a number of photos, we can talk.

 Posted by at 11:08 pm

Rockwell Shuttle Model Drawings

 aircraft, drawings, history, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Dec 072011
 

An informational poster from Rockwell International showing the configuration of the Space Shuttle dating from, I believe, February 1983. Provides geometric data as well as coloration, mission profile and subcontractor data.

You can download a 9 megabyte ZIP file with 300 DPI scans of both front and back of this poster. The 1/200 scale drawings are particularly nice. The link to the high-rez is HERE.

 Posted by at 6:17 pm

Didn’t get your V3N2?

 APR, blather  3 Responses »
Dec 062011
 

I’ve had three customers in the last few days tell em they didn’t get their V3N2 download instructions… even though I sent the emails (and found them in my “sent” file). So there seems to be something a little screwy going on with email. So if you paid but didn’t get, just send me an email.

 Posted by at 10:40 am

Cause:Effect

 blather, dumbassery  8 Responses »
Dec 052011
 

Model’s hand sliced off when she walks into plane’s propeller, suffered head and brain injuries

Wow.

Yet another tragedy that could have been averted if she’d only watched “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Or maybe just realized that walking into the giant swinging blade might not be a good thing. You’d think that sort of thing would be self-evident…

I am for some reason reminded of Robert Heinlein: “Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.”

 Posted by at 10:13 pm

Lockheed Flyback Booster: 2011

 aircraft, news, projects, rockets, spacecraft  20 Responses »
Dec 052011
 

Lockheed press release:

Lockheed Martin Selected By U.S. Air Force for Reusable Booster System Flight Demonstrator Program

DENVER, December 5th, 2011 — Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] has been selected by the U.S. Air Force for a contract award to support the Reusable Booster System (RBS) Flight and Ground Experiments program. The value of the first task order is $2 million, with a contract ordering value of up to $250 million over the five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract period. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center are developing the RBS as the next generation launch vehicle that will significantly improve the affordability, operability, and responsiveness of future spacelift capabilities over current expendable launchers.

Initial RBS Flight and Ground Experiments task orders will provide for an RBS flight demonstration vehicle called RBS Pathfinder scheduled to launch in 2015. The RBS Pathfinder is an innovative reusable, winged, rocket-powered flight test vehicle that will demonstrate the Reusable Booster Systems’ “rocketback” maneuver capabilities and validate the system requirements that will drive refinements in the design of the operational RBS.

The booster is pretty conventional, as far as “flyback boosters” go. It has a distinct resemblance to the StarBooster concept from several years back.

 Posted by at 8:20 pm
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