Dust at 0.3 c

 awesomeness, news, science, youtube  No Responses »
Nov 082018
 

Yow:

Astronomers see material orbiting a black hole *right* at the edge of forever

Clouds of dust have been directly observed orbiting the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, just outside of the minimum stable circular orbit radius. Due to the way that the massive gravity of a black hole bends spacetime the closer you get, there is a minimum distance where you can actually orbit the thing; any closer and you’ll actually get drawn in. The orbital velocity is 30% lightspeed.

A telescopic view of the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A* (“Saj Ay-Star”). You can clearly see stars zipping around the black hole, though not the hole itself.

 Posted by at 5:53 pm

US Fighter, Transport, Launcher, Recon & Research Projects

 aircraft, awesomeness, books, drawings, history, new products, nukes, projects, rockets, spacecraft, US Fighter Projects, US Launch Vehicle Projects, US Research & Recon Projects, US Transport Projects  No Responses »
Nov 072018
 

Now available… four new issues in the US Aerospace Projects line.

US Fighter Projects #3

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Fighter Projects #03 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #3 includes:

  • Vought Advanced Interceptor AI-0604R: a dart-winged ejector ramjet-powered concept
  • Convair Nuclear Powered Interceptor Configuration I: a single0seat interceptor with a nuclear reactor
  • General Dynamics F-111X-7: A stretched F-111 for bomber escort and interception
  • Bell Ramjet Fighter: A subsonic small fighter from the end of WWII
  • Convair XP-92: A post-war delta-winged ramjet powered supersonic interceptor
  • Rockwell D736-4 Supersonic Penetrator: the wings could sweep back entirely within the fuselage
  • Lockheed CL-362-2: A high-altitude hypersonic rocketplane
  • NASA-Langley TBF-1: an unusual supercruiser

 

 

 

USFP #3 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

——–

 

US Launch Vehicle Projects #5

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Launch Vehicle Projects #5 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #5 includes:

  • North American Aviation 600K SSTO: an early concept for cheap space launch
  • Boeing “Windjammer” SSTO: A horizontal takeoff design form the early 70s
  • JSC Winged Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle: A giant SPS launcher
  • NASA Nova “Saturn C-8”: an early Apollo booster
  • Lockheed Reusable Ten-Ton Orbital Carrier: A logistics system from the early 60s
  • Chrysler Hot Air Balloon S-IB: An unusual approach to booster recovery
  • MSC Orbiter 042A Titan IIIL6: A shuttle design with a delta-winged orbiter on an enlarged Titan
  • General Dynamics Model 202: a preliminary design for a Brilliant Pebbles launcher

 

 

USLP #5 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

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US Recon & Research Projects #3

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Recon & Research Projects #3 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #3 includes:

  • Lockheed A-2: An early design leading to the SR-71
  • Boeing NuERA 747: A nuclear powered 747
  • General Dynamics SX-109 “Pathfinder”: a subscale SSTO demonstrator
  • Northrop N-165: A giant U-2 alternate
  • Convair M-125: A high altitude/speed single seat recon plane with toxic fuel
  • Bell AMST STOL Prototype: A heavily modified C-130
  • Convair Nuclear AEW: unmanned, nuclear powered VTOL fleet defense recon platform
  • Boeing Model 818-300: an early 60s battlefield surveillance platform

 

 

 

USRP #3 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

——–

 

US Transport Projects #8

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Transport Projects #8 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #8 includes:

  • NACA SST: a 1947 concept
  • Boeing CX-HLS: Boeings design for what became the C-5
  • Bell Operational Medium STOL Transport: vectored thrust for short takeoff
  • Convair Limited War Amphibian: A concept for a single plan to meet both land and sea plane requirements
  • Bell Hypersonic Transport 1980-1990:A two-stage turboramjet/rocket concept
  • Lockheed Hybrid Wing Body 757PF-Sized Freighter: a recent design for an advanced transport
  • Lear Liner Model 40:a small airliner/large executive transport
  • Boeing Model 759-153A Resource Carrier: A big flying wing natural gas “tanker”

 

USTP #8 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

——–

 Posted by at 9:43 pm

Dow up 250

 Hmm..., news, politics  No Responses »
Nov 072018
 

Not really news that the Dow has gone up 250 points today… it regularly goes through swings of 500 points or more. But there was an election last night where the Dems took the House, ending Republican control of government. This indicates that the market is happy about that. And… they probably should be. When one party controls the reigns of power, they invariable go on a spending spree. In contrast, when there’s “gridlock,” the parties can successfully fight off the other sides spending priorities. In other words, “nothing gets done.” Which, when it comes to the federal government, is generally a good thing.

The Republicans still control the White House and the Senate, and thus control Supreme Court nominations, and that’s a good thing. A split government means that NASA plans to send manned missions to the Moon and Mars could well be in danger. But they are fifty years behind schedule on that and SpaceX is doing it anyway, so… no real loss, I guess.

 Posted by at 9:59 am

I suspect the feeling’s mutual

 Crazy, dumbassery, Forward!, religion  No Responses »
Nov 062018
 

Sinéad O’Connor First Converts To Islam, Now Says She Never Wants To ‘Spend Time With White People Again’

This shows just how fast a convert can be radicalized. Imagine where she will be in a few months.

 

 

 

 Posted by at 4:41 pm

And now the SJW’s are upset at your ability to *see*

 Crazy, dumbassery, Forward!, politics, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Nov 062018
 

The Huffington Post now thinks it’s a problem that citizens have the ability to see what they’re doing at all hours.

Military-Grade Night Vision Gear Is Widely Available To Civilians — And That’s A Problem

Ladd Everitt, the director of One Pulse for America, a gun violence prevention group, says… Night vision equipment is “not the tool of sportsmen,” Everitt said. “It’s the tool of people who are seeking to kill as many people as possible in as short amount of time as possible.”

Your ability to see is a threat. Do you wear glasses or contact lenses? It’s because you are a mass murderer in waiting.

 Posted by at 3:00 pm

Any Brits in the house who can explain this?

 blather, Crazy, Hmm..., I'm from the government, news, politics, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Nov 062018
 

Grenfell Tower bonfire: Police search property

Short form: Grenfell Tower was an over-populated, badly built apartment tower that burned a year ago, a bunch of people died. So then these guys made a cardboard model of the tower, set it on fire (outside, as some sort of bonfire, on private property), laughed about it and filmed it. And… now they’ve been arrested.

Crude and in poor taste? You bet. It would be akin to building a model of the Twin Towers and intentionally crashing a toy airplane into it. But what’s *illegal* here? The article says:

The men have been arrested under section 4a of the Public Order Act 1986, which covers intentional “harassment, alarm or distress” caused via the use of “threatening, abusive or insulting” words or signs.

Wait. Isn’t Britain the same county that has an annual tradition of setting fire to effigies of Guy Fawkes?

According to THIS ARTICLE, it seems as if the illegality was being simply “offensive.” Which should be frakin’ disturbing to anyone with the slightest interest in the freedom of expression. The British government is always going on about how they are a free country, so it does not make sense for people to be arrested simply for being offensive. “Laws against bad jokes” and “free people” are mutually exclusive concepts. So what’s the story here?

 Posted by at 12:48 pm

Cross-dressing Nazis? Sure, why not

 AARRRGH, Crazy, Gah., history, photography, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Nov 062018
 

Don’t say I never gave ya nuthin’:

His and Herrs: Photos reveal how cross-dressing Nazis loved to wear women’s clothes for fun during World War Two

And, yes, quite a number of photos of male Nazi soldiers dressed in wimin-skivvies are included. Warning: what has been seen cannot be unseen.

And on the off chance that this sort of thing is your thing, there’s a book.

 Posted by at 11:58 am
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