Here we go into the twenty first century of warfare, folks, as the Airborne Boeing laser finally manages to hit a ground-based target for the first time ever!
The Air Force only a few short hours ago announced that, back on August 30th, a C-130 mounting a Boeing ATL (Advanced Tactical Laser) managed to hit a target on the ground. And, the best part? It only took Boeing thirty million dollars to pull it off! Hurray!
But frankly, thirty million is a small price to pay, as far as I’m concerned, as long as it hastens the day when I can strap a laser gun to my hip and go plinking rats at the junkyard.
September 1st, 2009 1:37 PM | by Christen da Costa
Pedal powered airplanes are old business, that I know. But for a 19-year to accomplish the same feat with no previous flying experience, that is the stuff that history is made of.
Built by Dutch teenager Jesse van Kuijk, the pedal powered plane took 3 years to build and is crafted of balsa wood, polyurethane, and rip-resistant foil. His maiden voyage transpired this past Sunday and while he only flew 15 feet high for about 45 feet in distance, it’s an amazing accomplishment.
Move over parasailing and say hello to the Water Powered Jet Pack! Ok, so its altitude is limited based on the hose length, and you’re pretty much dragging a pump around with you which might not make it ideal for an Ocean. But still, it’s pretty bad ass!
Nasa has struggled for years to come up with a jet pack. You know, the thing we all one day hope to strap to our backs and shoot into the sky like superman. Believe it or not, a New Zealand born inventor, a one Glenn Martin, has been tinkering with such a device for over 25 years. It’s now on the verge of coming to complete fruition and with 12 orders at $100k a piece, I’d say he’s completed what one would assume is his life long dream. The two massive engines produce over 600lbs of thrust (200hp combined) and 186mph winds. Inside the engines are Kevlar propellers (I love Kevlar). On a full tank of gas, one gets about 30 minutes of flying time and the tripod legs have built-in shock absorbers to insure a soft landing. No one has flown higher than a few feet, but Martin hopes to have a version that’ll hover 500 feet in six months.
If you’re like me you’ve had that itch at one time or another to hover high in the high sky. If you’ve got $60,000 that itch can now be scratched. Japanese inventor Gennai Yanagisawa has built a 165-lb helicopter, which might be the world’s smallest. It’s small in foot print too since it doesn’t utilize a rear rotator blade, and instead opts for a dual blade setup which counters the spinning effect. The first demonstration flight will occur May 25th in Vinci, Italy to pay homage to da Vinci.
