Leslie Shook, the woman behind the female voice in the F/A-18 cockpit that chirps up when things go awry, plans to retire from Boeing. An automated recording of her voice had been used as an audio cue that was designed to help reduce the workload on the pilot. In a study published years ago, pilots of the Hornet and Super Hornet typically experienced the highest workload in the single-seat aircraft, who were tasked with a multitude of jobs ordinarily performed by a two-seat crew.
On the same day that the Pentagon announced that at least 150 Al-Shabab fighters were killed in a drone strike in Somalia comes news that DARPA is looking to take unmanned aircraft to the next level. According to Defense News, “The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected Aurora Flight Sciences to build the so-called “X-Plane,” an unmanned aircraft that will take off and land vertically.
DARPA awarded Aurora the prime contract for phase two of the agency’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing Experimental Plane, or VTOL X-Plane, program, the company announced March 3.
The Aurora team’s design, named LightningStrike, is an unmanned aircraft that features a Rolls-Royce AE 1107C turboshaft engine that will power three Honeywell generators, according to a company statement.
Under the agreement, Aurora will develop a technology demonstrator that can fly 50 percent faster than existing VTOL aircraft, the statement reads. Aurora will conduct the first flight tests of the technology demonstrator sometime around 2018.”
A drone capable of attaining speeds in excess of 400 knots would enable it to reach targets faster than a prop-driven unmanned aircraft and would permit it to loiter over a particular site for extended periods of time. Likewise, a VTOL drone would not need an extended hardened runway for takeoffs and landings, making it more flexible and adaptable to different environments.
If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool trekkie like we are, then you’re no doubt familiar with much of the Star Trek universe and lore, including the cataclysmic Battle of Wolf 359, where nearly 40 Federation star ships were destroyed by the Borg. While imagery of the battle has always remained sketchy, it takes a dedicated Star Trek artist to bring the battle to life, so-to-speak, by modelling many of the ships lost during the conflict.
Star Trek production artist Rick Sternbach has begun modelling several of the most noteworthy vessels lost at the hands of the Borg, including the USS Kyushu, a New Orleans Class starship, which will be the subject of an upcoming Eaglemoss replica to be released later this year. For more information concerning his endeavors as well as pictures of some of the other models that could potentially be included in the Eaglemoss range, beam over to the The Trek Collective.
In related news, we’ve amended our Star Trek section so that it now contains several subsections highlighting some of the most important battle in the Star Trek universe, such as the Battle of Wolf 359. Enjoy!
Having lived through much of the advances in aviation and space transport over the past sixty years, I’m always amazed when a new cutting edge technology could revolutionize the way we move from point A to B. It’s been over a decade since the retirement of the Concorde, a supersonic transport that vastly shortened the travel time from London to New York but with a few drawbacks. Having lived in New York City, I remember vividly when one such SST landed at JFK Airport, marveling at its size, design and capabilities.
While both the Russian and English/French SST reduced the time it took to travel vast distances, its one principal drawback was the supersonic boom it created as it passed through the sound barrier, which would jar homes and even crack windows. The issue was so pronounced that SSTs were forced to reduce speed well out to sea to avoid the effect the sonic boom would cause to the general population. This reduced the time the aircraft could travel at high speed, making supersonic travel less advantageous while still remaining cost prohibitive.
According to today’s news, NASA has awarded Lockheed-Martin a contract that, if successful, can potentially reduce the bone-jarring noise created by supersonic travel to a barely noticeable “thump”, thereby making global travel at high rates of speed once again attainable. Its possible that the supposed SR-72, a.k.a Aurora, could benefit from this development, thereby making overflights over “hostile terrain” less invasive while still conforming to the Open Skies Policy Concept which calls for the liberalization of international air space around the world.
Certainly one of the most anticipated products for 2016 is the Air Force 1 1:72 scale Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Decked out in the livery of “Bit ‘o Lace”, a “G” model that flew with the 709th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, then based at Rattlesden, Norfolk, in 1945, we first learned of this warplane well over a year ago, yet despite the lengthy wait, we haven’t so much as seen an image of the replica, much less heard of a firm ship date. Currently, “Bit ‘o Lace” is slated for a May touch down, although this will likely slip seeing as how it should be wheeled out of its design hangar in completed form right about now. We’re hoping they get it right, because there are literally loads of follow-on bombers they can replicate, and a host of other variants screaming out to be modeled, all at a price point designed to help move gaggles of product. Keep your fingers crossed we see this item soon, hopefully well before Father’s Day.
Ordinarily I’m pretty good about remembering historic dates. September 1st, 1939, marked the start of the Second World War in Europe. The beginning of World War I occurred in early August 1914, and, of course, the start of the War in the Pacific came about with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. And yet it took a post on Facebook by the Tank Museum to remind me that its been twenty-five years since the start of the ground war to free Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. While the ground war would last only four days, it signified the rebirth of US nationalism and cemented our faith in the military establishment to see a conflict through despite the odds and turmoil it might cause. Anyway, thank you to all that served and continue to serve, and a particular heartfelt thanks to those that participated in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Your efforts will always be remembered.
Some war museums are proud to lay claim to the only existing example of a Tiger tank or Arado AR-234 bomber, but the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum has the dubious honor of being able to display its very own Star Wars X-Wing fighter. Seen in a number of feature films, the replica Incom T-65 X-Wing comes complete with a scale version of an X-Wing pilot and its droid, and shows some telltale scarring and residual effects you would come to expect from battling amidst the stars.
For more information, head on over to their web site, Wings Over the Rockies, where you can learn how the museum obtained the replica and all of the hard work that went into its restoration.
On a separate note, we can only hope that Disney is watching and listening and will hopefully create a Star Wars museum within its proposed Star Wars-themed park, complete with a cornucopia of Star Wars-related ships and vehicles. Now wouldn’t that be cool?
We’ve all witnessed the progress of unmanned aerial vehicles in recent years, able to loiter over the battlefield for extended periods of time to reconnoiter and, when necessary, engage the enemy in real-time. Well, now the US Navy and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have picked up on this cue and developed the first crewless ship which is scheduled to be christened and put to sea in a few months.
According to Steve Walker, deputy director of DARPA, “the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ASWCTUV) will be the largest unmanned surface vehicle ever built at 130-feet long. It will be christened in April in Portland, Oregon, and then begin to demonstrate its long-range capabilities over 18 months in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research and the Space and Naval Systems Warfare Command.”
“Imagine and unmanned surface vessel following all the laws of the sea and operating with manned surface and unmanned underwater vehicles,” Walker said. “We think the real cost savings will be in operating this vessel at sea compared to how we operate vessels today,” he added. “It could be used for counter-mine missions, reconnaissance and resupply,” he added.
No word on how the ship would maintain itself at sea, particularly in adverse weather conditions, and whether men could be put aboard the vessel should a problem occur. Moreover, it’s not clear if such a ship will be armed as part of the experiment, both to defend itself as well as operate under a wartime footing. Follow-on variants would likely feature a rail gun situated forward of the conning tower. The trimaran design also employs angular stealth characteristics to reduce its radar signature, not unlike the recently christened Zumwalt class of guided missile destroyers.
What better way to introduce the world to its latest proposed fighter jet than with a 30-second commercial at the Super Bowl? According to Les Moonves, President of CBS, A 30-second Super Bowl ad is selling for as much as $5 million, so it is with great fanfare that Northrop Grumman is breaking out its wallet to show off its concept for the sixth generation fighter contest now being waged at the Pentagon. Featuring a tailless design and laser weaponry, the Northrop Grumman design is going up against similar projects under develop at Lockheed-Martin and Boeing, and aimed to enter into service some time in the 2030s.
As 2016 dawns, so does the look and feel of the the US Army’s FVL (Future Vertical Lift) program. Intended to replace the aging AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk in the not-too-distant future, the FVL looks to incorporate advances in technology that will help keep the aircraft flying well into the mid 21st Century. Two competing designs are beginning to take shape; one by Bell, dubbed the V-280 Valor, and the other by Sikorsky-Boeing, and known as the SB-1 Defiant.
The Valor resembles the V-22 Osprey, in that it makes use of a tilt-rotor wing for added lift and range, while the Sikorsky design makes use of a pair of contra-rotating overhead blades for improved performance.
According to Flightglobal, “No funding has been allocated for FVL thus far, but the army expects to firm its performance requirements once the demonstrators fly. FVL might not surface in the army’s upcoming fiscal year 2017 budget submission, but Bell hopes funding will be made available in 2018 or 2019 to get things moving.”
