Posts by dave

fish for tea, therefore friday

according to wikipedia,

"The car has eight wheels enabling it to be closer to the ground for better traction".

I think I follow this argument, (there's a couple of steps left out).

But what advance in engineering has made this change a good idea? I suspect it's not the battery. Vista SP1, perhaps?

exposure ...

"...radiation could be expected to use up much of an astronaut's lifetime exposure limit."

Can there be a sensible limit to lifetime radiation exposure ?

Even if you gave someone a hefty dose in the last minute of their life, they would be unlikely to er . . give a shit.

This is not quite as bonkers as it seems. It is generally accepted that sending elderly astronauts to Mars would be a preferable, as they would be less likely to suffer from cancer as a result of their exposure during the trip. Not because of any special immunity, just because something else will probably get them first !

A tombstone, I think.

EasyNuke

I remember seeing an open rotor jet flying at Farnborough in the late 80's

this one I think ...

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/07/03/215261/pratt-whitney-considers-geared-open-rotor-concept.html

It sounded slightly different, but not noticeably louder.

Is it just me or did all civil engines sound different back then ?

Nuclear reactors are not suited to an aircraft that needs to carry people or take off and land more than a few times a year.

The reasons are based in science, not engineering, so I don't expect to see them flying around for a while.

Coat ... because I mentioned the S word.