Did You Know - Aerospace Edition

Here's Why Airplanes Have Engines On The Wings Or On The Tail

 

Wing Mount

Pro: Much easier engine access for service, can mount more and/or bigger engines, less structural reinforcing needed, shorter fuel lines, safer in case of engine fire

Con: High noise levels, susceptible to ground/foreign objects/debris damage, requires larger rudder (in case one engine is lost)

Rear Mount

Pro: Quieter operation (from inside cabin), less likely to take in debris/foreign objects, more suitable to more kinds of runways/airstrips, can reverse aircraft on ground
Con: Harder to access for maintenance, requires more structural support and longer fuel lines, more dangerous in case of fire
 
(Jalopnik.com)

Gluttony - Airline Edition

(Bits&Pieces.us)

Good One, Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels releases Wonder Woman's invisible jet, sort of

To obtain your own invisible jet, you'll have to purchase $20 worth of Hot Wheels cars at Walmart. That's before taxes, too. Then mail your proofs of purchase to Mattel, along with a check or money order for $3.50 to cover shipping and handling. Then in a few weeks, you'll have your own, perfectly invisible "jet." For seriously die-hard fans of Wonder Woman with a good sense of humor, this is a pretty neat piece of memorabilia. 

(AutoBlog.com)
 

They Did A Damn Fine Job

(BroBible.com)

Such Simple Functionality

Here's What Those White Spirals Inside Airplane Engines Are For

...the nosecone spirals serve two purposes: one is to scare birds and the other is to identify when the engine cone is spinning.

(Jalopnik.com)

Did You Know - SR71 Blackbird Edition

29 Things You Didn't Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

6. The jets need roughly 680 hp to get started

• There were a few ways to start the J58, but one of them was hooking up a pair of Buick Wildcat V8s together and spinning the engine until it fires up. Each of those engines was good for 340 hp. 

7. BF Goodrich had to develop special tires because it’s so heavy

• It’s so damn heavy -- 170,000 pounds -- that BF Goodrich had no choice but to develop special aluminum-reinforced tires that could take the abuse, and even then, the life span was about 20 landings. Slowing that much mass down safely isn’t easy, so a parachute during landing helped scrub off speed so it wouldn't shoot past the end of the runway.

 

8. The founder of Polaroid was in charge of the team that evaluated the Blackbird’s design

• If you think about it, it makes sense: the SR-71 was a spy plane, and Dr. Edwin Land knew a ton about photography.

 

17. The Blackbird’s missile avoidance technique was a middle finger to would-be attackers

• During it’s decades of service, enemies with itchy trigger fingers fired in excess of 1,000 missiles in the hope of taking down the high flyer. The evasive maneuver used by most pilots? Hit the throttle and laugh, since missiles couldn’t go as fast. Not a single one was ever shot down.

Complete list (Thrillist.com)

 

I Find This Hard To Believe

What’s The Connection Between Air Force One And Gold Medal Flour?


For one of the most important planes in the sky, regular ol’ bargain brand aircraft cleaner simply won’t suffice. You may have heard stories of Air Force One’s signature shine — legend has it that it’s even possible to view your reflection on its surface clearly enough to comb your hair (or ghastly, hair-like mirage). It may surprise you to learn that the cleaning agent of choice for this lucky vehicle is also a key ingredient in, say, biscuits.

According to retired Air Force pilot Ron Wagner via Quora, Gold Medal Flour has been utilized in the daily polishing of Air Force One since at least the Carter administration. Anything coarser than white flour would scratch the jet’s aluminum skin, so literal tons of it are stored in the Special Air Missions hangar.


(FoodRepublic.com)

An Important Question Finally Answered

What the Heck Makes Flying So Expensive?

Watch the video by Wendover Productions breaking down the cost of flying. It’s a lot of little dollars here and there that adds up rather quickly.

(Gizmodo.com)

Did You Know - SR-71 Blackbird Edition

29 Things You Didn't Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

1. The SR-71’s official speed record -- 2,193.13 mph -- has stood for nearly 40 years

• In July of 1976, the Blackbird celebrated the United States’ centennial by setting an outright speed record for a manned jet. This is that very plane landing after that record-setting run, and while a few pilots took their Blackbirds faster, they weren't on an official two-way record run.

11. To fly or even work on the plane, everybody was required to be married

• You not only had to be between 25 and 40 years old and something called “emotionally stable,” you had to be married to even be eligible for consideration to work on the plane, let alone fly the damn thing. Testing in the desert north of all those Las Vegas wedding chapels makes a lot of sense now, huh?

17. The Blackbird’s missile avoidance technique was a middle finger to would-be attackers

• During it’s decades of service, enemies with itchy trigger fingers fired in excess of 1,000 missiles in the hope of taking down the high flyer. The evasive maneuver used by most pilots? Hit the throttle and laugh, since missiles couldn’t go as fast. Not a single one was ever shot down.

Complete list (Thrillist.com)

This Is A Good Read

America's Secret Airline Flies Non-Stop To Area 51

You can see Janet airplanes at several airports throughout the U.S. You can hear them on air traffic control. You can fly one in Microsoft Flight Simulator X. But you can’t buy a ticket on a Janet flight, and the people who fly on Janet flights can’t tell you, or even their families, what they do for work. It is seemingly an airline that flies to nowhere.

The multi-tiered secrecy surrounding the Janet jets, the unusual ways they operate and the places they go are one of aviation’s greatest legends. If it all seems like a big clandestine operation, that’s because it is.

Why is there a fleet of unmarked airliners at a guarded private terminal in Las Vegas? Where do they fly? Who flies aboard them? Even though these aircraft service the seemingly impenetrable top secret defense world, we can provide some answers.

(Jalopnik.com)