 Dustin from Smarter Every Day teaches us all about how helicopters actually manage to glide safely to the ground if an engine fails. tags: #nathan finneman #helicopter #cool #amazing #breed of speed #breedofspeed  Somebody screwed up at the United States Army Garrison (USAG) in Hohenfels, Germany the other day because I am relatively sure that an airdropped Humvee is not supposed to move towards the ground quite that quickly. Someone in the 173rd Airborne Brigade probably has some explaining to do. As posted on the U.S. Army WTF Moments Facebook page and highlighted by Foxtrot Alpha, the botched airdrop lead to the free fall and subsequent destruction of three Humvees. You can watch all of them absolutely crater below, but just brace yourself for some colorful language as the cameraman cheers on the vehicular carnage: poses a few possibilities as to what might have caused the accident, which include high winds or improper rigging attaching the parachutes to the Humvees, which it supposes is the most likely cause. But you don't need to know exactly what happened to see that the results are, well, WOOF. tags: nathan finneman breed of speed breedofspeed colorado finneman cool army humvee fail airdrop fail amazing parachute accident  An “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept over the Baltic Sea.On April 14, a U.S. Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent electronic intelligence gathering aircraft flying a routine mission (in international airspace) over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 in “an unsafe and unprofessional manner,” Navy Capt. Danny Hernandez, U.S. European Command spokesman told the CNN. According to EUCOM, the Flanker began the barrel roll from the left side of the U.S. RC-135 and went over the top of it to end on the right side of the aircraft, an aggressive maneuver (not compliant with the international standards) that brought the Russian jet dangerously close to colliding with the Combat Sent. The episode comes few days after Russian Su-24s performed several low passes over a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea,and it’s only the last in a long series of tense close encounters between American spyplanes and Russian fighters in the skies across the world. On Jan. 25, 2016 a U.S. RC-135 intelligence gathering jet was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet over Black Sea: during the interception, the Su-27 made an aggressive turn that disturbed the controllability of the RC-135. On Apr. 7, 2015 another Su-27 flew within 20 feet of an RC-135U, over the Baltic Sea. On Apr. 23, 2015 a U.S. Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent performing a routine surveillance mission in international airspace over the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan, some 60 miles off eastern Russia was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 Flanker that crossed the route of the U.S. aircraft putting itself within 100 feet of the Combat Sent. Actually, some “reckless” intercepts on U.S. spyplanes have been conducted by Chinese pilots as well. In 2014, a Chinese Flanker made a barrel roll over a U.S. Navy P-8 maritime surveillance plane 135 miles east of Hainan Island, a spot of a far more dangerous close encounter of another U.S. electronic surveillance plane with the Chinese Navy back in 2001. On Apr. 1, 2001, a U.S. Navy EP-3E with the VQ-1, flying an ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) mission in international airspace 64 miles southeast of the island of Hainan was intercepted by two PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) J-8 fighters. One of the J-8s piloted by Lt. Cdr. Wang Wei, made two close passes to the EP-3 before colliding with the spyplane on the third pass. As a consequence, the J-8 broke into two pieces and crashed into the sea causing the death of the pilot, whereas the EP-3, severely damaged, performed an unauthorized landing at China’s Lingshui airfield. The 24 crew members (21 men and three women), that destroyed all (or at least most of ) the sensitive items and data on board the aircraft, were detained by Chinese authorities until Apr. 11. Anyway, not only have U.S. aircraft been harassed during intercept missions. Here are just a few examples. On Sept. 13, 1987, a RNoAF P-3B had a mid-air collision in similar circumstances with a Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 Flankerover the Barents Sea. In Apr. 2012, whilst flying over the Barents Sea on a routine mission, a Norwegian P-3 Orion almost collided with a Russian Air Force Mig-31 Foxhound that had intercepted the patrol aircraft. On Jul. 16, 2014, between Gotland and Latvia, a Russian Su-27 Flanker, armed with 6 air-to-air missiles, intercepted one of the two Swedish ELINT jet, and flew as close as 10,7 meters of the spyplane. tags: nathan finneman Nathan Finneman russian low pass on US fighter jet world war 3  Defense company SAAB commissioned Gyro-stabilized Systems for a custom version of its C520 5-axis gimbal that can handle speeds of at least 500 knots (~445mph). The result is some crazy steady flying footage, taken on a Red Epic Dragon with the help of a $40,000 Canon lens. tags: nathan finneman colorado breedofspeed breed of speed fighter jet air force cool awesome aviation aircraft  Another week, another fly-by video from an airline. You might remember the recent video of an Etihad Airbus A380taking to the skies surrounded by fighter jets or the much more visually stunning video in which an Emirates A380 was trailed by two guys flying with jet packs. Now, continuing the trend of making airline ads that showcase flying objects acting as sidekicks, Air France is celebrating its final Boeing 747-400 flight with this video of the the queen of the skies flying alongside several Alphajets from the Patrouille de France. Just like in Emirates’ video (but less exciting), the Alphajets fly in a daring formation, which leaves behind contrails colored with the hues of the French flag. tags: nathan finneman colorado breed of speed breedofspeed aviation 747 fighter jet cool  World War 2 will long be remembered as the epitome of total war, total gallantry, and total brutality. It spared none based on their ethnic background and in the worst of cases would target others specifically for that reason. And while America looks back on the 1940’s as a source of inspiration for when an entire nation came together, there are still lingering reminders that in many ways the greatest generation still had some hard lessons to learn about freedom and the American dream. One such reminder would be the African-American mess attendant at Pearl Harbor who dropped the spatula, picked up a .50 cal, and fought back against the Japanese onslaught. This action would earn him the Navy Cross and foreshadow a legacy of hard fighting gallant warriors of World War 2 who just so happened to be African-American. In early 1940, there were few jobs open to African-Americans seeking to enlist in the United States Navy. An eerie reminder of a time when such men were considered less in the land of the free and the home of the brave. But that didn’t stop a young farmer and former high-school football star from enlisted in the Navy to do his part in service to his country. Born in Waco, Texas Doris Miller enlisted in the Navy on September 16th, 1939 and was assigned to one of the few jobs available to him. Namely, to be a mess attendant. Every ship has cooks, and those who serve in that capacity are no less needed in the totality that is a nation’s ability to fight. It is a proven historical fact that a military tends to get hungry every day and not just some. So yes, Doris Miller was fulfilling a vital part of the military machine although it was unfortunate that this 6 foot 3-inch 200-pound statue of a man was not given other opportunities. Instead, he would have to make his own. For a while he might have been a cook, he would quickly gain a reputation as the best heavyweight boxer aboard the ship.  Shortly after enlisting in the Navy and completing training, he was eventually assigned to the battleship West Virginia where he would become the main cook. This assignment would take the young man from Waco, Texas to the shores of Hawaii as he would be stationed at Pearl Harbor. The work would include cooking in the mess hall, serving as a steward to officers, and on one fateful December Sunday morning in Hawaii, he would be collecting laundry when the first impacts of World War 2 were felt. On the morning of December 7th, 1941, Doris Miller was gathering laundry when the attack began, and the West Virginia became a target for Japanese torpedoes. Dropping the laundry, he ran to his assigned battle station that was an anti-aircraft battery magazine. It was commonplace for all personnel to have a combat task regardless of job. When Miller arrived at his station, he noticed it was already damaged by enemy fire and rendered useless. As such, he sought to contribute in any way he could. He would eventually make his way up to the bridge where the captain had been mortally wounded and yet refusing to leave the ship. Under continual attack from the Japanese, Miller picked up the captain and help get him to a more covered position. He then took his opportunity to jump into the fight at the helm of a .50-caliber machine gun. As a cook, he had not been trained on the weapon but was given instruction on how to load it. From there, Miller reports he just pulled the trigger, and the gun worked just fine.  After firing for about 15 minutes and until he ran out of ammunition, Miller along with the rest of the crew eventually had to abandon ship as it was apparent that the West Virginia was mortally wounded and sinking to the bottom of the harbor. And while Miller was not credited with an actual kill on a Japanese plane, he is pretty sure he got one as they were diving pretty close to the ships. A Well-Deserved CommendationAfter the attack, Miller was transferred to the USS Indianapolis and in January when the Navy released a list of commendations to be given for the events that day, there resided on the list an unnamed African-American sailor. It would eventually be revealed that it was none other than cook and champion boxer Doris Miller. The public was made aware, and Miller was a national hero, but specifically he was an inspiration for the bravery and fortitude that African-Americans would display in the coming years of war. There was talk of a Medal of Honor and in fact, Senator James Mead of New York submitted a bill requesting Miller receive the nation’s highest honor. However, when the dust had settled, Doris Miller became the first African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross. After a brief stint helping sell war bonds due to his national fame, Miller was assigned to the escort carrier Liscome Bay. This carrier would take part in the Battle for Makin Island in November of 1943 when it was torpedoed by the Japanese and sunk. There were over 200 survivors of the Liscome Bay, but unfortunately, Doris Miller was not one of them. He was reported missing in action, and a ceremony was eventually held in his hometown of Waco in April of 1944. Doris Miller will go down in the books of history as a man who fought despite the beliefs by others that he could do no more than cook. African-Americans would go on to prove their gallantry and heroism throughout the war. The 2001 Pearl Harbor movie would see the role of Miller played by Cuba Gooding Jr. It gave a face and a story to the man who earned it on December 7th, 1941 and he wasn’t anywhere near a kitchen when he did so. tags : nathan finneman colorado pearl harbor black african sailor firing guns amazing history breedofspeed breed of speed  The training engines are off people! There is now a real hoverboard that would get the Green Goblin giddy with maniacal delight and it’s called the Flyboard Air. Oh, and it can go up to 93 mph and fly 10,000 feet in the air. No, you did not read those numbers wrong. The Flyboard Air comes from the insanely inventive team at Zapata Racing, which is led by the—apparently—insanely brave Franky Zapata. If the Zapata company name doesn’t ring a bell, its original Flyboard probably will. The part-watercraft, part-aircraft (nicknamed “dolphin jetpack”) blew our collective minds when it appeared back in 2011 and showed riders springing out of the water and then flying and looping tens of meters into the air like marine mammals who forgot gravity is a thing. But this Flyboard Air. This legitimately takes hoverboards to a whole new level. Unlike the original Flyboard, the Flyboard Air doesn’t require a water source to propel itself, although it’s not 100% clear how it works, as no mechanical specifics have been provided by Zapata. Sources including Gizmodo and Gizmag speculate that it’s powered by a turbine engine fed by a backpack full of fuel. According to the heat (and crazy crazy stats) this beast is throwing off In the above video, that would make sense. Zapata also says that the board is capable of full autonomy for up to 10 minutes.In the video, Zapata flies for about 3.55 minutes and reaches a top speed of 55 kph (about 34 mph), although the craft can supposedly go almost triple that. Zapata Racing also claims the Flyboard Air has a top altitude of 10,000 feet, which is just Joker-level insanity. For reference, lots of recreational skydivers jump from around 13,000 feet. Theoretically, you could ride this thing to its max altitude, and then skydive back to Earth no problem. There is no word on when the Flyboard Air will be available for purchase, or even public use, although Zapata says it certainly won’t be on the market in 2016. For now, we’ll have to make do with our much less gravity- and death-defying Hendos. What do you think about this Flyboard Air? Are you as excited and freaked out at the prospect of hoverboarding thousands of feet above Earth as we are? Let us know in the comments below! tags: nathan finneman colorado hover board jet pack fly board aviation cool flyboard hoberboard breedofspeed breed of speed  Nathan Finneman : The U.S. Navy officer in charge of a flight crew that located three castaways on a remote Pacific island said Monday he has never seen or heard of another rescue quite like it. The stranded men, who were reported missing last Tuesday after a wave overtook their skiff, were found on a tiny Micronesian island on Thursday, officials said. The three had spelled out the word "help" with palm fronds after they swam to the deserted island when their boat capsized. "I've never seen anything like that, nor am I aware of anyone in our community seeing anything like that," U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander John Harkins said during a telephone interview. Harkins' crew was searching an area given to them by the U.S. Coast Guard when Petty Officer 3rd Class Garrette Odor noticed a strong return on his infrared camera. Harkins said the heat came from a signal fire the stranded men had built, but had already gone out. The Navy crew began to fly around the island when Petty officer 2nd Class Justin Burns saw the word "help" scrolled out on the beach. About 15 seconds later, three men came running out of the jungle waving their orange life vests over their heads, Harkins said. After spotting the men, Harkins' crew made several low passes in front of them and eventually dropped a smoke signal to let them know they had been found. "Initially they weren't so sure that we had seen them," Harkins said. "We made an effort to alleviate their concerns." The flight crew first rocked the aircraft's wings, then made several low approaches before eventually dropping the smoke marker in the water in front of the men. "Eventually they actually started relaxing," Harkins said. "We have a photo of all three of them laying down, some on top of the 'help' sign."  "Finding them on the island was not necessarily what we expected to happen," Harkins said of the mission. "We all stood up and gave each other high-fives." The men's families reported them missing Tuesday after they failed to show up at the Micronesian island of Weno, where they were traveling from their home island, Pulap. The U.S. Coast Guard notified the Navy, and Harkins' crew began their search after a stop in Guam early Thursday. "Fortunately for them, they were all wearing life jackets and were able to swim to the deserted island," U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Melissa McKenzie said. A local boat picked the men up and took them to back to their home island, which was only about 5 miles away from where they were found, Harkins said. The Coast Guard said it didn't have information on the men's condition, but officials told the Washington Post they were not injured. The Navy crew followed the local boat back to their island, then made a final low pass and rocked their wings "to say goodbye," Harkins said. Two bulk carriers searched a combined 17 hours for the men as part of AMVER, a U.S. Coast Guard voluntary search and rescue program. With AMVER, rescue coordinators can identify participating ships in the area of distress and ask them to help. In the last two weeks, 15 people have been rescued in the Pacific with the help of 10 AMVER vessels and six aircrews, the U.S. Coast Guard said. tags : nathan finneman breed of speed breedofspeed navy rescue water island  The Gustaff III Airport on the Caribbean island of St. Barts was ranked as the third-most dangerous airport in the world by the “Most Extreme Airports” program on the History Channel. It has a steep descent arrival over a hilltop traffic circle and a departure that skims over the heads of sunbathers. Video shot by Sebastien Politano of Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, confirms the dangerous nature of the approach as it appears to show a small plane grazing a tourist trying to take photographs as it approached. Politano, 46, was testing out his 360-degree camera at the traffic circle when this happened:At the end of the video, the man with the white T-shirt and flowery shorts can be heard saying something that sounds like, “It hit me.” The man told Politano he felt the wheel of the airplane touching his right hand, Politano told Caters News that the man kept saying “it hit my hand, it hit my hand.” “The guy showed me the traces of the tire on his hand afterwards,” Politano told Caters. “But I didn’t believe him. It was only when I saw the footage afterwards and saw how close it came that I believed him. “I don’t think he knows how lucky he was it didn’t hit him harder.” Another angle of the 360-video shows a motorcyclist duck his head as the plane shoots by. The Gustaff III Airport is located in the village of St. Jean. It serves small regional commercial aircraft and charters with most planes carrying no more than 20 passengers, all of whom probably close their eyes during landings and takeoffs. tags : nathan finneman breed of speed breedofspeed aircraft hits ground crash crazy Nathan Finneman : SpaceX successfully lands its rocket on a floating drone ship for the first time4/8/2016
 SpaceX has finally landed its Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship at sea, after launching the vehicle into space this afternoon. It's the first time the company has been able to pull off an ocean landing, after four previous attempts ended in failure. Today's success is a crucial milestone for SpaceX, as it shows the company can land its rockets both on solid ground and ocean. This is the second time SpaceX has successfully landed one of its rockets post-launch; the first time was in December, when the company's Falcon 9 rocket touched down at a ground-based landing site in Cape Canaveral, Florida, after putting a satellite into space. Now that SpaceX has demonstrated it can do both types of landings, the company can potentially recover and reuse even more rockets in the future. And that could mean much greater cost savings for SpaceX. Mastering the ocean landing is going to be important, since that’s the type of landing SpaceX will probably conduct more often. At a recent NASA press conference, Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of mission assurance for SpaceX, said the next two to three flights will involve drone ship landings. Ultimately, the company expects to land one-third of its rockets on land, and the rest at sea.   Why does SpaceX keep focusing on these ocean landings? A drone ship floating on the ocean is a harder target to hit than a large expanse of ground, since it is smaller and floating on moving water. Plus, all of SpaceX's ocean landing attempts have resulted in the rocket exploding. Still, landing at sea can be less tricky than ground landings, and the main reason has to do with fuel. To return back to Earth, the Falcon 9 has to use the fuel leftover from takeoff to reignite its engines in a series of burns. These burns help to adjust the rocket's speed and reorient the vehicle into the right position for entering Earth's atmosphere and then landing. Different types of landing techniques require different amounts of fuel, though, and that revolves around how the Falcon 9 launches. The rocket doesn't travel straight upward into space but follows a parabolic arc up and away from the launch pad. Because of this, the rocket has to go through a lot to conduct a ground landing. The vehicle has to slow down in the direction it's heading, completely turn around, and then retread the vertical and horizontal distance it's covered to get back to the landing site. That requires a lot of extra fuel. DIFFERENT TYPES OF LANDING TECHNIQUES REQUIRE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF FUEL Ocean landings aren't as complicated as that. SpaceX's drone ship can position itself in an ideal place to "catch" the vehicle on its more natural path back to Earth. That decreases the distance the rocket needs to travel, as well as the amount of fuel needed to maneuver the Falcon 9 for landing. For SpaceX missions that use up lots of fuel, performing a ground landing may not even be possible. Rockets that launch heavy payloads or go to a high orbit need extra speed during the initial ascent, and extra speed needs more fuel. Those Falcon 9s that have to reach extra high velocities don't have as much fuel leftover for the landing. That’s when the drone ship is the best — if not only — option for recovery. The whole point of landing these rockets is to help save SpaceX money on launch costs. Right now, most rockets are destroyed or lost after they launch into space, meaning entirely new rockets must be built for each mission. SpaceX hopes to recover as many rockets as possible to cut down on cost of creating new vehicles. The Falcon 9 costs $60 million to make and only $200,000 to fuel. If a recovered rocket doesn't need too much updating and refurbishment between launches, reusability could eliminate a good chunk of that manufacturing cost. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell expects reusable rockets to bring down launch costs by about 30 percent, according to Space News. That would make the company's vehicles an even cheaper option for clients than it already is. tags : space x nathan finneman space landing ocean rocket landing amazing breed of speed breedofspeed |
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