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Abandoned in space in 1967, a US satellite has started transmitting again.

1/2/2017

An American satellite abandoned in 1967, now assumed to simply be space junk, has started transmitting again after 46 years.

This was one of the satellites designed and built by Lincoln Laboratory at MIT between 1965 and 1976, for testing techniques for satellite communication.

They made the series of satellites easy to recognize by naming them LES1 through to LES9. LES1-LES4 suffered different launch issues. LES1 and LES2 were supposed to be delivered to the same 2800 x 15000 km orbit, but a failure of a boost stage left LES1 in a 2800 km circular orbit.

LES3-LES4 were supposed to land in geostationary orbit, but didn’t make it due to a launch problem which left them in transfer orbit. Even though the first four satellites in the series ended up in the wrong orbits, they all produced remarkable results. LES 5, 6, 8, and 9 all ended up where they were supposed to. LES7 never made it anywhere due to the funding drying up and the program being canceled.

In 2013 in North Cornwall, UK, an Amateur Radio Astronomer picked up a signal which he determined to be the LES1 that was built by MIT in 1965. The satellite never made it to its intended orbit and had been spinning out of control ever since.

Phil Williams, the amateur radio astronomer from near Bude, picked out the odd signal which was transmitting due to it tumbling end over end every four seconds as the solar panels became shadowed by the engine. “This gives the signal a particularly ghostly sound as the voltage from the solar panels fluctuates,” Williams said.

It’s more than likely the onboard batteries have disintegrated, and something else caused its 237Mhz transmission to resume when it was in sunlight.

The LES1 is about the size of a small automobile and should not cause any issues more than any other piece of space junk in orbit.

This proves electronics built around 50 years ago, 12 years before Voyager 1, and far before microprocessors and integrated circuits are still capable of working in the hostile environs of space. Phil refers to his hobby as “Radio-Archaeology”.

LES1 and LES2 were almost identical experimental communication satellites. They both had a single X-band transponder and an 8-horn electronically switched antenna. Altitude control and sensing experiments were conducted on these twin satellites.

Their first project initiative was to build, launch, and field a system to show off practical military satellite communications. Project West Ford’s availability for the advanced super-high-frequency (SHF) technology (at seven-to-eight gigahertz) contributed to the decision to design the system for that band.

The concurrent procurement of a series of satellites and terminals for the Department of Defense that commenced with the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program (IDCSP) meant lessons were learned from the experiments would find an additional application.

On February 11, 1965, LES1 was launched from Cape Canaveral but only accomplished a few of its objectives. It seems miswiring of the satellite circuitry was what caused it to never leave the circular orbit and it stopped transmitting in 1967. LES2, the twin of LES1, did much better; it made its planned final orbit on May 6, 1965.

tags: breed of speed , nathan finneman , bos , colorado , nasa , space

The Story And Video Of The Largest Plane Ever To Land On An Aircraft Carrier

1/1/2017

Even if, nowadays, the C-2 Greyhound is the biggest transport aircraft designed specifically for carrier operations, on Oct. 30 1963, in an attempt to investigate the possibilities of using the C-130 for logistic support for U.S. fleet, a Hercules made an experimental landing on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59).

With the successful test, which took place in moderately rough seas in the North Atlantic 500 miles off the coast of Boston, the Hercules became the largest and heaviest aircraft to ever land on an aircraft carrier, a record that stands to this day.

The idea behind this unusual test was the so-called “Super Carrier Onboard Delivery” (Super COD) aircraft.

The COD concept was born to resupply aircraft carriers with urgently needed items. At the beginning of the 1960s, the airplane used for such task was the Grumman C-1 Trader, a twin piston-engine aircraft with a limited payload capacity and 300-mile range, the Chief of Naval Operations ordered to assess the possibility of operating a bigger transport airplane aboard the Norfolk-based USS Forrestal (CVA-59).

As explained by Joseph Earl Dabney in his book Herk: Hero of the Skies the C-130 was selected for its stability and reliability, combined with a long cruising range and the capability of carrying large payloads.

The crew for this historic test consisted of Lt. James H. Flatley III, pilot; Lt. Cmdr. W.W. Stovall, copilot; ADR-1 E.F. Brennan, flight engineer; and Lockheed engineering flight test pilot Ted H. Limmer, Jr.

When Lt. James H. Flatley III was told about his new assignment, he thought somebody was pulling his leg. “Operate a C-130 off an aircraft carrier? Somebody’s got to be kidding,” he said.

According to Dabney a KC-130F refueler transport (BuNo 149798), on loan from the U.S. Marines and delivered on Oct. 8, 1963 was chosen for the historical trial.

Lockheed’s only modifications to the original plane was a smaller nose-landing gear orifice, an improved anti-skid braking system, and removal of the underwing refueling pods. “The big worry was whether we could meet the maximum sink rate of nine feet per second,” Flatley said. But, the Navy was amazed to find they were able to better this mark by a substantial margin.

The initial sea trials started on Oct. 30 1963 and were conducted into a 40-knot wind: however the crew successfully performed 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings, and 21 unassisted takeoffs at gross weights of 85,000 pounds up to 121,000 pounds.

At 85,000 pounds, the KC-130F came to a complete stop within 267 feet, about twice the aircraft’s wing span as remarked by Dabney on his book.

The Navy discovered that even with a maximum payload, the plane used only 745 feet of flight deck for takeoff and 460 feet for landing. These achievements were confirmed by Lockheed’s Ted Limmer, who checked out fighter pilot Flatley in the C-130 and stayed on for some of the initial touch-and-go and full-stop landings. “The last landing I participated in, we touched down about 150 feet from the end, stopped in 270 feet more and launched from that position, using what was left of the deck. We still had a couple hundred feet left when we lifted off.”

The plane’s wingspan cleared the Forrestal’s flight deck “island” control tower by just under 15 feet as the plane roared down the deck on a specially painted line.

As explained by Dabney, Lockheed’s chief engineer, Art E. Flock was aboard the USS Forrestal to observe the testing.“The sea was pretty big that day. I was up on the captain’s bridge. I watched a man on the ship’s bow as that bow must have gone up and down 30 feet.”

The speed of the ship was increased 10 knots to reduce yaw motion and to reduce wind direction: in this way, when the plane landed, it had a 40 to 50 kts wind on the nose. “That airplane stopped right opposite the captain’s bridge,” recalled Flock. “There was cheering and laughing. There on the side of the fuselage, a big sign had been painted on that said, “LOOK MA, NO HOOK.”

The analysis of data collected by the U.S. Navy during the tests highlighted that the C-130 Hercules could carry 25,000 pounds of freight, fly for 2,500 miles and eventually land on a carrier. However, the procedure was considered a bit too risky for the C-130 and the Navy decided to use a smaller COD aircraft. For his effort, the Navy awarded Flatley the Distinguished Flying Cross.

In the video below you can see the trials conducted by the Hercules on the USS Forrestal and described in the article.

tags: breed of speed , drifto , nathan finneman , airplane ,

Firing Bullets Between Propeller Blades At 120,000 Frames Per Second-Mindblowing, Nathan Finneman

12/21/2016

Gotta Love Technology.We don’t know what’s more incredible; the fact that in 2016 we have the technology to film bullets at 120,000 frames per second or that in 1913, just years after we started flying, you could shoot bullets through a spinning propeller. Both are great feats of technology, and the video you’re going to see combines the two.

Welcome to one of the most addicting channels on Youtube, namely, The Slow Mo Guys. What started as a small and fun project has now grown into hundreds of videos you can’t take your eyes off of. Equipped with a camera which costs thousands upon thousands of dollars, these guy film EVERYTHING in slow motion. From firing guns to smacking flaming tennis balls, everything they do is truly captivating.

In this installment, they did something most of you would be really interested in. Although World War II planes had wing mounted guns (for the most part), World War I planes were where new weapon placements were tested. One of them was the gun synchronizer.

The gun was placed at the nose of the plane and fired through the propeller. Although that might seem like a bad idea, the mechanism that triggered the bullet was pretty simple and effective. These guys go into some more details about that.

tags: airplane machine gun nathan finneman drifto breed of speed

Watch This Fabulous Ride Onboard the Last of the USAF's F-4 Phantoms

11/9/2016

As the USAF’s QF-4 Full Scale Aerial Target program winds down the jets and their pilots are making the rounds on the airshow circuit one last time. In July a pair of QF-4s attended America’s largest airshow, EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Our friends at Airshowstuff.com covered their final appearance at the show brilliantly, including capturing some awesome headcam footage of the pair of jets wheeling around the sky over Wittman Regional Airport.

The first video below starts with a section of QF-4s on the runway, and quickly the pair start their formation takeoff roll and climb out with the jet’s General Electric J79 turbojets in burner the whole way. You can see the pilot constantly cross check his formation position and his instruments throughout the departure. The Phantoms then proceed with a series of flybys. The second video shows the view from the ground of their maneuvers. The third video is of the Phantoms arrival from the cockpit point of view, and fourth includes a downright exhilarating series of flybys.

Warning, these videos contain gratuitous amounts of afterburner!By the end of November the QF-4 will have been totally retired from USAF service and the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron will complete its transition to the QF-16. The remaining QF-4 airframes will be dragged out into the desert and used as ground targets.

You still have three opportunities to say goodbye to American F-4s once and for all. The QF-4s will be making the following appearances before bowing out:

14-17 Oct – Ft. Worth, TX

6 Nov – NASCAR Sprint Cup Flyover at Texas Motor Speedway

10-14 Nov – Nellis AFB, NV

tags: Nathan Finneman , breed of speed , breedofspeed , f4,

Nathan Finneman: New discovery could solve mystery surrounding Amelia Earhart

11/1/2016

Legendary aviator Amelia Earhart was attempting to become the first female pilot to fly around the world when her plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

Last month, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) proposed the theory that she landed her plane safely on a remote island and died as a castaway.

Now, scientists say a new discovery shows a striking similarity between the pilot and the partial skeleton of a castaway found on an island in the country of Kiribati in 1940.

A historical photo provided the vital clue.

The legendary pilot

In May 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, taking off in Canada and landing in Ireland.

Three years later, she flew solo from Hawaii to California, winning a $10,000 prize.

She was America’s darling, famous for being a daring, but modest, pilot.

Together with co-pilot Frederick J. Noonan, she was attempting to circumnavigate the globe when the plane disappeared somewhere near Howland Island, in the middle of the Pacific.

In August, TIGHAR’s Ric Gillespie said Earhart made more than 100 radio transmissions calling for help between July 2 and July 6 of 1937, ruling out the possibility of a crash landing.

Her calls were picked up as far away as Texas, Florida, and even Melbourne.

“She’s out there calling for help,” Mr Gillespie said, adding that she must have landed safely, because the radio wouldn’t have worked without the engine running.

A strange detail

The bones were uncovered on the island of Nikumaroro, also known as Gardner Island, which is about 400 miles south of Howland Island.

They were analysed in 1940, but a doctor said they were male, ruling out the possibility they belonged to Earhart.

However, when TIGHAR discovered the files in 1998, scientists said modern techniques proved the bones were “consistent with a female of Earhart’s height and ethnic origin”.

More recently, anthropologist Richard Jantz was preparing an updated evaluation when he noticed a strange detail: the skeleton’s forearms were considerably larger than average.

However, without knowing the dimensions of Earhart’s body, Dr Jantz had no way of comparing if her forearms were similarly longer than normal.

The fascinating science

TIGHAR turned to forensic imaging specialist Jeff Glickman for help.

Using a historical photo where both of Earhart’s bare arms were visible, he calculated the ratio between the bones in her lower and upper arm.

“Because there is tissue over the skeleton in living people ... the location of each bone end must be estimated,” he wrote in a report published last week.

Her clothing also added a layer of difficulty, however, he used the point of her shoulder, the crease of her elbow, and the indent of her wrist as landmarks.

“Given the evidence and my experience in the field of photogrammetry and photo interpretation, I estimate that the radius-to-humerus ratio of Amelia Earhart is 0.76,” he wrote.

In other words, the difference between her lower and upper arm was virtually identical to the partial skeleton, unearthed in the South Pacific.

The discovery doesn’t conclusively prove the castaway was Amelia Earhart, but it’s certainly another step in that direction.

tags: nathan finneman , flying , amelia earhart , found , crash

Bob Hoover, one of history’s greatest pilots, dead at 94

10/25/2016

One of the greatest pilots in the history of aviation died this morning, according to reports.

Bob Hoover, a World War II fighter pilot, a former Air Force test pilot, and the chase plane pilot for Chuck Yeager when he broke the sound barrier for the first time, was 94.

A few years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration tried to ground Hoover, saying he was too old to fly. Aviators throughout the world shrieked with outrage until the FAA relented. Many of them had seen his famous air show act, which he performed with both engines on his plane turned off.

In 2012, a pilot in a P-51 ran out of options when his landing gear malfunctioned. He’d tried everything to deploy it but nothing worked.

Officials tracked down Hoover by telephone, then patched him in to the pilot of the stricken pilot.

“Boot enough rudder there at landing gear down speeds, get a side load on it, it would force it out and into the locked position,” Hoover said. “I’ve been there, I’ve done that a couple of times.”

Jeanes, on the phone from Dallas to Hoover in Los Angeles, encouraged Gardner to keep trying the maneuvers over Mobile Bay. “Just slip it, skid it, yaw it, whatever you have to do to get some air under the door.”

It worked. The landing gear deployed and the pilot landed the P-51 safely.

Having been shot down in World War II, he escaped near the end of the war by stealing a German fighter.

Had he remained at the POW camp a few days longer, the Allies likely would have reached him. But now he faced possible extinction at the hands of any friendly pilot who would presume his Focke Wulf was manned by the enemy.

Hoover said he hugged a cloud ceiling at about 4,000 feet, figuring he would duck up into it if he was spotted by any Allied aircraft. He planned on flying west until he saw signs of Allied territory. “I wanted to see windmills to be sure,” he explained. That would signal friendly Holland.

By the time he reached Holland, Hoover said, “My gas tank was registering close to zero.” He chose to land while he still had full control of the fighter, and selected an open field. Hoover dropped the fighter’s landing gear and settled in.

A ditch suddenly loomed ahead, and Hoover said he did not want to end up trapped in a German fighter on its back, where the Allies might not realize an American was inside. He said he “just reached down and sucked up the gear” to get the fighter to stop before tipping into the ditch.

Hoover said he wondered, “What the heck are you going to do now?” He didn’t have to wait long. “All of a sudden pitchforks came at me from every direction,” Hoover said. Dutch farmers who spoke no English were understandably angry with the man who emerged from the German fighter.

Providence intervened in the form of a British Army truck approaching. Hoover queried the truck’s occupants: “I hope you can help me. I’m a Yank; they think I’m a Kraut!” With perfect British aplomb, the soldiers whisked Hoover to safety.

Hoover said he did not consider his actions in escaping to be heroic. “I was no hero. I didn’t do anything but be stupid,” he chuckled. Hoover said, “It’s a stupid story. For about a year and a half I wouldn’t tell anyone that story.” But word got out years later at an air show, and Hoover acknowledged his feat, albeit with disarming self-criticism.

In 2010, Hoover delivered the Charles Lindbergh lecture at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

With his death, it’s safe to say the nation will likely never hear first-hand stories like this again.

UNIQUE VIEW OF APACHE FLYING BELOW TREELINE--CHASING CARS ON ROAD

10/13/2016

THESE GUYS ACTUALLY GET PAID FOR THIS.When watching this video, please don't do what we did. Don't second guess all of your life choices by asking yourself "why oh why did I not become a pilot?" It won't get you anywhere, but if you're young enough and subscribe to our website because you love aviation, stop thinking about it and just go do it.

Notice the patch on the back of the helmet. Pretty badass if you ask us.

Now that our little rant is over, let's see what we have here. We found a video filmed from the perspective of an Apache pilot. The whole thing is 16 minutes long, so we recommend you skip around. We don't expect you to watch the whole thing of course.

There are a couple of cool shots in the beginning and towards the middle that are notable. The pilot gets down between the trees and navigates a small patch of grass. It's really low and he seems to do it with no second thought. Also, he later pops back on the road and sorta chases a driver on the road. Bet they didn't mind that, but if unexpected, that might shake you up a bit.

Good flyin'!

tags: apache low level, nathan finneman , cool , breed of speed , colorado , amazing

92-Year-Old Female WWII Spitfire Pilot Flies Plane Again

10/11/2016

Ninety-two-year-old World War II Spitfire pilot Joy Lofthouse recently got to fly a Spitfire again as part of the seventy-year anniversary of the use of the planes in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).The ATA was used in WWII to “[ferry] Royal Air Force and Royal Navy warplanes between factories, maintenance unis and front-line squadrons.”

Following the anniversary flight, the BBC reported that Lofthouse described the opportunity as “lovely” and “perfect,” adding that it made her feel “quite young” again.CNN relayed Lofthouse’s stories of how treasured the Spitfire was and how “bomber pilots who flew with her late husband often wanted to hear about her experiences with the plane during post-war reunions.” Lofthouse said those bomber pilots would all say, “We’d have given our right arm to fly a Spitfire.”

In a 2011 video, Lofthouse and fellow ATA pilot Molly Rose recalled flying Spitfires during the war and pointed out that they had no contact with people on the ground once they were in the air. Rose said, “People are always puzzled that we literally had a compass, but no contact with the ground at all.”

They pointed out that radios were very new at the time and were reserved “entirely for combat.”

Lofthouse said people often ask if she ever landed at the wrong airfield. She smiled and said, “Well, if we did, I never told anyone. We just said, ‘Oh, a red light came on, and I thought we’d better pop off to the next place.'”

tags: nathan finneman , breed of speed, colorado , 92 year old flies , ww2 pilot , spitfire ,

Carpenter Builds A Wooden WWII Radial – And It Works Too

10/11/2016

We’re having a hard time discerning what is more impressive; the original design of a radial engine or a lone carpenter who made his own WORKING replica of one. By working, we mean that when he turns the shaft, all the gears and cylinders work to show you exactly what is going on inside.

This guy should be a show host somewhere, because his delivery on this seemingly boring subject is on point and really keeps you interested.

For those of you who are interested in this type of engine that powered many World War II-era warbirds, this is heaven. Ian Jimmerson, the highly skilled carpenter, removes all the parts step by step and explains what they do.

You can listen to the whole video yourself and really get to know these amazing engines, but we do want to make an observation, however. How did he do that and how long did it take? When he cranks the engine everything seems to be moving exactly as it should and without a hitch. It is beyond impressive. Just want to give him a shout out and say “amazing work!”

There are two separate videos in these series. The one you’ll see below here is part one where he explains everything in detail. Part two below that is a bit more detailed too, but that’s when he takes a drill to it and shows us that it actually works. Amazing stuff!

tags: wooden radial engine , nathan finneman , colorado , breed of speed , bos , amazing , aviation

Nathan Finneman : China Finally Confirms Their Space Station Is Crashing Towards Earth

9/21/2016

After months of suspicion, China has finally confirmed their first space station is heading for Earth and is potentially out of control.

A senior official of the Chinese space program revealed at a press conference last week that the Tiangong-1space station is likely to fall to Earth by 2017, Xinhua News Agency reports. They added it's currently intact and orbiting at a height of around 370 kilometers (230 miles).

"Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling," said Wu Ping, deputy director of China's manned space engineering office, during the press conference.

The officials said that the space agency will continue to follow the movement of Tiangong-1 and will release an update on its expected time of arrival if required.

The 10.3-meter-long (34-foot-long) Tiangong-1, which means “Heavenly Palace," was launched in 2011 as China’s first manned space station. It ended its mission in March this year. However, since then, numerous astronomers noted the space station appeared to be aimlessly drifting out of control and heading for Earth. The silence by the Chinese government only heightened uncertainties.

The officials did not comment on how much of the space station they still maintain. However, given the vague estimated landing time, it suggests very little.

China launched a new experimental space station, Tiangong-2, last week, and are planning to launch a fully fledged space station next decade.

tags: space station china nathan finneman breed of speed bos breedofspeed finneman colorado travel nasa ue earth

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