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Boeing Has So Many Grounded 737 Max Planes Waiting to Be Fixed They're Parking Them in the Employee Parking Lot

6/24/2019

You may recall that, thanks to an issue with faulty sensors in the Boeing 737 Max flight control systems, those planes have been grounded after multiple crashes were found to be related to the issue. Grounded planes are, by definition, not in the air, and as such need to be stored, on the ground, somewhere. In the case of Boeing’s Renton Factory in Washington state, there’s so many grounded planes that some of that ground has to be taken from Boeing’s employee parking lots.
As you can imagine, seeing the planes parking among people’s everyday commuter cars is a strange sight, which has led to pictures like these being posted on Twitter:

That’s a lot of planes. There’s about 500 grounded 737 Max jets around the world, as Bloomberg notes, with about 100 stuck at Boeing’s Renton factory. Those are the planes we’re seeing here, parked alongside people’s Priuses and Explorers.
I wonder if you can snag a spot under the wings if it’s raining?

2 men killed after trying to jump open drawbridge in car

6/18/2019

A Texas driver and his passenger died Friday when they unsuccessfully tried jumping over an open drawbridge in Louisiana, police said.
Alejandro Cazares, 23, of McAllen, and 32-year-old Roberto Alejandro Moreno of Edinburg were driving when they came upon the Black Bayou Bridge, six miles south of Lake Charles, around 2 a.m., Louisiana State Police said in a news release posted to Facebook.

The bridge was closed to vehicle traffic to let a boat pass by on the Intracoastal Waterway underneath.
“The driver drove under the gate and picked up the passenger before proceeding towards the ramp located at the end of the bridge," the police statement said. “After stopping briefly, the driver placed the vehicle in reverse then accelerated forward in an attempt to “jump” the ramp of the bridge.”
The vehicle fell into the water and sank to the bottom. Cazares was unable to exit the car and Moreno's body was found nearby. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
It was not immediately clear if alcohol or drugs played a factor in their deaths. The

Two Stroke Tuesday: McGrath's KX500

6/18/2019

He still has a passion for the sport and he still has the style! See Jeremy McGrath ride a 500 two-stroke, an era of racing he just missed during his decorated career

Sixty Years Ago, a Pilot Flew a B-47 Nuclear Bomber Under Michigan's Mackinac Bridge

5/10/2019

Sixty years ago this week a person standing next to Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge might have been witness to an amazing sight: a six engine U.S. Air Force nuclear bomber flying between the spans of the bridge, barely clearing the structure. The stunt was roasted in the local press, which declared the incident “capricious” and “foolish", and ended the military pilot’s flying career.
The incident, which took place on April 28th, 1959, involved Air Force Captain John S. Lappo, a native of Muskegon, Michigan. Lappo flew his B-47 nuclear bomber under the Mackinac bridge connecting southern Michigan to the so-called "Upper Peninsula".
The Mackinac Bridge is five miles long but there is only 155 feet maximum clearance between the bottom of the deck and the waters of the Great Lakes (Lake Huron and Lake Michigan) below. The B-47 bomber is 28 feet high, meaning there wasn’t much margin for error in Lappo’s flying.
The B-47 was one of America’s first jet-powered bombers. The B-47 first flew in 1947 and was the Air Force's primary medium range nuclear bomber until 1965. The B-47 could cruise at 550 miles an hour and carry 25,000 pounds of bombs. In a nuclear war it would carry two Mk. 15 thermonuclear bombs, each of which had an explosive yield of 3.8 megatons. More than 2,000 of the bombers were produced.
By today's standards, the B-47 was incredibly unsafe—203 aircraft were lost to crashes (10 percent of the airplanes produced) killing 464 aircrew.
As Task & Purpose points out, U.S. Military aircraft at the time were prohibited from flying with 500 feet of the ground. According to newspaper accounts at the time the entire incident went unreported and indeed nobody on the ground may have actually seen it. Tragically, there is no video evidence of this incredible (and dangerous) stunt.
Nevertheless Lappo was reported through the military chain of command and brought before a court martial. Lappo was fined $300 (the equivalent of $2,615 in today’s dollars) to be paid $50 a month over a six month period.
Lappo was also grounded—forever. That having been said, he did retire after two more promotions to the rank of lieutenant colonel, so he wasn’t in the doghouse forever.

1000-hp Hellephant crate Hemi sells out in two days

5/10/2019

ccording to a report from Allpar, the 1000-horsepower crate engine from Mopar, known as the Hellephant, has sold out after just two days. The supercharged Gen III Hemi took the best bits from the 6.2-liter Hellcat and Demon engines and applied them to an aluminum short block that displaces 426 cubic inches by way of a 4.125-inch bore and a 4.0-inch stroke—technically it’s 428 cubic inches, just like Chevy’s “427-cu-in” LS7. The engine was first shown at the SEMA show in October 2018, and presales began on April 26. Mopar never released the production numbers for this first run, although Allpar’s best guess was 100.
We found the $29,995 engine listed on the Summit Racing Equipment site, and you can even add it to your cart—only to find out that 0 are available. Such a tease. If you still have a hankering for 426 cubic inches of Hemi crate engine, Edelbrock can help with a Gen III Hemi that makes 800 horsepower for $24,000, and if you’re more into big-block, naturally-aspirated power, Ray Barton has 426 Hemis up to 800 horsepower, as well as 528-cubic-inch Hemis, if you want four-digit horsepower without a blower.
With all the Hellephant engines snapped up so quickly, we hope to see a few under the hoods of project cars soon. You can bet that SEMA 2019 will have a few on display, and with any luck, Mopar will announce that another stampede of Hellephants is on its way. We can’t imagine anyone walking away from such a lucrative crate engine when there’s clearly a market. Maybe Ford and Chevy will get in on the action, as well.

Scientists reveal first image ever made of a black hole

4/10/2019

Scientists on Wednesday revealed the first image ever made of a black hole, depicting its hot, shadowy edges where light bends around itself in a cosmic funhouse effect.
Assembling data gathered by eight radio telescopes around the world, astronomers created the picture showing the violent neighborhood around a supermassive black hole, the light-sucking monsters of the universe theorized by Einstein more than a century ago and confirmed by observations for decades.
It looked like a flaming orange, yellow and black ring.
“We have seen what we thought was unseeable. We have seen and taken a picture of a black hole. Here it is,” said Sheperd Doeleman of Harvard.

Netherlands F-16 fighter jet literally ran into its own rounds during exercise

4/8/2019

The Dutch state broadcaster NOS has reported a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft literally ran into its own rounds in January during an exercise over Vlieland.
According to the Dutch Broadcast Foundation, the incident occurred during the January exercise at the Leeuwarden air base, but information about it appeared only now. January 21, two F-16 fighter jets took off and opened fire on targets at the test site.
The pilot of one of the F-16 fighter jet aircraft had flown into his own stream of cannon rounds and later suffered considerable damage.
At least one fired round caused damage to the exterior of the aircraft. Parts of the munition also ended up in the engine.
Nobody was hurt during the incident. The pilot followed emergency procedures and was able to land the fighter jet safely at Leeuwarden Air Base.
The Netherlands Defense Safety Inspection is looking into how one of the aircraft was able to shoot itself. The inspection would also like to find out if aircraft crew or ground personnel was endangered during the exercise.
The investigation is now in full swing. Tests are being run and the inspection is in conversation with those involved. “This is a serious incident. We therefore want to fully investigate what happened and how we would be able to avoid this in future”, inspector-general Bagerbos said.

VIRGIN FLIGHT HITS RECORD-BREAKING 801MPH ON FLIGHT TO LONDON: ‘NEVER EVER SEEN THIS’

2/22/2019

A Virgin Atlantic jet could have set a new record speed for a Dreamliner aircraft after it hurtled across the US East Coast at more than 800mph.
The jet was boosted by a powerful jet stream across the eastern US states, which clocked in at 231mph, the fastest for half a century, according to the National Weather Service in New York.
This added tailwind increased the speed of 3,500-mile-long Virgin Atlantic flight VS8 from Los Angeles to London Heathrow, which at one point hit 801mph while over Pennsylvania.
It could mark a new record speed for a Boeing 787 Dreamline aircraft, according to CBS News.
The typical cruising speed of a Dreamliner is 561mph.

This $350,000 Armored Cadillac Escalade Has Gun Ports, Electric-Shock Doors, Smokescreen Systems

2/12/2019

Have you ever found yourself cruising down the highway in your Cadillac Escalade wishing your luxury SUV was a bit...safer? I'm not talking about having more airbags or blind-spot monitoring kind of safer, but features like hidden gun ports, ballistic glass, smokescreen systems, and door handles that'll shock the crap out of anyone who tries to invite themselves in. If you have, then Wyoming-based vehicle armoring company AddArmor can help you with that—and all you're going to need is approximately $350,000.
Called the "Executive Protection Escalade," the blacked-out Caddie combines some of the most advanced security and anti-ballistic technology with luxurious and private jet-like interior finishes. The end result is a nearly stock-looking exterior that's anything but in terms of performance, capabilities, and...price.

So what do you get for that much dough? For starters, AddArmor claims that its Escalade with European B6 Level armoring can withstand hits from high-velocity 30-06, 7.62, .556, 9mm, and .44 Magnum rounds—including "prolonged physical attacks from blunt objects like bats and cinder blocks." Bats, phew! Also, the company claims that new carbon composite panels provide armoring that's 10-times stronger than traditional steel plates and 60 percent lighter, meaning the vehicle itself is more maneuverable and therefore faster than the average armored SUV. And, you know, that can be handy when out-running the bad guys.
Speaking of smoking the bad guys, the Escalade rocks other 007-like features like a counter-attack sound cannon that emits extremely high-pitched sound waves, barricade-busting bumpers, 360-degree night vision cameras, a smokescreen system, and my favorite, electric-shock door handles. If all else fails, pepper spray dispensers can be triggered from inside the cabin. And if everything else really fails, gun ports allow occupants to aim at outsiders and discharge their firearms without having to step out of the luxe cabin.

In the technology front, the interior sports swanky items like flat-screen TVs throughout, executive seating, Wi-Fi, and premium audio. In terms of security tech, the vehicle is connected to the company's "911 GSOC" center for 24/7, satellite-activated emergency response around the globe. An active mine/explosive device detection system is also employed onboard, as is anti-jamming satellite communications system and law enforcement (red/blue) lighting. It's not clear if the engine receives any kind of performance treatment, but the suspension is beefed-up to comply with the additional weight, and larger brakes are also installed.
According to an AddArmor spokesperson, it takes approximately 1,300 hours to build an Executive Protection Escalade, and the current wait time is about seven months from order to delivery.

Final Resting Place of USS Hornet CV-8 Located in the South Pacific

2/12/2019

Wreckage of the World War II aircraft carrier USS Hornet was discovered in late January 2019 by the expedition crew of Paul G. Allen's Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel. Hornet was found 5,400 meters (nearly 17,500 feet) below the surface, resting on the floor of the South Pacific Ocean around the Solomon Islands. Hornet was best known for its part in the fateful Doolittle Raid that was launched in April of 1942, which was the first air-borne attack of Japanese homeland targets including Tokyo. Led by U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Doolittle, all the 16 B-25 planes that were launched from Hornet were unable to land at their designated airstrip in China, but the raid provided a boost to American morale and put Japan on alert about our covert air capabilities.
In June, Hornet was one of three American carriers that surprised and sunk four Japanese carriers at Midway, turning the tide of war in the Pacific.
The ship was sunk during the exceptionally vicious Battle of Santa Cruz Island that started on October 25, 1943. Hornetproved an especially determined ship over the next 24 hours. Enduring a relentless, coordinated attack by Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo planes, her crew was ultimately forced to abandon ship due to damage and resulting fires. She then defied American efforts to scuttle her with 16 torpedoes and 369 rounds of 5" shells. When Japanese forces approached shortly thereafter and fired four torpedoes from two Japanese destroyers late in the evening on October 26, Hornet finally succumbed and slipped beneath the surface. She lost 111 sailors from her crew of nearly 2,200.
"With the loss of Hornet and serious damage to Enterprise, the Battle of Santa Cruz was a Japanese victory, but at an extremely high cost," said Rear Admiral (Ret.) Samuel Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command. "About half the Japanese aircraft engaged were shot down by greatly improved U.S. Navy anti-aircraft defenses. As a result, the Japanese carriers did not engage again in battle for almost another two years."

The discovery of Hornet was made during R/V Petrel's first mission of 2019 after relocating from the Philippine Sea to the Solomon Islands to spend winter months in this arena. Operating out of Guadalcanal, the area is rich in history and prominence in terms of naval engagements.
"We had Hornet on our list of WWII warships that we wanted to locate because of its place in history as an aircraft carrier that saw many pivotal moments in naval battles," said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Vulcan. "Paul Allenwas particularly interested in historically significant and capital ships, so this mission and discovery honor his legacy."
The 10-person expedition team on the 250-foot R/V Petrel was able to locate Hornet's position by piecing together data from national and naval archives that included official deck logs and action reports from other ships engaged in the battle. Positions and sightings from nine other U.S. warships in the area were plotted on a chart to generate the starting point for the search grid. In the case of Hornet, she was discovered on the first dive mission of Petrel's autonomous underwater vehicle and confirmed by video footage from the remotely operated vehicle, both pieces of equipment rated to dive down to 6,000 meters.

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Boeing Has So Many Grounded 737 Max Planes Waiting to Be Fixed They're Parking Them in the Employee Parking Lot

2 men killed after trying to jump open drawbridge in car

Two Stroke Tuesday: McGrath's KX500

Sixty Years Ago, a Pilot Flew a B-47 Nuclear Bomber Under Michigan's Mackinac Bridge

1000-hp Hellephant crate Hemi sells out in two days

Scientists reveal first image ever made of a black hole

Netherlands F-16 fighter jet literally ran into its own rounds during exercise

VIRGIN FLIGHT HITS RECORD-BREAKING 801MPH ON FLIGHT TO LONDON: ‘NEVER EVER SEEN THIS’

This $350,000 Armored Cadillac Escalade Has Gun Ports, Electric-Shock Doors, Smokescreen Systems

Final Resting Place of USS Hornet CV-8 Located in the South Pacific

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