This image was released by NASA on Memorial Day. This is the Mars Phoenix Lander parked on the surface of the red planet. In addition to the American Flag, note the DVD, which contains information for future explorers.

~Capt’n Chirs

Filed under: TidBits | |

A TV crew filming off the southern tip of Japan has captured remarkable footage of a flying fish. The fish was in the air for a whopping 45 seconds, and the boat they were filming from was pacing along at around 20MPH - See video below.

There are 40 species of flying fish in the world and are found in warmer waters just about everywhere. The species has probably been doing occasional long flights for thousands of years, only to be captured on film finally by today’s camera laden society; Which brings up another point- You would think that these flying fish would be like fillet mignon for the local sea birds, or sort of like that rare, really good tasting treat they only get once in a while. Or, perhaps they eat them quite a bit, as it would seem like they’d be easy prey.

Anyhow, thinking of the mechanics behind the unique ability these fish have demanded that I do some further research. According to the National Geographic website, the fish actually begins it’s flight underwater. Like an airplane accelerating down a runway for take off, it propels itself to about 37 miles (60 kilometers) per hour. Seriously, just like an airplane, once Vr is achieved the fish literally angles itself upward until it leaves the water. Once out the water these fish can reach heights of 4 feet (1.2 meters) and have been known to glide 655 feet (200 meters).

The thing that sets this fish apart from other animals that break the water’s surface is that it takes actions to stay airborne and commonly achieves success in doing that. The fish beats it’s tail like the propeller on a hydrofoil, serving to propel the fish, which creates more lift and therefore… prolongs it’s flight.

It’s really quite amazing, but even more so to watch.

~ Capt’n Chris

Filed under: TidBits | |

The NASA Mars Phoenix Lander is scheduled to land on Mars today. According to NASA’s blog, confirmation of the landing’s success or failure could come by 4:53 PM PDT.

Links:

• Main Page
• News
• Mission Overview
• Launch
• Images
• Multimedia
• Spacecraft & Instruments

You can visit www.nasa.gov/phoenix for updates.
~Capt’n Chris

Filed under: TidBits | |

While browsing the net the other day, I came across this beauty- The Sukhoi Su-47, nicknamed the ‘Berkut’ (Golden Eagle). It is a forward swept wing advanced prototype from Russia. Sukhoi designed and developed the Su-47 in the late 1990’s and started flying it as a demonstrator at airshows earlier this decade. (Photo credits: Dale Volkov-http://www.airwar.ru)

I don’t know what it is really that caught my eye about the Su-47, as I’ve seen forward swept wing prototypes before; Most notably the Grumman X-29 shown at left (photo courtesy of NASA); of which two were built in the 1980’s and tested for a decade. In fact, the X-29 was the first forward swept wing aircraft to fly in level supersonic flight, by the way.

I guess I just always found the forward swept wing design concept fascinating, with a kind of ‘counter-culture’ influence that once manifested, created something that we all kind of just looked at in a dumbfounded gaze. I hadn’t given the X-29 any thought though in years and so when I saw Sukhoi’s variation of the concept, I found myself being lured back into that same gaze again!

There are plenty of websites out there with great info on the Su-47, most notably below. Interesting though, a quick sweep of Sukhoi’s website yields absolutely nothing.

More Info on the Su-47

• Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut
  Googlepages quick aviation links page with a considerable amount of info.
• AirForce-Technology.Com
  Another very comprehensive collection of good facts
• Wikipedia
  Article on the Su-47

Su-47 Quick Specs

• Length: 22.6 m (74 feet 2 inches)
• Wingspan: 15.16 m to 16.7 m (49 feet 9 inches to 54 feet 9 inches)
• Height: 6.3 m (20 feet 8 inches)
• Max takeoff weight: 77,162 lbs (35,000 kg)
• Maximum speed: Mach 2.1 (2,550 km/h, 1,550 mph)
• Range: 3,300 km (2,050 miles)
• Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,050 feet)
• Rate of climb: 230 m/s (45,300 feet/minute)

It’s worth mentioning that the word Berkut has been used to name an aircraft before. Also in the mid 1990’s, a variation on Burt Rutan’s Long EZ design hit the market as a kit and you can check that out here. For the sake of this post though I won’t get into that ‘Berkut’ except to say that at the time I feel in love with it and wanted one, so perhaps I’ll do a blog post in the future on it.

That’s all for now!
~Capt’n Chris

Filed under: TidBits | |

Check out this classic post from The Onion.

They are real forward thinkers. In a day and age of record oil prices, this new ’shuttle’ makes it skid mark on America, as it delivers passengers by van instead of by cost prohibitive means like airplanes.
At least they have a since of humor. Hopefully SouthWest does too.

-Capt’n Chris

Southwest Airlines Now Taking Passengers To Destinations By Shuttle Bus

DALLAS—On-time departures, cushioned plastic seats and easy-to-hold metal poles will present a level of comfort never before experienced on Southwest flights.

Filed under: TidBits | |