This sweet promo video from the GoPro youtube channel for the HD HERO2 makes for fun 4 minutes! It has a strong music video feel with a loud background and edgy editing... usually I'm all for just let me hear the airplane but I gotta say I like this as entertainment. And the crazy-boy smile on Kirby's face as he flies inverted around some Arizona rock formations pretty much says it all.
Btw... I miss the Red Bull Air Races : /
(to watch in HD: hit play and then pause - then look for the 'gear' icon in the lower right of the video window & select 1080p... click 'fullscreen' and enjoy!)
Video screenshot showing Kirby Chambliss having GoPro fun in the Arizona desert!
At a time when many of the forward-thinking people in America have been kicking around dust with the toe of their shoe wondering what really is next for the United States and space exploration (Shuttle Program retired, Constellation Program termination) - today brings some sunlight out from behind a darkened planet... SpaceX has successfully launched their ambitious, unmanned Falcon 9 spaceflight launch system. Liftoff came at 3:44 am EDT at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Congratulations to Elon Musk and the hardworking people who have made this day a reality!
The real work in developing a truly viable space launch system is really just beginning, but today's successful launch will fuel both the desire and the drive to keep pushing forward toward complete success.
This video gives a good view of the launch (1:13) and continues on thru main engine cutoff (4:19) - secondary engine cutoff (10:51) - Dragon Spacecraft separation (11:19) - and then solar array deployment (12:52). The best moment comes directly after as you hear thunderous applause and great cheering from the people involved in making it all happen.
This, this is a good day.
Video screenshot of the successful SpaceX Falcon 9 launch May 22, 2012
Yesterday's post about the flying machines in the awesome Marvel Comics movie The Avengers (in theaters now, check local listings : ) has us in a superhero kind of mood... and that's perfect for this Caption Contest winner! Cograts to 'Tailgear' for getting the most votes and securing a bacon sandwich at OSH12 for the effort. And just as important, Pancake Man finally gets some recognition!
The Flying Pancake theme was used to good advantage in the captions offered up this time around, tho I'll have to say that the Round EZe concept was a great one too!
(click pic to enlarge) The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier in the hot Marvel movie The Avengers
(4pix)
Have you ever noticed how much Hollywood is in love with the idea of VTOL aircraft? I guess it's a logical desire... who wouldn't want a flying machine that can do anything and everything? We'd all love to have aircraft that have no limits, but so far, that's just not our reality. Not even close. And that huge flying aircraft carrier above from the excellent and in-theaters-now Marvel movie The Avengers is probably the biggest suspension of reality you're gonna find. It's called the Helicarrier, and while it looks awesome and very believable on screen, can you even imagine the thrust requires to lift a 250 million pound boat? Me either.
But movies like Avatar and The Avengers aren't meant to be based in the reality we live in every day, and that's exactly why we love them so much. And love The Avengers I did... so much that I saw it twice in less than a week! There are very few movies I've done that with. If you haven't seen it yet I suggest you make plans for this weekend to go experience it - I can't imagine you being disappointed. It's a masterpiece of weaving a story together and keeping you engaged and entertained at every moment. And, it has quite a few flying machines in it as well to keep the avgeek happy. I saw it in both 2D and 3D and honestly I found the 2D to be just as enjoyable. So if you're not into wearing funky sunglasses indoors, I'd suggest you go flat and watch the 2D version.
(click pic to enlarge) Helicarrier lift fans (and they're not sucking in everything in sight?)
When I posted the video of Shuttle Discovery being mounted on top of the 747 for transport to the National Air & Space Museum (5th and last video in that post) I noticed the rather massive structure that's used in lifting the Shuttle into place onto the back of the 747. I wondered right then about what's used when they move a Shuttle to a random location such as a museum. So I was really interested in seeing this silent video that shows the Shuttle Enterprise (the glide test Shuttle that never went into space) after it has been moved out of the Air & Space Museum (to make room for Discovery) and was transported to JFK to eventually work its way to the deck of the USS Intrepid WWII aircraft carrier, the foundation for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
The crane and associated apparatus used here seems nicely simplified compared to that massive scaffold structure, but also easily up to the task of safely lifting the Shuttle off of the 747 and then down to the ground. A job well done I'd say.
It's time for a little more caption action, avgeek style! This pic from the past should prove pretty easy to come up with a pack of wacky captions as we set our sights on another winner of a bacon sandwich at OSH12 : )
So, you've got til Wednesday evening at 9pm EDT to submit your clever/funny/cool captions. Then, I’ll pick the best 5 and put ’em in a poll for everyone to vote on for all day Thursday and Friday so we can find the winner.
The Rules:
1) Max of 3 submissions per person
2) Submissions go in the 'comments' area
3) Game ends Wednesday at 9pm EDT
4) Keep it clean!
Then, anyone can cast their vote starting Thursday morning and running thru til 9pm EDT Friday. The winner will be posted Saturday morning 5-19-12.
Bill Fisher and his 'first customer-built Onex': first flight was yesterday! (photo: Sonex)
Thursday May 10th 2012 was a big day for the little single seat VW powered freedom machine known as the Onex... the first customer-built airplane made its first flight! I think this is the start of a quiet revolution for the homebuilt aircraft world. The Onex from Sonex Aircraft represents the most affordable, practical and desirable combination of design and function that I've ever seen in a homebuilt aircraft. I'm sure there are those out there who don't agree or aren't attracted to the Onex, but I believe that this little airplane offers more fun and realistic ability to reach completion for the average pilot than anything else that's ever been available. Learn more about the Onex kit at the Sonex website.
Congrats to Bill Fisher from Jackson Tennessee for making the first flight on the first customer-built Onex! From these pictures (from the Sonex website) it sure looks like he's done a great job putting the little cutie together... and if you know anything about me, you know I couldn't be happier that the first one done is a taildragger!
The affordable single seat sports car of the air - Onex from Sonex. (photo:Sonex)
As you can see from the video below from the first flight (which really just shows a nice fly by), the VW engine has finally found the perfect home in the sky. The performance with the AeroVee engine is excellent... and the affordability and low operating costs only make it all the more attractive.
Plus, the roomy cockpit, the folding wings, and the simplified kit, which includes more pre-formed parts and matched-hole assembly, means that there's very little compromise in the Onex package. I stand by my assessment that the Onex is the closest thing to the homebuilt grand slam that we've ever seen. I think you can expect to see these little machines popping up all over the place! If I wasn't still struggling just to survive financially, you can be sure there'd be one of these in progress out in my garage : )
The roomy cockpit of Bill Fisher's 'first customer-built' Onex kit (photo: Sonex)
The Unbelievable story of the Twin Beaver can be found over at VintageWings.ca
Some of you reading this will already know how unbelievable the story of the Twin Beaver is... and how so few of us knew anything about this incredible project before the amazing story surfaced over at VintageWings.ca early in April of this year. Wow, how could such a fascinating aircraft be so unknown to even the most ardent of avgeeks? Well, to understand that you really need to read the amazing in-depth story that chronicles the wild adventures of twin brothers Dieter and Martin Zwillingsbiber from the mid 40's thru the 60's. (click the VintageWings link to read the extensive story)
If it turns out that you're unable to spend the time to read the rather long story of the Twin Beaver at VintageWings.ca, I very highly recommend that you follow this link when you are done here to see what has become of the Twin Beaver today!
Wow, I knew nothing at all of the unbelievable Twin Beaver until early April of 2012
I must say I've seen a tremendous of amazing aviation work in my 51 years but the work exhibited by the Twin Beaver project is right up there as 'most impressive'. Even tho the performance of the aircraft was never up to what it should have been or really needed to be, the creativity, engineering, and dedication to bring the Twin Beaver to life is so impressive that I can only hope that one day I will achieve such great heights. My hat is off to the brilliant mind or minds that are responsible for what we now know as the Twin Beaver... Bravo!
Thank you Vintage Wings of Canada for your part in this amazing story!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 08:35AM 
Video screenshot showing Kirby Chambliss having GoPro fun in the Arizona desert!
