Caption Contest #35 - Crazy Ladies! Ends Wed. 9.15.10 At 9PM EDT

 The AirPigz Caption Contest is back! To get this new and improved game started, here’s an odd picture of an odd helicopter with 3 odd ladies standing under it while it’s flying. How odd!

 This oughta be some dandy caption material, and you’ve got til Wednesday evening at 9pm EDT to submit your captions. Then I’ll pick the best 5 ones and put ’em in a poll for everyone to vote on.  The most popular captioner will win a bacon(!) sandwich at Oshkosh 2011.

 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!

 Anyone who wants to cast their vote will be able to after the poll goes up Thursday morning.

 We'll vote all day Thursday, til 9pm EDT. The winner will be posted Friday morning 9-17-10. And please remember... when standing under the helicopter, watch your head!

Forecast Reno 2012: 'SharkBite' Wins Super Sport At 427 MPH!

SharkBite, my fantasy concept for a 'Super Sport' 427 mph Reno racer.

 It's pure fantasy, but I actually believe that the aerodynamics I've worked into this drawing represent a lot of where the future is headed. SharkBite is actually an evolution of a design I've been playing with on paper for the last year. The original design wasn't a hyper-powered beast, but I found that turning it into one was pretty easy. The general concept here picks up on several design elements that I've been thinking about a lot in the last year, and I'll mention a few of them now. Some of them, however, I'm not going to mention. I figure it's good to keep you guessing a little here.

 The big foundational idea in SharkBite is the 3 Lifting Surface Configuration (3LSC) for the wings. Similar to my retro airliner design (Empress 400), SharkBite taps into 3LSC, much like the Piaggio P180 Avanti. You might think I'm a little obsessed with 3LSC, but I figure when you see the Avanti offer a much roomier cabin cross-section, a 100 mph higher cruise speed, and does this on 80% of the horsepower of the King Air 350, it's something to pay attention to. The aerodynamic benefits of the Avanti configuration are stunning, and I'd say it's worthy of some obsession.

 So, SharkBite has a small main wing mounted well aft of the CG, with a very small fixed forward wing to hold the nose of the airplane up. Then, mounted between two canted vertical stabilizers, an aft mounted horizontal tail completes the array and handles the pitch control. The benefits expected here would be the same as the Avanti: no horizontal surfaces pushing down (and creating drag), smaller overall wing areas which reduce drag, and overall, less structure weight which has all kinds of benefits.

 The aft mounted fan taps into the ever growing technology of swept wing design in the blades, along with a variety of other cutting edge ideas in advanced prop design. That long stinger sticking out the back is actually intended to be the spinner for the prop. I also imagine SharkBite being powered by an air-cooled Lycoming Thunderbolt engine similar to what the Nemesis airplanes run. As always, effective cooling that also keeps drag to a minimum can be one of the biggest challenges, and the idea would be to incorporate several unique ideas into this airplane. The bad news is that crazy people like me always have wild ideas about how to make things work better, and usually find out they don't work so well in the real world. However, some creative thinking and hardcore testing might lead to some interesting solutions that do in fact yield performance increases. I have some in mind that not only deal with the need for ground cooling with the pusher prop, but are also intended to be used to help reduce drag while in flight.  

 Lastly I'll mention one feature that I think is just way-cool on SharkBite. You might notice you can see my blocky drawing of a pilot sitting inside with his eye on the next pylon. If this was the real airplane, you'd still be able to see him like that - all of him... the whole front of the fuselage is clear Lexan. Everything forward of that diagonal line is see-thru. My idea is to use chrome-moly steel tubing for the primary structure (not shown), so attaching thin, all-compound-curve Lexan panels on the front would be relatively easy. This would give the pilot a wildly awesome view from inside, especially at over 400 mph and 50 feet off the ground! That fuse is also a fully circular cross-section, and symmetrical when sliced vertically or horizontally. This means that building molds for the aft carbon fiber skin panels would also be relatively easy.

 In all, SharkBite is small, light and full of advanced aerodynamic ideas. Couple all that with about 600 or 700 horsepower and I think you just might have an airplane that can race the course at Reno at 427 mph. Hey, I gotta run... pardon me while I go do a little more Reno 2012 dreamin' : )

OK, Sometimes UGLY Can Be Fun To Fly... The Zenith CH 701 & CH 750

(4 videos - see all)

 Seriously, I've had a bit of an 'aha' moment today watching videos and reading spec sheets on the CH 701 and CH 750 from Zenith. The 'airplane design snob' in me has never taken a serious look at these 'most ugly' airplanes, but after checking out their dandy STOL performance and ease of construction, I'm really impressed. Whether you're looking at the smaller (Rotax powered) CH 701, or the larger and faster (O-200 or Jabiru powered) CH 750, these baby-bush-planes really look like a ton of fun.

 And the best part? From the inside, most of the ugly isn't visible! More of my thoughts on these interesting aircraft before long, but for now, check out these extra videos, and stop by ZenithAir.com for more details. (be advised: their website is almost as ugly as their airplanes, but I'm not holding that against them)

Click to read more ...

Airfoil Shapes In The Fast-Lane World Of The Reno Air Races

(4 pix)

 I'm guessing the best way to go fast and win at Reno is horsepower under the hood. However, drag-reduction thru proper design and great attention to detail is not only a major part of any winning team, but it’s probably a large part of what makes this game so much fun for those who get to play it.

 I thought it would be interesting to look at the airfoils used on some of the fastest propeller driven aircraft that turn circles in the desert in mid September. The image above shows three very different airfoils that fairly accurately represent the three wing cross sections of the airplanes pictured below. Researching the exact airfoils via the internet can be difficult, but I’m confident the samples shown pretty closely identify the shapes actually in use.

  P-51 Mustang 'Strega': 1st place 'Unlimiteds' at Reno 2009  (photo: Everyday Tuesday)

 Let’s start with the North American P-51 Mustang, one of the most popular WWII aircraft used in the Unlimited Class of racers. In the big Championship race on the last day of Reno 2009, it was two P-51’s, Strega and Voodoo that were dominating, but Voodoo had a race ending engine problem before it was over, which opened the door for Rare Bear to finish second behind Strega. All three of these airplanes were running near 500 mph in that race. No matter how you slice it (pun intended), moving a wing thru the air that fast has to be some interesting aerodynamics.

 The airfoil shape on the P-51 is definitely different than most of what was seen back in the 1940’s. Just to clarify, normally I’d identify the name of the airfoil right now, but that’s been a bit confusing in my research, so I’m gonna leave this one without a name. But if you’ve ever looked at a P-51 wing tip very closely, you’ll recognize that unique shape as seen above.

 You may have heard that the P-51 was the first airplane to use a ’laminar flow’ airfoil. A little deeper research actually identifies the B-24 as the first to use a laminar flow airfoil (say what?), but that doesn’t sound nearly as romantic, so go ahead and believe what you want. Regardless, the P-51 does indeed have an airfoil that in theory has the ability for the air to remain smooth and stable as far back as 60% of the distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge. And to tell the whole story, that's significantly further than the 30% of the B-24 airfoil, and for comparison, a ’standard’ airfoil is usually less than 20%.

 The big problem with most applications of laminar flow airfoils in the real world is that things like rivets, skin irregularities from manufacturing and wear, access doors, bugs or anything else that disturbs the perfectly smooth shape that was intended, will prevent the drag-reducing laminar flow from showing up. But in theory, a wing section that has its thickest point much farther aft than a standard airfoil is far better at keeping the airflow smoother, longer. I’d have to say that these shapes are beautiful to look at too. For example, compare the shape of the P-51 airfoil to that of the F-8 Bearcat. You might know I’m a huge Bearcat fan, but the shape of the P-51 cross section is way cooler looking to me than the one on the Bearcat.

Click to read more ...

Caption Contest Returns Monday 9.13.10 - With Bacon!

Does this helmet make my head look big?

 The AirPigz Caption Contest will indeed make a comeback this next Monday morning September 13th. The poll asking if you think it should return was a tie between 'yes' and 'yes, but only if it comes with bacon' - with a few votes actually saying 'no'... what's up with that? Anyway, now the prize for the winners of each game will be BACON!

 Since the 'Bacon Parties' at my campsite at Oshkosh 2010 seemed to go over really well, I figure that's the perfect way to reward the sharp wit of championistic captioners. But it's more than just a little bacon. I'm thinking some sort of mega bacon sandwich for each winner. This means you're gonna have to be at Oshkosh 2011 to claim your prize(s), so if you haven't done so already, better get to clearing your calendar for some or all of July 25-31, 2011.

 If you don't know what the Caption Contest is, it's pretty simple. I post an odd aviation related picture on a Monday morning and then you have until Wednesday night to submit up to 3 funny/cool/clever captions. Then I pick the best 5 and put them in a 24 hour poll for everyone to vote on. The caption with the most votes is the winner, and I post that pic and caption on Friday morning. It's all harmless avgeek fun, and so far it remains unregulated by the government! Check out a long list of winners at this Caption Contest link, and get your mind thinking about bacon, Bacon, BACON!

Ooh La La: 1960 Jet Service Via Swanky French Caravelle - Oui!

  The French were running right on the leading edge in 1959 when the Sud Aviation Caravelle went into service as the first short/medium-range jet airliner. This cool video gives a great feel for the times and how the 'jet-age' was definitely something special. Check out that abrupt rotation at 28 seconds... jet age, here we come!

 United Air Lines was the only U.S. operator of the Caravelle, and I can remember riding on one of the smooth nose beauties at least once at about age 6. I really liked the triangular shaped windows and the stab mounted well up on the vertical fin. My dad flew for United, but he went from the DC-6 to the DC-8 and never flew the Caravelle. He was really looking forward to flying the UAL Concordes that were at one time expected to be put into service, but of course that never came to pass. That's one of the many reasons our Concorde ride at Oshkosh 88 (with video) was such an awesome experience!

 Looking back, the Caravelle was really a great accomplishment and has earned a nice spot in aviation history. Vive la France!

CoolPix - Airliners: GE Powered 787 With Mount Rainier (Gorgeous!)

(click pic for hi-res)  photo: Boeing

 This is ZA005, the 5th 787 to fly, but it's the first one to fly with the General Electric GEnx engines. The first flight actually took place on June 16th, 2010, and this fab pic over Mount Rainier may have been on that same day. Regardless of when it was taken, it sure is a great sight to see, especially when you click the pic to make it big.

 The schedule for the first 787 deliveries has recently been pushed back (again), this time for just a few weeks to February 2011, but overall it appears that flight testing has been going well. The recent failure of a Rolls Royce Trent engine at the RR facility however is definitely adding some drama to the 787 delay saga. Check out this Aviation Week story for more info on the engine failure.

 If you're like me and running a little behind on your 787 test program details, check out this Flightblogger link for loads of great 787 tagged posts, and also Boeing's 787FlightTest.com for all kinds of interesting details that track the individual aircraft in the flight test program.

 I'm really looking forward to the 787 program moving past the flight test phase and into actual airline service just so we can finally see one with a really great paint job! (I know, I know, you've had enuf of me and my ideas about paint jobs lately : )

Video: Sean Tucker And The Blue Angels - Yeah Baby!

 After this video, you really need to watch the Sean Tucker at Chicago 2010 cockpit video, even if you already have : )

Wishing I Was AvGeekin' At Antique Airfield (Blakesburg, Iowa)

Fokker D-VIII replica at the 2010 AAA fly-in  (photo: Rob Bach via Antique Airfield)

 The annual Antique Aircraft Association invitational fly-in at Antique Airfield in Blakesburg, Iowa has been going on since last Wednesday, and the last couple days have had fantastic weather. I was really hoping to be there so I could put up a nice stream of pix of all the fabulous antique and classic era aircraft that have flown in, but the last two years have been a recession with a big 'R' for me and I just couldn't work it in for this year. There's good news tho... you should hop on over to AntiqueAirfield.com right now and check out their stream of pix showing some of what's been going on the last several days.

 This fly-in takes place on an airport straight out the past with a 2,350 foot long grass runway and relatively simple facilities. It's an authentic way to experience some of the most amazing airplanes from the grand history of aviation. Looking at the pictures they've posted so far makes me want to be there all the more. This is real flying!

The Thunderbirds Rock, But I Think They Need Some New Paint!

My idea for some hot new 'Superstar' paint for our beloved Thunderbirds

A modified picture of the current Thunderbirds paint scheme.

I've been a fan of both the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels since I was a kid... how are you not a fan of intensely disciplined jet aerobatic teams that make huge noise, fly insanely close together, and represent the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy? I've also been very fortunate to have seen both teams within the last year, and in the process, I've come to one simple conclusion: the Thunderbirds need some new paint.

 As I mentioned in last week's Thunderbirds CoolPix post, when I saw team perform at Sun-n-Fun this year, the sky was a bit hazy and very white, which made the airplanes very unimpressive looking. The show was great, but I couldn't help but wonder how much more visual impact those intensely blue F-18's from the competition would have looked in that same same sky. So, I thought about it enough to finally let those thoughts boil over and fall out of my head onto the computer screen. As seen above, I present my baseline concept for a high impact, 'Superstar' paint scheme for the Thunderbirds.

 I traced the outline of the F-16 from the picture used in the CoolPix and then colored it in based on a design I had worked out on a simple top-view drawing (from a 3-view) using a very red-white-blue theme. Keep in mind I'm a very 2D guy with drawings... it's not a perfect representation here. I call it the 'Superstar' theme since 'stars' are integral to the concept. The one big star on the center of the wing becomes a focal point, and when added to the other stars on the top side makes a perfect 13 stars to represent the 13 original colonies. I technically consider the big star as just one even tho the center of it is a blue star. And, I haven't worked out a bottom view yet, but it would just entail some small evolutionary changes to the pretty awesome 'Thunderbird' already in use.

 The modified picture below my drawing shows the current paint scheme for comparison. It's set on the same gradient background to give a little idea of how they both contrast in different sky colors. BTW, the original pic had some noticeable vapor steaks going over the wings that I removed from behind the airplane, but are still there obscuring the USAF markings a little. I also haven't worked in the details of the USAF markings and Thunderbirds logo into my drawing, other than the United States Air Force running down the side of the intake. There's be many details to work out if a design like this was to be adopted, but overall, I'm extremely pleased with the way it looks. I think it's a tremendous improvement.

 I was gonna put up a poll to get your opinion on the concept, but even tho AirPigz is getting some pretty good traffic these days, getting people to vote in a poll is a lot harder than it should be. Maybe the poll software isn't working right... please let me know if you've had trouble with other polls. I guess my way of thinking is: why wouldn't you vote in a poll that takes 2 seconds to let you let your opinion be known. I'm a bit of a power-opinionator tho!

 Anyway, this time around I thought I'd just ask for you to leave a comment if you have strong feeling pro or con on this concept. I'm always loving me some feedback : )