GE Aerospace says it successfully demonstrated an advanced jet propulsion concept that involves a dual-mode ramjet design utilizing rotating detonation combustion. This could offer a pathway to the development of new aircraft and missiles capable of flying efficiently at high supersonic and even hypersonic speeds across long distances.

A press release that GE Aerospace put out today offers new details about what it says “is believed to be a world-first hypersonic dual-mode ramjet (DMRJ) rig test with rotating detonation combustion (RDC) in a supersonic flow stream.” Hypersonic speed is defined as anything above Mach 5. Amy Gowder, President and CEO of the Defense & Systems division of GE Aerospace, previously disclosed this project, but offered more limited information, at this year’s Paris Air Show in June.

A rendering of a rotating detonation engine design. USAF/AFRL via Aviation Week

“A typical air-breathing DMRJ propulsion system can only begin operating when the vehicle achieves supersonic speeds of greater than Mach 3,” the press release explains. “GE Aerospace engineers are working on a rotating detonation-enabled dual mode ramjet that is capable of operating at lower Mach numbers, enabling the flight vehicle to operate more efficiently and achieve longer range.”

“RDC [rotating detonation combustion] enables higher thrust generation more efficiently, at an overall smaller engine size and weight, by combusting the fuel through detonation waves instead of a standard combustion system that powers traditional jet engines today,” the press release adds.

To elaborate, in most traditional gas turbines, including turbofan and turbojet engines, air is fed in from an inlet and compressed, and then is mixed with fuel and burned via deflagration (where combustion occurs at a subsonic rate) in a combustion chamber. This process creates the continuous flow of hot, high-pressure air needed to make the whole system run.

A rotating detonation engine (which involves combustion that happens at a supersonic rate) instead “starts with one cylinder inside another larger one, with a gap between them and some small holes or slits through which a detonation fuel mix can be pushed,” according to a past article on the general concept from New Atlas. “Some form of ignition creates a detonation in that annular gap, which creates gases that are pushed out one end of the ring-shaped channel to produce thrust in the opposite direction. It also creates a shockwave that propagates around the channel at around five times the speed of sound, and that shockwave can be used to ignite more detonations in a self-sustaining, rotating pattern if fuel is added in the right spots at the right times.”

The video below offers a more detailed walkthrough of the rotating detonation engine concept.

[

[…]

In principle, rotating detonation requires less fuel to produce the same level of power/thrust as combustion via deflagration. The resulting sustained shockwave builds its own pressure, as well, leading to even greater fuel efficiency. Pressure is steadily lost during deflagration.

In addition, rotating detonation typically requires far fewer moving parts than are needed in traditional gas turbines. In theory, this should all allow for rotating detonation engine designs that are significantly smaller, lighter, and less complex than existing types with similar very high power/thrust output.

[…]

“GE engineers are now testing the transition mode at high-supersonic speeds as thrust transitions from the RDE-equipped turbine and the dual-mode ramjet/scramjet,” GE Aerospace’s Gowder said in Paris earlier this year, according to Aviation Week.

[…]

A combined ramjet and rotating detonation concept could be an especially big deal for future missiles, like the ones DARPA’s Gambit project is envisioning, and possibly high-speed air vehicles for reconnaissance use. This propulsion arrangement could allow for greater efficiency and lighter (and potentially smaller) airframes, which in turn allow for greater performance — especially in terms of range — and/or payload capacity. If rotating detonation combustion can reduce the minimum speed required to get the ramjet working, this would reduce the amount of initial boost such a system would need at the outset, too. This would mean a smaller overall package. All of this opens doors to new levels of operational flexibility.

This new engine concept could also potentially become one component of what is known as a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine arrangement, of which much talk over the years about in recent years. Most TBCC design concepts revolve around combinations of advanced ramjets or scramjets for use at high speeds and traditional turbojet engines that work better a low speeds.

A graphical depiction of a notional turbine-based combined cycle engine arrangement. Lockheed Martin

A practical TBCC concept of any kind has long been a holy grail technology when it comes to designing very high-speed aircraft. A propulsion system that allows for this kind of high and low-speed flexibility would mean an aircraft could take off from and land on any suitable existing runway, but also be capable of sustained high-supersonic or even hypersonic speeds in the middle portion of a flight.

[…]

 

Source: GE’s Breakthrough In ‘Detonating’ Hypersonic Propulsion Is A Big Deal

Electric vehicle owners continue to report far more problems with their vehicles than owners of conventional cars or hybrids, according to Consumer Reports’ newly released annual car reliability survey. The survey reveals that, on average, EVs from the past three model years had 79 percent more problems than conventional cars. Based on owner responses on more than 330,000 vehicles, the survey covers 20 potential problem areas, including engine, transmission, electric motors, leaks, and infotainment systems.

“Most electric cars today are being manufactured by either legacy automakers that are new to EV technology, or by companies like Rivian that are new to making cars,” says Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. “It’s not surprising that they’re having growing pains and need some time to work out the bugs.” Fisher says some of the most common problems EV owners report are issues with electric drive motors, charging, and EV batteries.

Source: Electric Vehicles Are Less Reliable Than Conventional Cars – Consumer Reports

American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines are among a growing list of air carriers that have grounded aircraft in the wake of a fake jet engine parts scandal that has rocked the aviation industry. Multiple have already replaced the uncertified parts and returned their planes to service, but close to 100 planes may still be affected worldwide.

Earlier this month, news broke that British aerospace parts supplier AOG Technics had forged certification documents for dozens of parts used in the CFM56 turbofan. This is the world’s most widely used jet engine, powering workhorses like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. The origin of the fake parts isn’t yet known, but some of their destinations are: The engines of at least four airlines around the globe.

Citing Bloomberg, Simple Flying reports Southwest Airlines was the first to find AOG parts in its aircraft. It traced its supply chain to the installation of two AOG-supplied low-pressure turbine blades in a 737, which it replaced on September 8 with certified parts before returning the Boeing to service. Virgin Australia reportedly later found and replaced the same part, along with a seal on an inner high-pressure turbine nozzle.

American Airlines also tracked down AOG parts on what a spokesperson reportedly described as “a small number of aircraft” during “internal audits,” leading to the planes being “immediately taken out of service.” United Airlines also reportedly found AOG-sourced compressor stator vanes on two of its planes, though whether those two planes have returned to service was not indicated.

AOG’s uncertified parts are currently believed to have made their way into as many as 96 planes worldwide. The Federal Aviation Administration has advised airlines and the rest of the aerospace industry to inspect their planes and audit inventories for uncertified, AOG-supplied parts.

Source: Fake Jet Engine Parts Ground American, Southwest, United Planes

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Every now and then, a device comes along and challenges you to consider the viability of an entirely new product category. That’s precisely what Lenovo is doing with the Yoga Book 9i. By replacing the traditional physical keyboard with a second display, the company is rethinking what a laptop can do. In tight confines, you can rely on a virtual keyboard or an included magnetic alternative.

[…]

The dual 13.3-inch displays (2,880 x 1,800) look great too, boasting OLED panels with rich colors and a tested brightness just shy of 400 nits.

[…]

Around the outside, the Yoga Book features a polished metal frame with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is nice to see on a system this size. Unfortunately for fans of wired audio, you don’t get a 3.5mm audio jack. Thankfully, Lenovo’s 5-megapixel IR webcam is sharper than what you get on most competing devices, and holding everything together is the company’s signature speaker bar hinge, which is impressively loud and punchy. All told, despite being slightly heavier than a typical 13-inch ultraportable due to that second layer of glass, it’s still very easy to carry around.

[…]

The remaining pieces of the Yoga Book 9i’s kit are its accessories, which include a stylus, a detached magnetic physical keyboard, a folding kickstand cover and even a sleek travel mouse. The keyboard communicates via Bluetooth and has its own USB-C port for charging. Despite its size, it doesn’t feel cramped and offers more key travel than you might expect. During transport, the cover wraps around the keyboard to keep it protected, while Lenovo’s Digital Pen 3 can be stashed in the attached loop.

[…]

you just tap eight fingers on the bottom panel and instantly you get virtual stand-ins. And for times when you only need to mouse around, you can use a three-finger tap instead, which summons a floating touchpad that leaves room for Lenovo’s widgets (weather, news, etc.) or anything else you’d like to put down there.

Surprisingly, typing on a touchscreen isn’t as bad as you might think. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still not nearly as fast or accurate as using a physical keyboard. But it’s serviceable, as long as you’re willing to make some adjustments.

[…]

What’s most impressive about the Yoga Book 9i’s is its ability to transform into a portable all-in-one PC when it’s propped up on its kickstand cover. In this mode, there are two options for its displays: a stacked setup with one screen on top of the other and a side-by-side arrangement. Both configurations have their uses.

[…]

Packing an Intel Core i7-155U chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the Yoga Book 9i can handle most productivity needs. Even when multitasking across both displays, performance felt relatively snappy. However, if you’re planning on regularly doing more demanding things like video editing, you’ll probably want a beefier machine.

[…]

Even with a relatively large 80Wh battery, for a system with two screens, the Yoga Book 9i fared better than expected on our standard video rundown test. It posted a time of eight hours and 12 minutes

[…]

he Yoga Book 9i is a rather divisive machine. Starting at $2,000, not only is it really expensive, its performance is also slower than more traditional competitors in this price range. However, for people like me who constantly yearn for more screen real estate when I’m away from home, Lenovo has created something that is more than the sum of its parts. When space is limited, the Yoga Book 9i’s clamshell mode feels right at home on an airplane tray table. But when it’s not, it can expand into a portable dual-screen workstation–complete with all the fixings of your desktop at home. And when you need to pack up, everything collapses into a neat, semi-self-contained bundle that fits in the smallest of laptop bags.

The Yoga Book 9i is a nifty little transformer that’s more engaging than anything Michael Bay has directed in the last two decades. With how little laptops have changed recently, it feels like the Yoga Book has even more room to grow in the years to come. Sure, it’s still a bit awkward, but as the starting point for a new type of notebook, Lenovo’s debut dual-screen convertible has me convinced.

Source: Lenovo Yoga Book 9i review: The world isn’t ready for dual-screen laptops, but Lenovo is | Engadget

The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is one of only a few cars out there that’ll be available with both a V6 engine and a fully electric drivetrain. While that lets it swing from both sides of the plate, it also highlights just how much heavier EVs are than their combustion counterparts these days. And try as Alfa Romeo might, there’s no way that doesn’t affect the supercar’s handling.

The limited-production, 33-unit-only Alfa supercar debuted earlier today, with one version using a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6, and the other a 102 kilowatt-hour battery feeding an 800-volt, tri-motor drivetrain. The difference in their weight is stark, with the V6 model said to weigh less than 3,307 pounds, and the EV a good 1,300 lbs more at (under) 4,630 lbs. Because of the EV’s power advantage though, the two are said to perform pretty much identically in a straight line, doing zero-to-60 in under three seconds, and stopping in a similar sub-108 feet. (That said, the EV runs out of steam at high speed, and has a slightly lower top speed.)

The new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. Alfa Romeo

Their handling differences may be minimized by torque vectoring, which seems to be offered only on the EV. But even then, it’s impossible to completely hide the effect that a 40-percent weight gain has on a car’s performance

[…]

Source: The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale EV Weighs 1,300 Pounds More Than the Gas Version

So these cars will rot in a garage, barely being driven, where no one will see them. These limited editions are a waste of designers time.

The state of South Australia, home to 1.8 million people, is treading that well-worn path with new laws regulating the use of “ultra high-powered vehicles” on the road.

The issue stems from a fatal crash in 2019 when 15-year-old Sophia Naismith was tragically struck and killed by an out-of-control Lamborghini Huracan driven by Alexander Campbell. After Campbell avoided jail with a suspended sentence last year, community backlash created a political case for change. As covered by Drive.com.au, the government has now implemented a raft of new road laws in response.

The laws designate a new class of “ultra high-powered vehicles” (UHPV). This covers any such vehicle with a power-to-weight ratio of 276 kW/metric tonne (407 horsepower/US ton) and a gross mass under 4.5 tonne (9920 pounds). Roughly 200 models are currently expected to fall into this classification, with buses and motorbikes exempt from the rules. This classification would notably include the Lamborghini Huracan, which boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 292 kW/tonne (431 hp/US ton). For reference, another sports car, the base Chevrolet Corvette, comes in at 242kW/ton and is not subject to these rules. The 670-horsepower Z06 version of that car is, though.

After December 1st, 2024, those wishing to drive a UHPV must hold a special ‘U Class’ license. Obtaining this license requires passing an online course currently in development by the government of the region, based in Adelaide. Furthermore, drivers must have held a regular car or heavy vehicle license for at least three years to be eligible for a U license. There will be no retroactive exemptions, with all current drivers wishing to drive UHPV-class cars required to take the course.

Another major change, as reported by MSN, makes it a criminal offense to disable traction control and other driver aids in an “ultra high-powered vehicle.” Specifically, the rule applies to “anti-lock braking, automated emergency braking, electronic stability control or traction control” systems, but not lane-keeping assists and parking sensors.

Drivers breaking this rule will be subject to penalties of up to $5,000 AUD. However, reasonable defenses include switching off driver aids in conditions where justified, such as if the vehicle is stuck. Similarly, a further defense exists if the driver did not disable the system themselves and was unaware of the situation. They will have to prove that, of course.

Meanwhile, if a driver crashes while in “sports mode” or with traction control disabled, and that incident causes death or serious harm, the driver will be charged with an “aggravated offense” which comes with new harsher penalties. For example, prior to the change, the charge of “aggravated driving without due care causing death” carried a maximum 12-month jail penalty and six-month driving disqualification. That has now been upgraded to seven years in jail and three years of disqualification. This bears a direct relation to Campbell’s crash, which was alleged to have happened indirectly due to the use of the Huracan’s sports mode.

[…]

Source: Special License For Supercars Will Be Required In South Australia by 2024

Whilst I agree with the idea of needing a supercar license, making it an offense to turn off driving aids is a bit sketchy for me…

Diamond Aircraft announced that it has successfully completed the first flight of its eDA40 electric aircraft.

The eDA40 is an all-electric, battery-powered version of the popular DA40 light aircraft, which is one of the best-selling piston aircraft and is used by flight schools and private owners all over the world.

The eDA40’s maiden flight took place on July 26, 2023, in the skies over the company’s headquarters in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. During the flight Diamond’s Head of Flight Test, Sören Pedersen, performed several system checks and undertook basic maneuvers.

“The aircraft performed outstandingly well during its maiden flight and not only met but exceeded all our expectations,” said Diamond CEO, Liqun (Frank) Zhang.

The eDA40 is powered by a Safran ENGINeUS electric motor and a battery module made by Electric Power Systems (EPS).

Flight autonomy is expected to be up to 90 minutes, with a charging time from depleted to full battery of around 20 minutes using a DC fast charging system. Diamond Aircraft claims the eDA40’s operating costs will be 40% below those of a traditional piston engine aircraft of similar size.

The Austrian manufacturer is seeking Part 23 certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the eDA40.

The aircraft will be publicly presented at the AERO Friedrichshafen 2024 air show, which will take place in the southern German city in April 2024.

Source: Diamond’s all-electric eDA40 completes maiden flight – AeroTime

The first Rolls-Royce EV, the Spectre, is going on sale soon at a cool $425,000 — and at that price, purchasing slots will be limited, to say the least. But any buyers planning to flip one for a quick profit may want to think twice. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said that any customers attempting to resell their Spectre models for profit will be banned for life from ever buying another Rolls-Royce from official dealers, according to a report from Car Dealer.

“I can tell you we are really sanitizing the need to prove who you are, what you want to do with the car – you need to qualify for a car and then you might get a slot for an order,” he said. And anyone who violates the policy and sells the Spectre for a profit is “going immediately on a blacklist and this is it – you will never ever have the chance to acquire again.”

The British, BMW-owned company isn’t the first to impose bans on flipping its vehicles. Last year, GM said it would ban buyers from flipping Hummer EVs, Corvette Z06’s and other vehicles within 12 months under the threat of limiting the transferability of certain warranties. On top of that stick, it offered a carrot in the form of $5,000 in reward points for customers who kept their eighth-generation Corvette Z06’s for at least a year.

[…]

Source: Rolls-Royce won’t let customers buy another car if they sell its new EV for a profit | Engadget

Car dealers don’t like it, but with this much demand coupled with low supply, the car dealers are really blocked out of this product range anyway.

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the first aircraft built at its Pilot Production Line in Marina, California. Issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, the certificate allows Joby to begin flight testing of its first production prototype.

The aircraft is expected to become the first ever eVTOL aircraft to be delivered to a customer when it moves to Edwards Air Force Base in 2024 to be operated by Joby as part of the Company’s Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force, worth up to $131 million.

[…]

Joby has been flying full size aircraft since 2017 and its pre-production prototype aircraft have flown more than 30,000 miles since 2019. Today’s production prototype builds on that experience and marks another important step toward achieving FAA certification and production at scale.

[…]

Joby plans to begin commercial passenger operations in 2025 and recently partnered with Delta Air Lines to deliver seamless, emissions-free travel for Delta customers traveling to and from airports.

[…]

The aircraft will now undergo initial flight testing before being delivered to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where it will be used to demonstrate a range of potential logistics use cases.

Source: Joby Marks Production Launch, Receives Permit to Fly First Aircraft Built on Production Line | Joby

GPS has changed the way we get around the globe. But if you command a warship, you must think about what you would do if an adversary destroyed or compromised your GPS system. The Royal Navy and Imperial College London think a quantum navigation system might be the answer.

[…]

The quantum sensors in question are essentially accelerometers. Unlike conventional accelerometers, though, these devices use ultracold atoms to make very precise measurements using a laser optical ruler, which means they do not drift as rapidly

[…]

You can see a Sky News report on the trial below.The tests were done in a rapid prototyping pod carried onboard XV Patrick Blackett, a fitting name for an experimental ship since Lord Blackett was a Nobel laureate and head of the physics department at Imperial College for a decade ending in 1963. The underlying tech came out of the university back in 2018, but making it work in a real-world environment onboard a ship is another matter.

[…]

 

Source: Royal Navy Tests Quantum Navigation | Hackaday

US aviation regulators on Wednesday unveiled their first framework for how to train pilots for the expected new breed of electric-powered urban air taxis designed to revolutionize short-hop travel in cities. From a report: The Federal Aviation Administration published a proposed set of regulations that attempt to create an orderly process for building a pipeline of pilots on the devices, which don’t currently fit into existing regulations. It would allow flight crews trained on existing aircraft to take credit for that experience as they transition to the new devices known as electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVOTLs, the FAA said in a statement. It also creates a pathway for pilots to receive FAA sign-off for specific new aircraft and attempts to merge the new technology into existing rules as much as possible, the agency said.

“These proposed rules of the sky will safely usher in this new era of aviation and provide the certainty the industry needs to develop,” David Boulter, FAA’s acting associate administrator for aviation safety, said in the release. The proposal is a key step in allowing the new aircraft — which take off vertically like helicopters, but can fly with the efficiency of fixed-wing planes — to be introduced into the US aviation system. The agency has estimated that it will approve a handful of the devices as early as 2025.

Source: Urban Air-Taxi Pilot Training Outlined in US FAA Proposal – Slashdot

That’s right: New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority is asking that its national airline weigh passengers departing on international flights from Auckland International Airport through July 2, 2023.

The program, which Air New Zealand calls a passenger weight survey, is a way to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes, the airline said.

“We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft – from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” Alastair James, the airline’s load control improvement specialist said in a statement. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”

Still, weight is a personal thing that not everyone wishes to disclose. In order to protect individuals’ privacy, the airline says it has made the data anonymous.

Source: Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane | CNN

This is pretty relevant because the standard passenger weight is given in tables which are  slightly outdated. So if there are > adult 30 passengers, they are expected to weigh 84kg each including hand luggage. Holiday charters can calculate using 76kg. Baggage is expected to be 13kg within the EU. These figures seem extremely light to me.

Automakers are increasingly obsessed with turning everything into a subscription service in a bid to boost quarterly returns. We’ve noted how BMW has embraced making heated seats and other features already in your car a subscription service, and Mercedes has been making better gas and EV engine performance something you have to pay extra for — even if your existing engine already technically supports it.

There are several problems here. One, most of the tech they want to charge a recurring fee to use is already embedded in the car you own. And its cost is already rolled into the retail cost you’ve paid. They’re effectively disabling technology you already own, then charging you a recurring additional monthly fee just to re-enable it. It’s a Cory Doctorow nightmare dressed up as innovation.

The other problem: absolutely nobody wants this shit. Surveys have already shown how consumers widely despise paying their car maker a subscription fee for pretty much anything, whether that’s an in-car 5G hotspot or movie rentals via your car’s screen. Now another new study indicates that consumers are unsurprisingly opposed to this new effort to expand subscription features:

A new study from Cox Automotive this week found that 75% of respondents agreed with the statement that “features on demand will allow automakers to make more money.” And 69% of respondents said that if certain features were available only via subscription for a particular brand, they would likely shop elsewhere.

[…]

if the industry does this persistently enough, over a long enough time frame, the window of what dictates “acceptable” automaker behavior shifts in their favor, resulting in opinions like this one:

“I don’t think [features on demand] is going away, and also as the cars get more and more sophisticated, get more and more functionality, then it just feels like a natural progression,” Edmund’s Weaver says, also noting he too has gotten used to these add-on features, and their costs, for his personal vehicle.

There’s a whole bunch of additional unintentional consequences of this kind of shift. Right to repair folks will be keen on breaking down these phony barriers, and automakers will increasingly respond by doing things like making enabling tech you already own and paid for a warranty violation.

[…]

Source: Automakers Are Making Basic Car Functions A Costly Subscription Service… Whether You Like It Or Not | Techdirt

It’s not just BMW, Mercedes and many other companies are getting into this game. The thing is, if it’s a service that requires ongoing work (eg collecting road data for navigation services or traffic cam data for speed warnings etc) then a subscription is fine. But if it’s something already built into your car that requires a subscription or extra money to enable, well, then you’ve already paid for it and are the owner of it. Having a carmaker disable it until you pony up again for it is a ridiculous.

A week before the 2023 Auto Shanghai show, Chinese EV maker BYD revealed Tuesday the coolest suspension technology since the Citroen DS’s hydropneumatic system. However, instead of being used on a quirky French sedan, BYD’s DiSus-X suspension was showcased on a quad-motor electric supercar, the BYD YangWang U9. With DiSus-X, the U9 can drive on only three wheels and hop in the air on all four wheels. Yep. We live in a new world now, folks.

YangWang is BYD’s luxury electric sub-brand, and the U9 is its first supercar. Battery, power, and performance specs should be revealed next week at Auto Shanghai, but BYD smartly revealed this trick suspension system first, as it’s far more interesting.

BYD’s DiSus-X is the newest in a family of clever hydraulic DiSus suspension systems and debuts on the U9. More details on how the newest system works will come next week, but BYD is just showing off some of its tricks.

One such trick driving on just three wheels for short periods in case of a tire blowout, just like the old DS. The U9 probably can’t drive on three wheels for long, but it’s enough to get its driver home or to a repair shop in a pinch. However, the U9’s main party trick is its vertical leap. The suspension system can raise or lower the car at each corner independently, but if it raises each corner quickly, the kinetic energy is enough to jump the U9 an inch or two off the ground. If you’re wondering what the practical application for hopping a car is, stop being a square. It’s just cool.

With that level of suspension technology, BYD should be able to make a shockingly capable supercar that can level itself through corners, provide additional grip to specific tires, and even swaddle passengers in a way most supercars simply can’t. But who cares about any of that? The car can jump.

Source: This Chinese Electric Supercar Can Drive on Three Wheels, Jump in the Air

Many cars claim to be a beast although just a few have a resume to back it up. This 1972 Rolls-Royce-ish plants its flag as “The Beast” so hard it’s right there on the name. This beige-on-beige-on-beige masterpiece is heading to auction to find a new home, and hopefully, one with a very long garage to contain its very long snout.

The Beast was the creation of John Dodd, who died last December at 90 years old. The automotive engineer and transmission maker constructed the car using a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine plucked from a military application [Note: from a Spitfire airplane] to power his Beast, all 27 liters and 12 cylinders of glory. The result was an “estimated” 750 horsepower, although the Beast hasn’t ever set foot on a dyno. What you see here isn’t the first Beast, either. Dodd bought the first Beast after he helped to craft a transmission for it, which burned on the way home from a trip in Sweden. The rebodied version is what you see here, and it’s longer than its predecessor if that’s at all possible.

This Beast once famously and litigiously wore a Rolls-Royce snout, which you can see has been removed and replaced with John Dodd’s initials after courts ruled against him. (It still says “Rolls-Royce” on the registration, so checkmate.) The interior is no less resplendent than Rollers of the time, although it’s far smaller than a car with a football-field-sized footprint should have. There are two doors, two seats—in beige no less—with a long cargo area. (So, technically a shooting brake?) There’s a sculpted dash that looks like 1971 vacuformed. It’d be hard to imagine airbags anywhere in the car—they may not be needed if the hood is technically one county ahead of the passengers—but it appears there’s some padding on the dash and a bank of switches with no clear indication of what any of them do.

The internals are absurd, albeit interesting. Behind the vainglorious Meteor V12 is a GM three-speed automatic that shifts through a heavy-duty Currie rear axle. A staggered wheel setup covers four-wheel disc brakes, which is good because the Beast managed 183 mph in a top-speed run in 1977. Just an observation: The five-lug wheels don’t inspire a lot of confidence for the power and speed, but I’m no expert.

But I can confidently spot a winner when I see one, and the Beast is one such winner. It was certifiably the most powerful car on the planet in 1977 and it can also be yours.

Source: Buy This 27-Liter Merlin V12-Powered, Street-Legal Fiberglass Legend From the ’70s

HT Aero, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker XPeng, says the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has granted it a flight permit for its two-seater electric “flying car,” the XPeng X2.

The aircraft is the first manned electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle to obtain the permit and HT Aero’s fifth-generation eVTOL.

Calling the vehicle a “car” seems like a bit of a stretch given that it has no wheels. The 4.97 x 4.78 x 1.36m (16.3 x 15.7 ft x 4.5 foot) carbon fiber body resembles a drone or quadcopter with retractable arms that reduce the width to 1.95m (6.4 ft).

On the corner of each arm sit two stacked rotors. The eight total rotors have a diameter of 1.83m (6ft) each and carry 560kg (1,235lb) – maximum 760kg (1675lb) – at expected cruising speeds of around 130kph (80mph).

The XPeng X2

The vehicle flies for up to 35 minutes at a max altitude of 1,000m (3,280ft) and is equipped with both manual and automatic flight modes. According to XPeng exec Jiaxi You, the vehicle “can be driven on normal roads and flown safely at low altitude.”

The X2 completed its first successful flight in June 2021 and since then has flown over 3,000 test flights.

“After obtaining the chartered flight certificate, we will continue to carry out a series of manned driving tests to accumulate data and experience in research and development, flight tests, and more in preparation for mass production,” said HT Aero in Mandarin.

While the X2 doesn’t exactly look much like a flying car, HT Aero’s sixth generation is essentially a sedan with wings. The company plans to use the X2 certification to support the development of the X3, which should be available in 2024.

“HT Aero’s sixth-generation road-capable flying car will build on the company’s years of experience in developing eVTOLs, delivering an innovative vehicle for both land and air travel,” said HT Aero, which claimed that the vehicle will not only “transition seamlessly from road to air” but also be “fully equipped with autonomous assistant pilot functions using XPeng’s signature intelligent OS.

Source: Beijing grants XPeng ‘flying car’ a flight permit • The Register

A wearable ultrasound imager for the heart that is roughly the size of a postage stamp, can be worn for up to 24 hours, and works even during exercise may one day help doctors spot cardiac problems that current medical technology might miss, a new study finds.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among the elderly, and is increasingly becoming a problem among those who are younger as well because of unhealthy diets and other factors. The signs of heart disease are often brief and unpredictable, so long-term cardiac imaging may help spot heart anomalies that might otherwise escape detection.

For instance, patients with heart failure may at times seem fine at rest, “as the heart sacrifices its efficiency to maintain the same cardiac output,” says study colead author Hongjie Hu, a nanoengineer at the University of California, San Diego. “Pushing the heart towards its limits during exercise can make the lack of efficiency become apparent.”

In addition, the heart can quickly recover from problems it may experience during exercise. This means doctors may fail to detect these issues, since cardiac imaging conventionally happens after exercise, not during it, Hu says.

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Now scientists have developed a wearableultrasound device that can enable safe, continuous, real-time, long-term, and highly detailed imaging of the heart. They detailed their findings online on 25 January in the journal Nature.

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The new device is a patch 1.9 centimeters long by 2.2 cm wide and only 0.9 millimeters thick. It uses an array of piezoelectric transducers to send and receive ultrasound waves in order to generate a constant stream of images of the structure and function of the heart. The researchers were able to get such images even during exercise on a stationary bike. No skin irritation or allergy was seen after 24 hours of continuous wear.

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The new patch is about as flexible as human skin. It can also stretch up to 110 percent of its size, which means it can survive far more strain than typically experienced on human skin. These features help it stick onto the body, something not possible with the rigid equipment often used for cardiac imaging.

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Traditional cardiac ultrasound imaging constantly rotates an ultrasound probe to analyze the heart in multiple dimensions. To eliminate the need for this rotation, the array of ultrasound sensors and emitters in the new device is shaped like a cross so that ultrasonic waves can travel at right angles to each other.

The scientists developed a custom deep-learning AI model that can analyze the data from the patch and automatically and continuously estimate vital details, such as the percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each beat, and the volume of blood the heart pumps out with each beat and every minute. The root of most heart problems is the heart not pumping enough blood, issues that often manifest only when the body is moving, the researchers note.

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Source: Wearable Ultrasound Patch Images the Heart in Real-Time

[…]The research team working with Airbus at the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute claims its nano-coating, referred to as a Multifunctional Nanobarrier Structure (MFNS), can be applied to the surfaces of equipment, including antennas, and it has been shown to be able to reduce the operating temperature of such surfaces from 120°C to 60°C (248°F to 140°F).

In its study published online, the team explains that thermal control is essential for most spaceborne equipment as heating from sunlight can cause large temperature differences across satellites that would result in mechanical stresses and possible misalignment of scientific instruments such as optical components. Paradoxically, space systems also require heat pipes to ensure minimal heating so that payloads can withstand the coldest space conditions.

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The solution the team developed is a multilayer protection nanobarrier, which it says is comprised of a buffer layer made of poly(p-xylylene) and a diamond-like carbon superlattice layer that gives it a mechanically and environmentally ultra-stable platform.

The MFNS is deposited onto surfaces using a custom plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, which operates at room temperature and so can be applied to heat-sensitive substrates.

The combined layer is a dielectric and therefore electromagnetically transparent across a wide range of radio frequencies, the study states, allowing it to be used to coat antenna structures without adding “significant interference” to the signal.

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According to the team, the MFNS can be modulated to provide adjustable solar absorptivity in the ultraviolet to visible part of the spectrum, while at the same time exhibiting high and stable infrared emissivity. This is achieved by controlling the optical gap of individual layers.

This extends to self-reconfiguration in orbit, if the report can be believed, by means of balancing the UV and atomic oxygen (AO) exposure of the MFNS coating. AO is created from molecular oxygen in the upper atmosphere by UV radiation, forming AO radicals commonly found in low Earth orbit, the research adds.

As to the harvesting of heat energy, this can be achieved through the creation of highly absorbing structures with a photothermal conversion efficiency as high as 96.66 percent, according to the team. This is aided by the deposition of a nitrogen-doped DLC superlattice layer in the coating which gives rise to enhanced optical absorption across a wide spectral range.

These enhanced properties, along with advanced manufacturing methods, demonstrate that the MFNS can be a candidate for many thermal applications such as photodetectors, emitters, smart radiators, and energy harvesting used in satellite systems and beyond, the study states.

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Source: Can ‘space skin’ help future satellites harvest energy? • The Register

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has moved into the next phase of its Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors program, or CRANE. The project is centered on an experimental uncrewed aircraft, which Aurora Flight Sciences is developing, that does not have traditional moving surfaces to control the aircraft in flight.

Aurora Flight Sciences’ CRANE design, which does not yet have an official X-plane designation or nickname, instead uses an active flow control (AFC) system to maneuver the aircraft using bursts of highly pressurized air. This technology could eventually find its way onto other military and civilian designs. It could have particularly significant implications when applied to future stealth aircraft.

A subscale wind tunnel model of Aurora Flight Sciences’ CRANE X-plane design. Aurora Flight Sciences

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued a press release regarding the last developments in the CRANE program yesterday. Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, announced it had received a Phase 2 contract to continue work on this project back on December 12, 2022.

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The design that Aurora ultimately settled on was more along the lines of a conventional plane. However, it has a so-called Co-Planar Joined Wing (CJW) planform consisting of two sets of wings attached to a single center fuselage that merge together at the tips, along with a twin vertical tail arrangement. As currently designed, the drone will use “banks” of nozzles installed at various points on the wings to maneuver in the air.

A wind tunnel model of one of Aurora Flight Sciences’ initial CRANE concepts with a joined wing. Aurora Flight Sciences

A wind tunnel model showing a more recent evolution of Aurora Flight Sciences’ CRANE X-plane design. Aurora Flight Sciences

The aircraft’s main engine arrangement is not entirely clear. An chin air intake under the forward fuselage together with a single exhaust nozzle at the rear seen in official concept art and on wind tunnel models would seem to point to a plan to power the aircraft with a single jet engine.

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Interestingly, Aurora’s design “is configured to be a modular testbed featuring replaceable outboard wings and swappable AFC effectors. The modular design allows for testing of not only Aurora’s AFC effectors but also AFC effectors of various other designs,” a company press release issued in December 2022 said. “By expanding testing capabilities beyond Aurora-designed components, the program further advances its goal to provide the confidence needed for future aircraft requirements, both military and commercial, to include AFC-enabled capabilities.”

Aurora has already done significant wind tunnel testing of subscale models with representative AFC components as part of CRANE’s Phase 1. The company, along with Lockheed Martin, was chosen to proceed to that phase of the program in 2021.

“Using a 25% scale model, Aurora conducted tests over four weeks at a wind tunnel facility in San Diego, California. In addition to 11 movable conventional control surfaces, the model featured 14 AFC banks with eight fully independent controllable AFC air supply channels,” according to a press release the company put out in May 2022.

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Getting rid of traditional control surfaces inherently allows for a design to be more aerodynamic, and therefore fly in a more efficient manner, especially at higher altitudes. An aircraft with an AFC system doesn’t need the various actuators and other components to move things like ailerons and rudders, offering new ways to reduce weight and bulk.

A DARPA briefing slide showing how the designs of traditional control surfaces, at their core, have remained largely unchanged after more than a century of other aviation technology developments. DARPA

A lighter and more streamlined aircraft design using an AFC system might be capable of greater maneuverability. This could be particularly true for uncrewed types that also do not have to worry about the physical limitations of a pilot.

The elimination of so many moving parts also means fewer things that can break, improving safety and reliability. This would do away with various maintenance and logistics requirements, too. It might make a military design more resilient to battle damage and easier to fix, as well.

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The CRANE program and Aurora Flight Sciences’ design is of course not the first time AFC technology has been experimented with. U.K.-headquartered BAE Systems, which was another one of the participants in CRANE’s Phase 0, has been very publicly experimenting with various AFC concepts since at least 2010. The most recent of these developments was an AFC-equipped design called MAGMA. Described by BAE as a “large model,” this aircraft actually flew and you can read more about it here.

“Over the past several decades, the active flow control community has made significant advancements that enable the integration of active flow control technologies into advanced aircraft,” Richard Wlezein, the CRANE Program Manager at DARPA, said in a statement included in today’s press release. “We are confident about completing the design and flight test of a demonstration aircraft with AFC as the primary design consideration.”

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Source: DARPA’s New X-Plane Aims To Maneuver With Nothing But Bursts Of Air