Recent Comments:
Unappealing candy from Archie McPhee {Slashfood}
Jul 9th 2008 10:32AM We're gonna need a bigger can.
A new era for zeppelin travel? {Gadling}
Jul 8th 2008 9:12AM Even at 35/97, I do believe quite a few of the deaths from the Hindenburg were due to people panicking and jumping out of the gondola before it descended.
Mainely Food Pics: Mussel Car {Slashfood}
Jun 23rd 2008 7:47AM Oh god, it's not just a pun. They used a Festiva for the "mussel car", perhaps the only car on the road that gets less respect than the Geo Metro...
Plane Answers: Radio altimeters, 737 rudder safety and 757/767 flying differences {Gadling}
Jun 14th 2008 12:28AM As far as the winglets go, there's no "somehow" to the soft landings...
Winglets reduce tip spill, which induces drag, and that's why you get your 4% better fuel use.
Reducing tip spill also culls tip vortices, which I bet are bouncing off the tarmac and causing a little turbulence all the way up to the horz.stabs once they drag scatter. Less vortice, better control if the above situation holds true. Lift gets enhanced a bit as well, which could explain the softer landing too.
But what do I know, I stayed at a holiday inn express last night...
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Nissan Cube {Autoblog}
Jun 3rd 2008 10:13PM I'm dissapointed in everyone comlaining about the 22mpg. How many times in the article is it pointed out that this is a JDM vehicle, made for never leaving the city, and was running 3000 to 4000rpm on the highway?
eBay Find of the Day: 1923 Model T powered by Harley V-Twin {Autoblog}
May 31st 2008 11:21PM The "starter" on the rear axle is very likely the means of reversing the car. It's not clear exactly what he's using for a transmission, but if it's motorcycle sourced it's likely there's no reverse gear.
Pilot reports seeing a rocket in mid-air {Gadling}
May 28th 2008 9:48AM I was into model rocketry for many years until lack of time and a launch area pushed me out of it.
There are two possibilities here:
1 - Pilot was flying under 2000 feet and was "buzzed" by a higher performance model of the little unregulated model rockets like the Estes kits. These rockets are usually well under a pound and generally plastic, mylar-coated cardboard, and balsa wood. Even if the engine ingested it it would cause less damage than a bird strike.
2 - Pilot got buzzed by a high-power rocket launched with no FAR variance. Someone's in deep doodoo if that's what happened, because generally you have to have a federal LEUP to handle the composite engines, be Tripoli certified, and let the FAA know where, when, and how high you're launching.
I have a feeling it's #1 there and a mountain is being made of a molehill.
Are high gas prices disrupting your holiday travel plans? {Gadling}
May 23rd 2008 9:15AM It shouldn't. Consider a 600 mile road trip in... let's be extreme, something that gets 20mpg. You're going to use 30 gallons of fuel for your trip.
If gas were $2 a gallon, $60. $3 a gallon, $90. $4, $120.
It's not that much of a difference; if $30 breaks you off a trip you probably shouldn't have gone anyways.
University of Michigan to test crash-avoidance system {Autoblog}
May 4th 2008 11:01AM Wow hehehe... I drove an '84 Tbird all through college, and I can tell you as well as the picture does, the cars based on that modified Fox platform were *stout*.
Also very, very prone to snap oversteer as they aged, and I retired mine with 192,000 miles.
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy: Driving the Dodge Challenger SRT-8 {Autoblog}
Apr 30th 2008 4:59PM What are you, ten? Get off the caps lock button.
I can't ride a bus to work, it's 25 miles away. I drive a truck, but thanks to a little research before my purchase I get 27mpg. What if I made twice what I do now and wanted a fun car to burn around in? The Challenger is a very tempting option, and I continue to commute to work almost every day in my little truck while the beast comes out for weekend jaunts.
CAFE only ensures that if someone wants an "entertainment vehicle" it's not available. Of course, all the enviro-nuts don't care, they think everyone should be issued a government-standard Prius and damn anyone who thinks differently.
