Recently in Transportation Category

Plane crashes into the ocean...

Watching these FedEx planes get diverted around the approaching storm in Memphis is pretty mesmerizing. Watch how they land until the last possible moment and then they pull a U-turn and get out of there.

An Air Force F-22-A Raptor flies through the air as condensation clouds form around the aircraft during the 42nd Naval Base Ventura County Air Show at Point Mugu, Sunday, April 1, 2007, near Ventura, Calif. The aircraft is not flying supersonic. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

More pictures: Ventura County Air Show on Yahoo! News Photos

If you miss all of the stuff that DrMax used to post you should check out his blog! I've been wanting to try something like this for a while and DM is the perfect guinea pig. If this works out I will offer up a few other blogs for people who are interested. Drop me a comment if you like the concept...

Now all I need is a way to promote his best entries to IHMC quickly... That's a hint Calufrax! ;-)

via: DrMax's Place @ IHMC!

(AP) HONOLULU An American Airlines flight made an unscheduled landing in Honolulu after pilots heard something skittering about in the wire-laden space over the cockpit. The airline blamed the emergency landing of the Tokyo-Dallas flight with 202 passengers on a stowaway squirrel.

"You do not want a varmint up in the wiring areas and what-have-you on an airplane. You don't want anything up there," said John Hotard, spokesman for the Ft. Worth, Texas-based airline. He said pilots feared the animal would chewed through wiring or cause other problems.

"So, as a precaution, we diverted," Hotard said.

Once on the ground late Friday, the Boeing 777's human passengers were put up in hotel rooms and later rebooked on other flights.

Officers with the state and federal agriculture and wildlife officials boarded the plane, set traps, and captured the eastern gray squirrel.

The species is native to parts of North America, and has been introduced to other areas, including South Africa, England and Italy.

It isn't known where or how the squirrel boarded the plan, said Janelle Saneishi, spokeswoman for the state Agriculture Department.

Hotard said the plane had flown to Tokyo directly from New York before the Dallas flight.

Honolulu, however, proved to be the squirrel's final destination.

Fearing it may have been carrying rabies, authorities had the rodent killed, Saneishi said.

http://cbs2chicago.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_046023355.html

Former professional Swiss military pilot Yves Rossy, the 'jet-man', flies in the sky like a rocketeer in the southern Swiss Alps near Nyon in November, 2006. Rossy is the first man ever to successfully fly with wings, full-powered by four engines in his back. Picture taken in November 2006. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/Stephanie Thomet (SWITZERLAND)

Thanks DM...

They're two inch thick polycarbonate, and are available in 20, 22 and 24 inch sizes for around $2k each.

via: CarDomain Blog: Car Junkies, Get Your Daily Fix Here: Clear Wheels

Members of the Filmka Stunt Team, based in Hollywood, perform car stunts during a show in Wuhan, China on Saturday December 9, 2006. The Filmka Stunt Team made their Chinese debut in Shanghai this March and will tour around 20 Chinese cities, according to state media. (AP Photo/EyePress)

The exhaust flame thrower kit is a must have for all hot rods. The kit can make up to 20' flames shoot out your exhaust on command. The kits main control box will control 2 spark plug for optimal performance on dual exhaust vehicles. Easy installation and detailed instruction insures compatibility with most exhaust systems. The kit includes control box, activation button, wire loom, and wire diagram. Please note the kit does not include the 2 coils and 2 spark plugs needed for installation.

via: AUTO-LOC FLAME2 FLAME THROWER KIT DUAL $157.95 BUY ONLINE

Airplane Sex Guide

For your own safety and comfort and that of your fellow passengers and crew, please observe the following regulations when engaging in in-flight sex.

Inadvertent speeding soon to become a thing of the past - Siemens VDO Traffic Sign Recognition warns if driving too fast

October 13, 2006 | With an electronic traffic sign recognition function Siemens VDO is offering a system which will shortly make inadvertent speeding a thing of the past. If the driver wishes, the adaptive cruise control function can also lower the current speed to the respective speed limit. A camera constantly scans the road ahead and can recognize speed limits on traffic signs. If driving too fast, the driver is warned by a conveniently visible signal on the head-up display for instance, or the speed set on the adaptive cruise control function can be automatically adjusted. The system has been developed as part of the pro.pilot project – Siemens VDO’s network of advanced driver assistance systems – and can go into series production in 2008.

more: Siemens AG - Inadvertent speeding soon to become a thing of the past

The concept is refreshingly simple: make an ultra-efficient car that’s light, has exceptionally low drag, and sips diesel with a small engine. This is the Loremo AG, a car that is a combination of innovative technology and back-to-basics thinking. To be shown at the upcoming car show in Geneva, this German creation claims a fuel economy of 157 mpg with no fancy hybrid drive train, fuel cells, or plug in paraphernalia. Weighing less than a thousand pounds, the sporty rear-wheel drive 4-seater is designed to be maximally aerodynamic. the Loremo sports a modest 2-cylinder, 20 hp turbo diesel motor, has a top speed of 100 mph, and does 0-60 in ten seconds. If that sounds like less than elite performance, the anticipated $13,000 price tag should put it in a bit more perspective. The Loremo is due to come onto the European market in 2009.

THAT THING IS UGLY!!!

If you have to spend 14 hours on a plane, this is the way to do it. Luxury 'cubicles', an entire hollywood movie and music catalogue with noise-cancelling headphones and an a la carte menu, not to mention the proper vintage wine selection.

You may not have room in your garage (or budget) for a dirt bike and a snowmobile and a four-wheeler. But what if one vehicle could take the place of all three? That’s the idea behind the Hyanide, a wild concept vehicle created by German designers Oliver Keller and Tillman Schlootz for the 2006 Michelin Challenge Design. This year’s competition showcased vehicles made especially for California’s diverse and often rugged topography.

Go to the Popular Science site and see 3D images and a video.

File this one under “Why didn’t anybody do this sooner?” Yamaha’s prototype isn’t quite the first motorcycle airbag, but the first motorcycle airbag for your, er, tender nuggets.

Their advanced safety scooter, designated the ASV-3, has a multi-chambered air bag rigged between your legs, under the seat, to open in the case of a crash, thus protecting your most prized possessions. We’re just glad to see that somebody is working to solve the “crotch + 60 mph + handlebars = pain” equation. Go go Japan!

The Quadski is both a quadbike and a jet ski and converts from one guise to the other at the touch of a button in under five seconds, using the 140 bhp motor to reach 50 mph (72km/h) on both land and water.

Read more: gizmag Article: 50 mph Quadski converts from Jetski to ATV in five seconds

The photo above was taken at Volkswagen's new storage facility in Wolfsburg, Germany. The actual space that the facility occupies is approximately only 20% of a comparable facility with the traditional design that is used primarily in the US. Not only is the German structure less expensive to build, but vehicles are also "retrieved" in less time and without the potential of being damaged by an attendant. Collecting your new car is an event in itself. "In a fully automated procedure, your new car is brought down to you from one of the 20-story Car Towers. Large signboards in the Customer Center show you when your turn has come. Then, you're handed the keys, your picture is taken, the glass doors open and your brand-new car appears. You're all set to go".

More info: AUTOSTADT InfoSite

via: the cool hunter - home

Check out the Caparo T1!

via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog

"The MYT™(Massive Yet Tiny) Engine, is a breakthrough of immense proportions that will spawn the next industrial revolution and will rocket the internal combustion engine into the next milenium.

Read more: Angel Labs