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A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle (ACV), is a vehicle or craft that can be supported by a cushion of air ejected downwards against a surface close below it, and can in principle travel over any relatively smooth surface, such as gently sloping land, water, or marshland, while having no substantial contact with it.

The first recorded design for a vehicle which could be termed a Hovercraft was in 1716 by Swedish designer, Emanuel Swedenborg.
The first passenger-carrying hovercraft to enter service was the Vickers VA-3, which in the summer of 1962 carried passengers regularly along the North Wales Coast from Moreton, Merseyside to Rhyl. Hovercraft have also been used by the military since the 1960s.

Today Hovercraft are used for almost every purpose you could think of including freight and passenger transport, sport and recreation, law enforcement, rescue and life saving. The photos below show various hovercrafts in action, more photos here.

World's Largest Civil Hovercraft - The BHC SRN4 Mk III at 56.4 m (185 ft) length and 310 tonnes (305 tons) weight, can accommodate 418 passengers and 60 cars.

Racing hovercrafts.

James Bond in a North Korean military hovercraft. (Die Another Day)

Military freight hovercraft.

Next generation of hovercraft with wings! Get some real air.

*The photo of the BHC SRN4 is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License. It came from the Wikipedia page for Hovercraft.

**The remaining photos were used with permission from Ezprezzo.

***This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Hovercraft.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Airbus A380

October 11th 2006 02:54

Airbus S.A.S. is a leading aircraft manufacturer set up in 1970 and based in Toulouse, France.

The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger jet in the world, superseding the Boeing 747. It is set to enter commercial service in 2007 after lengthy delays. During much of its development phase, the aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX, and has been given the nickname Superjumbo.

The A380 has two decks and four engines. The A380's upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage. This allows for a spacious cabin with 50% more floor space than the next largest airliner, providing seating for 555 people in standard three-class configuration or up to 853 people in full economy class configuration.

The first commercial model will be the A380-800, which will have a range of 15,000 kilometres and therefore could fly from Sydney to Chicago non-stop. It's cruising speed will bee 900 km/h which very similar to the Boeing 747.

Below are some pictures showing what travelling in an Airbus A380 will be like. I’m assuming these pictures aren't from economy class but they are very impressive none the less.

First Class seat showing the entertainment setup.

Side view of a first class seat showing how much room you have.

A lower class seat but still very nice.

A lounge or common area

Another common area

You'd have no problem sleeping in one of those seats!

*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles Airbus A380 and Airbus.

**These pictures used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.

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China-Tibet Railway

October 10th 2006 04:02

The Qingzang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway is a railway which connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, in the People's Republic of China.

Opened in July 2006 for total cost of US $4.2 billion, the railway is the first to connect China proper with the Tibet Autonomous Region, which due to its altitude and terrain was the last province in China to have no rail connections. It is the worlds highest railway, reaching 5,072 m and therefore is often referred to as the "Sky Train". The Fenghuoshan tunnel on the line, at 4,905 m is also the worlds highest rail tunnel.
Over 80% of the railway is built at an altitude of more than 4,000 m and over half of it is laid on permafrost. 675 bridges are on the line and it has a total length of 159.88 km.

The air in Tibet is very thin, having 35% to 40% of the oxygen of air at sea level, and therefore special sealed passenger rail cars must be used with an oxygen supply for each passenger. Several oxygen factories were built along the railway.

As you can imagine there were many engineering challenges building the railway, the main problem was about half of the second section was built on barely permanent permafrost. In the summer, the uppermost layer thaws, and the ground becomes muddy. Chinese engineers dealt with this problem by building elevated tracks with foundations sunk deep into the ground, inserting vertical pipes that circulate liquid nitrogen and cold nitrogen gas into the ground, building hollow concrete pipes beneath the tracks to keep the rail bed frozen, and using metal sun shades.

Below are some photos of the Sky Train.

Railway under construction

*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Qingzang railway.

**These pictures used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.

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Boat and Ship Launching

October 9th 2006 03:41

The ceremonies involved in naming and launching ships all over the world are based in traditions thousands of years old.

The physical process of launching a new ship from her building site to the water involves three principal methods. Oldest, most familiar, and most widely used is the "end-on" launch in which the vessel slides, usually stern first, down an inclined shipway. The "side launch," whereby the ship enters the water broadside, came into 19th-century use on inland waters, rivers, and lakes, and was given major impetus by the World War II building program. Another method involves ships built in basins or graving docks. When ready, ships constructed in this manner are floated by admitting water into the dock.

The photos below depict the launching of the USS Freedom (LCS-1) on 23rd September, 2006. It is the lead ship of the Freedom class of littoral combat ships (LCS), is the third vessel of the United States Navy to be so named.
The Littoral Combat Ships are the first of the U.S. Navy's planned next-generation surface combatants. Intended for operations in the littoral region close to shore, the LCS is smaller than the Navy's guided missile frigates and sacrifices air defense and surface-to-surface capabilities for speed, mission module space and a shallow draft. It will have equipment to support anti-mine and special forces missions, plus robotic air, surface, and underwater vehicles. The Freedom was launched broadside.

*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles Littoral combat ship, USS Freedom (LCS-1) and Ship naming and launching.

**These pictures used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.

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10 Most Expensive Cars in the World

October 3rd 2006 03:41

Currently, purchasing one of these vehicles will set you back more than any other car. Perhaps we all hope that one day we will be able to afford one ourselves.

Let's start with the 10th most expensive car on the planet which is the Aston Martin Vanquish coming in at a cool US $255,000. It has been manufactured since 2001 but rose to fame after being featured as the official James Bond car in Die Another Day.

10. Aston Martin Vanquish - $255,000

Next at $279,900 is the Lamborghini Murciélago, which was introduced in 2002 as the successor to the Diablo. The name Murciélago comes from a bull that survived 24 sword strokes in an 1879 fight.

9. Lamborghini Murciélago - $279,900

A price tag of $320,00 sees the Rolls-Royce Phantom at No. 8. It was launched in 2003 and is the first Rolls-Royce branded car made under the ownership of BMW.

8. Rolls-Royce Phanton - $320,000

The Maybach 57 and 62 were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since the brand's revival by DaimlerChrysler. At $385,250 the Maybach 62 comes in at No. 7.

7. Maybach 62 - $385,259

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is 6th at $455,500. It was co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. SLR stands for "super-leicht, Rennsport" in German which translates to super-light racing.

6. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren - $455,500

Porsche began developing the Carrera GT in 2000 as a successor to the 911 GT1. Only 1,250 units have been produced and its price tag of $484,000 leaves it in 5th place.

5. Porsche Carrara GT - $484,000

In 4th spot comes the Koenigsegg CCX at a reasonable $600,910. CCX is an abbreviation for Competition Coupe X. The X commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC vehicle in 1996.

4. Koenigsegg CCX - $600,910

We are getting towards the business end of the count now. $741,000 puts the Pagani Zonda 3rd overall. Production began in 2000 and about 25 Zondas are manufactured each year.

Pagani Zonda - 3rd most expensive car in the world

3. Pagani Zonda - $741,000

Often incorrecly referred to as the Ferrari Enzo, the Enzo Ferrari is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology. Only 400 Enzo's were produced, however Ferrari are producing other models based on the Enzo such as the P4/5. The Enzo's price tag came in at an even $1,000,000.

Enzo Ferrari - 2nd most expensive car in the world

2. Enzo Ferrari - $1,000,000

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h. It's price of $1,700,000 puts it well ahead of the second placed Enzo Ferrari. It reached full production in September last year and is manufactured by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS. It is named after racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm.

Bugatti Veyron - World's most expensive car

1. Bugatti Veyron - $1,700,000

*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from Wikipedia.

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Virtuoso the Self-Playing Violin

August 24th 2006 03:32

Could you imagine an orchestra without musicians? It could be a possibility in the not too distant future. Firstly we had the self playing "player-piano" or "pianola", with origins all the way back to the 1850s. Now we have a self playing violin called "Virtuoso". The bow is moved by a combination of a motor to control direction and speed, and a servo to control angle.
A major challenge in producing a self playing violin of course it mimicking the fingers on the strings. This is done with an electromagnet. The Virtuoso is controlled by a microprocessor, which uses a wave generator. For the Virtuoso to play a tune you only need to feed it a midi file.

[ Click here to read more ]

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Honda Formula 1 Exploded Diagram

August 17th 2006 03:48

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, and also known as Grand Prix racing, is recognised as the highest class of auto racing in the world. The "formula" in the name is a set of rules which all participants and cars must meet.
The cars race at speeds often greater than 300 km/h and the performance of the cars is highly dependent on electronics, aerodynamics, suspension and tyres.

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Enzo Ferrari

August 1st 2006 03:25

The Enzo Ferrari is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style sequential shift transmission, and carbon-ceramic brake discs. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics.
Only 400 Enzo Ferraris have been built, each with a list price of US$643,330. The final Enzo produced was ceremonially presented to Pope John Paul II, who asked that the car be auctioned off for charity where it reached US$1,274,229. Notable Enzo owners include Eric Clapton, Tommy Hilfiger, Jay Leno, Michael Schumacher, Rod Stewart and members of the Kuwaiti Royal Family.
The Enzo produces 485 kW (650 hp/660 PS) at 7800 rpm, and can accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds

[ Click here to read more ]

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Hummer Stretch Limousines

July 18th 2006 01:26

The Hummer or H2 Hummer is now becoming one of the most popular limousines amongst rental companies in the USA. Purists may not consider them to be a true limousine but rather in its design and application is between a sedan and a bus. Below are some pictures of the outside and inside of these "Hummer Limos".

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Cranberries

July 6th 2006 02:17

Cranberries are a major commercial crop in many parts of North America. The picture below shows how Cranberries are harvested today. Commercial cranberry fields are diked so they may be flooded. When the berries are ripe, they float, making harvesting a matter of flooding the field, shaking the vines a bit, and skimming off the berries into waiting trucks. Various mechanisms have been used through the years to "shake" the vines, including a 2005 innovation that reduces vine damage and increases yield.

Cranberry Harvest in New Jersey (from Wikipedia)

[ Click here to read more ]

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Stratosphere Las Vegas Thrill Rides

June 9th 2006 04:05

The Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas offers 2,444 rooms and an 80,000 square foot (7,000 m²) casino. The Stratosphere tower is the biggest observation tower in the United States, and has four different thrill rides on the top of the tower. These rides are:

The Big Shot - at 1,081 feet (329 m) is the highest thrill ride in the world.
[ Click here to read more ]

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Aqua Car

June 6th 2006 03:04

The pictures speak for themselves here. A car that not only looks sleek on the road, but the water as well. As they say, this in one sweet ride!
More pictures here.

[ Click here to read more ]

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Ferrari Factory

May 22nd 2006 04:24

Have you ever dreamed of working in the Ferrari Factory? Or would you be interested to see what it's like inside?
The factory is located just outside the small town of Maranello, Italy.
If you talk to your local dealer, they can arrange a tour for you!
[ Click here to read more ]

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