It's one incredibly cool -- and equally unusual -- flying
machine... and, it works! Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation announced
Wednesday it successfully completed the first flight of its X2
Technology Demonstrator, maneuvering the prototype aircraft through
hover, forward flight, and a hover turn, in a test flight that
lasted approximately 30 minutes.
The Golden Age of Aviation (1927 thru 1946) has sometimes been
called the "Forgotten Years" of aviation. This is the only time in
history that the restoration and completion of a propeller
collection from this era and to this extent and rarity has even
been achieved. A collection like this does not exist anywhere else
and will never exist like this. Of the 84 propellers that comprise
the entire collection, twenty-six are rare, one of a kind and
New-Old Stock (NOS) propellers.
In a system dominated by two attracting bodies (such as Sun and
Earth), a point at which a third, much smaller body (such as a
satellite) keeps the same position relative to the other two.
"One must learn by doing the thing; for though you
think you know it, you have no certainty until you
try."
Source: Sophocles (circa 496 BC-405 BC.) While
it's unlikely the ancient Greek philosopher had aviation on his
mind when he uttered this sentence, Sophocles' statement is
appropriate for a program to be launched soon by the Department of
Energy in collaboration with Cessna and Build A Plane, under the
DOE's "Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists" office.
The "Real World Design Challenge" will offer students and teachers
the opportunity to work alongside engineers and scientists at all
of DOE's National Labs with support from industry mentors, and gain
real-world experience by using the latest CAD/CAM design software,
online p
Read More
