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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Jun 6, 2012 5:28:20 GMT 9
Phantom Eye completes 1st flight All HALE the Phantom Eye
Phantom Eye brings a new level of high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) flight to the aviation world. Its efficient and environmentally responsible liquid-hydrogen propulsion system will allow the aircraft to stay on station for up to four days, providing persistent monitoring over large areas at an altitude of up to 65,000 feet (19.8 km), while creating only water as a byproduct of its engines.
Powered by an environmentally progressive liquid-hydrogen propulsion system, Phantom Eye cruises to 4,080 feet (1.25 km) during first flight, creating only water as a byproduct of the engines. This power source has the ability to keep Phantom Eye in the air for up to four days without refueling. (Bob Ferguson photo) Boeing’s Phantom Eye unmanned aircraft completed its first autonomous flight Friday at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The 28-minute flight took place in the early morning hours as the liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft lifted off its launch cart and climbed to an altitude of 4,080 feet (1.25 km) into the desert sky. After touching down, the vehicle sustained some damage when the landing gear dug into the lakebed and broke.
"This day ushers in a new era of persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance where an unmanned aircraft will remain on station for days at a time providing critical information and services," said Darryl Davis, president, Boeing Phantom Works. "This flight puts Boeing on a path to accomplish another aerospace first -- the capability of four days of unrefueled, autonomous flight."
The flight took place following a series of taxi tests in April that validated ground guidance, navigation and control, mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures.
"This flight demonstrated Phantom Eye’s initial handling and maneuverability capabilities," said Drew Mallow, Boeing’s Phantom Eye program manager. "The team is now analyzing data from the mission and preparing for our next flight. When we fly the demonstrator again, we will proceed to enter higher and more demanding envelopes of high-altitude flight."
Bill Norby, Boeing Phantom Eye propulsion and fuel team lead, added: "We’ve got a tremendous energy source in the hydrogen, but what’s unique here is that the liquid gas enables us to remain aloft and power Phantom Eye for days on end. It’s a game changer."
By Randy Jackson
From our daily news briefs..
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Jun 5, 2012 8:22:44 GMT 9
at my age....memory is the second thing that goes....I don't remember the first... :drunk Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Jun 3, 2012 1:23:02 GMT 9
Several days ago as I left a meeting at a hotel; I desperately gave myself a personal TSA pat down. I was looking for my keys. They were not in my pockets. A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing. Suddenly I realized I must have left them in the car. Frantically, I headed for the parking lot. My wife has scolded me many times for leaving the keys in the ignition. My theory is the ignition is the best place not to lose them. Her theory is that the car will be stolen. As I burst through the door, I came to a terrifying conclusion. Her theory was right. The parking lot was empty. I immediately called the police. I gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen. Then I made the most difficult call of all, "Honey," I stammered; I alwayscall her "honey" in times like these. "I left my keys in the car, and it has been stolen." There was a period of silence. I thought the call had been dropped, but then I heard her voice. "Idiot", she barked, "I dropped you off!" Now it was my time to be silent. Embarrassed, I said, "Well, come and get me." She retorted, "I will, as soon as I convince this policeman I have not stolen your car." Yep it's the golden years."
steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 22, 2012 10:32:23 GMT 9
I've read this quite a few times over the yrs...and it always brings a tear to my eyes....us vets just know when one of our own are in trouble.....
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 7, 2012 8:53:07 GMT 9
Two blonde girls were working for the city public works department. One would dig a hole and the other would follow behind her and fill the hole in. They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one girl digging a hole, the other girl filling it in again. An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they were doing..
So he asked the hole digger, 'I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting in to your work, but I don't get it -- why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up again?'
The hole digger wiped her brow and sighed, 'Well, I suppose it probably looks odd because we're normally a three-person team. But today the girl who plants the trees called in sick.
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 7, 2012 0:29:14 GMT 9
well...a couple of months ago we (after about 2 weeks after we lost tasha)....went to the seattle AKC show and found this little thing...she's got her moments of being sweet...and being a total terror....she definitely keeps us jumping....her name is misty and kodi has taken it on upon himself to protect her and play with her...albiet as gentle as we've ever seen him with another dog....it's been an amazing transformation with him as he didn't like other dogs except tasha....now he's like a big wuss around her....he's just become a huge (for a sheltie) teddybear...... she's growing like a weed right now...I gotta get some more recent pic's of her....she's getting into that long leggy and clutsey stage..... Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 6, 2012 1:51:46 GMT 9
Gene definitely ...I call them my permenant 2 yr olds....
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 5, 2012 4:10:29 GMT 9
this is tasha and kodi....tasha on the left..she was 10 yrs old and we had to put her down on feb 14th due to cancer....she was such a sweet dog..when we first got her she was in a hospice house being mistreated and abused...she had a scar on her chin from one of the guys kicking her in the face....she weighed in at 18 lbs. with hair about an inch long....her first bath had brown dirt just flowing off of her back....as the yrs went by she became dad's girl but it took me 2 yrs for her to trust me....she hated men...then towards the end if something upset her..she came to me.....when the cancer got her...it became inop real quickly....so..the decision was made and I held her in my arms as she took her last breath and I felt her last heart beat....we sure miss her.....her personality really started coming out towards the end and I'm positive we gave her some of the best yrs of her life ..spoiled rotten and loved.... Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 4, 2012 7:05:47 GMT 9
I've seen the Blues/Birds growing up most of my life and never stop enjoying them....they are great...always get a tingle when I see them come to the base...
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 3, 2012 9:09:01 GMT 9
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 3, 2012 4:21:17 GMT 9
it's a sad thing to put our kids, fathers, sons and friends thru a war that nobody wanted or declared winable......
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on May 3, 2012 2:16:34 GMT 9
WOW....just amazing...great stuff there...
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 23, 2012 12:56:58 GMT 9
pretty awesome...but I'd wished they had procured the F23....that was a pretty airplane and looked awesome...I know it cruised faster but don't know much else than that...
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 23, 2012 10:48:42 GMT 9
steve201, so you didn't work on anything in the AF. It sounds like you more than made up for it after leaving the AF. You have some pretty good accomplishments there in your story. The Air Force is about airplanes, but it takes a lot of people on the ground to get one up in the air. Don't sell yourself short. You have done a lot of good with your life. Be proud of what you have done. nope...I worked nors control getting parts....my first few yrs were getting my blood out of my alchohol......basically every payday was chasing skirts and getting hammered....seriously though..I was a parts expediter....fork lift driver extradinaire.....I don't concider that working on airplanes....you guys were the wrenchers that were out there in all weather and hrs getting those things in the air......I'm more at awe at you guys here on this site than at anything I did......I'm only here cuz I was stationed at the units that flew the F106's...I'da given my eyeteeth (or first borne) to fly in the back seat of one..!!! :2thumbsup thanks.......all true stuff there.....I'm a small cog in a big world.... Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 22, 2012 12:53:49 GMT 9
to you all ya'll.... dang.....I can't claim I worked on anything in the AF.... started out at 18 yrs old..joined the AF and after basic and got to my first pcs...I worked at nors control....then at grandforks I was assigned to msl for the FIS sqdn there....they flew f106's at both hamilton and grand forks....got transfered back to calif and travis where I was at the 60aps ....talk about boring...so...got out...went to college...got a few jobs that pretty much sucked and got hired onto Mare Island Navshpyd where I was assigned to 2340 test group...reactor plant testing for fast attack submarines... I found that job boring after the first yr and was able to transfer to the electrical systems integration group...basically I designed all the electrical systems installations into nuclear submarines...my specialty became wave guides and electrical wireways design outside the hull..did alot inside too but for here..I got drafted into a spook group (ie Ocean Engineering) designing the SSN685 USS Parche..which was used to spy on the soviets...couldn't talk about it until after they made it into razor blades and a book and movie.....(Blind mans bluff) cost me a marriage too....was working crazy long hrs and all... then moved to mississippi where I worked on the USS Kidde class destroyers....122mil dollar overhaul....also worked on the Battleship USS Wisconcin BB63 reactivation... from there we moved to Virginia where I worked on the USS Seawolf SSN21 nuclear attack submarine for 7 yrs....quietest submarine ever designed and able to do more than any submarine in history..there were only 3 boats built for the navy...SSN21,22,23.. ..the 23 boat is called the USS Jimmy Carter (don't get me started on that one) where she was converted to specops replacing the USS Parche's job of spying on our enemies...I ended up spending 17 yrs designing nuclear attack subs and surface combat ships.....then moved to boeing.... I'm one of the few people in the world that can say I've designed under the sea...on the sea...and over the sea..... my career certainly hasn't been as great as yours..but ..it's been an adventure..... well..I guess I can claim my design experiences.... for boeing commercial airplane group...I've worked on just about every model we have in one form or another..from the 737 to the 787... I started out in 1996 working at boeing on thai airlines 747-400 Electical systems integration then went to Virgin Atlantic 747-400 electrical systems integration got transferred to customer engineering where we supported every model that boeing makes for the customer catalog and supported several options of my own....the catalog is what customer airlines chose models....engines...every option to make thier airplane as unique as the finger print.. since I'm not a degreed engineer...I don't have signature authority but would make decisions and pass it past my engineer for his signature... got laid off in 2003 for 2 yrs when the airlines all crashed and almost went under....almost closed the doors at the plant but they managed to keep going..the airlines turned around and I got rehired to the electromagnetics effects group....been the certification focal for the past 4 yrs now supporting the 787-8 composite airplane....every part that was certified had to go thru me before the AR(authorized rep. for boeing to the FAA) would look at it and sign the doc's required for type cert.......now we're starting to work on the -9 ...should be easier than the -8.. humbly... Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 21, 2012 6:32:15 GMT 9
WRONG EMAIL ADDRESS
This one is priceless. A
lesson to be learned from typing the wrong email address!!
A Minneapolis
couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a
particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel
where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.
Because of hectic schedules, it was
difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband
left Minnesota and flew to Florida on
Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.
The husband checked into the
hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an
email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in
her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the e-mail.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston , a widow
had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a
minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack.
The widow decided to check her e-mail
expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the
first message, she screamed and fainted.
The widow's son rushed into the
room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which
read:
To: My Loving Wife Subject: I've Arrived Date:October 16, 2009
I know you're surprised to hear from
me They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to
your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in.
I've seen that everything has been
prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you
then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.
P. S. Sure is freaking hot down here!!!!
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 21, 2012 6:27:23 GMT 9
I love kodachrome film....just nice color and warmth....
thanks...
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 19, 2012 23:41:54 GMT 9
Two Dwarfs go into a bar, where they pick up two 'Working Girls' and take them to their separate hotel rooms for an hour of pleasure. The first Dwarf, however, is unable to get an erection. His depression is made worse by the fact that, from the next room, he hears his friend shouting out cries of .."Here I come again! ONE, TWO, THREE.... UGH!" "Here I come again! ONE, TWO, THREE.... UGH! " "Here I come again! ONE, TWO, THREE .. UGH! " This goes on for the whole HOUR. Later back at the bar, the second Dwarf asks the first, "How did it go?" The first mutters, "It was embarrassing. I just couldn't get an erection. The second Dwarf shook his head. "You think that's embarrassing? I couldn't get on the danged bed."
Steve
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NAS
Apr 17, 2012 21:53:06 GMT 9
Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 17, 2012 21:53:06 GMT 9
gotta love the ea6b and the FA18G's...great airplanes.......thanks for sharing....definitely sounds like a fun day..
Steve
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Post by steve201 (deceased) on Apr 15, 2012 13:33:44 GMT 9
we just did the same with tmobile a few months ago....I popped the screen on my old slider phone and had to upgrade to a new phone...of course you need to have a 12 yr old splain the damned thing too me....it's got too much on it and I only use bout 1/3 of the features....just too much...I would have been happy with a rotary dialed cell phone...
Steve
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