A simple but effective passive wake and noise control for bluff body applications, e.g., high rise buildings, side view mirror of passenger cars, landing gear system of aircrafts and etc., can be made practically possible by introducing a small flat plate downstream of the bluff bodies. [International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, and AIAA Journal]
Flight International (3/15, Trimble) reports, “A major Russian aeronautical research agency has launched preliminary design work for a quiet supersonic business jet that could fly over populated areas.” The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) is working with Sukhoi and others on the plane that features “four engines mounted on top of the aft fuselage” and “twin vertical tails and long, thin wings” in concept art. With the work, the agency wants Russia to become a “technology leader” in the field.
Rosekind Says Pilot Fatigue Remains Top Issue. Aviation International News (2/13, Mark) reports the NTSB’s Mark Rosekind told the Heli-Expo audience this weekend, “Fatigue in the aviation industry has been on the NTSB’s Top 10 Most-Wanted list for two decades. … It still makes up six of our top 10 fears today.” Rosekind “dove right into the fatigue issue at the lead-off educational session at Heli-Expo 2012 in Dallas.” He said “aircraft noise and vibration in helicopter operations create special fatigue issues, as does the predominance of single-pilot, on-demand operations, often conducted at night.“
Space (1/4, Choi) reports, “A new study that examines the way magnetic fields that simulate weightlessness on Earth affect how fruit flies walk could help scientists understand microgravity’s influence on humans and other animals in space, researchers say.” Richard Hill of the University of Nottingham led the study that used superconducting magnets to simulate the effects of weightlessness in order to make the experience cheaper and to eliminate factors like G-forces that could have been responsible for any observed changes. Hill said, “It’s also important to remember that, in our endeavors to explore space – setting up permanent bases on Mars, for example, or other planets – it will be crucial to understand the effects of weightlessness on all living organisms.”
The Houston Chronicle (11/8, Moreno) reports today, a United Continental Holdings Boeing 737-800 “was the first by a US carrier to include passengers on a plane powered by a blend that included algae-based biofuel along with conventional petroleum-based jet fuel.” Solazyme worked with Honeywell to develop the fuel. According to the article, United Continental “estimates that the biofuel blend on the flight Monday reduced carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equal to what would come from the exhaust of a car driven 30,000 miles.” Meanwhile, “Alaska Airlines announced Monday it will power 75 commercial passenger flights with biofuels starting Wednesday.”
Biofuels Still More Expensive Than Conventional Fuels. The Wall Street Journal (11/7, Nicas, Subscription Publication), reporting on the United flight, noted that while airlines are testing the use of biofuels, the economics of scale mean biofuels are still more expensive than conventional fuels despite an 87% increase in cost since 2009. Meanwhile, in order to reduce costs, some are considering developing biofuels based on local feedstocks in order to lower transportation costs.
David Axe at the Wired (12/14) “Danger Room” blog writes that the F-35 program is about to become “a lot pricier” because of “13 different design flaws uncovered in the last two months by a hush-hush panel of five Pentagon experts. It could cost up to a billion dollars to fix the flaws on copies of the jet already in production, to say nothing of those yet to come.” Axe adds that on top of this, testing could take longer to complete. The “Quick Look Review” was leaked this past weekend, revealing a “laundry list of flaws,” some previously known and others not. According to Axe, there is not a “worse time” for this news because of criticism from the government and Boeing offering to sell improved F-15s and F-18s. Axe predicts “another ‘rebaselining,’ or restructuring, is likely.”