# data[].attributes.headline
Boldly Going Where No One has Gone Before

# data[].attributes.subject
Boldly Going Where No One has Gone Before

# data[].attributes.body
I've been a Star Trek fan since I was 6 years old. So seeing all the technology that Star Trek has inspired such as the needle-less syringe, wireless communications, Artificial Intelligence, ion propulsion and even prosthetics; always pushed me to head into the aviation industry. Maybe it's the possibility of becoming James T. Kirk. But everyday when I see the 787s on the production line, I can imagine someday we'll see a starship there, maybe called "Enterprise".

# data[].attributes.body
Howard Hughes' H-1 Racer influenced aircraft design and engineering before the age of Computer Aided Design without a wind tunnel, by using logic and common sense, as well a desire to tinker and improve iteratively.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Inspired by the fleet of aircraft featured in his film Hell's Angels, Howard Hughes did what any business magnate/aviation engineer/super rich guy would-he designed and built a plane fast enough to break the transcontinental landplane speed record. And in doing so, he catapulted aviation technology leagues beyond the bi-plane of the day.

Hughes began drafting the plane's design in 1934 with the help of Richard Palmer, a Cal Tech graduate already famous for his radical aircraft design, and hired Glenn Odekirk, who had supervised the Hell's Angels fleet, to oversee the planes construction.

Dubbed the H-1-or simply the Racer, as Hughes preferred-this one-of-a-kind plane measured 27 feet nose to tail and stood 8 feet tall with a 32 foot wingspan. Its single Pratt & Whitney R-1535 radial engine was originally rated at 700 hp but when fully tuned, put out a whopping 1000 hp at its 8500 foot cruising altitude.

The H-1 fuselage was a sight to behold as well, covered in its polished aluminum skin. The H-1 also employed custom-machined rivets that held the skin perfectly flush to the plane's frame, as well as retractable landing gear, in order to reduce drag.

In September, 1935 the H-1 took off from a Southern California airfield with Hughes himself at the controls. Four passes over a carefully monitored course later and Hughes set down owning a new world landspeed record at an average of 352.322 mph. Hughes flew the plane so hard he ran out of fuel before he could land and had to crash the H-1 into a beet field. He walked away from the crash, reportedly only saying, "We can fix her, she'll go faster."

With the overall speed record under his belt, Hughes set his sites on the transcontinental speed record, set in 1932 by Jim Haizlip in just under 10.5 hours. For this nonstop cross-country flight, Hughes outfitted the H-1 with longer wings to lessen the stress each would endure over the 2,490 mile flight. On January 19th, 1937, the H-1 departed Los Angeles bound for Newark with Hughes again at the controls. Just 7 hours, 28 minutes, and 25 seconds later, he set the H-1 down on the East Coast-a full three hours faster than Haizlip and nearly as quickly as modern airliners do.

"It was the last non-military plane to set a world speed record," Jim Wright, told the Smithsonian. Wright built a near-exact full-size replica of the H-1 in 2002. "It was also the last time an individual could design an airplane that was world-class. After this, planes of this caliber were designed by teams of hundreds or thousands of people. The Hughes Racer was a personal statement. And when you work on a machine designed by an individual, you learn a lot about that person. The Racer turned out to be a very mysterious airplane. But then, Howard was a very mysterious person."

Although Hughes was unsuccessful in his bid to sell the Racer design to the US military prior to World War II, the H-1 proved the worth of radial engine-powered planes and inspired future aircraft such as the F6F Hellcat, P-47 Thunderbolt, and even, according to Hughes, the infamous Japanese Mitsubishi Type 0.

The H-1 didn't see much air time after its historic flight and in 1975 was donated to the Smithsonian. It now rests in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. [ Smithsonian Institute - Wiki - Air & Space Magazine - Boeing]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Howard Hughes' H-1 Racer Was the World's Last DIY Superplane

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inspired by the fleet of aircraft featured in his film Hell's Angels, Howard Hughes did what any business magnate/aviation engineer/super rich guy would-he designed and built a plane fast enough to break the transcontinental landplane speed record. And in doing so, he catapulted aviation technology leagues beyond the bi-plane of the day.

# data[].attributes.body
Become an Technology Business Partner so I can enable engineers and mechanics to build the future generation of aircraft and spacecraft at The Boeing Company.

# data[].attributes.body
My inspiration for going into the aerospace industry since I was little.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The sleek and shadowy plane still commands awe 50 years after its first test flight

Smithsonian Magazine |

"Faster than a speeding bullet" may bring to mind a certain superhero from the planet Krypton, but it was literally true of the SR-71 Blackbird, the sleek, stealthy Air Force spy plane taken up for its first test flight 50 years ago on December 22, 1964. Created by Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works team-a top-secret crew of techno wizards-at the height of the cold war, the Blackbird cruised at more than three times the speed of sound. That translates to better than 2,000 miles per hour-at altitudes between 75,000 and 85,000 feet, too high and too fast to be shot down by an enemy fighter or a surface-to-air missile.

Expensive to maintain and fly, the SR-71 was retired from the Air Force in 1990. Blackbird number 972, which set four international speed records that year, now is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Standing before the aircraft, it's not hard to understand the feelings of Air Force test pilot Terry Pappas, who says that of all the planes he flew, the SR-71 "is at the pinnacle. When you walk up and look at it for the first time, it's kind of hard to believe they built something like that."

The speeds at which the Blackbird hurtled along resulted in extremely punishing conditions. Even though the SR-71 flew at altitudes higher than 96 percent of the atmosphere, there was still enough friction with air molecules to raise temperatures on the aircraft's hull as high as 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Anticipating this, designers chose to build the SR-71 almost entirely out of titanium, a metal that is heat resistant and relatively lightweight but difficult to work with. In the early 1960s, it was also hard to find. One of the best sources was the Soviet Union, so the CIA, which also oversaw development of Blackbird's predecessor, the A-12 Oxcart, set up shell companies abroad to purchase the metal from the very nation it was spying on.

To minimize its chances of being detected in enemy airspace, the SR-71 incorporated one of the first uses of stealth technology, including radar-absorbing composites for the leading edges and tail fins, and black paint impregnated with ferrite particles that soaked up radar energy. The aircraft's distinctive shape, featuring blended fuselage and wings, and sharp-edged projections along the sides, was also chosen to minimize radar reflection.

Although flight testing began at the end of 1964, the first operational flight didn't take place until 1968, during the Vietnam War. For the next two decades, the SR-71 would be called upon to photograph sites around the world that were beyond reach of spy satellites. Operating the battery of high-resolution cameras was the job of the reconnaissance systems officer in the back seat, while in the front seat, the pilot had his hands full just flying the airplane.

According to Pappas, one of 86 rigorously selected pilots who flew the Blackbird on missions, a dauntingly demanding aspect of the job was keeping the nose within one or two degrees of the prescribed angle-the only conditions under which the SR-71 was stable. At Mach 3, "you are hanging on to this vehicle which is on the edge of being out of control," says Pappas. "That's why your adrenaline is pumping the entire time you're flying the airplane. That's why you're so tired at the end of a 31⁄2- hour flight." Longer sorties, some lasting more than ten hours, were even more grueling.

And that was even if everything went perfectly; emergencies pushed the crew to its limit. The most unpleasant contingency, called an unstart, could erupt during a steeply banked turn, when airflow within an engine's finely tuned inlet was disrupted, resulting in a sudden, drastic loss of thrust. Unstarts could be violent enough to slam a pilot's helmet against the cockpit walls, even as he struggled to control the aircraft.

SR-71 pilots used to say, only half-joking, that unstarts were the Blackbird's way of punishing them for letting their attention wander to the magnificent view from 80,000 feet. (One of the most memorable sights, available only to Blackbird pilots, was the sun rising in the west, as the aircraft overtook the earth's rotation.) Nevertheless, says Pappas, "If I could sneak a look, I would. It was beautiful up there."

Like this article?
SIGN UP for our newsletter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why the SR-71 Blackbird is the Epitome of Cold War Spycraft

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Smithsonian Magazine | "Faster than a speeding bullet" may bring to mind a certain superhero from the planet Krypton, but it was literally true of the SR-71 Blackbird, the sleek, stealthy Air Force spy plane taken up for its first test flight 50 years ago on December 22, 1964.

# data[].attributes.body
The P-51 Mustang will always be a symbol of elegance in design for me

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Collection Item Summary:

Many people consider the P-51 Mustang the best fighter of World War II. Its combination of speed, range, maneuverability, and firepower gave it great versatility. Its use in all major theaters of the war included long-range high-altitude escort, strafing, and photo reconnaissance.

Originally developed by North American for the British, the Mustang was later ordered in large quantities by the U.S. Army Air Forces. This P-51 is displayed in the markings of the 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group,Eighth Air Force.

Collection Item Long Description:

In 1940 British purchasing agents asked North American Aviation to build more Curtiss P-40s. The P-40 was the only American land-based fighter available at the time but it was also seriously deficient in speed, range, and altitude performance. North American declined to build it but proposed a completely original design and promised to finish it in less than three months. North American completed the NA-73 airframe 117 days later and installed an in-line, liquid-cooled Allison engine. This aircraft first flew on October 25, 1940. During flight tests, the airplane exhibited outstanding performance, particularly in level-flight speed. The British enthusiastically ordered 150 examples of the airplane and the Royal Air Force (RAF) named it the Mustang. The U. S. Army Air Corps also showed interest and in 1941 they ordered 500 ground-attack variants designated the A-36.

Early in 1942, the British tested four RAF Mustangs fitted with the two-stage, two-speed Merlin 65 engine. The supercharger in the Merlin 65 was optimized to produce sea-level horsepower up to approximately 9,150 m (30,000 ft). Urged on by Rolls Royce and British and American fighter pilots who sampled the new Mustang, North American obtained two Merlin 61 engines similar to the 65 and installed them in airframes designated XP-51Bs. The new variant had good range and outstanding speed, about 80 kph (50 mph) faster than previous models. Thus was born the world's best long-range, propeller-driven escort fighter. With improved range and speed, P-51 squadrons could now accompany 8th Air Force bombers on long-range raids over Europe. Bomber losses dropped sharply when fighters could protect them during their entire mission. The Mustang also proved itself in the Pacific theater. Again, the P-51 had the range, speed, and endurance to escort Boeing B-29 Superfortresses conducting long-range bombing attacks. The newly independent U. S. Air Force used the airplane during the Korean War for close-support, ground attack missions but it was not suited for this dangerous mission. One of the Mustang's few vulnerable spots was the cooling system. A single bullet through a radiator or pipe was usually enough to down a P-51.

North American built more than 14,000 Mustangs and more D-models (8,302) than all other variants combined. The most significant D-model features were a rear fuselage reduced in height to accommodate a new bubble canopy and an increase in armament from 4 to 6 fifty-caliber machine guns. The Air Force did not withdraw P-51s from service until 1957.

North American built the NASM P-51D-30-NA, Air Force serial number 44-74939, late in 1945. It was not delivered until July 1945 and never saw combat. The Army Air Forces first assigned the fighter to Andrews Field, outside Washington, D.C., and later to Freeman Field, Indiana. After eleven months and 211 flying hours of operational service, this Mustang was set aside as a museum specimen and later transferred to the National Air Museum. When NASM acquired this Mustang, it bore a proud admonition on both sides of the fuselage in large black letters: "Guard The Victory, Join the AAF." The airplane was probably used for recruiting drives toward the end of its military career. For exhibit purposes, this Mustang is painted in the colors and markings of the 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. This unit converted from North American P-47 Thunderbolts to Mustangs on September 30, 1944, while stationed at Raydon, Suffolk, England. The 353rd is typical of the many units assigned to escort bombers on missions deep into Germany. After air engagements to protect the bombers, the P-51s of the 353rd would attack enemy aircraft and ground installations on strafing missions on their way home. This fighter group claimed 330 1/2 aircraft shot down and 414 destroyed on the ground. It was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for the support of airborne landings in Holland.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many people consider the P-51 Mustang the best fighter of World War II. Its combination of speed, range, maneuverability, and firepower gave it great versatility. Its use in all major theaters of the war included long-range high-altitude escort, strafing, and photo reconnaissance.

# data[].attributes.body
Developed many advanced techniques in practical aviation design.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alexander De Seversky at the Cradle of Aviation Museum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Roman Empire at the apex of its glory flourished in the era of land power. The British Empire flourished in the age of sea power. Thus our United States, in the epoch of airpower, will flourish only on the basis of matchless airpower.

# data[].attributes.body
Air Taxis will revolutionize the transportation infrastructure.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences conducted the first test flight of its all-electric autonomous passenger air vehicle. The unpiloted vehicle took off vertically, hovered for a few seconds, and then landed at the company's test site in Manassas, Virginia. Boeing said future flights will test forward, wing-borne flight, as well as the transition phase between vertical and forward-flight modes.

Developers described it a significant step toward a future in which autonomous eVTOL air taxis carry passengers and cargo in and around cities. Boeing is one of dozens of companies that are pursuing some form of eVTOL air taxi model, but as one of the largest aviation companies in the world, it has the engineering and technical resources to bring something to the market sooner than later.

With a range of up to 50 miles, the aircraft is 30 feet long and 28 feet wide. Its advanced airframe uses movable propellers and wings to achieve efficient hover and forward flight.

The test was conducted by Boeing's futuristic NeXt division, which also oversees a heavy-duty drone prototype that's capable of lifting a 500-pound payload. The so-called "cargo air vehicle" conducted its first indoor flight test last year, and will move to outdoor testing later this year, Boeing says.

Aurora Flight Sciences, an aviation and aeronautics research company, was acquired by Boeing in 2017. It is one of a handful of firms that have partnered with Uber in an effort to develop a network of "flying taxis" that operate on the ride-hailing company's forthcoming Uber Elevate service, which it plans to launch in 2023.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Boeing Completes First Test of Autonomous eVTOL Air-Taxi Prototype

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences conducted the first test flight of its all-electric autonomous passenger air vehicle. The unpiloted vehicle took off vertically, hovered for a few seconds, and then landed at the company's test site in Manassas, Virginia. Boeing said future flights will test forward, wing-borne flight, as well as the transition phase between vertical and forward-flight modes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Richard Branson said Jan. 24 that he expects to go into space on the first SpaceShipTwo commercial flight in the middle of this year, after at least three more test flights in the coming weeks.

Credit: MarsScientific.com & Trumbull Studios

WASHINGTON - The founder of Virgin Galactic says he now expects to fly on the company's SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle around the middle of this year after a series of test flights starting in the next several weeks.

In an interview on the "CBS This Morning" television show Jan. 24 to announce a partnership with athletic apparel company Under Armour to provide clothing for Virgin Galactic customers and employees, Richard Branson reiterated his plans to fly into space later this year on the first commercial SpaceShipTwo flight.

"I will hope to go up in the middle of this year myself," Branson said. "We've got another test flight in a handful of weeks taking place from Mojave, then we'll have another one a few weeks later, then another one. And then, we move everything to New Mexico where we have a beautiful spaceport." [ In Photos: Virgin Galactic Soars to Space in 4th Powered Test]

That plan for test flights is consistent with what Branson told reporters in December after the latest SpaceShipTwo test flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, where the vehicle for the first time flew above the 50-mile (80 kilometers) altitude used by U.S. government agencies for awarding astronaut wings.

"Ideally, we want to do three more flights before we go to New Mexico," he said then. At the time, he said that next test flight could take place as soon as January.

Virgin Galactic executives have been more circumspect about the number of test flights and their schedule. George Whitesides, chief executive of Virgin Galactic, said after last month's test flight only that "not a huge number" of test flights are planned before beginning commercial operations at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Branson appeared on television with Kevin Plank, chief executive of Baltimore-based Under Armour, to announce their apparel partnership. The agreement covers not only uniforms that Virgin Galactic staff will wear but also spacesuits for pilots and spaceflight participants flying on SpaceShipTwo. In addition, Under Armour will develop fitness and training programs for Virgin Galactic's customers.

The companies didn't reveal the designs that SpaceShipTwo customers will be wearing or other details, such as whether the suits will be pressurized and include a helmet. "The custom-fitted Under Armour spacesuits will inspire confidence through comfort and practicality without compromising the natural desire of every Virgin Galactic astronaut both to feel good and look good during this unparalleled life experience," Virgin Galactic said in a statement, adding that the apparel designs would be unveiled later this year.

Virgin Galactic has more than 600 customers who have paid at least a deposit for tickets currently valued at $250,000 each to fly on SpaceShipTwo. Plank is not one of those customers, but in the CBS interview he didn't rule out flying on SpaceShipTwo at some later time: "It's not out of the question."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Richard Branson Expects Commercial Virgin Galactic Flights to Begin in Mid-2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WASHINGTON - The founder of Virgin Galactic says he now expects to fly on the company's SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle around the middle of this year after a series of test flights starting in the next several weeks. In an interview on the "CBS This Morning" television show Jan.

# data[].attributes.body
The biggest leap in rotorcraft design in 2 decades is happening.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sikorsky and Boeing offered a first look at their SB>1 DEFIANT helicopter over the holidays. The aircraft will compete with Bell Flight's V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the lucrative future vertical lift program from the U.S. Army.

The SB>1 is designed to fly at twice the speed and range of a typical helicopter, said the joint team of Sikorsky - which is part of Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) - and Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA).

Previous to the unveil, the only images of the SB>1 were renderings. Unlike a traditional helicopter, the SB>1 has two rotor blades stacked on top of each other and a small propeller in the back to increase speed.

The design differs greatly from Bell's bid, which is a tiltrotor aircraft. That means it acts like a helicopter when taking off and landing, but while in the air, it can refigure itself to have propellers which makes it much faster than typical helicopters.

Here's a look at how the V-280, on the right, compares to the SB>1.

The U.S. Army won't decide between the V-280 and SB>1 until the next decade as both aircraft are still in early development stages.

Whoever ends up getting the valuable future vertical lift program is sure to see a boon because U.S. allies tend to follow whatever the U.S. Army does, said Robert Hastings, Bell executive vice president and chief communications officer. That gives huge potential to the V-280 program.

"It's an enormous, enormous program," Hastings told the Dallas Business Journal last year. "More than $100 billion eventually."

As far as a development schedule, Bell is further ahead than the Sikorsky-Boeing duo. The V-280 had its first flight back in December 2017, while the SB>1 won't take flight until later this year.

Last year, Bell moved V-280 flight testing from Amarillo to the newly expanded Flight Research Center in Arlington.

Bell has a long history of making tiltrotor aircraft. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey has been in the armed forces for years, and the two companies are still seeing work from that program. Last summer, the U.S. government awarded the joint venture a $4.2 billion contract for dozens of V-22s.

Despite previously working together, Boeing switched sides for this program and is helping Sikorsky build the SB>1. Lockheed Martin is helping Bell build the V-280.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sikorsky, Boeing unveil aircraft to compete with Bell for big Army contract - Dallas Business Journal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sikorsky and Boeing offered a first look at their SB>1 DEFIANT helicopter over the holidays. The aircraft will compete with Bell Flight's V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the lucrative future vertical lift program from the U.S. Army.

# data[].attributes.headline
Be involved making air travel  faster and safer

# data[].attributes.subject
Be involved making air travel  faster and safer

# data[].attributes.body
I want to make aircraft faster to enable passengers to be go from point to point faster, while making them as safe as possible.

# data[].attributes.body
I want to be part of the effort to back to the Moon, visit Mars and beyond.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Combining power and capability, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is part of NASA's backbone for deep space exploration and Artemis.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe in Trickle-down technologies. I want to enable cross-industry practices to reduce costs of high end products. If we can reduce aircraft prices, more aspiring pilots can make their flying dreams come true.

Boeing and Ford are pioneers in exosuit technology.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The EksoVests (built by Ekso Bionics) are available for employees that have to reach overhead multiple times a day. The exoskeleton vest doesn't have a motor or battery pack to make its wearer stronger. Instead, it's a mechanical device that offers passive arm support from five to 15 pounds.

As the person reaches up, the vest offers their arms additional assistance. The higher they reach, the more support the system adds. "It's not a strength enhancer, it's an endurance enhancer," Marty Smets, Ford's technical expert of human systems and virtual manufacturing, told Engadget.

Ford has been testing the vest at two plants in the Dearborn, Michigan area for the past 16 months. Smets said that thanks to the success of that trial -- where employees used the vest during 86 percent of their shift -- the automaker is expanding the use of the vests to 15 assembly plants around the world.

Smets was quick to note that those using the vest are only a small portion of the assembly line. The company will issue a total of 75 exoskeletons, which, in the grand scheme of things, isn't that many. "Today, it's only the passive upper-arm support skeleton that helps with overhead work," Smets said. However, it's just the beginning.

Ford is looking long-term with these vests. By rolling out exoskeletons now (even at a small scale), it's able to set up a system that can be augmented or grown as the technology matures. "We wanted to focus on one exoskeleton initially, then expand from there as the space grows," Smets said.

Hopefully, that means more people that build the cars we drive will be less likely to be injured on the job.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ford thinks exoskeletons are ready for prime time in its factories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The EksoVests (built by Ekso Bionics) are available for employees that have to reach overhead multiple times a day. The exoskeleton vest doesn't have a motor or battery pack to make its wearer stronger. Instead, it's a mechanical device that offers passive arm support from five to 15 pounds.

# data[].attributes.body
Increase my knowledge of the aviation industry, learn how the FAA and IATA interact with manufacturers and aerospace business.

Keep enrolling in advanced degrees so I can qualify for promotions and lateral moves within my company to enable my involvement in making these advancements happen.

# data[].attributes.body
I am currently doing my master's degree in Aviation and Sustainablity.

Continue working in my company and developing my current RFID projects and manufacturing upgrade projects.

In my current role I have reduced supply chain costs by tracking in real-time the Kits utilized for the assembly of the 787 Dreamliner program.

# data[].attributes.body
Victor you touched on many relevant aspects in your sticky this week. They are relevant to you, but I found many areas that shaped my career when I was younger. I worked with many people the USAF Reserves when I lived in New Orleans that also worked the Michoud Facility and at the time the primary output was the external tanks for the Space Shuttle. These people had so much to share in terms of technology and advancements even in the 1980s! I was lucky enough to see the Blackbird take off numerous times  and it was always breath taking. I can tell you the aircraft was impressive from nose to tail! There used to be a museum at Beale that had many parts of the airplane on display. Fascinating is an understatement and it was truly a machine before its time. Air taxis are cool and I rode with Voom in Sao Paulo in 2017!
I think you are on target with your skills and remember that EASA plays a huge part in manufacturing. I think with this degree in hand, you will be even more well positioned to move forward in your career.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Voom - On-Demand Helicopter Service | Helicopter Taxi

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world's most affordable on-demand helicopter booking platform.