Model Airplanes

I love any movie with miniature models used to represent massive ships or locations. If skilled craftspeople make a whole cityscape to be destroyed by Godzilla or a runway for a model airplane to land, I’m filled with childlike glee. That’s why I loved Thomas the Tank Engine as a kid, and why I love Gerry Anderson Supermarionation shows even today. Before CGI, model shots were the only way to properly convey some of the amazing worlds sci-fi movies wanted to depict. But sometimes those effects look super silly, and that’s why it’s worth watching (and loving) 1973’s The Neptune Factor.

NOTE: I couldn’t find a trailer for this movie, so here’s just a bunch of scenes that illustrate the same point.

The Neptune Factor, directed by Daniel Petrie, comes from a long line of movies about people going underwater in a cool-ass submarine. The effects in movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea were pinnacles of their respective decades and were pretty damn enjoyable movies otherwise. But until Kino Lorber released The Neptune Factor on Blu-ray recently, I’d never even heard of it. Lost to time, or just not worth remembering?

Well, the real answer is the latter, but I think it’s worth talking about because of how weird it all is. I love a good swing-for-the-fences-and-whiff movie, and The Neptune Factor is one of those. One of the very first major productions in Canada, the movie wanted

Article source: http://nerdist.com/schlock-awe-the-neptune-factor/

Effective Mar. 14, U.S. operators of Boeing 747-200B, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D and 747-400F aircraft will be required to inspect and take required action for the aluminum strut side skin and corrosion-resistant steel (CRES) outer spring beam support fitting every 500 flight cycles.

The FAA airworthiness directive, published Feb. 7, found that cracking in the strut side skin and spring beam support fitting “could result in the failure of the outer spring beam support fitting, which could cause separation of a strut and engine from the airplane during flight.”

The issued notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), published June 21, 2016, proposed repetitive high-frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspections and open-hole HFEC inspection for the cracking, corrective actions and a fastener installation modification.

The final rule estimates 320 aircraft will be affected. Estimated costs include $340 per inspection cycle for labor and $98,064 for modification, including up to 490 work-hours and $56,414 in parts per aircraft.

The NPRM was met with several comments, including a request for revision from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to change the flight-cycle requirement from 500 flight cycles to 1,250. KLM suggested the time to complete the repetitive inspections would be a “large burden.” 

The FAA disagreed with the revision, stating that 500 flight cycles was the maximum an aircraft could go without inspection for an acceptable level of safety, based on damage-tolerance analysis from Boeing. 

The FAA did, however, mention Boeing’s request to reduce the inspection work-hours

Article source: http://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/faa-orders-boeing-747-ad-inspection-cracking

U.S. Marine Sgt. Ryan Boele (left), a MV-22 flight line mechanic chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Lance Cpl. David Bath (right), a MV-22 flight line mechanic with VMM-163, 11th MEU, adjust cables on an engine of an MV-22 Osprey within the hanger bay of the USS Makin Island (LHD 8) Dec. 27. US Marine Corps photo.

THE PENTAGON – The Marine Corps is tackling the little problems that combine to create major burdens on the aviation maintenance community, the deputy commandant for aviation told reporters today.

From a lack of spare parts, to Class C mishaps involving damaging a plane while towing it on the ground, to wasting time moving planes from one squadron to another, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis said at a media roundtable today that he was cracking down on these things that ultimately take maintainers’ attention away from routine maintenance that keeps airplanes flying.

“You guys are all very interested in the Class A mishap rate because that’s the one where airplanes are destroyed and people are killed; we’ve been focused on the little ones as well, because that takes airplanes off the flight schedule [and] I can’t fly my guys the hours they’re supposed to,” he said.

A recent Ground Mishap Review the Marine Corps conducted showed that these smaller mishaps – which have doubled over the last two years – are greatly contributing to “not mission capable-maintenance” rates, which keeps squadrons from having enough ready planes to support

Article source: https://news.usni.org/2017/02/08/marines-going-after-small-maintenance-issues-that-result-big-readiness-problems

BEIJING (AFP) – China’s first homegrown big passenger plane will make its maiden voyage in the first half of this year, state media said on Monday (Feb 6), as the country seeks to challenge foreign giants Airbus and Boeing.

The C919 narrow-body jet is expected to “realise its blue-sky flight dream” in the first six months of 2017, the People’s Daily newspaper reported, with the installation of onboard systems almost completed.

The plane, produced by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), was originally scheduled to make its debut journey in 2015, but the date was repeatedly pushed back as it underwent additional testing and certification.

For China, the aircraft represents at least eight years of effort in a state-mandated drive to reduce the country’s reliance on European plane maker Airbus and Boeing of the United States and compete directly against them for market share.

The first C919 rolled off the assembly line in November 2015 after workers spent more than a year putting together the single-aisle aircraft, which can seat 168 passengers.

It is hoped the plane will take market share in the lucrative segment from the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. In November COMAC said it had received 570 orders from 23 customers.

China is one of the Western manufacturers’ key battlegrounds, with its travellers taking to the skies in ever-growing numbers.

The country’s airlines will need nearly 6,000 new planes worth US$945 billion (S$1.3 trillion) over the next two decades, Airbus said in its 2016-2035 Global Market Forecast.

Boeing’s expectations are even more optimistic,

Article source: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/made-in-china-large-passenger-plane-targets-2017-debut