Model Airplanes

ENLARGE

Miami Beach, Fla.

Myth and Machine:

The First World War in Visual Culture

The Wolfsonian—FIU

Through April 12

Most of the major exhibits marking the 100th anniversary of World War I have been martial, focusing on battles, weapons and strategies. But now comes a comprehensive exhibit at the Wolfsonian, a small museum at Florida International University that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. “Myth and Machine: The First World War in Visual Culture” featuring artists’, designers’ and filmmakers’ response to the war, from nationalistic propaganda pieces and recruiting posters to dark, retrospective postwar works looking back on a conflict that many thought would last a few months, but which dragged on for four years and cost millions of lives.

Keen visitors will notice the dazzle pattern—camouflage used by World War I ships to fool German U-boats—painted on the outside of the building near the entrance. The lobby features vinyl flooring with a poppy design created in-house (the flowers have long been worn to remember the Allied

Article source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/review-of-myth-and-machine-the-first-world-war-in-visual-culture-at-the-wolfsonianfiu-1426542649

When general contractor Triangle Associates Inc. wants to survey tall buildings or provide customers with an aerial perspective of their projects, the firm can now turn to a new piece of technology: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), better known as a drone.

The Walker-based firm purchased the drone for about $1,300 late last year. Since then, it’s deployed the DJI Phantom 2 Vision — a model equipped with camera and video capabilities — as part of several projects.

According to executives, the drone has proven useful in quickly gathering visual data from job sites that the construction team can use to better deliver projects.

“We can just hop in a car or truck (with the drone) and get the information we need quickly,” said Jim Conner, Triangle’s vice president of business development. “We started using it like that, and it just took off.”

In the past, the general contractor would have to pay for cranes or lifts, and in some cases, even rent an airplane to get the visuals it needed for a given project, executives said. However, they’ve found the drone is a much more affordable option — one that also provides better results.

“With the quality of the video and the photography we are able to get, it has helped us realize we don’t need to conduct (work) at a high expense,” Connor said, indicating that the upfront cost of the drone is cheaper than some of the other surveillance options.

To date, Triangle has used its drone to survey parts of the Olds Manor building in downtown

Article source: http://mibiz.com/news/design-build/item/22300-contractor-deploys-drone-to-survey-projects

By Tim Hepher and Alwyn Scott

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Boeing Co is well-positioned to hit record production targets for its popular 737 jetliner by 2018, having learned from past mistakes, the head of its industrial system told Reuters.

“To the extent that we could accommodate uncertainty and risk, or reduce risk, we are much better postured today than when we have tried this in the past,” said Pat Shanahan, who oversees production at the world’s biggest planemaker.

Boeing’s production lines face a crucial test as the company prepares to lift output of its bestselling jet by 24 percent while simultaneously shifting to a new fuel-saving model, the 737 MAX.

Boeing has not attempted such a production boost and model shift since 1997, when it was forced to stop assembly of its 747 jumbo and delay building a new version of the 737 for several weeks due to parts shortages. Boeing was also distracted by a merger with McDonnell-Douglas at the time.

This time, with zero room for error on the 737, a major cash generator for the company, Boeing is taking a fresh look at the way it builds jets by adding more automation.

“When I think about the mistakes we made back then, we didn’t have an integrated plan that included the supply chain,” Shanahan said, noting that the company now follows such a plan.

Shanahan, 52, is a troubleshooter credited with turning round the 787 Dreamliner in 2008 after delays also blamed on supply chain problems and a missile defense project.

As senior vice

Article source: http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2015/mar/16/boeing-production-czar-says-planemaker-wont-repeat-errors/

The late Sir Colin Marshall, when he was CEO and chairman at British Airways (BA), knew that success in his business came down to superior value capture. In a 1995 interview with HBR, he summed up the opportunity brilliantly: “You’re always going to be faced with the fact that the great majority of people will buy on price. But even for a seeming commodity such as air travel, an element of the traveling public is willing to pay a slight premium for superior service …. In our case, we’re talking about an average of 5%. On our revenues of £5 billion, however, that 5% translates into an extra £250 million, or $400 million, a year.”

If you’re out to capture more value, one surefire tactic is to figure out a way to charge different prices to customers with different willingness-to-pay (WTP). Economists sometimes call this “price discrimination,” which sounds bad since discriminating against people is generally illegal, not to mention immoral. However, most of us encounter forms of price discrimination frequently that don’t bother us. For example, who begrudges the discounts afforded to senior citizens and students? (Well, all right, I have occasionally felt a tinge as I see my retired neighbors driving much more expensive cars than mine.)

But charging different customers different prices for the same or a similar product or service is tricky for reasons having nothing to do with ethics. First: it is not easy to identify and group customers according to their willingness to pay. Second: if

Article source: https://hbr.org/2015/03/let-your-customers-segment-themselves-by-what-theyre-willing-to-pay

Green shoots finally are popping up in the entry-level light jet market, after the segment entered a nosedive six years ago. Now, Textron Aviation, Embraer and HondaJet, the Big Three of the light jet manufacturers, are gearing up to take advantage of better times ahead with three distinctively different models, all priced at close to $4.5 million when comparably equipped.

The competition in the entry-level jet segment never has been tougher. New models from the Big Three not only vie with each other, but they also potentially compete against hundreds of used light jets on the market that boast higher cruise speeds, longer ranges and larger cabins.

Embraer, though, has created a special niche with its Phenom 100, as it has the largest cabin cross-section, best fuel efficiency and lowest price of any entry-level light jet in current production at a Big Three manufacturer.

The Phenom 100E, starting at serial number 325, is the latest iteration. It has been refreshed with several upgrades, including multifunction spoilers, 11 standard interior motifs, wood veneers for the cabinets and many more options, to make it more attractive to buyers. It also has Embraer’s latest upgrades to the Prodigy flight deck, using Garmin G1000 avionics, and the most capable brake-by-wire software yet developed for the aircraft.

Most entry-level light jets are designed primarily for owner operators. This one is just as nice for the passengers. The aircraft sits relatively high on its

Article source: http://aviationweek.com/bca/phenom-100e

COLLEGE PARK, GA – After a huge social media backlash, a web page from Creflo Dollar Ministries soliciting $65 million for a new Gulfstream G650 jet has apparently vanished.

Despite the disappearance of the “Project G650” page from the Creflo Dollar Ministries page, supporters are still able to donate to the project via the ministry’s donations page.

While the page has gone offline, accessing a cached version of the page from earlier this week shows a 5 minute video that talks about the ministry’s works, and discusses the 30-year-old Gulfstream jet that megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar says has served him well, but is no longer operable, after an accident in London, when the jet slid off the runway during an aborted take-off.

The video says the use of an airplane is necessary to bring Dollar’s ministry to all parts of the world.

In the video, 200,000 of Dollar’s followers are asked to give $300 to purchase the plane.

“If all of our existing partners were to sow $300 each, from all over the world, we’d be able to acquire this jet in a very, very short period of time,” said Rick Hayes, identified on the video as project manager of what Dollar’s ministry is calling Project G650.

Multiple reports on the project and solicitation across the internet on Friday called

Article source: http://www.wfmynews2.com/story/news/weird/2015/03/13/preachers-plea-for-money-for-jet-offline/70304068/

More than 12,000 teacups that can spark in a microwave and potentially cause a fire are among this week’s recalled consumer products. Other recalled items include children’s pajamas and pants that fail to meet flammability standards.

Here’s a more detailed look:

TEACUPS

DETAILS: Four styles of “Cheeky” six-ounce ceramic teacups sold at Urban Outfitters stores and at UrbanOutfitters.com from August 2014 through January 2015. The cups have floral motifs with gold painted accents and have four “cheeky” phrases, such as “booze” and “more whiskey please,” painted on the inside or outside rim of the cup. “Dishwasher Safe,” “Microwave Safe” and “Made in China” are printed on the bottom of the cup.

WHY: The tea cups are mislabeled as microwave safe. If microwaved, the gold paint accents on the teacups can spark, posing a fire hazard.

INCIDENTS: One report of a teacup sparking during microwaving. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 11,640 units in the U.S. and 1,730 in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call Urban Outfitters at 800-282-2200 anytime, visit www.urbanoutfitters.com and click on “Cheeky Teacup Voluntary Recall” for more information, or send email the firm at service@urbanoutfitters.com.

GAS TRIMMERS

DETAILS: Efco Gas Trimmers used in residential and professional applications for cutting grass and light brush. Three models are recalled in two engine sizes measured in cubic centimeters. They are 36cc models 8371 S and 8371 T, and a 40.2cc model 8421 T engine displacement. The brand “efco” and model number are printed on the front of the engine and the brand name also appears on the wand. They

Article source: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article14053445.html