Model Airplanes

Flying an unmanned aerial vehicle isn’t usually the hard part, getting it on and off the ground is. But thanks to the addition of an all-terrain hovercraft skirt, the Russian Federation’s newest hybrid UAV will be able land and launch virtually any surface –from snow and sand to lakes and waterways, even stone-riddled roadways strewn with pebbles up to about 8 inches tall — all while riding a protective cushion of air.

Code-named Chirok (roughly translated, “Teal”), this model is the latest reconnaissance and strike drone (RSD) to come out of United Instrument Corporation (UIC), a division of the state-owned Rostec company. The Chirok’s 1:5 scale prototype made its debut at last year at Russia’s MAKS air show (which you can see below). This year, the company is coming with an operational prototype. This full-size model — which has already been constructed — sports full-composite construction, a 10-meter wingspan, weighs 750 kg, and should be ready for flight testing by the 2015 trade show’s August opening, according to a statement from Rostec. The company is also reportedly working on a larger, 2-ton variant though it’s in the early concept phase.

It’s designed with a 19,000-foot operational ceiling and a 1,550-mile service range and is rumored to even be powerful enough to carry up to three people in addition to a variety of internally-stowed guided, unguided, and smart munitions. Plus, given its composite composition, the Chirok should be pretty stealthy as well. However, given that many

Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/11/russias-amphibious-uav-is-equal-parts-plane-and-hovercraft/

Cybersecurity standards: The Open Group explores security and safer supply chains

By: Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst, Interarbor Solutions
Published: 11th March 2015
Copyright Interarbor Solutions © 2015

Welcome to a special BriefingsDirect presentation and panel discussion from The Open Group San Diego 2015. This follows an earlier discussion from the event last month on synergies among major Enterprise Architecture frameworks with The Open Group.

The latest discussion, examining the both need and outlook for Cybersecurity standards among supply chains, is moderated by Dave Lounsbury, Chief Technology Officer, The Open Group; with guests Mary Ann Davidson, Chief Security Officer, Oracle; Dr. Ron Ross, Fellow of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Jim Hietala, Vice President of Security for The Open Group. [Disclosure: The Open Group is a sponsor of BriefingsDirect podcasts.]

Here are some excerpts:

Dave Lounsbury: Mary Ann Davidson is responsible for Oracle Software Security Assurance and represents Oracle on the Board of Directors for the Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center, and on the international Board of the ISSA.

Dr. Ron Ross leads the Federal Information Security Management Act Implementation Project. It sounds like a big job to fulfill, developing the security standards and guidelines for the federal government.

This session is going to look at the cybersecurity and supply chain

Article source: http://www.it-director.com/enterprise/technology/content.php?cid=15154

5. Meyer Werft Dockhalle 2, Niedersachsen, Germany, 63,000 sqm

One of the major German shipyards, the facility is used to construct luxury passenger ships. It is the largest dry dock in the world. It was inaugurated in 2000 and has since been expanded to its current size. By volume, it is 4.72 m3.

4. Tropical Islands Resort, Krausnick, Germany, 70,000 sqm 

A little further along the entertainment scale than some fellow top-fivers is this tropical theme park on the former Brand-Briesen Airfield site in Krausnick. The hanger was originally intended to house airship construction, but is now home to the world’s largest indoor resort. It has a volume of 5.2 million m3. 

3. Jean-Luc Lagardère Plant, Toulouse, France, 122,500 sqm 

The plant servers as the assembly house for parts of the world’s largest aircraft, the Airbus 8380. The various sections of the plane are moved to the factory via several modes of transport, including by barge from Wales to Mostyn docks for the wings. By volume, it covers 5.6 million m3.

2. Target Import Warehouse, Washington, US, 185,800 sqm

Constructed to handle large shipments of overseas imports, this second entry from Washington is the largest of the company’s four import facilities, from which it sends merchandise to regional distribution centres around the country. It has a volume of 7.43 million m3.

1. Boeing Everett Factory, Washington, US, 398,000 sqm

This airplane factory in Everett Washington is the world’s largest building by volume. Here, Boeing assembles its 747s, 767s, 777s, and the latest model, the 787 Dreamliner. Completed in 1968, it covers a huge area of the northeast corner of

Article source: http://www.constructionglobal.com/top10/303/The-world039s-top-5-largest-buildings

HONOLULU—Most airline pilots like to fly the biggest, newest planes. Hawaiian Airlines’ Merle Clawson happily pilots the tiniest, oldest plane in its fleet: a single-engine, six-seat 1929 Bellanca Pacemaker that was the first aircraft operated by the carrier’s predecessor company 86 years ago.

Mr. Clawson is one of seven aviators, including Hawaiian Chief Executive Mark Dunkerley, who take aloft airline employees, their families and…

Article source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/hawaiian-airlines-keeps-1929-plane-flying-1426031259

Even today, the United States is not free from racism and hate crimes, and should fix its own scenario first, before preaching to others.

The United States of America claims to champion liberal democracy and human rights across the globe, but it has much to introspect before it preaches to others. And even its preaching is quite selective. For instance, Uncle Sam has been silent over the lashing of Raef al Badawi (who talked of making Saudi Arabia a secular democracy) or princesses kept in house arrest by the late King Abdullah.

However, the irony lies in whether the United States has a valid locus standi to claim to preach tolerance to others. It has had its own history of being established on the corpses of the Red Indians (who faced the biggest genocide in modern world history) and had a long way to go in enfranchising its women and African Americans in all parts of the country, with India and Pakistan enfranchising all citizens, irrespective of race, religion or gender, since their inception.

Even today, the United States is not free from racism and hate crimes, and should fix its own scenario first, before preaching to others.

Some time back, there was an incident of a physical assault on an Indian visitor to the United States, by a policeman, which resulted in him getting temporarily paralysed; this incident clearly had racist undertones. Then, there was an instance of the vandalism of a Hindu temple; that too was not

Article source: http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/26559/dear-america-how-about-practising-what-you-preach-on-tolerance/