August 7, 2006, 3:17 PM CT

Photos of Future Audi Models

Audis are hot items today- right from movie stars to common people these cars have won the heart of a number of. Leonardo, Beckham etc have been piloting around town in Audi cars as well.

I presume you must be excited to see these new future models from Audi and it looks really hot too.




Audi A5 Sportback


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Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

July 25, 2006, 8:43 PM CT

Solving Mysteries in Helicopter Parts

They begin with very few clues, and then carefully collect evidence that leads to a discovery of what causes failures in Army helicopter parts. It's an investigative probe blending scientific and engineering principles. But NASA engineers are solving this mystery.

Under a NASA Space Act Agreement, the Materials and Processes Laboratory of Marshall Space Flight Center's Engineering Directorate is partnering with the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal to conduct failure analysis on helicopter parts. The project taps Marshall's capabilities and expertise in metallurgy -- the science of metals.

The lab is analyzing such items as engine parts, main rotor parts and fasteners from Army helicopters that have flown in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The parts under scrutiny are those that have experienced some type of failure with the metal product forms such as castings, forgings or extrusions.

The helicopter hardware is studied on a microscopic level, because most problems in the metal can't be seen with the naked eye. Parts from Apache, Blackhawk, Chinook and Observation helicopters are analyzed in Marshall's state-of-the-art failure and analysis diagnostic facility. The facility uses high-powered microscopes to uncover the root cause of the problem, whether it's the way the part was machined, heat-treated or formed and fitted. The engineers also use fractography to characterize the fracture surfaces of the failed parts.........

Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

July 22, 2006, 11:24 PM CT

Finding Electrical Short Circuits In Airplanes

A preemptive spark lasting for nanoseconds that helps find potentially dangerous short circuits hidden in the miles of wiring behind the panels of aging commercial airliners has been patented by Sandia National Laboratories.

The rapid technique may make it financially feasible for airlines to quickly diagnose and repair the hard-to-locate intermittent faults that have plagued the industry and cost millions of dollars in lost revenue due to aircraft downtime.

The product, called PASD (Pulsed Arrested Spark Discharge) is expected to be marketed by September by licensee Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems of Redmond, Wash., and combined with that company's other patented test methods under the name ArcSafe.

Other possible uses eventually envisioned for PASD are as inexpensive tests for the wiring harnesses of passenger cars and new homes. Military tanks and the hard-to-reach wiring behind the steel bulkheads of submarines are also possible candidates.

The commercial product is about the size of a small suitcase. It can be plugged into aircraft-installed wire harnesses, 40 wires at a time, to check for the very small insulation breaks linked to intermittent faults.

Sandia is a National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory.........

Posted by: Kevin      Permalink

July 18, 2006, 10:27 PM CT

Drive Time

Eventhough I've been traveling extensively this month, I have found time to get behind the wheel of some of our vehicles. I've driven two recently that I'm quite excited about, because they really illustrate the progress we've been making in mid-size cars.

The first is the Saturn Aura, which goes on sale later this summer. Simply put, I enjoyed it very much. It's a very refined, very civilized car, beautifully put together, with impressive levels of quiet, and wonderful handling.

I believe it's a major milestone in terms of both refinement and vehicle dynamics, not only for the Saturn brand but also for GM, in the category of mid-size front-wheel-drive cars. Got lots of "what is THAT" looks while driving it, and people were invariably surprised to find out it's a Saturn. It's absolutely outstanding and a great value as well.

I've also driven an astonishing Impala with the soon-to-be-released 3.9L Active Fuel Management system, which runs on three cylinders a surprising amount of the time.

It switches off half the cylinders whenever the engine isn't fully solicited. And because of the unique characteristic of the Impala, which for its size is a relatively lightweight and aerodynamic car, it's ideally suited for Active Fuel Management with the 3.9L V6. You can even go slightly uphill on three cylinders.........

Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

July 18, 2006, 10:24 PM CT

Introducing The Acadia

We at GMC got to show off our first crossover vehicle to journalists in Hollywood today. It's called the Acadia, and for the first time pairs the versatility of a small utility vehicle with the "Professional Grade" standards of GMC.

Crossovers are the fastest-growing vehicle segment in the U.S., with nearly a million sales last year. And because we expect that number to grow by another million by 2010, General Motors will double the number of our crossover entries by then. Right now, the GMC Acadia is our eighth crossover, joining the Chevy Equinox and HHR, the Pontiac Torrent and Vibe, the Saturn Vue, the Buick Rendezvous and the Cadillac SRX. We believe the Acadia will bring new customers to GMC showrooms.........

Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

July 13, 2006, 0:18 AM CT

Most User-friendly Lightest Helicopter in the World

If you have been in awe of flying but cannot afford to learn, then this Japanese ultralight one-man helicopter, GEN H-4 can make your dreams come true. Looking quite odd with the bent 2 inch frame, strange looking wheels and fiberglass back pack, I still believe it will give utmost flying pleasure as it is the smallest co- axial helicopter ever made and easiest to fly too.

This superlight 155 lbs helicopter is easy to control too-the entire control panels are located just under the pilot's nose. Strangely, you get the four tiny twin cylinder engines on top of the aircraft.

However, you will get to experience the joy of flying only by yourself as it is made just for one.........

Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

July 11, 2006, 8:59 PM CT

Classic Cars On The Common

If you want to get up close to some classic cars - or want to show your off - it's worth pencilling July 26th into your diary, as that's the date of Classics on the Common, one of the largest and easiest going classic car meets in the UK.

The success of the Harpenden event has been its informality and spontaneity - it draws enormous crowds for a midweek Summer's evening because of its simple ethos; 'Turn up. Park up.'

If you've got a car over 20 years old, just apply for your pass at the website (cost is just £3) and turn up at the common anytime after 4pm. Or just turn up without a car and enjoy some heritage. The event is under threat due to local concerns over noise - so if you're in the area, support it while you can.........

Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

July 11, 2006, 7:08 PM CT

Boeing 747-8 Family

The Boeing Company has recently launched the new Boeing 747-8 program, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane and the 747-8 Freighter airplane.

Cargolux, based in Luxembourg, has ordered 10 747-8 Freighters and will take delivery of the first 747-8F in third-quarter 2009. It also holds purchase rights for 10 additional airplanes. Cargolux currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 13 747-400 freighters.

Nippon Cargo Airlines, based in Japan, has ordered eight 747-8 Freighters and will receive its first airplane in fourth-quarter 2009. The airline also acquired options for six additional airplanes. Nippon Cargo currently operates 13 747 freighters and has six more 747-400Fs on order.

Firm orders from the two launch customers are valued at approximately $5 billion at list prices.

"We are thrilled to have Cargolux and Nippon Cargo choose the new 747-8 and become the launch customers for this next generation of the proud and valuable 747 airplane family," said Alan Mulally, president and chief executive officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 747-8 will use the technologies of the 787 Dreamliner to significantly increase the passenger and freighter capabilities of the 747 and offer greater fuel efficiency, improved operating economics, and be more friendly to the environment with reduced noise and emissions".........

Posted by: Kevin      Permalink         Source

July 3, 2006, 9:09 AM CT

Graduated Driver Licensing Reduces Fatal Crashes

Graduated driver licensing programs reduce, by an average of 11 percent, the incidence of fatal crashes of 16-year-old drivers, as per a research studyby scientists from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. When examining the most comprehensive programs, which include at least five of seven components [see list below], the scientists found about a 20 percent reduction in fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers. The report was supported primarily by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Graduated driver licensing programs are a popular way to reduce the risk of vehicle crashes for novice drivers. We already knew that the programs reduced crash rates of young drivers, but we didn't know which programs were most effective in reducing risk," said Susan P. Baker, MPH, lead author of the study and a professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health's Department of Health Policy and Management and Center for Injury Research and Policy. "After completing our study, it is clear that more comprehensive programs have the greatest effect".

"This study strongly underscores the effectiveness of graduated licensing laws. To states searching for solutions to the tragic problem of fatal crashes involving teenagers, it provides extremely valuable new information," said Nicole Nason, NHTSA Administrator.........

Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

July 1, 2006, 9:13 AM CT

'Who Killed the Electric Car?

A murder mystery, a call to arms and an effective inducement to rage, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" is the latest and one of the more successful additions to the growing ranks of issue-oriented documentaries. Like Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" and the better nonfiction inquiries into the war in Iraq, this information-packed history about the effort to introduce - and keep - electric vehicles on the road wasn't made to soothe your brow. For the film's director, Chris Paine, the evidence is too appalling and our air too dirty for palliatives.

Fast and furious, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" is, in brief, the sad tale of yet one more attempt by a heroic group of civic-minded souls to save the browning, warming planet. The story mostly unfolds during the 1990's, when a few automobile manufacturers, including General Motors, were prodded to pursue - only to sabotage covertly - a cleaner future. In 1990 the state's smog-busting California Air Resources Board adopted the Zero-Emission Vehicle mandate in a bid to force auto companies to produce exhaust-free vehicles.........

Posted by: Jim      Permalink         Source

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