Watching a hot air balloon launch

On our holiday at the famous Pamukkale geothermal area last winter, I stopped to watch a hot air balloon launch.

   

Watching the SpaceX launch live

Sometime in the 1980s I stayed up really late to watch one of the space shuttle launches live (possibly STS-61C. Due to weather or some other problem it was delayed and I missed seeing the launch.

Just now I watched the SpaceX launch live on Facebook!

Not only did CRS-8 Dragon mission successfully launch and deliver the Dragon spacecraft into space to deliver supplies to the International Space Station, but the Falcon 9 rocket returned to land upright on a barge floating in the Atlantic Ocean.

You can watch the replay of the launch video at https://www.facebook.com/NASA/videos/vb.54971236771/10154018106296772

OK GO does Upside Down & Inside Out in zero gravity

OK Go - Upside Down & Inside Out
Hello, Dear Ones. Please enjoy our new video for "Upside Down & Inside Out". A million thanks to S7 Airlines. #GravitysJustAHabit
Posted by OK Go on Thursday, February 11, 2016

For more zero gravity music, check out our post: Music that is out of this world

Tycho Brahe Planetarium

Did you know that Denmark has an amateur manned space programme?

On our summer trip to Denmark, we visited the Tycho Brahe Planetarium in Copenhagen and saw a slightly damaged spacecraft capsule from the Copenhagen Suborbitals programme. 

The Tycho Brahe spacecraft was launched with the HEAT 1X rocket from a vessel in the Baltic Sea in June 2011. The capsule contained a crash-test dummy and launched successfully but veered off course and the flight was cut short. During the flight the parachutes tore, causing the spacecraft to crash land in the sea at about 200 km/h.

The flight from the astronaut's perspective.

Data from the flight has been used to improve the programme and so despite this setback the missions are continuing. The recovered craft is on display in the planetarium along with many other exhibits about space exploration. 

My son created his version of a spacecraft ready for launch at the planetarium.

The complex contains an huge screen for 3D and IMAX movies. We saw a 3D movie about the journey to the planets and a Jean-Michel Cousteau film - The Marvelous Ocean.

Air Festival

The local Air Force Technical School had an open day on the weekend with flight and aircraft displays.

A lot of student projects were on display too. Some had made fire fighting robotic models, others were explaining hydraulic or other aircraft systems.

Big vehicles

As a kid, I had a picture book about big vehicles. Dad had some large vehicles for his sawmill and contracting business, but not quite as big as these.

Hovercycle

I am looking forward to developments of this life size quadcopter.

Robot Ride A Hovercycle by sci-tech

Historic film clips of fantastic inventions

Last month the newsreel archive, British Pathe, uploaded thousands of historic films to its YouTube channel. Among them is this playlist of fantastic inventions.

Back to the Future : Hover boards a reality?

It looks like the future that Marty McFly experienced in Back to the Future 2 is becoming reality.



Learn more at http://huvrtech.com/

Autonomous flying cars for everyone soon?

We've posted several times before about flying cars. Aviation company Terrafugia has unveiled its latest conceptual version which incorporates autonomous functionality, opening up the skies to everybody.

Project Loon - balloon powered internet for everyone

In a few hours time, thirty balloons will launch from the South Island in New Zealand as the pilot of Google's Project Loon.

The balloons are equipped with solar powered transceivers that communicate with each other and the ground to provide a network in the sky.



New Zealanders can join the pilot project. Learn more at http://www.google.com/loon/where/.

Playing catch

Some amazing quadrocopter acrobatics. 

Flying motorcycle

My friend John alerted us to the work being done by Samson Motorworks on a very nicely designed flying motorcycle.

A Roadable Aircraft

An update on the Transition Flying Car from Terrafugia.



I like how Anna Mracek Dietrich, one of the Transtion's creators says:

As a multi-purpose passenger vehicle, it is now officially "designed for occasional off-road use."

Air Swimmers

Amazing remote control flying shark and clown fish.

Live Flight Tracking

A Massey University alumnus, James McCarthy has invented an aircraft locator system that tracks flights in real-time. Called Spider, the portable device that plugs into a lighter socket, relays the aircraft’s GPS position to the internet through an Iridium satellite network modem.

In the event of crash, the impact can cause standard locator devices to fail, minimizing the chances of rescue. Powering on at take-off, the Spider sends its location every two minutes - a more effective system for not just aircraft, but usable in vehicles and boats too.

See the SpiderTracks website for more info.

Bird-like robotic flight

A TEDtalk video of the first robotic aircraft that flies like a bird.

Indoor Synchronized Skydiving

Spotted on Laughing Squid is this incredible video of a 4-way skydive dance routine at the opening of the Prague Skydive Arena .



Using 4 high efficiency vertical axial fans, the air in the flying chamber reaches speeds over 200 km/h. This video shows some of the technology involved.

Flying camera

A DSLR camera mounted on a RC helicopter gives smooth HD video.

Aerial video with helivideo.com Our legacy video. from Heli Video Productions LLC on Vimeo.

As seen on Make & DIYPhotography

Hovercraft? Boat? Aircraft?

Technically a boat but who cares what it is - it looks super cool fun and it flys.


For sale on Trademe FLYING HOVERCRAFT