USA is not buying the cheaper and deadlier AIP stealth submarine capabilities but the rest of the world is

http://nextbigfuture.com/

January 30, 2016

Advances in modern, ultra-quiet conventional diesel-electric submarines are a serious challenge to US nuclear submarines and aircraft carrier groups

The threat of super-stealthy diesel submarines being deployed around the world has been present for decades. Still, newer boats are coming armed with advanced anti-ship weapons and are being combined with new air-independent propulsion systems (AIP) making them near impossible to find in the ocean's depths.

In 2005, The HMS Gotland, a modern AIP submarine serving in the Swedish Navy created havok in war games exercise. The Gotland virtually ‘sunk’ many U.S. nuclear fast attack subs, destroyers, frigates, cruisers and even made it into the 'red zone' beyond the last ring of anti-submarine defenses within a carrier strike group. Although it was rumored she got many simulated shots off on various U.S. super-carriers, one large-scale training exercise in particular with the then brand new USS Ronald Reagan ended with the little sub making multiple attack runs on the super-carrier, before slithering away without ever being detected.

The 1600 ton displacement Gotland Class was the first operational Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines in the world.

AIP system can utilize advanced batteries that are charged by 75kw generators. The Gotland has generators run by a pair of diesel and liquid oxygen fueled Stirling Engines. The result of this unique, yet remarkably simple system is two weeks of submerged air independent propulsion while traveling at about 6mph. Kockums' AIP system is virtually silent, even in comparison to multi-billion dollar nuclear powered boats that still have to pump high-volumes coolant to their reactors.

The mall and quiet sub is even more deadly with a state of the art combat management system. It features an incredible user friendly interface. During a single attack, the system can guide multiple torpedoes at once, which can result in more than a mission kill for even very large naval combatants like aircraft carriers, with each torpedo striking in a different section of the hull if ordered to do so.

Maneuverability was a key factor in the Gotland Class design and this manifests itself in the boat's "X" shaped tailplane structure. This unique design provides four independent maneuvering surfaces at its stern and is tied to another two planes mounted on the boat's sail. These control surfaces, combined with the sub's advanced and highly automated control system, allows for incredibly tight turns, dives and ascensions even in very close quarters, such as in shallow littoral environments. Due to the boat's size, automation and maneuverability, the Gotland Class has been described as the F-16 Viper of the undersea combat world.

The Gotland Class hull was specifically designed for high efficiency while producing a very low noise signature and it is coated with sonar deadening materials. She also carries a series of electromagnets to counteract her magnetic signature and can short circuit very low frequency fields on command. Her sail is also covered with radar absorbent material and designers are said to have gone through great lengths masking the boat's infrared signature even when surfaced. On her interior, every piece of machinery is mounted on a series of rubber acoustic and vibration deadening buffers so as to minimize the accumulation of noise emanating from the craft's various mechanical subsystems.

The Gotland Class boats then participated in open-ocean exercises in the Atlantic where they trounced much more advanced Spanish, French and US players, including a French nuclear fast attack sub and the American Los Angeles Class SSN, the USS Houston.

Other exercises soon followed and the little Gotland Class boats continued to be a very lethal force to reckon with. By the mid 2000s, other countries were starting to field or develop AIP capable diesel-electric submarines, including Russia and especially China. Since the US Navy had retired its last diesel-electric (non-AIP) attack submarine in 1990, the USS Blueback (now a local resident here at Oregon's Museum of Science and Industry) there was no indigenous force to practice hunting down diesel-electric subs, yet alone ones with advanced AIP capabilities. Thus the US Navy went to Sweden hat in hand in hopes of leasing one of their ninja-like Gotland Class boats, and its crew, for a year. The Swedish sub would be playing the adversary to America's massive constellation of anti-submarine surface combatants, helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, and especially nuclear submarines.

In 2006, a Chinese Song-class attack submarine, created at least partially by Russian and Western technology and likely not nearly as advanced as the Gutland (the Song-class does not have AIP technology, for example) tailed the Japan-based U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the East China Sea near Okinawa without being identified. While such a shadowing operation is quite normal, the sub “surfaced within five miles of the carrier, in deep waters off Okinawa, and only then was it spotted, by one of the carrier's planes on a routine surveillance flight.” Such submarines are armed with advanced anti-ship missile and wake-homing torpedoes.

Russia and China Pushing ahead with research and development to make AIP submarines stealthier and deadlier

Russia has new AIP submarine designs, the active Lada Class and the upcoming Amur Class. And that is just the problem, not only are AIP boats so hard to detect, but they are also relatively cheap, and will give friendly and enemy states alike a resurgent clandestine subsurface capability. The USA does not have any diesel electric AIP submarines. The USA has been sticking with nuclear submarines that are at least 5 times more expensive.

Russian Lada submarines are able to maintain such a low profile thanks to a clever implementation of a next-generation anti-reflective acoustic coating and a new improved hydro-acoustic system.

With its new air-independent propulsion plant, a Lada submarine can remain submerged for as many as 25 days. With its vast array of weapon systems, the Lada is also world’s first non-nuclear submarine to be equipped with specialized launchers for cruise missiles.

The bulk of China’s conventional sub armada consists of 13 Song-class (Type 039) diesel-attack subs and 13 Yuan-class (Type 039A) air independent-powered (AIP) attack submarines with an additional 20 Yuan-class vessels planned for production.

The Song- and Yuan-class attack submarines are equipped with German-made state-of-the-art diesel engines — the 396 SE84 series — designed by MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH of Friedrichshafen, Germany.

“They are the world’s leading submarine diesel engines,” according to an experienced submarine engineer. Each Song- and Yuan-class vessel is equipped with three such engines, which have been built under license by Chinese defense contractors since 1986. The Yuan-class is also said to have incorporated quieting technology from Russian-designed subs and to be equipped with Stirling air-independent propulsion technology.

China has also been experimenting with lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, power sources that offer much higher energy density and longer dive times. “Chinese researchers clearly see Li-Ion batteries as the wave of the future for conventional submarine propulsion. They’re not there yet, but they are determined to get there,” Erickson noted. Erickson said China was discussing putting Li-Ion batteries “on a new generation of conventional subs sometime between now and 2020, but there is no indicator as yet of the type of submarine that might be.”

US Navy Procurement Bias to nuclear submarines

The USA has a procurement bias to nuclear submarines.

• Admirals and officers have had decades of believing that nuclear submarines were the best option and they were
• Not since 1990 has the U.S. Navy operated conventionally powered boats. Over 25 years
• Admirals and officers get into coalitions in Navy internal politics
• The companies receiving tens of billions of dollars for more expensive nuclear submarines have a lot of influence

Nuclear submarines had certain advantages over diesel submarines. Nuclear submarines had greater submerged endurance of 90-100 days versus 3 days for conventional submarines. This was limited by the amount of food that could be carried. Nuclear submarines also had higher speed.

Air independent propulsion (AIP) submarines use fuel cells, stirling engines, batteries or liquid oxygen storage for closed cycle diesel engines or close cycle steam.

AIP submarines are quieter

While nuclear submarines have measures to reduce sound and magnetic signatures, nature of nuclear propulsion (steam turbine) makes them far more noisy than AIP submarine of same size. They also tend to be larger on a whole, making them even more detectable through either acoustic, infrared or magnetic sensors. Further weakness of nuclear submarine is that it has to cool down nuclear reactor, with hot water being dumped into ocean, leaving long trail behind the submarine; as such, it is even more detectable by IR sensors than just size difference suggests.

Nuclear submarines have cruise speeds of 20 – 25 knots, compared to 10 – 15 knots for AIP subs. Combining slower cruise speed with bursts of high speed can allow AIP subs to cover relatively large area. They can deny access to enemy nuclear submarines. HDM and MESMA systems used in AIP subs (submarines using them typically cost 250 million USD) are far quieter than nuclear plant.

Using traditional diesel engines, a fuel cell, large lithium-ion battery pack, and liquid oxygen to replace the air normally used in combustion engines, the SMX-Ocean sub concept could stay off-shore in deepwater operations for 90 days at a time. The AIP system also allows the sub to remain submerged for up to 21 days at a time, and gives it a range of about 18,000 miles at an average speed of about 10 knots.

Here is details of AIP technology and capabilities.

Submarine snorkling for oxygen can be detected with new radar

Batteries continue to improve

The Lithium ion batteries for the Soryu and SMX-ocean are getting higher energy densities and lower costs because of the success of electric cars like the Telsa Model S. These will further increase the advantages of the AIP submarines.

AIP submarines cost $100 million to 900 million. The AIP models with the greatest market success are the Japanese Soryu ($600 million), Russian Kilo ($350 million), Swedish Gotland ($365 million), Spanish Scorpene ($500-800 million). They can be submerged for about 14-21 days.

If you see Tesla and other electric cars with new batteries that double and triple range then there will be AIP submarines that can stay submerged for 40-80 days. It will be easy to upgrade old AIP submarines with a new set of batteries for about ten million dollars.

The nuclear submarines are $1.3 billion to 3 billion. The equivalent AIP submarines are three to five times cheaper.

Nuclear submarines may see a revival in cost effectiveness in 15-20 years when a new generation of molten salt reactors become available. However, for now there is little reason economically or militarily for nuclear submarines.

Nuclear submarines have 20 megawatts of power compared to 3 megawatts for diesel submarines. There is no need for high power for any new laser or other weapon systems.

The US is looking to add unmanned submarines for about $40 million each. Capable unmanned submarines seem to be 5-10 years away. The unmanned systems could track other submarines or operate as part of pack working with a primary manned mothership submarine.

SOURCES -National Interest, Foxtrot Alpha Jalopnik, Defense Issues, TheDiplomat, AusAirpower

Author: brian wang on 1/30/2016

Antarctic Fungi Survives Mars-Like Conditions In Breakthrough Space Study

A colony of microscopic fungi has survived for 18 months in Mars-like conditions on the International Space Station in a study that could affect future exploration of the red planet.
Native to the cold Antarctic, the fungi usually thrives when sheltered inside rocks, making it an ideal test subject for a simulation of the cold, dry desert conditions of Mars.
The fungi samples were housed in the EXPOSE-E unit which is situated on the outside of the ISS.
The isolated lab was built by the European Space Agency (ESA) to measure the affect of the harsh environment of open space on biological samples.
Along with microgravity, the fungi samples were exposed to low air pressure, extreme cold and intense UV radiation, to simulate the conditions that could be encountered on the way to Mars and on the planet itself.
Published in the journal Astrobiology, the study showed that more than 60 percent of the Cryomyces antarcticus and Cryomyces minteri microbes managed to survive their 18-month stay in less-than-cosy conditions on the ISS.
While this could hint at the possibility that if there was once life on Mars, it could still be there today, it may also hinder further exploration efforts.
While the ability to cultivate species originating from Earth on Mars could be good news for any future colonies, it could also mean that pioneers to the red planet could inadvertently contaminate it and potentially damage any existing ecosystem.
Via: Popular Mechanics

http://observer.com/

Opinion

Advanced Extraterrestrial Life Could Be Flourishing at the Edges of Our Galaxy

By Robin Seemangal • 01/06/16 10:15am

 

Globular Cluster M10 as viewed by

 The Hubble Telescope (NASA)

In a press conference today at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Dr. Rosanne Di Stefano of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, presented research indicating that we may one day find intelligent space-faring civilizations occupying star clusters at the edges of our own Milky Way galaxy.
“A globular cluster might be the first place in which intelligent life is identified in our galaxy,” said Di Stefano, lead author of the study published from a joint collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory.
These ancient globular star clusters are spherical in shape and can contain anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of stars. In fact, the oldest stars in the Milky Way can be found in these areas with a ripe age of about 10 billion years old and scientists believe some may have been around since the birth of our galaxy. The age of these clusters have previously played an essential role in helping astronomers pinpoint the center of the Milky Way and aid in determining the age of the universe.
What determines the possibility of life in a star system? Its “goldilocks” or habitable zone. This refers to a “just right” distance between the star and a nearby planet—which directly affects the average temperature and eventually the planet’s ability to produce liquid water. Brighter stars provide a larger potential habitable zone than their fainter counterparts but have a much shorter lifespan.
Habitable planets that could exist in these globular clusters would be huddled near dim red dwarfs and this is crucial because smaller orbits help protect those planets from the violent forces found in such a crowded galactic neighborhood—forces that could eventually push a smaller world into cold, interstellar space. Di Stefano claims that once these planets do form, “they can survive for long periods of time, even longer that the current age of the universe.”
Some of these clusters are packed to the brim and astronomers have estimated that some house up to a million stars that span a combined distance of up to 100 light-years. To give you an idea of how dense that is, our Sun’s nearest star is close to 4 light years away.
The main ideas drawn by this research include the high probability of the formation of potentially habitable worlds in a globular cluster due to the sheer volume of stars and that these worlds could survive for billions of years. This is important because complex life takes time to evolve and to develop the kind of intelligence needed to build and maintain a civilization—especially a space-faring one.
On Earth, cultures or nations that have had the ability to easily communicate and exchange ideas or resources with neighboring counterparts have evolved faster than those found in more remote areas. This same idea can apply to a planetary system. Our civilization as a whole is still in the early stages of exploring interstellar space—it was just three years ago that a man-made object, The Voyager spacecraft—breached the edge of our solar system.
According to this new research, a civilization that exists in a globular cluster would have a far more accelerated timeline in the progress of their exploration of neighboring systems. Their nearest star could be about 20 times closer to them than our nearest star is to us.
The difference is significant—a distance of 1 trillion miles in a cluster compared to 24 trillion miles in our neck of the woods. This could make interstellar travel and communication far easier for this possible civilization. “We call it the ‘globular cluster opportunity,’” says Di Stefano. “Sending a broadcast between the stars wouldn’t take any longer than a letter from the U.S. to Europe in the 18th century.”
Prior to this new research, scientists have always had doubts about whether intelligent life could exist in these areas due to the assumption that planets may not exist in these globular clusters at all. Given the old age, their stars would contain fewer of the elements that are essential in the creation of planets.
For example, the Iron and Silicon found on Earth were formed at a nuclear level over generations—through the death and birth of earlier stars. If the globular superclusters have some of the first stars in our galaxy, how could they have these essential elements that are only formed by their successors? It’s a valid question given the fact that astronomers have only discovered one planet so far among the 150 globular clusters found on the outskirts of our galaxy.
Dr. Di Stefano and her colleague Alak Ray of the Tata institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai are challenging this hypothesis. They explain that Exoplanets—planets that exist outside of our solar system– have been found orbiting stars that have dramatically less metallic elements than our own Sun.
Di Stefano and Ray also claim that the existence of Earth-sized planets show no preference in relation to the amount of essential heavy or metallic elements in its star. This challenges the previous notion that the metal-deficient stars in the globular clusters would have no planets with potential life-harboring environments. “It’s premature to say there are no planets in globular clusters” expressed Ray.
Robin Seemangal focuses on NASA and advocacy for space exploration. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, where he currently resides. Find him on Instagram for more space-related content: @not_gatsby

 http://www.universetoday.com/

 

An illustration of a large, rocky planet similar to the recently 

discovered BD+20594b. Image: JPL-Caltech/NASA

 

Exoplanets, Kepler Mission, Planetary Formation

Largest Rocky World Found

10 Feb , 2016 by Evan Gough

We thought we understood how big rocky planets can get. But most of our understanding of planetary formation and solar system development has come from direct observation of our own Solar System. We simply couldn’t see any others, and we had no way of knowing how typical—or how strange—our own Solar System might be.
But thanks to the Kepler Spacecraft, and it’s ability to observe and collect data from other, distant, solar systems, we’ve found a rocky planet that’s bigger than we thought one could be. The planet, called BD+20594b, is half the diameter of Neptune, and composed entirely of rock.

The planet, whose existence was reported on January 28 at arXiv.org by astrophysicist Nestor Espinoza and his colleagues at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago, is over 500 light years away, in the constellation Aries.
BD+20594b is about 16 times as massive as Earth and half the diameter of Neptune. Its density is about 8 grams per cubic centimeter. It was first discovered in 2015 as it passed in between Kepler and its host star. Like a lot of discoveries, a little luck was involved. BD+20594b’s host star is exceptionally bright, which allowed more detailed observations than most exoplanets.
The discovery of BD+20594b is important for a couple of reasons: First, it shows us that there’s more going on in planetary formation than we thought. There’s more variety in planetary composition than we could’ve known from looking at our own Solar System. Second, comparing BD+20594b to other similar planets, like Kepler 10c—a previous candidate for largest rocky planet—gives astrophysicists an excellent laboratory for testing out our planet formation theories.
It also highlights the continuing importance of the Kepler mission, which started off just confirming the existence of exoplanets, and showing us how common they are. But with discoveries like this, Kepler is flexing its muscle, and starting to show us how our understanding of planetary formation is not as complete as we may have thought.

More Details Emerge on Mercedes-Benz ‘X-Class’ Pickup Truck

Boldride
January 28, 2016


Mercedes Benz Pickup

A Mercedes-Benz pickup truck. No, that is not a typo. We’ve heard rumors before about such a perplexing vehicle, however new sources suggests this could be for real. But what possible shape could a ‘Merc Truck’ take? We’re pretty sure it won’t look like the renderings we’ve seen in the past.

This news comes from CarAdvice.com.au, an Australian car news site, claiming to have access to a design forum, it which it was possibly announced that the truck would be called X-Class or Z-Class. We’ve known since early last year that the truck would be based on the Nissan Navara pickup, but the Aussies have some more info.

RELATED: The New Mercedes Pickup Won’t Be a ‘Fat Cowboy Truck’


00-nissan-navara

According to the report, the truck will be a crew-cab, with four doors, and have two engines from which to choose. The base engine is is claimed to be a 2.3-liter diesel inline-4 and a larger six-cylinder diesel. No gas engines were apparently discussed, but this could be initial rollout information, while a gas engine would join the lineup if it were ever sold in the U.S., but as of right now, the truck is planned to be sold everywhere but the good ole’ U.S. of A.

RELATED: See images of the Mercedes-Benz G63 6X6 Pickup

The report claims the truck will be available in one of three variants; work-truck, mid-range, and luxury. Pricing would range from $42,000 to $56,000. Considering Mercedes sells utilitarian vehicles as well as luxury cars all over the world (like the Sprinter), the X-Class runs the gamut from utility to luxury on the top end.

To get an X-Class/Z-Class here in the ‘States, they would likely need to offer a gas engine option (thanks, #Dieselgate). And with the Chicken Tax still around, the price would probably be more than the aforementioned estimates. In short, a Mercedes truck is on the way, but probably not in the land of the F-150.

RELATED: The Chicken Tax, Why We Don’t Have More Light Trucks

Land Rover takes its page in the history books

8 hours ago Relaxnews

Last of the Current Land Rover Defenders is Built in Solihull

On Friday, the final current generation Land Rover Defender ran off the production line in Solihull, Birmingham, the site where the iconic SUV was born and has been built for 68 years.
To mark the occasion, some 700 current and former Land Rover employees were invited to say goodbye to the original Land Rover and to be thanked for the role they have played in turning what was seen as a more practical alternative to a tractor into the world's first true ‘go-anywhere' car.
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said: "Today we celebrate what generations of men and women have done since the outline for the Land Rover was originally drawn in the sand. The Series Land Rover, now Defender, is the origin of our legendary capability, a vehicle that makes the world a better place, often in some of the most extreme circumstances."
Jaguar Land Rover is remaining quiet on what exactly is coming to replace the Defender and when exactly the vehicle will make its debut. It looks very unlikely that a new SUV will be unveiled before 2017. There have been suggestions the company is struggling with the task, but Nick Rogers, Group Engineering Director at Jaguar Land Rover, is very optimistic: "Creating the Defender of tomorrow, a dream for any engineer or designer, is the next exciting chapter and we are looking forward to taking on that challenge," he said.
What is certain is that the company believes the Defender is set to become a serious collectors' car. The Solihull facility is being converted into a dedicated center for restoring, maintaining and reselling concourse condition Land Rovers.

Tim Hannig Jaguar Land Rover Heritage Director said: "Land Rover Heritage will be offering cars, services, parts and experiences for all owners and fans around the world. Our new restoration service and the sale of expertly restored Series I vehicles is just the start of making sure that classic Land Rovers are not only part of our past but part of our future."

As for the car's 2 million current and former owners and its many more fans, Land Rover wants to help them preserve their memories of the off-roading icon with a digital scrapbook. Also announced on Friday, "Defender Journeys" will let users upload information, images and routes about their favorite trips in a Defender or Series Land Rover and attach them to a digital world map.

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LPP Fusion explains why Tungsten and Beryllium electrodes for their dense plasma fusion reactor work

http://nextbigfuture.com/

January 23, 2016

The LPP Fusion research team is still working with the tungsten electrodes but they know the beryllium electrodes will be needed soon. Tungsten is being used now because of its extreme resistance to the heat generated by runaway electrons during the early stages of FF-1’s pulse. They are combining that thermal resistance with a technique called “pre-ionization” to prevent vaporization of the electrodes and the resulting impurities in the plasma (see earlier report here.) This, they expect, will greatly increase the density of the tiny plasmoid the device produces and thus the fusion energy yield.

If LPP Fusion is successful they could reduce the cost of energy to 10-20 times.

Two cylinders of nearly pure beryllium metal were delivered to LPPFusion’s Middlesex, NJ lab on January 14. The cylinders, weighing together 35 kg, are to be machined over the next five months into two anodes and a cathode for experiments in the second half of 2016. They were fabricated from 97.8% pure beryllium at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Kazakhstan. The two anodes will be machined in California and the cathode in Massachusetts, after acceptance testing for purity and strength, which were guaranteed by Ulba.

The Beryllium cylinders

As the plasma density increases, so will the intensity of the x-ray pulse emitted by the plasmoid. In tungsten, the x-rays will be absorbed in the outermost micron of the metal. When they are strong enough, the x-rays will start to vaporize even tungsten. Before we reach that point, LPP Fusion wants to switch to beryllium. Beryllium, a far lighter metal with only four electrons per atom, is almost transparent to x-rays. What x-rays beryllium does absorb will be spread out harmlessly throughout the bulk of the electrodes.

Tungsten electrode pictures

LPP Fusion did not want to use beryllium first because they need to test and perfect the pre-ionization technique on the tougher tungsten. Beryllium is much less resistant to the runaway electrons than tungsten. Once they get the pre-ionization to work well, we’ll test it further using a silver-coated electrode to simulate the less thermally resistant beryllium. Then they can switch to beryllium.

They have to be sure that the beryllium will not significantly erode because vaporized beryllium could recondense as beryllium dust. While bulk beryllium is harmless, beryllium dust is dangerous. If inhaled in air at above 0.1 parts per billion, it can set off an immune reaction that leads to serious or fatal lung disease. By comparison, the decaborane fuel we will be using later this year is harmful only at concentrations in air of 50 ppb, 500 times as much as beryllium dust. As a result, the beryllium is being machined at specialized facilities with high levels of safety protections. Because of this safety hazard LPPFusion will have to use special precautions, including a sealed glove box, if they do anything to the electrodes that could create dust. However, with tests to ensure no dust is produced, careful monitoring and careful safety procedures, we will be able to ensure our own safety around the beryllium.

Since only 400 tons of beryllium is currently produced world-wide, some of the LPP Fusion newsletter readers have asked if supplies will be adequate for production of millions of focus fusion generators. In fact, beryllium is as abundant in the Earth’s crust as lead, whose global production is 4 million tons per year. Beryllium production at the moment is limited by low demand, and strict regulations relating to its use in fission reactors and nuclear weapons. As focus fusion production gears up, it will be technically easy to ramp beryllium production up to the roughly 40,000 tons per year needed. Changes to regulations should also be possible, as focus fusion generators would make fission power obsolete and could lead to the cessation of uranium production, firmly closing the door to more nuclear weapons and obviating the need for controlling beryllium.


Donations can be made at this link to support the effort to develop commercial nuclear fusion via LPP Fusion.

The key to LPP Fusion progress is taking shots with our machine, Focus Fusion-1 or FF-1 for short, which gives us the experimental data to test our theories and demonstrate progress towards net energy. We estimate that to accomplish net energy demonstration we have to do 1,500 more shots. So far they have carried out 1,900 shots. Each shot costs us about $900.

For $75 you can fund the charging of one of their 12 capacitors for one shot, for $150, two capacitors and so on up to $900 for a full shot. Everyone who funds a given shot will be recognized in a list kept permanently on the website.

Author: brian wang on 1/23/2016

U Boat War Documentary on the Submarine Battle of World War 2

Bikini Pictures 5

 

Upper and Lower class grows in the USA while the middle class has shrunk from 61% of the US population in 1971 to 50% today

After more than four decades of serving as the nation’s economic majority, the American middle class is now matched in number by those in the economic tiers above and below it. In early 2015, 120.8 million adults were in middle-income households, compared with 121.3 million in lower- and upper-income households combined.

In this Pew research study, which examines the changing size, demographic composition and economic fortunes of the American middle class, “middle-income” Americans are defined as adults whose annual household income is two-thirds to double the national median, about $42,000 to $126,000 annually in 2014 dollars for a household of three.3 Under this definition, the middle class made up 50% of the U.S. adult population in 2015, down from 61% in 1971.

The share of U.S. adults living in both upper- and lower-income households rose alongside the declining share in the middle from 1971 to 2015, the share in the upper-income tier grew more.

Over the same period, however, the nation’s aggregate household income has substantially shifted from middle-income to upper-income households, driven by the growing size of the upper-income tier and more rapid gains in income at the top. Fully 49% of U.S. aggregate income went to upper-income households in 2014, up from 29% in 1970. The share accruing to middle-income households was 43% in 2014, down substantially from 62% in 1970.

And middle-income Americans have fallen further behind financially in the new century. In 2014, the median income of these households was 4% less than in 2000. Moreover, because of the housing market crisis and the Great Recession of 2007-09, their median wealth (assets minus debts) fell by 28% from 2001 to 2013.

Meanwhile, the far edges of the income spectrum have shown the most growth. In 2015, 20% of American adults were in the lowest-income tier, up from 16% in 1971. On the opposite side, 9% are in the highest-income tier, more than double the 4% share in 1971. At the same time, the shares of adults in the lower-middle or upper-middle income tiers were nearly unchanged.

Author: brian wang on 12/10/2015

Sikorsky shows off superfast and compact S-97 Raider military helicopter proof of concept

Sikorsky is building a game-changing RAIDER aircraft that is intended to revolutionize helicopters for the military.

The Army wants to reinvent the very idea of rotorcraft, with a new propulsion concept. After the flight tests and technology development, JMR will end and a Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued open to all companies to begin the projected $100 billion FVL effort. Demonstrators developed under JMR will be "X-planes" to demonstrate some key technologies, but they won't have production-representative engines or real mission systems architecture; JMR will show off technologies to enable Army rotary-wing aviation to make the next leap in speed, lift, protection, and interoperability under FVL for the 2030s. The program is intentionally slow paced to avoid past program failures.

Although requirements are still being refined, the notional concept for a new aircraft must reach speeds of 230 kn (260 mph; 430 km/h), carry up to 12 troops, operate in "high-hot" conditions at altitudes of 6,000 ft (1,800 m) and temperatures of 95-degrees Fahrenheit, and have a combat radius of 424 km (263 mi) with an overall unrefueled range of 848 km (527 mi).

Ars Technica reports that Sikorsky a guided walk-around of the S-97 Raider, a proof-of-concept helicopter developed without government funding that the company hopes will earn a role with the military as an armed scout helicopter. The Raider is different from just about everything in the helicopter world, using a pair of counter-rotating rigid rotors for lift and a tail-mounted propeller for additional thrust, allowing it to fly at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour (220 knots) and hover at extreme altitudes.

Sikorsky is hoping that the Raider will fill a hole in the Army's aviation capabilities that can't currently be filled by unmanned aircraft. "You need to have a human in the loop assessing the situation" on scout missions, Fell said.

The rigid rotors of the Raider give it a compact footprint compared to other helicopters of its size—while it fills up the same space as the two-seater Kiowa, the Raider has space for six troops in a passenger compartment. And when in level flight, the Raider flies more like a commercial jet than a helicopter—the collective control locks in at its most efficient position, and the pilot flies the helicopter exclusively with the cyclic stick. A control on the stick allows the pilot to control the pitch of the rear propeller to control speed in level flight—or to fly the aircraft backward with negative pitch. And the combination of rigid rotors and rear thrust makes the Raider much more nimble than other helicopters; the Raider is designed to withstand sustained forces of up to three times the earth's gravity in maneuvering.

Much work needs to be done still on the Raider—so far, the aircraft has only flown for a little over two hours, and there have only been about 40 hours of ground tests.

By next year, the Raider's test flights will begin to push its performance envelope.

Playing Bargain Supercar Would-You-Rather With the 996 Porsche 911 Turbo and GT3

16 hours ago

The 996-era Porsche 911 is currently wallowing at the bottom of its depreciation curve. The 996, with its amoebae headlights and water-cooled engines, is neither as retro-cool as the earlier 993 or as aesthetically on-point as the subsequent 997. It also suffered from a colorful variety of mechanical ailments, including time-bomb intermediate shaft bearings. All of which is wonderful from a car-buying perspective, because now you can get a 996 Turbo or GT3 for as cheap as they’ll ever be. OK, scratch that—they’re already on the way back up. But we’re talking $40,000 to $70,000 for cars that now cost three to five times that, new. So the question is, which one would you want? The screaming GT3 or the quiet riot, the 911 Turbo? We took a 2004 GT3 and a 2003 Turbo to the airstrip to decide for ourselves.

Either way, you get a car that’s far removed from the lesser 911s of the era. That IMS bearing flaw, for instance, isn’t an issue for these two cars, because their 3.6-liter flat six is a completely different engine, an evolution of the previous air-cooled design—and also related to a GT1 race engine. So, counter-intuitively, the most powerful 996s are also the most reliable (when our GT3 here started puking coolant, it turned out to be a nothing worse than a cross-threaded coolant reservoir cap.) The GT3 was good for 380 naturally aspirated horsepower, while the Turbo came standard with 415 horses but cranked out as much as 450 horsepower with the X50 package. And, then as now, the GT3 was rear-wheel-drive while the Turbo was all-wheel-drive. You end up with two machines with incredibly different characters. They’re both 911s, but they’re each on a distinct mission.

The GT3 is the track rat, crackling with ill intent from the moment you turn the key. You’d probably only need the tachometer for the first day of ownership, so vocal is the clattering, raspy 3.6. You hear, and feel, everything that’s going on—close your eyes for a long moment mid-apex and you could probably call out your RPM and the height of the corner curbing. There’s a nervous energy to the car. It’s not that it doesn’t track straight, but the GT3 always feels like it’s anticipating a corner. It’s ready. Where’s turn-in?

The Turbo, on the other hand, locks on a course. It’s completely game to attack your favorite mountain hillclimb (and in any weather), but the Turbo has always been defined by its outrageous straight-line thrust. And this one, 13 years old, still has the magic. I know the 911 Turbo in Bad Boys was air-cooled, but in an X50 996 you can definitely imagine large explosions going off behind you as the boost hits. Pacing the Turbo in the GT3, you can see how hard the Turbo is pulling. Even at the 2-3 shift, at perhaps 70 mph, the Turbo squats on its rear suspension and looks like it wants to pull the front tires off the ground. I imagine that the GT2—a Turbo with more power and rear-wheel-drive—is a royal handful.

These days, 450 horsepower isn’t a big deal, but believe me when I say that an X50 Turbo’s 450 horsepower does not feel like a Camaro SS’ 450 horsepower. There’s some old-fashioned turbo lag to ratchet up the drama, and then the boost hits with an unsubtle wallop.
In a straight line, the Turbo walks away from the GT3. On a road course, it might be a different story. In the Turbo, you hear the induction noise, while in the GT3 it’s all exhaust. The GT3’s throttle is precise, with a high-rpm rush of power up above 7,000 rpm. The Turbo is sleepy for that half-beat till the turbos spool up. Blazing down the runway, the Turbo is faster. But the GT3 feels faster.

So which one do you get? I love the GT3, but I wonder if it wouldn’t wear me out. The Turbo, on the other hand, is the kind of everyday supercar that can rack up 200,000 miles. It’s got more power, back seats, and all-wheel-drive. You can drive it in the snow. And, generally speaking, the Turbos are going for about $10,000 less than the GT3s. Personally, I’d go for a Turbo. But if you prefer the GT3, I can understand.
Either way, these two cars are a bargain—for now. Get one while you still can.