Why the fnck would you treat the kid who did the right thing like a criminal. Because your assholes, that's why.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRY FORD!
Happy birthday to Henry Ford, the man who started the Ford Racing program on Oct. 10, 1901, driving this race car called Sweepstakes. His upset victory that day over Alexander Winton attracted the investors to start Ford Motor Company in 1903. He was 38 years old at the time of this photo and the race. His riding mechanic was Spider Huff.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Experience with Our Solar PV System
Our Solar Photovoltaic System Facts:
Size: 24 SunPower panels at 215 Watts each, for 5.16 kiloWatts total
Roof Orientation: South Southwest
Installation Date: January 27, 2007
Peak AC Power Output: approx 4,000 W
Peak AC Power Output for a full sun day: 33 kWh
Our Annual Power Usage:
2005: 10,278 kWh (base year for system sizing calculation)
2007: 7,738 kWh (year of system installation)
2009: 7,051 kWh
Power Production in Excess of Usage, 36 month total: 3,009 kWh
Percentage Power Production to Usage, 36 month total: 113.5%
Cost:
Total Cost Before Incentives and Credits: $39,336 ($7.62/Watt)
State Rebate Paid to Installer: $11,837
Net Out of Pocket Cost before Federal Credit: $27,499
Federal Tax Credit: $2,000 (maximum limit at that time)
Net Cost to Homeowner: $25,499
So how has our solar electric power system worked out for us? In a word, "Fine".
The installation was completed in a couple of days. The installers removed our clay roof tiles in the area where the panels would be installed, and they installed a new composition tile roof system below the position of the panels.
Things went smoothly, aside from a few misplaced bolts that we saw poking through our wood beam bedroom ceiling, and a broken window, all of which the installer quickly fixed. Our utility, SCE, replaced our old electric meter with a new digital one.
Living with a solar electric system is simplicity itself. We can ignore the system. It will produce power when the sun is shining, and our electric meter will run backwards. When it is cloudy or at night, our meter may run forwards or backwards. The system requires no maintenance or monitoring. To improve the performance of the panels, they can be cleaned with soap and water perhaps twice per year.
Issues: Pretty big ones actually. Before I go into this, I will say that everything is fine now and our installer has taken care of the problems. We are happy with our system. We and the installer learned a lot about some roofing issues from our experience, but we certainly had some worries and emotional concerns through the process.
What happened? RAIN LEAKS!! Our system was installed at the end of January, 2007. We woke up on the morning of the first rain storm to find our master bedroom ceiling leaking in 20 places! Yes, on our bed, on the carpet, everywhere that a lag bolt pierced the roof to hold the panel mounting racks, there was a leak.
We are patient, trusting people, so when the installers sent out a crew to find the leaks and fix them with mastic, we expected that to solve the problem. It didn't. They came out SEVEN times for attempted repairs before it was fixed. My poor wife Carol was so disappointed. It felt to her that we had naively agreed to turn our home over to inexperienced people and that they had broken it.
What was the problem? The original roof modification plan was poor. When they put the new composition roof in the area where the tiles were removed, they left the area that was still tiled untouched. So water ran down the tiles and onto the roof below and got underneath the composition roof tiles that they had installed, then it found its way to the lag bolts that penetrated the roof and the water leaked inside. Putting mastic into the holes from above did almost nothing. Carol had anticipated this problem from the beginning, but the company was reassuring, so we went ahead with their plan. We now know better.
When I finally got tired of letting them try the same solution, I called the president of the company. Within a few days, a supervisor came out and authorized the repair guys to remove all of the roof tiles and put on a SECOND new composition roof on top of the first one, and to place it edge to edge and top to bottom on the roof.
That finally worked. There were one or two slight leaks after that, but they were quickly solved.
The moral of the story: Make sure that the company you choose has experienced roofing experts on the staff. The electrical part of the installation is important, but our experience is that the roofing piece is more important. And if they suggest an unusual sounding installation, question it until you are completely satisfied that they know what they are doing.
Next blog entry: Things we've learned about solar.
Size: 24 SunPower panels at 215 Watts each, for 5.16 kiloWatts total
Roof Orientation: South Southwest
Installation Date: January 27, 2007
Peak AC Power Output: approx 4,000 W
Peak AC Power Output for a full sun day: 33 kWh
Our Annual Power Usage:
2005: 10,278 kWh (base year for system sizing calculation)
2007: 7,738 kWh (year of system installation)
2009: 7,051 kWh
Power Production in Excess of Usage, 36 month total: 3,009 kWh
Percentage Power Production to Usage, 36 month total: 113.5%
Cost:
Total Cost Before Incentives and Credits: $39,336 ($7.62/Watt)
State Rebate Paid to Installer: $11,837
Net Out of Pocket Cost before Federal Credit: $27,499
Federal Tax Credit: $2,000 (maximum limit at that time)
Net Cost to Homeowner: $25,499
So how has our solar electric power system worked out for us? In a word, "Fine".
The installation was completed in a couple of days. The installers removed our clay roof tiles in the area where the panels would be installed, and they installed a new composition tile roof system below the position of the panels.
Things went smoothly, aside from a few misplaced bolts that we saw poking through our wood beam bedroom ceiling, and a broken window, all of which the installer quickly fixed. Our utility, SCE, replaced our old electric meter with a new digital one.
Living with a solar electric system is simplicity itself. We can ignore the system. It will produce power when the sun is shining, and our electric meter will run backwards. When it is cloudy or at night, our meter may run forwards or backwards. The system requires no maintenance or monitoring. To improve the performance of the panels, they can be cleaned with soap and water perhaps twice per year.
Issues: Pretty big ones actually. Before I go into this, I will say that everything is fine now and our installer has taken care of the problems. We are happy with our system. We and the installer learned a lot about some roofing issues from our experience, but we certainly had some worries and emotional concerns through the process.
What happened? RAIN LEAKS!! Our system was installed at the end of January, 2007. We woke up on the morning of the first rain storm to find our master bedroom ceiling leaking in 20 places! Yes, on our bed, on the carpet, everywhere that a lag bolt pierced the roof to hold the panel mounting racks, there was a leak.
We are patient, trusting people, so when the installers sent out a crew to find the leaks and fix them with mastic, we expected that to solve the problem. It didn't. They came out SEVEN times for attempted repairs before it was fixed. My poor wife Carol was so disappointed. It felt to her that we had naively agreed to turn our home over to inexperienced people and that they had broken it.
What was the problem? The original roof modification plan was poor. When they put the new composition roof in the area where the tiles were removed, they left the area that was still tiled untouched. So water ran down the tiles and onto the roof below and got underneath the composition roof tiles that they had installed, then it found its way to the lag bolts that penetrated the roof and the water leaked inside. Putting mastic into the holes from above did almost nothing. Carol had anticipated this problem from the beginning, but the company was reassuring, so we went ahead with their plan. We now know better.
When I finally got tired of letting them try the same solution, I called the president of the company. Within a few days, a supervisor came out and authorized the repair guys to remove all of the roof tiles and put on a SECOND new composition roof on top of the first one, and to place it edge to edge and top to bottom on the roof.
That finally worked. There were one or two slight leaks after that, but they were quickly solved.
The moral of the story: Make sure that the company you choose has experienced roofing experts on the staff. The electrical part of the installation is important, but our experience is that the roofing piece is more important. And if they suggest an unusual sounding installation, question it until you are completely satisfied that they know what they are doing.
Next blog entry: Things we've learned about solar.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Going Solar, a journey in itself
In 2006, prompted by a friend's decision to put solar panels on her house, by the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" and by Carol's strong desire to make changes that would lessen our impact on the environment, we began the process of going solar. That meant placing solar electric (photovoltaic, PV) panels on our roof.
We did some reading online and found that a good first step would be to get a copy of our electrical use for the most recent full year from our utility, Southern California Edison, in central Orange County, California. Edison sent us an email with the information, which showed that our total usage for 2005 was 10,278 kWh, an average of 28.2 kWh per day, for which we were charged $1,577 for the year. (By the way, we have a four bedroom tract home, gas water heat, furnace and dryer, no air conditioning, electric cooking, five TVs, four in regular use, one computer tower with flat screen and one laptop, two fountains and a ceiling fan that are always on, and one 21 cuft refrigerator that is 20 years old (subject of a later post).)
We found three companies that offered solar PV installations. I won't mention the names of the companies for reasons I'll explain later, but I will go into detail if you need it and comment on the blog. Each of the companies sent a sales person to our house for a two hour presentation. We compared the price quotes from the three companies and tried to get a sense of the companies' length of experience, customer lists, and judged the presentations and the salesmen on their qualities. The quotes were fairly similar, but we were able to select one company that gave us the best feelings after weighing all of the information.
Size of project: We were advised by the salesmen to size the project so that we would replace 80% of our annual electrical usage. That system would produce 8,222 kWh of AC power per year. Using tools they had that were based on our home's location, the exact compass direction our roof faces and the slope angle of the roof, they guided us toward a system sized at about 5,000 watts DC. That means that the total rated DC Watts of maximum output of all of the panels on our roof would add up to 5,000. We chose a system of 24 Sunpower panels, each rated at 215 Watts DC, about 5,120 Watts. This was the maximum number of panels that would fit on our master bedroom roof, the highest output per panel that was available at the time, and an output that could be handled by the system's inverter. The theoretical output of this system was 8.724 kWh per year. We knew that this was a bit larger than it had to be, but this was okay with us because we thought we might buy a plug-in car at some future time, or add air conditioning.
Cost and credits: The retail price of the chosen system, including labor and permits, was $39,336. We were eligible for a rebate of $11,837 from the California Solar Initiative, and up to $2,000 as a federal tax credit. So our out-of-pocket final cost for the system came to $25,499. Based on our 2005/2006 annual electrical costs, our payback period is $25,499 / $1,577 per year, equal to 16 years, not including the lost opportunity cost of the investment. However, energy rates are going nowhere but upward, so our system will pay for itself much sooner than that.
Other decision points:
Timing and choice of panels: Our chosen installer could have installed the system in the Fall of 2006, but the panels available would have been Sharp panels, with output rated at about 170 Watts per panel. We preferred the look and reputation of Sunpower panels, rated at 215 Watts per panel, but due to worldwide demand, they would not be available until early 2007. We chose to wait for the Sunpower panels, but that turned out to have an impact on our tax credits, as I will explain in the next blog post.
Roofing type: We have a Mexican tile roof. We were told by the salesmen that this would not be a problem. Our chosen installer has a policy for tile roofs of removing the tiles in the area of the panels, installing a composition tile roof in that area, and installing the PV panels over the new composition roof. The roof looks as if the PV panels are "inset" into the surface of the roof, surrounded by the remaining tiles. This made sense to us, and due to the "low rise" appearance, was preferred by our HOA's architectural control committee. But it had consequences that I'll cover in the next blog post.
Our Utility: It was recommended that we enter into an agreement with our utility, SCE, called a Net Metering Agreement for Grid-Tied Systems. Our system is grid-tied because when our system makes more power than we are using at the time, it sends power to the electrical grid. When we are using more power than our system is making, our house draws power from the grid. In that way, our electrical meter will run backwards and forwards, depending on our power output and consumption. With a Net Metering Agreement, our meter is read each month, but we are only charged for our electricity once per year, on the Net Metering Anniversary. As I will explain later, we have never paid an electrical bill since the system was installed because we have always made more power than we use.
Community Association (HOA): We live in a HOA (homeowners' association), with architectural rules that govern home modifications that are visible from outside the home. We submitted the required forms and got approval for our PV project. We had to answer many questions about the materials to be used, the finished appearance of the home, etc. We provided photographs of our home and our roof and added a drawing of the final panels as they would be installed. They wanted to know why we couldn't place the panels flat on our patio cover (reduced performance due to flat angle to the sun and too much shading on our patio). We also gave them a copy of the California Solar Rights Act which prohibits HOAs from denying the right to add solar panels without good reason. By being well informed, we were able to get approval after one meeting.
We signed the agreement with our selected installer and awaited the installation in January of 2007.
More about our solar journey in the next entry.
We did some reading online and found that a good first step would be to get a copy of our electrical use for the most recent full year from our utility, Southern California Edison, in central Orange County, California. Edison sent us an email with the information, which showed that our total usage for 2005 was 10,278 kWh, an average of 28.2 kWh per day, for which we were charged $1,577 for the year. (By the way, we have a four bedroom tract home, gas water heat, furnace and dryer, no air conditioning, electric cooking, five TVs, four in regular use, one computer tower with flat screen and one laptop, two fountains and a ceiling fan that are always on, and one 21 cuft refrigerator that is 20 years old (subject of a later post).)
We found three companies that offered solar PV installations. I won't mention the names of the companies for reasons I'll explain later, but I will go into detail if you need it and comment on the blog. Each of the companies sent a sales person to our house for a two hour presentation. We compared the price quotes from the three companies and tried to get a sense of the companies' length of experience, customer lists, and judged the presentations and the salesmen on their qualities. The quotes were fairly similar, but we were able to select one company that gave us the best feelings after weighing all of the information.
Size of project: We were advised by the salesmen to size the project so that we would replace 80% of our annual electrical usage. That system would produce 8,222 kWh of AC power per year. Using tools they had that were based on our home's location, the exact compass direction our roof faces and the slope angle of the roof, they guided us toward a system sized at about 5,000 watts DC. That means that the total rated DC Watts of maximum output of all of the panels on our roof would add up to 5,000. We chose a system of 24 Sunpower panels, each rated at 215 Watts DC, about 5,120 Watts. This was the maximum number of panels that would fit on our master bedroom roof, the highest output per panel that was available at the time, and an output that could be handled by the system's inverter. The theoretical output of this system was 8.724 kWh per year. We knew that this was a bit larger than it had to be, but this was okay with us because we thought we might buy a plug-in car at some future time, or add air conditioning.
Cost and credits: The retail price of the chosen system, including labor and permits, was $39,336. We were eligible for a rebate of $11,837 from the California Solar Initiative, and up to $2,000 as a federal tax credit. So our out-of-pocket final cost for the system came to $25,499. Based on our 2005/2006 annual electrical costs, our payback period is $25,499 / $1,577 per year, equal to 16 years, not including the lost opportunity cost of the investment. However, energy rates are going nowhere but upward, so our system will pay for itself much sooner than that.
Other decision points:
Timing and choice of panels: Our chosen installer could have installed the system in the Fall of 2006, but the panels available would have been Sharp panels, with output rated at about 170 Watts per panel. We preferred the look and reputation of Sunpower panels, rated at 215 Watts per panel, but due to worldwide demand, they would not be available until early 2007. We chose to wait for the Sunpower panels, but that turned out to have an impact on our tax credits, as I will explain in the next blog post.
Roofing type: We have a Mexican tile roof. We were told by the salesmen that this would not be a problem. Our chosen installer has a policy for tile roofs of removing the tiles in the area of the panels, installing a composition tile roof in that area, and installing the PV panels over the new composition roof. The roof looks as if the PV panels are "inset" into the surface of the roof, surrounded by the remaining tiles. This made sense to us, and due to the "low rise" appearance, was preferred by our HOA's architectural control committee. But it had consequences that I'll cover in the next blog post.
Our Utility: It was recommended that we enter into an agreement with our utility, SCE, called a Net Metering Agreement for Grid-Tied Systems. Our system is grid-tied because when our system makes more power than we are using at the time, it sends power to the electrical grid. When we are using more power than our system is making, our house draws power from the grid. In that way, our electrical meter will run backwards and forwards, depending on our power output and consumption. With a Net Metering Agreement, our meter is read each month, but we are only charged for our electricity once per year, on the Net Metering Anniversary. As I will explain later, we have never paid an electrical bill since the system was installed because we have always made more power than we use.
Community Association (HOA): We live in a HOA (homeowners' association), with architectural rules that govern home modifications that are visible from outside the home. We submitted the required forms and got approval for our PV project. We had to answer many questions about the materials to be used, the finished appearance of the home, etc. We provided photographs of our home and our roof and added a drawing of the final panels as they would be installed. They wanted to know why we couldn't place the panels flat on our patio cover (reduced performance due to flat angle to the sun and too much shading on our patio). We also gave them a copy of the California Solar Rights Act which prohibits HOAs from denying the right to add solar panels without good reason. By being well informed, we were able to get approval after one meeting.
We signed the agreement with our selected installer and awaited the installation in January of 2007.
More about our solar journey in the next entry.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
1,000 MPH Bloodhound SSC Jet Car Unveiled [Video]
The Bloodhound project is aiming to build the world's first 1,000mph car - and this is exactly what it will look like. The technical lozenge pictured here is a full sized replica unveiled today, 19 July, at Farnborough International Air Show.
The model’s unveiling coincides with the news that the Bloodhound project team has signed a deal with aerospace manufacturer Hampson Industries. The firm will be responsible for building the rear of the real Bloodhound next year.
The Bloodhound SSC show car is 12.8 meters long and a result of three years of aerodynamic study with the goal to brake the current standing world land-speed record of 763 mph (1.228 km/h). If all goes the Bloodhound SSC will reach 1,000 mph (1,609 km/h)
The Bloodhound team has also confirmed two key developments in the project. Hampson Industries has been named as the latest sponsor to the project; the engineering firm will be responsible for building Bloodhound's rear fuselage.
Unfortunately, it's not the complete car, lacking the mechanical underpinnings and 133,000-horsepower drivetrain, but a 1:1 replica of the real deal. While it may be just a shell, it displays the aerodynamic work the team has done to attempt its maximum design speed of 1,050 mph, or Mach 1.4.
A further four Intel Atom chips will help the driver, Wing Commander Andy Green, keep the Bloodhound on the road. That's probably just as well for Wg Cdr Green -- our experience with Atoms is that when used in isolation, Atom chips get bogged down even when running something as basic as Internet Explorer.
Press Release
BLOODHOUND STARS AT THE FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW
The BLOODHOUND Project today announces the achievement of significant milestones in this iconic engineering and education adventure:
- 1.5 million school children in the BLOODHOUND Education Programme
- Life size Show Car makes world début at Farnborough
- BLOODHOUND Driving Experience - launched
- 50% of the fuselage build now secured thanks to key product sponsor Hampson Industries
- Three new sponsors sign up
- EJ200 record engine test 100% successful
The BLOODHOUND Project is a World Land Speed Record attempt aiming to inspire young people to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM subjects) by show-casing them in the most exciting way possible - by building a car capable of reaching 1,000 mph.
1. The 1.5 million pupils join the BLOODHOUND team
As of this week (19thJuly 2010), 3471 primary and secondary schools, 229 further education colleges and 40 universities are signed up to the BLOODHOUND Education Programme, gaining unique access to this world class research and development programme. The BLOODHOUND Education Programme produces curriculum resource materials for all levels of education. This means that circa 1.5 million primary and secondary school pupils are now exposed to real world case studies based on the jet and rocket powered car to bring their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) lessons to life.
An independent study by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) concluded that the BLOODHOUND Education Programme provides a genuine hook to get children interested in science and engineering. The study found that children of both sexes engaged with the exciting subject material and that it helped inspire them to think about science and engineering in new ways.
"The Farnborough International Airshow provides us with an amazing opportunity to show young people, their teachers and the World's leading aerospace companies how the BLOODHOUND Engineering Adventure has started to influence so many pupils in a very short period of time." Said Dave Rowley, Education director, "The uniqueness of being able to share such leading edge technology with pupils from five years of age, when they are at their most receptive, is starting to have a positive effect on them considering STEM related career options."
Chief Executive Philip Harrison said ‘Protocol National is proud to be the official FE partner of The BLOODHOUND Project as it attempts to break the World Land Speed Record and reach over 1,000 mph. It's a journey that really engages FE learners and inspires a generation to pursue the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.'
2. World début of the full size show car
12 noon Monday 19thJuly at our stand, OE16
Today the BLOODHOUND team unveils, for the first time, the complete life size Show Car, which at 12.8m, is longer than four Minis parked end to end.
The 1:1 replica is the result of three years of aerodynamic study and ten exhaustive design evolutions to perfect the shape and aerodynamic package of the planet's ultimate car.
World class aerodynamic research using Computational Fluid Dynamics was conducted by Swansea University, MathWorks and EPSRC, and at key moments the Project utilised more computing power than the Met Office (courtesy of IT Partner Intel). The BLOODHOUND aerodynamic team, lead by Ron Ayers, generated millions ofmathematical equations to investigate how the air around the car would react as the car accelerates to its maximum design speed of 1,050 mph. Using this information they then designed the an efficient shape that would be stable at supersonic speeds, and controllable a sub-sonic velocity.
The Show Car started life as 5 x 2m3 polystyrene blocks, which were then cut into bucks and moulds using 3 axis machining by Baker Patterns of Birmingham. Fibreglass and resin was then laid over the bucks in a process that took many thousands of painstaking hours to hand finish. The work was done by CHW Composites and Mike Horne Design on the Isle of Wight, who previously worked on ThrustSSC - still the only car in the world to have officially gone supersonic. The BLOODHOUND model was then given the six coats of Akzo Nobel aerospace paint by Jon Benton and his team at Aero-Composites, who are more used to painting military and civil aircraft than forty-four foot long ‘streamliners'. The 950kg showcar, which separates into three sections, was then transported to Farnborough by hauliers G&J Lockwood Ltd.
3. The BLOODHOUND Driving Experience - launched
Imagine travelling ten miles in just one hundred seconds... Thanks to the BLOODHOUND Driving Experience, débuting at FIA, you can get behind the wheel of the world's ultimate racing car and find out just what it takes.
This immersive experience was developed with the help of IT Partner Intel, the Universityof Southampton, Cursive Simulation, The Race Centre, the University of the West of England Bristol (UWE) and Escape Studios. The BLOODHOUND Driving Experience is powered by an Intel® CoreTM i7 processor, specifically designed for multimedia applications and enabling the system to deliver stunning graphics accurately representing life at 1,000 mph.
The state-of-the-art graphics are delivered by the Gamebryo Lightspeed game engine from Emergent Game Technologies, an award-winning platform most commonly used in chart-topping console games and ultra-realistic military training simulators.
Taking Andy Green's place in the cockpit, visiting test drivers will face the ultimate multitasking challenge: monitoring and controlling three separate engines whilst keeping the 133,000thp (thrust horsepower) car on course on the way up to Mach 1.4.
Virtual land speed racers will have to balance the jet and rocket thrust, accelerating the jet and firing the rocket at precisely the right time to reach maximum speed in just four and a half miles. Drivers will need lightning-fast reflexes to mitigate the effects of crosswinds and surface changes, then juggle air brakes, parachute and wheel brakes to haul the 6000kg car down from fifteen times the national speed limit to standstill, to finish at an exact location in the desert.
4. Major new sponsors announced
BLOODHOUND is delighted to announce a NEW product sponsor: Hampson Industries. World leaders in the design and manufacture of close-tolerance tooling and assembly systems for composite and metallic aero structures, Hampson will manufacture the primary rear structure of the supersonic car from a combination of steel, titanium and aluminium. This will involve both traditional skills along with the latest high speed machining technologies and utilise some of the largest stretch forming capabilities in Europe.
"With Hampson Industries on board we have secured the build of half the Car's fuselage: this marks a huge step in the life of the project," said Richard Noble, Project director, "Hampson Industries is representative of the wealth of skills we have here in the UK and underlines the importance of maintaining this expertise."
The rear structure of the car is of critical importance: it has to handle the 9 tonnes of jet thrust from the EJ200, plus 12 tonnes of thrust from the Falcon hybrid rocket, the vibration and high temperature from both jet and rocket, the suspension loads. And then, when the thrust stops, there are 9 tonnes of brake chute drag.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has joined the Project as a stripe sponsor. Its strap line "Improving the world through engineering" fits very well with the BLOODHOUND Project ethos.
Stephen Tetlow, Chief Executive, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: "We are delighted to be a partner in the BLOODHOUND project in what is undoubtedly a shining and leading example of the exciting, world-beating modern engineering going on in Britaintoday."
"This is all about inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists and it doesn't get more exciting than this. With over 90,000 of our members across the world, BLOODHOUND supports our own vision to encourage and build upon the incredible engineering talent we have, not just in this country but in all corners of the world. There is an untapped talent pool of young scientists and engineers out there and through this partnership we will be reaching out to them."
Promethean, a global leader in interactive learning technology, has become the official interactive education technology partner of the BLOODHOUND Project. The BLOODHOUND Education team will work closely with Promethean to deliver its international education programme, reaching beyond the 1.5 million pupils currently using BLOODHOUND education resources, Promethean is giving teachers and students access to a wealth of new curriculum-based interactive STEM educational resources on www.PrometheanPlanet.com/Bloodhound.
Promethean will be installing its ActivClassroom technology in BLOODHOUND's forthcoming education centres, creating the ‘classroom of the future' and will be equipping BLOODHOUND's education ambassadors with relevant software and resources for use in schools.
"In the 1960s, the goal of putting a man on the moon inspired an entire generation to take interest in STEM. We hope BLOODHOUND will have the same ‘Apollo Effect' for this generation," says Jim Wynn, Chief Education Officer at Promethean.
5. EJ200 record engine test 100% successful
Last week the Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine that will be used during the landspeed record-attempts successfully completed a rigorous test session.
The EJ200 will be used to power BLOODHOUND SSC from 0 to 300 mph during its desert runs in 2012. Prior to being put on show at FIA, it was driven to full power on reheat in a series of controlled bench-tests, producing a maximum thrust of 90 kN (20,000 lbf) with no problems.
Having completed its life as a development engine for the Typhoon programme, the 1.5 tonne engine is now on loan to the BLOODHOUND Programme. It will partner the largest hybrid rocket ever designed in Europe to produce a combined thrust of 212 kN (47,500 lb) - the equivalent to 180 F1 cars - and propel driver Andy Green from 0 to 1,000 mph in 42 seconds.
"Seeing our EJ200 run on the test bed was an amazing sight, and marks a significant milestone in the development of BLOODHOUND SSC." Said Mark Chapman, Chief Engineer, "There's a feeling in the team that everything is starting to become very real and that BLOODHOUND SSC no longer exists just on a computer screen."
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Perfect Timing
I noticed this spot on ESPN today. Hilarious considering this past Sundays events. Refer to the post below this one.
Monday, July 19, 2010
New photos and Details for Renntech SL65 AMG Black Series [video]
2010 Tuner RENNtech modified Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series look that is elegant and sporty. Engine Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series is rebuilt into powerful 800 hp. RENNtech working with luxury car dealerships Domani Motors of South Florida, which provides car.
Domani Motors, one of the largest and most respected exotic, sports, and luxury automobile dealers in the U.S. called up RENNTECH to outfit their beautiful pearl white Black Series. The now RENNTECH modded SL produces a staggering 805 HP and 1000 LB-FT of torque at the crank.
To get this much power out of that V12 bi-turbo engine, Renntech offers Performance Package 1 contents include ECU/TCU tuning, Dual Intercooler Pump Upgrade, and RENNTECH Sport Exhaust. This car is also equipped with a Transmission Upgrade and 100% Locking Rear Differential, so it can deliver its massive power to the ground more smoothly.
Pricing starts at $16,390, while a RENNtech transmission upgrade and limited slip differential are optional extras to compliment the newfound power at your disposal.
Press Release
RENNTECH has teamed up with Domani Motors to create this show stopping, tarmac shredding SL65 AMG Black Series. Since the release of RENNTECHs Performance Package 1 for the Black Series, it has created quite the buzz within the international tuning market. Domani Motors, one of the largest and most respected exotic, sports, and luxury automobile dealers in the U.S. called up RENNTECH to outfit their beautiful pearl white Black Series. The now RENNTECH modded SL produces a staggering 805 HP and 1000 LB-FT of torque at the crank.
Performance Package 1 contents include ECU/TCU tuning, Dual Intercooler Pump Upgrade, and RENNTECH Sport Exhaust. This particular vehicle was also equipped with a Transmission Upgrade and 100% Locking Rear Differential from RENNTECH. The RENNtech differential is based on OS Giken's line of Super-Lock LSD which functions as a traditional open differential in low and normal-load situations, transforming smoothly and gradually up to 100% full lock as loads rise. The Super-Lock LSDs clutch packs make the unit incredibly quiet and smooth, without the kind of chatter usually associated with limited-slip cars.
Check out RENNTECHmercedes.com for the best performance products on the market for your AMG or Mercedes Benz vehicles.
You Be the Judge.
- Brad did bump Karl to take the lead.
- Was Karl's revenge appropriate?
- I love how the announcers pretend it wasn't intentional.
- Was Karl's revenge appropriate?
- I love how the announcers pretend it wasn't intentional.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi unveils its Attractions and Rides
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi announced on Monday that the park will open in 100 days featuring a record-breaking roller coaster ride meant to emulate the feeling of being in a Ferrari F1 car.
The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is located next to the futuristic Yas Marina circuit that hosted Abu Dhabi's first Grand Prix race in November 2009, and is housed under a massive triangular red roof stretching over 200,000 square meters.
One of main attractions will definitely be the Formula Rossa rollercoaster ride which outruns most Ferraris, reaching a speed of 240 km/h in under five seconds. Able to carry 16 passengers (on four cars), the roller coaster accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 2.0 seconds and climbs to a maximum height of 52 meters (171 feet). The 2.07 km (1.29 miles) long course also features a series of "sharp turns and sudden drops" which generate 1.7 Gs.
Visitors will find a stash of other Italian-flavored takes on the typical theme-park fair, including a log-flume type ride that allows riders to experience the thrill of going through a V12 engine. That sounds fun and all, but we're more interested in an exhibit that the company is calling "Galleria Ferrari." Think of it as a walk through the pages of Ferrari history, one classic model at the time.
Press Release
World's First Ferrari Theme Park Opens in 100 Days - Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Unveils all Attractions for the First Time
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 20 July 2010 - The countdown has started and in 100 days, at noon on 28 October 2010, the world's first Ferrari theme park, and the largest of its kind, will open its doors to the public. Today Ferrari World Abu Dhabi unveils its exciting and unique attractions, designed to tell the Ferrari passion, excellence, performance and technical innovation together with its story, to families and fans of all ages and interests.
With more than 20 rides and attractions lying beneath the iconic 200,000 m² red roof, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will offer guests the time of their lives with a host of attractions that indulge the senses in ways never experienced before. With the thrill of some of the world's most inventive rides, eye-catching surroundings, authentic aromas and distinctive sounds of Italy, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will have something for everyone.
Some of the state-of-the-art attractions on show include the fantasy world of ‘Nello' at Speed of Magic, as the mischievous racing driver leads guests on a fantastic 4-D adventure through deep green jungles to icy caves and ravines. Guests can also go faster than anyone has ever been before on a roller coaster when they ride Formula Rossa, which powers them to 240 kmph in less than five seconds. Discover what only Ferrari owners have before, with a tour through the Maranello factory aboard the Made in Maranello attraction and gain an insight into the making of the world's most sought-after cars. Viaggio in Italia, provides a breath-taking bird's eye view of Italy, as you follow a Ferrari California through the scenic countryside and famous Italian landmarks.
"The opening of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will revolutionize the way visitors and people in the region spend their leisure time," said Mohammad Al Mubarak, Chairman of the park's operating company, Farah Leisure Parks Management. "It is a great testament of Abu Dhabi's capacity, and the region's potential, as a world class tourist destination."
"Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will provide an enthralling experience that will appeal to all audiences, including families and enthusiasts," said Claus Frimand, General Manager, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. "With just 100 days to go until we open the park to the public, all of our staff is committed to delivering one of the most spectacular entertainment venues in the world."
"I can't wait until we open our doors on October 28th and welcome our guests to this entertainment experience where they will discover the unique world of Ferrari," he added.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has come a long way since the laying of the first stone back in November 2007 to become the world's largest indoor theme park.
Rides and attractions:
- Formula Rossa - The world's fastest roller coaster, reaching speeds of 240 kmph.
- Speed of Magic - A fantasy 4-D journey following the adventures of a young boy as he travels through a kaleidoscopic dreamscape of natural and phenomenal environments, where no Ferrari has gone before.
- Made in Maranello - A virtual trip behind the walls of the famous Ferrari factory in Maranello, taking guests through the intricate process of making the world's most sought after car.
- V12 - An exciting flume ride to the heart of a 12 cylinders engine.
- G-Force - A thrilling tower ride that will shoot thrill-seekers through the red roof and 62 meters in the air before plummeting back to Earth, experiencing the actual G-force of a Ferrari, in a seat directly inspired by the Ferrari Enzo.
- Scuderia Challenge - Cutting edge racing simulators similar to those used by the drivers of the Scuderia Ferrari in training.
- Viaggio in Italia - A virtual aerial voyage over Italy's cities and their main monuments, mountains and coasts pursuing a Ferrari.
- Fiorano GT Challenge - A unique dueling rollercoaster with Ferrari F430 Spiders twisting and turning through tight corners on a sprint to the finish line.
- Bell'Italia - A miniature recreation of Italy's most famous locations, from the picturesque Portofino and the Amalfi Coast to Monza racetrack, the Colosseum in Roma, Venezia and Maranello, the heartland and home of Ferrari.
- Paddock - A re-creation of the Ferrari motor home including garages, transporters & hospitality suites with interactive shows offering fans a taste of the true action behind the scenes on a Grand Prix race day.
- The Pit Wall - An interactive theatre that allows guests to test their judgment in realistic racing scenarios.
- Galleria Ferrari - The world's largest Ferrari gallery outside Maranello, showcasing the most exclusive range of classic and contemporary Ferrari's from all over the world.
- Junior GT - A driving school for children with expert instruction where they will drive reduced scale F430 GT Spiders on an equipped driving course.
- Junior Grand Prix - After the Junior GT driving experience, budding F1TM drivers can enjoy the race track in scaled down Ferrari F1TM racers.
- The Racing Legends - A ride through Ferrari's greatest racing moments starting from the first races all the way to today's F1 victories.
- Driving with Champions - An interactive 3-D show which follows the adventures of a young engineer who is taken on the ride of a lifetime with a racing champion on his first day working at the Ferrari factory
- Cinema Maranello - Ferrari World's own theatre showing ‘Coppa di Sicilia', a short film that tells one of the many inspiring stories from the life of the legendary Enzo Ferrari.
- Junior Training Camp - An interactive play area for children where they can engage with a waterless car wash, become custom ‘constructors', climb up the grandstand, pilot remote cars, peddle their own miniature Ferrari and play with an F1TM car made of soft, guest-friendly foam.
- Carousel - Featuring never-before-seen Ferrari prototypes based on winning designs from a Ferrari competition.
- Dining and Shopping - A range of concept restaurants and cafes offering authentic Italian dining experiences, in addition to unique shopping locations.
2011 BMW X3 M Sport Pack Unveiled
BMW has released new details about the M Sports package for the 2011 X3. The 2011 BMW X3 M Sports Package includes an optional Carbon Black metallic paint finish, Redesigned 19 inch M light-alloy wheels were also fitted and some of the elements that are also included in the 2011 BMW X3 M-Sport Package but cannot be seen in the photos are the sports suspension, the M multifunctional leather wrapped steering wheel,and the M gear shifter.
The 2011 BMW X3 M Sports Package price will be announced at a later date, the M Sports package will be available during the second quarter of 2010.
Press Release
Dynamic and compelling, the M Sports package drives the sporty nature of the BMW X3 to even greater heights. The rich Carbon Black metallic paint finish and powerful 19-inch M light-weight alloy wheel rims set the tone, while the sports suspension tuning delivers the experience.
More Driving tools: the M multifunction leather steering wheel and variable sports steering. The M gear selection lever boasts particularly short throws. In the BMW xDrive35i with standard eight-speed automatic transmission Steptronic, the M leather steering wheel also features gearshift paddles. The sporty suspension settings give you stiffer dampers and deliver precise feedback.
Ergonomically shaped sports seats provide side support against strong lateral forces, such as when cornering at speed. The Pearlpoint cloth-leather upholstery offers a beautifully tactile surface; matching the BMW Individual roof liner, it comes in sleek Anthracite.
With the M Sports package, the side skirts, wheel arches and front and rear aprons are in body colour - for example, the Carbon Black metallic paint finish that is exclusive to the M Sports package. Window surrounds and roof rails are in the high-gloss BMW Individual Shadow Line.
Available from the second quarter of 2011 (subject to change).
Thursday, July 15, 2010
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