Rode this today

 

 

Reminds me of the ship's mechanic in Alien Resurrection.

 

Great Adventure is right by me so I've been on Kingda ka a bunch of times. not as quick as the Ferrari coaster but pulls a little more G's on launch. These hydraulic launch coasters are no joke. It pulls pretty good, levels off, then pulls harder towards the end. OOOfff.




There's now a free fall on the Kingda Ka tower...haven't done that one yet.

 

https://www.facebook.com/edm/videos/vb.364244193645243/689524264450566

 

How do all mechanics not have back problems? Leaning over into the engine bay for even an hour kills my lower back.

 

This is the problem I expected to see fixed in that video, essentially a SuperMan rig that attaches to an engine hoist. Know that stupid little coolant hose that attaches to the back of the engine? Ha, I'm flying now, you ******!

 

 

ouch

 

I'd love to go one one of these coasters that advertise how "fast" they are and compare them to a catapult shot off an aircraft carrier.

I know that even slower aircraft (like the Hawkeye that I fly) compare to the acceleration curve of a top-fuel dragster, but it's every little nuance that changes the experience.

I've got a feeling that the new magnetic catapults are gonna be "*****-speed" compared to the steam stuff of old.

 

This one (which hasn't yet been constructed) claims to sustain +10g for 60 seconds:



Yes, the whole point of it is to kill the rider. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia_Coaster




I wouldn't be surprised if they were engineered to produce a linear acceleration, achieving the same velocity at the end of the stroke, but with lower peak impulse. Decreased stress on the airframes (and the nose gear), and probably more energy-efficient as well.




Also, this is apparently a real thing:

 

I've been exposed to 6 G's transient in a Tomcat and a 7 G momentary in a Hornet... both experiences were not fun. 10 G's are not something that the human body can sustain with useful consciousness for more than a few seconds without a lot of preparation/anticipation. and even then.

As for carrier launches... steam catapults are not very good at "progressive" advance of acceleration. I'm a former flight deck officer and have personal experience at this. When the steam hits the piston, it's all or nothing... from the pilots seat, it feels list 0-40 is instantaneous, and the 40-140 takes another 2-3 seconds. I'm not kidding... by the seat-of-the-pants, it feels like the plane slams you in the back at 50mph and THEN accelerates to launch speed. Catapult launches are not pleasant.

 

The F-16 centrifuge profile peaks at 9 G's for 15 seconds with an onset rate of 8 G's/second if I recall correctly. It definitely isn't pleasant, but it's a really cool experience. It's very unique, and a little creepy, to watch your field of view shrink as you try to force more blood to your head.

 

Turbo + alternator for a hybrid?

 

This is incredible, how have we not known this?

 

As per the link I posted, that specific coaster is intended to kill the rider. Hence the name "Euthanasia Coaster."


I'm sure that the new electric catapults will feel less dramatic to the pilot, which is kind of the whole point. From an engineering perspective, decreasing peak impulse and providing a closed-loop, linear acceleration curve is all benefit and zero drawback. Greater efficiency, and less stress on both airframe components and the launcher itself. The next generation of carrier-qualified fighters will be able to use the same 1.6 diffs as their AF cousins, rather than needing to be upgraded to the heavier 1.8 units.*






Within the constraints of calling a current-gen Formula 1 car a hybrid, yes.



The Honda 2015 F1 Power Unit explained - Car Engineer

The system uses two motor-generators; one on the turbo shaft (MGU-H), another coupled to the drivetrain (MGU-K).

During braking, the drivetrain motor puts electricity into a battery, and then on the transition from decel into accel, that electricity is fed into the turbo motor to spool it up immediately. At high-RPM WOT, useful energy can be extracted from the turbo shaft (above and beyond what's being used to power the compressor) and fed directly into the drivetrain motor to increase WHP, with any energy left in the battery being available to the drivetrain motor on a "push-for-boost" basis.

 

not to mention they wont need to wait for steam to replenish before cycling the next aircraft. Usually not a problem, but a good problem to eliminate.

 

That picture made my day.

 

they should install generators in the coolant pipes from the radiator, when the car overheats it can generate it's own electricity to power the fans.

 

Here's that thing that was a planet once: