Goodyear’s newest airship, just christened Wingfoot One, is now cruising the skies in all its newfangled glory. From the ground, the redesigned dirigible doesn’t look that different—it’s bigger, sure, but not much else. Not so from the cockpit. “From a pilot’s standpoint, it’s a night-and-day difference from the old model to the new airship that we’re flying,” says Goodyear pilot Derek Reid.
Pilots flying the old model operate a wheel and rudder system, like old-timey boat captains. The new model feels more like a videogame, with a joystick controlling pitch and yaw. A control panel displays electronic feedback from all flight control surfaces, and vectored engines can swivel in any direction, allowing the ship to take off and land like a helicopter and hover in place.
For all the innovation, though, the Wingfoot still moves on the relaxed timescale of an airship—it has a maximum speed of 73 miles per hour, compared to the old ship’s 50. “In order to be a good blimp pilot, you have to have patience—you aren’t going anywhere fast,” says Reid. “If you want to move fast, get in a Boeing 747.” (Typical cruising speed: 567 miles per hour.)
Despite those slow speeds, blimps are notoriously difficult to fly. (And with less than 40 blimp pilots in the world, it’s one of the rarest jobs on the planet.) There is no “flying by the numbers,” no set altitudes, airspeeds or power settings. The ship is so impacted by air pockets, wind and weather that a pilot needs to adapt moment-by-moment, operating by sense and intuition. “It’s seat-of-the pants flying,” says instructor pilot Mike Dougherty. “It’s different every time. No two take offs and landings are the same.”
Nor are any two airships the same. “Anyone that’s been around an airship will tell you that they have personalities,” says Reid, “little qualms that you have to get used to. Each one is different. It may sound like a superstition, but it’s really true.” Those who work around airships believe they take on the attitudes of their crews. Reid says he hasn’t figured out Wingfoot quite yet, but that it’s similar to its elders in at least one respect: “Even in a brand new ship like this, you still get that physical, romantic kind of flying that you don’t get in too many other aircraft.”
When you drop $3 million on a special-edition Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, you want everything to be perfect. That’s why, before it leaves the factory, Bugatti wraps the car more carefully than royal nurses swaddle the future King George.
This Vitesse, complete with a custom (and questionable) paint job, was delivered to an unnamed buyer at Symbolic Motor Car Company in San Diego. Spencer Berke, an employee at the dealership, photographed the whole unloading process, which took more than two hours from start to finish.
Nearly the entire car is carefully wrapped for protection against scratches, with holes left open for ventilation at the front and exhaust at the rear, and a more translucent covering over the windshield. Only the driver’s door is left uncovered, so the car can be driven on and off a truck during shipping. Each spoke on the rims is individually wrapped with cloth and zip ties. A special mount to store the car’s removable hard top in a garage is included in a separate box. The cars, built in Molsheim, in eastern France, are generally shipped by boat, but impatient customers can have them air mailed for an extra fee.
With 1,200 horsepower, a top-speed of 255 mph, and a 0-60 time of less than 2.6 seconds, the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is fantastic machine, and Bugatti and its dealers do everything they can to keep it that way en route from the factory to the owner’s garage.
Once it’s unwrapped, the dealership spends up to 12 hours inspecting every detail, down to the finish, battery, fluids, and wiring. “If you’re going to ship a $3 million car, you want to make sure that it arrives intact and in a presentable condition,” says Rick Ahumada, sales manager at Symbolic. “Every car is special ordered to the client’s requests and tastes. It’s what you would expect of a $3 million car.”
Axisymmetric ventilated supercavitation: ventilation increases and cavitation index decreases from top to bottom. Cavitation and Bubbly Flows Research Group , University of Minnesota
Chinese researchers say they are developing technology that would allow submarines to travel more than 750 mph. That’s faster than commercial aircraft fly, and yes, it is possible.
The technology is called supercavitation, and it’s been around for decades. The idea is to increase the speed of an object like, say, a submarine or torpedo by creating a bubble around it, reducing drag as it moves through the water. The nose of the vehicle typically is designed to create the bubble, and gas often is used to shape the bubble. The Soviets used this trick on the Shkval torpedo in the 1960s and ’70s; it was capable of 230 mph but for no more than a few miles.
Obviously, the concept is proven. But there are practical problems. “The devil is in the details,” says Dr. Roger Arndt, a University of Minnesota professor who works with the university’s terrifically named Cavitation and Bubbly Flows Research Group.
One of the stickiest wickets is steering a submerged craft that has little in the way of control surfaces in the water. A traditional submarine is controlled by a rudder, much like a conventional boat. Steering a supercavitating vessel requires having control planes pierce the bubble, producing great drag. These planes also would be under tremendous force and pressure at speed, and would need to be extraordinarily strong.
Another challenge: High speeds (for underwater travel) are required to maintain the bubble, perhaps around 45mph, though it would depend greatly on the size and design of the ship. It’s tricky just to reach a speed where a bubble can be created in the first place. So even if the Chinese researchers, at Harbin Institute of Technology’s Complex Flow and Heat Transfer Lab, have made a breakthrough in supercavitation, the limits of standard underwater propulsion will hold them back—especially if they want to make a real submarine. An underwater rocket capable of giving a supercavitating vessel long range doesn’t exist yet. Building a small torpedo is one thing, building a submarine capable of crossing the Pacific is quite another.
A wedge-shaped fin partially piercing a supercavity. Note the partial cavity forming from the leading edge of the fin. Cavitation and Bubbly Flows Research Group , University of Minnesota
The Chinese researchers told the South China Morning Post they have developed a liquid membrane that tackles both issues. Continuously sprayed on, it would reduce drag and help get the vessel up to speed. The membrane could allow various amounts of friction to be applied to different sides of the ship, creating a steering effect. “By combining liquid-membrane technology with supercavitation, we can significantly reduce the launch challenges and make cruising control easier,” Professor Li Fengchen says.
Details on the new developments are scarce, however. “It’s a quantum leap to making a supersonic submarine,” says Arndt. “What they’re showing doesn’t give an inkling of what technology they’ve got.”
Whatever the Chinese team does have in pocket, it’s not the only one working on the idea of underwater supersonic travel. Arndt says Iran and Russia are among the many countries doing research, along with the American crew at the University of Minnesota. “Everybody is getting in on the act.”
So it may be a while before you clamber into a submarine for a quick trip to Shanghai, but the idea isn’t too far fetched, either.
Doing donuts in a Formula One car is cool. Thermal imaging also is cool. Combine them and you’ve got a totally awesome video reminiscent of an erupting volcano.
Not surprisingly, we have Infiniti Red Bull Racing to thank for this insanity. Looking for an extra edge, it teamed up with thermal imaging company FLIR (which makes a very impressive iPhone infrared camera) to get better info on how its RB10 Formula One car’s various components heat up and cool off, so it can manage temperatures and improve reliability.
We don’t know what Red Bull gleaned from the FLIR data, but it clearly realized its cars look badass in infrared. So it sent the RB8, its 2012 F1 car, to the Gamma Racing Day festivities in the Netherlands in early August, to show off a bit. Whatever lessons the engineers may take away, the FLIR cameras teach us at home that when you do donuts in a car this powerful, the results are indelibly sweet. Unless you don’t like seeing showers of heat fly off smoking tires.
The Alen 55 has a top speed of 35 knots, or just over 40 mph. Alen
The Alen 55 has a top speed of 35 knots, or just over 40 mph.
Alen
The interior is full of teak and lacquered wood, which can handle wet feet while looking swanky. Alen
The interior is made of teak and lacquered wood throughout, which can handle wet feet while looking swanky.
Alen
The boat sleeps five people, with one master bedroom seen in the back. Alen
The boat sleeps five people, with one master bedroom seen in the back.
Alen
Customers can customize their yacht, with options like this grill and an eight-person dining table. Alen
The boat is customizable per order, with options like this grill, or an eight-person dining table.
Alen
Sit in the captain's chair to control the two 800-hp Volvo engines. Alen
The captain's chair controls two 800-hp Volvo engines.
Alen
Unique to the Alen boats, the 55 has a sunken walkway that allows for easy access around the boat. Alen
Unique to the Alen boats, the 55 has a sunken walkway that allows for easy access around the boat.
Alen
In the world of luxury yachts, it’s hard to stand out as particularly cool, high-tech, or attractive. But this Turkish-built 55-footer caught our eye with its lovely combination of old-school woodworking and sophisticated hull composition.
Alen Yacht’s Alen 55 sports enough teak and leather paneling to mimic a luxury penthouse. But for all the old-world aesthetics, the composite hull has a core of Airex, a weight-saving thermoplastic foam used in the aerospace and railroad industries. A hydraulic gangway provides access to and from the dock, and a staircase off the back lets guests who aren’t into cannonballs slip into the water.
For propulsion, the 55 is equipped with two 800-horsepower Volvo engines, good for a top speed around 35 knots (40 mph), with a cruising speed of 30 knots (35 mph). Those figures aren’t exceptional for boats of this size, but the 55 is meant to be more of a cruiser anyway. It sleeps five people, but the pop-up rear dining table can accommodate up to eight.
The yacht has another design feature that sets it apart from other craft you see floating around. The deep bulwarks (or high walls, depending on how you look at it) create a sunken walkway that wraps around the deck. The difference, Alen says, is “guests are ‘in’ rather than ‘on’ the deck,” so they can move around without holding onto railings or worrying about going overboard. Yes, it’s a luxury yacht owner’s problem, but if you’ve ever been on choppy waters and had to go from stern to bow, you know it can be sketchy.
The yacht will be on display next month at the Cannes Yachting Festival and the Monaco Yacht Show. Alen hasn’t given any word about availability or price yet, though we suspect it will be one of those luxury goods where if you have to ask, you’ll never know.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL's gullwing doors were a practical feature—they accounted for the car's lightweight tubular frame. Daimler AG
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL's gullwing doors were a practical feature—they accounted for the car's lightweight tubular frame.
Daimler AG
Max Hoffman, the official importer of Mercedes-Benz cars to the American market, knew a production version of the race car would be a hit here in the States. He badgered the brass until they caved. Daimler AG
Max Hoffman, the official importer of Mercedes-Benz cars to the American market, knew a production version of the race car would be a hit here in the States. He badgered the brass until they caved.
Daimler AG
The coupe debuted at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954, complete with the tubular space frame and gullwing doors. Daimler AG
The coupe debuted at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954, complete with the tubular space frame and gullwing doors.
Daimler AG
For power, the Germans took the engine used in the 300-series sedans and limousines and stuffed it under the SL’s long hood. Daimler AG
For power, the Germans took the engine used in the 300-series sedans and limousines and stuffed it under the SL’s long hood.
Daimler AG
Sixty years after its debut, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing remains one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Daimler AG
Sixty years after its debut, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing remains one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
Daimler AG
From right to left, all the versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe: the 1952 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car, the racing car prototype (chassis number W 194 011) for the 1953 racing season, the production car (W 198 I) of 1954, and the 300 SLR racing car prototype “Uhlenhaut-Coupé” (W 196 S) of 1955. Daimler AG
From right to left, all the versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe: the 1952 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car, the racing car prototype (chassis number W 194 011) for the 1953 racing season, the production car (W 198 I) of 1954, and the 300 SLR racing car prototype “Uhlenhaut-Coupé” (W 196 S) of 1955.
Daimler AG
Sixty years after its debut, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing remains one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Even when you paint it beige and cover its seats in shriek-inducing red and green plaid, it’s gorgeous. But more importantly—at least in the annals of automotive history—the car was packed with innovative tech like a slanted inline six-cylinder engine, fuel injection, a lightweight frame, and those glorious doors.
Like with many automotive inventions, the 300 SL’s groundbreaking features were born from racing. It all started with the 1952 W 194 series 300 SL, which took first and second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; first, second, and third at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring; and first in the 1,900-mile Carrerra Panamericana race.
Two factors made the SL so successful. For power, the Germans took the engine used in the 300-series sedans and limousines and stuffed it under the SL’s long hood. They slanted the 3-liter inline six-cylinder 50 degrees to the left, which pushed the car’s center of gravity closer to the ground and maintained the low, sleek line of the hood. Chrysler’s famous 225 Slant Six, similarly tilted setup, didn’t debut until 1960.
To make each bit of horsepower more effective, Mercedes engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut developed a frame of thin tubing that weighed just 110 pounds. That tubular framework is the reason behind the car’s iconic feature, its gullwing doors. Mercedes couldn’t cut into the frame to fit conventional doors without sacrificing stability, so it hinged the doors to swing up instead of out.
Fortunately for people who weren’t paid race car drivers, Mercedes decided to bring a production version of the car to market. That move is credited to Max Hoffman, the official importer of Mercedes-Benz cars to the American market. He knew the car would be a hit here in the States and badgered the brass until they caved. And so the 300 SL Coupe was born, presented at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954, complete with the tubular space frame and gullwing doors.
The production car had something the 1952 racing version lacked: Fuel injection. Mercedes used the system, developed by Bosch, in the 1953 W194/11 racing car prototype, and the coupe was the first production car to feature it. Switching from carburetors to fuel injection increased fuel efficiency and power. The engine cranked out 215 horsepower, good enough to go from 0 to 60 mph in eight seconds. With a top speed of 161 mph, the 300 SL was the fastest production car of the age, according to RM Auctions.
Between 1954 and 1957, Mercedes made 1,400 Gullwing coupes. The automaker says “the road-going racing coupé became the symbol of success for the rich and the beautiful of its day and age, a dream come true for a few other people and for many a dream they were at least able to see and hear every now and then.” This is one of the rare occasions where the marketing speak isn’t hype. Six decades after the first of those cars hit the road, those that are left routinely sell for six-digit figures. During this year’s Pebble Beach festivities, Rick Cole Auctions sold a 1956 300 SL for $1.6 million, and RM Auctions sent a 1955 model to a new owner for a whopping $2.53 million.
The original SL 300s were a pain to maintain and a bit quirky on the handling side, but they sparked quite the line of offspring. The latest is the 2015 SLS AMG GT, a $220k gullwing-ed beast with a 6.3-liter V8 that rockets the car from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. If you’ve got one, hold onto it—it could cross the auction block for a lot more money after another 60 years.
