Plane

2023 - 1 - 27

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Image courtesy of "CNN Travel"

Why NASA tested a plane with a pivoting wing (CNN Travel)

Not many aircraft can claim to be truly one of a kind, but the NASA AD-1 is undoubtedly one of them. No other piloted plane has ever been built with a wing ...

The AD-1, with just one pivoting wing rather than two, was in part meant to achieve the same benefits with less complication, but ultimately still wouldn’t best a simple swept wing design: “Nobody builds [variable geometry] airplanes anymore, even if they’re trying to go supersonic – they just sweep the wings and they fly it that way. The reason is that a pivoting wing was just too mechanically complicated compared to simply shaping the wings for supersonic speeds and accepting the compromise of lower efficiency when flying subsonic. “But I don’t see the application right now, because we’ve got a way around what we were trying to fix.” However, the data gathered during those 79 flights has been useful – and we can’t rule out that it could become useful again sometime in the future. The plane first took to the air on December 21, 1979, with NASA research pilot Thomas McMurtry at the controls: “He was anxious about how it would behave,” says Christian Gelzer, chief historian at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. Just over 38 feet long, the single-seat aircraft sat comically low to the ground – due to a short landing gear optimized for less drag – and was just 6.75 feet high. During takeoff and landing, the wing was always in the neutral, or perpendicular, position. “One of the unspoken assumptions in aircraft design is that of bilateral or mirror symmetry,” he wrote in a 1972 scientific study on oblique wings. The idea that a pivoting wing would lead to better supersonic planes was “surprising,” he admitted, but he hoped that he could demonstrate its merits. Larrimer narrates in “Thinking Obliquely,” a NASA book about the AD-1 program. Not many aircraft can claim to be truly one of a kind, but the NASA AD-1 is undoubtedly one of them. A slim pointed cigar with a single wing that pivoted around a central point, which led to a jarring asymmetry in flight.

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Image courtesy of "Screen International"

UK-Ireland box office preview: 'The Fabelmans', 'Plane' take flight in ... (Screen International)

'Pathaan' makes fast start; Venice winner 'All The Beauty…' launches.

[All The Beauty And The Bloodshed](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/all-the-beauty-and-the-bloodshed-venice-review/5174066.article) in 60 locations from today. [All The Beauty…](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/all-the-beauty-and-the-bloodshed-venice-review/5174066.article) has also received significant awards acclaim, with best documentary nominations at the Oscars and Baftas, in addition to prizes from the following critics associations: the National Society, Alliance of Women in Film Journalists, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Florida, Georgia, Austin and Toronto. [All The Beauty…](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/all-the-beauty-and-the-bloodshed-venice-review/5174066.article) depicts the life of artist Nan Goldin, in parallel with her contemporary attempts to hold the Sackler family to account for the opioid epidemic. [300](https://www.screendaily.com/4031042.article). [The Fabelmans](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-fabelmans-toronto-review/5174338.article) is the widest opening title of the weekend, starting in 670 locations (and 767 screens) through eOne. [The Fabelmans](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-fabelmans-toronto-review/5174338.article) has completed the first step of that process, with best picture as one of its seven Oscar nominations alongside best director – where Spielberg is the current bookies’ favourite – best original screenplay for Spielberg and Tony Kushner, and best actress for Michelle Williams. Produced by Piers Tempest’s UK outfit Tempo Productions, the film stars Screen Stars of Tomorrow Hannah John-Kamen ( It followed that up with a £231,466 Tuesday for a £550,814 total before it even hits its first weekend. Spielberg’s highest-grossing film in the UK and Ireland remains July 1993 release Jurassic Park, which started with £4.9m and went on to £48.8m. With Lionsgate action title Plane starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter starts in 511 cinemas. It became Spielberg’s first film to debut at Toronto International Film Festival when screening as a special presentation there in September last year.

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Image courtesy of "Limerick Post"

Limerick peace activist avoids jail for damaging US Navy plane (Limerick Post)

A 78-year-old Limerick peace activist avoided a jail sentence when he was acquitted of a criminal damage charge for damaging a US Navy plane.

Talking to reporters after the judgement, Mr Horgan said: “We won’t be celebrating today. Edward Horgan said the damage caused had no monetary value and the acts had been carried out from an honestly-held belief that they were necessary to protect others. Judge Baxter asked the two men whether they accepted the jury verdict and they replied that they did.

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Image courtesy of "The Irish Sun"

The secret plane feature that could save your life in an emergency... (The Irish Sun)

Swiss Airlines revealed the secret on their TikTok account. Swiss has revealed how the tray table latch is different in exit rows. 2. Swiss has revealed how the ...

Kat Kalamani explained in a video: "If there is an emergency… They explained: "The more you know! [save your life in a plane emergency](https://www.thesun.ie/travel/9265873/flight-attendant-plane-crash-tips-survival/). The egress is how passengers are able to escape a plane in the case of a crisis or extreme situation. In the emergency exit row, the opening of the "Like this in the unlikely event of an emergency, an unintended opening of the tray table (due to people rushing by) is avoided."

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