Citroen Ami.

 The urban electric future or a death Trap?

This is one of the most initiative designs of the new electric car for urban travel, but with a 22Kg battery and adapter one can extend the range beyond 46 miles and double it up.

But there are issues, speed is 30MPH/46kmh, it is wise to go a bit slower and it could overturn on sharp corners, with the passenger getting more hurt than the driver?

Other issues with this 2-metre tiny car are the roof is black and it will get very hot in the summer, while in the winter it will get very steamy, with little heat to clear the windows and only one windscreen wiper?

Some customers have said theirs leaks, but despite all that is against it such as it is cutting power after twenty miles to 10Mph, it has a lot going for it, easy parking and it will be well able to handle the new speed restrictions in towns and cities and you don't have to pay ULEZ charges in London and the equivalents in other places.

Thinking outside the Box?

Design and Concepts!

What makes engineering and development into new inventions is to come up with something completely different from what we see and understand now? 

This is the product of genius and their are a few alive today, but it has to be the right financial backing that will help to take the chances that are needed in research!

When we look at various ideas that are coming to the fore, based on the knowledge that we now have some may be impossible to achieve that is why vision is called for to make these things happen!

Humanity can rush into many things for political reasons and for their own egoism or showmanship, but we do not want to make the mistakes of the past in chancing it and hoping all will go well?

Sukhoi Super Jet 100-95.

Now in Service.

This will perhaps be the beginning of new revolution in Russian aircraft design and exports world wide? The best aviation has marked Russia as a world leader from its first take to the skies? 

Apart from the many accidents of the past Soviet era, which may have much to do with the weather conditions played upon by the western propaganda?

Sukhoi was only know to us until recent years as a military jet producer, but this break into the civil field come in the light that Antonov and others are based in the Ukraine?

Economical fuel consumption jets are the future for the ever expanding fleets and the problems with global warming and climate change issues? Speed and comfort are the next along with reliability, new design and smaller layouts seem to be more in demand than the larger aircraft?

Corperate to Commercial Jets. Part-One.

Business to Small Airlines.

There is more of a demand today for the smaller commercial jet, than has ever been seen. 

The business jet offered from 8 to 20 seats, privacy and speed, but today with the success story of the Fairchild-Dornier 328J at 18-to 28 seats many manufacturers are now seeing a market for their aircraft?

Bombardier and Mitsubishi are taking the market off Boeing, Cessna, Gulfstram, Beech and Embraer, because they have designed the right size and seating capacity for the airlines. 

The Boeing 737-600 is still to big for many small airlines, while the Sukhoi S-100J Superjet still has to prove itself. Meanwhile the Airbus A319-100 and various versions have just not come up to the mark.

Sukhoi. Part-One.

T-50. 

Sukhoi is part of a great Russian legacy in aircraft design and development, which today is being topped with the T-50 Stealth combat aircraft and the Sukhoi-100 Superjets. We first heard this Chinese sounding name in the 1960's with a new generation of Soviet fighters that looked similar to the MIG Jets, but they were different in their own right.

It was the debut of the Sukhoi SU-27 as a naval launched fighter that changed everything for the west. The collapse of Soviet Russia revealed that Sukhoi was one of the leading designers back in the day of the MIG-15 Midget and its aircraft were better, but remained secret.

The T-50 is a revolution in Russian military design and now with the coldness returning, will prove the be one of the main fighters of the new Russian Federation. The Superjet is taking the world market with orders all over the globe. 

When Russia gets it right, they get it right for a long haul!

Modern Trams and Metros. Part-One.

Improved Technology.

Modern trams and the various other light rail systems today are a far cry from say seventy years ago. These newer systems and machines have better design and layout, but that is to be expected. We can only learn to improve by experience, trail and error in anything.

The computer, battery technology and design for capacity layout has been a great advantage. Speed and comfort are also improved considerations, employed in some countries with security measures.

The building of town extensions, new town has forced planners to improve the use of both the metro and tram to go to the best pic up and dropping points for both day and night use.

Blade Runners. Part-One.

An Introduction to the Hydrofoil.

This is perhaps the most prolific ship design that has ever been conceived, to lift up a weight on a blade. today we associate blade running with athletics and that is an amazing feat of engineering in its own right.

The era of the Hydrofoils were the 1950's and it seems there was great competition across the globe to build and have one. Italy, Russia and the United State of America, took full opportunity to build them in all sizes and sleekness of design. 

Bolivian Arrow, 14-ton, 40 seater, Russian Burevestnik, 41-67-tom 130-150 seat river ferry, Italian RHS 70, 32-ton, 71 seat passenger ferry and the U.S Flagstaff 1 (PHG-1) US Coastguard 67.5-ton, with a 40knot speed.

Today they are not as popular, as they once were but they remain in operation in several countries as a novelty design concept.

Ships. Part-One.

A Essential Need.

The first ship ever built, was perhaps Noah's Ark? What we know of this vessel is to be found in the Bile, Tanakh and the Koran. We believe it to be made of Gopher wood, but since we do not know what Gopher is, it may not have been wood/

Ever since humans have had water, they have built all types of boats from hollowed out trees to reed rafts, boats and coracles. The boat was a vehicle to move from A to B/Z, to carry one or two persons across a lake or a river and eventually the sea's and Oceans.

Goods, weapons and other loads, boats for warfare and for fishing were perhaps the first essentials. Today ships come in all sizes and shapes, some are used to carry general cargo, others are much larger such as the bulk carriers and carry coal, ores and even the largest tankers are for gas and crude oil.

They all work on the same design and principles and are mostly of the same shape, apart from specialist ships. Humans have increased size and development in the warship from sailed cannon carriers to nuclear powered aircraft carriers such as the Nimitz class.

We also live in the age of underwater travel and their are a whole host of passenger ferry ships from river craft to super luxury liners. 

But what is the future of shipping?

Yachts.

Yachting...

The modern Yacht captures the charm and the challenges of the sail ship on a much smaller scale. But to captain or work a Yacht is a very demanding event, especially in a racing event or a single handed around the world trip.

Yachts are for pleasure and sport, but in earlier days some were used in world exploration trips. Racing yachts of various types have helped in the development of improved hull design in bigger ships and military patrol vessels. Speed and stability are the two keys to ship design improvements.

As a carrier they have only really become associated with the smuggling and illegal importation of narcotics.

'On My Bicycle.'

The bicycle is probably the most basic and commonest form of transport, that the human mind has ever conceived. 

There are millions of them out there and they can be found everywhere in every type of environment. Obviously snow and sand may be not. From the Penny Farthing and early French developments, which had no pedals. The bike is now light weight and a racing machine in its own right.

It is also good for exercise and in extremely environmentally friendly. But withing the environs of the large cities, it can be a death trap to the automobiles.

But as a tricycle it is transport for millions in the third-world. The Rickshaw can be used to transport people and goods and it is a clever adaption. 

But what does the future hold for this wonderful mode of simple transport?

The Monotony of Design.

The Monotony of Commercial jets.

Where has design in the aviation industry gone? 

Fifty years ago every new aircraft that was produced had a different shape, but now everything seems to have gone boring with all the same. 

Please will some one wake-up and do something different?