Trike E-Bikes!

 Two seat versions?

One recently watched a series of videos made by a Polish Gentleman, I took to be a retired seas captain, who made his own one bed camper and it was ingenious to what can be achieved, but I wanted a two sleeper and also cut down on many extras, just keeping it basic and to 8.5 Kilos towing weight!

One also wanted to be able to take a passenger on the trike, with a suitable cover and extra batteries and what could be achieved with speed and distance along with safety?

Many people are buying these trikes to undercut road fines and operate for short journeys, cutting down on burning petrol, but one does not know what the legislation and the law of the road may change regionally in relation to what you can do or not and that make the concept pointless cross regional borders!

Breakthrough in Hydrogen development!

 BMW has the first hydrogen powered vehicle?

For many years now the engine of converting them to other fuels has been something of an issue, but the German car maker claims that they have developed a converter motor withing the axle of their prototype car and this will be the future for motoring, since it requires no conventional engine and a smaller fuel tank if that!

But what it has is it will be far lighter than electric vehicles, while also not over heating in summer and catching fire, while in winter loosing up to 30% of power. 

Something which have caught many drivers with these expensive cars and the waste of time charging them up before moving and having to keep doing so, since the lithium drains in cold weather even when the engine and the vehicle is moving!

Aerobatic/Racing Aircraft. Two.

Always a Demand!

Speed and aerobatics will always be a challenge to the aviator and records want to be broken all the time? Sport flying is adventurous, despite its dangers, people like the thrill and excitement of aircraft in this category?

There are always new concepts and ideas  coming to the fore in aircraft design and many of the worlds light training aircraft started off as competition aircraft before they became the SIA-Marchetti  SF-260 Warrior, Epsilon, Yakolev YAK-9/11, 52, Sukhoi SU-26, Shorts/EMB-Tucano, Pilatus PC-7/9, and many others too numerous to mention from around the world!

Many bi-planes developed from agricultural spray aircraft today fulfil the role of wing walking and other enjoyable aerobatic events!

Railways Future. Part-Two.

Hauling, remains Profitable!

It will be a long time before humanity gives up on its railways, because both passenger travel and the hauling of goods remains big business? We may faster express trains and much improved commuter stock go from the western world to the developing world, but freight may remain the same  with some increased speed and line signalling improvements?

The United States of America, Canada, Australia, Russia, China and Brazil are huge land masses, where the train has come into its own value. Locomotion demands four plus engines to pull two mile long trains through swamp, desert, forestry and ice. The exploration for minerals, fossil fuels and precious metals and stones demands specialist equipment to be supplied.

Some of this can be done without rails, but rails are much faster and direct with telecommunications and eventually gas and oil pipelines marking the almost same route. New towns and cities will also be built along side the new railways, even the remotest places?

Railways Future, One,

Still in demand?

Trains are still as popular as they ever where, from vintage steam to modern high-speed electrics to the most common diesels. Todays railways are getting a literal track revolution with the introduction of new types of materials and closer concreted sleeper sections, almost like building a model railway,

This whole new process has been developed to cut cost and time and it can be laid, while the older track is being removed. Many urban environments are choosing this option over the traditional methods and this is no longer limited to the modern world.

Railways are big business for the movement of freight, goods, materials and food and every nation that has a railway has the potential for great profit and expansion.

Signalling is perhaps the second difficulty for many to update, especially across the developing world? But with limited points and track crossings this may not be as bad as first would seem, radio cab communication and some of the older methods actually work better with the weather conditions than do the dependency on electricity with most modern one?

Engines. Part-Two.

New propulsion, materials and Fuels.

Metal has been the main key component in engines for the past two hundred years, but now that most machines are becoming lighter in their construction and the demand for polymer plastics is on the rise. The aviation industry has developed stronger aluminium and other light metals to incorporate in overall design.

Lighter means more fuel efficiency, while engines no longer have to rely on the need for petroleum!

Hydrogen fusion, water and gasses work better with these newer materials. There is not worry about rust or engines dying so quickly. The newer materials and these new engines will last much longer and probably never really run out because of replacement parts.

The first commercial electric cars are now entering the European market en-mass and they will be followed by many other new innovations. Airbus has broken the market in alternative fuels, while new Russian commercial jets such as the Sukhoi super Jet will take the market. 

The one time business jets are now replacing the low capacity market with Mitsubishi, Bombardier, Embraer and Fairchild-Dornier offering layouts for between 20-30 seating.

This will undermine the Boeing 737-600/700 and the Airbus A319-100, who have tried to compete with Embraer E-Jet success.
 
Many machines such as locomotives are cutting down on the need for large body shells, some are aero-dynamic for extra speed.

Rockets such as SpaceX if combined with the Progress modules could lead to some interesting space developments along with improved nuclear engines for faster space flight?

Antonov Family. Part-Two.

Into the Jet age with the An-72/74.

The need for speed was perhaps one of the driving forces in the demand for this type of aircraft transport, which may also be seen as their copy of the BAE 146-100. 

The same principles for the An-24/32 was still demanded in this jet age version, but it was not initially as successful as the turbo props? Perhaps because it was not offered for export for some time and the turbo-props were good enough for foreign export.

India received the type and like the Antonov-28/32 was permitted a license to build their own. This policy continues to this day. One cannot be sure if the Ukraine is still capable of building and exporting or if the aero facilities have been moved to the Russian federation.

Apart from the giants like the An-124/224, a smaller aircraft to replace the An-22 was long overdue with the development of the An-70 transport. it has very good weight lift capability and uses the twisted propellers of the Tupolev Tu-95 bears.

Antonov followed with its own version of the BAE/RJ-100/300, but only with to engines rather than four. This aircraft has seen better success in the civilian commercial market one believes instead of the military.

High Speed Trains. Part-Two.

The Future for Every Nation?

It would seem to be the most popular idea today that every nation should have their own version of the well known and established high speed trains, but is this really possible? 

Larger countries have the space and the need for this type of travel, because their remain many people with a fear of flying that demand ground speed and comforts.

But some countries do not have the ability or the present need for such systems and perhaps never will have either? The Channel Tunnel between Great Britain has demanded that the European network be extended into HS2, thus connection Scotland and Wales with European cities. Similar projects have worked for Denmark and Sweden, but at this time both Turkey and Ireland, Iceland and Finland are exempt from being connected.

Many nations have done their own things and are perhaps behind in speed, rather than length of track age and perhaps see no need for anything further at the moment. 

Freight perhaps will benefit from high speed, over the vast inland areas of Africa, Asia, Australia and the American continents, but they will not be replacing cargo shipping.

High Speed Trains. Part-One.

From the Bullet to ICE.

Over the last seventy years Japan with its Bullet, France and the TVG and now Germany and the ICE have made serious breakthroughs in speed and comfort to get people from A-B/Z. Japan was the first to develop a really high speed train and despite Earthquakes and many other disasters the system has expanded and continues to grow.

France was determined to have a similar system to fan out from its capital Paris and be also part of a wider European network, even before there was one. The Channel Tunnel has allowed a serious extension to be made, but within the U.K. this remains limited and future plans are being delayed.

On the other hand Germany has joined the European network with its own sleek version known as ICE, while Italy, Switzerland are also developing their versions and linking up with France and Germany.

Getting about.

The Automobile, Car.

It is being claimed that within the next ten-years all petrol driven cars will have given way to electric ones. This will be over other types and developments already under way, cars that are electric will of course be silent.

Another development is the driver less car which is already making progress, but I wonder what the side effects of all this new and cleaner technology will bring? 

Will the governments be able to override our speed on the roads and motorways, will they be able to track us with built in chips or will we all be under security surveillance. 

Despite the many good concepts, there is always an opposite and more sinister one.

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-Two.

Russia.

The Soviet Union took advantage of this platform and developed several military and civil crafts.
The largest being the Babochka (Butterfly), which became a Naval Fast attack Missile Hydrofoil, capable of speeds in excess of 50 Knots. It was powered by 3x 12-15000 hp Diesel turbine engines.

These type of craft were designed to patrol river estuaries and to intercept intruders. Speed was initially essential but as missile technology and satellite linked systems have improved a hostile could be knocked out at some distance.

Hydrofoils are venerable to loosing their legs, but speed and system technology has improved their chances as a fighting machine, Russian went on to develop slightly smaller FAC and a whole host of civil hydrofoils as ferries in their vast country where in some places this is the only suitable means of travel.

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.

Super Trains.

British HS-II.

London to Birmingham is the several billion pounds new high speed rail link being proposed from London to Birmingham and then further afield to Leeds, Manchester and to be part of a full European connection.

Railways of nearly all types remain a good investment and effective part of economic infrastructure to the prosperity of any nation. Britain says 'that it needs this new form of high-speed rail to take advantage of the Channel tunnel.' 

In some cases, when it is built and up and running, it would mean that one could take a train from any point to Europe and by pass the Capital London stop.

But in light of the recent flooding and the appearance of many sink holes I do hope that they build in the right place, rather than just any old straight lines?

High Speed Rail.

From Bullet Train to ?

Most modern countries around the world today have developed their own version of a high speed concept train. France TGV, Germany, ICE and Japan the 'bullet and newer versions of it.

The UK plans to build a high speed dedicated network from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, with much controversy. 

The question to be asked, are these projects viable for everyone? Is speed essential and what about the movement of freight? 

Meanwhile many countries will have to continue with their current express trains.

Luxury Cars.

Is there any value in owning a luxury car?

What do we want in a car, speed, 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, comfort, style and taste are these the essential keys to owning any car.

If we own this type of car, is to impress others, to say who we are or is it just for our own pleasure, and to express our self-achievement? 

There are many models today on the market from stylish racey numbers to the more sublime and gentle, so what ever you can afford or want it is out there. Some cars are hand made, perhaps the personnel touch has more quality attached to it?

Porche, Lamborgene, BMW, Aston Martin, Mustang, Ferrari, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lotus, Morgan, are but a few of what is available.