Simple Simon

The future is a little closer this month, with Boom taking a leap forward and presenting their XB-1 1/3rd-scale ‘little brother’ version of the ideal next generation supersonic passenger jet. ‘Baby Boom’ as it has been dubbed, may not be taking flight until next year, but it will pave the way for the new Concorde of the skies.

Even better the aircraft designers are showcasing a potential dream interior for the aircraft with its 1 x 1 super large business class suites taking centre stage inside the supersonic delta wing aircraft.

These thrones may not turn into luxurious long flatbeds but that is not because the airline is skimping on comfort. But when a transatlantic flight with Boom will only take a few hours, there is only just enough time to have a 11.3 mile high fine-dining meal before starting the descent.

Naturally the airline seems to be showing off high-tech seats, with climate control, all the technological connections a modern day traveller would require, but perhaps nothing can compare with the sight of the curve of the earth from each passengers dedicated larger-than-normal window – something that wasn’t available to Concorde passengers, but due to technological advancements and composite materials, is now a reality.

The project may be the first independent supersonic passenger project, but it’s already received interest from the speed junkie of the Aviation world. “I have long been passionate about aerospace innovation and the development of high-speed commercial flights,” said Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. “As an innovator in the space, Virgin Galactic’s decision to work with Boom was an easy one. We’re excited to have an option on Boom’s first 10 airframes. Through Virgin Galactic’s manufacturing arm, The Spaceship Company, we will provide engineering and manufacturing services, along with flight test support and operations as part of our shared ambitions.”

If the project is successful over the next couple of years, expect Virgin and Delta to start to heat up the transAtlantic and transcontinental race, taking the mantle from British Airways and bringing it to the competition.

The supersonic facts

1. First independently developed supersonic jet: Previously, supersonic flight has been the province of governments and militaries. The XB-1 is the first independently developed and privately-funded supersonic jet.

2. Fastest Civil Aircraft Ever: Cruising at Mach 2.2 (1,451mph), the Boom jets will be 10% faster than Concorde and 2.6X faster than other airliners.

3. State of the Art, Proven Technology: Leveraging 50 years’ progress in fundamental aerospace technologies, Boom uses proven tech (aerodynamics, materials, propulsion) to create a revolutionary new design. While the design is new, every key technology has already been proven safe and reliable on other commercial aircraft.

4. Premium Passenger Experience: With one spacious seat on each side of the aisle, each passenger has a large window, a personal overhead bin, and direct aisle access. Cruising up to 60,000’, passengers experience a smoother ride with less turbulence.

5. Safety First: The Boom design meets or exceeds industry and regulatory safety guidelines. Boom’s aim is to create an aircraft that is safe, fast, and a pleasant to fly.

 

animals-riding-animals:

cat riding dog

Tieme Pool (Website | Facebook | Twitter) visited Scotland with his Nikon D7100 camera and Nikkor 10-24mm lens:

In the fast-moving world of technology, the Nikon D7100 is already ancient, and while the D7x00 series has been known as a semiprofessional body, the D5x00 series has been getting better and better. As specially since the D5200, the D5x00 series even beats the D7x00 on some aspects of image quality. My Nikon D7100 has been my reliable companion since 2014, and many people wonder why they should buy the D7x00 series over the D5x00.

As mentioned, the D5x00 series is getting better and better in image quality, but there are a few advantages if you own a Nikon D7x00. First off, the build quality is slightly better. It is weather sealed (which is a big plus if you’re an outdoors photographer like me), the viewfinder is slightly bigger and brighter, battery life is better too, and the autofocus system is superb. Besides, you have an additional memory card slot in the D7x00, it has a built-in focus motor (good for old, non-AF, lenses), and is faster in burst mode.

Even older is my Nikon 10-24 wide angle lens, introduced in 2009, and never upgraded by Nikon ever since. And with this trustworthy combination, I went out to one of the counties that every photographer wants to visit: the Highlands and the Isle of Skye in Scotland. To make sure my beloved camera didn’t feel alone, I also brought his friends, a Gitzo tripod, a B+W polariser, and a pair of Lee filters (I tried Cokin for a while, but it just didn’t work for me. Not just the colour cask, also the reduction of sharpness).

I started in the Highlands, as a friend of me, working on his mountain guide license, took me into the wilderness near the Ben Nevis, the Grey Corries, and the Mamores.

The hike in the wilderness was amazing. Drinking from waterfalls and creeks isn’t possible in The Netherlands (we don’t have waterfalls to begin with, and the water will get you sick quickly). And to do so was a fantastic experience.

The Lee filters I use are a Graduated Natural Density filter, to darken the skies, and The Big Stopper. This is a Natural Density filter that reduces the light getting into the camera by a thousand times, to create long exposure shots during daylight, like the waterfall above.

The downside of the trip were the many midges battling me whenever there was no wind. A midge is a mosquito with the size of a fruit fly. And why are they so bad? They attack in large groups!

My next stop was the Isle of Skye, I did that alone. And my beloved Nikon 10-24 showed to be a trustworthy friend. I was tired of the long days (wake up way before sunrise and go to sleep after sunrise) and the hikes, and got a bit sloppy. I switched lenses, so I removed the Nikon 10-24 and attached a Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR II. As I acted quick, I placed my Nikon 10-24 on the ground, and not so sturdy. While attaching the 70-200, my 10-24 decided to bounce of the rocks! I couldn’t catch it, that would mean dropping my 70-200 and D7100, so I had to let it bounce. In horror I ran down the rocks, my lens must have bounced at least 15 times, about 10 meters down the rocks… The lens cap had fallen of the B+W polarizing filter, and with my heart beating in my throat, I checked my lens. No broken glass, no scratches… Nothing! Even the filter wasn’t scratched! What a relieve, the Photography gods must have liked me that day!

During my first day on the Isle of Skye I visited Neist Point and Portree. What a spectacular Island! Portree is the largest town of Skye, yet still very small.

Neist Point is a rock and lighthouse in the area Waterstein. This is positioned in the west, so perfect for the sunset.

As my trip was all about hiking, I went out the Quiraing the next day. This is a must do hike for photographers on Skye!

Two other fun attractions are Kilt Rock and the Lealt Falls. Beware though: these are proper tourists attractions, so for me this was a stop and go moment!

On the third day, I was still happy my Nikon 10-24 survived the fall down the rocks. And the Lee ND Grad Filters were of great service too! Our cameras are not able to capture a wide range of light intensity. So darkening the sky using a filter, is a great option to avoid blown out parts of the photo. As this country looks like a fairytale (many movies have been recorded here), I moved on the the Fairy Pools. A spectacular set of waterfalls (the colours are impressive, not the size) which you have to visit around sunrise. As during the day, tourists swarm (and ruin) this place.

The cool colours of the waterfall, and the warm colours of the sunrise are spectacular! And with the Black Cuillins in the background, the scene is complete. If you are here during sunrise, it is mesmerizing!

And if you are in good shape, continue your hike towards the mountains, where most tourists don’t go.

Later that day I captured the sunset at Talisker Bay (after visiting the Distillery obviously!).

On my final day on Skye I paid a visit to probably the most photographed rock formation on Skye, the Old man of Storr. A cliché spot, but a must do.

On my way back to the mainland of Scotland, I said one final goodbye to Sligachan. A small village (although I haven’t seen any houses), with a spectacular view on the Black Cuillins.

I was lucky to avoid the rain, probably more famous than the gorgeous landscape, and had a fantastic pair of hikes. I hope you enjoyed my pictures, and thank you so much for watching!

If you have an interesting idea for a guest post, you can contact me here.

If you thought the Great Wall was great before, just wait a few more years!

Dear Jim, could you please paint the chestburster scene from Alien as portrayed by famous TV puppets, with Zippy from Rainbow as John Hurt being held down as a human hand bursts through his stomach.

ealadubhsidhe

Now available as a T-shirt and print: https://jimll.co.uk/products/chestburster-t-shirt

13 F-22 Raptors and 9 other aircraft found a shelter in the NASA hangar at Langley. The image above was posted by the Commander of the 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. It shows 13 F-22 Raptors along with 9 other aircraft for a collective 22 planes squeezed inside inside a giant NASA Langley […]

Drilling a small hole into the shell of an iPhone 7 won't help you find the device's "hidden" headphone jack.

For those who have an interest in Mexican archaeology and anthropology, you may get a little excited to see one of Mexico’s most famous deities adorning Aeromexico’s brand new 787-9. Named Quetzalcoatl, meaning “Feathered Serpent,” the new livery was the winning design from the carrier’s ‘Design in the Air’ competition.

Taking an eye-watering nine days to paint, (Six days longer than was originally planned) the design offers a unique fusion of tradition and modernity and acts as the perfect vehicle to celebrate the carrier’s brand new 787-9 aircraft.

In November 2014, Aeromexico’s contest was launched via social media and at several universities, inviting participants to submit a creative image to be painted on an aircraft’s fuselage. More than 1,000 participants presented their designs during the four-week contest period, 400 of which were chosen for meeting the requirements established in the rules. The winning design was created by graphic designer José Manuel Escudero of the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Aeromexico CEO Andres Conesa said “At Aeromexico, we are very excited about the buzz the Quetzalcoatl design has generated. As Mexico’s flagship carrier, this aircraft will become an icon of our fleet and a reflection of what Mexico is today, with culture and tradition represented in what we consider to be one of the most sophisticated creations of modern aviation engineering.”

The first of 10 787-9’s for the carrier, Aeromexico is the second airline in Latin America to operate the model. The aircraft type has been incredibly popular with airlines around the world. Aeromexico state in their press release “If an airline places an order for a 787 today, it could take between 10 to 15 years for it to be delivered.” With a fuselage measuring 20 feet longer than the 787-8, the 787-9 has capacity for 48 additional passengers on longer routes (up to 300 more nautical miles) with 20% greater fuel efficiency, and up to 20% fewer emissions than the aircraft this model is replacing.

The airline has hinted at even more developments, saying that it will wait until the plane lands in Mexico to unveil the interior of this new aircraft that will change its customers’ travel experience.

Nao from Tomii Cycles always designs the best paint jobs and products, with the newest being these watermelon caps. Clean, simple and made in Austin, Texas by Rothera. Scoop one up you can now pre-order these sold out caps at Tomii Cycles today!

A swarm of honey bees found hanging from the exhaust nozzle of an F-22 Raptor stealth jet’s engine. On Jun. 11, 192nd Fighter Wing Aircraft Maintainers found something weird during post-flight operations checks at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia: a swarm of honey bees hanging from the exhaust nozzle of an F-22 Raptor engine. “A cloud […]

Few pictures from the NPS (Nikon Professional Services) station at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The photos from Vincent Kalut @vkalut (Instagram | Twitter | Facebook) / Photo News are copyrighted and used with permission:

Beijing bodybuilders by Pierre Alivon

I am a Leica addict photographer and acquire new lenses regularly depending on my projects (and my mood). I settled in Beijing almost one year ago and I am impressed with how attractive the Brand is here. People on the street ask me about my Leica or even open their window in a traffic jam to talk about it. When I ask people if I can take a picture, they see my Leica and instantly say yes. One thing I really appreciate is that the camera is very discreet and people I shoot don't take it too seriously and remain relaxed. In September, I began to take pictures of Beijing every day. I decided to use my Leica MP 240 as well as the Lenses Summicron 35 mm and Leica wide Super-Elmar-M-ASPH 18 mm. With these two lenses I could get all the scenes that made this amazing city. I went through hot summers, freezing cold winters, snow, heavily polluted days, charming springs, blue skies; and I am just now discovering the thunderstorms of June (and July I guess).

I encountered a lot of people with this project and the Chinese continue to follow up with me as I publish my pictures on WeChat, which is the most popular app that everybody uses here. Sometimes people contact me through WeChat to ask me to shoot some special events. This is how I got called to a bodybuilders contest that took place in Daxing University on June 5. Although I had to wake up very early, I said yes to add something unique to my "A year in Beijing" photography project. I also made a short video to support my project, all of them taken with my Leica MP240:

This contest took place in the outskirts of Beijing (Daxing University) and gathered mainly young men that worked in Fitness clubs in the Beijing area. There were also some schools that presented their students. In fact, you can't participate in this contest unless you are presented by an official organization. Participants arrive early around 6:30 am in order to prepare for the contest that starts at 9 am and ends at 4 pm. The bodybuilders first put some special brown color on their body to emphasize their muscles and then drank beer immediately, followed by some exercise since the alcohol would help bring more blood to their muscles.

What is impressive is that their bodies could trick some into thinking they could be a bit aggressive with too much adrenaline, but in reality, you really felt a lot kindness among the bodybuilders.

Some of the rooms were quite small and thanks to my Leica MP240 with Summicron 35 mm and Leica wide Super-Elmar-M-ASPH 18 mm, I could take pictures without embarrassing the bodybuilders. I was welcomed by these bodybuilders who were happy to let me take pictures of them.

These photographs are part of a one year series in Beijing where I took pictures every day to show daily life of Beijingers. This project can be seen on www.memoriesoftheworld.fr.

If you have an interesting idea for a guest post, you can contact me here.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
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"Leonardo of the Chalkboard."