Aircraft Archives

Insider: 4 Tips on How to Select the Right Tires for Your Vehicle

February 12, 2019March 29, 2018 by Auto Industry Insider

When it comes to buying new tires for your vehicle, finding places to purchase them is fairly easy. What’s more challenging, however, is deciding which type is best for your car. While tire shop employees should be adept at steering you — pun fully intended — in the right direction, it’s still a good idea to be fully educated on the correct tires for your car. With that in mind, the following tips can help you select the right tires for your particular vehicle: 1. Determine What Size Tire You Need Much like you shop for the proper shoe size to fit your feet, your wheels require a specific size of tire to operate. To determine the recommended size of your tires for your vehicle, you can inspect the current set on your car or truck or look over your owner’s manual for this information. According to Consumer Reports, the information …

2018 Bell & Ross BELLYTANKER Inspired By Bonneville vMax Racers

February 12, 2019September 15, 2017 by Tom Burkart

Achieving top speeds with piston engines is almost all about aero. Yes, thrust is key to get you above 100-mph. And stability is critical for being able to comfortably reach 150-mph over the flat, but actually pretty choppy, salt flats of Bonneville. Anything over 200-mph takes a seriously slippery shape. The drag forces rise to exponentially with each extra MPH at that point. You really need to be in as slippery a shape as possible. During the post-war maverick days of the late 1940s and 1950s, the engineers involved had to find the most sleek, ultra teardrop shape imaginable. Military surplus items were the right lightweight titanium and aluminum alloys. Fuel tanks mounted below aircraft for extra range were prime contenders for the lowest drag in an enclosed shape. Some bombs matched this shape and size profile too. Both were in ready supply in peacetime. This is the world the …

2017 ItalDesign x Airbus Pop.Up – Concept Debrief

February 12, 2019August 4, 2017 by Tom Burkart

Maybe all those ‘flying car’ dreamers and visionaries were just too smart – by half. What if a self-piloted EV road module was left behind when your drone-copter arrives? That self-driving EV skateboard could drive itself home or to meet you later at the office. Meanwhile, your transport pod will be under the eight counter-rotating blades of the quad-copter above you? Pretty intense in how real this fantasy traffic-avoider feels. Thrilled to have the big brains of Giugiaro and Airbus working together to flesh out the idea. Here is a crude animation of how this will work. The insight is rock solid: three innovations are coming to maturity in a few years at the same time. Each a game-changer: — long-range EVs — self-driving cars — heavy-lift UAV quadcopters The Pop.Up is impressively finished as an engineering exercise. 60-mile range for the drone, and a max (unladen) flying speed of 60-mph as …

RM Monaco 2016 – 1950 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Roadster – War, Peace and Speed Records

February 13, 2019April 7, 2016 by Tom Burkart

You can almost sense that how much post-war Jaguar was still heady with knowledge and insights from designing torpedos, fighter planes and bombers. On the return to civilian life, that knowledge greatly enhanced the performance of their vehicles. Their insight into light construction, aerodynamics and pure, function-first aesthetics is clear to see on this XK120 Alloy from 1950. We love how these weapons-designers applied a softer, lighter mood overall to this sports roadster. Its baby blue color only reinforces the peace-making mission this car would tackle. The hints of brutality and war, however, are not hard to find in this iconic machine’s design however. There is a sense that they knew this car’s speed and beauty were not trivial, but rather: life-or-death. 132.6-mph, by the way, made this the fastest car in the world at its launch. Mission accomplished, chaps. 1950 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Roadster 1950 Jaguar XK 120 Alloy Roadster Chassis no. …

Top 7 Soviet Concept Cars – GAZ Streamliners, Armored Snowmobile, JetCar and HoverCar!

February 13, 2019April 1, 2016 by Tom Burkart

GAZ is best known these days as the maker of the iconic Volga limousine, but the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (Gorky Car Plant) was also tasked with creating one-off prototypes and concept vehicles throughout the Cold War period. Their feasibility for mass production still remains questionable all this time later, but they are wacky and show clever ingeniuty. And a willingness to experiment! Here are six extra curious models, starting with the most recent and moving back in time from 1962 to 1950. You may note the striking evolution of GAZ vehicles in this same period. From streamlined aero prototypes at first, to jet-engine and maybe even rocket-powered ideas later on, to win Land Speed Records more than cruise to the shops. And finally, the obligatory hovercar! This one is made of aircraft alloy — but still looks a bit heavy for an easy float over land or water. Lost to time, …

Range Rover Autobiography Helps Christen VIRGIN GALACTIC SS2 Unity

February 13, 2019February 21, 2016 by Tom Burkart

The revised SpaceShipTwo from Virgin Galactic made its debut this week — towed into the glamorous launch ceremony by none other than the best 4×4-by-far! The Range Rover Autobiography is a dashingly tiny vehicle versus this rocket-powered space plane. Towing in such a gigantic aircraft is a great showcase of the Rangie’s 7700-pound max tow rating. Speeds were considerably lower here than normal highway towing…. but there is no better-looking trailer… in the universe! Range Rover Autobiography – Virgin Galactic SS2 Unity RANGE ROVER HELPS UNVEIL NEW VIRGIN GALACTIC SPACESHIPTWO AT GLOBAL REVEAL AND NAMING CEREMONY 19/02/16 – Land Rover’s partnership with Virgin Galactic celebrated as Range Rover Autobiography tows new SpaceShipTwo at global reveal and naming event – Sir Richard Branson on board the luxury SUV as it tows1 the new spaceship – named VSS Unity, by Professor Stephen Hawking – at the Mojave Air and Space Port …

JOTA is Back in HUNT! 2016 Jaguar XJR Dragraces JetMan Dubai

February 13, 2019December 16, 2015 by Tom Burkart

XJ. Not XF or XE. This is the big daddy superlimo, the XJR, in rare form! Jaguar has really upped its content-creation budget, and we are all the beneficiaries! The new XJR driven by F1 legend Martin Brundle races aginst Yves Rossy in a 1.75-mile matchup. The four rockets of the ‘jetman’ are all fired and pushing hard as the new XJR stomps the gas, with the winner declared at a finish line deep in the sandy horizon. The XJR is showcasing its latest rear-drive power and launch traction, courtesy of a new ASPC (all surface progress control) that lets the stonking 5.0-liter supercharged V8 put down huge power even in low-grip conditions. This is a big advancement. It is a supercomputer versus most ESP and TCS systems, that just pump the brakes and cut the ingnition timing to regain grip when times are tough. This new system is …

Bell & Ross BR-X1 Skeleton Carbon Forgé Leads New Lightweight Timepiece Collection

February 13, 2019December 2, 2015 by Tom Burkart

A new dream-watch just launched! The Bell & Ross BR-X1 is named to honor the Bell X-1 supersonic test plane from 1947 — and employs tech just as advanced for 2015 watchmaking. Four initial styles of the BR-X1 are part of a very limited-release initial collection. The favorite of ours is the Carbon Forge model — as it has a very unique marbled finish, tinted sapphire crystal, and should be much lighter than the typical BR watches. Milled from single pieces of alloy, the heft of their watches makes you feel important. But does take time to get comfortable with the scale of it on your wrist. No weights are given for the Carbon Forge BR-X1, but its aerospace-grade spec five titanium should weigh in less than aluminum alloy, and less than half the heft of stainless steel alloys. The titanium is melds with a unique carbon ceramic polymer before …

RingBrothers Carbon Fiber Mustang GT-R on HRE Wheels Hits Airbase for GORGEOUS Photoshoot

February 13, 2019November 29, 2015 by Tom Burkart

This is the most stunning thing you will see all day! The ‘ESPIONAGE Mustang: a full carbon-fiber Mustang running gorgeous retro-mod HRE wheels in polished gunmetal grey. It is a stunning car — and the process of making it real is almost more fascinating than the end product! Almost. RingBrothers Carbon Fiber Mustang GT-R on HRE Wheels Construction Process – RingBrothers Cabin You May Also Like:RingBrothers SPLITR Carbon Mustang on HRE RB Edition Wheels If you loved the previous RingBrothers HRE special, steady your heart for its even-meaner brother! Dubbed SPLITR, this is another flawless carbon-fiber and CNC-milled bespoke Mustang from heaven. Another fairy patriotic livery for this SPLITR, with exposed cabon-fiber elements and unique lighting making it feel very special indeed. These two are breathtakers, for sure. They launch the RingBrothers RB Edition wheel line from HRE, with four cuts in 19-22-inch sizes and dozens …