@pjcard: Around double a conventional helicopter.

Not really a gyroplane. Those use an unpowered main rotor and are in a constant state of autorotation. They are capable of short take offs and landings, but not a sustained hover. This would be better called a compound helicopter.

@Thalantas: Just don't read the track listing like Star Wars ep 1, with it's track "The Death of Qui Gon Jinn" I thought it had ruined the movie for me, then I actually, er, saw the movie, and it ruined itself.

@mramon26: On the wikipedia article about this, they mention this was the subject of a sic-fi novel whereas aliens set up these reactors to kickstart evolution.

@NyQuilPillz: Fell off the wagon, eh?

Hey! I was there! I was standing by to evac people, but the Coasties took care of it. All I did was an environmental flight after. Two small slicks, all the safety equipment worked and automatically shut the platform good.

@Mad_Science: gotta take your pants off first though

@The Lone Scout: Can FB commenters even get stars? I suppose I should just sign up for a Gawker commenting account one of these days...

@The Lone Scout: Wouldnt be funny if it was good news? "Mr. President, Mittens just gave birth the 4 kittens." "I'm sorry, who is this?"

@hawkeye18: He was IN an episode of TNG

@bobdobbs: yeah, pesky science, always asking questions, trying new ways to observe the world. Why can't they just leave us all alone?!?

@Igor Neumann: There is no way that wouldn't overheat though...

Upper right, red handle. That's an engaged rotor brake, fellas. Also, the tower in the top left doesn't look like any tower I've ever landed next to offshore, but that one could go either way.

@klyph: May I ask to see those calculations? Because in order for your conjecture to be correct, the shockwave would have to be only 2 years behind the light from the explosion. 2 year difference over 5 billion years? MY calculations put that shockwave at 99.9999999996c but at that point, I'm not sure if a shockwave…

@Daveinva: lol!

The destruction of this nation is imminent - so start calling on Jesus and The Holy Ghost now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolotry.

@Wescat: Same here, no problems or complaints at all. I'm not a blind fan boy, but I haven't found anything to complain about!

Up next: a class action lawsuit against Gizmodo for not releasing the results of the cellphone photo contest...

@7ruthslayer: Burnout Reference! Not lost on all of us!

You do know that no modern airliner has controls that extend more than about 6 inches behind the dash before a computer extrapolates everything anyway, right? If you take an A-380 and Jack the stick all the way to the right, the computer says "well, ok, we will go right, but only thiiiis fast" the only thing keeping…