The attitude changes are not really due to crosswind. They are due to windshear. A steady crosswind is not a problem. You just control into the wind and crab out on touchdown. However when the wind is very variable in direction and/or velocity, it is impossible to know exactly what changes are coming up. It makes life…

In theory. However in the end Saturn turned out to be cheaper anyway. Overhaul of those bits was really expensive and given the much higher deadweight per launch it would have been better to use disposable launchers. The US military realized this quite early and pretty much walked away from the Shuttle for anything…

This thing runs on a desktop PC from 1995?

All aircraft are certified to land at maximum weight. However some large aircraft such as the 777 and 747 have such a high fuel fraction that landing early after planning for a long flight leads to a landing that carries more risk than a normal one.

Fuel dumps are about landing weight, not fire hazards. Landing a widebody at high weights means a longer landing run, higher risk of a heavy landing, higher brake temperatures...

Interesting. I’ve never heard of that. The good news is that it hasn’t kept you from flying.

Somewhat surprisingly, quite a few pilots are scared of heights, including myself. Flying doesn’t seem to trigger it at all.

Endurance is one of the most important flight planning considerations. That won’t change with an electric plane.

Only very large aeroplanes have the capability of dumping fuel. We’re talking Boeing or Airbus 33o. Not even a Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 has fuel dumping capability. General aviation planes certainly do not have it.

The E-Fan dramatically improves safety by totally eliminating flammable aviation fuel from the equation. Fewer combustibles onboard an E-Fan significantly reduces the risk of injury or death for pilots, passengers, first responders and others.

Because the Saturn V was a crash program and is now 50 years old. Starting from scratch at this point would yield a more efficient and less costly vehicle.

That’s an enduring myth, but a myth nonetheless.

They did not lose the plans. That is a myth. They are still stored in multiple locations, including the US National Archives.

The mill doesn’t have to be that big. The propulsion requirements for climbing out of a gravity well and for transferring from orbit to orbit are rather different.

Came to see this comment. Left satisfied.

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Speaking as a Swede who has lived in the US for many years, the cultural difference when it comes to nudity is huge. In Sweden you’d think nothing of being in the sauna naked with (also naked) members of the opposite sex, for example. It’s just not a big deal.

If the US military can't retain the A-10, perhaps the powers that be can be convinced to procure a boatload of Su-25s for cheap. :)

Maybe not quite VTOL seeing as the plane appears to be moving forward beyond the deck. STOL perhaps?

As others have said, fly responsibly. As a pilot (of planes, not drones), my fervent wish is that all drone flyers make an effort to learn at least the basics of airspace rules. Even if the airspace is uncontrolled that doesn’t mean there isn’t a responsibility to “see and avoid” other traffic. It is hard enough to…