Moofi.Woot! – Fuji Finepix 14MP Digital Camera Just $59.99

Fuji Finepix 14MP Digital Camera Moofi.Woot! is offering a new, not refurbished, Fuji Finepix 14MP Digital Camera for only $59.99 + $5 S&H. 14MP sensor with 10x optical zoom, 2.7″ LCD, 720p video recording, image stabilization, multiple scene modes, burst mode, and more. It supports SD & SDHC memory cards – not included in this deal.

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sellout.Woot! – iGo Green Battery Charger With 8 AA Batteries Just $7.99

iGo Battery Charger with 8 Rechargeable Batteries Today’s Sellout.Woot! deal is an iGo Battery Charger with 8 AA Rechargeable Batteries for only $7.99 + $5 S&H. The charger handles AA or AAA batteries, both rechargeable alkaline and NiMH. The includes iGo AA cells are rechargeable alkaline and they come pre-charged, ready to use, and they hold their charge for up to seven years. Since they’re alkaline they have no heavy metals and are completely non-toxic. Also they provide the standard 1.5V – not 1.2V, etc., you get with other types of rechargeable batteries.

I picked up three of the bundles the last time I posted the deal, at $9.99, and I’ve been very happy with them. I picked up a number of additional AA & AAA packs from Amazon and I’ve been phasing out my old NiCD & NiMH cells, replacing them with the iGo cells. Amazon sells a charger and just four cells for $12.99, so $7.99 with eight is a good deal.

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

UCAS! BAMS! Welcome To Our New Robotic Overlords

Northrop Grumman Logo Boeing and Lockheed Martin aren’t the only US manufacturers with interesting new programs, Northrop Grumman has a few as well. Perhaps the most interesting is the X-47B flying as part of the UCAS-D, or Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration, program. The X-47B is a follow-on to the earlier, and smaller, X-47A which was produced as part of DARPA’s now defunct J-UCAS program. J-UCAS also featured Boeing’s X-45A, which is the ancestor to the company-funded Phantom Ray of today – based on the planned X-45C design.

Anyway, the UCAS program, as the name implies, is intended to develop the technologies necessary for carrier-based unmanned combat air vehicles. The program is still in its early stages, but they’re working toward testing such things as unmanned aerial refueling and unmanned carrier launches and arrested landings. It is quite an ambitious effort, really.

This past week also saw the official unveiling of the Navy’s MQ-4C Triton BAMS UAS, or Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System. The MQ-4C Triton is a specialized version of the MQ-4 Global Hawk intended, as the name states, for surveillance of large areas of the sea. The envisioned use is pairing MQ-4Cs with the new P-8A Poseidon.

Posted in Aerospace | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

J-2X Completes Full Duration Test Firing

NASA Logo While it was the previous recording setting test firing, NASA’s testing on the J-2X cleared another mark on June 13th with a 260 second test firing representative of a normal full mission duration.

NASA is testing the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X as part of their Space Launch System development effort. The SLS is intended to be NASA’s next heavy lift launcher, the de facto replacement for the Space Shuttle. SLS replaced the cancelled Constellation program as the latter was felt to be too ambitious given the budget constraints. However, a number of Constellation elements live on in SLS – including the J-2X, the Space Shuttle-derived Solid Rocket Boosters, and the Orion crew capsule.

Posted in Aerospace | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

F-35 Flight Test Update

Lockheed Martin Logo Lockheed Martin has released a video report on the accomplishments of the F-35 Lightning II Integrated Test Force during the first quarter of 2012. While the F-35 test program has a long way to go yet, and there have been some issues uncovered that need to be resolved, they have accomplished a lot. The rate of testing seems to continue to accelerate, and it seems like the test program is past its initial troubles.

If you’re for or against the program in general, I think we can still agree the F-35 is an impressive aircraft. Hopefully it will live up to its promise. Keep in mind that a number of aircraft considered legendary today struggled during their test programs as well.

Posted in Aerospace | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment