Flying high: Jetpack invention reaches 5,000ft as futuristic transport gets ever-closer to commercial use

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Previous test: The Martin Jetpack has already completed a seven-minute test flight, which saw it climb to an altitude of 100ft


Travelling by jetpack used to be something only seen in science fiction.

But the first commercial suit could soon be on sale following another successful step on the flight towards production.

Over the weekend, a team of New Zealand inventors behind the Martin rocketman suit conducted a test flight that saw them soar to 5,000 feet.


Flying high: The jetpack soars above the New Zealand countryside as it reached heights of 5,000 feet during its ten minute test flight


In the test, carried out over the Canterbury region of the country, a dummy took the place of a passenger as it was flown by remote control from a helicopter.

And in another first, the suit then descended to 2,000 feet before deploying a parachute and landing, albeit with rather a large bump.

The flight lasted around ten minutes, making it the longest ever recorded.


On the way down: The jetpack is the first to deploy a parachute to help it land - even if on this occasion it was a bumpy one


The successful test brings the reality of flight by jetpack another step closer after 40 years of development by inventor Glenn Martin.

Mr Martin has spent NZ$12million on the venture, but now hopes to bring in more investment and possibly even start mass production.

This weekend's flight follows on from a test which took place in April that saw the invention reach 100ft and fly for seven minutes.


Take off: With a dummy as a pilot, the jetpack, which was flown by radio control from a helicopter, lifts off for its journey


The engine, fuel tank and pilot are positioned between and below the lift-fans to lower the centre of gravity and prevent the machine turning upside down.

While the tests are a huge advancement in bringing the device to the shelves, it is still unclear how aviation authorities will treat the jetpack.

Weighing just 250lbs, users in many European countries, including Britain, should not need to be licensed. However, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is still considering an official response.

Either way, Martin Aircraft Company said any attempt to fly the jetpack without professional instruction would be ‘extremely foolhardy’.

The company will require all owners to undertake an approved training programme before flying the aircraft with personal users taking delivery in around 18 months.


Sean Connery uses a Belt Rocket Belt jetpack in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. It could carry a man over 30ft-high obstacles and reached speeds of up to 10mph but had a limited flying time of just 20-30 seconds and huge fuel consumption


Martin Jetpack 5000ft flight - highlights


source: dailymail

Is it a unicycle? Is it a motorbike? Unveiled: The transforming 'dicycle' that can fit in a lift

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Transformers: The electric-powered Uno III Streetbike - or U3 - can convert itself with the push of a button from a conventional motorbike to unicycle-style machine


Dispatch riders and couriers know the fastest way to weave through heavy traffic is on a motorbike.

But for those jams even two wheels can't navigate, a new solution has been developed.

Just like a Transformer, the Uno III Streetbike - or U3 - can convert itself with the push of a button from a conventional motorbike to unicycle-style machine.


Robots in disguise: The Tron style motorcycle leathers are optional


The electric-powered machine balances on two parallel rear wheels, the front retracting between them to allow it to manoeuvre through spaces so tight it can be driven into a building - and even fit in the lift.

Then, when it's time to zoom off into the sunset, the front wheel slides forward as the rear pair move back, giving the vehicle the stability to pick up speeds of up to 30mph.

It can travel between 30 to 35 miles on a single three to four hour charge.


Through the evil eye: This diagram shows the mechanism which allows the U3's transformation


Now the remarkable vehicle is being produced by his own motor design company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called BPG Motors.

Small enough to fit in indoors, but powerful enough to tackle the road, the makers hope the cutting edge $7,500 (£4,600) ride will revolutionise the morning commute.


BPG Motors: Transforming UNO Video


source: dailymail

The Apes trailer which takes humanised monkey effects to a whole new level

By GRAHAM SMITH

You'll believe an ape can talk: A five-second preview from the forthcoming Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes took the Internet by storm yesterday. Today a full trailer was unveiled to awestruck science-fiction fans


The original 1960s film was a milestone in prosthetic make-up effects.

Now the latest instalment in the Planet Of The Apes franchise is taking another giant step forward in depicting 'realism' in fantasy cinema.

A five-second preview clip of Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes posted online yesterday, left awestruck science-fiction fans clamouring for more. Today, the full trailer was unveiled.


Spellbinding: Filmmakers have made liberal use of CGI technology to create what looks to be the most realistic depiction yet of a humanised ape


Pop culture icon: Roddy McDowall as Cornelius in Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, the third film in the franchise


Yesterday's tantalisingly brief segment shows an actor - who could be Andy Serkis as Caesar, the part made famous by Roddy McDowall in the original films - in his ape 'make-up'.

This close-up comes at the end of the full trailer for the new prequel, which shows how apes in the present day came to be supremely intelligent beings who take over Earth.


The new prequel, which shows how apes in the present day came to be supremely intelligent beings who take over Earth, stars James Franco (right) as a scientist conducting experiments on the animals


Filmmakers have made liberal use of CGI technology to create what looks to be the most realistic depiction yet of a humanised ape.

By using motion-capture technology - which records and analyses information from markers stuck onto the actor's body, and infrared lights which illuminate him - the special effects team is able to track motion and force.

This 'MoCap' technique has been used in many recent blockbusters, including the Lord Of The Rings trilogy for translating Serkis' movements into Gollum.


Calm before the storm: WETA Digital, an Oscar-winning visual effects company who worked on Avatar, is responsible for the new film's effects


Even the CGI effects in Tim Burton's 2001 remake Planet Of The Apes look dated when placed alongside the new effect.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Brian Cox and is scheduled for an August release in the U.S.


Rising star: The film also features Freida Pinto (pictured) and veteran acrtors John Lithgow and Brian Cox


Apes escape: What looks to be the start of a simian rampage begins


Too close for comfort? An ape watches over Pinto and Franco asleep in bed


Summer blockbuster? The new film is scheduled for an August release in the U.S.


Big budget: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes promises to be an action-packed, special effects-driven extravaganza


Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) - Trailer (HD)



source: dailymail

Luxurious long vehicle can carry 23 passengers and travel at 155mph

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Luxury: The 15ft-long Superbus can carry 23 passengers and reach speeds of up to 155mph


Dutch design team includes Dutch astronaut who worked on Challenger

The seven-year project has so far cost £11.5million


Buses have never been the most glamorous form of transportation.

But that is set to change with the Superbus, a 15ft-long, six-wheeled behemoth that on first glance looks like a cross between the Batmobile and a (very) stretched limousine.

Aerodynamic and luxurious, it can carry 23 passengers and reach speeds of up to 155mph (255kph), although finding a parking space might prove difficult.


Futuristic: The Superbus has six wheels, including two pairs of rear wheels that can turn independently, thereby reducing its turning radius


A design team from TU Delft University, including former Dutch astronaut Wubbo Ockels, once a mission specialist on the Challenger, has unveiled the Superbus at the World Exhibition of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in Dubai.

Constructed with super-light carbon fibre materials, it is powered by an electric motor backed up by lithium polymer batteries.

As long as a standard city bus, the Superbus has two pairs of rear wheels that can turn independently, thereby reducing its turning radius.

The low vehicle has 12 gull-wing doors that allow passenger access to cushioned wide seats.


Batmobile? The sleek long vehicle is constructed with super-light carbon fibre materials, it is powered by an electric motor backed up by lithium polymer batteries


Pride and joy: Former Dutch astronaut Wubbo Ockels was a member of the Superbus design team




Slick: The low vehicle has 12 gull-wing doors that allow passenger access to cushioned wide seats.


The Superbus prototype is loaded onto a cargo plane at Schiphol Airport for transportation to the World Exhibition of the International Association of Public Transport in Dubai


Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta Superbus


source: source: dailymail

Futuristic fly-by: Wing-to-wing, Virgin's spaceship and Airbus soar over San Francisco en route to new £238m airport terminal

By GRAHAM SMITH


Air show: Virgin America's A320 Airbus (left) flies in tandem with White KnightTwo, carrying SpaceShipTwo, over San Francisco Bay yesterday


San Francisco International Airport's Terminal 2 will be home to both Virgin America and Virgin Galactic


Even by Virgin's standards it was a markedly grand opening ceremony.

The new Virgin America A320 Airbus yesterday flew over San Francisco in tandem with WhiteKnightTwo, a carrier aircraft holding SpaceShipTwo, the world's first commercial passenger spaceship.

The planes were en route to land at San Francisco International Airport to become the first aircraft to arrive at the redeveloped £238million ($388million) Terminal 2, which officially opens on April 14.

Guests onboard the A320 - aptly named My Other Ride Is A Spaceship - included Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson and legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin.


City by the bay: The planes were en route to land at San Francisco International Airport to become the first aircraft to arrive at its redeveloped Terminal 2, which officially opens on April 14


Virgin America will occupy seven gates at the new terminal. American Airlines will occupy six gates and there will be one common-use gate.

David Cush, Virgin America spokesman, said: 'We’re proud to unveil a new home that similarly reinvents the travel experience for the modern flyer - and that also reflects the innovative, forward-looking spirit of our San Francisco home.'


Star-studded: Guests onboard the A320 (left) included Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson and legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin


Terminal 2 will also be the home of Virgin Galactic, the world's first commercial spaceline.

Carrier craft WhiteKnightTwo represents a giant leap forward in aerospace design and will enable access to space for private individuals and academic researchers.

The world’s largest all carbon composite aviation vehicle and the most fuel efficient aircraft of its size, WhiteKnightTwo possesses the high-altitude heavy-lift capability to air-release the world’s first commercial manned spaceship – SpaceShipTwo – on its journey into sub-orbital space.

SpaceShipTwo is a rocket-powered space plane, which is intended to air-launch via a ground-breaking feather re-entry system.


WhiteKnightTwo (top) carries SpaceShipTwo, a rocket-powered space plane intended to air-launch via a ground-breaking feather re-entry system


Virgin Galactic spokesman George Whitesides said: 'Virgin America has the most advanced and carbon-efficient commercial fleet in the U.S. and when it touches down today at its new home it will share the runway with the future of commercial aerospace – SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo.

'We’re proud that two Virgin-branded companies can link the cutting-edge present to the future of commercial aviation. It is also fitting that yesterday’s flights are helping to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and aviators.'

Virgin Galactic's flight test program is set to run throughout this year before passenger travel is scheduled to begin in 2012.

SpaceShipTwo will be carried to an altitude of about 50,000ft and then released by the mothership.

Powered by a single rocket motor, the spaceship will be flown by a crew of two and carry six passengers on a Mach 3 thrill ride through the edge of the atmosphere for a brief zero-gravity experience and views of the Earth far below before gliding to a landing.


Looking to the future: Virgin Galactic's flight test program is set to run throughout this year before passenger travel is scheduled to begin in 2012

Such suborbital flights are similar to the 1961 flights of Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom - up into space and then back down without circling Earth.
But by launching SpaceShipTwo from a high-flying carrier aircraft, there's no need for the massive rockets that propelled the Mercury capsules.

Motherships have been used for decades by Nasa and the military for 'captive-carry' tests and launches of such craft as the X-15 rocket planes.

The novel part of its design is its 'carefree re-entry' system.

SpaceShipTwo has tailbooms extending rearward from its wings. In space, the booms pivot upward to a 65-degree angle. The position causes drag and slows the descent in the upper atmosphere before the booms pivot back to horizontal.



Guided tour: Sir Richard Branson is shown around San Francisco International Airport's Terminal 2 by its architect Arthur Gensler (left)


Virgin Galactic over San Francisco Bay



source: dailymail

Video of babies 'talking' takes the Internet by storm and is viewed TEN MILLION times on YouTube

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Online hit: Twins Sam and Ren McEntee, aged just 17 months, enjoy a lively exchange in which they laugh, raise their hands emphatically and nod their heads


A home video of two babies engaged in an animated conversation in a kitchen has become an Internet phenomenon.

The two-minute clip shows twin brothers Sam and Ren McEntee, aged just 17 months and barely able to stand, enjoying a lively exchange in which they laugh, raise their hands emphatically and nod their heads.

So far the footage has attracted a staggering 9.4million views on YouTube.

This is probably because the boys' conversation is so adult in its mannerisms and they appear to genuinely understand what each other is saying.

Transfixed viewers even made suggestions as to what the brothers might be talking about - before comments on the video were disabled.

Suggestions had included one brother telling the other 'That diaper is so 2010', before receiving a response of 'If you're so smart, where is your other sock, Einstein?'

The babies' mother Abby has a blog, twinmamarama.com, on which she writes about her experiences as a twin sister raising twin boys.


Good times: The home video has been watched almost ten million times


Mrs McEntee wrote on Wednesday: 'We've had a fascinating time seeing language blooming around here. Now the experts weigh in on this kind of twin language.

'I remember my own folks talking about my sister and I sending out verbal signals (essentially squeaks and shouts) in an attempt to pinpoint the location of our twin sister around the house!'

Child development specialists have even chimed in to say how natural and healthy it is for babies to develop language skills as they mature.


An early 15 minutes? The brothers arrive to make in Times Square, New York, to make an appearance on Good Morning America this week


Professor Karen Thorpe, of the Queensland University of Technology’s School of Psychology and Counselling, told ABC News: 'Babies are wired for communication from the start and we see here a fine example of how sophisticated and beautiful communication in even young children can be.'

The broadcaster also reported that 40 per cent of twins develop what appears to be their own language.

However, they are mimicking sounds and mannerisms that they have heard or seen, rather than actually understanding what each other is saying.


twin baby boys have a conversation - OFFICIAL VIDEO



source: dailymail

Baring its teeth for the first time, personal submarine which boasts 'the agility of a dolphin' (but looks more like a killer whale)

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Breaking the waves: The shark-like Seabreacher X can reach surface speeds of 50mph and has the turning style of a dolphin


A mighty beast rises out of the water, ready to pounce on some unsuspecting prey.

The waters of Whiskeytown Lake, in northern California, apparently have a new
master - but on closer inspection this is no killer whale, it's a hi-tech submarine.

Capable of speeding across the water at 50mph, the Seabreacher X is an underwater vessel which boasts 'the agility of a dolphin'.

The most advanced submersible watercraft built by Innespace Marine, the X is a more extreme take on the company’s Seabreacher J model.


Lift-off: The personal submarine is fitted with an onboard camera so passengers can glimpse the world below the waves


According to Innespace Marine, the Seabreacher X comes in an array of largely threatening colours and ‘can sustain high speed dives and then breach the surface, launching the entire vessel clear out of the water.

‘The new fully vectored thrust system mimic the tail articulation of real aquatic animals like sharks and dolphins,’ the website adds.

‘The custom tuned exhaust system also gives the vessel a more throaty growl as it tears across the surface.’


Red roar: The Seabreacher X boasts a custom exhaust for a 'throaty growl'


And if its 260 horsepower supercharged engine and top speeds of 50mph (surface) and 25mph (underwater) weren’t exciting enough, the Seabreacher X has all the modcons of a high-performance car.

It’s got an onboard stereo with an iPod dock, GPS navigation, colour schemes customised to your design and even a snorkel-mounted video camera that transmits live footage to LCD screens for passengers.

Predictably, such power and luxury doesn’t come cheap.

Seabreachers are built to order for a standard price of $65,000 and watersports enthusiasts who want to speed across the surface in a top-of-the-range model can expect to pay around $85,000.

But for such expense, you could own a vehicle that’s, as AOL’s Bradley Hasemeyer put it, ‘about 27 per cent dolphin, 37 per cent shark, 47 per jet boat – and 100 per cent awesome’.


Shark attack: Watersports fans can pay extra to have their Seabreacher X customised




source: dailymail

End of an era: Space shuttle Discovery lands safely back on Earth after its 39th and final mission

By GRAHAM SMITH

Right on schedule: Space shuttle Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, shortly before noon local time today


Nasa vessel touched down on schedule at Kennedy Space Center at 11.57EST (16.57GMT)

Discovery capped a successful 13-day spaceflight with a smooth landing in Florida today, ending a 27-year flying career for the world's most-travelled spaceship.

With commander Steven Lindsey at the controls, Discovery touched down at Kennedy Space Center at 11.57EST (16.57 GMT) to wrap a cargo run and construction mission at the International Space Station (ISS).

Nasa's oldest shuttle swooped through a mostly clear sky to land at its home base and end its 39th mission.


Grounded: Nasa's oldest shuttle swooped through a mostly clear sky to land at its home base and end its 39th mission


Kennedy Space Center was packed with shuttle program workers, journalists and even some schoolchildren eager to see history in the making


'To the ship that has led the way time and time again, we say, "Farewell Discovery",' radioed the Mission Control commentator.

'For the final time: wheels stop,' Commander Lindsey called out as the shuttle rolled to a stop.

Florida's spaceport was packed with shuttle program workers, journalists and even some schoolchildren eager to see history in the making.

The six astronauts on board went through their landing checklists with the bittersweet realisation no one would ever ride Discovery again.

They said during their 13-day space station delivery mission that they expected that to hit them hard when the shuttle came to a stop on the runway.


Setting off: Discovery leaves the ISS on Monday to begin its 39th and final voyage home


A close-up view of the International Space Station from Discovery after the two undocked more than 200 miles above Earth's surface on Monday. During two spacewalks astronauts completed a number of maintenance and installation tasks


Discovery accumulated 365 days in orbit over 39 missions. It will now be prepared for display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

During its final mission, the vessel delivered a combination storage room-research lab to the station, as well as an external platform to house large spare parts.

It also carried tons of supplies and science gear, including a prototype humanoid robot built in partnership with General Motors.

Sister ships Endeavour and Atlantis will have their finales in April and June respectively, delivering the $2billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle detector and a year's worth of supplies to the station, a $100billion project of 16 nations that has been under construction 220 miles above Earth since 1998.


This incredible image gives a detailed ISS, the assembly of which began in 1998. It is currently orbiting about 220 miles above the surface of Earth


The $100billion space station, whose span would cover the length of a football field, has been under construction since 1998 and measures 167ft x 358ft x 66ft


Setting off: Discovery, pictured the northern Atlantic Ocean, left the ISS on Monday


At the controls: Commander Steve Lindsey (right) and astronaut Alvin Drew (left) confer on the flight deck


Two other shuttles were destroyed in accidents. Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff on January 28, 1986, killing seven astronauts.

Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere over Texas on February 1, 2003, killing seven more astronauts.

The U.S. is ending the 30-year-old shuttle program due to high operating costs and to free up funds to begin work on new spaceship's that can travel to the moon, asteroids and other destinations beyond the station's orbit.

Congress, however, has not yet allocated funds to start new programs.

The U.S. will now rely on the Russian government to launch astronauts to the space station, although it hopes to eventually buy rides from commercial companies, if any develop the capability.

Cargo runs will be handled by Russia, Europe and Japan, as well as two U.S. firms, Space Exploration Technologies and Orbital Sciences.


Astronaut Michael Barratt watches a water bubble float near him on Discovery's mid-deck (left), while his colleague Eric Boe takes a photo of the ISS on the flight deck


STS-133 Space Shuttle Discovery Lands To Complete Her Final Mission To Space


source : dailymail

The real Up! Scientists recreate floating house from Pixar movie... and prove it really CAN fly

By RACHEL QUIGLEY

Magic: The Up! house which will be part of a new National Geographic TV series called How Hard Can It Be? was 10 stories high, including the balloons. It reached 10,000 feet and flew for about one hour


It was another one of those Disney moments of magic.

When 78-year-old retiree Carl Frederickson's house takes off into the air aided by the help of hundreds of helium balloons in Up!, viewers saw it is a heart-warming moment of pure fiction.

But for some people, it became more than that.


Record: Dozens of volunteers worked around the clock in the Californain desert to get the custom-built house airborne with the aid of 300 eight-foot-high helium balloons


Film: Carl Fredricksen attached the balloons to his house to fulfil his life-long dream of discovering the wild in South America


The team from National Geographic have built a house inspired by the Pixar movie Up! that can really fly.

Using 300 helium-filled weather balloons, a team of scientists, engineers, two balloon pilots and dozens of volunteers, they managed to get the small house 10,000 feet into the air.

Of course it was not a real house, but a custom-built light weight one.
Executive producer Ben Bowie said: 'We found that it is actually close to impossible to fly a real house.'

Producer Ian White added: 'But what we can do is kind of fly a light-weight house and fly it safely with people on board.'


Up!: National Geograhic's house, left, and the Pixar one from the Disney film Up! about an old man's journey to see the great wilds of South America which he travels to in his own house which flies with helium balloons


Up! The house was life-sized and together with the balloons was ten storeys high


Away!: The house and two pilots soared 10,000 feet into the air for more than an hour over the desert


Each of the balloons were eight-feet high and filled with a whole tank of helium.
As well as getting the house to fly, they set a world record for largest cluster balloon flight ever attempted.

The experiment was done as part of a new National Geographic TV series How Hard Can it Be?

The 4.8m x 4.8m x 5.5m house flew across California's High Desert for about an hour with two people inside, just like the Disney Pixar film.

The new series will premier in the autumn.



source: dailymail