Friends in High Places

[W.J.Langholz]

IMG_1676.jpg

Thanks to a very special friend our family met this summer and is a member of this orginization we now have the only 2 coffee mugs like this in the state of Minnesota!!!!!!!

This is worth the $45 bucks in itself let alone the memories

W.

[blueldr]

Congratulations. They're the best looking coffee cups I've seen all day. What in heck is a "Hover Test Facility", if I'm reading it right?

[cessna170bdriver]

Congratulations. They're the best looking coffee cups I've seen all day. What in heck is a "Hover Test Facility", if I'm reading it right?

It's where this and others like it get tested. It's near KEDW (look it up ). Video

Miles

[W.J.Langholz]

Bluelder

Our family had the opportunity to meet Miles along with other TIC170A club members at Kyle and Becky's place this summer on their way to Duluth convention. Miles is a real life "Rocket Scientist" ,and having a son who is double majoring in engineering, well needless to say we didn't have enough time to talk everything over.
All the people we had a chance to meet at Kyle and Becky's were really nice people and the memories will last forever. Miles happen to be thinking of us and sent the coffee mugs, I have learned many things from all of the people on this site which are certainly worth every bit of the cost of membership but the "Friendship and Fellowship" are priceless!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone for all your past advice and a special Thanks to the Rocket Scientist for thinking of us.




W.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

How disappointing to find a "Hover Test Facility" has little to do with a helicopter. Now that would be cool. Of course I'm a graduate of one such facility, Fort Rucker, Al, home of Army Aviation.

W, I had to look pretty close at the mugs. At first I was thinking what the heck does hovering have to do with methane recovery?

BTW when you attend the convention this coming summer you might have a chance to bid on the only two convention coffee mugs to be put up for auction by George and Jamie Horn. Would be a nice addition in case you ever have more than two people over for coffee.

[cessna170bdriver]

Willie, my pleasure to pass those along, and also a pleasure to see John so enthusiastic about his future. My oldest gets her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering in December, and I don't know who's more excited about it, me or her. (Yes, Ron M., that same little 4-year old that went to her first 170 Convention in Jennings. )

Miles

[ron74887]

Miles, DAMN time flies by when you are having fun!!!! Seems like yesterday we were at Jennnings and the younger one still loves me, even as an old man!!! She'll never forget her sweet sixteen kiss!!!!! I'm getting there (older) by luck! RM

[hilltop170]

Congratulations. They're the best looking coffee cups I've seen all day. What in heck is a "Hover Test Facility", if I'm reading it right?

It's where this and others like it get tested. It's near KEDW (look it up ). Video

Miles

Miles-
That is a cool video, almost spooky the way it hovers. It looks very similar to a test firing I was invited to watch back in the late 1970s/early 1980s, I don't remember which. LTV Aerospace in Grand Prairie, Texas (that's between Dallas and Ft. Worth, TEXAS, Blueldr) built one that if I recall correctly was spun up to some rpm then dropped. Before it fell two feet, it started firing off similar shots to maintain a fixed position. I don't recall seeing it translate left and right. Looks like the technology has improved considerably since then. We weren't allowed to take pictures.

[cessna170bdriver]

Richard,

What was cool about this flight was that was not a simple translation. In the first camera angle you'll notice a small blue light downrange being used as a target. There was an onboard camera tracking that target. An onboard computer commanded the yaw to keep the target in the center of the camera's field of view as the vehicle moved from side to side. The idea is that in actual use, the vehicle would be headed toward the target (incoming missle, for example) at something like 15,000mph, and by keeping the target centered in the camera's field of view, you'll get a direct hit. No guns, lasers, or explosives required. The vehicle itself IS the bullet.

Miles

[hilltop170]

Yep, that's the same idea as the one I saw, except the target was stationary 35+ years ago. It's a great idea, no warhead required, and the two objects just have a high-speed collision that destroys them both.

Another major difference was your system picked itself up off the ground completely stabilized from the start with nothing but explosive charges. That is the amazing part to me.


Bruce-
Are you still disappointed helicopters were not involved with Miles' program considering what role the helicopter would play?

[cessna170bdriver]

Yep, that's the same idea as the one I saw, except the target was stationary 35+ years ago. It's a great idea, no warhead required, and the two objects just have a high-speed collision that destroys them both.

Another major difference was your system picked itself up off the ground completely stabilized from the start with nothing but explosive charges. That is the amazing part to me.


Bruce-
Are you still disappointed helicopters were not involved with Miles' program considering what role the helicopter would play?

No explosives, just rocket engines. Propellants are liquid hypergolics, that is they burn on contact with each other, meaning no ignition reqiured. The computer opens a solenoid valve, and a few milliseconds later the thrust is there. Another point: The end product will do it's thing outside the atmosphere; not a good application for helicopters...

Miles