A unique drone design promises aircraft payload with helicopter precision

The cracks were discovered on the 'pickle fork' of a Boeing 737 - the part attaches the body to the wing. Australian airline Qantas vowed to check 33 planes.

2. The Informant in the present case had floated a Request for Proposal ("RFP") No. A/59876/Durries/ Clo-1/DGOS/OS-PII/Proc Sec dated 15.12.2015 for procurement of 8,18,009 Durries IT OG ("Item").

3. The Informant averred that 09 firms participated in the said tender including Standard Gram/OP-2 and out of the said 09 firms, only 06 qualified for opening of commercial bids. As stated by the Informant, Standard Gram/OP-2 could not qualify in technical evaluation as the firm was not registered with Association of Corporations and Apex Societies of Handlooms/Khadi Village Industries Commission ("ACASH/KVIC") which was a pre-requisite. It is further stated that while the contract was under progress, Standard Gram/OP-2 merged with Integrated Defence/OP-3. Subsequently, the L1 firm (HP Handicraft/OP-1) sublet the manufacture of the Item to Integrated Defence/OP-3 vide Letter No. HPSHHC:173/10(EM)/Durries/838081 dated 23.03.2018.

Archives, Room Use Only - HD6515.T325 U47 1953

British Geological Survey recreates Great Britain in Minecraft  Eurogamer.net

The Kepler spacecraft was launched in March of 2009 to study extrasolar planets. One of its major goals is the detection of terrestrial planets in habitable zones.

The post Kepler spacecraft used by Smithsonian astronomers to find other earths appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

NASA's Kepler spacecraft is proving itself to be a prolific planet hunter. Within just the first four months of data, astronomers have found evidence for more than 1,200 planetary candidates. Of those, 408 reside in systems containing two or more planets, and most of those look very different than our solar system.

The post The Kepler spacecraft’s astounding haul of multiple-planet systems appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

NASA's Kepler spacecraft has spotted a planet that alternately runs late and
early in its orbit because a second, "invisible" world is tugging on it.
This is the first definite detection of a previously unknown planet using
this method.

The post Invisible world “spotted” tugging on visible planet by Kepler spacecraft appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A new video to help aviators identify the cause of bird strikes has been posted on YouTube by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services Airport Wildlife Hazard Program and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

The post Aircraft bird-strike reports can save lives. New video shows how to report, collect and ship evidence appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

NASA's next Small Explorer (SMEX) mission to study the little-understood lower levels of the sun's atmosphere has been fully integrated and final testing is underway.

The post NASA’s IRIS spacecraft scheduled to launch in April appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of the Kepler spacecraft’s death was greatly exaggerated. Despite a malfunction that ended its primary mission in May 2013, […]

The post Kepler spacecraft proves it can still find planets appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Only the Wing is a new book by Russell Lee that recounts Horten's epic quest to stabalize and control the all-wing aircraft.

The post New Book: “Only the Wing: Reimar Horten’s Epic Quest to Stabilize and Control the All-Wing Aircraft” appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Get a look behind the scenes as we installed “Outside the Spacecraft: 50 Years of Extra-vehicular Activity,” a new exhibition on view at the Museum […]

The post “Outside the Spacecraft,” a new exhibition at the Air and Space Museum appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

National Air and Space Museum Curator John Anderson describes major flight innovations made possible by the Full Scale Tunnel, built in 1931 at the National […]

The post Giant wind tunnel sped aircraft innovation appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Part 1 – Public Programs Coordinator Gloria Kenyon demonstrates crafting for the next Handi Hour program at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art […]

The post Handi-hour crafting – Cross Stitch Embroidery appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Will Davidson and his Minecraft creation, modeled off the Santa Cruz Mission; Credit: Steve Henn

Minecraft is a deceptively simple video game. You're dropped into a virtual world, and you get to build things. It's like a digital Lego set, but with infinite pieces.

Its simplicity makes it a big hit with kids, like 10-year old Will Davidson. Last year, Will built a Spanish mission for a school report. He modeled his off the Santa Cruz Mission. "I made a chapel over here," Davidson says. "I also have a bell tower."

After he turned in his report, he added a few things. Like skeleton archers. "And zombies ... and exploding things, and spiders, that try to kill you," he said.

Minecraft is popular with kids because they're free to create almost anything, says Ramin Shokrizade, a game designer.

Also, kids aren't manipulated into clicking buttons to buy add-ons within the game. In other games, designers give players a special power for free at first, then take it away and offer it back at a price.

Zynga, the creator of Farmville, calls this fun pain, according to Shokrizade. "That's the idea that, if you make the consumer uncomfortable enough, and then tell them that for money we'll make you less uncomfortable, then [they] will give us money," he says.

Kids, Shokrizade says, are especially susceptible to this — and Minecraft has a loyal following, in part, because it doesn't do it.

Susan Linn, from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, agrees. She says a big reason she likes Minecraft is because after you purchase the game upfront, that's it.

"Parents don't have to worry that their kids are going to be targeted for more marketing," Linn says. "How forward-thinking!"

But Linn is worried. Microsoft bought Mojang, the company that created Minecraft, on Monday for $2.5 billion, and she says that any time a large company spends billions to acquire a smaller company, executives are bound start looking for new ways to get even more money out of it.

A recent study suggests that exposure to aircraft noise during the day has a greater impact on cognitive ability in children than sleep-disruption caused by exposure to aircraft noise during the night. Protective policy is therefore likely to be most effective if focused at the school level.

Surveys have suggested that the public have become more annoyed by aircraft noise over recent decades. A recent study has investigated whether these results are partly caused by changes in survey methods and participants. However, no methodological issues considered could satisfactorily explain the rise in reported levels of annoyance at a given noise exposure level.

Companies that adopt the environmental management system ISO 14000, designed to help reduce businesses’ environmental impacts, generally back this up with sincere investment in environmentally-friendly practices, research suggests. Researchers found that adoption of the ISO 14000 was not ‘greenwash’, but reflected a move towards more sustainable practices in both European and North American companies.

Exposure to aircraft noise at night for more than 20 years could increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to research conducted around six European airports. Risk also increased for those constantly exposed to road traffic, but this may have been caused by air pollution rather than noise.

Recent research into the impact of different levels of noise on 75 volunteers reveals that disturbed sleep caused by night-time aircraft noise can damage blood vessels and increase the levels of stress hormones. As these physical changes are potential pathways to high blood pressure, heart and circulatory disease over the long term, reducing night-time aircraft noise is important for preventing cardiovascular disease in people living near airports.

Fuel cells could have several efficiency-enhancing applications in civil aircraft according to new tests in the laboratory and on research aircraft. As well as providing auxiliary and emergency power, the by-products of fuel cells could have useful applications, for example, the water produced could be used for toilets and cooling.

Airports are associated with air and noise pollution and may, therefore, reduce the quality of life of local people. This study assessed the link between aircraft noise and subjective wellbeing, using data from 17 English airports. The authors conclude that living under flight paths has a negative effect on people’s overall wellbeing, equivalent to around half of the effect of being a smoker for some indicators.

As well as contributing to the greenhouse effect, aircraft emissions have an important impact on air quality and human health. This study, which quantified the effect of civil aviation emissions across the globe, suggests they could be responsible for 16 000 premature deaths every year, at an annual cost of over €18 billion. The air quality costs of aviation were similar to its climate costs, and over 10 times larger than accident and noise costs.

Finally, here's something cute you can make with those wine corks you've been hoarding.

Need a Valentine's Day craft in a hurry? Here are 5 fast and fabulous ideas.

With campfire season just around the corner, the Explorers Axe collection will help you chop — and look — smart.

Meet Chris Robinson, an average California dad who just happens to be constructing a 22-foot-long tsunami escape pod out of plywood in his backyard.

The moons of Pluto, and a potential set of rings, may create dangerous debris zones for a NASA spacecraft currently speeding toward the distant world, researche

A speedy NASA probe has crossed the orbit of Neptune, notching one more spaceflight milestone on its way toward a historic flyby of Pluto.

A miniature space farm, robot legs, and microbes collected by cheerleaders are just a few of the odd passengers headed to the International Space Station.

The Planetary Society's tiny LightSail spacecraft has sent a photo of its deployed solar sail down to Earth.

Mother's Day crafts. They are so easy to do, there's really no excuse not to melt Mom's heart.

Forget the fancy flowers and jewels. These sweet, simple gifts are the way to mom's heart this Mother's Day.

Mercury is not just hellishly hot but apparently covered in brimstone. A vast part of the planet is covered with dried lava – enough to bury the state of Tex

Clean water means a better environment, but it also means better beer. Breweries are joining with the NRDC to defend the Clean Water Act.

Global survival game places you in a biodiverse world that rises or falls based on how you protect or abuse its resources.

The head of Duke Energy says Americans don't have the attention span to take on crafting a meaningful energy policy.

Watch how this small, but fast-growing, Maine brewery is rolling sustainability into their operational DNA.

West Elm is about to get a whole lot more crafty with the launch of a new initiative that involves a significant financial commitment to handcrafted products.

Father's Day crafts can accommodate all types of dads: the sports fanatic, the trendy home decorator, the handy fix-it man or the lawn and garden guru.

Turn an old can or an empty milk carton into one of these fantastic Father's Day gifts.

5 quick and easy crafts to celebrate your favorite Dad this Father's Day.

How do you say thank you to the "World's Best Dad?" Here are five simple, easy and fun ideas.

Studies show that complex and creative activities like knitting, cake decorating or crossword puzzles can create a non-medicinal, feel-good high.

As part of its mission to analyze Bennu, OSIRIS-REx has set a new record for closest orbit of a planetary body by a spacecraft.

Spruce up your holiday décor by bringing nature in with these beautiful and easy DIY projects.

These crafty garden markers will help you organize your plants and also make it look cute.