The World's Greatest Aviation Innovations

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/10/the-worlds-grea.html

[freedom lover]

What, no JDAMs?

[Boomhauer]

I don't think the VLJ is one of the "Greatest Innovations"

The Eclipse 500 sucks ass. I mean, it was awesome back when they were dreaming it up and pricing it just under 1 million, but it's a POS now that they are delivering them for over 3 times the original price. The damn things don't even have a proper avionics suite- they are delivered with a freakin' handheld GPS because Eclipse's avionics deal fell through...And they had trouble with the engines...

Not Good. Cessna and others are set up for the VLJ sales better...

[Leatherneck]

1. The high-bypass turbofan engine.
2. Rotary-wing aircraft that don't beat themselves to death.
3. Soon-to-come:
a. adaptive-wing
b. RAMJET and SCRAMJET propulsion for ultra-high flight
c. really capable UAVs.

TC

[TexasRifleman]

After years in the cockpit there is only one true innovation that matters:    Relief Tubes

[RocketMan]

After years in the cockpit there is only one true innovation that matters:    Relief Tubes

Speaking of relief tubes, back during my days with the Az Wing of the CAF, I crewed Sentimental Journey, their
B-17G Flying Fortress.  We used to give tours of the old girl, and one of the things people invariably asked was, "What's that?", while pointing at the relief tube.
Our semi-stock answer, depending on who was asking, was delivered very seriously. "That is the emergency tail wheel inflation system.  You blow into that funnel on the end of the tube to re-inflate the tail wheel in case of an emergency.  Would you like to try it out?"
You would be surprised how many people wanted to try it out.

[Boomhauer]

After years in the cockpit there is only one true innovation that matters:    Relief Tubes

The large mouth Gatorade and 1 liter Pepsi bottles are great for this purpose, too, plus you have a ready made Pee Bomb^TM*



*Not that I have ever used one in anger

[mgdavis]

1) The Electronic Engine Control (EEC). We hardly ever have to use rig pins. Also, most of the time the engine can tell us what's wrong with it.
2) Thrust Reversers. Ever watched a loaded C-17 back itself up a 2% grade? They can.

[Tallpine]

The Electronic Engine Control (EEC). We hardly ever have to use rig pins. Also, most of the time the engine can tell us what's wrong with it.

I wrote Windows software to talk to those things, only we called them ECUs.  Somewhere tonight in the mideast some poor sucker is probably using my s/w to work on a helicopter 

[BReilley]

...back during my days with the Az Wing of the CAF, I crewed Sentimental Journey, their B-17G Flying Fortress.

Cool!  I always wanted to go up in the -17.  Saw it flying as recently as a few years ago(it may still be, but I don't live near Falcon Field anymore).  I tell you, there's nothing quite like an old airplane, or warship(toured the battleship USS Massachusetts once - amazing).  Something about the way things were built those days just speaks to me in a way that modern things just don't.