Safehaven Marine
makes boats that can go where few others can. From Pilot Tenders to
Rescue Boats that can overturn in high surf and keep on going, their
products are truly hardcore. Now, the famed boat builder is setting its
eyes on the law enforcement and military market with their stealthy
Barracuda interceptor boat.
The jet-black go-fast patrol boat
has a crew of 4 to 6 and can carry 12 people when it needs to. Its
deep-V hull can rip across the waves at over 40 knots for about 230
miles on a single tank of gas. Propulsion comes from two diesel-electric
engines each punching out 600hp, which can be tied to a pair of screws
or an advanced waterjet system. All together, the Barracuda is stated to
be able to operate in up to sea state 8 (that’s up to 46 foot swells!)
and can maintain operational speeds at sea state 5 (up to 13 foot
swells). This is an amazing capability for a boat this size.
Because of
its rescue boat roots, the Barracuda is extremely survivable, with four
watertight compartments, self righting, and carbon fiber used everywhere
in her construction to make her as light and durable as possible.
The
Barracuda’s cabin is spacious with fantastic visibility, and it is
adaptable for multiple missions with shock absorbing crew seats designed
to accept work stations. The boats massive windows are made of
ballistic glass and the whole cabin can easily be upgraded with
light-weight ballistic panels without permanent modifications.
Barracuda
can be equipped with a variety of sensors and weapon systems, including a
remotely operated, stabilized heavy machine gun and decoy/smoke grenade
launcher turret mounted in a pop-up configuration on the boat’s bow.
Presumably, this could be replaced by a grenade launcher or even
possibly a light missile system depending on what the buyer wants.
Additionally,
manned light machine guns can be mounted on pintle mount’s at the
corners of the boat’s stern. All combined, that is a lot of whoop ass
for a relatively small boat capable of thrashing through extremely high
seas. The Barracuda has so much volume and is so adaptable that it can
accommodate a wide variety of sensors, including radar, sonar, FLIR and
other missionized electronics suites. Most of the ship’s antennas and
emitters can be mounted inside the enclosed mast that sits atop the
cabin.
Where the
Barracuda get’s really interesting is when you consider that Safehaven
Marine claims it is a stealth boat, with a very small radar
cross-section. The concept behind its stealthy design is that it can
supposedly work in pursuit and apprehend modes.
Yes, it has a Pursuit Mode. Get excited.
Pursuit
Mode is where the boat is “cleaned up” with all its weaponry concealed
within its carbon fiber frame. Then, once the choice is made for direct
action against a target, the ship’s weapons and some sensors emerge,
giving away its low radar profile, but allowing it to bring serious
firepower to bear on the target.
The big
question is, just how stealthy is Barracuda? The use of composites is a
plus, and there has been some clear design work to “facet” key areas of
the ship’s structure. But still, things like edge alignment and a very aggressive attempt to clear the boat of small radar reflective elements does not appear to be present. This does not mean that its design ineffective at disappearing on some radars at certain
ranges. By design, Safehaven could have balanced cost and usability
against signature minimization. In other words, maybe Barracuda is aimed
at staying tiny on commercial grade radars up to a certain distance, at
which time it will have enough speed to pounce on its prey.
Samsung is developing a display
crammed full of so many pixels that it reportedly produces a 3D effect,
without the need for 3D glasses. Samsung showed off its 4k screens at
CES in January, pictured above. By
Jack Millner For Mailonline
Samsung is developing a display crammed so full of pixels that it produces a 3D effect, without the need for 3D glasses.
The
company is already looking to take the next step and surpass its own
'Ultra HD' 4k and even 8k screens and produce an 11k display, according
to reports.
The super-sharp screens will be developed first for TVs and will then be scaled down for phones
The
electronics giant is partnering with the South Korean government to
produce the displays, which will boast 2250 pixels per inch, according
to Electronic Times.
When 11k screens are implemented on mobile devices, the pixel density will produce a '3D effect', according to the report.
To put this is context, the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple's current premium handset, features 401 pixels per inch.
It is
hoped that the project, dubbed EnDK, will produce a prototype by 2018,
and the technology will be ready for smartphone use by 2019.
Last
year Samsung released a curved 105 inch television with a price tag of
£77,000 ($120,000), so tech enthusiasts with a love of super high
definition displays might want to start saving now.
Samsung recently released their SUHD television range
The new screens would
boast a staggering 2250 pixels per inch and would be available to
consumers in 2018, but some experts say that such huge leaps in display
beyond that of the Galaxy S, pictured, won't be noticeable to most users
The
Korean government is pumping £17m ($26.5m) into the project over five
years, which is a partnership between Samsung and 13 other companies
that launched in June.
While
the development will be welcomed by some tech enthusiasts, some experts
say such increases in pixels will be unnoticeable to the human eye.
'Although
some might think that 11K as "over specification" that consumers do not
need, this can work as a basis for Korean display industry take another
leap if related materials and parts improve through this,' said
Executive Director Chu of Samsung Display.
'We
are hoping that we are able to show such technologies at Pyeongchang
Olympics if there is a progress in developing technologies.'
Creating
ever-more detailed displays has now become the battleground for screen
manufacturers, after they appear to have got as thin as they can go,
with LG showing off a 1mm 'wallpaper' screen design earlier this year.
This documentary broadcast exclusively by the US television network Sci-Fi i in 1998, called ”The Secret KGB Abduction Files”
The film would show a KGB secret expedition to Egypt as part of “Isis
Project”, in which Soviet intelligence discovered the existence of what
appears to be an alien mummy. Before the broadcast, the film was never
shown outside the structures of the KGB secret.
Is an elaborate hoax, and expensive, or the “Tomb Visitor” could be
the discovery that will revolutionize the understanding of the
beginnings of human civilization?
It began with the revelations of Viktor Ivanovich, a neurologist and
Russian astrophysicist hired by the Kremlin as a scientific advisor for
the development of advanced propulsion systems.
As he tells Sci-Fi, Ivanovich had access to some secret archives of
the KGB in which he spoke of an expedition in 1961 as part of ”Isis
Project”, which aimed to discover traces of knowledge and technology
Ancient Egypt that could be used for military applications.
The mission team consists of Egyptologists of the Soviet Academy of
Sciences, a certain Herman Alekseen such as the Hermitage Museum
Egyptologist, military experts specialized in chemical and
radioactivity, some astronomers, including Vladimir Yuri, and Sami
Sharaf , Secretary of Gamel Abdel Nasser, the second president of the
Republic of Egypt.
If we consider the historical period in which the shipment would take
place, it’s no wonder the political axis between Egypt and the Soviet
Union. Since the conflict in 1956, when Israel invaded Egyptian
territory, as a result of Canal crisis, the Soviet Union sided with
Egypt. It is estimated that when the Isis project began, the Soviet
military present in Egypt reached 20 000 units.
The expedition was organized after the chance discovery of a
mysterious tomb by two Bedouins Magbarat Alzoar in one of the pyramids
of Giza. The two victims, after entering the tomb, they were taken ill
and hospitalized. When questioned by agents of the KGB and Egyptian
intelligence, he repeated that the Bedouin had found the “Visitor God.”
Since then, the ”Isis Project” became the highest priority and every
effort will be organized to find and analyze the tomb discovered by the
two Bedouins. The expedition was organized jointly by the two countries
in secret, for fear that the CIA, the US intelligence services, might
become aware of the discovery.
According to the report document held by Ivanovich, the Soviets found
the tomb full of artifacts. Thus we read in a note addressed to a
senior officer of the KGB:
“My agents have secured notes of scientists working at the Tomb of visitor discovered”
This is followed by the following list of information:
Findspot: undisclosed; 15 boxes of artifacts; 1 partially mummified body; one stone sarcophagus, 8 samples of hieroglyphics.
In the report prepared by one of the first scientists to enter the tomb reads:
“During the inspection of the walls we have noticed a strange
repulsive force coming out of the walls. We could not find any
scientific explanation.”
Finally, the report prepared by one of the cryptographers, who
participated in the partial decoding engraved on the walls of the tomb
message, read a prophecy involving the “return of the winged”.
But the most surprising discovery relates to the mummy. The mummy
seems to have a height of more than 2 meters high, much higher than the
average height of the inhabitants of ancient Egypt.
Carbon-14 analysis conducted by molecular biologist Boris Timoyev
revealed that the body goes back about 12,000 years ago, thousands of
years before the Egyptian dynastic period. Who could be the mummified
body content in the sarcophagus?
According to Egyptian mythology, a family of gods descended from the
stars in Egypt. They taught them the knowledge and wisdom. Later, when
his work was over, they left the earth to return to heaven, with the
exception of Osiris, who was left with the task of protecting and
maintaining the dice ancestral knowledge.
The god Osiris. According to Egyptian mythology, he came down from heaven in a ‘flying boat’. Was it a UFO?
Osiris brought civilization to men, taught them to cultivate the land
and produce wine, and was loved by the people. After his death was
mummified and buried in a secret location.
Based on this ancient myth, shortly after the discovery of the tomb
of the visitor, a group of scientists, computer programmers, doctors and
other academics gathered to discuss the scope of the event. The group
was convinced that the body in the coffin was the mummy of Osiris, the
alien king! The group adopted the name of “followers”, a movement of
almost religious boundaries, dedicated to the worship of the “visitor
from the stars.”
The Kremlin took the matter under a more pragmatic profile. At the
time of the Cold War, it would have been helpful to have some kind of
invincible alien technology. Moreover, Soviet scientists began to wonder
seriously what the real function of the pyramids and if they had been
designed for a particular purpose. Some of them were the hypothesis that
they are powerful machines able to channel some energy of the cosmos or
some kind of interstellar transmitter.
The KGB and the meeting with the former astronaut
What piqued the interest of the Sci-Fi in the subject was a film that
seems to have obtained US broadcaster of the Russian mafia through an
intermediary.
The film obtained from the archives of the KGB and high security
images show the discovery of the sarcophagus inside the tomb Guest. The
Sci-Fi experts guarantee the authenticity of the film.
The black and white video shows a number of soldiers and officers
entering what appears to be an Egyptian burial chamber without gas
masks. At the opening of the sarcophagus, you can see a cloud of toxic
gas invading the environment and the reaction of the soldiers affected
by the breath and fear as they watch the mummy in the coffin that
contained it.
Later, the place seems to have been organized for further scientific
analysis. Now the soldiers are wearing special protective suits.
What value can be given to this film? Is it a joke made on the basis
of the revelations of Ivanovich? There is no doubt that the video shows
concordance with the data contained in documents Ivanovich. This,
according to some, would be further evidence to support the authenticity
of the film.
Furthermore, it appears that the private screening organized by the
team of Sci-Fi, issued before the documentary aired, this daughter of
one of those who formed the ”followers” who, recognizing his father in
the images of the film, she begins to mourn.
“There is no doubt that a small group of Russian scientists with
military experts have discovered a tomb in Egypt in 1961,” says
Ivanovich. “But in the documents it has never been revealed exactly what
was found inside the sarcophagus. Only through the sources of the
highest ranks of the KGB know that we have found the remains of an alien
creature died in Egypt 10,000 years before Christ “.
If the information disclosed by Dr. Ivanocih are true, we need to
reconsider all the cultural evolution of human civilization. Constantly,
there is news that reveal the past of the Earth much more sophisticated
and enigmatic than previously thought.
Moreover, whatever people may say, knowledge of Egyptian civilization
and the construction of the great pyramids of Giza remains a mystery.
“The fundamental question about ancient Egypt is to understand how such
an advanced civilization, at the height of its development around 2500
BC, has appeared on the world stage,” says McNaughton Roselyn Institute
of Egyptology.
“All the other ancient civilizations have experienced a progressive
historical development in the design of its technology in hundreds or
even thousands of years. This has not happened in ancient Egypt. A fully
formed society suddenly came out of the desert”.
mil.huanqiu.com carries report on "Caihong-4 surpasses US Preditor-A:
China-made unmanned aerial vehicles able to compare with world bests."
On
July 10, cnr.cn broadcasted an interview with Shi Wen, chief engineer
of the Caihong series of drone.
In the interview Shi said, “Caihong-4 drone is a new unmanned aerial
vehicle that has been developed on the basis of Caihong-3.
It has a
maximum speed of 230 km/hour, cruise duration of 40 hours, and range of
5,000 km.
“In addition to conventional reconnaissance, Caihong-4 can carry
precision-guided weapon to conduct accurate attack at fixed and
low-speed target. It can fly at the altitude between 7,000 and 8,000
meters and has functions better than US Predator-A.”
Shi revealed in the interview his secret in developing new drones so
quickly. He said that he first made a prototype and then gave flying
shows of the prototype to the potential customers of the drone to get
feedbacks from them so that he could add some functions and make
amendments required by the customers. It saves much time to make the new
drone satisfy its potential users.
Helicopter Time Lapse and Flight - USS Boxer (LHD-4)
HQ-17 has important differences with Tor-M1 including a new IFF array on top of an electronically scanned radar;
those modern electronics make it well suited for 21st air defense
against cruise missiles and close air support attack aircraft. CCTV 7
The HQ-17 a copy Russia classic Tor-M1 may have a short range, but manufacturer claims for its Tor-M1
relative claim that it has a 90% probably of destroying cruise
missiles.
The Tor M1 “SA-15 Gauntlet” is a 12km ranged Russian air defense missile
specifically designed to attack enemy fighters, helicopters, smart
bombs and cruise missile. China has bought at least 25 vehicles. Its
Chinese license production is designated HQ-17 with key differences
including an indigenous all terrain tracked launcher, a new Identify
Friend Foe (IFF) antenna on top the search radar, electronically scanned
radars for better performance against enemy jamming, and ability to
datalink with other systems.
The HQ-17 is rugged enough to keep
up with frontline units like tank battalions, and protect them from helicopter and
drone attacks. At the same time, its vertically launched missiles allows
the Tor M1/HQ-17 to engage multiple cruise missiles like the American
Tomahawk or Taiwanese HF-IIE aimed at command and control
infrastructure.
Future aircraft could be powered by lasers and nuclear explosions if Boeing has its way. The aerospace firm claims a new-type of engine could produce energy-efficient thrust by firing lasers at radioactive material, such as deuterium and tritium. The technology could mean that planes and spaceships will require only a fraction of the power to operate, according to a recent patent filed by the company.
The engine outlined in the patent would work by using high-powered lasers to vaporise the radioactive material producing a fusion reaction.
'At
least one laser is positioned to vapourise the propellanet with at
least one laser-beam into a thrust producing flow,' the company wrote in
the document.
A report in Business Insider compared the process to a small thermonuclear explosion.
The by-products of the process would be hydrogen or helium, which would leave the back-end of the plane creating thrust.
Meanwhile, the inside wall of the engine's thruster chamber will react with the neutrons created by the nuclear reaction.
The resulting heat can then be harnessed by placing a coolant on the sides of the combustion chamber.
The idea is to use this heat to produce electricity that can then drive the engine’s lasers.
Other than the radioactive material, the engine requires very little in terms of external energy.
Boeing’s Dreamliner is currently driven by turbofan engines that compress air and ignite fuel to create thrust.
But it's expensive. The 787-8 Dreamliner. for instance, uses roughly $24.53 (£15.97) worth of fuel per nautical mile flown
The
latest application, approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office last
week, was filed by Boeing's Robert Budica, James Herzberg, and Frank
Chandler.
It
is unclear when, if ever, Boeing plans to create a prototype of the
engine.
The inside wall of the engine's
thruster chamber will react with the neutrons created by the nuclear
reaction. The resulting heat can then be harnessed by placing a coolant
on the sides of the combustion chamber. The idea is to use this heat to
produce electricity that can then drive the engine’s lasers
Boeing’s Dreamliner is currently
driven by turbofan engines that compress air and ignite fuel. But it's
expensive. The 787-8 Dreamliner. for instance, uses $24.53 (£15.97)
worth of fuel per nautical mile flown
But it isn't just the mechanics of the plane that Boeing is hoping to revolutionise.
In
April, the company filed a patent for a bizarre 'upright' sleeping
support system that could mean economy passengers can sleep on long-haul
flights too.
Nicknamed
the 'cuddle chair,' the somewhat comical idea could revolutionise the
plane sleeping experience by eliminating the need for reclining seats at
all.
It
looks like a backpack and fastens to the back of the headrest to allow
passengers to lean forward and rest their face and chest on the
contraption.
According
to the patent for the 'Transport Vehicle Upright Sleep Support System,'
and illustrative animated video from website PatentYogi , the head
cushion will have a 'face relief aperture,' which is essentially a
face-front pillow with a hole for breathing.
A
spokesperson for Boeing said at the time: 'We aren't providing any
further information or comment beyond what was detailed in the patent
filing.'
The triangular floating villa can be customised to any shape and easily expanded
The centre of the villa has an underwater bedroom with views of wildlife swimming nearby
The firm behind it believes hotels could even use the to create mini resorts
Each 'villa' can be set up with bedrooms, bathrooms and outdoor areas depending on the customer's requirements.
If a mega yacht isn't quite luxurious enough and you crave the home comforts of a villa, good news.
An
Asian firm has revealed the latest holiday destination for the super
rich - a floating villa that can simply be moved to wherever they want
to go.
The firm hopes millionaires and hotels will use the 'SeaScape' which even has an underwater bedroom built in.
Each
villa - or module - can exist standalone or as part of a larger
integrated complex - modules simply connect together edge-to-edge,
producing a number of possible arrangements.
They can be added on in 700-square-foot units, with a variety of options that include internal pools and sun decks.
'Our
new series of floating villas demonstrates that it is possible to offer
exceptional luxury through a simple, yet elegant modular design,' said
Richard Colwill, Managing Director of BMT Asia Pacific.
'In
the Hotel & Tourism space we know we need to offer not only a
unique experience, but also competitive costs and feasible deployment
and operation,'
At
the centre of the floating villa is an acrylic underwater cylinder
located in the centre of the home that drops into the ocean to offer a
360 degree underwater viewing experience.
'A key feature of SeaScape is a superb underwater bedroom,' the firm says.
The
4m-diameter cylindrical room formed from high-grade acrylic can be
installed within SeaScape, adding a unique resort experience in a market
where the truly different is becoming harder and harder to realise.
The system is also easy to transport.
Pre-fabricated
parts can readily fit into standard shipping containers and allow for
simpler and more cost-effective construction.
Mr Colwill comments: 'We are very pleased to be introducing SeaScape to the luxury resort market.
'This
addition to BMT's Floating Villas portfolio offers even more options
and flexibility to our customers to develop an unforgettable holiday
experience for their guests.'
BMT Asia Pacific is currently seeking a commission to turn the SeaScape villa concept into reality
Two floor version of the villa are also available to accommodate families
Extra pontoons can be added to increase floor space, rivalling the biggest on land villas
It can be placed next to an island, or simply moored out to sea in calm water
BMT
Asia Pacific, the firm behind the Project Utopia floating island, has
developed a new concept for a luxury floating villa envisioned for calm
waters near the coast. Boasting an underwater bedroom that would
literally let you sleep with the fishes, SeaScape can also be expanded
with attachable pontoons to increase available floorspace.
SeaScape
currently exists only in renders, and BMT Asia Pacific hasn't revealed
some of the finer points of the design (perhaps because they don't exist
yet). That said, the concept high-end villa sits upon a triangular
floating pontoon measuring 700 sq ft (65 sq m). This is expandable to
1,800 sq ft (167 sq m) using additional pontoon modules. It's not clear
exactly how the homes attach to the extra pontoons, but the firm implies
it would be a simple process.
The
villas would be prefabricated and transportable within a standard
shipping container when disassembled. Marine-grade aluminum and
fiberglass are slated for use as building materials.
SeaScape
is somewhat green too, albeit more due to the practicalities of living
off-shore than strict environmental concerns. 'All the systems on the
SeaScape model those found on yachts, meaning there is the intention to
have the units as self-sustained for water and power,' a company rep
told Gizmag.
'While
we haven't specifically focused on green features in the design a
number of them are intrinsic to a waterside location – improved natural
ventilation from sea breezes, temperature moderation through the hull
from seawater. However developers/owners have the opportunity to install
solar panels etc to supplement the small genset [diesel and electric
generator] and as the roof area increases this may become a significant
contribution to the total power load.'
Clearly,
SeaScape's standout feature is its underwater bedroom, and BMT Asia
Pacific envisions an acrylic underwater cylinder located in the center
of the home that drops into the ocean to offer a 360 degree underwater
viewing experience.
The
company told us that the Underwater Room in the Manta Resort would be
merely an 'upturned garden shed' in comparison. Bold words indeed, and
it'll certainly be interesting to see if the end result lives up to the
boast, should it actually ever be built. On that note, BMT Asia Pacific
is currently seeking a commission to turn the SeaScape villa concept
into reality.
The Divine Eagle has a single engine nestled between its tailfins, with a
diameter of over 1 meter. This makes the engine likely to be a medium
non-afterburning turbofan producing 3 to 5 tons of thrust, which in turn
is usually enough to power a UAV of 12-18 tons in maximum takeoff
weight.
In comparison, the largest American UAV in open service, the
RQ-4 Global Hawk, uses a F-137-RR-100 turbofan engine with 3.4 tons of
thrust.
The Divine Eagle has a five wheel landing gear layout. The
double bodied layout was chosen in order to provide the surface area for
carrying large radars, while minimizing internal volume and weight.
By using the single deck bus in the background (probably 3.2 meters
tall, like most buses of its type) as a very crude visual yardstick, a
very rough comparison suggests that the Divine Eagle is 6 meters tall,
and 15 meters long (since most high altitude large UAVs have a wingspan
to body length ratio of 2.5:1 to 3:1, the wingspan of the Divine Eagle
is likely its be 35 to 45 meters across).
The differing yellow, green
and grey blue primer coatings on the Divine Eagle suggest the usage of
different materials like composite and aluminum alloys for different
sections of the UAV.
For example, the grey blue forward dome on the
port (left) body is likely to contain a satellite dish for long distance
communications, suggesting that the material used in the grey blue
sections are likely to be highly permeable to electromagnetic waves.
The grey blue is also to be found on the starboard side of the right
body (facing outside), and if the airframe composition is symmetrical,
likely to be found on the portside of the left body (also facing out).
Such electromagnetic permeables are likely to house the Divine Eagle's
long range anti-stealth radars (radomes are made of radar transparent
materials), indicating that its radar arrays are 10 meters long, which
suggests transmitting lower frequency (L and S Band) radar waves (most
stealth aircraft are optimized to evade higher frequency, such as X
band, radar).
The green primer likely covers lightweight materials such
as composite, while the yellow primer near the engine suggests some
stronger metal alloy, probably to support the engine weight and height.