Story says it all: the plumbing can't get the fuel from the supply to the customer (it's buried in the phrase 'faulty plumbing'). And don't ask 'how hard can it be' because if it were easy Cessna would be designing tankers. :-)

(Written on 2016年 01月 11日)(Permalink)

This is why planes cost so much: too much gov't regulation. :-) (that's my imitation of a politician)

(Written on 2016年 01月 04日)(Permalink)

I worked Space Shuttle from womb (design) to tomb (museum pieces). Believe me NASA does more PR BS then the USSR ever did.

(Written on 2015年 12月 26日)(Permalink)

Ah yes - the English vocabulary really captures the sentiment better than the modern American. Thx.

(Written on 2015年 12月 24日)(Permalink)

It's an irregularly conjugated verb: I classify, you profile, he discriminates. :-)

(Written on 2015年 12月 24日)(Permalink)

Gov't first demonstrated vertical takeoff and vertical landing back in the 1980's with the DC-X program (McDonnel Douglas). It was a technology demonstrator. The US Gov't has done NOTHING with vertical takeoff/landing since then. They are stuck in the ELV mindset. They have been working on the Orion capsule for over a decade and have only one suborbital flight test (of the heat shield) to show for it. Elon and Besos (sp?) are way ahead of the Gov't. You need to step away from the kool-aid.

(Written on 2015年 12月 24日)(Permalink)

Anytime you make a decision based upon past data you are 'profiling." When you decide which HVAC company you will have service your home AC unit based upon past data - you are profiling. When the decision is based solely on randomness are you NOT profiling. Humans profile themselves all the time: Republican, engineer, nurse, teenager, and so on. All the info on your driver license profiles you. Even when you are dead you have profiled yourself as "no longer living." Profiling is only an obscene word when used in the 2nd or 3rd person and directed at you.

(Written on 2015年 12月 24日)(Permalink)

I remember being subjected to these kinds of searches and examination of travel documents in the early 80's and politicians in this country (USA) called it a "shameful" and "unwarranted". The Russians on their side of the East Berlin border called it "preserving state security." Ronnie the Popular got his wish - the Berlin Wall was torn down and moved over here. What was it Ben Franklin said: They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

(Written on 2015年 12月 24日)(Permalink)

It's very good at what it does because it was designed to do ONE thing. The MBAs says it isn't cost efficient if there's nothing for it to do (no tanks and such to kill) but the F35 is completely justified because there are always ALL kinds of aircraft in the air everywhere just waiting to be shot down. So needless to say the F35 can't and won't be excellent at anything, mediocre at best. Does that mean it will be excellent as a target?

(Written on 2015年 11月 26日)(Permalink)

Don't you just love the free market?

(Written on 2015年 11月 12日)(Permalink)