The US Navy’s next doomsday plane

Plus: Ford could bring carbon wheels to SUVs and pickup trucks Apr 07, 2022 [View in browser]( It’s hard for me even to contemplate the concept of doomsday planes. They conjure up terrifying visions of world leaders ascending to the skies to plot their next move as the Earth is turned to rubble by a nuclear war. There’s no saying how aerospace engineers really feel about it, but Lockheed Martin has just unveiled an image of the U.S. Navy's next doomsday plane: the EC-130J TACAMO. Before we board the dark aircraft, watch today’s video to see how Japan managed to put satellites into orbit using crooked launch vehicles. And no, we don't mean that figuratively. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s take off. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Here's how Japan launched satellites into orbit using crooked launch vehicles]( And without steering! [Here's how Japan launched satellites into orbit using crooked launch vehicles]( TRANSPORTATION [Lockheed Martin unveils the U.S. Navy's next doomsday plane]( [Lockheed Martin.]( At the Sea-Air-Space Exposition being held by the Navy League near Washington D.C., Lockheed Martin [has provided the first glimpse]( of the Navy's next "Doomsday Plane:” the EC-130J. - The U.S. wants to be prepared for all possible scenarios with command centers capable of remaining operational even in extreme conditions. A Doomsday Plane is designed and kept ready at all times for such an eventuality. Doomsday clock? The nearly 100-foot-long aircraft is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE turboprop engines and cruises at 400 mph. It reaches operational altitude in less than 15 minutes and climbs at 2,100 feet per minute. Used largely to transport cargo, the aircraft has a load-carrying capacity of 130,000 pounds. It has a crew capacity of six-plus, which includes five electronic communication system operators. The testing of the aircraft will begin around 2026, and we’ll see how it performs compared to its Russian airborne command center, [the Ilyushin Il-80](. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Full-color night vision is almost a reality after a deep learning breakthrough]( [The same photo in visible light (left) and recreated from infrared images (right)]( The U.S. military already issues night-vision goggles that outline people and other objects in bright white. [A new proof-of-principle study]( offers intriguing hints about how the next generation of such technology might work. How? The researchers started by printing images of color palettes and faces. Then, they took photos of the faces under monochromatic light sources of various wavelengths. With these digital files in hand, they developed and tested a deep learning algorithm that could begin with infrared images of a scene and infer what that scene would look like in the visible spectrum. And it worked! - The researchers found that one of their algorithms was able to transform a set of three infrared images into a full-color photo that very closely resembled a normal photo of the same image. While we probably won't see this technology in [night-vision goggles]( anytime soon, this proof-of-concept shows that full-color night vision is on the horizon. [Read More]( TRANSPORTATION [Ford could bring carbon wheels to SUVs and pickup trucks]( [Carbon wheels.]( Carbon fiber wheels are a rare item most often used in luxury hypercars, but Ford [is considering fitting carbon wheels]( to its pickups, trucks, and SUVs. - Ford produced the world's first mass-produced carbon wheels for the Mustang Shelby GT350R, and the company also fitted carbon wheels to its Ford GT and Mustang Shelby GT500. The wheel type could help improve the efficiency of Ford's fleet of vehicles, since the reduced weight and unsprung mass mean less energy is needed to accelerate and brake, while also reducing stress on the suspension. - The flipside, however, is that carbon wheels are more easily damaged. They're also more expensive when compared to regular cast aluminum alloy wheels. Efficiency gains. Though mass production is lowering costs, a set of carbon wheels has been known to [go for as much as $18,000](. Still, the efficiency benefits of carbon wheels mean they might be increasingly used in electric vehicles to help in the endless pursuit of increasing range. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Carbon wheels have long been regarded as a must-have accessory for cyclists. What do you think about Ford bringing them to SUVs? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [It’s a good idea. I appreciate the gains.]( [What’s the point? It’s too expensive.]( [I’d want one, but the fact that they're easily damaged sounds exhausting.]( [I’ll stick to riding my bike, thanks.]( QUOTE OF THE DAY “ Anatomy is destiny. ” Sigmund Freud in “Collected Writings” (1924) vol. 5 AND ANOTHER THING... - On Saturday, a rocket from China [sent to space last year returned to Earth]( leaving a trail of debris over India and initially spurring rumors that it may have been a comet. - Ethereum’s coming “merge” could make or break crypto. The technology change will dramatically cut energy use, [but a lot could go wrong](. (Bloomberg) - [Here’s what it was like in mission control]( when NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope. - Most airplane exteriors look more or less the same, but every now and again, an airline unveils a livery that stands out from the pack: A German airline [has unveiled candy-striped aircraft](. (CNN) - The internet speed record currently stands at 319 Terabits per second. But is there [a speed limit to how fast WiFi can go]( - New revelations make clear that, behind the scenes, NASA [was well aware of James Webb’s problematic legacy]( even as the agency’s leadership declined to take his name off the project. (Scientific American) - The UN [banned the use of mercury propellant]( in space, revealing gaps in “Space Law”. Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? [Subscribe]( [About Us]( | [Advertise]( | [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe [here.]( © Copyright 2021 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]