A heavier-than-air military transport Coded-named Walrus. Now if that doesn't look like "Thunderbird Two". And at 500-tons of payload, a squadron of these would be ideal for civil disaster-relief like NOLA, the Aceh Tsumani, or the earthquake in Kashmir.
And Transparent Aluminum? Who knew....
..."A new type of transparent armor made of aluminum could one day replace glass in military vehicles. The product is callrd aluminum oxynitride. It is being tested by the Army and the University of Dayton Research Institute in Ohio. The material is a ceramic compound with a high compressive strength and durability, according to an Army statement issued this week. It performs better than the multilayered glass products currently in use, and its about half the weight. It is virtually scratch-resistant. "The substance itself is light-years ahead of glass," said 1st Lt. Joseph La Monica, who heads the research. "
"Light years"? Montgomery Scott walks among us indeed.
And Scotty, set phasers to "Stun" ....
..." Bitar heads Indiana-based Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems Ltd., which makes small blinding lasers used in Iraq. But his real project is a nonlethal energy device called the StunStrike. Basically, it fires a bolt of lightning. It can be tuned to blow up explosives, possibly to stop vehicles and certainly to buzz people. The strike can be made to feel as gentle as "broom bristles'' or cranked up to deliver a paralyzing jolt that "takes a few minutes to wear off.''
