NEW YORK, 2:17 PM, FRI MAY 16 | 54 POSTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS | tips@gizmodo.com | SUBMIT A TIP | RSS
UK | FR | NL | IT | DE | ES | JP | AU
Posts Tagged “

Planes

singapore airlines

Singapore Airlines Flights Get iPhone/iPod Docks and 15.4-inch LCDs

Singapore Airlines is installing iPod docks and 15.4-inch widescreen LCDs in their all-Business Class Airbus A340-500 flights between NY/LA and Singapore, ensuring that we're going to be flying with them if we ever have to travel to that part of the world. Each business customer can dock their iPhone or iPod and watch their own movies on the included noise-canceling headphones—which will be interrupting when the captain wants tell you to look off to your left so you can see a drunken Superman mooning your plane. Flights from Newark with this will start May 15 (today), and August for the LA ones. Maybe now business passengers won't engage in business time whilst in the air.

r/c

First Person R/C Plane, Almost as Good as Actually Flying

The Pilot View FPV 2400 is a (wireless) camera system that can strap on any R/C plane and stream images to the pilot, who wears video goggles below. Range is about 1 kilometer over the 2.4Ghz spectrum, and the video quality from such systems really isn't so bad (hit the jump for an example clip). At $550, it's a commitment, and seemingly a tad risky to strap onto an even more expensive, properly-weighted R/C plane. More »

urinals

Urinals Coming to Airplanes, Beware the Golden Shower Turbulence

This is a pic of the urinals at Stockholm's Arlanda airport, courtesy of urinal.net, but if a German design company has its way, pissoirs will soon be a feature of passenger jets. Dassler Interiors has designed one-man urinals designed to stand alongside (sorry) the existing cubicle toilets on planes—let's just hope that they come with doors.
More »

mobile air

Emirates the First Airline to Allow Inflight Calls from Passenger Cellphones

Dubai-based airline Emirates has claimed the first ever permitted mobile phone call from a commercial flight. The conversations took place aboard a Casablanca-bound Airbus A340 that had been kitted out with a system that stops cellphones from messing with the plane's electronics. By the end of the year its passengers will be able to clack away on their BlackBerries and use other data services, such as sending texts. Calls on night flights will not be allowed, and the crews will be allowed to prohibit yakking whenever they feel like it. The only stipulation is that cell users, who can only make calls when at cruising height keep their phones switched to silent—thank God—during flights. [BBC Online]

in-flight

Gogo To Bring In-Flight Wi-Fi By Spring; We Can't Wait

We already knew that Virgin America and American Airlines were planning to bring in-flight wi-fi in 2008, but we seriously didn't expect it be ready by spring. Aircell has just launched its US in-flight wi-fi service called "gogo" and they claim it will be available in the first half of 2008. Virgin America and American Airlines have both signed on to use gogo but it looks like Virgin America is the only airline taking the service seriously. More »

watches

Zero-G Defy Xtreme Stealth Watch Had Better Get You Noticed

The Zero-G Defy Xtreme Stealth by elite watchmaker Zenith is one of the most lust-worthy timepieces we've seen in recent history. Modeled after the famous Stealth Bomber, this blackened titanium watch (utilizing a PVD coating process) is specially crafted to keep time without extreme gravity throwing off your appointments. Featuring a titanium strap with Kevlar inserts, hop out of your matching stealth jet, go for a dive down to 1,000 feet and stop a bullet with your wrist—all for what looks to be an increasingly reasonable $500,000. [zenith via coolhunting]


gadgets

Southwest Airlines Testing Satellite Broadband Internet Access For Your Pleasure

According to their own press release, Southwest is going to be testing in-flight broadband satellite Wi-Fi access so you can check your mail and do all sorts of stuff (though probably not surf porn or talk to someone on Skype). They'll start testing on four planes this summer, with a wider rollout to come whenever they damn well feel like it. [PRNewswire]

virtual travel

Video of the Backyard Airline Experience in India


Remember the retired Indian Airlines engineer whose stationary airplane parked in his backyard was pulling in the punters? Well, Reuters toodled off to Delhi to clock Bahadur Chand Gupta's Airbus 300 experience for themselves, alongside a bunch of underprivileged kids who are flying for free. Anyone who scoffs at the idea, just check out the testimony of a 16-year-old passenger. "Today, my life's dream is fulfilled." Gupta's wife, who plays flight attendant, and guides the kids down the emergency chute (see? Loads better than flying for real) says of the experience, "Their happiness gives me the utmost pleasure." [LiveLeak]

hot

Firetruck Fuses With MiG Fighter Jet

Taking a cue from the Batmobile, some particularly fast-to-the-scene firefighters (or just some crazy gearheads) have stuck a 27-foot Russian MiiG fighter jet engine into a firetruck. To accomplish this feat, the (water and gas?) tanks had to be completely removed. So yeah, ironically the firetruck may get to a scene faster, but at the cost of having no way to fight the fire. Other neat fact? More »

ante upped

Airforce One, Supersized

For the next Airforce One, rumor has it that the US is considering the world's biggest jet airliner, the famous Airbus A380. The upgrade seems a little late, considering Hummers have lost their mystique and McD's has ditched the supersizing pitch, but when the President needs a new plane, he can't be outdone by some schmuck Powerball winner. The Airbus would replace the (also large) Boeing 747-200 that is being ousted by many commercial airlines due to fuel efficiency. But Boeing won't lose the Airforce One rights without a fight, as they claim it's their "top priority" to continue to supply the Most Important Plane In The World. [flightglobal via therawfeed]


virtual travel

Indian Guy Sells Flights in Plane that Never Takes off

An Indian entrepreneur has come up with the ultimate low-cost airline: one that doesn't fly anywhere. Bahadur Chand Gupta, a retired Indian Airlines engineer, bought an old Airbus 300 from an insurance company in 2003, rebuilt it, and it now sits in a Delhi suburb where people pay $4 per "trip" so they can experience what it must be like to fly. More »

big toy

Video of World's Largest RC Airplane, the B29 Dina Might

From Belgium, the B29 Dina Might is the world's mightiest remote-controlled plane. With a wingspan of almost 30 feet, it weighs 463 pounds and runs off four 160cc engines. Spin those propellers, mate. [Live Leak]

planes

Fighter Jet Software Automatically Pilots Jets to Safety, Steals Glory/Girlfriend

A new software suite called Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System installed in fighter jets is designed to prevent them from crashing straight into the ground. How? By taking over when it detects that the plane is going to fly straight into the ground, usually when the pilot's unconscious. The system can avoid 98% of plane-to-ground crashes, so it's probably not a good idea to use the system to show off to your friends. There's a 1 out of 50 chance you'll end up like Goose. [Press Zoom via The Raw Feed via Sci Fi]

wireless

American Airlines to Test In-Flight Wi-Fi in 2008

Some time in 2008, you may be lucky enough to get on a 767-200 transcontinental American Airlines flight that's testing the AirCell in-flight broadband service. The wireless net access will be available to all classes—yes, even us poor people—for a price. There will be three antennas outside the plane to transmit your 802.11a/b/g "Lolz im on a plane" messages to your buddies. No word on when this will move to widespread deployment. [AA - Thanks Mike]

prototype engine

Electric Motor for Sonex Sports Aircraft Cleared for Take-Off

Sonex, purveyor of banana-yellow kit airplanes at around the $25,000 mark, has just unveiled a prototype electric motor. Company founder John Monnett showed off an electric motor powerplant, controller, battery pack and charging systems earlier this week—although he kept quiet about who had supplied the battery. Something tells me it wasn't Sony... More »

green

Green Airways Flying Saucer Plane Design

Is this green flying saucer plane the eco-friendly plane of the future? It's a design from the CleanEra project, aimed at making air travel more economical (in the environmental sense) by using lighter materials and weird ass shapes. Their goal is to get the carbon usage down to less than 50% of current planes. Whether this is light on the Earth is yet to be seen, it looks like something the Green Lantern would fly in. [LiveScience]

airplanes

Qantas Revives In-Flight Internet With Wi-Fi and Ethernet Access

Just when most other airlines and airplane manufacturers are removing in-flight internet access, Qantas goes the exact opposite direction (into our hearts) and adds internet access. The A380 and 747-400 planes that will make up their web-enabled fleet will have both Wi-Fi and a charging slot to plug your laptop into. Not much else here in the way of pricing or availability, but expect a lofty surcharge if you want to get a seat with both outlets, an Ethernet port, USB ports, and a 17-inch built-in LCD. Service starts in February 2008, but you'll be getting sub-dialup speeds as everyone clown-cars into a 432kbps connection. [APC Mag]

high as a kite

EasyJet Shows off its EcoJet with Giant Orange Man

This is the EcoJet, EasyJet's green plane of the future. Either EasyJet's CEO Andrew Harrison has been stealing Giantman's serum, or his new plane saves so much energy because it's made for hamsters. The budget airline is aiming to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2015 and reckons this is the aircraft to do it with. In an open letter to airline manufacturers last month, it outlined its wishlist... More »