February 17, 2005
Solo

Cleaning up the air with speculative aviation of the future, ranging from personal blimps to NASA’s take-off & land space planes that will replace the shuttle. This mix presses on with details about G forces in fighter planes, the next generation of supersonic transports, Area 51 experimental craft like the Aurora, as well as pilot less drones, ram jets, pulse jets, laser jets, and UFOs. And don’t forget anti-gravity research, which may eventually throw all these pesky old aerodynamics into the dustbin of history.

3 Hours

February 10, 2005
Solo

A good chunk of this part deals with the supersonic transports developed by England, France, and The Soviet Union during the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. The west’s Concorde, the Soviet TU44, and Boeing’s plans for a similar Mach 3 passenger jet form a story of speed overshooting practicality. Too noisy for anyone under them, too fuel inefficient for the times, and too expensive to fly for almost everyone, these SSTs seem to be an example of an enormous technological feat (like going to the moon) with no way to continue paying for its own enormous expenses. But a feat it truly was!

3 Hours