Lotus

Maybe it would make sense for the manufacturer to put a few layers of Kevlar on the fuselage in the target area? That seems like a dangerous row of seats. One might say this was a million to one chance, but it's happened now and it could be a Black Swan event.

So much admiration for Adrian Newey. RBR was a bit vulnerable this year while he was recuperating from his bike accident - things improved quickly for the team when he got back. As for Toto and Lewis not showing up on Thursday night, what can one say that hasn't already been said? F1 has been rotating in Lewis' orbit for too long and Masie stepped up to end that. I hope it doesn't cost him too dearly.

"Ever so slightly" - nice bit of understatement there! Not sure when Unobtanium became "scrap parts".

Yesterday's "wheel to wheel" with Checo and Charles wasn't close enough?

I've been enjoying Mike Patey's channel for a while now, and this latest episode shows that he's on a different level of aviation enthusiast. It's starting to look like Scrappy will be a game changer.

Can you imagine the insurance premiums on that? "Sorry the quote is so high, but the flight cover is quite cheap - it's the driving in Johannesburg that makes it expensive."

I think that it will gather momentum as more successes are reached. Composite technologies and tech systems are getting better by the day and, like flat panel TVs, the prices will drop as scale is achieved. And if price isn't the only thing that drops, there's always BRS to fall back on (literally!). I suspect the bigger challenge will lie in ATC.

The future has arrived!

https://youtu.be/IXQ2hoRdbL8 If I could get a Russian bride then this would be the one...

The Aviation Herald also reports information that Airbus A340-600, like SAA’s, have a known software bug in their FMS. This bug can reduce the apparent take-off mass of the aircraft by about 90 tons, if the crew enters the take-off mass before engine start. So much that is strange about this story.

The expressions in pit lane when the Racing Point rolled out of the garage. Priceless. And Lawrence Stroll has presence. I also think his kid has what it takes, though very young still. Maybe Seb will have his hands full again with a fast team mate this year.

Lots of good comments here, but from my point of view Tracey's value proposition is very simple: secure parking and a safe ride into the Cradle. No more, no less. I've been riding the Cradle for more than 20 years from Fourways (Cedar Lakes) and I've watched the roads around here degenerate into a very dangerous state, from the condition of the tarmac to the driving (and riding!) habits of the people that use them. And while I now prefer driving out there, the parking situation is ridiculous. Tracey's place puts me at the start of the Cradle ride, at a point where the traffic is much less of a concern and the roads are better and quieter. I don't need more than that. I've read elsewhere on this forum about the problems with overcrowded parking and theft from vehicles in the Cradle, and here is an offer that helps to address that. But we're nit-picking about the type of coffee, and asking her to fix trails?

No real surprises, but R54.7m for paint? I know you can't get this stuff at Builders, but... SAA like trying to unscramble an egg, Denel basically looted, Parliament hears | Fin24 (news24.com)

I see an opportunity here for car modders. Shoehorn one of those babies into a Civic maybe?

It would have been butt-clenching for the person who filmed this: https://youtu.be/sBxe4cQzUIY

Busy day for investigators US plane scatters engine debris over Denver homes [b777] | MyBroadband Forum And in a similar unrelated incident Accident: Longtail B744 at Maastricht on Feb 20th 2021, rain of engine parts (avherald.com)

There's a fascinating book about how the Israelis ripped off the Mirage designs from a drafting office in Switzerland and smuggled the 1000s of drawings out of the country in a van.

Having driven these lanes I can confirm the speed limit and narrowness. Seems like all the rental cars are scratched on the sides too. Those gorse hedges grow very close.

Those brake discs look dangerous.

That second video talks about overcoming flutter, and moving ballast towards the wingtips. What really impressed me was the description of how the albatross use DS by working the wavetops like cliffs.

There's always something new in aviation, and here I will include RC. Latest thing I've learned about is Dynamic Soaring - this is extreme RC flying. Gliders that hit 548mph! Check this out: For a detailed explanation of how it works https://youtu.be/nv7-YM4wno8

Enjoyed this. Very hard men, the Kray twins.

So Cemair has done a deal. Not a bad return from the brink for them. Ethiopian Airlines – oft cited as a possible SAA saviour – just did a local deal (businessinsider.co.za)

https://youtu.be/9WJ58gFMliU If you've ever wondered what afterburner feels like on a military aircraft.