What's the most impressive machine ever built?

[the Langolier]

For me, it is no contest.

[[wcip]Angel]

Perhaps in some cases, Langolier, but what about ugly people? :P

[Dozer]

that is one hell of a mock-up job. Wow, If it looks like that.... *drools*


Here's my opinion:

[Minionman]

But can it... KNOCK OUT THE FAT? :P

Dang, back to the drawing board.

[--Pete]

Everything since then is just a refinement on the concept of 'tool' ;)

--Pete

[Jester]

NT = Notoriously Tools

[Occhidiangela]

Nice Touch

[Occhidiangela]

Specifically, the AH-1Z Super Cobra, replacing the AH-1W incrementally even as we speak.

This upgrade versus buy a new helicopter for the Scout and Attack mission is complementary to a move by Bell away from the semi rigid, underslung main rotor that has been their staple on Jet Ranger and Huey products for about 40 years, to a four bladed, composite rotor head.

Standard Jet Ranger

Four Bladed Jet Ranger

This advance improves "high, hot and heavy" performance and increases max top speed and payload.

The Super Cobra buy/upgade is aimed at harnessing a generational leap in reliabiilty, and was made partly because the Marines could not afford the Comanche, which got cancelled for being too expensive and to far behind, did not want Apache, maintenance nightmare, and partly due to the Snakes being ridden hard and put away wet for the past 3 years in Afghanistan and Iraq.

While the major change is the 4 bladed versus 2 bladed rotor head, 4 bladed versus 2 bladed tail rotor, and a bit more structural strength to allow it to carry more stuff, of tactical note is the glass cockpit, impressive integrated sensor suite and data handling package, and improved crew siting systems.

The first picture I linked to will not be seen on a battlefield anytime soon. A 16 Hellfire load is not a very flexible armament choice. I'd guess half the Hellfires would be replaced by 2.75" rocket pods. The 16 Hellfire, the same load as the Apache max, and is an advertising ploy by Bell Helicopter.

The Four Bladed Huey will replace the standard two bladed Huey, known also as the AB-212 and jointly produced by Agusta Helicopters (IT) under license.

This picture, another PR promo, shows the "beefing up of the Cobra" a bit better. Snake on Steroids

I prefer this picture to illustrate its beauty. Sunset Snake

Did you notice that I love helicopters? That I could talk about them until the audience is getting neck injuries from nodding off?

Hello, is anyone awake in the Lounge?

Oh, and some people thinkg I am full of beans, and that:

This Rube Goldberg Device

is the most amazing machine ever built.

Stuff and nonsense! That machine, while impressive from a design and engineering perspective, is simply another "elephant made by committee!"

Note that in this picture, The Rotors Have Stopped Turning and the contraption from Act IV is about to fall onto a lovely sob golf course. Fore!

Occhi

EDITED for a technical error in re the four bladed head.

[LochnarITB]

This picture, another PR promo, shows the "beefing up of the Cobra" a bit better.  Snake on Steroids

I would NOT want to meet that in a dark alley.

Did you notice that I love helicopters?  That I could talk about them until the audience is getting neck injuries from nodding off?

Hello, is anyone awake in the Lounge?

Talk away. Helicopters are amazing. One of the things on my to do list (a list so long I will need at least 50 extra years in this life to do it all) is to learn to fly and doing so in a helicopter would be the ideal.

[jahcs]

Maybe This?







...or, not!



Seriously, I would have to go with this:
Things don't move without this




The wheel (or pulley), while a fabulous invention, in my opinion, does not qualify as a machine until it is mated to something by using an axle. Using the two together is what makes things move. From the wheelbarrow in your garden to the impellers in the jet engines that power those helicopters, to the rotor in the generator that provides electricity for your Lean Mean Grilling Machine.

[Occhidiangela]

Learn to fly a small fixed wing aircraft first. Get a little air sense.

Then, take on helicopter flying. That path worked for me. :D

Rotary Rogue

[Occhidiangela]

Is a hard vote to beat. Revolutionized trade, though the concept and construction of "road" certainly helped matters . . . something about synergy and synthesis is dancing around just beyond my conscious thought.

Occhi

[AtomicKitKat]

'Nnovative Tinkers!

http://www.milradio.com/Pictures/Radio&#39...igma-Nema-c.jpg

[jahcs]

'Nnovative Tinkers!

http://www.milradio.com/Pictures/Radio&#39...igma-Nema-c.jpg

There is an axle with wheels in there!! j/k ;)



But remember,
This little dohickey sent us to the moon - or a soundstage in CA, depending on what you read :)

[channel1]

It isn't impressive today, but about ten years ago or so, when a "normal" 'puter was a 386 or 486 with at most 4 meg of RAM, and RAM cost around $80/meg, I had occasion to order in 4x16 meg SIMMS for a few upgrades.

The upgrades couldn't be done immediately, but the RAM had to be tested in case it was defective. Most wholesalers only give a few days to return DOA product.

So, I stuck it all in a machine I was building. With 64 Meg RAM in a Win 3.11 machine, I set up Windows on a temporary D: drive. Then I butchered it so it would fit on a 16 Meg ramdisk, and zipped it to the main hard drive.

When the machine booted, I had it create a ramdisk as drive D: and unzip the Windows install to it. It was faster to unzip one large file from the hard drive than to copy a bunch of individual files.

It really was the most awesome Windows machine at the time.

-rcv-

[AtomicKitKat]

the same sentence, should be when you're saying something like "Those are some AWESOME stained-glass WINDOWS, Padre!" ;)

[--Pete]

Hi,

Like:

"It's awesome how Microsquish made all versions of Windoz suck." ;)

--Pete

[Zippyy]

If any of you have read the Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, I'd say the nanomachines described in there are pretty impressive.

Plus, reading nanotech articles in Wired has really set my mind awander into the possibilities of a nanotechnical revolution.

[whyBish]

So what is the difference between a machine and a tool?

My vote for most impressive tool would be language.

My vote for most impressive machine ever built would the computer

[Occhidiangela]

Would be George Soros.

What a tool.

Occhi