Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the category “architecture”

23 Sep 2015

Electric Airplanes – A reality soon

In July 2015 an electric plane flew from Lydd airport in Kent UK over the channel to Calais.The two-seat E-Fan demonstrator plane powered exclusively by lithium batteries took 36 minutes to do the crossing. The flight copied the flight by Louis Blériot in his fragile wood and fabric plane—the first aviator to cross the Channel in July 1909. The idea is an obvious one to make flying more environmentally friendly and efficient and potentially cheaper too.The European Union already has started charging some airlines for carbon-dioxide emissions. The kind of size being aimed at is around 100 seater planes.

Electric motors weigh the same as turbine engines, but are 2½ times more efficient at converting stored energy into mechanical power and up to six times better compared with piston engines used in general aviation, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. But the key thing is that the lithium batteries have become vastly more efficient in only the last year increasing flight time from around 25 minutes up to 55 minutes. Airbus are investing around 22 million $, so this is a serious investment.Over the long term, Airbus is counting on hybrid technology to fly even longer and provide a springboard to build regional planes carrying 100 passengers. The hybrid plane would take off and land using electric engines. In flight, when the battery has drained, a biofuel-powered motor would recharge power cells.

Nice Airplane Wing

Posted in architecture, history and tagged airbus, airbus investment, airbus investment in electric planes, airplane battery, airport, art, aviation, BA, barcelona, bees, biofuel, birds, calais, calais airport, death, dinner, E-fan, E-fan plane, electric airplane, electric motors, electricplane, first electric flight, fly from lydd, fly to calais, lithium battery, lithium plane battery, lydd, lydd airport, NASA, piston engines, turbine engines | Leave a comment

26 Jun 2015

How to make Birmingham look nice. A fairly comprehensive challenge

Anyone who has travelled to Birmingham will understand that it is as far from idyllic sandy beaches as is humanly possible. The road systems are enough to induce any kind of serious mental disorder, the many industries create novel pollutants and car parking is nigh on impossible. A little bit cruel but you get the picture. So in the few hours that I had there my challenge was to take photographs to make Birmingham look nice. To make it look a place that the tourist industry might promote, in the same way that this was attempted (?achieved) with cities like Bradford.

An hour walking around the car parks of the Hilton Metropole hotel at NEC and the car parks of the NEC found these photos below, well maybe the fruit and the Raspberry Bakewell came from inside the hotel. But this proves that niceness can exist in Birmingham after all.

Birmingham with Pylons

Birmingham looking nice

Posted in architecture, city of culture and tagged ADHD, airport, art, aviation, BA, barcelona, beer, birmingham, birmingham holiday resort, birmingham nice, bradford, city of culture, hilton, hilton hotel, hilton metropole, leeds, m42, M6, M6 toll, mental disorders, novel pollutants, photos birmingham, pollutants, pollution, sandy beaches | Leave a comment

29 May 2015

SECC Glasgow . A good view while walking there

The SECC is an impressive multi-purpose venue in Glasgow for concerts, congresses and various meetings. The architecture also is impressive. Originally opening in 1985 it has been expanded over the years and is 95% owned by Glasgow City Council. The Clyde Auditorium was built in 1997 and looking rather like an Armadillo, is thus often called that! The site occupies 64 acres, mostly parking for 1600 cars and has its own train station nearby, although with a formidable walk still through one of the most interesting tunnels I have experienced.