airplanes

The KC-135 have been reproducing airplanes for decades. Now the US wants them to also launch drones to protect themselves

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When we talk about a military plane, we usually think of fighters, as the F-35or bombers, as the B-2. But there are other types of aircraft that are equally essential: Cistern aircraft. The KC-135 It is one of them. Its mission is simple and vital: fly loaded with fuel to refue to others in the air. According to Aviation WeekThe interesting thing is that the US Air Force does not want him to stay there. He has already developed a system so that KC-135 can launch drones while flying, with the idea that they serve as shields, sensors or even communication links in risk areas. A ‘tanker’ that will launch drones It is not a new idea, but an important step. For several years it has been experienced with ways of expanding the capacities of cistern airplanes, and everything indicates that The KC-135 is the first candidate For this change. According to official budget documents for fiscal year 2026the development of this drone launch system It was already tested at some point last year. For now, there are no images or videos of the test. Nor has a public presentation been made. What we do know, so it indicates the budget, is that the objective is to provide the KC-135 with a defensive capacity on board, especially in hostile environments. That is, to be able to launch drones that help you detect threats, confuse enemy missiles or simply expand the visual field of the mission. To achieve this, the development team has opted for a fairly ingenious solution: take advantage of a KC-135 rear hatch and adapt it to integrate a well-known tool Common Launch Tube (CLT)which could also be adapted to the most modern cistern plane KC-46 pegasus. An important point is that these drones would not be thought, at least for the moment, to attack. Its function would be mainly defensive. Everything indicates that they could carry interference systems, act as lures to divert enemy missiles or deploy sensors to monitor the environment and alert the plane of possible threats. They would be, in essence, a first protection line for the KC-135 in areas where flying has become more and more risky. In the background, what the Air Force proposes with this system is not only a specific improvement, but an operating approach change: that a plane designed to refuel can become a kind of Air warehouse for other resourcesready to act in real time according to what happens in the mission. While the United States seeks to squeeze the entire potential of its veterans KC-135, France has chosen to turn page. On June 30, one of its Stratotanker flew for the last time, ending more than six decades of service. Instead, the country has opted for the Airbus A330 MRTT, Like the one that has just received Spaina more modern plane, with greater autonomy, more load capacity and suitable for both medical and logistics missions. Images | Anduril | United States Air Force In Xataka | They are not your imaginations, the seat of airplanes is increasingly uncomfortable. He began to shrink in 1978 and since then he has not stopped

They are not your imaginations, the seat of airplanes is increasingly uncomfortable. He began to shrink in 1978 and since then he has not stopped

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The scene It is familiar For any passenger of a commercial flight in “tourist” class: backpack between the legs, knees embedded against the frontal back and a failed attempt to reach the floor of the cabin without hitting the forehead. What was previously an experience of discovery or luxury has degenerated, for the majority, in An uncomfortable struggle for the most elementary physical space. It happens that this transformation is not fortuitous, and began in the United States. The free market. Before 1978, airlines in the United States functioned as regulated public services. Basic rates, routes and standards (including the space between seats and customer treatment) were supervised by the federal government. The tickets were more expensive than today, but included services such as billed luggage, food and seats with dimensions Chords to the human body half. The problem? That the frame changed drastically with THE AIR AUTLINE ACTlegislation that opened the sector to the competition on behalf of the free market. The promise was that The rates would fall and the service would improve. In practice, after a brief explosion of new companies, the market was rapidly consolidated to the Current oligopoly: four airlines (American, Delta, United and Southwest) They control 80 % of the US market. In that new competitive environment, operational efficiency was imposed as an absolute priority, and the reduction of passenger space became one of the most effective tools for Increase margins Without raising prices. My seat diminishes. Evolution has been progressive but constant. In the eighties, traditional airlines offered an average of 90 cm space between seats (the called pitch), while today an average of 80 cm is reached in regular airlines, and only 70 cm in low-cost companies such as Spirit or Wizz Air. By the way, the seat width has also fallen around 5 cm. This reduction has reached a critical point: studies They point out that more than half of the passengers already They do not fit comfortably In standard seats. The effect is especially dramatic for overweight people, the elderly or those who travel with young children, groups that have also been Excluded from the tests Evacuation officers that FAA has used to justify the current regulations. It is not an illusion, this way it was traveling in economy class in bread in the 70s The reduction in Europe. In Europe, the “to the worst” change for passengers, that is, the progressive loss of space, services and comfort on board, began a little later, in the 1990s, although its regulatory trigger is located a few years earlier, with the European air liberalization which developed in three phases between 1987 and 1997. The clearest inflection point was the call Third Liberalization Package (1992-1997), which culminated in the creation of the Unique European skyallowing any EU airline to operate freely within the community space without restrictions on routes or rates. From there, several effects were triggered, mainly: the massive entry of Low-Cost airlines (Ryanair, Easyjet or Wozz), standardization down and the indirect deregulation (The EU maintained certain standards, but did not impose minimum seat dimensions). We are bigger. Over the years the problem has been aggravated by a purely “natural” issue. The reduction of space coincides with a demographic transformation and, above all, physiological and very human: our body has evolved “more”. A fact: According to the CDCsince the 1990s the average weight of American adults has increased In more than 7 kg. Today’s women weigh the same as the men of three decades ago, and although height growth has stabilized, body size has increased. Despite this, the dimensions of air furniture have not only grown up, but They have diminishedchallenging the tendency of other sectors such as car or entertainment, where the seats have adapted to the new size of the public. In the words of Flyersrights, Paul Hudson, The airlines “They have gone in the opposite direction to the human body.” The business of making. In the background, the Progressive compression of space responds to A clear logic: Sell more tickets by plane and segment the offer to the maximum. Basic tickets are announced with prices artificially lowbut once in the purchase process, passengers are forced To pay supplements For additional space under labels such as “Economy Plus” or “Comfort”. This has created the closest to a system of Aerial casteswhere a minority of frequent or business travelers accesses acceptable conditions, while the rest must choose between supporting claustrophobic conditions or paying more for something that was previously standard. According to William McGeeexpert in economic freedoms, this logic generates “A kind of torture against a moderately human class.” This duality not only affects comfort, but it raises ethical questions on air service equity. Health risks. He problem transcends The scope of comfort. Prolonged immobility in small spaces (especially in long -term flights) increases risk of deep venous thrombosis, a condition that can lead to potentially fatal pulmonary embolisms. The CDC recommends moving Every two or three hoursbut this is impracticable in flights with turbulence or in overalls. In addition, overcrowding seriously complicates the possibility Evacuate a plane In 90 seconds, the limit that FAA demands. Tests carried out by the agency concluded that the seat size It does not influence significantly, but experts who observed the experiment point multiple deficiencies: It was carried out in a parking lot, not in a real aircraft, and children, adults and people with disabilities were excluded. In addition, the test group was composed of just 60 people, well below the real capacity of a commercial flight. How to survive. Before institutional inaction, responsibility falls, of course, In passengers. Experts recommend (if the budget allows) to acquire seats with more space for long flights. Some travelers even acquire two contiguous seats (although be careful, because airlines can reassign them without prior notice). It is also suggested, the time, get up and walk Every time the opportunity arises, and, in high risk cases, Take anticoagulants Light under medical supervision. These strategies are mere palliative in … Read more

The United States has decided to launch millions of flies with airplanes on its own territory. It has good reasons

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As killing flies to guns, in the United States they have decided to do it using more flies. Literally. For months the country faces the ghost of the Cochliomyia hominivoraxa fly that in its larval state is a serious threat to cattle, wildlife, pets and even Humans. Hence the country has devised a peculiar strategy to fight it: raise thousands of millions of flies and then release them from airplanes. It sounds crazy, but it makes all the meaning. There is no small enemy. At first glance the Cochliomyia hominivoraxalso known as the New World Barrenning Worm (or NWS) does not seem much. But that is with the naked eye, of course. Although they are not much greater than common flies, in their Larval state they represent a considerable threat, especially for cattle, pets and wildlife. NWS females deposit the eggs in wounds or mucous membranes and, once they hatch, the larvae break through the meat, feeding thanks to their sharp oral hooks. Hence “BARRENOR WORD”. Dead cattle in weeks. The species is so voracious that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) warns of its effects, the risk of cattle and what the nation is played by keeping it at bay. “It is crucial to protect our livestock industry, our economy and our food supply chain,” emphasize. In An interview With the AP Agency, Michael Bailey, director of the American Association of Veterinary Medicine, is even more explicit: the larvae can end a 450 kilos bovine in a matter of two weeks. And why is it news? The boreride worm is An old acquaintance of the American authorities. Although the species is endemic to Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and countries in South America, the US has been looking for a way to prevent the species from expanding north with the help of Panama. Moreover, in his day he already deployed a strategy that allowed him A small outbreak Registered in the Florida Keys in 2017. The problem is that now the larva is calling again at the gates of the southern US, which has put the USDA on guard. “Although the NWS has been eradicated from the country for decades, recent detections in Mexico, at points as north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 1,125 kilometers from the border, have led to the immediate suspension of the imports of living cattle, horses and bison in the US entry ports on the southern border on May 11,” I recognized The government recently. Cattle lock and something else. Import blocking is only a small part of the Usda activated plan to curb the expansion of carnivorous parasite. The US authorities also want to have a vast network of facilities that allow him to raise hundreds of millions of NWS flies every week. And are willing to invest millions of dollars to achieve it. The Agriculture Department has already announced the investment of 8.5 million in a southern Texas and other installation 21 million To re -adapt a metapa plant, in Mexico, which was dedicated to the breeding of fruit flies. The idea is that it now focuses on the NWS. Both facilities will also be added to another base of Panama that is already able to raise about 177 million flies every week, a figure that the USDA considers insufficient. Its goal is to get to 400 million. But … raise flies for what? To have fewer flies. I know, it sounds inconsistent, but it makes all the meaning of the world. The flies that leave those hatcheries are not ‘normal’, but special specimens, males sterilized with radiation that can mate, but not (and this is the key) reproduce. The idea is actually very simple: scientists raise millions of flies, billions, and then release them in the fields so that females mate with those altered males. The result are eggs unable to hatch, which translates into less larvae and, over time, in diminishing populations. A solera technique. The technique is interesting for several reasons. For a start, Remember APit is more effective and ecological than resorting to pesticides. In addition, Washington has already proven that the system works relatively well. USDA remember which used the same “biological control technique” to end NWS populations in the 60s and the 2017 Florida outbreak. The same strategy has also been deployed in other places to combat different pests. Los Angeles used it to stop the proliferation of the Fruit fly And Singapore did something similar with the mosquitoes They transmit dengue. ‘Bombing’ of flies. Raising sterile male flies is just the first part of the plan. To work and stop the carnivorous worm, something else must be done: release those diptera strategically. And the US already knows how to do it. The Associated Press agency It has relieved that the government proposes to throw the altered specimens on southern Texas and Mexico. In fact he hopes to have In late of this same year a special installation to disperse insects in the Moore Air Baselocated almost at the border with Mexico. The new farm of southern Mexico would take something more to be ready. It would not be activated until July 2026. Images | USDA (Flickr), APHIS-USA and Wikipedia In Xataka | These worms live in the most radioactive area of ​​Chernobil. To everyone’s surprise, they seem immune to radioactivity

In order for 125 airplanes and 14 bombs to arrive in Iran, the US used one of the oldest tactics of war: perfidy

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The baptized as Hammer operationhe greater furtive attack From the United States against several of Iran’s critical facilities, it was based on a highly sophisticated tactical architecture, one where, above any other trick, the key was the total surprise. To do this, the United States began with one of the most tactics old and effective of war. It all started 48 hours before the offensive, when Trump It gave two weeks To “avoid” the attack. Perfidy. Those two weeks They never existed in the head of the United States, and Israel knew and few more actors. In fact, most European allies were trying to Find a dialogue A few hours before knowing the operation that was underway. From the diplomatic and ethical point of view, Washington was carrying out a form of political perfidysince Iran was participating in conversations that the United States used for the secret offensive. The maneuver also followed a strategy of classical military deception, a series of lures and public messages that, as we will see, avoided any suspicion while secretly prepared one of the most brutal offensives that are remembered in the history of modern wars. The hammer operation. The aerial offensive launched by the United States against the main nuclear sites of Iran represents not only the greatest operational use in the history of the BB-2 Spirit bomberbut also a unprecedented sample of tactical coordination, strategic deception and technological capacity accumulated throughout years of preparation. The attack included use for the first time in combat of the GBU-57/B antibunker pump Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), of 13,600 kilograms, specifically designed to destroy deeply buried and protected facilities Like Fordow. In total, 14 of these bombs were thrown on Fordow and Natanz, while more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles They hit In Isfahánthrown from a submarine Ohio class nuclear positioned in the area of ​​operations of the US central command. The art of deception. It all started on Saturday morning, when flight observers They detected several bombers furtive B-2 Spirit taking off from the Whiteman Air Base, in Misuri, and heading Towards the Pacificwhich seemed to indicate a display towards Guam or missions related to Asia. However, this movement was a decoy: the true bombers in charge of the attack departed shortly after In the opposite directioneast, in mode completely stealthycrossing huge distances without being detected until you reach the Iranian airspace. Fordow after air attacks, seen in a satellite view of the underground complex, on June 22, 2025 The surprise. As we said, the key to operational success was the Deliberate deception: both the visible deployment towards the Pacific and Trump’s statements in the previous days, where he claimed that he would take up to two weeks to evaluate a possible intervention, created the false perception that there was still diplomatic margin. In fact, on Saturday morning, senior officials indicated that it had not been issued No order of attack, reinforcing that illusion. Then, on the afternoon of that same day, from his private club in New Jersey, Trump gave the final order. According to A senior official From the administration, the objective was precisely “to create a situation in which no one would expect.” A graph with details about the hammer operation that the Pentagon published in the last informative session The B2. The main actors were those seven bombers that left in stealth to the east from Misuri. Throughout a 18 -hour flight, with multiple repayings in the air, a profile of minimum communication. Synchronization with escorts, fourth and fifth generation fighters, intelligence aircraft, electronic warfare and air replacement It was millimeter: The fighters released preventive fire to neutralize Iranian air defense threats before the bombers cross the enemy airspace, without detecting hostile activity. The full air package exceeded 125 aircraftincluding platforms such as F-35, F-22, EA-18G Growler and possibly not revealed active. A view of the Iranian nuclear installation in Isfahán on June 22, 2025, after the attacks of the hammer operation Objectives achieved. Between 6:40 and 7:05 pm Washington time (2:10 to 2:35 am in Iran), all nuclear objectives FThey were shocked. The bombings on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahán used 75 precision weapons guided and achieved what the Pentagon described as “severe destruction” of infrastructure. The first satellite images Disseminated by Maxar Technologies showed craters of more than five meters, layers of bluish ash and tunnel entries blocked by landslides. Although Iran did not fire a single antialea defense or deployed fighters, the blow was deep and difficult to reverse in the short term, particularly in Fordow, buried under a mountain and considered so far impenetrable. Hidden cooperation. As we indicated, if someone knew what the United States had in hand, It was Israel. Before the attack, the United States shared with Israel a Systems list of air defense that wanted to neutralize, and the previous Israeli campaign facilitated the opening of the air corridor for the B-2. Coordination included the shared use of intelligence and operational synchronization (in that sense, The F-35 Israeliswith their ability to collect data, they played a key role in the collection of information on Iranian defenses). During the previous weeks, they were made Large -scale exercises that simulated similar missions, and They invested years in the development of technical capacities to integrate armament, sensors, furtive platforms and unified command in a single operating flow. Operation closed? It is one of the great unknowns. Despite the magnitude of the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the operation does not mark the start of an open campaign, but A punctual action With a clear objective: neutralize Iranian nuclear capacity. Even so, he acknowledged that US forces remain on maximum alert to possible reprisals. In His words“This was not an attempt to change regime; it was a precise operation to defend our national interests and those of our allies.” For now, Iran has limited its responses to new attacks on Israel, but senior Iranian officials already They have declared your right to respond directly against … Read more

His power is to keep other airplanes in the air

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While the spotlights point to b-2 bombersthere are other deployed planes that go through practically unnoticed: KC-135 Stratotankerveterans with more than six decades of service that have once again operated in the Middle East, just when the United States has attacked several nuclear facilities in Iranian territoryincluded Fordow, After reinforcing its military presence in the region in full climb with Israel. They do not launch missiles or participate in direct attacks, but their role is essential: they allow fighters, bombers and recognition planes to hold prolonged flights without landing. In the military deployment that the United States is executing in the Middle East, the KC-135 Stratotanker It is not a footnote. It is part of the logistics nucleus that allows aerial machinery to continue working without interruptions. According to Media as Reuters and BBCat least 30 cistern aircraft have been mobilized, mostly of this model, to accompany f-16 fighters, F-22, F-35 and other aerial assets deployed in the region. Its function may seem secondary to the naked eye, but has direct strategic implications: to the replenish in flightthe KC-135 eliminates the need for aircraft to interrupt their mission to refuel on land. That translates into operational continuity, greater tactical autonomy. And it’s not just a support for fighters. It also serves as a support for bombers, recognition aircraft, medical units and, when necessary, allied forces A beast with more than 60 years of history (and still has rope) When the KC-135 It flew for the first time in 1956the world was another. The Cold war He dominated the military strategy, and the United States needed a fleet capable of sustaining its aerial power at a global scale. Boeing offered a solution: a military variant of the Model 367-80the prototype that would also lead to the mythical 707. Thus was born the Stratotanker, which began to reach the air bases in 1957 and that, against all prognosis, remains in service in full 2025. Of the more than 700 built copies, much was subjected to a process of radical modernization. The most visible change: engines. The ancients were replaced by CFM56more efficient, powerful and silent turbo. Thanks to them, the KC-135R-the most common version today— consume 25 % lessit costs 25 % less operating and is almost 96 % quieter than the original model, according to official US Air Force data. But not everything has been mechanical. Throughout the decades, the KC-135 has also been adapted for very different tasks: aerial command, surveillance, experimental tests or even missions in compliance with the open skies treaty. Few platforms have demonstrated so much versatility and resistance to the passage of time. How the Replacement in Flight works From outside it may seem a simple maneuver: two planes flying nearby, one transfers fuel and everything continues as if nothing. But in reality, aerial refueling is an extremely delicate operation that requires Perfect coordination between pilots and operator. In KC-135, this task falls on the call Boom Operatora crew member that is located at the back of the plane, lying down, with direct vision of the receiver and total control over the extensible pole of refueling. That articulated arm (Flying Boom) It is the main tool of KC-135 to transfer fuel in flight. Its design allows a precise connection between aircraft that fly at high speed and altitude. The connection requires absolute concentration: the operator guides contact and keeps it stable even in turbulence or maneuvering conditions. In addition to the pole system, some KC-135 are equipped with an additional system: the Druga kind of aerodynamic funnel that allows us to refuel aircraft with probes, as European helicopters or fighters. There are also models with pods in the wings that allow supplying two planes at the same time. All this makes Stratotanker a flexible platform, capable of adapting to multiple configurations according to the mission. A key piece also in the modern war Behind his austere silhouette and his gray paint without ornaments, the KC-135 hides an optimized machine for efficiency. It is propelled by four large thrust engines, capable of taking it at speeds close to 850 km/Hy to operate at altitudes up to 15,240 meters. He is not intended for agility or combat, but meets an immovable premise: being there when he is needed. Can take off with a maximum weight of 146 tons and transport more than 90 tons of fuel to transfer to other aircraft. If the mission requires it, it can also load up to 37 passengers or about 38,000 kilos of material on the upper cover, just above the refueling system. All this in a structure of 41.5 meters long, with a wingspan close to 40 meters. As for its reach, it can cover more than 2,400 km with 68 tons of transferable fuel on board. In type missions Ferrywithout external load, can exceed 17,700 km, allowing intercontinental flights without scales. In medical evacuation missions, the KC-135 becomes a kind of flying ICU. Thanks to special pallets, you can transport patients on a stretcher with a specific medical crew. It is this versatility is what Stratotanker has made a piece difficult to replace. The KC-135 continues active duty more than SEis decades later of his first flight. Although the KC-46 pegasus It has already begun to assume part of its functions, Stratotanker is still one of the main resupply platforms of the US Air Force. Its maintenance, its successive modernizations and its capacity proven in multiple scenarios explain its constant presence in long -range operations. Images | US Air Force (1, 2, 3, 4) | Master Sgt. Vincent de Groot | US Department of Defense In Xataka | We prepare to say goodbye to Windows 10, but part of the US Air Control still works with disks and Windows 95

The US is relocating military airplanes in the middle of the Middle East. The B-2 has not come into play, but already intimidated

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While Iran and Israel continue to exchange attacks, United States has begun to reinforce His military presence in Middle East. The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, confirmed last night Through a publication in X that he had ordered “the deployment of additional capacities” to protect his forces and improve defensive position in the region. As detailed Media as Reuters and BBCthe deployment includes the USS Nimitz aircraft carriers, one of the key pieces of the US Navy. On board they can travel to 5,000 people and more than 60 aircraft, including fighters, light bombers and support planes. They have also mobilized at least 30 cistern aircraftmostly KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-46 Pegasus, next to a fighter fleet composed of models such as F-16, F-22 and F-35. HEREWORKS, fighters and a pending question: B-2 But in the midst of this climb, many looks are directed to an unknown that plans on the US strategy: will the bomber end up mobilizing B-2 Spirit? There is a clear reason for that question. This is the only aircraft under direct control in the United States that is certified to transport and launch the GBU-57/B MASSIVE ORDNANCE PENETATORa pump designed to pierce high depth underground structures. That capacity is not a simple technical detail. According to various estimatesthe GBU-57 could be one of the few weaponss capable of reaching fordow, Iranian uranium enrichment installation excavated under a mountain, about 80 or 90 meters deep. No one has confirmed it, but the B-2 Spirit already flies over the hypotheses. The simple possibility that the United States mobilizes it is enough to alter the strategic conversation. Justin Bronk, of the Royal United Services Institute, He made it clear: The current type of deployment is “highly indicative” that Washington is preparing to support “intensive combat operations” in the region. The B-2 would be the strongest piece of that support. Its scope, 9,650 km without repostingallows you to operate from some key locations. He usually does it from Whiteman, in Misuri. Other options on the table are Fairford, in the United Kingdom, and Diego García, a remote base in the Indian Ocean leased by the United Kingdom to the United States. The B-2 Spirit is not the fastest or newest bomber, but it is one of the most difficult to detect. Its steering wing -shaped design, added to special materials and a low flight profile, allows you to penetrate highly sophisticated air defense systems. It is precisely where its value lies: it can fly where others could not. It measures 52 meters of wingspan and 21 meters long, and is propelled by four general electric F118-GE-100 engines. It has a 15,000 meter operational roof And, as we have seen, an Intercontinental Alance. Your load capacity Round the 20 tonsand can carry both conventional and nuclear armament. It is created by two people, much less than in other heavy bombers such as B-1b or B-52, and its missions are coordinated from a limited network of strategic bases. Its maintenance is the responsibility of the American Air Force, with the support of contractors led by Northrop Grumman. There are only 19 active units. The B-2 began to fly in 1989 and is not a resource that unfolds lightly. Its value is not only in technology that makes it undetectable, but in its ability to combine Stealth, scope and attack power On a single platform. It is, in many ways, the letter that is kept until the end. Images | US Air Force (Via Wikimedia Commons) Northrop Grumman (1, 2, 3) In Xataka | Ukraine was the anticipation of what Israel has done: war is no longer a thing of fighters or missiles, but something much cheaper

We are in 2025 and the Wi -Fi of the airplanes is still terrible. Starlink is demonstrating that we are at the turning point

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June 30, 2016. BBC publishes an article called: How does the Wi -Fi work in the airplanes and why is it so bad? Almost 10 years later, we are almost in the same place. The Earth has revolved for almost a decade but in terms of connecting to Internet networks from the air it seems that we are completely stagnant. Or it seemed. 2016. “Some compare their speed with that of the beginning of the Internet, when, with the soundtrack of the atrocious beep of the modem, they had to be put on patience while any page was loaded.” With this paragraph Yolanda Valery for BBC In 2016 what was the experience of trying to connect to the Internet from the air. In that same article it was explained that connecting to the Internet from a flight guaranteed a certain guarantee to do very basic connected tasks, such as sending an email. But it was also mentioned that you could already forget to see a content in streaming Or, at least, assume that it was going to be a really tedious experience. We remain the same. In 2016, the offer of a wifi on board was relatively recent. In 2013 we told you that Iberia made this service available to the client at a price of five euros … for five megas. Shortly after, Enrique Dans narrated his experience In an Iberia plane and pointed out that the option was really interesting but that the result was very bad. And even raised if he had to be offered under the conditions of that time. Already in 2017, in Xataka We wondered why we still have no wifi in all airplanes. And we could say the same right now, with a good handful of airplanes that do not offer it … and above all: those who offer it and serve little or nothing. If we enter On Iberia’s own page We verify that in its reference to the connection packages it is specified that allow “Internet navigation, messenger, email, download and sending documents”. That is, tasks that require poor discharge speed. And they emphasize that it is “it is possible that during some moments of the trip the signal can come weakened” or that it lends itself with “three different suppliers, so you can experience differences between one flight or another.” Why is it so bad? The main reason why the Wi -Fi in the airplanes is so bad is how the Internet connection is obtained. You can take “global, satellite or land coverage,” depending on the flight, they point out on the Iberia website. This means that the plane receiver can connect to telephone antennas or satellites if the latter are not available. On a transatlantic flight, that connection is more unstable since Terrestrial antennas are far away. It only remains to be connected to a satellite so that the shipment and reception of data is complicated. First because the distance is much broader than when we have our feet on the floor and, second, because the plane moves hundreds of kilometers per hour, which complicates the reception and sending of the data. The big problem is that although the bandwidths that users have to share are now the demands of applications. Not only is the Quality of the images we load on Instagramis also the huge amount of data that an application like Netflix needs to play your streaming videos. Already in 2020, in Xataka We estimated that one hour sailing on this platform consumes between one and seven GB (depending on quality). A turning point? Andrew J. Hawkins explains in The Verge that the time may have come to say goodbye to these connections. In the aforementioned article, it indicates its experience aboard an E-175 Embraer, a 88-seat narrow fuselage plane that United Airlines uses for short flights. This, specifically, lasted 90 minutes. The plane is one of the first connected to Starlink and, in fact, will begin offering on May 15. The figures collected are highly hopeful. Connected to the airport Wi -Fi, Hawkins said navigating with a 305 Mbps discharge and a load of 249. The latency was 5 ms. During the flight, the speed was 196 Mbps of discharge and 27.3 Mbps of load with a latency of 19 ms. The discharge speed is close to the experience before climbing to the plane and although the figures are remote from what it offers on land, they are notable compared to those we had so far. During the whole flight. Hawkins breaks another spear in favor of the system and United Airlines: the wifi was active throughout the flight. “The service works from the door to the door, not only above 10,000 feet, restriction under which some other systems operate. As soon as I sat, they told me to connect to the Wi-Fi using United mobile application. “ In fact, in your article to The VergeThe author reflects the speeds during takeoff (234.8 Mbps of discharge and 14.9 Mbps of load with a latency of 19 ms) and the landing (72.6 Mbps of discharge, 26.1 Mbps of load and 90 ms of latency) when the worst data was collected. The time, despite this, would be brief because as soon as the plane touched earth again offered good figures with 231.5 Mbps of discharge. Although, this time, with the worst load data with only 3.01. Well to watch movies. But not so much to work. Because Hawking himself points out that he could use Instagram and Tiktok, Disney Plus, follow the ceremony of the new Pope for CNN or watch a live match “with a crystalline image quality.” However, the result was much less impressive when loading a file on Google Drive that took him seven minutes. Explains that this is because Starlink’s own infrastructure It is designed to download content and not so much to raise it, hence the difference in figures between the two processes. Differential. How much would you be willing to pay … Read more

Boeing, trapped in the commercial war. China paralyzes the deliveries of its airplanes and Airbus gains ground, according to Bloomberg

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Commercial tension between United States and China It does not give signs of decreasing. And everything indicates that commercial aviation will be one of the great victims. According to Bloombergthe Chinese government has ordered its airlines to stop the reception of aircraft manufactured by Boeing. The measure also includes the suspension of purchase of aeronautical equipment and components from US companies. This new blow is part of a tariff offensive that has reached unpublished levels. After declaring a commercial emergency, Washington raised up to 145% Tariffs in response to what he considers a threat to their economic and national security. China soon react, raising their own levies above 100% to US imports and making it clear that the climb was far from finishing. China’s latest reprisals hit Boeing Although the details of the last retaliation of the Asian giant are unknown, the suspension affects the Boeing 737 Maxone of the best -selling unique corridor aircraft in the world, of which the American firm has delivered 13 units in China, along with Tres Boeing 787 double corridor. In their hangars they still expect 28 Max and a 787 destined for the Chinese market. It is not just a political dispute: economic implications are huge. China is one of the main strategic markets for Boeing. According to their latest 20 -year forecast reportthe country would demand 8,830 new aircraft until 2043. 60% to accompany the growth of air traffic, and the remaining 40% to renew fleets with more efficient models. The country’s commercial fleet would go from 4,345 to 9,740 aircraft in that period, with an annual expansion of 4.1%. However, part of these forecasts are now questioned by the commercial war. The measure not only puts the commercial balance between the two countries. It also threatens to alter the internal functioning of Chinese airlines, which depend largely on fleets already delivered. Thousands of airplanes of the American company They currently operate in the country, and their maintenance requires foreign technical pieces and support. Boeing has been doing business in China for decades, but those doors begin to close. Boeing has been doing business in China for decades, but those doors begin to close. With Boeing temporarily out of the scene, two alternatives arise: The Airbus A320 family and the Comac C919. Airbus starts with advantage, since, although some of its components come from the United States or use Chinese raw materials, it can continue to operate normally in the country. The problem is capacity: the European manufacturer would have to increase its production rate to take advantage, and that is not immediate. The other great bet is local. Comac C919, designed and assembled in China, is designed to compete directly with the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320. It offers capacity for between 158 and 192 passengers and a maximum autonomy of 4,075 to 5,555 km. Today, its deployment is limited, but the current context could accelerate its adoption on regional routes. The uncertainty reigns on both sides of the Pacific. From the United States, Trump has affirmed that “China wants to reach an agreement. The problem is that they are not clear how to do it.” From Beijing, on the other hand, they show no intention of backing. They claim to raise tariffs beyond 125% would be “a joke”implying that greater punishment would not be an additional damage. As we have seen, the conflict continues to climb, and the aeronautical industry is trapped in the crossfire of two powers that more and more use their supply chains as a negotiation weapon. Although the long -term effects are about to be seen, the immediate impact begins to feel. Touch to wait to know if we will witness some kind of agreement capable of relieving, or at least reduce, these new international barriers. Images | Andrew Dawes | Kua Yue | David Syphers In Xataka | Boeing, in the line of fire of the tariff war: Airbus is emerging as the winner of the pulse between China and the USA In Xataka | While the US is obsessed with tariffs, China has a weapon that is going unnoticed: the bureaucracy

China wants to revolutionize the hypersonic flight of airplanes and missiles with an explosive ingredient: magnesium

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China and the United States are immersed in a race that is not fought on the mainland, but in the air with a common goal: to achieve speeds of more than 7,000 km/h. Both have several hypersonic airplanes projects With potential both military and civil And, although the US seems more reserved, China from time to time goes out to the arena to talk about Your technological achievements. The latest is an engine capable of going to Mach 6 thanks to a fuel formula with a special ingredient: magnesium. Mach 6. When we talk about hypersonic speeds, what we use to measure it is the Mach 1. is the one that represents the speed of sound, established in 1,235 km/h. Thus, a Mach 2 speed would be twice the speed of sound. Well, what are testing At Beihang University in Beijing it is a technique that allows to double the thrust of current hypersonic engines to reach Mach 6 and higher speeds. It is difficult to get an idea of ​​the amounts we talk about, since we are talking about speeds of more than 2,000 meters per second or around 7,000 kilometers per hour. It would be like going from Madrid to New Delhi in an hour. That journey, currently, has between eight and ten hours. EITHER cross the Atlantic in three. Scramjets. The objective of the researchers is to redefine hypersonic aviation thanks to a combustion technique that, as we read in South China Morning Postpractically doubles the thrust of a scramjet engine. It is the abbreviation of “Supersonic Combustion Ramjets”, these Ramjets being reaction engines created to reach Mach 3 speeds. To function, the air enters the engine at high speed. They are motors without turbines that compress that air at supersonic speed (do not slowly subsuite like Ramjets) and then the fuel is injected. It can be hydrogen, but also kerosene, which is mixed with compressed air and, as a result, a supersonic jet of hot gases that propels the vehicle is generated. When it occurs for the first time, it is when the sound barrier is broken and something similar to an explosion is heard. “Secret” ingredient. The problem of Scramjet engines is that, at extreme speeds, the energy generated by fuel is stabilized, but adding magnesium to the fuel formula, the thing changes. The Chinese team chose magnesium being a metal with a violent reactivity. When the kerosene burns it generates residual, but when they inject magnesium dust, that CO₂ acts as an oxidant lighting the magnesium particles. Yang Qingchun is the project director and comments that “magnesium does not need atmospheric oxygen”, so those magnesium dust particles react in explosive shapes with the residual gases that were previously wasted, now releasing an additional energy. China hypersonic test vehicle Evidence. And they have tested. Under conditions that simulate a Mach 6 to 30 kilometers altitude flight and using commercial aircraft fuel, magnesium injection increased the thrust by 86.6% with a combustion efficiency of 65.1%. This allows to increase the 613 Newtons-second motor thrust per kilogram at 1,126 Newtons-Second per kilogram. At that speed, the kerosene burns practically completely, the magnesium dust turns to the contact and releases the heat between two and three times faster than only the kerosene. But speed is not the only advantage. Something crucial is not to overheat the turboreactor, so researchers have studied how to optimize the process to increase performance without a temperature increase. Thus, it is the kerosene that acts as a refrigerant of the motor walls through regenerative cooling. The magnesium, which is added later, burns in a “storm of supersonic fire”, according to the researchers, which is stabilized thanks to an optimized flow route that, in turn, helps to achieve that more powerful thrust. Challenges. But of course, the higher the speed, the greater the challenges. We have already commented that the temperature is something that plays against supersonic ships Because they must resist friction that makes the temperature rise above 1,500 degrees Celsius. In addition, at more speed, more turbulence. The team states that this supersonic turbulence entails the risk of an unequal dispersion of magnesium dust inside the postquemor. If there is a bad penetration of the particles, or an irregular injection, the thrust gain falls to almost 20%. It is something that causes the engine to be very unstable. In addition, those magnesium particles that “exploit” are a double -edged sword. On the one hand, the explosion generates that violent reaction that increases the thrust, but at the same time the particles become microcuchillas that can damage the engine. Therefore, you have to investigate engines with the capacity to resist impacts inside. On the other hand, you have to stabilize magnesium injection because it is postulated as something ideal to quickly reach hypersonic speeds and maintain them, but a ship fluctuates in speed, it is an unstable fuel. They have added nitrogen gas to stabilize the entrance of the particles, but the team confesses that it is “as difficult as threading a needle in the middle of a hurricane.” Projects. It is something that China will continue working because it is the team itself that states that it is not something only for airplanes: Yang comments that its design can reduce the launch weight or extend the range of missiles. They will try to inject magnesium on a nanometric scale to see if it is more efficient, but it is clear that it is a project that interests the country. And, yes, China has already tested higher speedsbut what they are looking for is more stability and the way to change between speeds at pleasure, not in such a linear way. And he does it because the United States is also working on it. Not only in aircraft like Blackbirdbut also in systems such as Dark Eagle, a missile with a range of more than 3,000 kilometers and capable of reaching speeds greater than Mach 17 (about 20,000 km/h) with systems to … Read more

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