We’ve been watching Solar Ship for a little while now, a crazy zany cool mashup of a plane and a blimp designed to offer short takeoff and landing capability as well as wildly economical fuel costs (the upper surface is covered with photovoltaic cells) and with a eye towards unseating the DeHaviland Beaver, the worlds best know bush plane, for medical mercy missions and moving cargo into the wilds. We applaud the noble goals, but really, we just want a chance to fly one ourselves! Here’s video from their test flight.

Solar Ship\’s Test Flight

Unlike blimps, which have to be held down against their will, and are very hard to manage in crosswinds, the Solar Ship has a reduced cross section and is heavier than air…though not as much as it would be if that big wing wasn’t filled with helium. As a result it needs its engine going to get up into the air, and it’s designed to still fly if the gas bag gets punctured, but the lift from the bag allows takeoffs and landings in very short fields, and it seems to us that engine failure would be much less of a danger for the nearly weightless craft than your average plane.

Best of all, the solar cells on the upper wing are enough to power it, at least after charging up some on-board batteries.

The return of the airship is often promised, but Solar Ship looks like its evolution might be in the wind instead.

Huzzah!

Though I haven’t been to a PhotoPlus Expo recently, I’ve certainly been putting my cameras through their paces and keeping busy running the Alexndria Photography Workshop, and TechRevu continues to cover what’s new in digital photography, so it seems like it’s time for me to take a trip up to the big apple and see what’s in the pipeline. You can look forward to a photo essay and product report from the site.

Official Information:

About PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo
Designed for professionals in the photographic and imaging industries, PhotoPlus Expo showcases the latest advances in photography. Held annually at the Javits Convention Center, attendees have the opportunity to explore an inspiring array of photography and imaging products and services – everything from image capture and color management to retouching and storage – all from the industry’s leading manufacturers.  The show also offers over 115 photography and imaging seminars and hands-on labs taught by world-renowned experts with a focus on cutting-edge innovations in digital imaging products and techniques.

About WPPI
Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), a division of Nielsen Photo Group, is an organization that serves the educational and business needs of wedding and portrait photographers. WPPI is a professional organization that exists to help member photographers by providing them with exclusive information, programs and professional services to assist with their photographic artistry and business needs. WPPI routinely supplies its members with new benefits and valuable industry information enabling them to succeed in today’s active photo market business.

Links/References:

• PhotoPlus Expo: http://www.photoplusexpo.com/

Now that we’ve settled in one place for more than a year, my gal and I are looking forward to getting a dog. Now that cooler weather has arrived, we’re also looking forward to getting out hiking more. Looking for a nearby Sunday morning hike, I found the NOVA Hiking Club for Dog Lovers on Meetup.com, which is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of dogs and hiking in Northern VA. Continue reading →