Hot Spots in Cyberspace 24530

Design News goes digital

How many times have you read a Design News article, found a link you're interested in checking out on-line, and then added it to your "to do" list, only to be forgotten and thrown out later? Design News is trying to involve its readers more and give them extra initiative by providing electronic delivery of the magazine. A new partnership with Zinio allows Design News readers to receive automatic delivery of each issue on their desktop, store the issues on computers/disks, access editorial and advertiser sites via hot links, and pass along issues to coworkers without losing original copies. Subscribers need only download the Zinio reader once in order to receive each issue automatically. Visit www.designnews.com for more information, to view a sample digital issue, and to begin receiving copies immediately.

A Marshall makeover

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's website (www.msfc.nasa.gov) just got a facelift. The site offers videos and soundbites, downloadable images, technology summaries, and a search function to more than 2,500 web pages. Here, visitors may stay abreast of NASA news and upcoming events. Hit the "Space Station" link under Space Projects to read about the latest news on the International Space Station, and to find links to NASA's Human Spaceflight and Marshall's J-Track ISS location tracker.

Craft your own

Dan Raymer's aircraft design website, www.aircraftdesign.com, shows off his expertise in the field, while providing plenty of resources to visitors seeking drawings, pictures, books, and design courses. The "Design Drawings" section offers original 3D CAD drawings, paintings, and photos of such aircraft as the German Rotor-Jet hybrid fighter concept from the 1940s, the Rutan Boomerang, and the Rockwell HiMat Fighter Technology Unmanned Flying Testbed. Check out the link to Conceptual Research Corp. for information on new aircraft concepts.

Alternative for cargo

Ohio Airships defines the Dynalifter as "a dynamically lifting airship." According to the company, the airship may quite possibly be the future of cargo shipping, finding its place somewhere between fast but expensive cargo planes and slow but cheap cargo ships. Visit the "Old Website" section at www.ohioairships.com to view this Zeppelin-esque whale in the sky and to see how it operates.

Look ma, no man

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is a non-profit organization that supports the development and advancement of unmanned systems. The AUVSI website (www.auvsi.org) offers the latest news and resources related to such vehicles, as well as a thorough competition, symposium, and event calendar. Be sure to click on the center image to view the AUVSI gallery.

Watch for the typhoon

At www.eurofighter.com, visitors can see the latest combat aircraft developed in Germany, Spain, Italy, and the U.K., to fill air force requirements this year. The site provides a wealth of details on the aircraft, including materials, airframe performance, sub-systems, avionics & sensors, cutaways, and cost. And if reading about one of Europe's most advanced swing-role fighters isn't enough interaction, then go to Eurofighter Interactive to pilot the Eurofighter Typhoon in the "Blue Sky" mission. That ought to whet your aerospace appetite.