Gearfuse

Remember the Virgin Galactic Mothership Hunter posted about over the weekend? Well, Designer Burt Rhutan of Scaled Composites and Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin, have unveiled the latest in aviation technology and the world’s largest all carbon composite aircraft, the White Knight 2. It’s capable of reaching heights as great as 50,000 feet and specifies in training pilots for pre space-flight with positive G forces and zero G exercises.

Branson’s interest in space exploration was inspired by Steven Hawking (not the LEGO variety) and it seems like the days of Star Trek are getting closer and closer. With twelve of these babies being built, maybe those weddings in space will be bountiful in the near future. CrunchGear has great live coverage of the event, featuring tons of pictures, videos and facts on the unveiling of the White Knight 2.

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A group of young minds at the Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, MN have constructed from scratch a lithium phosphate ion-powered motorcycle that can travel at speeds of 60 MPH for 50+ miles before needing to be recharged. Safer than any Vespa you’ve taken for a ride, this electric bike has been built with the driver’s safety in mind.  Implemented in its design are “crush zones” formed by compressible materials to protect the driver by keeping him/her inside the vehicle during the event of a collision.

The bike is going to be shown at MIT next week and the team plans on inventing a solar-charging station to make the electric bike truly carbon free. It seems like eco-friendly motor bikes are the way of transportation in our greener future.
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The lightest most durable decks to hit store shelves, Element’s new “Push Construction Positive Negative” series of decks is leading by example and showing old-timers that wood isn’t good. Element had previously released a featherlight helium deck which trapped air in between the layers of the deck. Combining that with with carbon fiber material has spawned the first three pro-skateboarding sponsor Push Constructions: the “Darrell,” the “Muska” and the “Tave”.

Less wood equals responsible foresting and a more eco-friendly board than others. But skaters don’t care about clean air and clean streets. All they’re looking for is a mean grind and people to piss off.

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