Obituaries

[TMC]

@Valvebloke

Could be a scaling issue. As you change the size of any 3D object, keeping the shape the same, the cross-sections of its structural members, which correspond to their strength, scale up as the square of the size but the mass, which often sets the forces they need to withstand, scales up as the cube of the size. So a member which can cope with the load when everything’s small can’t when everything gets larger.

That happened with the wings for the A380. To make schedule, they started manufacturing A330 (I think), wing spars, but a corresponding amount bigger. When they finally came to do the stress calcs they realised the wings would fall off after about 100,000km. Had to redesign and remake the wings for the first batch of planes.

[stu]

That’s why no one should fly

Lumps of metal weren’t designed to hover

It’s not big and it’s not clever. Just say no

[AmDismal]

@Valvebloke

So a member which can cope with the load when everything’s small can’t when everything gets larger.

Not sure if deliberate…

[murrayjohnson]

Yes. Materials technology

[murrayjohnson]

Except they are doing that (albeit in slo mo) in the airshow display you linked to above.

[murrayjohnson]

The BBC handled it well, initially showing footage of LeBron James (including the name on his shirt) in its vague ‘some black basketball bloke’ tribute on last night’s news.

[Mrs_Maureen_OPinion]

“The Sun TV - formerly The BBC”

[murrayjohnson]

It’s BBC News that’s gone to shit & needs sorting. The rest of it is ok.

[Valvebloke]

@murrayjohnson

Yes. Materials technology

Yes, in the sense that if we had some magic stuff which was stronger than whatever aerospace-grade steel they use in a full-size helicopter’s drive train (and maybe rotors ?) then that would allow us to fly full-size ones upside down. We could also build much longer suspension bridges and maybe get Arthur C Clarke’s space elevator to work too. But sadly there isn’t such stuff.

I’m guessing what happened is that they built full-size helicopters first. It was tough, but given real-world materials they managed it. They couldn’t fly upside down, but hey, who cared ? Then for fun people started building models. They probably didn’t need super-special steel. But even with the ordinary stuff now they found they could fly them upside down. The difference was the change in size.

VB

[anon14766838]

RIP Nicholas Parsons

BBC radio host Nicholas Parsons dies

[pmac]

Oh bugger.

Just a minute will never be the same.

RIP

[TMC]

That’s very sad, he was utterly wonderful

[Adpully]

RIP Nicholas Parsons - Good innings

[BobC]

A real shame, but what an innings.

Sale of the Century was the stuff of legends!

[Beobloke]

Very sad news. I shall raise a glass this evening and remember him for one minute, hopefully without hesitation, repetition or deviation.

Or repetition.

[dom]

I don’t get sad about celebrity deaths, but I just had a feeling, will really miss him.

[Mrs_Maureen_OPinion]

Oh arse, he was a gem and a one man institution. Don’t make 'em like that any more!

[htm_1968]

The last time I listened to Just a Minute they had that Tory twat Giles Brandriff as host. It was excruciating.

Vale Parsons.

[johnny_s]

A very keen horologist, he had quite a collection of timepieces and maintained them himself. Maureen could be round there harvesting all day.

[TMC]

@johnny_s

A very keen horologist, he had quite a collection of timepieces and maintained them himself. Maureen could be round there harvesting all day.

I cannot imagine that a man of such exquisite taste and careful dress as Nicholas Parsons would own anything Sodders would find remotely appealing.