How different things work
Recently, there was a midair scare in London after the duct tape used to
secure the damaged cockpit window of a Ryanair aircraft came unstuck
shortly after take-off. Aircraft windscreens need to be subjected to
certain routine checks. Here's a primer:
HOW THINGS WORK
Blowing in the wind
Recently, there was a midair scare in London after the duct tape used to secure the damaged cockpit window of a Ryanair aircraft came unstuck shortly after take-off. Aircraft windscreens need to be subjected to certain routine checks. Here's a primer:
Features: Cockpit windows are made of multiple layers of glass and plastic to withstand bird hits, hail, etc. A heating element within the layers prevents frost and ice from obscuring the pilot's view. A coating on the outside allows the screen to remain clear even when it rains.
Key checks: Windscreens vary, depending upon the kind of aircraft, the speed at which it travels, the cabin pressure and the heating system in the cockpit. Whether the windscreen conforms to the specifications of the aircraft concerned, has to be checked. Windscreens should also be fitted with correct bolts from the inside rather than the outside.
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JUST WONDERING
Victim of change
Marhaura, a nondescript town in Bihar's Saran district, had its moment of fame in 2007 when then railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav announced that a diesel locomotive factory would be built there at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore. A huge demand for locomotives had been anticipated after the sanction of separate East and West freight corridors. In March 2009, the railway ministry even began acquiring land for the factory, hoping to complete work in two to three years. But a ministerial change at Rail Bhawan stalled work. In February 2011, it was decided that the factory would be built under the public-private partnership model. Financial bids for the project were invited until April. Since then, very little has been heard of the Marhaura project. The freight corridors too remain in limbo.
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QUIRKY
Equine fix to traffic
This Ahmedabad-based doctor has found a unique cure for his daily traffic woes. Fed up with nagging traffic snarls and everincreasing parking problems in the city, Dr Himanshu Khara has dumped his four luxury cars, including a SUV, for horses. He finds it convenient to ride to his clinic in a congested neighbourhood or to run errands. Dr Khara's fascination with horses began five years ago, and today he even picks up his daughter from her dance class on one of his horses.
SNOOT CORNER
Mixing matters
How did cocktails originate and why do some of them bear such weird names? Legendary New York bartender Jerry Thomas is said to have popularised cocktails with signature drinks such as the Blue Blazer back in 1803. Thomas defined a cocktail as a mixture of spirit, sugar, water and bitters. Merriment and cocktail consumption go hand-in-hand and are perhaps the reason for the outlandish names they are sometimes given.
Blowing in the wind
Recently, there was a midair scare in London after the duct tape used to secure the damaged cockpit window of a Ryanair aircraft came unstuck shortly after take-off. Aircraft windscreens need to be subjected to certain routine checks. Here's a primer:
Features: Cockpit windows are made of multiple layers of glass and plastic to withstand bird hits, hail, etc. A heating element within the layers prevents frost and ice from obscuring the pilot's view. A coating on the outside allows the screen to remain clear even when it rains.
Key checks: Windscreens vary, depending upon the kind of aircraft, the speed at which it travels, the cabin pressure and the heating system in the cockpit. Whether the windscreen conforms to the specifications of the aircraft concerned, has to be checked. Windscreens should also be fitted with correct bolts from the inside rather than the outside.
Â
JUST WONDERING
Victim of change
Marhaura, a nondescript town in Bihar's Saran district, had its moment of fame in 2007 when then railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav announced that a diesel locomotive factory would be built there at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore. A huge demand for locomotives had been anticipated after the sanction of separate East and West freight corridors. In March 2009, the railway ministry even began acquiring land for the factory, hoping to complete work in two to three years. But a ministerial change at Rail Bhawan stalled work. In February 2011, it was decided that the factory would be built under the public-private partnership model. Financial bids for the project were invited until April. Since then, very little has been heard of the Marhaura project. The freight corridors too remain in limbo.
Â
QUIRKY
Equine fix to traffic
This Ahmedabad-based doctor has found a unique cure for his daily traffic woes. Fed up with nagging traffic snarls and everincreasing parking problems in the city, Dr Himanshu Khara has dumped his four luxury cars, including a SUV, for horses. He finds it convenient to ride to his clinic in a congested neighbourhood or to run errands. Dr Khara's fascination with horses began five years ago, and today he even picks up his daughter from her dance class on one of his horses.
SNOOT CORNER
Mixing matters
How did cocktails originate and why do some of them bear such weird names? Legendary New York bartender Jerry Thomas is said to have popularised cocktails with signature drinks such as the Blue Blazer back in 1803. Thomas defined a cocktail as a mixture of spirit, sugar, water and bitters. Merriment and cocktail consumption go hand-in-hand and are perhaps the reason for the outlandish names they are sometimes given.
