|
Japan
conjures locomotive that rides on air cushion
Saturday May 14, 2011 10:15:39 AM,
IANS
|
|
 |
London:
The Japanese, who pioneered high speed trains nearly half a
century ago, have now conjured up a flying locomotive - straight
out of the pages of science fiction.
The levitating locomotive sports wings and propellers and can fly
along a track. It has been designed and developed by a research
team led by Ysuke Sughara from Tohoku University, Japan, the Daily
Mail reports.
The prototype hovers above the ground on an air cushion, which
permits the weird vehicle to reach higher speeds than regular
trains in the absence of friction and with less energy.
But because of the wings, the airborne locomotive has to deal with
pitch, roll and yaw - like all planes - making it very difficult
for the bottom of the vehicle to stay parallel with the ground.
Although the prototype has a built-in system that counteracts
unwanted movement of the wings and tries to stabilise the three
axes of the vehicle, it is still streamlined enough for a smooth
ride.
This vehicle is not the first to use the concept of floating above
the track. Maglev trains use powerful electromagnets to make the
vehicle ride on air.
The levitating locomotive actually takes advantage of the air
shooting beneath it and uses it to help forward momentum.
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Top
Stories |
|
Mamata
tsunami sweeps away 34 years of Left rule in Bengal
Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress
and its allies swept the assembly polls in West Bengal Friday
ending the Left Front’s unprecedented 34-year rule. In the
294-member
»
57 Muslim MLAs in newly elected West Bengal
Assembly
Lucky
for some! Mamata added to list of 13 women chief ministers |
|
|
|
Most
Read |
|
Jayalalithaa: Tamil Nadu's iron woman is chief minister once more
Jayaram Jayalalithaa, set to be Tamil Nadu's
chief minister for a third time, began life as a small-time movie
actress before becoming one
»
With
AIADMK win, voters eye freebies of laptops, gold mangalsutra |
|
 Oommen
Chandy: Veteran Congressman set to rule Kerala
A devout Christian who leads a
spartan life, Oommen Chandy is the longest serving Congress
legislator from Kerala who is all set to rule
»
Kerala:
UDF scrapes through, LDF a close second |
|
|
|
News Pick |
|
 Congress achieves a hat-trick in Assam
The Congress is all set to form the government in Assam for the
third straight term with the main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)
and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
» |
|
IUML
becomes second-biggest party in UDF
The Indian Union Muslim League, a
constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in
Kerala, came out with flying colours in the state assembly polls,
winning 20 out of the 24 seats it contested.
The UDF has
» |
|
AUDF emerges as second largest party,
to work as constructive opposition
The BJP/AGP alliance in Assam
has not just lost the state assembly elections. But, hit hard by the
Congress tsunami that routed the opposition alliance, it has also
lost the place as the
» |
|
Award
death penalty in staged shootout cases: Supreme Court
The Supreme
Court said Friday that staged shootouts involving contract
killings by policemen should be counted in the category of rarest
of rare cases and those found guilty should be sentenced to death.
“We are of the view that
» |
|
Rangasamy leads new party to power in Puducherry
Forming a new party - the All India NR
Congress (AINRC) - only two months back, N. Rangasamy is all set
to return to the chief minister’s post in Puducherry. In the
process he spoilt the chances of the Congress to score
»
|
|
|
|
Picture of the Day |
|
 |
|
Vice
President Mohd. Hamid Ansari addresses after releasing the
special issue of “Think India” quarterly on Faiz Ahmad Faiz,
in New Delhi on May 10, 2011. Also seen in the picture is
Member Planning Commission Dr Syeda Hameed among others.
(Photo:
Hansraj) |
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
Quick links