New Israeli Invention to Save Airlines Billions.

From Globes: The Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) passenger jet towing vehicle, capable of handling even the largest planes in service, has successful completed a series of trials. The "taxibot" tows planes from passenger gate to the runway, rendering it unnecessary for the planes to operate their jet engines.

IAI estimates the cost of the taxibot at $3 million, and the company expects to sell 1,500 taxibots to airlines by 2020.

At many airports, the passenger gates are several miles from the runways, and the drive to the runway consumes huge quantities of jet fuel. For example, a Boeing 747 consumes a ton of jet fuel every 17 minutes.

"The good news about the taxibot is that a plane's crew does not have to use the engines to taxi from the passenger gate to the end of the runway," IAI taxibot project manager Ron Brayer told "Globes". "This is no small thing nowadays. Airlines will save billions of dollars on fuel. Plane safety will improve, because when the engines are off, the risk of sucking in items on the ground is reduced. In addition, noise at airports will lessen, and there will be fewer pollution emissions. In effect, the plane's crew will only have to operate the immense jet engines for less than five minutes before takeoff."

Now if only we could have an automated cabin crew that manages to keep people in their seats till the plane fully stops...



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New IDF Technology: The Mosquito

After blogging about the IDF Star Wars Land-speeder pilotless urban hovercraft and Robot Snake, today's feature is the IAI Micro-UAV Mosquito.

The IDF has been using unmanned drones for years to safely get up-to-date intelligence over battlefields in the Second Lebanon War and in this past winter's Cast Lead operation. They also provide daily updates from Gaza.

However, technology has managed to shrink the standard 1.5 meter long (roughly 6-8 feet) IAF drones into the new Ultra Small "Mosquito" drone.

Launched by hand using a harpoon gun type mechanism (it doesn't need a landing strip to take off), the mosquito only weighs 500 grams, can be remotely controlled up to 3 kilometers away, and can endure winds and gusts up to 25 knots.

Defense Update reports:

Demonstrated publicly in flight for the first time at the 3rd Latrun conference this week the Mosquito was launched by a unique catapult, derived from a common fishing harpoon. This apparatus was modified to launch the Mosquito effectively and reliably. The innovative use of such apparatus corresponds to new requirements emerging from the field.

The Mosquito lands using a parachute...(so you don't need a landing strip either)

Cool Stuff. (More on the X-hawk next week...) Photos from the Defense-Update

Update: Apparently Hamas & Hizbolla scientists are hard at work trying to come up with military technology solutions against the IAI Mosquito.

They have revealed their latest Iz-Adin-Al-Aqsa "Mosquito Killer" prototype which they claim will knock out any pesky Zionist mosquito.

They are also providing the following bio-chemical agent for their operatives, claiming its effective against IAI technology (and safe to drink).


IAI representatives have refused to comment.

hat-tip: rotter

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