RobertDyck Postings

tahanson43206 · 2024-03-17 16:41:12

For RobertDyck re Canadian History (focus on Cold War)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technolo … e66a&ei=38

In an era shadowed by the Cold War, the pursuit of technological marvels in the sky was not just a matter of innovation but a strategic imperative. Among the many ambitious projects of the time, one aircraft seemed to leap from the pages of pulp science fiction into the realm of aerial reality. The Avrocar, a Canadian-developed VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, promised a vision of the future that ultimately fell short of its lofty aspirations.

The Avrocar’s journey began in the early 1950s with A.V. Roe (Avro) Aircraft Limited, later known as Avro Canada, embarking on a quest to develop a supersonic fighter-bomber that could vertically lift off the ground. Its circular and flat shape, deviating from conventional aircraft design, caused it to resemble the era’s popular depiction of a “flying saucer.” This resemblance was not mere coincidence, as the period brimmed with public fascination over UFOs, fueled by numerous sightings and a proliferation of extraterrestrial themes in Hollywood films.
The Avrocar aimed to utilize the exhaust from turbojet engines to drive a circular “turborotor,” creating a cushion of air known as “ground effect” for low-altitude floating. On paper, directing the thrust rearwards would propel the vehicle forward, allowing it to accelerate and climb like a traditional jet.
Initial Canadian government funding in 1952 could not sustain the project’s financial demands, leading Avro to pass the torch to the U.S. military in 1958. The U.S. Army envisioned the Avrocar as a subsonic all-terrain transport and reconnaissance craft, while the U.S. Air Force coveted a stealthy VTOL aircraft capable of evading radar and breaking the sound barrier. These divergent requirements signaled the beginning of Avrocar’s troubled development.
Despite early optimism, the Avrocar, designated the VZ-9AV (“VZ” for experimental vertical flight, “9” for the ninth concept, “AV” for Avro), faced severe stability challenges. Wind tunnel tests at NASA’s Ames Research Center and scale model evaluations at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio unveiled a grim reality—the Avrocar suffered from aerodynamic instability and insufficient control for high-speed flight, manifesting as “hubcapping,” an uncontrollable pitch and roll motion, when more than three feet off the ground.
The dual prototypes of the Avrocar numbered 58-7055 for the first and a second unnamed, strove to demonstrate the aircraft’s viability. However, the vehicle’s performance fell drastically short of expectations, achieving a maximum speed of only 35 mph—far from the supersonic dream. These shortcomings led to the project’s cancellation in December 1961.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-04-07 11:13:14

For RobertDyck re recent post about politics...

Please consider revising your post about populations so the last line does not leave the reader with an image of human excrement.

It is not necessary for you to use gutter language, to express yourself. You have many other words available. Please try to use them.

I am trying to attract young people (and their parents) to this forum, to take advantage of Dr. Johnson's course materials.

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 87#p221487

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tahanson43206 · 2024-04-13 07:25:04

For RobertDyck re new phpBB3 test account ....

I understand that members of the forum do not have time to read every post, so you may not be aware of the test account that the Admins have set up for evaluation of newer forum software.

Please connect to the Azure test account using the information in the Azure topic.

If you encounter an SQL timeout message please just refresh the page. Azure is a Virtual Machine that goes to sleep and has to be re-awakened.

I'd appreciate your feedback on the site.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-04-18 08:16:45

For RobertDyck re new phpBB3 test account...

In response to discussions underway between Terraformer and Calliban, I have created a "Projects" category in the new phpBB3 NewMars test forum.

The first project I've created is Large Ship ... please register at the test account and begin filling out the topics.

Don't replicate posts that exist in NewMars... those will be preserved as we go forward.

What I'd like to see is evidence that the new structure will be persuasive to SpaceNut, who has the power to create the same thing in the existing forum.

NewMars On phpBB3
This is a demo for NewMars
Home Board index Projects Large Ship
Specifications for Large Ship
Specifications for Large Ship
This deep space vessel is defined by a set of specifications laid down by RobertDyck, Moderator of NewMars.com/forums.
Posts in this topic will be about those specifications.
Re: Specifications for Large Ship
This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited

If you are having access-to-the-Internet problems, please resolve them.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-04-22 07:48:13

This post is not about a specific post by RobertDyck, but instead, it is about the key influence he had on the design of the Business Calendar for Mars, which has quietly been gaining momentum in the NewMars.com/forums over recent Mars years.

A topic was created in the new phpBB3 forum site, and it opens with this post:

Martian Calendar Based on Formula by RobertDyck
Post by tahanson43206 » Mon Apr 22, 2024 1:09 pm
This calendar features 28 day months, with four Friday's skipped at the end of the four quarters, and an extended New Year's Eve to align the business calendar with the astronomical calendar.
The weeks are seven days, except for the four weeks at the end of the four quarters.
There is never a need to adjust the length of the calendar, or to add or subtract days, because the Business Calendar and the Astronomical Calendar are aligned to the nanosecond at midnight of New Year's Eve.
Credit goes to RobertDick, Moderator of NewMars.com/forums, for the innovations that yield this reliable calendar for the Planet Mars.
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tahanson43206 · 2024-04-24 09:58:09

This post is for RobertDyck about the phpBB3 test site ...

SpaceNut has begun learning how to apply advanced Admin tools in the phpBB3 forum, which is safe for experiments.

Please add new forums to the Large Ship Category, to show SpaceNut what you would like to see available here in the NewMars forum.

We have all been living with the structure created 20+ years ago, and it is past time to introduce some modest but meaningful changes.

A Large Ship category would be one you could populate with topics that are suitable for Division of Labor and Specialization, so that you can enlist and direct the efforts of those who might be willing to help you, once you get past the idea of doing everything yourself.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-04-28 20:11:15

This post is for RobertDyck about the FluxBB upgrade test site....

SpaceNut gave me temporary Administrator status in order to help diagnose and fix bugs in that level.

Thus, I am no longer able to test at the moderator level. Please try to find time to thoroughly test all the moderator functions in the clone site. We need to test **every** function of the clone software before kbd512 installs it at Dreamhost.

Please communicate with the rest of the Admin team as we seek to beat all remaining bugs out of the package. We have brought this version forward from 2012 to 2024. kbd512 did heavy lifting to get the package to run at all, and I've been chasing bugs ever since. There must be a few more, because there are many php files not yet exercised.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-05-22 07:28:46

For RobertDyck re Starting a New Company...

The purpose of this post is to encourage you to continue developing business concepts.

I'd like to see you succeed with at least one of them. I have several failures under my belt, and figure I have several more before success arrives, if it ever does.

Starting a new business is not for the faint of heart, and having the ability to take critical evaluation is vital.

There are two basic elements needed (and there may be more but I'm going to concentrate on two) ....

You need a product and you need a market.

You have demonstrated the ability make a variety of beverages and other food relates items. This appears (to me at least) to be a strength that might be tapped.

The market for beverages and foods is reasonably well established. It ** is ** competitive, without a doubt, but small local brands can grow.

This Universe seems to offer plenty of opportunity.

You have a potential product in Large Ship, and it is understandably on pause because the immensity of the challenge has become apparent.

A less ambitious goal might have a better chance of near term success.

This post is intended to encourage you to continue running ideas up the flagpole, and your ability to take criticism with good grace will be tested.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-05-26 20:34:45

For RobertDyck re house construction idea ...

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 58#p223658

I'm hoping to encourage you to develop this idea further.

I wrote a post of some length, but AISE objected.

I put the entire post into the clone where we are testing the new updated forum software, and it went in without a problem.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-05-27 06:38:54

For RobertDyck re house construction idea ...

I'll try again with a shorter post.... the idea I had (and still have) is that the forum structure might lend itself to managing a project, such as a home build.

We would want to create a new Category for projects.

The new category would NOT be for discussion. Instead, it would be for the usual project activity:

1) Defining tasks assigned to resources
2) Reporting progress/status
3) Showing dependencies

Each project would be given it's own forum within the Projects category.

Each project forum could have as many topics as are needed.

The benefit of this idea is that the project will have visibility to everyone involved, with nothing more complicated than an ordinary browser.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-05-27 07:01:15

For RobertDyck re Home Build Project management

While I'm proposing the forum as a way of sharing data about the project with an audience, the project itself might be managed using traditional tools.

I understand that the Libre Office non-profit organization has created a project management tool called (of course) ProjectLibre.

I haven't started investigating the tool yet. I just learned about it.

I assume the package is available for Windows as well as Linux, which is how I would use it.

The web site where the package may be found is https://www.projectlibre.com

If you decide to pursue this, I would be interested in looking at the software at the same time.

It would be interesting (to me fo sure) to compare notes on the two operating system environments.

SpaceNut has delegated the task of setting up a new Projects Category to kbd512, and kbd512 has expressed interest in the idea.

It takes a full Administrator to set up a Category or a Forum below the Category. Once the forum is established, it can be filled with topics by a NewMars member.

In this case (if you decide to pursue this idea) you would be the manager of the Project, and posts would be added by you or by project participants. The forum has plenty of room for discussion, and indeed, you could designate topics for discussion if that seems appropriate.

A project management system does not normally have a lot of "discussion", but the forum software would permit such a thing if there is a use for it.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-05-27 07:11:55

I asked ChatGPT4o to think about this idea, and it offers some ideas:

Welcome to the Home Construction Project Forum!
We're excited to share the progress of our home construction project with you. This forum will serve as a hub for updates, discussions, and collaboration.
Project Overview:
Start Date: YYYY-MM-DD
Expected Completion Date: YYYY-MM-DD
Total Budget: $100,000
Current Status:
Planning: Completed
Demolition: In Progress
Plumbing: Scheduled to start
Contractors, please use the provided format to report your progress.
Let's make this project a success together!

ChatGPT4 offered a suggestion about encouraging third party comments, but that would be up to the project manager.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-05-27 07:18:39

Here are some related suggestions...

Structuring Topics for Each Task
Task-Based Topics:
For each major task (e.g., Demolition, Plumbing, Electrical Work, Painting), create a dedicated topic.
Title each topic clearly, e.g., "Task: Demolition" or "Task: Plumbing Installation".

Additional items caused AISE

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SpaceNut · 2024-05-27 08:06:05

It's not the only business proposal to build a structure for living in as I had suggested to use the analog and others to create the experience of space living here on earth. Market is via multiple methods to get what is in the offering to the people of earth. Depending on size we have opened up not just housing but industrial and other depending on what is implemented in the design.

Have seen the old MS office project but have libre products on my computer so will download the project and play with the software that its task based for topic discussion which is how we are currently setup to do just as the big ship unfolded.

tahanson43206 · 2024-05-29 12:40:38

For RobertDyck re recent post in SSTO topic... It is good to see you back engaged with the forum. I hope this means you are making progress on multiple fronts. You have (had?) a lot going on.

The last business flight had you in remote regions replacing a modem (as I recall) I trust the trip went well.

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kbd512 · 2024-06-03 11:45:16

RobertDyck,

You're fighting against a religious article of faith held by people who don't otherwise have another religion that they actually hold credence to. They truly believe that CO2 is a planetary temperature control dial, that humans are entirely responsible for the present or future temperature of the planet, regardless of any historical evidence to the contrary, forsaking all other possibilities, till death do they part, and that no other factor is even at play. You will never have a rational debate with someone who believes something that. They're not going to question the utility of their own beliefs, now or ever. They're going to try to reaffirm their beliefs, every single time. If you think they will ever question themselves the way you or I do, then you're very far off the mark. Religion and true introspection rarely mix. As someone who no doubt at least grew up around Christianity, you should know that by now.

Your understanding of the past is not wrong, nor even questioned by those people, but they don't view the past that way. Historical perspective requires introspection that these people don't do much of. If they didn't have some great evil or calamity to fight against, then they wouldn't know what to do with themselves. If you're thinking to yourself, "What could possibly be worse than this?"... Use your imagination, because they certainly will. Think about how much money has been squandered trying to find the next miraculous new battery that, in all probability, isn't coming. There are no limits to what a sincere person will do, in the name of their core beliefs.

Apart from sincere belief in absurd things, the left championed "climate change" because it was yet another way to divide people, to assert that they were "better than thou art", and that they're "doing something" (they equate activity with accomplishment and lack the discernment required to know the difference) to solve a problem that they're utterly incapable of solving, because humanity collectively lacks the tools to do what they think should be done- apart from killing everyone to satiate the worst aspects of religious fervor. Whenever reality gets in the way of their religious teachings, they fall back on religious dogma. That is what religion is and how it works, but you already know that. Don't think for one second that they don't actually believe what they're saying. They're not trying to "press your buttons", they're reciting their version of the Apostle's Creed. They're the Apostles of Climate Doom, spreading the "good word" by telling us all how terrible we are, so that we can "learn to repent", before "Apocalypse Never" arrives. Much like the biblical apocalypse or "end times", they can't tell you when that will actually happen, but soon... very soon.

They don't have anything else to rally around. They don't believe the same things, there's no other unifying beliefs they agree to, and no underlying principles guiding actions, apart from climate change. It's like "The Devil" or "The Boogeyman" for them. This is their substitute for a traditional religion, but it's all that they have. You don't have to agree with it or like it, and Flying Spaghetti Monster knows that I don't, but please at least try to understand that they truly need this, or else they really do have nothing. The end result of that could be far worse than anything these people do in the name of their climate religion, because their modus operandi for "effecting change" is to burn it all down around them. Saint Greta, Patron Saint of Climate Change, is the poster child, literally and figuratively, for their movement. Who / what is Saint Greta? A mentally ill but terrified teenage girl throwing tantrums and talking about matters which she is ill-equipped to do anything useful about. Any group of people who put a mentally ill child on international television to "raise awareness" of their issue, are not going to be civil or rational.

At least think about the implications. You've already seen what these people have done to Canada with their idle time. Giving their religion its due is not the worst thing in the world, especially if it helps to curb the worst excesses of their more self-destructive pattern of behaviors into something that might one day prove modestly useful to humanity. You and I won't live to see anything of lasting value come of their religious eccentricities, but perhaps (blind hope on my part) the next generation will acquire something their religion creates which is of lasting value. It's something modestly useful for them to occupy their time with, however absurd it appears to you or I. Alternatively, the next generation will decide that their beliefs weren't helpful and move on to their next substitute for religion.

tahanson43206 · 2024-06-05 10:26:08

For RobertDyck re new posts in Business Opportunity topic...

Thank you for both new posts at: https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 40#p224140

Thanks for the history you provided, and for news of the clever invention to make "sand" bags out of water filled plastic.

Removing these temporary blocks after a flood should be much less labor intensive than the traditional sand filled bags, and the material used should all be recycable. In fact, clever design might allow the bags to be reused.

Your description of the far sighted civic leader is inspiring! What is needed is much more thinking along those lines.

The problem to be solved can be addressed right now. There are regions of the world where flooded flat land allows for gradual drop off for considerable distances. As the ocean rises, slowly or more rapidly, such lands will increase. Planning now to make good use of such lands makes good business sense.

The idea of setting pilings is tried and (mostly) true, but there are examples of deteriorated wooden pilings that show what not to do.

It seems to me it should be possible to design water resistant pilings that can be added to or topped off as the ocean rises, so that the buildings they support are always above the water. I've written before about planning to lower the buildings when seas are calm, and lift them above wave action when necessary.

The alternate strategy, of lowering a home below the waves when storms arrive is also an option. That strategy would require more up front investment, but those home owners who take that option will have a more comfortable waiting period below the waves, than will be the case for those high in pilings above the waves.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-07-01 15:18:37

For RobertDyck re new posts ....

It is good to see you are able to access the forum from time to time. I understand the restrictions that govern access. I'm struggling right now with something similar. I've relocated to an apartment from a full size house, and have very different WiFi, so the bulk of my computers don't work. I'm hoping to recover from this in the next week or so, but have to master new equipment that just arrived.
The bulk of my computers are Linux. I'm struggling to get by with Windows laptops, and with this Chromebook.

Please try to arrange things so you can participate in Admin meetings. We were just visited by Mr. Burk, who gave guidance and the keys-to-the-kingdom to kbd512, to install the updated forum software.

Also, please note that Mr. Burk has encouraged GW Johnson to join the Mars Society member forum. That might be of interest to you, or you may already have created an account there.

In any case, best wishes for good health, and for favorable outcomes for all your endeavors.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-07-28 06:16:41

For RobertDyck re posts about corporate behavior ...

Thanks for this fresh view of some of your many experiences, in the context of the destruction of Boeing.

Your discussion of GoTo statements will go over the heads of younger readers, but I remember that time of turmoil well. We were progressing from machine language (assembler) to higher level languages. GoTo statements were an evolution from the simple unconditional branch statements of assembler.

I am aware of one lingering acceptable application of GoTo statements in modern applications, and that is GoTo exit if you want all code to flow through one Exit portal to a single Return.

Purists might grumble, but I like having that option available.

***
Google Meeting is scheduled for this evening. It has been a while since you've been able to attend. In recent times, even SpaceNut was able to join using his ** very ** Smart Phone. We got to see a New Hampshire sunset in the background.

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GW Johnson · 2024-07-28 11:02:11

A voice out of the past (me) says once upon a time "go to" statements were essential, at least in the things I used so long ago: Fortran 4 and QuickBASIC. They were most reliably used as part of the branches of an "if-then" test, for accessing different choices of subroutines or different stretches of code instructions.

The "spaghetti code" problems happened when when you used a "go to" to jump outside of a logical repeating loop (however it was set up). That sort of thing was a "no no" even half a century ago.

I do not know, but I get the impression that the more modern languages are organized to the point of not needing "go to"-type statements to set up logical repeating loops and if-then-type choices. Perhaps over-organized. That sort-of idiot-proofs the language, yes, but it also reduces the complexity of the problems you can actually attack with it. It's a tradeoff: there is no such thing as a free lunch.

GW

tahanson43206 · 2024-08-06 17:16:05

For RobertDyck re post in topic about Dream Chaser...

Thanks for your follow up on the status of Dream Chaser.

To all ... just think where we might be if NASA had chosen to fund Dream Chaser at the level of the failing Boeing.

I understand why NASA put good money on Boeing. At one time that would have been a good bet.

The Capitalist System has no built in protection against the forces that destroyed Boeing.

I don't see any punishment for those who perpetrated the destruction.

My guess is the responsible individuals pulled their money out long ago, and unsuspecting ordinary stock holders are left holding the bag.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-08-12 06:24:56

For RobertDyck re the Artificial Womb topic....

I would like to offer you the opportunity to work on the Artificial Womb project.

You are the most qualified of the NewMars members who have commented in the Artificial Womb topic.

You've been looking for a source of income for Large Ship, and a successful Artificial Womb would be just the ticket.

It is human nature to worry about patents and protecting IP. My advice (hard won) is to forget all that. Just demonstrate excellence in the field, and funding will follow. Competition is to be welcomed and encouraged and stolen from. Make this an Open Source project and you will see more progress than would be the case with the typical approach.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-08-13 09:34:54

For RobertDyck re Post about Celestial Navigation

https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 66#p225766

Thanks for the suggestion to look for sailor's guides for celestial navigation on Earth.

The knowledge required for successful navigation on the surface of the Earth may well comprise a subset of what is needed to navigate in the Solar System. Major organizations such as NASA and the other National Space Agencies world wide do NOT use sailor's navigation tools, excellent as those may be for finding one's way on the open ocean, or even in a large lake where the horizon is not visible.

Please revise your post to address the needs of someone wishing to navigate from Earth to Mars.

My guess is that a sailing software might not be adequate, but I don't actually ** know ** one way or the other.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-09-10 06:22:02

For RobertDyck re space suits...

https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 24#p226424

Thank you for providing details of how various space suit designs differ, and for the differences in cockpit design that are significant factors for space suit design.

The details about the all electronic cockpit of the SpaceX vehicle were particularly interesting (to me for sure).

However, the Boeing passengers would not be operating controls, and I'm hoping you might be able to discover more details about why the Boeing suits could not be worn by passengers? I'm assuming at least two factors must have been in play, and perhaps more.

The oxygen feed may not have compatible connectors.

I see the need for a global agreement on a standard fitting, so that travellers from any Nation can ride in a capsule from any other Nation.

Related would be an agreement on communications. We may not find that as difficult, because Bluetooth and WiFi now seem to be be accepted as "universal" standards, and even old fashioned radio seems to be fairly well standardized.

However, connecting to power supply on the capsule may require some negotiation. Supply of electric power on Earth is not as uniform as it might be, but at least the number of voltages and connection types is not excessive. I've received electronic devices with multiple connectors for the US and Europe, so I have a sense of what is needed for compatibility on Earth.

Power on a capsule may well vary considerably from what is common on Earth, primarily because direct current may be convenient if supply is from batteries.

Details along those lines would be welcome additions to the spacesuit topic.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-09-10 12:53:59

For RobertDyck the addition to spacesuits topic...

Thanks for finding and showing the details about that innovative connection.

In reading that post, I realized that Boeing would have had to license the the technology, and I'm guessing they may have used connections they already own. There would appear to be an opportunity for an entrepreneur to make interface equipment by licensing both sets of IP, and then charging for the service. That would be some sophisticated equipment, and NASA or Boeing would have had to pay for it.\

It is possible that SpaceX may simply "create" the standard by dominating the marketplace, but NASA might force the issue by buying only compatible equipment.

It would not be at all surprising if someone at NASA is already starting to think about that.

The ** must ** have been similar issues during the early years of aviation. The Wright Brothers opened with leading edge steering and everyone else went with the trailing edge solution we have now.

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