A long day, demonstrating the system at Terrazign, a local NASA subcontractor, who showed us their incredible, massive workshop. A few pictures above. Pictures of the workshop on the way. Found a major flaw in the breathing gas delivery system, but it's at least now identified and I can fix it, like I've fixed all other system flaws!
Fantastic writing by aviator Ernest K. Gann [pictured above in his scriptorium], author of 'Fate is the Hunter':
"Ross taught me to taxi in this particularly unwieldy airplane at good speed in strong cross winds without uncertain wandering or mighty heaves on the brake system. We had no windshield wipers. So he taught me how to land in heavy rain, how to split my attention between what little could be seen of a runway over the nose, and, leaning back somewhat to avoid a complete drenching, see and adjudge much more through the window at my side. He delighted in all such situations and managed to pass on his lack of trepidation until I too began to relish the difficult rather than the easy."
Some updates to the sample image for the Atlas of Human Prehistory; now the diagram, with its attendant page of text, is feeling right.
Time to head home; a lot to do to pack up the system!
A new book project is underway: the Atlas of Human Prehistory for Cognella Academic Publishing. The image above is one of over a hundred maps I'll produce, each discussed in a page of text remarking on the various archaeological sites, geographical features and so on. This is a lot of fun, as I get to combine my love of maps and cartography with my love of human prehistory! To be published in Fall 2014.
Update to the summer schedule: looks like 150 days and counting until the pressure suit test in an altitude chamber in Copenhagen, Denmark! This weekend Kip Silverman, from my writing group. brought over his daughter, Sam, who took the pilot seat and worked through the electrics controls for a few minutes. In the photo she's in the helmet, having a great time! This weekend will be BUSY with disassembling the whole system for transport across town for a full pressure demonstration -- more on that later. Lower photo shows the suit pressurized, in Kazbek position with knee restraints installed; after a decent test I have mentally redesigned these for fast escape, and will be stitching those together post haste!
Top photo: Right side is all electric controls, left side (here) is all gas controls. This is the breathing gas and suit pressurization gas control panel. I can breathe through either of two demand regulators (like a SCUBA, but built for aviation, you breathe in and get breathing gas) and if those fail, either get breathing gas by manually pulling one of two hand levers, or pressing one of two foot pedals. Six ways to deliver breathing gas. It'd be pretty a hefty dose of bad luck if they all failed! They're all separately valved so a free flow in one any can be sealed off while switching to any other.
Lower photo: Pull for oxygen! A backup breathing gas delivery lever made from a good spring, a lever valve and zipties. All proof-of-concept to be 'hard wired' in permanent fittings once the system is proved--which will be in the next two months.
