COOOOL PLANE.This futuristic jet wasn't designed to shatter shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. speed records, but it just may improve your cell phone reception or launch you out of the atmosphere! The brainchild of aerospace engineer Burl Rutan the Proteus aircraft is named after the Greek god who changes form because the jet does just that: it can carry a telecommunications satellite dish satellite dish n. A dish antenna used to receive and transmit signals relayed by satellite. satellite dish A parabolic antenna used to receive signals relayed by satellite. or transport and launch a rocket ship rocket ship n. A spacecraft powered and propelled by rockets. , Proteus features a 17-meter (56-foot)long fuselage (plane body) and a wingspan of 28 m (92 ft). It's stow-flying (110 mph) in order to maintain high altitudes on little gas. The plane cruises the outermost out·er·most adj. Most distant from the center or inside; outmost. outermost Adjective furthest from the centre or middle Adj. 1. reaches of the troposphere troposphere: see atmosphere. troposphere Lowest region of the atmosphere, bounded by the Earth below and the stratosphere above, with the upper boundary being about 6–8 mi (10–13 km) above the Earth's surface. (lower atmosphere level)--16 kilometers high in the sky. From that point a light rocket (which could carry tourists) might blast off from the aircraft into space. A fleet of jets might also improve the way wireless modems and cell phones work by carrying onboard satellite dishes in orbit above the world's major cities. Proteus flies much lower than satellites, so cell phone and modem connections should speed up. Proteus is due in late 2000. |
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