one of these?
edit: apparently the Super Guppies were replaced by the BelugaXL
Which, like, can you imagine the conversation between whoever designed that nose profile and their boss… “It’s more aerodynamic boss. honest!”… “it’s not because we’re calling this thing a beluga?” … “maybe not just…”
That last one is adorable. I want to smush its forehead.
It’s not more aerodynamic. It’s because of the large, flat-floored cargo area and decision to place the cockpit below it.
The beluga nickname came well into the development process. It was the “Super Transport” until the nickname caught on.
It’s more aerodynamic than a brick.
Yes, the cockpit was under sling to make space for cargo, but they didn’t have to make that look like a beluga nose.
Looks coincidental to me, it’s just a large bulbous compartment on top of what would otherwise look like a regular planes nose. Be interesting to hear interviews though, I wouldn’t be surprised if an external party to the design team discovered the similarity, I work with aerospace engineer’s and they are typically so in the weeds and technical that I would actually be shocked if they realized the similarity before someone else pointed it out. Not trying to throw shade or anything, incredibly smart and educated folks.
I mean, the paint to make it look more beluga-like was definitely intentional…
She made it (to a Gojira concert)
Very nice ! I also so saw the flying whales (and spotted the pilot 😁) and got a small gift from the replacement guitar player
"Now I can see the whales
Looming out of the dark
Like arrows in the sky
I can’t believe my eyes
But it’s true"
There once was a whale who got to fly, along with a bowl of petunias. Didn’t end well for either of them.
And the only thing the bowl of petunia thought was : Awwww. Not again
Blow, my bully boys, blow
Soon may the answer come,
to bring us 42 head lemons
One day when the hyperspace is done,
We’ll take our towel and go!
Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky
Are just flying whales
One hell of an album…
Everybody screaming FREE WILLY! FREE WILLY!!! but I take out my penis, and free willy, and suddenly I’M the bad guy getting kicked out of the movie theater!
🎵 When you look to the sky
And you see a whale fly
That’s~ an airplane 🎵I can be anything
Take a look
It’s in a book
A reading rainbow
You’ll get there one day!
Depressing fact, reading this is just doomscrolling, don't do it
Planes make so much noise that it disrupts whales’ communications.
Edit: tried to back this up but it seems this is actually not as bad as once thought.
https://baleinesendirect.org/en/do-planes-and-helicopters-disturb-whales/
https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/04/19/1089169.htm?site=hobart&topic=enviro
Full disclosure, I had a hard time finding sources by myself so I used an AI chatbot. It did find these sources but it drew the wrong conclusion from them - as ever.
I don’t know if that is the best goal.
I've also realized that I might be old.
where’s the bats angels comic 🥺
