wings

It's mission accomplished for the experimental X-48C aircraft.

The distinctively shaped machine this week made the last of 30 flights in an eight-month program as backers Boeing and NASA sought to show how well a "blended wing body" aircraft can perform. The X-48C program is tied to NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aircraft project, which is geared toward developing futuristic airplanes that burn less fuel, spew fewer emissions, and make less noise.

The Boeing-designed X-48C has a radically different look than that of conventional aircraft. Where a big 747 or a little Cessna has -- very roughly speaking … Read more

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This week on Crave, The Count counts 1 billion views on Sesame Street's YouTube Channel. Plus, the DRM chair self-destructs after eight sittings, we run screaming from a concrete-tossing robot dog, and sex up your iPhone with Sexy Smarty Pants underwear from Japan. All that and more goodies on this week's show. … Read more

Ambitious geek parents who want to build "Star Wars"-themed furniture for their kids have a lot to live up to. After all, we've already seen an impressive handmade AT-AT bed. That didn't stop Imgur user DarthDaddy42 from tackling the creation of an X-wing fighter bunk bed for his son.

The bunk bed consists of a large X-wing on top and a full sleeping space below (with "Star Wars" blankets, naturally). A ladder connects the two pieces, offering access to the cockpit above. There's a flat-screen TV aimed at the front window and an R2-D2 cooler to provide navigation and keep drinks chilled.… Read more

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This week on Crave, William Shatner has some choice words for J.J. Abrams, and we toss one back in the greatest drinking game ever invented. Cheers! Plus, we dodge a bullet the size of a football field as an asteroid nearly collides with Earth. Phew. … Read more

There's no disturbing lack of faith among Kickstarter supporters.

After all, a crowdfunded project to construct the Death Star that was launched less than a week ago already has nearly 1,500 backers and an astonishing $364,772 in pledges.

Well, the Rebels aren't taking that threat sitting down. A rival Kickstarter campaign to build X-wing fighters has just taken off. Its goal is to build one of the famous spaceships from "Star Wars" and then more. … Read more

If Luke Skywalker had a living room with a big-screen TV, he would also have a hand-carved X-Wing Fighter coffee table made of wood and glass. The detailed model looks like it's in mid-flight, except instead of blasting the forces of the Dark Side, it's calmly guarding your coffee.

The table is designed so that half of the spaceship is above the glass and half is below. That means it takes up quite a bit of space that could otherwise hold mugs, half-eaten bags of Doritos, and vintage issues of "Starlog" magazine. Still, the design is so cool, you won't miss having the extra room.… Read more

You can collect action figures. You can make a Millennium Falcon out of gingerbread. You can dress up like Princess Leia. Those are all good things, but perhaps the ultimate expression of "Star Wars" devotion is to own a piece of the original movies.

You can't just pop down to the store and pick up a screen-used X-Wing Fighter miniature, but if you have the cash handy, you can get one from an upcoming Profiles in History auction. The X-Wing model from "Star Wars: Episode IV" is just one of several rare items up for sale starting on December 15 as part of the "Drama, Action, Romance: The Hollywood Auction 53."… Read more

NASA said today that its experimental X-48C hybrid wing-body airplane took flight for the first time.

A remotely powered prototype that's housed at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert, the X-48C is thought to be the future of efficient, long-haul aviation.

The plane is known as a hybrid wing-body because it's essentially a cross between a flying-wing design and a conventional plane. NASA and its partners in the U.S. Air Force, Boeing, and Cranfield Aerospace are confident the aircraft will offer users long-term fuel efficiency, fuel capacity, … Read more

Amazon managers announced today that they have cut an "exclusive" deal for TV shows, such as "Fringe" and "West Wing."

But there are exclusive deals and then there are exclusive deals.

Amazon's licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Television for a menu of shows that also includes "Dark Blue," "Alcatraz," and "The Whole Truth," is exclusive only through the remainder of the summer, according to one of Amazon's representatives. These types of licensing deals have typically covered longer terms, though my film-industry sources say it's not … Read more