I've been working on making C++ programs faster for a long time. Most of the popular profilers for this job use a method called "sampling" to measure how well a program is doing. I've used them a lot, so I know they're not perfect.
The Wright brothers were incredible engineers, and a twisting wing made sense for their design. For high efficiency, a stiff wing is a must. Nowadays active stability systems make more designs practical. But the mission goals here favor low weight and reliability.
I was peripherally involved with a similar project a few years ago. They got bought out by Facebook. This was before Aquila.
There’s a good reason why most airplanes look and behave alike: because it works. Technology choices like flying wings (not used here) or twisting wings (used here) are a “code smell” to my computer programmer nose. To me, nothing is sexier than good reliable technology that works. Smart investors will know that. The other ones will do you a favor by staying away.
The use of batteries to maintain altitude at night is a big concern. Batteries are heavy and will dramatically cut down on the usable payload. They need to be maintained warm (but not too warm!), which is a challenge at the low ambient temperatures the aircraft will experience while flying.
Most airplane accidents happen during take-off and landing. Please do not shortchange these phases of flight, and good luck.
The security on this website is fantastic. They have disabled the use of the arrow keys to scroll the content of their pages. This must obviously be due to a previously unknown attack vector via the use of the keyboard. Bravo!
Requiring calorie-heavy diets to carry out their punishing workloads, [the Irish impoverished tenant farmers] were soon consuming between 40 and 60 potatoes every day.
I share this sentiment. First I try to figure out their monetization strategy. Not finding it is a red flag unless it is obviously a small side project. Then I try to figure out where I am in their funnel. How hard are they likely to try to force me to get the paid version? Finally, I ask myself if I see myself eventually paying for the product if I need to. For example, is it a company I respect and is the product priced fairly?
Many years ago I had a two-week reservation at a nice looking Best Western. When I tried to check-in they told me the room was not available, but they had another hotel nearby where I could stay for the same rate. It was late in the day, so I felt I really had no choice but to take their offer. The other hotel was far overpriced for what I paid for that night. The next day I walked to the other hotels in the area. They all had empty rooms and they were all much better deals than what I had. So I cancelled the rest of my reservation and never looked back. To this day I avoid that hotel chain.
My mom does not use the internet. She is 87. We’ve tried to teach her to use email. Once you explain the process at her level of technology, you realize how complicated to use it really is.