Plane Seat Designers Have Their Heads In The Clouds

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You could enjoy your next flight atop the plane if a new product takes hold. It’s not for budget airlines to squeeze more people in but rather for premium passengers to get a unique experience.

The SkyDeck, produced by Windspeed Tech, is a canopy dome that would sit on the top of the plane. It’s made of a similar transparent material to cockpit windows, meaning people sitting in it can get an almost uninterrupted view of the sky.

In its current plans, the dome could house either one or two seats. It could be reached either with a staircase, or by the seating rising up elevator-style.

The company says it has carried out feasibility studies on the dome, including making sure it would be able to withstand both load strains and impacts such as bird strikes. It’s also earmarked an anti-condensation film.

According to the makers, the shape, size and positioning of the dome would not interfere with tail performance, while any additional drag would only mean a “small to neglible” increase in fuel, though this will be tested in a wind tunnel if and when the product develops.

Although the dome would increase overall weight on the plane, Windspeed says this wouldn’t necessarily be a problem. It reasons any airline using the feature is likely offering premium seating of some kind rather than packing passengers into every available space, meaning there’ll be some weight capacity to spare.

While some reports suggest Windspeed is in talks with a plane-maker, that’s actually one step away from the situation. It’s actually a manufacturer of cockpits which has made preliminary plans to offer the product to plane manufacturers. They in turn would have to convince airlines it is a feature that is worth having on their planes.

Whether any airline would find it financially viable remains to be seen. Windspeed suggests airlines could either sell the seats as the ultimate premium class, or instead let multiple passengers pay a fee to each visit the deck for a set period.


WANT: Portal Winter Jackets for Men and Women (Engineers and Scientists)

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Thinkgeek has just started offering these super nice Portal-themed jackets for “Engineers” (above) and “Scientists” (below.) Both will keep you warm at temperatures going down to 14° Fahrenheit (-10° Celsius.)

This baby is still lined with fleece at the neck and pockets to protect you from the cold, right down to 14° Fahrenheit (that’s -10° Celsius for those of you at Aperture Science International). There are nifty thumb portals built right in, in blue and orange (of course). Bunch o’ pockets to keep your gizmos in, too. And the white color will help you hide in the snow and avoid detection. “Detection from what?” you may ask? Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough. It’s certainly not 100-foot-tall snowbots! That program was closed due to lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Cave Johnson out!

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ORDER: Portal Engineer Jacket

ORDER: Portal Scientist Ladies’ Jacket

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The Awesome Star Wars Recap Song [Video]

From The Warp Zone:

In honor of The Force Awakens, we wanted to share with you our new Star Wars Recap Song that we put up on TheWarpZone YouTube channel. It summarizes the entire plot line of the original Star Wars trilogy in under five minutes. And the best part? Absolutely every film is included! That’s right! We cover all three of the Star Wars movies that have ever been released (EVER!)… in a single song. Give it a listen. We think you’ll enjoy it!

[The Warp Zone]

WANT: 17″ Interactive Animatronic Chewbacca Figure [Video]

This 17″ tall animatronic Chewbacca action figure looks fantastic, and unlike most Chewie figures, this one is covered by actual faux fur! It’s also voice activated and was made using digital data from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and features over 10 sayings and sound effects.

[Star Wars Chewbacca 17 Inch Animatronic Interactive Action Figure]