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Engineering Newswire: Flying Car Crash Lands In Test Flight

This Engineering Newswire looks at upgrading phones with a new smartphone case, testing the limits of a flying car and shedding weight from the army’s machine gun.

This Engineering Newswire looks at upgrading phones with a new smartphone case, testing the limits of a flying car and shedding weight from the army’s machine gun.

Flying Car Crash Lands in Test Flight

Last week, Friday, AeroMobil took to the roads and to the skies with its flying car prototype, AeroMobil 3.0. However, during the test flight, the inventor and test pilot, Stefan Klein, had to activate the ballistic parachute system after encountering what is being described as an “unexpected situation.” Thankfully Klein was able to make a safe landing after deploying the parachute system at an altitude of approximately 900 feet.

In a press release the company explains that, In the process of developing new vehicles, especially in the prototype phase, the possibility and likelihood of an unexpected situation is a natural part of the testing program. They describe the testing as a learning period during which they will be able to detect and refine the design, adding that it is necessary to test the prototype in every way possible to establish its limits and to improve on them.

A Smart Smartphone Case

Ever think what a waste it is to upgrade your entire phone just so you can get a better camera and a maybe a few other bells and whistles? You're not the only one. Building on the idea behind Google's Project Ara, nexpaq envisions a smartphone case made of interchangeable components so that users can add new functionality to their mobile device without purchasing a whole new phone.

nexpaq hits the market with a total of 12 available components, which include a laser, additional battery power, an amplified speaker and even a breathalyzer, among others. The modules in the case sync with an app, and nexPaq says that all modules are interchangeable between Android and iOS. Should a user happen to switch phones, like say from an iPhone to a Samsung S6, nexpaq says that all you’ll have to do is invest in a new case and all your purchased modules are still compatible.

Army Machine Gun Sheds the Pounds

U.S. Army engineers redesigned and lightened the M249 machine gun, taking it down from 17.5 to 9.2 pounds. The M249, formerly known as the Squad Automatic Weapon has even taken a different name – the Cased Telescoped Light Machine Gun, or CT LMG.

According to Kori Phillips, a project engineer with the Joint Service Small Arms Program, no new exotic metals were used to lighten the weapon. Instead, components were just machined down in size.

Engineers also rearranged parts of the gun, the most extreme change being the detachment of the firing chamber from the barrel. The new, external firing chamber keeps the gun cooler and reduces the likelihood of rounds cooking off in the chamber.

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