I went there today. You can still get fairly close to the crossing, but photo opportunities are far from what they were – more suitable for just watching than taking photos as you can see from the photo (ignore the shoddy camera work and the quality :p ). As long as you don’t spend anymore than you need to to watch an aircraft cross, i think you’ll be fine. traffic on the roundabout is now minimal, so i think the risk of getting spotted by the police etc is low – just a couple of workmen digging some silly hole by the fence.

the new route around the maintenace complex does provide some good photo opportunties though.

from what i know

during the flight as fuel is used up, the wings become lighter as the fuel inside them is used up. perhaps wings that are lighter are better on landing? not sure…

i think its advantageous if weight distribution can be altered across the aircraft, for whatever reason. fuel can be transfered across the aircraft from tank to tank to improve performance/weight distribution/flight load relief/trim change/in flight safety etc during flight – although transfer possiblities are limited to the crew. weight in the form of fuel is taken from the wing and put elsewhere.

if there was baggage and cargo in the wing, and changes to performance/weight distribution/flight load relief/trim change/in flight safety needed to be made by moving weight from the wings, it wouldn’t be possible – you can’t move baggage and cargo in flight.

the wing is designed to bend as lift is created, but if the wing is filled or partly filled with solid items like baggage and cargo, it might affect how flexible the wing is – the fuel, being a liquid allows the wing to bend without so much restriction.

also, for lots of types of cargo, you need a pressurised space. whilst fuel is also pressurised, the pressurisation for the fuel isn’t the same for cargo. the fuel is stored at very cold temperatures, and the contents of the wing gets very cold – if cargo was stored in the wing, it would have to be heated to stop your clothes in your baggage from freezing. you would need space wasting heating systems and pressurisation systems in the wing to store baggage and cargo.

also the shape and structure of the wing probably isn’t suitable for baggage and cargo. there really isn’t much space in a wing for anyhting other than fuel – being a liquid it can get into lots of spaces – you can’t shove a solid suitcase into a tight space. there are lots of ribs and stringers forming the wing, taking up lots of the large, open spaces, so you end up with lots of smaller spaces which i should think could only be filled efficiently with fuel.

access also probably isn’t the best. how would the cargo be put into the wing? from the bottom or top? new equipment would have to be designed.

you mention engines being put on the fuselage. if the engines remain on the wing, and fuel is put elsewhere on the aircraft, i.e. not the wing, more complex fuel feed systems would be needed to take the fuel further across the aircraft to the engines. with much of the fuel on the wing, next to the engines, the fuel has to travel shorter distances so a less complex fuel feed and fuel transfer system is needed.

safety is another reason. if all the fuel is located in the fuselage, there is perhaps a greater fire hazard and danger to the passengers as the fuel is closer.

i write too much…
if im wrong on any of that, someone feel free to correct me.

thanks

I ve heard that you can use 2 graphics cards. When i connect my 6600gt is it possible to also use my old fx5600??

Im pretty sure that both cards have to be identical. there are motherboards (as Chris has explained) that you can get so you can use two cards, where they each do 50% of the workload, but the cards have to be identical models – you can’t use the 5600 with the 6600.

People who are paid to kick a ball around a bit of grass, in the process earning more money in a week than i do in a year.

religious extremists. oh just go to hell.

broccoli

travellers/gypsies – people who believe they have a right to live on without right or permission land and not pay taxes

people that come up to you in the street – ‘hey mate, can i borrow 20 pence to ….’ and then make up some crappy novel-lenght lie as to why they want your money

people that come up to you in the street who want to get you to convert your religion.

cold callers. hey, ****** off. especially the presistance ones. shame you can’t throw things at them. like broccoli or office stationery.

chavs

people who don’t respect this world

it wouldn’t surprise me if they close it. shame. they only recently closed the road between the main airport and the maintenance area so no getting real close to aircraft anymore. 🙁

that is a very nice system, but if you do want to upgrade the graphics card, i would recommend the Geforce 6600GT – i think it gives me awesome results, but it isn’t the most powerful out there, and it won’t break the bank (or atleast i think so – certainly no where near the small fortune that you need to give up to buy the newest top cards). they are going for about £90-100.