Popular Mechanics articles from January 2002

Popular Mechanics archives from January 2002

Celebrating our centennial. (Editor's Notes).(Editorial)
January 1, 2002... When Henry Haven Windsor, the founder of POPULAR MECHANICS, published the very first issue on Jan. 11,1902, little did he know what he was creating. Windsor was already publishing two modestly successful trade publications--Street Railway...

F-22 on wheels. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2002... Cadillac's Cien is the first step toward the revitalization of one of the great American brands. With 750 hp and jet fighter styling, I say bring on the Ferraris and Lamborghinis of the world. NICK PARKINSON VIA INTERNET Never mind...

Jessie's arm. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2002... As a machine gun team leader in the Marines in Vietnam, I had the unfortunate experience of accidentally being shot by my machine gunner. The bullet from his .45 automatic went through my right leg and right arm, missing my head by inches. Even...

More popular than science. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2002... I subscribed to 15 magazines until this morning when, after looking at the October issue of Popular Science, I decided there was no substance to it at all. So, in two to four weeks, when I receive my refund from PS, I will apply it to my...

Sonic cruiser. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2002... In your article on Boeing's Sonic Cruiser, you mix up two different design characteristics. The research you mention done by R.T. Whitcomb at NASA Langley (called "area ruling") finds its most frequent application in the "waisting" of the...

Reader stories. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2002... Editor's Note--On the occasion of our 100th birthday, we're ever more aware that POPULAR MECHANICS has not only become an American cultural icon but also touched the lives of many of our readers. You, the reader, make us something special. As...

Longtime subscribers. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2002... I have been a subscriber since 1946 when I got out of the Army and started engineering college. In fact, I have a complete set of the POPULAR MECHANICS Do-It-Yourself Encyclopedia. I still refer to it. FRANK J. FEYDER BROOKSIDE, NJ ...

Time machine.
January 1, 2002... 100 Years Ago: January 1902 Sinking Feeling The very first issue of POPULAR MECHANICS, "An Illustrated Weekly Review of the Mechanical Press of the World, "featured the interior of a British submarine on its cover. There was no story...

Powerful building design. (Technology Watch).(aerodynamic buildings)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... As buildings are made taller, they require extra bracing to stiffen them against wind loads. And, once occupied, they use large amounts of electricity to run elevators, water pumps and other equipment unique to high-rise structures. This...

January highlights. (Technology Watch).
January 1, 2002... Fierce Fighter: The Air Force's new F-22 Raptor completes its first live-fire missile tests. Protecting Astronauts: An unusual fence will help NASA protect future space shuttle crews. Free Energy: After 50 years of trying, scientists draw power...

Computer spots sick chickens. (Technology Watch).(Georgia Tech Research Institute's infected chicken screening device)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... A machine-vision system that spots chickens infected with septicemia and toxemia and then removes the foul fowl from the processing line has been developed by engineers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). "There's a huge potential...

Warriors lighten up. (Technology Watch).(U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center develops lightweight combat ensemble)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... The Army wants its soldiers to lose 50 pounds. The weight loss will not require a diet, but a major change in what fighters wear and carry into combat. The "multifunctional protective combat ensemble" shown here is being developed by the U.S....

Robot guards fish farms. (Technology Watch).(Louisiana State University)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... A robot "alligator" developed at Louisiana State University (LSU) will make fish farming more profitable by scaring away birds that dine on the inventory. While the solar-powered boat does not look anything like a reptile, it has the same...

Whale tracker ejects on cue. (Technology Watch).(University of California and Sandia National Laboratories)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Tracking whales is an iffy proposition. The data loggers that record the animal's travels are attached by a corrodible magnesium link. When a logger breaks off, it floats and sends out a homing signal. Unless a ship is nearby to retrieve it, it...

Raptor shows its claws. (Technology Watch).(F-22 fighter jet)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The F-22 Raptor, America's next-generation air superiority fighter, has moved a step closer to production. In September, it successfully fired a medium-range air-to-air missile against a drone during a flight at the Point Mugu Naval Test Range...

Guarding the space shuttle. (Technology Watch).(First Defence II fencing erected around Kennedy Space Center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Even before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, NASA had begun preparing for a strike against its single most valuable asset, the space shuttle. The explosion of a fully fueled shuttle could unleash as much energy as a small nuclear weapon. Since...

Man-powered helicopter. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Students at the University of Quebec's Ecole de Technologie Superieure hope to capture the $20,000 Igor Sikorsky Prize by flying their man-powered helicopter to an altitude of 3 meters and then hovering in place for more than 60 seconds. Their...

Scramjet breaks Mach 7. (Technology Watch).
January 1, 2002... A titanium scramjet engine briefly flew faster than Mach 7.1 during tests at the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee. The 4-in.-dia. engine, shown here, was shot from a 130-ft. cannon. The launch sent the engine...

Ozone fights contamination. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Responding to a request from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto, Calif., the Food and Drug Administration has added ozone to its list of approved food additives. Ozone molecules consist of three oxygen atoms. This makes...

Power from a seething vacuum. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... More than 50 years ago, Hendrick Casimir theorized that empty space is seething with energy, produced by "zero-point fluctuations" of the electromagnetic vacuum. Zero-point energy remained a curiosity until it was accurately measured in 1997....

Stink bugs invade Pennsylvania. (Technology Watch).
January 1, 2002... For reasons unknown to entomologists, the brown mar morated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, has invaded Allentown, Pa. A major agricultural pest in Japan, the bug gets its foul reputation from a pungent chemical produced by its scent glands....

Planet watch. (Technology Watch).
January 1, 2002... * FRANCE Violent storms ripped through the southern part of the country in late October, sweeping through two campsites and overturning mobile homes. One person was killed and dozens injured. * VIETNAM More than 350 people, at least 250 of...

Temperature-sensitive adhesive. (Technology Watch).(Sandia Materials and Process Sciences Center)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Temperature-sensitive glue could spell bad news for screw makers. The epoxy stops sticking between 90 [degrees] and 260 [degrees] F, allowing glued parts to easily detach. At room temperature the glue goes back to its sticky ways. Its...

Superefficient motor and generator. (Technology Watch).
January 1, 2002... Switching an electric motor's windings from copper to high-temperature superconductors could double its output. This is the conclusion of the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research after testing a 400-kilowatt motor developed at the...

Tools for troubled eyes. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Miniature electronics will make a giant improvement in the quality of life for people suffering from age-related vision conditions. The VisAble VideoTelescope puts the power of a high-magnification video reading station in the palm of your...

Solar collector gleans starlight. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Astronomers have found a novel use for the Department of Energy's National Solar Thermal Test Facility in New Mexico. The facility's 220 steerable heliostat mirrors were originally designed to collect and concentrate sunlight on a 200-ft.-tall...

Giving floors a solid feel. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Engineers don't mind a little flex in a floor. Occupants feel otherwise. "People don't think floors should move," says Linda M. Hanagan, an architectural engineering professor at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. "When they do,...

Heart of a comet. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... NASA's experimental Deep Space 1 (DS1) probe navigated within 1367 miles of the comet Borrelly on Sept. 22, and took the best pictures to date of any comet's nucleus. In addition to capturing this image of the 5-mile-long nucleus, DS1 measured...

Tips and tricks. (Technology).(Windows maintenance features)
January 1, 2002... * Face it. Most of us do not have full control over our computers. We've all felt the burning shame of watching an IT professional fix something relatively simple--as we sit by helplessly. But it doesn't have to be this way. There are...

PDA or phone? both. (Technology).(Handspring Treo)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... Back in college, I saw the darndest thing. I happened to be at a llama farm, and off to the side was this strange animal chewing thoughtfully on some grass. It had markings like a zebra, but all the physical characteristics of a donkey. When I...

Suzuki's muscle quad. (Outdoors).(Vinson ATV)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... ATV manufacturers voluntarily limit the dry weight of their machines to 275 kilograms, or 606 pounds. The idea is to keep quads small and safe. Guess what? If you shoehorn a powerful engine into a machine that weighs no more than that, you're...

2002 Saturn Vue. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Like its older brother Buick, Saturn breaks out of its cars-only mold and jumps on the SUV bandwagon. Saturn's entry is the Vue, a midsize SUV, which is shared with no other GM divisions. The Vue is a five-passenger, fwd-based wagon that offers...

2002 Honda Civic Si. (Reports From Around The World).(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... To the current generation of hot rodders, this car is as significant as an all-new Corvette. After a two-year hiatus, the vaunted Si badge is back and mounted proudly on a hatchback Civic, just as it was the first time. back in 1986. And this...

2002 Porsche 911 Targa. (Automotive).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Porsche is bringing back the 911 Targa, the halfway point between the Coupe and Cabriolet. Like Targas before, the 2002 model offers more alfresco motoring than a regular sun-roof-equipped coupe but less than a full-blown convertible. The roof...

2002 Audi A6. (Automotive).(Abstract)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... You have to look closely to spy the subtle styling changes Audi made in the A6 line for 2002. Audi calls it a "freshened" appearance, featuring styling and functional changes in the grille, headlights, wheels, rear bumper, taillights and...

2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Think of the Escalade EXT as a Chevrolet Avalanche for the in crowd. With so many young hipsters driving Escalades, Caddy's median buyer's age has plummeted. And lots of those folks want the same versatility that Chevy Avalanche owners are...

2003 Ford Escape. (Detroit Spy Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Ford will move quickly to apply a makeover to its highly successful Escape compact SUV. As seen in this photo, exterior changes in the 2003 model will be restricted to minimal revisions in the grille and front fascia area. The new look will...

2005 Chrysler Crossfire. (Detroit Spy Report).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Chrysler will build a two-seat sports car within the next three years and pattern it after the company's Crossfire concept vehicle. Chrysler hopes to capitalize on the enthusiastic reception that greeted Crossfire at the Detroit Auto Show in...

2005 Chevrolet Super Corvette. (Detroit Spy Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Highly placed executives within GM are talking about a new "super sports car," one that would carry the Corvette name. Still in the "considering" stage, the new car would compete with such exotics as Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche. The price...

2003 Lincoln Aviator. (Detroit Spy Report).
January 1, 2002... Moving downmarket, Lincoln will offer this upscale version of the Ford Explorer as a 2003 model later this year. The new vehicle joins Navigator and Blackwood in the Lincoln truck lineup. The Aviator will not be simply a clone of the Explorer...

2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII. (Asia Spy Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... They won't confirm it down at Mitsubishi, but our sources say this hotrod version of the Mitsubishi Lancer will arrive on our shores in 2003 or 2004. The Evolution VII is Mitsu's rally car for the road and sends a 276-hp punch to all four...

2003 Hyundai Tiburon. (Asia Spy Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... This stylish two-seater made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September as the World Coupe and will replace the current Tiburon for 2003. The aggressive new car will be longer and wider than the current one and have a larger, more...

2004 Subaru WRX STi. (Asia Spy Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Subaru is deciding when and if it will bring its ultrapotent WRX STi (Subaru Technica International) model to our shores. Europe and Japan get the car in a few months. But with the success of the current all-wheel-drive WRX in the States, our...

2003 Kia BL. (Asia Spy Report).(new sport utlity vehicle)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Kia will finally have a two-pronged attack on the SUV market next year when this vehicle, code-named BL, joins the Sportage in the lineup. Reports from inside the industry say this new vehicle will be positioned above the Sportage. Eventually,...

Half the wheels, twice the fun. (Jay Leno's Garage).
January 1, 2002... The first motorcycle I ever rode belonged to a friend of my dad. Actually, it was more of a bicycle with a motor on it--like a Whizzer, except the motor was mounted over the front wheel. I was 12 years old. I went 50 ft., hit a tree and was...

Raise the Hunley. (Archeology).(civil war-era ship H.L. Hunley)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Depending upon whether a Yankee or a Confederate tells the story, the H.L. Hunley was a "peripatetic coffin" or a triumph of 19th century engineering. The 40-ft.-long, cylinder-shaped boat was last seen afloat in Charleston Harbor on Feb. 17,...

Homeland security: we have the technology to stop terrorists dead in their tracks. (Law Enforcement).
January 1, 2002... Here, in the words of Suleiman Abu Gheith, spokesman for the Al Qaeda terrorist network, is what we are really up against: "Those youths that destroyed Americans with their planes, they did a good deed. There are thousands more young followers...

Greatest hits (and misses) of popular mechanics: celebrating 100 years of predictions in our pages. which ones hit the mark--and which ones didn't.
January 1, 2002... * "A better world than we have ever known can and will be built." Walter Dorwin Teague, in POPULAR MECHANICS, 1940. Man will fly like the birds. Instead of a car in every garage, we'll each have a helicopter. We'll order pizza from our...

Head strong: bike helmets combine advanced safety with being cool. (Gear).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... That old saw "speed kills" is not entirely accurate. Actually, it's the sudden stop that can do you in. That's true whether you're in a plane, train, car or on a bicycle. Don't let the waltz-like speeds of recreational biking lull you into a...

Thin is in: flat digital TVs make viewing home theater a futuristic experience. here are a few to catch your eye. (Home Theater).
January 1, 2002... * Compare the quality of an image on a snazzy new flat-panel TV with that of a conventional tube TV and the tube will win almost every time--under ideal conditions. The key word is "ideal." To get the best out of a big-screen cathode ray tube...

Toyota Echo: small and quirky, but fun, efficient, perky and roomy. (Owners Report).(related article: Editors Report)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... * The Echo isn't the least expensive new car on the market. But the Echo has the name Toyota in front of it, and that plus price, fuel economy, reliability and service all add up to a bargain that the owners we surveyed for this report said...

Celebration safari: our centennial tour cross country RV by coachmen will take us coast to coast, border to border, for a 25,000-mile party.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * POPULAR MECHANICS is having a party--a 100th birthday party to be exact. We're taking our party on the road across America--coast to coast, border to border, on what we're calling our Centennial Tour. We want to thank you, in person and up...

Table stakes: we compare nine hot router tables for features, accuracy and convenience. (Comparison Test).(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2002... * Most of us bought our first router to cut moldings--those classy ogees, quarter rounds, beads and coves that elevated our work from the mundane to the truly professional in appearance. However, a router does more than help you look good. With...

Best by far: the national hardware show's best stuff. (Journal).
January 1, 2002... * The National Hardware Show defies easy description. It's big and crowded, so it's a lot like other trade shows. And, as the following story will prove, the show's diversity of products defies the notion that the show is limited to hardware,...

Fixing problem drawers. (Home Improvement).
January 1, 2002... * Of all the places we find to store things, the humble drawer must be the most underappreciated and overworked accessory in our busy homes. After all, you find drawers everywhere--from kitchen to bath to bedroom to shop. They hold the things...

Homeowners clinic. (Journal).
January 1, 2002... Exhaust Stack Damper My gas-fired furnace has no stack damper on its flue like my old boiler had. My heating service company told me a gas furnace has a damper built inside. I looked at my furnace and didn't see anything that looks like a...

Auto clinic. (Automotive: car care).
January 1, 2002... Full-Tilt Boogie I've had to replace the throttle cable on my old pickup truck three times in the last year. Are there any better throttle cables available, or are the cables I'm buying at the Chevy dealership just old stock and weak from...

Replacing a battery. (Car Care).
January 1, 2002... * "Honey! There's a woodpecker in the car!" she says. It's too early in the morning for this, and far too cold for woodpeckers anyway. You politely suggest to your wife that she do two things immediately: Let you go back to sleep, and let the...

Think it's new? Think again! (Last Page).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... PRESENT Little shavers: Kick scooters, like this Razor scooter, whet kids' appetite for speed. * Kids. They love their wheels. From bicycles and soapbox derby racers to roller skates, skateboards, Big Wheels and Rollerblades, kids...