2011 CHEVY Silverado, GMC Sierra HD Trucks deliver the best towing ratings

Press Release: 2010-05-18 DETROIT – Chevrolet and GMC announced today that the new 2011 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups have increased towing and payload ratings to 21,700 pounds of towing and 6,635 pounds of payload.

 

The new figures were achieved through ongoing development and testing, making the Silverado and Sierra the most capable and powerful heavy-duty pickups in the segment.

• Read more about the Chevrolet Silverado HD.


• Read more about the GMC Sierra HD. 3

About General Motors:  General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.  With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 204,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling.  GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation.

2011 CHEVY Silverado, GMC Sierra HD Trucks deliver the best towing ratings

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The Fastest Plane on Earth [25 pics]

Since 1976, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird has held the world record for the fastest ‘air-breathing manned aircraft’ with a recorded speed of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h). That works out to a staggering 36.55 miles/58.83 km per minute.

The Blackbird was so fast that its strategy against surface-to-air missiles was to simply accelerate and outfly them. Below you will find an extensive gallery of this iconic aircraft along with information on the history, design and records the plane holds to this day.

Photograph by NASA

 

Photograph by James Gordon

The SR-71 served with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. Of the 32 aircraft built, 12 were lost in accidents, though none to enemy action. Since 1976, it has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft.

 

Photograph by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

 

The Blackbird was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson was the lead designer and was responsible for many of the design’s innovative concepts.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

 

Photograph by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

The SR-71 was designed for Mach 3+ flights (1020.87m/3349.31 ft per second) with a crew of two in tandem cockpits, with the pilot in the forward cockpit and the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) monitoring the surveillance systems and equipment from the behind cockpit.

 

Photograph by the U.S. Air Force

 

Finished aircraft were painted a dark blue, almost black, to increase the emission of internal heat and to act as camouflage against the night sky. The dark colour led to the aircraft’s call sign “Blackbird”.

 

Photograph by the CIA

 

On most aircraft, use of titanium was limited by the costs involved in procurement and manufacture. It was generally used only in components exposed to the highest temperatures, such as exhaust fairings and the leading edges of wings. On the SR-71, titanium was used for 85% of the structure, with the rest made of composite materials.

 

Photograph by NASA/Jim Ross

Flying at 80,000 ft (24,000 m) meant that crews could not use standard masks, which could not provide enough oxygen above 43,000 ft (13,000 m). Specialised protective pressurized suits were produced; similar suits were also used on the Space Shuttle.

 

Photograph by Nick Dowling

 

Photograph by greyloch

 

The Pratt & Whitney J58-P4 engine that powered the SR-71 was a considerable innovation of their era; each one could produce 32,500 lbf (145 kN) of static thrust. The J58 was most efficient around Mach 3.2, the Blackbird’s typical cruising speed. A unique hybrid, the engine can be thought of as a turbojet inside a ramjet.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Originally, the Blackbird’s engines started up with the assistance of an external engine referred to as a “start cart”. The cart included two Buick Wildcat V8 engines positioned underneath the aircraft. The two engines powered a single, vertical driveshaft connecting to a single J58 engine. Once one engine was started, the cart was wheeled to the other side of the aircraft to start the other engine. The operation was deafening.

Eventually, a quieter, pneumatic start system was developed for use at Blackbird main operating bases, but the start carts remained to support recovery team Blackbird starts at diversion landing sites not equipped to start J-58 engines.

 

Photograph by TSgt. Michael Haggerty, USAF

 

Before each takeoff, a time-consuming primary alignment brought the ANS’ inertial components to a high degree of accuracy. Once in flight, the ANS, which sat behind the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO)’s position, tracked stars through a circular window set in the upper fuselage. Its blue light source star tracker, which could see stars during both day and night, would continuously track a variety of stars as the aircraft’s changing position brought them into view.

 

Photograph by TSgt. Michael Haggerty, USAF

 

The first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1966.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Operational highlights for the entire Blackbird family (YF-12, A-12, and SR-71) as of about 1990 included:

- 3,551 Mission Sorties Flown

- 17,300 Total Sorties Flown

- 11,008 Mission Flight Hours

- 53,490 Total Flight Hours

- 2,752 hours Mach 3 Time (Missions)

- 11,675 hours Mach 3 Time (Total)

 

Photograph by USAF/Tech. Sgt. Michael Haggerty

 

The SR-71 was the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. On 28 July 1976, it broke the world record for its class: an “absolute altitude record” of 85,069 feet (25,929 m). Several aircraft exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs but not in sustained flight. That same day an SR-71 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h).

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

 

The SR-71 also holds the “Speed Over a Recognized Course” record for flying from New York to London distance 3,508 miles (5,646 km), 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h), and an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds, set on 1 September 1974 while flown by U.S. Air Force Pilot Maj. James V. Sullivan and Maj. Noel F. Widdifield, reconnaissance systems officer (RSO).

 

Photograph by Ken Hackman, USAF

On 26 April 1971, 61-7968 flown by Majors Thomas B. Estes and Dewain C. Vick flew over 15,000 miles (24,000 km) in 10 hrs. 30 min. This flight was awarded the 1971 Mackay Trophy for the “most meritorious flight of the year” and the 1972 Harmon Trophy for “most outstanding international achievement in the art/science of aeronautics”.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

 

On 6 March 1990, Lt. Col. Raymond “Ed” E. Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph “Jt” T. Vida piloted SR-71 S/N 61-7972 on its final Senior Crown flight and set four new speed records in the process:

1. Los Angeles, CA to Washington, D.C., distance 2,299.7 miles (3,701.0 km), average speed 2,144.8 miles per hour (3,451.7 km/h), and an elapsed time of 64 minutes 20 seconds.

2. West Coast to East Coast, distance 2,404 miles (3,869 km), average speed 2,124.5 miles per hour (3,419.1 km/h), and an elapsed time of 67 minutes 54 seconds.

3. Kansas City, Missouri to Washington D.C., distance 942 miles (1,516 km), average speed 2,176 miles per hour (3,502 km/h), and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds.

4. St. Louis, Missouri to Cincinnati, Ohio, distance 311.4 miles (501.1 km), average speed 2,189.9 miles per hour (3,524.3 km/h), and an elapsed time of 8 minutes 32 seconds.

 

Photograph by Mlpearc

Pictured above is the “Last Flight” of a SR-71. In the background is the SR-71 S/N 61-7972. In the foreground is Pilot Lt. Col. Raymond “Ed” E. Yielding and REO Col. Joseph “Jt” T. Vida on March 6, 1990.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

 

General Characteristics

Crew: 2 (Pilot and Reconnaissance Systems Officer)

Payload: 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of sensors

Length: 107 ft 5 in (32.74 m)

Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.94 m)

Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)

Wing area: 1,800 ft2 (170 m2)

Empty weight: 67,500 lb (30,600 kg)

Loaded weight: 152,000 lb (69,000 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 172,000 lb (78,000 kg)

Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed afterburning turbojets, 34,000 lbf (151 kN) each

Wheel track: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)

Wheelbase: 37 ft 10 in (11.53 m)

Aspect ratio: 1.7

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 3.3 (2,200+ mph, 3,530+ km/h, 1,900+ knots) at 80,000 ft (24,000 m)

Range: 2,900 nmi (5,400 km)

Ferry range: 3,200 nmi (5,925 km)

Service ceiling: 85,000 ft (25,900 m)

Rate of climb: 11,810 ft/min (60 m/s)

Wing loading: 84 lb/ft² (410 kg/m²)

Thrust/weight: 0.44

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Only 93 Air Force pilots have ever steered the ‘sled’, which was the Blackbird’s nickname given by the pilots.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

 

Pictured above is the SR-71 in transport between Burbank and Palmdale.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

 

All information for this article via Wikipedia.

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

 

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Source: twistedsifter.com

The Fastest Plane on Earth [25 pics]

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Legendary American Sports Car Corvette Grand Sport

Corvette Grand Sport 1963

The Corvette Grand Sport made its first appearanceearly brightened in the 1963 season in the C-Modified class with a production capacity of 360 hp engine in his 327 bottles £ 2000 body. It was the season as a “stock” appearing Racer. The season finale was in Nassau every year, with a “no taboos” week of racing on the island, where all teams could compete against any other employment the latest high-tech performance parts, which were otherwise prohibited by the normal club racing.

The Chevrolet Corvette (C2) is a sports car from Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1963-1967 model years produced. Virtually all new, Sting Ray stunned the automotive world in 1963, blending world-class handling with a distinctive all-American style and performance. Bill Mitchell revisited the Super Sport race car driver and the Corvette would then re-invent radically new design, high performance and a first-ever coupe, which would become a classic, with record sales and remains one of the most sought-after collectibles cars. With a win on the track position that would benefit from two successive Engineering Innovation, the car would culminate with a fighting spirit of the best Corvette racer ever, the Grand Sport. The second generation Corvette would undergo a large five-year, that by many as the highlight of the car’s history.

If the Corvette Grand Sport Nassau made its appearance, it seemed as if it was a big injection of steroids given. Fender flares, hood balls, wider wheels and tires and other visible changes only the surface of the technological advances that have been affected in these Grand Sports.

Corvette Grand Sport

Under the hood of the Corvette Grand Sport an all-aluminum 377 cubic inch small block with 58 mm side draft Weber carburetor was found. These aluminum engines were the second batch of Chevrolet casting Analysis and Development Department.

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Fast Five Cars

It had 12 of the aluminum castings created.They “were identified, which was stamped on the traditional location on the passenger side of the engine block. This engine inside the Grand Sport Corvette used letter” from the individual letters “A’through” L F “in the series.

Corvette Grand Sport Engine

This all-aluminum engines had shared with Jim Hall Chaparral, but his sporting drivers use small 48mm Weber’s that much more on the RPM provisions of the special automatic transmissions, which had been in this revolutionary racing cars.

The Grand Sport Corvette either destroyed or the competition won everything in sight, the week in Nassau. The teams were so confident with their victories, preparation began on the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring.

All three came Corvette Grand Sport 1964 12 Hours of Sebring.

Corvette Grand Sport 1964 12 Hours of Sebring

Q-Corvette, and perhaps more directly, Mitchell’s Stingray racing: the 1963 Sting Ray production car in the lineage can be traced to two different GM projects. The Q-Corvette in 1957 initiated a smaller, more modern Corvette introduced as a coupe-only model, boasting a rear transaxle, independent rear suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes, mounted inside the rear brakes. Exterior design has been determined, with pointed wings, a long nose, and a short, bobbed tail.

Zora Arkus-Duntov Meanwhile, and other GM engineers are fascinated with the medium-and rear-engine design. It was during the Corvair development that Duntov was mid / rear engine layout to its limits in the CERV I Concept. The Chevrolet Experimental Research Vehicle was a light, open wheel single-seater racing car. A rear-engine Corvette was considered briefly during 1958-60 progress as far as a full-scale mock-up by as much rear-mounted power of the Corvair design the package, including its complicated air-cooled six-cylinder as an alternative to the Corvette conventional water-cooled V-8. By fall 1959, would elements of the Q-Corvette Stingray and the special race in an experimental project XP-720, the design program, which was led directly to the production 1963 Corvette Sting Ray will be incorporated. The XP-720 looked improved passenger accommodation provide more storage space and superior ride and handling compared to previous Corvette.

Duntov during the development of an innovative new chassis for the 1963 Corvette was designers were adapting and refining the basic look of the racing Stingray for the production model. A fully functional space Buck (a wooden model created to work inside dimensions) by the beginning of 1960 was complete, the production coupe styling to the largest portion was closed until April, and the interior, including instrument panel was in place by November. Only in the fall of 1960, the designers turn their creative attention to a new version of the traditional Corvette convertible and later, its removable hardtop. For the first time in the history of the Corvette, wind tunnel helped refine the final shape, as well as practical issues such as interior, curvatures and windshield tools limitations. Both body variants have been extensively as a production-ready models 3/8-scale at Cal Tech wind tunnel tested.

 

1963 chevrolet corvette stingray

The vehicle of the inner structure received as much attention as the aerodynamics of his appearance. Fiberglass hull have been retained, but the Sting Ray was almost twice as much steel in support of their centralized structure such as the Corvette 1958-62. The resulting additional weight was offset by a reduction in the thickness of fiberglass, so the final product actually weighed slightly less than the old roadster. Passenger room was as good as before, despite the tighter wheelbase and the strengthening of the steel beams from the cockpit both stronger and safer

 

Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport in Fast Five

Although the all-aluminum engine performed well during the season he was replaced with a 364 cubic inch iron block for the final hurray in Nassau.

The aluminum heads were retained as a weaver. The iron block was chosen because it is less bent at high speeds, allowing the engine to produce much more horsepower. The extra horsepower would be against the other “no holds barred racing required.

The Corvette Grand Sport was further facilitated by the pneumatic cylinders program that brought the weight up to 1900 pounds! Although the lead was within the breed originally decided by a slight Cobra that was powered by a brand new 390 cubic inch all aluminum Ford engine Roger to wear down in a position that Cobra, they give for the lead and finally get the checkered flag.

 

Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Reunion

The first production Corvette coupe, hatchback was a futuristic, one of the most unique styling elements in the history of the automobile – a split rear window. The rear window is a basic form was originally designed by Bob McLean for the Q model. The rest of the Sting Ray design was just as breathtaking. Quad headlamps were retained, but new hidden – provided the first American car so since the 1942 DeSoto. The lamps were in rotating parts, the pointed front end mounted with the “eye” closed matched. Coupe doors were in the roof, the registration cut made / exit easily in such a low-lying closed car. Faux vents on the hood and on the coupe, the rear pillars is; functional properties had been determined, but were canceled due to cost reasons.

 

Chevrolet Stingray Racer Concept 1959

The Sting Ray interior made a new interpretation of the twin-cowl dash Corvette motif has been used since 1958, it was also practical, now with built spacious glove compartment, an improved heating and ventilation system of the chimney. A complete set of instruments, including a huge round speedometer and tachometer. The control tower center back, a little slimmer console, but now with the clock and a radio set up vertically. Boot capacity has to be enhanced as well although in the absence of an external trunklid, had loaded cargo behind the seats. The spare tire was on the back from a drop-down fiberglass enclosure under the gas tank (which now takes 20 gallons instead of 16). The large, round cover emblem was re-articulated as a fuel tank lid twice, replacing the previous left edge of the door.

 

Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport C2 1963

Although not as obvious as the car radical styling of the new chassis is just as important, the Sting Ray success. Maneuverability was improved thanks to the faster “Ball-Race steering and short wheelbase. The latter might imply otherwise drive a choppier, but the change in weight distribution partially compensated for it. Less weight on the front wheels mean easier control, and with about 80 extra pounds on the rear wheels, the Sting Ray offered improved traction. Stopping power improved, too. Four-wheel-cast 11-inch drum brakes remained standard, but now wider to increase the effective braking area. Sintered-metallic linings segmented, for cooling, were again optional. Sun finned aluminum drums were not only faster heat dissipation is provided (and thus a better light resistance), but less unsprung masses. Power Assist “was both brake packages. Evolutionary technical changes include crankcase ventilation, a smaller flywheel and aluminum clutch housing. A more efficient alternator replaced the old-fashioned generator.

Legendary American Sports Car Corvette Grand Sport Video in Action

However, the Corvette Grand Sport is now no doubt, by the rapidly developing Lola and McLaren, that she was forced against outclassed competition. Had the Grand Sport was in this final form in 1964 on the Internet, it could possibly offer this mid-engine prototypes. The owners of today’s Corvettes can thank the individuals with the Corvette Grand Sport for the technology that they now involved for granted. be wide tires, suspension geometry fantastic, all aluminum engines, etc. can be attributed to 1963, when the Grand Sport, it underwent metamorphosis traced back to a muscular Sports Racer.

Corvette Grand Sport (Sting Ray) Specification

Manufacturer	Chevrolet Division of General Motors
Also called	Sting Ray
Production	1962–1967
Model years	1963–1967
Assembly	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Predecessor	Chevrolet Corvette C1
Successor	Chevrolet Corvette C3
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door convertible 2-door coupé
Layout	FR layout
Engine	327 cu in (5.4 L) Small-Block V8 327 cu in (5.4 L) Small-Block FI V8(1963–65) 396 cu in (6.5 L) Big-Block V8(1965) 427 cu in (7 L) Big-Block V8 (1966–67)
Transmission	3-speed manual 4-speed manual 2-speed Powerglide automatic
Related	Duntov LightWeight Superformance Corvette Grand Sport

Legendary American Sports Car Corvette Grand Sport

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