Latest news with #B-747
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Lord Jagannath's Kolkata chariot to glide on Sukhoi tyres
KOLKATA: Lord Jagannath's chariot at Iskcon Rath Yatra in Kolkata this year will roll at a gentle pace of 1.4kmph on brand new tyres designed for a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet whose take-off run reaches a speed of 280kmph. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The new tyres were necessitated after the chariot encountered a steering snag last year. Acquisition of the Sukhoi tyres marks the culmination of a nearly two-decade quest for fresh tyres for the chariot. The ageing tyres, in use for over half a century, were from a Boeing B-747. Sourcing the "jumbo jet" tyres became a challenge after the aircraft was phased out. The Sukhoi's 4-ft diameter tyres were found to be the closest match to the jumbo jet tyres, which had the same 4-ft diameter and weighed 110kg each. While the B-747 tyres were manufactured by Dunlop, the Sukhoi tyres are manufactured by MRF, which supplies main wheel and nose wheel tyres for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI jets in India. These tyres undergo rigorous testing, including ground speed tests and load-capacity assessments. "When I contacted MRF requesting Sukhoi tyres for the chariot, they didn't believe us at first," said Radharamn Das, vice-president of Iskcon Kolkata. "They even sent senior officials to Kolkata to inspect the chariots. When they saw that the chariots were running on Boeing 747 jumbo jet tyres for the past 48 years and we explained that Sukhoi tyres were the closest match in size and durability, they agreed to sell them to us. " The new Sukhoi tyres will improve the chariot's manoeuvrability, safety and overall stability, especially on Kolkata's roads, many of which have tram tracks. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They will also reduce strain of pulling on devotees and minimise the chances of technical failures during the Yatra starting June 27. The tyre-replacement work is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the second week of June, just ahead of Rath Yatra. The key challenge has been to ensure that the new wheels are safely and properly fitted without altering the traditional structure. "Minor structural modifications were needed, including adjustments to the wheel drums, base frame, and axle fittings to fit the Sukhoi tyres. However, the traditional wooden and iron superstructure of the chariot remains fully preserved," said Iskcon's Das. The chariot on which Lord Balaram or Baladev rides already sports new iron wheels.
Forbes
25-03-2025
- Science
- Forbes
How Does A Cloud Stay In The Sky?
Have you ever wondered how a cloud stays in the sky? In a recent conversation with my friend and colleague Alan Sealls, the AMS President-Elect told me that he pondered this very question, and it sparked his interest in becoming a meteorologist. Since I have been writing about important but heavy topics in recent weeks, let's 'lighten' it up and explore a little meteorology 101. Further reading, however, will reveal that clouds are not as 'light' as you may have thought. What is a cloud anyhow? The Glossary of the American Meteorological Society defined a cloud as, 'A visible aggregate of minute water droplets and/or ice particles in the atmosphere above the earth's surface.' The shape, altitude, and precipitation potential of clouds depend on various meteorological conditions, but that's not the focus of this conversation. How does these collections of water droplets and/or ice remain suspended in the air? Even though an innocent-looking cumulus cloud may look as light as a cotton ball, it can be heavier than you may think. A U.S. Geological Survey website cited columnist Cecil Adams who wrote, 'A modest-size cloud, one kilometer in diameter and 100 meters thick, has a mass equivalent to one B-747 jumbo jet.' How can a cloud weigh so much? Clouds are comprised of droplets or ice particles so that means they have mass, density and weight. Let's explore something called cloud density. For arguments sake, I will focus on a cumulus cloud. In a typical cloud, there are a certain number of cloud particles in a given volume. A USGS website gave an estimate that a typical cumulus cloud may contain 1 billion cubic meters. If density is considered 0.5 grams of cloud droplets within that given volume, the mass is 500,000 kilograms (1.1 million pounds or 551 tons). I arrived at that number by doing a simple math problem. Mass is equal to density multiplied by volume. So how does something that heavy float? Believe it or note, the dry air beneath the cloud is denser than clouds above it. At the same temperature and pressure, moist air is less dense than dry air. This is where I have to introduce Avogadro's law. Dry air is made up of nitrogen and oxygen. Moist air contains water. The molecular mass of nitrogen is greater than water, which means the less dense water replaces denser nitrogen in moist air. If you want to see how differences in density work, pour a sugary soda in a glass and then add a sugarless soda on top of it. I used to do stuff like that at food buffets all of the time. Can you imagine how much a massive cumulonimbus cloud weighs? Do the math yourself on your lunch break. Happy Cloud-Gazing Day.
