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The U-2 spy plane needs high-performance cars to help land

Typically, aircraft deploy their landing gear from three main points. Most military aircraft, for example, deploy two gears at the back and one forward, like a tricycle. Some civilian aircraft flip the layout, with two in front and one in back - tail-draggers. The U-2 Dragon Lady is wildly different than any of these. With a 103-foot wingspan but a body that's just 63-feet long, the layout of the U-2 makes a traditional landing setup infeasible. Instead, the U-2 utilizes a pair of wheels, one up front and one in back. With such a bizarre layout, landings are so tough that since the U-2's earliest flights at Area 51, the US Air Force has used high-performance chase cars to guide the pilot down safely. The landing process isn't over there, though. As this video from Sploid shows, balancing out the aircraft to fit the detachable "pogos" – think training wheels for spy planes – is a comical procedure requiring a number of airman using their full body weight to even out the U-2. This video also recaps some of the great vehicles that have served as chase vehicles for this legendary spy plane. They include Chevrolet El Caminos, and the Fox-body Ford Mustangs so favored by the California Highway Patrol. For the last several years, the USAF has utilized products from General Motors, using fourth-generation Chevy Camaros, before switching over to the Pontiac GTO and most recently, the awesome Pontiac G8. It's fair to say that if you're a gearhead in the Air Force, this is the job you want. Check out the video, embedded up top. News Source: Sploid via YouTubeImage Credit: Sploid Chevrolet Ford GM Pontiac Military Performance Videos

Ford files patent for 11-speed transmission

The automatic transmission seemed limited to three or four gears for decades, and then the automotive world slowly started to see more ratios becoming available. Today, seven-, eight- or nine-speed gearboxes have become rather common. Ford even has an automatic with 10 gears on the way for the future F-150 Raptor. The Blue Oval might not be done yet, though, because the company also now has a patent on an 11-speed box. The filing, which was discovered by AutoGuide, says this idea "produces eleven forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio by selective engagement of three shift elements in various combinations," and the company outlines three different ways of making this possible. The advantage of adding one more ratio is that the gearbox should be able to keep the revs in the ideal portion of the engine's torque curve even longer. Obviously, automakers patent ideas constantly, and applying for one is no guarantee that the tech ever arrives on the market. Conversely, these documents provide a tiny glimpse at one of the brand's focuses of development. If you're mechanically minded or just curious, you can read the entire application here for the technical nitty-gritty.

2015 Ford Focus ST zooming toward Goodwood reveal [w/video]

Ford has quite a party ready for the Goodwood Festival of Speed starting on June 27. Not only is the 2015 Mustang going to be driving in front of the European public for the first time, the Blue Oval is also unveiling its 2015 refresh for the Focus ST.
Official details about the latest Focus hot hatch are practically nonexistent at this point. Ford's teaser image shows narrower headlights, and the company says that the ST also benefits from the technical and quality improvements from the refreshed standard model, which likely means an even more Aston-Martin-like grille. However, any improvements for the power or handling are a mystery for now.
Ford will even give visitors to the festival the chance to drive the new ST - at least virtually. Gran Turismo 6 kiosks will be on hand with the hot hatch loaded up to race the Goodwood Hill Climb. There will also be real-time races between former Stig Ben Collins in the real ST challenging a player up the hill in the game.