back to article LOHAN sets clock ticking for explosive climax

Work is proceeding apace on our Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) "Swift" control board, as recently unveiled to an astounded world. Click here for a bigger version of the LOHAN graphic Anthony Stirk and Neil Barnes are beavering away at assembling the board and tackling the coding, respectively. Earlier this week …

COMMENTS

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  1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Cool, very cool indeed

    Best of luck with the tests

    1. BorkedAgain
      WTF?

      Re: Cool, very cool indeed

      Oh come on. Who downvoted that? Unsporting. Bad form.

      1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
        Meh

        Re: Cool, very cool indeed

        Prolly someone with no initiative of their own so down votes just cos they can.

  2. Stuart 14
    Holmes

    Is it just me

    Or do you now have more logos than a F1 car during the glory days of cigarette advertising.

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: Is it just me

      Indeed. Beers all round for our burgeoning list of collaborators.

      1. Cliff

        Re: Is it just me

        I'll sponsor the after-show drinkies in exchange for a bit of gratuitous promotion for my event and film production company (competitive rates available, coming to a city near you, etc)...;-)

  3. Eugene Crosser
    Thumb Up

    "we decided to add an accelerometer to the package, to help us detect balloon burst."

    +1

    This is wise indeed! You do want to use this last chance if things don't go by the plan.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Classified

    > 2.Fire rocket motor at [classified].

    Jeremy Clarkson?

    1. Graham Dawson Silver badge

      Re: Classified

      Nah, he'll be racing against it in a Veyron. Possibly from the top of a cliff.

    2. Pedigree-Pete
      Joke

      Re: Classified

      JC, nah, he'll be chucking up under the Gs

  5. NukEvil

    Quick question

    Where is this board going to reside? Just a quick fart off the top of my head, but I was thinking that maybe you could use the CPU to keep the rocket motor warm, instead of requiring extra batteries and additional weight on the craft itself.

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: Quick question

      Nice idea, but the board is inside the insulated electronics enclosure on the flying truss, while the Vulture 2 is outside.

  6. Alister

    If the first flight is a bust, we'll recover the Vulture 2 along with the fantastical flying truss, and

    "give the thing another pop."

    unfortunate turn of phrase, there...

    1. Graham Dawson Silver badge

      Oh, I'm sure that was entire intentional and you're only inflating their egos to bursting point by focussing on it. Hate to burst your bubble and all...

      Oh god, the puns. They're ballooning.

      1. Neil Barnes Silver badge

        It's all the hot air...

        1. Magnus_Pym

          That's good, Keep pushing the envelope.

  7. Comedy of Errors

    accelerometer and turbulence

    Nice idea, but remember it can be pretty turbulent. Wouldn't it be better to trigger if the GPS AND (not OR) accelerometer say the balloon has burst.

    You don't want a 2 seconds of apparent free fall from a down draft causing an embarrassing premature incident do you?

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: accelerometer and turbulence

      Yup. We're aware of the possible accelerometer false reading risk, and are dealing with it.

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