Author: Gelzon de la Cruz

Kitty Hawk Flyer proves manned flight possible on all-electric drone-copter platform

Gelzon de la Cruz

WWW, 24 April 2017—Google co-founder Larry Page has revealed the Kitty Hawk Flyer, tweeting a YouTube video showing its prototype being flown by outdoorsman and freelance writer Cimeron Morrissey. The prototype Kitty Hawk Flyer is an all-electric single-passenger octocopter that’s classified an ultralight, does not require a pilot’s license to operate, and can be flown only for recreation in uncongested areas, only over fresh water lakes and rivers. Developed by the Zee Aero division of the Kitty Hawk Corporation, the actual production model is promised to have a different look and feel from the prototype, and to go on sale by the end of this year.

With expectations raised by the involvement of Page, particularly with his work on Google’s self-driving car initiative, what has been spun up as his “flying car” project has delivered a vehicle that’s been described as coming up short on its promise. The significance of the Kitty Hawk Flyer is, after all, overshadowed by the announcement of other, bigger vehicles coming out soon in commercial numbers—air cars spec’d out to carry numerous passengers on road-bound city commutes and airborne intercity hops. In comparison to these commuter solutions that aim to become Jetsons-inspired futuristic mainstays, the Flyer presents as a, well, as a toy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MSeoJ4z_hY&w=380&align=right]

But, the thing about it that’s in plain sight, what obscures its role in shaping what private airborne transport can become, what makes it fly under the radar, so to speak, is what makes the Kitty Hawk Flyer’s manned flight a game changer. Bigger contenders, those that seem to fit the “flying car” template better, work off century-old engineering. These still use internal combustion engines to produce propeller-driven thrust, and fixed- or auto-rotating wings to generate lift. In contrast, with the Kitty Hawk Flyer, it may look like a seat was just grafted onto a scaled up drone, but it’s the first personal flyer concept evolved from this fairly new, multi-copter platform that’s being used, so far, only for unmanned flight.

Better context for appreciating the Kitty Hawk Flyer would be the jetpack. Futurists of the past had played with this personal, liquid-fuel rocket pack. It had its fair share of Hollywood appearances, in James Bond and off-beat race flicks, but the jetpack had endurance measured in seconds and could be flown only by stunt doubles, by brave and expert expendables. Now comes the Kitty Hawk Flyer with relatively mundane electric fans replacing the ignition of exotic rocket fuel, and with flight time extended to practical and useful minutes.

With the last century’s jetpack, there was little incentive to bridge and exploit that gap between a personal rocket and a full-blown orbital booster. The authorities can’t be expected to tolerate fire-spouting projectiles sending folks on personal trips tracing criss-crossing ballistic trajectories. But now, with the Kitty Hawk Flyer looking like commonplace drones and driven by non-volatile electrics, there’s no hint of the fantastic in the notion of larger, more serious electric multi-copters eventually coming online for near future commuters.

Car Awards top picks on display at TransSportShow 2017

Gelzon de la Cruz

Manila, 21 April 2017—Top picks of the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) in 2016 are on display at the 26th TransSportShow event being held at the SMX Convention Center from April 20 to 23 this week. Exhibited are the Honda Civic RS Turbo sedan and the Isuzu D-Max 4×2 pickup, last year’s winners of CAGI’s Car of the Year (COTY) and Truck of the Year (TOTY) titles, respectively.

CAGI president Ronald de los Reyes expressed the group’s gratitude to the event organizers and said: “This is a chance for us to display the victors from last year after a thorough screening process. It’s one way for the public to know that citations given to these vehicles aren’t just ordinary awards.”

The title winners had topped CAGI’s list of over 70 vehicles scrutinized in 2016 with the assistance of Carmudi Philippines, Ayala Land and auditing firm KPMG. CAGI itself is a non-stock / non-profit corporation, an organization of motoring journalists who’ve come together to annually test for and identify the best vehicles in the market.

For these annual COTY and TOTY competitions, the group’s methodology is uniquely two-fold: instrumented tests capture quantitative indices on vehicles’ real world acceleration, braking and handling characteristics; while CAGI’s cadre of journalist jurors get behind the wheel for qualitative evaluation of vehicle aesthetics, ergonomics, comfort and driving dynamics.

Their participation at TransSportShow 2017 is part of CAGI’s advocacy program for this year, their exhibition this month to be followed by talks hosted by various car dealerships in May and June.

Medium-duty FVM with Nippon-Freuhauf wing van body launched at Isuzu Truck Fest

Gelzon de la Cruz

Manila, 21 April 2017—Market leader Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) kicked off their annual Truck Fest at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City yesterday, this year putting the spotlight squarely on the work of long time body building partners including Almazora Motors Corporation, Kyoei Kogyo Philippines Corporation (KPC) and Centro Manufacturing Corporation. Launched at the event which runs from April 20 to 23—taking center-stage and, in fact, configured as the event’s elevated stage—was Isuzu’s FVM top medium-duty truck with the new Nippon-Freuhauf wing van body that’s now license-built here by Centro.

Isuzu has been the top truck brand in the Philippines for 17 consecutive years, with 36% growth last year showing them continuing their gains in 2015 when they finally topped the heavy-duty tractor heads segment as well. Now, with IPC highlighting the quality and diversity of applications built on their solid-frame truck chassis, the company seems prepared to defend their leadership in detail and across all categories, from light- to heavy-duty haulers.

IPC marketing head Joseph Bautista said that wing van bodies have wide and surprising applications here with some being used as mobile showrooms in the countryside by appliance retailers, and that the newly launched Nippon-Freuhauf wing van body for the Isuzu FVM is built to the same specs as those fitted out on trucks for the Japanese domestic market. The rear body engineered by pioneering wing van manufacturer Nippon-Freuhauf of Japan, and built under license by Centro at their Bulacan factory, is constructed with light yet high-grade aluminum and features hydraulically operated wing sections that open up at the touch of a button.  The hydraulic actuators for the wing sections are tested to withstand over 20,000 operating cycles, said Centro senior sales manager Vic del Rosario.

Mr. del Rosario pointed to cargo loading/unloading efficiency as being the reason that among the ubiquitous surplus trucks on the country’s transport grid, the Land Transport and Franchising Board (LTFRB) estimates that 300,000 are outfitted with wing van bodies. He further said that among these surplus wing van trucks, the LTFRB reports that around 90,000 are over 15 years old and that 3,000 have already failed to have their franchises renewed under the government’s initiative to effect the replacement of trucks that have reached that 15-year age limit. Centro’s production of wing-van bodies starts today and these counts in terms of truck units and lifespans give context to their major undertaking to build these bodies for Isuzu on a 50-units per month assembly line laid out to Nippon-Freuhauf specifications.

Nippon-Freuhauf wing van assembly line at Centro Marilao plant (photo compliments of Centro)

Caltex updates transaction flow with Visa payWave, launches “Drive Away a Millionaire” promo

Gelzon de la Cruz

Manila, 20 April 2017—The Caltex service stations of brand marketer Chevron Philippines, Inc. (CPI) are now equipped for Visa payWave contactless payment transactions. Featuring payWave readers, Caltex stations now offer customers the option to pay for transactions of up to P2,000 using their Visa payWave credit or debit cards.  Adhering to Near Field Communication (NFC) standards, Visa payWave cards are meant to remain in the hands of the cardholder throughout the transaction, requiring him or her to simply wave the card within four centimetres of a portable Visa payWave reader to execute payment.

The payWave system is asserted to be as secure as other NFC systems, the wireless handshake being so tight-beamed that it prevents unauthorized scans while the card remains in the hands of the cardholder, never having to be brought to a stationary swipe reader.  Visa payWave cardholders stand to benefit from faster transactions as well with the elimination of traditional steps for card-swiping and signature or PIN authentication (only in instances where the transaction amount exceeds P2,000 will the cardholder need to sign or key in a PIN).

According to Stuart Tomlinson, Visa country manger for the Philippines and Guam:  “As the global payments leader, Visa always wants to reduce friction in the payment process. We are excited to partner with Chevron Philippines once again to bring seamless customer experience to motorists. Visa payWave is much quicker, more secure and more convenient than cash.”

CPI country chairman Peter Morris said: “Motorists gassing up using Visa payWave will definitely be able to experience quicker service in our forecourts. Motorists can transact securely and with ease, knowing that they remain in control of their card at all times.” Morris added that, “to excite consumers to try our latest innovation, we’re also holding a promotion that’s sure to give added value to their fuel purchase.”

Visa and CPI are kicking off their payWave partnership with the Drive Away a Millionaire promo (per DTI-FTEB Permit No. 4157, series of 2017) that will run from April 21 to July 31, 2017. It’s a raffle promo where customers using Visa payWave to purchase Caltex fuel at participating service stations will be entitled to raffle entries for a chance to win the grand prize of Visa card credit worth P1M, or three second-prizes of P100,000 each in Caltex’s Starcash credit.

For every P500 increment paid using Visa payWave, the customer will get three raffle entries, while any Visa transaction done conventionally earns the customer one entry. There are also instant door prizes with lucky motorists getting P50 discounts on their fuel purchase.

The raffle schedule for the Drive Away a Millionaire promo is as follows:

Raffle Draw Date Covered Period Prizes
1st raffle draw | May 26, 2017 April 21, 2017 12:01 a.m. to May 20, 2017 11:59 p.m. 1 winner of 1-year Caltex fuel supply in the form of StarCash worth P100,000
2nd raffle draw |June 30, 2017 April 21, 2017 12:01 a.m. to June 20, 2017 11:59 p.m. 1 winner of 1-year Caltex fuel supply in the form of StarCash worth P100,000
3rd raffle draw and Grand draw | August 11, 2017 April 15, 2017 12:01 a.m. to July31, 2017 11:59 p.m 1 winner of 1-year Caltex fuel supply in the form of StarCash worth P100,000

1 winner of P1million Visa card credit

The Isuzu D-Max LS 2.5L 4×2 MT, at home in the city

Gelzon de la Cruz

BIG as the D-Max is, the iconic high-riding truck is still at home on city streets.

Rich torque for sprinting and short-shifting: With torque peaking early at 320Nm, this D-Max variant feels good in a sprint but a better use of the early onset push is to go easy on the throttle and trigger those upshifts when you reach 1500rpm.  This’ll make for a brisk shift ladder with an upshift into 2nd at 10km/h, into 3rd at 25, 4th at 40, and finally into 5th at 55km/h.  Be alert for these early shifts and you’ll easily get an impressive 11km/l even in moderate to heavy city traffic.

Tall but also nimble: BIG as she is riding high atop fat tires, the D-Max makes easy work of unpaved patches. And yet, her wheelbase geometry, mindful overhangs and balanced handling also keeps her nimble enough to smoothly navigate crowded city roads and structures.

Taking Suzuki’s all-new Super Carry DOWN the Tagaytay-Talisay road

Gelzon de la Cruz

With a typical SUV’s seven-passenger loadout, we take the new Super Carry UV variant down dense downhill twisties, underscoring the importance of its rugged undercarriage under heavy load.

Strong/stable front: Steering is light and predictable even when going downhill, braking and then turning. The Super Carry’s signature tension rods shape the wheel mounts into strong tripods, preventing the front wheels from being pushed back in those turns, protecting the intended caster and camber, and stabilizing her on tight curves as well as on fast straightaways.

Adaptive rear: With load compensating suspension and brakes in the rear (features typical on larger truck segments), the Super Carry does a decent job of keeping all four wheels planted under hard braking and vigorous turning.  About 75% of leaf spring tension is online, all the time, with the other 25% implemented with a partial/floating bottom leaf that comes into play only when the mini-truck takes on a heavy load, or when doing some G-pulling turns. Braking is intuitive and predictable with the ventilated discs up front complemented by standard drums in the rear featuring Load Sensing Proportioning Valves (LSPVs)–LSPV maintains braking traction on the rear tires even when there’s little or no cargo to tamp down the back.