Triple Tri Blog

Paul W. Tibbets Jr., 92, who piloted the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb in combat -- on Hiroshima, Japan -- a mission that helped end World War II, died Nov. 1 at his home in Columbus, Ohio. He reportedly had had strokes in recent years.

Gen. Tibbets became a national hero with the Aug. 6, 1945, atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a historical turning point of the last century.

Some background on Tibbets:

Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was born Feb. 23, 1915, in Quincy, Ill. He grew up mostly in Miami, where his father opened a confectionary that set in motion his son's aviation career.

To promote Baby Ruth candy bars, Paul Tibbets Jr., then 12, went aloft over the beaches and racetracks of Miami in an open-cockpit biplane. He attached tiny parachutes to pieces of candy and tossed them overboard to people below. He was hooked on flight.

Read the article for more.

[via Jim C.]

Interesting article for anyone who looks outside the Big 10 for their sports passions. Raises several interesting points about how the Big 10 is running on reputation alone and has produced less in the last few years than the polls would show. Read the article and then let us know what you think.

Designed in cooperation with the California-based Quantum Technologies, this plug-in hybird sedan is expected to offer a range of 50 miles a pure electric charge; with the help of a gasoline or diesel engine, range will jump to more than 620 miles — and the car will return 100 mpg in the process. Fisker expects his sedan to sell for about $80,000 when it goes on sale late in 2009.

I think this car is amazing. Fisker is known for taking decent designs and really pushing them over the top and he's really outdone himself on this one. Awesome.

[via Jim C.]