Raptor

Why should Ford's Raptor have all the fun? That's the thinking behind an aftermarket kit shown at the Specialty Equipment Market Assn. trade show in Las Vegas for 2009 to 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks. Made by Michigan-based VWerks, the kit is available in two levels and turns an ordinary Ram into a high-speed, off-road terror. Photos: VWerks Ram Baja KTS The first stage is called the Baja Series conversion. It includes a 1.75-inch leveling kit that brings the nose of the truck up, 20-inch wheels with BFG tires, a rear-tire carrier, KTS front and rear fenders and front bumper with light bar, a Flowmaster cat-back exhaust and leather seats.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has approved a plan to begin lifting flight restrictions that he placed on the Air Force's problem-plagued fleet of F-22 Raptor fighter jets. Since 2008, F-22 pilots have reported more than a dozen incidents in which they experienced hypoxia-like symptoms in the air. Hypoxia is a condition that can bring on nausea, headaches, fatigue or blackouts. In May, Panetta ordered that any flights in a F-22 “will remain within the proximity of potential landing locations to enable quick recovery and landing should the pilot encounter unanticipated physiological conditions during flight.

Oxygen problems that have plagued the Air Force's fleet of F-22 Raptor fighter jets may be worse than previously disclosed, according to new information released by two members of Congress. F-22 pilots have reported dozens of incidents in which the jet's systems weren't feeding them enough oxygen, causing hypoxia-like symptoms in the air. Hypoxia is a condition resulting from a deficiency of oxygen reaching tissues of the body that can cause nausea, headaches, fatigue or even blackouts.

Cedar Point theme park in Ohio plans to add a $25-million record-setting winged roller coaster in 2013, according to local media reports. Photos: Winged roller coaster at Cedar Point The Swiss-based Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider, dubbed "CP Alt.Winged," would be the world's fastest and longest winged coaster with a taller initial drop than any similar ride, according to a memo obtained by the  Sandusky Register newspaper....

Paleontologists from Utah and North Carolina have uncovered the 130-million-year-old fossilized remains of a coyote-sized raptor in Utah's Arches National Park. The raptor is the latest in a rapidly growing family of sharp-toothed, clawed carnivores that roamed the Earth during the Cretaceous period, feasting on smaller prey. The new raptor, called Yurgovuchia doellingi , is a member of the family of dinosaurs known as Dromaeosauridae. The characteristic feature of Dromaeosauridae is a large curved claw on the second toe. The claw may have served as a weapon for killing prey, a climbing aid, a digging tool or a combination of functions.  Body sizes in the family range from the size of a hummingbird (the four-winged Microraptor )

Concerns about the Air Force's problem-plagued fleet of F-22 Raptor fighter jets led Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta to restrict flights of the aircraft because of problems with its oxygen systems that can cause its pilots to become disoriented mid-flight. In addition, Panetta wants a monthly progress report on the investigation into the root cause of the F-22's oxygen problems and ordered the Air Force to speed up the installation of an automatic backup oxygen system. Panetta also called on Navy and NASA personnel to find a solution.

In response to growing concern about problems with its F-22 Raptor fighter jet, the Air Force revealed it has slapped on new safety restrictions to protect its pilots. The announcement came as Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) Friday requested additional information from the secretary of the Air Force to further determine the scope of safety concerns raised by several pilots of the world's most expensive fighter jet, designed and built byLockheed Martin Corp.

Some of the nation's top aviators are refusing to fly the radar-evading F-22 Raptor, a fighter jet with ongoing problems with the oxygen systems that have plagued the fleet for four years. At the risk of significant reprimand - or even discharge from the Air Force - fighter pilots are turning down the opportunity to climb into the cockpit of the F-22, the world's most expensive fighter jet. The Air Force did not reveal how many of its 200 F-22 pilots, who are stationed at seven military bases across the country, declined their assignment orders.

The X-Flight coaster coming in May to Six Flags Great America will take riders seated in a winged formation through a near-miss keyhole fly-through that serves as the new ride's signature element. PHOTOS: X-Flight wing coaster at Six Flags Great America Themed to look like a stealth fighter jet, the new wing coaster at the Chicago-area amusement park will feature trains with seats that straddle the track, giving riders the sensation of having nothing above or below them.

Reporting from Toronto -- These are the wild, even ridiculous, ways the Lakers have to win nowadays. A controversial five-second violation by Toronto with 4.2 seconds left. An airballed three-point attempt by the Raptors as time expires. The Lakers lost an 18-point lead Sunday but survived the Raptors, 94-92, at Air Canada Centre. It looked as if another point guard would shred the Lakers until Kobe Bryant drilled a 17-foot fadeaway from the right side with 4.2 seconds left to play, giving the Lakers the lead for good at 93-92.