Anyone who loves handmade bicycles will be familiar with titanium. Even though carbon fiber is now obsolete, titanium remains the preferred material for most beautiful frames made by the world's finest artisanal builders. Simply put, it is the metal with the highest strength-to-weight ratio. It is virtually indestructible from corrosion and can absorb shock for an indefinite amount of time. It is hypoallergenic, making it the best choice for medical implants. It is self-healing, as it forms a protective oxide layer upon scratching. This remarkable material was discovered in Great Britain around the turn of 19 century. It was named after the Titans of Greek mythology.
Robbie McEwen, an Australian cyclist, won 17 stages and took the green jersey at Tour de France 2002 on his titanium Litespeed Vortex.
The most common association with titanium is made by the US Air Force. The aerospace and military industries were able to exploit titanium's extraordinary performance characteristics during the 20th century. The incredible strength and crazily-resistant nature of titanium made it a popular choice for the US Air Force spy plane SR-71 Blackbird,Replica Breitling Bentley Watches which held the record for fastest ever built aircraft for more than 30 years. Most metals would melt or disintegrate at speeds of over 3,500 km/h, but titanium is a great choice because it resists aerodynamic heat. Titanium, however, is not melted. The Blackbird was so fast, that a surface to air missile was launched at it. Standard operational procedure was to simply outrun it. It was possible to create the Blackbird by using titanium for its skin and structure.
Twin cockpit SR-71B
Similar to the above, at its peak of renown between 4-6 century BC and 6 centuries BC, the Spartan army was so superior to all others that one Spartan soldier was more valuable than any number of men from other nations.franck muller replica This army's technical advantage was due to bronze. This was the material that furnished the armor and weapons of the most famous warrior culture of all times. Sparta was unique among all other nations because every man in the country was a full-time soldier first and a farmer, poet, or ruler second. The current regime was so brutal that infants considered too weak to be in military service were sent to Mount Taygetus to starve. Hoplites were infantrymen who began training at the Agoge as young children. Before they were allowed to become citizens at the age 30 they had to show unwavering courage, adaptable intellect, and full physical prowess.
Spartan hoplite (510–500 BC), Wadsworth Museum of Art
The key to Spartan military might was their unwavering phalanx, a wall of overlapping shields held by men standing shoulder-to-shoulder, each row of men supported by the row behind. The drill that ensured the phalanx would never collapse was documented in Gates of Fire, a novel by Steven Pressfield. It details the story of 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. It was commonly known as "treef**king", and involved a long row of men pushing against large trees. It was so strenuous that many people would die of exhaustion.