Game Review: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (By: Mico Celedonio)

I played this game all the time until I took an arrow to the knee. I apologise, I just had to do it.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an open-world action role-playing game that was released in November of the year 2011. Skyrim was developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the same studio that developed the fallout series.

The main plot of Skyrim revolves around the player character stopping Alduin which is a dragon from destroying the world. The player must embark on various journeys and quests to stop Alduin from destroying the world. Moreover, dragons play a role here.

Player attacking a dragon (TheGuarding.co.uk Photo)

One of the best features of the game is player customization; it starts with the player creating their own character from its race to facial features. Each race on Skyrim has different skills and advantages that depend on the player’s desire.

The gameplay of Skyrim is one of the strong points of the game. The player can choose how the game can be played. From being stealthy, only using magic, to being a swordsman. The approach on playing this game is something to experience for yourself, aside from the dragons of course.

(WordPress.com Photo)

Skyrim is a game that you’ll keep on playing hours after hours despite it being released in 2011. The sheer vast of activities the game has to offer is enough for the player to be overwhelmed in a good way. It is guaranteed that the game will make you spend hours more than you thought you would, like fighting a dragon. The story line, side quests, and activities such as crafting are more than enough to fully immerse you. 

Once the main story line is finished, there are available DLC’s for you to play to further expand hours of playtime which means, more dragons!

(Polygon.com Photo)

Of course, this game certainly has flaws. One of the biggest complaints is the bugs present; these can cause the game to crash which could hold back your progression especially if you forget to save. I personally think the bugs present in the game are part of its charm. Some bugs can eventually lead to hilarious moments. 

Overall, Skyrim is great especially if your taste involves action role-playing games. Despite it being an old game, first-time players will definitely enjoy the vast open world of Skyrim. Did I mention there are dragons in this game?

(BrashGames.co.uk Photo)

Featured Image Credit: (iDigitalTimes.com Photo)

 

 

F-22 Raptor by Lockheed Martin (By: Muhammad Nazeem)

Lockheed Martin F22 Raptor (Wikipedia.org Photo)

F-22 – Raptor is one of the best air dominance fighter in the world because of its unique combination of stealth, speed, agility and situational awareness. Carrying lethal long range- air to air and air to ground weapons, F22 is a single-seat, twin-engine which was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF).  Lockheed Martine built most of the F-22’s air frame and weapon systems while Boeing manufactured the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration and training systems.

F-22 Firing Missile (Greginsd.Wordpress.com Photo)

F-22 Design:

F-22 is the first operational aircraft which has the capability to combine super cruise, super manoeuvrability, stealth and sensor fusion in a single weapon platform.Consisting of clipped delta wings which have a reverse sweep on the rear, four empennage surfaces and a retractable tricycle landing gear, this aircraft has all flight control surfaces which include leading and trailing-edge flaps, ailerons, rudders on the canted vertical stabiliser and horizontal tails to for stability and speed brakes purposes. Additionally, it consists of Pratt and Whitney F119- PW- 100 afterburning turbofan engines. Each engine produces thrust of 35,000 lbf. F -22 maximum speed without afterburner is Mach 1.82 and with afterburners it goes up to Mach 2. Moreover, it’s one of the few aircraft which can super-cruise without using an afterburner. This aircraft can fly at a higher altitude which makes it comparatively better than others. It uses internal weapon bays which helps it reduce the aerodynamic drag. F-22 is also made up of high-strength materials which help to withstand stress and heat of supersonic flight. Titanium alloys and composites comprise 39% and 24% of the aircraft’s structural weight. When it comes to manoeuvrability in supersonic and subsonic speeds, the F-22 has a sound reputation; it can perform high angles of attack manoeuvres such as Herbst manoeuvre and Pugachev’s Cobra. Another important point to note is that this aircraft  is very good at roll control.

F-22 Using an Aftterburner (WallpaperSafari.com Photo)

Armaments:

The raptor consists of three internal weapon bays; it has a large weapon bay on the bottom of the fuselage and two smaller bays on the sides of the fuselage and aft of the engine intakes. The main bay can carry six LAU-142/A launchers for beyond visual range missiles.  Each side bay has an LAU-141/A launcher for short- range missiles. Four of the launchers in the main bay can be replaced with two bomb racks which have the ability to carry 450 kg  or four 110 kg bombs. F-22 can also carry air to surface weapons such as bombs with join Direct Attack and Munition (JDAM) guidance and the Small – Diameter Bomb. F-22 wings consist of four hard points; each hard-point can handle 2,300 kg. Each hard-point can carry a pylon which can accommodate 600 gallon (2,270 L) external fuel tank or air to air missiles.

 

F-22’s Insane Takeoff (Youtube.com Photo)

Stealth:

F-22 was designed  to be highly difficult to detect and track by radar. It has efficient air-frame shaping to reduce radar cross-section which includes alignment of edges, fixed-geometry serpentine inlets preventing line of sight of the engine faces from any exterior view, use of radar-absorbent material (RAM) and using hinges and pilot helmets for providing radar return. The aircraft is designed to emit lower radio emissions, infrared signature and acoustic nature. Special painting and active cooling of leading edges are done to reduce infrared signature and manage the heat buildup from supersonic flight.

F-22 raptor is one of the greatest inventions in the world; it is comparatively better than other fighter jets because of its high service ceiling, supercruise speed, manoeuvrability and stealth. It is continuously improving and upgrading which is yet another reason as to why it’s regarded better than other fighter jets.

(Sources used: LockheedMartin.com; HistoryinOrbit.com; FAS.org; AviationWeek.com; US Air Force, 2009)

Featured Image Credit: (Military.com Photo)

Restaurant Review: Original Wings and Rings (By: Badria Nassir)

After having a really tough day in university, a few friends and I decided to try out Original Wings and Rings located in Liberty House in DIFC.

It had just the right ambience and environment to boost up our mood; the loud music, the joyful people having a blast and the posters all over telling everyone to be loud and that manners are discouraged.

Original Wings and Rings (TripAdvisor.com Photo)

Once we got the menu, we decided to start with fried jalapeno rings which were great. It’s my go-to starter at the restaurant now. It takes me a while to go through the plate because of how spicy it is, though. It doesn’t look all that appetizing in the picture below but trust me when I say that it’s good. 

Fried Jalapeno Rings (Meghanarao24.Wordpress.com Photo)

For the main course, we each ordered a plate of boneless chicken wings. The best part about the restaurant was that we could pick from different flavours such as Sweet BBQ, Buffalo, Sweet Chili, etc. We could also choose from different spicy levels starting from ‘Mild’ to ‘One Million’ which required you to sign a waiver that if something were to happen to you after eating the wings, you cannot sue the restaurant for it.

Traditional Wings (Groupon.com Photo)

Since I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy food, I ordered ‘Medium-Hot’ (one level above mild) Sweet BBQ wings while two of my friends ordered ‘Atomic’ (one level below ‘One Million’) Sweet BBQ wings. I told them that they’d regret it but they didn’t listen to me and claimed that since they are from India, they can handle it.

Once the food came, we dug in as if we were never fed before. The wings were so tender and ‘finger-licking good’, I practically devoured them within seconds. It was a little spicy for me but it was tolerable.

I turned to check on my friends and noticed that they were turning red, sweating and tearing up. I smirked and asked them if they were okay and they can only reply with a nod and a high-pitched “I’m fine!”

Safe to say, I spent the next hour laughing at their red faces.

Once everyone could feel their tongues again, we just chilled and managed to successfully forget about the horrible day we had.

It is definitely a must visit, but I recommend you call and reserve a table in advance as the restaurant is becoming insanely popular and could take hours until you’re called for a table especially on the weekends.   

On an additional note, you should really visit between 4pm and 8pm where Happy Hour takes place; each wing is AED 3.99 and some of the starters are 50% off. 

Featured Image Credit: (LadiesNightAndBrunchesDubai.com Photo)

Taking the Next Step: The Editor’s Message (By: Maha Jammoul)

As November draws to an end, we’re officially approaching holiday. Whilst this is very exciting, let’s not forget to run all of the necessary errands and finish all pending tasks to ensure that we can fully enjoy the festivities. Like everything else in life, if a person would really like to achieve a certain target, he/she must not only go the distance but take that next or further step. After all, we only get what we give. Perhaps, my two cents can be of use to some of you out there struggling with any sort of upcoming submissions, assessment, or even a personal battle.

On a relative but lighter note, EYAS is taking a step further to hopefully bring you a better line-up this week:

Monday will see us reviewing another restaurant. This time, it’s going to be Original Wings and Rings.

Original Wings and Rings Logo (LadiesNightandBrunchesDubai.com Photo)

Our Aviation Article of the Week is back with Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor this Tuesday.

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors (Ben Bloker Photo)

Put your game hats on and make sure your Wi-Fi connection is above par as we’re reviewing Elder Scrolls Scrolls V: Skyrim on Wednesday.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Wallpaper (ITechPost.com Photo)

Tune in to catch our review on the movie I.T. this Thursday. Don’t forget to prepare your snacks as you might want to watch it later on!

I.T. Movie Poster (MI6-hq.com Photo)

Lastly, Friday will see us featuring another creative work from our team on emotions and feelings. Don’t forget to send us your work for a chance of getting featured online. E-mail us at eyas@eau.ac.ae; we love hearing from you.

Art Piece on Emotions (A.Akamaihd.net Photo)

Notwithstanding the foregoing, I wish you all a happy and positive week ahead!

Best regards,

Maha Jammoul

Editor-in-Chief

EYAS

Featured Image Credit: (Pransform.com Photo)

A Summary on the Airbus Lecture (By: Bilal Ahmed)

A presentation on what goes behind the scenes in between the airline and the aircraft manufacturer is probably one of the most detailed and helpful explanations we, as students, can get on how our discipline caters to the airlines’ needs. Being briefed on this by the Vice President of the Airbus A380 Customer Program, Mr. Richard Stoddart added an exceptional and distinctive feel; it gave a sense of appreciation by showing how much effort is put into finalizing a product and how we tend to take the luxuries of flying for granted.

In this modern world, traveling by air is essential to us. It helps us stay connected across continents and maintain our relations with our loved ones. We don’t just like to fly; we like to fly in style with the best on-board experience which would be fatigue-free, hassle-free and probably home-like.

Mr. Nasser Chakra introducing Mr. Richard Stoddart (Maha Jammoul Photo)

These are the main aspects we probably look for while booking our air tickets and it is the airline’s job to fulfill their passengers expectations to the fullest. It is what drives the airline industry and keeps airlines competing with each other to provide the ultimate passenger experience. Failing to cater for their customers’ expectations could be an airline’s worst setback.

While we complain about the poor quality of service an airline offers, we forget that just how we are customers to them, the airlines are customers to the aircraft manufacturers too. They also have expectations and eagerness to create the best experience for their passengers and it’s up to the aircraft manufacturer to deliver what the airline wants. Similar to us, as passengers, coming up with unrealistic expectations at times while flying, the airlines too can propose eccentric ideas to the manufacturers. Turning those wild ideas into a flying reality is a big challenge and the airline and the aircraft manufacturers must negotiate so that it benefits them both.

Mr. Richard Stoddart at EAU (Maha Jammoul Photo)

A big part of negotiations, according to Mr. Richard, is first to understand what the customer exactly desires. To be able to interpret exactly what the airline wants takes a lot of understanding and proper communication plays a crucial role here. Of course it is the aircraft manufacturer’s job to help in the aircraft customization to the best of their abilities, to meet the airline’s expectations within the realm of reality, and to provide a balance between what is physically possible and what is not – all without compromising the safety aspect of air travel. It takes a lot of ingenuity to be able to provide on-board showers and a bar at 35,000 feet traveling at 900 km/h integrated into an already complex environment of hydraulics and avionics and other technical features – all with a warm and cozy ambiance.

The primary element that contributes to the success and satisfaction of the airline customer is communication – being able to say what is possible and what is not, negotiating and compromising if necessary. Once an idea is agreed upon, a virtual reality model is made in order to verify the demands of the airline. The final stage is to create a full scale mock-up of the intended design to be able to precisely feel and perceive the final product intended by the airline customer. It is a constant challenge for aircraft manufacturers to meet the demands of aircraft customization by airlines. Those who manage to meet the expectations are the ones leading the aviation industry forward.

Mr. Richard Stoddart delivering the Airbus lecture (Maha Jammoul Photo)

Featured Image Credit: (Maha Jammoul Photo)

Poem: Perfect Imperfections (By: Mico Celedonio)

No one is perfect,

Still, people strive to

Remove the imperfect

Hide one’s flaws

---

There are so many ‘perfect’ people

A person with no flaws whatsoever

People you know, people of fame,

People of glamour, people of the late

In reality, people that are fake

---

Why hide or reject?

Your flaws and the imperfect?

Why try so hard?

Embracing the notion

That we all need to be perfect?

---

Diamonds are flawed

Yet hold enormous value

The same goes for you

Flawed but valuable

Precious and beautiful

---

Embrace your flaws

No one is perfect

After all, your imperfect

Could be another’s perfect

---

It’s okay to be flawed

Flaws are what makes us human

It shows the real

Tells the truth

And most of all

Your flaws are what makes you,

You.

Featured Image Credit: (Quotesgram.com Photo)

Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (By: Talha Naeem)

Let’s jump straight to it; I was reluctant to go since the original trio (Harry, Ron & Hermoine) were a no-show in this movie and honestly, there is no wizarding world movie without Hagrid.

Hermione, Ron, Harry & Hagrid (Media.Tumblr.com Photo)

Please do not stop reading here. Yes, that was my lame attempt at an introduction. Please discard everything above because I think I speak for everyone when I say that ever since this movie was announced – even before the release of the official trailer – Harry Potter fans had only one goal in life: to watch the movie whenever it releases worldwide. There was no chance that I would miss this and therefore, I found myself awake at 2AM (like most days), booking the tickets 8 days before its release in the UAE.

Maybe it was the excitement that could not be contained, as being twenty minutes early meant that we asked random people to take our pictures in the cinema.  

Talha & Friends (Talha Naeem Photo)

To those of you who have zero ideas about what this movie is about, here is a brief synopsis: “it follows the adventures of Newt Scamander in New York seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school”. J.K Rowling’s magical world is just as attractive and fun as it was in the Harry Potter movies! Newt Scamander is a magical zoologist that travels the world to discover and document rare creatures – all of which he carries in a magical suitcase. The suitcase accidentally gets switched with muggle Jacob resulting in a handful of Newt’s creatures escaping and this triggers events that enlighten all of New York.

Newt Scamander (Pottermore.com Photo)

Eddie Redmayne was great in the movie; he plays a British, slightly awkward Newt who has an extremely kind attitude towards his magical creatures and muggles. Jacob Kowalski played excellently by Dan Fogler is the one we, the audience, can relate to as he mirrors our sense of marvel after being thrown into a world of wonder.

Jacob Kowalski (ComingSoon.net Photo)

The magical sisters played by Katherine Waterstone and Alison Sudol did a decent job and helped Newt in his adventure.

Tina and Queenie (GeekAndSundry.com Photo)

Personally, the only minor drawback was the under-usage of Graves played by Colin Farrell.

Percival Graves (IrishCentral.com Photo)

This is a very solid and visually stunning movie (please go for an IMAX 3D experience, it is insane!) that achieves three things:

• Even though it takes place in the Harry Potter universe, it stands out and has its own story which is enjoyable even without the famous young wizard
• It drops a few hints and names that serve to set up the next installments of this movie
• A lively 1926 New York coupled with the fascinating characters offer a new insight into Rowling’s magical world and definitely make us muggles begging for more

Once it was over, my friends and I stared at the screen and saw the credits roll hoping, praying, and begging for a post-credit scene but I guess what they say is true: “we don’t always get what we want”.

Featured Image Credit: (ScreenRant.com Photo)

Game Review: Metal Gear Solid (By: Hanoof Sayeed)

Solid Snake (MetalGear.Wikia.com Photo)

Metal Gear Solid is an action game with a fan base of around 500,000  to 1 million; it was released in 1998 for Playstation by Konami computer entertainment Japan. It was produced, directed and co-written by none other than the acclaimed series creator Hideo Kojima serving as a sequel to the MSX2 video games, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. Metal Gear Solid is often noted as a game that helped popularize the stealth game genre. It revolutionized the concept of the player being unarmed and avoiding the enemies rather than being seen by them or fighting them. Many games have adopted this idea since.

Metal Gear Solid Characters (SideShowCollectors.com Photo)

Metal Gear Solid follows a story line with complex plot twists and lengthy cut scenes making the experience movie-like. The game in itself is engrossing, innovative and delivers itself in all aspects with beauty. The voice acting is accompanied by a lit soundtrack that adds on to the adrenaline rush the game has to offer. Packed with action, this game offers characters to be forever etched in the gamer’s memory making the emotions worthwhile. Emphasis is placed on covert actions rather than all-out machismo. The gameplay is controlled from an elevated third-person perspective within real-time polygonal environments.

Featured Image Credit: (GameOnDaily.com Photo)

Dassault Rafale: Gust of Wind (By: Muhammad Nazeem)

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine which literally means ‘gust of wind’ and ‘burst of fire’. Dassault Rafale is a multirole fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation. Widely used by the French military, it is known to be one of the strongest multi-role fighter in the French Fleet. Since 4 July 1986, it is getting success in air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti- ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions.

Daussalt Rafale (Gripen4Canada.Blogspot.ae Photo)

Engines:

Dassault  Rafale is fitted with two Snecma M88 engines. Snecma M88 engine is a low bypass turbofan engine which uses afterburner, non-polluting annular combustor chamber and a single-crystal turbine blades. It consists of metallurgy disks and technology to reduce radar and infrared signatures. Snecma M88 is a really powerful engine which allows Rafael to super cruise while carrying four missiles and one drop tank. Each engine is capable of providing up to 50 kN dry thrust and 75 kN thrust with the use of afterburners.

Low Bypass Turbo Fan (Jn.Passeiux.Free.fr Photo)

Armaments:

Dassault Rafale has 14 hard points on the airframe. This allows to Dassault Rafale to carry different types of Armaments.

1. Missiles:

• Air-to-air:
  • Magic II, MBDA MICAIR or EM and  MBDA Meteor in the future
• Air-to-ground:
  • MBDA Apache, MBDA Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG, AASM-Hammer(SBU-38/54/64), GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-22 Paveway III, GBU-24 Paveway III, GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II, AS-30L
• Air-to-surface:
  • MBDA AM 39-Exocetanti-ship missile

• Nuclear Deterrence:

ASMP-A nuclear missile

• Others:
  • Thales Damocles targeting pod
  • Thales AREOS (Airborne Recce Observation System) reconnaissance pod
  • Thales TALIOS multi-function targeting pod in the future (F3R Standard)
  • Up to 5 drop tanks
  • Buddy-buddy refuelling pod

These missiles used in Dassault Rafale are really difficult to detect and are able to travel long distances.

Weapons of Rafael (Wikipedia.org Photo)

Radars and Sensors:

RBE2 AA active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is used in Dassault Rafale which gives better detection ranges.

Characteristics:

Air defense	·         Very long detection and track ranges ·         Fully automatic, sorting and ranking of tracked targets ·         Fully target tracks independent of search volume.
Deep low-level penetration	·         Automatic terrain following and avoidance
Strike mission	·         En Route update of target area situation ·         High-resolution imagery modes (SAR) – Designations
Sea-skimming attacks	·         Detection and multi-tracking

Rafale consists of fronto-sector electro-optical system or Optronique Secteur Frontal (OSF). This system is developed by Thales and is used for detecting and identifying airborne, ground and sea targets. OSF enables the deployment of the infrared missiles such as MICA. OSF is also capable of providing Dassault Rafale with long-range surveillance. 

Daussalt Rafale Thales RBE2 AESA Radar (Pinterest.com Photo)

This aircraft is one of the most fascinating inventions by France. It’s also one of the World’s best fighter aircraft as it is capable of cruising at high speeds with tonnes of armaments mounted on the air frame. The best part of the plane is that it has all armaments which are really helpful in every single type of mission such as anti-shipping missions, air to ground missions or air-to-air missions. Dassault Rafale has really shown remarkable results since 30 years of service. Its fearsome characteristics attract many countries to buy some of these. Dassault Rafale is a leading aircraft which has the ability to compete with the best fighter aircraft- F 22 raptor, F-16 or Euro typhoon.

(Sources used: Dassault-Aviation.com; Rafale-RIAT, 2009; Tim Felce, 2009)

Featured Image Credit: (Wallpapers-Best.com Photo)

Restaurant Review: Slider Station (By: Badria Nassir)

Slider Station was all the hype when it first opened. My issue is that when things are constantly talked about, I lose interest in it so I never had the intention of going but my aunt and brother forced me into it.

When we got to Central Galleria in Jumeirah where the restaurant is located, we saw a huge line outside the door. We asked the lady at the door how long it would take to get a table and she said about two hours. “Oh well, we tried.”: I said and started walking away before being abruptly pulled back by my brother and aunt who were determined to eat at the restaurant.

Two annoying hours and a cup of cappuccino later, our table was ready and we were called in. Not going to lie, the ambience was great and I loved the use of dim lighting and their choice of music. Because of those factors, I decided that I’d indulge in this restaurant with arms wide open.

Slider Station Interior (SliderStation.com Photo)

Once we were given the menu, we ordered the black pepper tenderloin lollipops with potato bravas as our starter. I was quite impressed with the tenderness of the tenderloin lollipops; it wasn’t annoyingly chewy and it had a lovely kick due to the pepper.  It’s definitely a must try.

Tenderloin Lollipops (Instagram.com Photo)

My aunt wanted to try the sliders she saw on Instagram and so we ordered the Dangerous Slider which was a buttermilk fried chicken slider in a spicy red bun and a Tiger Shrimp Handgun Slider which was a southern fried tiger shrimp slider in a mango pepper black bun.

Dangerous Slider (Instragam.com Photo)

The Dangerous Slider was not too bad; I loved how soft the buns were and especially how the bun itself had its own unique flavour. The Tiger Shrimp Handgun Slider, on the other hand, I was not a big fan of. The bun tasted horrible, possibly because it was a pepper based bun, so I had to remove the shrimp and eat it on its own.

Tiger Shrimp Handgun Slider (Badria Nassir Photo)

For our main course, I decided to eat the Manhattan Classic Burger which was a beef burger in a potato bun served with French fries. The burger was alright; I expected it to have a form of distinctness such as with the sliders but it tasted just like any other. The worst part was that the french fries tasted like cardboard so I couldn’t even finish it from the tastelessness.

Manhattan Classic Burger (Badria Nassir Photo)

Dessert was the best part by far. We ordered the Lotus Pancakes and that was the day Lotus anything officially became the love of my life. The waiter came with the pancakes and stylishly poured the lotus syrup on top of the ice cream and pancakes. Honestly, it’s one of the best desserts I have ever tried in my life. The misery I felt after it was over was intense to say the least.

Lotus Pancakes (Badria Nassir Photo)

Overall, the experience wasn’t too bad but I wouldn’t say that I would be a regular customer. Maybe once the hype is over and the waiting line isn’t too long, I’ll consider returning.

Featured Image Credit: (FoodSheikh.com Photo)