Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.

 

The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.

 

After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.

 

The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.

 

The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.

 

As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.

 

This C-130H, 74-1674, joined the USAF's 463rd Tactical Airlift Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas in 1975. It would remain with the unit for over three decades, before it was transferred to the 179th Airlift Wing (Ohio ANG) at Mansfield-Lahm in 2012. Named the "Spirit of Mansfield," it would fly with the 179th until around 2018 (possibly as late as 2019), when it was transferred to the 120th AW (Montana ANG) at Great Falls. There, it was renamed "City of Havre" and continues to serve with the wing.

 

Though I've taken a good amount of C-130 pictures, especially those flying with the Montana ANG, this shot was too good to resist. The 120th's home at Great Falls International Airport is having some ramp work done over on the ANG side, so one or two of the unit's C-130s have been moved across the way to Holman Aviation. Though I was there for the F/A-18E, there's nothing wrong with a Herky Bird.

 

Behind the C-130 are deHavilland Canada Dash 8s and a Bombardier CRJ200; these "white tails" are aircraft refurbished by AvMax, and awaiting resale.

Grey Hawk - Mach 8-10 - 7th / 8th Gen Hypersonic Super Fighter Aircraft, IO Aircraft www.ioaircraft.com

 

New peek, very little is posted or public. Grey Hawk - Mach 8-10 Hypersonic 7th/8th Gen Super Fighter. This is not a graphics design, but ready to be built this moment. Heavy CFD, Design Work, Systems, etc.

 

All technologies developed and refined. Can out maneuver an F22 or SU-35 all day long subsonically, and no missile on earth could catch it. Lots of details omitted intentionally, but even internal payload capacity is double the F-22 Raptor. - www.ioaircraft.com/hypersonic.php

 

Length: 60'

Span: 30'

Engines: 2 U-TBCC (Unified Turbine Based Combined Cycle)

2 360° Thrust Vectoring Center Turbines

 

Fuel: Kero / Hydrogen

Payload: Up to 4 2,000 LBS JDAM's Internally

Up to 6 2,000 LBS JDAM's Externally

Range: 5,000nm + Aerial Refueling Capable

www.ioaircraft.com/hypersonic.php

 

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Unified Turbine Based Combined Cycle. Current technologies and what Lockheed is trying to force on the Dept of Defense, for that low speed Mach 5 plane DOD gave them $1 billion to build and would disintegrate above Mach 5, is TBCC. 2 separate propulsion systems in the same airframe, which requires TWICE the airframe space to use.

 

Unified Turbine Based Combined Cycle is 1 propulsion system cutting that airframe deficit in half, and also able to operate above Mach 10 up to Mach 15 in atmosphere, and a simple nozzle modification allows for outside atmosphere rocket mode, ie orbital capable.

 

Additionally, Reaction Engines maximum air breather mode is Mach 4.5, above that it will explode in flight from internal pressures are too high to operate. Thus, must switch to non air breather rocket mode to operate in atmosphere in hypersonic velocities. Which as a result, makes it not feasible for anything practical. It also takes an immense amount of fuel to function.

 

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Advanced Additive Manufacturing for Hypersonic Aircraft

 

Utilizing new methods of fabrication and construction, make it possible to use additive manufacturing, dramatically reducing the time and costs of producing hypersonic platforms from missiles, aircraft, and space capable craft. Instead of aircraft being produced in piece, then bolted together; small platforms can be produced as a single unit and large platforms can be produces in large section and mated without bolting. These techniques include using exotic materials and advanced assembly processes, with an end result of streamlining the production costs and time for hypersonic aircraft; reducing months of assembly to weeks. Overall, this process greatly reduced the cost for producing hypersonic platforms. Even to such an extent that a Hellfire missile costs apx $100,000 but by utilizing our technologies, replacing it with a Mach 8-10 hypersonic missile of our physics/engineering and that missile would cost roughly $75,000 each delivered.

 

Materials used for these manufacturing processes are not disclosed, but overall, provides a foundation for extremely high stresses and thermodynamics, ideal for hypersonic platforms. This specific methodology and materials applications is many decades ahead of all known programs. Even to the extend of normalized space flight and re-entry, without concern of thermodynamic failure.

 

*Note, most entities that are experimenting with additive manufacturing for hypersonic aircraft, this makes it mainstream and standardized processes, which also applies for mass production.

 

What would normally be measured in years and perhaps a decade to go from drawing board to test flights, is reduced to singular months and ready for production within a year maximum.

 

Unified Turbine Based Combined Cycle (U-TBCC)

 

To date, the closest that NASA and industry have achieved for turbine based aircraft to fly at hypersonic velocities is by mounting a turbine into an aircraft and sharing the inlet with a scramjet or rocket based motor. Reaction Engines Sabre is not able to achieve hypersonic velocities and can only transition into a non air breathing rocket for beyond Mach 4.5

 

However, utilizing Unified Turbine Based Combine Cycle also known as U-TBCC, the two separate platforms are able to share a common inlet and the dual mode ramjet/scramjet is contained within the engine itself, which allows for a much smaller airframe footprint, thus engingeers are able to then design much higher performance aerial platforms for hypersonic flight, including the ability for constructing true single stage to orbit aircraft by utilizing a modification/version that allows for transition to outside atmosphere propulsion without any other propulsion platforms within the aircraft. By transitioning and developing aircraft to use Unified Turbine Based Combined Cycle, this propulsion system opens up new options to replace that airframe deficit for increased fuel capacity and/or payload.

 

Enhanced Dynamic Cavitation

 

Dramatically Increasing the efficiency of fuel air mixture for combustion processes at hypersonic velocities within scramjet propulsion platforms. The aspects of these processes are non disclosable.

 

Dynamic Scramjet Ignition Processes

 

For optimal scramjet ignition, a process known as Self Start is sought after, but in many cases if the platform becomes out of attitude, the scramjet will ignite. We have already solved this problem which as a result, a scramjet propulsion system can ignite at lower velocities, high velocities, at optimal attitude or not optimal attitude. It doesn't matter, it will ignite anyways at the proper point for maximum thrust capabilities at hypersonic velocities.

 

Hydrogen vs Kerosene Fuel Sources

 

Kerosene is an easy fuel to work with, and most western nations developing scramjet platforms use Kerosene for that fact. However, while kerosene has better thermal properties then Hydrogen, Hydrogen is a far superior fuel source in scramjet propulsion flight, do it having a much higher efficiency capability. Because of this aspect, in conjunction with our developments, it allows for a MUCH increased fuel to air mixture, combustion, thrust; and ability for higher speeds; instead of very low hypersonic velocities in the Mach 5-6 range. Instead, Mach 8-10 range, while we have begun developing hypersonic capabilities to exceed 15 in atmosphere within less then 5 years.

 

Conforming High Pressure Tank Technology for CNG and H2.

 

As most know in hypersonics, Hydrogen is a superior fuel source, but due to the storage abilities, can only be stored in cylinders thus much less fuel supply. Not anymore, we developed conforming high pressure storage technology for use in aerospace, automotive sectors, maritime, etc; which means any overall shape required for 8,000+ PSI CNG or Hydrogen. For hypersonic platforms, this means the ability to store a much larger volume of hydrogen vs cylinders.

 

As an example, X-43 flown by Nasa which flew at Mach 9.97. The fuel source was Hydrogen, which is extremely more volatile and combustible then kerosene (JP-7), via a cylinder in the main body. If it had used our technology, that entire section of the airframe would had been an 8,000 PSI H2 tank, which would had yielded 5-6 times the capacity. While the X-43 flew 11 seconds under power at Mach 9.97, at 6 times the fuel capacity would had yielded apx 66 seconds of fuel under power at Mach 9.97. If it had flew slower, around Mach 6, same principles applied would had yielded apx 500 seconds of fuel supply under power (slower speeds required less energy to maintain).

 

Enhanced Fuel Mixture During Shock Train Interaction

 

Normally, fuel injection is conducted at the correct insertion point within the shock train for maximum burn/combustion. Our methodologies differ, since almost half the fuel injection is conducted PRE shock train within the isolator, so at the point of isolator injection the fuel enhances the combustion process, which then requires less fuel injection to reach the same level of thrust capabilities.

 

Improved Bow Shock Interaction

 

Smoother interaction at hypersonic velocities and mitigating heat/stresses for beyond Mach 6 thermodynamics, which extraordinarily improves Type 3, 4, and 5 shock interaction.

 

6,000+ Fahrenheit Thermal Resistance

 

To date, the maximum thermal resistance was tested at AFRL in the spring of 2018, which resulted in a 3,200F thermal resistance for a short duration. This technology, allows for normalized hypersonic thermal resistance of 3,000-3,500F sustained, and up to 6,500F resistance for short endurance, ie 90 seconds or less. 10-20 minute resistance estimate approximately 4,500F +/- 200F.

  

*** This technology advancement also applies to Aerospike rocket engines, in which it is common for Aerospike's to exceed 4,500-5,000F temperatures, which results in the melting of the reversed bell housing. That melting no longer ocurrs, providing for stable combustion to ocurr for the entire flight envelope

 

Scramjet Propulsion Side Wall Cooling

 

With old technologies, side wall cooling is required for hypersonic flight and scramjet propulsion systems, otherwise the isolator and combustion regions of a scramjet would melt, even using advanced ablatives and ceramics, due to their inability to cope with very high temperatures. Using technology we have developed for very high thermodynamics and high stresses, side wall cooling is no longer required, thus removing that variable from the design process and focusing on improved ignition processes and increasing net thrust values.

 

Lower Threshold for Hypersonic Ignition

 

Active and adaptive flight dynamics, resulting in the ability for scramjet ignition at a much lower velocity, ie within ramjet envelope, between Mach 2-4, and seamless transition from supersonic to hypersonic flight, ie supersonic ramjet (scramjet). This active and dynamic aspect, has a wide variety of parameters for many flight dynamics, velocities, and altitudes; which means platforms no longer need to be engineered for specific altitude ranges or preset velocities, but those parameters can then be selected during launch configuration and are able to adapt actively in flight.

 

Dramatically Improved Maneuvering Capabilities at Hypersonic Velocities

 

Hypersonic vehicles, like their less technologically advanced brethren, use large actuator and the developers hope those controls surfaces do not disintegrate in flight. In reality, it is like rolling the dice, they may or may not survive, hence another reason why the attempt to keep velocities to Mach 6 or below. We have shrunken down control actuators while almost doubling torque and response capabilities specifically for hypersonic dynamics and extreme stresses involved, which makes it possible for maximum input authority for Mach 10 and beyond.

 

Paradigm Shift in Control Surface Methodologies, Increasing Control Authority (Internal Mechanical Applications)

 

To date, most control surfaces for hypersonic missile platforms still use fins, similar to lower speed conventional missiles, and some using ducted fins. This is mostly due to lack of comprehension of hypersonic velocities in their own favor. Instead, the body itself incorporates those control surfaces, greatly enhancing the airframe strength, opening up more space for hardware and fuel capacity; while simultaneously enhancing the platforms maneuvering capabilities.

 

A scramjet missile can then fly like conventional missile platforms, and not straight and level at high altitudes, losing velocity on it's decent trajectory to target. Another added benefit to this aspect, is the ability to extend range greatly, so if anyone elses hypersonic missile platform were developed for 400 mile range, falling out of the sky due to lack of glide capabilities; our platforms can easily reach 600+ miles, with minimal glide deceleration.

 

 

A multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, from air policing, to peace support, through to high intensity conflict.

 

Specifications

 

Engines: 2 Eurojet EJ200 turbojets

Thrust: 20,000lbs each

Max speed: 1.8Mach

Length: 15.96m

Max altitude: 55,000ft

Span: 11.09m

Aircrew: 1

Armament: AMRAAM, ASRAAM, Mauser 27mm Cannon, Enhanced Paveway II, 1000 lb Freefall bomb

 

Save to 'Compare aircraft'

 

Who uses the Typhoon FGR4

 

6 SquadronRAF Leuchars1 SquadronRAF Leuchars3 SquadronRAF Coningsby17 SquadronRAF Coningsby29 SquadronRAF Coningsby11 SquadronRAF Coningsby

Details

 

Typhoon provides the RAF with a multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, from air policing, to peace support, through to high intensity conflict. It is currently employed on permanent ops in the Falkland Islands, UK QRA North and UK QRA South.

 

Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain formally agreed to start development of the aircraft in 1988 with contracts for a first batch of 148 aircraft – of which 53 were for the RAF – signed ten years later. Deliveries to the RAF started in 2003 to 17(R) Sqn who were based at BAE Systems Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire (alongside the factory where the aircraft were assembled) while detailed development and testing of the aircraft was carried out. Formal activation of the first Typhoon Squadron at RAF Coningsby occurred on the 1st Jul 2005. The aircraft took over responsibility for UK QRA on 29 Jun 2007 and was formally declared as an advanced Air Defence platform on 1 Jan 2008.

 

Initial production aircraft of the F2 Tranche 1 standard were capable of air-to-air roles only and were the first Typhoons to hold UK QRA duties. In order to fulfill a potential requirement for Typhoon to deploy to Op HERRICK, urgent single-nation work was conducted on Tranche 1 to develop an air-to-ground capability in 2008. Tranche 1 aircraft were declared as multi-role in Jul 2008, gaining the designation FGR4 (T3 2-seat variant), fielding the Litening Laser Designator Pod and Paveway 2, Enhanced Paveway 2 and 1000lb freefall class of weapons. Only a handful of F2/T1 aircraft remain, these will be upgraded to FGR4/T3 by the end of 2012. Tranche 2 aircraft deliveries commenced under the 4-nation contract in 2008, in the air-to-air role only. These aircraft were deployed to the Falkland Islands to take-over duties from the Tornado F3 in Sep 09. Currently, upgrades to Tranche 2 continue as part of the main contract, with air-to-ground capability expected in 2012.

 

A total of 53 Tranche 1 aircraft were delivered, with Tranche 2 contract provisioning for 91 aircraft. 24 of these were diverted to fulfill the RSAF export campaign, leaving 67 Tranche 2 aircraft due for delivery to the RAF. The Tranche 3 contract has been signed and will deliver 40 aircraft. With the Tranche 1 aircraft fleet due to retire over the period 2015-18, this will leave 107 Typhoon aircraft in RAF service until 2030.

 

Future weapons integration will include Meteor air-to-air missile, Paveway IV, Storm Shadow, Brimstone and Small Diameter Bomb. Additionally, it is intended to upgrade the radar to an Active Electronically Scanned Array.

 

Technical Data

   

General Information

  

Brakes off to 35,000ft / M1.5

 

< 2.5 minutes

  

Brakes off to lift off

 

Supersonic

     

Design

  

Maximum Speed

 

Max 2.0

  

Operational Runway Lengh

 

of 90kn (20,000 lbs)

     

Dimensions

  

Wing Span

 

10.95m (35ft 11in)

  

Wing Aspect Ratio

 

2:205

  

Length (Overall)

 

15.96m (52ft 4in)

  

Wings (Gross)

 

50.0m2 (538ft2)

     

Masses

  

Basic Mass (Empty)

 

11,000kg (24,250lb)

  

Maximum

 

(Take-off) 23,500kg (51,809lb)

  

The F-105 Thunderchief, which would become a legend in the history of the Vietnam War, started out very modestly as a proposal for a large, supersonic replacement for the RF-84F Thunderflash tactical reconnaissance fighter in 1951. Later this was expanded by Republic’s famous chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, to a nuclear-capable, high-speed, low-altitude penetration tactical fighter-bomber which could also replace the F-84 Thunderstreak.

 

The USAF liked the idea, as the F-84 had shown itself to be at a disadvantage against Chinese and Soviet-flown MiG-15s over Korea, and ordered 200 of the new design before it was even finalized. This order was reduced to only 37 aircraft with the end of the Korean War, but nonetheless the first YF-105A Thunderchief flew in October 1955. Although it was equipped with an interim J57 engine and had drag problems, it still achieved supersonic speed. When the design was further refined as the YF-105B, with the J75 engine and area ruling, it went over Mach 2. This was in spite of the fact that the design had mushroomed in size from Kartveli’s initial idea to one of the largest and heaviest fighter ever to serve with the USAF: fully loaded, the F-105 was heavier than a B-17 bomber. The USAF ordered 1800 F-105s, though this would be reduced to 830 examples.

 

Almost immediately, the F-105 began to be plagued with problems. Some of the trouble could be traced to the normal teething problems of any new aircraft, but for awhile it seemed the Thunderchief was too hot to handle, with a catastrophically high accident rate. This led to the aircraft getting the nickname of “Thud,” supposedly for the sound it made when hitting the ground, along with other not-so-affectionate monikers such as “Ultra Hog” and “Squat Bomber.” Despite its immense size and bad reputation, however, the F-105 was superb at high speeds, especially at low level, was difficult to stall, and its cockpit was commended for its ergonomic layout. Earlier “narrow-nose” F-105Bs were replaced by wider-nosed, radar-equipped F-105Ds, the mainline version of the Thunderchief, while two-seat F-105Fs were built as conversion trainers.

 

Had it not been for the Vietnam War, however, the F-105 might have gone down in history as simply another mildly successful 1950s era design. Deployed to Vietnam at the beginning of the American involvement there in 1964, the Thunderchief was soon heading to North Vietnam to attack targets there in the opening rounds of Operation Rolling Thunder; this was in spite of the fact that the F-105 was designed primarily as a low-level (and, as its pilots insisted, one-way) tactical nuclear bomber. Instead, F-105s were heading north festooned with conventional bombs.

 

As Rolling Thunder gradually expanded to all of North Vietnam, now-camouflaged Thuds “going Downtown” became iconic, fighting their way through the densest concentration of antiaircraft fire in history, along with SAMs and MiG fighters. The F-105 now gained a reputation for something else: toughness, a Republic hallmark. Nor were they defenseless: unlike the USAF’s primary fighter, the F-4 Phantom II, the F-105 retained an internal 20mm gatling cannon, and MiG-17s which engaged F-105s was far from a foregone conclusion, as 27 MiGs were shot down by F-105s for the loss of about 20. If nothing else, Thud pilots no longer burdened with bombs could simply elect to head home at Mach 2 and two thousand feet, outdistancing any MiG defenders.

 

If the Thud had any weakness, it was its hydraulic system, which was found to be extremely vulnerable to damage. However, it was likely more due to poor tactics and the restrictive Rules of Engagement, which sent F-105s into battle on predictable routes, unable to return fire on SAM sites until missiles were launched at them, and their F-4 escorts hamstrung by being forced to wait until MiGs were on attack runs before the MiGs could be engaged. The tropical climate also took a toll on man and machine, with the end result that 382 F-105s were lost over Vietnam, nearly half of all Thuds ever produced and the highest loss rate of any USAF aircraft.

The combination of a high loss rate and the fact that the F-105 really was not designed to be used in the fashion it was over Vietnam led to the type’s gradual withdrawal after 1968 in favor of more F-4s and a USAF version of the USN’s A-7 Corsair II. An improved all-weather bombing system, Thunderstick II, was given to a few of the F-105D survivors, but this was not used operationally.

 

The Thud soldiered on another decade in Air National Guard and Reserve units until February 1984, when the type was finally retired in favor of the F-16, and its spiritual successor, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

 

F-105D 62-4375 was delivered to the USAF's 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Itazuke, Japan in 1963. It does not appear to have flown combat in Vietnam, though its history does list serving with the 6441st TFW (Provisional) at Yokota; the 6441st did send detachments to Southeast Asia at the beginning of Operation Rolling Thunder, before units were permanently based in Thailand. It remained in Asia after being transferred to the 18th TFW at Kadena in 1967.

 

In 1971, 62-4375 was transferred back to the States at the "Home of the Thud," with the 23rd TFW at McConnell AFB, Kansas. It was then relegated to the USAF Reserve in 1972, first with the 507th TFG (Reserve) at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, then to the last F-105 unit in the USAF, the 508th TFG (Reserve) at Hill AFB, Utah in 1980. 62-4375 was among the last F-105s to be retired in 1984.

 

The aircraft was saved from scrapping by its donation to the IG Brown Professional Military Education Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, but in 1992, the center no longer wanted 62-4375, so it was picked up by the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas. Due to the Thud's close association with Kansas--most F-105 pilots trained over the state--the CAM had been looking for a Thud for awhile.

 

Today, 62-4375 is in good shape, albeit in inaccurate markings applied during its time in Tennessee. F-105s were painted overall silver during Operation Lookalike in the early 1960s, before adopting Southeast Asia camouflage; several museums use overall gray to simulate this, as silver and bare metal are hard to maintain. However, it also carries the tail stripe and unit patch of the 192nd TFG (Virginia ANG) at Richmond, the last ANG unit to operate the Thud. However, the 192nd's F-105s were all camouflaged.

 

Nonetheless, seeing a Thud anywhere is a treat for me, so I'm hardly complaining.

mason

 

The world’s top female surfers proved by pairing up grace, strength and talent, that they are capable of taking the sport to new heights.

 

The 2nd SWATCH GIRLS PRO France 2011 in Hossegor delivered a firework of spectacular surfing! Moving through the rounds, the ladies faced strong currents and fast crashing waves. Heat after heat they tackled the rough challenge by laying down outstanding performances with technical, smooth and stylish surfing. Unfortunately last year’s winner and 4-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and top favourite Coco Ho (HAW) were already eliminated in the early rounds.

 

In the end Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) defeated Sage Erickson (USA) on an epic final day of competition to win the SWATCH GIRLS PRO France at Seignosse in Hossegor.

 

Both Fitzgibbons and Erickson surfed at their limit on the final day of competition in front of the packed holiday crowd who flocked to the beach to support some of the world’s finest women’s surfers, but it was Fitzgibbons who found the scores needed to take the victory over the American surfer.

 

Fitzgibbons, who is currently rated No. 2 on the elite ASP Women’s World Title Series, competed in her second consecutive SWATCH GIRLS PRO France event and her victory marks her third major ASP win this year.

 

Erickson was impressive throughout the entire competition, eventually defeating Sarah Baum (ZAF) in the Semifinals, but was unable to surpass Fitzgibbons for the win.

 

Sarah Mason Wins 2-Star Swatch Girls Pro Junior France

 

Sarah Mason (Gisbourne, NZL) 16, today took out the ASP 2-Star Swatch Girls Pro Junior France over Dimity Stoyle (Sunshine Coast QLD, AUS) 19, it a closely contested 35-minute final that went down to the wire in tricky 3ft (1m) waves at Les Bourdaines.

 

Europe’s finest under-21 athletes faced some of the world’s best up-and-comers in the Swatch Girls Pro Junior France in their attempt to qualify for the ASP World Junior Series which starts October 3, in Bali, Indonesia.

 

Mason, who impressed the entire event with her precise and stylish forehand attack, left little to chance in the 35-minute final getting off to a quick start to open her account and then built on her two-wave total to claim victory with 11.73 out of 20. The quietly spoken goofy-footer was a standout performer in the ASP 6-Star Swatch Girls Pro France and backed it up with a commanding performance against her fellow Pro Junior members.

 

“It is amazing. I am so happy and it is one of my best results for sure. It was tricky to try and pick the good ones but I picked a couple so it was great. All the girls are definitely ripping so you have to step up the level to get through your heats so I am stoked with the win. It has been super fun and I have enjoyed the entire event so to win is just amazing.”

 

Dimity Stoyle was unable to bridge the gap over her opponent in the final finishing second despite holding priority several times in the later stages of the encounter. The Swatch Girls Pro Junior France has proved the perfect training ground for Stoyle to continue with her excellent results already obtained this season on the ASP Australasia Pro Junior series where she is currently ranked nº2.

 

“I am still happy with second and I really wanted to win here but I tried my best. This is the best event I have been in so far it is really good the set up, the waves and everyone loves it. I can’t believe how good the French crowd are. They love surfing and they love us all so I am definitely going to come back.”

 

Felicity Palmateer (Perth WA, AUS) 18, ranked nº9 on the ASP Women’s Star Tour, finished equal 3rd in a low scoring tactical heat against Stoyle where positioning and priority tactics towards the final part played a major role as the frequency of set waves dropped.

 

“When I first paddled out I thought it was breaking more out the back but as the tide started to change it moved in and became a little inconsistent. At the start of the heat there were heaps of waves but then it went slow and priority came into play and I kept trying to get one. I am not really fussed because I am travelling with Dimity (Stoyle) and stoked that she has made the final.”

 

Palmateer has used the Swatch Girls Pro Junior France as a building block towards her ultimate goal of being full-time on the ASP Women’s World Tour. Her objectives are clear and 2011 is an extremely important year.

 

“I would love to get a World Junior title but at the moment my goal is to qualify for the World Tour through the Star events. If I can get more practice without that much pressure on me like this year and then if I qualify it will be even better for 2012.”

 

Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 17, placed 3rd in the Swatch Girls Pro Junior France after failing to oust eventual event winner Sarah Mason in semi-final nº1. Buitendag looked dangerous throughout the final day of competition and was unlucky not to find any quality scoring waves in a slow heat. Trailing for the majority of the encounter, Buitendag secured her best ride in the final moments which proved not enough to advance.

 

“The swell definitely dropped and although the conditions were quite nice I didn’t get any good scoring waves. I have a Pro Junior event coming up in South Africa and it is very important to get a result there to qualify for the World Juniors.”

 

Maud Le Car (St Martin, FRA) 19, claimed the best result of the European contingent finishing equal 5th to jump to nº1 position on the ASP Women’s European Pro Junior series. Le Car led a low scoring quarter-final bout against Bianca Buitendag until losing priority in a tactical error which allowed her opponent to sneak under her guard and claim the modest score required to win.

 

“I didn’t surf really well in that heat and I am a little bit disappointed because it is for the selection to the World Juniors with the other European girls. The waves were not the best and it was difficult to catch some good waves and unfortunately I didn’t make it. It is really good to be at the top but I have some other contests to improve and to do some good results and to make it to the World Juniors.”

 

The Swatch Time to Tear Expression Session was won by the team composed of Swatch Girls Pro France finalists Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Sage Erickson (USA) and equal 3rd placed Courtney Conlogue (USA) in a dynamic display of modern progressive surfing in the punchy 3ft peaks in front of a packed surf hungry audience lining the shore.

 

The Swatch Girls Pro is webcast LIVE on www.swatchgirlspro.com

 

For all results, videos, daily highlights, photos and news log-on to www.swatchgirlsproor www.aspeurope.com

 

Swatch Girls Pro Junior France Final Result

Sarah Mason (NZL) 11.73 Def. Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 10.27

 

Swatch Girls Pro Junior France Semi-Final Results

Heat 1: Sarah Mason (NZL) 14.00 Def. Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 9.60

Heat 2: Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 10.67 Def. Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 9.57

 

Swatch Girls Pro Junior France Quarter-Final Results

Heat 1: Sarah Mason (NZL) 12.75 Def. Lakey Peterson (USA) 6.25

Heat 2: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 8.95 Def. Maud Le Car (FRA) 8.50

Heat 3: Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 11.00 Def. Georgia Fish (AUS) 4.50

Heat 4: Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 17.00 Def. Nao Omura (JPN) 8.75

 

Swatch Girls Pro Junior France Round Three Results

Heat 1: Sarah Mason (NZL) 15.25, Maud Le Car (FRA) 11.00, Marie Dejean (FRA) 9.35, Camille Davila (FRA) 4.90

Heat 2: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 14.50, Lakey Peterson (USA) 11.50, Justine Dupont (FRA) 10.75, Phillipa Anderson (AUS) 5.10

Heat 3: Georgia Fish (AUS) 12.50, Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 9.15, Joanne Defay (FRA) 7.15, Loiola Canales (EUK) 2.90

Heat 4: Nao Omura (JPN) 10.00, Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 9.50, Barbara Segatto (BRA) 3.90, Ana Morau (FRA) 3.05

 

Photos Aquashot/ASPEurope - Swatch

 

A multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, from air policing, to peace support, through to high intensity conflict.

 

Specifications

 

Engines: 2 Eurojet EJ200 turbojets

Thrust: 20,000lbs each

Max speed: 1.8Mach

Length: 15.96m

Max altitude: 55,000ft

Span: 11.09m

Aircrew: 1

Armament: AMRAAM, ASRAAM, Mauser 27mm Cannon, Enhanced Paveway II, 1000 lb Freefall bomb

 

Save to 'Compare aircraft'

 

Who uses the Typhoon FGR4

 

6 SquadronRAF Leuchars1 SquadronRAF Leuchars3 SquadronRAF Coningsby17 SquadronRAF Coningsby29 SquadronRAF Coningsby11 SquadronRAF Coningsby

Details

 

Typhoon provides the RAF with a multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, from air policing, to peace support, through to high intensity conflict. It is currently employed on permanent ops in the Falkland Islands, UK QRA North and UK QRA South.

 

Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain formally agreed to start development of the aircraft in 1988 with contracts for a first batch of 148 aircraft – of which 53 were for the RAF – signed ten years later. Deliveries to the RAF started in 2003 to 17(R) Sqn who were based at BAE Systems Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire (alongside the factory where the aircraft were assembled) while detailed development and testing of the aircraft was carried out. Formal activation of the first Typhoon Squadron at RAF Coningsby occurred on the 1st Jul 2005. The aircraft took over responsibility for UK QRA on 29 Jun 2007 and was formally declared as an advanced Air Defence platform on 1 Jan 2008.

 

Initial production aircraft of the F2 Tranche 1 standard were capable of air-to-air roles only and were the first Typhoons to hold UK QRA duties. In order to fulfill a potential requirement for Typhoon to deploy to Op HERRICK, urgent single-nation work was conducted on Tranche 1 to develop an air-to-ground capability in 2008. Tranche 1 aircraft were declared as multi-role in Jul 2008, gaining the designation FGR4 (T3 2-seat variant), fielding the Litening Laser Designator Pod and Paveway 2, Enhanced Paveway 2 and 1000lb freefall class of weapons. Only a handful of F2/T1 aircraft remain, these will be upgraded to FGR4/T3 by the end of 2012. Tranche 2 aircraft deliveries commenced under the 4-nation contract in 2008, in the air-to-air role only. These aircraft were deployed to the Falkland Islands to take-over duties from the Tornado F3 in Sep 09. Currently, upgrades to Tranche 2 continue as part of the main contract, with air-to-ground capability expected in 2012.

 

A total of 53 Tranche 1 aircraft were delivered, with Tranche 2 contract provisioning for 91 aircraft. 24 of these were diverted to fulfill the RSAF export campaign, leaving 67 Tranche 2 aircraft due for delivery to the RAF. The Tranche 3 contract has been signed and will deliver 40 aircraft. With the Tranche 1 aircraft fleet due to retire over the period 2015-18, this will leave 107 Typhoon aircraft in RAF service until 2030.

 

Future weapons integration will include Meteor air-to-air missile, Paveway IV, Storm Shadow, Brimstone and Small Diameter Bomb. Additionally, it is intended to upgrade the radar to an Active Electronically Scanned Array.

 

Technical Data

   

General Information

  

Brakes off to 35,000ft / M1.5

 

< 2.5 minutes

  

Brakes off to lift off

 

Supersonic

     

Design

  

Maximum Speed

 

Max 2.0

  

Operational Runway Lengh

 

of 90kn (20,000 lbs)

     

Dimensions

  

Wing Span

 

10.95m (35ft 11in)

  

Wing Aspect Ratio

 

2:205

  

Length (Overall)

 

15.96m (52ft 4in)

  

Wings (Gross)

 

50.0m2 (538ft2)

     

Masses

  

Basic Mass (Empty)

 

11,000kg (24,250lb)

  

Maximum

 

(Take-off) 23,500kg (51,809lb)

  

The indomitable A G N Kazi

  

Random thoughts

 

A great patriot, genius, humble, highly capable, thorough gentleman, Aftab Ghulam Nabi Kazi, left us for his eternal abode recently. He was almost 97. May Allah rest his soul in Jannah – Ameen.

I was very closely associated with Kazi Sahib for many years. In 1975, my wife, our two young daughters and I came to Pakistan just before Christmas on our usual annual holidays. I met Bhutto Sahib after three days, at which meeting his competent MS, Brig Imtiaz (later Ma Gen) was also present. Bhutto asked me to check on the progress of the work being done under Munir Ahmed Khan of the PAEC.

I had given them some hints the year before on how to get started on enrichment. I was shocked to see the casual and lethargic way in which the work was being handled. When I informed Bhutto, he was visibly annoyed. He thought for a few seconds and then requested me not to go back but to help the country face the mortal danger from India after their nuclear test of May 18, 1974.

I was shocked. I had a good job and my wife’s elderly parents were in Holland and she was the only one to look after them. Considering everything and having discussed the matter with my wife, I agreed. My wife returned to Holland alone with the girls, and had the daunting task of informing her parents (her mother was in hospital at the time) and packing up the house. She returned to Pakistan after two months with only some clothes and personal items.

Meanwhile I had been appointed as adviser to the PAEC with a salary of Rs3,000 per month, which I didn’t receive for the first six months. The work couldn’t progress because of incompetence and bureaucracy. In July of that year I wrote to the PAEC chairman asking for an interview, to which I got no reply. Since I had joined he had strongly hinted that we should not work for weapons and that Bhutto was obsessed with making a bomb. When I didn’t receive a reply, I wrote a letter to Bhutto enclosing a copy of my letter to the PAEC chairman. He called me to the Governor House in Lahore immediately, where I met him together with Agha Shahi and Gen Imtiaz and explained my case.

After two days Gen Imtiaz phone that there was a meeting at the Foreign Office. I drove there in my own car as neither car nor driver had been put at my disposal. There I met A G N Kazi, Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Agha Shahi, all secretaries general at the time. After hearing me out they suggested that I take over as chairman of the PAEC. I declined as I felt this would immediately expose our plans to the West. I frankly told them that if the project was not under my control it wouldn’t succeed.

I was asked to return the next day, when I was informed that they had accepted my proposal and that a new organisation (Engineering Research Laboratories – ERL) would be set up. Gen Imtiaz used Shahi Sahib’s green line to inform Bhutto. I spoke to him as well and told him that I needed a free hand.

The next day we had a meeting in Bhutto Sahib’s office. He formed a coordination board with A G N Kazi as chairman and Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Agha Shahi as members. The board was given the powers of a PM. Gen Zia was also there as COAS and he agreed to give me a team of civil engineers. This team was headed by a brigadier, a dashing, handsome go-getter. They never let me down.

Next the problem of determining the powers I needed to rush through the programme was tackled by the brigadier and me. I made four copies of the suggestions and presented it to the board at Kazi Sahib’s office. After glancing at the very first page, G I Khan remarked that I was asking for powers only the PM had. At that Kazi Sahib said: “Ishaq, if you want another PWD, discuss it, otherwise give the powers Dr Khan is asking for. We are there to oversee everything.” With that the matter was closed. It was this approval that enabled our programme to succeed.

Kazi Sahib was a thorough gentleman – soft spoken and very competent. He could instantly grasp the gist of a problem. I was allowed to see him without any prior appointment. I was ably supported by Agha Shahi, who asked his DG Administration – a very competent officer – to issue me a diplomatic passport and to take care of our foreign travel.

On July 5, 1977, Gen Zia staged the coup. Ghulam Ishaq Khan was made secretary general-in-chief, the de facto prime minister, thus, due to his higher rank, automatically becoming chairman of the committee. He offered continued charge of our meetings to Kazi Sahib, but he politely refused.

The late A G N Kazi had a brilliant, chequered career. After high school in Sindh he obtained a double Masters in Physics and Statistics. He was selected for the ICS (together with Agha Shahi and Mian Riazuddin) and worked as DC before Partition.

After Partition he moved to Pakistan and was successively posted as secretary finance, Sindh and adviser to the governor; finance secretary of West Pakistan; economic minister in the Pakistan Embassy in Washington; additional chief secretary Planning and Development, West Pakistan; chairman Wapda (where he supervised the Mangla Dam); secretary Industries & National Resources; federal finance minister and chairman Central Board of Revenue; secretary general finance and economic coordination; adviser to the president on economic affairs; governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and, finally, secretary general finance.

When ERL came into being, he was secretary general finance and what a great support he was to us – a pillar of strength and hope. After he left, Ghulam Ishaq Khan handled the programme superbly. May Allah Almighty grant a high place in Jannah to all who helped us in making Pakistan a nuclear and missile power – Ameen.

Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com

***UPDATE*** Tamara and Josh have really been working hard to get their new home up to snuff. They snared this great table for their library sitting area.

YOKOSUKA, Japan (June 13, 2018) - Damage Controlman 3rd Class Chris McNeil, from Virginia Beach, and Damage Controlman 2nd Class Brian Mondestin, from Queens, N.Y., both attached to U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), walk into a simulated fire to retrieve a dummy victim. Blue Ridge and her crew have now entered a final upkeep and training phase in preparation to become fully mission capable for operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ethan Carter) 180613-N-XN398-159

 

** Interested in following U.S. Indo-Pacific Command? Engage and connect with us at www.facebook.com/indopacom | twitter.com/PacificCommand |

www.instagram.com/indopacom | www.flickr.com/photos/us-pacific-command; | www.youtube.com/user/USPacificCommand | www.pacom.mil/ **

 

During World War II, both Great Britain and Germany had experimented with very large glider designs (the Hamlicar and Gigant, respectively) capable of carrying tanks. Though glider assaults had varying results during the war, the US Air Force briefly considered resurrecting the idea in 1948, and commissioned Chase Aircraft to build a large glider, the XCG-20 Avitruc. The XCG-20 was of all-metal construction, with a fully-equipped flight deck and a rear-mounted loading ramp for vehicles to be driven directly into the fuselage. The USAF abandoned the idea of glider assaults soon after the first XCG-20 was completed, but Chase had anticipated this: through the simple installation of two propeller-driven engines, the XCG-20 became the XC-123. This itself was considered only an interim design, as the XC-123A had four turbojet engines, becoming the first all-jet transport aircraft.

 

The USAF rejected the XC-123A, as it was found to have poor performance and short range, owing to the thirsty jets of the early 1950s. However, the piston-engined XC-123 showed promise, and the USAF ordered it into production in 1953. Production was delayed due to Chase Aircraft being acquired by Kaiser, who in turn sold the design to Fairchild Aircraft, who would produce it as the C-123B Provider.

 

The C-123 was considered a supplemental aircraft to the C-119 Flying Boxcar already in service and the soon-to-be-deployed C-130 Hercules. It had better single-engine performance than the C-119, and acquired a reputation for reliability, rugged design, simple maintenance, and the ability to land almost anywhere. A small number were converted to C-123J standard, with ski landing gear for operations in Antarctica and Greenland, and experiments were even made to convert it to an amphibian. Nevertheless, the number of C-123s in service were small compared to other types, and the C-130 began replacing it beginning in 1958.

 

As the United States involved itself more in the Vietnam War, one major advantage of its Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army adversaries was the very jungle of Vietnam itself, which provided ready-made cover and camouflage from American air units. In an attempt to deprive the VC/NVA of jungle cover in known concentration areas, the USAF converted a number of C-123s to UC-123 standard, with spraying equipment for the pesticide Agent Orange. Under Operation Ranch Hand, UC-123s were among the first USAF aircraft deployed to Vietnam, and the first USAF aircraft lost in combat was a UC-123B. Spraying Agent Orange was very dangerous work, as it involved flying low and slow over hostile territory; it would not be until after the Vietnam War was over that it was learned that Agent Orange, used in the concentrated quantity employed in Vietnam, was also a deadly carcinogenic.

 

Besides their controversial employment as defoilant sprayers, standard C-123s were used as transports and Candlestick flareships, as the C-130 demand was exceeding supply, and the US Army’s CV-2 (later C-8) Caribous were proving the worth of a short-takeoff and landing transport. To improve the Provider’s performance in the “hot and high” conditions of Vietnam, two J85 turbojets were added beneath the wings of the C-123K variant, which became the final Provider variant and the main type used in Vietnam. CIA-flown Providers were used by Air America to clandestinely supply friendly Hmong tribes in Laos and in Cambodia, while two specialized NC-123K Black Spot aircraft were used to monitor traffic on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, bringing in gunships to engage any targets—though the Black Spots could also carry bombs. 54 C-123s were lost in Vietnam, second only to the C-130.

 

Following the end of American involvement in Vietnam, the C-123Ks were either handed over to South Vietnam or relegated to USAF Reserve and Air National Guard units, from which they were finally withdrawn around 1980. A few UC-123Ks were used to spray insecticides in Alaska and Guam as late as 1982. 11 other air forces used Providers, and the last C-123s were retired from the South Korean Air Force in 2001. 27 are preserved as museum pieces and a few remain in revenue service as “bush” aircraft in Alaska and elsewhere; remaining aircraft in storage were scrapped due to Agent Orange contamination.

 

The C-123K Provider on display in the Malmstrom Museum’s model collection belongs to the 311th Air Commando Squadron, based at Phan Rang, South Vietnam. It carries standard Southeast Asia camouflage of two shades of green and tan over white. This aircraft is that flown by Lieutenant Colonel Joe Jackson on his Medal of Honor mission.

 

Yesterday I accomplished something I never thought I was capable of. In 10 months I've gone from couch to a half marathon runner. It has been a long but very worthwhile journey building up the miles, building up the stamina and trying to improve on times as well as trying to rest. But I did complete the Blackpool half marathon on what was a wet and windy day which suited me and I suspect many other runners and I ran in a time of 1:56:11, a time that I'm really happy with as I always hoped I could finish in under 2 hours.

Bring on the next half....

Photographed in Los Altos, California

 

=========================

From Wikipedia: The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. The bird is also known as the American mourning dove or the rain dove, and erroneously as the turtle dove, and was once known as the Carolina pigeon or Carolina turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also a leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year. The wings make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

 

Mourning doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

 

Distribution: The mourning dove has a large range of nearly 11,000,000 km2 (4,200,000 sq mi). The species is resident throughout the Greater Antilles, most of Mexico, the Continental United States, southern Canada, and the Atlantic archipelago of Bermuda. Much of the Canadian prairie sees these birds in summer only, and southern Central America sees them in winter only. The species is a vagrant in northern Canada, Alaska, and South America. It has been spotted as an accidental at least seven times in the Western Palearctic with records from the British Isles (5), the Azores (1) and Iceland (1). In 1963, the mourning dove was introduced to Hawaii, and in 1998 there was still a small population in North Kona. The mourning dove also appeared on Socorro Island, off the western coast of Mexico, in 1988, sixteen years after the Socorro dove was extirpated from that island.

 

Description: The mourning dove is a medium-sized, slender dove approximately 31 cm (12 in) in length. Mourning doves weigh 112–170 g (4.0–6.0 oz), usually closer to 128 g (4.5 oz). The elliptical wings are broad, and the head is rounded. Its tail is long and tapered ("macroura" comes from the Greek words for "large" and "tail"). Mourning doves have perching feet, with three toes forward and one reversed. The legs are short and reddish colored. The beak is short and dark, usually a brown-black hue.

 

The plumage is generally light gray-brown and lighter and pinkish below. The wings have black spotting, and the outer tail feathers are white, contrasting with the black inners. Below the eye is a distinctive crescent-shaped area of dark feathers. The eyes are dark, with light skin surrounding them.[6] The adult male has bright purple-pink patches on the neck sides, with light pink coloring reaching the breast. The crown of the adult male is a distinctly bluish-grey color. Females are similar in appearance, but with more brown coloring overall and a little smaller than the male. The iridescent feather patches on the neck above the shoulders are nearly absent, but can be quite vivid on males. Juvenile birds have a scaly appearance, and are generally darker.

 

All five subspecies of the mourning dove look similar and are not easily distinguishable. The nominate subspecies possesses shorter wings, and is darker and more buff-colored than the "average" mourning dove. Z. m. carolinensis has longer wings and toes, a shorter beak, and is darker in color. The western subspecies has longer wings, a longer beak, shorter toes, and is more muted and lighter in color. The Panama mourning dove has shorter wings and legs, a longer beak, and is grayer in color. The Clarion Island subspecies possesses larger feet, a larger beak, and is darker brown in color.

 

Habitat:

The mourning dove occupies a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, such as urban areas, farms, prairie, grassland, and lightly wooded areas. It avoids swamps and thick forest. The species has adapted well to areas altered by humans. They commonly nest in trees in cities or near farmsteads.

 

Migration:

Most mourning doves migrate along flyways over land. On rare occasions, mourning doves have been seen flying over the Gulf of Mexico, but this appears to be exceptional. Spring migration north runs from March to May. Fall migration south runs from September to November, with immatures moving first, followed by adult females and then by adult males. Migration is usually during the day, in flocks, and at low altitudes. However, not all individuals migrate. Even in Canada some mourning doves remain through winter, sustained by the presence of bird feeders.

 

Sounds:

This species' call is a distinctive, plaintive cooOOoo-woo-woo-woooo, uttered by males to attract females, and may be mistaken for the call of an owl at first. (Close up, a grating or throat-rattling sound may be heard preceding the first coo.) Other sounds include a nest call (cooOOoo) by paired males to attract their mates to the nest sites, a greeting call (a soft ork) by males upon rejoining their mates, and an alarm call (a short roo-oo) by either male or female when threatened. In flight, the wings make a fluttery whistling sound that is hard to hear. The wing whistle is much louder and more noticeable upon take-off and landing.

 

Reproduction: Courtship begins with a noisy flight by the male, followed by a graceful, circular glide with outstretched wings and head down. After landing, the male will approach the female with a puffed-out breast, bobbing head, and loud calls. Mated pairs will often preen each other's feathers.

 

The male then leads the female to potential nest sites, and the female will choose one. The female dove builds the nest. The male will fly about, gather material, and bring it to her. The male will stand on the female's back and give the material to the female, who then builds it into the nest. The nest is constructed of twigs, conifer needles, or grass blades, and is of flimsy construction. Mourning doves will sometimes requisition the unused nests of other mourning doves, other birds, or arboreal mammals such as squirrels.

 

Most nests are in trees, both deciduous and coniferous. Sometimes, they can be found in shrubs, vines, or on artificial constructs like buildings, or hanging flower pots. When there is no suitable elevated object, mourning doves will nest on the ground.

 

The clutch size is almost always two eggs. Occasionally, however, a female will lay her eggs in the nest of another pair, leading to three or four eggs in the nest. The eggs are white, 6.6 ml (0.23 imp fl oz; 0.22 US fl oz), 2.57–2.96 cm (1.01–1.17 in) long, 2.06–2.30 cm (0.81–0.91 in) wide, 6–7 g (0.21–0.25 oz) at laying (5–6% of female body mass). Both sexes incubate, the male from morning to afternoon, and the female the rest of the day and at night. Mourning doves are devoted parents; nests are very rarely left unattended by the adults. When flushed from the nest, an incubating parent may perform a nest-distraction display, or a broken-wing display, fluttering on the ground as if injured, then flying away when the predator approaches it.

 

Incubation takes two weeks. The hatched young, called squabs, are strongly altricial, being helpless at hatching and covered with down. Both parents feed the squabs pigeon's milk (dove's milk) for the first 3–4 days of life. Thereafter, the crop milk is gradually augmented by seeds. Fledging takes place in about 11–15 days, before the squabs are fully grown but after they are capable of digesting adult food. They stay nearby to be fed by their father for up to two weeks after fledging.

 

Mourning doves are prolific breeders. In warmer areas, these birds may raise up to six broods in a season. This fast breeding is essential because mortality is high. Each year, mortality can reach 58% a year for adults and 69% for the young.

 

The mourning dove is monogamous and forms strong pair bonds. Pairs typically reconvene in the same area the following breeding season, and sometimes may remain together throughout the winter. However, lone doves will find new partners if necessary.

 

Ecology: Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, which make up more than 99% of their diet. Rarely, they will eat snails or insects. Mourning doves generally eat enough to fill their crops and then fly away to digest while resting. They often swallow grit such as fine gravel or sand to assist with digestion. The species usually forages on the ground, walking but not hopping. At bird feeders, mourning doves are attracted to one of the largest ranges of seed types of any North American bird, with a preference for canola, corn, millet, safflower, and sunflower seeds. Mourning doves do not dig or scratch for seeds, though they will push aside ground litter; instead they eat what is readily visible. They will sometimes perch on plants and eat from there.

 

Mourning doves show a preference for the seeds of certain species of plant over others. Foods taken in preference to others include pine nuts, sweetgum seeds, and the seeds of pokeberry, amaranth, canary grass, corn, sesame, and wheat. When their favorite foods are absent, mourning doves will eat the seeds of other plants, including buckwheat, rye, goosegrass and smartweed.

 

Mourning doves can be afflicted with several different parasites and diseases, including tapeworms, nematodes, mites, and lice. The mouth-dwelling parasite Trichomonas gallinae is particularly severe. While a mourning dove will sometimes host it without symptoms, it will often cause yellowish growth in the mouth and esophagus that will eventually starve the host to death. Avian pox is a common, insect-vectored disease.

 

The primary predators of this species are diurnal birds of prey, such as falcons and hawks. During nesting, corvids, grackles, housecats, or rat snakes will prey on their eggs. Cowbirds rarely parasitize mourning dove nests. Mourning doves reject slightly under a third of cowbird eggs in such nests, and the mourning dove's vegetarian diet is unsuitable for cowbirds.

 

Behavior:

Like other columbids, the mourning dove drinks by suction, without lifting or tilting its head. It often gathers at drinking spots around dawn and dusk.

 

Mourning doves sunbathe or rainbathe by lying on the ground or on a flat tree limb, leaning over, stretching one wing, and keeping this posture for up to twenty minutes. These birds can also waterbathe in shallow pools or bird baths. Dustbathing is common as well.

 

Outside the breeding season, mourning doves roost communally in dense deciduous trees or in conifers. During sleep, the head rests between the shoulders, close to the body; it is not tucked under the shoulder feathers as in many other species. During the winter in Canada, roosting flights to the roosts in the evening, and out of the roosts in the morning, are delayed on colder days.

  

AB2A4240-1_fCAFlkr

March Field Air Museum

 

Designed in the early years of the Cold War, the massive eight-engine Boeing B-52 Stratofortress with its crew of six was intended as a high-altitude, intercontinental, strategic bomber capable of launching devastating nuclear attacks against targets deep inside the Soviet Union. Throughout the Cold War, B-52s served as the third element of the United States nuclear triad defense consisting of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles and strategic bombers. Yet, B-52’s have never dropped a nuclear weapon in anger.

 

Relying on speed and electronic counter-measures systems for its primary defense, the aircraft is the last bomber in U.S. history to use an air gunner (gun turret in the tail). The internal bomb bay was designed to carry up to 27,000 pounds of nuclear weapons. Modifications increased this capacity to over 40,000 pounds, wing-pylons carry an additional 18,000 pounds of bombs or missiles. The four top deck crew members, pilot, co-pilot, electronic counter measures and gunner eject upward. The navigator and bombardier eject downward from the lower level, making for uncomfortable ejections at low altitudes. 700-gallon wing tanks require wing-tip trailing wheels on landing and take-off. The droopy wings level off on take-off and move up to 15 feet as speed increases to over 500 mph. The four twin landing gear “trucks” can be turned to "crab" the aircraft in a crosswind landing. The B-52’s engines have no thrust reversers, so a very long runway, and a drag chute, is needed to help stop the aircraft on landing. With an 8,800-mile basic range the addition of air-to-air refueling makes the Stratofortress a truly global aircraft.

 

Undergoing continuous modification since it first entered service in 1955, improvements in low-level operations, conventional bombing, range and defensive and offensive systems have allowed the Stratofortress to play an important role in conflicts around the world. From the sweltering jungles of Southeast Asia to the arid wastelands of Iraq, from the dense forests of Yugoslavia to the rocky precipices of the Hindu Kush the 70,000-pound bomb load of the B-52 has supported generations of American fighting men as a tactical bomber directly targeting enemy formations and supply routes.

 

Today, the longest-lived front-line bomber in aviation history, a total of 744 B-52s were produced by Boeing at its Seattle, Washington and Wichita, Kansas plants before aircraft production ceased in 1962. Today, 76 B-52H models are still in-service with the Air Force expecting them to continue until 2040.

 

The museum's B-52D, serial number 55-0679, was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft, Wichita, Kansas and delivered to the Air Force on June 5, 1957. During the Vietnam Conflict, it flew 175 combat missions in 41 months from November 1966 to October 1973. In 1975, it was involved in a ground mishap at March AFB that resulted in a broken wing spar permanently grounding the aircraft. 55-0679 last served as a weapons loading trainer before it was declared surplus and assigned to the museum. This aircraft is on loan from the NMUSAF

The Belfast was developed to meet a Royal Air Force operational requirement (ASR.371) for a freighter capable of carrying a wide range of military loads over long ranges. The military loads envisaged included artillery, more than 200 troops, helicopters, and guided missiles. Shorts' design was based on studies they had worked on in the late 1950s and the project started as the SC.5/10 in February 1959. From that design, the prototype Belfast first flew on 5 January 1964.

 

The Belfast was notable for being only the second aircraft type to be built equipped with autoland blind landing equipment.

 

To meet the demands of the specification the Belfast used a high wing carrying four Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprops. The cargo deck, 64 ft long (20 m) in a fuselage over 18 ft in diameter (5.5 m) (roomy enough for two single-deck buses), was reached through a "beaver tail" with rear loading doors and integral ramp. The main undercarriage was two 8-wheel bogies and a 2-wheel nose. The Belfast was capable of a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of over 220,500 lb (100 tonnes) - less than the contemporaneous 250-tonne Antonov An-22 and the 128-tonne Douglas C-133 Cargomaster, but more than the C-130 Hercules. It could carry 150 troops with full equipment, or a Chieftain tank or two Westland Wessex helicopters or six Westland Scout helicopters.

 

The original RAF requirement had foreseen a fleet of 30 aircraft, but this number was to be significantly curtailed as a result of the Sterling Crisis of 1965. The United Kingdom government needed to gain support for its loan application to the International Monetary Fund, which the United States provided. However, one of the alleged clauses for this support was that the RAF purchase Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. With a surplus of airlifting capacity the original order was reduced to 10. The Belfast entered service with No. 53 Squadron RAF in January 1966 based at RAF Fairford. By May the following year they had been moved to RAF Brize Norton.

 

Following entry to RAF service it became apparent that a major drag problem was preventing the initial five aircraft attaining Short’s desired performance. Suction drag on the tail and rear fuselage was so severe that the RAF personnel gave the aircraft the nicknames "The Dragmaster", "Slug" and "Belslow". Modifications and testing were carried out, particularly on aircraft SH1818 (which was at the time perfecting the RAF’s requirement for CAT 3 automated landings at RAE Bedford) and a new rear fairing was built improving the fleet’s cruising speed by 40 mph.

 

The reorganisation of the new RAF Strike Command was to have repercussions on the RAF’s Belfast fleet and ushered in the retirement of a number of aircraft types, including the Bristol Britannia and De Havilland Comet in 1975. By the end of 1976 the Belfast fleet had been retired and flown to RAF Kemble for storage.

 

TAC HeavyLift then purchased five of them for commercial use in 1977 and operated three of them from 1980 after they had received work so they could be certificated to civil standards. Ironically, some of them were later chartered during the Falklands war, with some sources suggesting that this cost more than keeping all the aircraft in RAF service until the 1990s. HeavyLift's Belfasts were again contracted to support the RAF during the first Gulf War, transporting vehicles and helicopters too large to be carried by the Hercules fleet.

 

TOPJACK is a modular Jack Up barge with 250 tonne lift

capability complete with 36m legs. Capable for supporting a wide

range of disciplines including port construction, safe investigation

and piling operations.

  

Ravestein Container Pontoon B.V.

 

TYPE RCP-250 – MODULAR SELF ELEVATING PLATFORM

 

Specification Jacking System

 

 Type : Hydraulic cylinders

 Jacking Capacity (4x) : 250 Ton at 250 bar

 Locking : By means of hydraulic activated rotating locks Hydraulic Power Unit

 Type : Electric Hydraulic driven powerpack

 Controls : Remote control (incl. second cable control box)

 Capacity HPU : 2x 55 kW

 Location : In deck container, with small store Generator

 Type : Silenced packed Caterpillar or equal, self supporting

 Capacity : 220 kVa - On top of deck Container Classification:

 German Lloyds : GL 100A5 K(20) Self Elevating Unit, Coastal Water (or equal)

 

Options (not included)

 

 Positioning winches / Deck Crane / RCP Boarding System

 Swim end units / Spud Cans

 Additional Tanks and piping systems

 Backhoe Configuration

 

Contact

David Ravestein / Aernout Goedbloed

Ravestein Container Pontoon B.V.

Waalbandijk 26; 6669 MB Dodewaard (Holland)

Tel +31 (0)488 - 41 18 01

Fax +31 (0)488 - 41 26 47

E-mail info@rcpbv.com

Website www.rcpbv.com

 

Local Notice to Mariners

 

Number: 10/25. Date: 13th May 2025

Exmouth Outfall - Marine Operations - ABCO Divers

Notice is hereby given that ABCO Divers intend to commence work on the Exmouth Outfall Diffuser Pit Excavations and Install on the earliest date of 17th May 2025 on behalf of South West Water Ltd. The works are programmed to be completed by July 2025.

Jack Up Barge “Top Jack 1” in Teignmouth Port, will be towed from Teignmouth as early as Saturday to the outfall site to the east of Exmouth, which is off Straight Point.

Position:

50°36'14.43" N

003°21'30.90" W

The support vessels “Jenny D” and “Celtic Avenger” will be assisting the project throughout the operation. Works will involve excavations from the Jack Up Barge, diving activities and lifting operations to support the install of the outfall diffusers.

All marine users are asked to observe a 500m exclusion zone around the Jack Up Barge.

Vessels

“Topjack 1” – 250t Jack Up Barge – 17m x 24m

“Jenny D” – 21.6m LOA, 9.04m Beam – Multicat and Tug Vessel - IMO 9570905, MMSI 235075339

“Celtic Avenger” – 14m Crew Transfer and Survey Vessel – MMSI 232055392

Almost ALL the sample photos of this camera do not capture what it is capable of. I took these photos on program mode. Sharpness for the majority of the images is bumped up one notch, but with a sensor this size, it does a nice job of in camera sharpening. This was with the kit lens. Saturation and contrast were both left at default. There may be one or two where I bumped up contrast on the humming bird feeder, but the rest are regular photos strait from program mode. I am convinced that the majority of photos of this camera posted to flickr have HDR set to ON which is the camera default. So it is set to OFF on all the photos which may account for why there is more observed contrast.

 

This camera is fast. Ive owned the the Epm2, the canon t1i, the GF6 and this is by far my favorite camera. My camera search has after all these years officially ended. This is it.

 

I will say that when I first looked at the pictures, I looked at them on a dell laptop with a poor Intel graphics card. Even with a nice monitor viewed in windows viewer I was not all moved by the photos. Then I hooked that same external monitor (a dell s2340mc set on movie mode default) on a laptop with a good graphics card.... It looks fantastic. And Im positive its not just the monitor making the pictures look nice. Ive compared the pictures against other cameras. The sensor on this camera is outstanding. Ive compared the Nikon 3200, and several other DSLRs and still prefer this. it keeps good contrast and the black/contrast ratio in my opinion is one of the larger factors in bringing photos to life.

 

And THANK YOU Sony for NOT programming auto focus to fix on the nearest subject like canon does. I once used a Canon T1i, and that thing focused on everything CLOSE to the subject. It also overexposed everything. In fact that was one of the reasons I looked at this camera. The whole rebel series...even the upper rebels over all these years tend to overexpose everything on almost every mode with the ones Ive used. This one has a very very good metering system. Just overall very impressed. Fast speed. fast autofocus, good contrast ratio (OFF HDR MODE unlike the majority of uploads of this camera to flickr), defiantly a great camera. AND as an added bonus, there are hundreds of INEXPENSIVE lenses, including all the non-MD Minoltas

The Atlanta-class light cruisers were designed as "destroyer leaders"--cruisers capable of keeping up with destroyers, with similar armament, and with communications equipment to lead flotillas of destroyers. Because the ships were not intended for pitched battle with anything bigger than enemy destroyers, the Atlantas were equipped with rather paltry armament for a cruiser: 16 5-inch guns arranged in eight twin turrets. The only concession to the possibility that the Atlantas might need better stopping power against surface targets were the eight torpedo tubes on either side of the aft superstructure--the only American cruisers to be equipped with torpedo tubes. Armor was only slightly better than destroyers, sacrificed for speed.

 

If the Atlanta-class was at a disadvantage in a surface action, they would be deadly to the growing threat of aircraft. The 16 5-inch guns had overlapping fields of fire and could fire over 17,000 pounds of shells per minute, which would fill the air with antiaircraft fire. If anything survived that barrage, the Atlantas had a secondary battery of 16 1.1-inch antiaircraft guns and six 20mm light guns. If the Atlantas were in trouble against enemy ships, they were lethal to enemy aircraft.

 

The US Navy ordered eight of the Atlanta-class; the class leader, USS Atlanta (CL-51) was commissioned on Christmas Eve, 1941--only a few weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. (The Atlanta was sponsored by Margaret Mitchell, the author of "Gone With the Wind.") The fourth ship of the initial batch (USS San Juan, CL-54) was finished just two months later. These four ships would be committed to the war in the Pacific, and would see a great deal of action in the seesaw fighting around Guadalcanal. The first two ships, Atlanta and Juneau (CL-52), would be sunk at or immediately after the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; the Juneau was sunk with heavy loss of life, namely the five Sullivan Brothers. Only 10 men survived out of a complement of 670.

 

The other ships of the class fared better. The last four were commissioned between 1942 and 1945, and were unofficially known as the Oakland-class. These ships deleted their torpedo tubes and replaced the 1.1-inch with the far deadlier quad 40mm Bofors cannon. The six survivors of the Atlanta/Oakland class proved very useful against the kamikaze threat in 1944-45, and the class would be awarded a combined 54 battle stars for action in World War II--not a bad achievement for a limited class of ships. Sadly, none of the survivors were saved as museum ships: all were retired after the war and scrapped in the late 1960s.

 

This model represents the Atlanta as she would have appeared at the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 12-13 November 1942. Soon after they were commissioned, the Atlantas received a fourth 1.1-inch quad mount on the afterdeck and radar; the model lacks masts. By the time of First Guadalcanal, the Atlanta had already been instrumental in helping to repel attacks against American carriers at Midway, Eastern Solomons, and Santa Cruz. Despite their unsuitability to surface combat, a lack of available ships forced the Navy to commit the Atlanta and Juneau to Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan's scratch force. None of Callaghan's force were larger than heavy cruisers; they would be facing two Japanese battleships.

 

The wild First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal is also known as the "Bar Room Brawl." as both sides engaged each other at pointblank range in pitch darkness--so close that at one point American destroyers were dueling with the Japanese battleship Hiei at machine gun range. The Atlanta's 5-inch guns could do little to battleships or cruisers, but their sheer firepower and quick firing enabled the Atlanta to sink the Japanese destroyer Akatsuki and damage two others. The cruiser fired so fast that the surviving Japanese later reported that the Americans possessed some sort of heavy machine gun.

 

Unfortunately for the Atlanta, she simply was not designed for this sort of battle. A Japanese torpedo knocked out her engines, which caused her to drift into the line of fire of Callaghan's flagship, USS San Francisco. The San Francisco accidentally raked the Atlanta with 8-inch guns, which further crippled the cruiser; it also killed Rear Admiral Norman Scott, Callaghan's second-in-command. Despite attempts to save her that lasted into the next day, the Atlanta was too far gone, and on 13 November, she was scuttled. A third of her crew had been killed in her final action.

 

Here the Atlanta is shown in Measure 12, which used dark gray streaks to break up the ship's outline; the decks were also dark gray to give some camouflage against the ocean from aircraft. I'm not sure if the Atlanta was in Measure 12 when she was sunk--the Juneau was, but paint jobs were rapidly changed and altered during the Guadalcanal campaign. As a native of the Atlanta area, it was a honor to paint this legendary ship.

In 1937, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a requirement for a replacement for the Mitsubishi A5M then entering service. The IJN wanted a carrier-capable fighter with a top speed of 300 mph, an endurance of eight hours, cannon armament, good maneuverability, with a wingspan less than 40 feet—the width of elevators on Japanese aircraft carriers. All of this had to be done with an existing powerplant.

 

Nakajima promptly declared that the IJN was asking the impossible and did not bother trying to submit a design. Mitsubishi’s chief designer, Jiro Horikoshi, felt differently and began working on a prototype. Using the Nakajima Sakae 12 as the powerplant, he lightened his design as much as physically possible, leaving off all crew armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, and using a special kind of light but brittle duralumin in its construction. Though it delayed production, the wing and fuselage were constructed as a single piece for better durability. Using flush riveting also made for an aerodynamically clean design; it had a stall speed below that of any contemporary fighter at 70 mph. Its wide tracked landing gear also made it fairly simple to recover on both carriers and land on unimproved airstrips. Horikoshi had delivered, and the IJN accepted the new fighter into service in July 1940 as the A6M Rei-sen (Type 0), referring to the Imperial calendar date used by the Emperor of Japan; 1940 was Imperial year 2400. Both friend and foe would refer to the A6M simply as the Zero.

 

The Zero had its first combat encounter with Chinese Polikarpov I-16s in September 1940, a fighter that was the equal of the A5Ms and Ki-27s then in Japanese service, yet 13 Zeroes were easily able to handle 27 I-16s, shooting all of them down without loss in three minutes. Claire Chennault, the American advisor to the Chinese Nationalists, sent reports of this amazing new fighter to the United States, but he was ignored. The Allies would therefore learn of the Zero’s prowess first-hand on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Making matters worse for the Allies was that the Zeroes they encountered were flown by IJN pilots, who were among the best in the world. Teaming elite pilots with a supremely maneuverable fighter was a deadly combination that seemed unstoppable in 1942, when Zeroes over New Guinea sustained a kill ratio of 12 to 1 over Allied opponents.

 

Even at this dark stage of the war for the Allies, however, their pilots were learning the Zero’s weaknesses. Hirokoshi’s sacrifices had given the Japanese a fast, maneuverable, and very long-ranged fighter, but it had come at a price. P-40 and F4F Wildcat pilots in China and the Pacific learned that the Zero, lacking any sort of armor or self-sealing fuel tanks, was very prone to catching fire and exploding with only a few hits. They also learned that the best defense against a Zero was to dive away from it, as Japanese pilots could not keep up with either the P-40 or the F4F in a dive, as it would tear their fragile fighter apart. These sort of tactics allowed Allied pilots to survive and learn how to deal with the Japanese fighter. Japanese pilots also learned that the rifle-caliber 7.7mm machine guns in the Zero’s cowl were ineffective aganst armored Allied fighters, and the 20mm cannon often had poor fusing on the shells. The Allies gave the Zero the reporting name “Zeke,” while later models were codenamed “Hamp” and floatplane A6M2-Ns were codenamed “Rufe,” but most pilots continued to call it the Zero.

 

As World War II continued, the Allies began drawing on those lessons in fighter design, helped immensely when an intact A6M2 was captured in the Aleutians in summer 1942. First to arrive was the F4U Corsair, which still could not turn with the Zero but was faster and better in a climb; the second was the F6F Hellcat, which was also faster and better in the vertical, but could stay with the Zero in a sustained turn. The Allies also benefited from the Japanese losing so many experienced pilots in battles such as Midway and the Guadalcanal campaign: the IJN’s pilot replacement program was too selective, and could not replace the heavy losses of 1942 and 1943. Japanese industry was also slow to come up with a replacement for the A6M.

 

As a result, by late 1943, the Zero menace had been reduced drastically; the Battle of the Philippine Sea—which US Navy pilots named the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”—brought this out dramatically, when nearly 700 Japanese aircraft, a significant number of which were A6Ms, were shot down with less than 40 losses among the Americans. While the Zero was still deadly in the hands of a good pilot, these pilots were increasingly scarce by 1945. Though Mitsubishi kept upgrading the Zero throughout World War II, the design simply was too specialized to do much with. By 1945, it was being used mainly as a kamikaze suicide aircraft, flown by half-trained former college students. While the kamikazes did a great deal of damage and killed thousands of Allied sailors, it was a desperation tactic that only lengthened a war that Japan had already lost. The Zero had exacted a price, however: it was responsible for the loss of 1550 Allied aircraft, a conservative estimate.

 

By war’s end, 10, 939 A6Ms had been built and Mitsubishi was working on a replacement, the similar A7M Reppu. Of these, the aircraft that survived the war were mostly scrapped and few preserved, and no flyable aircraft were left; directors attempting to make World War II movies were forced to convert a number of T-6 Texan trainers to look something like Zeroes. A few have since been restored to flying condition. Today, about 17 Zeroes remain, though some are being recovered from wartime wreck sites and restored to museum display.

 

This A6M3 belongs to the Flying Heritage Collection of Everett, Washington, and is one of the few flyable Zeroes left today. It was originally assigned to the 251st Kokutai at Babo, New Guinea, but was destroyed in an Allied bombing raid in 1943. In the early 1990s, the Zero was recovered by the Santa Monica Museum of Flying, and in 1994 sent to Russia to be restored. Many of the parts needed to be machined from scratch, and it uses a modified Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine (ironically, the same engine used by the F4F Wildcat). Following restoration, it was bought by the FHC and is now part of their collection. It is painted overall light olive drab, with dark green stripes for camouflage; the silver spinner and propeller blades indicate a Mitsubishi-built aircraft.

 

The SPAD S.XIII was one of the most capable fighters of World War One. The type first flew in April 1917 and 8,472 had been built by the end of the War. Many well-known pilots flew the type in combat, including French pilots Georges Guynemer and Rene Fonk, Italian Francesco Baracca and Americans Eddie Rickenbacker and Frank Luke.

Several saw Belgian service after March 1918 with the last not being retired until 1928.

This is a genuine Belgian example which was gifted to the museum in 1920/1921. Since restored, it remains on display at what is known as the Brussels Air Museum, although it is actually the Air and Space Section of the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History.

Brussels, Belgium.

26th June 2016

 

The Merlin is a large, three-engined helicopter capable of long-range autonomous operations. There are three main versions for naval, military and civilian use. The only version currently in Royal Navy use is the Merlin HM MK1 (formerly Merlin EH101), this is an Anti-Submarine (ASW) variant of the EH101 helicopter. The first aircraft was delivered in December 1998, to begin the replacement of the ageing ASW Sea King (Mk6), and the last of the 44 on order was somewhat belatedly delivered in late 2003.

 

Merlin is designed to operate in all weathers from the flight decks of both large and small ships (Invincible class aircraft carriers and Type 23 frigates). It is powered by three Rolls Royce RTM 322 engines, is capable of speeds of up to 150 knots and has a range of 200 nautical miles. It can carry up to four homing torpedoes or depth charges, for use against threat submarines and can provide targeting information via datalink for the prosecution of surface threats. The Merlin retains all the secondary role capability of its predecessor, the Sea King, including loadlifting (vertrep), casualty evacuation, troop carrying and Search and Rescue (SAR).

Goole is the furthest inland port in Britain.

 

The port is capable of handling nearly 3 million tonnes of cargo per annum, making it one of the most important ports on the east coast of England.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goole

 

The Yorkshire Waterways Museum

 

An independent Museum that celebrates Yorkshire's waterways heritage.

 

www.waterwaysmuseum.org.uk

 

This is the home of the Tugs and Tom Pudding trains which transported coal from South and West Yorkshire for transfer into larger ships using the boat hoists. These boat hoists are now industrial icons.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Pudding

Mission

The C-17 Globemaster III is the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can also transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations when required. The inherent flexibility and performance of the C-17 force improve the ability of the total airlift system to fulfill the worldwide air mobility requirements of the United States.

 

The ultimate measure of airlift effectiveness is the ability to rapidly project and sustain an effective combat force close to a potential battle area. Threats to U.S. interests have changed in recent years, and the size and weight of U.S.-mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in response to improved capabilities of potential adversaries. This trend has significantly increased air mobility requirements, particularly in the area of large or heavy outsize cargo. As a result, newer and more flexible airlift aircraft are needed to meet potential armed contingencies, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide. The C-17 is capable of meeting today's demanding airlift missions.

 

Features

Reliability and maintainability are two outstanding benefits of the C-17 system. Current operational requirements impose demanding reliability and maintainability. These requirements include an aircraft mission completion success probability rate of 92 percent, only 20 aircraft maintenance man-hours per flying hour, and full and partial mission availability rates of 74.7 and 82.5 percent, respectively. The Boeing warranty assures these figures will be met.

 

The C-17 measures 174 feet long (53 meters) with a wingspan of 169 feet, 10 inches (51.75 meters). The aircraft is powered by four, fully reversible, Federal Aviation Administration-certified F117-PW-100 engines (the military designation for the commercial Pratt & Whitney PW2040), currently used on the Boeing 757. Each engine is rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust. The thrust reversers direct the flow of air upward and forward to avoid ingestion of dust and debris. Maximum use has been made of off-the-shelf and commercial equipment, including Air Force-standardized avionics.

 

The aircraft is operated by a crew of three (pilot, copilot and loadmaster), reducing manpower requirements, risk exposure and long-term operating costs. Cargo is loaded onto the C-17 through a large aft door that accommodates military vehicles and palletized cargo. The C-17 can carry virtually all of the Army's air-transportable equipment.

 

Maximum payload capacity of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms), and its maximum gross takeoff weight is 585,000 pounds (265,352 kilograms). With a payload of 169,000 pounds (76,657 kilograms) and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000 feet (8,534 meters), the C-17 has an unrefueled range of approximately 2,400 nautical miles. Its cruise speed is approximately 450 knots (.76 Mach). The C-17 is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers and equipment.

 

The design of the aircraft allows it to operate through small, austere airfields. The C-17 can take off and land on runways as short as 3,500 feet (1,064 meters) and only 90 feet wide (27.4 meters). Even on such narrow runways, the C-17 can turn around using a three-point star turn and its backing capability.

 

Background

The C-17 made its maiden flight on Sept. 15, 1991, and the first production model was delivered to Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., June 14, 1993. The first squadron of C-17s, the 17th Airlift Squadron, was declared operationally ready Jan. 17, 1995. The Air Force originally programmed to buy a total of 120 C-17s, with the last one being delivered in November 2004. Current budget plans involve purchasing 190 aircraft.

 

The original 120 C-17s were based at Charleston AFB; McChord AFB, Wash., (first aircraft arrived in July 1999); Altus AFB, Okla.; and at an Air National Guard unit in Jackson, Miss. In August 2005, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., began basing the first of eight aircraft. In February 2006, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, received its first C-17.

 

The C-17 is operated by the Air Mobility Command at the 60th Airlift Wing and the 349th Air Mobility Wing (Associate Reserve) at Travis AFB, Calif.; 62nd Airlift Wing and 446th Airlift Wing (Associate Reserve) at McChord AFB, Wash.; 437th Airlift Wing and 315th Airlift Wing (Associate Reserve) at Charleston AFB, S.C.; the 305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.; and the 172nd Airlift Wing, Mississippi ANG. Additionally, Air Force Materiel Command operates two C-17s at Edwards AFB, Calif., and Pacific Air Forces operates eight aircraft each at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska and Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Associate Guard). The Air Force Reserve Command operates eight aircraft at March Air Reserve Base, Calif; and Air Education and Training Command has 12 aircraft at Altus AFB, Okla.

 

Njord Viking

 

High Ice-classed AHTS vessel capable of operations in harsh environment offshore regions, as well as Arctic/Sub-Arctic operations.

 

General Information.

 

Length o.a.: 85,20 metres

Length b.p.: 76,20 metres

Beam, moulded: 22,00 metres

Depth to main deck: 9,00 metres

Draft, design: 6,00 metres

Deadweight at 7,60 m: 4.500 tons

Accommodation: 45 persons

Speed: 17 knots

Bollard pull: 210 tons

Endurance: 9.000 miles

  

Propulsion

Main engines: MAK 2x6M32 + 2x8M32

Output: 14.000 kW at 600 rpm

Main Propellers: 2 x CPP

Forward retractile thruster: 1 x 830 kW

Forward tunnel thruster: 2 x 830 kW

Aft tunnel thrusters: 2 x 830 kW

 

TANK CAPACITIES

Fuel oil: 1.000 m3

Fresh water: 1.247 m3

Ballast: 2.013 m3

Oil Recovery: 1.989 m3

Rig chain locker: 665 m3

Liquid mud: 965 m3

Brine: 628 m3

Special products: 187 m3

Dry bulk: 220 m3

  

Main Anchor/Towing winch: 400 Tons at 18,7 m/min

Brake holding: 525 Tons 1st layer

Secondary Winch: 138 Tons at 28 m/min

Brake holding: 62 Tons 1st layer

2 Deck Cranes (sliding): 6/12 Tons at 20/10 mts

2 Tugger winch: 24 Tons at 22 m/min

2 Towing pins: 300 Tons

2 Karm Forks: 600 Tons

2 Capstans: 14 Tons at 24 m/min

 

AUXILIARY GENERATING SETS

Diesel generating sets: 2 x 720 ekW. 440 V. 60 Hz

Shaft generators: 2 x 2.700 ekW. 440 V. 60 Hz

Emergency generator set: 1 x 400 ekW. 440 V. 60 Hzp

Aeroscopia est un musée aéronautique français implanté à Blagnac (Haute-Garonne), près du site AéroConstellation, et accueille notamment deux exemplaires du Concorde, dont l'ouverture a eu lieu le 14 janvier 2015

 

Le tarmac Sud du musée n'est capable d'accueillir que trois gros appareils. L'installation des appareils fut définitivement terminée après que le premier prototype de l'A400M-180 y fut arrivé le 16 juillet 2015, en dépit de la possibilité de 360 000 euros de TVA.

 

Concorde, F-BVFC, MSN209 aux couleurs d'Air France

Caravelle 12, F-BTOE, MSN280 aux couleurs d'Air Inter, dernier exemplaire construit

A400M-180, F-WWMT, MSN001 stationné depuis le 16 juillet 2015

 

La réalisation en 2019 du nouveau tarmac au Nord du musée permet l'accueil d'appareils supplémentaires issus des entreprises locales Airbus et ATR. Le transfert des avions entre le site Airbus "Lagardère" et le musée a lieu sur une semaine, à raison d'un appareil par jour :

 

ATR 72-600, F-WWEY, MSN098 aux couleurs d'ATR, transféré sur site le 26 août 2019, premier exemplaire du 72 dans sa version 600

Airbus A340-600, F-WWCA, MSN360 aux couleurs d'Airbus, transféré sur site le 27 août 2019, premier exemplaire de l'A340 dans sa version 600

Airbus A320-111, F-WWAI, MSN001 aux anciennes couleurs d'Airbus, transféré sur site le 28 août 2019, premier exemplaire de l'A320 : inauguration le 14 février 1987 en présence de Lady Diana et du Prince Charles, premier vol le 22 février 1987

Airbus A380-800, F-WXXL, MSN002 aux couleurs d'Airbus, transféré sur site le 29 août 2019, second exemplaire de l'A380. Les deux ponts de cet appareil sont visitables, ainsi que le cockpit.

ATR 42-300, F-WEGC, MSN003 aux anciennes couleurs d'ATR, transféré sur site le 30 août 2019, troisième exemplaire du 42. Cet exemplaire est décoré aux couleurs du MSN001 et porte l'immatriculation F-WEGA

 

Concorde, F-WTSB, MSN201 (ANAE), il s'agit d'un appareil de présérie qui a servi entre autres à transporter plusieurs présidents de la République française.

Airbus A300B4-203, F-WUAB, MSN238 (Airbus Heritage), décoré aux couleurs du prototype, au lieu de MSN001 démantelé. L'intérieur est visitable. Dans la première section des vitrages transparents permettent de voir la structure et les systèmes de l'avion, tandis que dans les sections suivantes sont représentés des aménagements de première classe et VIP.

Super Guppy de l'association Ailes Anciennes Toulouse, l'appareil qui servait au transport des tronçons d'Airbus est exposé porte ouverte, et une passerelle permet l'accès à la soute où un film est projeté. L'ouverture n'a pas été une mince affaire, l'appareil n'ayant pas été ouvert pendant 15 ans. L'aide des anciens mécaniciens de l'avion a été primordiale pour permettre une ouverture en toute sécurité.

 

Corvette (Airbus)

Falcon 10 no 02, prototype ayant servi aux essais du turboréacteur Larzac (Ailes Anciennes Toulouse)

Fouga Magister (AAT)

Gazelle prototype (AAT)

Mirage III C (AAT)

Nord 1100 (AAT)

Lockheed F-104G (AAT)

MiG-15 (AAT)

MS.760 Paris (AAT)

Vought F-8E(FN) Crusader et son réacteur (AAT)

Alouette II Marine (AAT)

Cessna Skymaster (AAT)

Fairchild Metro, ancien avion de Météo-France (AAT)

HM-293, de Rodolphe Grunberg

Chagnes MicroStar, avion de construction amateur, version biréacteur de Rutan VariViggen (AAT)

Saab J35OE Draken (AAT)

 

Aeroscopia is a French aeronautical museum located in Blagnac (Haute-Garonne), near the AéroConstellation site, and notably hosts two copies of the Concorde, which opened on January 14, 2015

 

The south tarmac of the museum can only accommodate three large aircraft. The installation of the devices was definitively finished after the first prototype of the A400M-180 arrived there on July 16, 2015, despite the possibility of 360,000 euros in VAT.

 

Concorde, F-BVFC, MSN209 in Air France colors

Caravelle 12, F-BTOE, MSN280 in Air Inter colors, last model built

A400M-180, F-WWMT, MSN001 parked since July 16, 2015

 

The construction in 2019 of the new tarmac north of the museum will accommodate additional aircraft from local Airbus and ATR companies. The transfer of planes between the Airbus "Lagardère" site and the museum takes place over a week, at the rate of one aircraft per day:

 

ATR 72-600, F-WWEY, MSN098 in ATR colors, transferred to site on August 26, 2019, first copy of the 72 in its 600 version

Airbus A340-600, F-WWCA, MSN360 in Airbus colors, transferred to site on August 27, 2019, first copy of the A340 in its 600 version

Airbus A320-111, F-WWAI, MSN001 in the old Airbus colors, transferred to site on August 28, 2019, first copy of the A320: inauguration on February 14, 1987 in the presence of Lady Diana and Prince Charles, first flight on February 22, 1987

Airbus A380-800, F-WXXL, MSN002 in Airbus colors, transferred to site on August 29, 2019, second copy of the A380. The two decks of this aircraft can be visited, as well as the cockpit.

ATR 42-300, F-WEGC, MSN003 in the old ATR colors, transferred to the site on August 30, 2019, third specimen of the 42. This specimen is decorated in the colors of the MSN001 and bears the registration F-WEGA

 

Concorde, F-WTSB, MSN201 (ANAE), this is a pre-production aircraft which was used, among other things, to transport several presidents of the French Republic.

Airbus A300B4-203, F-WUAB, MSN238 (Airbus Heritage), decorated in the colors of the prototype, instead of dismantled MSN001. The interior can be visited. In the first section transparent glazing allows to see the structure and systems of the aircraft, while in the following sections are shown first class and VIP fittings.

Super Guppy from the Ailes Anciennes Toulouse association, the aircraft which was used to transport the Airbus sections is on display with the door open, and a gangway allows access to the hold where a film is shown. Opening was no small feat, as the device has not been opened for 15 years. The help of the former mechanics of the aircraft was essential to allow a safe opening.

 

Corvette (Airbus)

Falcon 10 no 02, prototype used for testing the Larzac turbojet engine (Ailes Anciennes Toulouse)

Fouga Magister (AAT)

Prototype Gazelle (AAT)

Mirage III C (AAT)

North 1100 (AAT)

Lockheed F-104G (AAT)

MiG-15 (AAT)

MS.760 Paris (AAT)

Vought F-8E (FN) Crusader and its engine (AAT)

Alouette II Marine (AAT)

Cessna Skymaster (AAT)

Fairchild Metro, former Météo-France (AAT) aircraft

HM-293, by Rodolphe Grunberg

Chagnes MicroStar, amateur-built aircraft, twin-jet version of Rutan VariViggen (AAT)

Saab J35OE Draken (AAT)

NEOBALLS / ZEN MAGNETS - Neodymium Magnetic Balls (@4205) - Starcraft II's Massive Thor

 

This is my most complex and largest build to date.

 

It was designed in parts: Cockpit body, then legs, then arms, then rear guns. Then I had to redesign parts when it came time to assemble it together because of incorrect bonding assumptions and misalignment of magnet fields.

 

Experimented with x-beam coupled bonds to get the maximum lateral strength with reinforcements on the sides. This proved to be very string. Created a X-Beam using similar methods producing a very strong leg structure. It was capable of support the entire weight of the cockpit body w/o a problem. Had to redesign the leg to cockpit body mount point from the earlier concept because the bond was not completely coupled.

 

Next up were the arm/guns ... the weight was too much for the cockpit body to support so I fashioned a pair of lego-platforms for them to rest on and take the weight off of the central body.

 

Finally ... the rear guns ... these were a challenge in that their original mount point design had to be reworked also to make them fit correctly into the rear of the cockpit body. I changed the mount points on the guns to fit the space on both sides and added a few support balls to improve the mount point bonds. I was very surprised how they were balanced and supported only by two point sections to the body. The guns stayed in place for a small series of photos.

 

The design flaw was in the side bonds of the beam to the legs. The coupled field held nicely for a short amount of time and would have held if it didn't have the weight of the rear guns to support. When they were standing upright and straight, all was good. As soon as I attempted to move the platform forward (to take a video), the rear guns tilted slightly backwards and and that was the end of the leg to body support bonds ... and created the dreaded implosion.

 

The rear gun weight caused the entire central body section to rotate backwards and fall back on the rear guns ... taking the arms in the process. Perhaps I should have created a Lego-support structure for the rear guns to remove the pendulum force backwards ... but that would have created another view blocker like the side Lego-platforms obstructed the view of the legs and feet. Not sure if I can recreate it for a rotational video ... this took over a week (on/off to design and assemble).

 

Overall ... I was very happy with the result ... hope I captured enough detail to warrant some visual recognition as a Starcraft II Thor reproduction/interpretation.

 

This was design and built for the Zen Magnets Contest 26: The Massive Thor

www.zenmagnets.com/blog/26-the-massive-thor/

 

I tried to document the info for this super complex build (below) accompanied by associated pics in this set

www.flickr.com/photos/tend2it/sets/72157632920071597/

 

Starcraft II Thor Magnet Count and Detail Talley

======+================

Cockpit Body bottom section: (@0520)

(@0217) - Main shape middle core = (2x108) + 1

(@0095) - central bottom layer 1 = (47x2) + 1 w/black parameter

(@0078) - Sides Bottom layer 2 = (2x(22 parallel pair frnt2bck support + 3 red + 4 gold + 10 ring outside black))

(@0028) - Central bottom layer 3 = (2x14) rectangle

(@0032) - Sides bottom layer 3 = (2x((2x5 parallel bridge rectangle to ring) + (6 ring outside))

(@0010) - Central bottom layer 4 = (10 ring) leg waist w/gold

(@0020) - Sides bottom layer 4 = (2x10 ring) coupled over parallel bridge for perpendicular underside support

(@0040) - Central rear Barrel = (4x8 ring w2 red rings) + (2x4 sqr end)

------

Cockpit Body top section (from center out): (@0371)

(@0166) - top layer 1 = (2x83) w/black missle cover + middle sect separator

(@0105) - top layer 2 = ((2x52) + 1) w/black separator, red trim, gold cockpit

(@0083) - top layer 3 = ((2x41) + 1) w/black separator, red trim, gold cockpit

(@0037) - top layer 4 = ((2x18) + 1) w/black separator trim

(@0010) - top layer 5 = (2x5) w/red/black

------

(@0891)

 

Leg section x2 (@0640 - 12 removed from bottom of @ leg for foot contact pt)

leg internal structure:

(@0384) - columns = 2 x (4x((2x12) + ((2x11) + 2))) top/bottom coupled bonds w/parallel bonds stacked x 4))

(@0096) - side reinforcements = 2x((2x11) + 2) coupled pair along outside edge centers)

(@0032) - ball reinforcements = 2x(2x4 balls are two balls added to 4 ball in 2, 4, 6, 8th positions) - (12 @ bottom)

leg arch structure (connected to one flat leg top face:

(@0128) - (4x4 parallel sqr) + (2x(6 + 2)) pointy rings) + (4x4 parallel sqr) + (2x(6 + 2)) pointy rings)

Place the two leg arch structures together to form the leg arch

-------

(@1519) = 1531-12

 

Leg side panels (@0384)

(@0344) - (2 each leg x (2x(2x43 each side))) w/black outside trim

Knees + Leg detail

(@0040) - (2x(2x(6 + 2) knee w/red sqr) + 2x(4 red sqr top of leg))

-------

(@1903)

 

Feet x2 (@0242)

(@0184) - (2x((2x7 + 2 1st mid layer) + (2x(2x10 + 1) 2nd mid layer) + ((2x(2x8 + 1) outside layer))

(@0034) - (2x(2x(2x3 + 1 top of toe 2 leg)) + (1 center rear foot 2 leg conn) + (2 x 1 outer rear foot sides 2 leg

 

conn))

(@0024) - (2x(2x6 rings rear foot heel))

-------

(@2145)

 

X-Beam waist platform - (@0233 - 19) this part is placed across the center perpendicular to the x-beam leg arch

(@0214) - (2x(2x(18 + 17 + 6 + 3)) + (2x(7 + 2)) + ((8 + 1 front side) + (2x9 rear side)) + ((2 x 3 red front center) +

 

(2 x 2 red front sides) + (2 red rear)) - (19 removed under rear panel side to fold)

 

Arm Guns (2 pair per arm w/red + black accents)

(@0380) - (4x((4x9 center core) + (3x((2x7) + 1)) top/sides) + (2x7) middle join))

 

Shoulder to elbow core w/o reinforcements ((@0174)per arm)

(@0348) - (2 x (top((2x5)+2) + (4x8+2 parallel) + ((2x5)+2) + (2x5) + (2x(2x5)+1) + (2x(2x6)+1) + ((4x7)+2 parallel

 

mount2gun) + (1 ball center to bridge below 2 ball center to 1 ball) + ((2x6)+1) + ((2x4)+2)bottom)

 

Shoulder to elbow (per arm, per side)

(@0248) - (2 x (2 x (top 3 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 5 + (2x7arm2shoulder bridge) + (5 + 3 bottom))

 

Elbow to gun support (per arm, per side) (@0140 - 18 for outside facing side revamp)

(@0122) - (2 x (2 x (((2x9)+1) + (2x8)) -

Revamp outside facing sides for Z bracket (remove 2x(4 top/4 bottom/2 middle/move center ball down, add 1 ball)

Revamp 2 rear centerballs with red

(@028) - add red design outside facing shoulder 2 elbow

------

(@3485)

 

Rear Guns x2

Large cannon (@0112 each)

(@0224) - 2 x ((2x(2x15) + (4x(5+2)) + (4x(6 ring)))

Smaller cannon (@0092 each)

(@0184) - 2 x ((2x(2x13) + (4x(4+2)) + (4x(4 ring)))

Gun bridges (@0010 each)

(@0020) - (2 x (4 ring + 6 ring across two cannons)

 

Gun mounts x2

(@0104) - (2 x ((top (2x4+2) + (2x5+2) parallel to existing + (2x4+2) + (2x5 parallel) + (2x4+2) bottom)

 

Gun panel x 2 (@0102 each)

(@0204) - (2 x (2x(11 + 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 6))

-------

 

Revamp base

 

(@4221) subtotal b4 assembly

 

Assembly mods

-------------

Moved the (@0040) - Central rear Barrel = (4x8 ring w2 red rings) + (2x4 sqr end) below the rear of the body between

 

the leg mount and cockpit body. Actually used the barrel as a mount point for the rear guns.

 

Modded Cockpit Body bottom section (mount point):

(@0020) = (2 x (7 + 6 + 5)) = Changed = (@0028) - Central bottom layer 3 = (2x14) rectangle to covert parallel

 

rectangle to hex parallel center, coupled sides

-------

(@4213) = (@4221 - 8)

 

Moved central bottom layer x-beam

(@0018) = (2x09 ring) = Changed = (@0020) - Sides bottom layer 4 = shifted it down one row, removed 1 ball on end to form point and pinched outside end fit in center of 6 ball side.

(@4211) = (@4213 - 2)

 

Removed gold 10 ball ring mount

Changed = (@0010) = Central bottom layer 4 = (10 ring) leg waist w/gold

-------

(@4201) = (@4213 - 10)

 

Modded Rear Guns

(@0100) = Changed = Rear Gun mounts x2 - removed +2 from top/bottom mount point (2x4+2)=>(2x4)

(@4197) = (@4201-4)

Added extra mount point support bwtween rear gun mounts and rear cockpit body

(@4205) = (@4201+8)

 

Grand Total! = (@4205)

Wildland Firefighters on Rappel capable crews, come from all over the nation each spring to train at the National Helicopter Rappel Program’s Rappel Academy at Salmon AirBase, in Salmon, Idaho.

Wildland fire aircraft play a critical role in supporting firefighters on wildland fires. Helicopters also deliver aerial crews called Heli-Rappellers to wildland fires. These are specially trained firefighters that rappel from helicopters in order to effectively and quickly respond to fires in remote terrain.

Heli-Rappellers may land near a wildfire but if there is no landing zone close by they can utilize their skills to rappel from the hovering helicopter. Once on the ground, crews build firelines using hand tools, chainsaws, and other firefighting tools. (Forest Service photo by Charity Parks)

The Corsair is widely considered the most capable of all carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War Two. Designed and originally built by Chance Vought, it was also manufactured under license by Goodyear at the height of production during the Second World War. Its distinctive "bent" wings were designed to keep the landing gear short and robust for carrier landings and give clearance for the enormous 13' 4" diameter propeller required to pull her to over 400 MPH - the first American fighter to do so. It was considered the performance equal to many other fighters like the Mustang but its short range kept it either carrier-based or land-based in the South Pacific war close to the action. The Corsair continued to be operated by the USN and the Marines after the war and saw considerable action during the Korean War.

 

Corsairs were first operated from carriers by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. Trained in the US, RNFAA pilots including Canadian Lt. Robert Hampton Gray were deployed on carriers such as HMS Formidable and Victorious and carried out daring fighter escort and attack operations in the North Atlantic. This included the famous raids against the holed-up German battleship Tirpitz. HMS Formidable also fought in the Pacific theatre later in the war where Lt. Gray won the Victoria Cross. The Vintage Wings of Canada Corsair, presently in standard U.S. “shipyard blue” markings, will be painted in markings to honour Hampton Gray.

 

In 1951, the US Air Force issued a requirement for a tactical bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons that would also serve as a replacement for the aging A-26 Invader. Several companies submitted designs, but it was Douglas who won the bid: while North American had proposed a modified B-45 Tornado and Boeing a modified B-47 Stratojet, Douglas’ proposal was a USAF variant of the carrier-based, strategic bomber already being built by the company for the US Navy, the A3D Skywarrior.

 

Since this offered a great deal of cost saving, the USAF ordered five preproduction RB-66A Destroyers, as the A3D was already a proven aircraft and would not need any prototype testing. All that was needed, the USAF assumed, was to convert it from a high-altitude, carrier-based nuclear bomber to a low-altitude, land-based nuclear bomber; the only modifications thought to be needed was stripping out the naval equipment, reinforcing the structure for low-level operations, and equipping the cockpit with ejection seats, which the A3D lacked.

 

As the modification of the first five Destroyers proceeded, the USAF learned that much more needed to be done. Installing the ejection seats meant completely redesigning the cockpit and the canopy. Strengthening the airframe meant rerouting hydraulic systems. Since the USAF used a different refueling method, the fuel system had to be redesigned. The USAF specification had also called for a more comprehensive electronic warfare suite, requiring the weapons bay to be redesigned; it had called for defensive armament, leading to a redesign of the tail to accommodate two 20mm cannon; it had called for operations from unimproved runways, which meant the landing gear wheels had to be larger. In the end, the list of modifications was so long that the USAF seriously considered cancelling the project. Though it was allowed to continue as too much money had already been spent on it, the USAF got an entirely new aircraft. The RB-66As were only used briefly for testing, and the follow-on B-66B bombers had their initial order cut in half. Deliveries finally began in 1956.

 

While the B-66 had become something of an albatross for the USAF, it had potential. The bomber version found itself quickly overtaken by faster and more capable aircraft, such as the F-105 Thunderchief, but just as the US Navy had begun modifying its A3Ds into a variety of roles, so did the USAF. Purpose-built RB-66B tactical reconnaissance aircraft were first used in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where crews found that the Destroyer’s long range and loiter time made it very valuable to keep an eye on developments. The USAF rapidly converted B-66B bombers and RB-66Bs into RB-66C electronic intelligence and finally EB-66C/E electronic warfare aircraft. The latter could operate both in the jamming role and in intelligence gathering, and had a crew of seven with all armament deleted for ECM equipment. It was not entirely popular with its crews, as pilots found the Destroyer to be difficult to fly and aircrew found it dangerous to bail out of.

 

As Operation Rolling Thunder began over North Vietnam in 1965, RB-66s were first used as pathfinder bombers for formations of F-105s, using their electronic equipment to mark targets through bad weather. As North Vietnam’s air defenses improved and grew, the RB-66s were withdrawn for EB-66s, which now accompanied strike packages into North Vietnam to jam gunlaying radars, surface-to-air missile sites, and air defense radars, as well as lay down chaff corridors for strike aircraft to fly through. Other RB-66s were modified for use in finding targets over the Ho Chi Minh trail supply network to South Vietnam. EB-66s would remain in service for the duration of the war and afterwards, being finally withdrawn in 1975. The USAF went a few years without a standoff jamming aircraft until the deployment of the EF-111 Raven. 294 B-66s were built, and today seven remain in museums.

 

This EB-66C Destroyer is an aircraft from the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, based at Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand. It carries standard Southeast Asia camouflage of two shades of green and tan over light gray.

 

On 2 April 1972, this aircraft was covering a B-52 Arc Light attack on North Vietnamese forces driving south on Quang Tri, South Vietnam, during the Easter Offensive; it was hit by a SAM with the loss of the entire crew—except navigator Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton, who was able to eject. Hambleton, using the aircraft’s callsign of Bat 21, had the misfortune of landing in the middle of the NVA offensive, while his background in ICBM targeting procedures made him a high-value target for the North Vietnamese. Over the next ten days, the largest rescue operation of the Vietnam War was executed, and despite the loss of five aircraft and eleven aircrew, Hambleton was rescued, eventually by a US Navy SEAL team; the SEAL team commander, Lieutenant Thomas Norris, was awarded the Medal of Honor. The story has been the subject of several books and one movie to date.

 

The largest aircraft ever operated by the US military, the C-5 Galaxy actually began at the request of the US Army, which needed a transport aircraft that could fly outsized and heavy loads such as tanks. Neither the older C-133 Cargomaster nor the newer C-141A Starlifter was capable of carrying such loads. The USAF issued a requirement for a Cargo Experimental-Heavy Logistics System (CX-HLS) aircraft in 1964: the aircraft would need to carry 180,000 pounds over long range using only four engines. The latter was quite daunting, as the earliest CX-HLS proposal was estimated to need six engines. General Electric in turn developed the revolutionary TF39 high-bypass turbofan, which had unrivaled efficiency, thrust, and fuel consumption. The CX-HLS had its engine; now it needed a manufacturer. Though five companies submitted proposals, it came down to Boeing’s proposal—a low-winged, conventionally tailed aircraft with the cockpit in a hump above the fuselage—and Lockheed’s, which was essentially an upscaled C-141 with a second deck above the cargo bay for both cockpit and passengers. Both included a hinged nose and large rear ramp, and through-fuselage loading. Though the USAF liked Boeing’s proposal, Lockheed’s was cheaper, and it was selected the winner in December 1965. Boeing’s proposal would go on to become the 747 airliner.

 

Production began on what was now named the C-5 Galaxy, and the sheer size of the aircraft proved the biggest obstacle. Everything about the C-5 was king-sized and nearly twice as large as anything an aircraft company had ever attempted: the fuselage itself was longer than the Wright Brothers’ first flight. Design of the wings was the toughest task—not the wings themselves, but how they could get the C-5 into the air without cracking under the strain. It was estimated that the entire fleet would likely not make it to the end of airframe hours without heavy wing cracking. Other problems kept pushing back the Galaxy’s operational debut: though the first aircraft flew in June 1968, the first aircraft was not delivered until two years later, after going $1 billion over budget and triggering several Congressional investigations into cost overruns and outright fraud. Lockheed itself stayed in business only through US government loans, as the company had bet everything on the success of both the C-5 and the L-1011 Tristar airliner, and neither program was doing well.

 

The C-5 did eventually reach wing strength by 1971, and was immediately put to hard use transporting vital equipment to Vietnam to support operations there. Continued teething troubles led crews to nickname the C-5 “FRED” (Fantastically Ridiculous Economic Disaster). By the late 1970s, the C-5 was safely rated to carry only 50,000 pounds of cargo, less than half its designed capacity, due to the development of wing cracks. There were calls to scrap the program and the 75 remaining aircraft, but the USAF persisted, citing that the Galaxy could perform missions no other aircraft could. The service pointed to the C-5’s yeoman service during Operation Nickel Grass, the emergency resupply of Israeli forces during the Yom Kippur War, when C-5s were making round trips from Dover AFB in Delaware to Tel Aviv, Israel, carrying 50% of the cargo while only flying a third of the total sorties.

 

While the Reagan administration was more interested in what would eventually become the C-17 Globemaster III project, the fact that the C-17 was at least a decade off led Congress to authorize both a refurbishment program for C-5As and fifty new C-5Bs. The C-5As were provided with new and stronger wings made of composites that were not available in the 1960s, while the C-5B was an upgraded aircraft. The first refurbished C-5As began reaching the USAF by 1982, while the first C-5B arrived in 1986. These programs eliminated the fatigue crack problem, and finally the Galaxy began proving its full potential. C-5s would prove instrumental in the rapid buildup of Operation Desert Shield, and participated in every military campaign and humanitarian mission undertaken by the USAF in the 1990s.

 

By the dawn of the 21st Century, the C-5 fleet was beginning to show signs of age, leading to the retirement of the 14 most high-time aircraft in favor of the C-17. However, once more the USAF was faced with the fact that there was no true way to replace the C-5’s enormous payload. As a result, the service began to upgrade all C-5Bs and “younger” C-5As to C-5M standard. The C-5M will use entirely new General Electric F138 engines designed for heavy airliners, which are even more fuel efficient and reliable, along with a “glass” cockpit, GPS, airframe strengthening, and defensive chaff/flare ejectors. The first C-5M reached the USAF in 2008. This upgrade will allow the C-5 to remain in service for the next 20 years. Of 131 C-5s produced, 108 remain in service, with eight lost in crashes or written off due to ground damage over the years.

 

I have another picture of this aircraft in a closer view of the nose (www.flickr.com/photos/31469080@N07/16759494042/in/photoli...), but recently I found this shot of the entire aircraft, which gives a sense of the enormity of the C-5. Shot at the 1986 Malmstrom AFB airshow, this picture shows the older "Europe Two" camouflage used by MAC units in the 1980s; because of overheating issues, this was switched to the current light AMC Gray. 70-0451 is still in service; today it flies with the 433rd Airlift Wing at Kelly AFB, TX.

 

Njord Viking

 

High Ice-classed AHTS vessel capable of operations in harsh environment offshore regions, as well as Arctic/Sub-Arctic operations.

 

General Information.

 

Length o.a.: 85,20 metres

Length b.p.: 76,20 metres

Beam, moulded: 22,00 metres

Depth to main deck: 9,00 metres

Draft, design: 6,00 metres

Deadweight at 7,60 m: 4.500 tons

Accommodation: 45 persons

Speed: 17 knots

Bollard pull: 210 tons

Endurance: 9.000 miles

  

Propulsion

Main engines: MAK 2x6M32 + 2x8M32

Output: 14.000 kW at 600 rpm

Main Propellers: 2 x CPP

Forward retractile thruster: 1 x 830 kW

Forward tunnel thruster: 2 x 830 kW

Aft tunnel thrusters: 2 x 830 kW

 

TANK CAPACITIES

Fuel oil: 1.000 m3

Fresh water: 1.247 m3

Ballast: 2.013 m3

Oil Recovery: 1.989 m3

Rig chain locker: 665 m3

Liquid mud: 965 m3

Brine: 628 m3

Special products: 187 m3

Dry bulk: 220 m3

  

Main Anchor/Towing winch: 400 Tons at 18,7 m/min

Brake holding: 525 Tons 1st layer

Secondary Winch: 138 Tons at 28 m/min

Brake holding: 62 Tons 1st layer

2 Deck Cranes (sliding): 6/12 Tons at 20/10 mts

2 Tugger winch: 24 Tons at 22 m/min

2 Towing pins: 300 Tons

2 Karm Forks: 600 Tons

2 Capstans: 14 Tons at 24 m/min

 

AUXILIARY GENERATING SETS

Diesel generating sets: 2 x 720 ekW. 440 V. 60 Hz

Shaft generators: 2 x 2.700 ekW. 440 V. 60 Hz

Emergency generator set: 1 x 400 ekW. 440 V. 60 Hzp

Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.

 

The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.

 

After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.

 

The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.

 

The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber. It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world.

 

As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.

 

The 120th Fighter Wing (Montana Air National Guard) briefly operated a "hack" general purpose transport C-130H when they reequipped with the F-16 in 1987. This was to replace the old "Big Sky One" Convair C-131 Samaritan the unit had on strength. As such, this C-130 carried the standard USAF transport camouflage at the time, a variant of the Europe Two scheme with wraparound two shades of green and gunship gray. Since the 120th did not operate the C-130 long--it was really unnecessary for the unit's operations--it never received a tail logo or motif. Note the 120th's F-106As in the background.

 

Ironically, when this picture was taken in 1987, no one could have predicted that, almost 30 years later, the 120th would convert from fighters to C-130Hs!

A capable lens with very simple optical design, 6 elements in 6 groups similar to conventional 50mm lens, not that capable as newer Zeiss or Sigma counterparts but for a portrait lens it is certainly more than enough.

 

I consider the newer Nikon 85mm F1.8g a downgrade for the 7 aperture blades,

The Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research R/V Sally Ride (AGOR 28) on the eve of her christening at Dakota Creek Industries, Inc., shipyard in Anacortes, Wash. R/V Sally Ride is the second in the Neil Armstrong-class of research vessels and features a modern suite of oceanographic equipment, state of the art acoustic equipment capable of mapping the deepest parts of the oceans, advanced over-the-side handling gear to deploy and retrieve scientific instruments, emissions controls for stack gasses, and new information technology tools both for monitoring shipboard systems and for communicating with land-based sites worldwide. The Navy, through the Office of Naval Research (ONR), has been a leader in building and providing large ships for the nation's academic research fleet since World War II. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/Released)

Though the US Navy reconsidered its decision to retire the AD Skyraider after the Korean War, it was still a piston-engined attack aircraft designed during World War II, while the Navy preferred going to a modern, all-jet attack/fighter fleet. To supplement and then replace the AD, the Navy issued a requirement for a jet attack fighter weighing no more than 48,000 pounds, capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons, and with a speed of at least 550 miles an hour. The Navy was not surprised when Douglas’ chief designer, Edward Heinemann, submitted a proposal for a delta-winged, light attack jet—they were surprised to find that it met all of the requirements, yet weighed in at only 23,000 pounds, less than half the required weight. It was also so small that it did not need folding wings to fit on aircraft carrier elevators. Heinemann deliberately omitted as much weight as possible to bring the aircraft in under weight, and subsequently, at a lower unit cost than anticipated. One part of this effort was external structural ribbing for the rudder; this “temporary” solution would be used on every aircraft produced.

 

Heinemann’s design was quickly ordered by the Navy as the A4D Skyhawk. The first A4D-1 flew in June 1952, with deliveries to the fleet beginning in 1956. Pilots used to the increasingly larger and more powerful aircraft the US Navy fielded in the late 1950s, such as the F3H Demon and F4H Phantom II, were surprised at the diminutive A4D, which looked toylike on the decks of Forrestal-class supercarriers. It quickly earned the nicknames “Tinkertoy Bomber,” “Scooter,” and “Heinemann’s Hot Rod.”

 

The Skyhawk—redesignated A-4 in 1962—also quickly gained a reputation for reliability and nimbleness. Despite its small size, it could carry its own weight in bombs and still turn inside anything in the inventory, even the purpose-built F-8 Crusader fighter. For this reason, the Navy began assigning A-4C Skyhawks as “emergency fighter” detachments to Essex-class antisubmarine carriers, as these ships, still equipped with World War II-era hydraulic catapults and limited in deck space, could not carry the more modern F-4. Besides their internal 20mm cannon, A-4s could also carry up to four Sidewinder missiles.

 

It would be in the Vietnam War that the A-4 would prove its worth. Besides its large bombload and superb manuverability, the Skyhawk was also found to be able to take considerable punishment. Several A-4s returned to their carriers missing pieces of rudder or with holes shot through the wings. At the beginning of American involvement, the Navy began replacing the older A-4C “short-nose” models with the improved A-4E, which added a fifth hardpoint and a longer nose with more advanced avionics; this was quickly supplemented by the A-4F, which added a dorsal hump with still more avionics and ECM equipment.

 

Until the A-7 Corsair II began arriving in the fleet in the late 1960s, the A-4 represented the backbone of naval light attack units, operating alongside the A-6 Intruder in striking targets throughout Southeast Asia. On land, A-4s served with Marine Corps units, and proved so reliable and well-liked that the Marines decided not to use the A-7 at all. The Skyhawk also proved itself to be adaptable to other missions: A-4s carried out the US Navy’s first precision strike mission, a 1967 attack on the Hanoi thermal powerplant with AGM-62 Walleye missiles, and also served as Wild Weasel/Iron Hand suppression of enemy air defense aircraft, armed with AGM-45 Shrikes.

 

Though they were slower than the F-4 and F-8, and lacked the A-6’s ability to fly in the worst of inclement weather, the Skyhawk was not defenseless against enemy MiGs: it was the only American aircraft that could turn with a MiG-17 if it was “clean” of bombs, and only one A-4 was lost to enemy aircraft during the Vietnam War. In turn, one A-4, piloted by Lieutenant Commander Ted Schwartz, shot down a MiG-17 with Zuni rockets in 1967. Skyhawks would drop the first and last bombs of US Navy aircraft in the Vietnam War, and flew more sorties than any other naval aircraft—and paid a commensurate price: 362 Skyhawks were shot down or lost in accidents during the war, the most of any one type. Two A-4 pilots won the Medal of Honor during Vietnam, James Stockdale and Michael Estocin, the latter posthumously; longtime prisoner of war Everett Alvarez Jr. was also an A-4 pilot, as was fellow POW and later Presidential candidate, John McCain.

 

The A-4’s story did not end with Vietnam. Recognizing its superb manueverability, the US Navy began building adversary units with Skyhawks simulating the MiG-17 as part of the Top Gun program, beginning in 1969. These stripped down “Mongoose” A-4s proved to be a match even against far more advanced F-14 Tomcats and F-18 Hornets, and A-4s remained in the adversary role until 1998. Alongside these aircraft, the Navy used two-seat TA-4J Skyhawks as advanced trainers until 2003, while Marine units continued to use the penultimate A-4M Skyhawk in the light attack role until after the First Gulf War in 1991; Marine OA-4M “fast FAC” forward air control aircraft flew as late as 1998. The TA-4J was replaced by the T-45 Goshawk; there has never truly been a replacement for the A-4E adversaries and A-4M light attack aircraft, though the AV-8B Harrier supplemented them.

 

While Vietnam was the last war for American Skyhawks, foreign users would put the aircraft to further use. Israel would use their A-4H/Ns in the Yom Kippur War with heavy casualties, due to more advanced Egyptian and Syrian air defenses; better luck was had in the Lebanon War of 1982. Argentina’s A-4B/Qs saw extensive service over the Falklands in 1982, impressing even their British adversaries with hair-raising low-level bomb runs against British ships in San Carlos Water: though the Argentine aircraft took severe punishment from Fleet Air Arm Sea Harriers, they also sank or damaged five ships. Finally, Kuwait used their A-4KU Skyhawks from the beginning of the First Gulf War.

 

Overall, 2960 A-4s were produced and flew with the air arms of eleven nations. Still others survive as government contract aggressor aircraft, or in private hands, while many are preserved in museums.

 

Bureau Number 154649 was originally built as a TA-4F and assigned to VA-44 ("Hornets"), the Atlantic Fleet Replacement Squadron for the Skyhawk community, at NAS Cecil Field, Florida in 1968. After VA-44 was disestablished in 1970, it was upgraded to a TA-4J and assigned to VT-22 ("Golden Eagles") at NAS Kingsville, Texas. After the US Navy began forming aggressor units to train naval aviators in fighter combat tactics, 154649 was sent to VA-45 ("Blackbirds") at NAS Key West, Florida as an adversary aircraft. After VA-45 was disestablished in 1975, the aircraft next went to VC-8 ("Redtails") at NAS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, continuing in the adversary role. It would remain with that squadron until VC-8 disbanded in 2003; 154649 was then donated to the Palm Springs Air Museum.

 

When we saw 154649 in May 2021, it was in the middle of being restored, so it lacked squadron markings, and was just wearing its aggressor camouflage pattern. PSAM's use of printed cockpit masking is apparent in this picture, which is pretty ingenious!

 

NEOBALLS / ZEN MAGNETS - Neodymium Magnetic Balls (@4205) - Starcraft II's Massive Thor

 

This is my most complex and largest build to date.

 

It was designed in parts: Cockpit body, then legs, then arms, then rear guns. Then I had to redesign parts when it came time to assemble it together because of incorrect bonding assumptions and misalignment of magnet fields.

 

Experimented with x-beam coupled bonds to get the maximum lateral strength with reinforcements on the sides. This proved to be very string. Created a X-Beam using similar methods producing a very strong leg structure. It was capable of support the entire weight of the cockpit body w/o a problem. Had to redesign the leg to cockpit body mount point from the earlier concept because the bond was not completely coupled.

 

Next up were the arm/guns ... the weight was too much for the cockpit body to support so I fashioned a pair of lego-platforms for them to rest on and take the weight off of the central body.

 

Finally ... the rear guns ... these were a challenge in that their original mount point design had to be reworked also to make them fit correctly into the rear of the cockpit body. I changed the mount points on the guns to fit the space on both sides and added a few support balls to improve the mount point bonds. I was very surprised how they were balanced and supported only by two point sections to the body. The guns stayed in place for a small series of photos.

 

The design flaw was in the side bonds of the beam to the legs. The coupled field held nicely for a short amount of time and would have held if it didn't have the weight of the rear guns to support. When they were standing upright and straight, all was good. As soon as I attempted to move the platform forward (to take a video), the rear guns tilted slightly backwards and and that was the end of the leg to body support bonds ... and created the dreaded implosion.

 

The rear gun weight caused the entire central body section to rotate backwards and fall back on the rear guns ... taking the arms in the process. Perhaps I should have created a Lego-support structure for the rear guns to remove the pendulum force backwards ... but that would have created another view blocker like the side Lego-platforms obstructed the view of the legs and feet. Not sure if I can recreate it for a rotational video ... this took over a week (on/off to design and assemble).

 

Overall ... I was very happy with the result ... hope I captured enough detail to warrant some visual recognition as a Starcraft II Thor reproduction/interpretation.

 

This was design and built for the Zen Magnets Contest 26: The Massive Thor

www.zenmagnets.com/blog/26-the-massive-thor/

 

I tried to document the info for this super complex build (below) accompanied by associated pics in this set

www.flickr.com/photos/tend2it/sets/72157632920071597/

 

Starcraft II Thor Magnet Count and Detail Talley

======+================

Cockpit Body bottom section: (@0520)

(@0217) - Main shape middle core = (2x108) + 1

(@0095) - central bottom layer 1 = (47x2) + 1 w/black parameter

(@0078) - Sides Bottom layer 2 = (2x(22 parallel pair frnt2bck support + 3 red + 4 gold + 10 ring outside black))

(@0028) - Central bottom layer 3 = (2x14) rectangle

(@0032) - Sides bottom layer 3 = (2x((2x5 parallel bridge rectangle to ring) + (6 ring outside))

(@0010) - Central bottom layer 4 = (10 ring) leg waist w/gold

(@0020) - Sides bottom layer 4 = (2x10 ring) coupled over parallel bridge for perpendicular underside support

(@0040) - Central rear Barrel = (4x8 ring w2 red rings) + (2x4 sqr end)

------

Cockpit Body top section (from center out): (@0371)

(@0166) - top layer 1 = (2x83) w/black missle cover + middle sect separator

(@0105) - top layer 2 = ((2x52) + 1) w/black separator, red trim, gold cockpit

(@0083) - top layer 3 = ((2x41) + 1) w/black separator, red trim, gold cockpit

(@0037) - top layer 4 = ((2x18) + 1) w/black separator trim

(@0010) - top layer 5 = (2x5) w/red/black

------

(@0891)

 

Leg section x2 (@0640 - 12 removed from bottom of @ leg for foot contact pt)

leg internal structure:

(@0384) - columns = 2 x (4x((2x12) + ((2x11) + 2))) top/bottom coupled bonds w/parallel bonds stacked x 4))

(@0096) - side reinforcements = 2x((2x11) + 2) coupled pair along outside edge centers)

(@0032) - ball reinforcements = 2x(2x4 balls are two balls added to 4 ball in 2, 4, 6, 8th positions) - (12 @ bottom)

leg arch structure (connected to one flat leg top face:

(@0128) - (4x4 parallel sqr) + (2x(6 + 2)) pointy rings) + (4x4 parallel sqr) + (2x(6 + 2)) pointy rings)

Place the two leg arch structures together to form the leg arch

-------

(@1519) = 1531-12

 

Leg side panels (@0384)

(@0344) - (2 each leg x (2x(2x43 each side))) w/black outside trim

Knees + Leg detail

(@0040) - (2x(2x(6 + 2) knee w/red sqr) + 2x(4 red sqr top of leg))

-------

(@1903)

 

Feet x2 (@0242)

(@0184) - (2x((2x7 + 2 1st mid layer) + (2x(2x10 + 1) 2nd mid layer) + ((2x(2x8 + 1) outside layer))

(@0034) - (2x(2x(2x3 + 1 top of toe 2 leg)) + (1 center rear foot 2 leg conn) + (2 x 1 outer rear foot sides 2 leg

 

conn))

(@0024) - (2x(2x6 rings rear foot heel))

-------

(@2145)

 

X-Beam waist platform - (@0233 - 19) this part is placed across the center perpendicular to the x-beam leg arch

(@0214) - (2x(2x(18 + 17 + 6 + 3)) + (2x(7 + 2)) + ((8 + 1 front side) + (2x9 rear side)) + ((2 x 3 red front center) +

 

(2 x 2 red front sides) + (2 red rear)) - (19 removed under rear panel side to fold)

 

Arm Guns (2 pair per arm w/red + black accents)

(@0380) - (4x((4x9 center core) + (3x((2x7) + 1)) top/sides) + (2x7) middle join))

 

Shoulder to elbow core w/o reinforcements ((@0174)per arm)

(@0348) - (2 x (top((2x5)+2) + (4x8+2 parallel) + ((2x5)+2) + (2x5) + (2x(2x5)+1) + (2x(2x6)+1) + ((4x7)+2 parallel

 

mount2gun) + (1 ball center to bridge below 2 ball center to 1 ball) + ((2x6)+1) + ((2x4)+2)bottom)

 

Shoulder to elbow (per arm, per side)

(@0248) - (2 x (2 x (top 3 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 5 + (2x7arm2shoulder bridge) + (5 + 3 bottom))

 

Elbow to gun support (per arm, per side) (@0140 - 18 for outside facing side revamp)

(@0122) - (2 x (2 x (((2x9)+1) + (2x8)) -

Revamp outside facing sides for Z bracket (remove 2x(4 top/4 bottom/2 middle/move center ball down, add 1 ball)

Revamp 2 rear centerballs with red

(@028) - add red design outside facing shoulder 2 elbow

------

(@3485)

 

Rear Guns x2

Large cannon (@0112 each)

(@0224) - 2 x ((2x(2x15) + (4x(5+2)) + (4x(6 ring)))

Smaller cannon (@0092 each)

(@0184) - 2 x ((2x(2x13) + (4x(4+2)) + (4x(4 ring)))

Gun bridges (@0010 each)

(@0020) - (2 x (4 ring + 6 ring across two cannons)

 

Gun mounts x2

(@0104) - (2 x ((top (2x4+2) + (2x5+2) parallel to existing + (2x4+2) + (2x5 parallel) + (2x4+2) bottom)

 

Gun panel x 2 (@0102 each)

(@0204) - (2 x (2x(11 + 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 6))

-------

 

Revamp base

 

(@4221) subtotal b4 assembly

 

Assembly mods

-------------

Moved the (@0040) - Central rear Barrel = (4x8 ring w2 red rings) + (2x4 sqr end) below the rear of the body between

 

the leg mount and cockpit body. Actually used the barrel as a mount point for the rear guns.

 

Modded Cockpit Body bottom section (mount point):

(@0020) = (2 x (7 + 6 + 5)) = Changed = (@0028) - Central bottom layer 3 = (2x14) rectangle to covert parallel

 

rectangle to hex parallel center, coupled sides

-------

(@4213) = (@4221 - 8)

 

Moved central bottom layer x-beam

(@0018) = (2x09 ring) = Changed = (@0020) - Sides bottom layer 4 = shifted it down one row, removed 1 ball on end to form point and pinched outside end fit in center of 6 ball side.

(@4211) = (@4213 - 2)

 

Removed gold 10 ball ring mount

Changed = (@0010) = Central bottom layer 4 = (10 ring) leg waist w/gold

-------

(@4201) = (@4213 - 10)

 

Modded Rear Guns

(@0100) = Changed = Rear Gun mounts x2 - removed +2 from top/bottom mount point (2x4+2)=>(2x4)

(@4197) = (@4201-4)

Added extra mount point support bwtween rear gun mounts and rear cockpit body

(@4205) = (@4201+8)

 

Grand Total! = (@4205)

I was going to give this a creative title, then I remembered that dogs are only capable of a certain amount of creativity and typing skill.

 

© Agent Kay 2013

Built by the Schiffswerks Rieherst company in Hamburg, the Umbria was launched on December 30th 1911 with the name of Bahia Blanca. It was a large freighter by that time, 150 meters long, with a power capable of providing a speed of 14 knots that could carry 9,000 tons of cargo and up to 2,000 passengers. In 1912 it began operating the Hamburg-America line doing different jobs between Europe and Argentina until the outbreak of World War I, when it was based in Buenos Aires. In 1918 the ship was acquired by the Argentinian government and it was not until 1935 when the ship was taken over by the Italian government and renamed again: the Umbria. From that moment its trips were to transport troops and during the following two years carried several thousand soldiers to the Italian colonies in East Africa.

  

The loss of the Umbria

 

In May 1940, when Italy was still neutral in World War II, the Umbria was secretly loaded with 360,000 bombs between 15 kg and 100 kg, 60 boxes of detonators, building materials and three Fiat Lunga cars, carrying a total 8,600 tons of weapons towards the East Africa. The explosives had destination Massawa and Assab, Eritrea, that was Italian colony by then, and the rest of the cargo was heading different locations in Asia. Italy's entry into the war was imminent and this shipment was destined to the defense of the colonies against the Allies and to the possible expansion of its African territories.

   

On 3rd June 1940 the Umbria reached Port Said, northern Egypt, where loaded with 1,000 tons of coal and water in a movement to fool the Allies, trying to look like a harmless freighter. The port, controlled by the Royal Navy, and its authorities allowed the ship enter on the Red Sea three days after arrival. The British delayed the departure of the Umbria knowing that Italy's entry into the war was imminent and that the cargo of Umbria had devastating power that sooner or later would be used against the Allies and why not, to get a great load to fight fascism. But Italy, as a neutral country that it was, had every right to transport weapons much like any other cargo to its colonies.

   

Having met the deadline to be retained, the Umbria crossed the Suez Canal on June 6th but with the escort of the HMS Grimsby. The importance and destructive capacity of the cargo required it. Three days later the Umbria entered in Sudan waters and the HMS Grimsby ordered the Umbria captain to anchor on Wingate Reef under the pretext of searching for contraband. Moments later the British warship HMS Leander arrived with a group of 20 sailors who boarded the Umbria. After thoroughly searching the ship and finding nothing, the captain ordered the British troops to remain the night aboard the Umbria.

The next morning Lorenzo Muiesan, Umbria captain, was in his cabin listening to the radio when Mussolini announced the entry of Italy into the World War II. Hostilities would begin at midnight of that day. Muiesan, a very patriotic captain with long experience, was the only one in the area who had heard the news and knew immediately that both Umbria and the burden would be used by the Allies against their own country. He had no option to disable both. In a move of extraordinary intelligence, as the hours passed retained by the British who did not yet know that Italy was officially the enemy, the captain ordered his crew conducting a rescue simulation... that was more real than the British thought. This maneuver, which the English soldiers agreed as they believed it would serve to further delay the departure of the Umbria. While the Italians occupied the lifeboats, the chief engineers, following Muiesan´s orders, opened all the valves and drown the ship to the bottom of the reef. With the crew safe, the British only had time to get on their ship and watch the freighter slid slowly.

When the captain of HMS Grimsby asked why he had done that Muiesan confirmed the declaration of war from Italy to Britain. The next day Muiesan and the rest of Umbria crew departed detainees to India, where they spent four years in prison.

  

CARGO:

The Umbria was carrying 360,000 individual aircraft bombs ranging in size from 15, 50 and 100 kg. The vessel also carried a large quantity of fuses, ammunition and detonators as well as other traditional cargo. The captain knew these bombs would be confiscated and used by the enemy against his country should they ever discover them which was why he made the call to sink the ship.

The Umbria had sailed in June 1940 with 6,000 tons of bombs, 60 boxes detonators, explosives, weapons and three Fiat 1100 Lunga from Genoa via Livorno and Naples in the Suez Canal and on the way via Massaua and Assab to Calcutta.

The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), also known as the common peafowl, and blue peafowl, is a peafowl species native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been introduced to many other countries. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are referred to as peahens, although both sexes are often referred to colloquially as a "peacock".

 

Indian peafowl display a marked form of sexual dimorphism. The peacock is brightly coloured, with a predominantly blue fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers and is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colourful eyespots. These stiff feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. Despite the length and size of these covert feathers, peacocks are still capable of flight. Peahens lack the train, have a white face and iridescent green lower neck, and dull brown plumage. The Indian peafowl lives mainly on the ground in open forest or on land under cultivation where they forage for berries, grains but also prey on snakes, lizards, and small rodents. Their loud calls make them easy to detect, and in forest areas often indicate the presence of a predator such as a tiger. They forage on the ground in small groups and usually try to escape on foot through undergrowth and avoid flying, though they fly into tall trees to roost.

 

The function of the peacock's elaborate train has been debated for over a century. In the 19th century, Charles Darwin found it a puzzle, hard to explain through ordinary natural selection. His later explanation, sexual selection, is widely but not universally accepted. In the 20th century, Amotz Zahavi argued that the train was a handicap, and that males were honestly signalling their fitness in proportion to the splendour of their trains. Despite extensive study, opinions remain divided on the mechanisms involved.

 

The bird is celebrated in Hindu and Greek mythology, and is the national bird of India. The Indian peafowl is listed as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

 

Taxonomy and naming

Carl Linnaeus in his work Systema Naturae in 1758 assigned to the Indian peafowl the technical name of Pavo cristatus (means "crested peafowl" in classical Latin).

 

The earliest usage of the word in written English is from around 1300 and spelling variants include pecok, pekok, pecokk, peacocke, peacock, pyckock, poucock, pocok, pokok, pokokke, and poocok among others. The current spelling was established in the late 17th century. Chaucer (1343–1400) used the word to refer to a proud and ostentatious person in his simile "proud a pekok" in Troilus and Criseyde (Book I, line 210).

 

The Sanskrit, later Pali, and modern Hindi term for the animal is maur. It is debated that the nomenclature of the Maurya Empire, whose first emperor Chandragupta Maurya was raised and influenced by peacock farmers was named after the terminology.

 

The Greek word for peacock was taos and was related to the Persian "tavus" (as in Takht-i-Tâvus for the famed Peacock Throne). The Ancient Hebrew word tuki (plural tukkiyim) has been said to have been derived from the Tamil tokei but sometimes traced to the Egyptian tekh. In modern Hebrew the word for peacock is "tavas". In Sanskrit, the peacock is known as Mayura and is associated with the killing of snakes.

 

Description

 

Male neck detail

Peacocks are a larger sized bird with a length from bill to tail of 100 to 115 cm (39 to 45 in) and to the end of a fully grown train as much as 195 to 225 cm (77 to 89 in) and weigh 4–6 kg (8.8–13.2 lb). The females, or peahens, are smaller at around 95 cm (37 in) in length and weigh 2.75–4 kg (6.1–8.8 lb). Indian peafowl are among the largest and heaviest representatives of the Phasianidae. So far as is known, only the wild turkey grows notably heavier. The green peafowl is slightly lighter in body mass despite the male having a longer train on average than the male of the Indian species. Their size, colour and shape of crest make them unmistakable within their native distribution range. The male is metallic blue on the crown, the feathers of the head being short and curled. The fan-shaped crest on the head is made of feathers with bare black shafts and tipped with bluish-green webbing. A white stripe above the eye and a crescent shaped white patch below the eye are formed by bare white skin. The sides of the head have iridescent greenish blue feathers. The back has scaly bronze-green feathers with black and copper markings. The scapular and the wings are buff and barred in black, the primaries are chestnut and the secondaries are black. The tail is dark brown and the "train" is made up of elongated upper tail coverts (more than 200 feathers, the actual tail has only 20 feathers) and nearly all of these feathers end with an elaborate eye-spot. A few of the outer feathers lack the spot and end in a crescent shaped black tip. The underside is dark glossy green shading into blackish under the tail. The thighs are buff coloured. The male has a spur on the leg above the hind toe.

 

The adult peahen has a rufous-brown head with a crest as in the male but the tips are chestnut edged with green. The upper body is brownish with pale mottling. The primaries, secondaries and tail are dark brown. The lower neck is metallic green and the breast feathers are dark brown glossed with green. The remaining underparts are whitish. Downy young are pale buff with a dark brown mark on the nape that connects with the eyes. Young males look like the females but the wings are chestnut coloured.

 

The most common calls are a loud pia-ow or may-awe. The frequency of calling increases before the Monsoon season and may be delivered in alarm or when disturbed by loud noises. In forests, their calls often indicate the presence of a predators such as the tiger. They also make many other calls such as a rapid series of ka-aan..ka-aan or a rapid kok-kok. They often emit an explosive low-pitched honk! when agitated.

 

Mutations and hybrids

This leucistic mutation is commonly mistaken for an albino.

There are several colour mutations of Indian peafowl. These very rarely occur in the wild, but selective breeding has made them common in captivity. The black-shouldered or Japanned mutation was initially considered as a subspecies of the Indian peafowl (P. c. nigripennis) (or even a separate species (P. nigripennis)) and was a topic of some interest during Darwin's time. Others had doubts about its taxonomic status, but the English naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) presented firm evidence for it being a variety under domestication, which treatment is now well established and accepted. It being a colour variation rather than a wild species was important for Darwin to prove, as otherwise it could undermine his theory of slow modification by natural selection in the wild. It is, however, only a case of genetic variation within the population. In this mutation, the adult male is melanistic with black wings. Young birds with the nigripennis mutation are creamy white with fulvous-tipped wings. The gene produces melanism in the male and in the peahen it produces a dilution of colour with creamy white and brown markings. Other forms include the pied and white mutations, all of which are the result of allelic variation at specific loci.

 

Crosses between a male green peafowl (Pavo muticus) and a female Indian peafowl (P. cristatus) produce a stable hybrid called a "Spalding", named after Mrs. Keith Spalding, a bird fancier in California. There can be problems if birds of unknown pedigree are released into the wild, as the viability of such hybrids and their offspring is often reduced (see Haldane's rule and outbreeding depression).

 

Distribution and habitat

The Indian peafowl is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent and inhabits the drier lowland areas of Sri Lanka. In the Indian subcontinent, it is found mainly below an elevation of 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and in rare cases seen at about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It is found in moist and dry-deciduous forests, but can adapt to live in cultivated regions and around human habitations and is usually found where water is available. In many parts of northern India, they are protected by religious practices and will forage around villages and towns for scraps. Some have suggested that the peacock was introduced into Europe by Alexander the Great, while others say the bird had reached Athens by 450 BCE and may have been introduced even earlier. It has since been introduced in many other parts of the world and has become feral in some areas.

 

The Indian peafowl has been introduced to the United States, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Croatia and the island of Lokrum.

 

Genome sequencing

The first whole-genome sequencing of Indian peafowl identified a total of 15,970 protein-coding sequences, along with 213 tRNAs, 236 snoRNAs, and 540 miRNAs. The peacock genome was found to have less repetitive DNA (8.62%) than that of the chicken genome (9.45%). PSMC analysis suggested that the peacock suffered at least two bottlenecks (around four million years ago and again 450,000 years ago), which resulted in a severe reduction in its effective population size.

 

Behaviour and ecology

Peafowl are best known for the male's extravagant display feathers which, despite actually growing from their back, are thought of as a tail. The "train" is in reality made up of the enormously elongated upper tail coverts. The tail itself is brown and short as in the peahen. The colours result not from any green or blue pigments but from the micro-structure of the feathers and the resulting optical phenomena. The long train feathers (and tarsal spurs) of the male develop only after the second year of life. Fully developed trains are found in birds older than four years. In northern India, these begin to develop each February and are moulted at the end of August. The moult of the flight feathers may be spread out across the year.

 

Peafowl forage on the ground in small groups, known as musters, that usually have a cock and 3 to 5 hens. After the breeding season, the flocks tend to be made up only of females and young. They are found in the open early in the mornings and tend to stay in cover during the heat of the day. They are fond of dust-bathing and at dusk, groups walk in single file to a favourite waterhole to drink. When disturbed, they usually escape by running and rarely take to flight.

 

Peafowl produce loud calls especially in the breeding season. They may call at night when alarmed and neighbouring birds may call in a relay like series. Nearly seven different call variants have been identified in the peacocks apart from six alarm calls that are commonly produced by both sexes.

 

Peafowl roost in groups during the night on tall trees but may sometimes make use of rocks, buildings or pylons. In the Gir forest, they chose tall trees in steep river banks. Birds arrive at dusk and call frequently before taking their position on the roost trees. Due to this habit of congregating at the roost, many population studies are made at these sites. The population structure is not well understood. In a study in northern India (Jodhpur), the number of males was 170–210 for 100 females but a study involving evening counts at the roost site in southern India (Injar) suggested a ratio of 47 males for 100 females.

 

Sexual selection

The colours of the peacock and the contrast with the much duller peahen were a puzzle to early thinkers. Charles Darwin wrote to Asa Gray that the "sight of a feather in a peacock's tail, whenever I gaze at it, makes me sick!" as he failed to see an adaptive advantage for the extravagant tail which seemed only to be an encumbrance. Darwin developed a second principle of sexual selection to resolve the problem, though in the prevailing intellectual trends of Victorian Britain, the theory failed to gain widespread attention.

 

The American artist Abbott Handerson Thayer tried to show, from his own imagination, the value of the eyespots as disruptive camouflage in a 1907 painting. He used the painting in his 1909 book Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom, denying the possibility of sexual selection and arguing that essentially all forms of animal colouration had evolved as camouflage. He was roundly criticised in a lengthy paper by Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote that Thayer had only managed to paint the peacock's plumage as camouflage by sleight of hand, "with the blue sky showing through the leaves in just sufficient quantity here and there to warrant the author-artists explaining that the wonderful blue hues of the peacock's neck are obliterative because they make it fade into the sky."

 

In the 1970s a possible resolution to the apparent contradiction between natural selection and sexual selection was proposed. Amotz Zahavi argued that peacocks honestly signalled the handicap of having a large and costly train. However, the mechanism may be less straightforward than it seems – the cost could arise from depression of the immune system by the hormones that enhance feather development.

  

Male courting female

The ornate train is believed to be the result of sexual selection by the females. Males use their ornate trains in a courtship display: they raise the feathers into a fan and quiver them. However, recent studies have failed to find a relation between the number of displayed eyespots and mating success. Marion Petrie tested whether or not these displays signaled a male's genetic quality by studying a feral population of peafowl in Whipsnade Wildlife Park in southern England. She showed that the number of eyespots in the train predicted a male's mating success, and this success could be manipulated by cutting the eyespots off some of the male's ornate feathers.

 

Although the removal of eyespots makes males less successful in mating, eyespot removal substantially changes the appearance of male peafowls. It is likely that females mistake these males for sub-adults, or perceive that the males are physically damaged. Moreover, in a feral peafowl population, there is little variation in the number of eyespots in adult males. It is rare for adult males to lose a significant number of eyespots. Therefore, females' selection might depend on other sexual traits of males' trains. The quality of train is an honest signal of the condition of males; peahens do select males on the basis of their plumage. A recent study on a natural population of Indian peafowls in the Shivalik area of India has proposed a "high maintenance handicap" theory. It states that only the fittest males can afford the time and energy to maintain a long tail. Therefore, the long train is an indicator of good body condition, which results in greater mating success. While train length seems to correlate positively with MHC diversity in males, females do not appear to use train length to choose males. A study in Japan also suggests that peahens do not choose peacocks based on their ornamental plumage, including train length, number of eyespots and train symmetry. Another study in France brings up two possible explanations for the conflicting results that exist. The first explanation is that there might be a genetic variation of the trait of interest under different geographical areas due to a founder effect and/or a genetic drift. The second explanation suggests that "the cost of trait expression may vary with environmental conditions," so that a trait that is indicative of a particular quality may not work in another environment.

 

Fisher's runaway model proposes positive feedback between female preference for elaborate trains and the elaborate train itself. This model assumes that the male train is a relatively recent evolutionary adaptation. However, a molecular phylogeny study on peacock-pheasants shows the opposite; the most recently evolved species is actually the least ornamented one. This finding suggests a chase-away sexual selection, in which "females evolve resistance to male ploys". A study in Japan goes on to conclude that the "peacocks' train is an obsolete signal for which female preference has already been lost or weakened".

 

However, some disagreement has arisen in recent years concerning whether or not female peafowl do indeed select males with more ornamented trains. In contrast to Petrie's findings, a seven-year Japanese study of free-ranging peafowl came to the conclusion that female peafowl do not select mates solely on the basis of their trains. Mariko Takahashi found no evidence that peahens expressed any preference for peacocks with more elaborate trains (such as trains having more ocelli), a more symmetrical arrangement, or a greater length. Takahashi determined that the peacock's train was not the universal target of female mate choice, showed little variance across male populations, and, based on physiological data collected from this group of peafowl, do not correlate to male physical conditions. Adeline Loyau and her colleagues responded to Takahashi's study by voicing concern that alternative explanations for these results had been overlooked, and that these might be essential for the understanding of the complexity of mate choice. They concluded that female choice might indeed vary in different ecological conditions.

 

A 2013 study that tracked the eye movements of peahens responding to male displays found that they looked in the direction of the upper train of feathers only when at long distances and that they looked only at the lower feathers when males displayed close to them. The rattling of the tail and the shaking of the wings helped in keeping the attention of females.

 

Breeding

Peacocks are polygamous, and the breeding season is spread out but appears to be dependent on the rains. Peafowls usually reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 to 3 years old. Several males may congregate at a lek site and these males are often closely related. Males at leks appear to maintain small territories next to each other and they allow females to visit them and make no attempt to guard harems. Females do not appear to favour specific males. The males display in courtship by raising the upper-tail coverts into an arched fan. The wings are held half open and drooped and it periodically vibrates the long feathers, producing a ruffling sound. The cock faces the hen initially and struts and prances around and sometimes turns around to display the tail. Males may also freeze over food to invite a female in a form of courtship feeding. Males may display even in the absence of females. When a male is displaying, females do not appear to show any interest and usually continue their foraging.

 

The peak season in southern India is April to May, January to March in Sri Lanka and June in northern India. The nest is a shallow scrape in the ground lined with leaves, sticks and other debris. Nests are sometimes placed on buildings and, in earlier times, have been recorded using the disused nest platforms of the white-rumped vultures. The clutch consists of 4–8 fawn to buff white eggs which are incubated only by the female. The eggs take about 28 days to hatch. The chicks are nidifugous and follow the mother around after hatching. Downy young may sometimes climb on their mothers' back and the female may carry them in flight to a safe tree branch. An unusual instance of a male incubating a clutch of eggs has been reported.

 

Feeding

Peafowl are omnivorous and eat seeds, insects (including termites), worms, fruits, small mammals, frogs, and reptiles (such as lizards). They feed on small snakes but keep their distance from larger ones. In the Gir forest of Gujarat, a large percentage of their food is made up of the fallen berries of Zizyphus. They also feed on tree and flower buds, petals, grain, and grass and bamboo shoots. Around cultivated areas, peafowl feed on a wide range of crops such as groundnut, tomato, paddy, chili and even bananas. Around human habitations, they feed on a variety of food scraps and even human excreta. In the countryside, it is particularly partial to crops and garden plants.

 

Mortality factors

Large animals such as leopards, dholes, golden jackals, and tigers can ambush adult peafowls. However, only leopards regularly prey upon peafowls as adult peafowls are difficult to catch since they can usually escape ground predators by flying into trees. They are also sometimes hunted by large birds of prey such as the changeable hawk-eagle and rock eagle-owl. Chicks are somewhat more prone to predation than adult birds. Adults living near human habitations are sometimes hunted by domestic dogs or by humans in some areas (southern Tamil Nadu) for folk remedies involving the use of "peacock oil".

 

Foraging in groups provides some safety as there are more eyes to look out for predators. They also roost on high tree tops to avoid terrestrial predators, especially leopards.

 

In captivity, birds have been known to live for 23 years but it is estimated that they live for only about 15 years in the wild.

 

Conservation and status

Indian peafowl are widely distributed in the wild across South Asia and protected both culturally in many areas and by law in India. Conservative estimates of the population put them at more than 100,000. Illegal poaching for meat, however, continues and declines have been noted in parts of India. Peafowl breed readily in captivity and as free-ranging ornamental fowl. Zoos, parks, bird-fanciers and dealers across the world maintain breeding populations that do not need to be augmented by the capture of wild birds.

 

Poaching of peacocks for their meat and feathers and accidental poisoning by feeding on pesticide treated seeds are known threats to wild birds. Methods to identify if feathers have been plucked or have been shed naturally have been developed, as Indian law allows only the collection of feathers that have been shed.

 

In parts of India, the birds can be a nuisance to agriculture as they damage crops. Its adverse effects on crops, however, seem to be offset by the beneficial role it plays by consuming prodigious quantities of pests such as grasshoppers. They can also be a problem in gardens and homes where they damage plants, attack their reflections (thereby breaking glass and mirrors), perch and scratch cars or leave their droppings. Many cities where they have been introduced and gone feral have peafowl management programmes. These include educating citizens on how to prevent the birds from causing damage while treating the birds humanely.

 

In culture

Prominent in many cultures, the peacock has been used in numerous iconic representations, including being designated the national bird of India in 1963. The peacock, known as mayura in Sanskrit, has enjoyed a fabled place in India since and is frequently depicted in temple art, mythology, poetry, folk music and traditions. A Sanskrit derivation of mayura is from the root mi for kill and said to mean "killer of snakes". It is also likely that the Sanskrit term is a borrowing from Proto-Dravidian *mayVr (whence the Tamil word for peacock மயில் (mayil)) or a regional Wanderwort. Many Hindu deities are associated with the bird, Krishna is often depicted with a feather in his headband, while worshippers of Shiva associate the bird as the steed of the God of war, Kartikeya (also known as Skanda or Murugan). A story in the Uttara Ramayana describes the head of the Devas, Indra, who unable to defeat Ravana, sheltered under the wing of peacock and later blessed it with a "thousand eyes" and fearlessness from serpents. Another story has Indra who after being cursed with a thousand ulcers was transformed into a peacock with a thousand eyes and this curse was removed by Vishnu.

 

In Buddhist philosophy, the peacock represents wisdom. Peacock feathers are used in many rituals and ornamentation. Peacock motifs are widespread in Indian temple architecture, old coinage, textiles and continue to be used in many modern items of art and utility. A folk belief found in many parts of India is that the peacock does not copulate with the peahen but that she is impregnated by other means. The stories vary and include the idea that the peacock looks at its ugly feet and cries whereupon the tears are fed on by the peahen causing it to be orally impregnated while other variants incorporate sperm transfer from beak to beak. Similar ideas have also been ascribed to Indian crow species. In Greek mythology the origin of the peacock's plumage is explained in the tale of Hera and Argus. The main figure of the Yazidi religion Yezidism, Melek Taus, is most commonly depicted as a peacock. Peacock motifs are widely used even today such as in the logos of the US NBC and the PTV television networks and the Sri Lankan Airlines.

 

These birds were often kept in menageries and as ornaments in large gardens and estates. In medieval times, knights in Europe took a "Vow of the Peacock" and decorated their helmets with its plumes. In several Robin Hood stories, the titular archer uses arrows fletched with peacock feathers. Feathers were buried with Viking warriors and the flesh of the bird was said to cure snake venom and many other maladies. Numerous uses in Ayurveda have been documented. Peafowl were said to keep an area free of snakes. In 1526, the legal issue as to whether peacocks were wild or domestic fowl was thought sufficiently important for Cardinal Wolsey to summon all the English judges to give their opinion, which was that they are domestic fowl.

 

In Anglo-Indian usage of the 1850s, to peacock meant making visits to ladies and gentlemen in the morning. In the 1890s, the term "peacocking" in Australia referred to the practice of buying up the best pieces of land ("picking the eyes") so as to render the surrounding lands valueless. The English word "peacock" has come to be used to describe a man who is very proud or gives a lot of attention to his clothing.

 

Main article: Di Goldene Pave

A golden peacock (in Yiddish, Di Goldene Pave) is considered by some as a symbol of Ashkenazi Jewish culture, and is the subject of several folktales and songs in Yiddish. Peacocks are frequently used in European heraldry. Heraldic peacocks are most often depicted as facing the viewer and with their tails displayed. In this pose, the peacock is referred to as being "in his pride". Peacock tails, in isolation from the rest of the bird, are rare in British heraldry, but see frequent use in German systems.

 

The American television network NBC uses a stylized peacock as a legacy of its early introduction of color television, alluding to the brilliant color of a peacock, and continues to promote the bird as a trademark of its broadcasting and streaming services.

Capable of producing 8,850 kilowatts, the Consumers Energy Croton hydroelectric plant, on the Muskegon River, began operating in 1907. With two units, Croton became the first facility in the world to transmit electricity at more than 110,000 volts. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on Aug. 16, 1979. Visit Croton Hydroelectric Plant.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_Buccaneer

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_Air_Museum#Collection

 

The Blackburn Buccaneer is a British carrier-capable attack aircraft designed in the 1950s for the Royal Navy (RN). Designed and initially produced by Blackburn Aircraft at Brough, it was later officially known as the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer when Blackburn became a part of the Hawker Siddeley Group, but this name is rarely used.

 

The Buccaneer was originally designed in response to the Soviet Union introducing the Sverdlov class of light cruisers. Instead of building a new class of its own cruisers, the Royal Navy decided that it could address the threat posed via low-level attack runs performed by Buccaneers, so low as to exploit the ship's radar horizon to minimise the opportunity for being fired upon. The Buccaneer could attack using nuclear weapons or conventional munitions. During its service life, it would be modified to carry anti-ship missiles, allowing it to attack vessels from a stand-off distance and thus improve its survivability against modern ship-based anti-aircraft weapons. The Buccaneer performed its maiden flight in April 1958 and entered Royal Navy service during July 1962.

 

Initial production aircraft suffered a series of accidents, largely due to insufficient engine power; this shortfall would be quickly addressed via the introduction of the Buccaneer S.2, equipped with more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines, in 1965. The Buccaneer S.2 would be the first Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircraft to make a non-stop, unrefuelled crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Royal Navy standardised the air wings operating from their carriers around the Buccaneer, Phantom, and the Fairey Gannet. The Buccaneer was also offered as a possible solution for the Royal Air Force (RAF) requirement for a supersonic interdictor carrying nuclear weapons. It was rejected as not meeting the specification in favour of the more advanced BAC TSR-2 bomber, but this aircraft would be cancelled largely due to its high cost, then its selected replacement, the General Dynamics F-111K, would also be cancelled. The Buccaneer was purchased as a TSR-2 substitute and entered RAF service during October 1969.

 

The Royal Navy retired the last of its large aircraft carriers in February 1979; as a result, the Buccaneer's strike role was transferred to the British Aerospace Sea Harrier and the Buccaneers were transferred to the RAF. After a crash in 1980 revealed metal fatigue problems, the RAF's fleet was reduced to 60 aircraft while the rest were withdrawn. The ending of the Cold War in the 1990s led to military cutbacks that accelerated the retirement of Britain's remaining Buccaneers; the last of the RAF's Buccaneers were retired in March 1994 in favour of the more modern Panavia Tornado. The South African Air Force (SAAF) was the only export customer for the type. Buccaneers saw combat action in the first Gulf War of 1991, and the lengthy South African Border War.

 

Following the end of the Second World War, the Royal Navy soon needed to respond to the threat posed by the rapid expansion of the Soviet Navy. Chief amongst Soviet naval developments in the early 1950s was the Sverdlov-class cruiser; these vessels were classifiable as light cruisers, being fast, effectively armed, and numerous. Like the German "pocket battleships" during the Second World War, these new Soviet cruisers presented a serious threat to the merchant fleets in the Atlantic. To counter this threat, the Royal Navy decided not to use a new ship class of its own, but instead introduce a specialised strike aircraft employing conventional or nuclear weapons. Operating from the Navy's fleet carriers, and attacking at high speed and low level, it would offer a solution to the Sverdlov problem.

 

A detailed specification was issued in June 1952 as Naval Staff Requirement NA.39, calling for a two-seat aircraft with folding wings, capable of flying at 550 knots (1,020 km/h; 630 mph) at sea level, with a combat radius of 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) at low altitude, and 800 nautical miles (1,500 km; 920 mi) at higher cruising altitudes. A weapons load of 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) was required, including conventional bombs, the Red Beard free-fall nuclear bomb, or the Green Cheese anti-ship missile. Based on the requirement, the Ministry of Supply issued specification M.148T in August 1952, and the first responses were returned in February 1953. Blackburn's design by Barry P. Laight, Project B-103, won the tender in July 1955. For reasons of secrecy, the aircraft was called BNA (Blackburn Naval Aircraft) or BANA (Blackburn Advanced Naval Aircraft) in documents, leading to the nickname of "Banana Jet". The first prototype made its maiden flight from RAE Bedford on 30 April 1958.

 

The first production Buccaneer model, the Buccaneer S.1, entered squadron service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in January 1963. It was powered by a pair of de Havilland Gyron Junior turbojets, producing 7,100 pounds-force (32,000 N) of thrust. This mark was somewhat underpowered, and as a consequence, could not achieve take off if fully laden with both fuel and armament. A temporary solution to this problem was the "buddy system": aircraft took off with a full load of weaponry and minimal fuel, and would subsequently rendezvous with a Supermarine Scimitar that would deliver the full load of fuel by aerial refuelling. The lack of power meant, however, that the loss of an engine during take-off, or landing at full load, when the aircraft was dependent on flap blowing, could be catastrophic.

 

The long-term solution to the underpowered S.1 was the development of the Buccaneer S.2, fitted with the Rolls-Royce Spey engine, which provided 40% more thrust. The turbofan Spey also had significantly lower fuel consumption than the pure-jet Gyron, which provided improved range. The engine nacelles had to be enlarged to accommodate the Spey, and the wing required minor aerodynamic modifications as a result. Hawker Siddeley announced the production order for the S.2 in January 1962. All Royal Navy squadrons had converted to the improved S.2 by the end of 1966. However, 736 Naval Air Squadron also used eight S.1 aircraft taken from storage to meet an extra training demand for RAF crews until December 1970.

 

Blackburn's first attempt to sell the Buccaneer to the Royal Air Force (RAF) occurred in 1957–1958, in response to the Air Ministry Operational Requirement OR.339, for a replacement for the RAF's English Electric Canberra light bombers, with supersonic speed, and a 1,000-nautical-mile (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) combat radius; asking for an all-weather aircraft that could deliver nuclear weapons over a long range, operate at high level at Mach 2+ or low level at Mach 1.2, with STOL performance. Blackburn proposed two designs, the B.103A, a simple modification of the Buccaneer S.1 with more fuel, and the B.108, a more extensively modified aircraft with more sophisticated avionics. Against a background of inter-service distrust, political issues, and the 1957 Defence White Paper, both types were rejected by the RAF; as being firmly subsonic, and incapable of meeting the RAF's range requirements; while the B.108, which retained Gyron Junior engines while being 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) heavier than the S.1, would have been severely underpowered, giving poor short-take off performance. The BAC TSR-2 was eventually selected in 1959.

 

After the cancellation of the TSR-2, and then the substitute American General Dynamics F-111K, the Royal Air Force still required a replacement for its Canberras in the low-level strike role, while the planned retirement for the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers meant that the RAF would also need to add a maritime strike capability. It was therefore decided in 1968 that the RAF would adopt the Buccaneer, both by the purchase of new-build aircraft, and by taking over the Fleet Air Arm's Buccaneers as the carriers were retired. A total of 46 new-build aircraft for the RAF were built by Blackburn's successor, Hawker Siddeley, designated S.2B. These had RAF-type communications and avionics equipment, Martel air-to-surface missile capability, and could be equipped with a bulged bomb-bay door containing an extra fuel tank.

 

Some Fleet Air Arm Buccaneers were modified in-service to also carry the Martel anti-ship missile. Martel-capable FAA aircraft were later redesignated S.2D. The remaining aircraft became S.2C. RAF aircraft were given various upgrades. Self-defence was improved by the addition of the AN/ALQ-101 electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod (also found on RAF's SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3), chaff and flare dispensers, and AIM-9 Sidewinder capability. RAF low-level strike Buccaneers could carry out what was known as 'retard defence'; four 1,000-pound (450 kg) retarded bombs carried internally could be dropped to provide an effective deterrent against any following aircraft. In 1979, the RAF obtained the American AN/AVQ-23E Pave Spike laser designator pod for Paveway II laser-guided bombs; allowing the aircraft to act as target designators for further Buccaneers, Jaguars, and other strike aircraft. From 1986, No. 208 Squadron RAF, then No. 12 (B) Squadron, replaced the Martel ASM with the Sea Eagle missile.

 

The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial is an aviation museum in Elvington, York on the site of the former RAF Elvington airfield, a Second World War RAF Bomber Command station. The museum was founded, and first opened to the public, in the mid 1980s.

 

The museum is one of the largest independent air museums in Britain. It is also the only Allied Air Forces Memorial in Europe. The museum is an accredited museum under Arts Council accreditation scheme. It is a Member of Friends of the Few (Battle of Britain Memorial), the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Museums Association and the Association of Independent Museums.

 

The Museum is a registered charity (No. 516766) dedicated to the history of aviation and was also set up as a Memorial to all allied air forces personnel, particularly those who served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

 

Site

Further information: RAF Elvington

The 20-acre (81,000 m2) parkland site includes buildings and hangars, some of which are listed. It incorporates a 7-acre (28,000 m2) managed environment area and a DEFRA and Environment Agency supported self sustainability project called "Nature of Flight". The museum is situated next to a 10,000 ft runway, which is privately owned.

 

History

Whilst the Royal Air Force carried on using the runway for aircraft landing and take off training until 1992, the buildings and hangars had long been abandoned. In 1980 Rachel Semlyen approached the owners of "what was then an abandoned and derelict wartime site, with the idea of restoring the buildings and creating a museum". In 1983, a group started clearing the undergrowth and the site was ready to be unveiled as the Yorkshire Air Museum in 1986.

 

Events

The Museum undertakes several annual events each year within the general attraction / entertainment area as well as educational / academic events for specific audiences, plus several corporate events in association with companies such as Bentley, Porsche, banking, government agencies etc. The unique annual Allied Air Forces Memorial Day takes place in September.

 

Exhibits

The Museum has over 50 aircraft spanning the development of aviation from 1853 up to the latest GR4 Tornado. Several aircraft including Victor, Nimrod, Buccaneer, Sea Devon, SE5a, Eastchurch Kitten, DC3 Dakota are kept live and operated on special "Thunder Days" during the year. Over 20 historic vehicles and a Registered Archive containing over 500,000 historic artefacts and documents are also preserved at the Museum, which is also the Official Archive for the National Aircrew Association and National Air Gunners Association. It is nationally registered and accredited through DCMS/Arts Council England and is a registered charity.

 

A permanent exhibition on RAF Bomber Command was opened at the museum by life member, Sir David Jason. In 2010 a new exhibition called "Pioneers of Aviation", and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, was opened featuring the lives and achievements of Sir George Cayley, Sir Barnes Wallis, Robert Blackburn, Nevil Shute and Amy Johnson.

 

Principal on-site businesses include: Restaurant, Retail Shop, Events, Aircraft Operation Engineering Workshops, Archives and Corporate Business Suite. The museum is also a location for TV and film companies.

 

Building 1 – Airborne Forces Display & No. 609 Squadron RAF Room

Building 2 – Uniform Display

Building 3 – Air Gunners' Exhibition

Building 4 – Archives & Reference Library

Building 5 – Museum Shop

Building 7 – Memorial Garden

Building 8 – Museum HQ, Main Entrance

Building 9 – Against the Odds

Building 10 – Elvington Corporate Room

Building 11 – Museum NAAFI Restaurant

Building 12 – Control Tower

Building 13 – French Officers' Mess

Building 14 – Airmens Billet and Station MT Display

Building 15 – Royal Observer Corp

Building 16 – Signal Square

Building 17 – Hangar T2 Main Aircraft exhibition

Building 18 – Archive & Collections Building

Building 19 – Handley Page Aircraft Workshop

Building 20 – Pioneer of Aviation Exhibition

 

Collection

Aircraft on display

Pre-World War II

Avro 504K – Replica

Blackburn Mercury – Replica

Cayley Glider – Replica

Mignet HM.14 Pou-du-Ciel

Port Victoria P.V.8 Eastchurch Kitten Replica

Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c – Replica

Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a – Replica

Wright Flyer – Replica

 

World War II

Avro Anson T.21 VV901

Douglas Dakota IV KN353

Fairchild Argus II FK338

Gloster Meteor F.8 WL168

Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788

Handley Page Halifax III LV907

Hawker Hurricane I – Replica

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 – Replica

Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet RA854

Supermarine Spitfire I – Replica

Waco Hadrian 237123

 

Post World War II

Air Command Commander Elite

Beagle Terrier 2 TJ704

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star 133417

de Havilland Devon C.2 VP967

de Havilland Vampire T.11 XH278

Europa Prototype 001

Mainair Demon

Saunders-Roe Skeeter AOP.12 XM553

Westland Dragonfly HR.5 WH991

 

Cold War

BAC Jet Provost T.4 XP640

Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 XN974

Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B XX901

British Aerospace Harrier GR.3 XV748

British Aerospace Nimrod MR.2 XV250

Dassault Mirage IIIE 538

Dassault Mirage IVA 45/BR

English Electric Canberra T.4 WH846

English Electric Lightning F.6 XS903 which arrived during June 1988.

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 XL502

Gloster Javelin FAW.9 XH767

Handley Page Victor K.2 XL231

Hawker Hunter FGA.78 QA10

Hawker Hunter T.7 XL572

Panavia Tornado GR.1 ZA354

Panavia Tornado GR.4 XZ631

 

Ground vehicles

Second World War

Thompson Brothers Aircraft Refueller

1938 Ford Model E

1940 "Tilly" Standard 12 hp Mkl RAF Utility Vehicle

1941 Chevrolet 4x4 CMP

1942 Austin K2 NAAFI Wagon

1942 Thornycroft ‘Amazon’ Coles Crane

 

Cold War

1947 Commer one and a half deck airport coach

1949 Citroen 11BL

1948 David Brown VIG.2 Aircraft Tractor

1949 David Brown VIG.3 Aircraft Tractor

1951 David Brown GP Airfield Tractor

1953 Alvis Saracen 12ton APC

1953 Austin Champ Cargo 4x4 General Purpose Vehicle

1956 Green Goddess Self Propelled Pump

1958 Commer Q4 Bikini Fire Pump Unit

1958 Lansing Aircraft Carrier Type Tug

1959 Daimler Ferret ASC MK.2/3/7

1966 Chieftain Main Battle Tank

1970 Douglas P3 nuclear aircraft 25 tonne tug

1971 Pathfinder Fire Engine 35ton (ex. Manchester Airport)

1972 TACR2 Range Rover - 6 wheeled fast response fire unit

1974 GMC 6 wheeled fast response airfield fire truck

1976 Dennis Mercury 17.5 tonne aircraft tug

Pathfinder Fire Engine

Kellet K-2 test bed, Army Air Corps, Wright Field, 1931

 

Before World War II, aeronautical engineers sought to build an aircraft capable of making short takeoffs and landings. Eventually, their efforts produced the helicopter, but they also pursued a less common design -- the autogiro. Like helicopters, autogiros used a rotary wing to produce lift. However, unlike helicopters, the engine did not power the autogiro's rotor. Instead, aerodynamic forces made the autogiro rotor spin, while the engine propelled the aircraft.

 

In 1931 the Kellett brothers, Wallace and Rod, manufactured 12 K-2 autogiros. Based on existing Cierva and Pitcairn autogiro designs, the K-2 incorporated a much larger blade area, a simplified landing gear and a wider fuselage to accommodate side-by-side seating. Equipped with a 165-hp Continental A-70 engine, the K-2 could carry a useful load of 609 pounds at a top speed of 100 mph, a cruise speed of 80 mph and a stall speed of 24 mph.

 

In 1932 Kellett produced an improved model, the K-3. Powered by a 210-hp Kinner C-5 engine, it had a top speed of 110 mph, a cruise speed of 90 mph and a stall speed of only 15 mph. Kellett produced six of these aircraft, with two of them being modified K-2s.

 

To observe enemy forces and to control artillery fire, the U.S. Army needed an aircraft capable of flying very slowly, and the autogiro seemed to be a perfect solution. Therefore, the U.S. Army Air Corps tested both versions of the Kellett at Wright Field, but these aircraft lacked the performance necessary for military applications.

 

Later versions of the Kellett autogiro proved more successful, and the Army Air Corps purchased a small number of Kellett YG-1s, the first practical rotorcraft procured by the Army Air Corps, at the end of the 1930s. The Kelletts sold two K-3s to the Japanese War Office in 1932, but the most famous Kellett was the K-3 that Admiral Richard E. Byrd used on his Antarctic Expedition of 1933-1934.

 

The aircraft on display, a modified K-2, was the first autogiro tested by the Army Air Corps at Wright Field in 1931.

 

TECHNICAL NOTES:

Crew: Two

Armament: None

Load: 753 lbs.

Weight: 1,647 lbs. empty

The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber, and the first capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the 1960s. Originally intended to fly at high altitudes and speeds to avoid Soviet fighters, the introduction of highly accurate Soviet surface-to-air missiles forced the B-58 into a low-level penetration role that severely limited its range and strategic value. This led to a brief operational career between 1960 and 1969. Its specialized role was succeeded by other American supersonic bombers, such as the FB-111A and the later B-1B Lancer.

 

The B-58 received a great deal of notoriety due to its sonic boom, which was often heard by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.

 

This aircraft flew from Los Angeles to New York and back on 5 March 1962, setting three separate speed records, and earning the crew the Bendix Trophy and the Mackay Trophy for 1962. The aircraft was flown to the Museum on 1 March 1969.

 

General characteristics

 

* Crew: 3: pilot; observer (navigator, radar operator, bombardier); defense system operator (DSO; electronic countermeasures operator and pilot assistant).

* Length: 96 ft 10 in (29.5 m)

* Wingspan: 56 ft 9 in (17.3 m)

* Height: 29 ft 11 in (8.9 m)

* Wing area: 1,542 ft² (143.3 m²)

* Airfoil: NACA 0003.46-64.069 root, NACA 0004.08-63 tip

* Empty weight: 55,560 lb (25,200 kg)

* Loaded weight: 67,871 lb (30,786 kg)

* Max takeoff weight: 176,890 lb (80,240 kg)

* Powerplant: 4× General Electric J79-GE-5A turbojet

* *Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0068

* Drag area: 10.49 ft² (0.97 m²)

* Aspect ratio: 2.09

 

Performance

 

* Maximum speed: Mach 2.0 (1,319mph) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m)

* Cruise speed: 610 mph (530 kn, 985 km/h)

* Combat radius: 1,740 mi (1,510 nmi, 3,220 km)

* Ferry range: 4,100 mi (4,700 nmi, 7,600 km)

* Service ceiling: 63,400 ft (19,300 m)

* Rate of climb: 17,400 ft/min (88 m/s) at gross weight[30]

* Wing loading: 44.0 lb/ft² (215 kg/m²)

* Thrust/weight: 0.919 lbf/lb

* Lift-to-drag ratio: 11.3 (without weapons/fuel pod)

 

Armament

 

* Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.79 in) T171 cannon[29]

* Bombs: 4× B-43 or B61 nuclear bombs; maximum weapons load was 19,450 lb (8,820 kg)

The F-105 Thunderchief, which would become a legend in the history of the Vietnam War, started out very modestly as a proposal for a large, supersonic replacement for the RF-84F Thunderflash tactical reconnaissance fighter in 1951. Later this was expanded by Republic’s famous chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, to a nuclear-capable, high-speed, low-altitude penetration tactical fighter-bomber which could also replace the F-84 Thunderstreak.

 

The USAF liked the idea, as the F-84 had shown itself to be at a disadvantage against Chinese and Soviet-flown MiG-15s over Korea, and ordered 200 of the new design before it was even finalized. This order was reduced to only 37 aircraft with the end of the Korean War, but nonetheless the first YF-105A Thunderchief flew in October 1955. Although it was equipped with an interim J57 engine and had drag problems, it still achieved supersonic speed. When the design was further refined as the YF-105B, with the J75 engine and area ruling, it went over Mach 2. This was in spite of the fact that the design had mushroomed in size from Kartveli’s initial idea to one of the largest and heaviest fighter ever to serve with the USAF: fully loaded, the F-105 was heavier than a B-17 bomber. The USAF ordered 1800 F-105s, though this would be reduced to 830 examples.

 

Almost immediately, the F-105 began to be plagued with problems. Some of the trouble could be traced to the normal teething problems of any new aircraft, but for awhile it seemed the Thunderchief was too hot to handle, with a catastrophically high accident rate. This led to the aircraft getting the nickname of “Thud,” supposedly for the sound it made when hitting the ground, along with other not-so-affectionate monikers such as “Ultra Hog” and “Squat Bomber.” Despite its immense size and bad reputation, however, the F-105 was superb at high speeds, especially at low level, was difficult to stall, and its cockpit was commended for its ergonomic layout. Earlier “narrow-nose” F-105Bs were replaced by wider-nosed, radar-equipped F-105Ds, the mainline version of the Thunderchief, while two-seat F-105Fs were built as conversion trainers.

 

Had it not been for the Vietnam War, however, the F-105 might have gone down in history as simply another 1950s era mildly successful design. Deployed to Vietnam at the beginning of the American involvement there in 1964, the Thunderchief was soon heading to North Vietnam to attack targets there in the opening rounds of Operation Rolling Thunder; this was in spite of the fact that the F-105 was designed primarily as a low-level (and, as its pilots insisted, one-way) tactical nuclear bomber. Instead, F-105s were heading north festooned with conventional bombs.

 

As Rolling Thunder gradually expanded to all of North Vietnam, now-camouflaged Thuds “going Downtown” became iconic, fighting their way through the densest concentration of antiaircraft fire in history, along with SAMs and MiG fighters. The F-105 now gained a reputation for something else: toughness, a Republic hallmark. Nor were they defenseless: unlike the USAF’s primary fighter, the F-4 Phantom II, the F-105 retained an internal 20mm gatling cannon, and MiG-17s which engaged F-105s was far from a foregone conclusion, as 27 MiGs were shot down by F-105s for the loss of about 20. If nothing else, Thud pilots no longer burdened with bombs could simply elect to head home at Mach 2 and two thousand feet, outdistancing any MiG defenders.

 

If the Thud had any weakness, it was its hydraulic system, which was found to be extremely vulnerable to damage. However, it was likely more due to poor tactics and the restrictive Rules of Engagement, which sent F-105s into battle on predictable routes (namely from the northeast, down the Red River Valley to Hanoi and over Tam Do Mountain—renamed by American pilots “Thud Ridge”), unable to return fire on SAM sites until missiles were launched at them, and their F-4 escorts hamstrung by being forced to wait until MiGs were on attack runs before engaging them. The tropical climate also took a toll on man and machine, with the end result that 382 F-105s were lost over Vietnam, nearly half of all Thuds ever produced and the highest loss rate of any USAF aircraft.

 

The combination of a high loss rate and the fact that the F-105 really was not designed to be used in the fashion it was over Vietnam led to the type’s gradual withdrawal after 1968 in favor of more F-4s and a USAF version of the USN’s A-7 Corsair II. An improved all-weather bombing system, Thunderstick II, was given to a few of the F-105D survivors, but this was not used operationally. The Thud soldiered on another decade in Air National Guard and Reserve units until February 1984, when the type was finally retired in favor of the F-16, and its spiritual successor, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

 

Dad got to be friends with a well-known Thud pilot of the Vietnam War, Ben Allen. Allen, a native of Texas, flew one of the first camouflaged F-105s on his tour and named his bird the "Lone Star Special." Dad built Allen a 1/48 scale model of his F-105, which Dad regarded as a challenge, as it would require painting it in "reverse camouflage." Allen's Thud was painted in the correct Southeast Asia pattern worn by F-105s after 1966, but for some reason the colors were applied in reverse--greens where browns were normally used, and vice-versa. A few other F-105s were painted in this fashion as well.

 

"The Lone Star Special" is configured for working against surface-to-air missile sites, with six Mk 84 750-pound bombs, two external fuel tanks, an AGM-45 Shrike antiradar missile, and an ALQ-87 electronic countermeasures pod. Allen flew before tailcodes were adopted in Vietnam, so it only carries a tail number. Allen completed his 100 missions and came home safely, but 61-0140 was not as lucky. It was shot down on 7 August 1966 near Hanoi; the pilot ejected, was captured, and finished the war as a POW. The model is, to the best of my knowledge, still in the possession of Mr. Allen.

Young Grebes are capable of swimming and diving almost after hatching.The adult teach these skills to their young by carrying them at their back and diving,leaving the chicks to float on the surface,they then re-emerge a few feet away,so that the chicks may swim back onto them.

 

Taken at Knypersley Pool

Staff's

The Annual British Truck Racing Championship Made its way Back to The Brands Hatch Circuit for its Season Finale Marking the End of Motorsport for the Season.

 

With a Massive Firework Display on the Sunday and Plenty of on and Off Track Action The Weekend was Shaping up to be One to Remember.

 

Many Drivers and Support Races were also Present from the small Yet Nimble Legends Cars to the Much Bigger and more Powerful 1000 Break Horse Power Racing Trucks that will be doing Battle on the circuit Saturday was Looking like a Really Good Start to a Weekend of Speed Madness and Awesome Racing.

 

Speaking of which Lets take a Look and See what Qualifying will Hold for Each Support and Main Race and Find out who Will be Taking Pole for The First Races of The Weekend.

 

Legends Cars Championship (Qualifying)

 

First Up is the Famous and Fan Favourite Legends Cars Championship, Thease Little Tiny Machines Run Yamaha Motorbike Engines within them that run up to 1200/1250cc Depending on the Spec of Engine. They also are 120 Break Horse Power and with how Light Weight they are (1,325lbs Including The Driver) Thease Cars are Very Quick and Very Nimble.

 

Lets Find Out who came where in Qualifying and Who Will be Starting on the Front Row.

 

In First Place Taking Pole and The Fastest Lap was (Chris Needham) in his Legend Coupe 1250 with a Best Lap Time of 55.691 and a Top Speed of 78.08mph. Amazing Work there Chris Well Deserved and Super Job for Pole Position.

 

In Second Place was (Will Gibson) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe 1250 with a Best Lap Time of 55.721 and a Top Speed of 78.04mph. Superb Job there Will Fighting Hard and Very Nearly Taking Pole from Chris.

 

In Third Place was (John Mickel) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe 1250 with a Best Lap Time of 55.740 and a Top Speed of 78.01mph. Amazing Work John Pushing that Legend Hard and Securing P3 on the Gird for the Race Super Job.

 

Three Very Fast and Capable Drivers in Chris Will and John All Fighting it out with their Fellow Competitors for The Victory Come the First Race but who will be Brave enough to Take on the Top 3 Fastest Drivers out there? We will Have to Wait and See.

 

Junior Saloon Car Championship (Qualifying Part 1)

 

Next Up we Have The Junior Saloon Car Championship a Racing Series Designed for Much Younger Drivers (Between 14 and 17 Years of Age) who want to try their Hand in Motorsport from a Young Age.

 

Thease Drivers are Mostly Fearless and always Provide some Very Intense and Incredible Racing Due to their Competitive Nature and Determination to Win and Succeed.

 

The Cars Used for This Series are Citroen Saxo VTR'S that are 1600cc In Terms of Power Meaning that Every Driver is on a Level Playing Field when the Racing Starts making for some Close Wheel to Wheel Action and Really showing who the Most Skilled and Quickest Drivers out there are.

 

Speaking of Which Lets Get straight to Qualifying and see who was the Most Fearless and Managed to Clock an Incredible Lap During Qualifying.

 

In First Place Taking Pole Position and The Fastest Lap was (Charlie Hand) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.554 and a Top Speed of 74.26mph. In credible Driving there Charlie Very Precise and Controlled Thought the Entire Lap to Secure P1 on the Gird Amazing Job.

 

In Second Place was (Jamie Petters) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.661 and a Top Speed of 74.13mph. Great Work there Jamie Pushing Hard and Securing that P2 Spot on the Front Row of the Gird Superb Job.

 

In Third Place was (Harvey Caton) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.685 and a Top Speed of 74.10mph. Incredible Drive there Harvey Pushing The Car and Fighting All the While to Defend that P3 on the Gird.

 

What an Incredibly Talented array of Drivers in Charlie Jamie and Harvey All Battling it out with their Fellow Competitors to try and Win the Championship and get those All Important Points they Need which could make up the Difference. Qualifying Second Fastest is up Next so lets take a look and see Who will come out on Top.

 

Junior Saloon Car Championship (Qualifying Second Fastest)

 

Following the Results from The First Qualifying Session the Second Qualifying Session Will see all the Drivers Go out again to Better their Lap Times and Maybe even Allow some New Competitors to Move up the Order into the Podium Places.

 

Lets Take a Look and See if Charlie Hand has managed to Hold onto His P1 Position on the Grid.

 

In First Place Taking Pole Position and The Fastest Lap was (Charlie Hand) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.639 and a Top Speed of 74.15mph. Another Incredible Lap from Charlie Hand Putting Himself Once Again on Pole for The First Race for The Junior Saloon Car Championship. Congratulations Charlie.

 

In Second Place was (Will Redford) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.851 and a Top Speed of 73.89mph. Great Drive there from Will Securing P2 and Adding a New Driver to the Top of the Standings. Great Work.

 

In Third Place was (Jamie Petters) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.861 and a Top Speed of 73.87mph. Fantastic Work there Jamie Really Pushing the Car Hard and Taking that Third Position Away from Harvey on the Gird. Nice Job.

 

Another Really Intense Qualifying Session which has seen the Likes of Charlie Will and Jamie all Emerge Victoriously on the Front Row but out of All Three of Thease Very Talented Drivers only one of them Can take The Race Win but who is it going to be?

 

CTCRC Racing For Marshals (Qualifying)

 

Next Up was The CTCRC Racing For Marshals Race a Very Special Support Race added to the Weekend at the Last Moments to Congratulate and Commemorate the Important Safety and Work each and Every Marshal of the Circuit does where ever they go and What Ever the Circuit.

 

The Orange Army as they are Known as take out their Time on Weekends to Volunteer at Race Meets Marshalling the Races to ensure Driver Safety is a Top Priority in the Sport and that Rules are being Adhered to.

 

From Volunteers who Clean the Track after Each Race to Flag Wavers to Incident Respondents and even Vehicle Recovery The Orange Army is always on Standby For When Anything goes Wrong. They Have a Passion for Motorsport that Cannot be Matched and a Community that is still Going Strong to this Day all over the Country.

 

The Race itself Features a Wide Variety of Cars from Honda Civic EG2000 to Ford Escort MK1 Mexico's to even Aston Martin V8 Vantages. Each and Every Car has its Strengths and Weaknesses when it comes to Power and Control.

 

Lets take a Look at Qualifying and see who Managed to Taim their Beast and take that All Important P1 Spot on the Gird for Race 1.

 

In First Place taking Pole Position and the Fastest Lap was (Samuel Wilson) in his Aston Martin V8 Vantage with a Best Lap Time of 52.087 and a Top Speed of 83.48mph. Phenomenal Drive there Samuel Really Working Hard to Keep the Car on the Track and Utilise all that Important Horse Power.

 

In Second Place was (Gary Prebble) in his Honda Civic EG2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.672 and a Top Speed of 82.56mph. Great Work there Gary Pushing Hard and Ensuring that P2 is Secure on the Gird. Great Driving.

 

In Third Place was (Mike Saunders) in his Ford MK1 Escort Mexico with a Best Lap Time of 52.837 and a Top Speed of 82.30mph. Fantastic Work there Mike Great Job and Well Done for Securing P3 on the Grid.

 

A Really Fantastic Trio of Drivers in P1 P2 And P3 in the Likes of Samuel Gary and Mike all Pushing Hard and Making their Mark Amongst their Fellow Drivers but will anyone Else be able to challenge them and Potentially take that All Important P1 Spot Right Out from Underneath them? Stay Tuned to Find Out.

 

Pickup Truck Championship (Qualifying Part 1)

 

Pickup Trucks made their way out onto the Circuit Next and With some Very Fast and Capable Machinery in each of thease Cars Expect to see Very Fast Lap Times and a Lot of High Speed Action.

 

The Pickup Trucks themselves are Made out of a Space Frame with the Bodies on all the Trucks Just being either Plastic or Fibreglass which Helps to Reduce Weight and Allows for some Very Quick Lap Times around the Circuit.

 

Engine Specifications for the Pickup Trucks Includes a 2.0 Litre Engine Capable of 220 Break Horse Power and Much like The Legends Cars they are Still Very Nimble at High Speeds Resulting in Full concentration and Skill to ensure Victory on the Race Track.

 

Lets Look to Qualifying and see what Happened and who will be On Pole for the First of Two Qualifying Sessions This is Part 1.

 

In First Place taking Pole and the Fastest Lap was (Matt Wills) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.358 and a Top Speed of 83.05mph. Great Drive there Matt Pushing Hard and Keeping the Truck Pointing in the Right Direction at All Times. Great Work.

 

In Second Place was (Matt Simpson) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.529 and a Top Speed of 82.78mph. Well Done Matt P2 and a Super Drive from you as well.

 

In Third Place was (Dean Tompkins) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.593 and a Top Speed of 82.68mph. Well Done Dean A Really Good Drive and Fending off David O' Regan to take that All Important P3 on the Grid.

 

Another Incredible Display of Car Control and High Speed Action from the Two Matt's and Dean for what I'm Sure will be a Fantastic First Race when the Lights Go Out but for Now its onto Qualifying Part 2 to see if Any of the Fastest Drivers Can Improve or Move their Positions on the Gird to a Better Starting Spot.

 

Pickup Truck Championship (Qualifying Part 2)

 

For Part 2 of This Qualifying Session the Top 20 Fastest Drivers Battle it out for Another Chance to either Improve or Defend their Position from the First Qualifying Session.

 

Lets take a Look and see How Dean and the Two Matt's go on Did they Stay where they Were or Have they Moved About a bit and Allowed a New Driver to take Pole for the Race?

  

In First Place taking Pole and The Fastest Lap was (Mark Willis) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.358 and a Top Speed of 83.05mph. Congratulations Mark P1 and a Front Row Start on the Gird for Race 1. Incredible Lap.

 

In Second Place was (Matt Simpson) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.529 and a Top Speed of 82.78mph. Another Fantastic Lap there Matt Hanging onto P2 on the Grid and Matching Your Previous Fastest Time. Great Stuff.

 

In Third Place was (Dean Thomas) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.593 and a Top Speed of 82.68mph. Fantastic Work there Dean Keep Hold of that P3 on the Grid and Defending Well from P4's David O' Regan.

 

What a Superb Bit of Driving from Each of the Top Three in Mark Matt and Dean Thease Three Really Know How to Push their Pickup Trucks to the Limit and Race them Right on the Edge of what is Possible Around this Circuit. Looking Forward to the First Race and to see who can make their Mark on the Weekend First.

 

British Truck Racing Championship (Qualifying)

 

Finally it was Time for The Heavy Weights to make their way out onto the Circuit and with 1000 Break Horse Power under each of the Drivers Right Foot This will Surely be a Qualifying Session of who is Brave Enough to Push their Truck to the Limit and Take Pole Position for Race 1 of the Weekend.

 

In First Place taking Pole Position and The Fastest Lap was (Ryan Smith) in his Mercedes Actros 12000 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.232 and a Top Speed of 72.19mph. Brilliant Driving from Ryan Really Pushing on and Getting the Job Done to Secure the First Pole Position for Truck Racing this Weekend. Fantastic Drive.

 

In Second Place was (Stuart Oliver) in his Volvo VNL 13000 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.949 and a Top Speed of 71.34mph. Well Driven there Stuart Keeping the Volvo Out of Trouble and Taking a Well Deserved P2 Spot on the Grid.

 

In Third Place was (David Jenkins) in his Man TGX 12000 with a Best Lap Time of 1:01.146 and a Top Speed of 71.11mph. Great Drive there David Really Well Done that's P3 on the Grid.

 

Three Incredible Drivers in Ryan Stuart and David all Pushing themselves Hard and Getting Ready for what Will be a Super First Race for the Trucks. To All the Other Truck Racers and Support Racers taking Part Good Luck and May the Best Man Win.

 

Legends Cars Championship (Race 1 Results)

 

After a Very Hectic Qualifying Session which saw Chris Needham Will Gibson and John Mickel in First Second and Third Place it was Time for Race 1 and to see out of the Top 3 Drivers as well as the Rest of the Drivers who could take that All Important Race Victory.

 

In First Place Taking the Win was (Sean Smith) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe 1250 with a Best Lap Time of 56.515 and an Average Speed of 50.17mph. Congratulations Sean Really Well Driven and Held together for that Impressive Victory.

 

In Second Place was (Stephen Whitelegg) in his Legend Coupe 1250 with a Best Lap Time of 56.352 and an Average Speed of 50.17 mph. Superb Driving from Stephen and a Fantastic P2 Finish on the Podium.

 

In Third Place was (John Mickel) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe with a Best Lap Time of 56.160 and an Average Speed of 50.16mph. Great Driving There John P3 and The Final Step on the Podium.

 

What an Amazing First Race that was for The Legends Cars Championship with the Likes of Sean Stephen and John all Taking Superb Victories and Battle Through the Field. Good Luck to all other Drivers and Lets see what Race 2 Brings.

 

Legends Cars Championship (Race 2 Results)

 

After a Really Intense Battle at the Top End of the Field it was Time once again for the Legends Cars and their Drivers to Head out onto the Circuit for Race 2.

 

In First Place Taking the Win was (Will Gibson) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe with a Best Lap Time of 55.548 and an Average Speed of 77.28mph. Phenomenal Drive there Will Pushing Hard through the Field to take a Very Well Deserved Race Win. Congratulations.

 

In Second Place was (Miles Rudman) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe with a Best Lap Time of 55.541 and an Average Speed of 77.25mph. Great Drive there Miles Pushing Yourself and The Car Thought the entire Race and Securing P2.

 

In Third Place was (Mike Schlup) in his Legend 34 Coupe with a Best Lap Time of 55.638 and an Average Speed of 77.07mph. Great Driving there Mike Nicely Done and P3 on the Podium Super Job.

 

Another Amazing Race which saw the Likes of Will Miles and Mike all Taking Victories with a Superb Display of Driving from Each of them and some Very Competitive Action thought the Race from other Drivers too. Race 3 is Up Next and who will take the Final Race Victory of the Day for The Legends Championship?

 

Legends Cars Championship (Race 3 Results)

 

The Final Legends Race of Saturday and with so Many Different Drivers Winning such as Will Gibson Sean Smith would anybody else be able to take on thease Top Level Drivers and Bring Home Glory to their Team?

 

Lets Find Out

 

In First Place taking the Victory was (John Mickel) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe with a Best Lap Time of 56.016 and an Average Speed of 63.83mph. Amazing Job John Really Pushing the Car to its Limits in this Last Race and Taking Home the Spoils and The Glory. A Really Nice way to End The First Days Racing Congratulations.

 

In Second Place was (Paul Simmons) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe with a Best Lap Time of 55.801 and an Average Speed of 63.81mph. Nice Work Paul A Really Solid Race and a Great Finish for a First Days Racing at Brands Hatch.

 

In Third Place was (Jack Parker) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe with a Best Lap Time of 55.682 and an Average Speed of 63.54mph. Really Great Drive Jack 3rd Place and Fantastic to see a New Winner on the Podium for Legends Racing Really Well Deserved.

 

What an Incredible First Day of Racing it has been for the Legends Championship and with another Three Races to come on Sunday the Action will continue to Intensify. A Big Congratulations to all of the Race Winners in John Paul Jack Stephen Mike Miles and Sean who all Drove Insanely Well and Well Done to all of the other Drivers out there. Keep Pushing and Never Give Up.

 

Junior Saloon Car Championship (Race 1 Results)

 

The First Race for the Junior Saloon Cars Championship is Up Next and After seeing Charlie Hand Dominate the Field in Qualifying Will any other Driver be able to Stop Him.

 

Lets Find Out

 

In First Place taking the Victory was (Charlie Hand) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.995 and an Average Speed of 61.36mph. Phenomenal Job Once Again Charlie Putting on a Super Display of Driving Skill and Speed to Dominate Your way to Victory from Lights to Flag. Amazing Drive.

 

In Second Place was (Will Redford) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 58.981 and an Average Speed of 61.33mph. Really Well Driven there Will Chasing Down Charlie Right till the End and Still Finishing an Incredible Second Place. Congratulations.

 

In Third Place was (Jamie Petters) in his Citroen Saxo VTR 1600 with a Best Lap Time of 59.392 and an Average Speed of 60.74mph. Great Drive there Jamie A Lot of Hard work and Dedication to achieve that Third Position Fighting off Ruben Hage in a Thrilling Battling Side by Side. Well Done.

 

A Fantastic Opening Race for the Junior Saloon Car Championship with the likes of Charlie Hand coming out Victorious Once Again with Will Redford in Second Place and Jamie Petters in Third.

 

A Quick Mention of that Incredible Battle Between Jamie and Ruben for 3rd Place What a Phenomenal Bit of Driving from thease Two Young Drivers as they went Side by Side Continuously for Three Straight Laps before Jamie took that All Important P3 with a Move at Paddock Hill Bend. Great work to Ruben too a Phenomenal Drive for P4.

 

Looking Forward to some More Intense Racing Action from thease Two as Well as all the other Drivers in This Series on Sunday Until Then Good Luck and Keep Racing!

 

CTCRC Racing For Marshals (Race 1 Results)

 

After a Brilliant Qualifying Session which saw Samuel Wilson in his Aston Martin V8 Vantage take Victory Over Gary Prebble and Mike Saunders it was Time to see what the CRTC Drivers could get up to and who could take their First Victory in Race 1.

 

In First Place Taking Victory was (Scott Kirwan) in his Reno Clio 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 58.832 and an Average Speed of 72.98mph. Amazing Drive there Scott A Well Deserved Victory to take First Place.

 

In Second Place was (Keith Evans) in his Alpha Romeo Alpfasud with a Best Lap Time of 1:03.789 and an Average Speed of 67.70mph. Great Work there Keith Really Pushing Hard and Taking a Well Deserved P2 in the Race. Fantastic Work.

 

In Third Place was (Nathan Berrisford) in his BMW 1800ti with a Best Lap Time of 1:03.752 and an Average Speed of 67.53mph. Great Work from Nathan To Achieve Third Place and take that Final Step on the Podium Congratulations.

 

A Really Great First Race for the CTCRC Showcasing some Impressive Machinery and some Really Amazing Drivers in Scott Keith and Nathan All Taking Superb Victories on DAY 1. Good Luck to all of the other Drivers out their your Time Will Come, Keep Racing and Pushing your Team and Yourself to Go Further.

 

Pickup Truck Championship (Race 1 Results)

 

Next Up The Pickup Trucks Made their way out onto the Circuit and after Seeing what thease Drivers could do in Qualifying it was Mark Willis who took Pole Position in the Second Fastest Qualifying Category with Matt Simpson in Second Place and Dean Thomas in Third. Who Will be Able to Challenge each of the Top Three?

 

Lets Find Out

 

In First Place taking the Race Win and the Fastest Lap was (Dean Thompkins) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.051 and an Average Speed of 81.70mph. Congratulations Dean Really Well Done and a Fantastic Drive thought the entire Race.

 

In Second Place was (Paul Thompkins) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.402 and an Average Speed of 81.68mph. Superb Job there Paul Working Really Hard and Trying to Stay Close to Dean Most of The Time as Well.

 

In Third Place was (Matt Simpson) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with a Best Lap Time of 52.519 and an Average Speed of 81.65mph. Really Well Done Matt Fantastic Drive with a Few Sideways Moments and Securing P3 on the Podium.

 

A Really Exciting First Race for the Pickup Trucks as they Battled it out to see who could take that All Important Victory and become a Race Winner. Huge Congratulations to Dean Paul and Matt for putting on One Hell of a Great Race and to All the other Pickup Truck Drivers who showed their Skills and Racing Passion while Competing. Looking Forward to Sunday and More Track Action from This Lot.

 

British Truck Racing Championship (Race 1 Results)

 

Lastly for the Saturday was The British Truck Racing Championship and after a Really Aggressive Qualifying Session it was Time for each Driver to put their Skills to the Test and Battle it out for a Victory.

 

With Ryan Smith in Pole Position Stuart Oliver in Second and David Jenkins in Third This Race is Going to be One Hell of a Good Race to Witness.

 

In First Place taking the Victory was (Ryan Smith) in his Mercedes Actros 12000 with a Best Lap Time of 58.945 and an Average Speed of 72.21mph. Congratulations Ryan Really Well Deserved and a Fantastic Victory for Race 1.

 

In Second Place was (David Jenkins) in his Man TGX 12000 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.159 and an Average Speed of 71.48mph. Amazing Job there David Taking your P3 Position in Qualifying and Turning it into a P2 Finish at the End of the Race Great Drive.

 

In Third Place was (John Newell) in his Man TGS 12000 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.718 and an Average Speed of 70.64mph. Nice Work John Pushing the Truck Hard and Fending off Martin Gibson to take a Well Deserved Third Place.

 

Super Racing From the British Truck Racing Championship with Many Side by Side Battles Taking Place thought the Race and Lots of Sideways Action to Round off the Saturday Here at Brands Hatch.

 

A Big Congratulations to Ryan Smith David Jenkins and John Newell who all Drove Very Well and Showed what a True Championship Like Drive is in one of thease Monstrous Trucks. Well Done to all of the other Truck Racers who also Took Part Hoping to see some New Faces on the Top Step of the Podium Come Sunday.

 

For Now See You ALL Then!

Copyright: © 2009 Melissa Goodman. All Rights Reserved.

(Please, while I appreciate the idea of sharing, no multiple invitations .. thanks!)

 

The red wasp is a social insect, with each nest occupied by a single queen that lays eggs and similar looking female workers who are her daughters. Males, born only later in the season, perform the sole duty of mating with future queens.

 

Red wasps are considered beneficial because they consume caterpillars. The adults actually eat nectar from flowers, but they spend much of their time hunting in order to feed the grubs developing in their nest. If a wasp finds a caterpillar that is too large to carry away, it will cut it up on the spot and sometimes eat some and carry back just a portion to the nest. The bits of flesh are chewed up before being fed to the developing grubs. It is surprising how quickly the wasps are capable of disposing of a caterpillar after they locate it.

 

The females are capable of giving a painful sting but males cannot, as the stinger is actually a modified ovipositor. While red wasps are not particularly aggressive, they tend to build their nests in hidden locations and will sting when these are disturbed.

home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/beast/archbeast3-05.html

Jumping spider

 

The jumping spider family (Salticidae) contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation. Although they normally move unobtrusively and fairly slowly, most species are capable of very agile jumps, notably when hunting, but sometimes in response to sudden threats. Both their book lungs and the tracheal system are well-developed, and they use both systems (bimodal breathing). Jumping spiders are generally recognized by their eye pattern. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes with one pair being their particularly large anterior median eyes.

  

Distinguishing characteristics

 

Jumping spiders are among the easiest to distinguish from similar spider families because of the shape of the cephalothorax and their eye patterns. The families closest to Salticidae in general appearance are the Corinnidae (distinguished also by prominent spines on the back four legs), the Oxyopidae (the lynx spiders, distinguished by very prominent spines on all legs), and the Thomisidae (the crab spiders, distinguished by their front four legs, which are very long and powerful). None of these families however, has eyes that resemble those of the Salticidae. Conversely, the legs of jumping spiders are not covered with any very prominent spines. Their front four legs generally are larger than the hind four, but not as dramatically so as those of the crab spiders, nor are they held in the outstretched-arms attitude characteristic of the Thomisidae. In spite of the length of their front legs, Salticidae depend on their rear legs for jumping. The generally larger front legs are used partly to assist in grasping prey, and in some species, the front legs and pedipalps are used in species-recognition signalling.

 

The jumping spiders, unlike the other families, have faces that are roughly rectangular surfaces perpendicular to their direction of motion. In effect this means that their forward-looking, anterior eyes are on "flat faces", as shown in the photographs. Their eye pattern is the clearest single identifying characteristic. They have eight eyes. Most diagnostic are the front row of four eyes, in which the anterior median pair are more dramatically prominent than any other spider eyes apart from the posterior median eyes of the Deinopidae. There is, however, a radical functional difference between the major (AME) eyes of Salticidae and the major (PME) eyes of the Deinopidae; the large posterior eyes of Deinopidae are adapted mainly to vision in dim light, whereas the large anterior eyes of Salticidae are adapted to detailed, three-dimensional vision for purposes of estimating the range, direction, and nature of potential prey, permitting the spider to direct its attacking leaps with great precision. The anterior lateral eyes, though large, are smaller than the AME and provide a wider forward field of vision.

 

The rear row of four eyes may be described as strongly bent, or as being rearranged into two rows, with two large posterior lateral eyes furthest back. They serve for lateral vision. The posterior median eyes also have been shifted out laterally, almost as far as the posterior lateral eyes. They are usually much smaller than the posterior lateral eyes and there is doubt about whether they are at all functional in many species.

Jumping spiders range in size from a body length of 1 to 22 mm.

 

In addition to using their silk for safety lines while jumping, they also build silken "pup tents", where they shelter from bad weather and sleep at night. They molt within these shelters, build and store egg cases within them, and also spend the winter in them

  

Vision

 

Jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes; three secondary pairs that are fixed and a principal pair that is movable.

 

The posterior median eyes (PME) are vestigial in many species, but in some primitive sub-families they are comparable in size with the other secondary eyes and help to detect motion.

 

The posterior lateral eyes (PLE) are wide-angle motion detectors which sense motions from the side and behind. Combined with the other eyes, it gives the spider a near 360-degree view of the world.

 

The anterior lateral eyes (ALE) have the best visual acuity and are the most complex of the secondary eyes.[9] It has been shown that they are able to distinguish some details as well, and without them no "looming response" will be triggered by motion.[10] Even with all the other pairs covered, jumping spiders in a study could still detect, stalk and attack flies, using the anterior lateral eyes only, which are also sufficiently widely spaced to provide stereoscopic vision.

 

The anterior median eyes (AME) have very good vision. This pair of eyes is built like a telescopic tube with a corneal lens in the front and a second lens in the back that focus images onto a four-layered retina, a narrow boomerang-shaped strip oriented vertically. Physiological experiments have shown they may have up to four different kinds of receptor cells, with different absorption spectra, giving them the possibility of up to tetrachromatic color vision, with sensitivity extending into the ultraviolet range. As the eyes are too close together to allow depth perception, and the animals do not make use of motion parallax, they have evolved a method called image defocus instead. Of the four photoreceptor layers in the retina, the first two closest to the surface contain ultraviolet-sensitive pigments while the two deepest contain green-sensitive pigments. The incoming green light is only focused on the deepest layer, while the other one receives defocused or fuzzy images. By measuring the amount of defocus from the fuzzy layer, it is possible to calculate the distance to the objects in front of them. In addition to receptor cells, also red filters have been detected, located in front of the cells that normally register green light. It seems that all salticids, regardless of whether they have two, three, or four kinds of color receptors, are highly sensitive to UV light. Some species (for example, Cosmophasis umbratica) are highly dimorphic in the UV spectrum, suggesting a role in sexual signaling (Lim & Li, 2005). Color discrimination has been demonstrated in behavioral experiments.

 

The principal, anterior median, eyes have high resolution (11 min visual angle), but the field of vision is narrow, from 2 to 5°. The central region of the retina, where acuity is highest, is no more than six or seven receptor rows wide. However, the eye can scan objects off the direct axis of vision. As the lens is attached to the carapace, the eye's scanning movements are restricted to its retina through a complicated pattern of translations and rotations. This dynamic adjustment is a means of compensation for the narrowness of the static field of vision. It is analogous to the way most primates move their eyes to focus images of interest onto the fovea centralis. Such movements within the jumping spider's eyes are visible from outside when the attention of the spider is directed to various targets.

  

Behavior

 

Jumping spiders are generally diurnal, active hunters. Their well-developed internal hydraulic system extends their limbs by altering the pressure of body fluid (hemolymph) within them. This enables the spiders to jump without having large muscular legs like a grasshopper. Most jumping spiders can jump several times the length of their bodies. When a jumping spider is moving from place to place, and especially just before it jumps, it tethers a filament of silk (or 'dragline') to whatever it is standing on to protect itself if the jump should fail. Should it fall, for example if the prey shakes it off, it climbs back up the silk tether. Some species, such as Portia, will actually let themselves down to attack prey such as a web spider apparently secure in the middle of its web. Like many other spiders that leave practically continuous silk trails, jumping spiders impregnate the silk line with pheromones that play a role in social and reproductive communication, and possibly in navigation.

 

Certain species of jumping spiders have been shown by experiment to be capable of learning, recognizing, and remembering colors, and adapting their hunting behavior accordingly.

  

Hunting

 

The hunting behaviour of the Salticidae is confusingly varied compared to that of most spiders in other families. Salticids hunt diurnally as a rule, which is consistent with their highly developed visual system. When it detects potential prey, a jumping spider typically begins orienting itself by swivelling its cephalothorax to bring the anterior median eyes to bear. It then moves its abdomen into line with its cephalothorax. After that, it might spend some time inspecting the object of its attention and determining whether a camouflaged or doubtful item of prey is promising, before it starts to stalk slowly forward. When close enough, the spider pauses to attach a dragline, then springs onto the prey.

 

There are, though, many variations on the theme and many surprising aspects. For one thing, salticids do not necessarily follow a straight path in approaching prey. They may follow a circuitous course, sometimes even a course that takes the hunter through regions from which the prey is not visible. Such complex adaptive behaviour is hard to reconcile with an organism that has such a tiny brain, but some jumping spiders, in particular some species of Portia, can negotiate long detours from one bush down to the ground, then up the stem of another bush to capture a prey item on a particular leaf. Such behaviour still is the subject of research.

 

Some salticid species are continually on the move, stopping periodically to look around for prey, which they then stalk immediately. Others spend more time scanning their surroundings from one position, actively stalking any prey they detect. Members of the genus Phaeacius take that strategy to extremes; they sit on a tree trunk, facing downwards and rarely do any stalking, but simply lunge down on any prey items that pass close before them.

 

Some Salticidae specialise in particular classes of prey. Ants comprise one such class. Most spiders, including most salticids, avoid worker ants, but several species not only eat them as a primary item in their diets, but also employ specialised attack techniques — Corythalia canosa for example, circles round to the front of the ant and grabs it over the back of its head. Such myrmecophagous species, however, will not necessarily refuse other prey items, and will routinely catch flies and similar prey in the usual salticid fashion, without the special precautions they apply in hunting dangerous prey such as ants. Ants offer the advantages of being plentiful prey items for which there is little competition from other predators, but it remains profitable to catch less hazardous prey when it presents itself.

 

Some of the most surprising hunting behaviour occurs among the araneophagous Salticidae, and it varies greatly in method. Many of the spider-hunting species quite commonly will attack other spiders, whether fellow salticids or not, in the same way as any other prey, but some kinds resort to web invasion; nonspecialists such as Phidippus audax sometimes attack prey ensnared in webs, basically in acts of kleptoparasitism — sometimes they leap onto and eat the web occupant itself, or simply walk over the web for that purpose.

 

Salticidae in the genera Brettus, Cyrba, Gelotia, and Portia display more advanced web-invasion behavior. They slowly advance onto the web and vibrate the silk with their pedipalps and legs. In this respect, their behaviour resembles that of the Mimetidae, probably the most specialised of the araneophagous spider families. If the web occupant approaches in the manner appropriate to dealing with ensnared prey, the predator attacks.

 

The foregoing examples present the Salticidae as textbook examples of active hunters; they would hardly seem likely to build webs other than those used in reproductive activities, and in fact, most species really do not build webs to catch prey. However, exceptions occur, though even those that do build capture webs generally also go hunting like other salticids. Some Portia species, for example, spin capture webs that are functional, though not as impressive as some orb webs of the Araneidae; Portia webs are of an unusual funnel shape and apparently adapted to the capture of other spiders. Spartaeus species, on the other hand, largely capture moths in their webs. In their review of the ethology of Salticidae, Richman and Jackson speculate on whether such web building is a relic of the evolution of this family from web-building ancestors.

In hunting, Salticidae also use their silk for a tether to enable them to reach prey that otherwise would be inaccessible. For example, by advancing towards the prey to less than the jumping distance, then retreating and leaping in an arc at the end of the tether line, many species can leap onto prey on vertical or even on inverted surfaces, which of course in a gravitational field would not be possible without such a tether.

Having made contact with the prey, hunting Salticidae administer a bite to inject rapidly acting venom that gives the victim little time to react. In this respect, they resemble the Mimetidae and Thomisidae, families that ambush prey that often are larger than the predator, and they do so without securing the victim with silk; they accordingly must immobilise it immediately and their venom is adapted accordingly.

  

Diet

 

Although jumping spiders are generally carnivorous, many species have been known to include nectar in their diets, and one species, Bagheera kiplingi, feeds primarily on plant matter. None is known to feed on seeds or fruit. Extrafloral nectaries on plants, such as the partridge pea, provide jumping spiders with nectar; the plant benefits accordingly when the spiders prey on whatever pests they find.

  

Reproduction

 

Jumping spiders use their vision in complex visual courtship displays. Males are often quite different in appearance from females, and may have plumose hairs, colored or iridescent hairs, front leg fringes, structures on other legs, and other, often bizarre, modifications. These are used in visual courtship in which the colored or iridescent parts of the body are displayed and complex sideling, vibrational, or zigzag movements are performed in a courtship "dance". If the female is receptive to the male, she will assume a passive, crouching position. In some species, the female may also vibrate her palps or abdomen. The male will then extend his front legs towards the female to touch her. If the female remains receptive, the male will climb on the female's back and inseminate her with his palps.

 

A 2008 study of the species Phintella vittatain in Current Biology suggests female spiders react to the males reflecting ultraviolet B light before mating, a finding that challenges the previously held assumption that animals did not register ultraviolet B light. It has recently been discovered that many jumping spiders seem to have auditory signals as well; amplified sounds produced by the males resemble buzzes or drum rolls.

  

Taxonomy and systematics

 

The monophyly of the family Salticidae is well established through both phylogenetic and morphological analyses, but no consensus exists on what other group of spiders are most closely related to the jumping spiders. Suggested sister groups have included the oxyopids (lynx spiders), thomisids (crab spiders), clubionoids (sac spiders), and web-building spiders.

 

Jumping spiders can be divided into three major lineages: the lyssomanines (subfamily Lyssomaninae), the spartaeines (subfamily Spartaeinae), and the salticoids (unranked clade Salticoida). Of these, the Salticoida account for over 90% of all jumping spider species. Salticoida can be further divided into numerous groups, including Amycoida, Astioida, Aelurilloida, Euophryinae, Heliophaninae, Marpissoida, and Plexippoida.

  

Jumping spider classification

- Lyssomaninae

- Spartaeinae

- Salticoida

- Amycoida

- Astioida

- Aelurilloida

- Euophryinae

- Heliophaninae

- Marpissoida

- Marpissinae

- Dendryphantinae

- Plexippoida

- Pelleninae

- Plexippinae

  

Models for mimicry

 

Some small insects are thought to have evolved an appearance or behavioural traits that resemble those of jumping spiders and this is suspected to prevent their predation, specifically from jumping spiders. Some examples appear to be provided by patterns on the wings of some Tephritid flies, nymph of a Fulgorid and possibly some moths.

  

Fossils

 

Very few jumping spider fossils have been found. Of those known, all are from Cenozoic era amber. The oldest fossils are from Baltic amber dating to the Eocene epoch, specifically, 54 to 42 million years ago. Other fossil jumping spiders have been found in Chiapan amber and Dominican amber.

  

[Credit: en.wikipedia.org/]

The Belfast was developed to meet a Royal Air Force operational requirement (ASR.371) for a freighter capable of carrying a wide range of military loads over long ranges. The military loads envisaged included artillery, more than 200 troops, helicopters, and guided missiles. Shorts' design was based on studies they had worked on in the late 1950s and the project started as the SC.5/10 in February 1959. From that design, the prototype Belfast first flew on 5 January 1964.

 

The Belfast was notable for being only the second aircraft type to be built equipped with autoland blind landing equipment.

 

To meet the demands of the specification the Belfast used a high wing carrying four Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprops. The cargo deck, 64 ft long (20 m) in a fuselage over 18 ft in diameter (5.5 m) (roomy enough for two single-deck buses), was reached through a "beaver tail" with rear loading doors and integral ramp. The main undercarriage was two 8-wheel bogies and a 2-wheel nose. The Belfast was capable of a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of over 220,500 lb (100 tonnes) - less than the contemporaneous 250-tonne Antonov An-22 and the 128-tonne Douglas C-133 Cargomaster, but more than the C-130 Hercules. It could carry 150 troops with full equipment, or a Chieftain tank or two Westland Wessex helicopters or six Westland Scout helicopters.

 

The original RAF requirement had foreseen a fleet of 30 aircraft, but this number was to be significantly curtailed as a result of the Sterling Crisis of 1965. The United Kingdom government needed to gain support for its loan application to the International Monetary Fund, which the United States provided. However, one of the alleged clauses for this support was that the RAF purchase Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. With a surplus of airlifting capacity the original order was reduced to 10. The Belfast entered service with No. 53 Squadron RAF in January 1966 based at RAF Fairford. By May the following year they had been moved to RAF Brize Norton.

 

Following entry to RAF service it became apparent that a major drag problem was preventing the initial five aircraft attaining Short’s desired performance. Suction drag on the tail and rear fuselage was so severe that the RAF personnel gave the aircraft the nicknames "The Dragmaster", "Slug" and "Belslow". Modifications and testing were carried out, particularly on aircraft SH1818 (which was at the time perfecting the RAF’s requirement for CAT 3 automated landings at RAE Bedford) and a new rear fairing was built improving the fleet’s cruising speed by 40 mph.

 

The reorganisation of the new RAF Strike Command was to have repercussions on the RAF’s Belfast fleet and ushered in the retirement of a number of aircraft types, including the Bristol Britannia and De Havilland Comet in 1975. By the end of 1976 the Belfast fleet had been retired and flown to RAF Kemble for storage.

 

TAC HeavyLift then purchased five of them for commercial use in 1977 and operated three of them from 1980 after they had received work so they could be certificated to civil standards. Ironically, some of them were later chartered during the Falklands war, with some sources suggesting that this cost more than keeping all the aircraft in RAF service until the 1990s. HeavyLift's Belfasts were again contracted to support the RAF during the first Gulf War, transporting vehicles and helicopters too large to be carried by the Hercules fleet.