+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engined attack helicopter that was developed on behalf of, and primarily operated by, the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The twin Cobra family, itself part of the larger Huey family, includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra. The Super Cobra was derived from the single-engine AH-1 Cobra, which had been developed during the mid-1960s as an interim gunship for the U.S. Army. The USMC had quickly taken an interest in the type but sought a twin-engine arrangement for greater operational safety at sea, along with more capable armaments. While initially opposed by the Department of Defense, who were keen to promote commonality across the services, in May 1968, an order for an initial 49 twin-engine AH-1J SeaCobras was issued to Bell. The type entered service during the final months of the US's involvement in the Vietnam War, seeing limited action in the theatre as a result.

 

The USMC promptly sought greater payload capacity than that provided by the original Sea Cobra; thus the AH-1T, equipped with the dynamic systems of the Model 309 and a lengthened fuselage, was produced by Bell during the 1970s. In the following decade, in response to the denial of funding to procure the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the USMC opted to procure a more capable variant of the AH-1T; equipped with revised fire control systems compatible with new munitions, such as the AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missile, the new model, designated AH-1W, commenced delivery in 1986.

 

In the early 1980s, the Marine Corps sought a new navalized helicopter. Accordingly, it evaluated the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter as first choice over a two-week period in September 1981, which included shipboard operation tests. Furthermore, various concepts were studied at this time. However, the service's request for funding to purchase the AH-64 was denied by Congress that same year. As an alternative option, the Marines procured a more powerful version of the AH-1T. Other changes included modified fire control systems to carry and fire AIM-9 Sidewinder and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The new version, which was funded by Congress, received the AH-1W designation. During March 1986, deliveries of the AH-1W SuperCobra commenced, eventually totaling 179 new-built helicopters along with the upgrading of 43 existing AH-1Ts.

 

This development also fell into the period when Great Britain was looking for a potential attack helicopter for the British Army, and Western Germany was - together with France - about to mutually develop a new attack helicopter that would in Germany replace the PAH-1, the light Bo 105 helicopter armed with six HOT anti-tank missiles. In 1984, the French and West German governments had issued a requirement for an advanced antitank helicopter, with one variant desired by the French dedicated to the escort and antihelicopter role. As originally planned, both countries would procure a total of 427 helicopters called “Tiger”. The West Germans planned on acquiring 212 models of the anti-tank variant named PAH-2 (Panzerabwehrhubschrauber or "Anti-tank helicopter"), with deliveries starting at the end of 1992. The French wanted 75 HAPs (Hélicoptère d'Appui Protection or "Support and Escort Helicopter") and 140 HACs (Hélicoptère Anti Char or "Anti-Tank Helicopter"), with deliveries starting at the end of 1991 and 1995, respectively. In the meantime, the USA also offered both the AH-1 as well as the more modern AH-64 as alternatives.

 

Development of the Tiger started during the Cold War, and it was initially intended as a pure anti-tank helicopter platform to be used against a Soviet ground invasion of Western Europe. A joint venture, consisting of Aérospatiale and MBB, was subsequently chosen as the preferred supplier, but in 1986 the development program was already canceled again due to spiraling costs: it had been officially calculated that supplying the German forces with an equivalent number of US-produced McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache attack helicopters would have been a considerably cheaper alternative to proceeding with the Tiger’s development, which became a more and more complex project because the helicopter would have to be able to fulfill more roles, and the duty profiles of Germany and France became significantly different. According to statements by the French Defence Minister André Giraud in April 1986, the collaborative effort had become more expensive than an individual national program and was also forecast to take longer to complete.

 

This opened the door for American proposals even wider, and beyond the state-of-the-art AH-64 Bell proposed a further upgraded two-engine AH-1W. Bell had been working as a private initiative with both the AH-1T+ demonstrator and the AH-1W prototype, and developed a new experimental hingeless rotor system with four composite blades, designed to withstand up to 23 mm rounds and thus greatly improving battlefield survivability. This new main rotor was manually foldable, reduced vibrations and allowed the engine power to be increased, thus greatly improving the SuperCobra’s performance and load capabilities. The twin engine’s power had until then been restricted, but in the AH-1-4BW the power was liberated to full 1,800 shp (1,342 kW), with a reinforced gearbox that could even cope with 2.400 shp. Top speed climbed by 23 mph/37 km/h, rate of climb improved, and the load capability was raised by 1.000 lb (450 kg). The AH-1-4BW was now able to fly a full looping, something the AH-1 had not been able to do before. However, empty weight of this demonstrator helicopter climbed to 12,189 lb (5,534 kg) and the maximum TOW to 18,492 lb (8.391 kg).

 

Other changes included a different position for the stabilizers further aft, closer to the tail rotor, which furthermore received small end plates to improve directional stability. The modified AH-1W prototype was aptly re-designated “AH-1-4BW” (4BW standing for “4-blade whiskey”), and there were plans to upgrade the type even further with a fully digitalized cockpit to meet contemporary requirements, e.g. for the British Army.

 

The West-German Bundesluftwaffe’s interest in the “outdated” AH-1 was initially only lukewarm, but when Bell offered to lend the AH-1-4BW prototype for evaluations and as a development mule for the eventual integration of the European HOT missile and indigenous sensors and avionics, a mutual agreement was signed in late 1987 to have the AH-1-4BW tested by the Luftwaffe in the environment where the type would be operated.

The AH-1-4BW prototype (s/n 166 022) was delivered to Manching in Southern Germany in summer 1988 on board of a C-5 Galaxy. It was operated by the Luftwaffe’s Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD, Technical and Airworthiness Center for Aircraft) 61 for two years and successfully made several tests. This program was divided into three “Phases”. “Phase I” included focused on flight characteristics, tactical operations, and mock air-to-air combat against Luftwaffe CH-53s which acted as Mi-24 aggressors. Upon program start the AH-1-4BW received German markings, the registration 98+11, and a new, subdued paint scheme in Luftwaffe colors instead of the original USMC scheme in an overall medium green.

 

In “Phase I” the AH-1-4BW retained its American weapon systems, as the flight testing did not involve weapon deployment or integration. Instead, dummies or target designators were carried. After these initial tests that lasted almost a year Bell agreed to let the WTD 61 modify the AH-1-4BW further with European avionics to deploy the HOT 3 anti-tank missile, which would be the helicopter’s primal weapon in the German Heeresflieger’s service, since Germany did at that time neither use the similar American TOW nor the more sophisticated AGM-114 Hellfire, even though the German PARS 3 LR missile (also known as TRIGAT-LR: Third Generation AntiTank, Long Range) was already under development since 1988. This upgrade and test program section received the designation “Phase II”. Outwardly, the newly modified AH-1 was recognizable through a different sensor turret in the nose and a modified HOT missile sight for the gunner in the front seat.

 

In late 1989 the helicopter underwent another modification by WTD 61, which was to test equipment already intended for the PAH-2. Under the trials’ final “Phase III” the AH-1-4BW received a globular fairing on a mast on top of the main rotor, to test the tactical value of observing, identifying, and selecting targets while the helicopter would remain in cover. This sensor mast combined a panoramic IR camera with a targeting sight for anti-tank missiles and the gun turret, and it functionally replaced the standard chin sensor turret (which was brought back to AH-1W standard). Another novel feature was a streamlined, sugar scope-shaped exhaust diffusor with two chambers which guided hot gases upwards into the main rotor’s downwash, as an alternative to the original diffusors which only mixed cold ambient air with the hot efflux. It turned out to be very effective and was subsequently adapted for the Tiger. Other changes included a new hingeless three-blade tail rotor that was supposed to reduce operational noise and frequency issues with the new 4-blade main rotor, and the endplate stabilizers were enlarged to compensate for the huge “eyeball” on top of the main rotor which significantly changed the AH-1’s flight characteristics, especially at high speed.

 

Further tests of the Phase III SuperCobra lasted until summer 1990 and provided both Bell as well as the Luftwaffe with valuable benchmark data for further weapon system developments. When the lease contract ended in 1991, the AH-1-4BW was sent back to the United States. In the meantime, though, the political situation had changed dramatically. The USSR had ceased to exist, so that the Cold War threat especially in Europe had ended almost overnight after the Aérospatiale/MBB joint venture, now officially called Eurocopter, had signed an agreement in 1989 which financially secured the majority of the Tiger’s pending development through to serial production, including arrangements for two assembly lines to be built at Aerospatiale's Marignane plant and MBB's Donauwörth facility. This eventually saved the Tiger and in 1991 it had become clear that no American attack helicopter would be bought by either Germany or France. Great Britain as another potential European customer also declined the AH-1 and eventually procured the more modern AH-64 in the form of the license-built AgustaWestland Apache.

 

In 1992, the Eurocopter Group was officially established, and the Tiger moved closer to the hardware stage; this led to considerable consolidation of the aerospace industry and the Tiger project itself. A major agreement was struck in December 1996 between France and Germany that cemented the Tiger's prospects and committed the development of supporting elements, such as a series of new generation missile designs for use by the new helicopter. National political issues continued to affect the prospects of the Tiger, however. A proposed sale of up to 145 Tigers to Turkey proved a source of controversy; Turkey selected the Tiger as the preferred option, but conflicting attitudes between Eurocopter, France and Germany regarding military exports led to Turkey withdrawing its interest. Eventually, Turkey procured AH-1s and started an indigenous attack helicopter program.

 

However, the AH-1-4BW’s development and its vigorous testing in Germany were not in vain: Lacking a USMC contract, Bell developed this new design into the AH-1Z with its own funds during the 1990s and 2000s. By 1996, the Marines were again prevented from ordering the AH-64: developing a marine version of the Apache would have been expensive and it was likely that the Marine Corps would be its only customer. Instead, the service signed a contract for the upgrading of AH-1Ws into AH-1Zs, which incorporated many elements from the AH-1-4BW.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: Two (pilot, co-pilot/gunner)

Length: 58 ft 0 in (17.68 m) overall

45 ft 7 in (14 m) for fuselage only

Width: 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) for stub wings only

Height: 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m)

13 ft 9 in (4.19 m) incl. Phase III sensor mast

Main rotor diameter: 42 ft 8 in (13.00 m)

Airfoil: blade root: DFVLR DM-H3; blade tip: DFVLR DM-H4

Main rotor area: 1,428.9 sq ft (132.75 m2)

Empty weight: 12,189 lb (5,534 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 18,492 lb (8.391 kg)

 

Powerplant:

2× General Electric T700-401 turboshaft engine, with 1,800 shp (1,342 kW)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 190 kn (220 mph, 350 km/h)

Never exceed speed: 190 kn (220 mph, 350 km/h)

Range: 317 nmi (365 mi, 587 km)

Service ceiling: 12,200 ft (3,700 m)

Rate of climb: 1,620 ft/min (8.2 m/s)

 

Armament:

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M197 3-barreled Gatling cannon

in the A/A49E-7 chin turret (750 rounds ammo capacity)

4× hardpoints under the stub wings for a wide range of weapons, including…

- 20 mm (0.787 in) autocannon pods

- Twenty-two round pods with 68 mm (2.68 in) SNEB unguided rockets,

- Nineteen or seven round pods with 2.75” (70 mm) Hydra 70 or APKWS II rockets,

- 5” (127 mm) Zuni rockets – 8 rockets in two 4-round LAU-10D/A launchers

- Up to 8 TOW missiles in two 4-round XM65 missile launchers, on outboard hardpoints, or

up to 8 HOT3

up to 8 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles in 4-round M272 missile launchers, on outboard hardpoint,

- Up to 2 AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles, launch rails above each outboard hardpoint or

up to 2 Air-to-Air Stinger (ATAS) air-to-air missiles in single launch tubes

  

The kit and its assembly:

This what-if model was inspired by the real attempts of Bell to sell a twin-engine Cobra variant to Germany as a replacement for the light PAH-1/Bo 105 helicopter, while plans were made to build an indigenous successor together with France which eventually became the PAH-2/Tiger. These proposals fell well into the time frame of the (also) real AH-14BW project, and I imagined that this specific helicopter had been lent to the Luftwaffe for evaluation?

 

The basis is the Italeri 1:72 AH-1W kit, a solid basis which requires some work, though. And because I had the remains of a French Tigre at hand (which gave its cockpit for my recent JASDF A-2 build) I decided to use some of the leftover parts for something that borders a kitbashing. This includes the 4-blade main and 3-blade tail rotor, and I integrated the Tiger’s scoop-shaped exhaust diffusor behind the main rotor – a tricky task that require a lot of PSR, but the result looks very natural, if not elegant? The Tiger’s end plate stabilizers were used, too, mounted to the AH-1’s trim stabilizers that were mounted further back, as on the real AH-1-4BW.

 

To change the look even further I decided to add a sensor pod on top of the main rotor, and this required a totally new mechanical solution to hold the latter. Eventually I integrated a sleeve for a fixed metal axis which also holds the sensor ball (from a MisterCraft Westland Lynx – a bit oversized, but suitable for a prototype), and the PAH-2 rotor received an arrangement of levers that hold it in place and still allow it to spin.

 

The ordnance was also taken from the Italeri Tigre, with HOT quadruple launchers for the outer weapon stations, the inner hardpoints were left empty and I also did not mount the American chaff/flare dispensers on top of the stub wings.

  

Painting and markings:

The Luftwaffe did a LOT of interesting camouflage experiments in the early Eighties, adopting several standardized schemes for aircraft, but the Heeresflieger were less enthusiastic and retained the overall Gelboliv (RAL 6014) scheme before a three-color camouflage, consisting of two green tones and a dirty black was gradually introduced – even though apparently not in a uniform fashion, because there were variations for the darker shade of green (retaining RAL 6014 or using FS 34079, as on the Luftwaffe Norm ’83 scheme that was applied to Tornado IDSs, RF-4Es, some Starfighters and to the Transall fleet).

 

My fictional AH-1-4BW would fall into that transitional phase and I decided to give the helicopter an experimental scheme, which was used/tested on early Tornado IDS, consisting of RAL 7021 (Teerschwarz), RAL 7012 (Basaltgrau) and RAL 6014 (Gelboliv) – on aircraft with undersides in RAL 7000 (Silbergrau), but on a helicopter rather as a wraparound scheme. However, inspired by Luftwaffe F-4Fs with a modified Norm ‘72 splinter scheme that added a simple light grey fin to break up the aircrafts’ profile in a side view, I used RAL 7030 (Steingrau) on the tail tip to achieve the same effect, and the light grey was also used, together with Basaltgrau und Gelboliv mottles on the sensor ball – looks a bit like WWII Luftwaffe style, but appeared plausible for the system’s tactical use from behind some ground cover. The cockpit interior became very dark grey, just like the rotor blades, which were adorned with orange warning markings at the tips – seen on some Luftwaffe helicopters instead of classic yellow or red-white-red bands.

 

The decals were puzzled together from various sources. National markings came from generic Luftwaffe sheets from TL Modellbau, the light blue WTD 61 emblems behind the cockpit were taken from a Peddinghaus decal sheet with early Luftwaffe unit markings. The dayglo panels were created with generic decal material (TL Modellbau, too) and stencils came mostly from a Fujimi AH-1 sheet, procuring German or even multi-language material appeared too tedious and costly.

The photo calibration markings on nose and fins were improvised from black and white decal sheet material, punched out, cut into quarters, and then applied as circles. Adds an experimental touch to the Cobra!

 

The kit received a light black ink washing and some post-panel-shading, esp. to brighten up the grey and increase the contrast between the camouflage tones, which appeared even more murky after the dayglow stripes had been added. Finally, the Cobra received an overall coat wit matt acrylic varnish, position lights were added/painted, and the sensor ball received sights made from yellow chrome PET foil, simply punched out and fixed into place with some Humbrol Clearfix.

  

This one took a while to materialize and was more work than one might expect at first glance. But it looks quite cool, esp. the PAH-2/Tiger’s exhaust fairing fits very well into the Cobra’s lines and adds an elegant touch to the helicopter. The “Eye ball” is a bit large, yes, but IMHO acceptable for a prototype or test vehicle. And the livery certainly conveys a German touch.

Starfish are capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction, with individual starfish being male or female. Fertilization takes place externally, with both male and female releasing their gametes into the environment. Resulting fertilized embryos form part of the zooplankton.

 

Starfish are developmentally (embryologically) known as deuterostomes. Their embryo initially develops bilateral symmetry, leading some scientists to believe that starfish share a common ancestor with chordates. Later development takes a very different path as the developing starfish settles out of the zooplankton and develops its characteristic radial symmetry. Some species reproduce cooperatively, using environmental signals to coordinate the timing of gamete release, while in other species one to one pairing is more normal.

  

The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War.

 

From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models, resulting in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–1953).

 

The Corsair served in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, as well as the French Navy Aéronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s.

 

It quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. Some Japanese pilots reportedly regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II,[5] and the U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair.

 

As well as being an outstanding fighter, the Corsair proved to be an excellent fighter-bomber, serving almost exclusively in the latter role throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria

 

The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle (VA) is situated on a 135-acre site adjacent to the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, and is under the command of the Marine Corps University.

 

The Museum's exterior design evokes the image of the flag-raisers of Iwo Jima, and beckons visitors to its 120,000-square-foot structure.

 

Image by Ron Cogswell on June 16, 2012, using a Nikon D80 and minor Photoshop effects.

 

DSC_0309

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

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 an excellent and very long-ranged fighter (A6Ms regularly made the round trip between Rabaul and Guadalcanal in 1942), 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. While trying to dogfight a Zero was suicide, Allied pilots could use the vertical to their advantage. Japanese pilots also learned that the rifle-caliber 7.7mm machine guns in the Zero’s cowl were ineffective against 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.

 

How good is this T-6 conversion? Good enough that it fooled me into thinking it was an actual A6M Zero! (Though maybe that says more about my aircraft recognition skills.) This is one of the famous "Tora Tora Tora" T-6s that were modified to look like Zeroes, as in 1968 there were no flyable A6Ms left. The "Tora Tora Tora" birds were originally all painted as Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft, in gray, but as they have been passed on to new owners (mostly in the Commemorative Air Force), several have been repainted.

 

This particular example carries the tail number of V-107, indicating an aircraft of the 23rd Air Flotilla--the famous "Lae Wing" of Zeroes that included the "Cleanup Trio" of aces: Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Toshio Ota, and Saburo Sakai. However, the paint scheme is Imperial Japanese Army Air Force--green uppersurfaces and yellow wing leading edge stripes. It's in great shape and is a beautiful restoration, whatever its color scheme.

 

Looking at the photograph and knowing now that it's a T-6, I can see where I went wrong, but that's a compliment to the restorers.

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

My DL180se G6 is capable of having two PCIe risers - one has one x16 slot (that's taken up by the HBA) and the other can have two x8 slots. However, you'll need a metal cage that holds everything in place. But as luck would have it, not only did my server not come with that, it is also apparently impossible to acquire. So I had to do a bit of MacGyvering to get everything to fit. (That basically boiled down to shoving bubble envelopes between things and some duct tape. But hey, it works!)

Air Force special operations forces used the Sikorsky MH-53M to covertly enter enemy territory. Capable of operating at day or night or in bad weather, these helicopters conducted long-range, low-level missions to insert, extract, and resupply special operations forces.

 

The MH-53 helicopters were originally HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giants" used by the U.S. Air Force in the Southeast Asia War. Over the years, however, they received many upgrades and improvements. After the 1960s, they were completely re-skinned and had their engines and rotors replaced. Along with these improvements came a new designation, MH-53 ("M" for Multi-mission and "H" for helicopter).

 

The most significant enhancement to the Super Jollies was the Pave Low program, which modified them for operating at night or during bad weather. Equipped with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensors, inertial global positioning systems (GPS), Doppler radar navigation systems, and terrain-following and terrain-avoidance radar, the MH-53 could fly clandestine, low-level missions in any weather, day or night.

 

The MH-53M Pave Low IV has a system that greatly increased the aircraft's capabilities. This system gave the aircrew instant access to the total battlefield situation on a color, digital map screen that was compatible with night vision goggles. Using feeds from satellite links, the system displayed nearly real-time information about potential hazards along the flight route such as power lines or enemy electronic threats.

 

The aircraft on display was assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron and its last flight was a combat mission in Iraq on March 28, 2008. During its 38-year career, this helicopter participated in many important missions. It carried the "command element" on the mission known as Operation Kingpin, to rescue American prisoners of war thought to be held at the Son Tay prison near Hanoi, North Vietnam. It is the last among the five HH-53s that participated in that raid. After Vietnam, it also flew in many more combat engagements including Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom before it was retired.

 

In 2008 the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) retired the MH-53 from active service.

 

TECHNICAL NOTES:

 

Crew: Six -- two pilots (officers), two flight engineers and two aerial gunners (enlisted)

Armament: Combination of three 7.62mm mini-guns or three .50-cal machine guns

Engines: Two General Electric T64-GE-100 engines with 4,330 shaft hp per engine

Rotary diameter: 72 ft.

Length: 88 ft.

Height: 25 ft.

Speed: 165 mph (at sea level)

Ceiling: 16,000 ft.

Range: 690 miles

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the Lamborghini Murciélago. Diablo is "devil" in Spanish, which is diavolo in Italian.

 

History of development

 

At a time when the company was financed by the Swiss-based Mimran brothers, Lamborghini began development of what was codenamed Project 132 in June 1985 as a replacement for the Countach model. The brief stated that its top speed had to be at least 315 km/h (196 mph).

 

The design of the car was contracted to Marcello Gandini, who had designed its two predecessors. When Chrysler bought the company in 1987, providing money to complete its development, its management was uncomfortable with Gandini’s designs and commissioned its design team in Detroit to execute a third extensive redesign, smoothing out the trademark sharp edges and corners of Gandini's original design, and leaving him famously unimpressed. In fact, Gandini was so disappointed with the "softened" shape that he would later realize his original design in the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.

 

The car became known as the Diablo, carrying on Lamborghini's tradition of naming its cars after breeds of fighting bull. The Diablo was named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century, famous for fighting an epic battle with 'El Chicorro' in Madrid on July 11, 1869. In the words of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the Diablo was designed "solely to be the biggest head-turner in the world."

 

The development is believed to have cost a total of 6 billion Italian lira.

 

Diablo VT Roadster

 

1995-1998 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster

 

The Diablo VT Roadster was introduced in December 1995 and featured an electrically operated carbon fiber targa top which was stored above the engine lid when not in use. Besides the roof, the roadster's body was altered from the fixed-top VT model in a number of ways. The front bumper was revised, replacing the quad rectangular driving lamps with two rectangular and two round units. The brake cooling ducts were moved inboard of the driving lamps and changed to a straked design, while the rear ducts featured the vertical painted design seen on the SE30.

 

The engine lid was changed substantially in order to vent properly when the roof panel was covering it. The roadster also featured revised 17 inch wheels. The air intakes on top/sides were made larger than the coupe Diablos. In 1998 the wheels have been updated to 18 inch, and the engine power raised to 530 HP by adding the variable valve timing system. Top speed specification was raised to 335 km/h (208 mph).

 

In 1999 the dashboard received a major optical update by Audi, and the pop-up headlights were replaced by fixed headlights, same as for the coupés. This resulted in a better aerodynamic shape and modern optics.

 

[Text from Wikipedia]

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini_Diablo

 

This Lego miniland scale Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 96th Build Challenge - The 8th Birthday, titled - 'Happy Crazy Eight Birthday, LUGNuts' - where all previous build challenges are available to build to. This model is built to the LUGNuts 92nd build challenge, - "Stuck in the 90s" featuring vehicles from the decade of the 1990s

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4

  

The White Album CAE Bucanneer GR.4 was the ultimate evolution of the Canadair’s Project B-103 to meet a 1952 requirement for a carrier-capable strike jet. Designed for long-range anti-shipping and land attack work with both conventional and atomic weapons (the Orenda Red Beard atomic bomb and the nuclear-armed Orenda Green Cheese radar-guided anti-ship tactical missile, but the latter was cancelled before entering service), the first production version, the Black Dress Canadair Buccaneer S.1 was under-powered and mostly used for training and development work. Featuring twin Yellow Lorry Rolls Royce Canada Hudson turbofans, the Green Tower Canadair Buccaneer GR.2 was the first truly combat-capable version. Going on to enter service with both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), subtypes of the GR.2 would remain in production from 1962 until 1974. Produced between 1974 and 1980, the Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3 introduced a variety of updates and replaced the Phillips Canada Black Bird radar of the S.1 and GR.2 with the Orenda Brown Shoe radar, as also used on the Dassault Mustard Hill Super Etendard.

 

Although successful in Canadian and foreign service, a series of structural defects emerged in the RCN’s Buccaneer fleet during the 1980s, resulting in groundings and flight restrictions. As similar issues were nobbling the RCN’s Pink Dream CF-4K Phantom II fighters at the same time, the decision was made to replace both types. Although both Dassault and CAE offered navalised versions of their current production types for the RCAF, these were sidelined in favour of “carrier natives”. The McDonald Douglas Diamond Walrus CF-18A/B Hornet FGR.1/T.2 replaced the CF-4K and the CAE’s upgraded White Album Bucanneer GR.4 replaced the earlier models. The GR.4’s airframe eliminated the issues that had become apparent with the earlier versions and featured the Orenda Strawberry Field Antilope radar, as also used on the RCAF’s Mirage 2000D and N bombers. The GR.4 replaced the GR.3’s daylight-only Honey Pie Atlis II targeting pod with the A-6E Intruder’s Hughes AAS-33A Target Recognition and Attack Multi-sensor (TRAM) turret; the turret contained a FLIR, laser range finder, laser designator and a laser spot tracker and was linked with the Strawberry Field radar for automated cueing. Taking an approach that emphasised commonality, the White Album’s cockpit equipment and layout were based on those of the Diamond Walrus and both used the latter’s Sanders ALQ-126B and ALQ-162 internal electronic warfare kit. The GR.4 featured new generation Rolls Royce Canada Marmalade Sky Hudson 800 Series turbofans with more power, greater fuel efficiency and longer times between overhauls.

 

When Iran ended the Iran-Iraq war by occupying the latter in August 1990, the RCN’s HCMS Queen Elizabeth was deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Indian Ocean, it’s air wing focused around two squadrons each of the Buccaneer GR.4 and the Hornet FGR.1. From 16 January 1991, with Iran having failed to heed a UN demand to leave Iraq, Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, RCN Buccaneers were in action, attacking strategic targets in Iran, often flying via Pakistani airspace. For these missions, the planes flew with both underwing slipper fuel tanks by default. Offensive ordnance carried on the outer wing pylons included CAE Sky Glass BLG 1000 Arcole laser-guided bombs, Orenda Tangerine Tree AS.30L laser-guided missiles and CAE Silver Hammer Martel TV or IIR guided missile (directed via the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod). CAE Marshmellow Pie ARMAT anti-radiation missiles were used for the defence suppression role, planes so-equipped accompanying the attack jets and carrying the Custard Lane ECM pack in the bomb bay.

 

At the start of February, the RCN withdrew the HCMS Queen Elizabeth from combat duties and redeployed its air combat assets to Saudi Arabia for more tactical operations. Missions against known fixed targets continued, but increasingly battlefield interdiction while patrolling kill boxes became the norm. These operations often required different ordnance combinations to those used in January. Loadouts featured the American GBU.10 or GBU.12 or the Canadian Yellow Goodbye Mk13/18 1,000 lb Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs underwing. The inner hardpoints often carried one or two slipper fuel tanks, depending on the endurance or range required. CAE Silver Hammer Martel IIR guided missile on one or two inner pylons often supplemented the Yellow Goodbye bombs. These tactical loadouts with the Silver Hammer rarely carried the CAE Blue Mailman datalink pod. This was because they were being used in short-range scenarios, against targets identified by the FLIR and the missiles (which featured an automatic tracking mode) could be locked-on before launch. Most Silver Hammers used were fitted with the IIR guidance kit (derived from that used on the Hughes AGM-65D Maverick) in preference to the TV kit, not just for night operations, but because thermal imaging could be used when atmospheric conditions adversely attenuated the laser guidance of the Yellow Goodbye. Inside the bomb bay, four Brown Sweet Orenda Mk13/18 1,000 lb bombs or CAE Ginger Sling RBL755 cluster bombs were carried. As with the strategic missions, the rotating bomb bay usually carried the semi-conformal fuel tank, although late in the campaign the similarly shaped Golden Slumber pod with twin Yellow Flower Orenda DEFA 30mm cannon pod was sometimes carried for close air support missions.

 

This aircraft is depicted as photographed late in the campaign to liberate Iraq. Seen in a series of images taken during re-arming, the aircraft’s full range of ordnance can be seen. Yellow Goodbye laser-guided bombs are mounted on the outer underwing pylons, with an IIR Silver Hammer on the port inner and a 1,995 litre slipper fuel tank opposite. The Golden Slumber cannon pod is mounted to the rotating bomb bar door with four Ginger Slings inside.

 

In addition to their attack duties, the Buccaneer GR.4 force also performed other roles. For reconnaissance, the modular Pepper Abbey recce pack was carried in the bomb bay. This could be configured with a variety of cameras, infrared linescan instruments and side-looking radar. Buccaneers also used the Apple Road pod to provide an organic air-to-air refuelling capability, buddy refuelling other Buccaneer GR.4s and Hornet FGR.1s.

The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد), or the 'Emperor's Mosque', was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks, and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era.

 

Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshipers, it is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father and predecessor, emperor Shah Jahan.

 

Badshahi Masjid is one of the locations where Qari' Abdul Basit recited the Qur'an.[citation needed] The Imam-e-Kaaba (Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Al-Sudais of Saudi Arabia) has also led prayers in this mosque in 2007.

 

History

 

The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor. The construction of the mosque took about two years from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.

 

Badshahi Mosque was badly damaged and was misused during Sikh Rule. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the mosque was used as a stable for the army's horses.[1][2] They also would steal the jewels from the mosque, such as marble, rubies, gold, and other valuables. Muslims were not allowed to enter the mosque to worship; they were only given a small place outside the mosque where they could worship.

Even when the British took control of India, they would use the mosque for their military practices by using the mosque for gun practices, cannons, etc. Even when they sensed Muslim hate for the British, they demolished a large portion of the wall of the mosque so the Muslims could not use it as a kind of "fort" for anti-British reasons. After a while, they finally returned it to the Muslims as a good will gesture even though it was in terrible condition. It was then given to Badshahi Mosque Authority to restore it to its original glory.

 

From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

 

In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi.

 

On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the mosque.

 

Recently a small museum has also been added to the mosque complex. It contains relics of Muhammad(peace be upon him), his cousin Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her). On August 14, 1947, the Pakistani people celebrated their independence from the British command.

 

Pakistan(Urdu: "land of the pure"), a country of 160 million people, is now the second most populous country in the Muslim world.

 

Hailed as the country's cultural capital, Lahore – also known as the "Heart of Pakistan" – is rich with many examples of Moghul architecture.

 

Design Characteristics

Like the character of its founder, the mosque is bold, vast and majestic in its expression. It was the largest mosque in the world for a long time.

The interior has rich embellishment in stucco tracery (Manbatkari) and paneling with a fresco touch, all in bold relief, as well as marble inlay.

The exterior is decorated with stone carving as well as marble inlay on red sandstone, specially of lotiform motifs in bold relief. The embellishment has Indo-Greek, Central Asian and Indian architectural influence both in technique and motifs.

 

The skyline is furnished by beautiful ornamental merlons inlaid with marble lining adding grace to the perimeter of the mosque. In its various architectural features like the vast square courtyard, the side aisles (dalans), the four corner minars, the projecting central transept of the prayer chamber and the grand entrance gate, is summed up the history of development of mosque architecture of the Muslim world over the thousand years prior to its construction in 1673.

 

The north enclosure wall of the mosque was laid close to the Ravi River bank, so a majestic gateway could not be provided on that side and, to keep the symmetry the gate had to be omitted on the south wall as well. Thus a four Aiwan plan like the earlier Delhi Jamia Masjid could not be adopted here.

 

The walls were built with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in kankar, lime mortar (a kind of hydraulic lime) but have a veneer of red sandstone. The steps leading to the prayer chamber and its plinth are in variegated marble.

 

The prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers. Out of the 7 compartments, three double domes finished in marble have superb curvature, whilst the rest have curvilinear domes with a central rib in their interior and flat roof above. In the eastern front aisle, the ceiling of the compartment is flat (Qalamdani) with a curved border (ghalatan) at the cornice level.

 

The original floor of the courtyard was laid with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in the Mussalah pattern. The present red sandstone flooring was laid during the last thorough repairs (1939-60). Similarly, the original floor of the prayer chamber was in cut and dressed bricks with marble and Sang-i-Abri lining forming Mussalah and was also replaced by marble Mussalah during the last repairs.

 

There are only two inscriptions in the mosque:

 

one on the gateway

the other of Kalimah in the prayer chamber under the main high vault.

 

Measurements

Courtyard: 528'-8" x 528'-4" (Area: 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m2)), divided into two levels: the upper and the lower. In the latter, funeral prayers can also be offered.

Prayer Chamber: 275'-8" x 83'-7" x 50'-6" high, with its main vault 37'-3" x 59'-4" high but with the merlons 74'-6". (Area: 22,825 sq ft (2,120.5 m2))

Corner Minars: 67' in circumference, 176'-4" high are in four stages and have a contained staircase with 204 steps.

Central Dome: Diameter 65' at bottom (at bulging 70'-6"); height 49'; pinnacle 24 ft (7.3 m) and neck 15 ft (4.6 m) high.

Side Domes: Diameter 51'-6" (at bulging 54'-2"); height 32 ft (9.8 m); pinnacle 19 ft (5.8 m); neck 9'-6" high.

Gateway: 66'-7" x 62'-10" x 65 high including domelets; vault 21'-6" x 32'-6" high. Its three sided approach steps are 22 in number.

Side aisles (Dalans): 80 in number. Height above floor 23'-9"; plinth 2'-7".

Central Tank: 50' x 50' x 3' deep (Area: 2,500 sq ft (230 m2))""""""""""" """

Electronics hobby

  

Designing and building a high power amplifier capable of driving low impedance (as low as 2 Ohm’s @ 50 Vpp) loads.

  

www.diyaudio.com/ see alias FdW

  

History of DIY audio

 

Audio DIY came to prominence in the 50s to 60s, as audio reproduction was relatively new and the technology "complex," audio reproduction equipment, and in particular high performance equipment, was not offered at the retail level. Kits and designs were available for consumers to build their own equipment. Famous vacuum tube kits from Dynaco, Heathkit, and McIntosh, as well as solid state (transistor) kits from Hafler allowed for consumers to build their own hi fidelity systems. Books and magazines were published which explained new concepts regarding the design and operation of vacuum tube and (later) transistor circuits.

 

While audio equipment has become easily accessible in the current day and age, there still exists an interest in building one's own equipment, including amplifiers, speakers, preamplifiers, and even CD players and turntables. Today, a network of companies, parts vendors, and on-line communities exist to foster this interest. DIY is especially active in loudspeaker and in tube amplification. Both are relatively simple to design and fabricate without access to sophisticated industrial equipment. Both enable the builder to pick and choose between various available parts, on matters of price as well as quality, allow for extensive experimentation, and offer the chance to use exotic or highly labor-intensive solutions, which would be expensive for a manufacturer to implement, but only require personal labor by the DIYer, which is a source of satisfaction to them.

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIY_audio

C-130 Hercules logistics aircraft

 

Description

The C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the workhorse of the military services. Capable of landing and taking off from short, rough dirt runways, it is a people and cargo hauler and is used in a wide variety of other roles, such as gunships, weather watchers, tankers, firefighters and aerial ambulances. There are more than 40 versions of the Hercules, and it is widely used by more than 50 nations.

 

Background

Deliveries of the C-130A to the U.S. military began in December 1956 and the first B models came on board in April 1959. The newest is the H model.

 

Service

Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard

  

Point Of Contact

Naval Air Systems Command Public Affairs Department

47123 Buse Road, Unit IPT

Bldg. 2272, Suite 075

Patuxent River, MD 20670-5440

(301)757-1487

 

General Characteristics

 

Primary Function: Global airlift.

 

Contractor: Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, Marietta, Ga.

  

Unit Cost: Average $44.1 million.

 

Propulsion: Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, each 4,300 horsepower. Horsepower each engine: AC-130A, 3,750 hp; AC-130H, 4,910 hp.

  

Length: 97 feet 9 inches (29.3 meters).

 

Height: 38 feet 3 inches (11.4 meters).

 

Wingspan: 132 feet 7 inches (39.7 meters).

 

Weight: Maximum takeoff weight is 155,000 pounds (69,750 kg).

 

Airspeed: 374 mph (Mach 0.57, 604.4 kmh) at 20,000 feet.

 

Ceiling: 33,000 feet with 100,000 pounds (45,000 kg) payload.

 

Range: 2,350 miles (2,050 nautical miles, 3,770 km) with max payload; 2,500 mi (2,174 nautical mi, 4,000 km) with 25,000 pounds (11,250 kg) cargo; 5,200 mi (4,522 nautical mi, 8,320 km) with no cargo.

 

Crew: Five: two pilots, navigator, flight engineer, loadmaster.

 

Load: Up to 92 troops or 64 paratroops or 74 litter patients or five standard freight pallets.

  

Last Update: 17 February 2009

 

www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=1100&tid=5...

 

The Typhoon FGR4 provides the RAF with a highly capable and extremely agile multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, including air policing, peace support and 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: Paveway IV, AMRAAM, ASRAAM, Mauser 27mm Cannon, Enhanced Paveway II

  

Initially deployed in the air-to- air role as the Typhoon F2, the aircraft now has a potent and precise multirole capability.

 

The pilot can carry out many functions by voice command or through a handson stick and throttle system. Combined with an advanced cockpit and the HEA (Helmet equipment assembly) the pilot is superbly equipped for all aspects of air operations.

 

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.

 

All F2/T1 aircraft have been upgraded to FGR4/T3.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Towards the end of 1914, early in World War I, disturbing rumours began to circulate that the newest German submarines were capable of a much higher surface speed than British boats, one report giving their speed at about 22 knots. The rumours were sufficiently strong to force serious consideration of the matter by the Admiralty, and at the same time consideration was given to the idea that submarines should have a high enough surface speed to be able to work with the fleet. The reports concerning the speed of the German submarines proved to be spurious, but the idea of a British submarine with a high surface speed gained ground. The immediate result of this concern was the development of the J Class, which were unique with their three shafts. Originally eight boats were planned but this was reduced to six and then increased to seven. As a result of these changes the boats originally intended to be J7 and J8 were renumbered in April 1915 as J3 and J4 respectively.

 

J7's submerged displacement of 1,760 tons was 60 tons less than that of her sister boats. Her conning tower was located further aft and the gun was mounted in a lower position.

 

HMS J7 commissioned in the Royal Navy on 15 September 1917 under the command of Lieutenant Commander F.H.D. Byron RN and was allocated to a flotilla based at Blyth, Northumberland.

 

On 5 November 1917 J7 departed Blyth for her first patrol. Whilst on patrol in the North Sea on 6 March 1918 an enemy submarine was sighted, but J7 was unable to attack and the enemy passed from sight.

 

The submarine was under refit during April and May 1918 at Walker Naval Yard on the River Tyne. She sailed for patrol on 25 May and evaded a U-boat attack the same day.

 

On 10 July an enemy submarine was sighted and both vessels dived. Shortly after a sighting was made of an enemy submarine on the surface, going away, J7 surfaced, challenged and opened fire. The enemy dived. An enemy submarine was sighted on 23 July, but J7 was unable to attack and the enemy disappeared.

 

On 5 October 1918 J7 dived to intercept a reported submarine, but broke off the search without contact.

 

The boat was at sea when the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918. She returned to Blyth on 15 November. On 19 February 1919 she proceeded to Jarrow.

 

Following the conclusion of hostilities in World War I, the Admiralty in 1918 presented the six remaining boats of the J Class to the Australian Government - J6 had been sunk in error in 1918 by a British ship. All the submarines commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy at Portsmouth on 25 March 1919, as tenders to the submarine depot ship HMAS Platypus, J7 being the senior boat, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Oswald E. Hallifax DSO RN.

 

The beam tubes were removed from all six J Class submarines before they sailed for Australia. The tubes were despatched separately to Garden Island. The reasons given for the removal were that the beam tubes were not a success and that increased accommodation was required.

  

HMS Submarine J7 off the River Tyne prior to sailing for Australia in February, 1919.

On 9 April 1919 Platypus and the submarines, escorted by the light cruiser HMAS Sydney, sailed from Portsmouth for Australia, their first two ports of call being Gibraltar and Valetta.

 

On the night of 28 April, the night before the vessels arrived at Port Said, J3's starboard main engine shaft snapped. Thus handicapped she could not keep up with the others and consequently on departure for Aden on 30 April, J3 was in tow of Sydney.

 

The vessels arrived at Aden on 5 May. On the same day the light cruiser HMAS Brisbane, which had left Portsmouth on 17 April, also arrived. On 7 May all the vessels sailed for Colombo. Brisbane took over the tow of J3 while Sydney took J5 in tow as that boat had also developed engine trouble. Three days after arrival at Colombo on 15 May, Brisbane sailed with J5 in tow, taking her all the way to Sydney, where they arrived on 27 June.

 

J3 was taken in hand at Colombo for repairs. On 31 May Sydney, J1, J2, J4 and J7 sailed for Singapore, followed on 2 June by Platypus and J3. The vessels were reunited at Singapore from where all except Sydney sailed on 18 June. Sydney sailed for Australia a few days later but did not rejoin the other vessels. On 29 June Platypus and the five submarines arrived at Thursday Island, although J7 was three hours late because of trouble with her engine lubricating system. The last call before Sydney was Brisbane, Sydney being reached on 15 July.

 

Having arrived in poor condition, the submarines were taken in hand at Garden Island Dockyard for refitting. After her refit was completed J7 sailed for the submarine base at Geelong, Victoria.

 

After uneventful service, little of which was spent at sea, J7 and her five sisters paid off into Reserve at Westernport on 12 July 1922. The boats had become victims of the worsening economic conditions of the time, coupled with their high cost of maintenance.

 

On 1 November 1929 J7 was sold to Morris and Watt Pty Ltd of South Melbourne. She was towed from Flinders Naval Depot, Crib Point, where she had served as a reserve source of electric power, on 4 December 1929. She was dismantled and the hull sunk in 1930 as a breakwater at the Sandringham Yacht Club, Sandringham, Port Phillip Bay, where it remain

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Peyton Galbraith, right, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), instructs a sailor aboard the Turkish navy amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu (L-400) on how to direct an MV-22B Osprey from the “Blue Knights” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced) during a cross-deck familiarization event with Wasp in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 15, 2024. Wasp is conducting operations in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) area of operations as the flagship of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (WSP ARG)-24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC). The WSP ARG-24th MEU (SOC) is on a scheduled deployment to the NAVEUR-NAVAF area of operations, supporting U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region, including in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, to continue promoting regional stability and deterring aggression. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sydney Milligan)

I originally met Phoebe Gloeckner as a very capable medical illustrator. I was later to discover she was also a super talented fine artist. This piece is a zine she illustrated for J.G. Ballard. Her innovative style is provacative. Phoebe Gloeckner: all image rights.

Andre Dubonnet did many things in his life. Among others, he drove and raced many cars, but his favorites were Hispanos. The stunning Xenia Coupe was intended as a rolling showcase of Dubonet's ideas and it was designed by Jean Andreau. One-of-a kind, four-passenger avant-garde coupe was inspired by aircraft designs and it featured Dubonnet's own hyperflex suspension, 6.5 liter Hispano Suiza engine and was capable of 125 mph. The streamlined body was crafted by Saoutchik. In 1939, when World War II began, the Xenia was hidden away but it re-emerged in 1946. Long, wide and massive, with a cockpit clearly inspired by aircraft practice, the Dubonnet Hispano Suiza evokes yesterday's vision of the future. She can be seen at Portland Art Museum as a part of the Allure of the Automobile exhibit.

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 hoovering helicopter. Once on the ground, crews build firelines using hand tools, chainsaws, and other firefighting tools. Forest Service photo by Charity Parks.

 

Copyright - All Rights Reserved - Black Diamond Images

 

James Turner (he prefers to be known as Jimmy) has a twin sister, who was also a very capable athlete. James, who developed Cerebral Palsy from a young age, never let his disability prevent him from aspiring to do well in life. Early on he declared he would one day represent Australia and that dream never left him.

James is the son of good friends who live just up the road from us so having watched him grow up we are very proud of his achievements in Soccer and Athletics, as well as his academic ones.

James attended Hallidays Point Primary School and Great Lakes College Tuncurry, NSW and always had an interest in mainly distance running in his school days.

James' father, a keen Soccer player, introduced James to Soccer at an early age and he excelled, eventually from around age 16 being selected in the Australia Pararoos where he represented Australia for several years.

With the 2016 Paralympics being held in Rio de Janeiro James set his sights on representing Australia in Soccer at those Olympics. Unfortunately it was not to be as the Pararoos failed to qualify.

James, by this time was living in Canberra at the AIS and was training and touring internationally with the Pararoos.

When the opportunity to represent in Soccer in Rio dissolved James had resigned himself to another 4 years before he could try again in Tokyo.

Soon after the disappointment of missing Rio in Soccer in 2015 a number of AIS Athletics officials who had noted his stamina and speed from watching him play soccer, approached him and asked if he had ever done any athletics.

His reply was yes as he'd been a member of Forster-Tuncurry Athletics club from 8 to 15 years of age after which he had joined the Hunter Academy of Sport AWD middle distance running program.

The officials asked him if he would be willing to run a time trial at the Athletics Stadium in Canberra.

To their utter amazement he ran the 800m at that trial, unofficially, in under T 36 Cerebral Palsy world record time.

He soon after decided that Athletics was to be his chance to get to Rio so he put his Soccer career on hold, he thought at the time, probably just temporarily.

He began training at the AIS mainly competing in the distance events like the 1500 and 800m.

After several international competitions pre Rio he was undefeated. By the time Rio came around the 1500m was dropped from the T36 program so James concentrated on the 800 m.

At Rio he comfortably won the 800m Gold medal in World Record time.

James, a truly wonderful young man, was, after Rio, the toast of Australia and nowhere more so than in his hometown of Diamond Beach but also in Wollongong where he had been studying Engineering at Wollongong University. Since he's been in Canberra at the AIS he transfered to a Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Canberra.

 

He subsequently won numerous awards, including an OAM and has became an accomplished public speaker.

By the time the Tokyo Paralympics came around James had broken and held every world record from 1500m down to 100m.

When the 800m was dropped from the Tokyo games James made a decision to not contest the 200m (for which he was the world record holder), focusing on the 400m and 100m.

As world record holder in both his chosen events James was a clear favourite going into the Tokyo games.

The 400m was his first hit out and he was triumphant winning comfortably in a Paralympic games record time to back up his win in Rio.

Having broken the 100m world record at the T36 World Championships in Dubai in the leadup to Tokyo James went into the Paralympics undefeated in his specialist events.

The 100m was always going to be his most difficult challenge but his form had been good so he was the favourite after winning his heat in a Paralympic record.

The starters gun went off and then fired again, it was a false start. The second start saw the Malaysian beside James move fractionally before the start. This unsettled James and he was the last to leave the blocks with his Chinese rival getting away by several metres having started brilliantly.

James strength and speed enabled him to steam past all the other runners in the field but he ran out of track, just failing to overtake the Chinese runner at the line.

 

This result was very disappointing for James, being his first defeat in some years and he showed it in his interview after the race, apologising to all those who he believed had so much expectation of him. The interviewer was fantastic telling James that a Silver medal is nothing to be sneezed at.

In my opinion, having been a sprinter myself in another life, I feel the unsteadiness of the Malaysian runner beside James was sufficient reason to call a false start but it didn't happen and the race was run leaving James an impossible task to run down the eventual winner.

There was talk of a protest being lodged by commentators however James and his coaching staff took the loss in their stride. James, in an interview after the race said the loss would give him the experience and motivation to go on to bigger and better things.

Having known James and his family since he was born, I'm certain he will be a much harder hard man to beat when his third Olympics come around in Beijing in 2024.

Well done James Australia is proud of you.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Turner_(parathlete)

 

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

BRIEFING WITH SPECIAL ENVOY FOR LIBYA JONATHAN WINER

  

MODERATOR: Well, welcome, everybody, on this rainy day. I’m glad you guys could come out to this. So today we have Special Envoy Jonathan Winer – Special Envoy for Libya – I believe that’s the title. We had a very important meeting today at the UN to talk about moving forward on the political process there, and he’ll provide an update on that and where we are and what can we expect moving forward.

  

This is a small group. We’re going to go ahead and do this on the record. So with that, I’ll hand it over. And please, if you ask a question, please state your name and who you’re affiliated with, please. Thank you.

  

MR WINER: Hi. I’m Jonathan Winer. I’m the United States Special Envoy to Libya, and perhaps I can begin by trying to describe where I think things are and why, where they may be heading, what our policy is. You should feel free to ask me any question when I’ve stopped speaking, and if I’m going off the (inaudible) feel free to interrupt me. That’s all right too.

  

The current Libyan governments, which were formed more or less in the period of June to August of last year, 2014, are not capable of delivering services to the Libyan people. They have not succeeded in acting as governments, and they spent most of their existence fighting with one another over who was legitimate and who was not.

  

They both have declining legitimacy, both internationally and domestically. And the UN peace process, which has been underway under the current UN SRSG Bernardino Leon, who began his mission in the beginning of – actually it was the end of September, actually – 2014. His term is nearing its close and he is trying to, as he concludes his term, bring the parties into a deal which would re-establish a unitary government – a united government back in Tripoli, which everyone agrees is Libya’s capital. And the fact is that nothing can really function very well without Tripoli being Libya’s capital, because the governmental infrastructure of Libya is weak under the best of circumstances, and you take it out of a Tripoli-centric functioning and it can’t function at all.

  

There are now central banks, two Libyan claimants for control of Libyan investment authority, two claimants for a national oil company, double sets of ministers on practically everything, competing ministries of foreign affairs in terms of ambassadors being appointed by one side or the other side, two presidents, two prime ministers, and a very large number legislators in both bodies.

  

It doesn’t work. Benghazi has been engulfed in an ongoing conflict now for 15 months, which has destroyed substantial portions of the city. Sirte has been taken over by Daesh. Derna was taken over by Daesh but then developed antibodies, and Libyan members of Ansar al-Sharia kicked Daesh out only a few months after embracing it.

  

You’ve got the migrant crisis into Europe through Libya, which is causing generous amounts of money to be generated for criminal gangs who, in turn, like to keep the money flows going and thus insidiously further build their capacities and weaken governmental structures.

  

Everyone says it can’t go on like this. The Libyan public doesn’t want it to go on like this, it’s pretty clear from polling. The majority of the legislative bodies in the House of Representatives in Tobruk and in the GNC in Tripoli believe it can’t go on like this and are ready to embrace a deal.

  

Everybody’s sick of it, and at some point the situation, which is already pretty terrible, becomes intolerable as Libya continues to eat its seed corn, consume its inherited capital, and the money starts to run out. I would note that Daesh did take over the central bank’s offices in Sirte about three weeks ago. It got away with some millions of dollars. It’s good that it wasn’t hundreds of millions, but it was millions. And its efforts to build that geographic space in that area are threatening to Misrata, which is the city most in its proximity.

  

The Misratans would very much like to fight back, but it’s hard to fight back while you’re also having to watch your back against the political forces in the context of ongoing civil division. So the Misratans have been very, very central to the changed appetite for a political accommodation, a political deal. There were important Misratan elements as part of Libya Dawn formed after Operation Dignity. It was formed by Hafter. And at this point, the Misratans, by and large, very much want to be part of the deal and to help deliver a deal.

  

The text that has been negotiated by the Libyans, brokered by Bernardino Leon, is, as far as Leon is concerned, final. It is final as far as the United States is concerned. It’s final so far as the major European countries involved in Libya are concerned. It’s final as far as the regional players are concerned. It’s – that process is done. What’s going to happen next is this – a process needs to be undergone very rapidly – two days, three days, four days. There is at most less than three weeks until the house by all accounts loses its current legitimacy; its current authorities run out on October 21st. So there is a process that needs to take place for agreement on five names for a new government – a prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and two cabinet positions which become part of something called the presidency council, which collectively make all the decisions pretty much for the new government.

  

So it’s envisioned that Bernardino Leon will be able to, by talking seriatim to all of the Libyan delegates who’ve been participating in the process that’s taken place in Skhirat and Morocco over the past year, mostly in Skhirat, sometimes in Geneva, that they will say okay, this the right person for prime minister, we can live – all of us can live with this person. This is the right combination for deputy prime minister, the right combination for the other two. And by looking at a package of five people they can say yeah, we like that – this person, we’re not thrilled with that person but we can live with him. So that you have a total package that works for Libya that says this is a group of Libyans who represent enough of us that we will all feel reasonably safe and give them our authority.

  

So the idea is to get that done over the next few days and to have Bernardino Leon fill in Annex 2, which is where these five names would go – there’s a place for it in the actual political agreement in the second annex – and then say, “Here, House of Representatives in Tobruk, here GNC in Tripoli, vote yes up or down.” And if they vote for it, the new government is formed. If they don’t for it, you could still have a situation in which enough Libyan constituencies ultimately come together to provide a basis for governance, but that’s less clear. We’re seeing growing momentum for it. Representatives from both the GNC and the House of Representatives have in New York today committed themselves to trying to get from here to there.

  

We’ve seen this process evolve where they’ve gotten closer and closer and closer, and then they go back to their home cities. And there are elements in both cities who have not wanted a deal and who basically tend to make demands which are not answerable, and they’re obstacles to a deal. The goal is to reduce that to the absolute minimum, to the smallest number, and find a majority, indeed a supermajority, to go ahead. Reports that we have had from discussions within the house and discussions within the GNC are that somewhere between two-thirds and to five-sixths of the representatives are in support of an agreement, depending on how far along you are in the process. It’s gone more or less from two-thirds to five-sixths over the last three months. We get pretty detailed vote counts, and it’s quite clear to us that the people who don’t want to deal are in the absolute minority.

  

That said, when the negotiating team of the GNC left Tripoli last week to prepare to come to New York – it might even have been this week, a few days ago – there were people who tried to prevent them from getting on planes. The GNC negotiators are tough GNC members. They are not pushovers. They are not – no one would call them soft on the other side. They are tough, well-regarded people within their caucus, within their body, their institution. Yet there were still people who tried to intimidate them and prevent them from leaving. We’ve seen the same phenomenon from time to time in the House of Representatives. And so this is going to be a rocky road to success if we get there. Libya needs to get there and the Libyans need now to move ahead, not to take any more time. And if you listened to the discussion or heard about the discussion today at the UN, the message from every country that spoke, without exception, was no more negotiations, no delay, now, because legitimacy is declining in the absence of a deal.

  

So what about security? The question of security is a multifaceted question, but the first issue on security is security in Tripoli. Everyone agrees Tripoli has to be the seat of the government, not only for historical and affectional or emotional reasons but because physically that’s the way the ministries are constructed. And the IT and administrative systems in Libya are no so strong that you can just plug and play from anywhere. It doesn’t work.

  

The various militias that control various parts of Tripoli need to participate in security discussions in the next few weeks. Those have been slow. The security discussions have not gone at the speed that lots of people have wanted, both inside Libya and outside Libya, but there’s one good reason for it in addition to any number of bad reasons one could come up with. A bad reason is the person is waiting till the last minute to extract whatever they can would be a bad reason. A person who never wants to share power, is going to stop anyone from coming back, would be another bad reason. Those bad reasons may – I’m a criminal group, I don’t want more people to oppose me, I want to just do my criminal things would be a third bad reason.

  

But the main good reason or legitimate reason is until there is a political deal, until there’s a political agreement, it’s hard to expect security forces to come aboard for discussions with one another on solutions. This is not a security problem first and foremost, though there are massive security problems. It is in the first instance a political problem in which the various political components of society at play politically in Libya need to come together. And that’s been the process in Morocco over this period now of eight or nine – nine months, really, since we started in Skhirat, something like that – nine months, anyway, since we started Geneva, which we’re seeing in Skhirat.

  

So that’s basically where we are. The delegates are going to back to Skhirat immediately tomorrow and start discussing names of the quintet, quintropod, whatever the correct name is for five people – Pentium – I guess that’s copyrighted – for the five people who would control the country, be responsible for running the government. Then, if they can come to that and Bernardino was able to find five names which are in accord with the independent delegates as well as the house and the GNC, it then goes back to those two bodies for approval as the second annex of an entire integrated text. So that’s where things are.

  

MODERATOR: All right. We’ll take your questions.

  

MR WINER: I actually had a couple things. The UK, the U.S., France, Italy, and other countries made it clear to the Libyans that we will all be involved and support Libya rebuilding if they form a government of national unity; and that if they fail to do so, not only would that assistance not be forthcoming, but they’re going to be running on fumes and then those fumes are going to – even the fumes are going to run out.

  

QUESTION: Can I ask a quick question? In his – when President Obama spoke on Monday, he acknowledged that the international community had not done enough after Qadhafi was overthrown to help nation building, I guess one would call it, or security assistance in country in Libya. What – it was interesting that he made that acknowledgement. What motivated him? What lessons have you learned and what would you do differently now should the Libyans succeed in forming a government? Because he seemed to be saying it wasn’t handled right the first time, and that raises the question of what’s going – how different is it going to be this time?

  

MR WINER: Well, when something fails as much as Libya has failed after such a bright moment when people were really excited about throwing off the chains of 42 years of being enslaved or shackled by Qadhafi’s megalomania and capriciousness, you say, “Well, we must have done something wrong.” However, the Libyans really did not want a variety of kinds of international help. I was personally involved in trying to get the Libyans to move ahead with general purpose force agreement with the United States, never could get them to sign a peace of paper. When they finally signed the peace of paper, couldn’t get them to pay for their share.

  

When it came to military training, the United States tried to do various types of training missions. They all went awry in different ways due to the Libyans not doing what they should be doing. The Italians had a bad experience, the Turks had a bad experience, the Brits had a bad experience, the French had a bad experience with police. I can’t find a country that engaged with Libya in the period of 2012 to 2014 that was successful.

  

QUESTION: So then what is the point the President was making if – because he seemed to be saying that it wasn’t – enough had not been done, and you seem to be saying that it wasn’t possible to do anything. So what are you planning to do that’s going to build on these lessons? Or is it – or – I just don’t understand what the President was saying and where you’re going with it.

  

MR WINER: I really can’t speculate about what was in the President’s mind on what he had to say, because it’s not something that I was involved in during the preparation of his materials or – so I don’t know where that came from. I can’t speculate --

  

QUESTION: So how – what precisely will you do to help this new government should it ever manage to coalesce?

  

MR WINER: Sure. They need public financial administration so that they can take advantage of their resources in ways to deliver services effectively. If you’ve ever gotten an email from a Libyan, I can tell you it didn’t have a Libya suffix at the end. They don’t have electronic recordkeeping systems that are systemic. They’ve got some sophistication at the central bank, the ministry of finance, and the diwan, the oversight office or audit office. But overall, their IT systems are way behind what a country should have, so there’s a lot of technocratic things once could do in the first instance to try and make the ministries function post-Qadhafi.

  

The systems that were in place before were designed to only be workable with Qadhafi often just saying, “Do it.” That was the basic structure. When you lost that impulse – he had also – if things didn’t work, he had also told Libyans for 42 years, “I’m not running the country. You’re running the country. It’s the people’s revolution. It’s the people’s Libya.” And so with him gone, people have said to themselves, “Well, I’m running the country now.” And so you had instead of a single impulse a multitude of impulses, many of which could not be carried out to conclusion.

  

So in each period of time you try to learn from what went before. If you were to try and go back and say what should have been done differently, probably more focus quickly day-to-day when things didn’t happen that should have happened, when Libya was not responding to what the UN was trying to do, to what the EU was trying to do, to what the UK, France, Italy, the United States, Spain, Germany were trying to do, perhaps there should have been more of a reckoning of it earlier. That you could have done.

  

QUESTION: But you – would be willing – this is my last question, but would you be, the international community, provide security assistance in-country?

  

MR WINER: The way in which the political agreement was struck --

  

QUESTION: Not just --

  

MR WINER: Yeah. The way the political --

  

QUESTION: Substantial assistance.

  

MR WINER: I’m absolutely going to answer – I’m answering the question. The political agreement lays out a process in which the Libyans can ask the international community for help on security – various types of security assistance, including help on countering terrorism, it’s expressly there; help on countering criminal groups and illegal migration, expressly there; help in fulfilling the carrying out of all the other terms of the political agreement. So there’s a whole section in security relating to what the international community can do.

  

There will be donors conferences and efforts by donors to kick up various types of help to Libya that would increase the capacity to deliver services quickly in such areas as public financial administration, as I’ve mentioned. There’s going to need to be a national security structure, so there’s going to need to be defense institution building. There’ll be a need to train and equip, but focus on training first Libyan national forces who are depoliticized, who are seen as representing the country rather than being responsive to a particular militia leader. The document talks about the reconstitution of militias into a national force. That’s there in the political agreement.

  

So the framework provides for a way in which Libya can ask other countries for help. It has to begin with the Libyans wanting the help. Part of the problem after 2011 is various successive Libyan governments did not particularly want help and declined it in various ways repeatedly. When they did accept, it was – it didn’t come out well because of inadequate preparation of the environment, of the Libyan environment, and the way in which it was being carried out by the internationals to have it succeed. I left out the Jordanians. Their efforts to train also didn’t go well.

  

Maybe the Libyans themselves have learned from this process that more – that they have to work a bit harder and be a bit more flexible too. They were very determined not to have foreigners dominate the country post-Qadhafi and tell them what to do. After the losses of this past period of time – the suffering, the misery – the suffering, the misery, the unhappiness – they are clearly more open to getting help internationally. A number of countries are willing to come back and try and do that both within the region and beyond.

  

QUESTION: Worst case scenario of the political --

  

MODERATOR: Sorry, can you state your name and your --

  

QUESTION: Vasili Sushko, Sputnik News. If a political agreement isn’t reached – correct me if I’m wrong, you said that international support will cease?

  

MR WINER: Well, there’s almost no internationals in Libya today. There’s almost no international assistance today – very, very little. It’s not safe for people right now because there isn’t a government one can rely on to provide protection. So you have very few foreigners living in Libya, let alone providing services, and assistance programs have by and large been cut off de facto, already. And the resources of the country have declined from 135 billion at the end, I believe, of 2013, to 88 billion at the end of 2014, and to some number below that today. I don’t have up-to-date numbers, but they’ve been continuing to bleed. They’re producing oil at about 30 percent of what their capacities were – instead of 1.5 million barrels a day, they’re producing somewhere from 250,000 to 400,000 barrels a day, the first bit of which is used for the domestic market. And oil prices, of course, are 50 cents on the dollar of what they were so their revenues have just been decimated – literally reduced 90 percent.

  

And the result is a growing financial crisis which is not sustainable. The day that they cannot buy medicine and food and refined oil – gasoline – and equipment – cars and so on – from the rest of the world is a bad day for – is a bad day for Libya. And they’re going to come to that day if they don’t find a way to come together and regain the legitimacy of their national institutions. They’re also having growing litigation and litigation risk as the result of the division of national institutions into competing sides. In such a competition, potentially everybody loses because the transaction risk gets to be too great for partners to do business with them. You’re an oil company – are you going to enter into a oil contract with anybody in Libya right now? The risks are just enormous; it doesn’t matter who you’re dealing with if it’s a new contract as opposed to an existing one.

  

You play that against an entire economy, it creates a vicious cycle of deterioration. As Libyans come to grapple with this, they get more willing to compromise and to recognize the need for national accord, for coming together to protect the country as a whole. Daesh has also concentrated the minds. Since the Corinthia attack of last January and the takeover of Sirte, in Tripoli and in Misrata we’ve seen people say, “This is a real threat to us; we want to be able to take action against it, to take action against it more effectively. We need international support and we need to be united.”

  

Again, the speeches today were all about the need for unity, which is a good thing. We’re not seeing people who want to break up the country. There are some Libyans who would benefit from that at a local level if they themselves could control the energy. And so there’s been the federalist movements, which at various times has tried to fan separatism. But none of Libya’s neighbors want that, and the vast supermajority of Libyans reject that as well, and it has no teeth, it has no energy.

  

QUESTION: Going back to what this gentleman said earlier about what the U.S. could’ve done differently – at all ever considered possibly not ousting Qadhafi, perhaps working with him? Because since 2011, I mean, it’s been dismal, and we’re now in a situation with Syria which – I’m not sure if you can comment on Syria --

  

MR WINER: I can’t comment on Syria. I’m not an expert on Syria.

  

QUESTION: So was that ever considered, perhaps working --

  

MR WINER: I wasn’t in the Administration at the time the decisions were made about Qadhafi, and I can’t address the issue. But I would say generally speaking I’m very, very poor at hypothetical situations and trying to imagine alternative futures. I’m not a good writer of fiction. I’m just not a good writer of fiction. It’s just not my metier. And any kind of trying to revisit history and do imagine-ifs and what-ifs for me aren’t very useful. I don’t do it.

  

QUESTION: Well, the President made the comment, so was that perhaps a possibility of what you might have --

  

MR WINER: You could ask him. I don’t know.

  

QUESTION: Excuse me, thank you. Fabiola Ortiz. I write for IPS and (inaudible) in the news. So I’m coming to understand a little bit more about the (inaudible) Libya. I wonder, are we – in your opinion, are we heading towards next generation of Qadhafi, or we cannot, like, talk about the future, but a next future of possible another Qadhafi, or this General Khalifa Hafter – yeah. Please, if you could make some comments on this.

  

MR WINER: Yeah. Sure. Yeah. I don’t know anyone I’ve run in – I have met in Libya who thinks it is a good idea to return to one-man rule of Libya. I don’t know anyone. I don’t know anyone who supports a coup. I don’t know anyone who wants to see democracy and what was fought for in the February 17th revolution replaced by a return to the old regime. People who are very upset by what’s happened in 2012, ’13, ’14, ’15, are still not saying, “Oh, for the good old days under Qadhafi.” Instead, people who long for the good old days say, “Well, maybe we should go back to having – adopting the constitution of 1951 and having a constitutional monarch and have Libya have some integration through that.” It’s – those are not majority voices, I mean, but within the realm of things you hear, that’s one thing. So when people have nostalgia for the good old days, they go back to before Qadhafi to King Idris. They don’t go back, “No, we need a new Qadhafi.”

  

So that’s not something – the risk for Libya is not so much of a return to a Qadhafi as it is for continued fragmentation and collapse of institutions.

  

QUESTION: And about this new – it’s not a new general, but this General Khalifa Hafter, you could make some comments on him. Because he was close to Qadhafi, right? Or --

  

MR WINER: Hafter’s background, which you can read online --

  

QUESTION: Yeah, yeah.

  

MR WINER: -- and my knowledge comes from online reading about him and some books about him – is --

  

QUESTION: Only?

  

MR WINER: Him?

  

QUESTION: Only? (Laughter.)

  

MR WINER: Yes, essentially. Everything relevant – is that he fought – he was part of the original revolution against the king, became Qadhafi’s chief general, was imprisoned in Chad. Qadhafi was – didn’t treat him well because he lost his battles against Chad. He then moved to northern Virginia; according to press accounts, is said to have worked with the United States Government; according to press accounts, is said then not to have worked for the United States Government; and then came back to Libya for the first time in decades in the course of the revolution; declared a coup in February 2014 and at various times has said that he’s free of civilian control currently.

  

Our view is that no individual should be free in security space, whether they’re head of a militia or otherwise – free of civilian control. This is – has got to be a democracy in which you have elected governments and security is under the elected governments. But beyond that, there’s no point in talking about individuals, because these are principles, and the principles here are what will be relevant. I don’t know anyone, as I said earlier, who is supporting a coup or would support a coup – that is, any foreign government, period, across the board.

  

QUESTION: Can you --

  

QUESTION: No, go ahead.

  

QUESTION: No, you go ahead.

  

QUESTION: No, I don’t care.

  

QUESTION: All right. I’ll go ahead.

  

Could you expand a little more on what ISIL and Daesh is doing in Libya? You mentioned the central bank operation. How many of them are there? Where are they most active? It’s been – I guess they’re getting some guidance from the --

  

MR WINER: Yeah, I don’t --

  

QUESTION: -- from Syria, from the caliphate? What kind of – what can you tell us about --

  

MR WINER: Sure.

  

QUESTION: -- the extent of this group in Libya proper?

  

MR WINER: I do not feel comfortable at all talking about numbers, because whatever numbers I would give you would be wrong even if I tried to make them completely accurate. To the absolute best of my ability, I don’t feel I have a good enough grasp.

  

What I can say is that there appears to be foreign fighters in Libya of two different kinds. There are Libyans who went into the Iraq-Syria territory and came back to Libya, having absorbed Daesh doctrine, Daesh strategy, and Daesh tactics. In addition, there appear to be people who are from Iraq-Syria who are non-Libyans as well as people from other areas in the Maghreb region, such as Tunisia in particular, who have adopted Daesh branding, Daesh ideology, Daesh tactics, Daesh strategy.

  

There are also people have domestic extremist views – Ansar al-Sharia being the label that they had adopted in different towns – who merged with Daesh or joined Daesh. And as I mentioned, in Derna, after they did that, basically they said to themselves, as near as I can tell, “We’re Libyans. We don’t want to be told what to do by foreigners. We’re going to kick them out.” And they kicked them out, and they were almost entirely pushed out of Derna, as near as I can tell.

  

So it’s a complex dynamic in which there are, again, two types of foreign fighters – the Libyans who went and came back, and then people from Iraq-Syria. The effort clearly is to capture territory; that is, it is territorial-based, to find a beachhead and then expand the beachhead outward as they can by terrifying and intimidating anybody who might get in their way to fleeing or joining, fleeing or accepting. That’s their basic technique.

  

There are a variety of Libyans who don’t like it, including, as mentioned, forces in Misrata, including militia forces who are pressing against them but have not fully taken them on, in part because of a question about correlation of forces; that is, are we strong enough to take them on? There is probably a smaller presence – presences elsewhere in Libya in various cities. I’m really not the qualified person to talk about that. But there is probably some others. But there’s also as mentioned – the word I used earlier – anti – Libyan antibodies to foreign – dominance by any foreigners of any type, whether they’ve got that brand or some other flag or brand.

  

So it’s a very complex picture with shifting alliances and shifting allegiances. I’ve had some people allege to me that some components of Daesh in Libya are former Qadhafiites who never liked the revolution. I’ve had political people say, “Oh, it’s the other guys who are stoking them up to create more problems for us.” Sorting out what is true and what is not true in that is a tricky business.

  

MODERATOR: All right, we have time for one more, if anyone has one more question. No? All right, thank you.

  

MR WINER: Thank you.

  

# # #

  

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015, 1:30 P.M. EDT

  

NEW YORK FOREIGN PRESS CENTER, 799 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA, 10TH FLOOR

HAWAII (July 24, 2018) A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA-367) participates in a simulated tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP) mission during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise over the Hawaiian islands, July 24, 2018. RIMPAC provides high-value training for task-organized, highly capable Marine Air-Ground Task Force and enhances the critical crisis response capability of U.S. Marines in the Pacific. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 27 to Aug. 2 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Aaron S. Patterson)

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- Two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters receive fuel from a C-130 Hercules airplane while each carries two High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles during an aerial refueling exercise Jan. 30. The helicopters belong to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-772, a reserve squadron from Willow Grove, Pa., currently attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in support of the war against terrorism. (USMC photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald).

stoyle

 

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

Discovery STO - 70 Ton, Single Stage to Orbit Fixed Wing Aircraft - Space Plane - Hypersonic Plane, U-TBCC / Unified Turbine Based Combined Cycle & Aerospike

 

Iteration 1, Mach 8-10 in amtmosphere, 195ft long, Heavy Lift Single Stage To Orbit Fixed Wing Aircraft. 70 TONS, ie 140,000 LBS, 60 ft X 15ft X 15ft payload bay. Up in the Falcon Heavy and Delta IV class, except not $400 million to launch giant payloads into orbit, but below $250 per lbs, or about $28 million to launch giant payloads, and normalized orbital flight, as normal as a 737 commercial flight. Load up, refuel, take off in an afternoon. I estimate this aircraft would cost about $750 million each for space capable. In atmosphere commercial, roughly $300 million each for a 200 passenger M8-10 (not designed yet)

 

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www.ioaircraft.com/hypersonic/ranger.php

 

Drew Blair

www.linkedin.com/in/drew-b-25485312/

 

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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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tbcc, glide breaker, fighter plane, hyperonic fighter, stealth fighter, boeing phantom express, phantom works, boeing phantom works, lockheed skunk works, hypersonic weapon, hypersonic missile, scramjet missile, scramjet engineering, scramjet physics, boost glide, tactical glide vehicle, Boeing XS-1, htv, Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon, (ARRW), hypersonic tactical vehicle, hypersonic plane, hypersonic aircraft, space plane, scramjet, turbine based combined cycle, ramjet, dual mode ramjet, darpa, onr, navair, afrl, air force research lab, office of naval research, defense advanced research project agency, defense science, missile defense agency, aerospike, vtol, vertical take off, air taxi, personal air vehicle, boeing go fly prize, go fly prize,

 

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.

Nikonos Capable PiratePro Housing for the Olympus E-P1 with a Nikonos 15mm lens, viewed from the front.

Cyaxares or Hvakhshathra Uvaxštra, Greek: Κυαξάρης; r. 625–585 BC), the son of King Phraortes, was the third and most capable king of Media. According to Herodotus, Cyaxares, grandson of Deioces, had a far greater military reputation than his father or grandfather.

By uniting the Iranian tribes of Ancient Iran and conquering territory, Cyaxares allowed the Median Empire to become a regional power. During his rule, the Neo-Assyrian Empire fell and the Scythians were repelled from Median lands.

He was born in the Median capital of Ecbatana, his father Phraortes was killed in a battle against the Assyrians, led by Ashurbanipal, the king of Neo-Assyria. After his fall the Scythians took over. In his early age Cyaxares was seeking for revenge. He killed the Scythian leaders and proclaimed himself as King of Medes. After throwing off the Scythians, he prepared for war against Assyria. Cyaxares reorganized and modernized the Median Army, then joined with King Nabopolassar of Babylonia. This alliance was formalized through the marriage of Cyaxares daughter, Amytis with Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar II, the king who constructed the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as a present for his Median wife to help with her homesickness for the mountainous country of her birth. These allies overthrew the Assyrian Empire and destroyed Nineveh in 612 BC.

After the victory in Assyria, the Medes conquered Northern Mesopotamia, Armenia and the parts of Asia Minor east of the Halys River, which was the border established with Lydia after a decisive battle between Lydia and Media, the Battle of Halys ended with an eclipse on May 28, 585 BC.

The conflict between Lydia and the Medes was reported by Herodotus as follows:

“A horde of the nomad Scythians at feud with the rest withdrew and sought refuge in the land of the Medes: and at this time the ruler of the Medes was Cyaxares the son of Phraortes, the son of Deïokes, who at first dealt well with these Scythians, being suppliants for his protection; and esteeming them very highly he delivered boys to them to learn their speech and the art of shooting with the bow. Then time went by, and the Scythians used to go out continually to the chase and always brought back something; till once it happened that they took nothing, and when they returned with empty hands Cyaxares (being, as he showed on this occasion, not of an eminently good disposition) dealt with them very harshly and used insult towards them. And they, when they had received this treatment from Cyaxares, considering that they had suffered indignity, planned to kill and to cut up one of the boys who were being instructed among them, and having dressed his flesh as they had been wont to dress the wild animals, to bear it to Cyaxares and give it to him, pretending that it was game taken in hunting; and when they had given it, their design was to make their way as quickly as possible to Alyattes the son of Sadyattes at Sardis. This then was done; and Cyaxares with the guests who ate at his table tasted of that meat, and the Scythians having so done became suppliants for the protection of Alyattes.

After this, since Alyattes would not give up the Scythians when Cyaxares demanded them, there had arisen war between the Lydians and the Medes lasting five years; in which years the Medes often discomfited the Lydians and the Lydians often discomfited the Medes (and among others they fought also a battle by night): and as they still carried on the war with equally balanced fortune, in the sixth year a battle took

place in which it happened, when the fight had begun, that suddenly the day became night. And this change of the day Thales the Milesian had foretold to the Ionians laying down as a limit this very year in which the change took place. The Lydians however and the Medes, when they saw that it had become night instead of day, ceased from their fighting and were much more eager both of them that peace should be made between them. And they who brought about the peace between them were Syennesis the Kilikian and Labynetos the Babylonian: these were they who urged also the taking of the oath by them, and they brought about an interchange of marriages; for they decided that Alyattes should give his daughter Aryenis to Astyages the son of Cyaxares, since without the compulsion of a strong tie agreements are apt not to hold strongly together.” (Histories, 1.73-74, trans. Macaulay)

Cyaxares died shortly after the battle and was succeeded by his son, Astyages, who was the maternal grandfather of Cyrus the Great through his daughter Mandane of Media.

The Typhoon FGR4 provides the RAF with a highly capable and extremely agile multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, including air policing, peace support and 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: Paveway IV, AMRAAM, ASRAAM, Mauser 27mm Cannon, Enhanced Paveway II

  

Initially deployed in the air-to- air role as the Typhoon F2, the aircraft now has a potent and precise multirole capability.

 

The pilot can carry out many functions by voice command or through a handson stick and throttle system. Combined with an advanced cockpit and the HEA (Helmet equipment assembly) the pilot is superbly equipped for all aspects of air operations.

 

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.

 

All F2/T1 aircraft have been upgraded to FGR4/T3.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National MThe LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).

 

The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design is derived from the Vought F-8 Crusader; in comparison with the F-8, the A-7 is both smaller and restricted to subsonic speeds, its airframe being simpler and cheaper to produce. Following a competitive bid by Vought in response to the United States Navy's (USN) VAL (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Light) requirement, an initial contract for the type was issued on 8 February 1964. Development was rapid, first flying on 26 September 1965 and entering squadron service with the USN on 1 February 1967; by the end of that year, A-7s were being deployed overseas for the Vietnam War.

 

Initially adopted by USN, the A-7 proved attractive to other services, soon being adopted by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Air National Guard (ANG) to replace their aging Douglas A-1 Skyraider and North American F-100 Super Sabre fleets. Improved models of the A-7 would be developed, typically adopting more powerful engines and increasingly capable avionics. American A-7s would be used in various major conflicts, including the Invasion of Grenada, Operation El Dorado Canyon, and the Gulf War. The type was also used to support the development of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.

 

The A-7 was also exported to Greece in the 1970s and to Portugal in the late 1980s. The USAF and USN opted to retire their remaining examples of the type in 1991, followed by the ANG in 1993 and the Portuguese Air Force in 1999. The A-7 was largely replaced by newer generation fighters such as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The final operator, the Hellenic Air Force, withdrew the last A-7s during 2014.

 

From Wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTV_A-7_Corsair_II

  

Photo by Eric Friedebachuseum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

 

The museum is devoted to the history of naval aviation, including that of the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard. Its mission is "to select, collect, preserve and display" appropriate memorabilia representative of the development, growth and historic heritage of United States Naval Aviation. More than 150 aircraft and spacecraft are on display, including four former Blue Angels A-4 Skyhawks, the Curtiss NC-4 (the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic), U. S. Coast Guard helicopters, biplanes, a K-47 Airship control gondola and tail fin, an aircraft that President George H. W. Bush trained in, and the S-3 Viking used to transport President George W. Bush to the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003 (see Navy One). These historic and one-of-a-kind aircraft are displayed both inside the Museum's 300,000 square feet (30,000 m2) of exhibit space and outside on the Museum's 37-acre (150,000 m2) grounds.

 

The museum also functions in coordination with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM or NAVAIR) as the Navy's program manager for nearly all other retired Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft on display aboard U.S. military installations in the United States or overseas, or in numerous other museums or public displays. In a similar manner to U.S. Air Force aircraft on loan from the NMUSAF's collection which remain under official USAF ownership, these other American-preserved naval aircraft continue to remain the property of the Department of the Navy and are typically identified at these locations as being "On Loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum."

 

In addition to the displays, the museum features a Giant Screen Theater, flight simulators, Blue Angels 4D Experience, museum store, and cafe. The Cubi Point Café is itself an exhibit as it displays squadron memorabilia from the closed NAS Cubi Point Officers' Club.

  

From Wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Naval_Aviation_Museum

  

Photo by Eric Friedebach

The electric eel (Electrophorus electricus), is an electric fish, and the only species of the genus Electrophorus. It is capable of generating powerful electric shocks, which it uses for both hunting and self-defense. It is an apex predator in its South American range. Despite its name it is not an eel but rather a knifefish.

 

Electric eels have an elongated, cylindrical body, typically growing to about 2 m (6 feet) in length, and 20 kg (45 pounds) in weight, making them the largest species of the gymnotiformes. The coloration is dark gray-brown on the back and yellow or orange on the belly. Mature males have a darker color on the belly. They have no scales. The mouth is square, and positioned right at the end of the snout. The anal fin extends the length of the body to the tip of the tail. As in other ostariophysan fishes, the swim bladder has two chambers. The anterior chamber is connected to the inner ear by a series of small bones derived from neck vertebrae called the Weberian apparatus which greatly enhances their hearing capability. The posterior chamber extends along the whole length of the body and is used in buoyancy. Electrophorus has a well-developed sense of hearing. Electric eels have a vascularized respiratory organ in their oral cavity (Albert, 2001). These fish are obligate air-breathers; rising to the surface every 10 minutes or so, the animal will gulp air before returning to the bottom. Nearly 80% of the oxygen used by the fish is taken in this way.

 

Despite its name, the electric eel is not closely related to true eels (Anguilliformes) but is a member of the Neotropical knifefishes (Gymnotiformes), more closely related to catfishes.

 

The electric eel has three abdominal pairs of organs that produce electricity: the Main organ, the Hunter's organ, and the Sachs organ. These organs make up four-fifths of its body, and are what give the electric eel the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges (EODs), low voltage and high voltage. These organs are made of electrocytes, lined up so that the current flows through them and produces an electrical charge. When the eel locates its prey, the brain sends a signal through the nervous system to the electric cells. This opens the ion channel, allowing positively-charged sodium to flow through, reversing the charges momentarily. By causing a sudden difference in voltage, it generates a current.

 

The electric eel generates its characteristic electrical pulse in a manner similar to a battery, in which stacked plates produce an electrical charge. In the electric eel, some 5,000 to 6,000 stacked electroplaques are capable of producing a shock at up to 500 volts and 1 ampere of current (500 watts). Such a shock could be deadly for an adult human. (Electrocution death is due to current flow; the level of current that is fatal in humans is roughly 0.75A.)

 

The Sachs organ is associated with electrolocation. Inside the organ are many muscle-like cells, called electrocytes. Each cell can only produce 0.15 V, though working together the organ transmits a signal of about 10 V in amplitude at around 25 Hz. These signals are what is emitted by the main organ and Hunter's organ that can be emitted at rates of several hundred Hz.

 

The electric eel is unique among the gymnotiformes in having large electric organs capable of producing lethal discharges that allows them to stun prey. There are reports of this fish producing larger voltages, but the typical output is sufficient to stun or deter virtually any other animal. Juveniles produce smaller voltages (about 100 volts). Electric eels are capable of varying the intensity of the electrical discharge, using lower discharges for "hunting" and higher intensities for stunning prey, or defending themselves. When agitated, it is capable of producing these intermittent electrical shocks over a period of at least an hour without signs of tiring.

 

The species is of some interest to researchers, who make use of its acetylcholinesterase and ATP.

 

The electric eel also possesses high-frequency–sensitive tuberous receptors patchily distributed over the body that seem useful for hunting other Gymnotiformes.

 

Electric eels have been widely used as a model in the study of bioelectrogenesis.

 

Electric eels live in fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, the basins in South America, in river floodplains, swamps, creeks and coastal plains. They often live on muddy bottoms in calm water and in stagnant rivers.

 

Electric eels feed on invertebrates, although adult eels may also consume fish and small mammals. First-born hatchlings will even eat other eggs and embryos from later batches. The juveniles will eat invertebrates such as shrimp or crab.

 

The electric eel is also known for its unusual breeding behavior. In the dry season, a male eel makes a nest from his saliva into which the female lays her eggs. As many as 17,000 young will hatch from the eggs in one nest.

 

New York Aquarium Coney Island NY

The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk was developed in response to an Air Force request for an aircraft capable of attackin high value targets without being detected by enemy radar.By the 1970s,new materials and techniques allowed engines to design an aircraft with radar-evading or "stealth" qualities.The result was the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk,the world's first operational stealth aircraft.

 

The first Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk flew on June 18,1981,and the first Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk unit ,the 4450 Tactical Group (renamed the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing in October 1989),achieved initial operating capablity in October 1983.The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk first saw combat during Operation Just Cause on December 19,1989,when two Lockheed F-117A Nighthawks from the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing attacked military targets in Panama.

 

The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk again went into action during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1991 when the 415th Tactical Fighter Squadron and 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing mover to a base in Saudi Arabia.During Operation Desert Storm,the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawks flew 1,271 sorties,achiving an 80 percent mission sussess rate,and suffered no losses or battle damage.A total of 59 Lockheed F-117A Nighthawks were built between 1989 and 1990.In 1989 the Lockhhe F-117A nighthawk was awarded the Collier Trophy,one of the most prized aeronautical awards in the world.

 

The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk built and was specially modified for systems testing.In 1991 after its testing program was completed.It marked as it appearded during tests conducted for the Air Force Systems Command between 1981 and 1991.

 

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

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After it became operational in 1955,the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the U.S.Air Force during the Cold War,and continues to be an important part of the U.S.Air Force bomber force today.Nearly 750 were built before production ended in October 26,1962;170 of these were Boeing B-52D Stratofortesses

 

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress had set numerous records in its many years of service.On January 18,1957,three Boeing B-52B Stratofortresses completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft,lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and required only three aeral refueling.It was also a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress that made the first airbore hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll,Island on May 21,1956.

 

In June 1965 Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses entered combat in Southeast Asia.By 1973,they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with 17 Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses lost to enemy action.

 

The Boeing B-52D Stratofortess saw extensive action in Southeast Asia was several damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9,1972.In December 1972 after being repaired,it flew four addional missions over North Vietnam.

 

North American F-100 Super Sabre

------------------------------------------------Developed as a follow-on to the North American F-86 Sabre used in the Korean War,the North American F-100 Super Sabre was the world's first production airplane capable ot flying faster than the speed of sound in level flight (760 mph(.The prototype --the North American YF-100A Super Sabre--made its first flight on May 25,1953,at Edwards Air Force Base,California.Of the 2,294 North American F-100 Super Sabres built before production ended in 1959,1,274 were North American F-100D Super Sabres more than all the other series combined.The North American F-100D super Sabre modle,which made its first flight on Januarary 24,1956,was most advanced production version.Its features included the first autpilot designed for a supersonic jet and a low-altitude bombing system.The North American F-100 Super Sabre had its combat in Southeast Asia where it was used extensively as a fighter-bomber in ground-support missions such as attacking bridges,road junctions and troop concentrations.

 

The Thunderbirds,the U.S.Air Force Flight Demonstration Team,from 1964 until 1968.During the period =,the team toured the Caribbean,Europe,Latin America,and nearly every state in the United States.

 

Republic F-105 Thunderchief

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The Republic F-105 Thunderchief,nickname the "Thud" enolved from a 1951 project by to repace the Republic F-84 Thunderstreak fighter-bomber.The prototype first flew in October 1955,and Republic delivered the first production to the U.S.Air Force in 1958.Republic also deleloped a fully combat-capable two-seat trainer version,the Republic F-105F Thunderchief,abd 143 of them in 1963-1964.

 

The Republic F-105G Thunderchief began operational service in 1964 as a standard Republic F-105F Thunderchief.In 1967,it joined the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing in Thailand,where it flew combat missions for nearly three years.During this time,it became on of a select few U.S.Air Force aircaft Republic F-105G Thunderchief to claim three MIG kills.In 1970 it was fitted with electronic counter-measure (ECM) equipment for "Wild Weasel" duty,attacking enemy SA-2 surface-to-air missile sites.

 

In 1972 the aircraft Republic F-105G Thunderchief was modifieed to the inproved Republic F-105G " Wild Weasle Thundercielf configuration

The Dememorizor 5000 is capable of deleting any number of memories from the target, including learned behaviour. The leading psychiatrist at DUMB (Dracor University Memory Building), Professor Vagueness requested I make so he could use it to erase traumatic events and subsequent behaviour patterns from victims of catastrophic life changing events. Unfortunately the power setting was at 100% when he pointed it in the mirror and quoted Dirty Harry, "You feeling lucky punk" and pulled the trigger! He is now wearing a nappy and being bottle fed!

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 hoovering helicopter. Once on the ground, crews build firelines using hand tools, chainsaws, and other firefighting tools. Forest Service photo by Charity Parks.

 

I have received some inquiries and some criticism for a few shots that I posted regarding the Sony 16-105mm lens at 50mm.

 

I decided to re-shoot those shots with all of my lenses capable of 50mm focal length; the Sony 16-105 f3.5-5.6, the Minolta 50mm f1.7, and the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8. I shot them all at the widest aperture of each lens then stopped each one down by one stop until f11. The inconsistencies in that logic are that the Minolta wide open is f1.7 which is close enough to f2 that I skipped f2 going straight to f2.8 and the Sony wide open is f5 which is very close to f5.6 but I included it anyway so it can be viewed as wide open.

 

Photos are available in this set.

 

Granted, it is hardly a lab quality test. The target is a laser printer copy of an Excel 11X17 inch spreadsheet that I devised. The target is stuck to my refrigerator with magnets.

I did use the exact parameters for all of the shots. Target was lit by a portable halogen work light. Camera was tripod mounted with SSS off using 2 second timer. No filters were used. ISO was set to 100. EV comp was set to +1.7. I could not determine if the plane of the target was parallel to the plane of the sensor. Auto white balance. In camera Sharpness, Saturation, and Contrast were set to null.

But the conditions for each shot were identical so I feel that it makes for a good comparison.

All shots were shot in RAW (ARW) format and converted to JPG in Lightroom with no post processing. The full size versions are available for pixel peeping by clicking on ‘All Sizes’

 

Conclusions

 

I find that the Tamron 28-75 outperforms even the Minolta 50 throughout the entire range with the exception of chromatic aberration where the Minolta is the better of the two. I find the Tamron to have better contrast with truer color reproduction, the black is black.

The Sony comes in at a distant third, being very soft in the corners at all apertures. Center sharpness on the Sony is not bad.

 

I find the color cast on the Minolta and Sony lenses to be somewhat odd. As stated above I used auto white balance for all shots. Sony cameras are known to be a little lacking in incandescent light. I did not want to skew the results in any way by using manual white balance.

 

It is also interesting that all lenses were set to 50mm yet the Minolta shows a slightly narrower field of view. I did verify in the histogram that the camera was reporting 50mm for each lens.

 

If I had to rank them I would give the Tamron first by the margin of contrast, the Minolta second, and the Sony a distant third.

In defense of the Sony I do feel that it performs very well at 16 to 35mm stopped down one or two stops.

 

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)

Trust me, I really am going to be writing to you soon.

 

Nikon FM2, Nikon E 28/f2.8, Kodak Tri-X 400 | Rodinal

Cross section: Cucurbita

Common name: Pumpkin/Squash

Magnification: 100x

 

Like most herbaceous dicots, Cucurbita is capable of limited amounts of secondary growth.

 

The stem is characterized by distinct ridges and furrows with vascular bundles in two rings: five smaller leaf trace bundles at the ridges and five larger bundles at the furrows.

 

A usually uniseriate and cutinized epidermis contains occasional stomata and numerous multicellular trichomes.

 

The three-layered cortex widens at the ridges and narrows at the furrows; the outermost hypodermis varies in thickness, consisting of up to five layers of collenchyma at the stem ridges that tapers into photosynthetic chlorenchyma at the furrows. The middle cortical layer consists of a few layers of loosely arranged parenchyma cells and the deepest layer of a narrow parenchyma sheath, or endodermis.

 

A ring of sclerenchyma defines the perimeter of the steele, overlying a deeper ring of parenchyma that follows the outer contour of the vascular bundles. The vascular bundles are bi collateral; the central xylem is bound by an inner and outer cambium, and topped by a larger outer and a smaller inner phloem. Sieve tubes, companion cells and phloem parenchyma are clearly evident the phloem. Xylem is well developed with numerous protoxylem evident towards the inside, and very large metaxylem to the outside of the bundles. Xylem consist primarily of large vessels and xylem parenchyma; tracheids and fibers are rare. Secondary vascular tissues are present but often difficult to distinguish from the primary. The vascular bundles are separated by zones of internal parenchyma.

 

The central pith is not present, having disintegrated early in the development of the stem.

 

Technical Questions:bioimagesoer@gmail.com

 

Towards the end of 1914, early in World War I, disturbing rumours began to circulate that the newest German submarines were capable of a much higher surface speed than British boats, one report giving their speed at about 22 knots. The rumours were sufficiently strong to force serious consideration of the matter by the Admiralty, and at the same time consideration was given to the idea that submarines should have a high enough surface speed to be able to work with the fleet. The reports concerning the speed of the German submarines proved to be spurious, but the idea of a British submarine with a high surface speed gained ground. The immediate result of this concern was the development of the J Class, which were unique with their three shafts. Originally eight boats were planned but this was reduced to six and then increased to seven. As a result of these changes the boats originally intended to be J7 and J8 were renumbered in April 1915 as J3 and J4 respectively.

 

J7's submerged displacement of 1,760 tons was 60 tons less than that of her sister boats. Her conning tower was located further aft and the gun was mounted in a lower position.

 

HMS J7 commissioned in the Royal Navy on 15 September 1917 under the command of Lieutenant Commander F.H.D. Byron RN and was allocated to a flotilla based at Blyth, Northumberland.

 

On 5 November 1917 J7 departed Blyth for her first patrol. Whilst on patrol in the North Sea on 6 March 1918 an enemy submarine was sighted, but J7 was unable to attack and the enemy passed from sight.

 

The submarine was under refit during April and May 1918 at Walker Naval Yard on the River Tyne. She sailed for patrol on 25 May and evaded a U-boat attack the same day.

 

On 10 July an enemy submarine was sighted and both vessels dived. Shortly after a sighting was made of an enemy submarine on the surface, going away, J7 surfaced, challenged and opened fire. The enemy dived. An enemy submarine was sighted on 23 July, but J7 was unable to attack and the enemy disappeared.

 

On 5 October 1918 J7 dived to intercept a reported submarine, but broke off the search without contact.

 

The boat was at sea when the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918. She returned to Blyth on 15 November. On 19 February 1919 she proceeded to Jarrow.

 

Following the conclusion of hostilities in World War I, the Admiralty in 1918 presented the six remaining boats of the J Class to the Australian Government - J6 had been sunk in error in 1918 by a British ship. All the submarines commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy at Portsmouth on 25 March 1919, as tenders to the submarine depot ship HMAS Platypus, J7 being the senior boat, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Oswald E. Hallifax DSO RN.

 

The beam tubes were removed from all six J Class submarines before they sailed for Australia. The tubes were despatched separately to Garden Island. The reasons given for the removal were that the beam tubes were not a success and that increased accommodation was required.

  

HMS Submarine J7 off the River Tyne prior to sailing for Australia in February, 1919.

On 9 April 1919 Platypus and the submarines, escorted by the light cruiser HMAS Sydney, sailed from Portsmouth for Australia, their first two ports of call being Gibraltar and Valetta.

 

On the night of 28 April, the night before the vessels arrived at Port Said, J3's starboard main engine shaft snapped. Thus handicapped she could not keep up with the others and consequently on departure for Aden on 30 April, J3 was in tow of Sydney.

 

The vessels arrived at Aden on 5 May. On the same day the light cruiser HMAS Brisbane, which had left Portsmouth on 17 April, also arrived. On 7 May all the vessels sailed for Colombo. Brisbane took over the tow of J3 while Sydney took J5 in tow as that boat had also developed engine trouble. Three days after arrival at Colombo on 15 May, Brisbane sailed with J5 in tow, taking her all the way to Sydney, where they arrived on 27 June.

 

J3 was taken in hand at Colombo for repairs. On 31 May Sydney, J1, J2, J4 and J7 sailed for Singapore, followed on 2 June by Platypus and J3. The vessels were reunited at Singapore from where all except Sydney sailed on 18 June. Sydney sailed for Australia a few days later but did not rejoin the other vessels. On 29 June Platypus and the five submarines arrived at Thursday Island, although J7 was three hours late because of trouble with her engine lubricating system. The last call before Sydney was Brisbane, Sydney being reached on 15 July.

 

Having arrived in poor condition, the submarines were taken in hand at Garden Island Dockyard for refitting. After her refit was completed J7 sailed for the submarine base at Geelong, Victoria.

 

After uneventful service, little of which was spent at sea, J7 and her five sisters paid off into Reserve at Westernport on 12 July 1922. The boats had become victims of the worsening economic conditions of the time, coupled with their high cost of maintenance.

 

On 1 November 1929 J7 was sold to Morris and Watt Pty Ltd of South Melbourne. She was towed from Flinders Naval Depot, Crib Point, where she had served as a reserve source of electric power, on 4 December 1929. She was dismantled and the hull sunk in 1930 as a breakwater at the Sandringham Yacht Club, Sandringham, Port Phillip Bay, where it remain

The No.88958 had an all-steel under frame and an extra large door, making it capable of carrying long items, such as automobiles.

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 hoovering helicopter. Once on the ground, crews build firelines using hand tools, chainsaws, and other firefighting tools. Forest Service photo by Charity Parks.

 

Electronics hobby

  

Designing and building a high power amplifier capable of driving low impedance (as low as 2 Ohm’s @ 50 Vpp) loads.

  

www.diyaudio.com/ see alias FdW

  

History of DIY audio

 

Audio DIY came to prominence in the 50s to 60s, as audio reproduction was relatively new and the technology "complex," audio reproduction equipment, and in particular high performance equipment, was not offered at the retail level. Kits and designs were available for consumers to build their own equipment. Famous vacuum tube kits from Dynaco, Heathkit, and McIntosh, as well as solid state (transistor) kits from Hafler allowed for consumers to build their own hi fidelity systems. Books and magazines were published which explained new concepts regarding the design and operation of vacuum tube and (later) transistor circuits.

 

While audio equipment has become easily accessible in the current day and age, there still exists an interest in building one's own equipment, including amplifiers, speakers, preamplifiers, and even CD players and turntables. Today, a network of companies, parts vendors, and on-line communities exist to foster this interest. DIY is especially active in loudspeaker and in tube amplification. Both are relatively simple to design and fabricate without access to sophisticated industrial equipment. Both enable the builder to pick and choose between various available parts, on matters of price as well as quality, allow for extensive experimentation, and offer the chance to use exotic or highly labor-intensive solutions, which would be expensive for a manufacturer to implement, but only require personal labor by the DIYer, which is a source of satisfaction to them.

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIY_audio

 

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)