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Bagnasco contro le false promesse elettorali: "Gli italiani non si faranno più abbindolare"
Il numero uno dei vescovi risponde a una domanda sugli impegni dei politici su fisco e condoni: "Bisogna guardare avanti partendo dal realismo", dice: "Gli italiani hanno bisogno della verità delle cose, senza sconti, senza tragedie, ma anche senza illusioni", perchè "la gente non si fa più abbindolare da niente e da nessuno". Così il cardinale Angelo Bagnasco, presidente della Cei, rispondendo a una domanda sulle promesse elettorali, tra cui quelle riguardanti fisco e condoni. Già aprendo il consiglio permanente della Cei, dieci giorni fa, il numero uno dei vescovi aveva detto un no netto e fermo ai populismi. Ora, alla luce della nuova ondata di promesse elettorali, il suo tono si fa più duro.
Bagnasco ha parlato a margine di un convegno a Roma del movimento cristiano lavoratori. Il porporato ha poi aggiunto che solo nella verità, "si potrà percorrere quelle strade che portano ai frutti per il bene del paese e della gente". Commentando quindi le parole di un editoriale odierno del quotidiano dei cattolici "avvenire" nel quale si affermava che i cattolici stanno ricevendo dai politici risposte vecchie e deludenti, il presidente della Cei ha detto che più che di una critica si tratta "di una spinta a superare il rischio e la tentazione di una politica vecchia. Bisogna, invece - ha aggiunto - guardare avanti partendo dal realismo anche perchè la gente - ha aggiunto - non si fa più abbindolare da niente e da nessuno".
Bagnasco against false campaign promises: "The Italians will become more duped"
The number one of the bishops answers a question the commitment of politicians and tax amnesties: "We must look forward from realism," says: "The Italians need the truth of things, without any discount, no tragedies, but also without illusions" , because "people are not fooled anymore by anything or anyone." Thus Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of the CEI, responding to a question about campaign promises, including those relating to taxation and amnesty. Already opening the permanent council of the CEI, ten days ago, the number one of the bishops had told no one standing at the net and populism. Now, in light of the new wave of campaign promises, his tone becomes harder.
Bagnasco spoke on the sidelines of a meeting in Rome of the Christian workers. The cardinal added that only the truth, "you can travel those roads that lead to fruit for the good of the country and the people." Commenting then the words of an editorial in today's newspaper of Catholics "the future" in which it was stated that the Catholics are getting old and disappointing responses from politicians, the president of the CEI has said that more than a criticism is "a boost to overcome the risk and temptation of old politics. should, however - he added - look forward from realism also because people - he added - There is no longer fooled by anything or anyone. "
Some finished artwork at Cosanti.
I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.
I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.
www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/
Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.
Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.
We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.
The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.
The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri
Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]
Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]
Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]
Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]
DSC04095-HDR acd
CN SD60 5438 and a CP GEVO sit in the yard in Joliet, IL next to the sign which has some nice motivational statement on it.
Honor, Courage & Commitment. US NAVY. This is done in honor of my husband who retired from the US Navy in August '06 after 24 years of service.
With winter over the Admiral has decided to commit himself to becoming a better painter. Will he succeed? The answer will be another word of #SiPgoes52.
(Posting my #sip_commitment a bit earlier than initially planned for #StarWarsDay)
Trafalgar Square, 22 July 2009
Tonight's sunset; I haven't been shooting for a while (too busy with family commitments) but I broke my DVD player last night and had to go into Central London this evening to buy another one.
The sunset lasted for just a few minutes and I was lucky to have the LX3 round my neck at the time.
I had my SLR with me but it had the fish-eye lens on the camera; I took a picture anyway but by the time I reached into my camera bag for a wide-angle lens, dark clouds have moved across the sun's path and the sunset was over.
[Panasonic Lumix LX3 | ISO 80 | 24mm | f/4 | 1/320 seconds]
My friend hosted a surprise party for her parents 62nd wedding anniversary. Her and her three sisters were able to arrange family and friends to be at her house for the big day. I am so honored to have been asked to photograph it for her.
Hello my Friends todays painting is called (Involuntary Commitment) A Involuntary commitment is the practice of using legal means or forms as part of a mental health law to commit a person to a mental hospital, insane asylum or psychiatric ward against their will and/or over their protests, Involuntary Commitment takes place when a person is ordered to be admitted to a hospital or treatment facility in order to prevent harm to that individual or others. The purpose of involuntary commitment is to help a person receive necessary and appropriate mental health and/or substance abuse treatment. In order to be hospitalized against an individual's wishes, the person must be mentally ill or under the influence of drugs or alcohol and dangerous to self or others. A person may act very strangely. displaying abnormal behavior but not be committable. An individual is considered dangerous to self if the person exhibits the following behaviors:
is unable to exercise self-control. judgment and discretion in conducting responsibilities of daily life without care/supervision. or
is unable to satisfy need for nourishment. personal care, medical care. shelter. protection and safety and there is a "reasonable probability" of serious physical debilitation unless adequate treatment is given, or
has attempted or threatened suicide and there is "reasonable probability" of suicide unless treatment is given. or
has mutilated or attempted to mutilate self and there is "reasonable probability" that the person will seriously mutilate self again unless treatment is given,steve
“ He told me he was afraid of commitment with thirteen tattoos on his body."
photoshoot edits of Billy and Mandy in style of a magazine spread hahaha lol.
(I suck, and I went to school for this too lol)
What can I say... I am in love with this Limhwa body...
she is so curvy and healthy(?) looking compared to the supia old body...
but I still love the supia body...
I need to find some time to make her cute dresses... ugh.
The clothes I ordered from Alice's collection came,
and boy, do they fit him like a glove!
He looks perfect in that outfit <3
ANNNNNNNNNNNND the long overdue(?) couple shot Nang been asking for. THERE YA GO!
On my way home i found this newly married couple on my ride. I took the shots from the top floor :)
It was so nice to see them in the mood.
Love locks, commemorating couples' commitment to each other, at the Bell Tower, Barrack Square in Perth, Western Australia, 5th July 2024. Shot on film using a Canon EOS 300X with Kodak ColorPlus 200.
Rapsons L592RST, was, if I recall rightly, the first Premiere 350 bought new by the company, for their extending National Express commitments following SBG privatisation, (when those fleets were consolidating their position and withdrawing or reducing their express coach contributions).
Plaxton and Nat. Ex had launched the Expressliner concept a few years previously on Paramount 3500 bodied B10Ms. the concept was a standard interior layout and appearance across their contractor's fleets. With the cessation of the Paramount and launch of the Premiere the Expressliner II was launched. There was a relaxing of specifications in that Van Hools (on Volvo, DAF or Scania chassis) and Bovas could also be specified, but the interior layout and appearance was consistent. 49 seats, rear floor mounted toilet (ie not sunken), 46 seats if it was Rapide coach with a galley.
L592RST, although badged as an Expressliner, wasn't really one. You can just see it has the beige poles and a brown interior that many Premieres of this age had (rather than the standard Expressliner NE moquette featuring the double N logo), and the destination screen is smaller than Expressliner standard. it was to the right interior config. however. Several that followed this into the Rapsons fleet however, were to the full spec.
It is seen here in Hamilton bus station in 1994 on an Inverness-London working.
PLEASE DO NOT COPY, SHARE OR POST MY PICTURES ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.
This was actually inspired by an album cover, but I also I wanted to do something a little lighter. I tried to shoot this the night before, but was interrupted by the police. :)
In recent years, the great Brooklyn Bridge — long written about, photographed, painted, walked, biked and driven over; even sailed under — has become a gallery for thousands of padlocks known as love locks.
Some are engraved with initials, names and dates. Some have that information inscribed upon them, passionately, with a Sharpie. Some carry little pictures of New York landmarks like the Empire State Building. Most tell nothing about who put them there, or why.
“The lock signifies the commitment,” some say. “It will be a reminder every time we even see the bridge, let alone walk across it, that there was this one day when we decided that our love was so important.”
Unfortunately, reality must intrude, as it so often does. Love-struck couples’ feelings may or may not last forever, but their locks will definitely not. The Department of Transportation clips locks on the bridge every few weeks and has taken away 9,000 in the last 11 months. A spokesman for the agency said crews cleaned the bridge twice a week and removes locks as needed.
... means to be physically trained, emotionally dedicated, mentally concentrated and optimally aligned ...
iCon mucho amor!
A Royal Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 "Lightning II", U.S. Air Force Boeing F-15E "Strike Eagle", and French air force Dassault "Rafale" fly behind a U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135 "Stratotanker" from the 100th Air Refueling Wing during Exercise Point Blank over the English Channel, Nov. 27, 2018. Training with NATO allies like the U.K. and France improves interoperability and demonstrates the United States’ commitment to regional security. Exercise Point Blank also represents an opportunity to enhance interoperability and integration between allied fourth and fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22's airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.
The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Despite its protracted development and various operational issues, USAF officials consider the F-22 a critical component of the service's tactical air power. Its combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness enable unprecedented air combat capabilities.
Service officials had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs. In 2009, the program was cut to 187 operational production aircraft due to high costs, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the more versatile F-35. The last F-22 was delivered in 2012.
Development
Origins
In 1981, the U.S. Air Force identified a requirement for an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Code named "Senior Sky", this air-superiority fighter program was influenced by emerging worldwide threats, including new developments in Soviet air defense systems and the proliferation of the Su-27 "Flanker"- and MiG-29 "Fulcrum"-class of fighter aircraft. It would take advantage of the new technologies in fighter design on the horizon, including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and most importantly, stealth technology. In 1983, the ATF concept development team became the System Program Office (SPO) and managed the program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) request for proposals (RFP) was issued in September 1985, with requirements placing strong emphasis on stealth and supercruise. Of the seven bidding companies, Lockheed and Northrop were selected on 31 October 1986. Lockheed teamed with Boeing and General Dynamics while Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas, and the two contractor teams undertook a 50-month Dem/Val phase, culminating in the flight test of two technology demonstrator prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23, respectively.
Dem/Val was focused on risk reduction and technology development plans over specific aircraft designs. Contractors made extensive use of analytical and empirical methods, including computational fluid dynamics, wind-tunnel testing, and radar cross-section calculations and pole testing; the Lockheed team would conduct nearly 18,000 hours of wind-tunnel testing. Avionics development was marked by extensive testing and prototyping and supported by ground and flying laboratories. During Dem/Val, the SPO used the results of performance and cost trade studies conducted by contractor teams to adjust ATF requirements and delete ones that were significant weight and cost drivers while having marginal value. The short takeoff and landing (STOL) requirement was relaxed in order to delete thrust-reversers, saving substantial weight. As avionics was a major cost driver, side-looking radars were deleted, and the dedicated infra-red search and track (IRST) system was downgraded from multi-color to single color and then deleted as well. However, space and cooling provisions were retained to allow for future addition of these components. The ejection seat requirement was downgraded from a fresh design to the existing McDonnell Douglas ACES II. Despite efforts by the contractor teams to rein in weight, the takeoff gross weight estimate was increased from 50,000 lb (22,700 kg) to 60,000 lb (27,200 kg), resulting in engine thrust requirement increasing from 30,000 lbf (133 kN) to 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class.
Each team produced two prototype air vehicles for Dem/Val, one for each of the two engine options. The YF-22 had its maiden flight on 29 September 1990 and in flight tests achieved up to Mach 1.58 in supercruise. After the Dem/Val flight test of the prototypes, on 23 April 1991, Secretary of the USAF Donald Rice announced the Lockheed team as the winner of the ATF competition. The YF-23 design was considered stealthier and faster, while the YF-22, with its thrust vectoring nozzles, was more maneuverable as well as less expensive and risky. The aviation press speculated that the Lockheed team's design was also more adaptable to the U.S. Navy's Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), but by 1992, the Navy had abandoned NATF.
Production and procurement
As the program moved to full-scale development, or the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) stage, the production version had notable differences from the YF-22, despite having a broadly similar shape. The swept-back angle of the leading edge was decreased from 48° to 42°, while the vertical stabilizers were shifted rearward and decreased in area by 20%. To improve pilot visibility, the canopy was moved forward 7 inches (18 cm), and the engine intakes moved rearward 14 inches (36 cm). The shapes of the wing and stabilator trailing edges were refined to improve aerodynamics, strength, and stealth characteristics. Increasing weight during development caused slight reductions in range and maneuver performance.
Prime contractor Lockheed Martin Aeronautics manufactured the majority of the airframe and performed final assembly at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia; program partner Boeing Defense, Space & Security provided additional airframe components as well as avionics integration and training systems. The first F-22, an EMD aircraft with tail number 4001, was unveiled at Marietta, Georgia, on 9 April 1997, and first flew on 7 September 1997. Production, with the first lot awarded in September 2000, supported over 1,000 subcontractors and suppliers from 46 states and up to 95,000 jobs, and spanned 15 years at a peak rate of roughly two airplanes per month. In 2006, the F-22 development team won the Collier Trophy, American aviation's most prestigious award. Due to the aircraft's advanced nature, contractors have been targeted by cyberattacks and technology theft.
The USAF originally envisioned ordering 750 ATFs at a total program cost of $44.3 billion and procurement cost of $26.2 billion in fiscal year (FY) 1985 dollars, with production beginning in 1994. The 1990 Major Aircraft Review led by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney reduced this to 648 aircraft beginning in 1996. By 1997, funding instability had further cut the total to 339, which was again reduced to 277 by 2003. In 2004, the Department of Defense (DoD) further reduced this to 183 operational aircraft, despite the USAF's preference for 381. A multi-year procurement plan was implemented in 2006 to save $15 billion, with total program cost projected to be $62 billion for 183 F-22s distributed to seven combat squadrons. In 2008, Congress passed a defense spending bill that raised the total orders for production aircraft to 187.
The first two F-22s built were EMD aircraft in the Block 1.0 configuration for initial flight testing, while the third was a Block 2.0 aircraft built to represent the internal structure of production airframes and enabled it to test full flight loads. Six more EMD aircraft were built in the Block 10 configuration for development and upgrade testing, with the last two considered essentially production quality jets. Production for operational squadrons consisted of 37 Block 20 training aircraft and 149 Block 30/35 combat aircraft; one of the Block 35 aircraft is dedicated to flight sciences at Edwards Air Force Base.
The numerous new technologies in the F-22 resulted in substantial cost overruns and delays. Many capabilities were deferred to post-service upgrades, reducing the initial cost but increasing total program cost. As production wound down in 2011, the total program cost is estimated to be about $67.3 billion, with $32.4 billion spent on Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) and $34.9 billion on procurement and military construction (MILCON) in then year dollars. The incremental cost for an additional F-22 was estimated at about $138 million in 2009.
Ban on exports
The F-22 cannot be exported under US federal law to protect its stealth technology and other high-tech features. Customers for U.S. fighters are acquiring earlier designs such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon or the newer F-35 Lightning II, which contains technology from the F-22 but was designed to be cheaper, more flexible, and available for export. In September 2006, Congress upheld the ban on foreign F-22 sales. Despite the ban, the 2010 defense authorization bill included provisions requiring the DoD to prepare a report on the costs and feasibility for an F-22 export variant, and another report on the effect of F-22 export sales on U.S. aerospace industry.
Some Australian politicians and defense commentators proposed that Australia should attempt to purchase F-22s instead of the planned F-35s, citing the F-22's known capabilities and F-35's delays and developmental uncertainties. However, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) determined that the F-22 was unable to perform the F-35's strike and close air support roles. The Japanese government also showed interest in the F-22 for its Replacement-Fighter program. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) would reportedly require fewer fighters for its mission if it obtained the F-22, thus reducing engineering and staffing costs. However, in 2009 it was reported that acquiring the F-22 would require increases to the Japanese government's defense budget beyond the historical 1 percent of its GDP. With the end of F-22 production, Japan chose the F-35 in December 2011. Israel also expressed interest, but eventually chose the F-35 because of the F-22's price and unavailability.
Production termination
Throughout the 2000s, the need for F-22s was debated, due to rising costs and the lack of relevant adversaries. In 2006, Comptroller General of the United States David Walker found that "the DoD has not demonstrated the need" for more investment in the F-22, and further opposition to the program was expressed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon R. England, Senator John McCain, and Chairman of U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Senator John Warner. The F-22 program lost influential supporters in 2008 after the forced resignations of Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley.
In November 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that the F-22 was not relevant in post-Cold War conflicts such as irregular warfare operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in April 2009, under the new Obama Administration, he called for ending production in FY2011, leaving the USAF with 187 production aircraft. In July, General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated to the Senate Committee on Armed Services his reasons for supporting termination of F-22 production. They included shifting resources to the multirole F-35 to allow proliferation of fifth-generation fighters for three service branches and preserving the F/A-18 production line to maintain the military's electronic warfare (EW) capabilities in the Boeing EA-18G Growler.[60] Issues with the F-22's reliability and availability also raised concerns. After President Obama threatened to veto further production, the Senate voted in July 2009 in favor of ending production and the House subsequently agreed to abide by the 187 production aircraft cap. Gates stated that the decision was taken in light of the F-35's capabilities, and in 2010, he set the F-22 requirement to 187 aircraft by lowering the number of major regional conflict preparations from two to one.
In 2010, USAF initiated a study to determine the costs of retaining F-22 tooling for a future Service Life Extension Program (SLEP).[66] A RAND Corporation paper from this study estimated that restarting production and building an additional 75 F-22s would cost $17 billion, resulting in $227 million per aircraft, or $54 million higher than the flyaway cost. Lockheed Martin stated that restarting the production line itself would cost about $200 million. Production tooling and associated documentation were subsequently stored at the Sierra Army Depot, allowing the retained tooling to support the fleet life cycle. There were reports that attempts to retrieve this tooling found empty containers, but a subsequent audit found that the tooling was stored as expected.
Russian and Chinese fighter developments have fueled concern, and in 2009, General John Corley, head of Air Combat Command, stated that a fleet of 187 F-22s would be inadequate, but Secretary Gates dismissed General Corley's concern. In 2011, Gates explained that Chinese fifth-generation fighter developments had been accounted for when the number of F-22s was set, and that the U.S. would have a considerable advantage in stealth aircraft in 2025, even with F-35 delays. In December 2011, the 195th and final F-22 was completed out of 8 test EMD and 187 operational aircraft produced; the aircraft was delivered to the USAF on 2 May 2012.
In April 2016, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee proposed legislation that would direct the Air Force to conduct a cost study and assessment associated with resuming production of the F-22. Since the production halt directed in 2009 by then Defense Secretary Gates, lawmakers and the Pentagon noted that air warfare systems of Russia and China were catching up to those of the U.S. Lockheed Martin has proposed upgrading the Block 20 training aircraft into combat-coded Block 30/35 versions as a way to increase numbers available for deployment. On 9 June 2017, the Air Force submitted their report to Congress stating they had no plans to restart the F-22 production line due to economic and operational issues; it estimated it would cost approximately $50 billion to procure 194 additional F-22s at a cost of $206–$216 million per aircraft, including approximately $9.9 billion for non-recurring start-up costs and $40.4 billion for aircraft procurement costs.
Upgrades
The first aircraft with combat-capable Block 3.0 software flew in 2001. Increment 2, the first upgrade program, was implemented in 2005 for Block 20 aircraft onward and enabled the employment of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). Certification of the improved AN/APG-77(V)1 radar was completed in March 2007, and airframes from production Lot 5 onward are fitted with this radar, which incorporates air-to-ground modes. Increment 3.1 for Block 30 aircraft onward provided improved ground-attack capability through synthetic aperture radar mapping and radio emitter direction finding, electronic attack and Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) integration; testing began in 2009 and the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in 2011. To address oxygen deprivation issues, F-22s were fitted with an automatic backup oxygen system (ABOS) and modified life support system starting in 2012.
Increment 3.2 for Block 35 aircraft is a two-part upgrade process; 3.2A focuses on electronic warfare, communications and identification, while 3.2B includes geolocation improvements and a new stores management system to show the correct symbols for the AIM-9X and AIM-120D.[83][84] To enable two-way communication with other platforms, the F-22 can use the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) as a gateway. The planned Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) integration was cut due to development delays and lack of proliferation among USAF platforms. The F-22 fleet is planned to start receiving Increment 3.2B as well as a software upgrade for cryptography capabilities and avionics stability in May 2019. A Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Joint (MIDS-J) radio that replaces the current Link-16 receive-only box is expected to be operational by 2020. Subsequent upgrades are also focusing on having an open architecture to enable faster future enhancements.
In 2024, funding is projected to begin for the F-22 mid-life upgrade (MLU), which is expected to include new sensors and antennas, hardware refresh, cockpit improvements, and a helmet mounted display and cuing system. Other enhancements being developed include IRST functionality for the AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD) and more durable stealth coating based on the F-35's.
The F-22 was designed for a service life of 8,000 flight hours, with a $350 million "structures retrofit program". Investigations are being made for upgrades to extend their useful lives further. In the long term, the F-22 is expected to be superseded by a sixth-generation jet fighter to be fielded in the 2030s.
Design
Overview
The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter that is considered fourth generation in stealth aircraft technology by the USAF.[91] It is the first operational aircraft to combine supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and sensor fusion in a single weapons platform. The F-22 has four empennage surfaces, retractable tricycle landing gear, and clipped delta wings with reverse trailing edge sweep and leading edge extensions running to the upper outboard corner of the inlets. Flight control surfaces include leading-edge flaps, flaperons, ailerons, rudders on the canted vertical stabilizers, and all-moving horizontal tails (stabilators); for speed brake function, the ailerons deflect up, flaperons down, and rudders outwards to increase drag.
The aircraft's dual Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 augmented turbofan engines are closely spaced and incorporate pitch-axis thrust vectoring nozzles with a range of ±20 degrees; each engine has maximum thrust in the 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class. The F-22's thrust-to-weight ratio at typical combat weight is nearly at unity in maximum military power and 1.25 in full afterburner. Maximum speed without external stores is approximately Mach 1.8 at military power and greater than Mach 2 with afterburners.
The F-22's high cruise speed and operating altitude over prior fighters improve the effectiveness of its sensors and weapon systems, and increase survivability against ground defenses such as surface-to-air missiles. The aircraft is among only a few that can supercruise, or sustain supersonic flight without using fuel-inefficient afterburners; it can intercept targets which subsonic aircraft would lack the speed to pursue and an afterburner-dependent aircraft would lack the fuel to reach. The F-22's thrust and aerodynamics enable regular combat speeds of Mach 1.5 at 50,000 feet (15,000 m). The use of internal weapons bays permits the aircraft to maintain comparatively higher performance over most other combat-configured fighters due to a lack of aerodynamic drag from external stores. The aircraft's structure contains a significant amount of high-strength materials to withstand stress and heat of sustained supersonic flight. Respectively, titanium alloys and composites comprise 39% and 24% of the structural weight.
The F-22's aerodynamics, relaxed stability, and powerful thrust-vectoring engines give it excellent maneuverability and energy potential across its flight envelope. The airplane has excellent high alpha (angle of attack) characteristics, capable of flying at trimmed alpha of over 60° while maintaining roll control and performing maneuvers such as the Herbst maneuver (J-turn) and Pugachev's Cobra. The flight control system and full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) make the aircraft highly departure resistant and controllable, thus giving the pilot carefree handling.
Stealth
The F-22 was designed to be highly difficult to detect and track by radar. Measures to reduce radar cross-section (RCS) include airframe shaping such as alignment of edges, fixed-geometry serpentine inlets and curved vanes that prevent line-of-sight of the engine faces and turbines from any exterior view, use of radar-absorbent material (RAM), and attention to detail such as hinges and pilot helmets that could provide a radar return. The F-22 was also designed to have decreased radio emissions, infrared signature and acoustic signature as well as reduced visibility to the naked eye. The aircraft's flat thrust-vectoring nozzles reduce infrared emissions of the exhaust plume to mitigate the threat of infrared homing ("heat seeking") surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. Additional measures to reduce the infrared signature include special topcoat and active cooling of leading edges to manage the heat buildup from supersonic flight.
Compared to previous stealth designs like the F-117, the F-22 is less reliant on RAM, which are maintenance-intensive and susceptible to adverse weather conditions. Unlike the B-2, which requires climate-controlled hangars, the F-22 can undergo repairs on the flight line or in a normal hangar. The F-22 has a Signature Assessment System which delivers warnings when the radar signature is degraded and necessitates repair. While the F-22's exact RCS is classified, in 2009 Lockheed Martin released information indicating that from certain angles the aircraft has an RCS of 0.0001 m² or −40 dBsm – equivalent to the radar reflection of a "steel marble". Effectively maintaining the stealth features can decrease the F-22's mission capable rate to 62–70%.
The effectiveness of the stealth characteristics is difficult to gauge. The RCS value is a restrictive measurement of the aircraft's frontal or side area from the perspective of a static radar. When an aircraft maneuvers it exposes a completely different set of angles and surface area, potentially increasing radar observability. Furthermore, the F-22's stealth contouring and radar absorbent materials are chiefly effective against high-frequency radars, usually found on other aircraft. The effects of Rayleigh scattering and resonance mean that low-frequency radars such as weather radars and early-warning radars are more likely to detect the F-22 due to its physical size. However, such radars are also conspicuous, susceptible to clutter, and have low precision. Additionally, while faint or fleeting radar contacts make defenders aware that a stealth aircraft is present, reliably vectoring interception to attack the aircraft is much more challenging. According to the USAF an F-22 surprised an Iranian F-4 Phantom II that was attempting to intercept an American UAV, despite Iran's assertion of having military VHF radar coverage over the Persian Gulf.
Palermo, nell'anno in cui è Capitale Italiana della Cultura, sceglie di essere Bambina.
Palermo Bambina è il tema che abbiamo scelto per il 394° Festino di Santa Rosalia.
I bambini evocano il valore del tempo, futuro e passato, i bambini sono un richiamo vivente al domani, uno sprone vociante al progetto di futuro e al rifiuto delle pastoie dell'immobilismo dell'eterno presente.
I bambini ci chiedono una visione, ci chiedono un progetto, ci chiedono un punto estremo dell'orizzonte da raggiungere con l'impegno quotidiano.
Palermo sceglie il punto di vista delle bambine e dei bambini perchè nei giochi non fanno differenze di colore, provenienza, o religione, così come la città di Palermo che decide di accogliere chiunque raggiunge le sue coste.
Chi arriva a Palermo diventa palermitano, come le tante bambine e i tanti bambini che provenienti da ogni parte del mondo ora affollano di gioia le vie della nostra città.
I bambini e il carro di Santa Rosalia in cammino con la città, un percorso di impegno verso la liberazione da ogni peste. www.comune.palermo.it/394-festino-santa-rosalia-palermo.php
Palermo, in the year in which it is the Italian Capital of Culture, chooses to be a child.
Palermo Bambina is the theme we have chosen for the 394th Festino di Santa Rosalia.
Children evoke the value of time, the past and the future, children are a living attraction to the future, a spur to the project of the future and the refusal of the shackles of the immobility of the eternal present.
The children ask us for a vision, they ask us for a project, they ask us for an extreme point on the horizon to be reached with daily commitment.
Palermo chooses the point of view of girls and children because in games they do not make differences in color, origin, or religion, just as the city of Palermo decides to welcome anyone who reaches its shores.
Who arrives in Palermo becomes Palermo, like the many little girls and the many children coming from all over the world now throng the streets of our city with joy.
The children and the cart of Santa Rosalia on the way with the city, a path of commitment to liberation from every plague.
La vida es pura circunstancia.No tengo ninguna duda de ello.
Enamorado quedo,Florencia.
Vuelvo en un rato. ;)
Recomiendo : View On White
Next Saturday, my partner David and I will be celebrating our civil partnership: another two gay men recording our love and commitment to each other. Nothing that should alarm any sane person. Yet, while the politicians and church debate that “this isn’t a marriage” with a degree of hate-mongering rhetoric knocking about, equally it’s clear to me that old wedding traditions don’t apply either.
A skype camera at Wandsworth town hall will film the event so Mum and Dad can watch in Australia, as no religion is involved the words will be our own, and the food afterwards will be simply what we want to eat. So as much as I admire the traditional iced fruit cake in the abstract, when it’s our ceremony I can think of many other cakes I’d rather choose.
So I thought I'd share the recipe for our cake with you, in this Saturday’s Guardian Weekend Magazine, 23rd June 2012. It's a coconut layer cake with a mascapone frosting
For the Monday Photo Challenge Group
"in one picture illustrate your one word that describes your New Year's resolution, dream, aspiration or goal"
. . . and use that one word as your title.
My Goal is to get fit and stay fit.
GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March along Independence Avenue between 22nd and 21st Street, SW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
March is Women's History Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of women whose commitment to nature and the planet have proved invaluable to society.
The bronze stauette was created by Hal Lincke of Evergreen, Colorado. It's original title is Saturday Morning. See: www.linkesculpture.com/about-harold.html
Aspect ratio: 3:2.
All images in this portfolio are copyright protected (© HY-TEC Images). The materials contained may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or downloaded in any manner. All rights are reserved. Copying, altering, displaying or redistribution of any of these images without written permission from the Artist is strictly prohibited.
Technical ability aside, the difference is commitment. Some people look at whatever they do as a job and then they want to be good craftsmen. Then there are people who do it as a passion. They really care about it., and it shows in their photographs.
~ Mike Morse, Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism (Associated Press Handbooks) by Brian Horton , ISBN: 0071363874 , Page: 14
P.S. Non-HDR-processed / Non-GND-filtered ● Black Card Technique 黑卡作品
Yes, Alaska Airlines has an anti-racism livery now. Here's the tail of which that I was able to catch from the SeaTac terminal.
PHOTO CREDIT: AvgeekJoe Productions, growlernoise-AT-gmail-DOT-com
She and I emerged from the subway station at the same time and her height and great sense of style caught my eye immediately as a potential subject for my Human Family photography project. I expected her to disappear into the downtown crowd but instead she walked up to the door to a clothing store near the exit to the mall and joined a couple of other women who were waiting for the door to be unlocked by the security guard. Feeling that this twist of fate should not be ignored, I approached her and explained my desire to photograph her for my project. She listened to my explanation and when she saw my sample photos she became decisive. The only problem was her commitment to being one of the first customers into the store when the door opened in a couple of minutes. She was friendly, but adamant that she couldn’t be delayed. Suddenly she said, “Can you take it right here?” meaning in the atrium. It wasn’t ideal, but beggars can’t be choosers and I said “Yes. Let’s do it quickly.” Meet Prudence.
I grabbed a quick photo where she was standing, then asked her to turn a bit for somewhat better light and a more open background and took another couple of photographs. Since the security guard had not yet unlocked the door, I suggested we might follow up with things via email later. She volunteered her email address.
Prudence explained that she had come into Toronto from Barrie, ninety minutes north of the city, specifically to be first into the fashion store and couldn’t risk having the items she was after purchased by someone else. She was evidently wanting some new fashion items which were just being introduced today. She runs an eBay store where she buys and sells style and fashion items. That information fit when I put it together with her very fashion-conscious personal style. Her eBay store can be viewed here: www.ebay.ca/usr/luxeforless2014.
She mentioned she had just returned to Canada from a trip “back home.” Back home turned out to be Cameroon in Central Africa. Prudence was born in Cameroon and her family moved to Belgium when she was three, subsequently moving to Canada which is now home. We connected briefly regarding Belgium which my wife and I visited on a bicycle-barge trip four years ago. Her challenge? “Smiling. I hardly ever smile and my mother tells me I have a nice smile and should use it more often.” This surprised me and I said “You sure had a beautiful smile when I photographed you a minute ago.” She said “I’m practicing. I’m practicing every day because I think when people smile it’s a good thing and makes the world more friendly.”
Just then the security guard looked as if he was about to unlock the store and I realized I was going to be late to class. I promised to send her the photos and have already done so. I hope the friendly, stylish Prudence remembers to write me and tell me a bit more about herself.
This is my 555th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
These belong to Steph, my future daughter-in-law and I thought her high, high heels to be perfect for today's challenge ..... commit, yes you either commit pain on yourself or must have great dedication to wear them!! Can't wait to see the bridal shoes - they are reportedly higher!!
Off to the wedding rehearsal - back later!!!
Our Daily Challenge ~ COMMIT .....
Thanks, in advance, to everyone who views this photo, adds a note, leaves a comment and of course BIG thanks to anyone who chooses to favourite my photo .... thanks to you all.
Making a commitment to a color palette and slowly coming out of the awkward teenager phase. I guess that's what blooming is...
Imagine leaving home in daylight and using public transport to attend your specialist festival on the seafront. Much Respect given.
I have come to a difficult decision this weekend.
Due to other commitments (work & family related) I'm currently going to have to decline any commission work.
I'm a bear artist who works from home, have four school age children & my time just runs away with me every day. I'm finding it very hard to put the proper time & effort needed into doll commissions.
Thank you to everyone who has contacted me & for liking my work. It means a lot to me :)
I'll still have bit's and pieces available on the DOA marketplace as I can.
Thanks so much for understanding.
Hugs & smiles,
Ingrid xo