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has been failed, so they started to intake of next 1200 calories.
At Somewhere
Animations: by myself
Coutesy Of
Nelline Morane
Lisapia Resident
Tsubasa Resident
BA8 Maceda, Portugal
Origins & Early Service (1978–1986)
•Formed in January 1978 from the Helicopter Transport & Liaison Squadron (AL III) at Montijo’s BA6 base.
•Operated Alouette III helicopters in maritime surveillance, coastal search & rescue, and as forward air controllers during wildfire operations.
•Engaged in exercises such as “Miscaros” and “Júpiter,” deployed across Portugal, and even supported flood rescue in Santarém (1979).
•Disbanded in September 1986, its assets merged into Squadron 552.
Reactivation & Modern Role (2023–Present)
•Reactivated on 24 November 2023 at Air Base No. 8 in Ovar, now focused on wildfire suppression and air mobility, earning the nickname “Panteras”.
•Equipped with UH 60A Black Hawk helicopters (refurbished ex-US Army), outfitted for aerial firefighting via Bambi Buckets; first firefighting flight took place 12 April 2024.
•Initially six UH 60As were procured; in September 2024, this was expanded to nine helicopters with three UH 60L variants - including advanced avionics and engines - expected to arrive by 2026.
Sponsored:
Backdrop: Abandoned Metro Scene by Minimal, available at Uber and afterwards at the Minimal Mainstore.
Skin: Salva by Vendetta, available at Man Cave, and afterwards at the Vendetta Mainstore.
Drink x Cigarette: Chemical Chaos by The DeadBoy, available at this round of The Warehouse Sale and afterwards at the Deadboy Mainstore.
Coat: Coven Trench by Somnium, available at the Somnium Mainstore.
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Ecouter du piano me procure beaucoup d'émotions...je ne sais malheureusement pas en jouer, mais cela restera toujours mon rêve d'enfant. Et vous, quel est le vôtre?
♪ ♫ Ludovico Einaudi, Nuvole bianche: youtu.be/fEOJQawykD0 ♪ ♫
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(I speak french, italian and a little bit of english).
Procure a alegria
Quando você a localiza, ela vem a tona e transparece na sua face,
na fala, no olhar, no riso. Você apresenta o que tem de melhor, pois
foi buscá-la no mais fundo de si mesmo. Lá onde está o seu EU.
Corra ao alcance dessa alegria íntima.
Ela será sua companheira de sempre.
Descobrir a verdadeira alegria é fortificar a paz.
Lourival Lopes
14th June 2015 - British Aircraft Corporation TSR 2 XR220 taken in the morning sun on a rare outing outside her hangar at the RAF Cosford 2015 airshow.
The Following is taken from the museum website:
Although never developed beyond the prototype stage, the British Aircraft Corporation TSR2 was one of the most exciting and controversial British combat aircraft designs of the 1960s. The cancellation of the project is a subject of great debate to this day.
During the mid 1950s, the increasing sophistication of air defence systems led the RAF to consider the procurement of a high speed, low level strike and reconnaissance aircraft to replace the English Electric Canberra. In October 1957, the Ministry of Supply released the first specification for such an aircraft.
On 1 January 1959 the Ministry of Supply announced a design had been selected for production. Christened the TSR2 (Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance Mach 2), this aircraft was developed by a joint design team. A contract for eleven TSR2 prototypes was concluded on 6 October 1960, the first (XR219) made its maiden flight from Boscombe Down on 27 September 1964.
By 31 March 1965 XR219 had completed twenty-four flights, and a second, the aircraft you see here, was to join the programme. Initial reports indicated that the TSR2 was an outstanding technical success. However political opposition to the project led to it being cancelled from 6 April 1965.
Du haut de son promontoire ... Menez Sant-Mikael s'endort sous les étoiles et la petite chapelle veille sur les Monts d'Arrée.
Une agréable sensation de se retrouver seul au milieu de tout ce calme et rentrer dans ce petit édifice la nuit procure des vibrations très particulières !!!
Encore un privilège qu'il suffit tout simplement de s'octroyer...
"Copyright" || ® "All rights reserved" || 2016 Philippe MANGUIN / on Getty images.
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We have had a large number of baby woodpeckers this year. This is a handsome male that may be last year's young. The fathers often bring the young to the feeding station. After procuring and feeding the young a couple of times, the father gets fairly aggressive towards the baby trying to urge them to the feeder. Often the young will fly away to another tree. Ultimately, they learn on their own. This photo was taken in Georgetown, KY.
The scientific name for the Red-Bellied Woodpecker is Melanerpes carolinus.
King parrot feed on seeds, fruit, berries, nuts, nectar, blossoms, leaf buds, insects and their larvae. Seeds of eucalypts, angophoras and acacias make up a major proportion of the diet, and these are procured mostly in the trees and shrubs.
Originally procured as PB4Y-2 66302, this Privateer was redesigned P4Y-2 in 1951.
It was registered N2871G and operated as fire-fighting air tanker 121 by Hawkins & Powers for many years. I photographed it in Greybull, Wyoming in 1998:
The art ahead of the national insignia looks just like what I photographed on a former RCAF CC-119 at Battle Mountain, Nevada:
For more about this Privateer, see AerialVisuals:
www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=16969
2023 Reno Air Races
Procuré mantener las distancias, era una lacra, todo lo que rodeaba el incidente de aquella noche se tornaba tóxico. Estábamos contaminados, cada poro, cada idea, ya no quedaba nada limpio en nosotros.
The old Quebec seminary - the Procure wing
In the heart of the historic quarter of Quebec’s capital city, the buildings of the Old Québec Seminary were built between 1675 and 1868.
“Today this complex is called the Vieux Séminaire de Québec. It is modeled on French 17th-century convents and colleges. Its three buildings have features specific to French Regime construction: white plaster walls with S-shaped wall anchors, higher in certain spots to serve as a fire stop, and tin roofs with dormer windows. The buildings are arranged to form a typical inner court.
The Procure wing, shown here, with its signature sundial dating from 1773 is the oldest building. It was constructed sometime around 1680, then rebuilt three times due to fire. The only parts that remain from the original building are the vaulted cellars where Monseigneur Laval’s kitchen was located.
A LEADING INSTITUTION OF NEW FRANCE
The Séminaire de Québec was a society of Catholic priests founded in 1663 by François de Laval, who would become the first bishop of Québec. He established this society to train priests, evangelize the Aboriginals, and administer the parishes of the colony as a whole. Two years later he opened the Petit Séminaire, a boys’ school. The site of the first building is indicated by the rectangular marking on the pavement of the inner court.
A CLASSICAL EDUCATION
It was Louis XIV’s wish that the Petit Séminaire educate young boys and convert the Aboriginals. But for the first 100 years, it was a boarding school for future priests who studied at the Jesuit College—very close by, where City Hall is located today—before entering the Grand Séminaire.
After the conquest of New France was formalized in 1760, the British army requisitioned the Jesuit College for use as barracks. From that point on, the Séminaire had to expand its role and become an educational institution providing a classical curriculum, as the Jesuits were expelled from the colony. The students at the Petit Séminaire received an education based on the great European philosophers and writers, as well as French, Greek, and Latin. The purpose of this training in the classics was to mold them into full-fledged citizens, hale in mind and body, to make up the elite of Québec society.
THE TRADITION LIVES ON
The three wings of the Vieux Séminaire housed the Petit Séminaire de Québec until 1987. Its educational role lives on because Université Laval’s school of architecture is now occupied these heritage buildings.”
Source: www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/en/citoyens/patrimoine/quartiers/v...
The rooftop sign advertising the main tenant of this highrise has been a landmark in Harrisburg Pennsylvania for more than 40 years, or about as long as the original electric “Harrisburger Hotel” sign lit up the night skies over Pennsylvania’s capital. Politicians and lobbyists once flocked to its Caucus Room lounge to wheel and deal late into the evening.
Commissioned by an investment group headed by building contractor Ray Shoemaker, this handsome brick tower features stone false balconies and Art Deco trim. But by 1969, it had declined to the point of hosting a national hobo jamboree. A real estate businessman named Charles Adler and a few of his associates snapped it up that year with the stated aim of converting it to office space.
Adler was also the campaign fundraising boss for gubernatorial candidate Milton Shapp, and when Shapp won, he made Adler his deputy secretary for state procurement. The new governor soon came under fire when the state took a sizeable lease in the former hotel. Pundits called it “Milton’s Hilton,” but Shapp survived the controversy. Today the tenant mix includes attorneys, state officials, and nonprofits.
Address. 200 N. Third St.
Opened. 1930
Height. 257'
Stories. 19
Style. Art Deco
Architect. Lawrie & Green
Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker 57-1493, c/n 17564
Photographed on approach to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during Red Flag 22-2.
This aircraft was originally procured as a KC-135A with funding from the 1957 fiscal year (FY). That was 65 years ago. While many people born that same year are retiring or have already retired, this KC-135R is likely to see many more years of service with the USAF.
Note the flash at the top of the vertical stabilizer for MacDill AFB, Florida. This aircraft's markings indicate that it is operated by the 927th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), a USAF Reserve unit.
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-135_Stratotanker
KC-135 (MacDill AFB / USAF fact sheet):
www.macdill.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-View/A...
I first visited this valley in the year 2000 and then once again in 2002. The forested valley dissected by an alpine river is one of the most beautiful valleys in Pakistan. This time I wanted to see it under snow cover and luckily I did. In the year 2000 I imagined that this jewel would attract many visitors by the year 2010. However, 9/11 happened and the north-western regions of Pakistan suffered heavily due to geo-political games played by the major players within the region. There are Common Leopards, Markhor, Black Bear, Wolves, Musk Deer as well as Ibex, Brown Bear and Snow Leopards in winter. We did not see any wild mammals but birds seen included Himalayan Jungle Crows, Ravens, Pied Wagtails, Grey Wagtails, Plumbeous Water Redstarts, White-capped Water Redstarts, Common Sandpiper, Brown Dipper, Mistle Thrush, Cinerous Tits, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and a Lammergeier.
www.valleyswat.net/tourism/mankial.html
The Valley of Mankial:
The beautiful valley of Swat is a conglomeration of different and varied valleys and plains. The southern region is comparatively wide and open, consisting of plains that are cultivated through out the year and yield extremely large quantity of fruits and crops. The Northern region is a congregation of tall high rising mountains where small valleys provide little ground for cultivation and residentiary area for the small mass of population scattered in different groups and families. The valley of Mankial is one such place located in the north of Swat on the main road leading to Kalam. The total distance of the valley from Saidu Sharif is about eighty kilometers. The condition of the road is not gratifying but still the scenic beauty all around, the cool and invigorating breeze and the whirling, foamy and gurgling water of River Swat keep the visitors engaged and delighted.
The fascinating valley of Mankial is famous throughout Swat for its several sharp and jagged summits or peaks, which can be seen hundreds of kilometers away from down the plains. The tallest peak’s height is 18750 feet above the sea level. Several national and internationalMankial Valley mountaineers have attempted to reach these dizzy and awesome summits and in the course have lost their precious lives but still some others have conquered these intimidating heights. A Japanese mountaineer conquered mount Mankial in 1975. Climbing up these treacherous and unpredictable heights needs a strong heart, firm determination and above all strict professionalism.
Several ancient myths and tales are associated with the razor sharp peaks of Mankial. Most of the people believe that it is the abode of supernatural entities like fairies and jinns where intruding human beings are severely inflicted and who ever ventures into their dwellings either loses his life or is haunted by hallucination and illusions everafter. The immense height of the mountain and enchanted atmosphere sometimes compels one to think that these myths are true and real.
Balakot/ Dawanr:
The valley of Mankial has a T shaped location. Towards the western end, above the main road, the villages of Balakot and Dawanr are located face to face the towering summits of Mankial. The dominant language in the area is Kohistani but Pashto is widely spoken and understood. The people of Balakot rely mostly on farming and some of them are employed in foreign countries. The cash crops are maize, peas, potato, turnips and cabbages. Natural and pure mountain honey is also one of the products of these exotic vales, which has high demand in the national and local market and is mostly used as a base in herbaceous medicines. Telephone and electricity have been provided to these villages and some daily consumable items can also be procured in the small shops scattered in the valley.
Badai:
The valley of Mankial is two pronged with the population scattered on both sides of River Swat. A wooden bridge connects the left segment of Mankial valley with the main road from where an unconstructed link road leads towards the mesmerizing and beautiful valleys and pastures of Jaba (Marshes), Badai, Serai and Chokkail Banda. This link road plies side by side with the roaring, thudding and foaming stream of Mankial, which empties down to River Swat in the central Mankial Valley. The condition of the road is miserable and only four wheelers can tackle the bumpy and sturdy ride of the treacherous and tricky bends and turns. The maximum time to reach Badai where the road is forked, one leading to Jaba and the other to Serai, is forty to fifty minutes. Badai is famous for the mausoleum of Badai Baba where several people go in search of spiritual solace and cure for mysterious diseases. Badai is the only village where the houses are closely located with some shops catering for daily consumable items.
Jabai
The road turning to right hand leads to the beautiful and exotic highland of Jaba where the local people of Mankial reside in summers, growing potatoes and raising livestock. The slightly open valley of Jaba is wearing a thick blanket of cedar or deodar forest decorated by the mosaic of colorful wild flowers and fruits during early spring. The valley is guarded by the sky touching peaks of mount Mankial in the east where huge glaciers melt down and form spectacular waterfalls and cataracts, which cool the eyes of the beholder and reverberate in the valley, like the enchanting music of mermaids in myths.
Several other pastures and grass lands situated at a relatively high altitude from Jaba including the misty pastures of Boksar and Sor Kar can be easily accessed from this area. The sprawling meadows of Boksar are incomparable in beauty and are identical with the splendid highlands of Dewsai in Gilgit. These hypnotizing valleys are famous for its rich wild life in which Snow Leopard, Markhor, Black Bear, Flying Squirrel, golden Monal, Koklas Pheasant and the bulky Snow Cock are some well-known names. Jaba has several potentials of eco-tourism, which can be beneficial for the community particularly, and the country generally. A strong initiative from the department with support from the local community will certainly make the area prosperous and will help to conserve the ecosystem.
Serai
The road turning to left hand in Badai comes to a halt in the splendid valley of Serai. The valley is hubbub of activities in summer but in winter the valley is deserted due to severe snowfall and avalanches. Serai is a wide valley with ample land for potato, peas and turnip cultivation and the people of Mankial exploit the land diligently. The cold and freezing springs and streams in the valley form a web that provide drinking and irrigation water. Most of the houses in the valley are constructed with wood, mud, and stones but still modern architecture can be observed in the valley. A huge mosque constructed with durable cedar wood is a special feature of the valley where collective prayers are performed during summer.
Chokail Banda:
Chokail Banda (Valley) is located in the north of Serai valley. An ascending trail leads to this picturesque summer pasture and highland from Serai, which takes three to four hours to reach this sparkling jewel of nature. The towering peaks of mount Mankial in the south looks like mighty Titans who are always vigilant and ready to guard the valley.
Chokail is also famous for the endangered Markhor and elusive Snow Leopard. Wolf, Black Bear, Golden Monal and the bulky Snow Cock are the regular features of Chokail. The area has also been declared as a National Park by the government and the diverse fauna and flora has been given a status of national heritage. Poaching and hunting is strictly prohibited in the valley but poachers still manage to thwart the initiatives of the conservation department. The eye cooling glaciers, the fresh and misty breeze, the elusive calls of birds and the sky touching mountains are some of the exquisite and special features, which make Mankial valley different, beautiful, and a radiant gem in the enchanting valley of Swat.
Originally procured as P-51D 44-74506, MSN 122-41046,
this North American Aviation Mustang served with the Royal Canadian Air Force as Mustang TF.IV 9231.
For more information about this aircraft, see:
www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=21100
2022 Reno Air Races
Reno Stead AIrport (RTS / KRTS)
P-51 Mustang (Wikipedia):
Venha, procure, porque a busca é o alicerce da sorte: todo sucesso depende de colocar o coração naquilo que você quer.
Jamuna Dighi, Guskara, Bardhaman
Images of Bengal, India
Status of Girl Children in Bengal
Every year girls have disappeared from West Bengal. A total of 7917 minor girls were "untraced'' till 2011. Similarly, 3311 minor boys are missing from West Bengal, while another 2149 adult females were untraced till the end of 2011. Most of them are believed to have been swallowed up by the huge trafficking trade that is accustomed to treating West Bengal as its catchment area.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed state governments to set up special Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in every district. The need for these cells was felt after a report by the National Human Rights Commission which said in 2006 that nearly 45,000 children go missing every year in India.
An increase of 27% is observed in the Crime of Procuration of Minor Girls, ie., 862 cases in 2011 compared to 679 cases in 2010. West Bengal has reported 298 such cases, indicating a share of 34.6% at national level followed by Bihar (183), Assam (142) and Andra Pradesh (106). Moreover, West Bengal has accounted for 77% of the total 113 cases of ‘selling of girls for prostitution’.
A total of 113 cases under prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 were reported in the country in 2011 out of which highest were reported in West Bengal (25), followed by Maharashtra (19), Andhra Pradesh (15), Gujarat (13) and Karnataka (12).
Girls go missing in West Bengal
Number of missing children on the rise in West Bengal
A trip to a part of Bengal where humans are bought and sold everyday
Missing and trafficked - Social activists blame political unrest, lack of jobs
India Needs 'Political Will' To Combat Trafficking of Girls
Girl child sacrifice rampant in communist West Bengal
Enrolment, Dropout and Grade Completion of Girl Children in West Bengal
Piyali Sengupta and Jaba Guha; Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 37, No. 17 (Apr. 27 - May 3, 2002), pp. 1621-1637
UNICEF supports children in eastern India against early marriage
Child Rights Violation in West Bengal- Focus on Trafficking
A Report (2012) prepared by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
CHILDREN IN INDIA 2012 - A Statistical Appraisal
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India
SN/NC: Paeonia Officinalis,Paeoniaceae Family
Common peony is a garden plant native to southernEurope and introduced in North America where it is beloved as a very showy garden plant. In New England, it has been collected in Massachusetts and Vermont, as it rarely escapes the garden. It grows best in semi-shade. Its leaves are divided, with smooth edges (as opposed to the Chinese peony, which has finely serrated leaves). Look for harmless ants crowding its flower buds, which exude sugary nectar. These ants are called "honeypot ants" (the species is Prenolepis imparis); the workers can store the nectar in their swollen abdomens and feed it later to their sisters in the colony).
Paeonia: Generic name in honor of Peón, the doctor of the gods who appears mentioned in the Iliad and in the Odyssey of Homer. He healed Ares when he was wounded by Diomedes during the Trojan War; an earlier healing of Hades from an arrow shot by Heracles at Pylos is also mentioned. Also in Pliny the Elder, book 25, X, 1,who recommends it against "nightmares caused by the Fauns."
Officinalis: Latin epithet meaning "for sale in herbaria house".
A peônia comum é uma planta de jardim nativa do sul da Europa e introduzida na América do Norte, onde é amada como uma planta de jardim muito vistosa. Na Nova Inglaterra, foi coletada em Massachusetts e Vermont, pois raramente escapa do jardim. Cresce melhor em meia-sombra. Suas folhas são divididas, com bordas lisas (ao contrário da peônia chinesa, que tem folhas finamente serrilhadas). Procure formigas inofensivas aglomerando nos seus botões de flores, que exalam néctar açucarado. Essas formigas são chamadas de "formigas pote-de-mel" (a espécie é Prenolepis imparis); as operárias podem armazenar o néctar em seus abdomens inchados e alimentá-lo mais tarde para suas irmãs na colônia).
Paeonia: nome genérico em homenagem a Peón, o médico dos deuses que aparece mencionado na Ilíada e na Odisseia de Homero. Ele curou Ares quando foi ferido por Diomedes durante a Guerra de Tróia; uma cura anterior de Hades de uma flecha disparada por Heracles em Pylos também é mencionada. Também em Plínio, o Velho, livro 25, X, 1, que o recomenda contra "pesadelos causados pelos faunos".
Officinalis: epíteto latino que significa "à venda em herbários".
La peonía común es una planta de jardín originaria del sur de Europa e introducida en América del Norte, donde es apreciada como una planta de jardín muy llamativa. En Nueva Inglaterra, se ha recolectado en Massachusetts y Vermont, ya que rara vez escapa del jardín. Crece mejor en semisombra. Sus hojas son divididas, con bordes lisos (a diferencia de la peonía china, que tiene hojas finamente aserradas). Busque hormigas inofensivas que abarroten sus botones florales, que exudan néctar azucarado. Estas hormigas se llaman "hormigas de miel" (la especie es Prenolepis imparis); las obreras pueden almacenar el néctar en sus abdómenes hinchados y luego dárselo de comer a sus hermanas en la colonia).
Paeonia: nombre genérico en honor a Peón, el médico de los dioses que aparece mencionado en la Ilíada y en la Odisea de Homero. Curó a Ares cuando fue herido por Diomedes durante la guerra de Troya; También se menciona una curación anterior de Hades de una flecha disparada por Heracles en Pylos. También en Plinio el Viejo, libro 25, X, 1, quien lo recomienda contra las "pesadillas provocadas por los Faunos".
Officinalis: epíteto latino que significa "a la venta en herbarios".
La peonia comune è una pianta da giardino originaria dell'Europa meridionale e introdotta in Nord America dove è amata come pianta da giardino molto appariscente. Nel New England è stato raccolto nel Massachusetts e nel Vermont, poiché raramente sfugge al giardino. Cresce meglio in mezz'ombra. Le sue foglie sono divise, con bordi lisci (al contrario della peonia cinese, che ha foglie finemente seghettate). Cerca formiche innocue che affollano i suoi boccioli di fiori, che trasudano nettare zuccherino. Queste formiche sono chiamate "formiche honeypot" (la specie è Prenolepis imparis); i lavoratori possono immagazzinare il nettare nei loro addomi gonfi e darlo poi da mangiare alle loro sorelle nella colonia).
Paeonia: nome generico in onore di Peón, il dottore degli dei che appare menzionato nell'Iliade e nell'Odissea di Omero. Guarì Ares quando fu ferito da Diomede durante la guerra di Troia; viene menzionata anche una precedente guarigione dell'Ade da una freccia scoccata da Eracle a Pilo. Anche in Plinio il Vecchio, libro 25, X, 1, che lo raccomanda contro gli "incubi causati dai Fauni".
officinalis: epiteto latino che significa "in vendita negli erbari".
Gewone pioen is een tuinplant afkomstig uit Zuid-Europa en geïntroduceerd in Noord-Amerika, waar hij geliefd is als een zeer opzichtige tuinplant. In New England is het verzameld in Massachusetts en Vermont, omdat het zelden uit de tuin ontsnapt. Het groeit het beste in halfschaduw. De bladeren zijn verdeeld, met gladde randen (in tegenstelling tot de Chinese pioen, die fijn getande bladeren heeft). Zoek naar ongevaarlijke mieren die de bloemknoppen verdringen, die suikerachtige nectar afgeven. Deze mieren worden "honeypot-mieren" genoemd (de soort is Prenolepis imparis); de werksters kunnen de nectar in hun gezwollen buik bewaren en later aan hun zusters in de kolonie voeren).
Paeonia: generieke naam ter ere van Peón, de dokter van de goden die voorkomt in de Ilias en in de Odyssee van Homerus. Hij genas Ares toen hij gewond raakte door Diomedes tijdens de Trojaanse oorlog; een eerdere genezing van Hades van een pijl die door Heracles in Pylos werd geschoten, wordt ook genoemd. Ook in Plinius de Oudere, boek 25, X, 1, die het aanbeveelt tegen 'nachtmerries veroorzaakt door de Fauns'.
Officinalis: Latijns epitheton dat "te koop in herbaria" betekent.
Gewöhnliche Pfingstrose ist eine Gartenpflanze, die in Südeuropa beheimatet ist und in Nordamerika eingeführt wurde, wo sie als sehr auffällige Gartenpflanze beliebt ist. In Neuengland wurde es in Massachusetts und Vermont gesammelt, da es selten aus dem Garten entkommt. Am besten gedeiht sie im Halbschatten. Ihre Blätter sind geteilt und haben glatte Kanten (im Gegensatz zur chinesischen Pfingstrose, die fein gezackte Blätter hat). Suchen Sie nach harmlosen Ameisen, die ihre Blütenknospen drängen, die zuckersüßen Nektar verströmen. Diese Ameisen werden "Honigtopfameisen" genannt (die Art ist Prenolepis imparis); die Arbeiterinnen können den Nektar in ihrem geschwollenen Bauch speichern und ihn später an ihre Schwestern in der Kolonie verfüttern).
Paeonia: Gattungsname zu Ehren von Peón, dem Arzt der Götter, der in der Ilias und in der Odyssee von Homer erwähnt wird. Er heilte Ares, als er während des Trojanischen Krieges von Diomedes verwundet wurde; Eine frühere Heilung des Hades von einem Pfeil, der von Herakles auf Pylos geschossen wurde, wird ebenfalls erwähnt. Auch in Plinius dem Älteren, Buch 25, X, 1, der es gegen "von den Fauns verursachte Alpträume" empfiehlt.
Officinalis: lateinischer Beiname mit der Bedeutung „in Herbarien zu verkaufen".
La pivoine commune est une plante de jardin originaire du sud de l'Europe et introduite en Amérique du Nord où elle est appréciée comme une plante de jardin très voyante. En Nouvelle-Angleterre, il a été récolté dans le Massachusetts et le Vermont, car il s'échappe rarement du jardin. Il pousse mieux à mi-ombre. Ses feuilles sont divisées, aux bords lisses (contrairement à la pivoine chinoise, qui a des feuilles finement dentelées). Cherchez des fourmis inoffensives qui envahissent ses boutons floraux, qui dégagent un nectar sucré. Ces fourmis sont appelées "fourmis pot de miel" (l'espèce est Prenolepis imparis); les ouvrières peuvent stocker le nectar dans leurs abdomens gonflés et le donner plus tard à leurs sœurs de la colonie).
Paeonia : nom générique en l'honneur de Peón, le docteur des dieux qui apparaît mentionné dans l'Iliade et dans l'Odyssée d'Homère. Il a guéri Ares lorsqu'il a été blessé par Diomède pendant la guerre de Troie ; une guérison antérieure d'Hadès à partir d'une flèche tirée par Héraclès à Pylos est également mentionnée. Aussi chez Pline l'Ancien, livre 25, X, 1, qui le recommande contre « les cauchemars causés par les Faunes ».
Officinalis : épithète latine signifiant « à vendre dans les herbiers ».
オランダシャクヤクは南ヨーロッパ原産の園芸植物で、北米で紹介され、非常に派手な園芸植物として愛されています。ニューイングランドでは、庭から逃げることはめったにないため、マサチューセッツ州とバーモント州で収集されています。半日陰で最もよく育ちます。その葉は滑らかなエッジで分割されています（細かく鋸歯状の葉を持っているシャクヤクとは対照的です）。甘い蜜をしみ出させる花のつぼみに群がっている無害なアリを探してください。これらのアリは「ハニーアントアリ」と呼ばれます（種はPrenolepis imparisです）。労働者は腫れた腹部に蜜を保存し、後でコロニーの姉妹にそれを与えることができます）。
牡丹：イリアスとホメロスのオデッセイで言及されているように見える神々の医者、ペオンに敬意を表して総称。トロイ戦争中にディオメーデースに負傷したとき、彼はアレスを癒しました。ピュロスでヘラクレスが撃った矢からのハデスの初期の癒しも言及されています。また、プリニウス・ザ・エルダーの第25巻、X、1巻では、「牧神によって引き起こされた悪夢」に対してそれを推奨しています。
officinalis：「植物標本で販売されている」という意味のラテン語の形容詞。
Η κοινή παιώνια είναι ένα φυτό κήπου εγγενές στη νότια Ευρώπη και εισήχθη στη Βόρεια Αμερική όπου είναι αγαπητό ως πολύ επιδεικτικό φυτό κήπου. Στη Νέα Αγγλία, έχει συλλεχθεί στη Μασαχουσέτη και το Βερμόντ, καθώς σπάνια ξεφεύγει από τον κήπο. Αναπτύσσεται καλύτερα σε ημισκιέρα. Τα φύλλα του είναι χωρισμένα, με λείες άκρες (σε αντίθεση με την κινέζικη παιώνια, που έχει λεπτά οδοντωτά φύλλα). Αναζητήστε αβλαβή μυρμήγκια που στριμώχνουν τα μπουμπούκια των ανθέων του, τα οποία αποπνέουν ζαχαρούχο νέκταρ. Αυτά τα μυρμήγκια ονομάζονται "μυρμήγκια honeypot" (το είδος είναι Prenolepis imparis). οι εργάτες μπορούν να αποθηκεύσουν το νέκταρ στην διογκωμένη κοιλιά τους και να το ταΐσουν αργότερα στις αδερφές τους στην αποικία).
Παιονία: γενικό όνομα προς τιμήν του Peón, του γιατρού των θεών που αναφέρεται στην Ιλιάδα και στην Οδύσσεια του Ομήρου. Θεράπευσε τον Άρη όταν τραυματίστηκε από τον Διομήδη κατά τον Τρωικό πόλεμο. αναφέρεται επίσης μια παλαιότερη θεραπεία του Άδη από βέλος που εκτόξευσε ο Ηρακλής στην Πύλο. Επίσης στο Πλίνιο τον Πρεσβύτερο, βιβλίο 25, Χ, 1, ο οποίος το συνιστά ενάντια στους «εφιάλτες που προκαλούνται από τους Φαίνους».
Officinalis: Λατινικό επίθετο που σημαίνει «πωλείται σε βότανα».
الفاوانيا الشائعة هي نبات حديقة أصلي في جنوب أوروبا وتمتقديمه في أمريكا الشمالية حيث إنه محبوب كنبات حديقة مبهرج للغاية. في نيوإنجلاند ، تم جمعه في ماساتشوستس وفيرمونت ، لأنه نادرًا ما يفلت من الحديقة. ينموبشكل أفضل في شبه الظل. أوراقها مقسمة بحواف ناعمة (على عكس الفاوانيا الصينية ذاتالأوراق المسننة بدقة). ابحث عن النمل غير المؤذي الذي يزدحم براعم الزهور ، والتيتنضح بالرحيق السكرية. يُطلق على هذا النمل "نمل مواضع الجذب" (النوع هوPrenolepis imparis) ؛ يمكن للعمالتخزين الرحيق في بطونهم المنتفخة وإطعامه لاحقًا لأخواتهم في المستعمرة).
Paeonia: اسم عام تكريما لبيون ، طبيب الآلهة الذي ظهر في الإلياذة وفيأوديسة هوميروس. شفى آريس عندما أصيب على يد ديوميديس أثناء حرب طروادة ؛ كما تمذكر الشفاء المبكر للجحيم من سهم أطلقه هيراكليس في بيلوس. أيضا في بليني الأكبر ،الكتاب 25 ، العاشر ، 1 ، الذي يوصي به ضد "الكوابيس التي تسببهاالآيون".
Officinalis: لقب لاتيني يعني "للبيع في الأعشاب".
On Thursday 23 December, the James Webb Space Telescope, safely stowed inside the fairing of ESA’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle, left the final assembly building for roll-out to the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Webb, no longer in sight since its encapsulation in the fairing on 17 December, has been closely monitored. The fairing is equipped with specialised environmental controls that keep the observatory in a perfectly controlled temperature and humidity range during its final few days on Earth.
Ariane 5, standing 53 m high on its mobile launch platform was transported along rails from the final preparation building to the launch zone where final health checks and preparations for liftoff will occur.
This includes filling the propellant tanks of the Ariane 5 core stage with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen via lines through the launch table.
Final electrical and software configurations will also occur on the launch pad. Webb will switch to internal battery power about 20 minutes prior to liftoff, and within 15 minutes prior to liftoff the observatory and its launch vehicle will both be fully cleared for flight.
Webb will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. As part of an international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Find out more about Webb in ESA’s launch kit and interactive brochure.
Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja
A U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor flies above Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Australia, March 2, 2017. Twelve Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors and approximately 200 U.S. Air Force Airmen participated in the first Enhanced Air Cooperation, an initiative under the Force Posture Agreement between the U.S. and Australia.
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. 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). 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. 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.
Romanian Air Force (RoAF) General Dynamics F-16AM (F-16A Mid Life Update or MLU) 1607 (c/n M17-12/61-600, ex Portuguese Air Force 15128), Escadrila 53 Vanatoare during a demonstration at the Bucharest International Air Show 2019 Airport Băneasa (LRBS).
Romania bought 12 F-16 A/B Block 15 MLU fighters from Portugal in 2013 which entered service in 2016/2017. A additional 5 were procured in 2019, also from Portugal (these are not delivered yet). The F-16s replace the ageing MiG-21 fighters. The original plan is to procure 24 F-16s in total.
Sources: www.scramble.nl en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_Air_Force
1577–99, Italian noblewoman, tragic figure of the late Renaissance. Her father, Francesco Cenci (1549–98), was a Roman noble noted for his viciousness. In 1595 he imprisoned Beatrice and her stepmother Lucrezia in a lonely castle; his cruel treatment finally led Beatrice, with the complicity of her stepmother, her brothers, and her lover, to procure his murder. After a famous trial (1599) the conspirators were put to death. This tragedy, often cited as an example of the dissipation and cruelty of 16th-century Rome, is the subject of, among other works, Francesco D. Guerrazzi's novel Beatrice Cenci, Percy Bysshe Shelley's tragedy The Cenci, and Alberto Ginastera's opera Beatrix Cenci.
According to the legend, Francesco Cenci abused his wife and his sons, and had reached the point of committing incest with Beatrice. He had been jailed for other crimes, but thanks to the leniency with which the nobles were treated, he had been freed early. Beatrice had tried to inform the authorities about the frequent mistreatments, but nothing had happened, although everybody in Rome knew what kind of person her father was. When he found out that his daughter had reported against him, he sent Beatrice and Lucrezia away from Rome, to live in the family's country castle. Exasperated, the four Cenci decided they had no alternative but to try and get rid of Francesco, and all together organized a plot. In 1598, during one of Francesco's stays at the castle, two vassals (one of whom had become Beatrice's secret lover) helped them to drug the man, but this failed to kill Francesco. Following this Beatrice, her siblings and step mother bludgeoned Francesco to death with a hammer and threw the body off a balcony to make it look like an accident. No one believed the death to be an accident.
The plot was discovered all the same and the four members of the Cenci family were arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to death. The common people of Rome, knowing the reasons for the murder, protested against the tribunal's decision, obtaining a short postponement of the execution. But pope Clement VIII showed no mercy at all: on September 11, 1599, at dawn, they were taken to Sant'Angelo Bridge, where the scaffold was usually built.
Giacomo was quartered with a mallet and had his limbs torn off and hung in the four corners; then Lucrezia and finally Beatrice took their turn on the block, to be beheaded with a sword. Only the young boy was spared, yet he too was led to the scaffold to witness the execution of his relatives, before returning to prison and having his properties confiscated (to be given to the pope's own family). Beatrice was buried in the church of San Pietro in Montorio. For the people of Rome she became a symbol of resistance against the arrogant aristocracy and a legend arose: every year on the night before her death, she came back to the bridge carrying her severed head.
image from: www.blastmilk.com/decollete/a-decapitation-miscellany/bea...
info from www.answers.com/topic/cenci-beatrice
In Zaporizhzhia, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reviewed the aftermath of the missile strike carried out by Russia on December 10.
The missile attack destroyed a medical center and damaged residential buildings, educational institutions, a sports club, and vehicles.
The search and rescue operation lasted nearly two days and concluded this afternoon. The strike claimed the lives of 11 people and injured 22 others. At the site of the attack, Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of the victims.
The President also spoke with hospital staff and instructed the Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration to secure a new facility for the medical personnel and assist with procuring equipment, including through donor and philanthropic contributions.
Two Lockheed Martin F-35B "Lightning II" fighter jets have successfully landed on board HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time, laying the foundations for the next 50 years of fixed wing aviation in support of the UK’s Carrier Strike Capability.
Royal Navy Commander, Nathan Gray, 41, made history by being the first to land on board HMS Queen Elizabeth, carefully maneuvering his stealth jet onto the thermal coated deck. He was followed by Squadron Leader Andy Edgell, RAF, both of whom are test pilots, operating with the Integrated Test Force (ITF) based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Shortly afterwards, once a deck inspection has been conducted and the all-clear given, Cmdr Gray became the first pilot to take off using the ship’s ski-ramp.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.
The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official Lightning II name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it Panther, instead.
The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.
As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".
The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.
The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.
Development
F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.
The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 Raptor, intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.
By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.
Design
Overview
Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.
Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E Strike Eagle in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 Raptor, and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".
Improvements
Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:
Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms
Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes
High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's Super Hornet.
The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.
Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system
A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft
Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency
Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.
Costs
A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.
Der Bau der Neumarktkirche begann zwischen 1173 (dem Jahr der Heiligsprechung des Thomas Becket) und 1188 (dem Jahr der ersten urkundlichen Erwähnung der Kirche in einem Diplom Friedrich I. Barbarossas). Danach wurde die Kirche in zwei aufeinanderfolgenden Bauphasen von Ost nach West errichtet. Zumindest die Ostteile wurden 1188 bereits genutzt. Ursprünglich war die Kirche eine flachgedeckte, steil proportionierte Basilika mit Stützenwechsel, einem Chorquadrat mit Apsis und zwei Nebenapsiden am durchlaufenden Querhaus sowie zwei Türmen an den westlichen Enden der Seitenschiffe. Im Westen besaß die Kirche eine über zwei Arkaden sich zum Mittelschiff hin öffnende Empore. Auch die Türme waren im Untergeschoss zu den Seitenschiffen hin geöffnet. Bei einer Restaurierung in den Jahren 1825/26 wurden das nördliche Seitenschiff, die südliche Nebenapsis und eine mittelalterliche Sakristei auf der Südseite des Chorquadrats abgebrochen. Das südliche Seitenschiff, der südliche Turm und die nördliche Nebenapsis waren bereits damals wohl wegen der schlechten Baugrundverhältnisse am Saaleufer nicht mehr erhalten. Wegen des angestiegenen Grundwasserspiegels wurde das Gelände um 1,5 bis 2 Meter angehoben, sodass das Gebäude wie eingesunken wirkte.
Weitere Restaurierungen und Wiederherstellungen erfolgten 1912/13 und nach 1945. Die Kirche wurde 1973 als Gottesdienstraum aufgegeben und als Antiquitätenlager für den Bereich Kommerzielle Koordinierung zur Devisenbeschaffung der DDR genutzt, wobei zahlreiche Kunstwerke insbesondere aus Kirchen verkauft wurden. Die Ausstattung wurde 1983 ausgelagert und ist nur noch in Resten an verschiedenen Orten erhalten.
Nach längerer Vernachlässigung des Bauwerks wurde die Kirche in den Jahren 1991 bis 1995 umfassend saniert, nachdem sie bereits 20 Jahre zuvor in den 1970er von der Gemeinde wegen ihres schlechten, baufälligen Zustands aufgegeben werden musste. Bei den Sanierungsarbeiten wurden das Grundniveau von 1188 und somit der originale Raumeindruck wieder hergestellt. Im Rahmen dieser Sanierungen wurden Grabungen des Instituts für Denkmalpflege Halle durchgeführt. Bei diesen Arbeiten entdeckte man das Fundament des heute im Merseburger Dom ausgestellten Taufsteins, der ursprünglich aus der Neumarktkirche St. Thomae stammt. Seit 1993 kann die Kirche wieder für Gottesdienste genutzt werden. Sie ist eine Station des ökumenischen Pilgerweges nach Santiago de Compostela mit Übernachtungsmöglichkeit. Die heutige Ausstattung besteht aus einem Crucifixus im Triumphbogen und einem Relief des Thomas Becket von Gabriele Messerschmidt sowie einem Mahnmal Große Kreuzigungsgruppe vor roter Wand von Klaus Friedrich Messerschmidt. Schließlich ist eine siebenteilige Figurengruppe Terra Ottonum von Dieter M. Weidenbach zu erwähnen.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neumarktkirche_St._Thomae_(Merseburg)
Construction of the St. Thomas’ Neumarktkirche began between 1173 (the year Thomas Becket was canonised) and 1188 (the year the church was first mentioned in a diploma by Frederick I Barbarossa). The church was then built in two successive construction phases from east to west. At least the eastern parts were already in use in 1188. Originally, the church was a flat-roofed, steeply proportioned basilica with alternating columns, a square choir with apse and two side apses on the continuous transept as well as two towers at the western ends of the side aisles. In the west, the church had a gallery opening up to the nave via two arcades. The towers were also open to the side aisles in the basement. During restoration work in 1825/26, the north aisle, the south side apse and a medieval sacristy on the south side of the choir square were demolished. The southern aisle, the southern tower and the northern side apse were no longer preserved, probably due to the poor building ground conditions on the banks of the Saale. Due to the rising groundwater level, the ground was raised by 1.5 to 2 metres, so that the building appeared to have sunk.
Further restorations and reconstructions were carried out in 1912/13 and after 1945. The church was abandoned as a place of worship in 1973 and used as an antiques warehouse for the GDR's Commercial Coordination Department to procure foreign currency, whereby numerous works of art, particularly from churches, were sold. The furnishings were removed in 1983 and only remnants remain in various places.
After a long period of neglect, the church was extensively renovated between 1991 and 1995, having been abandoned by the congregation 20 years earlier in the 1970s due to its poor, dilapidated condition. During the renovation work, the basic level of 1188 and thus the original spatial impression were restored. As part of these renovations, excavations were carried out by the Halle Institute for Monument Preservation. During this work, the foundations of the baptismal font now on display in Merseburg Cathedral, which originally came from St. Thomas’ Neumarktkirche, were discovered. The church has been used for services again since 1993. It is a stop on the ecumenical pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela with overnight accommodation. Today's furnishings consist of a Crucifixus in the triumphal arch and a relief of Thomas Becket by Gabriele Messerschmidt as well as a memorial Large crucifixion group in front of a red wall by Klaus Friedrich Messerschmidt. Finally, a seven-part group of figures named “Terra Ottonum” by Dieter M. Weidenbach should be mentioned.
The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was a United States Navy and United States Air Force Airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft. A military version of the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, it was designed to serve as an airborne early warning system to supplement the Distant Early Warning Line, using two large radomes, a vertical dome above and a horizontal one below the fuselage. EC-121s were also used for intelligence gathering (SIGINT).
It was introduced in 1954 and retired from service in 1978, although a single specially modified EW aircraft remained in service with the U.S. Navy until 1982. The U.S. Navy versions when initially procured were designated WV-1 (PO-1W), WV-2, and WV-3. Warning Stars of the U.S. Air Force served during the Vietnam War as both electronic sensor monitors and as a forerunner to the Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS. U.S. Air Force aircrews adopted the civil nickname, "Connie" (diminutive of Constellation) as reference, while naval aircrews used the term "Willie Victor" based on a slang version of the NATO alphabet and the naval version of the aircraft's pre-1962 designation of WV-1, WV-2 or WV-3.
Development:
Since 1943 the Lockheed Constellation had been in USAAF service as the C-69. The use of the Constellation by the U.S. Navy for patrol and airborne early warning duties was first investigated in 1949, when the Navy acquired two Lockheed L-749 Constellations. First flown on 9 June 1949, the PO-1W carried large, long-range radars in massive radomes above and below the fuselage. As the radomes produced considerable more side area, the fins of the PO-1W had to be increased. After the PO-1W, which was redesignated WV-1 in 1952, had proved that it was possible to operate large radars on aircraft, the U.S. Navy ordered the WV-2 based on the L-1049 Super Constellation. The WV-1s were later transferred to the Federal Aviation Agency in 1958–1959.
The WV-2/EC-121D was initially fitted with a dorsal AN/APS-45 height finder radar and a ventral AN/APS-20 air search radar. These radars were later upgraded to AN/APS-103 and AN/APS-95 radars, although not simultaneously. The crew commonly numbered 18, six officers (two pilots, two navigators, two weapons controllers) and 12 enlisted personnel (two flight engineers, one radio operator, two crew chiefs, five radar operators, two radar technicians). However, when North Korea shot down a Navy EC-121 in 1969, a crew of 31 was on board.
Orders were placed totaling 142 PO-2W Constellations based on the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation with deliveries beginning in 1953. The type was redesignated WV-2 in 1954. The WV-2 was familiarly known to its crews as "Willy Victor". In 1962, with standardization of aircraft designations within the Department of Defense, the WV-2 then became the EC-121K. A total of 13 of these were converted to WV-2Q electronic intelligence aircraft (which became EC-121M in 1962), and nine were converted to WV-3 weather reconnaissance aircraft (WC-121N in 1962). The EC-121K was also operated by Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) at NAS Glynco, Georgia for training of Student Naval Flight Officers destined to fly both the EC-121 and the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye. When NAS Glynco was closed and VT-86 transferred to NAS Pensacola, Florida in 1973, the squadron's last EC-121 was also flown to NAS Pensacola for transfer to the collection of the National Museum of Naval Aviation where it remains today. A single aircraft became an NC-121K, an electronic warfare variant assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 (VAQ-33) at NAS Key West, Florida. This aircraft was the last EC-121 in operational service, flying until 25 June 1982.
The Air Force received 10 RC-121C and 74 EC-121D Warning Stars also based on the L-1049 beginning with diversions from the Navy contracts in October 1953. The 10 RC-121Cs became trainers, designated TC-121C. Between 1966 and 1969, 30 retired Navy EC-121s were transferred to the USAF and converted in EC-121Rs as sensor-monitoring aircraft. Of the 74 EC-121s, 42 were converted to the EC-121H upgrade beginning in 1962, and in 1969, 15 of the remaining EC-121Ds and seven of the EC-121Hs were further upgraded into the final operational variant, the EC-121T, which served as an AWACS prototype in Southeast Asia in 1972. Five EC-121Ds were modified to be broadcasting aircraft for psychological warfare operations, the predecessors of the EC-130 Commando Solo.
Operational service:
U.S. Navy-
WV-2s served from 1956 to 1965 in two "barrier" forces, one off each coast of the North American continent. These barrier forces consisted of five surface picket stations each manned by radar destroyer escorts and an air wing of WV-2s that patrolled the picket lines at 1,000-4,000 m (3,000-12,000 ft) altitude in six- to 20-hour missions. Their objective was to extend early warning coverage against surprise Soviet bomber and missile attack as an extension of the DEW Line.
The Atlantic Barrier (BarLant) consisted of two rotating squadron detachments, VW-13 and VW-15 home based at NAS Patuxent River, MD. and one squadron, VW-11, permanently based at Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland. The mission was to fly orbits to the Azores and back. There was an AEW Training Unit based at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. BarLant began operations on 1 July 1956, and flew continuous coverage until early 1965. The Barrier was shifted to cover the approaches between Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom (GIUK) barrier in June 1961. Aircraft from Argentia were staged through NAS Keflavik, Iceland, to extend coverage times.
The Pacific Barrier (BarPac) began operations with one squadron based at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, operating from a deployment base at Naval Station Midway, on 1 July 1958. Its orbits overlapped the radar picket stations of the ships of Escort Squadron Seven (CORTRON SEVEN), from roughly Adak Island to Midway. Normally four or five WV-2s were required at any single time to provide coverage over the entire line.
Barrier Force operations were discontinued by September 1965 and their EC-121K aircraft placed in storage. However Navy EC-121 operations continued until 1975 in four other squadrons. VQ-1 and VQ-2 operated EC-121M intelligence gathering aircraft at NAF Atsugi, Japan, and Naval Station Rota, Spain, respectively. VW-4 operated Willy Victors between 1954 and 1975 as Hurricane Hunters, with its primary base at NAS Jacksonville, Florida and a forward base at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, while its Pacific counterpart, VW-1, flew out of Agana, Guam, tracking typhoons. The aircraft was also operated by Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) at NAS Glynco, Georgia for training Student Naval Flight Officers and by Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 (VAQ-33) for the Fleet Electronic Warfare Systems Group (FEWSG) at NAS Norfolk, Virginia and later at NAS Key West, Florida. At the time of its retirement on June 25, 1982 VAQ-33 aircraft (Buno 141292) was the last NC-121K operated by the Navy.
Variants:
U.S. Navy variants-
*WV-1
Two prototypes, L-749A Constellation, designated PO-1W before 1952
*EC-121K (WV-2)
Main USN variant, designated PO-2W before 1952; 244 ordered, 142 produced (the rest went to the USAF).
*JC-121K
One modified EC-121K used as a U.S. Army avionics testbed
*NC-121K
Unknown number modified as special mission aircraft
*YEC-121K
One modified avionics testbed
*EC-121L (WV-2E)
One modified WV-2, testbed for rotating radar dome with an AN/APS-70 radar
*EC-121M (WV-2Q)
Electronic intelligence collection variant, 13 modified WV-2
*WC-121N (WV-3)
Weather reconnaissance variant, eight modified WV-2
*EC-121P
Unknown number modified from EC-121K as anti-submarine variant
*JEC-121P
Three EC-121P used by the USAF
U.S. Air Force variants-
*RC-121C
10 produced, initial USAF variant
*JC-121C
Two converted from C-121C and one TC-121C as avionics testbeds
*TC-121C
Nine RC-121C modified before 1962 as crew trainers
*EC-121D
73 produced 1953-55 as main USAF variant and one converted from C-121C, originally designated RC-121D
*EC-121D Quick Look
One testbed for QRC-248 IFF transponder interrogator
*EC-121H
42 USAF upgrades in 1962, 35 EC-121D and seven WV-2s transferred from the Navy
*EC-121J
Two USAF EC-121D modified with upgraded electronics
*EC-121M Rivet Top
One EC-121D testbed for Rivet Gym cryptologic linguist electronics suite, originally designated EC-121K
*EC-121Q
Four EC-121D modified with upgraded electronics for USAF Gold Digger missions
*EC-121R
30 EC-121K / EC-121P transferred to USAF in 1966–1967 and converted to Batcat sensor signal processor
*EC-121S
Five converted for Pennsylvania Air National Guard from USAF C-121 transports
*EC-121T
Final USAF variant. A total of 22 Ts were converted from 15 EC-121D and seven EC-121H. One is on display at Peterson Air and Space Museum.
*XW2V-1
Proposed naval development with new features such as four Allison T56-A8 turboprop engines, L-1649A Starliner wings and Bomarc missiles for defense. None built; was designated L-084 due to the large differences from its predecessors. (wiki)
141309 is on display at the McClellan Aviation Museum marked as USAF EC-121D 53-0552. Photo Credit's: photo by S.W. Robbins. (Kodachrome Slide dated December 1982)
As portas da frente estavam fechadas
entraram pelas portas dos fundos
frágil estava aquele que foi mais profundo
depois, despejado pela janela feito furibundo.
Se quiseres entrar, e quando quiseres
que seja pela porta da frente
procures que esteja aberta completamente
para que entres... inteiramente!
(!marlene)
BR(ER) procured, but LNER-designed, 25k V ac overhead (but originally 1,500 V dc overhead) Class "306" (originally Class "AM6") inner-suburban 3-car emu No.035 (later Class 306 073) in BR Rail Blue livery with all yellow front end entering Liverpool St on a service from Shenfield, 03/76. Scanned photograph taken with a Kowa SET.