Happy New Year.

Future concepts.

This is the last day of 2013, tomorrow a New Year begins and with it will come the revelation of new designs and concepts in all types of machines. New engines will be developed, some will be revealed to us, while others are going from the minds of great thinkers to paper. Meanwhile other ideas are nowin the process of being built.

Some of these will be for the military around the world, more effective and better ways to kill. While others are being adapted for civil use and to benfit humanity. 

The race to Mars is now hotting up and many new nations are joing the space race. Some of these appear to be okay, but others may have a more sinister motives?

Will we see a replacement to the NASA space shuttle soon, will more electic cars be built, will we find alternative energies and how many nations will be running after the resouces on the north pole, as the 400 year warming cycle is now underway?

The R.N.L.I. Part-One.

Life boat search and rescue.

The RNLI is a shared service in both Britain and Ireland, it has a long history of saving life at sea and saving people stranded in difficult places. From its orgins and basic open rowing boats it has developed into a high tec' service, which is now an invaluable assit to these islands.

Life boats, inflatables and hovercraft are manned by volunteers, who are supported by donations and annual subscriptions from the general public. 

The RNLI work with the Coastguard and Military/Police search and rescue, on my You tube site I have filmed various life boats and helicopters. Some are on call, while others are on training exercises. 

Please remember them this special season and with out recent and forthcoming horrible weather.

Father Christmas.

Sleds.

'Christmas is a coming and if you listen at night to the air, you will hear the gentle ringing of Santa's reindeer's bells tingling from afar.'

I believe in Santa and why not, my parents worked their socks off to buy me something each year. It was not a lot, but it was enough. Today many people discount this special Christian season and that is sad.

But as to sleds, the Lapp, Evenki and Eskimos continue to use them, because they are essential for travel in snowy regions. Today they are motorised and can pull much more than the good old huskies dogs or reindeer's could. Sleds or ski's are also fitted to aircraft and helicopters and these are found in service in snow capped mountain terrain and glacier regions across the globe.

The sled was originaly made of curved wood or bone and it is not known how old they are. There are many more peoples apart from the three main groups mentioned living around the north pole. There is one group in Siberia who have developed houses for all year travel or life on the snow. I suppose you could either describe them as Snow Gypsy's or Nomads.

Animal Power.

'Two Ways.

Just becuase we live in the age of the machine, does not mean that our animals have become redundant so soon. The majority of what is termed 'the second and third world' continue to rely on horses, donkeys and oxen to do the work of expensive machine alternatives.

Romania and Bulgaria are in the news at the moment, because Europe is worried of an immigration influx. But in these countries animals are seen pulling and hauling loads, yet every home has their own car. People want to travel far, for entertainment and travel.

The future also holds the concept of mechanical animals, which are under development for various military forces world-wide. Many people are using animal waste to power vehicles and generation, as an cheaper alternative energy source.

Helicopters. Part-Two.

Sea King/S-61 to Eurocopter EC-135/145.

The helicopter in our moder world has become both an essential and invaluable tool. Since last week 9 people were sadly killed, when a EC-135T2 fell out of the skies and hit a pub venue in Glasgow, Scotland. U.K.

But despite this we must not think that helicopters are now dangerous, more people die in the British isles each day in car incidents. They are either at the wheel or are pedestrians, but that does not mean we have to stop driving!

The Eurocopter family were derived from some very succesfull machines such as the Alouette III and the Bolkow BO-105. Both the EC-135 and newer 145 are now widley used across the globe for their versitilty. Police, military, air ambulance, search and rescue, as well as electricity and oil line inspections. 

The Westland Seaking and Sikorsky S-61 soldier on with their long range capability for search and rescue, both at sea and mountains. They have a great ability to operate in severe weather conditions. Yet all machines really operate becuase of the skill of very well trained and astute pilots, who take chances only when needs be. Thank you for them.

Helicopters. Part-One.

From R-22 to CH-47 Chinooks..

I love helicopters, they are perhaps one of the most complicated flying machines and yet they have become so essential in modern society. From search and rescue to transport. helicopters are essential machines.

Many types today are available from the smaller to the large and I have had the privialage to film some of them that pass by from the Robin R-22 to the massive military CH-47 Chinooks.

AW-109, Aw-101 Merlins, Lynx, Sea Kings, Sikorsky S-76, Eurocopter EC-135/145. These are the types of helicopters you will find filmed on 121jaykay.

Yachts.

Liesure and Sport.

The yacht is perhaps one of the greatest sailing vessel ever devised, because in the design for speed new hulls have been developed. As a sport, it is one of the greatest for skill and team work as people battle the elements and mastery of the seas. (or rather respect of the seas).

Not all yachting is at sea, some prefer lakes and rivers or inlets and many find pleasure in relaxing and enjoying a hobby or pass time with their boats.

Racing yachting is today big bussiness around the world, with the Americas cup and Cowes week on the isle of Wight.

Construction Vehicles.

Something we can never do without.

Every part of the building industry today relies on some form of vehicles to help. From roads to rails, from housing to skyscrapers. The Bulldozer and the JCB are probaly the most well known types, then (steam) rollers and various digger types, as well as tippers.

There is a longer history to construction of any thing, that meets the eye. Even in ancient history wheeled waggons, towers and carts, as well as cranes and pullys were employed in building. The Egyptian and Aztec Pyramids and many Celtic monuments such as Stone Henge and New Grange were constructed using slave labour and hundreds of animals to pull and heave blocks.

The future seems to be going down the road of Robotic automation and the use of more computer technologies. 

I think the idea here is perhaps saftey, but in the long term it will mean less and less human involvement and the loss of employment sadly.

Rockets. Part-Two.

From Chinese Firecracker to ISS.

Today rockets are big business for the telecommunications industry, everyone wants a faster Internet speed. Despite many still believing that this is based on optic fiber cables, space actually provides the links.

The rocket has only come into its own, since the end of World War-II (1939-45). The 1950's saw the development of the missile at the beginning of the 'Cold war, between Soviet Russia and the U.S. The Inter-continental ballistic Missile (ICBM) was developed by all sides to deliver multiple nuclear warheads to multiple targets, anything from 12 to 24.

In 1957 Russia launched Spunik and the first man in space  Yuri Gagarin. 

Despite America coming late, it took over with a man on the Moon and then developed the Space shuttle. Russia has opted for commercial satalites launches and now provides the progress Robot shuttles to the International Space Station.

Rockets. Part-One.

Rockets and Missiles.

Here in the British Isles 'Halloween and Guy Fawkes nights are almost upon us and it is a traditional time for the buying and firing of Fireworks. Millions of pounds will be spent for that moment of joy and fun. The origins of the rocket as a firework goes back thousands of years to ancient China, were they were used for entertainment, but we now know that they were also used as a weapon.

Modern rocketry is associated today with Space launches and military missiles, rockets have become an engine driving a payload up and over.

There is much more to the rocket and the concept of the projectile, which today combines the weapons of the past. Such as the Spear, Javelin and Arrow. Next year (2014), I will cover this in more detail, with the relationship to Artillery and the weapons such as the Bazooka and Rocket Propelled Grenade.

Narrow Gauge Railways.

Wales, Isle of Man and Quarry's.

The Narrow Gauge was in its hey day associated with quarrying, this is so in Wales with slate. Today many of these railways in the UK are now tourist attractions. It was in World War-I (1914-18 that a portable railway was used to supply front line British troops.

Being small with engines only up to four tons, if the track was damaged by German shelling it could be quickly repaired and replaced. But this had not seen an end to the uses of the narrow gauge railway. In the Ukraine and Belarus there are extensive networks of these lines for the production of peat.

Ireland also has an extensive network operated by Board Na Mona in its own peat production. I have come across some very good narrow gauge models in the Railway Modeller magazine of layouts based on Irish scenes.

The Jumbo Jet.

Boeing 747-100/8.

You could say 'that the Jumbo jet was the King of the skies, because it has had a forty-three year unchallenged stay.' It is only now with the advent of the Airbus A380, that its reign may end?

I say may, because as has been seen many will continue on as cargo and freight usage. Nearly every country on the planet uses or has at one time employed this huge civil aircraft. The U.S. Boeing 747-100 was conceived by the owner of Pan Am, who designed an aircraft that would be the clipper of the sky, that was formerly held by the British Shorts Sunderland flying boat.

The 747 started as the flagship for Pan-Am, but soon everyone wanted one, because of its long haul capability. Even with the introduction of the joint British/French Concorde, the Jumbo held its ground. Later with the -200 series, I think the most of any series built it set it self up.

Many other versions, including military, scientific and the NASA Space Shuttle carrier have been built and next year (2014) we will take a closer look at some of them.

Dredgers.

Sand and Mud.

Modern shipping cannot operate effectively without the deployment of ships that can remove sand and mud bars from river mouths and estuaries. Ships are getting bigger and heavier, they also are some times much larger under the water and now are more likely to scrape their hulls.

The dredging companies are usually under licences to clear and sell sand for commercial uses, where as mud is redeposited to other deep area of water.

Sand and mud flats are created by the under water currents and built up deposits from rain and flooding in rivers. I have filmed quite a number of boats that visit the Port of Swansea and work around the Bristol Channel ports. Arga Bay, Sand Heron/Harrier, Welsh Piper and Arco Dart.

The Automobile, Car. Part-Two.

The Basics.

Up until recently, say the last five years the car was a basic machine made up of many components. But the one thing that all of them had, was they could be repaired or restored by anyone with a bit of mechanical engineering knowledge?

Today the car has changed greatly in that you now need a computer to diagnose a fault, particularly the locking systems and the starter. The car started life as wood and metal and then in the 1950-60's it was the chrome craze. From 1970 to the mid eighties design focused on economical driving, this was because of the Saudi and Gulf price wars.

Today cars are light and plasticated or fibre glassed. They are made for both speed, interesting design concepts and comforts. Many claims have been made in relation to safety, but if you notice car collisions they are usually mangled wrecks. This might be that people drive to fast, than they did say 50 years ago.

Don't worry next week we will going on to another subject.

The Automobile, Car. Part-One.

Horseless Carriage.

The automobile/car is the most prolific vehicle that humanity has yet conceived! The car started off as a steam powered machine, but with the advent of the petrol engine it has never looked back. For the first time, as far as we know humanity had a carriage, without the need of a horse.

Today there are hundreds of types, makes of cars and vans across the globe. Nearly every country in the world is able to build some form of the car, from a very basic model to the very advanced hydrogen version.

What I intend to do is split this subject in to three parts, first the conception of the car and its uses and developments. Then move on to its construction and design and last of all it negative aspects.

The car is like a carriage or trap, it conveys a small number of people 1-5 from A to Z, it has a effective range and is comfortable. The advantages of the car is one of protective covering and the other of speed and no need to have an animal. 

But petrol and later diesel and LPG gas became available for more economic reasons, to do with world conflicts and the price of petroleum.

Mine Sweepers.

In Defence of the Seas.

We tend to forget this form of warfare still exists? 
Former British Princess Diana fought very well to try to ride the world of land mines and other similar weapons, with some success. But the Seas are another area, where it would seem unlikely for the innocents to be effected?

A boat was developed prior to World War-I (1914-18) in which to both track enemy mines and also to lay their own. Thousands of such vessels have been built since World War-II(1939-45) to do the same. 

It was the development of radar and its sea equivalent Sonar that has pushed new design. Nearly every navy in the world employ minesweepers, either in that primary role or joint such as patrol.

Today the occasional World War-I mine does surface in the English Channel and the North sea. Fishing trawlers have the unfortunate task of drawing them up from the sea bed in their nets.

Emergency Service.

Fire, Police, Ambulance Services.

We are on the eve of 911, when terrorists flew four commercial airliners into three major buildings in the United States of America. The Twin towers in Manhattan, New York and the Pentagon in the capital Washington DC.

This was a day when the emergency services of any nation would be put to the limit. Reports after reports said 'that there was a failure in organization on the day.' A historical factor with the fire Department, which had not been resolved for over 100 years, lead to allowing their pride and competition to block off a determined effort to co-ordinate with other services. 

In Britain, there is co-ordination between services even in traffic incidents. Different agencies have all had to pull together to co-ordinate with each other. Much has been learned since 911, Madrid, Bali and 7/7, that we live in a different world of mass terror now. But also people are not as freindly or patient as they were much better maybe at one time.

Trains.

Life Lines.

They say that nations without a coast are doomed, but you could say the same, if they have no railways either with laid track or none. Nearly every country on the planet has a railway of some kind, from a narrow gauge to wide track. 

The railways are an essential life line, especially in trade, wither it be cross border or not. The history and development of the locomotive is a backbone to any network. Trains of course come in all forms, some are used just for freight, while others for passengers. Trains can cover great distances such as in Russia, China, India, Australia, Canada, Brazil and the United States.

In these fore mentioned countries trains can be up to four miles in length for freight cars, some now double decked. While passenger trains can be 25+ carriages long. Some trains are built for speed, such as in Japan, France, Italy, Spain and Germany, where the rail lines have very few curves.  

So you kind of see the picture and their value. Later in 2014 we will get down to the ''nitty gritty'' of these starter blogs.

Dreamliner V Airbus A350.

Which is better?

With the continuing problems being experienced by the U.S. Boeing 787-7/8 Dream liner it could be coming to its own demise, when European Airbus A350 roles off the production lines?

The Boeing has seen so many delays and a battery fire problem, that one is suprized that they have bothered to press on with it. Where as the Airbus will probably take the market. 

It would seem that Boeing has placed to much on the 787, while it relies on its sales of the 737 to back up. The other failure I think is its lack to develop the 747 to challenge the Airbus A380. I suppose we will have to waite and see?

London Transport.

The Route Master Replacement.

They have called it the Boris bus, after the Mayor of Greater London Boris Johnson. Some have called  it 'the toy town bus, apart from other things. London Transport did replace 'Old Faithful' with the Mercedez bendy bus, but over time it has had teething problems in traffic and taking corners.

Every city, wither in the UK or in any country needs a iconic symbol for their respective transport networks. We had the famous red bus, the route master, now we may have just a longer version of it.

The glass stairwell was designed in such a way as any assaults on passengers by others would be seen from the outside. This part of the bus was always a problematic area.

Plying the Oceans.

Bulk Carriers.

There are many kinds of boats and ships that ply the seas around the world, because this remains a very viable form of trade. Man has used the sea, lakes, rivers and even oceans from ancient times and he has built ever bigger ships.

Today the Super Tanker, container ship and bulk carriers are the biggest. Here in Swansea I see various vessels come and go from Port Talbot Tata Steel deep water dock. It is a real joy for me to film them and have them seen by the world on You Tube at 121jaykay.

These ships will remain the massive ore carriers that they are, because humans need metals, cars and vehicles to be made.