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.
Tuesday 29 October 2013
Tuesday 22 October 2013
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 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.
Tuesday 15 October 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday 8 October 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday 1 October 2013
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.
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.
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