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Tuesday 25 July 2017

Submariners. Part-One.

Submarines, and Drones.

Many nations around the world still build, buy and use the submarine, technology has moved on with computing, nuclear power and drone ability? The early vessels were cramped and many crews on board died from fumes poisoning. The U.S lead with the first Holland Class vessels, which the British and many other nations copied and adapted.

But it was Imperial Germany that made the advances in the submariner world, with their own design which remained effective into the 1920's. With the advance of National-Socialism in Germany a new improved class of boats came into effect that was well ahead of all the nations.

Britain and the U.S. did catch up quickly during the second world war (1939-45), while others lagged behind such as Italy. It was the development of Sonar from Radar that gave Britain and the U.S the advantage of knowing where the enemy was. Many other nations opted for the Midget subs along with Britain and these small boats if they survived their missions could be quite effective, but they were really very limited?

From the Cold War era (1948-1994) it was the Soviet Union and the U.S.A that have dominated the design and construction of some seriously advanced vessels, while Britain and France have not been left out of the picture with their own. Nuclear powered vessels do not need to surface to be refuelled, they can remain hidden for months at great depths.

Advancements in miniaturization has allowed for drones of various type and robotic subs to be put into service doing dangerous work, without the cost of human life and losses.

The Motorbike. Two.

Today?

The role of the motorbike is far from over today, as it was yesterday? It is now one of the fastest machines on the surface, with top quality racing at all levels and its just that we do not see enough of the sport on TV?

Motorbikes have been adapted for Paramedic work in Israel and the U.S.A., these are the first responders to various situations? Nearly every police and paramilitary force in the world uses the motorbike for traffic and escorting  duties because of their flexibility.

Italy, Japan, Brazil, India, Australia and Russia still make some serious top quality machines for civil and military use. Some nations have copied British and U.S. designs and successfully adapted them

Today's machines are either top end or mass produced and in many nations in the developing world, such as India they are used for every imaginable use? China has moved on to advanced technology in the first mass produced electric battery powered machines, in fact there is no end now to the use and viability of this machine and its other various components, such as the scooter, scrambler and motorcycle.

Even the military are still using motorbikes in the communications role, despite the Internet and many other advanced forms of communications, we may not but others are.

Tuesday 11 July 2017

Tractors. Part-Two.

Construction, Engineering and Mining.

This is perhaps not the place one would think to find the need for the tractor, but some of the machines we use today came first from these uses. Caterpillar is one of several companies that developed tracked machines for working in heavy soils, this was the same in Soviet Russian Steppes where land was not intersected by ditches as in the west.

Today many giant machines working in all of the titled areas are tractors, limited by speed and used to move loads about in tight spots even underground. These machines do not look like our idea of the farm machines but they are mechanically the same, the Bulldozer is in fact a converted tractor for the road and building construction industry.

The future for the tractor of all types will be there Robotising into unmanned piloted vehicles, from vast area farming to construction, tunnelling and mining. May be the only human contact in the near future will be for repairing and cleaning?

Tuesday 4 July 2017

Wales Air Show 2017.

1st-2nd July 2017 Best two Days?

This year has been another fine show of aviation past and present and one is putting in an advanced request for next years 100th Anniversary and the possibility of a BAE Harrier and Apache Helicopter? But what ever comes will be very welcome, as this event seems to be a yearly success now!

The security precautions and road blocks worked out well, so that more people seemed to be free to move about without the worry of passing traffic. The old favourites re-appeared the RAF Typhoon fighter Jet, RAF Boeing-Vertol Chinook transport helicopter and the Red Arrows again wooing the crowds, while the weather was much better than expected.

Vintage or classic aircraft comprised the World War-II (1939-45) Bristol Blenheim bomber, fighters Super marine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane. Former RAF Jet fighters two De Havilland Vampires, single and two seat training versions in Norwegian Air Force colours and the BAC Strike master, both of these aircraft where also widely exported.

The Vampire was too late for WW-II service and so joined several other types from 1948 to the early 1960;s. The BAC later BAE Strike Master was conceived in the 1950's and enter production in 1967, other aircraft included the RAF Grob G.115E Tutor trainer and the Soviet Union/Polish Warsaw Pact era MIG-15UTI Midget.

Team Raven opened with a magnificent display in their Vans RV-8's, while the Red Arrows were flying the new Mark-II BAE Hawks. The Pitts 1S1 Special did some acrobatic flying and the combined forces Tigers parachute team did something different, with two drops from the Swansea based Cessna 206 Caravan-II.

HM Coastguard Augusta-Westland AW-139 G-CILP SAR helicopter worked in tandem in winching from RNLI Lifeboat 16-27 during several rounds of inshore Swansea Bay and the Defence helicopter Flying School SA-350BB Squirrel helicopter brought in Red leader one via the St. Helens rugby and cricket grounds on the Mumbles Road.

The planned RN Sea Vixen did not make it, it seems to have broken a wheel a few days ago?