Demise of the flying Boat?

 Beriev A-40 and Be-200.

Russia now is the only country to still build and sell flying boats that are dedicated to that particular role and the Be-200, which is a civil version of the larger A-40 has proved itself in the fire fighting role, easy to fill on landing, with an immediate take-off it can just keep working!

Very little is known about the Russian A-40 flying boat and what its long-range role with the Russian navy is, but perhaps this is the last line of a successful aircraft that maintained the Soviet naval defenses from 1945?

Other countries that maintain the flying boat is the peoples republic of China, which have adapted the Antonov An-12 to this role, but it is believed Russia has supplied the Chines navy with the A-40 and the BE-200!

While the rest of the world has abandoned this effective concept, with Japan and the U.S. retiring the last of there aircraft, many other countries have purchased the civil Be-200 for several roles, Greece, India and others and so the story will continue for some time yet?

Lithium Dangers?

 Overheating Electrics.

With the recent incident of a K-Line car carrier catching fire in the North-Sea, off northern Holland, there are some serious concerns in relation to how safe are electric cars in storage and on the roads.

Many people are being almost forced now to consider electric over that of the fossil fuel burners, by the introduction of ULEZ type schemes across the U.K.

But for the poorer end of the market, there is not much to choose from and warnings on second-hand electrics, is that they are riddled with problems that will be not worth paying for.

It would seem that at some point another lower fuel emission will have to be considered, before a new improved electric system can be found.

Despite all this many people are still buying, and others are finding the overheating problem is really dangerous with cars being abandoned in many places when they catch fire?

Emergency Vehicles Electric!

Conversions to alternatives Underway!

The emergency services are to introduce a new breed of electric vehicles soon, this will be the first service to do so, followed by the Fire and Police? It is hoped that these new vehicles will cut down on emissions and one supposes this change has to start somewhere?

This will be a test run in relation probably to speed and their viability for range between charges! Batteries means more can be done on board maybe before getting to the Accident & Emergency rooms!

Eventually technology will improve and most service vehicles along with the emergency services, buses and trains will start to pay off with the cutting down of carbon monoxide in the air? We still have a long way to go, but at least we are getting there!

Commercial Space Flight?

How near is It!

Many like Branson have built and are testing their designs, but as to when will it really be safe to commercially fly into Space is a guess? There are several factors that are holding back inner Earth flight and it has nothing to do with current technology, but rather secret military spy plane missions and low orbiting intelligence satellites!

A collision by one or the other at this time is a very probable reality and the loss of life, would be a long term commercial disaster for Space tourism? So we have a long way to go in relation to getting up there, first the early tests on Space Bots are successful, but not all nations as yet will have access to these new types of Satellites?

Cost is another factor in limiting those who will be able to make this type of flight and it is not clear what emergency measures are in place if something went wrong? These new Space ships as yet do not seem to have a facility for an escape pod or life line in the event of a fire! 

Fire Engines. Part-Two.

Specialist vehicles.

New York was the first skyscraper city and Paris had its Eiffel tower, but as the 20th Century progressed Hong Kong, Tokyo and Dubai would see the popularity of having the race for the highest tower blocks. Nothing different was thought of in the west until 9/11, but Moscow had to cope with the various Chechen militant attacks five years earlier which killed hundreds of people.

Japan has set in place specialist vehicles to deal with Earthquakes and high towers, if they are not fully evacuated. Claims have been made in the U.K. and U.S. that they have various hydraulics to rescue people in the event of a fire from high-rise buildings. There are so many problems with getting ladders up to great heights, wind is one and mechanical failure is another.

Many of these vehicle types are based around the eight-wheel chassis of military transports and the up to twenty-wheel civil telescopic cranes. in the future It it better to fit some form of emergency elevators/lifts to securely evacuate buildings in the future and we just do not really know anything until that dreadful event should occur.

Fire Engines. Part-One.

Bonfires.

In a few days time, the emergency services will be stretched to their limit dealing with bonfire night and the madness of some people. Here in Wales the Fire Brigade has to deal with regular arsonists every dry period, lighting gorse fires.

But generally Halloween and Guy Fawkes night 31st October and the 5th November are the big nights. The need for a fire truck has been around probably ever since man could carry water on a cart? But it is really only in the last 200 years that some type of what we term 'Fire Engines have been developed to deal with house fires.

In the United States they are known as ladders, because they had to deal with tenement fires and later the early 19th Century sky scrapers. The first horse drawn tankers took full advantage of water pumping systems and were able to cope, despite being very limited. it was not until the 1920's that the first motorised trucks were designed as we see them today.

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.