Tecnam P2012T Traveller.

 Electric powered testing Halted.

This new Italian and U.S. based innovation P-Volt technical aircraft based on the successful P2012T, traveller has been halted after the power capability of the two new electro engines has run in to issues of loss of power or cut off in mid-flight with not being enabled to control the aircraft.

Last year many believed we were on the beginning of a electric revolution. but now we know that much of what was thought possible is not going to work, as well as land and sea and so conventional power will be staying for some time yet.

Helicopters may see that possibility and many concepts are coming to the fore, but the reality is that the drone is to replace the need for some helicopters since they are more versatile in how they can be deployed.

Jeep Wars!

 Commercial Replacements?

Today the field for the Jeep concept would seem to be limited to Range Rover, Mercedes, the Nomad and a few others in the U.S.A? 

But this is not true, there are dozens of better vehicles on the market from Spain, Israel, France and Russia, that are never mentioned on British television out of bias for friends!

The world of the utility vehicle for the armed forces, civil agencies Search & Rescue, Fire services, Ambulances, RNLI, Animal Rescue and Postal Deliveries, and a host of commercial purposes from fun to business is being fulfilled by nearly ever nation that has an automotive industry, some are adaptions of the original Willy's Jeep and others of the Land rover Defender and Shorts armored?

Israel and Spain have really gone to town in their conversions with base frame vehicles to giver the driver a full experience of being close to the ground! 

Many other designs deal with more of a practical use and yet there is also a fun element to enjoy driving?

The British Army, N.A.T.O and Europe?

Future!

Britain has now lost its once great empire, but it still has many territories and some have a great strategic value such as the Falklands! Britain still has many interests and NATO commitments?

But now the European Union are set on creating its own armed forces in a united Europe, confirming much speculation over the years! 

The EU already operates under the humanitarian flag in the Arabian sea between Yemen and the Horn of Africa protecting shipping from Somali piracy, as well in the Mediterranean in connection with Libyan refugees being smuggled and abandoned at sea!

But a land army is a much different matter, will this see the end of N-Atlantic pact? Relations between Europe and the U.S are now at an all time low and we have to make up our minds who we will be with in the future?

Landrover and Range Rover!

The demise of another British Institution?

Since it was decided to end the production of the most successful Land rover Defender, much disappointment has been expressed! Despite the current projections of the new products, Brexit has put a spanner in the operations a surprise that no one expected, but here we are again with the Germans?

The Land-Range rovers have a long history for practicality in both farming, off road and police/military and other civil defence and private usage! The Defender was the out come of good design and hard work that improved a product that was for a long time lagging in the vehicle market with the Germans taking it through Mercedes?

When Land rover had got it right, it would be taken by the overtake of the company for some more modern concepts, despite great design and potential only the Range rover now brings in the money! But the Defender and all of its variants will live on since their are so many who love the landies and there is talk of it continuing under a different guise?

As for the military Britain has opted for the Range rover, but world-wide the Land rover is still a good option for a huge variety of roles and abilities including rail adaptions and amphibious use? 

Despite the Evoke being a good design, it so far has as one knows only attracted interest from the police forces across the U.K.

The Armoured car and small APC versions will continue to keep this going for some considerable time?

Arms Sales!

Big Business?

There has always been money in weapons from the ancient world right up to the present and the future? Many world conflicts were won through by a third party supplying the appropriate weapons system, from daggers to siege engines to ships and cavalry of one type or another?

One must not think that humans in the past were limited to the types of weapons that could be constructed, because wood was the main source of building material many strange devices were invented to get over walls and to fire pitch or rocks at fortified cities! While many ships were well capable of landing an army with horses, but some where also fitted with catapults, copies of their various land equivalents.

Today we have technology based in the invention of electricity, which powers machines to create machines of the various types land, air, sea and now Space. They say that investing in the arms industry always gives a good return, because there is always a demand for more guns, tanks, fighter aircraft and ships, if not missiles of the various types?

There are also many conflicts around the world some that the media is fixated on, while many more we ever hardly ever or never hear about?

Land Rover. Part-Two.

Not all a success Story.

No manufacturer can claim a perfect record and not all the products, even some present ones have been a success? The Land Rover truck for the British armed forces was one such flop, it was well meant and looked really good, but when in service it just did not perform as was expected.

In recent years some of the newer Range Rover designs sold to various Police forces have the aesthetics on the looks, but lacked on performance as was claimed. Much was spent on advertisement, which has helped sell record numbers in recent years and now again exported world wide.

But the dropping of the long established Defender has come as a disappointment to many, because the vehicle still has much civil and military potential. The history of the company from the series Mark1 to the Defender and various other adaptions has seen massive sales and promotion, with nearly every country in the world using the type.

Mercedes-Benz was the main competition in the European and Arabian market for some years, comfort, capability and performance out ranked Land Rover, but they caught themselves on and were quick to introduce more versatile designs and retake the market.

The RNLI, HM Coast Guard, Mountain Search and Rescue, Electricity Maintenance, Military Patrol vehicles, Police, other Emergency, Security, Farming.    

Wales Airshow 2015. Part-Three.

Military Armour.

This like many other airshows throught the United Kingdom is about fresh recruitment to the British Armed forces and apart from the aircraft on show were a variety of military vehicles from heavey armour such as the Vickers Challenger-II Main Battle Tank boasting a 122mm gun to various logistics vehicles Mack refuelling tanker, MAN trucks, and the Okohosh heavy transport.

The Supacat Coyote 4x4 three man armoured car and the Alvis Scimitar with a 30mm canon, which is part of the Scorpion tracked Armoured Reconnaisance family.  The Vickers AS90 Self-Porpelled Gun 155mm was another of the heavies, in service since 1986.

There were reported to be a Warrior APC and 105mm field Artillery on display, but I did not see them! There wer also a selection of Land Rovers and Range Rovers both Army and RAF and various Civil Scania tank and heavey transporters.

Security and Paramilitary Vehicles. Part-One.

Specialist Field.

Armies tend to have heavy vehicles for serious fighting, but not all conflict situation develop into full scale wars and so to meet this need the police are armed. From Northern-Ireland to South-Africa and many other places from Colombia to East-Timor these specially adapted light armoured cars have been developed. 

Shorts developed a land rover into an small four wheel Armoured Personnel carrier, known as the Simba, which has seen service in various versions from the early 1970's to the present day, where they are now painted white.

During the 'Troubles 1969 to 1999 these vehicles were painted Grey and deployed to all riot situations, which of were of a sectarian or anti-British nature and the RUC had to keep the two sides apart, backed up by the British army. The vehicles sadly where no match in the countryside for IRA landmines.

Many of these vehicles have since laid the basis for the British Army Snatch Rovers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan along with the Supa Cats. Meanwhile there are several different types exported worldwide one being the Dav'id used in Israel by the Border police.