China cancels all new Boeing orders!

 Something not yet reported in the western-Media?

In the war with tariffs with the U.S.A. the cancellation of Boeing aircraft will be a big blow to Trump and with China and Russia returning to build their own type, spare parts for existing aircraft may be also produced in both countries!

Meanwhile Beijing has the option of now buying the European Airbuses to replace what is being refused and this will change the face of aviation in the far-east for some time to come, if other nations also cancel U.S. military contracts and adapt what they have to new types?

Copyright will be an international issue, but since the new U.S. administration is breaking all the rules anyway, it has opened a door for everyone to follow!

PAC-750!

 A New Zealand Wonder?

The development of this aircraft has opened the aviation market up to this southern nation and now the type originally for New Zealand and Papua New-Guinea is operating also in Australia and Israel.

With a crew of two and nine passengers it has multiple roles, but in the parachute version it can cram seventeen people in and for other operations, it has a STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capability making it very versatile?

There are at least two versions developed over the past twenty years the latter being up rated and able to handle in a better way than before, but both types are equally good aircraft and have both military and civilian usage and may the type continue perhaps with a two engine capability?

The motorized Sled.

 Huskies only for short Trips?

Today most of the northern peoples of the polar regions, Russia, Canada, the U.S. and Denmark, apart from Norway, Finland and Japan rely more on the speed now of the motorized sled than that of dogs, and they may still be used in a traditional way for short trips!

For some time the military of the above nations have also used various vehicles for operations in snow conditions and this now includes Australia and China and a few other countries with research also being undertaken in a fast moving vehicle that is now the subject of the green revolution and conversion to both electric power and bio fuels?

What does the future hold is perhaps more of a return to the husky and reindeer to cut down on pollution for civilian operations, but not so for the military and scientists, meanwhile space exploration will need to develop a platform for robotic sleds visiting the Ice moons of the gas giants in the near future?

Liaison Aircraft.

 Developed in 1945.

The four seat aircraft came too late at the end of world war-II, since the helicopter would replace it as was then thought, but this was proved untrue, when in the 1950's many nations developed their own and Cessna came to the fore with a series of types that met the role required.

Today the survivor of the class lays in the Cessna 172 and its variants around the world that fulfills many roles both military and civil and despite it being replaced by drones pr the larger Cessna Caravan-II it remains very popular?

Many poorer or small nations have maintained the type for civilian usage, police and training before moving on to more complicated aircraft.

Wales National Air Show 2024.

 6th and 7th July What to Expect?

Apart from the red arrows and the regulars, it all depends on what will arrive on the respective days both new and vintage.

The RAF Typhoon fighter jet is a popular, but there is also much to seen on the ground from the armed forces, food stalls, other and bands with a funfair on the coast!

It is a real family event and its is for everyone, parking is plenty and many roads will be closed off, while it is generally free and one hopes that the weather will hold so it will be a good weekend!

Trucking and Trucks.

 90% of support both civil and Military?

It has been observed that during this Pandemic our roads and motorways have been swamped with trucks supplying food and essential goods from medical supplies to machinery, that is required in the need to maintain power supply and other utilities!

It is the same in a war situation, we like to see the armor and the tech, but behind it all is a vast array of logistics, trucks pulling wagons and trailers for MBT, APC, missile and navigation tracking systems for drones and control,  ammunitions supply, medical, food and other essential units under communications and engineering?

Most civilian models today are used by the military, because they are easier to access and cheaper to run than those former dedicated types!

We see that many nations like North-Korea and the peoples republic of China operate Saab trucks, while most nations have their own industries many copy and develop on from older U.S., Soviet, British, German and French type?

The truck is the most common vehicle on our planet today and as we reach for the stars it will also be the rover supply of the future on the Moon, Mars and many other places, even our nearest neighbor one day?

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?

M113, MOWAG and BTR-60/70 Logistics.

Every army needs support!

Recovery, ambulances, engineering, bridge layers, ammunition supply, communications, and missile systems support radars.

Trucks are fine on roads of nearly all types because of four, six, and eight drive chassis, but when we come to mud and wet ground things change a bit?

The U.S. and its allies used the common components of the tracked M113 in all guises and this was the same for both Soviet/Russia with the mass build of the BTR-60/70 and a host of conversion variants. 

Being amphibious was a great breakthtough for the military cutting out the need for bridges and this has proved sufficient for some situations and not all, that is why armies have engineering corps?

But in recent years the MOWAG has become the new vehicle on the block and is now used by a whole host of nations perhaps more so than Russia and America put together?

EASTER is still On!

More Air Freighters?

Most of the aircraft now flying across Europe and the Atlantic are air freighters, carrying essential equipment to combat COVID-19 which is a new plague for the 21st Century! Compared to one hundred and one years ago air travel is now far more complicated than those flimsy light bi-planes that could only carry two people and a bag of mail?

The jet engine in commercial airlines from the 1950's revolutionised air travel world-wide and with various military conversions, such as the Boeing 707 made dedicated air freight big business until the arrival of the of the 747 Jumbo in 1967-71!

Today a whole host of older aircraft fly postal and for Amazon supplies, some airlines as mentioned last time are civilian contractors for the U.S. military or Israel/N.A.T.O! Russia has its own dedicated fleets too built up from the now defunct TU-154M that had a chequered history and the newer Ilyushin Il-76 and its many newer developments!

Meanwhile many smaller propeller air craft are deployed daily, both civil and military to carry medications, sick people and other essential supplies. Helicopters are now an essential in rescue, air ambulance and police work, some may be replaced by drones and despite much promises we are not quite yet there with the big stuff?

Easter blessings to one and all!

Italian deployments for COVID-19.

IVECO .

At this time most of us across the globe cannot escape the serious requirement to stay indoors because of this virulent virus that is spreading and worsening as it has in both China and now Italy?

It is noted with the deployment of the army to maintain a lockdown some vehicles deployed came from the Iveco range, Trakker At190T, LMV (2) Light, the MUV utility M40.is Torpedo and the WNS Ambulance version.

These type are the basis of a paramilitary support to the Police and are the versatile end of a successful range of good quality military hardware!

We tend to only know Iveco for limited number of heavy goods vehicles in which they are employed in the building industry, but Italy has its own manufacturing base for many important types and their own equivalents the Jeep?

Helicopters 75 Years! Part-One.

Come a long Way!

The day of the helicopter is not yet over, despite many new drones are cheaper than keeping an helicopter in the sky? The helicopter derived from gyro-dynamics in aircraft to act like an early form of the Boeing-Vertol Osprey BV-22, which still occupies U.S. military research into the development and deployment of much newer and stable platform, which is changing the battlefield from science-fiction to reality!

Today nearly anyone can go up in a helicopter from pleasure flying to search and rescue? The small machines are in the Robinson family, while Bell and Sikorsky have held both the military and commercial market, go to any horse racing event and there are more helicopters between the tracks now parked up since riders cover more than one meeting a day?

The largest machines are still dominated by the Russians and Ukrainians with the Mil Mi-26 capable of carrying three tracked vehicles and one hundred and twenty-five combat troops! This helicopter was a development of the Mi-6 well known is Russia as the Cow because it was slow and vulnerable to ground rocket fire?

Mid range giants are the Chinook, Boeing-Vertol CH-47, which has been around since the Vietnam wars of the 1960s and the Sikorsky CH-53 Super stallion, S-92 SAR after that is the successful Westland-Leonardo EH-101 and the various derivatives of the Puma SA-330 to the H332 Super Puma that dominates the North Sea oil and gas supply rigs and wind turbines.

Europe has also taken the lead of the world market with the H-135/145 helicopter in Air Ambulance and police, electric line work along with several other smaller types?

Electric Power!

Already Operational?

The electric engine is now well into progression to begin the replacement of the Diesel which has been very faithful both in locomotion and shipping and this is were some of the first replacements are being built, designed and are operational!

The world of Aviation is also seeing many new aircraft concepts and a great desire to have something up and running in the near future? Many experimental aircraft are on the cards, but this remains a limited to civil aviation while the military are still burning fossil fuels in both aircraft and helicopter fleets!

The automobile has also taken off from hybrid vehicles to battery and full electric and because bus and delivery fleets are coming into service, many ordinary folk want their own! It is not known yet how much all of this is reducing carbon emissions in towns and cities, since many young people and children are still dying from chronic respiratory failures from breathing in carbon monoxide?

Happy New Year to one and All!!

CASA. Part-One.

Spain's Aviation.

Casa has seen much success over the last fifty years in it aviation ventures from the CASA C-101 Aviojet to it cooperation with Indonesia and the CN-235 medium transport, leading to the larger version CN-295.

After developing the initial advanced trainer for the Spanish Airforce in the early 1970's  it moved on small transport aircraft to replace the aging licence built U.S Douglas DC-3 and German Junkers Ju-52/3m, and took a required market with the two, plus twelve seat C-212 Aviocar. This small transport has gradually developed from the 100-400 series and was exported to Jordan, Chile, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.  

But it was not until CASA teamed up with Indonesia that real success paid off with both civil and military orders for the CN-235. 
Maritime reconnaissance, military and national guard transport and various other configurations has made this aircraft very adaptable for a quick switch round in roles.

Brazil and the Amazonas!

Native Transport?

Brazil is in the media at this time for all the wrong reasons in relation to the destruction of the Amazon forest by burning, but there remains a serious drought in the region and much lightening activity something missed by the media reporting?

The natives of the region have adopted the motorbike as the best means to access the forest for its natural resources of crops and other fruits! Trucks carry a variety of products and not just timber from A to B through some extremely difficult terrain even at the best of times.

Brazil is a very modern nation with a successful arms industry and its aviation outlet Embraer, now selling commercial aircraft world-wide! But the ability to adopt some Indian style transport is clever something that has not as yet come to the fore in many other developing countries?

BBC 4 and Plane Spotting?

Three nights of Boredom!

One has to say thanks to my dad, who at age seven introduced me to aircraft spotting and identification, because after watching John Snow last week I would not bother taking up the hobby today!

Wither you film of photograph or just watch with binoculars and note with pencil and pad it is a great hobby to learn many things that might be one day invaluable, if we were in a war situation?

Apart from that its a worth while hobby and there is plenty to see, if you just take your time and look up? 

One was disappointed with the lack of types and no mention of the Dreamliner along with some of the new types, perhaps time was not on their side?

Getting good aircraft guides and registration books with tail colours and a good camera with easy access to You Tube, if not similar platforms is today's forte. 

There are many others aspects to this hobby and that of radio communications between the tower and the cockpit, something that can be developed as the hobby progresses since many transceivers are expensive and difficult to operate

But just sitting and looking up with binoculars is as pleasurable since not everyone is photographic?

Wales National Airshow 2019.

July 6th/7th. Swansea Bay, S-Wales. U.K.

One is expecting another marvellous airshow and much more as this event seems to be getting better by the year?

The Red Arrows will be one of highlights of the flying displays with that of other Jets, but there is really something here at it for everyone! Many military vehicles representing the current British armed forces and others events combined.

Hopefully all will be safe from any sick people who wish us harm and that everyone will enjoy what is on offer with stunt flying, helicopters, parachuting and this year evening lit up balloons on Saturday.

One will have to get the app to find out what aircraft might be coming in relation to Historical aviation and one hopes that the weather will hold to make it a most enjoyable event for the spectator and all us avid movie makers and photographers?

95% Undiscovered!

Earth's Oceans?

We know more about Space than we know what is under the seas of Earth, only 5% has so far been explored by private civil scientific research and despite the more programming of the underwater most subs can only travel to a depth of 300 to 600 metres into the dark cold world of fluorescent fishes!

What the military know on the other hand remains mostly top secret, but what is known is that the Ocean floors are not flat and there are many mountain ridges that never break the surface of the waters? Some of these plate plateaus are the size of Australia, while others continue from the land masses into the depths!

New discoveries are being made everyday and we now know that many wales, and sharks can dive to great depths into this dark world. What lies below remains a mystery, apart from some strange stories of giant electric creatures heard and registered by Nuclear submarines miles down?

Modern Military Armour?

Since 2001 Decline of Information!

The worlds armour of today has become more technical than it ever was before, many new developments for the U.S./British Abrams/Challenger MBT (Main battle Tank) is now standard in all new armour and the world of the robotic drone is coming to the fore on the battlefield as much as in air power?

Automated drones will save the lives of soldiers in difficult places, but to what extent these vehicles are being deployed is not known! 

Most wars being fought today against militants in the Middle-East and C-Asia are light pick-ups known as ''Technicals'' and these are so light that aerial drones can pick them off the field!

Armour protection with Kevlar and many new materials are being deployed, but upgraded vehicles are nearly always based on existing system's !

Personal Aviation?

Advent of a New-Age!

The electric engine and drone technology is advancing daily with Brazil leading the way in the concept of this new idea! It is hoped that within the next ten years individuals will have their own machine to fly?

As with drones new laws are to be implemented in relation to height and speed in flight, but soon there may be the banning of some drone activity due to the increase in criminal activity and the difficulty in policing them?

Home built machines for one may be a fantasy, but time will tell if they will take-off and the laws catch up with them! There are many serious and beneficial  applications for these one person aircraft that working with drones on oil pipe-lines, various types of other inspections will make them a viable resource and other military uses too?

Search and Rescue! Part-Two.

Impressive Sikorsky S-92.

HM Coast guard use the Augusta-Westland AW-139, but when its compared to the S-92 its nothing in comparison! The S-92 looks like it can battle the high winds and seas and they will be really rough in a few weeks again after all this heatwave ends, but the ability to lift more than a small group of people is a great asset for the Coastguards?

Most nations around the world will have a variety of helicopters and aircraft to undertake air operations, including mountain rescue and other incidents where several people need to be removed or the terrain is remote, isolated or rough? 

Having this ability is vital in the field of SAR and the British Isles I think is well covered now with what it needs? It is not clear if the AW-101 Merlin has been adopted for this role or is just an RAF transport helicopter?