New Mission to Pluto?

A proposed paper is underway at NASA!

Pluto is intriguing in that it is an active world on the known edge of our Solar system, New Horizons proved that with cold volcanism and an atmosphere! It would be interesting to return there with a robotic craft and stay in orbit, while also sending a rover to explore the surface?

Microbial life could exist on most planets that are active in some way, wither anything larger has developed will probably one day be discovered? Within our Solar system there remains many mysteries in relation to all the planets and Moons, humans will have to go and find our what is what?

The Moon, Mars and Titan are the next targets for NASA and a new Space station known as Gateway to orbit the Moon. 

Water ice is the target to sustain our life on any of these bodies and Space travel too, it will take time since we are only sixty-two years old when it comes to this field of aeronautics and science!

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?

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.