Old bombers for Iran!

 From the 1960's B-52 to the 1990's B-2?

What fire power the USAAF are deploying is old kit perhaps with modern computer chip technology and new types of bombs like the buster ammunition's, but last time around in the twelve day war they were not as effective, as the U.S. president wanted everyone to believe!

Now with the introduction of the Stealth B-1 there is hope tthat hey the will do a better job that the aging B-52's and forty year old B-2's, but in their own right they are old too some fifty plus years and nothing really new has been invested in the bomber fleet over that time?

As to fighters, only the F-22 and F-35 are newer kit, perhaps with improved long-range drones such as the triton, which is limited to day-light operations!

The truth about the USAAF is that even its air refueling KC-135's were new in the Vietnam war, proving a lack of investment, but they may do a good job in breaking the missile power of Iran, but ending the religious fanatics is a different matter?

Rockwell/North-America A-10 Bronco. Part-Two.

The need to be Fulfilled.

With the capture of much Axis powers hardware this former German design was now updated met a new era of work in the rushed Vietnam war scenario. The aircraft proved to be an invaluable tool against both Soviet Russian and Chinese aircraft and other roles were found for it in search and rescue by both the U.S. Marine corps and USAAF/Navy.

West-Germany, Thailand and several other countries bought into the type from the 1960's to the mid 1980's, but since then this role has been replaced by unmanned drones which are cheaper and safer to use? In fact this has become the fate of the many Nazi-German aircraft, clever and advanced in 1944/45 but they have now seen their days over the last fifty years.

Rockwell/North-America A-10 Bronco. Part-One.

Origins of!

The appearance of the A-10 Bronco of  the Vietnam war 1967-74 was an amazing site at this years Wales National Air show in Swansea (WNAS16), but I knew that I had seen something similar in aviation books about World-War-II (1939-45).

The A-10 Bronco is one of those types that seem to come out of the blue and the United States don't normally do that type of design idealism, but rather improve and expand on what they already have.

This aircraft was used in the role of reconnaissance during the Vietnam war, but it had several other roles in transport and light or counter insurgency (COIN). West-Germany was one of its first to receive the export versions, apart from Thailand.

But this aircraft looks very similar to Nazi-German Focke-Woulf  Fw-189 deigned in 1937 as a short range tactical reconnaissance aircraft. It entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1938 and into serious production in 1940, by the end of World War-II 864 had been built by Aero in Czechoslovakia 17 by Sud-Quest in France. Fourteen of the type was supplied to Slovakia and 30 to Hungary.

After the second world war many German aircraft and other military equipment became as always the spoils of war and were returned for storage in Britain, Russia and the United States, who got what is still not known today, but it can be easily guessed upon?

Gunboats to Fast Attack. Part-Two.

From the American Civil War 1861-65.

The gunboat in its own right was developed during the American civil war in the deep south, there was a serious need to control the rivers of the region on both the Confederate and Union sides. 

Many conventional ships were re-designed as low flats known as Monitors or Iron Clads and these where armoured with up to 7 cannons per vessel.

In fact any boat with any type of gun could be called a 'Gunboat? The United States despite being very successful with seagoing boats in World War-II (1940-45) had to reinvent in reverse during the Vietnam wars 1965-75. 

This saw the introduction of a selection of machine guns and small cannons of various calibres, because these where found to be more effective than the standard 40mm cannons used on sea going boats.