What is next for Sir Richard Branston?

 Is space his final Frontier?

When you are super rich one can ones fantasies fulfilled both Musk and Bezos are doing their own things to get humans to the Moon and Mars if not further afield?

Touching space tourism will bring in the bucks for perhaps the next twenty years, but eventually this market will dry up, so one has to wonder what Mr. Branston has in mind for his next venture and will it be in space or maybe under the oceans?

Virgin Atlantic has been hit by Covid-19 and the rail franchises don't really make the money they once did, same reason this Pandemic!

Rails. Part-One.

Speed and Modernisation?

What is delaying much advancement in railways is outdated signalling, rotting wooden sleepers and old stock management! 

These are some of the facts that are stopping modernisation in the U.K., but its far worse in some places both near and far?

Train development has raced ahead, without considering other key factors that might need to be changed first? Privatisation has much to play in patching up the networks, because governments want to give us a false image of their failures in properly financing the lines infrastructure!

Many promises get left unfulfilled over the years and left to others to deal with or cancel! But where there is serious changes the problems are that they are too late and overcrowding or empty stock remain a problem that causes much more friction!

What is needed is commitment and vision that will be backed up with huge amounts of money and interested parties to keep investing? Consideration for the disabled and getting on with gradual adaptions to meet the needs of wheel chair access, and much more for the blind, not talking and never doing?

African Technology. Two.

Licence building and improvisation?

These already exist and they will continue, but their are many lesser known homegrown models of adapted vehicles? While Nigeria, RSA and Kenya have developed their own drones for field reconnaissance work and helicopters play a key role in anti-terrorism, pouching and other criminal activities!

Money remains an issue and many continue to try to do their best with what they have, keeping it flying for as long as possible or buying second hand! China is todays largest supplier of trucks, trains and other equipment and it has so many mining interest that this looks like it will continue for some time yet?

Technology is now all over the continent of Africa, through computing, solar panels and mobile telephones! So it will not be hard to improve avionics on all types of aircraft and helicopters with night-vision and other? Many nations have also developed their own missiles and rockets, but from all this has come some good ideas to improve living standards, transport, road and rail!

Construction. One.

Building Cross Rail-Elizabeth Line.

One must say that the use of the crane with telescopic or static has come to its fore, working in the tight spaces of bustling London! Most of the work being done in the capital was underground rather than later structures being build over tube stations to prove the value of land and property.

The crane has been around since man discovered we needed it to build, wither it was structures such as stone Henge to the ancient cities of the Middle-east and the great wall of China. The crane is the best was to lift heavy items, were as the pulley is more for the moving of local smaller weights.

Cross Rail and many other new underground ventures will be dominated by the crane, while the mobile telescopic has taken advantage of those 8x8 ICBM carriers for the odd and quick jobs?

Mikoyan-Gurevich MIG-15. Part-One.

First Soviet era Jet Fighter.

The MIG-15 Midget was the Communist's world first exported jet fighter that made money for the former Soviet Union (Russia). This jet powered the  Russian copy of the Rolls-Royce Nene was faster than U.S. jets during the Korean wars.

The type was exported to over sixty-five countries as both a combat jet and later an advanced trainer, there were also several licence built versions in China, India and Poland where it was known as the LIM-2.

Despite its size and limitations compared to types today, back in the late-forties and 1950's it was a state of the art machine. This was the face of Soviet aviation for the world to see and a whole series would follow of new types, MIG-17/19/21.

But the more serious and dangerous types of Soviet jets remained hidden for years from western-eyes?

Cumbria, Ireland and Scotland Floods.

Rescue Services

This past week the United Kingdom and Ireland suffered severely from the aftermath of Atlantic storm Desmond, with winds well over 120 mph and severe flooding. Many people were stranded and cut off in their homes without power. Carlisle was the worst effected with a large part of the city under 5-9 feet of water. The east-coast rail line was also flooded between Preston and Glasgow, I think for the first time?

The R.N.L.I. was the main force employed with rescue boats to ferry out the old and those who were either disabled or ill. Other services such as the Coast Guard, mountain rescue and military provided helicopters for those really bad areas.

Fourteen inches of rain fell in a 39 hour period across these islands and most rivers could not cope, even with recent improved defences. There will be many questions in relation to infrastructure and did the building of banks and glass walls really help?

Money will always be the main issue in these matters and perhaps the failure to dredge rivers is one of the main problems, apart from building on low level land to the water table.

The inflatable comes into its own in these types of flood condition, there were also many other small boats involved with outboard engines.

It's Christmas. Part-Two.

Ice Vehicles.

There is a whole plethora of tracked, sled and four plus wheeled drive vehicles across snowy world to come with both permanent snow and winter conditions. But it amazes me that still the U.K. is not able or wants to be able to operate normally in snow.

Back in the 1970's British Rail always excused its stock problem delays with its the leaves on the line or I once hear on a train 'its the BR pork pies.'

It is claimed by many experts that snow varies from country to country and that is why it's not worth investing here in the complex machinery needed. Airlines and rail enjoy making money out of the traveller and it would seem sensible to not cause them delays.

Anyway Happy Christmas to you all.