Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star.

Interesting History?

This year the Wales National Air Show in Swansea Bay, S-Wales U.K. was the attraction of the Shooting Star and American Jet fighter of the 1950's era. But this aircraft was conceived long before World War-II (1939-45) as Americas first Jet fighter the T-33, work began in 1943 at Burbank as the XP-80 lead by Clarence L. Johnson based on the De Havilland H-1 turbo jet and 180 days later its first flight for the USAAF took place.

After various engine alternatives and testing 525 aircraft were delivered at the end of the war in 1945, thirteen YP-80's operated in Europe and two in Italy in October 1944 for special operations. An order of 5000 was dropped to 2000 and eventually to a lover number of about 240  were built between 1946-47.

The F-80 was a single seater and the T-33 became a two seat trainer, there were also other specialised versions and both served with the Air force and the US, Navy. Some were exported to the former Yugoslavia, Italy, Belgium, Turkey and Japan in the 1950's. 

The Royal Canadian Air Force produced a licensed version of this aircraft and it saw operational service in the war on the Korean Peninsula. Max speed 180 mph and range approx. 1345 miles for early versions and later 558 mph and a range of 540 miles. Armament six machine guns and two hard points for bombs or rockets.

African Technology. One.

Arms, civilian and Space!

Republic of South-Africa is the leading military industry complex on the continent of Africa and has a well established arms industry in aviation and vehicles as well as small arms! Atlas was responsible for the conversion and adaption of many aircraft and helicopters to meet local conditions and requirements in the long wars in Namibia, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and Botswana.

French Mirage jets to an Israeli co-opt development programme, Aloutte-II/III conversions for bush operations. Many trucks and jeeps along with former British armour went under prolonged development to meet the local requirement from ANC resistance to full out war.

Today BAE Systems has an extensive military component in the RSA with a huge range of vehicles on offer.

Kenya and Nigeria meantime have extensive experience in rocketry and the launching of western satellites, which has encouraged them to develop their own ideas about going into space. 

Meanwhile both have also over the years developed their own drones for battlefield operation, perhaps more so Nigeria than any other.

Egypt, Algeria and Ethiopia also have their own successful similar industries and with the advent of more and more computer technology a bright future to move away from small fire arms and artillery?

The Motorbike. One.

A passion on two wheels!

The Motorbike has an interesting history and has been around over 100 years, its first hey day was perhaps World War-I (1914-18), when it was devised for dispatch riding and went on twenty-five years later to be an invaluable tool in military intelligence.

The concept was to motorise the bicycle and many original ideas are actually being re-invented today as we move into battery power over that of petrol. Racing bikes did develop better motorbikes between 1919-1939, but there was a plethora of makers, who took up their tooling after 1945.

Apart from the famous names of today Britain was one of the worlds leading producers and much of the 1950's technology went out to India, while the United States is most famous for the Harley. The motorbike of rockers and Hells Angel's chapters, or the road riders of many great motion movies.

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.

Rockets. Part-Two.

From the ancient Chinese to Halloween.

Fire works were developed by the Chinese initially for the pleasure, very much as they are used today to mark a celebration or event globally. 

But for a time the humble firework became a weapon from ancient China-Mongolia to the 17th Century French. The British Royal navy, and the U.S developed it as a distress flare.

The rocket came to its fore as a serious artillery piece during World-War-II (1939-45) where all allied and Axis sides had their own versions. Soviet Russia really when for the rocket from its Katyshka platforms to the BM-21 which remains in service across the world.

The humble firework today still finds other uses such as in demonstrations with the police and in pipe-bombs by most terrorists and other criminal groupings.

Construction Vehicles. Part-Two.

Specialised Machinery.

Millions is spent daily in the construction industry to improve the types of machines needed to do various jobs. Cranes and heavy earth movers are essential to get a building or bridge underway and up, but there are also underground drilling machines with equal power and inventiveness.

In between work people will a selection of conventional and fairly trusted machines from diggers to dump trucks. Germany and Japan along with the U.S and U.K are some of the leading producers of these machines, while Australia, Russo, Brazil and China have their own home grown equivalents.

The export of construction machinery is big business, because no matter where you are in the world you will need them at some point in the mining industry, recovery after natural disasters, wars and conflicts.