Gas/Oil Rig Support Tugs.
These are perhaps some of the largest tugs that are in operation today around the world, they perform the moving of Rig platforms from builder shipyard to deployment for drilling in their various fields. Recently two tugs of this class came from the west of Ireland Bellmullet Gas field to Swansea Bay, the Mainport Ash and the Sentinel Star.
In recent filming one can compare the sizes of these vessels compared to the local Svitzer tugboats who deal with Bulk Carriers in and out of the Port Talbot roads, serving the TATA steel works.
This is where the money is today in tugboat work from large shipping to the oil and gas industry. I noticed in a recent TV programme that India was still using the older steam tugboats, that Britain had in the 1950s.
Meanwhile some of the former Svitzer Tugs have now been sold to the Ukraine and are operating in the Black Sea from Odessa.
Tuesday, 25 August 2015
Tuesday, 18 August 2015
Ballooning.
First solar powered.
We tend to forget about the balloon in the age of machines, but it was the balloon (Montpelier's) that opened modern society to aviation well before the invention of the (Wright brothers) aeroplane. Today ballooning is a major sport and can be a dangerous pursuit.
Recently Bristol University in England have been the first to develop the totally Solar powered balloon and fly it safely, this a a major breakthrough that will perhaps spread to Micro-Lights and Gliders/Hand-Gliders in the near future.
Solar scientists in Wales have been developing a flexible solar panel skin and I had wondered if this had been Incorporated into the Bristol project.
We tend to forget about the balloon in the age of machines, but it was the balloon (Montpelier's) that opened modern society to aviation well before the invention of the (Wright brothers) aeroplane. Today ballooning is a major sport and can be a dangerous pursuit.
Recently Bristol University in England have been the first to develop the totally Solar powered balloon and fly it safely, this a a major breakthrough that will perhaps spread to Micro-Lights and Gliders/Hand-Gliders in the near future.
Solar scientists in Wales have been developing a flexible solar panel skin and I had wondered if this had been Incorporated into the Bristol project.
Tuesday, 11 August 2015
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.
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.
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
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.
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.
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Wales Airshow 2015. Part-Two.
Aircraft.
The Red Arrows in their stylish painted BAE Systems Hawks are a regular, despite the dull weather. The RAF Eurofighter Typhoon stole the show with its victory roles and tight manoeuvres, while classics such as the Hawker Hunter and the Avro Vulcan bomber made noisy performances.
Visitors were the Royal Jordanian display team who were only seen prior to the weekend show, the Czech L-29 Delphin showed off what it could do. it being one of the lesser known combat fighters of the Warsaw Pact during the 'Cold War years.
An Auto-Gyro was pleasant to watch and so the helicopters of the Royal Navy AW-159 Wildcats, Sea King WS-61 SAR, RAF Boeing-Vertol Chinook and the AS-355 Squirrel DHFS. A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan flew over prior to the drop of the Tigers Parachute team.
The local Swansea Ospreys in their five Vans RV-8s replaced the Royal Jordanians.
The Red Arrows in their stylish painted BAE Systems Hawks are a regular, despite the dull weather. The RAF Eurofighter Typhoon stole the show with its victory roles and tight manoeuvres, while classics such as the Hawker Hunter and the Avro Vulcan bomber made noisy performances.
Visitors were the Royal Jordanian display team who were only seen prior to the weekend show, the Czech L-29 Delphin showed off what it could do. it being one of the lesser known combat fighters of the Warsaw Pact during the 'Cold War years.
An Auto-Gyro was pleasant to watch and so the helicopters of the Royal Navy AW-159 Wildcats, Sea King WS-61 SAR, RAF Boeing-Vertol Chinook and the AS-355 Squirrel DHFS. A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan flew over prior to the drop of the Tigers Parachute team.
The local Swansea Ospreys in their five Vans RV-8s replaced the Royal Jordanians.
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Tugboats. Part-Two.
A different kind of Life.
It takes a certain kind of person to work on the tugboat, 'Hours and hours of boredom, interrupted by moments of sheer terror.' It is not a job for the faint hearted, crews are expected to go out in all weathers and work on the outside of the boat with the chains even in very rough seas.
The tugboat is designed with a glass tower for the crew to see all around them at all times. In 1900 two classes of tugboats were introduced and improved paddle and a steamer and these were no real changes until 1950. In the war years 1939-45 there were some adaptions made to handle larger warships and older boats started to be withdrawn.
In 1950 boats went from steam to the diesel and so ended the 'days of the 'Puffing Billy.' With post war shipping and the introduction of the Super Tankers new designs had to made to handle these huge sea vessels. It has been a slow history for the tugboat, because there were no big changes in the shipping world until the late 1950s.
It takes a certain kind of person to work on the tugboat, 'Hours and hours of boredom, interrupted by moments of sheer terror.' It is not a job for the faint hearted, crews are expected to go out in all weathers and work on the outside of the boat with the chains even in very rough seas.
The tugboat is designed with a glass tower for the crew to see all around them at all times. In 1900 two classes of tugboats were introduced and improved paddle and a steamer and these were no real changes until 1950. In the war years 1939-45 there were some adaptions made to handle larger warships and older boats started to be withdrawn.
In 1950 boats went from steam to the diesel and so ended the 'days of the 'Puffing Billy.' With post war shipping and the introduction of the Super Tankers new designs had to made to handle these huge sea vessels. It has been a slow history for the tugboat, because there were no big changes in the shipping world until the late 1950s.
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Wales Airshow 2015. Part-One.
'One of the Best.'
The south-Cymru/Wales city of Abertawe/Swansea this year hosted again one of the best free Airshows over the 12th-13th July. It was packed with aircraft, military vehicles and many other side shows and events and was topped off by the Red Arrows display team of nine BAE System Hawk Jets, who are always popular.
Friday practise day had the best weather, the weekend getting gradually greyer and greyer but the rain held off. The Avro Vulcan B1 was the biggest of the Jets, while the Boeing Chinook was the largest helicopter to fly. The Battle of Britain memorial flight was only made up of the two classic fighters of World War-II (1939-45) the Hurricane and the sleek Spitfire.
Other visitors were a Hunter jet fighter, a Czech Aero L-29 Delfin, the RAF Eurofighter Typhoon which boomed Swansea. Helicopters were the Augusta/Westland AS-159 Wildcats, AS350BB, and the Royal Navy rescue WS-61 Sea King. The parachute drop was made from a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and there was a Auto gyro display. The Royal Jordanians were only seen by me mid week practising, but five Vans V-8s of the local Team Osprey did their thing and the RAF sent a Grob G115. Tutor to show off.
The south-Cymru/Wales city of Abertawe/Swansea this year hosted again one of the best free Airshows over the 12th-13th July. It was packed with aircraft, military vehicles and many other side shows and events and was topped off by the Red Arrows display team of nine BAE System Hawk Jets, who are always popular.
Friday practise day had the best weather, the weekend getting gradually greyer and greyer but the rain held off. The Avro Vulcan B1 was the biggest of the Jets, while the Boeing Chinook was the largest helicopter to fly. The Battle of Britain memorial flight was only made up of the two classic fighters of World War-II (1939-45) the Hurricane and the sleek Spitfire.
Other visitors were a Hunter jet fighter, a Czech Aero L-29 Delfin, the RAF Eurofighter Typhoon which boomed Swansea. Helicopters were the Augusta/Westland AS-159 Wildcats, AS350BB, and the Royal Navy rescue WS-61 Sea King. The parachute drop was made from a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and there was a Auto gyro display. The Royal Jordanians were only seen by me mid week practising, but five Vans V-8s of the local Team Osprey did their thing and the RAF sent a Grob G115. Tutor to show off.
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