Sunday 27 October 2024

Cruising is where the money Is!

 Growing fleets of cruise Ships?

Owners of existing fleets are now modernizing their fleets, by not upgrading existing one, but building more newer ones and the success of them is they are getting almost fully booked for the year for each cruise!

Some companies have allowed rich people to buy a suite on board and have it for life as they slowly tour the world, this was so with the Aurora that got stuck in Belfast with engine problems, but recently was able to get to Brest in NW France, before heading for the Bahamas?

Despite the demand for new fad ships, many of the older ones are still popular, bringing back the days of cruising from the various Agatha Christie novels of luxury travel and a more refined catering, servants care and less people on a much larger modern ship!

Saturday 12 October 2024

Boeing sales Down!

 Poor build and management?

People are no longer wanting to travel on the Boeing 737-MAX, after various accidents and incidents and no one wants to buy, since Embraer and Airbus are taking the market with better more reliable aircraft that meets the needs of most airlines.

Meanwhile Boeing is holding its ground with the 787-8/9/10 Dreamliner, and 777X for their long-haul capabilities matching the Airbus A.330-900 and the A.350-900/1000 respectively.

But despite the popularity of the airbus 320/321N/NX, Embraer is taking the market with its E190/195 jets?

The military market for Boeing is doing well with the MR Posidon and Embraer with their EMB-390 transport, but Airbus holds the ground in air tankers based on the A330.

Saturday 28 September 2024

Iranian Missiles!

 Not a powerful as claimed?

But despite the foiled attack on Israel, Iran has been able to launch its own satellite with a ICBM system and it will be their preferred platform for a nuclear weapon, other wise they have an arsenal of smaller missiles for home defense and gifts to their proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and the Hamas in the Gaza strip, when they can smuggle them in from Egypt!

The range of these missiles has gradually increased since the 1980's to ranges that can hit targets in Israel from Iraq and the Yemen, but they like the shorter ones based in S-Lebanon are not accurate and mostly miss their intended targets, but with time and technology this will change for the worse for Israel and the U.S. in the region?

With the changing scenery in the region, tact may change with more precise targeting of shipping, U.S. bases and Tel-Aviv, if not other in Europe, instead of what we already have seen and apart from International terrorism this will be the cause of havoc, destruction and the loss of a lot of life in the name of 'Allah!

Wednesday 18 September 2024

Russia looks to its own Manufacturers?

 Aeroflot and the Russian government is looking to Illyushin and Yakolev!

With so many sanctions now imposed on Russia by the United States over the Ukraine Boeing is refusing to supply parts for all the grounded 737 types that have been employed in recent years?

So Russia is looking to Yakolev to have its MC21 commercial jet ready and for Illyushin to upgrade its Il-118 turboprop for domestic flying, as it has with the IL-85/95 long range types.

Meanwhile the Tupolev has been successful with its range of jet types, TU-204, 214, that are now in service, but there is much hope in the MC-21 and the Chinese airline types replacing the unwanted American aircraft?

Aeroflot has sued Sukhoi for structural failures on its Sukhoi Super-Jet 100/200 not being resolved, with still crashes and incidents!

Saturday 10 August 2024

Brazilian air Crash!

Gyro failure on approach for landing?

There are many theories to yesterdays  ATR-72 crash in southern-Brazil with the plane falling from the sky?

Loss of engine power or running out of fuel, the aircraft would still be able to glide down, but this aircraft just started to spin and drop from the sky killing sixty two people on a domestic flight!

The other explanation is sabotage by a hijacker killing the pilots and allowing the plane to crash in that way on the suburbs of the city, but no one was really about?

The ATR-42/72 has a long and safe record and is used by many airlines around the world, with its STOL ability and short landings it can cope with differing conditions and environments and is popular in the 60 to 90 minute air slots, island operations and there are some military versions too.

Saturday 6 July 2024

Drones the new terror Weapon!

 Yemen, Ukraine to Lebanon and God forbid Europe?

The use of drones in modern armies has been around for some time and they have improved over the years to be deployed by police and rescue agencies to great effect, but now they are in the hands of terrorists mostly in the Middle-East and one hopes they are confined to these places!

But the reality is they could be adapted and used by anyone and trained terrorists for attacks in the U.K. and Europe, if not anywhere?

It is illegal to fly a drone within miles of an airport of any kind or military installation, power plants and other key sites in the U.K.!

But this will not stop dangerous people trying to use Ukrainian type drones on civilians areas in the and perhaps N-Ireland?
















'

Saturday 22 June 2024

Classic Cars, not what they Seem Anymore?

 Bangers & Cash, Car SOS, Wheeler Dealers and find it, fix it and flog it!

These are some of the popular car restoration TV programme's in the U.K. that rebuild old cars and make them road safe for various clients, but also for auctions and they are interesting even for people who are not really vehicle fads?

But now with much new technology about many want to update the engines to LPG or Electric and for some this is an abomination, while for others it makes sense to pull away from burning fossil fuels!

If this does occur we may see some of the early concepts become more alive on our roads, such as steam coaches and wagons, and what future designs become of them in the world of electric and AI powered motoring?