Atlas to Unimog.
The means to have any type of vehicle, wither it be a boat, aircraft, truck or other to have a double capability role is ever great advantage. Land and water ability, cuts out the need to depend on bridges, while aircraft do not need an airport or land, but can land and take off from water.
The next advantage is to have a truck capable of using the railway network to cross a country at speed and safer from hurting people or damaging the surface. I must admit that I have a limited knowledge to these types of vehicles, only knowing about the Atlas and the Unimog.
There are many more other Russian, American, Australian and Chinese types out there. Many vehicles (MAC, Ural, MAN) have as powerful an engines as a Locomotive, but these come to their own, when railway infustructure may not be available or defunct.
It is not just the movement of tanks and armour, artillery that the military use such vehicles.The need to move ICBM's and other missiles can be done quickly and smoothly. Civil uses,can be large cranes and buildings.
Thursday 28 November 2013
Thursday 21 November 2013
The Concorde story . Part-One.
Four Nations.
Only four nations used two types of supersonic civil aircraft, Britain, France and Singapore used Concorde and the former Soviet Union the Tupolev Tu-144. The Russian version was faster and a better aircraft, but all this came a heavey cost to design and the testing programme.
Meanwhile the joint British-French aircraft was more versitile and had a very long service with three long-haul airlines. Concorde was the aircraft of the rich, filmstars and the real jet-set. Both types of supersonic aicraft were the fist of their kind, and despite pleas by Virgin airlines boss Sir Richard Branson, it does not seem that they will be returning in a newer form just yet.
As a boy I remember seeing all three of them during my summer holidays, make their final approaches to London Heathrow International airport. In recent weeks I seem to have the same dream of seeing the BA Concorde against a blue sky.
These aicraft were grounded since the trajic crash in Paris France. Russia had retired theirs much earlier, due to cracks and financial constraints.
Only four nations used two types of supersonic civil aircraft, Britain, France and Singapore used Concorde and the former Soviet Union the Tupolev Tu-144. The Russian version was faster and a better aircraft, but all this came a heavey cost to design and the testing programme.
Meanwhile the joint British-French aircraft was more versitile and had a very long service with three long-haul airlines. Concorde was the aircraft of the rich, filmstars and the real jet-set. Both types of supersonic aicraft were the fist of their kind, and despite pleas by Virgin airlines boss Sir Richard Branson, it does not seem that they will be returning in a newer form just yet.
As a boy I remember seeing all three of them during my summer holidays, make their final approaches to London Heathrow International airport. In recent weeks I seem to have the same dream of seeing the BA Concorde against a blue sky.
These aicraft were grounded since the trajic crash in Paris France. Russia had retired theirs much earlier, due to cracks and financial constraints.
Thursday 14 November 2013
Landing Craft.
LVTP 1-7. (Landing Vehicle Tracked).
The United States took great advantage of developing the amphibious vehicle during the second world war (1939-45), both for the European front and the Pacific campaign. It was the DUWK or 'Duck which was mostly seen in Europe, being a road truck, that slowely waved through water.
This was slow but it did the job, in the Pacific it was the LVTP-1 tracked landing craft, that since successfull use agains the Japanese over the years has been developed into the modern -7 type.
Both the LVTP-5/7 comprise a massive ammount of troop carrying capacity. The -5, a crew of 3/4 and 34 troops, while the -7 is more flexable with a crew of 2/3 and up to 25 troops. Russia and Czechoslovakia developed their own mass types, the BTR-50 (2+20) and OT-62/64, 2+15/20+).
But i think that the U.S, has had the better over all in this field, as proved with the two Iraqi wars.
The United States took great advantage of developing the amphibious vehicle during the second world war (1939-45), both for the European front and the Pacific campaign. It was the DUWK or 'Duck which was mostly seen in Europe, being a road truck, that slowely waved through water.
This was slow but it did the job, in the Pacific it was the LVTP-1 tracked landing craft, that since successfull use agains the Japanese over the years has been developed into the modern -7 type.
Both the LVTP-5/7 comprise a massive ammount of troop carrying capacity. The -5, a crew of 3/4 and 34 troops, while the -7 is more flexable with a crew of 2/3 and up to 25 troops. Russia and Czechoslovakia developed their own mass types, the BTR-50 (2+20) and OT-62/64, 2+15/20+).
But i think that the U.S, has had the better over all in this field, as proved with the two Iraqi wars.
Thursday 7 November 2013
Caravaning.
(Please note update on space on the space page this week).
The Caravan.
The caravan is essentially just a wagon that is towed behind a automobile/car or truck and has no real motive power of its own. Yet it is one of the biggest business pullers across the globe both in N-America and Europe.
Caravaning took off in the United Kingdom in the 1920's and up to 1960, one could park anywhere and enjoy the view. But today we have Caravan sites and trailer parks, unless you are part of the travelling showman circut.
The temporay home on wheels has progressed from a wooden box with basic facilities to the present state of the art mobile homes. With everything now from power shower to sat nav, microwave cooking to solar panel powered.
Even comforts that are better than we have in our houses and heating systems. But despite all these wonderful things, accidents in towing from A to Z remain a problem.
The Caravan.
The caravan is essentially just a wagon that is towed behind a automobile/car or truck and has no real motive power of its own. Yet it is one of the biggest business pullers across the globe both in N-America and Europe.
Caravaning took off in the United Kingdom in the 1920's and up to 1960, one could park anywhere and enjoy the view. But today we have Caravan sites and trailer parks, unless you are part of the travelling showman circut.
The temporay home on wheels has progressed from a wooden box with basic facilities to the present state of the art mobile homes. With everything now from power shower to sat nav, microwave cooking to solar panel powered.
Even comforts that are better than we have in our houses and heating systems. But despite all these wonderful things, accidents in towing from A to Z remain a problem.
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