Sukhoi Super Jet 100-95.

Now in Service.

This will perhaps be the beginning of new revolution in Russian aircraft design and exports world wide? The best aviation has marked Russia as a world leader from its first take to the skies? 

Apart from the many accidents of the past Soviet era, which may have much to do with the weather conditions played upon by the western propaganda?

Sukhoi was only know to us until recent years as a military jet producer, but this break into the civil field come in the light that Antonov and others are based in the Ukraine?

Economical fuel consumption jets are the future for the ever expanding fleets and the problems with global warming and climate change issues? Speed and comfort are the next along with reliability, new design and smaller layouts seem to be more in demand than the larger aircraft?

Floating Homes. Part-Two.

Alternative Living.

So far many changes and ways to live have been adapted, but not many governments have taken the idea seriously as perhaps they should? Most people who enter countries as refugees end up in the homes that the local population does not want because of high crime areas and yet they then end up crying wolf?

This problem of building has remained in Europe and N-America now for over forty years, one can work out it has little to do with costs, but more with the rising value of the land to be developed for luxary tower blocks of unreachable normal pricing?

Some countries have tried many new ideas, but they are still limited to spacial projects for certain types of successful peoples. One reason for the failure to adapt this idea has to do with the laws on river boat traffic, but them many governments do very little to improve the plethora of damp and decreped land properties that already exist?

The Land Rover Defender Returns. Part-Two.

Very much still Loved.

So many countries around the world have bought into this most successful vehicle type that none of them want it die? Technology has to progress and their are as many successful new type of the Range Rover and other types that are just as good claimed by the company?

But the series 90 and 110 has captured a market that was lost for year to Mercedes-Benz and remained much cheaper? This new venture takes on the many spare parts that remain in circulation and in the developing world there remains a demand. But at the same time many countries may adapt what they have to last for a longer time in both military and para-military police roles.

What has the Land Rover got that the newer type do not have. The build is with metal, rather than plastics, reliability and optional fuels is another key factor to their success! The other is that they can be converted to every known configuration in both civil and military use and changed at short notice?

Floating Hotels. ONE.

How much bigger can they Get?

We have covered this subject over the years, but one has to wonder how bigger can these pleasure ships get? With the introduction of artificial grass many new possibilities for sports such as football and golf have opened up.

The size of these new vessels are now allowing private balconies for all guests over that of the opportunity to share? The internal structures allows for shopping malls, and gyms, massage, theatre, cinemas, etc. Even now there is the London eye experience, but nothing as yet to the glass bottomed ocean depths view?

More people have the money today to enjoy all types of cruises and older ships are getting a second life, but in comparison to the glory days they have not returned! The cost would be astronomical and perhaps the decor would not be appreciated, as they once were?

Railways Future. Part-Two.

Hauling, remains Profitable!

It will be a long time before humanity gives up on its railways, because both passenger travel and the hauling of goods remains big business? We may faster express trains and much improved commuter stock go from the western world to the developing world, but freight may remain the same  with some increased speed and line signalling improvements?

The United States of America, Canada, Australia, Russia, China and Brazil are huge land masses, where the train has come into its own value. Locomotion demands four plus engines to pull two mile long trains through swamp, desert, forestry and ice. The exploration for minerals, fossil fuels and precious metals and stones demands specialist equipment to be supplied.

Some of this can be done without rails, but rails are much faster and direct with telecommunications and eventually gas and oil pipelines marking the almost same route. New towns and cities will also be built along side the new railways, even the remotest places?

Space the Final Frontier.

Vision to reach our neigbouring Star.

The idea is on the drawing board, after the discovery of a so called Goldie Locks planet orbiting a red dwarf star the nearest to us? This is still not a proven idea, but many want to get going with the Solar Sail concept?

Where does one start with all the problems of the new discoveries in our Solar System from the Kuiper belt to the now believed Ort Cloud. In fact there may be more dust between the stars than was first thought, so out goes Star Trek type space ships?

Niku and X9 are perhaps the reall next targets to investigate with a mission to both Neptune and Uranus. New Horizon is now half was to the Kuiper Belt with the first object cousing of Pluto in sight. Juno has arrived at Jupitor, a few pictures have been released but nothing more is being for the time?

It would be best to not jump to far and enjoy the discovery of what we know or can see to learn a bit more that our neigbourhood has to offer first?

Land Rover Defender, Returns. Part-One,

The Land Rover 110 Defender.

It was sad to hear that the British were dropping their most sucessful product, but some wise spark is now determined to continue the production of this range of 4x4 vehicles? 

Land Rovers do rule the world in the sense that they can be found in nearly every country and noe on this world, from the Series 1 to the many and various adaptions of the standard 90/110.

Between 1970 and 1990 the series did suffer some serious competition from Mercedes-Benz, but it was able to ovecome those unproductive years. Military and police sales have kept it very popular, with many options for Command, Riot-Control and Light-Armoured Cars.

The Landies are good at hauling and pulling and both in civil and military roles can tow boats to surface to air missile systems, radars and even at one time the Bloodhound Mark-II Surface to Surface missile. The ability to tow artillery and other radio-communications. The supply of spare parts and the size of enthusiates clubs, collecters is extensive world-wide.

Originaly desinged for the British SAS, the vehicle is easy to modify and adapt and in the civil role are already covered is up for a large variety of uses.

Railways Future, One,

Still in demand?

Trains are still as popular as they ever where, from vintage steam to modern high-speed electrics to the most common diesels. Todays railways are getting a literal track revolution with the introduction of new types of materials and closer concreted sleeper sections, almost like building a model railway,

This whole new process has been developed to cut cost and time and it can be laid, while the older track is being removed. Many urban environments are choosing this option over the traditional methods and this is no longer limited to the modern world.

Railways are big business for the movement of freight, goods, materials and food and every nation that has a railway has the potential for great profit and expansion.

Signalling is perhaps the second difficulty for many to update, especially across the developing world? But with limited points and track crossings this may not be as bad as first would seem, radio cab communication and some of the older methods actually work better with the weather conditions than do the dependency on electricity with most modern one?

Submarines.

Still less Utilised.

The world of the submariner seems to remain in the hands of the military in relation to the commercial procurement of its use in shipping and travel?

Submarines can be developed to move cargo and is used on a limited scale for underwater tourism, but is it not time to harness this extra form of travel over that of air pollution and the expanse of the claimed carbon foot print.

Many robotic small subs are being harnessed daily by the scientific community to explore the depths, to search for sunken treasure and to do seabed pollution investigation.

Corperate and Commercial Jets. Part-Two.

Not a new concept, but perhaps Improved.

The McDonnel-Douglas DC-8 and the Boeing 727-1/200 in the past have met the mark for many corperate heads such as Donald Trump. People really want space to move and live in while on long haul flights, it has been the Royal Saudi family who have taken to large commercial airlines and converted them in to their private business aircraft.

The Boeing 777-2/300 has met that demand today over the probal only alternative back in the day of the Boeing 747-1/200, and SP versions.

What does the future hold?

Private Airbus A380-8 or Boeing 787-8/9 or the new entry Airbus A350 may be the large coperate jets of the years to come, but the Gulfstream, Dassualt, Cessna and Beeches, Bombardier, Embraer, IAI, Mitsuibishi will remain wanted by the rest of us.

Meanwhile the plentiful of the Airbus A320' and Boeing 737-6/7/8's will still be meeting requirements along with their Russian equivilants Tupolev TU-204, Sukhoi Su-1/200 SuperJets?

Corperate to Commercial Jets. Part-One.

Business to Small Airlines.

There is more of a demand today for the smaller commercial jet, than has ever been seen. 

The business jet offered from 8 to 20 seats, privacy and speed, but today with the success story of the Fairchild-Dornier 328J at 18-to 28 seats many manufacturers are now seeing a market for their aircraft?

Bombardier and Mitsubishi are taking the market off Boeing, Cessna, Gulfstram, Beech and Embraer, because they have designed the right size and seating capacity for the airlines. 

The Boeing 737-600 is still to big for many small airlines, while the Sukhoi S-100J Superjet still has to prove itself. Meanwhile the Airbus A319-100 and various versions have just not come up to the mark.

Vehicle Carriers.

Vehicle Movers.

These are but some of the strangest ships on the worlds seas today, moving mostly cars and jeep types from country to country. 

Between 5-7000 vehicles may be carried and stabilisation of their loads are crucial in case of slippage, Many also carry mechanical excavation equipment and farm machinery.

This allows for choice of different types to be available across the world. some may be also carrying military vehicles under the guise of civil and other tracked type heavy vehicles. 

Civilian shipping covers a host of military exports and imports and this is seen across the board in commercial merchant shipping. Those thousands of containers, may contain more than meets the expected eye?

DART. Part-Two.

Japanese Dissapointments.

Business with Japan has been good with the purchase of the 'Arrow', but not so good on the Dublin Area Rapide Transit replacing and adding to the original West-German stock first generation trains.

Tokyu car Corperation Yokohama, Japan stock 8500. 8510 and 8520 have suffered from constant breakdown problems, but the two car Spanish 8200 stock continue to be fairly reliable?

It is not clear what the Irish government is planning in relation for ne stock for the future, but with the Luas lines and possible underground railway. it is not clear if the planned connection to Aer Lingus/Dublin Airport is still on the cards, but whatever happens new stock will have to be purchased.

Dublin (Balie Atha Cliath) has grown to nearly one million people from the 670.000 estimated in 1980. the whole transport infrustructure has changed dramatically over the years with the new South-Korean DMU stock replacing the American diesels of the 1960's and the new coaching stock with internet connections, Wi-Fi and a whole host of features over that of the older British Rail BREL Mark-III coaches which have all now been sold on.

The decline in the price of Steel. Part-Two.

A point has to Come?

The demand for more metal items is actually on the decline as we said before, since the introduction of new types of combined plastics. Ship building and the need for the construction, road and railway building industry will continue to demand metal.

But the reallity is we will at some point need to start to re-cycle steel or we will face the WALLY situation of a world glut dump of metal and all the rubbish that the human race is accumilating.

The peoples Republic of China has given the world a gift while pricing its own self out? The idea that the steel market in a few years will lift up cannot be sustained by the building debt on some of these plants across the world.

This is serious in the west, when mainy are linked to pension schemes that are becoming chains to profits and something will have to be done by governments who may take advice to convert over that of closing down?

Ordinance. Part-Two.

Robots.

Humans will still be needed for some types of devices as was seen during the Belgium-Brussels aftermarth. But it is the Robots now that can take on without casualties the disable suicide bombers in Israel and the Middel-East, while dealing with unstable improvised devices here in the west from Great-Britain to the United States.

The fact is that most of these machines are similar in purpose and design, based on a four wheel chassis and having several remote arms for opening, cutting and also a variety of cameras, with their battery power pack. 

They can operate are various distances and this with many other things will remain secret in light of ISIL and other deadly International terrorist groupings.

Modern Armoured Vehicle. Two.

BAE Systems Republic of South-Africa.

The British army and a few others have opted for a new range of light armoured-less vehicles, believing their speed will help them on the battle field. But light vehicles were tried in the past like the British Crusader light-tank and they were of no value with great losses.

Urban environments demand armoured trucks and Jeeps, as commonly seen in N-Ireland and SWAT teams at work in the United States. In fact nearly every country that have their own automotive industry will produce some form of an armoured vehicle.

The enemy on the battle field uses Anti-tank guided weapons, from the RPG to something more sinister. While in the urban situation it will be either a home-made pipe bomb or a nail bomb of which both can kill and cause very serious injuries.

BAE Systems have taken several of the South-African security vehicles from the 'Aparthied days and re-designed them. The Republic of Ireland, Belgium and a few other countries have bought into some of the more basic designed vehicles that suit their UN military standard.

The Coast Guards. Part-Two.

Border patrol to people Trafficking.

At times we do live in a horrible world, with people taking advantage and exploiting those trying to escape poverty and war?

The role of this type of shipping has developed from smuggling goods and contraband to know recovering dead drowned bodies. Narcotics is still a major problem and so is illegal fishing and the wrecking of boats to claim insurance.

Seas have become places to cross in flimsy craft, it may not look to far on the map? But it is immense in reality even crossing at the shortest point. The ancient mariners took days to do a 13 to 26 mile trip and it had to be chanced in fair weather. Today boats are abandoned by the smuggling crews in all sorts of weathers.

Most of the worlds navies cannot afford a separate force, so they encompass their smaller vessels to do this work. 

Many new tactics are now developed and employed in observing and intercepting, including surprise in the early hours and during storms to get one off guard.

Engines. Part-Two.

New propulsion, materials and Fuels.

Metal has been the main key component in engines for the past two hundred years, but now that most machines are becoming lighter in their construction and the demand for polymer plastics is on the rise. The aviation industry has developed stronger aluminium and other light metals to incorporate in overall design.

Lighter means more fuel efficiency, while engines no longer have to rely on the need for petroleum!

Hydrogen fusion, water and gasses work better with these newer materials. There is not worry about rust or engines dying so quickly. The newer materials and these new engines will last much longer and probably never really run out because of replacement parts.

The first commercial electric cars are now entering the European market en-mass and they will be followed by many other new innovations. Airbus has broken the market in alternative fuels, while new Russian commercial jets such as the Sukhoi super Jet will take the market. 

The one time business jets are now replacing the low capacity market with Mitsubishi, Bombardier, Embraer and Fairchild-Dornier offering layouts for between 20-30 seating.

This will undermine the Boeing 737-600/700 and the Airbus A319-100, who have tried to compete with Embraer E-Jet success.
 
Many machines such as locomotives are cutting down on the need for large body shells, some are aero-dynamic for extra speed.

Rockets such as SpaceX if combined with the Progress modules could lead to some interesting space developments along with improved nuclear engines for faster space flight?

DART. Part-One.

Dublin Area Rapid Transport.

The DART was the Irish Republics first attempt at thie own electric railways, initially running from Bray in north Co. Wicklow to Howth Co. Dublin. The first trains were West-German in make Linke-Hofmann-Busch 2 car units built in 1983 at Saltzgitter. These original 40 cars were upgraded by Seimens in Liepzig, Germany, in 2008, apart from sets 8110 and 8136 that were destroyed by a fire at the Fairview depot in 2001 and scrapped.

The Class 8100 have now been joined by the new Class 8200 built in Spain by GEC-Alstrom at Santa Perpetua de Mogoda. Both use the 1500 V Dc overhead. there is a small variation in weights, but speed remains at 62mph. 

The network has greatly expanded over the years with an extention to Greystones and to Malahide. the latest additions to the ever need for increasing fleet has come from Japan. The 8500, 8510 and 8520 all built by Tokyu car corperation, Yokohama. Some of these newer vehicles have not lived up to expectations with many breakdown problems, All are 4-car units with a speed of 68 mph to slightly above.

The decline in the price of Steel. Part-One.

TATA-U.K. and Port Talbot Steelworks.

We tend to forget that most machines built where made from either iron or steel and today there is a big change with the introduction of Polymers (Tough Plastics). 

The Peoples Republic of China has flooded the world market with cheap steel and many nations have been effected by this slump in the prices. This was not done deliberately, because they have undermined themselves too! 

Port Talbot has been around for over 100 years like many of its now defunct counterparts, it started life as an iron foundry and progressed as science required it to do so. Steel today is used in cannery, automobiles, military vehicles and ship building. But many countries, including the U.K. have lost much of this, the other serious problem with steel is the amounts of scrap and the need to re-cycle it.

The costs lay in the electrical supply for maintaning production, the transportation and mining of fossils from coal to alumina and ore, much of the third world has been left scarred with the removal of bauxite-alumina. Because once it is exposed to the atmosphere it is highly dangerous and this toxic problem has been no stranger to the workforces in the steel working industry and those down wind of smoke.

There is that other side of of heavy industry that people forget as they strive for new things, respiratory problems, lung disease, cancers, asbestosis exposure, that has left generational marks and continues world wide to do to this day.

Ordinance. Part-One.

and bomb Disposal.

This is a specialist field within all armed forces, para-military police and even the smallest nations who just have a police force. Many overlook this area and yet it is one half of two sides, the other being demolition or sabotage units.

The quartermaster in those James Bond movies is nothing more than a demolitions expert, all glossed up with his new super toys?

We are hearing much at this time in Europe in connection with the need of the bomb disposal units, but they are active to in all areas of conflict having to deal with pipe-bombs or IED's. many fantastic robotic vehicles that are much more effective in disarming the timing and triggers,

All this experience came at the cost of many men in N-Ireland, Spain and Israel who had to slowly painstakingly work their way up to these at times complex devices. 

Ordnance have been around for some time and this series will look into the different vehicles deployed from the past to the present.

Modern Armoured Vehicle. One.

Or not so protected?

There are two types of modern APC's now available and moving away from tracked to multi-wheeled, speed is now perhaps the empathises of modern warfare? On the other hand many of the types that were deployed in both Afghanistan and Iraq have become less armoured and more open over the years.

The United States and the Russian Federation have kept to their MBT, ARV and APC which are tracked such as the Abrams MBT, T-90, Bradley and various Russian equivalents, while many supports Humvee's and the GAZ-69. Meanwhile others members of the co-alition such as the U.K. have opted for lightly armoured snatch vehicles such as their Landrovers and Supacat Jackal and Coyote. 

One has to ask are these types cheaper or more effective in their limited roles? Many other nations have chosen to develop sophisticated 6X6, 8X8 vehicles that can act as more than an the standard armoured personnel carrier, to options of a  light tank, SAM, SSM systems! Finland, Switzerland and Brazil have chosen this road, with the SISU and Mowag. 

Ireland's Timoney Division has produced some specialised trucks and APC's for Belgium and several other countries in Europe.

The Coast Guards. Part-One.

Multi-Role.

Nearly every nation has a rescue service of one kind or another, from being embedded within their police or military. Some are a separate division dedicated to its own provisions of equipment and personnel.

We have mountain rescue, coastguards, Royal Life boat institutions (R.N.L.I.) and many others. Each one plays a specific role on water, in the air and underground. Some fire service units are equipped in this way. There is close cooperation between all the emergency services, during storms, earthquakes, major incidents-accidents and terrorists attacks.

The sea borne operators in the U.S. double up with their vessels to assist narcotics enforcement, apart from search and rescue. This is becoming more so now across the globe with more navies having to deal with people smuggling and ship hijacking.

Engines. Part-One.

The heart of every Machine.

If one visits the Science Museum in London, U.K. or nearly every country in the world, you are confronted by the engines of all the great machines that have ever been built. For mechanics this is a day out, for others perhaps after looking at a couple one can get bored easily?

But it is the engine from the petrol to the hydro-electric fusion that has been the heart of motive power this last 125 years. Engines have helped in the development of getting into space, going to the depths of our oceans, building all forms of structures and tunnels.

 Ford T-Model car, Mark 1 tank, Holland Submarine, Sputnik, Ferrari, Porche,Apollo Rockets, Queen Mary, Spitfire, Volkswagen Beetle, Drones, Hydro Power, Trains, Mustang P-51, Rolls-Royce, MiG-15, SR-71, Bullet train, Antonov 225 Mirya, X-Planes, Mars Rovers,

Steam was one thing, Diesel another, fusion is something else and nuclear elctro fusion will take us out of our solar system?

English Electric Class 37 Co-Co. Locomotive.

They Just keeps Going.

The D6600 1960's (1960-66) built Deisel-Electric's are still in British operation today, apart from N-Irleand. These engines were re-calssified as 37/4 from the standard 37/0, there are now 37/5, 6, 7, and the newest Network Rail 97/3. 

From passenger service hauling in the 1960's to around 1990, they know are used in all frieght movements, to the Royal Scots train and part of the cambrian Nuclear flask trains. 

Meanwhile they are to be found all over the system in various private colours, and only 12 of them carry name plates.

With a speed of 90 mph top speed, they were restricted to 85 and now to 80mph. These 107 ton engines are some of the most reliable to be kept in over 50 years of service.

Military transport Aircraft. Part-Two.

Enter the Giants.

The United States have a choice of three heavy transports from the C-141 Star lifter, C-17 Globe master and the enormous C-5 Galaxy. This has proven invaluable for them as a world superpower over the years.

Initially the Soviet Union and now the Russian Federation to have developed their three types, but all from one manufacturer Antonov with the An-22, An-124 Ruslan and the An-224 Mirya (Dream).

Both superpowers have also the back up of their own large civilian commercials such as the Boeing 747-2/400F' and the Ilyushin IL-89/96.

These dominate heavy lifting capability around the world, in the moving of missile systems, radars, and extra warheads, The Boeing 747-400 and the Russian Antonov An-224 were adopted and developed for both the NASA Space shuttle and the Soviet Buran to piggy back between landing and relaunching.

Most of the aircraft are capable of the movement of between 150 to 250 fully laden combat troops, with essential equipment from vehicles to artillery. Apart from Surface to Surface missiles, there is of course the need to move medium range mobile carriers for Nuclear ICBMs.

Today some of these aircraft also work with the United Nations in medical and food relief to disaster zones.

The Snow Plough.

Roads and Rail.

Basically this is a shovel fitted to trucks and locomotives to push soft snow to one side, but these ploughs could also be employed for pushing sand after a storm. The need for this goes back at least two hundred years, with the onset of the the invention of the engine the design has not changed much!

Today the idea of blowing both snow and sand has been added to snow plough or for sand removal. Railways suffer greatly from such obstacles and from wet leaves that can be the cause of both slippage and derailment. Various forms of weed killer and spray trains have also been designed, along with the removal of dust and rubbish in Metro and underground systems world wide,

Switzerland and Italy have lead the way in these specialist type trains and the British in Metro cleaning systems.

Military Transport Aircraft. Part-One.

Comparing Types.

Currently N.A.T.O. and most of the western world uses the Lockheed C-130 is one form or another, it has become the most flexible workhorse for medium military transportation over the years. Now the Europeans have introduced the A400M, which some countries have returned because it has not come up to the C-130H/J capability.

Meanwhile depending on what happen with Antonov in the Ukraine, their An-70 will be a third contender. One likes to think that the C-130 is the ultimate transport, but the British had the Shorts Belfast which was probably better.

The United States wanted no competition to its version and so the world has been bullied into accepting the type. With no alternative, military activity in the transport area has been very limited. 

Many countries just converted civil aircraft types to transport troops under the United Nations, aircraft such as the BAC 1-11, DC-10-30 and Boeing 747 became limited carriers.

Auxiliary Ships.

Backing up and supporting the Navy.

Warships, aircraft carriers and submarines may be the front line of many of the worlds great navies, but it is the auxiliary fleet that is the key to keep them going. Even with nuclear powered vessels, we still need some support at sea!

The Internet and skype may have replaced the post, but in hostile conditions even carriers need to change equipment, aircraft and helicopters. Re-armament is another role and the evacuation of the injured, many vessels need to be refuelled at sea and the change over of crew.

Over the years with N.A.T.O. deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq and possible soon Syria, much needed armour, artillery, tanks and missile systems were brought in by transport ships. 

Another role for the auxiliary fleet is training from sail ships to tenders to combat simulations and actual war games action.

The Alvis Family. Part-Two.

How far a chassis can Go.

All military vehicles have the option of other uses with their chassis to be fitted with different platforms or bodies, this is perhaps the same with many commercial vehicle type too. The Alvis family is one of the largest with over ten different platforms all in their own right a new type of vehicle.

Scorpion 90 has a Belgian Cockerill 90mm Mk III gun.
Striker (FV102) ATGW (Anti-tank guided weapon) carrier. Fitted with five Swingfire missiles with a range of 4000 metre.

Spartan (FV103) APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier). 3+4  Variants have included a two man turret fitted with the Euromissle MILAN or the Hughes TOW or a turret with two 20mm cannon.


Stormer, based on components of CVR(T). APC 3+8 there are many different versions for export from 1981. UK versions air defence, guns and missiles. Engineer vehicle, recovery, ambulance, minelayer, 81mm 0r 120mm mortar carrier, and command and control vehicles.


Streaker high mobility load carrier, prototypes.
Samson (FV106), ARV (Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle) member of the family.
Samaritan (FV104), armoured ambulance with higher roof.
Sultan (FV105), command post vehicle with higher roof.
Scimitar (FV107) similar to Scorpion, but has 30mm RARDEN cannon in two man turret.
Sabre, is Scorpion chassis with Fox turret (UK only).

Commuter Trains. Part-Two.

Most Efficiant System.

As yet there is no alternative to the need for Communter and Metro or Underground trains? In recent years many of the newer classes of trains operating around the world have ended the need for seperate locomotives, thus there is no need to turn anything as the unite just moves from A to B and B to A.

The only time some driver unit's are taken off is for maintenance, but then that whole train is taken out of service. Metros and Underground systems have opted for seperate engine units to pick up current under each coach and there is no need of the traditional idea of a Loco.

The design of many new trains is space for standing over seating and more windows allowing in light and seeing almost from one car to another. This has had to be done in relation to theft and other crimes on older stocakge.

France, Japan, Spain, Germany have been the world leaders in many new designs, but so has the United Kingdom, U.S.A. and China. Many new systems such as the Maglev and the mordern Monorails are coming of age now on shorter usage and being combined with existing infrustructure of Motorways/Autobahns and Airports.

Antonov Family. Part-Two.

Into the Jet age with the An-72/74.

The need for speed was perhaps one of the driving forces in the demand for this type of aircraft transport, which may also be seen as their copy of the BAE 146-100. 

The same principles for the An-24/32 was still demanded in this jet age version, but it was not initially as successful as the turbo props? Perhaps because it was not offered for export for some time and the turbo-props were good enough for foreign export.

India received the type and like the Antonov-28/32 was permitted a license to build their own. This policy continues to this day. One cannot be sure if the Ukraine is still capable of building and exporting or if the aero facilities have been moved to the Russian federation.

Apart from the giants like the An-124/224, a smaller aircraft to replace the An-22 was long overdue with the development of the An-70 transport. it has very good weight lift capability and uses the twisted propellers of the Tupolev Tu-95 bears.

Antonov followed with its own version of the BAE/RJ-100/300, but only with to engines rather than four. This aircraft has seen better success in the civilian commercial market one believes instead of the military.