Thursday 28 January 2016

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.

Thursday 21 January 2016

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).

Thursday 14 January 2016

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.

Thursday 7 January 2016

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.