Armored Electric?

 Musk has taken the Idea!

But it is not all going his way since one of his Tesla trucks was used in suspected home grown terror attack on a Trump hotel in Las Vegas!

The idea to turn his truck into an armored vehicle looks like a possibility for the future, but one is not sure if he will be the first, since many countries in Europe already have electric versions of utility vehicles and police and other emergency powered by battery?

If the Tesla does become available, then it would have a very limited market, since most countries world-wide still burn petrol and diesel!

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.

Boeing 777X

777-8/9.

These are the next generations of the twenty four year-old design of the Boeing 777-100/200 long range aircraft, that is now to have a second life! It was hoped that the 777, would replace the 747 but it still had some life left in it yet?

Today the 747 is now in decline, but orders for the 747-8 is still continuing, the 777 on the other hand has faced stiff competition from the European Airbus and their A350-900/1000 Extra wide body! But what keeps the 777 is not capacity but range over the A350-900?

These next two new aircraft that will appear in service from next year into the 2020's will have the seating capacity and range to out do the Europeans and keep the type perhaps as the successor finally to the 747?

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?

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.

Russian Federation. Part-One.

Re-Armament.

With European Union sanctions now being placed on Russia, it has caused it to re-arm with new MBT, the order of Nuclear warheads and missile systems. Many world leaders are defending the rights of the expansion of Europe into the Baltic States and the Ukraine and this all has echoes of Nazi-Germany.

Russia wanted peace and made great efforts to comply with the west to do so from the day of Gorbachev, but sadly the weak leadership of Barak Obama has allowed a third world war crises to be on the brink.

The Russian Federation has plenty of military equipment available and with economic co-operation with Iran and the Peoples Republic of China, it will find it easy to develop more and more newer and advanced types equiptment and defence systems.

High Speed Trains. Part-One.

From the Bullet to ICE.

Over the last seventy years Japan with its Bullet, France and the TVG and now Germany and the ICE have made serious breakthroughs in speed and comfort to get people from A-B/Z. Japan was the first to develop a really high speed train and despite Earthquakes and many other disasters the system has expanded and continues to grow.

France was determined to have a similar system to fan out from its capital Paris and be also part of a wider European network, even before there was one. The Channel Tunnel has allowed a serious extension to be made, but within the U.K. this remains limited and future plans are being delayed.

On the other hand Germany has joined the European network with its own sleek version known as ICE, while Italy, Switzerland are also developing their versions and linking up with France and Germany.

The Airbus Story. Part-One.

From A300 to A350.

The beginning of the Airbus story started in 1965, when British European Airlines proposed a 200 seat aircraft to compensate on the United States Boeing model 747. But it was not until the 28th October 1972 that the A300B2 took to the skies on its first test flight.

In 1970 eight European airlines and their national aviation companies from Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France and Spain met to start the development of a total European joint built commercial airliner. 

The 28th June 1973 saw the A300B2 enter production, with the first delivery to Air France on 30th may 1974. This gamble paid off very quickly with orders from forty airlines in twenty-nine countries.
The A300 was reliable and cheap to operate, it could accommodate three crew and 336 passengers, was powered by two General-Electric CF6-50C1 engines.

Cruising speed 911km/hr at 9450 metres and a range of 5375Km. Other airlines to operate the aircraft were Air India, Saudi and Thai Airways.

Super Trains.

British HS-II.

London to Birmingham is the several billion pounds new high speed rail link being proposed from London to Birmingham and then further afield to Leeds, Manchester and to be part of a full European connection.

Railways of nearly all types remain a good investment and effective part of economic infrastructure to the prosperity of any nation. Britain says 'that it needs this new form of high-speed rail to take advantage of the Channel tunnel.' 

In some cases, when it is built and up and running, it would mean that one could take a train from any point to Europe and by pass the Capital London stop.

But in light of the recent flooding and the appearance of many sink holes I do hope that they build in the right place, rather than just any old straight lines?

Helicopters SAR.

Search and Rescue.

What are the best helicopters employed for search and rescue operations?

The Sikorsky S-61 and Westland Sea King have probably in the British isles been the best to serve in this role. France has used the Super Frelon, Russia and Eastern European countries the Mil Mi-14/17/117. All basically the same machine with additions added on.

First things with SAR is you need range, you also need capacity. It would be no good going out 250 miles to a tanker sinking fast with 17 crew and a SA-365 Dolphin? 

The U.S. have used a variety of machines, but it looks like the S-92H will be the helicopter for the beginning of this century. Meanwhile Canada has joined many other nations in buying the Westland-Augusta AW-101 Merlin.

Gliders..

Today gliding is a popular hobby for many people, but 70 years ago gliders were used as a cheap way of transporting cargo and troops to the European battle fields. 

All of the powers involved in World War-II built their own versions. Horsa, Gotha. The idea was to use an aircraft without engines to replace engined aircraft desperately needed for bombing missions.

Meanwhile it perhaps was not a wise move, since many lives were lost in the mass crash landings of these aircraft.

Cracks...

A380 Wing Cracks.

It is now reported that all 29 European Airbus A380's have been grounded, after hairline cracks were found in their wings. 

We have been reassured that its not serious. But I think it is very serious, because it is usually those small things that lead to big disasters. 

Does the problem lie in the design or the workforce at the Flintshire factory in Wales? 

Another question is do we today still need such giant passenger aircraft, such as the A380 and the Boeing 747-8?