Replacement Space Shuttle!

 It is on the way and much better than the last ones?

Lockheed is supposed to be building a new generation of far improved Shuttles, that will work along side existing technology and these machines may be part of the New Solar System fleet of craft, reaching Mars, Venus and further afield in the years to come!

Over coming gravity will be one plus for them, but the other is how do they deal with space dust and other materials hurtling by, that will rip the skins of these vessels, robot controlled or not?

The need to build and move cargo within our Solar System is not far away, as we expand out to the Moons of the giants and further afield, it will all look forward to some interesting times in the next fifty years of exploration!

Flying boats to be phased Out!

 With recent crashes?

The flying boat may be seeing its last days as a viable machine, that is because some of the older types are facing problems with fatigue and just cannot perform as they once did!

But this is also an illusion, since there remains many new German, Canadian and Russian types that are essential in civilian roles across the world, for fire fighting as in Greece, Californian, U.S.A and Canada?

The Canadian Canadair CL-415 super scooper the Beriev A40 and civilian Be-200 remain some of the most successful fire-fighting boats around the world and are far superior than aircraft of helicopters!

So we cant just say, 'their time is up when it may be developed into something far better?

Happy Christmas East and West and a peaceful New Year!

Ireland's railway expansion and new Stock!

 Re-opining old lines with re-fits and the new 9000 Stock? 

Ireland is moving on with many improvements and connections to its system, the re-building of Kent street station in Cork city and the line open to Middleton has brought more business!

Meanwhile the line from Limerick to Galway, via Shannon airport also much ease and options to travel without the need of roads and now moving on to Galway via Taum for Clairemorris another new connection.

But it is the ageing stock on the DART Dublin area rapid transport that needs upgrading with the new trains to replace the German and Japanese stock!

Fun fare Disasters!

Bad maintenance and Negligence?

Most of us have been to a fun fair, circus or a pleasure park to enjoy the latest rides and the thrill of fear!

But when these rides go wrong fear of falling out of your chair from a height or being crushed is another matter of real fear and probable death?

The more complex the ride is the harder it is to maintain it and areas will be overlooked and not deliberately, since this is a family business that has to make the owners their worth of time and effort!

Many people still believe that show people are travelers or Gypsies, but they are seasonal contractors who entertain the public during the summer months.

There is a plethora of machines on the market, with new one coming out every year and contractors visit sites across the country to view and buy or sell older ones on to others who cannot afford the latest?

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!

Happy New Year 2024.

 Automobiles and Ships doing well?

These are the fields of advanced electronic engine conversion and strides, with rail and aviation following more so with existing power and bio fuels, but the car is now in main and extensive production and the demand is getting higher despite not much change in the lithium battery out put?

Where as shipping it is more profitable and easy to implement and with new designs quicker application, the only thing that is slowing down everything in this area is the Red and Arabian sea crises over commercial shipping being attacked by Houthi rebels in support of Gaza.

The ferry industry and offshore oil rig support are the first to benefit from the electric engine and now with Hydrogen as a mid standby between fossil fuels and electric many more nations will be abandoning and going for the new power sources to become more green and cheaper than the existing?

The only set back is overheating of the lithium batteries and several incidents have been reported recently, perhaps this is because of pushing the power too far and not staying within the required limits?

Artemis 1 Failed Again?

 ''To the Moon or not!

One has to wonder if the United States in all their pride will ever make it to the Moon again, the President just does no have the ump that John F. Kennedy had and NASA spends millions on avoiding finding life, but using the missions to boost the U.S. arms industry?

It looks at this time, following hurricane Ian that China and Russia might get there first and leave the U.S. to focus on the building of the new Gateway space station that will orbit the Moon, following the demise of the ISS (International Space Station) from 2023 to 2030!

Many nations have now sent a plethora of robotic craft to the Moon and made many new and strange discoveries and one expects that over the next one hundred years much more will be gathered as we live up there!

New Technology. Part-One.

Drones to Robotics?

Much of what we are terming new has been around for some time in one form or another, but the applications are perhaps newer rather than new? Drones are improving all the time and plans for deployment in the Mars mission as a helicopter have been suggested, while back on Earth the police and search and rescue are using them with effective search and observation results!

Robotics, as in Androids are also improving but no suggestion as yet for sending into Space has been made? On the industrial front, they will perhaps in years to come have a great advantage with helping older folks and young children and the disabled as in both cases!

There are many military applications for both, at this time many poorer nations will probably opt for drones over that of Robots or Androids for border patrols and police work? Drones are much cheaper to deploy than helicopters, unless a large area needs covering or someone in trouble needs to be rescued?

Changes in Shipping?

Container World!

Shipping containers has always faced problems in rough weather, because of the ships listing some containers fall off and are lost! But this is about to all change with a new type of fixed ribs being built to hold a certain number of boxes in place!

These vessels may look a bit strange or ugly to the eye when empty, but this new system will save the insurance of goods a lot less and the safety of other shipping having a collision with underwater or surface floating containers?

These are on of the main changes, there are few more to do with engineering and rig support vessels and their ability and stability to work at sea, cutting out the expense of installing rigs until it is definitely confirmed that a potential profit will be made from either gas or oil!

Easter Weekend Attractions.

Steam fairs to Vintage displays.

Many people around the globe this weekend are going to perhaps attend some kind of event, which has been laid on for the Easter holidays. From vintage trains, specials, fairs, displays, regattas and so the lists can go on and on.

I wonder what we are going out to see may be the best of that has survived time or the rare, the one offs. What ever it is, I hope you have a good time and enjoy riding, filming, photographing or just watching.

Tomorrows classics today are already being marked out for the collectors clubs and collections and their are still many types of machines that await restoration or to be purchased. But what was not able to be saved and what has been lost, perhaps due to lack of part?

The reason for these biog posts are to encourage anyone out their to do something, even if it is just maintaining your lawnmower, and any other machine. But it is also to come up with new ideas or adaptions of older one. 

Many Thanks and a Happy Easter.

Escalator and the Elevator.

Moving walkways/stairs and the Lift.

It is perhaps a strange subject to start a New Year with, but both the escalator and elevator have now been around over over 120 years. Essentially developed for the mining industry by James Borgardes in the U.S.A. He first displayed his steam model at the world trade fair in New York in 1853. E. G. Otis introduced his department store lift in 1857 and he was the first to show in Europe at the Paris exhibition in 1867.

Meanwhile it was J. W. Reno who invented the continuous moving stairs, in a new york department store in1896-97. It was the first to appear in Europe in the 1900 Paris, Exhibition. 

The Lift/Elevator made it essential in the construction of the Skyscraper and so it remains today, around the world.

Meanwhile many airports and train stations have developed moving walkways, these take the weight of carrying your cases long distances between terminals. These being a fixed machine, are still a form of transportation.