Giant Aircraft!

 Everyone has had a go at design and building?

From the 1920's Italy, the U.K. and America have thought about building large aircraft, but it was only Italy and Russia that got there with commercial types that actually flew beyond belief. 

But with the outbreak of World War-II (1939-45), everything change this large craft of years past were now to slow, so new ideas and concepts were put into place and being not so really big they worked?

Hughes built his giant flying boat taking a long standing world record, followed by the MARS that was only a water bomber until retired a few years ago. aircraft did get bigger with the coming of the Jet age, but people wanted more and so came the Boeing 747 Jumbo and many Lockheed military giants or deployment to Vietnam late 50;s to the early 70's!

The Soviet Union developed their own civil and military giants from the MIL-Mi 10, 12 and 26 to hold various records, the Antonov AN-22, An-125 and 225, which all still are in operation today with the Ilyushin IL-76, and civil IL-86/92.

Today the European Airbus have the A380-800 and the even newer A350-9/1000 that is pointing the future ahead?

Tesla has joined the weapons of Choice!

 For International terrorism with the SUV and the Toyota pickups?

The world is changing for terrorism, the lack to explosives is evident but it is easier to kill people with what you can find in your kitchen and hire a SUV or a Tesla to get you point across mowing down peoples and hearing,  'the snap, crackle and pop!

Wither they kill five or fifteen, its a start on killing many more with a stolen truck as was seen in France and many other places, some incidents could be terror related but are being classed as out of control vehicles rather than deliberate?

In Germany over Christmas a mechanical digger was used to try to demolish a super store and the driver shot dead. Knife crime across the U.K. in cities is now normal and an everyday occurrence with both the police and the government doing their best to play it all down, since they are well protected and the rest of us have to hope for the best!

Animal Power.

Viability?

Despite so many technological advances being made in the last two hundred years and humanities reliance upon oil and gas, there are still millions of people who rely on animals to haul themselves and their goods.

We are not just talking about far flung places, but both Europe and the U.S.A. people maintain animals instead of vehicles. The question is are these forms of movement viable to be introduced back into cities in some cases, or is their time gradually coming to an end?

If we look back to the era of the stage coach, we do find a sophisticated method of working. This is not just four horses tied up to a coach or waggon. To operate such a vehicle requires some skill.

Canal Barges. Part-Two.

Shipping and Networks.

Canals came before the railways and remain one of the most effective ways to move goods across land locked countries as in Russia, China, central Europe and the U.S. Deep rivers can be connected on the network of ship canals. 

In Europe you can get from the Netherlands to the German Rhine river and then by Canal to the Danube, eventually arriving in the Black sea. Both in Russia and China vast distances can be traversed. The ships that ply these routes fifty years ago would have been called 'Coasters or 'Puffers.'

The future for these networks are very much in demand and as long as they are maintained they will remain viable for developing economies.

Icebreakers.

The Ice breaking ship was and is very much associated with Russia, but many other nations have them too. the U.S.A, Canada, Japan and the U.K. To be enabled to break ice and allow shipping to access ports in winter is quite a feat and an essential. 

Many of the largest ships built by the Russians were used for exploration and spying of one kind or another. To have access to both poles was a breakthrough in engineering. 

These type of ships will probably remain being built and improved in their capabilities for the years to come. Man has leaned much about the polar regions on the planet, but there is still so much more.

V/STOL Jets.

The history of the V/STOL (Vertical take-off and short take-off landing) Jets began in the 1950's in the UK, with the secret Pegasus project. By the 1960's British aviation company Hawker-Siddley had developed the engine and were working on an aircraft, which would later be known as the Harrier jump jet.

The British developed two versions of the Harrier, a ground attack and a navel version, known as the Sea Harrier. These top gun aircraft were exported to Italy, Spain and India, while the U.S. were permitted to build their own versions initially under license. AV-I/II Advanced Harriers.

Many new techniques were developed for the naval versions, first by the British and then the Americans. One being a ramp, which was fitted on to aircraft carriers and allowed the jets to produce a rolled take-off, cheaper on fuel. Spain and Italy built smaller pocket sized carriers dedicated to V/STOL jets and helicopters, such as the Spanish Matador class ships.

Soviet Russia had to get in on the act too and they developed the Yakolev Yak-36, which was more of a rolling take-off, rather than vertical type (R/STOL). This aircraft was believed not as stable as the Harriers, but the Russians developed it into the Yak-38 and later on to the perhaps still secret Yak-41/141 supersonic jet. Soviet aircraft were naval deployed and the Soviets had to then dedicate themselves to building their first aircraft carrier.

Soviet Russia is believed to have exported a small number to India, India is the only nation to have both western and Russian types in service.

The British Harriers saw their first combat experience in the Falklands war of 1981 with Argentina, over the (Malvina's islands). Since then the U.S. have developed super versions of their AV-series, the F-35 and F-22.

A380 V B747-8.

Today the U.S. Boeing 747-8i and European Airbus A380 are two largest civilian passenger carrying aircraft in the world. 


But which one is better than the other? 


These super large aircraft were developed to carry large numbers of people over the huge distances and to have less refueling stops or as in the case today none. I suppose it is the preference for the operators in choosing which aircraft that suites or can meet their needs of comfort and facilities.


It looks like that both types have further potential if needs do demand and will they both will be developed and improved with time. 


But it is the A350 and B-777 that looks more promising and competitive in the near future.

Glorified Tri-jets?

There are many new types of commercial aircraft now coming out of China and Russia, like the C919, MC-21 and Sukhoi Su-100. But are they what they seem or just clever copies of the DC-9, Boeing 717-100/100?


And the question that could be asked are they as good as western designs from Europe and Embraer in Brazil.


What markets are the Chinese and Russians after, when most countries are drawn to Brazil, Airbus and the extensive U.S. Boeing families of aircraft.