Caravaning.

(Please note update on space on the space page this week).

The Caravan.

The caravan is essentially just a wagon that is towed behind a automobile/car or truck and has no real motive power of its own. Yet it is one of the biggest business pullers across the globe both in N-America and Europe.

Caravaning took off in the United Kingdom in the 1920's and up to 1960, one could park anywhere and enjoy the view. But today we have Caravan sites and trailer parks, unless you are part of the travelling showman circut. 

The temporay home on wheels has progressed from a wooden box with basic facilities to the present state of the art mobile homes. With everything now from power shower to sat nav, microwave cooking to solar panel powered.

Even comforts that are better than we have in our houses and heating systems. But despite all these wonderful things, accidents in towing from A to Z remain a problem.

Coin Aircraft.

Counter Insurgent Props.

The arms industry has always been a big business in human history, with the advent of aviation this is even more so. We will first take a look at some of the propeller driven aircraft, which are on the market. these aircraft have been purchased as advanced trainers. But they have a secondary role as light attack aircraft.

It is usually the smaller nations, who cannot afford to buy jets that opt for these types. The Italian SF-260Warrior, Swiss Pilatus PC-7/9, U.S T-34 Mentor, Swedish Saab MF-117 and the joint Brazilian/British Embraer/Shorts EMB-321Tucano. 

There are many other types, which you could add, but these will for now give you a good idea.

These two seater aircraft can be fitted with one or more 7.62mm gun pods and light rockets of different possibilities.

Most are used to attack insurgents, with surprise attacks or for anti-drugs operations. While others have been purchased by mercenary forces.

Metro Systems.

Introduction.

Whatever you call them, underground, subway or metro systems, railways, nearly every major capital city now has one or more. We will look at four of them over the next few months in Moscow, Russia, Paris, France, New York, U.S.A. and London UK. 

These are probably the four most well known, because of 'Hollywood and the film industry.' They are really 'the daddy systems of underworld urban transportation and are unique in their history and construction.' Today they are old, in need of some 'Tender loving care.'

The other feature that mark them out for further study are there use of new and old stock trains, while also a mixture of wiring and signalling. They also have secret tunnels and stations no longer used.

Canal Barges. Part-One.

Britain and the rest of the world.

The canal barge and coaster remain a very viable form of transport across the world today, from the River Rhine in Germany to the many rivers of China. 

These flat bottomed vessels can move from rivers to man made canals to the sea with ease. Today's shipping is far flung from the early days of invention and development in England, UK. 

The UK retains the long barge now almost soley for pleasure and living use. But some river barge industries remain in the river Thames.

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.

Aircraft Carriers. Part-One.

Today there are a number of countries who still use these types of vessels, the U.S.A, UK, France, Brazil, Spain, India, Australia and they seem to be an effective platform for military and humanitarian operations. 

But are they still really viable with the development of more sophisticated kinds of warfare?

It was the British who developed the first carriers, basically ships with a flight deck and a control tower built around the funnel. Today it is the U.S. that leads the world with these powerful islands at sea.

Mobile homes.

Also known as camper vans. 

There are two roads to how these vehicles came about.

1. Travelling communities across the world, Circus's, Showmen, (Fun Fairs/Fairground attractions), moved from their horse drawn waggon's and houses to the steam engines and then on to the motorised versions.

2. The 1920's saw the rise in Caravaning craze in the UK and after World-War-II (1939-45), the Camper van came in to an easy tourer. 

In the 1960's the German Volks Wagen VW camper was associated with the 'Hippie movement and Woodstock'.

It became the iconic vehicle of young people travelling around and it remains so to this day in Europe anyway.

 

Today there are quite a varied selection of vehicles on the market. In the U.S. the Winnebago is probably the largest mobile home. Many people have over the years converted trucks and buses, coaches to live in.

Super Tankers.

Today the world needs energy and when it cannot be piped, it has to be shipped. So how big can we get with those ships? 

I suppose what limits size is the ability to be able to pass through, the Suez (Egypt) and Panama (Panama) canals. 

But the deep oceans still have many possibilities for ship sizes. Other factors to the size of ships are docking,and manoeuvrability.  

While all shipping is vulnerable to disasters through human failure or computer error. Spilt crude oil is not nice as was experienced in Alaska, U.S.A. The Shetland islands, N-Scotland, UK and off S-Wales. (UK).

Trams.

Are they worth their claims of improving metro systems or would buses just be good at doing the same job? 

Nearly every city and major town in the UK has a tram network of some kind. The question, should we have more of them or less? Is there the possibility of London having them again in the city center and what about trolley-buses and other forms of super metro/rail?