Emergency Vehicles!

 In light of Cars Montana, Switzerland?

Fire has killed between 40-47 and injured over 119 young people very seriously and despite the snow, the service got to the scene quickly with ground vehicles and helicopter air-ambulances to ferry the critically to specialist burns units in the country!

Some countries have adapted medical payload drops, that can treat the burned on the ground, and these may have more to earthquake struck places, where a patient could die en-route to a hospital?

As time goes on there will be many improvements on what we have now with A.I. and drone robots doing most of the more difficult places to reach, even with helicopters and mountain rescue teams!

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!

Classic Cars, not what they Seem Anymore?

 Bangers & Cash, Car SOS, Wheeler Dealers and find it, fix it and flog it!

These are some of the popular car restoration TV programme's in the U.K. that rebuild old cars and make them road safe for various clients, but also for auctions and they are interesting even for people who are not really vehicle fads?

But now with much new technology about many want to update the engines to LPG or Electric and for some this is an abomination, while for others it makes sense to pull away from burning fossil fuels!

If this does occur we may see some of the early concepts become more alive on our roads, such as steam coaches and wagons, and what future designs become of them in the world of electric and AI powered motoring?

The Electric Engine?

A revolution in machine Technology!

Many countries have now committed themselves to the development of a carbon free source of power and in this century we will see great changes, as much as in past with the steam and petrol engines!

Getting rid of carbon emissions will certainly help the environment and despite as yet unknown side-effects this is perhaps one of the best developments for humanity truly since the wheel?

Many nations claim to already have the ability to produce cars and land vehicles, but the challenge comes with flight and with shipping? We will have to wait a few more years to see what happens and how it will effect and replace what is now conventional! 

The other area that will determine its future is that of keeping down the costs in production and what will be used to produce the electricity, hopefully not the continued burning of more fossil fuels?

Battery and Electric Engines?

Ending fossil fuels Pollution!

It not if, but when and the faster these new technologies are implemented the better for all with breathing problems in our large cities! Poland is leading in the field at the moment with their lithium battery vehicles that are being introduced right across the board in public transport, postal delivery and many other service areas!

These new fleets are cutting down fossil fuels carbon emissions and improving the air quality, but more has to be done and one idea is the introduction of classic or vintage vehicle conversions to electric?

The infrastructure and the demand has to be there to meet the need, but as we see that Diesel is now not safe and is being withdrawn hopefully battery and electric will replace more and more and perhaps an enticement would be to keep the prices lower so that ordinary folk could be encouraged to make the changes?

Military transport Aircraft. Part-Two.

Enter the Giants.

The United States have a choice of three heavy transports from the C-141 Star lifter, C-17 Globe master and the enormous C-5 Galaxy. This has proven invaluable for them as a world superpower over the years.

Initially the Soviet Union and now the Russian Federation to have developed their three types, but all from one manufacturer Antonov with the An-22, An-124 Ruslan and the An-224 Mirya (Dream).

Both superpowers have also the back up of their own large civilian commercials such as the Boeing 747-2/400F' and the Ilyushin IL-89/96.

These dominate heavy lifting capability around the world, in the moving of missile systems, radars, and extra warheads, The Boeing 747-400 and the Russian Antonov An-224 were adopted and developed for both the NASA Space shuttle and the Soviet Buran to piggy back between landing and relaunching.

Most of the aircraft are capable of the movement of between 150 to 250 fully laden combat troops, with essential equipment from vehicles to artillery. Apart from Surface to Surface missiles, there is of course the need to move medium range mobile carriers for Nuclear ICBMs.

Today some of these aircraft also work with the United Nations in medical and food relief to disaster zones.

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).

The Alvis Family. Part-One.

A British Success Story.

The basis of many British military tracked vehicles from 1969 to the present have been based on the chassis and engine of the Alvis. Two of the most popular have been the Scorpion light tank, now known as a ARV (armoured reconnaissance vehicle) and the Scimitarr with its 30mm Cannon.

The Scorpion has tow choices of gun, the standard 76mm or the option for the 90mm Cockerel which has proven superior for the role of this vehicle with the Irish Army on UN duties in South-Lebanon.

There are many other versions, numbering about thirty-three in all from engineering, recovery and command. Alvis was also very successful in their wheeled vehicles such as the Saladin prior to tracked. All of its vehicles have a good story in the exportation of and use world wide.

Road Trains. Part-Three.

Helping to Deforestation in Brazil and Indonesia.

Logging world-wide is big business, many countries have taken advantage over the last fifty years of growing forestry mostly pine trees of various kinds. The trucks developed for military vehicle transportation after world-war-II (1939-45), were thus employed to this new role.

Traditionally logging was done with horses pulling one log at a time, but these days are now long gone. Many new machines have been developed, even to cut out manpower and trees are even processed and trucked to the various mills.

Brazil and Indonesia are seeing the worlds fastest deforestation, with little or no new growth being introduced. In Brazil deforested land is used for farming, while in Indonesia natural forests are being replaced with Palm oil trees that are not suitable.

In the Big Country. Part-One.

Railways in their own Right.

Australia.

To get from A-to B railways are the best for the movement of goods and minerals, Melbourne to Perth and Darwin to Melbourne via Alice Springs in now part of the life line of this Island continent. Australia's out back is harsh, lonely and extremely dangerous.

The trains that cross these wildernesses are operated by hard crews and their machines are some of the best in the world. Australia has plenty of mineral resources from copper and Iron ore to bauxite and Uranium. Many areas of mining are now undertaken by robotic controlled trucks, because of their toxic nature.

The railroad is inland and safer, some countries may use their coasts for shipping, Australia does not have that option, because the mineral's are located in the heart of the continent.

Driverless Vehicles. Part-One.

Robotic Vehicles.

What is behind the idea to have a driver less vehicle? Is it a way to control speed and cut out joy riding and motorway incidents! What advantage do we have without the human over ride, if one is not fitted and will these vehicles be monitored by the police and security to know were we travel too?

The benefits may come in slower speeds and helping people with disability, but a lot will be lost perhaps to the freedoms of driving we currently have. The individual choice of a sports car over and small family car may be lost in us only having the types provided.

Will these new cars be driven by petrol engines or electric, will they be fitted with hidden sensors even to the point of security cameras to gather behavioural information? 

They are questions worth answering before the world goes down the road of more state control. What will happen to the vehicles we now have, will they become obsolete, banned or limited in their use and what about the rest of the world?

UAV.UCAV and Drones.

Will they replace manned combat?

Computer technology is now moving at a alarming rate that Stephen Hawking's has joined the concerned camp that humanity might be overrun by Robots. Could he be right? 

Most missions that are today being carried out in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Horn of Africa are done by robotic drones controlled from NATO bases in Europe or from ships in the Indian ocean.

This new type of warfare is saving human lives of pilots and special operation ground troops, but it is not saving civilians. This is because Jihadi militants have the habit of using human shields were ever they are operating from.

The technology employed in the drones gives 3D mapping of the terrain and is able to update by the minute with live day and infra-red imagery. Missiles can now be targeted and launched 90 miles from the target, meaning that the UAV/UCAV is neither seen nor heard by the enemy.

These drones are also deployed at sea, surface and underneath, there are a various array of robotic vehicles that also can be more effective without human capacity.

Motorway Service Vehicles.

Highway, Autobahn etc.

Most people across the globe today have traveled on one type or another of these roads. But it takes a fleet of many types of vehicles to maintain and service the needs of modern travel. 

Sometimes in our journeys we will notice cone crews at work in a most dangerous environment. We will also see various other vehicles doing jobs such as changing signage and bridge repairs, while also monitoring traffic flows.

The fleets are made up of common civilian trucks, cars, vans and tractor units, because these are cheaper to replace at the end of their working lives.