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.

The Land Rover Defender Returns. Part-Two.

Very much still Loved.

So many countries around the world have bought into this most successful vehicle type that none of them want it die? Technology has to progress and their are as many successful new type of the Range Rover and other types that are just as good claimed by the company?

But the series 90 and 110 has captured a market that was lost for year to Mercedes-Benz and remained much cheaper? This new venture takes on the many spare parts that remain in circulation and in the developing world there remains a demand. But at the same time many countries may adapt what they have to last for a longer time in both military and para-military police roles.

What has the Land Rover got that the newer type do not have. The build is with metal, rather than plastics, reliability and optional fuels is another key factor to their success! The other is that they can be converted to every known configuration in both civil and military use and changed at short notice?

Land Rover Defender, Returns. Part-One,

The Land Rover 110 Defender.

It was sad to hear that the British were dropping their most sucessful product, but some wise spark is now determined to continue the production of this range of 4x4 vehicles? 

Land Rovers do rule the world in the sense that they can be found in nearly every country and noe on this world, from the Series 1 to the many and various adaptions of the standard 90/110.

Between 1970 and 1990 the series did suffer some serious competition from Mercedes-Benz, but it was able to ovecome those unproductive years. Military and police sales have kept it very popular, with many options for Command, Riot-Control and Light-Armoured Cars.

The Landies are good at hauling and pulling and both in civil and military roles can tow boats to surface to air missile systems, radars and even at one time the Bloodhound Mark-II Surface to Surface missile. The ability to tow artillery and other radio-communications. The supply of spare parts and the size of enthusiates clubs, collecters is extensive world-wide.

Originaly desinged for the British SAS, the vehicle is easy to modify and adapt and in the civil role are already covered is up for a large variety of uses.

Mercedez.

Jeeps and four-wheel drive.

For a long time the British landrover series has been seen as ruling the world market in the four by four. Nearly every country in the world produces their own versions of this type of essential off road vehicle and it is the German Mercedez company that over the last thirty years or so have taken the market of many other well know names.

This week we will just have this introduction to the German manufacturer and its other famous off road type the Unimog truck. Please check previous articles on Unimog and 4X4 for further references.

The four by four is used for all off road traffic from farming, search and rescue, police and fire services to ambulances and military activities. Reliable engines and gradient capability along with hauling heavy loads must be the essential elements over that of immediate comfort. Here we are not really dealing with a civilian vehicle like others. many other 4X4 contain many gimmicks to sell them to the general public.