Antonov Family An-24-32. Part-One.

Western equivalents of the De Haviland DHC-5-8 and Fokker F25/50.

In fact there are many western equivalents of this most successful Soviet to present Russian federation series of medium transport aircraft. Both the military and civil airlines always have a demand for a capable 30-60 seat aircraft and Antonov made its tremendous hit from 1960 with the introduction of the first An-24 N.A.T.O. code named Coke transport to meet this role.

All four types are basically improvements of the previous and over 1000 have been built, with licence to China as the Y7-100. Over the years with the diamonds of the war in Afghanistan newer versions, such as the An-30/32 could now cope with landing and take off at higher levels. 

The expansion into Siberia to search for more fossil fuels demanded shot take-off and landing (STOL) and the An-32 was well able to meet that requirement with a 2,200 to 4000 km range, while also comping with the colder conditions.

Commuter Trains. Part-One.

Mass Movement.

The commuter train has become one of the most blandest of train types across the world? They are really box trains sometimes painted in nice colour schemes, but generally they have a dirty appearance of over long term use. 

Indian railways and recent films showing the commuter system in Mumbai portray this demand for rush hour traffic! South Africa, Great Britain and Russia also portray a similar image, perhaps with less dirt and more colour.

Terms such as D/EMU (Diesel/ Electric Multiple Unit) is the official name for these trains that are capable of carrying 700 to 2000 people per run. Japan and India have the worst overcrowding problems, while the United States, Denmark, and Israel know deploy double decker carriages.

SEGWAYS.

Is this the replacement for the bicyle?

This new form of transport seems to have taken off, how safe it is is another matter. Many of these two wheeled old fashoned lawn mower machines are now finding their way in to airport terminal apron usage.

But they are limited in what they are able to do, hard to drive and also difficult to stop and maintain balance! But are they really a serious contender to replace the bicycle, i do not think so yet. They are not fitted with a seat and cannot carry anything, the bicyle has reamined a very cheap and flexable type of transport and it will be perhaps almost impossible to replace?

Sukhoi. Part-Two.

From Sukhoi SU-7 to SU-29.

This company has a long history in Russian aviation from the introduction of the SU-7 with a 1.6 Mac (17,000Km/h) speed to various versions, being deployed in Syria at the present time. The SU-19 laid the basis for many present day Chinese designs, but today the SU-24 Fencer, SU-25 Frogfoot along with the SU-27/29 Flanker are the mainstay of the Russian Federation's help to Al-Assad.

These are state of the art fighters each fulfilling various roles from Bombing, Inteception and ground attack. In fact they all are much better than many current western fighters such as the F-16 and F-14/15.

The SU-25 Frogfoot is perhaps the best multi-role counter/ground-attack fighter aircraft flying, with a vast array of optional weapons carried on its eight hardpoints. This operating systems with the Mil-Mi-24 helicopter gunships and even Mil Mi-28's will prove a defining effect against ISIL/ISIS in the region.

Underwater Transport.

1960's Concepts.

Since these ideas of using civilian submarines in the 1960's no progress has at yet been made to bring anything outside the tourism industry to fruition. Australia and Israel are perhaps only two countries in the world to see the value of using submarines to view coral reefs and low level sea plains.

It is either the financial viability, costs and safety that has blocked the serious alternative to surface shipping. It would seem that the Submarine is to remain for some time yet the preserve of the military and Navies of the globe.

The advantages of not having to cope with rough seas and the probability of better speed to deliver goods has it would seem been placed on the sidelines of conventuality. 

But perhaps with the need to cut down of fossil fuels and carbon emissions the day of submersed travel might in this century be not far away?

Road Trains. Part-Four.

Africa.

The Continent of Africa today cannot do without the truck, because it has given up much on its one time colonisers railways. Expense to maintain and get parts was one problem for many of the lesser developed nations, while on the other they just did not have the ability to maintain tracks and signals.

So the truck has become the new transport and in many parts there are seasonal convoys, which get bogged down by mud. But the Africans have on great advantage over many other nations, in that no problem cannot be solved. They are extremely resourceful in finding away out of a problem. 

This is because they have to keep those vital links open and keep the goods that are essential moving back and forth. The Iveco truck is one of the most favoured for the variety of roles, there are also many Soviet and Chinese vehicles. Nearly every other vehicle is a Toyota and perhaps the odd civil Landrovers.

Sukhoi. Part-One.

T-50. 

Sukhoi is part of a great Russian legacy in aircraft design and development, which today is being topped with the T-50 Stealth combat aircraft and the Sukhoi-100 Superjets. We first heard this Chinese sounding name in the 1960's with a new generation of Soviet fighters that looked similar to the MIG Jets, but they were different in their own right.

It was the debut of the Sukhoi SU-27 as a naval launched fighter that changed everything for the west. The collapse of Soviet Russia revealed that Sukhoi was one of the leading designers back in the day of the MIG-15 Midget and its aircraft were better, but remained secret.

The T-50 is a revolution in Russian military design and now with the coldness returning, will prove the be one of the main fighters of the new Russian Federation. The Superjet is taking the world market with orders all over the globe. 

When Russia gets it right, they get it right for a long haul!