e Volo personal flier next generation
Extreme Tech article that the picture above connects to is interesting the pictures below and the video are even more fascinating
It was going to be the biggest, fastest and most heavily armed fighter in the air. The North American F-108 Rapier, designed in response to a U.S. Air Force preliminary study of Oct.
via The North American XF-108 Rapier | Defense Media Network.
This aircraft like many others died as the threat the Soviet Union represented became better understood. But the technology for this fighter went on, the missile and radar were the basis of the F14 Tomcat’s Phoenix fleet defense system, stil an amazing system even though the system, utterly compromised by the Iranian’s who had bought the system during the Shah’s reign, was rapidly retired as soon as the AMRAAM and newer airborn phased aray radars became available.
Tomcat on patrol
The Tomcat is in my opinion one of the iconic fighters of the twentieth century along with the F4 Phantom, the F86 Sabre, P51 and Spitfire…and no I’ve never found the fighters of WWI or pre WWII particularly attractive…though the Beechcraft Staggerwing is probably the most beautiful aircraft ever built.
Beechcraft Staggerwing in Flight taken in 2005
An excelent piece by Larry Bond wargame Designer and author :
For several years, Israel has publicly and explicitly stated that if Iran attempts to develop a nuclear weapon, Israel will attack to prevent the program from succeeding or to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability. This is the most important security threat of the new century.
via Things to Think About Before Israel Attacks Iran | Defense Media Network.
Novel Electronics Could Speed Adoption of Solar Power – Technology Review.
Not a new technology but if these guys can bring it to market at a significantly lower total cost of ownership number they are going to ignite the market.
Biggest issue with SftSwt has always been complexity and consequent reliability issues. If these guys have reduced the parts and interconnect count (in other words integrated the controls and sensors)they are on the right path.
Surprising how many Monty Python lines really have something to say. I used to be able to watch the movies, but not any more, but the individual vignettes in the movies, and the show….priceless.
I will try to do better in the coming weeks.
Cheers
Wow, and I thought I was down on carriers! But this tells an even grimmer truth. And it’s the Ticos they’re ‘retiring?’ this is politics at its silliest in many ways.
Oh, and in regards to the last post, got the link from this excellent review piece at ares technica.
Ten One Design is working on the next definitive iPad Stylus, the Bluetiger, using Bluetooth 4 it allows proper writing sketching etc on the iPad. I use a Wacom Bamboo stylus for notes and art but have pined for the capabilities Ten One Design is touting, call your favourite developer today and have them get on the Bluetiger.
Richard Fernandez at The Belmont Club [Jesuit Influenced arch Futurist Conservative] had a piece on M.Daisey and the comparison with the treatment (in the ‘media’) of R.Limbaugh. in that piece he referred to a new york times CampaignStops Blog article by Stanley Fish… Two Cheers for Double Standards…I thought I’d misread or mis understood the quote Mr.Fernandez used, I read the article, here is the last paragraph:
I know the objections to what I have said here. It amounts to an apology for identity politics. It elevates tribal obligations over the universal obligations we owe to each other as citizens. It licenses differential and discriminatory treatment on the basis of contested points of view. It substitutes for the rule “don’t do it to them if you don’t want it done to you” the rule “be sure to do it to them first and more effectively.” It implies finally that might makes right. I can live with that.
This article glorifies the degradation of the polis that was so clearly pointed out in this article I blogged about only yesterday!
The trouble is that I see no road forward that does not lead down at this time. I am always a short term pessimist long term optimist and I see there are new highlands in our reach. But right now we seem headed into the goup with a long slog to the trails up.
So once more the Argentinian gov’t is talking, blustering, about the Malvinas and generally making themselves irritating to all right thinking (Tory) Englishmen. This short article from DIQ, one of the several excellent military info/show groups based in the UK (who needs spies when you have Janes and these guys?), was eye opening.
As the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War arrives over the horizon like a rather fearsome storm cloud, the media hysteria in both countries is slowly building to a fever pitch. The British media, going through a periodic bout of jingoism, is awash with scaremongering over the state of the island’s defences; while the Argentine media is dominated by heated debate about the ‘militarisation’ of the islands and British imperialism. As this author has already discussed, the frequent articles released by men such as Admiral Sandy Woodward warning of the immense military vulnerability of the islands have very little grounding in reality. The military balance in the South Atlantic is very strongly rooted in the favour of the UK and this is unlikely to change in the near future. Of arguably much greater significance to the Falklands debate are the political and economic factors that dominate the current tensions. As will be shown there is neither the political will nor the economic capability for Argentina to attempt any kind of military action against the islands.
Okay so the Brits stole the islands for a coaling station a century and a half ago, get over it for crying out loud. Okay so there’s oil there I’m sure the UK will work a win win deal, they’re almost as good at that as they are at winning wars. Thumping the drums of war seems a way of life for the Argentine’s vacuous Gov’ts it’s a way of distracting attention from the Gov’ts many failures. An article in AWST (aviation Week and Space Technology) last week discussed the technical, tactical and professional aspects of such a face down and thee fact is that even a senescent UK military could take down the Argentines with little trouble.
But in the long run the economic war outlined in the DIQ article is more threatening, though unlikely to cause any short term change. The fact is that the islanders like their life,and the Brits will protect their own. In the short term oil and gas may even make the island grow, but if the recent past is an indication the islands youth will move away and unless something draws new blood back eventually there will be a ghost town and the Brits will withdraw voluntarily.
This World and Others 