Erwin Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Wow! Beautiful. Was amazed that in addition to all the usual movement of vehicle and turret/gun, realistic torsion bar suspension etc, it actually accurately fires pellets (with help of laser targeting), has working lights, engine smoke, "working" MG, hatches with tiny locks(!) - and... can safely carry the narrator's 60Kg weight! Have no idea what to do with with, but I know I want one! They don't say how much... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Meanwhile on the Russian front... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Wicky, Dentally devastating way to spend a month's rent--and then some. And now for something more martial. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 (edited) The "Boing B-17G"?? Amazing model-making - eg how he did the "stressed skin". But, he didn't flatten the wheels where they would touch the ground. I guess he wanted it to roll. Edited October 18, 2018 by Erwin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Erwin, Good catch. Have been next to and in a real restored B-17G, and your tire remark is spot on. The one iI saw and was n saw had the fuselage door liner heavily autographed by many combat vets, including significant numbers of WW II bomber and fighter types. Forget how many door liners had been replaced by the museum, in a massive autograph collection that was growing with every visit. It was the great horror of brother-in-law Mike (USAF LT COL, Ret.) and I to assist aboard and off two gentlemen who flew B-17s during the war. THEY were allowed to sit up front, an area strictly off limits to us mere mortals. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, John Kettler said: It was the great horror of brother-in-law Mike (USAF LT COL, Ret.) and I to assist aboard and off two gentlemen Know what you mean... Edited October 18, 2018 by Erwin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Erwin, It was my honor and privilege many moons ago to meet and shake the hand of the renowned Ensign George Gay at the Chino Air Show. Wish I'd had a book or something to write on so I could've gotten an autograph. If you or others don't recognize the name, he was the sole survivor of the USS Hornet's famed Torpedo Squadron 8 (Torpedo 8 or VT 8) at the Battle of Midway. Japanese CAP came down and annihilated the brave unit, which pressed home its attack runs despite fighters and flak, but that cleared the sky for the SBDs (Dauntless) to pulverize the Japanese aircraft carriers and kill Japanese plans to take the strategic island.http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2017/05/25/ensign-george-h-gays-fateful-day-june-4-1942/ Regards, John Kettler P.S. Sorry for my garbled post preceding this one! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 1 hour ago, John Kettler said: Wish I'd had a book or something to write on so I could've gotten an autograph I met Chuck Yeager, who first broke the sound barrier and got a signed copy of The Right Stuff book. He's now 95 and still around! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Jack Ripper Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 On 10/18/2018 at 6:33 PM, Erwin said: I met Chuck Yeager, who first broke the sound barrier and got a signed copy of The Right Stuff book. He's now 95 and still around! The very first book report I did in school was about him. No one else in my class had any idea who he was. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Jack Ripper Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Something to do on vacation--provided you fit. Procrustes won't be there to help that happen. https://www.facebook.com/taigh.ramey/videos/10156768814702640/ Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 (edited) If you thought your ride was hard to handle! That's from a 160 year old Chinese print. Regards, John Kettler Edited October 25, 2018 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Is this a reliable test that you have ingested one or more hallucinogenic substances? Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 (edited) Wish the imagery were crisper, but this will still blow you away! Regards, John Kettler Edited October 27, 2018 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 The above wasn't the video I wanted, and it looked gone when I last checked, but as now risen from the Delete! Naturally, the one I did want somehow became available in the space of a few minutes. Moving on. Have to look into this, but if it's true... Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Here's the video I wanted you to see. Miss the F-14, both generally but because I worked on cruise missile defense analysis using the Phoenix missile in various flavors. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 I too miss the F-14. I very much doubt that the Navy currently possesses anything as capable for fleet defense. And the F/A-18 is a nice light fighter bomber, but I suspect that there are going to be moments when we really miss the load carrying ability of the A-6. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 (edited) Michael Emrys, unless there've been some radical improvements in US air-to-air missile range, I simply don't see how even Super Hornets can do what the F-14 could, what with a STT (Single Target Track) kill at 110 n.mi. and 6 simultaneous kills at 80 n.mi. Not sure what the Super Hornet can do as a bomb truck, but the Hornet sucked vs A-6 on range AND payload. Not by a little, either. Major! Regarding the F-14, though, I'd note that as of the early 1980s, it's availability was only 60%, which is why our CVBG (carrier battle groups) always had two carriers, one of which did nothing but FAD (Fleet Air Defense), while the other flew strike sorties. Not sure what the A-6's numbers were but had to be a lot better, given much less complexity. Today's contribution is surreal and comes from a FB group which buys, sells and swaps historical wargame figures. The BG is probably the LAST one I'd use to sell soldier figures, never mind fanatical Janissaries. Also, I checked the veracity of the prisoners debate team beating Harvard's. Not only did it happen, but the prisoner team had previously beaten West Point's, too. Quite the story. Regards, John Kettler Edited October 28, 2018 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 I understand the attraction of a jack-of-all-trades Swiss Army knife aircraft when budgets are tight, and so far it has worked out well against regimes whose forces are not nearly as large or as competent as our own, but I am not sanguine about our prospects against somebody our own size and mastery. In the F-14, F-15, and to a slightly lesser degree the F-16, we had fighters that were as good as or better than anything else in their class in the world. But that was 30-40 years ago and much has changed since then. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Today's entry looks like a fantasy and is called the Golden Bridge. It's in Vietnam. Regards, John Kettler 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Is that a real thing or is it an image skillfully cooked up in PhotoShop? Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 3 hours ago, John Kettler said: Today's entry looks like a fantasy and is called the Golden Bridge. It's in Vietnam. Regards, John Kettler Cool find. +1 53 minutes ago, Michael Emrys said: Is that a real thing or is it an image skillfully cooked up in PhotoShop? I thought it must be Photoshop and looked it up. From Wikipedia: The Golden Bridge (Vietnamese: Cầu Vàng) is a 150-metre (490 ft) long pedestrian bridge in the Bà Nà Hills resort, near Da Nang, Vietnam.[1][2] It is designed to connect the cable car station with the gardens (avoiding a steep incline)[3] and to provide a scenic overlook and tourist attraction. The bridge loops nearly back around to itself, and has two giant stone hands designed to appear to support the structure. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Interesting. I wonder if they were sculpted in situ or somewhere else and installed on location. Judging by the moss and lichen, it looks like it's been around a while. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Want a lasting relationship? Try theirs. The lovers of Valdaro. They were found in a tomb in San Giorgio near Mantua, Italy. Still together after 6000 years. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 The grave's a fine and private place But none do there I think embrace —Edna St. Vincent Millay? Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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