Today
Falcon Heavy will launch the X-37B Space Plane later today.
The Boeing X-37, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is a reusable robotic spacecraft. It is boosted into space, re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, and lands as a spaceplane. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office operates the X-37 and the B-21 Raider programs. The X-37 is a 120-percent-scaled derivative of the earlier Boeing X-40. The X-37 began as a NASA project in 1999, before being transferred to the United States Department of Defense in 2004. Until 2019, the program was managed by Air Force Space Command. Then, the US Air Force developed a solid military mission for the spacecraft and “took it back.”
Tom Burghardt speculated in Space Daily that the X-37B could be used as a spy satellite or to deliver weapons from space. The Pentagon subsequently denied claims that the X-37B’s test missions supported the development of space-based weapons. If the Pentagon denies something, you know that they’re telling the truth. The CIA denied participation in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy…that too is good enough for me.
Then
This twin over-wing Lewis mounting, seen on a Nieuport 11, was not popular with many pilots because it came at a cost to performance.
It had an attraction for some. The rear-view mirror became popular after FSL Casey introduced it, but Mulock, the CO, considered it a distraction.
Addressing a Gap
Bullet Points:
** Jupiter needs more stuff! (article here)
** Singapore is located in the South China Sea and has luxurious airports, amazing downtowns, and more. Many people have been saying it’s because Singapore beats its criminals and executes drug traffickers, and who can forget the infamous caning of Michael Fay in the 90s? There’s something to be said about the success of Singapore.
** Life? Or something like it…(from Space.com) When NASA’s Cassini spacecraft turned its instruments to Saturn’s moon Enceladus, it observed plumes of ice shooting up from the moon’s surface at speeds of about 900 miles per hour (1,448 kilometers per hour). These geysers seemed to be the tendrils of a vast subsurface ocean — and made scientists curious if their fluid might carry life signs, organic molecules.
** Gift giving – Made in Russia, recycled in Ukraine…
If you look around, you can buy these Russian tank keychain fobs for about US$10.00. Recycling obviously pays.’
** The Bee – isn’t satire very often. Oh, they try, but it ends up being “the news” in the clown world that we’ve created.
In the face of mounting backlash that resulted from Magill’s evasive and offensive remarks made during congressional testimony, the university hastily commissioned the procuring of the elaborate menorah to smooth things over with angry donors. One such donor, who asked to remain anonymous, was not convinced the school’s new menorah lighting ceremony was sincere. “Yeah, not sure that’s going to be enough,” the donor said. “You can’t just light some fancy candles and expect everyone to forget that they think it’s ok to call for the extermination of Jewish people.”
** Army beat Navy 17 to 11 yesterday. Wearing my Go-Navy t-shirt didn’t do much for their mojo.
In History
When the Mongol horde of Hülegü Khan besieged Baghdad in 1258, Hülegü sent this warning to the Caliph:
“The past is over. Destroy your ramparts, fill in your moats, turn thy kingdom over to your son, and come to us… If you do not heed our advice, get ready. When I lead my troops in wrath against Baghdad, even if you hide in the sky or in the Earth, I shall bring you down. I shall not leave one person alive in your realm, and I shall put your city and country to the torch…”
Caliph al-Musta’sim ignored the warning, and as such, in February 1258, the siege commenced. The city did not hold, contrary to the expectations of the Caliph, and Hülegü Khan’s warning came to be. Baghdad was burned to the ground. Mosques, hospitals, parks, libraries, and schools were destroyed. Millions of parchments, centuries of accumulated knowledge, and records perished. And the people of Baghdad, nobles or commoners, women, children or men, they were put through the sword. This was the end of the Abbasid Caliphate, one of the most powerful states in all of human history up to that time.
Contrary to popular opinion, the Mongols fought as a combined arms force with Mongol light and heavy cavalry with horse archers, Chinese infantry, and siege artillery and engines.
Identify the Aircraft
These should be easy.
1
2
3
Identify the Tank
1
Maybe a little more of a challenge than the aircraft
2
back to easy
3
Identify the Aircraft:
1. British Harrier variant
2. Republic F-105 Thunderchief
3. Lockheed SP-2H Neptune
Identify the Tank:
1. Leopard 1
2. ISU-152
3. TAM
The AI is hard at work.
I enjoy visiting Singapore.
2018 trip I forgot to tick the male or female box on immigration card (no other choices in Singapore).
The customs officer politely mentioned this. I replied that “no one has ever accused me of being female”. (I’m 6’ and 200#). He laughed, I laughed and he said have a good trip. TSA and Australian customs would probably arrest me for the joke.
Great zoo if you have time to visit and one of the exhibits is from my part of Australia.
I was once denied entry to Singapore because I completed the visa application in pencil instead of ink.
Apparently “Checks & Balances” are no longer valid under current DC/CapHill inhabitants as not a one has stepped up screaming that the Dementia Patients pen be taken away. Because of zero pushback by Congress I fear this mode of sending our money and gear to Ukraine with impunity will continue unabated for the next year in order to stretch the corruption bungee so far that even if PDJT somehow manages to escape the evil clutches barrage to keep him from office it may be too late to save America, the bungee will snap before snapping back. (Altho, here is another crack in the Evil Dems failing dam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VdDUBsJ74k)
Hope may not be a strategy…nonetheless I pray for Heavenly Action (smiting works) to end this reign of terror and destruction on America at the hands of elected officials.
Endure to the end, PaulM. That is the strategy. It’s the only one, when you think it through.
Yeah, trying my best…the “fix” may be simple but it isn’t easy. There are a pile of us out here getting seriously impatient for Congress to get their heads out of their collective derrière’s and actually do their jobs, which they seem fully incompetent to grasp.
Apologize for the off-topic comment by me this morning, read that Joe has signed another EO (on top of the fact he has now signed more than 3 Presidents combined), this one gives even more munitions to Ukraine, completely bypassing Congressional oversight. Thought I had read it here…didn’t. This was BC, Before Coffee so I signed an EO giving myself a mulligan.
We are a lawless state. The Ukes may be blackmailing Pedo Joe.
After reading several power of prayer scriptures, I wouldn’t put pray and hope in the same category. On the other hand, we can see a number of examples of what happened to Israel when they turned their back on God – and it wasn’t pretty.
Thanks for that Frank, perfectly said.
and we are following in their exact footsteps. Read Rabbi Cahn’s The Harbinger for details.
I enjoyed his book, however further study appears as if he worked backwards from a forgone premise, fitting Scripture as needed. That said, I appreciate his take.. Suspect or not, it is interesting.
With Mike Johnson as 3rd in line, let the smiting begin.
A real Jack Ryan moment.
1200’s Baghdad burned to the ground with everyone in it & look at it today.
Must be a good location….
The cradle of civilization.
Happened to be working in Singapore when the Michael Faye incident happened. Singaporean natives asked what I thought of the government caning him. Response was that had he been my kid, the Singaporean Gov’t would have been second in whipping his ass.
Fantastic place to work and live, but definitely not inexpensive.
For full disclosure, I grew up when corporal punishment was accepted and performed on children into their teenage years. I still believe it works when applied.
Cletus Valvecore
+1 When I grew up corporal punishment was commonplace in schools through junior high. Teachers demanded, and got, respect. Of course back then most deserved it.
Concur.
I never got the belt unless I damned well deserved it.
– Kle.
“Thank you, sir, may I have another.”
I was hit, but as with you all, I had it coming. There were a lot of times that I had it coming and was not hit.
Commonplace? Ha. In the Shitland Switch sized burg where I endured my formative years, it was more of a competitive sport between those administering the justice and those receiving it.
And, we were, I think, the better for it.
Well, I took one for my brother once, and it was intentional on my part.
Greater love hath no brother than this.
X2 to all of the above.
Dad would say “If you get in trouble with the police doing something stupid, and if they call me to come pick you up, I’ll say to leave you there overnight to learn a lesson and knock some sense into your head.”
A fathers tough love works…but TPTB have worked to undermine the Mom/Dad balance by kicking dads out of their children’s lives, effectively eliminating proper discipline.
TPTB have worked to undermine the Mom/Dad balance by kicking dads out of their children’s lives,
Did I miss the existential civil war for the family after all the wives voted for replacing provider dad with provider government and all the husbands voted against? No, wait, most husbands voted for their economic gelding, too. Nevermind. Who proved to be more NPC, dad or mom? Let’s blame a minority with only 2% of votes!
Falcon Heavy X-37B flight:
Set for 8:14 tonight and while the backyard forecast is only for a 40% chance of rain, cloud cover is forecast to be 95%. I’ll have to try to watch it. It takes surprisingly little cloud cover to turn a rocket launch into not even being a bright spot in the clouds, but Falcon Heavy is a lot more rocket than usual! This frontal passage has been predicted for days, maybe even a week.
Rescheduled for tomorrow at 8:14 PM ET.
So much for accuracy in blogging.
Army vs Navy
Once every decade or so Army has a successful season.
I’d prefer to see Navy win, but I enjoy the game and the enthusiasm. An Army win is still a win for America.
AF RCO has a number of “interesting” things in its portfolio. X-37 and B-21 are only the visible manifestations, and little is known of them or beyond them.
Like the Lockheed Skunk Works, other organizations are trying to replicate the RCO methodology.
Jupiter. Pretty happy it did not accrete more matter. There is only so much “stuff” available and if had turned into a brown dwarf who knows what the planets (and their orbits) would look like.
Singapore. Well corporal punishment anyway. It does have a way of focusing the mind much more efficiently than a “time out” in the corner. Can’t say I did not deserve the swats I got and, like LL, I got off scott free a lot of the time.
F 106 in the header. Great airplane for the time. Way back in the early 70s when I was in tech school the instructor set up a 2×4 so the bomb bay doors would hit it. They were pneumatic and so fast you could not see them operate. Powered up the door and sheared that 2×4 in an eye blink. Made everybody very cautious around the doors when we were training.
It is what it is and where it is as if it had been intentionally put there.
Hmmmm……
X-37 is an interesting bird. Saw it at Wallops a few years ago. Re the Mongols, NOT saying they are wrong, and yes, they did use combined arms VERY effectively!
Navy didn’t get the job done, and they did have a chance at the end… sigh
That P-2 is from VP-7, probably late 1960s, just before they were decommissioned in Jacksonville.
In regards to the ESB, seems akin to both a carrier and a support ship. In the depiction I did not see any defensive ship based weapons on board. How is it to defend itself? Much like a carrier that has a flotilla of destroyers and cruisers and attack subs? Even the Liberty ships of WW2 has some basic weaponry and means of some defense. I can imagine a missile hitting it with 11 million gallons of fuel onboard would make quite a fireworks display. How were they powered? Commercial diesel ship engines with large alternators on them to have that much excess electrical energy available? With that kind of capacity I could other uses for the ship, as a spy platform or even a laser platform. Of course, in a medical evac ship role would power a few full OR suites and all the associated labs, and imaging labs.
I haven’t seen the specs but I expect that there will be a mixture of Sea Sparrows (aka Sea Chickens), Rolling Airframe Missiles, CWIZ, and Mark 36 Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures Chaff and Decoy Launching System (abbreviated as SRBOC or “Super-arboc”). They are a short-range decoy launching system (DLS) that launches radar or infrared decoys from naval vessels to foil incoming anti-ship missiles. There may even be laser defense systems. The Navy is taking the position of more different systems for point defense are better.
They won’t travel alone, and I suspect that there will be submarine escorts to handle subsurface threats since there are only subs and targets in the world.
I like the bugs infographic, but that’s just me.