David Hingtgen

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3aabcd011c-bc5d-4b32-a87b-3f60b4e42e8c&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

Making something lighter and cheaper are opposite ends of the spectrum. Same with making massive modifications (wings). The F-14's spin characteristics are so bad that if it was proposed to the Navy now, it'd be refused as aerodynamically unsafe. Also, FSW is pointless on the Tomcat's design. It is mainly only of benefit at high-alpha and low speeds, and a Tomcat can't even achieve Hornet levels of alpha to make use of FSW and the design is optimized for high-speeds, much like an F-15. It is an interceptor, not a dog fighter. A FSW Hornet would actually be interesting/useful. The Tomcat's main expense is maintenance. Everything is complicated and hard to fix by modern standards. That is the #1 reason for retiring it above all else. It was an EXCELLENT striker and CAS plane, the Super Hornet still cannot match it in that area for range/payload (though it can carry a wider range of weapons). If you want to make the Tomcat cheaper, you need to totally re-skin it with easier/quicker access panels, and make the hydraulics and electrical systems a lot more reliable and easy to fix. PS---no one has made a forward-swept wing plane yet for actual mass production. That's because it's little more than an interesting experiment, not a useful improvement. Sure it looks cool, but nobody's done anything more than test it. It improves control at very high alpha, little more.

There's about a billion things that'll make tapwater unsafe for kids under 1 to drinnk. In Iowa it's almost a monthly occurence. (nitrates, ground water, radon, decaying leaves, etc). Also, "legal limit" and "unsafe" can be very different. And of course, there's always stuff where it can be unsafe but still legal. (look at all the outcry about flouride added to water). Really, milk is the only thing I would be concerned about---just due to how well it absorbs radiation, how much kids drink, and practically deposits it straight into the skeleton. I would have flat-out banned all milk in the area immediately, period. I'm just waiting for the yen to drop a bit more against the dollar before I order some stuff from Japan...

Libya plane news: Canada and Denmark have now engaged in actual combat (as opposed to just patrol/escort). Italy's Harriers on the Garibaldi in the area, but not deployed. Naval Rafales now operating from the De Gaulle but I don't know if they've actually bombed yet. Sweden's Gripens on standby and are "requested" by Nato, but Sweden won't deploy until it's confirmed who will be leading the coalition and the order of battle after the US stands down from the lead next week. Turkey has committed Naval forces but still adamantly opposed to air operations. Also, Libya has SA-24 SAMs guarding Tripoli. This is more advanced than most anything else out there and Libya's not supposed to have them. Basically a bad-ass version of the Stinger with a 20,000ft envelope.

Yeah, but people don't eat granite. (nor marble, which is almost as bad IIRC) I think a match-head is also notably radioactive, due to the phosphorous.

Remember, most all bananas will set off the meter. Brazil nuts and cocoa too, in large amounts. And of course, due to having a calcium-based skeleton, people are slightly radioactive too. (but unless you eat some really weird stuff you're not going to set off the meter)

Extreme wingflex is nothing new, but the 787 even has inverse tailplane flex, check it out: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5025/5545405303_4ae0c4c488_o.jpg

He certainly has a decent number of Su-24's as well. I'd heard that he'd moved his planes to the south, so they're out of range of the no-fly-zone so they can't be bombed on the ground.

Seems there was an air-to-air shootdown just recently, no word on which type it was on either side. The Pro-Gadhaffi plane lost. Nice photos of actual planes/loads being used--Rafales, Typhoons, Falcons, Tornados: http://noticias.uol.....jhtm#fotoNav=1 The F-15 that crashed was 91-304: http://www.planes.cz/cs/photo/1010611/f-15e-51-mc-91-0304-usaf-ostrava-osr-lkmt/

Or Iowa, land of radon. (we're best known for pigs and corn, because we tend not to advertise the radioactive soil part...)

Really? I've tried various methods for years---could on every other site, but never here.

Sweden says they have Gripens on standby, but the nation itself hasn't committed yet. It'd be neat to see the Gripen's combat debut. (of course, Hungary or Czech Republic could send theirs...)

Huh, it didn't use to---you couldn't embed them at all in fact, no matter what method you tried.

Just FYI, but excess iodine can be as bad as radioactive iodine. Depending on one's age, it can be pretty iffy as to what's the greater danger. Don't take iodine willy-nilly. Kind of like injecting atropine into your heart---you really shouldn't unless you have to, not just because "well it could maybe prevent something". Anyways---neat animation of Japan's GPS receivers moving. Left/blue is horizontal displacement, right/red is vertical. Note how many don't go back to their previous locations, and how it ripples throughout the entire island chain. Around the 27 sec mark you can also notice a large aftershock.

Seconded--I've always liked the very unique cross-section of the Rafale. It's not a simple tube or box like so many planes---it's a complicated yet geometric shape, like the YF-23. YF-23 is all hexagons, the Rafale is like a concave diamond.

Boom. Finally found a pic of a Rafale that was actually armed for ground attack:

Yeah, but some people hate ANY spoilers. I don't consider myself "spoiled" but in the interest of preserving it for others, I got rid of them.

I just deleted the pics, as I have yet to discover how to spoiler-tag-edit an embedded pic in the newest forum upgrade.

Should be an L67 3800 Series II--my last car had one. The power steering cap is much lower than you'd think based on the diagram. It is way low and near the firewall. And almost directly under some hoses that you'll probably have to push aside a bit to actually unscrew it. It's basically mounted on the side of the engine, with a lot of stuff on top of it hiding it. It's not "on top" like the radiator or oil cap. PS---watch for the A/C drain tube, a little right-angle rubber thingy, shaped like a faucet tap. It'll be in a similar area but actually mounted to the firewall. If it should pop off, pop it back on. And I'd highly recommend cleaning any gunk out of it regardless, odds are good you'll find white stuff partly clogging the tip. PPS---ever changed the supercharger oil? That's highly neglected by a lot of people, but easy to do. And do NOT over-tighten the cap. (and don't let the dealer check it either---they always overtighten it, to the point of destroying the threads/cap)

It was never just a no-fly-zone. It has been 'everything and anything short of ground forces' since the resolution was passed. That means tank-plinking and Wild Weasel missions a-plenty. US has yet to put a combat plane in the air, just cruise missile strikes and support planes.

Dutch and Danish jets have arrived in Italy.

Just FYI, but the UK is calling this Operation Ellamy, the US calls it Operation Odyssey Dawn.

Rafales are in Libya and striking tanks. Mirage 2000's also there. While there has been no air-to-air combat AFAIK, there is a MiG-23 down and a MiG-21 down. Certainly at least one of them is a rebel plane lost due to friendly fire from the rebels, but too much conflicting info to be sure. Recent surprising pic (given their stated stance) is Italian Tornados being loaded up with live HARMs. Canada's F-18s are in Scotland and getting ready to head to Sicily. RAF Tornados just left Scotland. Haven't heard anything on Spain's F-18s lately. Dutch/Belgian/Norwegian F-16s committed but no movement I've heard of. Heard a report of US F-15's leaving the UK, but nothing for the Navy.

Malta has said no to staging, only fly-over rights. Italy has opened their bases, but no actual forces committed AFAIK.

Well, everything's basically "on hold" at the moment. France still the vanguard though, ready and waiting.