Oct 18
We mourn the loss of our good friend David Lee “Tex” Hill on October 11th, 2007. We extend our condolences to his wife Mazie and his family & friends. He will be missed.
The following are the aircraft models signed by Tex Hill:
Oct 16
LH7-1075 Cessna T-50 Bobcat “Albence”
This week we turn the spotlight on a custom-made model of the Cessna T-50 Bobcat “Songbird”. Mr. Joe, a model aircraft builder, was amazed after receiving the customized model of the said aircraft. He actually sent us a testimonial saying,
“I received the Songbird on Monday…in a word…FANTASTIC!!! That’s coming from a guy who builds flying models for a living. Maybe you should add it to the website custom model examples? Thanks for all your help and best regards!”
Your wish is our command, Sir Joe! Here at TMC Pacific Modelworks, we’re more than happy to oblige our customers’ requests. Do you have a made-to-order replica that you’d like to share as well? Please let us know! You might see your custom model in this spot next time.
Learn more about the Custom Models we offer, order yours today!
Oct 16
Last October 11, a Navy F/A-18A+ Hornet crashed off the coast of Virginia during a routine training operation.
The pilot successfully ejected and was recovered a short time later by a Coast Guard helicopter. He has been taken to a local hospital for evaluation of his injuries which are not believed to be serious.
The pilot’s name has not been released.
The aircraft was assigned to the “Golden Warriors” of Strike Fighter Squadron 87 based at NAS Oceana. The crash happened shortly after 4:00 p.m. about 70 miles off the Virginia coast.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Oct 16
A maintainer marshals a returning Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle
at a base in Southwest Asia. Strike Eagles were part of the
39 close-air-support missions flown for
Operation Enduring Freedom Oct. 12. (U.S. Air Force photo)
During Oct.12 operations, Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials.
In Afghanistan, an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle targeted an enemy firing position in Asadabad with a guided bomb unit-12. The on-scene joint terminal attack controller confirmed the target was destroyed.
During the same mission, an F-15E conducted an air strike with a GBU-12 on enemy combatants in a cave near Asadabad. The JTAC declared the mission was successful.
An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II performed a show of force to prevent enemy activities in Shkin. The JTAC confirmed the mission was successful.
In Babowkheyl, A-10s used flares while conducting shows of force to deter enemy activities. The JTAC declared the desired affect was achieved.
In total, 39 close-air-support missions were flown in support of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols. Seven Air Force and Royal Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Afghanistan. In Iraq, a Navy F-18 Hornet conducted a show of force with the use of flared to deter disturbances in Baghdad. The JTAC confirmed the desired affect was achieved.
In total, coalition aircraft flew 60 close-air-support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions supported coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided over watch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.
Twenty Air Force and Navy ISR aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. Additionally, five Navy and RAF aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and C-17 Globemaster IIIs provided intra-theater heavy airlift support, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa. Some 146 airlift sorties were flown, 405 tons of cargos were delivered and 2,664 passengers were transported. Airlift included approximately 50,640 pounds of troop re-supply air-dropped in Afghanistan. Coalition C-130 crews from Japan, Australia and Iraq flew in support of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Last Oct. 11, Air Force, French and RAF tankers flew 48 sorties and off-loaded approximately 2.9 million pounds of fuel to 235 receiving aircraft
Oct 16
On October 14, 1947, the first manned supersonic flight took place. General (then Captain) Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager flew the Bell X-1, christened “Glamorous Glennis” after his wife, past the speed of sound. The plane was launched from the belly of a specially modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress and reached a speed of 700 miles per hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 13,000 meters. Consequently, the National Aeronautic Association awarded the prestigious Collier Trophy for the year 1947 to the three main participants in the program. Lawrence Dale “Larry” Bell of Bell Aircraft, John Stack of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and General Yeager were honored by President Harry S. Truman at the White House.
The Bell X-1,, originally designated XS-1, was the result of a cooperative program initiated in 1944 by NACA and the US Army Air Forces. On March 16, 1945, Bell Aircraft Corporation was awarded a contract to develop three transonic and supersonic research aircraft, and the company built three rocket-powered XS-1s. The XS-1 was the first high-speed aircraft built purely for aviation research purposes and was never intended for production. It was also the first of the X-planes, a series of experimental US aircraft used for testing of new technologies and usually kept highly secret during development.
Oct 16
Capt. Bruce Boynton, commanding officer of hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) and the oldest crew member, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, and Fire Controlman Seaman Christian Demarzio, the youngest crew member, celebrate the Navy’s 232nd birthday with a traditional cake-cutting ceremony on the ship’s mess deck on October 12. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Karsten.
On the eve of its 232nd birthday, the United States Navy launched a new website which will better serve its sailors, their families and the public. Navy.mil offers a variety of new multimedia capabilities, allowing visitors to browse through content more easily. One noticeable change is the new site design, which is now focused on rich media content instead of electronic print media. The media port logo button gives instant access to all Naval Media Center products, which include All Hands Radio, All Hands Television, Daily News Update, Podcasts, Photo Gallery, Every Day in the Navy and All Hands Magazine.
“Our goal in this redesign is to provide the US.Navy and its public the type of site they’ll not only like but use regularly as a source of reliable information,” said William Spencer, the Interactive Media Program Manager for Navy.mil. “The feedback we’ve received in beta testing has been extremely positive and people think the site’s high-speed, cutting-edge look and feel better reflects our high-tech Navy.”
The Navy turned 232 on October 13, 2007. Birthday messages from the Honorable Donald C. Winter, Secretary of the Navy and Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations can be viewed at the following links:
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=32524
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=32488
See the Navy’s new website at http://www.navy.mil.
Oct 11
2Lt William A. “Billy” Duke’s crew joined the 754th Squadron just a few days before Christmas 1944. After a brief period of indoctrination, the crew began flying combat missions. Squadron records do not indicate how many missions Duke’s crew had flown prior to the February 22, 1945 mission to the Peine and Hildesheim marshalling yards. Nothing could have prepared them for what they were to face that day.
Read more on this compelling story at http://www.458bg.com/crewli41duke.htm as it tells the story of the crew and the demise of my great uncle Baldamore Garcia. It has been a pleasure finding out more, and meeting Richard Eselgroth II was a pleasant surprise. View my photo blog here: http://www.nordingarcia.com/jason/ironduke.
Also, it has been a pleasure working at TMC Pacific Modelworks as their Graphic Designer/Art Director.
Oct 01
A weapon systems video still photograph shows
the airstrike that occurred on September 25, 2007.
On September 25, a US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped precision munitions near Al Nussayyib, Iraq, killing three terrorists. Abu Nasr al-Tunisi and two other al-Qaida Iraq operatives were killed when two laser-guided 500-lb joint direct attack munition guided bomb unit-12 bombs fell on the terrorist safe house they were meeting in.
“Airpower is crucial to setting the conditions for stability in Iraq,” said Lieutenant General Gary L. North, commander of the Combined Air Forces component. “Airpower overhead provides capability to the fight with precision targeting, which was used on (September 25, 2007) to ensure these individuals could no longer target innocent Iraqi citizens.”
Coalition Air Forces provide close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, theater airlift, air-to-air refueling and aeromedical evacuation, all of which are crucial for the joint force commanders, joint and combined forces, and the forces of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force operations.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon, first produced in 1976, was designed as a lightweight fighter but has evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven its worth in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack in various missions. The USAF plans to retain it until 2025.
Oct 01
Space capsules are often manned spacecraft with a simple shape and without any wings or other features to create lift during atmospheric re-entry. They have been used in most manned space programs to date, including Gemini 4, Apollo 16 and Mercury 7.
Gemini 4 was a manned space flight in NASA’s Gemini program in June 1965, crewed by James McDivitt and Edward White. It was the second manned Gemini flight, the tenth manned American flight and the eighteenth spaceflight of all time. It was the first multi-day space flight by the United States, intended to show that it was possible for humans to remain in space for the length of time required to fly the moon and back. The four-day, 62-orbit mission also aimed to rendezvous and fly in formation with the spent second stage of its Titan II booster rocket. It also saw the first ever American extra-vehicular activity or space walk. Gemini 4 set a record for flight duration and eased fears about the medical consequences of longer missions. The Gemini 4 capsule is currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum, located at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fifth mission to land on the moon. It was launched on April 16, 1972. The crew members were commander John W. Young, command module pilot Ken Mattingly, and lunar module pilot Charles Duke. On their way to the moon, the astronauts took several photos of Earth. Apollo 16 was only one of the six Apollo landings to target the lunar highlands. The astronauts discovered that what was thought to have been a region of volcanism was actually full of impact-formed rocks, or breccias. A total of 94.7 kg of lunar samples was brought back to Earth, including an 11.7 kg chunk that was the largest single rock. The Apollo 16 astronauts also conducted performance tests with a lunar rover, and even set a lunar speed record of 11 miles per hour. Charles Duke left a plastic-encased photo portrait of his family on the moon.
Mercury 7 was a manned space mission launched on May 24, 1962. The capsule was named Aurora 7 and made three earth orbits with Scott Carpenter as pilot. The focus of the five-hour mission was on science. Equipment included in the spacecraft provided valuable scientific information, notably that regarding liquid behavior in a weightless state, identification of the airglow layer observed during an earlier flight, and photography of terrestrial features and meteorological phenomena. The flight further qualified the Mercury spacecraft systems for manned orbital operations and provided evidence for progressing into missions of extended duration and consequently more demanding systems requirements.
Space fanatics can now avail of high quality replicas of the Gemini 4, Apollo 16 and Mercury 7 capsules. And from mid to late October 2007 only, we are also offering signed versions, personally autographed by an astronaut from each mission. The Gemini 4 capsule will be signed by James McDivitt, the Apollo 16 capsule by Charles Duke, and the Mercury 7 capsule by Scott Carpenter. The signed replicas will include specialized packaging, a museum quality case, a signature plate, a certificate of authenticity and a portfolio about the item. Save $219.90 by getting all three limited edition signed capsules for $1,199.95 instead of $1,419.85!
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