2008 March | Modelworks Online Community

Mar

24

Air Force’s Aircraft Uses Synthetic Fuel

Posted (Jules) in , on March-24-2008

Air Force officials plan to use synthetic fuel blends by 2011 which is made up of 50/50 blend of synthetic and petroleum gases.

The Air Force program aims to help the environment and to use a fuel produced domestically. Air Force officials are still in the process of evaluating and certifying the alternative fuel derived from natural gas using the Fischer-Tropsch process and it will be enforced for use on every Air Force aircraft. Air Force officials have previously tested the fuel blend in the B-52 Stratofortress and the C-17 Globemaster III, which were one of the first aircraft to use the synthetic fuel. A B-1B Lancer from the 9^th Bomb Squadron became the first Air Force aircraft to fly at supersonic speed using an alternate fuel which flew over Texas and New Mexico on March 19, 2008.

The Air Force is the single largest user of aviation fuel, with an estimated use of 3 billion gallons per year. Synthetic fuel created using the FT process costs an estimated $30 to $50 less per barrel than its petroleum counterpart. Alternative fuels can be produced from domestically available hydrocarbon products like natural gas, coal and shale and then gasified and converted into any number of liquid fuel products. The use of synthetic fuel is not only cost efficient and that, this innovative domestically-produced fuel will also help alleviate our dependence on foreign energy sources. These alternative fuels also burn cleaner which reduces combustion-related emissions and particulates in the air, without compromising performance.

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Mar

24

Top 10 War Planes of All Time

Posted (Marianne) in on March-24-2008

The world wars are one of the reasons why fighter planes and war planes were built and here’s a list of undefeated fighter aircrafts of all time.

10. Fokker D. VII Biplane – Best German aircraft of the First World War.

9. Mitsubishi Zero – Japan’s long-range fighter. Became the cornerstone of Japan’s “kamikaze” squadrons.

8. Messerschmitt Bf109 – The German-made aircraft that became the Royal Air Force’s dreadful foe during the Second World War.

7. Supermarine Spitfire – Best known for its iconic status as the plane that won the Second World War and in the Battle of Britain.

6. North American P-51D Mustang – Entered the World War scene later but American pilots registered more kills than they did with any other aircraft in the Second World War.

5. North American F-86 Sabre – Though production began after the Second World War, it was just in time for the Korean War.

4. Mikoyan MiG-21 – The MiG-21 is the definitive symbol of Communism and the Cold War.

3. Boeing F-18 Hornet – Variants of the popular all-purpose jets have been patronized by the US Navy and the US Marine Corps since the early 80s and saw action in the First Gulf War and in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2. Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber – The technology has been used for high-value target missions during the recent Middle Eastern wars.

1. UCAV – The soon to be used military aircraft by the US forces.

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Mar

18

The Best Paper Airplane

Posted (Aurus) in on March-18-2008

Take out a crisp sheet of paper and start learning how to build the best paper airplane in the world!

Written instructions and flying tips can be found here.

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Mar

17

Mystery Ship from WW II Found after 66 Years

Posted (Jules) in on March-17-2008

The wreckage of HMAS Sydney that sank with all 645 men aboard in a fierce World War II battle was discovered 66 years after it sank on November 19, 1941, after a grueling battle with the German vessel DKM Kormoran in the worst naval disaster in Australia’s history.

All 645 sailors aboard the Sydney were lost and its final resting place remained elusive until sonar technology advanced enough to scour waters more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) deep. The Kormoran also sank but 317 of its member crew survived and rowed lifeboats to the Australian coast, being held prisoners.

Australians were long been unconvinced that the Sydney could have been lost to the German auxiliary cruiser and for years, various theories have emerged such as a Japanese submarine was the real culprit why the Sydney sank or that the Kormoran’s crew machine-gunned Australian survivors.

In a news conference, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Shalders with PrimeMinister Kevin Rudd stated:

“For 66 years, this nation has wondered where the
Sydney was and what occurred to her. We’ve uncovered the first part of that mystery…the next part of the mystery, of course is what happened.”

Request to find the Sydney had raved intensity in recent years as siblings and widows of crew members have pleaded for answers before they die. The search began two weeks ago and is headed by U.S. shipwreck hunter David Mearns.

Headlines have speculated the Sydney approached the German raider, which had been disguised as a Dutch merchant ship before the battle, thinking it had surrendered and that the Kormoran then opened fire with the first devastating salvo of the battle. The German survivors denied this, saying they dropped their disguise and hoisted the German ensign before firing on the Sydney.

Many opposed the accounts given by the German survivors of the battle, which are the only witnesses. The Sydney’s radio remained silent throughout the brief and ferocious battle. Australian newspapers have published accusations the German crew massacred
Sydney survivors with machine-gun fire. The Germans who survived steadfastly denied such accusations, which were never supported by evidence. The Germans said they were in life rafts when they last saw the blazing Sydney proceeded with difficulty over the horizon toward Perth, lighting the night sky as it burned from bow to stern.

There’s another popular theory that the Sydney was sunk by a Japanese submarine a month before Japan officially entered the war by attacking the US Navy at
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Though, there was no evidence found to support this claim.

In 1999, a parliamentary inquiry stated the Korean’s underwater torpedo tubes have been decisive in the Australians’ catastrophic loss and there were sonar images of the
Sydney wreck which supports the theory.

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