Jul 30
adminBlog Articles
Dear Valued Customer,
Warplanes.com is proud to introduce this new line of products!
As someone who has recently purchased a model or inquired from our online store, you might be interested in the new Royal Air Force model aircrafts that we’re introducing.
Hurry! We only have a few stocks, so get them while they’re still available! Log in to your Warplanes account or sign up today.
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C17A Globemaster, RAF
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Harrier GR 7, RAF
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Hawk T1/1A, RAF
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Tornado GR 4, RAF
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Tristar, RAF
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Beech King Air B200, RAF
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Firefly T67 M260, RAF
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Dominie T-1, RAF
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E-3D Sentry AEW1, RAF
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Nimrod MR2, RAF
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Tucano T1, RAF
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Tutor T Mk1, RAF
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VC 10, RAF
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Nimrod R1, RAF
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Jul 30
JulesBlog Articles
Thousands of people looked at a 16-year-old boy who invented a 250-pound piano-sized contraption jet pack, rather than the usual strap on.
Glenn Martin, donning a helmet, fastened himself to a prototype Martin jet pack and rewed the engine, which sounded like a motorcycle. Martin eased about three feet off the ground, with the engine roaring loudly. The jet pack was prevented by two spotters from drifting in a mild wind, hovering for 45 seconds and then set the device down as the audience applauded.
The Martin jet pack could fly an average-sized pilot about 30 miles in 30 minutes on a full 5-gallon tank of gas. The jet pack was unveiled on Tuesday at AirVenture Oshkosh 2008, the annual convention of the Experimental Aircraft Association in east-central Wisconsin.
Federal regulations limit the use of such devices and its unclear whether people will spend $100,000 for a jet pack whose capabilities have been demonstrated on paper but not in the air. The Martin jet pack, weighing only less than 254 pounds and carries only one passenger. Although the FAA could always change its mind, the ultralight designation means riders won’t need a pilot’s license. According to FAA regulations, don’t expect to see commuters rushing to work by air instead of land, ultralights can’t be operated over congested areas but are used exclusively for sport or recreational purpose.
Martin’s white jet pack with black trim stands on a brick-sized base with two legs sprawled behind. The pilot steps backward into the straps of a shoulder harness, his shoulder blades resting against two upward-facing fans, providing the thrust. There’s an emergency parachute that’s effective above about 400 feet and an impact-absorbing undercarriage that can lessen the impact of a rough landing or short fall.
During World War II, German scientists experimented with jet pack technology to help soldiers avoid mines. Then, Bell Labs’ scientists produced a version that ran on hydrogen peroxide and provided a few seconds of lift. Later, a California company spent six years and millions of the military’s dollars on the 8-foot-tall SoloTrek Exo-Skeletor Flying Vehicle, but the test flight in 2002 was disappointing, when it hovered a few feet off the ground for 19 seconds. Two other companies are trying to sell jet packs now. No other major companies have been reported producing jet packs.
Jul 29
AurusBlog Articles
Emirates has decided to offer its premium passengers the chance to refresh themselves some 30,000 feet in the air while onboard the airline’s Airbus A380 aircraft.
Fourteen people in the first class cabin will have access to the two showers during the trip. The passengers will book their 25-minute slots, which will include five minutes in the shower itself and some extra time to dry themselves off and get dressed again. A dial in the cubicle itself will allow them to keep track of time. In between each passenger, an onboard janitor will clean the facility for the next customer.
Emirates is the second airline to take delivery of the A380, having ordered 58 of the giant aircraft.
The A380 is capable of handling 525 passengers, and Airbus claims that it is more fuel efficient than its rivals.
Jul 27
Marianne
Australian investigators began examining a Qantas jumbo jet which had to make an emergency landing after a large hole opened on its fuselage on Saturday.
The Boeing 747-400 was cruising at 29,000 feet with 346 passengers Friday when it was shaken by an explosive bang. The plane descended rapidly before landing safely minutes later at the Manila airport. There were no injuries among the passengers and crew, but some of the passengers suffered nausea.
Passengers of Flight QF 30, enroute to Melbourne from London, had just been served meal after a stopover in Hong Kong when they heard a loud bang. After disembarking, they saw a gaping 9-foot wide hole at the joint where the front of the right wing attaches to the plane. Luggage from the cargo hold strained against the webbing used to keep it from shifting during a flight.
The passengers boarded another Qantas plane to Melbourne before midnight Friday.
Investigators failed to determine the cause of the hole; however, evidence shows that terrorism is not linked to the incident.
Jul 25
NinaBlog Articles
The U.S Air Force has concluded that all six crew members aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed off Guam were killed.
“Two bodies of the six crew have been found and the other four remained missing.” reported by the Air Force. “Losing this bomber crew has been a tragedy felt by everyone here and across the Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Doug Owens, commander of the 36th Wing.
The six crew members were identified as Maj. Christopher M. Cooper, 33, aircraft commander; Maj. Brent D. Williams, 37, navigator; Capt. Michael K. Dodson, 31, co-pilot; 1st Lt. Joshua D. Shepherd, 25, navigator; 1st Lt. Robert D. Gerren, 32, electronic warfare officer; and Col. George Martin, 51, flight surgeon, who also was the deputy commander of 36th Medical Group at Andersen Air Force Base.
The bodies of Cooper and Williams were recovered, the Air Force said.
The accident is the second for the US Air Force this year on Guam. In February, a B-2 crashed at Andersen Air Force Base in the first- ever loss of a stealth bomber. The military estimated the loss of the aircraft at 1.4 billion dollars.
Jul 23
AurusBlog Articles
First jet powered aircraft to fly
The Heinkel He 178, on August 27, 1939. Powered by a Heinkel He S 3B engine, the flight lasted six minutes.
First twin engined jet to fly
The Heinkel He 280, on March 30, 1941. Powered by two Heinkel He S 8′s, the flight lasted only three minutes due to concerns of the engines possibly overheating.
First four engined jet to fly
The Arado AR 234C, in April 1944. The aircraft was powered by four BMW 003 jet engines.
First six engined jet aircraft to fly
The Junkers EF 131, around late 1946. Each forward swept wing had a large pod, each containing three Jumo 004C engines.
First aircraft to have variable sweep wings
The Messerschmitt Me P1101, though it never flew as its construction was brought to a halt when World War II ended. The wings could not be moved in flight, only on the ground.
First flight across the Pacific Ocean
Accomplished by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, from Oakland, California, to Brisbane, Australia, in 1928.
First around-the-world passenger service by an airline
Started by Qantas in 1958.
First jet engine to ever run
The hydrogen fueled Heineken He S 2, created by Professor Ernst Heinkel, in March 1937.
Jul 21
Jules
Rescue crews searched a vast area off the island of Guam for crew members of an Air Force B-52 Bomber last July 21, 2008.
The Coast Guard said there were at least two people recovered from the waters, but their condition was not immediately available. The search involves six vessels, three helicopters, two F-15 fighter jets and a B-52 Bomber were involved in the search, covering about 70 square miles of ocean.
The B-52 Bomber based at Barksdale Air Force in Louisiana was en route to conduct a flyover in a parade when it crashed around 9:45 a.m. Monday about 30 miles northwest of Apra Harbor.
The Liberation Day parade celebrates the day when the U.S. military arrived on Guam to retake control of the island from Japan.
The accident will be further investigated by the Air Force board of officers. The accident was the second for the Air Force this year on Guam, a U.S. territory 3,700 miles southeast of Hawaii.
Jul 20
MarianneBlog Articles
The new “anti-terrorism manual” is the latest in a string of warnings issued by an increasingly jittery Chinese government in the run-up to the Aug. 8-24 Olympics. In addition to worries over foreign terrorist plots, Beijing is also concerned about political protests from domestic critics.
China has already installed checkpoints on roads and subway stations around the capital, as well as areas which border Hebei province. Chinese authorities will close Beijing’s airport for about five hours during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, affecting dozens of flights, local media and airlines.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said it would postpone one flight after receiving word that the airport would be closed during the ceremony. Cathay Pacific said they were informed that Beijing Capital International Airport would be close from 7 pm to midnight on August 8. Air China said the airline had also received a notice that the airport would be closed.
Authorities have also cracked down on bars and performers. A warning for entertainers was reissued Thursday cautioning against acts that could tarnish the country’s cultivated image of order and control.
Jul 17
NinaBlog Articles
1. ) Generally speaking, there was no such thing as an average fighter pilot during WWII. You were either an ace or a target. For instance, Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa shot down over 80 planes. He died while a passenger on a cargo plane.
2.) The first German serviceman killed in World War II was killed by the Japanese (China, 1937), the first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland 1940), the highest-ranking American killed was Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, killed by the U.S. Army Air Corps – so much for allies.
3.) German Me-264 bombers were capable of bombing New York City but it wasn’t worth the effort.
4.) The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old Calvin Graham, USN. He was wounded and given a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age. (His benefits were later restored by act of Congress.
5.) More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps. While completing the required 30 missions your chance of being killed was 71%.
6.) The German submarine U-120 was sunk by a malfunctioning toilet.
Wanna know more? Visit this compilation of WWII facts and trivias.
Jul 15
admin
Airline industry is facing critical situation due to high fuel prices and remedies such as layoffs, grounding of planes and 21 price increase may not be sufficient enough.
Airlines had several attempts to cut costs by reducing capacity, downsizing and hiking fares and fees, but cash flow is seemingly futile. United Airlines, Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines only emerged from bankruptcy protection since June 2007, as stated in reports the current situation could get worse than the industry’s last financial crisis. Some analysts agreed that the airlines’ present dilemma is incomparable to the previous industry struggles.
Recent bankruptcies in the industry were limited to small carriers like Aloha Airlines, ATA and Skybus which have insufficient capital to cover losses from fuel costs. American Airlines and Continental were reported and listed to be stable.
However, analysts are still uncertain if the bankruptcy is imminent and as a result, continuous cutbacks and grounding of planes are definitely expected. American Airlines announced on July 15, 2008, Tuesday that they will be cutting 200 pilot jobs to cope with higher costs for jet fuel. Midwest Airlines announced on July 14, 2008, Monday it will cut 1,200 jobs or 40% of staff and will be grounding 12 planes by this fall.
Fuel price was burdensome to airlines, both in business operations and its customers. In 2008, analysts expect the airlines will cut capacity by 9%, while continuing to hike fees and cut staff.
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