Astronauts Mike Foreman and Robert L. Satcher, Jr. spent six hours and 37 minutes outside the space shuttle Atlantis, which is docked with the International Space Station. They installed a spare S-band antenna structural assembly to the station’s truss, or backbone, while also replacing a handrail, troubleshooting cable connections and lubricating one of the station’s robotic arms.

This mission was designed to move more than 27,000 pounds of equipment and spare parts to the space station before the space shuttle fleet — NASA’s heavy lifters — are retired.

The equipment being delivered during this mission is considered critical to the operation of the space station, according to NASA. At this point, there are only six flights left for the space shuttle fleet before it’s scheduled to be retired.

The equipment that needs to go up is being delivered in order of highest priority. Since this is the first mission to deliver what scientists hope will turn into a trove of spare parts, they’re taking up the most important pieces.

The parts being delivered include two pump modules, two gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, an ammonia tank assembly and a high-pressure gas tank. Parts going up for the robotic systems onboard the station include a latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm and a trailing umbilical system reel assembly for the railroad cart that allows the arm to move along the station’s truss system.

*** Visit Warplanes.com for more Space Craft and NASA models.

Airmen aboard C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Hickam AFB transported dolphins from the Navy Marine Mammals Program in San Diego, Calif., to Noumea, New Caledonia, Nov. 8 to locate and dispose of more than 200 contact mines that were leftover from World War II.

The active-duty and Reserve C-17 aircrew from Hickam AFB helped deliver the dolphins for Lagoon Minex 2009, a humanitarian project in which U.S. forces along with French, Australian and New Zealand military will work together Nov. 9 to 20 to locate and dispose of the World War II mines.

The dolphins are integral to the exercise because of their biological sonar capabilities. They are used for underwater surveillance and mine detection, location, marking and recovery.

The organizers of the exercise couldn’t afford to transport the animals to New Caledonia. Assistance arrived with the cooperation of a C-17 crew from the 535th Airlift Squadron here and a Reserve C-17 crew from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. Through current projects and training missions, a plan was put into action to get the dolphins moved.

The nine-person crew from Hickam AFB said they were happy to do their part in this worthwhile exercise.

Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., will take the mammals back to San Diego at the end of the exercise.

Dolphins are not the typical cargo for a C-17.

It was the first time a security team aboard a major merchant ship repelled a pirate attack, a top U.S Navy officer said.

The Maersk Alabama came under automatic weapons fire from pirates about 350 nautical miles east of the Somali coast, the European Union’s anti-piracy force said, but fought the attackers off.

No casualties were reported on the ship, but pirates on land in Somalia feared the pirates who attacked the Maersck Alabama may have been killed or wounded, or may have drowned.

Custom Airplane and Helicopter Models are up for grabs for $249.95. Visit Warplanes.com now!

The B-52 Stratofortress has one of the lowest accident rates (less than 1.5 per 100,000 flying hours). The more recent heavy bomber, the Lancer B-1, has a rate of 3.48. Thus the B-52, despite its age, was the cheapest, safest and most reliable way to deliver smart bombs.

New aircraft always have higher accident rates, which is how many hidden (from the design engineers and test pilots) flaws and technical problems. The F-22 Raptor is expected to eventually have an accident rate of 2-3 per 100,000 flight hours. Combat aircraft are becoming more reliable, even as they become more complex. For example, in the early 1950s, the F-89 fighter had 383 accidents per 100,000 flying hours. A decade later, the rate was in the 20s for a new generation of aircraft. At the time, the F-4, which served into the 1990s, had a rate of under 5 per 100,000 hours.

Unmanned aircraft have a much higher rate, which is largely the result of not having a pilot on board. The RQ-1 Predator has an accident rate of about 30 per 100,000 hours. Older model UAVs had much higher rates (up to 363 for the RQ-2A).

Scotland Yard said the Erwin Vermont Washington, 51, was taken off the plane just before take-off Monday, Washington, of Lakewood Colorado, has been released on bail.

United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy sait that “the pilot has been removed from service” during an investigation.

“United’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry, and we have no tolerance for violation of this well-established policy,” she said.

Approximately nine people have gone missing after a US Coast Guard plane and a Marine chopper collided around California’s Pacific Ocean coastline.

The mid-air collision took place around the eastern sea line of San Clemente Island off the coast of Southern California, late on Thursday. A Coast Guard C-130 surveillance-air hauler reportedly smashed into an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is stationed at the Marine Corps Base Camp, Pendleton.

A US Federal Aviation Administration official confirmed the crash and noted that another pilot near the crash site reported having observed a ‘fireball’ at the time.

The US Navy and Coast Guard have dispatched search and rescue missions to the suspected collision zone for the seven-crew members of the four-engine C-130 Hercules and the chopper’s two-member squad.

There has been no further information on the cause of the accident so far.

The Ospreys, in the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, flew to Camp Bastion. It was the first unit to bring the Ospreys into Afshanistan, according to a statement from the Navy. There are more than 2,200 Marines and Sailors in the unit.

The Ospreys, which formed the bulk of VMM-263 (Reinforced) with the 22nd MEU will join Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 as part of MEB-Afghanistan’s aviation combat element, Marine Aircraft Group 40, according to the Marine Corps.

The Osprey has overcome controversy after a history of crashes. Thirty Marines and civillians died during its development.

Two of the first six aircraft crashed in 1989 during testing. A July 1992 accident during a landing at Quantico Marine Corps Air Station killed seven people.

USS New York (LPD 21), the fifth San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center, was commissioned in a ceremony held in the shadow of the city for which it is named.

The ship is named New York in honor of the state and the courage and heroism of New Yorkers during and after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a former New York senator, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

“This ship carries with it searing memories of September 11,” said Clinton. “Lives cut short, families ripped apart, a nation attacked. And in that steel, burned but unbroken, lives the spirit we saw on 9/11 and the days that followed, the bravery of the rescuers, the resolve of the survivors, the compassion of this city, the patriotism of this great country.”

Thousands of veterans and invited guests witnessed the ceremony, which was also broadcast live in Times Square and on the Navy.mil website. The commissioning was the culmination of a week-long celebration of the Navy and Marine Corps team and the ship in New York City.

New York is an amphibious transport dock designed to transport Marines and their equipment. It will be used to support the nation’s maritime strategy, to include humanitarian assistance and maritime security operations. The ship’s homeport will be in Norfolk, Va.

*** To honor our military veterans, Warplanes.com will be on a 3-day Veteran’s Day Sale. 50% off on selected World War II model planes. Click here to view the list.

The Air Force will field 38 C-27Js, operated by the Air National Guard. Two are currently going through qualification and operational testing.

According to Air Force officials, the C-27J is an “extremely rugged” aircraft, designed for austere environments. And, although it has yet to complete its testing, they say it should thrive in the “dirt”.

“Think if the C-27J as a ‘mini-Herc‘ — it looks like and acts like a C-130, but it is about half the size,” Col. Capone said. “This smaller size brings efficiency of scale to the Air Force’s portfolio of airlifters.”

AMC officials say, work to make the C-27J capable of fully supporting the Army’s needs in the US Central Command area of responsibility is also continuously progressing.

Air Force officials say there is still a lot to do as more and more C-27s come into the inventory.

“A concept like this will take time and effort, but most importantly it will also require feedback from the forces,” Colonel Fowler said.

AMC and Air Force officials plan to continuously review and update the C-27J using input from field commanders until it is incorporated into joint doctrine.

50% off on selected WWII model planes!
From November 9-11, 2009 only

De Havilland Otter Price: $169.95 $89.95	AT-6G Texan Price: $169.95 $89.95
T-28 Trojan Price: $169.95 $89.95	B-24 Liberator (Silver) Price: $169.95 $89.95
P-40 Warhawk Price: $169.95 $89.95	SBD Dauntless Price: $169.95 $89.95
P-51 Mustang Flying Undertaker Price: $169.95 $89.95	T-6 SNJ Texan Price: $169.95 $89.95
B-24 Liberator Ploesti Raid Price: $169.95 $89.95	T-6 Texan USAF Price: $169.95 $89.95
C-130J-30 Hercules Price: $169.95 $89.95	P2V-5 Neptune Price: $169.95 $89.95
PT-17 Stearman Price: $175.95 $94.95	F4F Wildcat Price: $169.95 $89.95
P-51 Big Beautiful Doll Price: $169.95 $89.95	P-51 Mustang Tuskegee Price: $169.95 $89.95
B-24 Liberator Witchcraft Price: $199.95 $109.95	B-17 Fortress Price: $169.95 $89.95
F4U Corsair Marines Price: $169.95 $89.95	P-40 Flying Tigers Price: $169.95 $89.95
C-47 Skytrain Price: $169.95 $89.95	B-17 Flying Fortress Memphis Belle Price: $169.95 $89.95
B-10 Bomber Price: $169.95 $89.95	C-123 Provider Price: $169.95 $89.95
J2F Duck Price: $175.95 $94.95	P-40 Warhawk Price: $169.95 $89.95
P-38 Lightning Price: $175.95 $94.95

Hurry! Promo ends on November 11, 2009.

To order, login or sign up now, or call 1-800-579-1207.