Aug 02
TynibelleNews aircraft models, airplane models, Aviation Wall Clocks, custom models, F-22, f-22 raptor, F-22 Raptor fighter, f22, f22 raptor, helicopter models, Jet Model Planes, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, Raptor F-22, warplanes, wooden airplane models
Blood tests on F-22 Raptor fighter pilots after they reported “hypoxia-like symptoms” during flight have turned up chemicals from oil fumes, burned antifreeze and propane.
But if the Air Force believes that might be a cause of pilots’ symptoms, it’s not saying, reports the Air Force Times. Carbon monoxide also is suspect in the incidents, but it leaves the blood quickly. Many of the troubled flights originated at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
From the Air Force Times:
“There is a lot of nasty stuff getting pumped into the pilots’ bloodstream through what they’re breathing from that OBOGS [On-Board Oxygen Generation System]. That’s fact,” one former F-22 pilot said. “How bad it is, what type it is, exactly how much of it, how long – all these things have not been answered.”
The blood tests were performed after each of the 14 incidents in which pilots reported various cognitive dysfunctions and other symptoms of hypoxia. One couldn’t remember how to change radio frequencies. Another scraped trees on his final approach to the runway – and later could not recall the incident.
“These guys are getting tested for toxins and they’ve [gotten] toxins out of their bloodstreams,” the source said. “One of the guys was expelling propane.”
This source, along with the others, requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
The Raptor fleet was mostly grounded in May, months after Capt. Jeff Haney died in a so far unexplained crash north of Anchorage. The Air Force said it was investigating the F-22s’ onboard oxygen supply system.
Sources said that in Haney’s last few radio calls before his jet disappeared, he sounded drunk, a classic sign of hypoxia. Haney was known as a prodigiously skilled aviator who was in line to attend the elite Air Force Weapons School.
F-22 Raptor pilots have been training in simulators since May, but they will have to be retrained in the actual jets if the grounding extends beyond 210 days, a former pilot said.
-adn.com
Jul 05
TynibelleNews 2011 Thunder Over the Blue Ridge airshow, aircraft model, airplane model, C-5, custom model, custom model plane, custom model ship, custom ship model, display, display model, f-16, F-22, f-22 raptor, f22, f22 raptor, model aircraft, model airplane, model display, model plane, model ship, model vessel, plane model, raptor, ship model, t-28, Trojan Horseman, warplanes, wood, wood model plane, wood plane model, wooden airplane model, wooden model airplanes
MARTINSBURG – The 2011 Thunder Over the Blue Ridge airshow and open house will feature what organizers are calling a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to see the United States Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, a new fighter aircraft that features plenty of power and speed.
Although the F-22 won’t be performing, airshow visitors will have the opportunity to see it up close and learn more about its capabilities from the pilots who fly it.
“Last year we brought you the Thunderbirds and this year we’re going to bring you variety and fire. It’s going to be a different show with a very exciting lineup,” Col. Brian Truman said at the July 1 afternoon press conference, where he and others discussed the free two-day event that is co-sponsored by the 167th Airlift Wing, United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and Eastern Regional Airport Authority.
Truman, who is vice commander of the 167th Airlift Wing and president of Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Inc., said a variety of military and civilian aerial acts will be part of this year’s lineup.
One new addition will be the U.S. Navy’s Trojan Horseman, a T-28 warbird aerobatic formation demonstration team, which is slated to fly six vintage World War II aircrafts, he said. The team is slated to perform its choreographed “Salute to the Armed Forces” to patriotic music.
Also appearing will be the Black Daggers, the official U.S. Army Special Operations command parachute demonstration team, as well as the Viper East F-16 Demonstration Team, Truman said.
First Lt. Nate Mueller, a pilot who flies C-5 transport aircraft, predicted the F-22‘s “premier display” will “bring out the aviator in everyone who gets an up-close look.”
“This is a rare opportunity to see the world’s most sophisticated fighter aircraft up close and personal right in our own backyard. It’ something people won’t want to miss,” Mueller said.
He said this stealth aircraft is assigned to the Air Combat Command’s 1st Fighter Wing based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
It has the capacity to cruise at supersonic airspeeds splintering the sound barrier and “boasts being capable of simultaneously conducting air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions with near impunity,” according to a news release announcing the F-22‘s local appearance.
At some point a jet-powered truck will also “roar down the runway,” Truman said. “And we’re definitely going to blow things up with pyrotecnics. … I can guarantee you it’s going to be exciting.”
Last year’s airshow drew an estimated crowd of about 85,000 over the Labor Day weekend. The event will be held Sept. 17-18 this year when it returns to the Eastern Regional Airport. It will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
A children’s village will again be featured in one of the base’s 80,000-square-foot hangers and will offer lots of “unique hands-on activities” courtesy of NASA and others, said Sr. Master Sgt. Todd Kirkwood, who is organizing it.
Organization Vice President Nic Diehl agreed this year’s program has some real crowd-pleasers.
“Most of the acts are new. … And we have a better civilian lineup than we’ve ever had before,” Diehl said.
Donations collected at the 2010 show generated more than $100,000 from visitors, and that money was given to the United Way. Admission is free, but a $10 donation benefiting the United Way is encouraged.
United Way officials stressed the importance of funding generated by the airshow and how it helps support their work within the community.
President Tom Jones said the partnerships that made it possible were “over the top” last year. It was a cooperative effort that included 24 volunteer vendors at the show – most of them United Way agencies, he added.
“It’s a community effort and we’re happy to be part of it,” Jones said.
Wing Commander Col. Roger Nye said the community is a driving force behind this show.
“It is a great opportunity for the families to come out here. We’re talking about community. We don’t do this because we are trying to show off anything about ourselves. It’s about giving the community an opportunity to come and see what the men and women in uniform, who live and work right here, do for this nation and give them a chance to enjoy it,” Nye said. “We’re also very proud of how much money was raised last year and being able to give back to the United Way.”
United Way Executive Director Jan Callen said the $100,000 was distributed in a number of ways, including helping fund The Journal’s Warm the Children program, which offers clothing to area children; and the Warming Hands and Hearts program, which offers heating assistance to those in need.
Callen said the $100,000 generated by last year’s airshow was an important part of the approximately $300,000 allocated to about 30 agencies this week.
“The money from the airshow is almost one-third of what the board had the discretion to give out, and that’s a big deal to us,” Callen said.
-journal-news.net
Nov 01
TynibelleBlog Articles, News Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, F-22, f-22 raptor, f22, f22 raptor, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, raptor
Last Oct. 30-31, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor performed its precision aerobatics at the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, marking the first time the aircraft has demonstrated its aerial capabilities in the skies over the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
F-22 pilot Maj. David ‘Zeke’ Skalicky of the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Demonstration Team from Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va., flew the Raptor during the performance, entertaining an estimated total crowd of 110,000 that attended the air show over the two days.
An F-22 Raptor aircraft
George Shultz, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Program, said “Zeke and the F-22 Demonstration Team do an incredible job showcasing the Raptor’s unparalleled aerial maneuverability.” He also said “We are thrilled that the people of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the employees of Lockheed Martin here in Fort Worth were able to witness this amazing airplane.” The F-22’s appearance proved particularly significant for Lockheed Martin employees working in the F-22 program at the company’s Fort Worth site, where the aircraft’s mid-fuselage is built.
Michael Cawood, Fort Worth site lead for the F-22 program, said “Seeing the Raptor fly at Alliance was a very meaningful opportunity for our program team here.” Cawood also said “This was the first time they were able to enjoy the F-22 aerial demonstration in Fort Worth. Our people take pride in helping to build, sustain and enhance the Raptor, and in providing an unmatched capability to the U.S. Air Force.” The F-22 boasts a unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, situational awareness and lethal long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry to make it the world’s best air dominance fighter and to enable it to deter and defeat current and emerging threats.
Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 133,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
- planenews.com
-wikipedia.org
Aug 24
JobelleAir Force, News F16 fighter, f22 raptor, F35 fighter jet, F35 Lightning II
A wide-ranging realignment will find the U.S. Air Force retiring 650 planes and shifting the jobs of at least 12,000 airmen.
The shuffle consolidates F-22 Raptor units, assigns up to 350 F-35 Lightning IIs to four bases, retires F-16 Fighting Falcons as F-35s replace them, establishes a home base for the service’s fleet of 37 MC-12W Liberty reconnaissance planes and names the U.S. Air National Guard wings that will be home to 38 C-27J cargo aircraft.
The Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., two of the largest F-16 Fighting Falcon bases will get F-35s to replace the F-16s they’re set to lose.
The first F-35s should arrive at Hill in July 2013 with the initial squadron complete in 2015. Standing up two other squadrons will begin in 2015 and continue through 2019.
On the other hand the Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., has to send its F-22s to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., which also flies the stealth jet. Holloman became a candidate to relinquish its F-22s because its role of training pilots and sensor operators of remote-controlled aircraft grew. Holloman gains an F-16 training mission to replace the F-22s departing. Two F-16 squadrons take the place of the two F-22 squadrons the base loses.
The F-16s no longer needed at the bases will be retired.
- DefenseNews
Jun 24
TynibelleBlog Articles, Trivia a10 thunderbolt, ac-130, c-130, c-130 hercules, c-130h, c17, c17 globemaster, cv 22, cv-22 osprey, f117, f117 nighthawk, f14, f15, f15 eagles, f16, f16 falcon, F16 fighter, f22, f22 raptor, hh-53, hh-53 super jolly green giant, mh-53, mh-53 pave low, mq-1, mq-1 predator, raptor, sr-71, sr-71 blackbird, su-27, Sukhoi, super jolly green giant, super valkyrie, tomcat, USS john c. stennis, uss stennis, vf-1s
Transformers movie poster (2007)
Aside from helicopters, other aircraft have been featured and continue to be featured in Hollywood films. Usually, warplanes star in action films to bring more oomph to the films. But these bad boys don’t come cheap because they cost thousands of dollars to “act.” Some go for solely CGI instead. Still, these thousand-dollar aircraft bring in more audiences so no loss but more gain for the producers.
Director Michael Bay on set of Transformers at Holloman Air Force Base
One movie that incorporated both real aircraft and CGI is the blockbuster film Transformers. Other than land vehicles, this film used aircraft like an F-22 Raptor for the character Starscream. Starscream is one of the enemy Decepticons which originally transforms into an F-15 Eagle based on the cartoon movie The Transformers: The Movie which was released on August 8, 1986.
Real airmen as extras on the set of Transformers at Holloman Air Force Base
Other aircraft used were F-117 Nighthawks, CV-22 Osprey, A-10 Thunderbolt II, C-17 Globemaster III, MH-53 Pave Low, HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant, AC-130 Gunship, C-130 Hercules, MQ-1 Predator, and Air Force One. Looks like these bad boys aren’t just cutout for war but also for “acting”, too, so move aside Herbie.
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen movie poster (2009)
Most of us thought that prominent fighter aircraft used in first Transformers film were mind-blowing but our whole heads got blown off when we saw the sequel Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Starring again was the C-17 Globemaster III, and new planes like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the SR-71 Blackbird. The SR-71 Blackbird was used for the character Jetfire. This character was depicted as a VF-1S Super Valkyrie, as an F-14 Tomcat, and as a Sukhoi SU-27 In earlier toy models.
On set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen at Smithsonian Air and Space museum
Part of the SR-71 Blackbird on set of the sequel
Autobots logo on the tail fin of Michael Bay's private jet
Though not an aircraft, another bad boy… girl rather, was featured in the sequel. The USS John C. Stennis aircraft also starred in the film making it bigger and better.
The USS John C. Stennis carrier
On board the USS John C. Stennis carrier for Revenge of the Fallen
Actor Josh Duhamel as Capt. William Lenox
Aside from blowing our minds and/or heads off, Hollywood blockbusters keep us asking for more and with Transformers 3 being released on the 1st of July next year, will it finally blow every bit of us away?
-af.mil - transformerslive.blogspot.com
-youtube.com -transformers.moviechronicles.com
-wikipedia.org
Jun 18
Nina f-22 model plane, f-22 raptor, f-22 raptor model, f-22 raptor model airplane, f22 model plane, f22 raptor, f22 raptor model, f22 raptor model airplane, joint strike force f-22, jsf f-22
The argument that more F-22s must be bought because it is is the only fighter that is truly effective against advanced surface to air missiles got shot down (sorry about the pun) here at the Paris Air Show by the top Joint Strike Fighter official Marine Brig. Gen David Heinz.
Advocates such as Rebecca Grant, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, argue that the F-22 is needed principally because it is the premier weapon against the sophisticated S-300 ground-to-air missiles that the Russians have developed and are trying to sell.
So I asked Heinz if the JSF could kill advanced SAMs. His answer: “While I will do the mission differently, I am still delivering first day of the war capability.”
We’ll see if that puts the nail in the coffin of the F-22 supporters or if there are good counter-arguments to this. Of course, Heinz is a fierce advocate for this program and must be expected to defend it, but he’s also known as a very straight shooter. If he did not believe the plane’s ability to handle the SAM threat I think we would have gotten a very different answer.
On the industrial base side of the program, Heinz told reporters here that the program could reasonably generate an astonishing 6,000 sales. He based his estimate on the 4,425 F-16s sold around the world in various development blocks, combined with 600 F-18 E/Fs and Typhoons. “As these airplanes aqe out, I believe my airplane will be competitive,” he said.
The United States and the eight foreign partners are expected to order about 3,100 planes. Add 1,000 sales to prospective buyers such as Israel, Singapore, Spain, Japan, Finland and South Korea. Then top up the rest of the world and you get to Heinz’ figure of 6,000.
***You can get a F-22 Raptor model plane and F-35 Joint Strike Force model plane for a special price of $124.95 each! You may visit Warplanes.com or call 1-800-579-1207 for phone orders***
RSS
