Interesting:
Sep 302022
Sep 242022
America is not only insane, but *terminally* insane, if we let this problem continue to fester.
Sep 222022
It’s my understanding that my next bookazine should be printed within a week or so. So I think I can post a few teaser images (screenshotted from the penultimate digital proof) to get the idea across (if you don’t see images below, it’s probably because either your adblocker is overly enthusiastic or the APR website is blocked for some reason):
If you would like to order a copy, there are three main routes:
1) For those in Europe, by far the best approach will likely be by ordering directly through Mortons, link HERE, or on bookstore shelves.
2) For those in the US, the less expensive approach will *probably* be through Amazon (link HERE, though still preliminary), though probably taking longer than directly from Mortons, and the possibility of finding them on bookstore shelves.
3) For those who want the Extra Special Edition and say “damn the schedule and never mind the cost,” I will *probably* have a few signed copies available. As with my prior two books, these will have an additional pair of 18X24-inch prints of diagrams from the book. These will *probably* run about $25, including shipping to the US (if you want them shipped out of the US, the shipping prices gets ludicrous… don’t blame me). They’ll be signed and dated and numbered in order of receipts. If you would be interested in this version, send me an email so I can make sure I have enough on hand for that. My email: 
Sep 222022
Northrop Grumman to Unveil the B-21 Raider
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), in partnership with the U.S. Air Force, will unveil the B-21 Raider during the first week of December at the company’s Palmdale, California facility. … Six B-21 test aircraft are in various stages of final assembly in Palmdale, California. Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force confirmed in May that the B-21 first flight is projected for 2023.
I expect this to be the last US strategic bomber to be unveiled in my lifetime. The last one, the B-2, was unveiled in 1988, some 34 years ago. The bomber before that, the B-1A, was shown in 1974, or 14 years before the B-2. The bomber before *that* was the B-70 in 1964, or ten years before the B-1. The B-58 was rolled out in 1965; the B-52 in 1951. The trend line indicates that years between bombers became decades between bombers have become generations; whatever follows the B-21 probably won’t arrive until… what? 2070?
Sep 192022
A mid-1960’s North American Aviation concept for a sorta-lifting body spacecraft that would use deployable rotors for landing. Functioning as an autogyro, these rotors would be a more controllable alternative to a parachute, in principle allowing fairly pinpoint runway touchdowns. I had cause to go looking for information on this recently; i was fairly certain that I had a few reports on the subject, but could not find them. Grrr.
A few photos I found online a few years ago of a display model, presumably originating from an auction website such as ebay:
Sep 182022
It *seems* that Russia has pulled a fair amount of the air defense missile systems from St. Petersburg to transfer them to Ukraine. But wait! Wasn’t the whole point of the war that Ukraine joining NATO was a major threat to Russia? If so… St. Petersburg is not only real close to NATO member Estonia, it’s real close to *Finland,* which, thanks to the war, is now joining NATO. So… shouldn’t the Russians be kinda worried about an immanent attack on their second most important city from eeeeeeviiiiil forces of NATO?
👀 an analysis of satellite images shows that Russia has been emptying air defence batteries around Saint Petersburg to source missiles to Ukraine
Via @yleuutiset
Suomi = Finland
Venäjä = Russia
Viro = Estonia
Pietari = St. Pete
Red dots = empty baseshttps://t.co/sE4GqfzxTf pic.twitter.com/WdRrH18lGZ— Minna Ålander 🌻 (@minna_alander) September 18, 2022
Exclusive: Russia moves missiles from St Petersburg to Ukraine
Satellite images reveal that both mobile firing platforms and missiles disappeared during the summer from a base in the Zelenogorsk (Terijoki) area on the Karelian Isthmus, northwest of St Petersburg, among others.
The transfer of equipment has not previously been publicly reported in Russia or western countries.
St Petersburg—Russia’s second-most important city—has long been surrounded by a protective ring of 14 anti-aircraft missile bases. Now several of them stand empty.
Huh.
Sep 182022
It’s about time:
It never had a real Blu Ray release, which always seemed odd to me.
And why not:
And why the hell not:
Update: it was once again brought to my attention that Amazon Text+Image links are nuked by ad blockers. So here are the text links to the 4K movies I linked to:
Real Genius [4K UHD]
Poltergeist (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
Red Dawn – Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray [4K UHD]
Star Trek I: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition Complete Adventure
Star Trek: The Next Generation 100-Piece Engineering Field Kit Tool Set
Sep 152022
The hardback version of my second book is difficult to find these days, but Mortons has made an Ebook version available:
Mortons Books BOEING B-47 STRATOJET AND B-52 STRATOFORTRESS – ORIGINS & EVOLUTION Back Issue
Sep 132022
This loss of aircraft and crew didn’t need to happen… two SU-25’s took off at the same time and seemed to clip each other in flight, causing one to promptly crash and explode. Alternative explanation: banking too much, too soon, at too low of an airspeed, causing a wing stall. Gotta wonder if there was a problem with the pilots… either negligence/arrogance in the simultaneous takeoff (showing off?), or perhaps fatigue from nonstop missions against an enemy with a pretty good track record of turning planes like that into smoking ruins.
Sep 062022
I looked through a small fraction of my surprisingly vast pile of CAD diagrams for some I thought might look good in really large format. Some I’ve gone some distance towards formatting them that way already; some are still formatted for small sheets. There are more, of course. In no particular order.
Lockheed CL-400 “Suntan”
Lockheed M-21/D-21:
Lockheed A-12:
Lockheed SR-71A:
Lockheed YF-12A:
X-20 Dyna Soar/Titan III:
A number of 10-Meter Orion vehicles/sub-vehicles:
USAF 10-meter Orion:
General Dynamics “Kingfish:”
North American XF-108:
Lockheed A-12 concept w/canards:
Boeing B-47E:
Boeing B-52G:
Boeing B-52H:
Boeing B-52H + Skybolt:
Boeing DB-47E + Bold Orion:
Rockwell Star Raker:
Boeing “Big Onion” SSTO:
Boeing Space Freighter:
NASA Saturn C-8:
Lockheed STAR Clipper:
