Aeroguide 28 - B-52 Stratofortress

Nicknamed the 'Big Ugly Fat Fella' (the more polite version!), or 'Buff' for short, Boeing's B-52 has for years epitomised American air power. When the first of the breed took to the skies above Seattle on 15 April 1952, no one dared imagine that the huge shiny bomber would be retained as a key ingredient in the nation's nuclear'triad' for nearly half a century. Today, nearly forty years down the road, only 270 of the original 744 airframes remain in front-line service, yet the 'Buff' continues to eclipse its successors numerically. What is all the more remarkable is that many of these so-called follow-on bombers have already been retired, relegated to the status of gate guardian or museum piece, or left to rot amidst the scrub and sand at the Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 'boneyard'. The glamorous B/TB-58 Hustlers were cleaved by giant axes into so many chunks of scrap metal during the early 1970s; a solitary, unairworthy XB-70A Valkyrie is parked at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; and Strategic Air Command's fleet of sixty FB-111A 'Aardvarks' look set to follow a similar fate long before the thick black smoke of a Stratofortress 'cart start' becomes a sight of yesteryear.

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Airfix Model World 2011-11

NORTH AMERICAN internet kit seller Sprue Brothers is beating the failing US economy by relocating to bigger and better premises. Located in Liberty, Missouri, the new 15,000sq ft building provides more space than the previous location. The larger building has allowed construction of a multi-level floor plan which currently provides ample office and working space for the current staff of 12 as well as the entire inventory. New products lines are being negotiated at present, and should only serve to swell the mail order specialist's already outstanding reputation within the industry. Owner Gordon Kwan said: "We're finding increased interest from new and existing modelling businesses and yes, more brands are on the horizon...and this has meant that we simply had to move to grow. But in line with our policy to only promote items that are in stock, actual announcements on new items won't be made until we have definite release dates from the manufacturers."

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Convair B-36 Peacemaker - A Photo Chronicle

The United States Army Air Forces had become a separate military service from the Army on September 18, 1947. When B-36Bs started entering the SAC inventory in the fail of 1948, the newly independent U.S. Air Force had 59 groups. The USAF wanted to expand to 70 groups, but was thwarted by Fiscal Year 1949 budget restraints. President Harry S.Truman was determined to hold the FY 49 defense budget to $11 billion.The three military services squabbled with each other over who was to receive the lion's share of the money. The Air Force wanted more B-36s, but the Navy wanted a new supercarrier, the first of four, that would give them a strategic bombing capability. The Air Force's position was that strategic bombing should remain an Air Force responsibility, and that a Navy strategic bombing capability was redundant.

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Cots Journal 2011-12

A Lockheed Martin team recently demonstrated how software defined radios can extend the Army's tactical network by connecting disparate ground troops with the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS). During a recent Army exercise, AMF JTRS demonstrated the system's range and capability by successfully relaying a combination of voice, data and imagery from a test bed AH-64 Block III Apache helicopter (Figure 1) to ground forces over the Internet-Protocol-enabled Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW). AMF JTRS is a software defined radio that is capable of providing Internet-like connectivity, providing a secure infrastructure for joint forces to send data, imagery, voice and video.

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The Observer's Book of Aircraft Military

The most compact reference source to the entire spectrum of today's military aircraft for pocket or bookshelf, this volume of The Observer s BASIC Book of Aircraft illustrates the vast majority of the aeroplanes serving with the world's air forces and naval air arms, from attack bombers to assault transports; from strike fighters to support helicopters. For the first time in a book of this size comparison silhouette drawings are provided to enable differing versions of one basic aircraft design to be readily compared, and in addition to no fewer than 406 individual drawings and 140 photographs, the reader will find an enormous wealth of information, much of which has remained previously unpublished, concerning the production status of each aircraft type, quantities built of each version, the air arms by which it is used, its characteristics and its history. Never before has so much fact been gathered between the covers of so small a book.

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US MACV-SOG Reconnaissance Team in Vietman

Throughout the 1960s the insurgency in South Vietnam gradually escalated. While denying involvement, North Vietnam had long supported the insurgency with arms, munitions, supplies, and advisers. Some small North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units were operating in South Vietnam in support of the Viet Cong (VC), the military arm of the National Liberation Front, the outlawed South Vietnamese communist party. While some of the troops and materials arrived in the south by crossing the demilitarized zone along the 17th Parallel, which separated North and South Vietnam, and others by boat, by far the most were sent through Laos and Cambodia. This was accomplished via the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail, which North Vietnam had begun to develop in mid-1959.

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Vehicules Militaires Magazine No.40

Après avoir organisé en novembre 2009 l'opération « Tissu est dans l'iode » retraçant la libération de la région de Strasbourg par la 2eme DB.elle récidive avec la « découverte de la Ligne Maginot aquatique » le 8 et 9 octobre prochain.La ligne Maginot aquatique est une série de fortifications lacustres fondées sur des inondations couvertes par des bunkers légers qui se sont avérés efficaces.C'est une portion de 27 kilomètres qui se trouve en Moselle proche de Sarreguemines et demeure unique en Europe. Au programme: Départ du convoi de Munster (57) en direction de Barst.Le camp de base sera installé à la casemate de Barst.Circuit de 40 km à la découverte des infrastructures construites entre 1936 et 1940 (bunkers,barrage,salle des vannes..) Dimanche :visite du site de Barst et du cimetière américain de St Avoid.

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Pirate - The Golden Age

The term 'The Golden Age of Piracy' is accepted by most pirate historians as a historical shorthand, although its chronological definition is loosely defined. The term itself was never used until the 1920s, when Rafael Sabatini penned the pirate novels Captain Blood and The Black Swan, which would later be adapted into swashbuckling films. The term was used with a sense of irony, as even Sabatini would admit that there was nothing romantic about piracy. It was, after all, merely a form of violent crime committed on the high seas. However, as a historical term, it serves the useful purpose of encompassing the great upsurge of piratical activity that took place during the first decades of the 18th century.

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Steel Masters No.106

Pour les Américains, la guerre du Pacifique est donc avant tout une guerre aéronavale exigeant, outre des moyens mawnts effectués par des troupes instruites aux opérations amphibies, suivis de combats classiques pour éliminer les garnisons ennemies puis de l'aménagement de bases logistiques pour le bond suivant en direction de l'archipel nippon, l'objectif ultime. Il est évident, dans ces conditions, que la Navy y joue un rôle prépondérant, le Marine Corps qui lui est associé et l'Army assurant sur terre la conquête des îles. De décembre 1941 à mars 1942, les forces japonaises obtiennent des succès relativement faciles face à des adversaires réduits à la défensive. Puis, de mars 1942 à l'été 1943, l'équilibre se rétablit progressivement : les Alliés obtiennent leurs premiers succès offensifs et arrêtent la progression japonaise. Enfin, de l'été 1943 au 10 août 1945, la supériorité croissante des Alliés est telle que les victoires éclatantes successives les mènent aux lisières du Japon et provoquent sa capitulation.

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World War II Magazine January/February 2010

For Australians, it was the biggest naval disaster of World War II. When the light cruiser HMAS Sydney disappeared without a trace in November 1941, all 645 crewmembers — more than a third of the men who died serving on Australian naval ships during the entire war — went with it. After several days went by without word from the vessel, a small armada of rescue ships was sent out to search near its last known position off the coast of Western Australia. They came across a handful of lifeboats bobbing in the waves of the Indian Ocean, but they were filled with Germans, not Aussies. Under interrogation, the Germans said they were the crew of the Kormoran, a raider that had been lurking in Allied shipping lanes disguised as a merchant ship.

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Aviation Week & Space Technology 2011-12-05

General Electric and Rolls-Royce are dissolving the Fighter Engine Team (FET) after deciding to discontinue self-funding the F136 alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The move comes after an Oct. 31 meeting between GE Aviation leadership and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter in which "it became clear that the Defense Department would not support the FET self-funding effort," says GE. Although not unexpected given the Defense Department's termination of the F136 development effort in April, it ends a 15-year effort to mount a competitive challenge to Pratt & Whitney's incumbent F135 engine for the F-35. With almost 80% of the development complete at the time of the Defense Department announcement, and with about $3 billion in federal funding already spent on the effort, GE and Rolls both vowed to continue self-funding the F136 through fiscal year 2012. However, GE says Carter's position "made future progress on the F136 development program difficult. In addition, the status of the federal budget has created greater uncertainty for the overall JSF program."

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Wheels & Tracks No.17

Again we have an intriguing AFV for you to consider. The first photo of it was taken in the 1940s, when it was far from new, the others quite recently. So, it has survived. In the US of A, if it weren't obvious. The other device (following page), which does not look unlike an amphibious bathtub, is also American and we know next to nothing about this one. Going back to earlier issues, the peculiar little tracked vehicle at the bottom of page 10 in W&T 15 did not produce any readers' comments Dating from 1960, it shows a remote-control undersea exploration vehicle, based on an Ontos chassis, developed in the USA in the late 1950s for scientific observations on the ocean bed. It featured a long, jointed manipulator arm to collect samples and specimens and a special underwater television camera which enabled scientists on the shore to observe the sea floor. The machine could operate at depths of 20,000 feet, maintain a speed of three mph and climb obstacles 12 inches high. That's all we know about that one. The antique radio car shown in W&T 14 was a Winton, one of two acquired by the US Army Signal Corps in 1904. Fred Crismon sent us several views of it and we read in his big book that they were powered by a twin-cylinder engine and could carry seven passengers, in addition to the driver.

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Janes Defence Weekly December 07, 2011

On 12 November 2011 Iranian state media reported that an explosion had occurred at a 'rocket storage facility' outside the town of Bid Ganeh, 30 km west of Tehran. The blast, which was said at the time to be due to an accident, reportedly killed 17 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel including General Hassan Moghaddam, who was believed to be a key figure in Iran's ballistic missile programme. The facility, located at35°37'25.85"N 50°52'24.69"E, is secured with a berm and fence perimeter. It consists of seven sophisticated buildings that appear to have been designated for specialised use, as well as several support buildings designated to handle security, administration, equipment storage and maintenance.

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The Chaco War 1932-35

The Chaco War was Latin America's first "modern" conflict; it saw the use of the latest 20th-century military innovations, by armies that had learned some of the lessons - but that repeated some of the mistakes - of World War I. Motor vehicles, tanks, and aircraft were all employed, and some had an effect on the war; however, it was the infantry who bore the brunt of the harsh conditions, not only of combat but also of the extreme environment of the Gran Chaco region. Their experience of this war had an impact in their respective countries in the decades that followed. In a book of this size the scope for detail is obviously limited, but it is hoped that it will serve as a primer for those wishing to learn more about one of Latin America's bloodiest wars, as well as providing a general reference guide for those wanting quick answers on general topics.

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Mykoyan MiG-21

This book is about the most famous fighter in the world. To many who read this book this will seem to be a provocative statement. Others will consider it nonsense. What do we mean by fame? Some dictionaries merely equate the word with renown, and then to define renown bring back the word fame. Most suggest that fame means not just notoriety but good, or generally approved, notoriety. Can we really apply this word to the MiG-21, which to most of us in the West is the arch bad guy? Let's stand back a bit, maybe take a small terrestrial globe in our hand, and reflect for a moment that the Western world is not the same as the world. To be a fighter you do not have to have a number with a capital F prefix. To be a fighter pilot you do not have to wear a NATO uniform. To fly a MiG-21 does not automatically make a pilot an evil aggressor. Indeed, one's opinion of what constitutes an aggressor depends sharply on one's viewpoint. One man's 'terrorist' is another man's 'freedom fighter', both views being sincerely held.

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Model Airplane International 2009-12

I have to say that I like the new packaging style - bold red branding, a small colour profile on the box top and one of the nicest computer-rendered 3D illustrations I've seen for the main image. The kit itself is moulded in light grey, and has a subtle textured feel to it, not quite pebbly, but slightly frosted. The panel lines are sharp, but very deep, perhaps the heaviest I've seen on a 1:72 kit. Clear parts are provided for the three camera ports, and the canopy is commendably clear. Decals for a Swedish and a postwar RAF variant are provided, and a full-colour painting guide shows their positioning as well as Humbrol paint references. The cockpit is fairly well furnished with some rudimentary sidewall detail, bulkheads, seat and joystick. Simplified rudder pedals are included on the floor, which locates neatly onto the instrument panel/forward bulkhead. There's also a pilot with separate arms as Airfix supply alternative undercarriage parts to represent an aircraft in flight, a nice touch for those who prefer to model aircraft in their natural environment. The cockpit was painted Xtracrylix RAF Interior Green, and the various details on the sidewalls picked out in black.

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Cots Journal November 2011

The U.S. really needs to face facts and once and for all tackle the issues surrounding how we acquire things for the military. It's time to initiate a plan that accommodates changing Administrations and Congresses and their ever changing vision for the military's mission. The military has three basic procurement environments: immediate, short term and long term. The problem is all three of these environments have a range to them. Immediate can range from acquiring software or technology to halt an immediate cyber attack to finding a stop gap solution for IEDs. At the other end we have large items ranging from a new tactical vehicle for the Army and Marines, to the next tactical aircraft for the Air Force to the next generation aircraft carrier for the Navy.

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Hitler's Armies - A History of the German War Machine 1939-1945

Hitler's Wehkmacht (literally 'defensive power') was horn out of the most unpromising circumstances. When the dust and arguments settled after World War I, the victorious Allies imposed a series of restrictions on Germany in the Treaty of Versailles of June 1919. Among other things, the treaty stated that by 31 March 1920, the German Army was to consist of no more than 100,000 men, of whom just 4,000 were to be officers. The treaty conditions also specified the structure and organization of this army: there were to be 21 three-battalion infantry regiments (with 21 training battalions attached), and each regiment was to have one mortar company. There were to be proportionally larger numbers of cavalry, plus seven artillery regiments of three battalions, and seven field engineer, signals, motorized and medical battalions, a total of seven divisions in all.

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Wheels & Tracks No.07

Canadians do not seem to boast about their country. It is an unusual phenomenon, developed apparently through a combination of colonial tradition and 'not wanting to sound like Americans'. The reasons are probably as complex as those that establish any cultural identity. Canadian reticence is mentioned here in an attempt to explain how it is that the design and production of nearly 900,000 military vehicles and a vast array of other war material by eleven million Canadians during the Second World War, largely 'given away1 to the Allies, remains an unsung aspect of Canada's contribution to the prosecution of the war and would seem to be passed over in Canadian schools. Personally we have long been intrigued by the apparent lack of Canadian interest in those rather peculiar but distinctive right-hand drive Canadian Military Pattern trucks and assorted armoured vehicles so familiar to Europeans (and Australians for that matter). Was it a case of 'hats off to the past but sleeves up for the future'? Perhaps.

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TORA! TORA! TORA! - Pearl Harbor 1941

As early as 1914 the Japanese and Americans were thinking of each other as possible future enemies. This potential came more sharply into focus when in the 1930s Japan openly embarked on a path of aggression. Beginning in 1931, Japanese actions clearly indicated that their goal was to dominate East Asia. The central issue between Japan and the United States in the period leading up to war was Japanese aggression in China. Not only did this aggression threaten China's integrity, but it jeopardized American trade interests. Despite the fact that it was not one of its primary national security interests, the United States remained committed to Chinese sovereignty. As the Japanese pressed deeper into China and prosecuted the war with increasing brutality, the Americans began to translate Japanese dependence on resources from the United States into economic pressure. Throughout 1940 the US ratcheted up the economic pressure on Japan in an attempt to curb Japan's imperial ambitions without war.

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The M1 Carbine

The origins of the Ml Carbine lay in the US Army's decision to develop a weapon that could replace the pistol carried by many soldiers with a more effective weapon. In today's terminology the Ml Carbine was an attempt to develop a PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) for those troops not involved in front-line infantry combat. Although some personnel who would previously have been armed with the pistol did carry an Ml Carbine instead, it did not completely supplant the pistol. However, it proved to be one of the most popular US small arms of all time, serving from World War II through at least the Vietnam War. The USA had issued carbines in the past, primarily to cavalry and artillery personnel, but, beginning with the 1903 Springfield, design philosophy had shifted to favor a standard-issue rifle with a medium-length barrel intended for use by all. Likewise, when the Ml Garand was adopted in 1936 there was no carbine version. Because one of the problems in issuing the Garand to support troops who often had to carry other equipment was its length and weight, one criterion for the Ml Carbine was a weight of 51b or less. This made it far handier than the Ml Garand (9.51b unloaded) or Thompson submachine gun (10.61b unloaded). Since many of the troops who would be issued the Ml Carbine had previously carried a pistol, it was considered necessary for the carbine to have greater range and firepower than the pistol. An effective range of 300yd was considered optimal.

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Soviet Battlefield Helicopters

When introducing Soviet Battlefield Helicopters it is perhaps appropriate to recall that the founder of the United States' helicopter industry, Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, was born in Kiev, in the Soviet Union, 102 years ago. However, the vast territories of the Soviet Union might have been specially created for the helicopter and development of the modern battlefield helicopter began in 1947 when Stalin asked Mikhail Leontievitch Mil, Chief of the TSAGI Helicopter Laboratory (the Soviet equivalent of RAE Farnborough) to submit proposals for a small military utility helicopter. Two proposals, those of Yakovlev and Mil, were accepted for evaluation, both of which were built and ready for testing by September 1948. The Mil Design Bureau's first helicopter, the Mi-1 was selected for quantity production in 1950, followed two years later by the larger Mi-4, some of which still remain in operational service today. Long before the West, the Mil Bureau saw the possibilities of arming helicopters and after early attempts to install anti-tank missiles on the Mi-1, the Mi-4 carried both rocket launchers and gun pods.

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Red Star 17 - Early Soviet Jet Bombers

Jet aircraft development in Europe and the USA had begun as early as the mid-1930s. British and German scientists and aircraft designers were ahead of the field in this respect. The world's first turbojet-powered aircraft, the Heinkel He 178 proof-of-concept aircraft, took to the air on 24th August 1939. The He 178 was intended for verifying the Heinkel HeS 1 centrifugal-flow turbojet. Its cantilever high-wing layout with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage was markedly different from that of the first British jet, the Gloster G.40; this low-wing monoplane with a tricycle landing gear first flew in May 1942. The USA joined the 'jet club' on 1 st October 1942 when the Bell XP-59A Airacomet twinjet fighter made its maiden flight. Soon enough jet engines found their way to production aircraft, both fighters and bombers. The first series-produced jet bomber was the Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lightning) strike aircraft. The Ar234 V1 prototype, which first flew on 15th June 1943, and the subsequent seven prototypes used a jettisonable take-off dolly, landing on three retractable skids under the fuselage and the engine nacelles; later prototypes and the production version, however, featured a conventional tricycle undercarriage retracting into the fuselage.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 23, 2011

A new request for proposals (RfP) for fighter aircraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the UK and US governments threatens to derail political relations between the UAE and France at the highest levels. The RfP was issued on 9 November and seeks offers for the supply of 60 combat jets and a training package for 90 pilots to be in place by 2017. The request asks for bids from three aircraft: the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing's F-15 Eagle and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It does not include Dassault's Rafale, for which the UAE had previously been pursuing a single specific contract negotiation. After years of bargaining with Dassault to acquire 60 Rafale aircraft as well as a sizeable weapons package, signature of a final contract was believed to be close and was expected perhaps during the Dubai Airshow (13-17 November) or on UAE National Day (2 December).

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Harrier - The V/STOL Warrior

As the sun steadily rose in the east, and the desert floor began to warm up after another cool night all hell broke loose in the empty streets of the border town of Khafji. Several miles away in occupied Kuwait an Iraqi artillery battery way responding to the Coalition forces' night raids on Baghdad with a steady barrage of 122 mm shells. As the light improved so did the accuracy of the fire, rounds impacting within a nearby oil refinery and peppering US Marine Corps mobile units dug in along the border. Even before the opening barrage had fallen on Khafji the Marines had radioed for air support to neutralize the artillery threat. The first aircraft on the scene was a veteran Rockwell OV-10A Bronco from VMO-1, the pilot of the twin-turboprop forward air control (FAC) machine circling the artillery at a height of 5000 ft. Taking stock of the situation in a matter of minutes, both the pilot and his observer confirmed the exact grid references of the Iraqi battery in preparation for a relatiatory air strike. Tuned in to the Bronco's radio frequency, and en route to the war zone already, was a four-ship of AV-8B Harrier lis from VMA-311 Tomcats', these aircraft having been on alert status from the moment of the first frantic radio call from Khafji.

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Catalogue Dragon 2011

There are a number of reasons why this model carrier is an accurate replica of CVL-22. Perhaps the most important or significant reason is that Dragon obtained drawings, blueprints and sketches directly from the original manufacturer of this vessel. By referring to these invaluable documents, the aircraft carrier kit has been designed as accurately as possible. An example of where this kind of inside information has paid off is in the details and pattern of the hangar deck. These drawings also allowed the design team to distinguish whether particular details belonged to the carrier's initial shakedown configuration or its war cruise configuration. In one sense, this kit comes straight from the shipyard drawing board into the hands of avid ship modelers!

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Cleared HOT Magazine Issue 003

Welcome to our third issue of Cleared HOT, the only dedicated trade publication out there for the military helo aviator. One thing we are clearly seeing is how much you
appreciate having the instant access to the magazine through digital downloads. It seems that those in the military aviation world are very quick to embrace the digital revolution as the download numbers are certainly increasing. Feel free to share our publication details and website with others in your units www.kiakahamedia.com. This issue has a collection of features from around the globe, stretching from Afghanistan to Russia and blue water ops. Alan Norris spent some time in Afghanistan with the Dutch Chinooks and has an enlightening report on their ISAF ops.

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America at War - Korean War

The Korean War began in June 1950 and ended three years and one month later. Fifty-four thousand Americans died in the war, in addition to 1 million Chinese and perhaps 3.5 million Koreans. Despite this bloody record, the war is sometimes called America s forgotten war. This book is a revised edition of The Korean War; originally published in 1992 and then updated in 2003 as part of the Facts On Files America at War series. As such, it offers even more new features. These include an entirely new chapter on weaponry and tactics employed in the Korean War, a sidebar that considers the arguments for and against the belief that the Korean War was a just war, many new color illustrations, and an updated bibliography.

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Aviation Week & Space Technology November 28, 2011

It may be premature to say the future of U.S. strike aviation will be the first casualty of the U.S. budget crisis, but there can be little doubt that it is in jeopardy—compliments of the congressional Super Committee's abject failure to agree on a plan for reducing the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion. Whether there are adequate alternatives to the F-35 is debatable if the program is delayed, reduced or killed. Termination of the U.S. Air Force's F-35A would kill the program. But it also could be delayed, or full-rate production could be cut from the current goal of 80 aircraft a year. The Navy's F-S5C and the Marine Corps'F-S5B are subject to any of the same outcomes. Adding to the clouded outlook for the F-35, and more broadly to that of U.S. strike aviation, is that the Pentagon and the program's leadership have yet to produce firm guarantees about the Joint Strike Fighter's initial operational capability dates, as well as procurement and support costs.

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Battle at Sea - 3000 Years of Naval Warfare

Samuel Johnson said in 1759: "No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned." In fact, the great man had understated his case. He was talking of sailors in general, not of those serving in navies in time of war. The naval prayer, first recorded in the 17th century and still part of the church services of Britain's Royal Navy, asks for preservation not only "from the dangers of the sea" but also "from the violence of the enemy." It is this "violence" that is the overriding theme of this book. Naval warfare is almost as old as conflicts between armies on land, and as in land campaigns, it is the great battles that catch the imagination, the titanic clashes that can be said to have changed the course of history. Some, such as Cape Ecnomus between Rome and Carthage, or Leyte Gulf between the US and Japan in Word War II, involved vast fleets; others, such as the battles of Chesapeake Bay or the Nile, were fought by a relatively small number of ships. In spite of this, their strategic consequences were equally momentous.

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Model Airplane News Magazine February 2012

Model Airplane News magazine is the world's leading authority on radio control aviation and modeling. All types of RC planes are covered. This includes nitro, electric, indoor and gas R/C planes. The substantial free content available on the website includes product and plan reviews, building hints, flight sims, helis, how-to articles and details about the current and upcoming issues. Model Airplane News Member Only area entitles you to exclusive online product reviews, access to 20 plus years of Model Airplane News magazine, Pit Tips, Podcasts from the editors, 360° product views, video interviews with top pros and industry leaders, new wallpaper every week, member contests with additional content added everyday!

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Beneficial Bombing - The Progressive Foundation of American Air Power 1917-1945

In October 1910, former president Theodore Roosevelt was in St. Louis campaigning for the Republican governor of Missouri, Herbert Hadley. Upon learning of an "International Aeronautic Tournament" outside the city, the energetic and always inquisitive Roosevelt demanded to see it. "TR" and Hadley arrived at Kin-loch Field on 10 October by an eighty-automobile motorcade— the largest such procession St. Louis had then seen—just as one of the Wright brothers' six aircraft landed near the grandstand. The pilot of the fragile machine was Arch Hoxsey, a pince-nez-wearing aviator who earlier that year had made America's first recorded night flight, and who had recently set an endurance record of 104 miles by flying non-stop to St. Louis from Springfield, Illinois. Hoxsey jumped out of the Model B biplane and walked to Roosevelt's car through an array of Missouri National Guard troops surrounding the vehicle.

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The Spanish Army in North America 1700-1793

By 1700, more than 200 years after the story of the vast Spanish overseas empire began with Columbus making landfall in what is now the Bahamas archipelago, a string of lost wars in Europe had brought Spain to its knees, both economically and diplomatically. This situation was then aggravated by a dynastie crisis, as two contenders claimed the throne: Prince Charles of Austria, and Philippe, Duke of Anjou and grandson of France's King Louis XIV. The War of the Spanish Succession that ensued in 1702 did not end until 1713-14, by which time the rivals were exhausted. France had lost some of its prestige as a world power to Britain, but it had secured the confirmation of Philippe as Felipe V, King of Spain and "the Indies." However, Spain was not to become a French puppet state, as was quickly demonstrated by the rather ludicrous and half-hearted war that it waged in 1718-20 against France, Britain and several other countries. Thereafter, Spain's government had to confront the most pressing issue: the need to halt the nation's decline, and to restore its prestige as a viable power.

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The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques

The U.S. has the best-equipped and well-trained Army in the world. Barring unforeseen political considerations or a catastrophic act of nature, it can deploy nearly anywhere and accomplish almost any reasonable mission. This is due in large part to the Army's experience as an institution in a variety of wartime environments. Its hard-earned wisdom about how to cope with almost every imaginable scenario, on a soldier-by-soldier basis, distinguishes it as a service of excellence whose individuals are highly adaptable. They are well prepared, they accomplish the mission, and when the circumstances are truly unfavorable to life itself, they are survivors. The keys to this preparation are contained in the Army's many sensible, well-written, voluminous, and scattered publications. They address nearly every aspect of running, provisioning, or being in the Army, but they are especially useful for their tips on how to stay alive under any circumstances. The task of culling every bit of useful information about survival from every U.S. Army publication would take months however, so I've done it here for you in The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques.

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Warship Pictorial 003 - USS Louisville CA-28

June 3, 1930: Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington - Various structures emerge from the deck as the Louisville nears completion. The main mast rises in the foreground, straddling the aft fire control position. Further forward, up the wide stairs, four newly installed 5in. anti-aircraft guns sit under protective canvas on the lower gun deck. The upper gun deck over the hangar is awaiting the #2 funnel and the large aircraft crane. A huge tent of canvas covers the entire center of the ship as machinery and boiler spaces are finished underneath. The forward tripod mast (right) can really be appreciated here, as it soars better than 120ft. above the ship's keel.

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Naval History Magazine February 2012

Naval History is a bi-monthly magazine published by the United States Naval Institute since 1987. The 72-page publication not only includes feature articles spanning the course of Naval History written by significant scholars of their subject, but also has standing features including: "Looking Back," "On Our Scope," "Naval History News," "Book Reviews," and "Museum Report." Noted authors Norman Polmar and A.D. Baker III provide the "Historic Aircraft" and "Historic Fleets" columns. Each issue is illustrated with rare art and photographs.

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Modern Air Combat

This book is about lighting aircraft, but unlike most of the numerous books already written on this subject it is concerned with the true nitty-gritty of modern air warfare-the weapons, the systems and the tactics - while also including such familiar details as the wingspan and type of engine fitted. Many people have been brought up to believe that all fighter pilots have large moustaches and wear polka-dot scarves. There are those who feel that the subject of modern air combat is just too complicated for comprehension because they do not possess a PhD in electronics, nor major in infra-red technology. But we believe this book can open up the amazing world of modern air warfare to the ordinary reader. No PhD is needed.

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Italian Army Elite Units & Special Forces 1940-43

The origins of the Italian Army's elite and special forces date back to World War I, when the Arditi assault troops were formed, and foreign volunteer units were raised from former prisoners of war from the national minorities of the Austrian-Hungarian empire - Czechs, Poles and Romanians. In their different ways both these types of unit provided a nucleus of elite and special forces to the Italian Army, but their unique experiences of combat were lost to the army after the end of the war. Foreign volunteer units were disbanded, mostly returning to their homelands to provide a core for their new national forces. The Arditi were also disbanded, but their veterans evolved into a kind of political movement; eventually they would provide the core of the Fascist organization, and its armed wing, the Milizia Volontaria Sicurezza Nationale (MVSN - commonly called the Camicie Nere, 'Blackshirts') claimed to continue their traditions.

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CSS Alabama vs USS Kearsarge - Cherbourg 1864

There was a holiday mood in Cherbourg that Sunday - June 19, 1864. The morning weather was perfect. It was the type of fine day seen in northern France when spring was passing into summer. Several hundred Parisians had taken advantage of a new weekend excursion train from Paris to Cherbourg to spend Saturday on Cherbourg's beaches. Most had chosen to stay an extra day skipping the trains return on Sunday morning. Among them was Edouard Manet, the French artist, one of the pioneers of Impressionism. Several British and French yachts were also in Cherbourg that morning. These included Deerhound, a British steam yacht that had steamed into Cherbourg on the Saturday, to pick up the owner, John Lancaster, and his family, who were vacationing in France. Like the Parisian beachgoers, it delayed its departure to await the events of that Sunday morning.

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Aviation Week & Space Technology November 14, 2011

The Indian government is signaling that Boeing soon will be awarded a contract for 22 AH-64D Apache Longbow Block Ills for the Indian air force (IAF). The rotorcraft, which is used by the U.S. Army, is said to have outperformed the rival Russian Mil Mi-28N Night Hunter in tests and was strongly recommended by the IAF earlier this year following trials in 2010. The new helicopters will replace the IAF's aging Mil Mi-35s. Defense ministry sources reveal that differences in performance between the two helicopters were so great that the lAF's case was difficult to question. The final contract, a direct commercial sale, could be worth $1.5 billion.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 16, 2011

The Obama administration has released a set of proposed changes that would streamline US export restrictions for military and dual-use aircraft and associated components. US aerospace industry leaders have long contended that the export control system, which is overseen by five separate government agencies, is burdensome to business dealings. The administration announced on 7 November that it would move aircraft components from a restrictive State Department-controlled International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) list to a streamlined Commerce Control List (CCL) regulated by the Commerce Department. Items on the US Munitions List (USML) are all subject to the same controls regardless of their sensitivity. The CCL, however, has rules tailored to each type of item as well as its export destination. The draft list is the second section of ITAR to undergo revision since officials began a review last year. The section on land vehicles has been drafted and another on space vehicles is pending. There are 21 categories of items controlled by the USML in total.

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Aranysas 2011-10

Augusztus 16. és 21. között a Moszkva közelében fekvő Zsukovszkij kisváros repülőtere adott ismét otthont a Nemzetközi Repülési és Űrhajózási Szalonnak. A repülési programmal is fűszerezett MAKS 2011 szakkiállítást úgy a szakma, mint a nagyközönség részéről nem kevés érdeklődés előzte meg. A páratlan években megtartott rendezvény az idén jubilált. 2011-ben az immár tizedik alkalommal megtartott rendezvényen számos újdonság várta az érdeklődők tömegét. Katonai oldalról nézve a legnagyobb várakozás a PAK-FA program keretében fejlesztés alatt álló, egyelőre két repülőképes prototípussal rendelkező Szuhoj T-50 ötödik generációs harci repülőgépet övezte. A T-50-es nagyközönség előtti első bemutatkozásával megvárták a szerdai napot, augusztus 17-ét, ugyanis Vlagyimir Putyin miniszterelnök ezen a napon látogatta meg a rendezvényt.

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Postwar Military Aircraft 05 - De Hallilland Vampire, Venom And Sea Vixen

Design of the Vampire began in 1941, its twin-boom layout chosen to minimise the length of the jet tailpipe, and hence the power losses from the primitive jet engines then under development. The type entered squadron service in 1946, eventually equipping several Fighter Command first-line home defence squadrons. However, with the introduction of the FB5 the role of the Vampire changed from an interceptor fighter to a close-support ground attack fighter-bomber, and this variant became the most common in RAF service, many squadrons being stationed in Germany with the 2nd Tactical Air Force. Produced as a successor to the Vampire, the Venom was a completely new design based around the superior Ghost engine, and received much praise for its excellent rate of climb and good manoeuvrability at high altitudes. Both the Vampire and the Venom saw wide squadron service, and were adapted to night-fighter, trainer and naval versions. Their reliable all-round performance and capabilities attracted numerous overseas buyers, and some aircraft still serve with overseas air forces.

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Wheels & Tracks No.23

We are probably all familiar with stories of hidden, or buried, military vehicles; the chap who tells you always got it straight from the fellow who buried it, or found it. There is the one about the Tiger in East Anglia, left there, so they say, by a couple of soldiers who parked it in a farmer's barn for the night, promising to come back for it in the morning. Or there is the King Tiger (they're almost always Tigers) sitting quietly where it was parked in 1945, in a sealed off underground bunker in Germany. Perhaps because we are the Tank Museum we hear more of them than most and can therefore be excused for taking a sceptical view. Of course there was the famous case of the Dorking Covenanter, that turned out to be true [see issue No. 6], but so far it has been the only one out of dozens. Some years ago now I was talking to someone, an American who could be described as eminent among tank historians, and he told me about this big museum, somewhere outside Moscow, where they have the only surviving Maus, the Germans' superheavy tank.

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The UZI Submachine Gun

The Uzi submachine gun (SMG) surely ranks alongside the AK-47 as perhaps history's most recognizable firearm. Its fame, as these pages shall explore, is entirely warranted. Few firearms have brought together sheer firepower and compact dimensions so successfully as the Uzi. Its close-range lethality, and distribution figures in their millions, have ensured its popularity across the full spectrum of possible users. Throughout its lifespan to date Uzis have been seen in the hands of infantrymen, armoured vehicle crews, special forces soldiers, law-enforcement officers, Secret Service agents, civilian enthusiasts, Hollywood stars and outright criminals. Almost all without exception developed an enormous respect for the weapon, both for its ability to save life - their own - and its capacity for killing.

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Allied Strafing in World War II

This book is written by a strafer about pilots and aircrews being strafers in their air war in the deadly low-altitude skies, where they fought with aircraft guns and cannon in battle with the enemy and his weapons on the ground. Many specific actions and missions, heavy on firsthand accounts and backed by extensive gun camera film evidence, combine to show strafing's major and varied role in war as well as the core story of warrior duty, valor and sacrifice. The writing of this book was much the same as it would be for a book on a particular football Super Bowl where readers might know very little or nothing about football and other Super Bowls. Yet, that is the case for this book on World War II strafing, as some of its readers might have little knowledge of strafing. To remedy that, the tie-in history contained in salutes to prior and later wars includes limited basics of strafing in those wars as a primer on strafing history. These are my summaries, as a strafer, of what I gleaned from references on World War I and from my own and other pilots' experiences in later wars, which should help readers better see and appreciate "our story" in history.

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Bronze Age Greek Warrior 1600-1100 BC

More than a century has passed since Heinrich Schliemann brought to light the brilliant treasures of Mycenae. The rich appearance of the gold-covered warriors, still lying in their graves, confirmed to the world the truth about Homer's epic and the real historical existence of the Achaeans described in his poems. By the combined study of the mythical tradition, archaeological findings and written sources represented by the Linear B tablets (which are written in a very archaic form of Greek, in a syllabic script) our knowledge of Achaean civilization has advanced greatly. The Achaeans were an Indo-European group probably arriving on the Greek mainland from the Caucasus or Asia Minor around 2000-1800 BC. These groups conquered and absorbed the previous indigenous population who, since the Neolithic Period, inhabited Greece and the Aegean Islands.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 30, 2011

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the sale of its fleet of BAE Systems Harrier GR.9 ground attack craft to the US Marine Corps (USMC) on 24 November. The early retirement of the UK Harrier force, coupled with this deal, has saved the UK government about GBP1 billion (USD1.55 billion), the MoD said. In a statement the MoD added that it had agreed the transfer of 72 Harrier aircraft, as well as spares and associated support equipment, to the USMC in a deal worth USD180 million. The USD1.5 billion figure quoted by the MoD is the value of the sale plus the savings it says it has made from the early retirement of the aircraft in 2010 - some eight years earlier than originally planned. It is understood that the GR.9 aircraft will help support the USMC's McDonnell Douglas AV-8B fleet as well as allowing the corps to retire some of its

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Military Review 09-10 2010

INFORMATION ENGAGEMENTS IN Multi-National Division-South took place at warp speed during the build-up to the 30 June 2009 transition of U.S. forces in Iraq. Iraqi Security Forces were improving their capabilities every day, but were they ready to assume full control of the operations? What would life be like under the security agreement for U.S. forces? The agreement was understood in theory, but its application generated a litany of questions. However, one thing was clear: the way ahead would require systematic engagements with Iraqi leaders to leverage their powers of public persuasion. Military commanders have been meeting with important local officials since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq. These key leader engagements help commanders advance their objectives by building relationships with influential Iraqis familial' with Iraq's complex human terrain, but the engagements frequently take place on an ad hoc basis and are rarely integrated into strategic operations.1 Essentially, a key leader engagement is nothing more than a diplomatic tool to influence, inform, or educate a key leader.

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Planes of the Presidents

"You have been cleared to land," crackles the control tower radio to a Boeing 747 on final approach. A commerical airliner like hundreds of others flying everyday? Nope, this 747 flight is quite unique. As this giant swept-wing, wide-body transport breaks through the clouds, you do not see a TWA or Delta insignia on its side, but instead the words "United States of America" painted on its fuselage. Then, there are also that Presidential Seal near the main entry door and the American Flag on the tail that really catch your attention. The huge plane, in the hands of a highly-skilled military pilot, glides in like a dove for a perfect landing. What you have witnessed is a familiar sight at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, that being the landing of the current presidential aircraft, Air Force One.

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