International Aerospace Discussion

[Gerard]

OBAMA PLANE PHOTO OP STARTLES NEW YORKERS

A jumbo jet being chased by a F-16 fighter jets buzzed Lower Manhattan this morning, panicking New Yorkers, many of whom were forced to evacuate their office buildings.

FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic

[neerajb]

P-8A Poseidon first flight pics:

http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=71022
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=71023
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=71024
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=71025

Cheers....

[narayana]

Some Bad News for SU-35 lovers

Sukhoi Su-35BM Prototype Bursts Into Flames During Testing

A prototype of the advanced Su-35 Flanker multi-role fighter plane burst into flames during take-off procedures at a testing ground in Russia's Far East, a spokesman for the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant confirmed today.

[Sanjay M]

from BBC:

Russia mulls rocket power 'first'
By Anatoly Zak
Science reporter



PPTS spacecraft (Anatoly Zak/Russianspaceweb.com)
The future Russian capsule could land on a bright rocket plume

Russia's next-generation manned space vehicle might be equipped with thrusters to perform a precision landing on its return to Earth.

[Sanjay M]

I think we should have a dedicated international space new thread, separate from international aerospace news.

Here is Virgin Galactic's test flight video:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/05/ex ... st-flight/

[NRao]

The Israeli G-550 CAEW:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_44d3OT-xI3U/S ... 26+C-2.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_44d3OT-xI3U/S ... 26+C-3.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_44d3OT-xI3U/S ... 26+C-4.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_44d3OT-xI3U/S ... 26+C-5.jpg

[Gerard]

Africans must travel to the moon: Uganda president

"The Americans have gone to the moon. And the Russians. The Chinese and Indians will go there soon. Africans are the only ones who are stuck here," Museveni said, addressing a meeting of the Uganda Law Society in Entebbe.

"We must also go there and say: 'What are you people doing up here?'."

[k prasad]

Africans must travel to the moon: Uganda president

"The Americans have gone to the moon. And the Russians. The Chinese and Indians will go there soon. Africans are the only ones who are stuck here," Museveni said, addressing a meeting of the Uganda Law Society in Entebbe.

"We must also go there and say: 'What are you people doing up here?'."

Shouldn't this go to the humor thread???

[dorai]

Ok maybe I suck at google but I have searched and searched but can't find any pictures or even info about Eurofighter having used its cannon or countermeasures flares... anyone else? Got photos.. ? Is this even integrated on the Eurofighter??

[Austin]

"We must also go there and say: 'What are you people doing up here?'."

Shouldn't this go to the humor thread???

Well why not , if we have such a dream to be there , why cant they have such a dream , if they can work towards it in a systematic manner one day the African people will be there

[Gaurav_S]

"We must also go there and say: 'What are you people doing up here?'."

Shouldn't this go to the humor thread???

Well why not , if we have such a dream to be there , why cant they have such a dream , if they can work towards it in a systematic manner one day the African people will be there

Agreed, but better they first deal with rampant AIDS and other major health and hygiene issues.

[Nitesh]

Agreed, but better they first deal with rampant AIDS and other major health and hygiene issues.

Same could have been said about India (You can here the rants today also) when we started our program. I agree with Austin what's wrong in dreaming.

[Gaurav_S]

Agreed, but better they first deal with rampant AIDS and other major health and hygiene issues.

Same could have been said about India (You can here the rants today also) when we started our program. I agree with Austin what's wrong in dreaming.

Dont want to take this OT but Nitesh dont you see any difference between Africa and Indian human living conditions (poverty, health infrastructure, general infrastructure) at all. Also you seem to have missed my first word of last post 'Agreed'.

[Nitesh]

Dont want to take this OT but Nitesh dont you see any difference between Africa and Indian human living conditions (poverty, health infrastructure, general infrastructure) at all. Also you seem to have missed my first word of last post 'Agreed'.

Yes we are getting OT just to clarify my thought process. What I meant is "when we started our program". Hope you got my point. Every nation has a right to think ahead and make progress is every arena. At least we are on the same page regarding this.

My last post in OT.

[Gaurav_S]

At least we are on the same page regarding this.
My last post in OT.

Surely we can manage small differences on this

[Sanjay M]

Dont want to take this OT but Nitesh dont you see any difference between Africa and Indian human living conditions (poverty, health infrastructure, general infrastructure) at all. Also you seem to have missed my first word of last post 'Agreed'.

There are certainly many parts of India which have living conditions comparable to Sub-saharan Africa, and that's a fact.

Main difference between India and Africa is that we have a strong scientific and technical infrastructure, and good international tie-ups in the technical sector.

I'm not sure that India will put a man on the moon by 2020, but I'm sure that Africa won't even have a man on the moon by 2050, unless they piggyback on someone else's ride.

[Mihaylo]

"The Americans have gone to the moon. And the Russians. The Chinese and Indians will go there soon. Africans are the only ones who are stuck here," Museveni said, addressing a meeting of the Uganda Law Society in Entebbe.

"We must also go there and say: 'What are you people doing up here?'."

Shouldn't this go to the humor thread??? [/quote]


They have a better chance at going to the moon than the pukes. Africa can atleast dream, the pukes can't even afford that.

[ArmenT]

Won't be the first time an African country tried this. In the 1960s, the Zambians announced that they were planning to send an African to the moon ahead of the US and the Soviets. In order to achieve this, they announced that they had already selected a dozen "Afronauts" and one "spacegirl" and they were planning to apply to UNESCO for funding for the program. While waiting for the UNESCO funding, training had commenced in full swing by placing the men in an oil drum and rolling them downhill in order to simulate weightlessness and also teaching them to walk on their hands. Meanwhile, the spacegirl got pregnant by one of the Afronauts and was withdrawn from the program by her parents.

The space program never got off the ground because of lack of funding from UNESCO. According to my copy of the Book of Lists, they did get one contributor though -- from an Indian!! Apparently an enthusiastic Indian schoolboy heard about the Zambian space program over the radio and mailed in something like the equivalent of $1 or so.

[edit]Lest you think I'm making this up, wiki even has an article about the father of the Zambian space program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Makuka_Nkoloso
That page has links to Time magazine's article from the 60s describing the beginning of the program. The detail about the Indian schoolboy's contribution comes from one of the Book of Lists (I'll have to dig up the exact one later)

Full marks to the Africans for having a dream though. Who knows, maybe in 20-30 years, they may come up with something that will actually make their dreams a reality. Here's wishing them the very best of luck.
[/edit]

[andy B]

IMVHO the African nations would have to adopt a collective approach by which they would be able to share the funding and research I am sure countries such as South Africa, Egypt and other nations that have industrial capacity will be able to be at the forefront of the research and other oil producing countries can look at funding with the benefits being shared amongst all participants Ofcourse for this to happend they'll need to COLLABORATE big word considering the war mongering that goes in Africa....but good on em' for having a dream...for if you dont dream...you are not inspired to achieve!

[Rahul M]

difference between India's space prog and this one is that Sarabhai et al considered space as a means to an end whereas this person considers going to space as an end in itself IOW h&d (notice the ref to going to moon and not thinks like communication earth observation etc).

[Gerard]

Won't be the first time an African country tried this. In the 1960s, the Zambians announced that they were planning to send an African to the moon ahead of the US and the Soviets.

That wasn't the Zambian government. Just a crackpot politician, a village buffoon risen beyond his natural station.

[Gerard]

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv ... 161009.jpg

Russian army jet fighters release anti-missile flares, as they fly over the Ivan the Great Bell Tower of the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, during a final rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade which will take place at Moscow's Red Square on May 9.

[JaiS]

Sukhois In The US (Officially)


US denies Israel access to F-35 computer

Defense officials told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that talks between the Israeli defense delegation in Washington and the Pentagon have picked up speed in recent weeks but have yet to result in agreement due to the US's refusal to grant Israel access to the plane's internal computer mainframe.

The Americans are concerned that by allowing Israel to independently repair the computers, the Israel Air Force will get its hands on the classified technology that was used to make the plane.

Israel, on the other hand, has argued that due to its operational requirements it needs to have the ability to repair damaged or broken computer systems in "real time" and cannot wait for a computer system to be sent to the US for repairs in the middle of a war.

[vivtho]

While watching a Top Gear clip on YouTube, I happened to glimpse this wierd looking 747 in the background. If I am to believe my eyes, that 747 has got its engines in two twin pods (as against the usual 4 single pods) and an underwing pod that looks like a drop tank. Any idea what it is?

You can view the YouTube link here (embedding is disabled for the video). The plane appears at 2:53 into the video.

[Rahul M]

google to the rescue. the twin engine pods look similar to the ones on the B-52.

http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forum.asp ... ed-engines

[Sanjay M]

Sikorsky's X2 uses a unique new configuration for speed and agility:

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-d ... x2-ar.html

[vivtho]

google to the rescue. the twin engine pods look similar to the ones on the B-52.

http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forum.asp ... ed-engines

Thanks that seems to have answered the question. And now that I think about it, I did happen to see the aircraft in an earlier Bond movie .... Casino Royale if I rememer corectly.

[JaiS]

US buys Ukrainian fighter jets

Last 4 F-22 fighters to cost nearly $200 million each

[Arunkumar]

Angara development needs cash injection

hmm..seems scaling down a four chamber RD171 to one chamber RD191 was not so simple afterall.

[JaiS]

Harvest Hawk Aims to Arm USMC’s KC-130J Aerial Tankers

S. Korea Seeks to Build Semi-Stealth Fighter

[vishal]

Israel practicing MIG-29/F-16 dogfights

Extract: The jets were loaned to Israel by an unnamed foreign country. The experiment is meant to prepare IAF pilots for missions where they might have to fight a foreign air-force.

[Gerard]

Gates says next-generation bomber might fly without pilot

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen said the military is at a "real transition time here" regarding the mix of manned and unmanned aircraft. The four-star admiral added he is "inclined to believe" that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in development will be the last manned fighter jet procured by the U.S. military.

[soutikghosh]

Russian BASTION-P System based on Yakhont system similar,if not less capable than our BRAHMOS System.
Recently first of these units were sold to Vietnam. So there goes our Brahmos's first potential export chance.
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3595/0 ... 331212.jpg
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9559 ... 331284.jpg

[Sanjay M]

Brahmos is based on Yakhont/Onyx. Let's face it, BrahMos is mainly Russian-made, Russian-designed. India just provided the money when Russia was short on funds, to complete development.

BrahMos is mainly a triumph in Russian engineering, not Indian engineering.
I'm glad India participated in it though, since it's a tremendous weapon.

[Gaurav_S]

India just provided the money when Russia was short on funds, to complete development.

AFAIK India had made technological contribution to the Brahmos and not just funds.

http://www.brahmos.com/content.php?id=1

Sanjay M saar, if India just provided funds then I wonder what Ananth Technologies, ECIL, DRDL, Data Patterns, all based in India were doing in BrahMos project?

[Gaurav_S]

Indonesia also interested in buying Brahmos.

A senior ministry official said India and Indonesia have been strengthening their defense ties for some time, and the two countries have even explored the possibility of joint production of weapons and military equipment.

The two countries have also discussed joint patrols by Indian and Indonesian warships in the Strait of Malacca, the region's favored sea route for large ships, including oil tankers from the Arabian Gulf.

An Indonesian diplomat said that Jakarta is interested in buying the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile, jointly developed by India and Russia. Indonesia also is interested in the co-production with India of radars, electronic equipment and artillery weapons, the diplomat said.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =SEA&s=TOP

[vavinash]

A very good move if true. India needs to have a good alliance with Indonesia. They also use Su-30's and their navy could do with a lot of new ships. The new corvettes they are buting from the dutch are seriously under armed.