Yak 54

The United States Navy has formally retired the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. I discovered this while watching a TV news channel in Los Angeles. The ceremony took place at Miramar which is located near San Diego. Most Americans equate the F14 to the movie, "Top Gun". When you mention to someone you spent many years in the Navy working on F14's, they usually say something about the movie. It's always interesting to talk to someone who does not know it up close and personal. I never flew the airplane, but I knew how keep it combat ready for the fleet. I spent six years in the Navy as an F-14 Radar technician. I spent another 7 years working for the Navy as a civilian "Tech Rep". I have been at sea[..]

The 4th-generation jet fighter aircraft Mikoyan MiG-29 was designed and developed by the Mikoyan design bureau in the USSR as a replacement for the MiG-23 Flogger for the Soviet Airforce. The MiG-29 Fulcrum air superiority jet fighter has been developed during the 1970s and joined the Air Force of the Soviet Union from 1983 at the well-known Kubinka airbase near Moscow. The Soviets were afraid about the US Fighter X program that lead to the F-15 fighter. Finally, the Soviets decided to develop two fighter designs to counter the American advantage: The PFI program (the smaller part of the program, about 1/3) resulted in the bigger and heavier Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker jet fighter, while the[..]

Honda Motor Co. the producer of high quality auto parts like Honda spark plug wire is to spend approximately $40 million for its first jet aircraft factory. The additional investment will raise the company’s total venture to $100 million as part of the company’s expansion into aviation from manufacturing motorcycles, autos, and engines. Construction had begun on the Honda Aircraft Co. facilities in Greensboro, North Carolina, as announced by Honda. The initial stage of the project is expected to be finished next year while the first deliveries of Honda Jet will start in 2010. The Tokyo-based company also plans to hire a workforce comprising of 350 people According to Honda’s[..]

Many nations in the world are turning to the Russian made Su27 in the present period as the fighter aircraft of choice for their military air force. Is the Su-27 a superior fighter to lets say the F-15 Eagle? No, not even close, but realize that indeed it is available to all nations as Russia does not discriminate to hostile or rogue nations in their arms deals; you got the cash, they got the planes and they are building more. So, why is everyone buying these aircraft and what is it that makes it so great anyway? Well the story of the SU-27 is much like many of the fighters made by Russia's top aeronautical scientists from 1968 to 1975; There have been many modifications and refinements[..]

File photo of 'Discovery' performing flyaround of International Space Station after undockingThe U.S. space agency NASA says it will delay next week's scheduled launch of the space shuttle Discovery to run tests on a newly installed set of fuel valves.The valves control the flow of hydrogen fuel from the shuttle engines to the external fuel tank. The new valves were installed on Discovery after a small piece broke off a valve during the November launch of space shuttle Endeavour. NASA officials say it is postponing the flight until at least February 19 to determine if the shuttle could sustain serious damage if one of the valves broke during launch.Discovery and its seven-member crew[..]

Orthodox Christians across the globe who retain the Julian calendar are making final preparations to celebrate Christmas on Monday. In his annual Christmas Eve address, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy, praised the head of the exiled Russian church, Metropolitan Laurus for his "substantial" efforts to reunite the two institutions after decades of separation. The two churches broke apart after the Russian revolution in 1917, but signed a reconciliation document last year to end their 80-year schism. The Orthodox Church in Serbia used its annual message to the faithful to voice concern over the future ofSerbia's breakaway Kosovo province. Church leaders called on[..]

The history of jets begins in the mid-1930s when Frank Whittle from Great Britain drew the first plans for a jet plane. While the first jet fighter planes debuted towards the end of World War II. It was immediately after the war commercial airlines quickly recognized the value of the jet, when everyone was eager to get to where they were going quicker. People knew that the less time one spent in the air- the less jet lag there would be while having more time on the ground to get things done. Finally, in the 1960's business travelers started taking advantage of business jets. During that time when the business jet emerged, a whole industry of small jets designed for the well-to-do[..]

Formed in 1946, the Blue Angels of the US Navy (USN) are the world’s first officially sanctioned military aerial demonstration team. The group performs more than 70 shows at 34 locations throughout the United States each year, where they still employ many of the same practices and techniques in their aerial displays as in 1946. Their first performance was in 1956 in Toronto, Canada. During the four-day Paris Air Show in 1965, the Blue Angels were the only team to receive a standing ovation. Since their inception, they have flown for more than 427 million spectators worldwide. The team has operated eight aircraft so far, including the current F/A-18 Hornet. Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat (1946)[..]

There is probably no other gaming niche that has grown as fast as the niche of airplane games in the last decade or so. The 9/11 bombings and a couple of other factors have actually led to a rise of people wanting to get a first hand feel of flying an aircraft. Aircraft combat games have also seen an upswing in demand in the last 5 odd years. One of the main reasons for a sudden surge in demand of airplane games is the fact that animations and graphic designing firms are now better equipped to give the user the exact Graphical Interface, as it is in an aircraft. Exponential proliferation and up-gradation of hardware, introduction of dedicated graphics cards, sound drivers and a whole lot[..]

Enjoyable holidays can be one term that suits Sydney and which will give a clear definition as to what Sydney stands for. There is no less space for adventure and sporting activities in Sydney it is one of the best places in the world to undertake adventure rides and sporting pass times. From relaxing golf to really exciting skydiving Sydney is a place to enjoy fun and thrill. The pass times in Sydney include various activities such as night clubs, relaxing spa, adventure sports, fun activities, cooking classes and chocolate making classes. You can also try some healthy living courses offered in Sydney. The holiday activities of Sydney are not that much priced and are very nominal for a[..]

With the invention of aircraft, a necessity was born: a way for pilots and their passengers to keep warm at high altitudes. As the development of flight technology soared during the two World Wars, leather bomber jackets and accompanying leather pants and even leather flying cap became the standard. Fleece-lined leather jackets were issued to flight personnel as a matter of course. After World War 2, aeronautical engineering continued to advance in leaps and bounds, and soon the jet age was born. By the mid-1950s the leather bomber jacket was no longer a suitable item of clothing for pilots and others flying in US Air Force airplanes. It was all because of the new jet planes. These could[..]

Germany has developed some amazing tourist attractions especially for families. Whether you want to relax at the world's largest spa or experience thrilling rides at a massive water ride, you will get all that and more in Germany. There is just so much to do with your family in Germany. Add to that the abundance of comfortable, cozy and affordable hotels; it just seems like the perfect getaway. These hotels can range from homely apartments to hostels and 4 to 5 star hotels that welcome your young ones warmly. Germany is home to Europe's largest thermal water attraction- the Thermenwelt Erding or Therm Erding. It is an exotic paradise of pools and saunas. It also home Galaxy Erding that[..]

kness is a big problem for many people. In fact, air sickness can be so serious that it can affect some people the minute they step into the plane! Once you've found the cheapest plane tickets, you don't want to get sick and ruin your trip! No matter how long you've looked forward to visiting a friend or a special place, air sickness takes the enjoyment out of any trip. Air sickness happens when your brain receives mixed messages. At times your body appears to be moving or shaking, but at other times your body appears to be still or not moving. There are some things you can do to eliminate, or at least, decrease air sickness while traveling on a plane. Never fly on an empty or full[..]

Every year nearly 60,000 airplanes take off and land with anestimated 36 billion paper checks at an annual processing cost of $8billion. Who pays this $8 billion dollars? The banks and creditunions across the nation, that's who. Why do they go to all thiseffort and expense? Many state commercial codes stipulated that onlya canceled check was proof positive of payment. Since there are nearly 18,000 financial institutions in the United States, most of them have not been able to charge fees to cover this $8 billion cost of letting you have a checking account. This meansthat all of that money has to come out of other fees, penalties andloan rates. At least this was the truth until October[..]

We have all heard about aircraft spinning out of control and Hollywood sure likes to ham it up, especially in dogfight scenes in close air-to-air combat. Now a days in the modern net-centric battlespace with long-range air-to-air missiles generally the aircraft, which sees the other aircraft first and if could be hundreds of miles away launches a missile and kills the enemy. They never get that close anymore for the Hollywood or movie viewer perception of how these things take place. And jet fighter aircraft do not normally stall like the WWI and WWII vintage aircraft or putt-putt puddle jumper light aircraft. You see jet aircraft have swept wings and when they stop flying the aircraft[..]

Many people who have a fear of flying only comprehend the hazards of icing condition involving airplanes taking off. Icing can be a hazard for aircraft in flight too. When it comes to icing, you should always have respect for it. The FAA always emphasize that you must have a clean airplane. That has been hammered into the brains of every pilot since their first days in flight school. Basically, having a clean airplane means having no ice, snow, or frost adhering to the airplane. Airlines make sure that all ground personnel receives yearly training on how to properly deice the aircraft on the ground. Only experience ramp personnel are allowed to deice aircraft. Communication is very[..]

It used to be that a flight to Brazil was expensive because you had to pay for the excitement, but these days, the days of the bargain hunter; it is wise for a tourist destination country to offer the best deals possible to the best tourist countries possible, like Canada, America, and Europe and now cheap flights to Brazilare possible. It is now popular not just to go to Rio, but to also take in the other regions surrounding/in it like Recife, Natal, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and Manaus. The best way to get to these destinations is now more varied, making iteasier and more accessible. From the U.S., there are now direct flights from such major airports as: LA, New York, Atlanta, Houston,[..]

There is nothing more wonderful than the sensation of flying. In the many history books the Wright Brothers are credited with being the first ones to fly. While these are individuals that have lead to people flying in the skies the history of flying model airplanes is not that well known. To make the history of airplanes like the model airplanes known you have to travel back in time. During the late 19 century hydrogen filled model airplanes were designs. These were not as complex as the ones of today are. As the new airplanes are controlled by radio signals the older model airplanes were guided by electronic signals. The history of airplanes of this type state that these remote[..]

The B-36 was an immense aircraft in every dimension and one of the last of the piston driven bombers. Designed as a long distance heavy bomber capable of carrying a huge bomb load or the nuclear bombs of the period, it went through numerous re-designs and modifications. The first B-36A was built in early 1947 and flew for the first time on August 28, 1947. The models B and C soon followed and were found wanting for one reason or another, mostly because the Air Force and the Government's Department of Defense could not arrive at a long-term agreement about what they wanted. Some wanted the B-36 to fill the gap before the B-52's would be delivered; others thought it was not needed at[..]

Here are some thoughts on the study of the theory of price wars as they relate to the industries like the Airlines and others. Comments on an article in Harvard Business Review in March-April edition 2000. The article was called 'How to Win a PRICE WAR'. Written by Akshay R. Rao, Mark E. Bergen and Scott Davis. They start out the article, that in the game of business, many tactics are used to ward off competitors. Increasingly PRICE is the weapon of choice. It talks about how the quest for market share and market dominance by continually lowering prices by each side of a price war can drive down Industry Profits. Oh Really? But who cares what the Industry does anyway. Is it not the[..]

Was it really so long ago when flying was still a novelty. What am I saying, there are people walking around this earth that don't have a clue about cooking on a stove, so how could they ever conceive of a time without flight. So humans wanted to fly, and even though they were born without wings, that was just a minor detail that they would eventually overcome. Eventually the airplane became a reality, and not only that, but time and technology made it possible for other people to ride the plane besides the pilot. But humans are restless, and began thinking of other ways to use the air plane. One of the ideas for using a plane, was to allow them to carry freight. History was made in[..]

I want to take an opportunity at the beginning of this article to interject a few words of caution and insight to aircraft building in general. It is likely that the person who wants to build with wood already sees the monetary advantages. There are still many pitfalls to watch out for that need careful consideration before spending money. You will find that wood construction has many variables. There are as many opinions as there are designs when it comes to construction techniques. Opinions are great for consideration, but you must remember that this aircraft when completed will be registered with the FAA as (your name followed by the kit manufacturer and model.) You are the builder[..]

Made by Bell Aircraft Corporation, the P-39 Airacobra was produced from 1939 until 1944 and it might be called the most controversial US fighter plane of WWII. It was embraced heartily by the Soviets and equally shunned by both the USAAC and the RAF; it was hounded by myths and falsehoods that added to the controversy to this day. It was off to an auspicious start when the first unit, the XP-39 was unveiled at Wright Field on April 6, 1939 to the gasps and ahs of the assembled dignitaries. One could see at first glance the innovations and peculiarities incorporated into Bell's new Airacobra. The P-39 was the first fighter plane to use a tricycle landing gear configuration, later[..]

Great Britain, always disconnected from the European continent because of its insularity, had only been reachable by sea until 1785, at which time the first balloon had successfully crossed the English Channel by air. By 1908, 35 other aerial balloon crossings had been completed, but none had been made with heavier-than-air craft. That had been about to change, and the feat would fully equal the many epic, record-breaking flights now firmly impressed in the annals of aviation history, such as the transcontinental flight made by Calbraith Rogers in 1911 with the Vin Fiz Flyer and the solo transatlantic crossing by Charles Lindbergh in 1927 with the Ryan Monoplane nicknamed Spirit of St.[..]

"body"> So you want to fly for a dollar on Southwest, but you're tired of sitting in the middle seat, at the back of the plane, smelling the restroom sanitizer spray? Yes, THE SECRET isn't some law of attraction, it's getting a good seat on an "open-seating" flight. After flying on gazillions of Southwest planes, touring as a corporate comedienne, I've figured it out! Here are ways to raise the odds that you'll get a decent seat too. IF THE PLANE ISN'T COMPLETELY FULL AND YOU'RE IN THE "A" OR "B" LINE. . . you of course want to get in a row where the middle seat stays empty! Sit in rows 5 through 8. According to my unscientific research of watching people-patterns (no lab rats[..]

The Commercial Aircraft Composites Repair Committee CACRC It's task groups cover: Composites repair materials, composites repair Techniques, composites inspection, composites design, Facilities Training, Airline Inspection and composites repair conditions This work is progressing. It should be remembered that the CACRC is focused on the current in service problems and so is primarily concerned with thin components, often sandwich constructions (ref for example SAE AE-27, the 'Guide for the design of durable, repairable and maintainable aircraft composites' whose design case studies are mostly sandwich parts). As in service confidence in composites grows, particularly in lightweight[..]

What do you do when you get on an airplane? After you have stowed your carry on, sat down, and buckled up? Honestly, do you listen to the flight attendant's safety instructions? Or do you go about your own business, reading, chatting, or what not and completely tune out the person telling you where the exits are, how to use your seat belt, and where the nearest bathroom is located? Do you read the safety information card? Have you ever read the safety information card? Let me share with you what I do. I always listen to the flight attendant's instructions. Always! The primary reason I've always done this, and will continue to do so, is because I believe it is impolite not to. As a[..]

Amsterdam city is the capital of Holland and has been called the showpiece of the Netherlands. While people often think of London, Paris, and Rome as the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, some fail to realize that Amsterdam immediately follows those three grand cities on the list of most visited European cities. In turn, this also means that Amsterdam Schiphol is in constant motion as one of the world's most bustling airports. The most interesting thing about the Amsterdam's airport is that it is actually considered to be a miniature, self-contained city. All of the facilities, necessities, entertainment, and conveniences that a person would expect to enjoy in this modern day[..]

Commercial aircraft are the result of the airline requirements which shape them, attempting to fulfill, as completely and cost-effectively as possible, the particular combination of mission goals. For airliner-type aircraft, these include two primary parameters: payload, comprised of passengers, baggage, cargo, and mail, and range, which enables a carrier to offer nonstop service between specific city pairs. Aircraft configurations are, in essence, design solutions to intended operating missions and hence vary according to fuselage length and width; wingspan, planform, and sweepback; engine type, thrust, and mounting; and horizontal and vertical tail location and size. In the late 1970s,[..]

Few people remember the days of horrendous delays in Europe caused by the explosive growth of demand in the latter part of the 70s and early 80s. States tried to cope with the problem as best they could but the individual efforts made things worse as often as they helped in resolving the logjam. Clearly, a region-wide solution was needed. This solution was the Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU), designed and operated by EUROCONTROL on behalf of the ECAC States and with the full blessing of ICAO. Now, several decades later, the future of the CFMU as a concept and as an operating unit may hang in the balance. From protecting sectors to ensuring flight efficiency The first attempt at[..]

Consolidated Aircraft won the original contract from the US Army Air Corps in 1939 to build a bomber that could exceed the performance of the B-17. Their prototype, the XB-24 first flew in December 1939. Slightly smaller than the Flying Fortress, it had four 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp turbocharged radial piston engines which enabled it to fly farther with a bigger bomb load than the B-17. Of seven service-test YB-24s, six were sent to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1940 under the export designation LB-30A. Because they lacked turbosuperchargers and self-sealing fuel tanks, the RAF found them unsuitable for combat duty over Europe. Instead, they were stripped of[..]

Imagine that you're sitting in first class for the first time. You've used a combination of frequent flyer miles from your spouse's business travels and points earned through a rewards program with your credit card to book the two of you on a nonstop flight to a romantic destination for the weekend. You're excited about your first time in first class - having enough room to be comfortable and getting the extra perks that come along with the prestigious seating. As the flight attendant walks by for the first time you ask him, "Excuse me, do you have any magazine's I can look at." He turns and says, "I'm sorry. Haven't you heard about 9/11, airlines in bankruptcy, employee layoffs,[..]