70 years ago, the RAF staged its attack against dams in western Germany using Barns Wallis’ ingenious rolling/skipping bomb. The attacks were successful, but at a high price.
To this day, 617 Squadron remains the most famous squadron in RAF service.
70 years ago, the RAF staged its attack against dams in western Germany using Barns Wallis’ ingenious rolling/skipping bomb. The attacks were successful, but at a high price.
To this day, 617 Squadron remains the most famous squadron in RAF service.
Filed under Around the web, planes, war
I have no ear for music. I couldn’t tell a G flat from a flat tire. But one thing I can tell is the sound of the Pratt & Whitney R-3350 radial engine. So as I was sitting by the pool today, my ears perked up in an autonomic reaction, as FiFi, the world’s only flying B-29 went overhead.
Sharp readers may recall I had a glimpse of her just two short months ago.
No pics this time. But as always, a joy to hear.
Filed under ARMY TRAINING
The Daily Mail tells us the story.
‘In all three countries, physically strong males consistently pursue the self-interested position on redistribution.’
Men with low upper-body strength, on the other hand, were less likely to support their own self-interest.
No wonder why the men who seem most bent on relying on the protection of the collective instead of being the protector always seem to be milquetoasts.
It is a hell of a lot more plausible than Global Warming. So get thyself in the gym, move steel, and try not to act like Mary-Ellen Sisterpants. Bulk up or be crushed.
KAZAKHSTAN – After five months in space, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield was shocked to discover his cell phone provider has charged him well over a million dollars for data usage and roaming charges while he was in space.
“This is ridiculous,” said the 53 year-old who recently commanded the International Space Station and a proud owner of an iPhone 5. “I only Instagrammed a few hundred pictures of the sun coming up over the Sahara Desert and a thunderstorm over the Pacific Ocean, posted my videos of me eating in space a few dozen times on Twitter and watched a few YouTube videos of goats that sound like humans and that’s it!”
His phone had airplane mode, but not spaceship mode.
Filed under ARMY TRAINING
It’s the 12th anniversary of my cousin’s business. Every year, he holds a BBQ at the shop to celebrate (and generate a touch of goodwill with the local plumbers). So I had pulled pork, smoked sausage, and ribs with about 600 of my closest friends.
This was just one of about half a dozen grills/smokers.
Filed under ARMY TRAINING
I usually do a “cutaway Thursday” over that The Lexicans. It’s features unusual aircraft cutaway pictures I’ve got saved in my stack-o-stuff. This one was too awesome to not pass along.
Not posting the actual cutaway but this site for the iconic Boeing B-17 features one of the best interactive cutaways I’ve ever seen.
Here’s the mission tally and nose art of Nine-O-Nine.
You’ll need to set aside an hour for this one and maybe some alone time too :)
Filed under Air Force, Around the web, planes, war
Mr. RFH told the story today of his co-worker having to go to the Army Surplus store to buy a vintage ACU. Seems that he has to turn in an ACU that he’s had since ROTC days, and that was many moons and many moves ago. It was either buy an ACU for $100 from the surplus store or the Army will charge him $180. Yay.
This reminded me of having to turn in everything every time I completed a co-op quarter. There was a 23-item checklist, including keys and labcoats. I never did find out what would happen if I didn’t turn in everything. My first co-op quarter ended with a snowstorm in December and most of the management chain taking the day off. It took some searching to find a workaholic willing to sign that I had indeed turned in everything. My last co-op quarter, they insisted that I still had a labcoat checked out. I searched all over until a co-worker took pity on me and let me turn in one of his. I returned the favor when he retired. Gonna be interesting when I retire, to see if they still have one more labcoat on my tab. Bets?
Filed under ARMY TRAINING