Sparviero

I've been to Harper's Ferry a couple of times and I was surprised to see how "advanced" rifle construction was in this time period. I don't know how well the standard tolerance was of course. However a lathe to give the wood frame it's general shape and rifling machinery looked impressive from what little I could see and obviously I've no real knowledge besides using the industrial 60s era tools in my Grandfather's shop for making furniture. Not that this really brings anything to this thread. lol

Something I just saw today on a blog. STAMP (Small Tactical Aerial Mobility Platform) http://sobchak.wordpress.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_STAMP The Garrett STAMP (Small Tactical Aerial Mobility Platform) was a two person flying jeep prototype made by a division of Garrett Systems, the Airesearch Co. of Phoenix, for the United States Marine Corps STAMP program, in the early 1970s. The prototype took off and manoeuvered by the means of a ducted turbine, much like the Harrier. Unlike the Harrier it had no wings and had to depend on the fan's thrust for lift at all times. This gave it an expected range of 30 miles at a speed of 75 mph. The power came from a Garrett TSE-231 turbine normally used to power helicopters. The turbine gave 1050 pounds of thrust by running at 6000 rpm. Two persons sat in a closed cockpit adapted from a small helicopter. The prototype was successfully tested in tethered flight inside a hangar at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California. Its competitor in the STAMP program was a one person open-cockpit craft called the Williams X-Jet, made by Williams International.

Maybe the Israelis have secretly converted a supertanker into an ersatz carrier to launch strike craft? One way of course. Then pilots ditch back in the gulf and a sub absconds with the evil Zionist scum. I'm trying to think of something crazy Iranian newspapers would come up with.

Elon Musk talked about the Falcon 9 eventually getting into the $200-300 per pound range in the video linked to previous, although this was pre-COTS debacle I believe. Let's say some how a Falcon 9 launch for the ISS is more in the $500-700 range if I were to believe him. Isn't NASA paying in the thousand(s) of dollar range right now? If the cost to supply the ISS could go down significantly wouldn't the life span budget also increase and allow for more financially rewarding scientific experiments and other activities? Just seems a damn shame to once again not have any long term space projects. As much as I want Constellation to work my faith the current administration carrying it on is not great.

Thank you on the SW part. Although I guess have to thank the Star Wars people for going the route of the Yuuzhan Vong because that really made the scale issue visible and I lost that addiction.

Are there any major US steel manufacturers left?

It was a draw, a victory for no one. Only the warhawks had territorial aims in Canada and even then they were not very serious just the bravado of prewar rhetoric. DC was not the aim, Baltimore was the aim. Once again was Baltimore captured, was a sustained push from Canada mounted? Did Britain wind up recognizing the issues of what it considered an annoying pipsqueak, yes. The war was a draw grow up already and admit it.

The Brits tried three last times to teach the US a lesson. Invasion from Canada called back after supply lines couldn't be secured. Capture of Baltimore fizzled out. New Orleans, Post treaty, launched a future presidency. So how again did the Brits win when they failed in their last three major exploits of the war?

After the first year the US would be cranking out better ships and updated firearms, no? The Brits would have to hit real hard very fast and even then I think that would only make the US more determined to turn things around.

John Ringo is probably flying to Nepal right now to convince them he is their god. *must read shitty baen scifi books to get reference*

Wtf, I thought the ISS was a long term project.

Wasn't the main issue with cordite and stowage procedures in the RN?

I always like to call the French bombers with the large nose and all that glass the sky bar & lounge.

I'm a bit confused on the evil Germans bent on world domination theme. Why not a settled peace with the Brits after Churchill can't maintain power. Peace with France with Alsace & Lorraine once again flip flopping, maybe some basing rights and chunks of the colonies. No matter what sort of friendly government the Germans try to setup within a generation the animosity will be back. Then settle down to incorporate the parts of Poland it wanted along with the new colonies. At some point the Germans and Soviets are going to probably settle for peace I would imagine. If only at war with Russia would someone like Speer be able to get the economy into a total war footing? Or would it be more probably to see Germany able to make some satellite nations out of the Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states to act as a buffer?

The other half of the time they are repeating their codename and mecha name in gundam. Or at least feels that way sometimes.

I imagine the plan is a series of three or so major games plus associated expansion packs to properly milk the cash cow so starting in 3015 and moving forward makes sense.

Isn't this a good idea to have a guidance mode that still works without outside guidance in case space doesn't remain so friendly or neutral?

I'm trying to find an old little Italian history book I have on this subject so someone will hopefully correct me. However I believe by the time Italy joined in the war didn't the French and British navy have an embargo of strategic materials going? I seem to recall something about the Regia Marina at least planning to sortie against the anglo-French navy at one point to try to get some merchants through that weren't allowed. Going of memories with several years of decay. So I admit to most likely being horribly wrong.

The youth of the draft class of 1899 pulled Italy's chestnuts out of the fire. The entente was important for providing artillery however there were also Italian troops fighting on the French front as well and Italy by fact of being in the war was bringing a huge relief to the Entente positions.

And this usually leads into a very nasty buzzsaw argument amongst pro-Italian viewpoint and those that are wrong and they know it. Also if you look at the events of 1919-1920 for some screw the treaty this territory is ours moments. Was there a peace treaty that was worse than the one that ended ww1? Not only on the continent but the eventual carving up of the middle east, etc.

Italy would not have been able to remain neutral. Iirc the entente was already practicing or threatening a blockade of neutral Italy.

Ariete is probably lighter than any of the other tanks. In original form it was only meant to be proof against 105mm from the forward arc iirc. There is the new armor pack that the C1 Ariete sent to Iraq used and I'm not sure what that put the weight at. If nothing else you should be able to ask for more information here. http://www.ferreamole.it/ Just some quick fotos from http://sobchak.wordpress.com/?s=ariete

It's been awhile however I have read the Schindler book. If only the military leaders had been capable enough to properly use the tenacity of the men who served.