Stuart Galbraith

The Luftwaffe actually required a wingman to confirm kills, which was considerably better than the USAAF and RAF that didn't. They weren't perfect, but they were considerably more accurate than the Allies. As for the Soviets, they indulged in their own fabrication at Prokorovka, I'm not inclined to believe they are any more trustworthy.

I'm not so sure, they did have a reputation for engine fires just on a road march. Still, carrying some 20 less to s around, maybe they would have worked out. And it would have saved a lot of Tigers.

Why?

As someone on a recent twitter post pointed out, perhaps the key is not to downsize the jet, but downsize the missiles. The British have kept weapons like Javelin in production, purely to deal with the drone threat. It would perhaps be worth considering carrying a pod full of missiles so you could get maybe 6 on a pylon, so you have some good capability to go and hunt down slow drones. Then you can use your Amraams for the fighters. Or better yet, max out a loyal wingman or Bayraktar with cheap dronekilling missiles, get him to work, then cover his back with your fighter providing top cover 20000 feet above. I think the solution is going to be a variety of methods, both ground and air launched.

I dont believe the British have ever believed that POW camps were gentle. I think the only times that the US has explored POW camps were Hogans Hero's and Harts War. The former was impossibly light, the latter over the top, although closer to the reality. It was 50 years after the warthat I found out the camp my grandfather was in rejoiced in greeting new arrivals with being cracked round the head with rifle butts. I couldnt read a lot more about it after that. The second camp he was in had a section for slav prisoners in the centre of the camp, whom were pretty much treated as if it was a death camp. Im not sure why this subject doesnt get explored more in US Cinema.

Really interesting article about the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight creating a spitfire simulator for their own use. https://authentikit.org/atk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/00-00-Spitfire-simulator_V1.pdf

Well, Airbus certainly seem to have far fewer planes falling out the sky due to corporate culture right now, there is no doubt about that. OTOH, there was quite a lot of concern in the late 1980's on about Airbus flight control systems, one of which did incirectly cause at least 2 bad air accidents. One can argue whether that was because Airbus rushed the technology out to be first, or airlines didnt appreciate quite how revolutionary FBW was in airliners. A mixture of both perhaps. To me, the adoption of FBW in Boeing looks almost the same kind of mistake, or at least, the bug you expect moving to new technology. The only real difference was Airbus redoubled its efforts to make sure Airlines knew how different their airliners were and how to operate them safely, and Boeing, with the Max at least, really didnt give a toss after its aircraft was sold how they were operated. Boeing will turn it around, they just need to remember to make their engineers the primary consultant on whether something is ready for the marketplace or not. The only question is how long that is going to take them to remember how to do.

Strelkov probably was, the crazy bastard.

Well in my defence they all look the same, godamn commie tubs. Didnt they damage at least 2 corvettes as well? Dont believe they were kalibr shooters though. Though as they seem to have shot their wad thus far, its a bit academic.

Its worth looking at an air accident that occurred 50 years ago this year. Basically, they knew 2 years before the accident the aircraft was vulnerable to floor collapse when the door opened in flight, which knocked out the flight controls, usually resulting in the loss of the aircraft. The FAA didnt want to mandate Douglas fixed it, so they took a promise they would. Which cost everyone at Eremonville their lives. Fast forward 50 years, the same management structure is in place at Boeing (it is the same company now after all), and pretty much exactly the same failures repeat themselves. Even FAA reluctance to mandate fixes, because they dont want to get in the way of the market. We saw how well this worked with the Max. I wont say history repeated itself, but its a damn good rhyme. Not that Airbus is immune either. You only have to look at accidents involving the ATR series of aircraft, where the FAA claimed that the ATR wing was the most efficient design ever devised to attract ice, and the Frence blew them off because they said they were being pro American business. Result, lots more deaths.

Well quite. Im sure they are going to get a lousy review on Air BnB as well...

Yes, thats the conclusion im coming to. Well yes, we all remember Farzad Bazoft.

Of course they were.

You think sinking a Kara Class cruiser, 2 Landing ships, damaging 2 further landing ships (possible losses) and a submarine in dry dock (a probable loss), several patrol and frigate vessels damaged and an ocean going tug, all to a navy without any surface assets is unimpressive? Bugger me, that would be impressive toll, even in a Tom clancy novel...

An annexe. Which was, to be fair, part of the Embassy grounds as I understand it. But it was undeniably surgical, whcih is rather more than can be said of what Iranian Proxies have done.

Well it worked for Nelson, and he didnt even have any F35's.

Try 'The Captive Heart'. When you get past the love story, its really about what it was like to be in a WW2 prison camp. Of all the films ive seen, its the one that allowed me to understand my Grandfathers experience much better. For one thing they actually filmed it in a real German POW camp before it was torn down. Oh, and it has Michael Redgrave and Jack Warner in it, so you know its good. Then there is 'The Colditz Story', and 'The Wooden Horse', 'The one that got away'....

I think you misread what I'm suggesting. At least one history of the Iran Iraq war suggests they invited Western journalists to observe the tanks In situ. But there are no photographs of it that I've seen to support this. Yes of course, this analysis was conducted was after they were recovered. I think it telling the guy who did it was under cover. Presumably he pretended to be from RO or Vickers to get access.

Once again, what as the British Government got to do with stealing Israeli vessels? Nothing. And if we are going to get into the matter of piracy, perhaps you can explain what this was? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenpeace_Arctic_Sunrise_ship_case Just wailt till it happens to your ships, and see if you hurry to defend it then.

Or supplied directly via Vladmart.

Which is, when you get down to it, a pretty fair point.

I think Bob Griffin managed to get hold of this report also, and the photos werent part of it then either. Conceivably the iraqi's were perfectly happy to have the recovered tanks looked over, but didnt want British personnel running all over the shop with Cameras. The inability of any photos for Journalists to be identified is deeply strange however. I dont think this includes the photo he DID find of a Chieftain penetrated by 125mm HEAT IIRC, which would seem to be a seperate incident. As the report says, all the hits in this battle would largely seem to have been am mixture of ATGM, and 115mm gunfire. The most interesting thing Ive found so far, is noting the vulnerablity of the charge bins either side of the driver. Something that was finally partially addressed with Challenger 1 armoured charge bins, and which is still my personal bete noire in Challenger 2. Its also depressing it took them 5 years to start retrofitting stillbrew to Chieftain after the shortcomings found in this report. Maybe they thought the funds going into Challenger and better penetrators was well spent, but its still tardy.

Thanks very much. 👍 The oddest thing about this battle, ive looked for years for imagery from it, and there is nothing that can be identified of the tanks in situ. Supposedly in the aftermath they invited a large number of journalists to look at their huge victory. And im damned if they ever released a single photo or video from it that has made it online. Very strange.

Its like shooting Archduke Ferdinand, and just clipping his ear.