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  2. The service ceiling of your Sopwith Camel is when you raise the nose to fire at a Hun fifty feet higher, and you fall out in a spin.
  3. .........a whole 2 cans of "Start Ya Bastard" before one got to see it light up. However on this particular day, Captain went through 3 whole cans of SYB, and it still wouldn't start. It was only then he realised that........
  4. I have no sympathy for Council and State Water Supply SCADA systems that once used dedicated UHF commercial radio links and smart engineers changed over to 3rd party mobile phone systems to carry the system data. I always said, never put your data bearers in the hands of a third party. Every system I designed or commissioned used dedicated radio links that were owner maintained, by their nominated equipment supplier. Seems the wheel has turned now, with 3G disappearing. I will watch and…….wait.
  5. You're supposed to have trashed all that "old technology by now. The problem is, a lot of stuff that isn't voice communication still relies on 3G. State Water Supply Depts rely on 3G networks to keep track of water levels in reservoirs and tanks are a typical example. It's going to create a lot of additional costs for a lot of people and Govt Depts. 3G network shutdown Australia: When is Australia's 3G network shutting down, why it's happening, what you need to do | Explained WWW.9NEWS.COM.AU It's been a feature of Australian phone coverage for decades, but within nine months all of Australia's 3G ...
  6. Yes indeed. I lived in Wyoming USA for several years and flew a 172 (along with other types) from an airfield at 6500 ft elevation with summer temperatures up to 30 deg C. Illuminating.
  7. We're in a mobile dead spot - a lot of the time my phone only connects to 3g. Which is a bugger, I really don't want to buy a new one.
  8. red750

    Yakovlev Yak-141

    The Yakovlev Yak-141 (Russian: Яковлев Як-141; NATO reporting name "Freestyle"), also known as the Yak-41, is a Soviet supersonic vertical takeoff/landing (VTOL) fighter aircraft designed by Yakovlev. Intended as a replacement for the Yak-38, it was designed as a supersonic fleet defence fighter capable of STOVL/VTOL operating from Soviet carriers. Four prototypes were built before the project's cancellation. Yakovlev always believed the Yak-38 to be an interim aircraft, developed to gain experience designing and developing military VTOL aircraft. Even before the Yak-38's introduction, the Soviet Navy desired a more comprehensive aircraft, with greater capabilities than the Yak-38 offered. The result was a design contract offered to Yakovlev in 1975. The requirement was for an aircraft with only one mission: air defense of the fleet. Unlike the Yak-38, this aircraft was to have sustained supersonic speed. Maneuverability, radar and weapons loads were expected to be similar to those of current front-line fighters, such as the Su-27 and MiG-29. For the Soviet Navy this aircraft was to be their next generation VTOL fighter. For Yakovlev the aircraft was viewed as a way of returning to designing Soviet fighter aircraft. Because of the importance and complexity of the project, Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev assigned a large portion of his OKB to the development of the new VTOL fighter, with no fewer than ten chief engineers working simultaneously on what was called "Product 48" (the military had designated it Yak-41). Over fifty designs were studied. One key problem was designing an aircraft with both vectoring thrust and an afterburner, which was essential for sustained supersonic speeds. A twin-engine design was considered, but abandoned as the loss of an engine on landing would result in an immediate roll to the side. Eventually it was decided that the best arrangement was a single vectoring nozzle located just behind the center of gravity, as well as dedicated vertical thrust jets positioned just behind the cockpit. A considerable amount of time was spent in the development of a flat, rectangular nozzle similar to that later employed on the American F-22 Raptor. Such a nozzle proved well-suited for the changes in configuration needed for both thrust vectoring and supersonic flight, and allowed for a thin, shallow tail. Ultimately, a circular nozzle was used, located between twin booms supporting the twin-finned tail. Yak-41 or Yak-141 The design was initially designated the Yak-41M by the Soviet military. Once testing commenced, and the two prototypes began accumulating numerous world class records, it became necessary to invent a designation for use in the west, as the name Yak-41M was classified. The designation Yak-141 was selected, and it was by this name that the aircraft became known to western allies, though officially the aircraft's designation remained Yak-41M within the Soviet military. In 1991 Lockheed-Martin entered into partnership with Yakovlev to further develop an aircraft they had always known as the Yak-141. Largely as a result of this agreement, by 1992 Yakovlev changed the aircraft's designation to Yak-141 for the two flyable prototypes. Series production in Russia could further change the designation. Four were built. For more details of design and development, operational history and variants, click here.
  9. Yep, my old iPhone 4S is still running like a clock, until ‘D’ (disconnect) day…….
  10. The title is - "Wrong kind of landing strip: Plane ’crash’ at Top End nudist beach". I've disabled Javascript and the paywall is still there. However, the photo shows Arafura Airlines VH-KER stuck in some soft tidal flat ground. The aircraft is a Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six. Arafura Airlines VH-KER. Just might have been the old Piper faulty fuel selector trick again? I've been to Casuarina Beach (close on 20 yrs ago), it was pretty poorly populated by way of beachgoers, and the gays have taken over most nudist beaches anyway, so nothing of interest much to hetero people. I'm surprised they managed a satisfactory landing, the tidal flat is pretty soft clayey sand, and any incoming tide would be a worry, as Darwins tides are pretty big.
  11. That just means I found enough references to convince me, but not something to quote as a primary source. But the FAA has it: https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/13_phak_ch11.pdf (p 11-8): The service ceiling is the altitude at which the aircraft is unable to climb at a rate greater than 100 feet per minute (fpm). If you're familiar with Cessna 172 performance, 500fpm is obviously wrong. That would give a service ceiling somewhere around 5000'. The actual service ceiling is given as 13500.
  12. What's the link? Use a second browser with JavaScript disabled. Should bypass the paywall.
  13. You might be onto something there - published by the infamous NT News.
  14. The biggest issue with the 3G shutdown is that a lot of older phones automatically switch to 3G (and only 3G) for emergency calls. I presume that was because the designers thought that 3G had a better chance of getting through in remote locations, but it’ll mean that they won’t get through at all after the shutdown, and the worst aspect of that is that they won’t know that their phone won’t work for 000 until they try it…
  15. Give that man a cigar! Floods there too often fir my liking!
  16. Limited reports of a perfect forced landing onto a nudist beach near Darwin, but of course it was still called a ‘crash’. Info behind a paywall.
  17. In some semi-remote areas, it’s 3G or nothing.
  18. The survival question can be generally answered by the carriage of an ELT and the more recent iPhones having satellite text message capability. I was more interested in any perceived impact on general communications now we live in such a connected world. With that context, what are the potential impacts on recreational flying, and any mitigations if needed ?
  19. I have global Internet coverage via HF Radio…….cant talk, but can send emails IF the whole of the Internet crashes all over Australia.
  20. As there has been a lack of mobile communication (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) over large areas of Australia for decades, what is your plan b (communications and survival) ?
  21. The Chippie was probably only 13 years old. There were 3 or 4 of them. It was the beginning of the 60's and because of my youth and tertiary education (Teaching) I got a subsidy as a possible air force trainee/ callup. I paid about 4Pounds five shilling / HR subsidised from about 5 pound ten say 20% off. . At the same time I could hire a pretty Clapped out Auster from Illawarra FS for 2 pound ten/ Hr solo at Bankstown. This was abut HALF the Hourly cost.. That PLANE is still Flying. as of about 8 years ago. The DHC-1 was dual rate. At about 100 Hours TT I got awarded a flight test by DCA examiner, a Commonwealth Gov't Flying scholarship to CPL Plus Instructor Rating providing a similar discount. where I HAD to make an Undertaking I would apply for a job in the Industry as they reckoned they were short of pilots at the time. In the time It took to finish there were hardly any Jobs available. That's HOW these things go. I just managed a job by a whisker and there were None after that for about 5 years in the airlines..
  22. When I grew up in Newcastle the area around Maitland and Morpeth regularly flooded. I became aware of the extent of the damage and resolved to Never live where Flooding happens. I think it's a toss up as to whether bushfires are worse. Nev
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