RE: War against the evil that is the PA

“The Israeli’s moved into all those West Bank towns and villages (dumps as I call them) and when they got really deep in and well entrenched,there wasn’t a bombing for over a week. You see a pattern
there? Guess not because you are too blind to see it, or rather you don’t want to.”

PII,

The above statement shows a certain amount of support for one side and a strong degree of contempt for the other. How do you justify that? Earlier in your post you said you cared about neither the Israelis or the Palestinians.

You are right, the suicide bombings did stop for a short time, (a cynic might suggest they were too busy burying their dead), but my understanding is that the bombings started again. The Israelis have not left the occupied territories, just attacked different towns. Having a go at Geforce (who is capable of looking after himself) or anyone else is not going to solve these problems. Your reference to Palestinian ‘dumps’ is offensive. I’m sure that Palestinian families would love to live in air conditioned comfort, given the opportunity. Now there’s a thought, kick everyone out of Texas and give that to the Palestinians. Sorry, I forgot that’s how problems like this arise in the first place.

I don’t know whether this was picked up by American tv news, but, last week, the Israelis were stopping journalists of the BBC entering towns like Bethlehem or Jenin. Maybe this was for their own safety, but if so, why did Israeli troops fire rubber bullets and CS gas at them?

“It’s just that simple, at least without regard to politics and such.”

I just love that statement. I know I’m probably wrong, being a SIMPLE Englishman, sorry European, but I thought POLITICS AND SUCH was what the whole mess in the Middle East was all about.

“Except England of course.”

I thought perhaps by now our transatlantic cousins had realised that this little group of islands anchored off the coast of Europe was known as the British Isles or the United Kingdom. Still, you only probably think of us as your personal aircraft carrier.

Our two countries have had a long and successful relationship but I think the only way to get any form of peace in the Middle East is to use peace keeping forces which would have to be both multi-national and multi-cultural.

PII,

I hope you realise by making me write this I’m missing an FA Cup semi-final! (I’m talking about proper football here).

Regards, as inoffensively as possible,

kev35

PS I now wait for you to take me apart limb from limb.

RE: Bf-110

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 13-04-02 AT 10:08 PM (GMT)]Didn’t the Me-410 have ‘Schrage Musik’ fitted integrally into the rear fuselage? I’ll have to go and check on the one at Cosford. Does anyone know the exact translation of ‘schrage musik’? I have seen it described as both slanting music and jazz music.

Regards,

kev35

RE: Bear of the week?

Polar bears are awesome animals but….

I’ve always had a fondness for Rupert and Paddington!

Regards

kev35

RE: DC-3/C-47

PII,

I think that the original forerunner of the AC-47 Gunship was largely a C-47 with the windows removed and either .30 or .50 calibre machine guns mounted there, similar to the waist gun positions on B-17’s 0r B-24’s. I think somewhere in the literature on Vietnam there were incidents of troopers firing M-79 grenade launchers (bloopers) out of the open rear doors.

Another interesting point is what actually constitutes a gunship? O-1 and O2’s were used extensively by forward air controllers (FAC’s) in Vietnam fitted with phosphorous marking rockets. There were also incidences of O-1’s having an M-60 machine gun fitted to fire through the side windows of the aircraft. Later there were the AC-47, AC-119 and AC-130 aircraft as well as the helicopter gunships, UH-1, AH-1 etc. It’s worth noting that in the hostile environment the Americans faced in Vietnam that virtually NO aircraft took to the skies without some form of armament, however rudimentary.

Regards,

kev35

RE: DC-3/C-47

Indeed, an interesting and influential aircraft both in civil and military aviation. One wonders whether the designers knew just how successful it would be. This however was helped in no small part by the huge numbers built for military service in World War Two and the fact that so many were available after the war which helped fledgling airlines to open up so many routes.

It’s use as a paratoop carrier, glider tug, general transport, casevac a/c and, I believe, as a bomber during one of the Arab/Israeli conflicts, together with its rugged reliability ensured it would have a long career with the military. Later service in Vietnam saw this a/c pioneering the role of fixed wing gunship,(spooky), as an illumination platform, (basketball), and as an electronic intelligence gatherer.

Living not too far from Coventry, Atlantics Dakotas have been a welcome sight and sound in the air, often late at night when they are on their cargo runs. I wonder how long this aircraft will maintain it’s most welcome presence in the skies?

I once knew a chap who was trained on Dakotas just after the war and described it as a delightful aircraft to fly. He tried to stay on in the RAF after his commission was over but was released and then joined the Army Air Corps flying Auster AOP9’s until the late 1950’s.

Regards,

kev35