Chinese Industry

I’m not a fan of the AT-6. Granted it will still be an American made product. In reality it is a European design with American systems grafted on it. I would have rather seen something more homegrown especially if they are recycling the T-6 designation for it. And if they are using a foreign design, why use the PC-9?

Not really. Chinese investment groups have been buying up dying industries from western countries. These companies don’t have a market and are actually a poor investment. The sale of said company includes small private planes and small luxury jets. It is good news for the US competition IMHO because the ones that buy these planes will look only to Hawker to appease Chinese investors and shop for the top planes where they can find them. And that is not in China.

I’ll never be crazy about foreign ownership of domestic industry. That’s me. The same goes for how I felt about the acquisition of Hummer.

South America

I can see a potential operator for the JF-17 in Argentina, perhaps even Ecuador and Peru. This would all hinge on economic factors. The FAE’s Cheetah fighters might have another ten years left. The same could be said for the FAP MiG-29’s. FAA Mirages and A-4AR’s could be replaced at any time.

Y-8GX4

A nice close-up of China’s ELINT Y-8 derivative

Maybe the ground crew filled the aft tanks before the forward tanks, result = tail sitter.

RIP

RIP to the two Turkisk pilots

ASG

As much as I do not like the boring grey color schemes on NATO aircraft, they are probably the best. I have never seen an Su-27, or MiG with the azure c/s against a real sky, so I cannot comment on that scheme’s effectiveness. I am for full-color markings. USAF/USN aircraft devote more attention to squadron markings and badges, whilst hiding the national marking (F-15, F/A-18, F-22 to a certain extent). It can go without saying that if one were to encounter an F-22, the owner is understood as no one else but the USAF flys the F-22. The color schemes on USN/USMC aircraft from the 1970’s are my favorite. Just my opinion…

Resin Kit

For the adventurous modeler

http://www.anigrand.com/AA2103_WZ-10.htm