Category Archives: Technology

U.S. taxpayers to rescue “donated” C-130

Video January 25, 2020 Hutchins AAron

24 January 2020 / 21:35 UTC-07 Tango 06 (05 Bahman 1398/29 Jumada l-Ula 1441/01 Ding-Chou 4718)

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

“The U.S. commitment to this partnership is stronger than ever, and I look forward to building upon it in the days ahead.”-Michael Raynor, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, during the June 2018 C-130E hand-over, he obviously didn’t realize the Ethiopians couldn’t handle the U.S. taxpayer funded ‘gift’

Poorly thought-out hand-over of donated C-130E, June 2018.

A year-and-a-half ago the U.S. government “donated” a C-130 Hercules to the struggling Ethiopian air force, and without much forethought, it turns out, as it was discovered that the Ethiopian military personnel lacked the knowledge to maintain or operate the transport.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

In January 2020, U.S. military officials realized the Ethiopians needed help with their U.S. taxpayer funded gift, so the U.S. Air Force’s 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron (MSAS) went in.

U.S. Air Force maintenance personnel check-out the landing gear on the donated C-130E. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

Explainer video, 23JAN2020:

So far the old C-130E has completed taxi runs, hopefully will be flying soon.

Between 1998 and 2014, Ethiopia got two C-130Bs, and a C-130E. The above pic is of tail #1562 seen wasting away. The other B model and the E model are listed as active, which is hard to believe since Ethiopia had so much trouble maintaining the C-130E donated in June 2018.

In the cockpit, USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

In the cargo bay, USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Brice, 14JAN2020.

The intent of the donation of the C-130E was to help Ethiopia conduct ‘peacekeeping’ missions in Africa.

Taxpayer rip-offs: U.S. TAXPAYERS DELIVER MD-530F CAYUSE WARRIOR TO KENYA

BARE METAL: C-130 PAINT PREP, OR THE EMPEROR GETS SOME NEW CLOTHES

Technology

NATO Vehicle I-D: Challenger vs Leclerc

Video January 25, 2020 Hutchins AAron

NATO’s 2020 anti-Russia training was held in the eastern European country of Latvia (right on Russia’s border).

NATO promo-video, NATO’s Adazi Training Base, Latvia, 23JAN2020:

LECLERC, NATO-France:

French Leclercs invade NATO-Germany, 29MAY2018. U.S. Army photo by Kevin S. Abel.

U.S. Army (USA) video by Kevin S. Abel, May 2018, France ‘invades’ Germany for Strong Europe Tank Challenge:

The Leclerc does not have a bore evacuator (fume extractor) on its NATO compatible 120mm F1 smoothbore main-gun. It uses interior overpressure, or a compressed air system, for gun-tube fume extraction.

USA photo by Specialist Craig Carter, 05JUN2018.

USA video by Matthias Fruth, Leclercs blasting away during NATO’s Strong Europe Tank Challenge at the 7th U.S. Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, June 2018:

Simulated CBRN attack. USA photo by Specialist Craig Carter, 05JUN2018.

Push-me-pull-you action, towing away a ‘broke-dick’ Leclerc. USA photo by Specialist Craig Carter, 05JUN2018.

Leclerc’s butt. USA photo by Lacey Justinger, 04JUN2018.

Leclerc has a single exhaust that looks like a giant water-pipe elbow pointing skyward. The ‘things’ on the back-end of the tank are racks for external fuel drums, à la Soviet style.

CHALLENGER: No, not my (snow)drifting Challenger!

NATO-United Kingdom:

USA photo by Gertrud Zach, 07JUN2018.

This is the Challenger I’m talking about, the United Kingdom’s Challenger-2. The Challenger has a ‘coffee-can’ bore evacuator on its non-NATO compatible 120mm L30A1 rifled-bore main-gun.

USA photo by Gertrud Zach, 07JUN2018.

It also has fuel drum racks on its butt. The exhaust ports are square looking boxes towards the rear on each side of the vehicle.

Pistol shoot. USA photo by Gertrud Zach, 06JUN2018.

Video, shooting a pistol from the turret of a Challenger-2, Strong Europe Tank Challenge, Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, June 2018:

USA photo by Gertrud Zach, 07JUN2018.

Somebody lit a fire under this Challenger-2’s ass! I suspect that it is one of the smoke grenades used to simulate a CBRN attack.

USA silent video, by Elliott Banks, of Royal Red Coats uploading their unique three-part-ammo:

USA video of Challenger-2 blasting away (this time Elliott recorded the audio), 06JUN2018:

VEHICLE I-D: MODEL T & WHITE MOTOR WARRIORS

JOIN THE U.S. MILITARY GET A CLASSIC CAR?

ZOMBIE TANK T-55, THEY’RE EVERYWHERE! (and they keep coming back from the dead)

International, Technology

U.S. taxpayers deliver MD-530F Cayuse Warrior to Kenya

Image January 24, 2020 Hutchins AAron

24 January 2020 (01:55 UTC-07 Tango 06) 04 Bahman 1398/28 Jumada l-Ula 1441/30 Yi-Chou 4717

Handover Ceremony at Embakasi Barracks, Kenya, 23JAN2020.

It’s a few months late (first promised delivery was for mid-2019, then pushed back to the end of 2019) but the first six of 12 taxpayer funded MD-530F Cayuse Warrior helicopters are now in Kenya.

The helicopters will be used against ‘extremists’ in Somalia. MD Helicopters was issued a five years U.S.$1.4-billion IDIQ contract from U.S. Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal-Multinational Aviation Special Project Office.

IDIQ means Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity, it is a U.S. government phrase referring to contracts that require unknown quantities over a specified time period.

Multinational Aviation Special Project Office states on its website that it “provides aircraft procurement and support activities for customers around the world and services a fleet that includes a wide variety of rotary and fixed wing aircraft such as the Mi-17s, MD-500Es, MD-530Fs, MD-600Ns, AH-1Fs, AH-6i’s, IA-407s, Bell 412s, S-333s, Bell 206s, UH-1s, Huey IIs and AW-139s.” In other words, taxpayers are paying for other countries’ helicopters.

MD Helicopters claims the upgraded MD-530 has the Rolls-Royce 250-C30 650shp turbine engine, advanced all-digital glass cockpit, ballistically tolerant crash-worthy fuel system, Harris RF-7850A tactical radio, Rockwell Collins HF-9000D, FN Herstal Weapons Management System, DillonAero Mission Configurable Armament System (MCAS), DillonAero Fixed-Forward Sighting System, 62mm ballistic armor protection, FN Herstal .50 caliber HMP 400 Machine Gun Pods, and M260 7-shot rocket pods.

VEHICLE I-D video: MD-530F CAYUSE WARRIOR, AFGHANISTAN

AFGHANISTAN GETS MORE U.S. TAXPAYER FUNDED HELICOPTERS & GUNS!

Kit Bashing, Technology

Vehicle I-D: Cold War and beyond, C-2A to C-2A(R) Greyhound, now ‘On Final’! Can you get a kit of it?

Video January 22, 2020 Hutchins AAron

Nice, Italy, 1970. Photo via U.S. Navy’s VR-24.

The Grumman C-2A Greyhound has been around for a long time, joining the U.S. Navy in 1966 (production started in 1965).

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, October 1990. USN photo by Don S. Montgomery.

Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, February 2005. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Justin Blake.

It was developed from the E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft, and eventually replaced the older C-1 Trader.

C-1A Trader, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, August 1983. USN photo by Journalist Senior Chief Petty Officer Kirby Harrison.

C-2 Greyhound somewhere over the Indian Ocean, Summer of 1980. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class David Maclean.

Somewhere over the Mediterranean Sea, Summer 1988. USN photo by Commander Leenhouts.

C-2A over Naval Air Station Norfolk, September 1989. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Third Class Stephen L. Batiz.

Seven little Greyhounds over Naval Base San Diego, California, August 1990. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Patrick Muscutt.

News media board a C-2A Greyhound, during Operation Desert Shield, August 1990. USN photo by Journalist Petty Officer Second Class Bartlett.

Hurghada, Egypt, a Greyhound being loaded with supplies for an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, post Operation Desert Storm. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Savage, May/April 1991.

Official USN website history of the C-2A Greyhound: C-2A Greyhound Logistics Aircraft

Operation Enduring Freedom logo painted on the underside of the tail-end of a C-2A. Naval Air Station Norfolk, July 2002. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Shawn P. Eklund.

Naval Air Station Norfolk, July 2002. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Shawn P. Eklund.

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Jacqueline Diaz, 18MAR2009.

It has gone through many upgrades, the current Greyhounds are known as C-2A(R) and are identifiable by their NP2000 propellers.

U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. USN photo by Petty Officer Third Class Joshua Nistas, 15JAN2010.

USN video, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) testing aboard USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78), 17JAN2020:

Another Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) testing aboard USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) video:

Video, Rawhindes of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 conduct their first flight operations from aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), April 2019:

Carrier Onboard Delivery, aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) November 2017:

More Rawhides video from February 2017, operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69):

Video, Horsemen of Detachment IV of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40, takes off and lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) October 2016 (warning, includes slow-mo-video, do not adjust your set):

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, video of Greyhound prepping for trip to USS George Washington (CVN-73), September 2014:

Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, 11DEC2013. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Stacy Atkins Ricks.

On Final: The U.S. Navy has tried several times to replace the Greyhound, but potential replacements failed to measure up, or never materialized. In 2015, the USN stated that it intended to replace the Greyhound with the much more expensive, less load carrying ability, tilt-rotary wing CMV-22B Osprey, possibly starting in 2024.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, 19MAR2020. USN photo by Steve Wolff/Paul Lagasse.

On 19MAR2020, C-2A Greyhound Bureau Number (not ‘build number’ as many people/authors incorrectly call it) 162142 took its final flight.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, 19MAR2020. USN photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Paul Lagasse.

BuNu 162142 had flown with VX-20 for just short of 30 years.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, 19MAR2020. USN photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Brittany Dickerson.

BuNu 162142 retired to the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

USN photo by Christopher D Nette, 18AUG2020.

On 17AUG2020, the last C-2A(R) to undergo planned maintenance interval three (PMI-3) arrived on Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW), North Island Naval Air Station, California. PMI-3 for the Greyhound costs just under $4-million: “Other C-2s will induct for the much smaller PMI-1 and 2 events and most likely will also have in-service repairs. Field events for PMI-1 and 2 are scheduled out to Fiscal Year 2022.”-Jorge Gutierrez-Lopez, FRCSW Props IPT program scheduler

28NOV2020, somewhere over the Arabian Sea. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Keenan Daniels.

In 1:72 scale; I-D Models made a vacform kit in the mid-1970s. Falcon began issuing a Triple conversion set in the 1990s that included a C-2A fuselage for the Fujimi or Hasegawa E-2 Hawkey. Resin kit maker RVHP Models currently has an outrageously expensive full-kit (you can buy a couple of the 1:48 Kinetic kits for one RVHP kit).

Trumpeter offers a detailed 1:350 scale kit for your aircraft carrier.

Fox One Design Studio offers 1:144 scale versions.

In 1:48 scale the rare resin Collect Aire kit comes with four blade prop, while Kinetic’s more affordable plastic kits come with either four or eight blade props.

VEHICLE I-D: USN GOSHAWK T-45

Technology

Vehicle I-D: USN Goshawk T-45

Video January 20, 2020 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Connor Loessin, 20JAN2020.

The U.S. Navy (USN) is currently testing its new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), and the venerable T-45 Goshawk is one of the guinea pigs.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Zack Guth, 18JAN2020.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Connor Loessin, 20JAN2020.

USN video, Goshawk touch-n-go (wait for it) aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), 18JAN2020:

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jesus O. Aguiar, 18JAN2020.

The T-45 is now an old plane, its origins go back to the 1970s British empire Hawk trainer. The USN asked for a navalized version and began using it in 1991, calling it the T-45 Goshawk.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Zachary Melvin, 18JAN2020.

USN video, fueling the Goshawk, take-off & landing aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), 18JAN2020:

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jesus O. Aguiar, 18JAN2020.

Interestingly, model kit builders were able to get a Goshawk before the USN officially started using it. In 1989, Italeri (eh-taal-ery) began selling 1:72 scale kits of the T-45A Goshawk. In 1990, Testors reboxed the Italeri kit. Italeri reissued the kit in 2019.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Ryan Carter, 17JAN2020.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Ruben Reed, 17JAN2020.

Another fueling video:

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Ryan Carter, 17JAN2020.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Ryan Carter, 17JAN2020

VEHICLE I-D: MODEL T & WHITE MOTOR WARRIORS

NEW F-16 WRAITH! NIGHT FIGHTER WW-2 STYLE!

F-8 DFBW, OR ANOTHER REASON WHY TODAY’S TECHIE GENERATION OWES THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!

NEW TAIL FEATHERS FOR OREGON EAGLE, B-17 BOMBER STYLE! PLUS, MINI-EAGLE.

Kit Bashing, Technology

New Tail Feathers for Oregon Eagle, B-17 Bomber style! Plus, Mini-Eagle, Kawaii!

Video January 12, 2020 Hutchins AAron

A large VFW mural honoring the 173rd Fighter Wing and its namesake, Lt. David R. Kingsley, in downtown Klamath Falls.

“We wanted to put mil-spec paint on the jet instead of the automotive paint that we dealt with last time. They don’t really make B-17 colors anymore so we had to put a special order. They have to shut down the production line and then do spray-outs and testing to make sure they are matching our federal paint standard codes.”-Master Sergeant Paul Allen

Oregon Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Jennifer Shirar, 07JAN2020.

Official video report:

For Xmas 2019, Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing got a new paint job for their F-15C “Sandman” Eagle, but they had to go to Edwards Air Force Base, in California, to get it. Supposedly it’s because the paint facilities in Oregon couldn’t handled the custom paint job.

Oregon Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Paul Allen, 20DEC2019.

The F-15 was painted with colors as close as possible to a World War Two Boeing B-17 bomber, which required olive drab, green and grey colors with a catalyst. It also has invasion stripes and star-n-bar insignia as seen on WW-2 USAAF fighters.

Oregon Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Jennifer Shirar, 08JAN2020.

Relying on ground shipping services turned out to be a losing deal as only half the paint and half the catalyst was delivered. The paint supplier was located in the Los Angeles area so the team, who drove all the way down from Oregon, drove out to LA to get the orange color (as in OrANG, Oregon Air National Guard?). Turns out the paint shop at Edwards had enough of the other colors in stock to get the rest of the job done.

Oregon Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Paul Allen, 23DEC2019.

The paint job crew included Drew Sorlien, Tim Bodner, Cameron Curtin, Jeff Southern, and Derek Larman. It’s dedicated to Second Lieutenant David R. Kingsley, a radio operator on B-17s, killed in action on 23JUN1944, after a bombing mission over the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for taking off his parachute and strapping it on a wounded member of the crew. The 173rd Fighter Wing is based at Kingsley Field, named in honor of David Kingsley.

Here’s video from April 2019, unveiling the all new Mini-Eagle:

173rd and 142nd F-15s formate along the Oregon coast.

Another F-15 painted to celebrate 75 years of the Oregon Air National Guard.

2016 video of the 75th Anni OrANG Eagle:

2016 video report 20th Anni 173rd Fighter Wing:

D-DAY F-15E STRIKE EAGLE

MOUNTAIN HOME AFB F-15E WALK-AROUND

Kit Bashing, Technology

Vehicle I-D: Model T & White Motor Warriors

Video November 20, 2019 Hutchins AAron

At the beginning of November 2019, the Illinois State Military Museum held its Great War Encampment event and two 1917 Ford Model Ts showed up.

The Ford Model T gun truck is owned by John Krug, he also brought his 1917 Model T Ambulance.

In May 2018, Oregon’s Military Museum held its 22nd Annual Living History Day and retired Reservist Jack Gieson drove down from neighboring Washington in his 1917 Model T ambulance.

https://youtu.be/2rBzyseQ-54

A standardized class B truck, or ‘Liberty Truck’, also made the Living History Day show.

According to the folks at the AMedD (Army Medical Department) Museum at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, during World War One the U.S. Army also bought two 1917 White Motor Company ambulances. While they look similar to the Model Ts, they were smaller than the Ford ambulance. In 1917 they cost about $1,650 each.

I so far haven’t found any information as to why the White ambulance has a GMC radiator. U.S. Army orders for White logistical vehicles, during World War One, made White the top producer of trucks in the United States, which was a burden since the company was new to truck building. Immediately prior to WW-1 the White Motor Company began shifting from car production to truck production, but was only able to make the truck chassis, they had to contract with Riddle Coach and Hearse Company to make the bodies of the trucks. It’s possible White was also outsourcing for powertrain parts.

The driver’s seat sits on the fuel tank.

World War Two FORD FIRETRUCK RETURNS TO SERVICE WITH THE U.S. Air Force!

Kit Bashing, Technology

Bare Metal: NASA’s MD-11 experimental, your taxes saving the ‘private sector’ airline industry

Image November 19, 2019 Hutchins AAron

29AUG1995

Between August and November 1995, an experimental McDonnell Douglas MD-11 conducted landings under engine power only.

It happened at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, and it was the first time a transport aircraft landed with normal controls switched off.

It was part of a NASA project to develop a computer-assisted engine control system that enables a pilot to land a plane safely when its normal control surfaces fail.

The Propulsion-Controlled Aircraft (PCA) system uses standard autopilot controls already present in the cockpit, together with the new programming in the aircraft’s flight control computers.

The first PCA tests by NASA were carried out with a modified twin-engine F-15 Eagle research aircraft. The F-15A was the second U.S. Air Force Eagle (71-0281), sent to work with NASA in 1976.

04FEB1976

BARE METAL: C-17 STRIPPED (with video)

C-130 PAINT PREP, OR THE EMPEROR GETS SOME NEW CLOTHES

B-1B & B-52H

Kit Bashing, Technology

Bare Metal: C-130 paint prep, or the Emperor gets some new clothes

Video November 18, 2019 Hutchins AAron

Ohio Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Alexis Wade, 31JUL2019.

July 2019, Ohio National Guard C-130H2 gets new tail markings.

Video from 2018, Dobbins Air Reserve, Georgia, explains how they picked the nose art for their C-130s:

Wyoming National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Jimmy McGuire, 16NOV2017.

In November 2017, after Hurricane Maria laid waste to Puerto Rico’s Air National Guard base their C-130Es were sent to Wyoming to get some depot maintenance. Yes, using a roller brush to apply primer paint.

Missouri Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Audrey Chappell, 12JUN2018.

June 2018, this C-130H is fresh from the paint shop, with its Cold War era camo, heading to its new home as permanent ‘gate-guard’ for Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Missouri.