We've got literally thousands of old planes mothballed out in Arizona - not just B52s but B47s and B36s as well.
I doubt there are any B-47s, B-36s, or anything that old still in 1 piece. I've been to the boneyard a couple times. There are acres & acres of B-52s, but most are chopped into pieces per the treaties, and not usable. However, there are also acres of F-16s, 15s, 14s, A-10s, etc. that can be recalled if there was ever a need.
The reason the B-1Bs weren't used in the Persian Gulf war is that they did not have the attachments to carry conventional ordinance.
Partly right, they had already been fitted with conventional weapons, they just weren't certified to use them operationally. That didn't stop them from using the E-8 JSTARS though, which was still in testing, not even in production yet. Most of the JSTARS crews were civilian contractors.
It also hasn't stopped them from using the Global Hawk, which wasn't supposed to be operational until 2003; or Hellfire missiles on the Predator, which was only done 3 times prior as a proof of concept only.
They were still on nuclear strike standby.
Actually, the entire B-1 fleet was grounded during most of the gulf war for engine problems.
The college I went to was only about 10 miles from a SAC base that had B-52s and then B-1Bs.
The USAF invited several engineering majors out to the base to tour the B-1Bs and the Minuteman silos.
Let me guess, you went to UND, in sunny Grand Forks, ND? I've spent some time at Grand Forks AFB.
After all, a "dance hall" full of vacuum tubes that can be replaced with a few microchips must take off a few tonnes (which can then be added on in munitions. yippee).
A prime example of this is the C-130J. By replacing many different cables throughout the aircraft with fiber-optics, they reduced the weight by a few thousand pounds. And that's just one of the least interesting changes in the J model Hercules.
I have often wondered why the B-52s haven't had their engines upgraded. High bypass ratio engines are so much more efficient.
It would lower the B-52's max speed. It's max speed is 650 knots, which is much greater than any airliner. The 747's max speed is 550 knots, and the 777's only 575 knots.
When the B-52 was introduced, it was faster than every fighter in the Air Force inventory.
There's quite a huge barrier to entry building tractors or cars though. It requires many specialized physical tools that cost money.
The barrier to entry writing free/open source software is incredibly low. All it requires is a computer (modem & phone line make it much easier). I have received many free computers that other people considered obsolete, and continued using them for practical purposes.
A good example of this is all the software development that's being contracted to people in Russia, India, & other places with few resources.
Should anyone modify Code Red or such like to attack NT 3.51 then most of these old systems will collapse like a flan in a cupboard.
Code Red doesn't have anything to do with what OS a system runs, just Internet Information Server (IIS). Besides NT 3.51 was the most stable OS Microsoft ever made. Then in NT 4, they put the GUI in kernel space, and the Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) became commonplace.
Re:What it'll do for me
on
This is IT?
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· Score: 2
I am a treehugger, of the highest order.
I am most definitely NOT a tree hugger, but I agree with almost all of your post.
This is pretty OT, but I want to explain something to you. Most "Greens" would probably be reasonable enough to see the problem on a whole.
Unfortunately, most "greens" I've met aren't reasonable enough. Here at the Univ of Minnesota, there are lots of "greens." If they were as reasonable as you, I'd join up in a second.
BTW, Id prefer Nuclear to coal.. its a risk vs. gain thing.
You're the 1st "green" I've ever heard admit this. I applaud you! Nuclear power is by far the best option we have for safe, efficient, environmentally friendly power. The only problem is storage of the radioactive waste. If they would finally approve Yucca Mountain that would also be (mostly) solved.
As for the rescue scene, I haven't seen the film yet, but it isn't nessisarily unrealistic.
Unfortunately, it's incredibly unrealistic. Three UH-1s (1 gunship, 2 slicks) hover in plain sight of ~100 Serbian soldiers, including several armored vehicles. They initially fire a few unguided rockets at the armored vehicles and fire machine guns for 2-3 minutes, decimating the Serbs. None of the helicopters get even a scratch.
Luckily, I didn't pay for the movie. ACES, where I work, was involved with a movie promo and gave away free tickets to a sneak-preview that I went to.
There were many more fake parts, see my previous post about the SAM chase scene.
I agree with your 2nd & 3rd points, but I liked some of that camera work. Particularly the ejection sequence.
I thought it was cool how they showed each individual explosive bolt detonate and the canopy fly off, and the equipment in the plane working to make it happen.
That they had to pull their own ripcords was really fake though.
Overall, there was way too many make believe parts and Owen Wilson was miscast. See my other post about the SAM chase scene.
The scene with the SAM launched missiles and them evading and then ejecting were really awesome. I mean I have seen a ton of those scenes before but that missile chase scene was very engrossing and some of the footage for those scenes was plain awesome.
Unfortunately, the SAM chase scene is the worst, most unrealistic part of the whole movie.
They shot at them with an SA-8. This is a solid rocket fueled, radar guided missile.
SAMs are not as maneuverable as the aircraft they pursue, but just about every SAM (& air-to-air missile for that matter) flies Mach 3+. Also, if the missile doesn't get close enough to the aircraft to explode before the fuel is spent, it just goes ballistic & hits the ground. Missiles have a proximity fuse that detonates within a certain range of the aircraft. The warheads are actually very small, but the hope is that the shrapnel will impact the aircraft & hit vital components like hydraulic lines, electrical cables, or fuel tanks.
Here are the standard tactics for evading a SAM:
Immediately drop chaff & flares (because you usually won't know if it's radar or IR guided) and continue to drop them every so often until the missile's gone.
Next, & most importantly, visually acquire the missile and don't take your eyes off it.
Then, turn into it so you're flying head on. This reduces your radar cross section & puts your largest heat source (i.e. engines) behind you & away from an IR guided SAMs seeker head.
Finally, if the missile isn't diverted by the chaff or flares, break violently a few seconds before expected impact.
Re:Welcome to Corporate Government...
on
DMCA 2, Freedom 0
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· Score: 2
Also, if you look at the actual decision, there were 12 amicus curae briefs filed in favor of the defendant (2600). Only 3 were filed in favor of the plaintiff (MPAA), the 2nd of which was filed on behalf of the NFL & MLB by David Kendall, Clinton's personal attorney during the impeachment.
The Army is always getting fancy new toys like this which cost millions of dollars, yet the Marine Corp still manages to do better with the leftovers they inherited from the Army after Vietnam. Can someone explain why we really need to waste "more than $45 million... between 2000 and 2005." on these new toys?
Can you explain why the USMC wastes 1% of its annual budget on its birthday celebration? It was ~$27 million for FY 2001.
I like that idea. It definitely needs a lot more discussion, but it's a good start.
The whole concept of intellectual "property" is flawed. As soon as something is called "property," there are certain rights involved under the 5th Amendment to the US Constitution.
Then on one side, we have corporations owning something as trivial as Mickey Mouse effectively forever and GPL religious zealots on the other side. That's an argument that can't be won.
(I can't believe the other poster that replied to this has a +1 bonus!)
I was in the Air Force for 6 yrs. They definitely have the best quality of life and plenty of tech jobs. If you want to get more education, they'll pay for classes you take off-duty.
If you want to be a programmer, enlist rather than becoming an officer. It's a 4 yr minimum commitment, then if you like it, you could re-enlist or apply to OTS to become an officer. As an officer, you'd most likely be a manager.
Whatever you do, don't enlist until they guarantee you the job you want.
Someone below mentions the SIPRNET. Yes, it exists for lower-classified stuff, but it has very few connections to the general internet, and those that exist are VERY tightly controlled.
No, the SIPRNET is not physically connected to the internet anywhere. Unclassified info only is sent over the internet (NIPRNET in gov't terms).
See my post in this earlier/. story for more info.
Whatever software was "generously" donated to the University.
Here at the U of MN, the CSci bldg has labs full of computers with "Donated by Microsoft" stickers on them. What's really funny is that over half are running Linux. They officially dual boot to Win NT also, but never do in practice.
Slashdot Mirror
It also hasn't stopped them from using the Global Hawk, which wasn't supposed to be operational until 2003; or Hellfire missiles on the Predator, which was only done 3 times prior as a proof of concept only.
Actually, the entire B-1 fleet was grounded during most of the gulf war for engine problems.
Let me guess, you went to UND, in sunny Grand Forks, ND? I've spent some time at Grand Forks AFB.
When the B-52 was introduced, it was faster than every fighter in the Air Force inventory.
Actually, they eject downwards.
I tried searching for pictures, but could only find a passing mention in this story.
Wow! I wish I mod points.
/. in quite a while.
That was the most insightful comment in the free software vs. open source debate yet, & on any topic in
There's quite a huge barrier to entry building tractors or cars though. It requires many specialized physical tools that cost money.
The barrier to entry writing free/open source software is incredibly low. All it requires is a computer (modem & phone line make it much easier). I have received many free computers that other people considered obsolete, and continued using them for practical purposes.
A good example of this is all the software development that's being contracted to people in Russia, India, & other places with few resources.
Actually there were 2 congressmen that were space tourists before Glenn:
/. comments: 1 2 3
Senator Jake Garn on STS-51D
Bill Nelson on STS-61C
This is from some previous
Unfortunately, most "greens" I've met aren't reasonable enough. Here at the Univ of Minnesota, there are lots of "greens." If they were as reasonable as you, I'd join up in a second.
You're the 1st "green" I've ever heard admit this. I applaud you! Nuclear power is by far the best option we have for safe, efficient, environmentally friendly power. The only problem is storage of the radioactive waste. If they would finally approve Yucca Mountain that would also be (mostly) solved.
They flew UH-1s in the rescue.
Luckily, I didn't pay for the movie. ACES, where I work, was involved with a movie promo and gave away free tickets to a sneak-preview that I went to.
There were many more fake parts, see my previous post about the SAM chase scene.
I agree with your 2nd & 3rd points, but I liked some of that camera work. Particularly the ejection sequence.
I thought it was cool how they showed each individual explosive bolt detonate and the canopy fly off, and the equipment in the plane working to make it happen.
That they had to pull their own ripcords was really fake though.
Overall, there was way too many make believe parts and Owen Wilson was miscast. See my other post about the SAM chase scene.
They shot at them with an SA-8. This is a solid rocket fueled, radar guided missile.
SAMs are not as maneuverable as the aircraft they pursue, but just about every SAM (& air-to-air missile for that matter) flies Mach 3+. Also, if the missile doesn't get close enough to the aircraft to explode before the fuel is spent, it just goes ballistic & hits the ground. Missiles have a proximity fuse that detonates within a certain range of the aircraft. The warheads are actually very small, but the hope is that the shrapnel will impact the aircraft & hit vital components like hydraulic lines, electrical cables, or fuel tanks.
Here are the standard tactics for evading a SAM:
Immediately drop chaff & flares (because you usually won't know if it's radar or IR guided) and continue to drop them every so often until the missile's gone.
Next, & most importantly, visually acquire the missile and don't take your eyes off it.
Then, turn into it so you're flying head on. This reduces your radar cross section & puts your largest heat source (i.e. engines) behind you & away from an IR guided SAMs seeker head.
Finally, if the missile isn't diverted by the chaff or flares, break violently a few seconds before expected impact.
Also, if you look at the actual decision, there were 12 amicus curae briefs filed in favor of the defendant (2600). Only 3 were filed in favor of the plaintiff (MPAA), the 2nd of which was filed on behalf of the NFL & MLB by David Kendall, Clinton's personal attorney during the impeachment.
Or: Meals Rejected by Ethiopians
I like that idea. It definitely needs a lot more discussion, but it's a good start.
The whole concept of intellectual "property" is flawed. As soon as something is called "property," there are certain rights involved under the 5th Amendment to the US Constitution.
Then on one side, we have corporations owning something as trivial as Mickey Mouse effectively forever and GPL religious zealots on the other side. That's an argument that can't be won.
(I can't believe the other poster that replied to this has a +1 bonus!)
I was in the Air Force for 6 yrs. They definitely have the best quality of life and plenty of tech jobs. If you want to get more education, they'll pay for classes you take off-duty.
If you want to be a programmer, enlist rather than becoming an officer. It's a 4 yr minimum commitment, then if you like it, you could re-enlist or apply to OTS to become an officer. As an officer, you'd most likely be a manager.
Whatever you do, don't enlist until they guarantee you the job you want.
If this happens, could George Lucas be charged with character assassination?
See my post in this earlier
Right, but the example in the parent post was related to travelling and airports.