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Good morning, United States Senators. First, let me thank you for your community service. Without your dedication to the successful continuance of these united states, the United States of America would not be what it is. This website will never be political. Our goal is to convey the verified facts to the best of our ability. There is zero motivation within this organization to advance the agendas of any political entity. Each of you has been specifically invited to follow this site. You would be wise to do so. Through the course of investigating our news, we are very likely to cover your state. We have already covered stories that amount to billions of dollars of spending. We cover the latest research projects and how they impact our communities. Please, never forget the sacrifices of our soldiers. You already have our contact information, here is a list of your contact information. Please contact us if there are changes that need to be addressed.

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ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 2, 2021 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., of Israel, signed an expanded teaming agreement, allowing the team to jointly develop, market, manufacture and support Rafael’s Smart, Precise Impact and Cost-Effective (SPICE™) 250 weapon system for sale in the United States and in Poland. This agreement marks the first time SPICE 250 is available for sale to the U.S. military.

The addition of SPICE 250 builds on a 2019 teaming agreement, where Lockheed Martin and Rafael agreed to jointly market SPICE 1000 and SPICE 2000 guidance kits for U.S. sale.

SPICE is a family of stand-off, autonomous, air-to-surface weapon systems that provide affordable precision in a GPS-denied environment. The combat-proven SPICE family of products includes two guidance kits, SPICE 1000 and SPICE 2000, as well as an all-up round, known as SPICE 250.

“Lockheed Martin’s deep expertise in weapon system integration will help us adapt SPICE 250 to meet U.S. standards,” said Dave Pantano, Lockheed Martin program director. “We’re excited to leverage this experience and offer this unique, proven weapon system to aircraft operators for additional mission flexibility where it’s needed most.”

In use since 2003, SPICE is combat-proven and in service with the Israeli Air Force and several other nations worldwide. It enables maximum loadout on F-16’s and F-15’s, reduces pilot workload, and provides multiple strike capability against multiple target types.

“GPS is not required to operate any of the products within the SPICE family, allowing for operations in a variety of locations and adverse environments,” said Alon Shlomi, Rafael Air to Surface Directorate vice president. “By expanding our teaming agreement with Lockheed Martin, we’re able to offer the entire product portfolio to the U.S. military – providing warfighters with the opportunity to enhance mission flexibility.”

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services.

About Rafael
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. designs develops, manufactures, and supplies a wide range of high-tech defense systems for air, land, sea, and space applications for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli defense establishment, as well as for customers around the world. The company offers its customers a diversified array of innovative solutions at the leading edge of global technology, from underwater systems through naval, ground, and air superiority systems to space systems. Rafael is one of Israel’s three largest defense companies, and employs 8,000 people and numerous subcontractors and service suppliers.

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The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) during World War I. A modified license model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen).

The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Wilhelm Frankl, Erich Löwenhardt, Manfred von Richthofen, Karl Emil Schäfer, Ernst Udet, and Kurt Wolff, and Austro-Hungarian ones, like Godwin von Brumowski. It was the preeminent fighter during the period of German aerial dominance known as “Bloody April” in 1917.

Albatros D.III was piloted by Hauptmann Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg from an old Austrian aristocratic family who joined the air force one day before the declaration of war with Serbia.

He served first as an observer but, after being wounded in the summer of 1916, he decided to start pilot training in October. He started his fighter pilot career in June 1917 and became a commander of Flik 51J quite fast.

He achieved 28 confirmed kills, four of them on May 1st, 1918, and another three on June 20th, 1918. He ended the war as a staff officer in the high command of the aviation corps.

After the war, he finished his engineering degree and worked for Junkers company for some time. In 1927 he quickly became an airline director in Poland but later moved to Japan as a representative of Junkers to the Mitsubishi company to help them to start construction of a full metal aircraft.

later he returned to Austria and served there during WWII as an airfield commander near Linz. Today, Aigen im Ennstal airbase (east of Aigen im Ennstal, Steiermark, Austria) of the Austrian Air Force is named after him.

About the aircraft: The Albatros D.III was one of the best German fighters (of the time), responsible, for example, for “Bloody April” in 1917 and was license-produced later by OEFFAG in Austro-Hungary with several modifications.

Series 53., 153., and 253. were designed with gradually more powerful Austro-Daimler engines. They have also eliminated the propeller spinner, as it was often badly balanced and was prone to falling off in flight. During production of the 153 series, they replaced it with a rounded nose which improved aerodynamics and raised top speed by 14 km/h (9mph).

This plane belongs to the early 253 series which have MGs buried in the fuselage. This solution was making it difficult to fix jammed guns during flight so they changed it soon after producing this plane.

I purchased this kit after watching a tutorial about building WWI fighters which I found on David Damek’s Plasmo youtube channel, and I closely followed his steps there. It was really fun to build and not as difficult as it might seem. One of the mistakes I made was about the artificial shadows of wing spars on the bottom surfaces of wings. First I forgot about the spars, painting just the ribs, and later painted two spars instead of one on the lower wing.

Apart from that, I also had problems with wire bracing. I spent a long time working on it and there are several accidental drops of CA glue in a few places where I regret I didn’t use 3D printed tensioners for those wires.

I am now about to start working on Halberstadt CL.IV in Polish service, which also has an unpainted natural wood fuselage where I hope to avoid such mistakes.

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Very big heads are butting over this issue as Radar Altimeters aren’t going away any time soon and neither is 5G

The following was quoted in a letter drafted by Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is an international law firm founded in 1836 and is one of the oldest firms in the United States. It operates in New York; Washington; Los Angeles; Chicago; Stamford, Connecticut; Parsippany, New Jersey; Houston, Texas; and San Diego, California) to Marlene Dortch, Secretary Federal Communications Commission:

“On August 6, 2021, representatives from the following nineteen companies and associations within the aviation and aerospace industry (the “Representatives”) – the Aerospace Industries Association, the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Institute, the Airborne Public Safety Association, Airbus, Airlines for America, American Airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, Aviation Spectrum Resources, Inc., the Boeing Company, Collins Aerospace, the Experimental Aircraft Association, Free Flight Systems, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Garmin International, Inc., Helicopter Association International, Honeywell International Inc., the International Air Transport Association, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and the Regional Airline Association – held a virtual meeting over Zoom with officials from the Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology (“OET”), the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (“WTB”), and the International Bureau (“IB”).”

“The Representatives used the meeting to demonstrate the need for (a) grant of the aviation and aerospace industry Petition for Reconsideration of the Commission’s March 2020 Report and Order in the above-captioned proceeding and take measures to ensure aviation and public safety by protecting radio altimeters from harmful interference from 3.7 GHz licensed operations.2 Specifically, the Representatives asked the Commission to convene and oversee (jointly with the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”)) a forum and process involving the aviation and aerospace industry and the 3.7 GHz Band flexible use licensees with the goal of government and industry developing solutions that allow 5G to advance without inflicting undesired impacts on (the) use of the National Airspace System.” 

“Absent the FCC’s and the commercial mobile wireless industry’s collaboration with the aviation and aerospace industry and the FAA, major disruptions to use of the National Airspace System can be expected from the rollout of 5G under the Commission’s Order”

In an auction of radio spectrum last year, the major telecoms paid a total of $78 billion in an FCC auction to get access to a thin slice of the finite range of available radio frequencies to carry 5G signals. Those signals will be in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz part of the so-called C-Band, which is apparently the sweet spot for carrying the data-heavy 5G signals. Radar altimeters operate in the 4.2-4.4 GHz frequency range (their sweet spot) and the fear is that the nearby powerful cell signals will cause interference for the avionics. The FCC approved the use of the spectrum for 5G saying “well-designed [radio altimeter] equipment should not ordinarily receive any significant interference (let alone harmful interference).…” But aviation groups say the risk for thousands of aircraft is real and the FAA seems to agree.

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The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed Tante Ju (“Aunt Ju”) and Iron Annie) is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers.

Development of the Ju 52 commenced during 1930, headed by German aeronautical engineer Ernst Zindel. The aircraft’s design incorporated a corrugated duralumin metal skin as a strengthening measure, which was very unusual at the time. The Ju 52’s maiden flight was performed on 13 October 1930.

It was initially designed with a single engine, however, it was produced in quantity as a trimotor. The primary early production model, the Ju 52/3m, was principally operated as a 17-seat airliner or utility transport aircraft by various civil operators during the 1930s. Following the rise of Nazi Germany, thousands of Ju 52s were procured as a staple military transport of the nation. The Ju 52/3mg7e was the principal production model.

Hitler used a Deutsche Luft Hansa Ju 52 for campaigning in the 1932 German election, preferring flying to train travel. After he became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Hans Baur became his personal pilot, and Hitler was provided with a personal Ju 52. Named Immelmann II after the First World War ace Max Immelmann, it carried the registration D-2600.

This ubiquitous transport that was the workhorse of the Luftwaffe, from the first day to the last, is one of the most recognizable aircraft in the world. With its agricultural engines and corrugated shed skin, everyone knows this amazing character of an aircraft.

This kit from Italeri is old but it’s still a good one, with lots of positives in the slender box. Not only do you get a number of versions to do, but there are also some interesting color schemes, as well as plenty of figures on the sprues if you fancy doing a diorama-type thing.

I was building this one for a friend in the Czech Republic and he specifically wanted a Hospital variant, so this was the perfect kit, as all the bits are in the box, including one poor soul on a stretcher.

The detail is a little soft and almost non-existent for the cockpit but very little of that will be seen on the final build, so that’s not a big problem. However, the main cabin interior can be configured as the ambulance version by using the kit parts of stretchers and first aid kits.

Obviously, I added a few bits and pieces such as the open cabin doors and associated struts, along with restraints on the stretchers.

The external detail is really well done, with properly proportioned and molded corrugations in the skin as well as neatly done engines and undercarriage units. There are some tricky bits along the way, getting some of the smaller parts to fit where they’re supposed to but it looks like a Ju 52 when it’s done so there’s nothing much to complain about.

The paint job is a bit of a nightmare as doing these winter, white distemper, finishes is something I’m not too good at yet. Having said that, this one turned out ok so I can’t moan too much can I? The white is painted over a full camouflage job of RLM70/71 and then scraped and scrubbed off in places to give it a “lived-in” look.

The markings are a complete mish-mash of kit decals, sprayed and aftermarket markings to get the final look and with plenty of weathering on show, this one looks like it’s had a hard life.

As an aside, I was asked why does this one still carries a machine gun if it’s a Red Cross aircraft? Well, at the time the Russians took very little notice of those crosses and carried on shooting them down. That’s not to say the Germans were blameless, because they frequently used the Ambulance aircraft as standard transports carting fuel and ammunition to the front lines.

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General Electric, October 29, 2021: The U.S. Air Force has awarded GE a $1.58 billion firm-fixed-price contract to supply F110 engines for the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II. This selection makes GE the sole propulsion provider for the U.S. Air Force’s entire planned F-15EX fleet. GE is currently delivering Lot 1 engines for the F-15EX, including two test aircraft currently undergoing flight testing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

“We are honored to help the U.S. Air Force open a new chapter by providing reliable F110 power for the F-15EX,” said Shawn Warren, GE’s vice president, and general manager of combat and trainer engines. “The F110 production line is active today and ready to deliver on the U.S. Air Force’s urgent and compelling requirement for an F-15EX propulsion system. We’re pleased with the engine’s performance on the two F-15EX test aircraft flying today, and we’re excited to bring that performance to the entire planned fleet.”

The F110-GE-129 engine is the only engine tested and integrated on the fly-by-wire F-15EX. In 2014, GE began investing resources and made a long-term commitment to become qualified on the Advanced F-15. GE has significant experience and expertise in aircraft integration, which it accomplished with Boeing through technology and software upgrades, software version changes, and enhancements in F110 performance and durability.

The current F110 engine benefits from decades of continuous technology investment and has more than three decades of operational experience. To date, over 3,400 F110 engines have been delivered worldwide, accruing over 10.5 million engine flight hours. The engine powers every new production F-15 ordered in the past decade, as well as nearly 70 percent of today’s most advanced U.S. Air Force F-16C/D aircraft.

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On the heels of the image(s) of the new two-seat Chinese (J-20?) stealth fighter, images are emerging of what has been alleged to be China’s carrier-borne stealth fighter (J-XY/J-35?). Below are the latest Tweets that are circulating addressing the two jets.

And there it is.
J-XY/J-35.

When it rains it pours huh?
First J-20S a few days ago, now this.

Note the catapult launch bar, the wing fold line, and the chin EOIRST. pic.twitter.com/GuhuFZ1Syz

— Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLA) October 29, 2021

I must admit; I‘m again speechless! ? Within just a few days not only the J-20B as the first twin-seater stealth fighter but finally also the J-35 (?) was unveiled.

So, say HELLO?again, this time to China‘s next generation carrier-borne fighter … and this is not faked! pic.twitter.com/hblz94r2bB

— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) October 29, 2021

This new image of J-20S looks realistic to me (as opposed to the other circulating obviously doctored one).

One more angle of similar quality to this and I’ll call it for good.

But at this stage no one should be disputing the existence of a twin seater J-20S really. pic.twitter.com/ZXu588K1dE

— Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLA) October 27, 2021

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1:32 Hasegawa Curtis P-40K: The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service.

The Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter of World War II, after the P-51 and P-47; by November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been built, all at Curtiss-Wright Corporation’s main production facilities at Buffalo, New York.

P-40 Warhawk was the name the United States Army Air Corps gave the plane, and after June 1941, the USAAF adopted the name for all models, making it the official name in the U.S. for all P-40s. The British Commonwealth and Soviet air forces used the name Tomahawk for models equivalent to the original P-40, P-40B, and P-40C, and the name Kittyhawk for models equivalent to the P-40D and all later variants.

The P-40 saw the most front-line use in Soviet hands in 1942 and early 1943. Deliveries over the Alaska-Siberia ALSIB ferry route began in October 1942. It was used in the northern sectors and played a significant role in the defense of Leningrad. The most numerically important types were P-40B/C, P-40E, and P-40K/M.

The P-40K was an Allison-engined P-40L, with the nose-top scoop retained and the Allison-configured nose radiators scoop, cowl flaps, and vertical-stabilizer-to-fuselage fillet. Supplied to the Commonwealth air forces as the Kittyhawk Mk III, it was widely used by US units in the CBI. This beautiful model was the work of master modeler Steve Evans.

Steve Evans: The P-40 is one of the true unsung heroes of WWII being constantly overlooked for its more glamorous stablemates. This particular version, the short-tailed ‘K’ is almost universally disliked but for some reason, it’s my favorite of them all. With that big nose and stubby tail, it’s a bit of a joker but all the more beautiful for it.

The Hasegawa kit is a wonderful bit of plastic molding, with neat detailing and sharp panel lines. It builds easily enough and in this scale is also easy to add lots more detail.

Hasegawa, as always, gets the maximum usage from their molds, with multiple versions created by clever use of additional separate parts. In this case, it’s the fat tail but if you don’t like it, then other versions are available, although increasingly at premium prices these days as they become hard to find.

The markings in the box for this one are not what I had in mind, as I really wanted an RAF desert scheme, with the iconic 112 Sqn shark-mouth. Luckily Montex does a full stencil set for this one, with complete markings, including the roundels, codes, and of course, the toothy grin itself.

Spraying these markings wasn’t the easiest thing to do because the masks are tricky to use, especially around the multi-curved contours of the nose but once done they do look good.

The RAF Desert colors of Azure Blue, Dark Earth, and Mid-Stone have the uncanny knack of making any aircraft look good and they didn’t disappoint with this P-40K (called the Kittyhawk Mk.III by us Brits.)

With some additional bits such as undercarriage door linkages, brake lines, and aerial wires, not to mention a set of Eduard etched flaps in place, this kit really comes to life and is a very imposing site parked on the display shelf.

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