The First Men on the Moon: The Apollo 11 Lunar Landing

Great presentation of the Apollo 11 landing.

The First Men on the Moon: The Apollo 11 Lunar Landing

Ballistic Missile Defense System Successfully Conducts Largest Missile Defense Flight Test in History

Ballistic Missile Defense System Successfully Conducts Largest Missile Defense Flight Test in History

Boeing Non-kinetic Missile Records 1st Operational Test Flight

Boeing Non-kinetic Missile Records 1st Operational Test Flight

Acrylic Rod Hybrid Rocket Motor demo

Interesting design. It would be interesting to put this on a thrust stand to see impulse it works out to.

USS Enterprise to Inactivate After 51 Years of Service

1 December 2012 is going to be one sad day.

USS Enterprise to Inactivate After 51 Years of Service

9/11 - Eleven Years Later....

Like everyone else I spent at least part of the day reflecting on 9/11/01. Where I was when I heard the news and what I felt. It would be weeks, months, years before the extraordinary actions of many on that day would be uncovered. That's what I think of most on the anniversary now and ask myself, would I have the same courage if faced with the same circumstances....

"Heroes are the people who do what has to be done regardless of the consequences"

Onboard Rocket Videos - NARAM 54

Here are the three onboard videos I shot from NARAM 54 July 28, 29 2012. The camera is a small HD "keyfob" found on ebay for roughly $40 minus micro SD card. One of these and some electrical tape adn you can shoot high res HD video from practically any rocket.

Honest Hohn on a CTI G107 dual thrust

Blue Bird Zero upscale on a Loki I210

Super Stiletto on a C6-0/B4-4

VF-151 Vigilantes & VF-161 Chargers

Recent ebay purchases.

Rain?

No, we really aren't seeing much around the house still, I was greeted to some Mammatus clouds on the way to work Wednesday.

On the Flight Deck

My old stomping grounds. Good times

On the Flight Deck

Level 3 Project - Update

Here are some photos of the ebay sled build. Two sheets of G10 with brass tubes JB welded to one. The other sheet is mounted with 5x10-32 screws. Mounting hardware is in place for the ARTS 1 and PerfectFlite MAWD altimeters. Next up is the battery mounts on the other G10 sheet. I have some aluminum to cut for that.

Captain John Paul Jones

Often referred to as the Father of the United States Navy, John Paul Jones was born this day, July 6, 1747. He helped put in place many of the traditions still adhered to by today's Navy. He was also known to instill professionalism and training throughout his career.

One of his famous quotes include, "I have not yet begun to fight", a reply to the Captain of the British ship Serapis when asked if he would strike his colors (surrender). There is much controversy over whether Jones actually used those exact words, but none can argue his tenacity to battle on as long as the faintest chance of success existed. My favorite quote of Captain Jones however is, "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way." That is the spirit I remember while in attack squadron VA-115 Eagles and I know it continues on to this day.

Missed opportunity

Still no rain for us though a lot fell elsewhere in SE Michigan.

F/A-18D Crash Due to Dual Engine Failure

The Hornet that crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment complex last April was caused by two unrelated and nearly simultaneous engine failures during takeoff. The starboard engine had a compressor stall first and the port engine afterburner failed to relight to compensate.

"....Without enough power, the plane couldn’t climb out of its dive. The two crewmen ejected when the jet was about 50 feet above the ground...."

VF-111 Sundowner F-8D Crusader - USS Midway 8-24-65

Twilight time to dream awhile

In veils of deepening blue.... More practicing with the new camera

Terrier-Improved Orion Launch

Terrier-Improved Orion launched this week at NASA's Wallop's Flight Facility. The sounding rocket carried 17 experiments built by university instructors and students. The flight was successful and the experiments payload recovered.

New SLR - woot!

I finally got a nice digital SLR so I can seriously get back into photography. I was experimenting a bit last evening and took this twilight shot.

Junkers Stuka Recovery

Another recent warbird find and a rare one at that. There are only two other Stukas known in the world and this one is claimed to be restorable. Germans Recover Stuka Bomber Wreck from Baltic Sea

AJ Savage Refuels VF-64 Freelancer F3H-2 Demon

USS Midway - 3 Sept 1958

Flight of the Intruder | Photos | Air & Space Magazine

Flight of the Intruder | Photos | Air & Space Magazine

Great article on the A-6 and one of its earliest missions.

4-7 June 1942 - The Tide Turns

From December 1941 to June 1942 Allied forces suffered one loss after another. Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, the Philippines, and Singapore. The Battle of the Java Sea was especially demoralizing. Doolittle's Tokyo Raid had no real military impact and The Battle of Coral Sea ended up a draw. The US Navy could not outlast a series of draws that early in the war and would lose a war of attrition Admiral Yamamoto knew this. He knew Japan's best chance of making the war too costly for the US to continue was deal heavy blows within the first six months. Midway was to be another major blow that Yamamoto planned against the US carriers.

Through a number of events that favored the US forces and extreme bravery of Naval aviators the battle concluded with the loss of all four Japanese carriers and many veteran airmen. The most intense action occurred on the morning of June 4. Several squadrons of TBD Devastator torpedo planes attacked the Japanese fleet first and suffered horrendous losses including all aircraft of VT-8 lost and only Ensign George Gay surviving. No hits were scored against the ships, but the early action did one important thing, it pulled the Japanese fighter cover down to the dive bombers altitude and out of position. Before they could regain altitude squadrons of SBD Dauntlesses found the fleet and with little to no opposition on their bomb runs decimated the Japanese carriers. Within seven minutes three carriers, Kaga, Soryu, and Akagi were burning hulks and all would sink.

The USS Yorktown, damaged in the Battle of Coral Sea and barely able to make it to Midway would be hit in a counter-strike from the Hiryu, but damage control would have the ship under weigh later in the day. The US carriers launched a daring late day strike against the Hiryu sinking it. Both sides prepared for night action, though Yamamoto quickly decided to withdraw his remaining forces before daylight. In the following days the Yorktown would be lost to torpedo attack from a Japanese submarine and the cruiser Mikuma would be sunk by American aircraft.

The Japanese would never recover from the losses at Midway due to the lack of experienced pilots and dwindling resources lost through the US island hopping campaign. Add to that the massive build up of the US war machine, ability to adequately train aircrews before putting them in combat, and the unrestricted warfare from the US Navy's Silent Service sealed Japan's fate. The Battle of Midway compares with the Battle of Britain in that so much was accomplished by so few combined with tragic mistakes and poor judgement by Japan and Germany.

Visit a museum that has any of the aircraft used in the Battle of Midway. Walk around, peer inside and try to imagine what it was like to be one of the pilots or aircrew to launch off to battle not knowing what they faced, where the enemy was, and if your carrier would be there if you made it back. It's not easy to do.

70th Anniversary of The Battle of Midway Commemoration held aboard USS Midway Museum

I haven't been to the ship since the grand opening. In addition to going out for a reunion, I'd really like to make it out there for a "Battle of Midway" anniversary.

70th Anniversary of The Battle of Midway Commemoration held aboard USS Midway Museum

Flame On: Iranian computers owned.... again

"Flame" looks to be the atomic bomb of all malware. The only thing scarier is the thought of what's out there that hasn't been detected yet.

Dragon Update

The Dragon capsule has docked with the ISS Woot!

SpaceX has come a long way.... literally

I've hoped all along that once one of the SpaceX ventures was this successful we'd see a slew of many more to follow. I hope this is that pivotal moment.

CVN 78 Gerald R Ford Class – US Navy CVN 21 Future Carrier Programme - Naval Technology

CVN 78 Gerald R Ford Class – US Navy CVN 21 Future Carrier Programme - Naval Technology

Anarchy in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2..

It's come to this.

Warbirds popping up like daises

First it was 20 mint Spitfires still in their shipping crates allegedly found last month buried in a Burmese jungle. Now a crashed P-40 Kittyhawk has been found in Egypt, 70 years later. The desert environment has preserved it perfectly over time. Look for this to be restored some day soon.

Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet

Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet

120502-N-RY232-126 ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 2, 2012) An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the Jolly Rogers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103 lands on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), while the Brazilian navy frigate BNS Independencia (F 44) sails alongside. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the flagship for Carrier Strike Group 8, is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Julia A. Casper/Released)

This Day in Naval History - May 08

By Navy News Servcice

1911 - Navy ordered its first airplane, Curtiss A-1, Birthday of Naval Aviation.

1942 - Battle of the Coral Sea ends with Japanese retiring from area.

1945 - VE - Day, Germany's unconditional surrender to the Allies.

1972 - U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft mine Haiphong Harbor in North Vietnam.

1963 - Navy ships evacuate 2,279 civilians from Haiti during crisis.

Level 3 Reboot

I've hardly touched my L3 project in the past year. I'm hoping that posting about it might actually motivate me to get engaged and knock it out for this summer. I have two rockets in mind. The first is a Performance Hobbies Intimidator 5 all fiberglass kit. The second is a scratch built design using LOC Precision parts. I'm inclined to cert with the scratch build even though it will take more work to get it done. I have some build photos already and will start posting them soon.

My mood lately...

Now launch the alert 5.....

In a search for a better method of presenting some thoughts and ideas on the net I finally decided to try a blog. My website is dedicated mainly to the ship I served on, USS Midway CV-41 and I didn't want to add all my other interests to it. Facebook isn't a good choice. I tend to stay apolitical there and it's not a good interface for drawings, articles, and the overall appearance is kinda clumsy. Toss in the unpredictable wholesale changes that go on there and well, not a good platform to try and design something that can change overnight without a warning or say so.

My interests are many and varied. I am interested in anything Navy. I served proudly for 8 years (1979-1987) and still miss it dearly. Through my website and Facebook I am able to stay in touch with many friends and shipmates which helps tremendously. 

I am also an avid model rocketeer. I have been in the hobby for over 40 years. I competed nationally in the 1990's and did really well in the team division with a good friend. While competing I wrote several scale articles on missiles and rockets I liked and wanted to model. Now I mainly sport fly and am working on my Level 3 project. I am hoping this blog will inspire me to write new scale articles using material I have collected over the years.

Other things I am interested and in and may post about here.... flying, hunting, guns, snowmobiling, boating, military history, science fiction, books, movies, music... just about anything I'm interested in and may have an opinion or thought about at the time. I might even post something political though honestly, the last thing we all need is another political pundit.

Who am I? A former US Navy flight deck troubleshooter in the best squadron evah, VA-115. Father and husband, pet companion, and overall geek... nerd, whatever. Currently working in IT at a major university.