I thought it might be lights for the photography because I am familiar with pneumatic bird cannons that shoot at windscreens. They also have high speed photography and need bright lights for only a short time.

Re:"...limited by the speed of sound of your propellant...mass and energy." Huh? The rest is reasonable, but you leave out the most important aspect for naval guns, that you do not have the problems of storing all the vulnerable propellant. For the big guns of large caliber that have separate bags of propellant, it…

Regarding the video that has the Navy Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren: What is the source of the muzzle flash? I would not think an electromagnetically propelled device would do that.

How you find the time to put together all these in-depth articles? If you keep doing it, I will keep reading. FYI, I am compelled to read every word if you include some of your well composed photos of the F-22. "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like"

I listened to Saddam bashing for ten tears. There was no one defending him in the media I was familiar following. Saddam did nothing to help his own situation by looking guilty as sin with respct to

Can electronic countermeasures be effective against DAS? Assuming there are both IR and microwave components to the system, I'll bet all the "Old Crows" would be itching to try their countermeasure ideas on such an important (to the F-35) gadget. It would be sweet to negate the principle technology of the Western…

I would not like to be tasked with solving the problems of launching the AIM-9 from a rail mounted on the door. The launch envelope required for the missile is necessarily large assuming you are in combat with another capable fighter that is using its own speed and agility. Opening the shapely (and inclined to the…

I like watching deck operations. Competent crewman make it look easy, even fun, but it can't be. This video must include pretty old footage from the archives. I see Grumman and Lockheed museum pieces on the flight deck.

A free flight engagement hits the nose gear HARD. This pic makes me cringe.

We had a special welded-up ballast pallet that attached to the ammo drum mounts for flying without the gun, so it is entirely possible to carry a ton of equipment in that bay. I don't see the weather mission as something that can keep the A-10 flying. If the USAF does not provide the logistical support, it is not…

1) I doubt the GE engine would have less thrust. Traditionally, GE engine have more thrust, better fuel burn, but are heavier.

"The Northrop Company's giant flying wing was code named "Senior Ice""

..."but let's at least learn from our past and commit to build a new bomber that we can afford in decent numbers, instead of one that comes at high cost because it is loaded with every "factory option" available, including an extra bomb rack, a slightly bigger gas tank and features little bit better fuel economy"…

You know how to push my buttons, Tyler. For instance "Would we be better off today with an F-23A, a super fighter that had longer range, higher sustained super-cruise speed and a smaller radar cross section, but less maneuverability and "prototype maturity" than the F-22A?" I would say absolutely also, but are you…

@ 360ad: I recognize and acknowledge your use of the word "invest" really means tax and piss away on pet projects of your own. I understand your frustration and your expectation that increased spending on your stuff will get us utopia. There are defense hawks that think more spending will make our armed forces an…

You and I have the same understanding of this mess, Dr. The T-X program becomes the way to get the quantity of jets up, while the quality (capability) becomes comparable to third world air forces. Wonderful. In the past, the USAF rejected buying F-5s for themselves because their capability did not match the needs of…

Funding two engines contradicts the sales pitch that makes economies of scale the holy grail. The greater risk, by far, was that betting the ranch on 3 variant commonality you could have 3000 jets grounded at the same time because of one common widget failure. On top of that, I don't believe all that great engine war…

Sure, we're stuck with it, but why make so many? Buy as many as the original budget can fund and call it a success.

Most likely a White House Staffer pointed it out to him. They are sensitive to "optics" , and allowed to give suggestions that make things look good.

That is the side bay, which has a trapeze that holds the missile in the airstream while maneuvering so the sensor can see. The main bays in the bottom hold the AIM-120s which get ejected out of the bay by a pneudraulic launcher.