The dream of the Jetpack is an old one - just strap enough power to a human’s back and he will fly. Yves Rossy - a longtime pilot and madman - decided to take the dream into the 21st century and built his own cool jetpack.
He sacred a lot of cows, when he screamed through the Swiss alps.
He might be a great dreamer on one side - but I like his pacifist approach on the other. The military asked him to deliver a prototype - which he promptly refused. It’s made for fun only.
Good man!
Nevermind the Soviet voiceover.
Some gun camera footage from FW-190 attacks.
Some dramatic German Wochenschau Propaganda featuring the FW-190 in action.
The FW-190 was one of the primary German fighters during WWII and served on all fronts in many different combat roles.
The Airwar over Germany was a bloody mess - and the FW-190 was used to destroy American and British bombers. At that time airwar was almost close combat - at least compared to today’s long range missile and radar warfare.
Overall there is nothing romantic about the “good old days”, but at least the pilots had a chance to see their enemy they engaged.
On the 1st April 1918 the RAF was founded to defend King and Country - and what a great job they did so far.
The RAF most iconic machine - the Supermarine Spitfire.
It’s most controversial Commander Sir Arthur “Bomber” Harris - who ordered the fire bombing of Dresden and Hamburg.
Today’s coolest jet - the Eurofighter Typhoon (yeah I know this one has German insignia - couldn’t find a good image with RAF ones).
More? RAF Homepage (for airforce nerds - visit the official Timeline) and Wikipedia entry -
Airports are great places to hang out before you start your airlift. Instead Airports are modern versions of hell -only invented to annoy you. Why are there NEVER comfy seats or corners to have a nap if your flight is canceled or delayed?
December the 17th 1903 - the first real airplane took off with Orville Wright as the pilot. The rest is history as they say. These two brothers were great engineering pioneers and brave souls to try their own ideas. Their planes crashed several times before that historic few seconds - and they had many crashes after that as well.
Next time you get on your cheap flight to Ibiza or Tichuana remember these brave men (and many others) who made this possible just 100 years ago.
Before radar and heat seeking missiles air war was crude and rather brutal. Planes and balloons were first only used to observe ground movements.
Flying in these primitive machines was very cold and nauseating, because of the fumes.
Than pilots started to shoot at each others with their pistols, which started the aerial arms race.
Aerial bombardments started with hand grenades and even bricks. The first bombs were dropped by hand - usually by the observer - who often operated the second machine to the rear.
Many crews didn’t have parachutes in the beginning - but most of them would not have been able to jump anyway. Their planes didn’t offer any protection from enemy machine gun fire or burning engines or fuel, so they were often killed after a serious hit.
We humans do really stupid stuff to kill each other.
From BBC on this Day:
The mission became popularly known as the Dambusters raid, and was immortalized in a 1954 war film. It was one of the most famous air operations of World War II. Casualties for the raid were high.
Eight of the original 19 Lancaster bombers were damaged or shot down, and of the 133 aircrew, 53 were killed and three captured. On the ground, too, almost 1,300 people were killed, including 749 Ukrainian prisoners of war based in a camp just below the Eder dam.
The Möhne and Eder reservoirs poured about 330 million tons of water into the western Ruhr valley. The flood waters spread for about 50 miles (80km) from the source. The spectacular, daring nature of the raid was a significant boost to British morale. But militarily, it was a failure. The squadron failed to breach the Sorpe dam; and the disruption to the German war production was minimal. Water supply in the Ruhr valley was back to original levels six weeks later.
The aircrew, however, became famous as war heroes, and the leader of the raid, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, was awarded the Victoria Cross. He died less than 18 months later, shot down at the age of 26 in September 1944.
Actually many air raids hardly stopped German war production and many raids hit only the prisoners, because they usually were unable to hide in shelters. But the loss of material and airmen for the Americans and British was incredible.
As a finale note - the Dambuster theme from the movie, which is part of the British war culture:
More? documentary about the development of the special bomb and Wikipedia entry
Simply mentioning the word ‘UFO’ either provokes a smile or some awe - depending on which side of the discussion you stand. There are four big camps here: the Esoteric UFO nuts, the Conspiracy Experts, the total Deniers and the serious Researchers.
Here are some thoughts about each group. And think about yourself: do you like UFOs, because you want some nice alien alternative to our earthly madness or do you deny their existence, because you are a super sceptic?
Believing in UFOs has become a substitute religion for some people. Some odd cults followed leader either chosen by aliens or who have claimed they are aliens themselves. There is no coherent believe system in this group - it ranges from Inca gods to UFO references in the Bible. Anything goes.
I am the super intelligent life form from Sirius and here to save you my true believer …
Arguments: There is life out there. Aliens brought life to Earth. Aliens are our beloved cosmic ‘parents’ and watch over us.
Material: UFOs in the Bible (video), Erich van Däniken (video) and his Wikipedia entry
These are mostly people who want to believe ’something’. Aliens, Gods and Angels in shiny flying objects is just such a tempting vision not to resist. It is the perfect fantasy for a ‘nice’ future in your head.
A God’s Chariot in the Sky = Alien in a spaceship …
Most of all it’s religious escapism: someone will chose you and take you away from this miserable planet to the heavens. You are a true believer, therefore an Überbeing will reward your faith and give you something special no one else gets. Since ‘God is dead’ (thanks Herr Nietzsche) living aliens are the best ‘mental sugar to fulfil this desire.
Hey, I am just a weather balloon!
The essence of this group can be easily summed up with one question: If Aliens would have visited us, why haven’t they simply made officially contact with us? It makes no sense to fly a gazillion kilometers through outer space to scare some Redneck in Arizona or mutilate cows in Texas.
There are also many serious people out there who have debunked many sightings are natural phenomena or simply aircraft sightings.
Argument: We want a complete UFO and Alien to dissect and study - anything else is not enough to prove their existence.
Material: UFO debunking website, Top Ten Alien encounters debunked, Larry King special with a ‘debunking battle’ at the end (video), fake alien autopsy (video), Roswell Wikipedia entry.
I personally strongly agree with a skeptical approach, since people often love to SEE things that are simply not there. Plus it’s always good to remember the literal meaning of UFO: unidentified flying object - simply something that flies in the sky and you don’t know exactly what it is. It does not automatically imply little green man or an alien god coming for you.
But the Anti-UFO camps often seems to eager to deny everything - that is why so many Conspiracy Experts like to label Debunkers as agent of the dark and secret government.
We need these skeptical minds, because people are willing to believe almost anything, especially the esoteric types and many of the mad conspiracy ideas need to be challenged most of the time.
Heil Alien! (Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Alien!)
UFOs built by Nazis? The existence of UFOs well known and hidden by the Government? Secret technology abused by the rich and powerful to keep us mere mortals enslaved? The Government is building secret weapons based on alien technology?
Sounds all like an episode of the X-Files, right?
But you are in for a shock. Although some Conspiracy Nerds are nuts, some of their points are actually true.
Nazi Germany did experiment with many weird and outstanding technologies back then. The flying wing - like today’s B2 bomber -was one of these concepts.
The Gotha Horton was in the early design stages shortly before the war. It was way ahead of it’s time - and is the forefather of the B2 Bomber.
The same is true for flying saucers. The German Andreas Epp actually developed the concept of flying saucers for use as target drones for the German Luftwaffe.
This research was first used by the Russians and later by the Americans. So military flying saucers are no fiction, there were actually several declassified projects developed like the Cypher and the Avrocar.
But not all these points have a solid foundation like the Nazi flying saucer. A lot - and I mean a lot - of crazy ideas, suspicions and rumors get mixed together in this camp. Any wild idea ranging from Hitler’s secret bases in Antarctica, Freemasons on the Moon to Aliens disguised as humans in our Governments are included.
Some old construction plans from 1956 - based on work during the war.
These outrageous stories illustrate the biggest weakness of the Conspiracy Nerds - that they love to develop one big theory that explains and connects anything to everything. Their own vivid imagination is their biggest enemy. And there still is a big difference between connecting different theories and having definitive proof. Too often vague ideas seem more interesting to them than solid facts.
Arguments: We know that something is going on! We have figured it all out! The Government is hiding everything!
Material: Interview with Andreas Epp (video in German), German Saucer (video) and an article excerpt about the German saucer experiments. UFO conspiracy Wikipedia entry. Some more about Andreas Epp. If you have a lot of time then watch this hardcore video about “Nazi UFOs - how they fly” (video), which mixes Tessla Coils and Nazi UFOs together …
We do need these Nerds to dig deep and connect the wildest ideas and drive out in the desert to shot images of secret military projects. Only a nutty nerd would do that - normal citizens stay at home and watch American Idol.
Area 51 Warnings - a total Nerd magnet!
As much as we need the skeptical debunkers on one side, we need the overactive minds and patience of the Nerds to put all the pieces together. Even when many ‘results’ are weird or false, because sometimes they are right! And conspiracies DO HAPPEN. Sometimes Governments do lie and dangerous people in power will do anything to hold on to power or increase their influence. And it’s not just the Nazis that would do weird and evil stuff …
Hey, I saw something in the sky - and it was not a peanut!
In recent years there is a growing movement of ’serious’ people, who want the governments to more open about UFOs in general. First let’s look at my claim of ’serious’: one wouldn’t consider Shirley Maclain are serious expert, especially since she has been very ‘new age’ and hardly qualifies as an technical expert. But one would consider military and civilian pilots as well as former government officials as ’serious’ or experts on either Government dealings or things that fly.
But just seeing something unidentifiable in the sky is no proof of anything - especially not any government involvement. But these people often have seen unexplainable phenomena close up or on their radar screens - AND have experience their governments murky response to it (like denying it ever happening or confiscating documents). Any such behaviors fuels of course suspicions.
It looked like a flying triangle …
Many ‘Black Projects’ like the F-117 and the B-2 Stealth Bombers certainly look like flying saucers when viewed at certain angles. And they are supposed NOT to appear on the radar screen. So it would be no surprise that the American Government would deny or suppress any sightings or ‘proof’ of these once top secret weapon projects.
This is less about little green man, it’s more about Government secrecy.
Argument: We want some proof and the government to deal openly with this.
Material: former Pilots and Official ask the US Government for reopening UFO investigations (BBC News article) and video
Disinformation, secrecy and smokescreens are pretty normal political tools for any Government. We can’t expect the Government to be open about everything. Secrecy is important and black operations are needed to deal with enemies within and outside the country. But this is not a carte blanche to do anything.
Especially in our days and the hyped up fear about terrorism it’s necessary to watch all governments even closer. It doesn’t matter if it is about UFOs or something else, the people at the top need to be controlled, military projects and spending have to be regulated as well.
After the Wright Brothers made their historical first flight they toured the world with their marvelous machine.
It must have been an eerie scene: flying between the cloud in bright daylight, coldness and bullets around you. The air war over Germany cost the lives of many thousands of Soldiers and Civilians - and till today it’s not really ‘proven’ it stopped Hitler’s war machine. Albert Speer moved the production underground and the output never declined. The ever shrinking number of troops (pilots) and fuel put a serious dent into the war machine of the third Reich.
Gee, I loved this game. I even wrote a book about it - a long time ago (1990). I somehow miss these games with primitive visuals and weird 8-bit sounds. There was still enough space left to use your imagination. Todays 3D-Surround-Sound-Virtual-Worlds are just too perfect.
via Moby Games
Airfrance-lavieabord.com/ is an excellent design website that documents the companies corporate design and settings throughout several decades. Although it’s in french it’s easy to navigate and a pleasure to explore. Loads of great designs and ideas. Enjoy!
This product has it all: something digital, explosions and you can later show it to your net buddies … like this …