M2

70 Years Ago This Week: 23 Aug 1954 -- First Flight of the YC-130 In 1954, President Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower sat in the Oval Office; the US Air Force Academy was founded; and the first of over 2,500 Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft took to the skies. By that time, the Cold War was in full swing. The newly independent USAF had begun to recapitalize its fleet around the atomic bomb and the jet engine, with its tactical and mobility fleets making due with the World War II leftovers. Though those aircraft were less than a decade old, the intervening advent of the turbojet engine had ushered in a new era for aviation that made the classic piston-and-propeller propulsion combination nearly obsolete. The Korean War made clear the deficiencies of those legacy transports; what was needed was a medium-sized tactical airlifter for delivering heavier equipment or paratroops quickly and over long distances to combat areas, yet capable of operating from short, rough airfields. The key enabling technology was the turboprop engine. Standard turbojet engines that relied on expelling hot gas for thrust were terribly inefficient at low speeds, making them impractical for transports. The new concept of a turboprop engine instead harnessed the jet engine’s energy to drive a propeller, combing the compact power of the jet with subsonic efficiency of a propeller. Because the Air Force had ceded turboprop development to the Navy, while they focused on turbojets, they had to derive the intended engine from its sister service’s programs. In June 1950, the Air Force released the first General Operational Requirements Document for a new medium turboprop transport, with requests for proposals coming the following January. Of the five contractor submission, Lockheed was announced as the winner on 2 July 1951, receiving a contract to build two YC-130s on 11 July, powered by Allison T56 turboprops. The prototypes were designed and built at Lockheed’s California facilities—it was just then re-activating the former Marietta, Georgia, B-29 plant for future C-130 production. As legend has it, the Hercules’ mockup debut resulted in stunned silence...and not the good kind, because it bucked the sleek-and-streamlined trend of the early Jet Age. Skunk Works founder Kelly Johnson reportedly dismissed it entirely. On 23 August 1954, just about a year behind schedule (due to both engine & airplane delays), Lockheed test pilots Stan Beltz and Roy Wimmer, and two flight engineers, ran up the engines on the second YC-130, tail number 53-3397, in Burbank, California. Just 10 seconds and 855 feet later, their plane leapt into the air for the first flight of the C-130. An hour later, they landed at Edwards AFB where it would undergo the rest of its flight test program.

On 20 Aug 1910, the first shot to be fired from an airplane occurred when Lt Jacob Earl Fickel of the 29th Infantry—an expert rifleman—fired upon a target about 100 feet below from the backseat of a Curtiss biplane. Lieutenant Fickel missed the shot by about six feet; but the pilot, Mr. Glenn Curtiss himself, took the blame for that, stating that he had to tilt the machine just as the shot was fired. For the firearms demonstration, which took place at Sheepshead Bay Track near New York, Lt Fickel used an Army Springfield .30 caliber rifle. In the photo here, Lt Fickel demonstrates how he took his shot, with Curtiss pilot Charles F. Willard at the controls. Although this first attempt at firing from a plane was a miss, the idea of weaponizing the airplane was not—and in just a few short years airplanes would be dogfighting with each other over the skies of Europe in the midst of Word War I. (Photo: NMUSAF)

It's getting close to that time again, gentlemen! Dirndls and a Devil's Wheel, who says the Germans don't know how to have fun?!?

The Slovaks did the same with their MiG-29s, not sure how those are faring. Ironically, the Slovaks are getting F-16 Block-70s, two of which were just recently delivered. https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/State-Partnership-Program/Article/3851566/indiana-guard-helps-deliver-f-16s-to-slovak-partners/

Republicans Allege Adam Kinzinger is Gay (Fact or Fiction) (caclubindia.com) One thing for sure, that tattoo is definitely gay!!

The Duffel Blog never fails to amuse! North Koreans celebrate Kim Jong Un winning every Olympic gold medal “The divine athleticism of our Dear Leader has shocked the war mongering West." PYONGYANG — Olympic fever swept over the Hermit Kingdom faster than a winter famine this year as the nation celebrated the astonishing accomplishments of the North Korean Olympic Team in Paris. To date, the team, composed exclusively of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, has reportedly been awarded “all the gold medals,” according to state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun. “The divine athleticism of our Dear Leader has shocked the war mongering West, who reek of gun powder and Gatorade, and brought honor and glory to the people of True Korea,” said Kim Il-guk, President of the DPRK’s Olympic Committee and Concentration Camp Manager for Families of Losing Athletes. “I saw it with my own eyes.” He then went into great detail about how, despite a torrential downpour and bolts of “heavenly lightning that cowed everyone else,” the North Korean leader executed flawless, gazelle-like leaps during the 110- and 400-meter hurdles. Gen. Kang Sun-nam, the DPRK’s Minister of Defense, spoke of the one time it seemed Kim almost missed out claiming the gold in an event.

Two down, seven to go! 'Squad' Rep Cori Bush loses highly contentious primary against pro-Israel Democrat | Fox News

And y'all bitch about Anthrax and COVID shots!! 🤣🤣🤣 The Icy Village Where You Must Remove Your Appendix There’s a settlement in Antarctica with a school, a post office and a huddle of homes. It’s like other sub-zero villages, except for one thing: families must have surgery to move in... While the settlement of around 100 people is mostly populated by a rotation of scientists and personnel from Chile's air force or navy, those on longer-term stints with the military often bring their families. A gravel landing strip nearby is the primary route in and out, seated on converted stretchers inside a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a huge military transport plane. On the flight over from the far south of Chile, the only sight visible from the scratched, tiny windows is hundreds of miles of dark, cold ocean, where death would come within minutes. Villa Las Estrellas might be the closest you can get on Earth to experiencing life on another planet. Sergio Cubillos is the Chilean commander of President Eduardo Frei Montalva, the air force base. Cubillos has lived there with his wife, and his son, for more than two years. While his family occasionally fly back to Chile, he has remained there the whole time. Does he himself enjoy life in Villas Las Estrellas? “Yes, but that’s because I am the commander!” he laughs. Getting pregnant is discouraged – at least in the military – because it’d be too risky. Cubillos (front), a lieutenant colonel, leads a Chilean air force team. Yet while conditions may be hard, the long-term Antarctica residents experience a one-of-a-kind life at the extreme end of the world that few people will ever share – albeit without their appendix, of course.

Seventy years ago today, the B-52A—the first production model of the B-52—flew its first flight (pictured) from Boeing’s Seattle plant. A.M. “Tex” Johnston, Boeing’s Chief of flight test, and Donald Knutson, co-pilot, flew the aircraft, taking off at 3:42 p.m. local time, and landing at 5:00 p.m. The production model of the B-52 differed from the two test models that came before it by having the pilot and the co-pilot sitting side-by-side instead of tandem. Since the mid-1950s on through to the present day, the B-52 fleet has been the backbone of the USAF’s strategic bomber capability.

You mean shit like this? ‘Republicans for Harris’ launch features key names, impressive numbers According to a press statement from the incumbent vice president’s campaign, Republicans for Harris includes endorsements from former Trump White House officials Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye; former Secretaries Chuck Hagel and Ray LaHood; former Governors Jim Edgar, Bill Weld, and Christine Todd Whitman; former U.S. House members Rod Chandler, Tom Coleman, Dave Emery, Wayne Gilchrest, Jim Greenwood, Adam Kinzinger, John LeBoutillier, Susan Molinari, Jack Quinn, Denver Riggleman, Claudine Schneider, Christopher Shays, Peter Smith, Alan Steelman, David Trott, and Joe Walsh; and former GOP State Chair and State Senator Chris Vance, among others. Of course, Adam Kinzinger is in that bunch! 😡😡 Speaking of which, I've just noticed @Homestar has been noticeable absent from here since March 2023! On 1 Feb 21, he famously posted "I hope Adam Kinzinger is still reading this forum. He is the future of the Republican Party. If he and Dan Crenshaw could combine forces we could actually return to real conservative leadership." and "Maybe we could get a Crenshaw-Kinzinger ticket in 2024?" His last post was... "There are times where I think that there's no way that our country would find itself back in a place where brothers are killing brothers on a battle field. But then I read threads here and am reminded that there are absolutely people here who wouldn't hesitate to shoot me dead if we ever get into a shooting war against ourselves."

Any truth to this?

Fifty years ago today, 29 Jul 1974, Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger (pictured) issued a program decision memorandum directing the Air Force to consolidate all military airlift forces under a single manager by the end of fiscal year 1977. The Air Force answered the charge by announcing, one month later, that the Military Airlift Command (MAC) would be providing airlift services to all branches. This was partly made possible by folding all of Tactical Airlift Command’s tactical airlift assets (comprised mainly of C-130s) into MAC, which prior to this date had only managed the Air Force’s strategic airlift assets. The goal, as Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David C. Jones described it, was to “achieve better integration of overall airlift” by consolidating “strategic and tactical airlift assets” into one command; in the process, it made MAC the world’s largest single airlift organization. (Image: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library)

They forgot this, the most racist song ever, the Ice Cream song!! I was going to post a video about it, but on second thought I decided that wouldn't be the best idea. Anyone interested and possessing the most basic GoogleFu skills will be able to find out what I am referring to. NPR even did an article about it back in 2014...

AIB is out... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2024/07/4JAN24-AFGSC-Ellsworth-AFB-AIB-Report-1-1.pdf

Pentagon to review 20 Medals of Honor from Wounded Knee Massacre The wokeness... “It’s never too late to do what’s right,” an unnamed senior defense official said in a statement Wednesday. “And that’s what is intended by the review that the secretary directed, which is to ensure that we go back and review each of these medals in a rigorous and individualized manner.” Of course, actions from the last two decades which may merit the Medal of Honor don't rate such time critical attention by the Pentagon! 😡😡😡 Such as... Sergeant Rafael Peralta While clearing houses in the second battle for Fallujah (Operation Phantom Fury) Sgt Peralta was shot by insurgents and was severely wounded. In the ensuing firefight a grenade was thrown into the room with Peralta and his Marines. Sgt Peralta pulled the grenade under him to absorb the grenade blast and was killed instantly. Sgt Peralta was nominated for the Medal of Honor by Lt Gen Natonski based on the reports. The nomination was later denied under review when some reviewers (who were not at the incident) believed Peralta was already clinically dead when the grenade was thrown. The award was downgraded to a Navy Cross. Multiple requests for a reconsideration were denied and after years of denials, Peralta’s family received his Navy Cross.

MSN took it down, but I found the updated article and added its link... https://www.rd.com/list/popular-songs-you-didnt-realize-are-racist/ Why, by the way, includes "why Black History Month shouldn’t be a single month!".

11 Popular Songs You Didn’t Realize Are Actually Racist

USS Eisenhower pilot became the first American woman to score air-to-air kill A female Naval aviator with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32 became the first woman in the U.S. military to score an air-to-air victory in combat. The aviator, who the Navy has not named, shot down a one-way attack drone fired by Houthi forces against commercial ships passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, using an F/A-18F Super Hornet. “The success of the entire squadron over the past nine months is a testament to all the members of the command and their friends and family at home that support them,” Cmdr. Jason Hoch, leader of the squadron, said in a Navy release. “I couldn’t be prouder of the Swordsmen’s performance day-in and day-out in incredibly demanding conditions. We proved over and over again that the flexibility a carrier strike group brings to the fight is unmatched, and that is solely due to the highly trained and motivated Sailors who go above and beyond the call of duty each and every day.” Rut-roh! Did he say "SwordsMEN?!?" 🫢🫢🫢 By the way, it's been done...back in 1942! Lydia Litvyak - Wikipedia

More ridiculousness, and I am surprised no one ever created an account on here using that name... Disney changes name of 'offensive' character after 50 years Disney has changed the name of one of its decades-old characters after being deemed "offensive" and "derogatory." Following a seven-month refurbishment at Disney World, 'Liver Lips McGrowl' did not make a return on the Country Bear Jamboree attraction. "The decision to remove Liver Lips McGrowl was driven by concerns over the character’s name," they wrote in a statement. 'Liver lips' is said to be associated with excessive alcohol consumption, leading to liver damage. Here's to Liver Lips!! 🍻🍻

I can't fathom why everyone hates AOC! I think she's very friendly with Taylor Swift!

Well, no shit! Prolific insight from everyone's favorite barista! AOC goes live on Instagram saying many who want Joe Biden to drop out of race also want to remove Kamala Honestly, I can't fathom why everyone hates her! I think she's very friendly with Taylor Swift! (See WTF? (*NSFW**) thread for details!)

Ain't in the GAL, if that means anything...