Chinese but pretty

[Mark]

Since when do Kamikazi pilots worry about pilot protection.

[guest18]

Mmmm looking forwards to the nitrous injected, supercharged, aero engine thread 

@Mark, not all Japanese pilots were "God wind" 

It's not the copies of existing technology that I'm looking forward to, it's once they crack that and produce the next generation of two wheelers with new powerplants/powersources. I reckon in our lifetimes the existing four stroke sportsbikes will look as old hat as girder forked ohv singles
do now (not saying they're a bad design, just an old one  )
The only interesting/exciting question is what direction will it go in?   

[SRXweb]

You are perfectly right in any aspect of your message.

[SRXweb]

Actually the replicas of Focke Wulf 190 are engined (is it correct ?) with chinese engine, replicas of russian ones of the 40's.

The french that owned one had two crashes with it (electrical and engine problem). He sold it. I think he flights his Corsair now.

A funny tale : the journalist that made a fantastic report when the SRX hited the road is now a great air photographer. He is a member of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis that organizes every year the meeting of La Ferte alais : http://www.ajbs.fr/.

[Richard]

Well said Smudge, well said.  The high point of the last TT I was able to attend was definitely seeing the electric bikes, they may not be the future, but they are certainly one option.

[guest295]

One of the amusing fails at the beginning of WWii was that the American torpedos didn't work. Because of the way military supplies were purchased there, the torpedo was so expensive that the Navy was forbidden to test it. After a lot of people died trying to sink Japanese ships with it, an admiral got into a submarine and ordered the crew to fire one at a sheer rock wall in Oahu. It didn't go off. They finally got a torpedo that worked, but like its predecessor it was so slow that Japanese crews amused themselves by running rings around it.

Meanwhile the Japanese torpedos could run straight and fast for 27 nautical miles and always blew up when they hit something. Nothing comparable was produced by anyone else for the next 20 years.

[Mark]

Meanwhile the Japanese torpedos could run straight and fast for 27 nautical miles and always blew up when they hit something.

Were they manned?

[Richard]

Oddly enough towards the end of the war some were - known as Kaiten I believe.

The Germans meanwhile developed the acoustic Torpedo.

Now where did I put that anorak ?

[guest40]

The kamikzi were only introduced in late 44. Apart from lack of fuel (1 way trips) and pilots they used gullible trainee pilots who could manage to get a plane in the air while heavily sedated. Towards the end they had dedicated planes designed for kamikazi eg the OHKA K1 rocket plane
In the early years the Zero dominated the Eastern skies, Only until the yanks came up with the Grumman Hellcat did they loose their domination. The Japanese were arrogant enough to think that nothing could stop a Zero due to its agility so did not need armour. The zeros were undergunned as well.
 This technology obviously spawned the dream 50.
The Lightning had poor performance in its earlier forms for the very reason that the torpedoes did not work. The cheap turbochargers were ineffient and left them with a poor ceiling height, but they were excellent gun platforms. Later versions were superb anywhere.
This technology obviously spawned the Harleys.

[SRXweb]

What a great chatter room ! It is possible to learn every day

[Mark]

And what did the French develop?

[guest18]

What, you mean apart from the first (non pusher) forward firing "fighter" aircraft? 

[Mark]

What, you mean apart from the first (non pusher) forward firing "fighter" aircraft? 

Very good, but weren't they were being chased.

[guest40]

CV2 ugly but effctive

[guest295]

The French developed nonchalance. Given their leadership, what else could they do?