OT: Back

The MOD back-tracked on removing Typhoon cannons anyway:

It was actually cheaper to leave it in, but de-activated, then the Afghan campaign demonstrated that there was still a need for a cannon - despite the experts claiming that, should a modern fighter run out of missiles, it would need to f*ck off rather quickly rather than stay and try to fight on with 100 year old technology.

I had the Z4M and the Z4M Coupe in mind to be honest :-p

Even though I know that had I bought the weird yellowy coloured Z3 M Coupe it would have just been a huge mistake and probably would have bankrupt me - part of me says "So? It might not, the Vanos was done and the tyres were new!" cos sitting in it was just so awesomely cool :-)

I know that's not a soft-top, but it's pretty much the same and for some reason I prefer the Coupe to the rag top. The Z4M Coupe has always been my 'acheiveable' dream car. It would have been black I think, or maybe red, or the blue is quite nice... Anyway, I'd get hold of a set of M3 CSL wheels because they suit them so well, and actually iirc some dealers offered them as a option.

It would be as close to a supercar as I was really likely to get, not as rare or public attracting as the Vee, but with performance figures that didn't make the car commit the cardinal sin of looking faster than it was- as they're very brisk - which the Vee had commited since day 1. I'd have the +30bhp (iirc) and de-limit a few of the expensive tuners offer, advertised in Evo a lot, hopefully they'd be 'get what you pay for' places heh.

I know Jack has a perversion for E36 M3 Cabrios. Not my thing at all.

I was thinking more of the old Alfa Spider, Fiat 124 Spider and MX5.

Luggage issues do seem more frequent, but not exclusive to and from the US, although we've never had a problem, I know a few people who have. My auntie and uncle had their luggage lost on the way from Malaysia to the UK a few years back, never got it back and they had a few rather not-cheap little statues and ornament type things in there. I can't really rememebr what it was they said they suspected had happened, I'm sure it was a theft thing and they had some pretty compelling reasons/evidence for thinking this, but as I say, it was a few years back and I probably wasn't listening to them anyway as they do tend to prattle on :-)

No, well... they appear to put up with loads of abuse without breaking, despite being stupidly quick and very capable chassis wise.

The fact so many turn their noses up at them because of the image is their loss really - I think they're an awesome bit of kit, especially given what you can pick them up for now.

In my experience, perhaps there is an element of that. Nobody in the baggage hall wants to burst your bag or its contents, trying to tidy up someone's smalls and close an obviously buggered zip is just embarassing and leaves you open to allegations of theiving.

Did we lose? Would you rather the US stepped in and told everyone they won the Falklands too?

STFU then.

I know of people who will kick the wheels off heavy bags with the attitude that "If they expect me to carry it, the owner can carry it too.". I don't really approve of the sentiment but there are times when I understand it.

Because the UK handlers take care of it and put it in the right part of the plane so it ends up at reclaim in the right country for your pleasure?

Cos the far superior US handlers kick the shit out of it, drag it through the tar pits then put it in the baggage container due for transfer to Bogota?

I don't know where the damage to your luggage happens, but there are a lot of factors.

When I did manual handling at a Supermarket it was absolutely forbidden to lift anything over 20kg IIRC. Suppliers obliged by not making single packages more than that so the risk of employees claiming compensation from the company was reduced.

32kg is quite a lot. The holds of aeroplanes are not very good lifting technique friendly.

Baggage handling is one of the few things I can think of, especially at airports, which is still labour intensive and done by hand. People are the weak link I guess.

It's around the weight of a 32" CRT television.

I don't like lifting those single-handed.

I've had a mobile for like, 13 years now, that has never happened to me. Sure I've found the odd place where I notice I have no signal but that is definately the exception rather than the rule and these days almost unheard of, such that I can't remember the last time it happened, but it certainly wasn't recently. That includes going to Wales as well, I was on T-Mobile then, being robbed by them as per, and I drove from here to Lampeter and I sent a few texts and made a few calls on the way and I don't recall losing signal.

Of course, what I do rememeber is that when the weather is good, and when you're not stuck behind someone doing 10mph in the fog, the B4343 was just an awesome little road. The first time I drove it I was alone, bright sunshine, amazing visability and the road also had very little obstructing your view and a couple of hairpins with big, wide like gravelly areas on the outside of them.. I assumed they were in case my brisk handbrake turn in a

10 year old Pug 405 didn't quite work out. Then the next one, I made a point of using it,m gravel slides are bigger :-p

Aww, I was enjoying that copy and paste Wiki fest!

The Americans fighters in Vietnam didn't have a cannon either did they, and it just screwed up their kill ratio because the pilots ran out of missiles then realised they didn't really have any aircraft to aircraft dog-fighting skills anymore. If we didn't learn a lesson from their mistake then, we didn't deserve to win.

I think that might be mentioned in Top Gun actually heh.

Sort of. The AAMs were simply ineffective and didn't achieve the kill ratios believed. Plus the best laid plans...

A fighter without a gun is akin to a cat without its claws. All the wise, little of the action.

I didn't read the link as it wrapped, but the reason is because the ammunition is too expensive and nobody can possibly think of another potential conflict where a close in weapon is going to be useful. Because nobody wants to justify something that isn't used often.

Just as the Tornado didn't have countermeasures, merely provision in the avionics bays.

And what flight course would you have them take?

Either or, it would either mean two Sentry types, at least three tankers and armed escort. Because the USAF does not leave E-3s without escort. Ever.

Why the extra? Because you bring along backup. Your active package may only be one E-3 Sentry but to add to this you need a backup E-3, at least two fighters plus one backup, two tankers plus at least one backup.

Difficult?

Still in service though. It's difficult to see what the Sea Harrier was designed for as it lacked a modern air to air weapon and carried iron bombs. It didn't even have chaff. So the RN popped bundled of chaff into the airbrakes.

Military assistance.

Quite right too.

The logistics required for the bombers, fighters and necessary support aircraft. Last time I thought about it, the RAF left Phantoms at the base. :-/

And we nearly did as it happens.

Thus in pretty much the same state as HMS Hermes then. HMS Invincible was thirty years more modern.

And the Royal Navy were not jumping up and down for it. Neither was the RAF come to think of it.

Read above regarding not knowing what you're talking about. So you're gathering your information from books that have been written by people you don't know and then subsequently edited by other people you don't know.

I named one of my cats after the 1950s vintage HMS Hermes, still in service having been sold to India. Two of my immediate family members served in the Falklands conflict. One has written a book.

Book title and name of author?

It's possible it's one I have here.

Had to double check some bits and pieces, but mostly stuff I knew from my extensive reading on the subject.(I have read 7 or 8 books on the subject)

I've been to Bradford quite recently- mostly to have a look around Saltaire, but also to have a look about Bradford itself- the town hall is a magnificent bit of Victorian Gothic. The only place I felt uncomfortable was in Bingley on a Friday night, with all the white chavs out looking for a pint and a fight.

Eh? You have an obsession about this *but* you're the one with a hankering for soft tops and hybrid machines.

"Go figure."