Warbirds Forum & Blog – Restyled
Hi, just to let you know I have recently restyled and revamped my Warbirds Forum Board. I have also added a Warbirds Blog that I will use to post news related to the aviation world, in particular with relation to the historical aviation sector, military planes and airshows. Come by and have your say :-)
Duxford Airshow – 8/9 September 2012
Last Saturday I finally had a chance to visit the Imperial War Museum at Duxford (near Cambridge in the United Kingdom). The occasion was pretty juicy, as the regular September Airshow was scheduled for that weekend. I think it's almost since I have moved to the UK that I wanted to attend this particular event, as I am quite interested in aviation and warbirds from my very childhood. For once the British weather was also forgiving, with clear skies and high temperatures around 28 C, the ideal set to watch an Airshow.
The museum itself is pretty easy to reach from Cambridge's railway station. It's about 15 minutes with a free courtesy bus which runs every 30 minutes.
RAF Museum – Hendon – London
Spent last Saturday to visit the RAF Museum in London. The museum is located at the former Hendon Aerodrome - one of the most important pioneering aviation centres in United Kingdom, and it's easily reachable with the Tube (Northern Line - Colindale station). As the number of air planes displayed is quite large, it will take some time to wander trough all the hangars and see all that's featured! Don't miss the Battle of Britain hall with a display of the most important airplanes who took part into the famous duelling above the skies of South England and London.
IWM – HMS Belfast in London
After more than three years I've finally managed to visit HMS Belfast, a WWII cruiser which is moored on the Thames, next to the Tower Bridge. The ship has been converted into a floating museum, and it's part of the Imperial War Museums network (being the IWML the main one).
The Belfast was a heavy cruiser in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Its main tasks were to protect the Atlantic convoy Arctic routes. It is mainly remembered for having participated in the sortie which eventually led to the sinking of the German battleship "Scharnhorst" off the coasts of Norway on the Boxing Day in 1943. This military engagement is quite interesting even from an IT perspective, as it stemmed from the advanced state of the British code breaking and decryption service at that time.
It was in fact mainly due to the work of the mathematicians and cryptographers experts in Bletchley Park on the German ENIGMA encryption method, if the British Navy could stage the ambush to the German battleship (if you are interested I suggest this book as a further reading - or this video for the sinking of the ship).
Back to the floating museum, I think it's worth a visit. It's quite amazing to traverse the various decks of the ship, knowing all the history that every inch of steel there has been testimony of. Up on the bridge, you can also enjoy a breathtaking view of the surrounding landmarks (the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the newly built skyscraper Shard of London). You can either wander on the command bridge, or plunge yourself into the hearth of the ship to visit the ammunition storage or the engines, wandering around in steep ladders and tiny corridors. Definitely one of the best attractions I've been in London!
Should you want to see a few of the pictures I've taken, please be my guest here.
Thames estuary – Maunsell Sea Forts
Mainly known due to the Principality of Sealand "wannabe" micronation, the Maunsell Sea Forts are a relic of the Second World War. I wouldn't mind going there for a photographic trip! But in the meantime check out some of the pictures from flickr:
The forts were build during the last world war and housed anti aircraft guns emplacements which protected London and the surrounding sea lanes for incoming raids. In the '60s they hosted a number of pirate radio stations, and eventually one of them ("HM Fort Roughs" just off the Suffolk coast) was occupied and declared an "indipendent nation" (The Principality of Sealand), which apparently will host an Online Casino pretty soon! Nowadays they are rusty and gloomy abandoned structures in the middle of the sea! Up for a boat trip anyone? You can find more information and pictures by following this link.
World War Two Aviation Forum
Some news for all the World War II Aviation enthusiasts out there. As you may know, I'm the admin & webmaster of The Great Planes, a site dedicated to the best warbirds and aircrafts that fought during the last world war. Well, I'm proud to announce that the forum has been upgraded and expanded into The Great Planes Warbirds Community, a place where you can share your knowledge about the topic and discuss with other aviation enthusiasts. The board is free to join, you will discuss about historic planes and even modern jets.
L’orso russo ha mai dormito?
Le notizie che si susseguono freneticamente in questi giorni hanno un che di allarmistico: la Russia che potrebbe dislocare testate nucleari nel Baltico, i missili puntati su Tblisi e le continue nuove tensioni tra gli USA e la potenza transeuropea.
Sembra quasi che, improvvisamente, il mondo si sia accorto che la Russia c'è. A mio avviso, da quando c'è stata la dissoluzione dell'URSS, la maggior parte delle persone ha pensato che la cosa fosse finita lì. Senza gravi drammi (considerata la portata dell'evento) il gigante sovietico si è ripiegato su se stesso e se n'è uscito di scena, logorato ed eroso internamente dalle sue stesse politiche fallimentari. Molti hanno ritenuto che mai e poi mai si sarebbe potuto riprendere, men che meno in tempi così brevi. Ancora adesso se nelle conversazioni si parla di Russia lo si fa in modo quasi canzonatorio, spesso riferendosi alla "ferraglia" presente in copiose quantità nei suoi arsenali, tra Kalashnikov contrabbandati più o meno ovunque nel mondo e MiG-29 venduti su Ebay. Niente di più sbagliato.
Imperial War Museum in London
Ieri, tra le altre cose, sono stato all'Imperial War Museum, che raccoglie cimeli relativi a tutti i conflitti bellici cui il Regno Unito ha partecipato nel ventesimo secolo. A parte i mezzi che è posibile vedere (ad esempio alcuni aerei come quello ritratto nella foto, Spitfire, Mustang, carri M3 Lee e Sherman, un Jagdpanther e anche un sottomarino SLC "Maiale"), il museo raccoglie numerose esposizioni tematiche veramente belle: alcune sono fisse (come i percorsi guidati sulle guerre del Regno Unito durante il ventesimo secolo, con esibizione di cimeli come uniformi, armi, bandiere e medaglie), altre invece sono temporanee (ad esempio c'era una mostra di poster propagandistici e una sullo spionaggio), altre ancora lasciano il segno (come quella sull'Olocausto): c'è veramente da perdersi. Ed è gratis!! Per un appassionato del periodo come me è un must se passate da queste parti ...
Iwo Jima – L’uomo soldato
Tempo fa ne avevo già parlato. Recentemente ho finalmente avuto l'occasione di vedere le ultime due fatiche del Clint Eastwood regista: Flags of Our Fathers e Letters from Iwo Jima. Inutile dire che, essendo appassionato del periodo, ero veramente curioso di vedere come avrebbe trattato il tema uno dei registi che ultimamente sto apprezzando di più.
Max Romeo – I chase the devil
Lucifer son of the mourning, I'm gonna chase you out of earth!
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
Satan is an evilous man,
But him can't chocks it on I-man
So when I check him my lassing hand
And if him slip, I gaan with him hand
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
Him haffi drop him fork and run
Him can't stand up to Jah Jah son
Him haffi lef' ya with him gun
Dig off with him bomb
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
Satan is a evilous man,
But him can't chocks it on I-man
So when I check him my lassing hand
And if him slip, I gaan with him hand
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space, to find another race
Move ya with your gun
Mi sey fe lef' ya with your bomb
Move ya with your gun
Mi sey fe lef' ya with your bomb...
(lyrics by Max Romeo - War ina Babylon - 1976)
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