We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:06:19 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification ...will defeat uncooperative, snobby Microsoftware when it counts. This time, anyway. First, something for ol' Number 82 Hisself, since he pays the rent on this place: I seem to have piqued a bit of interest when I mentioned a diesel-engined Cessna -- here 'tis: The C-172S, to be precise. Here's the giveaway: Scoots through the air towed by a tri-blade prop spun up by a 135shp diesel, which doesn't have the guts for Iraqi summer air, but you won't run out of fuel looking for 100 octane avgas -- she'll burn JP-8 very nicely. The last batch to be delivered... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:50:03 -0600 Ledger -- Nope, the material's a re-enforced microfiber of some sort. Sitting on a leather seat in an Iraqi summer would be like sitting in a cast-iron skillet over an open fire. -Bill Bill, you mean it cheap vinyl? That tears it. I am not buying one! With this thing sporting a jet fuel powered diesel engine, 3 blade prop, glass instrument panel, white seats with buttons, I would have though it would have been fitted with Leather seats (or simulated leather seats due to PETA). Even though the "microfibers" sound cool, vinyl would be pretty hot and sticky in the summer. It is a disappointment ;) ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-68007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-68007 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:06:05 -0600 SPS141 Oh, and Bill - I woulda taken the picture of the adapter cable, scaled it to look like a fire hose or something...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67986 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67986 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:08:37 -0600 HF6 -- The hangar's just west of runway 13/31 at Kirkuk. OldSchool -- Da. What's interesting is that the markings are in English and there's an adapter cable in the rear -- according to the *former* Su-22 pilot I asked about it, the beastie was mounted centerline on a Mirage I and not wing-mounted on an Su-22. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67985 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67985 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:04:36 -0600 Naaaaaaah, it's nothing more than a ginormous knuter valve. Probably to one of the MiG series. It's the one that connected the piston return springs to the muffler bearings. Really, though, I love these whatzisses, but I hardly ever have an idea. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67983 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67983 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:46:33 -0600 what is it? SPS-141MVG ECM pod .... russki yah or nyet? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67982 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67982 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:35:08 -0600 Whoa! That is a Desert Kaiten. I had heard rumors... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67981 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67981 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:32:26 -0600 Well, yer a flier and should know them things there Lex-my-fellow! It would appear that the Scrupl's or KtLW have our fair William decisively engaged. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67979 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67979 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:38:51 -0600 great, so now we gotta try to figure out what search terms the squid used.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67978 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67978 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:37:59 -0600 I'm with John, some class of EA pod although I would have guessed either Rooshan or French. Near went blind flicking through Google images trying to track it down. Really *must* remember to put "safe search" back on in preferences before I go past the third page though. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67977 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67977 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:22:48 -0600 ooh. i do like your answer better. concur. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67975 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67975 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:57:00 -0600 Oh, and those would be runways 31 and 32. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67973 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67973 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:20:12 -0600 My photo-interp skillz suggest rather this location (via GoogleEarth) 35°27'33.5N x 44°21'04.14E at elevation 1048m. And since I can see the lattice-work of the hangar and the ziggurat. Haven't found the whatziss in there yet... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67972 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67972 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:16:58 -0600 ..as for the "where-zis", i'm gonna guess "in the near vicinity of runway 15; 33deg 17min 11sec N by 44deg 28min 50secE..... ***all unclass speculation using open source Flashearth website*** http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67971 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67971 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:53:24 -0600 MacGyver wants to know where that hangar is. Swears he's seen it before. As for the "whatzis"...I got nuttin. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67969 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67969 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:23:49 -0600 Hey, old man, what's yer point? About *what* in particular? The toob or my uncanny resemblance to Harrison Ford's stunt double? Boq, that hat *used* to have a shape. One too many squishings in the overheads of Third World "airliners"...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67965 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67965 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:11:37 -0600 Great Boonie Hat on them whiskers Unkabill http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67964 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67964 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:01:52 -0600 Chinese ECM pod of some sort? That's my working hypothesis... though there is a *dearth* of pics of same on the web... thus far. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67963 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67963 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:10:46 -0600 looks like one of them there new fangled Persian wonder torpedoes what can zoom and fly and such... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67962 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67962 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:52:19 -0600 The gun looks to be a 100mm KS-19/Type 55. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67961 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67961 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:51:27 -0600 Ledger -- Nope, the material's a re-inforced microfiber of some sort. Sitting on a leather seat in an Iraqi summer would be like sitting in a cast-iron skillet over an open fire. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67959 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67959 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:30:06 -0600 Hey, old man, what's yer point? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67958 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67958 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:29:30 -0600 Are those real leather seats in that diesel Cessna 172? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67956 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67956 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:10:52 -0600 kat -- Technically speaking, ummmmm, no. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67955 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67955 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:43:35 -0600 Extra fuel pod for a MiG. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67954 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67954 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:16:41 -0600 ...I tell you that gizmo looks like something one would find in that cartoon universe. Considering the manufacturer, you *could* say it's from a cartoon universe. AgPilot60 -- I think the engine's a turbo Thielert Centurion, but I didn't poke under the cowling to double-check. And, yeah, the gun does look a lot like an 88 with a muzzle brake, which is what caught my eye in the first place -- it's sited right next to an ADA radar ziggurat. *sigh* -- yeah, John, I got a pic of the data plate, but it's sandblasted all to Helen Gaghan. OFS -- Nope. The cammo paint job is ugly enough to pass for ChiCom, though...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67953 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67953 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:05:58 -0600 I'll hazard a guess-Silkworm anti-shipping missle? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67952 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67952 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:17:36 -0600 Bill, Who makes the engine for the Cessna? I assume it is an aircooled Deutz opposed type and hopefully with a turbo. If they could boost the hp up to about 180/200 they would have a pretty good flying machine. 235 hp with a c/s prop would be even that much better. The 1st picture looks a little bit like the WWII German 88 FlakWagon at the Ft Sill museum, except it had all of it's wheels and I don't remember it having brakes. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67947 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67947 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:35:18 -0600 Damned Truncation Bug! That was "...killbots wearing shakos, with plumes!" . http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67946 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67946 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:14:24 -0600 Dang, that thing in the last pic looks like it could sprout legs, and come walking for one. I mean, it has a mouth, and nostrils on its flanks, and scary-looking weird things on its dorsal surface. Sorry, I clicked on a link at BCR's about Girl Genius, and that must have started a program she left in my head. I'm up to about the middle of 2005 in my requirement to read every episode, and I tell you that gizmo looks like something one would find in that cartoon universe. Send in the clanks. I like the idea of killbots wearing shakos, with plume http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67945 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/12/old_age_and_tre.html#comment-67945 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:57:56 -0600