The F-22 achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in December 2005 and is the fifth generation fighter of the U.S. Air Force. The F-22 Raptor is the replacement for the F-15 Eagle air-superiority fighter and is now ready for production. This aircraft combines stealth design with the supersonic, highly manoeuvrable, dual-engine, long-range requirements of an air-to-air fighter. The F-22’s integrated avionics gives it first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability that will guarantee U.S. air dominance.
This new fighter possesses unique characteristics. Four pillars guaranty the Raptor’s success: supercruise, super-agility, stealth and integrated-avionics. It flies at supersonic speed for sustained periods of time without needing to engage afterburners. This means a huge advantage in terms of range of flight. Its conception facilitates maintenance. The Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engine requires only six commercially available tools for its routine maintenance. To control this mechanical beast, the F-22 features a Common Integrated Processor (CIP), which is the heart of its integrated avionics suite. These "Super Computers" can process 10.3 billion bytes per second!
The Raptor is the first and only all-weather stealth fighter. Its radar signature is approximately the size of a bumblebee, thereby avoiding detection by the most sophisticated enemy air defense systems. The aircraft has a planform alignment of the wing and tail edges, radar-absorbing saw-toothed surfaces, an engine face that is concealed by a serpentine inlet duct, "stealthy" coating cockpit design to minimize the usually substantial radar return of pilot’s helmet. Through internal weapons placement, the F-22 also eliminates multiple surface features that could be detected by enemy radar.
The F-22 has demonstrated supercruise at speeds greater than 1.5 Mach. It has demonstrated superior manoeuvrability throughout the flying envelope from sea-level to 50,000 feet. Its service ceiling is 65,000 feet. Its speed capacities enables a smaller number of aircraft to control a far greater area, and enter and exit hostile areas quickly, reducing the time a pilot spends over enemy territory and reducing the risk of losing lives.
mardi 23 octobre 2007
dimanche 21 octobre 2007
The Carpenter
The Carpenter
Silvio Rosato immigrated to Montreal in the late fifties. Upon his first day of arrival, he met Dave Damonti (an Italian policeman on the Montreal Police Force) who immediatly warned him of Italian haters that walked the streets. It was the beginning of long-lasting friendship, a friendship which is typical to minorities in big cities. Later, Dave Damonti found a house for the Rosato family which was in the neighborhood of other Italian families. This way of integration is still widely observed in Montreal regardless the nationality.
At the beginning, Silvio had a hard time keeping it straight as he drank and gambled to get money faster so his family could join him as soon as possible: his family meant the world to him. It was the same thing for Carmella Rosato, Silvio's wife and mother of their three children, who constantly tried to keep the family strongly bonded. Also, when the time came, she was not able to accept the fact that Silvio needed to be placed in a centre for the elderly: she felt she was giving up on him.
As the years went by, the descendants of the Rosato, Maria, Liliana and Luciano grew watching helplessly their father lose his memory and motivity while he continued drinking daily. Furthermore, Silvio had intense flashbacks of his time passed in World War II. Maria tried to ignore those episodes; Liliana expressed her concern everytime by attempting to reasoned her siblings that something had to be done while Luciano thought everything was due to alcoolism. Also, Liliana's anxiety pushed her to blame Maria for being too preoccupied with herself and blame Luciano for being there only to get a free lunch, as if she was the only one helping. After many dialogues and a series of events that brings closer, they managed to do what was right for their parents: bring Silvio to a doctor, Dr. Lewis, and follow her professional advice.
Alcoolism, gambling, racism, work conditions, small lodging and so on, are all issues that were facing immigrants then, and still nowadays.
Silvio Rosato immigrated to Montreal in the late fifties. Upon his first day of arrival, he met Dave Damonti (an Italian policeman on the Montreal Police Force) who immediatly warned him of Italian haters that walked the streets. It was the beginning of long-lasting friendship, a friendship which is typical to minorities in big cities. Later, Dave Damonti found a house for the Rosato family which was in the neighborhood of other Italian families. This way of integration is still widely observed in Montreal regardless the nationality.
At the beginning, Silvio had a hard time keeping it straight as he drank and gambled to get money faster so his family could join him as soon as possible: his family meant the world to him. It was the same thing for Carmella Rosato, Silvio's wife and mother of their three children, who constantly tried to keep the family strongly bonded. Also, when the time came, she was not able to accept the fact that Silvio needed to be placed in a centre for the elderly: she felt she was giving up on him.
As the years went by, the descendants of the Rosato, Maria, Liliana and Luciano grew watching helplessly their father lose his memory and motivity while he continued drinking daily. Furthermore, Silvio had intense flashbacks of his time passed in World War II. Maria tried to ignore those episodes; Liliana expressed her concern everytime by attempting to reasoned her siblings that something had to be done while Luciano thought everything was due to alcoolism. Also, Liliana's anxiety pushed her to blame Maria for being too preoccupied with herself and blame Luciano for being there only to get a free lunch, as if she was the only one helping. After many dialogues and a series of events that brings closer, they managed to do what was right for their parents: bring Silvio to a doctor, Dr. Lewis, and follow her professional advice.
Alcoolism, gambling, racism, work conditions, small lodging and so on, are all issues that were facing immigrants then, and still nowadays.
mardi 4 septembre 2007
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