united kingdom

A British built space harpoon has been demonstrated attaching itself to a orbital debris target in space. Hopfully one day this will be used to clean up old space junk. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47252304

The following article appears in the Portsmouth News 28/01/19: Unfortunately, think it may be more wishful thinking than reality..... Link to article: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/royal-navy-drawing-up-plans-for-new-mega-dry-dock-in-portsmouth-for-hms-queen-elizabeth-1-8786406 The...

On quick check it seems we don't have a thread on Sea Slug and it's development. Often people mention a inline boosted option instead of the wrap around boosters. Yet I seem to recall that there were worries over rocket gases causing problems with the beam rider guidance. Would be nice to...

This site now redirects to BMT's website: https://web.archive.org/web/20180905041319/www.uk-ndp.co.uk/project-polar.html 5 Sep 2018 About this capture "Polar Presence Vessel This study presented a preliminary design for a vessel intended to meet the requirement to replace HMS Endurance...

https://www.facebook.com/TheFriendsofTheTankMuseum/posts/chieftain-sabre-the-sabre-spaag-system-was-a-project-between-ro-and-thompson-csf/1859698144250194/ (Image below is from tanks-encyclopedia.com, original credit jedsite [now JED])

A British start-up company, Aeralis, is trying to secure £1 mil via crowdfunding to design a concept fuselage demonstrator for a “modular” family of military jet trainers in time for September’s DSEI defence show. They are billing this as the first all-British military aircraft since the Hawk...

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/sea-king-helicopters-ends-49-years-of-service/

G'day fellow forum members. I'm trying to find information pertaining to the Blackburn Buccaneer's development being financially supported by US money. I read it in a credible book many years ago about the Blackburn Buccaneer, but haven't been able to find the book nor title. Any help in finding...

As you all know I attended FIAS2018 on business (see my photos of Tempest). Wondering into Hall 1 and spotted Lego space model competition on the South West Aerospace Forum, so stopped to drop ones card off. Noticed model of Virgin 747-800 and rocket underneath, thus the billboards advertising...

Scotland has beaten of competition from Newquay in Cornwall and Prestwick in Ayrshire to become the United Kingdoms first Spaceport. It will be announced at the Farnborough Airshow later this week. The Spaceport will be based in Sutherland in the Highlands...

Source: https://www.aerosociety.com/news/in-the-latest-aerospace-magazine-july-2018/

The names of the ships from trade involved in the Falklands operation are well documented. However, as someone interested in merchant ships I was wondering if a) anyone has records of STUFT in operations post WW2 from Korea through Suez to the Gulf Wars b) the Falklands STUFT seemed to be well...

Issued back in February it announced an industry day for LANCA (though it didn't use that name) which should have occurred on the 13th March: https://www.defenceonline.co.uk/2018/02/27/gb-high-wycombe-lanca/

Indeed, despite the Admiralty’s efforts to ridicule Trenchard’s claims, they were very worried about what the torpedo-bomber might mean for the future of their capital ships. During the 1920s they would go to great lengths to improve air defence, including, with the Hornet programme, an attempt...

Hi! F.7/30 Fighter capable of at least 250 mph and armed with four machine guns Blackburn F.3, Bristol Type 123, Bristol Type 133, Gloster Gladiator, Gloster SS.19, Hawker P.V.3, Supermarine Type 224, Westland F.7/30 Specification F.7/30...

I suspect I originally saw this here, but I can't find it now. There was a proposal to launch Blue Steel at very low altitudes by dragging it behind the launch aircraft on a cable. Does anyone have a pointer to material on this?

I must admit to being puzzled at the choice of Dreadnought as a name for the new SSBNs. Assuming 4 or 3 submarines are built, the only rationale is to resurrect the names of our early nuclear boats. That would add Valiant and Warspite and possibly Conqueror or Churchill. The alternative would...

There is no question that the UK had the necessary metallurgy to construct turbines, Whittle, Hooker and their peers would confirm that. Rolls-Royce and Bristol, along with BTH and research at RAE etc. had been developing superchargers progressively since the mid 1920s and had acheived a high...

Hi! https://www.warbirdsforum.com/topic/366-additional-raf-might-have-beens/ "The B1.39 spec was to carry 9,000lb over 2,500miles cruising at least 280mph. Maximum bomb load was to be 10,000lb and some could be carried externally if necessary. Provision was made to stow 20 x 250lb or 500lb...

Hi folks, Couldn't find a thread appropriate so here goes: Blue Steel MkII full-scale mock up fitted with wing-tip-mounted Bristol Siddeley ramjets: Source Blue Steel Viper variant full-scale mock up: Source