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Out in the shed with Ted
Ted McEvoy. |
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Carbon Pricing.
John (Blue) Ryan OAM, National President of The Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women Ltd (TPI) recently wrote to the Prime Minister about the effects of Carbon Pricing on ex-servicemen/women, stating what he sees as “a disgraceful betrayal of the veteran community by the government you now lead.”
You can read the full letter HERE.
And speaking of Carbon Tax - see HERE
Set Top Boxes.
A
set-top box is a device that connects to a television and sits between
the TV set and the antenna. It converts the new digital signal to an
analogue format so older, non-digital sets are able to display the new
signal. The older analogue TV signal is being
People who own older sets are not required to purchase a new set to be able to receive the new signal, all they need is a high definition (HD) set top box. These can be purchased for a little as $45 and will enable the older set to receive and display all the Freeview channels.
In the recent Federal Budget, the Government set aside $308 million to supply, install and demonstrate a HD set top box to pensioners, free of charge. However, to be fair, there were conditions accompanying this announcement, most of which seem to have been overlooked by quite a few people.
When announced, the conditions were:
The ‘gift’ was never meant to be available to all pensioners, only to those who filled the above conditions. If you fall into one of the above categories, ring Centrelink and receive your entitlement.
Nicki Wood, who is the DVA Manager of VAN on the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads and Toowoomba, emailed to help clear up the matter. She says
"With regards the switch over to Digital TV and the Set-top box scheme, the Australian Government has announced the Household Assistance Scheme (HAS) for eligible households in the Mildura, regional South Australia, regional Victoria and eastern Queensland TV licence areas. Lessons learned from the rollout of the Scheme in these areas will help inform the approach taken to the broader switchover around the rest of Australia.
The HAS will involve a Government-contracted installer visiting eligible households to supply, install and demonstrate the use of a high definition set top box, at no cost to the recipient. Where the household is entitled, the installer will also undertake any necessary upgrades to the household’s external cabling or antenna".
Why is assistance only available to eligible maximum rate pensioners?
"The Government needs to take a balanced approach to providing assistance to convert to digital TV. The focus is on those groups most likely to need practical assistance. Experience from overseas suggests that maximum rate (that is, the full pension) aged, disabled, carers and veteran equivalent pensioners are the groups most likely to experience technical and practical difficulties converting to digital TV. Therefore, the scheme is directed to people who have both practical need, and limited financial capacity to purchase assistance. Maximum rate recipients of the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Service Pension or the DVA Income Support Supplement payment have been identified as the group in need of this special assistance."
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Save the Earth; it is the only planet with chocolate.
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A relic from the past??
Now here’s something you don’t see everyday, well, you did once, but you don’t anymore, it’s a genuine piece of history. For the kiddies out there who were born in the previous 50 years or so and haven’t a clue what it is, it’s a Bakelite double adaptor, and it still works. This particular item resides in a unit not far from the Rosstown Hotel in Melbourne. It’s probably worth a million bucks, but the owner’s not parting with it, he likes watching the coronas as the electric stuff tracks across the face of the unit and down onto the floor. Better than watching TV he reckons.
iPads.
If you are interested in getting an iPad I can get hold of them through a contact. These are straight, not off the back of a truck, they are from a cancelled Hospital contract due to the Government’s cutbacks. The numbers are limited - he has twenty iPads going for less than one third price, on a first come - first served basis. He has already sold one (see a pic of it HERE). Get back to me as quick as you can if you want one.
Agent Orange.
Vietnam has started the first phase of a joint plan with former enemy, the United States, to clean up environmental damage left over from the chemical defoliant Agent Orange, a lasting legacy from the Vietnam War that ended more than three decades ago. The work concentrates on a former US military base in central Vietnam where the herbicide was stored during the war. It marks the first time the two sides will work together on the ground to clean up contamination.
The US Embassy in Hanoi said Vietnam's Ministry of Defence will begin sweeping areas around the Danang airport for unexploded ordnance. It will then work with the US Agency for International Development to remove dioxin from soil and sediment at the site. US aircraft sprayed millions of litres of the chemical over South Vietnam during the war to destroy guerrilla fighters' jungle cover.
Agent Orange has been linked to cancers and birth defects and remains a thorny topic between the former foes as relations have thrived in other areas. Washington was slow to respond to the issue, arguing for years that more research was needed to show that the wartime spraying caused health problems and disabilities among Vietnamese. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarked while visiting Vietnam in October 2010, the dioxin in the ground here is 'a legacy of the painful past we share,' but the project we will undertake here, as our two nations work hand-in-hand to clean up this site, is 'a sign of the hopeful future we are building together.
The $US32 million project
will remove dioxin from 29 hectares of land at
the Danang site
where a 2009 study by the Canadian environmental firm Hatfield
Consultants found chemical levels that were 300 to 400 times higher than
international limits. Two other former US air bases in the southern
locations of Bien Hoa and Phu Cat also have been identified as
hotspots where the defoliant was mixed, stored and loaded onto planes
The war ended on April 30, 1975, when northern communist forces seized control of Saigon, the US-backed former capital of South Vietnam. The country was then reunified under a one-party communist government. Vietnam's Red Cross estimates up to 3 million Vietnamese have suffered health-related problems from Agent Orange exposure but the US has said the actual number is far lower and that other health and environmental factors are likely to blame for many illnesses and disabilities.
You can read more about it HERE.
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Lutheran Airlines
This is a copy of the take of briefing given by Lutheran Airlines. Listen HERE
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Bob walked into a sports bar around 10:00 PM. He sat down next to a blonde at the bar and stared up at the TV. The 7 pm news was coming on. The news crew was covering the story of a man on the ledge of a large building preparing to jump. The blonde looked at Bob and said, "Do you think he'll jump?" Bob said, " I bet he'll jump. "The blonde replied, "Well, I bet he won't." Bob placed a $20 note on the bar and said, "you're on!" Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, The guy on the ledge did a swan dive off the building, falling to his death. The blonde was very upset, but willingly handed her $20 to Bob. "Fair's fair. Here's your money." Bob replied, "I can't take your money. I saw this earlier on the 5 pm news, so I knew he would jump. "The blonde replied, "I did, too, but I didn't think he'd do it again." Bob took the money.
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Vietnam War Myths
There are lots of widely spread, yet inaccurate, myths concerning the Vietnam war. Most have been perpetuated by a biased media for reasons better known only to themselves.
Myth: The average age of an Australian infantryman fighting in Vietnam was 19.
Assuming KIAs accurately represented age groups serving in Vietnam, the average age of an infantryman serving in Vietnam to be 19 years old is a myth, it is actually 22.8.
The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. Myth: The domino theory was proved to be false.
The domino theory was accurate. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand stayed free of Communism because of the U.S. commitment to Vietnam. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of America's commitment in Vietnam. Without that commitment, Communism would have swept all the way to the Malacca Straits which is south of Singapore and of great strategic importance to the free world. If you ask people who live in these countries who won the war in Vietnam, they have a different opinion from the news media. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. Myth: The fighting in Vietnam was not as intense as in World War II.
The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year, thanks to the mobility of the helicopter.
About 50,000 Australians served in Vietnam, of that number, about 2,400 servicemen were injured and 508 were killed, 478 from the Army, 14 from the RAAF, 9 from the NAVY and 7 civilians – that’s about 1 in every 17 Australians, who went to Vietnam, was a casualty. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served.
Although the percentage who died is similar to other wars, amputations and/or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 American Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded who survived the first 24 hours died.
The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. Without the helicopter it would have taken three times as many troops to secure the 800 mile border with Cambodia and Laos (the politicians thought the Geneva Conventions of 1954 and the Geneva Accords or 1962 would secure the border).
Myth: The CIA
transported opium for the war lords.
The 1990 movie "Air America," which starred Mel Gibson, helped to establish the myth of a connection between Air America, the CIA, and the Laotian drug trade. The movie and a book the movie was based on, contend that the CIA condoned a drug trade conducted by a Laotian client; both agree that Air America provided the essential transportation for the trade; and both view the pilots with sympathetic understanding. American-owned airlines never knowingly transported opium in or out of Laos, nor did their American pilots ever profit from its transport. Yet the myth contends that undoubtedly every plane in Laos carried opium at some time, unknown to the pilot and his superiors.
Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted.
Of the 50,000 Australian servicemen who served in Vietnam, 19,000 were conscripts and the balance, 31,000 were regular volunteers. Myth: The media have reported that suicides among Nasho Vietnam veterans is 6 to 11 times the non-Vietnam veteran population.
The Vietnam Veterans Association’s study into mortality among Vietnam Vets found that the rate of death from suicide was not elevated for national service veterans compared with non-veterans. Myth: A disproportionate number of American blacks were killed in the Vietnam War.
86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book "All That We Can Be," said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam "and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. Black fatalities amounted to 12 percent of all Americans killed in Southeast Asia - a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the U.S. population at the time and slightly lower than the proportion of blacks in the Army at the close of the war." Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated.
Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well-to-do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. Myth: The United States lost the war in Vietnam.
The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. Neither the American nor the Australian military lost a battle of any consequence. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. This included Tet 68, which was a major military defeat for the VC and NVA. Myth: Kim Phuc, the little nine year old Vietnamese girl running naked from the napalm strike near Trang Bang on 8 June 1972, was burned by Americans bombing Trang Bang.
No American had involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc. The planes doing the bombing near the village were VNAF (Vietnam Air Force) and were being flown by Vietnamese pilots in support of South Vietnamese troops on the ground. The Vietnamese pilot who dropped the napalm in error is currently living in the United States. Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture was Vietnamese. The incident in the photo took place on the second day of a three day battle between the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) who occupied the village of Trang Bang and the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) who were trying to force the NVA out of the village.
Recent reports in the news media that an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc are incorrect. There were no Americans involved in any capacity. Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phuc's brothers were killed in this incident. They were Kim's cousins not her brothers.
Everybody should believe in something; I believe I’ll have another drink.
Vung Tau, Anzac day, 2011
A bunch of blokes went back to Vung Tau on Anzac day this year. While there they 'persuaded' the young waitress at Tommy's Sports Bar to sing the "Cheap Charlie" song. This delightful young girl would not have been alive when her fellow "Waitresses" used to sing it all those years ago, when the blokes had their first trip in country, but she did a fabulous job and you can see it HERE.
Tommy's is owned by Glenn Nolan (left in the pic) and his wife Trang and if you're in Vung Tau, make sure you drop in.
Cards.
And speaking of cards, which we weren't, but we should have been, have a look at THIS BLOKE.
Beer Ad
Some years ago there was a commercial on Brisbane TV promoting a brand of beer. The brew wasn’t the best but the jingle was a catchy little tune and the advert was a hit, for obvious reasons – you can see it HERE. If you're using Firefox, click HERE.
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You don’t need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. |
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Creech Air Force Base.
Creech Air Force Base, formerly known as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, is situated about 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas at Indian Springs.
All of the US
Air Force's unmanned drones are now operated from Creech Air Force Base,
They used to operate out of Nellis AFB but now have their own Wing at
Creech. As unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, become a staple of modern
military operations, their uses and forms have grown more varied. Today
they range from slingshot-launched spybots to global guardians. In fact,
the acronym itself may be morphing into UAS (unmanned aerial systems) to
indicate that these are not just aircraft, but systems that include
ground stations and other elements. It's not just the military that uses
them -- police use the same technology for surveillance, while
terrorists build flying suicide
WASP is the smallest UAV in use today, weighing less than 300 grams. It is launched from a sling-shot like device. The miniaturization is achieved by the use of multifunctional components, like the combined wing/battery. WASP is nearly silent and, when flown at night, it's almost undetectable. The Air Force has just ordered several hundred for reconnaissance and bomb-damage assessment.
The
Predator is flown like playing a video game. Airmen at Creech AFB
can control the
Predator drone and the second generation Reaper anywhere in the world.
Since 2001, Predator's have been airborne 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
primarily over Iraq and Afghanistan. The unmanned program is so
successful it's now under the command of the Air Force. The USAF say
they are going to increase the number of combat air patrols that they
fly with it astronomically," This year the Predator drone will
The
MQ-9 Reaper (above) is a scaled-up version of the Predator, larger,
faster and more powerful. Reaper was designed from the outset as a
hunter- killer. It can carry up to 14 Hellfire missiles or other weapons
such as the 500-pound, laser-guided bombs shown. The 432nd Wing of the
U.S. Air Force was activated to operate MQ-9 Reaper on May 1, 2007.
The RQ-4A Global Hawk Right) is the Air Force's endurance drone, able to cruise at around 400 mph for 35 hours. It has an operational ceiling of 65,000 feet, and from this altitude it can scan an area nearly twice the size of Tasmania in just 24 hours. It is equipped with radar and infrared, as well as optical sensors.
I drink to make other people more interesting.
The
Joint Unmanned Combat Air System demonstration program, or J-UCAS-D, is
The CQ-10 Snow
Goose is a parafoil-wing UAV for carrying medical equipment or
The MIRSAD-1 drone has been flown over Israel by the Lebanese militia group Hezbollah (Mirsad means "ambush" in Arabic). It may be armed; Hezbollah has claimed that it can be loaded with a warhead of 40 to 50 kilos of explosives, turning it into a flying suicide bomber able to reach anywhere. The Israeli Defence Force shot down two similar drones in 2006. Image: Hezbollah
HELIOS
was NASA's record-breaking solar-powered flight demonstrator. It
achieved
The MQ-8 Fire
Scout, made by Northrop Grumman, is operated by the U.S. Navy and
The Honeywell MAV, or micro air vehicle, will be an integral part of the U.S. Army's Future Combat System, giving reconnaissance capability to front-line troops. The small 'Class I' version seen here will be back-packable. It has a planned weight of 20 pounds, and is capable of a 50-minute mission spying on locations up to half a mile away. The vertical take-off and hovering capability make it well-suited to the urban canyons of the modern battlefield. Photo: U.S. Army
Originally used for tracking schools of tuna, the Scan Eagle drone is used by the Marine Corps in Iraq, where various versions of the model have flown several thousand hours of missions. It has a stabilized, gimballed camera turret that can be fitted with either daylight or infrared imagers.
No runway is required; instead it is fired aloft by a pneumatic launcher and retrieved by a rope-and-hook arrangement where a crane snags it out of mid-air. Photo: U.S.Air Force
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Wife says to elderly husband, “let’s go upstairs and make love”. Husband says to wife, “make up your mind, I can’t do both.”
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Damn big trucks.
ETF developed a new and innovative Mining truck range which combines the features of Large Haul Trucks and Articulated Dump Trucks. Because of the All-Wheel-Drive/all-Wheel-Steering capability, ETF trucks can operate in both Off-Highway and Off-Road conditions. Production delays due to slippery road conditions during heavy rain or snow are events consigned to the past.
It is one amazing piece of machinery, see it HERE.
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One great Aussie thing to do before you die.
The
tiny township of
Nindigully
is located on the edge of the Queensland outback, 160km west of
Goondiwindi and about 530km west of Brisbane and approximately 70 km
north of the Queensland/New South Wales border. The Nindigully Pub is
Queensland's oldest hotel, (located in its original condition and
position) and sits on the
Nevertheless, it was voted the Best Country Pub in Australia in 2006 by “44 Australia” magazine, and you can see why - it has become famous for the Nindigully Road-Train Burger. This giant hamburger is served with French fries, onion rings and a selection of sauces and it is supposed to be able to feed from 1- 4 people. It costs $36 - the meat patty alone is 1.2kg!
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Before the 2001 inauguration of George Bush, he was invited to a get acquainted tour of the White House. After drinking several glasses of iced tea, he asked outgoing President Bill Clinton if he could use his personal toilet. When he entered Clinton 's private toilet, he was astonished to see that President Clinton had a solid gold urinal. That afternoon, George told his wife, Laura, about the urinal. “Just think,” he said, “when I am President, I too could have a gold urinal. But I wouldn't do something so self-indulgent!”
Later, when Laura had lunch with Hillary at her tour of the White House, she told Hillary how impressed George had been at his discovery of the fact that, in his private bathroom, the President had a gold urinal.
That evening, when Bill and Hillary were getting ready for bed, Hillary smiled, and said to Bill: “I found out who pi**ed in your saxophone.”
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Plonking.
A friend’s Mum has invented a new craze – it’s called “Plonking”. You plonk yourself down in a chair with a glass of Plonk and get Plonked then get someone to take your photo..
Apparently it’s a real hit with the over 60’s. (I’m very advanced, I’ve been practicing for years!)
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I have a simple philosophy. Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. Scratch where it itches.
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Smokes!!
If you want to see the best Television commercial ever made on smoking and associated cancer – click HERE. If you use Firefox, click HERE
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Pay attention when I’m speaking to you!!
Sometimes it’s just too hard to keep your mind on the job – see HERE. If you use Firefox, click HERE
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The Bra Brigade.
The girls from Wyandra (Wyandra is a small town between Charleville and Cunnamulla in Qld, with a population of just 60 people) have chosen a unique way to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.
They're looking to put together the world's longest bra chain to hang in Wyandra's main street (the record they need to beat was created in Bundaberg with a chain of 166,625 bras spanning 163 kilometres).
Mother-of-two, Leanne Martel, is leading the fundraising and collecting the bras. She's always wanted to raise money for breast cancer because her mother and grandmother had the disease. She says it's not just the locals who are supporting the cause; bras are coming in from all over the place and tourists are stopping off to hang a bra on her front fence as well.
Leanne will keep the bra chain going for another twelve months to attempt the record, so keep the bras coming with or without a donation, all are appreciated and it's as much about creating awareness as fundraising.
If you'd like to throw your support (and a bra or two) behind the breast cancer fundraiser, you can do so by posting them to Leanne Martel, 33 Railway Street, Wyandra, QLD 4489..
My only gripe is, I wasn’t there to help the ladies remove and hang the bras – I’m still available if required……..
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Miss USA.
The Miss USA pageant was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19, 2011. It was the 60th anniversary of this show. As in the past, contestants are graded on beauty, charm, poise, skills, and their ability to respond to questions. One of the questions asked of the 2011 contestant was, "Do you think math should be taught in school ?" The attached video captures some of their answers.
All in all, I hope each of these young ladies is sterile and cannot increase our population with their ilk. Look at THIS - and if you use Firefox, see HERE
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The Vietnam Veterans' Family Study questionnaire. |
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Tank Treads.
This appeared in the August 2002 edition of the US C-7A Caribou Association magazine. Dit Eaton sent me a copy
Arriving in-country for the year 1970, I was prepared for 12 months of “trash hauling” without much anticipation of anything out of the unusual occurring. Was I in for a surprise! The first six months were spent in the 536th at Vung Tau.
The base was under the command of an Army full colonel with a host of Air Force tenants (two Caribou squadrons, ALCE, FAC unit, etc., plus an Australian Caribou squadron). The officers lived off base, very fortunate to have their own “clubs”. An inevitable topic of discussion centred on the base commander.
In his view of the war we had greater dangers from speeding on the streets of the base than we did, say, from VC infiltrators and the likes. Thus, he had installed broken tank treads across the heavily travelled streets of the base as “speed bumps”. They were very effective, did what they were intended to do, but a source of constant irritation to everyone.
In the early spring after a rather unusually well attended late liquid evening at the 536th bar, the “troops”, with the enthusiastic support of the ALCE commander, returned to the base whereupon, using forklifts, each tread was loaded on a pallet, loaded on an aircraft and the ramp closed. The next morning, bright and early as was his habit, the Army base commander was at the flight line to see all the aircraft takeoff. This particular day he was highly agitated as he was at a loss as to the whereabouts of his precious “speed bumps’.
The aircrews flamboyantly called back to ops, “Bombs Away” as their tank treads were air dropped (sans chutes) into the mud of the Mekong Delta. The base commander, convinced that the “renegade and unruly” Aussies had stolen his tank treads, immediately barged into their CO’s office demanding an explanation. Bewildered (but truly laughing on the inside) the Australian CO could offer nothing, further infuriating the base commander. After dark that evening, the entire officer cadre of the Aussie squadron drove up to the 536th club demanding to speak to our commander.
The Aussie CO yelled at our squadron CO saying, “it was the greatest thing in the world to get my ass chewed out by an Army colonel for something I had nothing to do with, let alone had any knowledge of”. With that having been said (and agreed upon), everyone (Aussies included) adjourned to the bar to what can best be described as a night never to be forgotten. The victory was thoroughly enjoyed by all and esprit de corps among the crews of both organizations was never higher (thanks unwittingly in part to the U.S. Army)!!!
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Home support Loans
If you are
and provided you do not a current Defence Service Loan with an
outstanding balance equal to
The maximum amount you can borrow is $10,000 but the actual amount you can obtain depends on various factors, e.g. your ability to meet the repayments and any other commitments. The minimum drawing at any one time is $1,000.
The interest rate is a variable rate set on the 5th of each month. It is set at 1.5% below the average standard variable home loan rate on the last working day of the previous month. It will not exceed 6.85% per annum. Westpac Banking Corporation is contracted to provide the subsidised housing loans.
Generally, first mortgage security is required.
If your wish to know more, click HERE
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Ok, Ok!! – I’m going back to my room now!!
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Blessed are those who are cracked, for they are the ones who let in the light!
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phased out and soon all TV transmissions will be in the newer and far
better, digital format.
bombers. 
fly
75,000 hours -- up 20 percent from last year. Originally intended purely
for reconnaissance, it was later armed with a single Hellfire missile.
This combination appears to be extremely effective at precision strikes
according to the US Department of Defence, which claims a success rate
of "nearly 100 percent." Predators are used by both the Air Force and
the CIA. Photo: U.S. Air Force 
intended to be the forerunner of the next generation of stealthy
robot-strike aircraft. Its geometry and radar-absorbent materials make
it difficult to impossible to spot on radar. Operating from aircraft
carriers, the UCAS-D could fulfil the Navy's goal of an aircraft that
can carry a payload (such as bombs) of up to 2,000 pounds, plus an extra
2,500 pounds externally when stealth is not required. A typical use
would be to send unmanned drones in as a first wave to take out enemy
air defences and clear the way for manned aircraft. Photo: U.S.Navy
an altitude of more than 96,000 feet -- the highest for any
aircraft not powered by a rocket. A combination of solar cells and fuel
cells meant it could, in theory; stay aloft for days, weeks or even
months at a time. The vehicle broke up in 2003 during a flight near
Hawaii when it hit turbulence, but the military is rumoured to be
continuing research into solar-powered UAVs with ultra-long endurance
(vehicles capable of many hours in flight) 
The
Battle Hog 150 is intended to meet the Marine Corps requirement for a
vertical take-off drone capable of operating from aircraft carriers. It
can fly at over 300 mph with a payload of 500 pounds, with armaments
likely to include Hellfire missiles, rocket pods and 7.62-mm mini-guns.
The Battle hog series is designed to be as robust as possible, being
able to withstand small-arms fire from close range. The drone is steered
entirely by moving the two wingtip fans, so there are no vulnerable
flight controls. Image: American Dynamics Flight Systems 
The
Killer Bee is part UAV, part missile. It's intended to be deployed in
'constellations' of many vehicles working cooperatively. These swarms
can be used for either reconnaissance or for attack with up to 30 pounds
of weapons per drone. The Killer Bee is designed so several can be
stacked together in the cargo bay of an aircraft or in a truck,
maximizing the number that can be carried. Photo: Northrop Grumman
The
German-made Micro drone is equipped with GPS, a camera and a loud-hailer
to give instructions to those on the ground, and is currently being
tested by police in the UK. This type of UAV is the one you're most
likely to see hovering around your neighbourhood. Its quad-rotor design
is intended to make it resilient. Law-enforcement officials hope the
Micro drone can carry out some of the tasks of police helicopters, but
at a fraction of the cost. Photo: Micro drones GmbH
can
make an automated landing on a moving aircraft carrier. Typical missions
include surveillance, locating targets and directing fire. There have
also been weapons tests with a Fire Scout armed with 2.75-inch rockets.
The U.S. Army has now shown interest in having its own version. Though
nine MQ-8 vehicles are in the flight-test stage, the model is not yet
operational. The Navy plans to eventually have a fleet of 168. Photo:
U.S.Navy 
The
morphing micro air/land vehicle, or MMALV, is a hybrid that can fly,
then land, fold up its wings and crawl around buildings or other tight
spaces. The MMALV project is lead by Bio Robots, in collaboration with
the Biologically Inspired Robotics Laboratory at Case Western Reserve
University , the University of Florida and the Naval Postgraduate
School. Photo: Richard Bachmann.
.JPG)
or more than $10,000, you may be eligible for the DVA Home Support Loan.
