Lockheed P-38 Lightning in World War II

Lockheed P-38 Lightning in World War II Designed by Lockheed in 1937, the P-38 Lightning was the companys attempt to meet the requirements of the US Army Air Corps Circular Proposal X-608 which called for a twin-engine, high-altitude interceptor. Authored by First Lieutenants Benjamin S. Kelsey and Gordon P. Saville, the term interceptor was specifically used in the specification to bypass USAAC restrictions regarding armament weight and number of engines. The two also issued a specification for a single-engine interceptor, Circular Proposal X-609, which would ultimately produce the Bell P-39 Airacobra.   Design Calling for an aircraft capable of 360 mph and reaching 20,000 ft. within six minutes, X-608 presented a variety of challenges for Lockheed designers Hall Hibbard and Kelly Johnson. Assessing a variety of twin-engine planforms, the two men finally opted for a radical design that was unlike any previous fighter. This saw the engines and turbo-superchargers placed in twin tail booms while the cockpit and armament were located in a central nacelle. The central nacelle was connected to the tail booms by the aircrafts wings.   Powered by a pair of 12-cylinder Allison V-1710 engines, the new aircraft was the first fighter capable of exceeding 400 mph. To eliminate the issue of engine torque, the design employed counter-rotating propellers. Other features included a bubble canopy for superior pilot vision and the use of a tricycle undercarriage. Hibbard and Johnsons design was also one of the first American fighters to extensively utilize flush-riveted aluminum skin panels. Unlike other American fighters, the new design saw the aircrafts armament clustered in the nose rather than mounted in the wings. This configuration increased the effective range of the aircrafts weapons as they did not need to be set for a specific convergence point as was necessary with wing-mounted guns. Initial mockups called for an armament consisting of two .50-cal. Browning M2 machine guns, two .30-cal. Browning machine guns, and a  T1 Army Ordnance 23  mm autocannon. Additional testing and refinement led to a final armament of four .50-cal. M2s and a 20mm Hispano autocannon.       Development Designated the Model 22, Lockheed won the USAACs competition on June 23, 1937. Moving forward, Lockheed commenced building the first prototype in July 1938. Dubbed the XP-38, it flew for the first time on January 27, 1939 with Kelsey at the controls. The aircraft soon achieved fame when it set a new cross-continent speed record the following month after flying from California to New York in seven hours and two minutes. Based on the results of this flight, the USAAC ordered 13 aircraft for further testing on April 27. Production of these fell behind due to the expansion of Lockheeds facilities and the first aircraft was not delivered until September 17, 1940. That same month, the USAAC placed an initial order for 66 P-38s. The YP-38s were heavily redesigned to facilitate mass production and were substantially lighter than the prototype. Additionally, to enhance stability as a gun platform, the aircrafts propeller rotation was changed to have the blades spin outward from the cockpit rather inward as on the XP-38. As testing progressed, problems with compressibility stalls were noticed when the aircraft entered steep dives at high speed. Engineers at Lockheed worked on several solutions, however it was not until 1943 that this problem was completely resolved. Specifications (P-38L): General Length: 37 ft. 10 in.Wingspan: 52 ft.Height: 9 ft. 10 in.Wing Area: 327.5 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 12,780 lbs.Loaded Weight: 17,500 lbs.Crew: 1 Performance Power Plant: 2 x Allison V-1710-111/113 liquid-cooled turbo-supercharged V-12, 1,725 hpRange: 1,300 miles (combat)Max Speed: 443 mphCeiling: 44,000 ft. Armament Guns: 1 x Hispano M2(C) 20 mm cannon, 4 x Colt-Browning MG53-2 0.50 in. machine gunsBombs/Rockets: 10 x 5 in. High Velocity Aircraft Rocket OR 4 x M10 three-tube 4.5 in OR up to 4,000 lbs. in bombs Operational History: With World War II raging in Europe, Lockheed received an order for 667 P-38s from Britain and France in early 1940. The entirety of the order was assumed by the British following Frances defeat in May. Designating the aircraft the Lightning I, the British name took hold and became common usage among Allied forces. The P-38 entered service in 1941, with the US 1st Fighter Group. With the US entry into the war, P-38s were deployed to the West Coast to defend against an anticipated Japanese attack. The first to see frontline duty were F-4 photo reconnaissance aircraft which operated from Australia in April 1942. The next month, P-38s were sent to the Aleutian Islands where the aircrafts long range made it ideal for dealing with Japanese activities in the area. On August 9, the P-38 scored its first kills of the war when the 343rd Fighter Group downed a pair of Japanese Kawanishi H6K flying boats. Through the middle of 1942, the majority of P-38 squadrons were sent to Britain as part of the Operation Bolero. Others were sent to North Africa, where they aided the Allies in gaining control of skies over the Mediterranean. Recognizing the aircraft as a formidable opponent, the Germans named the P-38 the Fork-Tailed Devil. Back in Britain, the P-38 was again utilized for its long range and it saw extensive service as a bomber escort. Despite a good combat record, the P-38 was plagued with engine issues largely due to the lower quality of European fuels. While this was resolved with the introduction of the P-38J, many fighter groups were transitioned to the new P-51 Mustang by late 1944. In the Pacific, the P-38 saw extensive service for the duration of the war and downed more Japanese aircraft than any other US Army Air Forces fighter. Though not as maneuverable as the Japanese A6M Zero, the P-38s power and speed allowed it to fight on its own terms. The aircraft also benefited from having its armament mounted in the nose as it meant that P-38 pilots could engage targets at a longer range, sometimes avoiding the need to close with Japanese aircraft. Noted US ace Major Dick Bong frequently chose to down enemy planes in this fashion, relying on the longer range of his weapons. On April 18, 1943, the aircraft flew one of its most famous missions when 16 P-38Gs were dispatched from Guadalcanal to intercept a transport carrying the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, near Bougainville. Skimming the waves to avoid detection, the P-38s succeeded in downing the admirals plane as well as three others. By the end of the war, the P-38 had downed over 1,800 Japanese aircraft, with over 100 pilots becoming aces in the process. Variants During the course of the conflict, the P-38 received a variety of updates and upgrades. The initial model to enter production, the P-38E consisted of 210 aircraft and was the first combat ready variant. Later versions of the aircraft, the P-38J and P-38L were the most widely produced at 2,970 and 3,810 aircraft respectively. Enhancements to the aircraft included improved electrical and cooling systems as well as the fitting of pylons for launching  high velocity aircraft rockets. In addition to a variety of photo reconnaissance F-4 models, Lockheed also produced a night fighter version of the Lightning dubbed the P-38M. This featured an  AN/APS-6 radar pod and a second seat in the cockpit for a radar operator.    Postwar: With the US Air Force moving into the jet age after the war, many P-38s were sold to foreign air forces. Among the nations to purchase surplus P-38s were Italy, Honduras, and China. The aircraft was also made available to the general public for the price of $1,200. In civilian life, the P-38 became a popular aircraft with air racers and stunt fliers, while the photo variants were put into use by mapping and survey companies.

An Overview of Lingua Franca and Pidgins

An Overview of Lingua Franca and Pidgins Throughout the course of geographic history, exploration and trade have caused various populations of people to come into contact with each other. Because these people were of different cultures and thus spoke different languages, communication was often difficult. Over the decades though, languages changed to reflect such interactions and groups sometimes developed lingua francas and pidgins. A lingua franca is a language used by different populations to communicate when they do not share a common language. Generally, a lingua franca is a third language that is distinct from the native language of both parties involved in the communication. Sometimes as the language becomes more widespread, the native populations of an area will speak the lingua franca to each other as well. A pidgin is a simplified version of one language that combines the vocabulary of a number of different languages. Pidgins are often just used between members of different cultures to communicate for things like trade. A pidgin is distinct from a lingua franca in that members of the same populations rarely use it to talk to one another. It is also important to note that because pidgins develop out of sporadic contact between people and is a simplification of different languages, pidgins generally have no native speakers. The Lingua Franca Arabic was another early lingua franca to develop because of the sheer size of the Islamic Empire dating back to the 7th Century. Arabic is the native language of the peoples from the Arabian Peninsula but its use spread with the empire as it expanded into China, India, parts of Central Asia, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and parts of Southern Europe. The empire’s vast size exhibits the need for a common language. Arabic also served as the lingua franca of science and diplomacy in the 1200s because, at that time, more books were written in Arabic than any other language. The use of Arabic as a lingua franca and others such as the romance languages and Chinese then continued worldwide throughout history as they made it easier for diverse groups of people in different countries to communicate. For example, until the 18th Century, Latin was the main lingua franca of European scholars as it allowed easy communication by people whose native languages included Italian and French. During the Age of Exploration, lingua francas also played an enormous role in allowing European explorers to conduct trade and other important communications in the various countries in which they went. Portuguese was the lingua franca of diplomatic and trade relations in areas like coastal Africa, portions of India, and even Japan. Other lingua francas developed during this time as well since international trade and communication was becoming an important component to nearly every area of the globe. Malay, for instance, was the lingua franca of Southeast Asia and was used by Arab and Chinese traders there prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Once they arrived, people like the Dutch and British used Malay to communicate with the native peoples. Modern Lingua Francas United Nations The Pidgin In order to create a pidgin, there needs to be regular contact between the people speaking different languages, there needs to be a reason for communication (such as trade), and there should be a lack of another easily accessible language between the two parties. In addition, pidgins have a distinct set of characteristics that make them differ from the first and second languages spoken by the pidgin developers. For example, the words used in a pidgin language lack inflections on verbs and nouns and have no true articles or words like conjunctions. In addition, very few pidgins use complex sentences. Because of this, some people characterize pidgins as broken or chaotic languages. Regardless of its seemingly chaotic nature though, several pidgins have survived for generations. These include the Nigerian Pidgin, the Cameroon Pidgin, Bislama from Vanuatu, and Tok Pisin, a pidgin from Papua, New Guinea. All of these pidgins are based mainly on English words. From time to time, long-surviving pidgins also become more widely used for communication and expand into the general population. When this happens and the pidgin is used enough to become the primary language of an area, it is no longer considered a pidgin but is instead called a creole language. An example of a creole includes Swahili, which grew out of Arabic and Bantu languages in eastern Africa. The language Bazaar Malay, spoken in Malaysia is another example. Lingua francas, pidgins, or creoles are significant to geography because each represents a long history of communication between various groups of people and is an important gauge of what was taking place at the time the language developed. Today, lingua francas especially but also pidgins represent an attempt to create universally understood languages in a world with growing global interactions.

How does Greek translate into English in Bible Essay

How does Greek translate into English in Bible - Essay Example According to dictionary definitions, the core meaning of the Greek word is weakness, feebleness and being without strength, powerless. (blueletterbible.org) The Bible uses this word astheneo very often in connection with the healing miracles of Jesus, for example when he healed lepers (Matt. 10:8), â€Å"any sick with divers diseases† (Luke 4:40), Lazarus (John 11:1-6) and the Authorised Version often uses this same word â€Å"sick† to translate them. There are some cases, however, where this same word astheneo translated with different English words. In John 5:3-4 there is mention of an â€Å"impotent man† and in John 6:2 this same astheneo is translated as â€Å"diseased.† Having seen examples of the healing miracles of Jesus, the disciples were sent out by Jesus with a dual mission: â€Å"And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick† (Luke 9:2) This gospel usage focuses on medical sickness, and the curing of disease as a de monstration of the power of Jesus. In the New Testament letters of Paul, however, the word astheneo is applied not only to physical causes, but also spiritual causes, and the most common translation here is the English word â€Å"weak†, as for example: â€Å"it (= the law) was weak through the flesh† (Romans 8:3) and â€Å"And being not weak in faith†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Romans 4:19) Paul uses astheneo to contrast the weakness of human beings with the power of God: â€Å"For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God.† (2 Cor. 13:4) In the next verse of the passage in the book of James the author uses a different Greek word, kamno, which has a primary meaning of â€Å"weary† and a secondary meaning â€Å"sick† (blueletterbible.org). The translation into English repeats with the same word â€Å"sick†, however: â€Å"And the prayer of the faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have commit ted sins, they shall be forgiven him.† (James 5:15) There are only two other New Testament examples of the word kamno and they both concentrate on the primary meaning of â€Å"weary† : â€Å"†¦lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds† (Hebrews 12:3) and â€Å"And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake has laboured and hast not fainted.† These examples show that the New Testament uses two Greek concepts which range from purely medical disease to spiritual weakness and to weariness in maintaining actual life or spiritual life. The two terms astheneo and kamno overlap somewhat in their basic meaning and so translators do have some lee-way in choosing which of these emphases to bring out in their version. The English words â€Å"sick† or â€Å"diseased† tend to have a connotation of the physical condition of a person, while â€Å"weary† or â€Å"faint† tends to have a connotation of the mental or spiritu al condition of a person. In the Bible there is sometimes a clear distinction between these two dimensions, as for example when a person who suffers from a disease like leprosy is healed, but very often it is not clear whether a physical affliction is referred to, or a spiritual one. Looking at the letter of James it appears that the first verse echoes the gospel emphasis on physical healing. The work of Jesus wandering through the region, preaching the gospel and healing people is the inspiration for this usage. The second verse, which stresses the weariness aspect of kamno, leans on the emphasis of Paul, however. The connection between sin and sickness is much stronger, and the healing power of Jesus is shown as

Is resurrection a more plausible view of the afterlife than Essay

Is resurrection a more plausible view of the afterlife than reincarnation Why or why not - Essay Example and Vaughn, p. 305). In my opinion, resurrection is a more plausible way of afterlife because it does not contain internal contradictions in its system. Although the advocates of reincarnation promote moral behavior, they primarily rely on different practices such as meditation rather than making morality the integral part of one’s behavior. Moreover, it seems that people are encouraged on behaving morally in order to be able to enjoy reincarnation in the future. Thus, their motivation is primarily utilitarian that contradicts the fundamental religion principles. The traditional Christian worldview and the idea of resurrection do not contain such contradictions. This position also stresses that resurrection may occur only in relation to human body. It seems correct and logical as all human beings have reason and can act rationally selecting the most appropriate means for attaining their ends. In contrast, animals and plants do not have reason and cannot objectively analyze the external environment. Therefore, the system of reincarnation presupposes the movement to lower stages of development (from humans to animals, plants, e tc.), and it cannot be considered being natural or logical. Thus, the idea of resurrection is a plausible religious option while reincarnation is an element of mysticism that neglects the main aspects of

Bruce Lee’s Passion in Martial Arts and Entertainment Essay Example for Free

Bruce Lee’s Passion in Martial Arts and Entertainment Essay Bruce Lee is a man who acted upon his destiny and was very famous for all his achievements in America and China. His determination as an actor and martial artist made him a legend throughout the world even though he died from cerebral brain swelling at the age of 32. He is considered to be the â€Å"Greatest Martial Artist of the 20th Century† because his philosophies and insightful teachings have influenced many, including myself. Since Lee was a man who made his dreams a reality he began his film career when he was six years old, brought the art of martial arts and film to America, and he also created his own style of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do. Bruce lee His first screen appearance was at three months old in his fathers movie (Roensch 15-18). This was the beginning, leading to over twenty motion picture roles and steadily increasing popularity among Hong Kong audiences (The Bruce Lee Story 1). Some of the movies he had made were Enter the Dragon, Fists of Fury and The Return of the Dragon. Even though Bruce Lee died so young, he still had the acting experience because he started acting when he was young. What is Jeet Kune Do? Simply put, its English translation is way of the intercepting fist. Bruce studies all types of fighting from American Boxing to Thai Kickboxing. His simple philosophy was rather than block a punch and hit back with two distinct motions, why not intercept and hit in one, fluid stroke. Fluidity was the ideal. Try and obtain a nicely-tied package of water, Bruce would taunt. Just like water, we must keep moving on, Inosanto reitterates. For once water stops, it becomes stagnant. Water, Bruce would always give as an example, is the toughtest thing on Earth. It is virtually indestructable; it is soft, yet it can tear rocks apart. Move like water. Bruce dissected rigid classical disciplines and rebuilt them with fluid, po-mo improvements. Its good but it needs restructuring, he would say. Classical techniques did not take into account the reality of street fighting. Jeet Kune Do did. It was pragmatic, reality-based, empirical- not a bunch of stances, postures and mumbo jumbo handed down from antiquity. Second, he brought the art of martial arts and film to America. The martial arts that he brought influenced many people in the U. S (Roensch 7). He also influenced many other Asians to act these days such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan (Roensch 9). When Bruce Lee auditioned for upcoming movies, he was turned down and was rejected because he was too oriental (The Bruce Lee Story 2 3). Even though he was rejected in American movies, he was still able to make movies in Hong Kong. His goal was to make five movies in Hong Kong but he ended up making four and a half movies because he died during the fifth movie (The Bruce Lee Story 2 3). The movie that he didnt finish was called Game of Death. Bruce Lee practiced the nunchaku with Mr. Dan Inosanto and this also made him famous. The nunchaku is made up of two short wooden or metal rods that are connected by a short chain. Mr. Dan Inosanto was one of Bruce Lees closest friends that taught him the art of the nunchaku (The Bruce Lee Story 2 1-2). Before he made the movies in Hong Kong, he made a series of shows in America called The Green Hornet starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee (The Bruce Lee Story 2 1). Despite popularity, he wanted to be known as an actor rather than a superstar. Bruce Lee had many famous quotes in various movies and interviews. One of them was ? The word ? superstar really turns me off, and Ill tell you why because the word ? star, is an illusion, it is something-what the public calls you. You should look upon [yourself] as an actor. I mean you would be very pleased if somebody said, ? Hey man, youre a super actor! It is much better than ? superstar' (Little 132).

Comparing the Myth in Ovid’s Echo and Narcissus and Wilde’s Dorian Gray

Contemporary Ancient Myth in Ovid’s Echo and Narcissus and Wilde’s Dorian Gray  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Each time a story is told, elements of the original are often changed to suit new situations and current societies, or to offer a new perspective. Over the centuries, Ovid’s tale of "Echo and Narcissus" has been told many times to new audiences, and in the late nineteenth-century, it took the form of The Picture of Dorian Gray. "Echo and Narcissus" is the tale of a beautiful boy who fell in love with his reflection in a pond, and spurned others who loved him because he was so fixated upon himself. As a result of his extreme self-worship and consequent inability to love another, Narcissus perishes. Although several aspects of the original myth are retained in Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is shocking and its characters commit acts that lead to ultimate decay and destruction. By changing elements of Ovid’s original tale, Wilde expands the myth of Echo and Narcissus to express the inevitable punishment and ruin that excessive desire brings. The prophet Tiresias in Ovid’s "Echo and Narcissus" can be compared to Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray in that all play a role in determining the protagonists’ fate. Tiresias enigmatically determines Narcissus’ fate by revealing that Narcissus will "live to see ripe old age...If he never knows himself" (Hendricks 93). In foreseeing the boy’s future, the prophet acts as a sort of father figure to Narcissus, whose real father is absent from his life. Narcissus cannot escape from Tiresias’ prophecy, and when he gains knowledge of his beauty, or "knows himself," Narcissus is plagued by self-love which destroys him. Thus, the prophet influences the boy’s fut... ...ge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. 141-175. McCormack, Joshua. "The Mirror of Dorian Gray." The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde. Ed. Peter Raby. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 112-114. Miller, Robert Keith. "Oscar Wilde." Twentieth Century Literary Criticism 41 (1982). 384-389. Nassar, Christopher. "The Darkening Lens." Modern Critical Views: Oscar Wilde. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. 107-114. Nassar, Christopher. Into the Demon Universe: A Literary Exploration of Oscar Wilde. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974. Shewan, Rodney. Oscar Wilde: Art and Egotism. London: The Macmillan Press Ltd, 1977. Spivey, Ted R. "Oscar Wilde and the Tragedy of Symbolism." Twentieth Century Literary Criticism 8 (1980). 501-502. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Penguin Books, 1949.

Aims of Higher Education

Students may have divergent aims while receiving higher education. They may chime with expectations of policymakers, employers, the faculty, society, or they may concern some other personal needs of students. All in all, the main purposes of getting higher education are getting a desirable position, developing personal skills, respect in society and preparation for future life.The major aim of higher education is getting a good job because it is necessary for a good position and high salary. Nowadays presence of a diploma is a ticket to a good job. During the whole life a person is told by his or her teachers that without higher education it is very hard to get fixed up in a good job. From this follows another aspect – high salary. According to Russian Centre of Society’s opinion poll, 76% of recipients claim that without higher education it is almost impossible to get a well-paid job.These examples show that higher education is significant for employers to offer one a desirable and well-paid position. Secondly, studying in a university is a challenging, life-enhancing experience for two reasons: students gain substantive knowledge and develop personal skills. Graduation from university supposes that students will have a common level of knowledge and information literacy. As my Mathematics teacher said, that every piece of knowledge we get will come I hand. Developing personal skills is also important.Tatyana Nikishina, university teacher believes, that socialization is an essential part of educational process, and it develops a lot of other skills, which will be helpful in future. The evidence suggests that higher education will help to improve one’s knowledge within a particular field and individual skills as well. Moreover, getting higher education is essential nowadays, as without it one will not be respected and with it one can assume leadership roles in community.Today more people within the society have higher education and it really hard to be treated with respect without one. My mother says that now people would communicate only with those who have a diploma, although its presence does not mean that a person is intelligent. It is not a secret that people with higher education are more likely to assume leadership roles. From my own experience  I can say, that higher education plays a great role in forming a company of friends, collegues.In brief, it is quite obvious that today people with higher education gain more respect within society and are able to take leading roles. Furthermore, studying in a university will prepare students for future life: they will have career-related courses and will be able to use their knowledge in everyday life. Students are supposed to enter those universities that will help them in their future career.A. Shebistova, Curtin University teacher claims that with choosing a faculty, a student studies within a particular field of knowledge, and this theory would definitely help in practice. To sum up, getting higher education is needed to get ready for future career and knowledge received will be useful in common life. To conclude, the major aims of higher education are getting a good job, improving personal skills, being an authority among community and getting ready for further life. But still, some people suppose that one can be successful even without higher education and it is just waste of time. It is up to everyone to decide whether he or she needs higher education or not.