Here are two examples of Science Fiction becoming Science Fact. Point Defense / Close In Weapon Systems using Lasers/Directed Energy Weapons. One model is for defending ships. The other is for mounting on trucks and shooting down raiders, I mean drones.
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/05/navys-drone-death-ray-takes-out-targets-at-sea/
I just wanted to wish everybody a happy Easter/Passover season!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4s5rr_easter-eggs_fun
Happy Easter Egg Hunting! So Say We ALL!
:o)
John David Feagin
1/24th scale Colonial Blackbird Resin model Kit
Made by Kip Hart
This is the same kit being sold at JT-Graphics under the name of Howling Wolf. I don’t think many of these are being sold for $200 dollars at JT-Graphics so Kip is selling them on E-bay. They are being sold as a reserve auction. Kip has sold a couple of them and the one that was sold before the one I purchased sold for $170 and I figured that I would try to win the next one.
Not knowing how high the reserve price was set, I placed a bid of $125 and it was below his reserve price. The last day of the auction I checked and I still had the highest bid. The next day I checked my E-mail and I was amazed to see a second chance offer from Kip at the amount of my highest bid.
Needless to say I quickly signed in to my E-bay account and paid for it. The floor Crain and the diagnostic computer are offered with the kit on E-bay. If I purchased both items from JT-Graphics it would have cost $235 dollars and that is without shipping.
If anyone is interested, check out the current auction on E-bay. Maybe you can get lucky like I did. http://www.ebay.com/itm/121086229196?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649#ht_442wt_970
This is a photo of my new Blackbird. To the right of the blackbird is a 1/32 scale Moebius Viper Mk-II fuselage to give you an idea of the difference in sive from 1/24th to 1/32nd. It's quite a difference.
Here's another photo showing the size difference between the pilots that come with each kit. Wow, what a difference! ! ! !
Kip has also sold a couple of his 1/24th scale Cylon raiders as well, but at this time he only has the Blackbird listed.
Good Hunting,
Lt Jg Reamer
Squadron Leader of the Flying Tiger’s
Battlestar Raven BFC-002
Crew of Battlestar Raven,
I just wanted to quickly take my time here to post this while I am on lunch. I just wanted to wish each and everyone of you serving aboard Battlestar Raven, the Flagship Chapter of Battlestar Galactica Fan Club, a very Happy 2nd Year Chapter Anniversay.
As I look back, I will be honest to all of you, I was not even thinking having a Battlestar Command of my own. I was perfectly satisfied being the person behind the scene and helping out. The more I avoid it, the more I get pulled out. The Raven is my second product of love should I say. Battlestar Aries was the first one. But I was her old Chief Engineer and she has the best damn Commander a chapter can have. The Raven is really the first one I can call my own because I am now her Commander. And by the Lords of Kobol, I will take care of her. Of course, I cannot do it alone. So to all of you serving aboard her, I thank you all for the bottom of my heart, for doing what you do to help me run Battlestar Raven especially my current Command Staff. She will shine along with her crew. I am only but one person. So of course I will have limitations as a person. But I will do what I can to get things done in the mean time.
So here is a little video that me and my very good friend and mentor Admiral Miguel Rivera had put together. I love and enjoy the video we have put together in honor of each and everyone of you that serves aboard Battlestar Raven. And I hope you guys enjoy watching it as well.
And to my Flying Tigers Squadron Leader, Reamer, I hope you have enough cubits to buy everyone a drink. I thought I saw you post somewhere that the drinks is on you :-). I know I will be there once I get off duty today. God help you Reamer! HEHEHEH!
I will talk to you guys later! I have to get back to work.
Regards,
Raven Actual
ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE OF YOUR FELLOW CREWMATES HERE ON BATTLESTAR RAVEN, A VERY BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ENSIGN BINNY SEDAI. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT ONE :-)
SO SAY WE ALL!
Time Warriors interviews our very own esteem Raven Actual, making her the first American BSG Costumer they interviewed.
In their own words:
As part of our ongoing cosplay series the Time Warriors went global to find out how the guys across the world do it. So today we talk to Cherry, a stoic Galactican that takes fans to new levels. Here she talks about how she became involved in the world of Galactica, costuming and the nicest celebrity she has ever met. Hi Cherry, thanks for talking to us today. It’s our honour for you to be our first global costumer.
For the results of the interview, you can find it here at the following link: http://www.thetimewarriors.co.uk/blog/?p=8150
And I might add, it was a good and one hell of an interview.
OOHRAH!
-Raven Marine OIC
The Flying Tiger’s Story
The history of the Flying Tiger’s during WWII is well known and documented. They were out numbered by the Imperial Japanese air force and were victorious in the face of insurmountable odds against them. I pledge to continue this illustrious history for the modern day Flying Tiger’s aboard the Battlestar Raven.
As you know, the Flying Tiger’s were the second Viper squadron to become operational aboard the Raven. My squadron was the first to achieve goals that none other has to date. What are these goals you might ask? The Flying Tiger’s has the first pilot aboard the Raven that has earned both Viper and Raptor qualifications and the much sought after “Top Gun” award. I have combined many styles of leadership to build the squadron and the pilots are following in my foot steps by completing their Viper/Raptor training without me ordering them to do so. I am very proud to lead such a dedicated group of pilots.
I as the leader of the Flying Tiger’s squadron aboard the Raven I have studied the tactics used by our enemy past and present and I have gleaned their best qualities to use against them in our galactic struggle for the survival of the Human Race. In other words, I use the best the enemy has used against us and turn it around and throw it right back at them without letting up.
During WWII the German Luftwaffe perfected the formation known as the “Schwarm” in English it’s known as the “Finger Four” formation it gave their pilots superior protection when entering into combat. It was far superior to the standard formations flown by the allies at the time. It was so successful that the Finger Four formation was adopted by the USAF and many other air forces all over the world. I decided to adopt the Finger Four as the primary attack formation used by the Flying Tiger’s squadron against the Cylons.
The formation has very distinct advantages in combat. The leader is able to see his wingman on his port side and is protected by him as well as the leader being able to come to the aid of his wing man if necessary. The secondary element on the leader’s starboard side is taking care of his six from their point of view as they can protect each other as the lead element of the formation is capable of doing. This formation works equally well with squadron's of plans or just the basic formation of four. Additional formations trail a short distance behind the leading group. The combined strength of this formation is able to wreak havoc against any attacking enemy.
The images don’t show it, but each plane is at a slightly different altitude to allow the ease of the formation to change direction without causing a mid air collision.
I am the lead pilot of my squadron and I’m always at the cutting edge of the battle. I would never ask any of my pilots to perform a duty I my self am not willing to perform. I lead my squadron with a strong hand and I’m willing to give up my life if need be for my pilots.
Anyone that joins my squadron is a new member of my family. It is an Honor and my greatest pleasure to serve together with my pilots and crew aboard the Battlestar Raven! ! !
SO SAY WE ALL! ! ! !
Lt Jg Reamer
(This Post Is As The Squadron Commander,Not the CAG)
SPARTAN SQUADRON Was Created and Stoked In The Grand Tradition Of The Valiant 300 Of Thermopylae: The Few Who Stood against Many. We Sweat Not Over Numbers; For We Train Hard, Fight Hard, And Die Even Harder! for We Are The ALPHA and OMEGA: The Beginning and The End.
For as Long as Our Colonies Live, And, as Long as The BATTLESTAR RAVEN Has Fight In Her, Those who would Threaten Us will Forever fear Our Battle Cry:
O U U !! O U U !! O U U U!!!!
And, If,For Some Reason, Someone Wants To Make a Motion Picture Based on Us, If They Can't get Gerard Butler, I Will Settle for Either Mark Whalberg Or Channing Tatum To Play My Role!
Those Who feel WORTHY To Join Our Ranks, You know Where To Find Us:
Battlestarfanclub.com/group/spartansquadron
What makes the Minotaur a special squadron?
Hey! Check it out! One of the Swamp People is now suiting up in Battlestar Galactica black on gray muscle shirts!
Hmmm...I always DID thing Battlestars looked like really big mean gaiters!
Colonials,
I just wanted to share a message to all of you that I just got today. It is from the Time Warriors! The Time Warriors is a major blogging site based out of the United Kingdom. One of the main things they do at the Time Warriors is they interview and feature fans from all around the world, that does costuming of any kind. He just did recently did an interview with V fans from America. One of the main writer for The Time Warriors happens to be a huge fan of Battlestar Galactica. He wanted me to extend an invitation to all of you out there, if anyone of you are interested in participating in an interview conducted by him and maybe even be featured at their site located at the following link:
http
/www.thetimewarriors.co.uk
Don't hesitate to check them out specially their Irish Cosplay Section!
He believes that this might also help connect with a lot of Irish Fans and maybe even something real good might come out of it. So if anyone of you out there especially members of Battlestar Raven, that wants to take this opportunity, this is your chance now to feel and be like a star. ;-) :-) Anyone interested may contact Owen Quinn at: christine.quinn2004@btinternet.com
Regards,
Raven Actual
*********ATTENTION ALL RAVEN PERSONNEL***********
Here are the rules to the Raven Air Wing Challenge all of you in the Air Wing Department have been waiting for. The rules are very simple and as follows. Each Squadron will be judge on the following:
With that said, this challenge will occur every quarter as to give each and everyone of the Squadron Members, enough time to accomplish everything that has been laid out above. The winning Squadron will be awarded a trophy ( YES, an actual trophy) which I will personally mail to the Squadron Leader of the winning Squadron. Also, the winning Squadron every quarter will have the honor of being featured at the following sites where a section for that will be created:
1. Battlestar Raven: http://www.battlestarraven-bfc-002.com
2. Battlestar Fan Club: http://www.battlestarfanclub.com
3. Battlestar Galactica.com: http://www.battlestargalactica.com
Good luck to all participants and may the Lords of Kobol help you all. Good hunting!!!!!!!! LET THE CHALLENGE BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Raven Actual
ATTENTION ALL RAVEN PERSONNEL AND FRIENDS,
We have been truely bless here on the Raven. I say this because it is with great pleasure to announce the establishment of the Raven's 1st Classic Series Viper Squadron headed by Rob "Spectre" Tipton called the Blackstar Squadron. The Blackstar Squadron is an establish Classic Series Group that follows the Classic BSG show. Please join me in welcoming them to the Raven Family and Circle of Friends. With their addition to the Raven AirWing, all the Classic Series fans can now enjoy being a part of a Classic Series Viper Squadron. Good hunting to all and again, welcome aboard Battlestar Raven Blackstar Squadron:
http://battlestarfanclub.com/group/blackstar-squadron
Regards,
Raven Actual
Battlestar Raven would just like to wish member: Robert "Nader" Vonada, a very Happy Birthday. WE hope you have a great one. From all of your fellow crewmates here on the Raven. Do not party too hard now! :-)
Happy Birthday Ensign George "Warrior" Butler, from all of us here on Battlestar Raven. Have a great one. Know that you are remembered on your birthday from all of your crewmates here on the Raven. :-)
Here is a good "Official" comparison of FTL travel in the Sci-Fi worlds:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperspace_(science_fiction)
Battlestar Galactica (BSG)
The FTL, or "Faster Than Light", drive is a propulsion technology that allows spaceships to achieve superluminal travel. It functions along the basic principles of a jump drive, with a ship disappearing from its initial location and reappearing instantaneously in a new location.
In the miniseries (2003), some crewmembers are shown reacting with nausea and/or vertigo when undergoing a jump, though no harm appears to come to living beings even after many jumps. Making a jump eventually proves damaging to the ship's armor and structure in later episodes, after several years of continual combat and metal fatigue have taken their toll on the elderly ship. An FTL jump can be executed in the gravity well of a planet (indeed, Galactica jumps in and out of a planet's atmosphere in the episode "Exodus, Part II"). Nonetheless, it is preferred not to jump too close to a planet, not necessarily because of any physical limitations, but because if the coordinates are calculated wrong there is a risk that a ship might jump too close to the planet and crash into it, or reappear within the planet (This happens to a Raptor in the episode "Lay Down Your Burdens"). Further, a BSG FTL drive can theoretically travel anywhere in the galaxy; the limiting factor is not the drive itself, but the finite distance that the navigation computer is able to safely calculate a jump trajectory; more advanced computers are able to calculate longer range jumps (e.g. the Cylons have better computers and have an effective jump range at least three times that of the Colonials). The extreme distance that a safe jump can be plotted is called "the Red Line", and while a vessel might jump a theoretically infinite distance beyond that, it is possible the vessel could end up jumping inside a star, asteroid, or other space debris.[2]
Star Trek
The Star Trek (first broadcast 1966) universe equivalent of hyperspace is known as subspace. Although similar in concept to hyperspace, subspace plays a slightly different role in FTL travel. Subspace exists in layers, all of which are "below" normal three-dimensional spacetime much like the different layers of a cake. When a starship is traveling at FTL speeds (commonly known as "warp" in the Star Trek universe), the ship itself does not enter subspace. Instead, the ship either reacts a steady stream of deuterium and anti-deuterium together, or else taps the massive energy of an artificial quantum singularity in order to power large subspace field-generating coils ("warp engines"). The field (known as a warp field) extends into subspace, allowing the enclosed starship to travel at FTL speeds while it remains within a "pocket" of normal spacetime (similar in concept to a 20th century hydrofoil) and it is this pocket of normal space itself which travels faster than light, as the ship sits safely inside the pocket. Wrapping a spaceship within the warp field prevents the relativistic time dilation normally associated with standard FTL travel, and allows interstellar travel to continue in a reasonable amount of time. Despite warp drive's incredible speed compared to current day travel speed, it can still take years to travel across a mere fraction of the galaxy, around a year per 1000 light years.
This concept of FTL travel is asymptotically limited by the idea that if the warp field is too strong, the ship itself will be too deeply submerged in subspace, which has negative genetic effects on living things. In addition, at high warp factors the energy required to sustain the field grows exponentially.
Among the uses of subspace in Star Trek is as a medium for propagating audio and visual signals at FTL speeds, thus allowing nearly instantaneous communication across vast interstellar distances. This is commonly referred to in the Star Trek world as "subspace communication".
Star Wars
The role-playing video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) gives one of the more substantial explanations of how hyperspace travel works in the Star Wars universe. There are established safe hyperspace routes that were scouted out by an unknown species 50,000 years prior to the events in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). These routes made interstellar trade and eventually the establishment of the Republic possible. New routes are almost never scouted out, mostly because the end coordinates might place the traveling ship inside some star or planet. For example, the Deep Core Systems are especially hard to navigate because of the high density of stars. A pilot's skill in hyperspace has a lot to do with how he or she navigates the tangled web of hyperspace routes that criss-cross the galaxy.
According to George Lucas, that is why Han Solo brags about the Millennium Falcon making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs when a parsec is a measure of distance rather than time: apparently, his real gift is as a navigator (although in the Star Wars IV: A New Hope novel by Lucas (1975), Solo says "she made the Kessel run in less than twelve Standard Time measures"). This appears to make no sense within the context of the original dialogue, however, as Solo's statement about the Falcon making the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs was in response to Obi-Wan Kenobi saying, "If it's a fast ship." However, to get to Kessel, a ship must pass near The Maw, an incredibly dense cluster of black holes. To achieve a shorter distance, the ship must be moving faster, to skirt the edge of a black hole without being sucked in.[citation needed]
Traveling through hyperspace requires the aid of either an astromech droid (such as R2-D2 or R4-P9) or a navicomputer (navigational computer), although Jedi are sometimes reputed to be able to travel through hyperspace without reference to navicomputers, astromech droids, or existing known routes. Traveling through hyperspace is also apparently quite complex as Han Solo tells Luke that "It ain't like dustin' crops, boy."
In any case, hyperspace is an extremely fast method of travel, as Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker's journey from Tatooine to Alderaan is theorized to have only taken two days maximum, whereas these two planets are separated by half a galaxy or more. Darth Maul took approximately seven hours to travel from Coruscant to Tatooine. The movies, as well as multiple Expanded Universe sources, show hyperspace as having a mottled, blue-and-black appearance. An entry into hyperspace shows the stars stretch into starlines, then turn into the mottled appearance. Externally, a ship entering hyperspace is described in Timothy Zahn's novels as displaying a "...flicker of pseudomotion..." before disappearing. Like the above-mentioned Star Trek series, "holocomm" transmissions are featured in Star Wars as long-range, faster-than-light communications signals, sent through hyperspace.
The hyperspace speed of a ship is represented by "class," an arbitrary and abstract measure. Lower numbers indicate proportionally lower travel time, and thus higher speed. For instance, an X-Wing is class 1. The Death Star is class 3, which means it can travel through hyperspace only one-third as fast as the X-Wing. A more standard capital ship such as a Star Destroyer may clock in at class 2, and a civilian bulk freighter at class 4. Very fast ships, with class lower than 1, are relatively rare; the remarkably speedy Millennium Falcon is class 0.5, or twice as fast as the X-Wing. The Ebon Hawk, the primary ship used in the Knights of the Old Republic series, is said to be the fastest in the galaxy, 4000 years prior to the rise of the Empire. However, at that time, hyperdrive technology was not as well-developed; a class 1 hyperdrive, the Ebon Hawk′s class, was considered extremely fast. It is stated that it is the only ship capable of breaking the Sith-blockade of the planet Taris (although that may be interpreted as the only ship that was capable and also located on Taris at the time of the blockade). Similarly, the Ebon Hawk was used for smuggling prior to the events of the games, just as the Millennium Falcon.
Stargate
In the Stargate universe (1994–2011), most spaceships are equipped with hyperdrives that open up a window to hyperspace. Different races have hyperdrives of varying speeds; a hyperdrive constructed by the Alterans (Ancients), or by the Asgard would be significantly faster than a Goa'uld hyperdrive. There are two types of hyperdrives: interstellar, which only allows the ship using that hyperdrive to travel between stars in one galaxy in relatively expedient manner, and intergalactic, which allows the ship using it to travel greater distances and at greater speed. The only races shown to use intergalactic hyperdrives are the Tau'ri (through Asgard hyperdrive engines, for example on the USS Daedalus), the Asgard, the Ancients/Alterans (most notably Atlantis), the Asuran human-form Replicators, the Milky Way human-form replicators and the Ori.
Most hyperdrives use the fictional substance of Naquadah as fuel. Some, including certain Earth vessels, use the highly unstable, but more powerful isotope of Naquadriah instead. Ancient hyperdrives are powered by one or more ZPMs, whereas the Asgard hyperdrive engines use a variety of power sources.
Unlike hyperdrives used in other universes, hyperspace travel in Stargate does not interact with any matter in real space. Therefore, it allows ships to pass straight through any object (but not large space-time distortions, such as black holes) in its path. This has been used in numerous escape scenarios throughout the series. The speed of the hyperdrive can be increased by increasing its power by an external or internal source, or by modifying it manually.
When the Daedalus is powered by its Asgard Hyperdrive, it takes 18 days to travel to Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy; however, when the engineers rigged the Zero Point Module (ZPM) sent for Atlantis' Ancient shield into the system, it took only 4 days. Earth's Daedalus-class battle cruiser the Odyssey is mentioned to have its own permanent ZPM during the war against the Ori, although it is unknown if the ZPM is sent to Atlantis following the Ori's eventual defeat.
Several ships can be encompassed in one hyperspace window by expanding the window but it takes a lot more power than usual, it is also possible to land a ship on one that is entering the hyperspace window and travel alongside. This previous is not a problem if someone can install a ZPM, because a fully charged module can procure massive amounts of energy. It has been shown that it's possible to open a hyperspace window in a planet's atmosphere, but it seems to distort space around it.
Each species's hyperdrives works on a unique "frequency", which is how the Attero device specifically targets Wraith ships while their hyperdrives are active.
Hyperspace also has a type of "Hyperspace Radiation" which all Wraith ships suffer damage from and as a result must exit out of hyperspace every once in a while to allow their organic ships to heal from the hyperspace radiation damage.
In order to reach the full potential speed of their hyperdrive, the Asgard must shunt all power away from shields and weapons. When using the full potential of their hyperdrives, the Asgard can move from one galaxy to another in under two minutes.
The Ancient Ship Destiny uses a different method of Faster-Than-Light propulsion, simply named FTL. Much of its workings have yet to be explained. Destiny's drives, once engaged, must remain active for a minimum of four hours and remain inactive for a minimum of three to prevent damage to the drives. This same method of FTL is used of both the Ancient Seed Ships seen in Stargate Universe, and the Alteran city ship seen in Stargate: The Ark of Truth.
Besides hyperspace travel, there is, of course, wormhole travel through the stargates that give the series its name.
