Glad to see you open this one. What is the purpose of posting without allowing comments? I remember seeing part of an old war movie in which the bombers were attacked by German "jet" fighters, though the planes pictured were the rocket-propelled Me. 163 "Komet". Some outfit has built a new Me. 262 and plans to build, I think, five in all for collectors to fly at air shows. Even saw a video of a "Komet", but it was a glider, dispensing with the dangerous propellant. Didn't know about "the whole 9 yards". Surprised I never heard that expression until the late 1990's. The .50 cal has been around a long time.

Liked the information on the tank too big to drive and the origins of the Prussian Santa Claus (or is that Santa Clausewitz, the jolly fellow with the monocle who brings war toys to militant little girls and boys?). Once saw a picture of an oversized French tank with turrets at each end. It was in a German news magazine from early in the war. The tank had been hit and abandoned. An attack on Syria will cause the price of gasoline to go up 50 cents or more per gallon. Public support for military intervention is less than 10%, which means Obombo will start the war this weekend. Picked up a nice .38 Webley, commercial, at a show over the weekend. Been wanting one for a long time. Missed out on a French 1873 11mm. They are way out of my price range anymore.

TY Patrick for your comments which I found to be most interesting. As for the comments unchecked it is due to detractors and 1-bombers using the box for personal attacks. Violators they are as I do not do that to them. Anyway, of all the 4 German jet/rocket craft operational during WW2 (Me-262, Me-163, Ar-234, and He-162) I would probably go with flying the Ar-234 (beautiful aircraft) that was used more for recon than light bombing. At a speed of 461 mph could outrun fighters and had decent altitude too. He-162 had some protection with higher speed than the 262 at 560 mph and had the BMW 003 over and just behind the cockpit, so attacked from the Six (as long as the engine did not blow), glancing shots off the metal engine probably offered more protection than simple armored backs for the 262 pilot. The He-162 also had an excellent ejection seat (as died the He-219 NF and the He-280 designed jet fighter rejected by the RLM). The 262 was THE prime target of escorts against USAAF Daylight Raids from '44-45. As for the French tank, you probably saw a rare French Char 2D with a 75mm up front and a 8mm MG rear. Only 10 built at the end of WW1 and retained in 1940. OR, you might have seen the Char B1 or B1 BIS with the hull 75mm gun pointing forward and the turret 37mm facing rear (a famous shot is of a German soldier with a MP-40 passing a knocked out one with a French woman standing near a doorway, hands on hips looking in wonderment). I hope the "airwar" against Assad hits hundreds of military targets, but Europe should join in. Am eager for the LW to get into action or the DM in the Med. And as for revolvers, have you ever held or fired a "Lebel" 8mm Mle 92? Weird cylinder right swing-out and odd 8x 27.5mm round! My dad's best friend was a collector and had one. Wonder what one goes for now?

Mr. Arndt, are you the one who announced elsewhere, "I am the reigning Gaga parodist and intend to stay so."? To have achieved such a magnificent accomplishment (and to vow to be even magnificenter) is more impressive than discovering dark matter, finding the cure for stupidity, or locating the G-spot.
Please forgive this backdoor comment. I'm really and truly ape over the Me-262.

I had a pre-1898 French 8mm revolver for a short time. Recoil seemed a bit sharper than I would have expected for a pistol of that caliber. I sold mine for over $400 but I also had a lot of Fiocchi ammo. Pre-1898 manufacture also brings a premium. What was the German jet that had the intake behind the pilot? Very dangerous if you had to bail bout. By the time Obomba gets around to attacking the already announced Syrian targets, all we'll hit are empty buildings and desert camps. If the goal isn't to eliminate Asad, it's not worth the risk. Gas is going to jump a dollar a gallon and what's left of our economy will go down the terlet. I still think you get enough good reaction to your informative writings that I wouldn't care about the 111 fools who won't sign their names. Of course, I'm into controversy and even a negative or attack comment means someone is reading what I write.

And I don't care about the fools who give this a 5 for "How Funny."

Patrick, sorry about the late reply but I only read the comments every other day. The German jet was the He-162 which had an ejection seat, so NP with the BMW 003 to the rear. For the Do-335 twin push-pull with engines fore and aft plus a cruciform tail, the pilot would use explosive bolts to blow the rear prop and tail and then also use an ejection seat to clear. The Germans used the ejection seats with the He-219 and He-162 and there were 55 successful ejections during WW2 including the first one with the prototype He-280 jet fighter passed over by the RLM in favor of the Me-262. The bad jet was the Reichenberg R.IV which was the piloted suicide V-1. No ejection seat and pulsejet was directly above, so no escape. The best you could do with that was to belly-land it... but it never became operational. Hanna Reitsch was in charge of that program along with the SS. And lastly, there was the unfinished Hs-132 jet dive bomber with the engine up top. This had a prone pilot and escape capsule. The Junkers EF series were built in the USSR with the pulsejet up top and a bubble canopy forward enough to bail out but no one is certain if any really flew with a pilot (some were towed). TY for the positive comments about the info- I HONESTLY just want to inform, not to brag. I had to learn this stuff myself and I too like controversial and "hidden" information. And what real man doesn't like weapons and war? I bet most of the anti-gun folks here have never fired nor owned a firearm in their lives. I am comfortable around them, but safety is a must. As long as they are secured properly- who cares? Same goes for those that hate motorcycles as "dangerous" when THEY are responsible for their cars which make blind U-turns against motorcyclists or claim they never saw them when the lights are on the entire time. i always hand signal too for lefts, rights, and slow-stops whether on a dual-sport, crotch rocket, full tourer, or whatever. That's just good riding behavior and distance is the key to motorcycle survival. I never allow anyone close to me if I can help it on the streets or Freeway.

"And what real man doesn't like weapons and war?" You are an incredible fool. The first answer is Jesus.

I agree with Bill Arm, especially on the day after the anniversary of Martin Luther King's famous speech at the March on Washington. I remind you of Stephen King's remark: "Fighting for peace, is like f***ing for chastity.”

What fools both of you are Biblically and historically. First of all Jesus is part of the Godhead trinity under YHWH and pre-incarnate was the Angel of the Lord/Metatron/Pillar of Fire that blocked Pharoah's Chariots as they came to slay the liberated Hebrew Slaves trapped by the Red Sea. When the Hebrew slaves entered Canaan it was YHWH that instructed the now Israelites to kill all the idol-worshipping peoples of that area (including the Philistines) down to the women, children, and even their animals. God was with them in many battles and David through faith took his sling and killed Goliath of Gath,a 13 ft giant with armor weighing 100s of lbs, with one blow to the head. Saul had killed his thousands and Davids his tens of thousands. The Word speaks of righteous anger and there is a time for war. You also failed to realize that the first weapons made were angelic "fiery swords and spears" when Halel (Lucifer) was cast out of the first heaven pre-man and used by the Cherubim that evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden. In Revelation, Jesus Christ, the Heavenly Host, and all His Saints will ride white horses into Armageddon (Valley of Megiddo) and confront the Antichrist's Euro-Army and the Kings of the East (China and allies) plus the remnant from the North (Russia) and destroy their combined armies in defense of Israel. Nearly 300 million will die and the blood will rise to a horse's bridle (8 ft) forming a blood lake. See what being an atheist or non-informed Christian does for you in an argument with someone who knows? As for fighting for freedom and peace, it is the US national foundation against tyranny of King George III and US soldiers' blood through over 200 years of war has given everyone their rights in this nation. That's what the red bars on Old Glory stand for- blood through war to preserve the peace of the stars in blue. White bars symbolize the balance between maintaining peace through morality and war and our history proves it. Pre-emptive strikes used to be frowned upon when modern Israel used it to survive, but in this age of Al Qaida and asymmetrical warfare it is common sense. Assad is a vicious tyrant and needs to be taken out by force and IF the rebels allow terror insurgents to take control then the US should just invade and kill them as well. Some groups of people in this world do not deserve to live at all. Now run along boys. As Rodney Dangerfield said in "Easy Money", "Why don't you put your heads together and make an ass out of yourself!"

I thought it impossible for you to discredit yourself even more, but you have done so with yet another primitive screed. The Scriptures are NOT history, except to those who were brainwashed not to think critically. Real men do NOT like weapons and war, especially those who have, unlike you, done their duty in battle. Jesus was a MAN who preached love and peace. Now toddle along to your rocking chair with your Bible and weapon manuals and read how real men fight wars they hate so that you may dream of angels, cherubim, and blood lust, while rough American men and women all over the world protect your freedom to make a public ass of yourself.

The Prince of Peace hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword. Please open up your parodies for comments. That is one of the purposes of AIR. You are more than capable of defending your views and rebuking your detractors.

Rob - you and only a handful of others here...have passed go... and earned a free get out of crappy comments card...btw .I think your brain would be a very interesting place to visit

The Prince of Peace hath not a sword, Badbreath. Neither doth He hath a sword that looses fateful lightning. That advanced weapon, the SW-450, was invented by the Ubermenschenschmuckgruppen in Germany 2.7 eons after the Prince was offered a buyout He couldn't refuse. He liveth now in Miami Beach. He hath not riches, but doth describe Himself as "ehh, I'm comfortable." He used to hath not a sword, but a plow share!

I rebuke thee, BB. I spit in the milk of thy goat. I twerk in thy face. I am in charge of all the cherubim, seraphim, and goyim in these here parts. I am the substance and energy of the intergalactic force field and THOU dare to speak of puny lightning? Even I, the Prince of Peace's buddy from high school, can loose thunderbolts the size of your average universe. I command electrons, protons, bosons and hardons. This is my gig and you have usurped it and YOU SHALL REPENT! Take your religious fanatic act elsewhere. This is MY side of the street. Oooh, you get me so mad sometimes.

Song intro and early comments look like stuff I have to do at work, some others are religious rants. I 'm looking for a fun-filled musical experience on AIR. Doesn't this stuff belong elsewhere (specialty mags/websites?)

Bless you, my sock puppet friend. I, too, had to write tech manuals. The most difficult and sacred one was a step-by-step explanation of creationism, written when I was consulting for G-d. Let us open our prayer books to Paragraph 1.1 -- Getting Started. Here you will encounter a well-known image -- finding a timepiece on a beach where no human has ever trod.

If you can survive this opener and the chapters on Third Reich weapons and Miley Cyrus' ass, you will be right at home in our congregation.

Holy Harry, you complete me.