Japan is significantly boosting defense spending in an effort to balance China’s ongoing military buildup. What are the likely implications of the Japanese move? TOKYO: Japan is in the midst of a rearmament program unprecedented since World War II. Defense spending is being doubled and expected to reach 2% of gross domestic product within five years. Why is this happening? Because Japan is alarmed by China’s far … Continue reading Japan’s Strategic Shift
This past summer at the Duxford air show in England I came upon a P-51 Mustang that was being worked on and thus not flying that day. Stopping at the explanatory display, I was astonished to read that for this iconic airplane only 120 days had passed from design to production. Could this be true? Research uncovered surprises. In 1940 British industry was running flat out … Continue reading Winning Combination: P-51 Mustang and Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine
DETROIT: This isn’t the first-time electric vehicles have been popular. In 1914 Clara Ford, Henry Ford’s wife, opted to drive a Model 47 Brougham from Detroit Electric (above photo) instead of her husband’s Model T that had been on the market since 1908. The reason was simple. She didn’t have to turn a crank to start the car and there were no troublesome gears to fiddle … Continue reading Are Electric Vehicles the Future of Driving?
