kscarbel2

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44 rear? 88AX449 seal. Not expensive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_USS_Forrestal_fire On 29 July 1967, a fire broke out on board the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal after an electrical anomaly caused a Zuni rocket on a F-4B Phantom to fire, striking an external fuel tank of an A-4 Skyhawk. The flammable jet fuel spilled across the flight deck, ignited, and triggered a chain-reaction of explosions that killed 134 sailors and injured 161. The disaster prompted the Navy to revise its fire fighting practices. It also modified its weapon handling procedures and installed a deck wash down system on all carriers. The newly established Farrier Fire Fighting School Learning Site in Norfolk, Virginia was named after Chief Gerald W. Farrier, the commander of Damage Control Team 8, who was among the first to die in the fire and explosions. Unstable ordnance received On 28 July, the day before the accident, Forrestal was resupplied with ordnance by the ammunition ship USS Diamond Head. The load included sixteen 1,000 lb AN/M65A1 "fat boy" bombs (so nicknamed because of their short, rotund shape), which Diamond Head had picked up from Subic Bay Naval Base and were intended for the next day's second bombing sortie. Some of the batch of AN-M65A1s Forrestal received were more than a decade old, having spent a portion of that exposed to the heat and humidity of Okinawa or Guam,[10] eventually being improperly stored in open-air Quonset huts at a disused ammunition dump on the periphery of Subic Bay Naval Base. Unlike the thick-cased Mark 83 bombs filled with Composition H6, the AN/M65A1 bombs were thin-skinned and filled with Composition B, an older explosive with greater shock and heat sensitivity. Unstable bombs stored on deck With orders to conduct strike missions over North Vietnam the next day, and with no replacement bombs available, Captain Beling reluctantly concluded that he had no choice but to accept the AN-M65A1 bombs in their current condition.[8][14][15] In one concession to the demands of the ordnance handlers, Beling agreed to store all 16 bombs alone on deck in the "bomb farm" area between the starboard rail and the carrier's island until they were loaded for the next day's missions. Standard procedure was to store them in the ship's magazine with the rest of the air wing's ordnance; had they been stored as standard, an accidental detonation could easily have destroyed the ship. Incorrect NASA report A 1995 report, NASA Reference Publication 1374, incorrectly described the Forrestal fire as a result of electromagnetic interference. It states, "a Navy jet landing on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Forrestal experienced the uncommanded release of munitions that struck a fully armed and fueled fighter on deck... This accident was caused by the landing aircraft being illuminated by carrier based radar, and the resulting EMI sent an unwanted signal to the weapons system."[

Um, first of all, are you capable of having a conversation without using vulgar language like sh*t ? Second, what I wrote is what I was told by a Navy fire training instructor from Pensacola. I didn't have any reason not to believe him, nor did I get the impression that he had "an agenda". I don't have an agenda either. That all said, I do recall the news reported a Zuni missile, a type alleged to be problematic, malfunctioned.

No, absolutely not.

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The original Bronco was not an icon........then. It "became" an icon.......over time. Fortunately, Ford corporate not only acknowledges this, but also sees the vast potential to profit from it.

The event reminds me of the horrible Forrestal Fire. The US Navy, in the midst of a massive bombing campaign, was running low on munitions. A decision was made to use munitions of WW2 vintage that had been stored for years in Quonset huts in the Philippines. Unstable from the incorrect storage conditions, they caused the Forrestal fire, . .

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/51714-navy-news/?tab=comments#comment-428294

Ford aims for off-road success with 2021 Bronco, Bronco Sport Michael Martinez, Automotive News / July 13, 2020 DETROIT — Ford Motor Co., resurrecting a historically popular nameplate with modern amenities such as a trail-mapping system and 360-degree camera views, aims to attract a new generation of overlanding enthusiasts with the first members of the Bronco family of off-roaders. The 2021 Bronco SUV and Bronco Sport crossover signify a new direction for the automaker as it aims to wrest back a slice of the market long ago ceded to rivals -- particularly Jeep. Under CEO Jim Hackett, Ford is pruning its lineup to focus on more profitable vehicles that elicit more emotion and passion from customers. It expects the pair of rugged utilities — unveiled Monday directly into the living rooms of would-be buyers via primetime introductions on ESPN, National Geographic and ABC — to do just that. Under development for the past half-decade and arriving nearly 25 years after the last Bronco departed, the sixth-generation SUV will serve as the flagship for a new off-road subbrand. It will be built on the same platform as the Ford Ranger midsize pickup, come in two-door and four-door variants and offer tires as big as 35 inches. Its modular chassis — featuring removable doors and roof panels — lends itself to customization, allowing dealers to generate additional profit through a redesigned and expanded accessories business. It goes on sale next spring, Ford said, priced from $29,995, including shipping, for the base two-door Bronco. The unibody Bronco Sport, which shares a platform with the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair compact crossovers, is meant for customers who may not want as extreme an adventure, but it will nonetheless offer four-wheel-drive capability and a slew of off-road features. "Bronco has always been about adaptability," said Mark Grueber, Ford's consumer marketing manager for the Bronco. "Our family of Broncos is designed to provide ideal choices to meet all of our customers' needs better than we have before." The unveiling, which was delayed by three months and converted into a virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic, marked the culmination of more than three years of teasing and hype-building since Ford confirmed the Bronco's revival at the 2017 Detroit auto show. Bronco specs The Bronco comes standard with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that's expected to generate 270 hp and best-in-class 310 pound-feet of torque. Ford also has used that engine in vehicles such as the Ranger, Focus RS and Mustang. Buyers can upgrade to a 2.7-liter V-6, which Ford has been testing in a Bronco R race prototype, that's expected to generate a best-in-class 310 hp and 400 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission is standard, while a seven-speed manual is optional. The Bronco will come with two 4x4 systems: a base system with a two-speed electronic transfer case and an optional advanced system with a two-speed electromechanical transfer case, a Dana solid rear axle and an independent front differential unit. Its maximum ground clearance is a best-in-class 11.6 inches, Ford said. In a nod to its past, the new Bronco comes with seven G.O.A.T. (goes over any type of terrain) modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Sand, Baja, Mud/Ruts, and Rock Crawl. The first-generation Bronco was nicknamed G.O.A.T. by Donald Frey, who was a Ford executive when it debuted in 1966. Additional features The SUV offers a number of features meant to appeal to off-road enthusiasts. It has rubberized flooring with drains and optional plugs, allowing users to simply hose it down to clean away dirt, mud or sand. Switches on the instrument panel are made with silicone rubber parts that can get wet. Optional marine-grade vinyl seats are water-resistant and mold-resistant, which Ford says is an industry first. The interior also includes a number of hand grips, emblazoned with the Bronco name, to hold onto for stability while riding off-road. "Trail sights" — raised black bars on the hood — can help navigate uneven terrain and double as tie-downs for canoes or other items stored on the roof. The back has a side-swinging gate with a built-in bottle opener and a slide-out tailgate. On four-door models, the removable doors can be placed in protective bags and stored in the back — an advantage it's trying to build over the rival Jeep Wrangler. The roof also is removable, in three sections on the two-door model and four on the four-door version. The vehicle was designed to have an "open-air" roof, without the traditional crossbar found between the front and rear seats. The four-door Bronco has a standard cloth soft top, while hard-top options exist for both the two-door and four-door versions. A Sasquatch off-road package includes 35-inch tires, 17-inch wheels and other features. Ford plans to offer 200 accessories when the vehicle launches next year. "There's no such thing as a standard Bronco because every Bronco is now different," chief designer Paul Wraith said. "With one hour and a wrench, you can strip this truck almost down to its bare bones and replace or upgrade different components." Trail-mapping system The Bronco will get Ford's next-generation Sync 4 infotainment system, which can be updated over the air and also will be available on the upcoming F-150 pickup and Mustang Mach-E electric crossover. The Bronco comes with either a standard 8-inch or optional 12-inch center screen and an LCD instrument cluster. A 360-degree camera system can provide "spotter views" for additional visibility when drivers crawl over rocks and other difficult terrain, Ford said. A trail-mapping system will let users track and share their off-road experience. "It works online or off on either of the navigation-capable 8- or 12-inch Sync systems," Grueber said, "allowing users to select one of hundreds of available curated trail maps to map out and then track, capture and share their adventures with others." The vehicle will come in five trims above the base model: Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Wildtrack and Badlands. Ford also will offer 3,500 First Edition units. Officials said the Bronco would arrive at dealerships next spring. The company did not provide any information on price beyond the $29,995 minimum. Bronco Sport For months before the official name was revealed, the Bronco Sport was unofficially known as the "baby Bronco." The crossover will be smaller than its off-road sibling, but Ford says it's still plenty capable. In fact, developers based the design on the 2004 Bronco SUV concept. "The guys who love the Bronco Sport also love the Bronco — it's just too much for them," Wraith said. Officials say the Bronco Sport will target competitors including the Jeep Compass and Honda CR-V. As with the Bronco, Ford designed the Bronco Sport to be highly customizable, planning more than 100 accessories when it launches this year. "Every inch of it was designed and engineered with weekend adventurers in mind," said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's product development and purchasing boss. The Bronco Sport, on sale later this year, will be powered by a standard 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine that gets 181 hp and 190 pound-feet of torque. There's an optional 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that gets 250 hp and 277 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Bronco Sport will come in base, Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands trims. Ford also will make 2,000 First Editions. Pricing was not available. Bronco Sport specs Developers took special care to differentiate the Bronco Sport from the vehicles with which it shares a platform. "Bronco Sport is not an Escape with big tires," said Mark Aguirre, chief program engineer. The vehicle's wheelbase, ground clearance and independent front and rear suspensions are unique. Ford tested the vehicle in Borrego Springs, Calif., the same location where it hosted the media drive for the original Ford F-150 Raptor. It comes with 4wd and has a number of drive modes, similar to the Bronco: Normal, Eco, Sport, and Slippery and Sand, with additional Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl modes on Badlands and First Edition models. The interior comes with a number of features catering to active customers, including a safari-style roof that's higher in the back to accommodate two standing mountain bikes. The Big Bend trim comes with straps on the seat backs, similar to hiking backpacks, for storing items such as water bottles. Both the Bronco and Bronco Sport will offer an off-road cruise control feature that works at up to 20 mph driving forward and 6 mph in reverse along trails. The rear of the Bronco Sport comes with liftgate LED floodlamps meant to make storing cargo at night easier. A five-way folding cargo management system can double as a shelf or a slide-out working table. It also comes with a flip-glass rear window. Like the bigger Bronco, the Badlands and First Edition versions of the Bronco Sport come with washable rubber flooring throughout the cabin and cargo area, along with silicone rubber switches. The Bronco Sport will not come with Sync 4. It will be equipped with the current Sync 3 system, featuring an 8-inch touch screen. Sales plans Ford has big plans for its Bronco family of vehicles. Before the coronavirus hit, executives told dealers it expected to sell 200,000 vehicles in 2021. Officials said they expect to sell more four-door Broncos than two-doors. Grueber said the pandemic hasn't changed the company's plans. "The customer for Bronco and Bronco Sport is a bit different than the mass market," he said. "Interest is still extremely strong." And that family is set to expand. Ford plans a Bronco-based pickup in 2024. Hackett said in 2019 that Ford would offer a hybrid version of the Bronco, but officials wouldn't confirm specific plans. The Bronco will enter a midsize SUV segment stung by the coronavirus pandemic but still dominated by Jeep, which enjoys some of the industry's most loyal owners. U.S. sales in the segment are down 23 percent so far this year. The Jeep Wrangler, which set a sales record of 240,032 in 2018, leads with more than 96,000 vehicles sold in the first half of 2020, down 18 percent from a year earlier. The compact crossover segment in which the Bronco Sport will compete declined 23 percent in the first six months of 2020. It's led by the Toyota RAV4. Photo gallery - https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/ford-aims-road-success-2021-bronco-bronco-sport .

It is NOT the mandate of states to become involved in the commercial truck industry.

David Shepardson, Reuters / July 14, 2020 WASHINGTON -- A group of 15 U.S. states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday unveiled a joint memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting the market for electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and phasing out diesel-powered trucks by 2050. The announcement comes weeks after the California Air Resources Board approved a groundbreaking policy to require manufacturers to sell a rising number of zero-emission vehicles, starting in 2024 and to electrify nearly all larger trucks by 2045. The 14 states said the voluntary initiative is aimed at boosting the number of electric large pickup trucks and vans, delivery trucks, box trucks, school and transit buses, and long-haul delivery trucks, with the goal of ensuring all new medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales be zero emission vehicles by 2050 with a target of 30 percent ZEV sales by 2030. The states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Vermont. The states committed to developing a plan within six months to identify barriers and propose solutions to support widespread electrification, including potential financial incentives and ways to boost EV infrastructure. Trucks and buses represent 4 percent of U.S. vehicles, but account for nearly 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. California's mandate will put an estimated 300,000 zero-emission trucks on the road by 2035. California's planned rules will initially require 5-9 percent ZEVs based on class, rising to 30-50 percent by 2030 and nearly all by 2045. The push comes as a rising number of companies -- including Rivian, Tesla Inc., Nikola Corp. and General Motors -- work to introduce zero emission trucks. Major businesses like Amazon.com, UPS and Walmart have also said they are ramping up purchases of electric delivery trucks. California later plans to adopt new limits on nitrogen oxide emissions, one of the major precursors of smog, as well as require large fleet owners to buy some ZEVs.

https://www.ford.com/suvs/bronco/2021/?gnav=header-all-vehicles

2021 Ford Bronco Gets a Manual Transmission Dave Vanderwerp, Car & Driver / July 14, 2020 The Bronco's Getrag seven-speed stick-shift is the only manual in Ford's U.S. lineup that's not found in a Mustang. Any new manual transmission is a rarity these days, and that the new Bronco includes this celebration-worthy bit makes us even more enthused about this SUV's revival. The Bronco's seven-speed manual is a [German] Getrag unit, part of the company's new family of six- and seven-speed longitudinal manuals that it calls MTI550. The 550 stands for its torque capacity in newton-meters, which equates to 406 lb-ft. The turbocharged 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder, the only engine available with the manual, is comfortably under that, with a peak of 310 lb-ft and 270 horsepower. Ford calls this new seven-speed transmission MT88, and it's an entirely new architecture, not based on the Getrag MT82 six-speed that's in today's Mustang. That's a good thing, as shift-quality issues with the Mustang's manual have led to a class-action lawsuit. The Bronco's manual becomes only the third available across Ford's lineup in the U.S., the other two both being in Mustangs: the previously mentioned six-speed, and the Shelby GT350's [Mexican] Tremec six-speed. Ford insists on referring to this new manual's first gear as a creeper gear, going so far as to label it with a C on the shift knob and putting it in a dogleg position down and to the left, below reverse. However, the overall gearing in low range once the Bronco's larger tires and the Wrangler's shorter low-range ratio are factored are similar. The Bronco's 6.588:1 first gear, paired with the shorter 3.06:1 low gear of the optional two-speed transfer case and the shortest 4.70:1 rear axle, means first gear is good for up to 7 mph in low range, same as the Wrangler. In high range, it will take you to 21 mph, versus 29 mph for the Wrangler, so it doesn't seem out of the question to use it in regular driving. We'll see if it's more advantageous to use it to extract the best acceleration runs once we get one to test. In its 0.646:1 top gear, the Bronco will cruise along at 80 mph at roughly 2400 rpm, about 150 rpm lower than the Wrangler. While we await the chance to flick the Bronco's new transmission through its seven gears, let's just laud the fact that there's a new manual on the market. .

At 8:01pm tonight, you could hear a pin drop at FCA headquarters. The Jeep brand has nothing to directly compete with this. Bill Ford is a very pleased and proud man tonight. Ford has a major all-new sales channel. I believe the Bronco will do wonders for reviving Ford's share price.

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The fire continues out of control. .

Pfizer and BioNTech receive permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to "fast-track" two vaccine candidates. Two of Pfizer and BioNTech’s four investigational mRNA-based vaccine candidates received fast track designation from the FDA. he designation was granted based on preliminary data from phase 1/2 studies that are currently ongoing in the U.S. and Germany as well as animal studies. The companies said a large, global Phase 2b/3 study may begin as early as this month.

International Trucks Press Release / July 13, 2020 If you’re not comfortable in your truck, you’re not comfortable on the road. That's why we've improved our door seals and redesigned the windows to reduce wind noise for a quieter cab. #DriverFirst .

Associated Press / July 12, 2020 Seventeen sailors and four civilians suffered minor injuries in an explosion and fire Sunday on board the USS Bonhomme Richard at its home port of Naval Base San Diego. The 3-alarm blaze was reported shortly before 9 a.m. The ship could burn for days “down to the water line” says San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell. . . .

The M-B Arocs is a great artic Ted. I prefer cab-overs, the driving position, for the visibility. You’d be happy in a new K200.

I was at first leery of the cheaper-for-IH-to-build S Series range, however they proved to be solid trucks worthy of respect.

On behalf of everyone at Autocar, we would like to say, “Thank you” to Ed and Lillie Minshall for their donation of Autocar memorabilia to the Autocar Museum. Ed is not only a member of the Autocar family, but is a lasting legacy of the Autocar brand’s rich history. Ed's parents met as Autocar employees, and along with his uncle and brother, all contributed to Autocar’s success over many years. Ed’s donation of his family’s Autocar memorabilia collection will ensure that these artifacts are displayed publicly for others to enjoy. Thank you again to the Minshall family for this incredible gift. Always Up - Autocar Trucks .