online games for laptop

While advanced fighter jets like the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Lightning II, and the F-15 Strike Eagle may garner a lot of attention, these are little more than paperweights if they don't have fuel. One of the great pillars of the US Air Force's ability to project power around the world is its massive fleet of aerial tankers (the Air Force operates the two most common tankers in the world ). Tankers massively extend the range fighter jets can operate and the amount of time they can spend over an area of interest . The United States Air Force has operated refueling aircraft since the 1950s and some types of aircraft (like the Boeing B-52 ) have been refueled by four types of tankers - the KC-97 Stratofreighter, KC135 Stratotanker, KC-10 Extender, and the KC-46 Pegasus. This article will only consider the Air Force's main tankers and the US military's other aerial refueling assets (like the MQ-25 Stingray, the MV-22 Osprey, and the KC-130J Super Hercules). Here is a brief history of Air Force tanker aircraft. The need for a jet-powered tanker The first US aerial refueling tests occurred almost 100 years ago in 1929 when the US Army Air Corps used a C-2A biplane 'Question Mark.' However, while the idea was there, it didn't really go anywhere until the jet age. With the dawn of the jet age, there was a need for long-range from the country's jet-powered fighters, bombers, and other aircraft. "Making use of a Boeing-designed ‘flying boom’, aerial refueling techniques for the Air Force changed overnight with the KC-97. Instead of the probe and drogue method, refueling boom operators, known as ‘Boomers’, in the rear of the aircraft could fly the boom into the receptacle of the awaiting aircraft." - Air Mobility Command While jet engines were a massive leap over the old piston engines they replaced, early jet engines also consumed vast amounts of fuel. The US first started to address the need for air refueling by modifying aging B-29 and B-50 bombers into tankers. The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the B-29 and B-50 bombers (development of the C-97 started in 1942). The Boeing YC-97 first flew late in World War II and entered service in 1947 after the war's end. Soon a tanker variant of the C-97 was developed and the KC-97 Stratofreighter came into service in 1951. Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter Number built: 811 Propulsion: 4x Pratt & Whitney R-4360-59 Wasp Major piston engines Date serviced: 1958-1971 Developed from: Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter Status: Retired However, the KC-97 was propeller-driven, and it could barely hold formation with the Air Force's latest jets coming into service. The KC-97 remained in front-line service until 1973 (but continued to serve until the end of the decade with the Guard and Reserves). Incidentally, modern, more powerful turboprop aircraft like the Airbus A400M Atlas and the KC-130J Super Hercules are able to refuel jet aircraft. The news comes as the FASF is divesting its fleet of KC-135s to replace them with Airbus A330-based tankers. The Air Force's jet-powered tanker KC-135 Stratotankers The first Air Force jet-powered tanker aircraft was the KC-135 Stratotanker built from the Boeing 707 airliner. As the Air Mobility Command states , " Upon seeing Boeing’s newest all-jet airliner design in 1954, the 367-80, which would become the very successful Boeing 707 series, the USA immediately saw potential for an all-jet tanker aircraft. The KC-135 Stratotanker took to the skies for the first time on August 31, 1956 and it remains in front line service to this day ." "Strategic Air Command’s dream of an all-jet Air Force came with the arrival of the KC-135 Stratotanker. The new jet powered tanker could easily keep up with the latest fighters, bombers and other aircraft in the operational fleet." - Air Mobility Command With around 377 KC-135 Stratotankers remaining in service, these are the primary tankers in US service. They have also been exported to many US allies and partners around the world (although many are being replaced by the Airbus A330 MRTT or the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus). KC-10 Extenders The KC-10 Extender was built on the widebody McDonnell Douglass DC-10 jetliner (the DC-10 entered service in 1971). The three-engined DC-10 was selected over the Lockheed C-5, the Lockheed, L-1011, and the Boeing 747 in 1977 (which were also bidding for the contract). The first KC-10 flew in 1980 and soon became a critical part of the Air Force's aerial tanker fleet . However, the extensions also reduced the airframe's lifespan, and the last of the KC-10 Extenders was retired in 2024 . The KC-10 Extender was the result of the Air Force wanting a longer range and great fuel capacity aircraft to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker. A total of 60 KC-10s were produced for the Air Force (and a couple of similar KDC-10s were also built for the Royal Netherlands Air Force). KC-135 Stratotanker: KC-10 Extender: KC-46A Pegasus: Number built: 803 (total, including export) 60 93+ (179 planned) Propulsion: 4x CFM International F108-CF-100 turbofan engines 3x General Electric F103 turbofan engines 2x Pratt & Whitney PW4062 turbofan Date served: 1957-present 1981-2024 2019-present Developed from: Boeing 707 airliner McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliner Boeing 767 airliner Status: In service Retired In The KC-10 had a range of 3,800 nautical miles at maximum capacity and additional refueling pods mounted on the outboard wings that housed a fueling hose system. In the early 2000s, the Air Force had planned to keep the KC-10s flying until 2043 (although ultimately they were retired two decades early). The KC-46A Pegasus is the Air Force's newest tanker and is based on the Boeing 767 airliner. KC-46A Pegasus The latest Air Force tanker is the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus - built on the Boeing 767 (although the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 were also considered during the selection process). After some selection debacles (including, at one point, selecting the Airbus A330), the Air Force selected Boeing's 767 in 2011 as the basis for its clean-sheet tanker. The KC-46A first flew in 2015 and was delivered to the Air Force in 2019. Internationally, the KC-46 Pegasus has also been ordered by Japan (six tankers) and Israel (four tankers) to replace their aging fleets. However, it hasn't proven as popular on the export market as the A330 MRTT (which is now the most common non-US tanker in the world). "The KC-46A delivers more fuel at all ranges and from shorter runways than the KC-135 aircraft it’s replacing — while utilizing less ramp space than competing tankers — ensuring mission reach from forward and austere airfields." - Boeing Around 93 have so far been delivered and the Air Force plans to acquire around 179 of them to partially replace the aging fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers. The KC-46 is able to carry a combination of over 210,000 lbs of fuel, and 65,000 lbs of cargo, 58 patients, or 114 passengers. KC-46A Pegasus tankers are being progressively upgraded over time making them capable of more missions. For example, the KC-46 has data links and Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) integration (which connects the aircraft with other platforms providing tactical situational awareness and real-time information). With three-quarters of the world's tanker fleet, the USAF dominates the list of aerial tanker fleets. Future of Air Force tankers The KC-46 Pegasus may prove to be the last conventional tube-based tanker built from a passenger airliner. The Air Force foresees different requirements in the future (which is why the Air Force is only partially replacing the KC-135 with the KC-46). Today, the United States Air Force has around 600 tankers - around 75% of the world's total military tanker fleet. Congress requires the Air Force to operate a minimum of 466 tankers (its unclear if Congress excludes the KC-130Js from its definition of tankers). Regardless, 179 KC-46A Pegasus tankers will not be enough to replace the KC-135s and KC-10s . Two future tankers the Air Force is currently working on are the blended-wing body JetZero aircraft and a stealth tanker being developed by Lockheed Martin. The Air Force will be compelled to keep large numbers of KC-135s in service until these (or other) tankers come into service in sufficient numbers in the 2030s. JetZero is planning for the blended wing body to become a commercial airliner. "The JetZero Blended Wing is the biggest leap in commercial aircraft design since the beginning of the jet age and the best first step toward the ultimate goal of zero-carbon emissions aviation. The aircraft will launch in 2030 with 100% SAF compatibility, and the internal volume to accommodate zero-carbon hydrogen." - JetZero JetZero (with Northrop Grumman) has been contracted to build a full-scale blended wing-body cargo/tanker demonstrator for the Air Force and says the aircraft should be operational by 2030. Blended wing-bodied aircraft offer much greater efficiencies and are seen as a key technology to allow the airline industry to reach net-zero emissions. The other tanker in development is the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS) being developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works. NGAS is designed as a stealthy platform (which would enable it to fly closer to or in contested airspace). There have been discussions if the aircraft will be manned or unmanned (recent renderings of NGAS show it to be an unmanned platform). Currently, the NGAS is planned to enter service by around 2035. However, there are doubts about the future of the program as the Air Force has said it may prove unaffordable .

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Bradley Ezewiro scored 19 points off of the bench to help lead UAB past Alcorn State 91-74 on Sunday night. Ezewiro shot 5 of 5 from the field and 9 for 9 from the line for the Blazers (7-6). Christian Coleman scored 15 points while shooting 6 of 8 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line. Alejandro had 15 points and went 5 of 10 from the field (3 for 6 from 3-point range). The Braves (0-13) were led in scoring by Keionte Cornelius, who finished with 22 points. Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt added 14 points for Alcorn State. Marcus Tankersley finished with 10 points. UAB took the lead with 11:35 remaining in the first half and never looked back. Coleman led their team in scoring with 11 points in the first half to help put them up 50-31 at the break. Ezewiro scored 15 points in the second half to help lead the way as UAB went on to secure a victory, despite being outscored by Alcorn State in the second half by a two-point margin. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The sting of defeat after being thoroughly dominated in a 77-62 loss to No. 5 UCLA on Sunday. Gone was the overall 43-game winning streak. Done was the run of 33 consecutive road victories. And the No. 1 ranking it's held for 23 consecutive polls will disappear Monday. "This is what we usually do to teams," coach Dawn Staley said. "We were on the receiving end of it." South Carolina hadn't lost since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat the Gamecocks in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins (5-0) shot 47% from the floor and 3-point range, hit 11 of 14 free throws and had five players in double figures. "They actually executed our game plan to a T," Staley said. The Gamecocks (5-1) were held to 36% shooting, had just two players in double figures and neither was leading scorer Chloe Kitts, who was held to 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. They never led, got beat on the boards, 41-34, and were outscored 26-18 in the paint and 8-1 in fast break points. They only made eight trips to the free throw line. "Our kids fought," Staley said, "but we ran into a buzzsaw." South Carolina did manage to limit 6-foot-7 UCLA star Lauren Betts, who had 11 points and 14 rebounds, despite no longer having a dominant center of their own. The Bruins responded by getting the ball to others and eight of their 10 players scored. "We did an excellent job on Betts and we got killed by everyone else," Staley said. Tessa Johnson was the only other Gamecock in double figures with 14. "We needed a lot more than Tessa today," Staley said. The Gamecocks never got their offense in gear, starting the game 0 for 9 before trailing 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. They were down 43-22 at halftime. "Our shot selection is something we're dealing with on a daily basis," Staley said. The Gamecocks outscored UCLA 40-34 in the second half, but the Bruins' big early lead easily held up. "Beautiful basketball by UCLA," Staley said. "You can't help but to love up on it cause it was fluid on both sides of the ball." Given that it's only late November, the Gamecocks have plenty of time to figure things out. "We had some really good contributions from people that don't play a whole lot and we could probably give a little bit more minutes to," Staley said. "Taking a loss will help us focus on anybody that we play."

Alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione’s privileged life may explain why he tried to get away with murderIs Tesla Stock a Buy or Sell After Massive Post-Election Surge?Former Huawei ‘Genius Youth’ recruit says new venture can now mass produce humanoid robots

Successive Australian governments have been striving for a cleaner, greener energy system and a view to making the world a better place by implementing what they see as sound environmental policies. However, there are so many contradictions to these attempts that one has to ask, what are you thinking? The 29th Conference of the Parties – the United Nations climate summit also known as COP29 - has just wrapped, with Australia becoming the sixth largest contributor to the conference's Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, punching way above our weight. Australian delegates at COP29 announced some of the following funding promises: These funding promises are made all while federal debt is climbing, interest rates remain high for the foreseeable future and on top of the climate funding to other nations via the UN, Australia’s own transition to renewables is set to cost up to $642 billion. Over the next seven to 11 years, the Labor budget papers also showcase their new Future Made in Australia initiative which outline plans to spend over $5.9 billion on clean energy technology, battery storage initiatives and solar programs. But here is where things begin to unravel. Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters of fossil fuels. Coal exports for 2023-24 were worth around $91 billion. Coal and gas exports were actually responsible for 1.15 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2023. There is a general undercurrent of consensus that there is no way around this conundrum because Australia’s commodities provide power to countries such as China, who in turn supply such a huge amount of our cheap goods. If we stop supplying our commodities, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia will simply plug the gap. So why is there little talk about consensus to stop global exports and imports of coal? Is it so governments can raise the billions needed to pay for the renewables, in a smoke and mirrors, give with one hand and take from the other feel-good farce? If climate change is the single biggest threat to the environment, then how do we collectively account for Australia’s record of deforestation and habitat destruction? Australia holds the number one position for mammal extinction rates, and second for biodiversity loss. Up to 50 per cent of Australia’s forests and bushlands have been cleared since colonisation. Deforestation alone in Australia was responsible for half of all carbon emissions compared to what was released by coal power stations. All while our environment ministers pretend to be clean and green. Urban sprawl is an increasing problem for the east coast states as entire new towns are being built on cleared land. Sydney’s west is a hotspot for huge growth as Australia’s population has climbed to over 27 million. Kevin Rudd said that climate change is “the great moral challenge of our generation”. Yet, neither he nor any federal party since 2007 has done the hard yards to protect the natural environments nationally, all while the appetite for coal and gas has grown. Every nation is striving for economic growth. With that comes the demand for reliable power. It is slowly coming in the form of solar and other forms of biofuels and renewables. But the technologies have barely changed in the solar industry and other renewables have still not found large market streams. As global warming is trending upwards by most accounts, the trillions asked for at climate summits has not delivered decade-on-decade. The hypocrisy of our politicians is the only thing really off the charts.NDA's Strategy: A Mission for 2029 Lok Sabha Elections

NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America's most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, died Thursday. He was 76. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America's most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, died Thursday. He was 76. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, died Thursday. He was 76. Parsons, who died at his Manhattan home, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. The financial services company Lazard, where Parsons was a longtime board member, confirmed his death. The NBA, where Parsons was interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, was among organizations offering condolences. “Dick Parsons was a brilliant and transformational leader and a giant of the media industry who led with integrity and never shied away from a challenge,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. Parsons’ friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder’s company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder’s board for 25 years. Parsons, a Brooklyn native who started college at 16, was named chairman of Citigroup in 2009, one month after leaving Time Warner Inc., where he helped restore the company’s stature following its much-maligned acquisition by internet provider America Online Inc. He steered Citigroup back to profit after financial turmoil from the subprime mortgage crisis, which upended the economy in 2007 and 2008. Parsons was named to the board of CBS in September 2018 but resigned a month later because of illness. Parsons said in a statement at the time that he was already dealing with multiple myeloma when he joined the board, but “unanticipated complications have created additional new challenges.” He said his doctors advised him to cut back on his commitments to ensure recovery. “Dick’s storied career embodied the finest traditions of American business leadership,” Lazard said in a statement. The company, where Parsons was a board member from 2012 until this month, praised his “unmistakable intelligence and his irresistible warmth.” “Dick was more than an iconic leader in Lazard’s history — he was a testament to how wisdom, warmth, and unwavering judgment could shape not just companies, but people’s lives,” the company said. “His legacy lives on in the countless leaders he counseled, the institutions he renewed, and the doors he opened for others.” Parsons was known as a skilled negotiator, a diplomat and a crisis manager. Although he was with Time Warner through its difficulties with AOL, he earned respect for the company and rebuilt its relations with Wall Street. He streamlined Time Warner’s structure, pared debt and sold Warner Music Group and a book publishing division. He also fended off a challenge from activist investor Carl Icahn in 2006 to break up the company and helped Time Warner reach settlements with investors and regulators over questionable accounting practices at AOL. Parsons joined Time Warner as president in 1995 after serving as chairman and chief executive of Dime Bancorp Inc., one of the largest U.S. thrift institutions. In 2001, after AOL used its fortunes as the leading provider of Internet access in the U.S. to buy Time Warner for $106 billion in stock, Parsons became co-chief operating officer with AOL executive Robert Pittman. In that role, he was in charge of the company’s content businesses, including movie studios and recorded music. He became CEO in 2002 with the retirement of Gerald Levin, one of the key architects of that merger. Parsons was named Time Warner chairman the following year, replacing AOL founder Steve Case, who had also championed the combination. The newly formed company’s Internet division quickly became a drag on Time Warner. The promised synergies between traditional and new media never materialized. AOL began seeing a reduction in subscribers in 2002 as Americans replaced dial-up connections with broadband from cable TV and phone companies. Parsons stepped down as CEO in 2007 and as chairman in 2008. A year later AOL split from Time Warner and began trading as a separate company, following years of struggles to reinvent itself as a business focused on advertising and content. Time Warner is now owned by AT&T Inc. A board member of Citigroup and its predecessor, Citibank, since 1996, Parsons was named chairman in 2009 at a time of turmoil for the financial institution. Citigroup had suffered five straight quarters of losses and received $45 billion in government aid. Its board had been criticized for allowing the bank to invest so heavily in the risky housing market. Citigroup returned to profit under Parsons, starting in 2010, and would not have a quarterly loss again until the fourth quarter of 2017. Parsons retired from that job in 2012. In 2014 he stepped in as interim CEO of the Clippers until Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took over later that year. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Parsons, a Republican, previously worked as a lawyer for Nelson Rockefeller, a former Republican governor of New York, and in Gerald Ford’s White House. Those early stints gave him grounding in politics and negotiations. He also was an economic adviser on President Barack Obama’s transition team. Parsons, who loved jazz and co-owned a Harlem jazz club, also served as Chairman of the Apollo Theater and the Jazz Foundation of America. And he held positions on the boards of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Parsons played basketball at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his law degree from Albany Law School in 1971. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and their family. ___ This obituary was primarily written by the late Associated Press reporter Anick Jesdanun, who died in 2020. Advertisement AdvertisementUnveiling the New Jersey Drone Mystery: An Overblown Threat?