Author Archives: Ed

1942 – The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 1- Background

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13  Seventy-five years ago -1943 – Nimitz, King, and particularly the air navy admirals worked a seemingly endless slate of problems to leverage the advantages the navy had hard earned in the last year. The F-4 Wildcat … Continue reading →

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A Second Look – Aviation Week Debate on the F-35

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #12 Last summer Aviation Week conducted a podcast debate between the first commanding officer of a USMC F-35B squadron, retired  LtCol. David Berke,  and former “fighter mafia” participant during the Light Weight Fighter competition (YF-16/17) Pierre Sprey. … Continue reading →

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War and Remembrance 18 December 1972; Linebacker II and the General Who Made It So

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Ed

On the third night of LB II three B-52s were shot down on the first raid. Seventh Air Force Headquarters Headquarters in Saigon and SAC Headquarters in Omaha went into shock. As a result they recalled the six B-52Gs targeted … Continue reading →

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Veterans Day 2017: What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Ed

Burns and Novick The Vietnam War – A Counter Anthology The PBS documentary The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick has received critical acclaim  and has been recommended for showing in schools. It follows Burns reputation well as … Continue reading →

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Thinking Multi-Role “Strike Fighter”

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #11 Air to air is what you do going into and coming off of the target. Ed Rasimus, Air Force Vietnam War F-105 and F-4 fighter pilot   In the previous post, I suggested as a thought experiment that … Continue reading →

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Airpower Analysis Phase II: F-35 – Flying Circus Center Ring

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #10 For some time now, center ring for the airpower flying circus has been the F-35 Lightning II. But since the F-35 was similarly noted as the elephant in the room in #8 in this series some … Continue reading →

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Thinking Airpower in Context: American War in Seven Charts

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #9  Seven Charts That Help Explain American War How Many Years In Its History Has America Been at War? Where Has America Fought? Why Has America Fought? How Does America Fight ? Who Are America’s Formal Defense Partners? … Continue reading →

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Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 3)

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 3/3) Continuing from Part 1 & 2 – the “something new” Airpower Application and 5th Generation Aircraft The term “fifth-generation aircraft” is part of the problem facing the future of airpower. The usage of the term … Continue reading →

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Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 2)

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 2/3) Continuing from Part 1 – drilling down To make reasonable decisions in regard to analysis of future airpower, and also how implementation of emerging technical and derivative tactical concepts plays into the application of airpower, one … Continue reading →

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Airpower, Elephants, Fallacies, Bonfires, Something Old, Something New

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 1/3) Airpower characteristics itemizes strictly enduring physical features: speed, reach, height, and as a consequence ubiquity, agility, and concentration. A relatively high technological focus by air forces is inevitable, necessary, and indeed desirable. But the … Continue reading →

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