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1. Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks (washedoutgundampilot@poa.st)'s status on Tuesday, 25-Jun-2024 03:08:56 JST Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks

   I like this picture, actually. Just like America, the slavs are squatting in the remains of (apparently) a greater civilization. For years they had ONE An225, renting it out and promising they'd finish building the second air frame they inherited. That never happened, of course. Every year this big POS would make the rounds, while Antonov would promise it would make more of them - or at the very least, finish the one they had that was "70% complete".

   I should mourn the loss of a treasure, sure, but there's something so ignoble about keeping a machine like this going when its owners can't figure out how their fathers built it to begin with. Neither side of the conflict has been able/willing/funded enough to build a replacement for this, and instead of telling the truth (it's useless aside from the gee-whiz factor) they would pretend they could still do it any day they felt like it.

   Someday we'll see american C-5s in the boneyard in similar fashion, and I'll feel the same: A government does not deserve what it cannot maintain

   • Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks (washedoutgundampilot@poa.st)'s status on Tuesday, 25-Jun-2024 03:14:57 JST Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks

     in reply to

     Not to mention that they COULD and SHOULD have evacuated the aircraft. In all the initial reporting it seemed like there was just nobody paying attention to this supposed cultural touchstone. That Antonov ws their nation's pride, and not a single person thought to take it out of the danger zone whatsoever.

     Maybe not even possible, but if they'd even THOUGHT to evacuate it then there would be reasons published as to why. They would be able to say it wasn't worth the SAM risk, they didn't have it airworthy, etc. Instead everyone around the world seemed to care 300% more than they did, because they only touched on its status when nerds started panickedly asking how it was.

   • Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks (washedoutgundampilot@poa.st)'s status on Tuesday, 25-Jun-2024 03:15:34 JST Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks

     in reply to

     Hey look at that I was totally right, I was thinking they wouldn't let this story out if it did happen....called it!

     I was just looking for another picture of the wreck.

   • Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks (washedoutgundampilot@poa.st)'s status on Tuesday, 25-Jun-2024 03:25:15 JST Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks

     in reply to

     This will, of course, never happen. Ambitious autism projects like this are the capstone of an orderly, safe, functional nation. It's a huge cost outlay for a very vulnerable asset that only really matters to niche weirdos around the world. The russians only funded it to keep up the space kayfabe, and there aren't that many missions that need crap like this.

     Look at the manifests for the airbus guppy fleet and it's pointless 1-off pieces like "Vintage chimney shipped intact", or "world's largest Qing-dynasty LGBT mural", it's a novelty more than it is a strategic airlifter.

     And it looks like this unfinished aircraft got blown up by artillery in 2022, anyways, so it's gone too. Something so squatter about inheriting a half-finished airframe that your grandpa worked on in 1987, spending 40 years telling everybody "awww yeah any day now we'll get to work and finish it"

   • sj_zero (sj_zero@social.fbxl.net)'s status on Tuesday, 25-Jun-2024 03:25:22 JST sj_zero

     in reply to
     Besides the story itself, I appreciate the connection you make with deterioration of the society and the people.
     
     The wealth of nations isn't just stuff, and it can and will disappear in a heartbeat if that fact is neglected.
     Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks likes this.
   • Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks (washedoutgundampilot@poa.st)'s status on Sunday, 30-Jun-2024 12:42:37 JST Woggy's Zeonic Frolicks

     in reply to
     > US sponsors pointless nerd hobby for millions as a way to stimulate 3rd world economy
     > Cool engineering project a prestige piece for west
     > "we got two nobel prizes out of it!!!" said today as if that justifies the money spent
     > 60 years go by, nobody cares, it doesn't make any tangible changes in the average taxpayer's life
     > Tourist trap for puerto rico, but NASA wants to spend money elsewhere for newer nerd projects
     > Funding stops, facility on its own
     > Everything immediately snaps, destroying the whole thing
     
     "no the pride of Puerto Rico! It's gone! But you should be careful, you crackers are always stealing native lands for your projects - wait no come back we want your prestige projects in our lands come on we need the free stuff it's cool and it makes us feel fancy don't make us squat in these ruins!!!"