Friday, August 21, 2020

How to Write the Williams College Supplement 2019-2020 TKG

How to Write the Williams College Supplement 2019-2020 Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, a small town in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. Williams has approximately 2,000 students, and the most popular major is economics. The Williams admissions office emphasizes that they are not just looking for students with excellent grades and scores â€" quantitative measures that aren’t perfectly parallel with potential. They want creative, community-focused students. One of the more unique quirks at Williams is that students can borrow art from the College’s museum to hang on the walls of their dorm! It is a very selective college. The acceptance rate is only 13%. The 2019-2020 supplement is the same as the 2018-2019 supplement, and it is also still ‘optional.’ Before we dig into the supplement with fresh eyes, we need to make something overwhelmingly clear. ‘Optional’ supplements are not optional. If you do not submit a supplement, you will not get in. This is a simple fact that is only worke d around by a tiny percentage of applicants who are fast-tracked towards acceptance â€" such as some athletes and legacies. Why would they make it optional if it isn’t really at all? Well, that’s a good question. Colleges, including Williams, have only one ‘good’ reason for making supplements optional. Making a supplement optional makes it easier to apply. Making it easier to submit increases the likelihood that someone who wouldn’t apply to Williams otherwise will apply. More applications for the same number of seats results in a decreased rate of acceptance. The acceptance rate is a critical statistic for college rankings, even if a significant number of the applications were never seriously considered because they chose not to complete the supplement portion. Logically, we understand why colleges choose to do this. Ethically, we feel that it is misleading to students, especially those who are paying an application fee and think they will be seriously considered regardle ss of whether they submit a supplement.Which is all to say that you must do this supplement, and you must do all of the supplements for all of the colleges that you are applying to if you want to be considered for admission. Please respond to one of the prompts below in a short essay of 300 words or fewer.1. At Williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classesâ€"in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topicâ€"are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent workâ€"an essay, a problem set, a piece of artâ€"and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum, with titles like Aesthetic Outrage, Financial Crises: Causes and Cures, and Genome Sciences: At the Cutting Edge. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. Of anyone in the world, whom would you choose to be your partner in the class, and why?This is a very long prompt that boils down to, “who would you want to learn with and have critique your work?” They are not asking for the type of person you would want to review your work â€" they want an actual living person. This gives you a lot of options. A good place to start brainstorming from is with your area of interest. What do you want to major in and, given that, what kind of tutorial would you be most likely to take? For the purpose of this exercise, we’re going to run with one of the examples they give, which also aligns with their most popular major, economics: “Financial Crises: Causes and Cures.” If you were to be in that tutorial, who would you want critiquing your work? Perhaps a prominent economics professor or economist whose work you respect? Maybe you’d prefer someone who could bring an entirely different perspective, like an anthropol ogist, artist, or filmmaker. If you have trouble thinking of someone, consider books or articles you’ve read recently, podcasts you listen to regularly, or documentary films that you’ve been captivated by. Then look into who wrote them, worked on them, or appeared in them. Once you have a person, try writing an answer that isn’t solely explanatory. Play out what your dynamic with your partner would be like. What would they bring to the table, and how would you reciprocate?  2. Each Sunday night, in a tradition called Storytime, students, faculty and staff gather to hear a fellow community member relate a brief story from their life (and to munch on the storyteller’s favorite homemade cookies). What story would you share? What lessons have you drawn from that story, and how would those lessons inform your time at Williams?We love this question because it offers an opportunity to tell a story that reveals another facet of who you are. Your grades and scores only say so much a bout you. Your activities list shows a little more. Your essay is a big opportunity, but there’s only one of them. Here you have another chance to tell your story â€" or, at least, a critical piece of it. This prompt is an especially good option for students with more complicated backgrounds, and who feel that the intricacies of their lived experiences haven’t been adequately presented thus far. Something to avoid, however, is trauma. Traumatic pieces of your past are critical to who you are, but if you want to address them in your application, the additional information section is there primarily for that purpose. Whatever story you choose to tell, answer this prompt as a story. Tell the tale of you telling the tale, if you will. And remember to include what kind of cookies the audience would be munching on while listening! 3. Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entryâ€"a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Wi lliams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers?This is a weird Rorschach test to get students to other themselves, Williams. In general, questions that ask you to differentiate yourself from your peers aren’t recipes for thoughtful and considerate answers. Responses tend to fall into clichés and stereotypes, even when students truly do feel that they are sharing a piece of themselves that is unique and different. This is particularly true because they are asking you to differentiate yourself from a group of students you have never met nor spoken to. You don’t know their backgrounds or what their passions are, so you’re left scrambling to find difference without any knowledge of what you are supposed to be different from. Also, you are different from people you’ve never met in literally every conceivable way. If they simply asked what you could add to a conversation, we wouldn’t have as big of a bone to pick with this question. It would be about you, your contributions, and not about drawing lines between you and others. If the point is to bring people together, it doesn’t seem to make sense to have the first things you experience regarding Entry be a differentiator.  Because of this, we suggest selecting the first or second prompt, and perhaps Williams can take this prompt off their application or rewrite it for next year. If you do insist on picking this prompt, the best advice we can give is to maintain a high level of self-awareness and to be self-critical throughout the writing and editing process. Focus on yourself, not on others. Find connections, not differences.  Overwhelmed by supplements that seem like quicksand? Send us an email. We help students na vigate tough questions.

Monday, May 25, 2020

IMF, World Bank And Africa Essay - 2396 Words

IMF, World Bank And Africa An avid viewer of television has seen the commercials portraying shortages of food and mass starvation in Africa. Yet in these times of relative prosperity, little is heard of Africa’s debt problem. Although the total debt of all African countries combined is small in comparison to that of the United States, millions of people suffer as a result. However, it is not until these countries have difficulty repaying their loans that the international community begins to take notice. Many African countries are currently in such debt that all new loans are used to repay old loans in a attempt to salvage any credit rating a country might have (George, 13). Because many banks, particularly in the United states, have†¦show more content†¦These policies become increasingly strict as more Special Drawing Rights (as they are called) are requested. These conditions, when implemented, are called structural adjustment programs. Since these programs seriously infringe upon the sovereignty of the borrowing nation, the IMF is usually turned to as a last report. This occurs when international development banks and private banks, especially fear that a country might default on its loans. As a result, most sources of financing are lost until the debtor country agrees to a structural adjustment program implemented by the IMF. Acceptance of this conditionally suggests to private lenders a willingness to cooperate with the financial community. When this takes place â€Å"private bank loans and development assistance, of magnitude far larger that the fund’s largess, are likely to flow† (Will,54). Since the IMF is the last institution a LDC will turn to, the economy of the country involved is usually in extremely poor condition. When the structural adjustment programs of the IMF are more difficult to institute in the borrowing country and as a result causes much of the blame to be directed towards t he Fund. â€Å"Some 30 African countries have adopted formal structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF and World Bank† (Harsch, 47). Although many studies have been done on the effectiveness of the program, no one is quite sure of the effect the measures have had (NowZad, 196). There are several reasons forShow MoreRelated Failure of IMF and World Bank Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa4500 Words   |  18 PagesFailure of IMF and World Bank Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa Over the last several hundred years, Africa has been deprived of the peace that it so desperately needs. For over 400 years, Africa was subjected to the harsh trans-Atlantic slave trade. Europeans and Americans brutally uprooted millions of Africans and shipped them away. Torn away from their homes, Africans were inhumanely exploited for their labor. The slave trade had a devastating effect not only on those involvedRead MoreInternational Monetary Fund And The World Bank1679 Words   |  7 PagesTHE WORLD BANK AND IMF - HIPC International Monetary Fund and The World Bank, though has a good purpose of their existence, they have come under lots of criticisms as to how they use the leverage of being in a position of helping poor countries to either recover from economic collapse or give them debt relief and economic boost from loans they give out to them to impose policies and condition that those poor countries has to implement. These loan conditions and policies structured by these internationalRead MoreMr. Kim s Pledge895 Words   |  4 Pagesin Foreign Policy’s Failed States Index.† (Herbst, Jeffery and Mills, Greg, JULY 11, 2013) â€Å"Once viewed as the preserve of autocrats and corruption, some countries in Africa are now seen as the new, high-yield investment frontier.† (Herbst, Jeffery and Mills, Greg, JULY 11, 2013) â€Å"Low returns in the developed world have led to investors to look elsewhere for higher yields.† (Herbst, Jeffery and Mills, Greg, JULY 11, 2013) This is a war zone of Congo violence. They have to deal withRead MoreInternational Monetary Fund ( Imf ) And The World Bank948 Words   |  4 PagesInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank†. The HIPC Initiative was initiated by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 1996. In 2001 Ghana declared itself as heavily indebted poor country, according to the then president John Agyekum Kuffour, the decision of Ghana to be part of this initiative was mainly because of the poor state of the economy. As a result of this the nation was expected to receive a total of 253 million dollars of IMF and the World Bank to help relieve the countryRead MoreInternational Monetary Fund And The World Bank1561 Words   |  7 PagesTHE WORLD BANK AND IMF - HIPC International Monetary Fund and The World Bank, though has a good purpose of their existence, they have come under lots of criticisms as to how they use the leverage of being in a position of helping poor countries to either recover from economic collapse or give them debt relief and economic boost from loans they give out to them to impose policies and condition that those poor countries has to implement. These loan conditions and policies structured by these internationalRead MoreMonetary Fund And The World Bank1554 Words   |  7 Pagesnternational Monetary Fund and The World Bank, though has a good purpose of their existence, they have come under lots of criticisms as to how they use the leverage of being in a position of helping poor countries to either recover from economic collapse or give them debt relief and economic boost from loans they give out to them to impose policies and condition that those poor countries has to implement. These loan conditions and policies structur ed by these international financial power institutionsRead Morelending institutions966 Words   |  4 Pagesfunding. Africa receives about 22 percent of assistance from the World Bank. The World Bank is the main source of lending to this underdeveloped country. By Africa having to largely depend on the World Bank and the IMF this has caused a hindering on their economic development. When the African government borrows from these institutions then the country is forced into abiding by very strict conditions, which usually benefit the richer countries in helping them to become richer. â€Å"The World Bank andRead MoreThe World Bank And Imf1096 Words   |  5 PagesAs a result of the inadequacies of the World Bank and IMF, Uganda today appears to be no better off today then as they were in the year(s) prior to acquiring the assistance in debt relief in 1998. According to Ana Eiras; â€Å"Despite such a monstrous display of resources, according to the index of economic freedom, the Bank’s money has done nothing to improve the economic freedom in recipient countries†. Erias goes on to make it clear that many of the country’s who have received assistance have seenRead MoreImf : Imf And World Bank1255 Words   |  6 PagesIMF OR WORLD BANK. THE PROJECT One of the World Bank or the IMF project that was developed is â€Å"Rebuilding Infrastructure.† It was set in motion to aid the rebuilding of Infrastructures in countries that were ravaged by, during and after World War II. The project (Rebuilding Infrastructure, under the supervision of IMF and World bank), was originally intended for, and as a principal supervisor on agendas such as poverty reduction, quality education, provision and availability of pure and clean waterRead MoreInternational Financial Institutions ( Ifis ) Are Central Pillars And The Architects Of The Global Economy1665 Words   |  7 Pagesinstitutions (IFIs) are central pillars and the architects of the global economy. The world bank and IMF were founded and funded by the United states after the second world war to build shattered world economy after the war and great depression of the 1930s (socialist alternative,). The creation of the IFIs was to bring about a global economy after the â€Å"isolation economy† which some argue brought about the Second World War. The IFIs were to help the economy of the less developing countries (LDCs) to

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Criticle Article Review Violent Video Games Essay

Critical Article Review Psychology 475 Liberty University Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide a critical review of the article The Effect of Video Game Violence on Physiological Desensitization to Real-life Violence by Nicholas L. Carnagey, Craig A. Anderson, and Brad J. Bushman (2007). In this article Carnagey, Ander and Bushman experimentally examine the effects that violent video games have on those playing them, specifically in the area of physiological desensitization. It is the goal of this review to provide readers with an overall summary and critique of the article. This review will describe, discuss, and evaluate the key points of Carnagey, Anderson, and Bushman’s article and†¦show more content†¦The authors then share their analysis on the changes of heart rate and GSR at the many different points throughout their study. In the discussion portion of the article the authors discuss the lowered reaction to the violent images in the video following the 20 minutes of violent video game stimulation. They also discuss th e fact that results were quite dramatic across the different individuals and attitudes toward violence. They also give insight into their results and the implication of the GAM concerning the prevalence of lowered arousal levels to violence acts following the violent stimuli via video games. Using the GAM they discuss implications such as people’s lowered likeliness to respond a victim in a violent situation if they are not in an aroused state in the midst of the violent act. Lastly the article addresses the need for future research concerning the topic of desensitization to violence and the areas in which they feel it would be most beneficial. For instance a need to study the effects of more long term exposure to violent video games in regard to desensitization as most young game players do so on a regular basis. In their conclusion Carnagey, Ander and Bushman (2007) go as far as to refer to the media as an â€Å"effective desensitization tool.† Critique Carnagey, Ander and Bushman (2007) seem to be well versed on the previous research done on the negative effects of violent media on those exposed to it. They seem

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Rules Of Finance An Optimal Enterprise Solutions...

The Rules of Finance The goal of finance is to find the optimal enterprise solutions that balance expected return and expected risk. We can find and implement the optimal solutions by using financial information, tools, and models. In finance we want to reduce expected risk and increase expected return, but since getting rid of risk entirely is impossible we look for the best combination of the two. Even though a riskless venture is not possible, Harry Markowitz, a talented economist, brought forth (to our delight) the efficient frontier theory. The purpose of Markowitz theory is simply to find the obtainable enterprises that have the highest expected return for any given risk. This set of enterprises creates an optimal portfolio. What does return mean? It is the expected future cash flow from an investment. Why? Because the sole reason we invest is because we want that cash! If we really want cash, then why can’t we just focus on that? You might ask. Well, that is when risk comes into the equation. Risk, is the always present deviation that we expect from those good-looking future cash flows. The Tools of Finance In order to determine the appropriate amount of expected return, given any level of risk, we must use the most important and widely used tool of finance: Discounted Cash Flows. The projected cash flows are our measure of value, and the discount rate that we use on these cash flows takes care of the expected risk. The result is a number that tells us everythingShow MoreRelatedFinancial Management14158 Words   |  57 Pagesstructure: 1. Introduction 2. Learning objectives 3. Section title Meaning Definition Objective Advantages of wealth maximization Criticisms of wealth maximization Scope Functions of Financial Management Role and function of the finance manager Financial Management and Economic Financial management and Accounting Evolution of financial management Functional areas of financial management Financial decisions Have you understood questions Summary Exercises References FinancialRead MoreCorporate Finance69408 Words   |  278 PagesCorporate finance P. Frantz, R. Payne, J. Favilukis FN3092, 2790092 2011 Undergraduate study in Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences This subject guide is for a Level 3 course (also known as a ‘300 course’) offered as part of the University of London International Programmes in Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences. This is equivalent to Level 6 within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ). For moreRead MoreSolutions: Income Statement and Pearson Education121412 Words   |  486 PagesChapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 The Corporation Introduction to Financial Statement Analysis Arbitrage and Financial Decision Making The Time Value of Money Interest Rates Investment Decision Rules Fundamentals of Capital Budgeting Valuing Bonds Valuing Stocks Capital Markets and the Pricing of Risk Optimal Portfolio Choice and the Capital Asset Pricing Model Estimating the Cost of Capital Investor Behavior and Capital Market Efficiency Capital Structure in a Perfect Market Debt and Taxes FinancialRead MoreFinancial Management in Public Sector U ndertakings8283 Words   |  34 PagesThey have been responsible for forming a strong industrial base and providing the basic infrastructure for development in the country. From an investment in 5 enterprises of Rs. 29 crores in 1950-51. Investment in 242 Central PSUs has gone up to a staggering Rs. 2.04.054 crores, the net profit they made was just Rs. 13.725 crores -a return of 6.7 per cent only. The implicit assumption in the growth of PSU at the early stages was that public sector would perform the role of a pathfinder and createRead MoreSecurity Analysis Portfolio Management7511 Words   |  31 Pagesapproach  Ã‚  which  Ã‚  analysis  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  risk  Ã‚  Ã‚  and  Ã‚  return  Ã‚  off  Ã‚  a  Ã‚  common  Ã‚  stock  Ã‚  rather  Ã‚  than relevant  Ã‚  price  Ã‚  and  Ã‚  dividend esteems. SECURITY ANALYSIS: For making proper investment involving both risk and return, the investor has to make identify undervalues securities for  buying  and overvalues securities for selling is both an art and a study of the alternative avenues of the investment-their risk and return characteristics, and make a proper projection or expectation of the risk and return of the alternativeRead MoreP2P Lending in Singapore13536 Words   |  55 Pagesand the future position of peer to peer market in Singapore. The focal point lies on the demand of peer to peer lending platforms among small and medium enterprises and consumer market. The study illustrates a high demand of peer to peer lending among small and medium enterprises regardless of less security of investment. This study also includes risk and regulations associated with peer to peer lending and the impact of social behaviours and social connections on the decision of investors related toRead MoreWorking Capital19349 Words   |  78 Pagesliabiliti es ; and 2. Alternate definition of NWC is that portion of current assets which is financed with long term funds . The task of financing manager in managing working capital efficiently is to ensure sufficient liquidity in the operations of the enterprise . Net working capital , as a measure of liquidity is not very useful for comparing the performance of different firms , but it is quite useful for internal control . The NWC helps in comparing the liquidity of the same firm over time . For the purposeRead MoreInvestment Bodie Kane Notes30163 Words   |  121 Pages.... 4 Chapter Three: How Securities Are Traded........................................................................ 8 Chapter Six: Risk and risk aversion.................................................................................. 12 Chapter Seven: Capital Allocation between the Risky asset and the risk-free Asset ....... 17 Chapter Eight: Optimal Risky Portfolios:......................................................................... 20 Chapter Nine: The Capital Asset Pricing ModelRead Morecallifornia pizza kitchen Essay5941 Words   |  24 Pages SUBMITTED TO: Dr. M. Sadiqul Islam Professor Department of Finance University of Dhaka SUBMITTED BY: Group 21 MBA 16th Batch Department of Finance University of Dhaka Date of Submission April 08, 2015 Group No: 21 Serial Name BBA ID MBA ID 1 Farhana Bondhon 16-004 16-615 2 Farha Farzana 16-006 16- 727 3 Marufa Akhter 16-132 16- 657 Letter of Transmittal April 08, 2015 Dr. M. Sadiqul Islam Professor Department of Finance University of Dhaka Subject: Submission of Report. Sir, WithRead MoreTheory of Capital Structure14250 Words   |  57 Pagesstructure and corporate ï ¬ nance literature is ï ¬ lled with different models, but few, if any give a complete picture. JEL classiï ¬ cation: G32 University College, Department of business administration, Jonsvannsvn. 82, 7004 Trondheim, Norway. E-mail: stein.frydenberg@toh.hist.no.  £ Sà ¸r-Trà ¸ndelag 1 Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=556631 The view that capital structure is literally irrelevant or that †nothing matters† in corporate ï ¬ nance, though still sometimes

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Frankensteins Dont Mess with Mother Natu Essay Example For Students

Frankensteins: Dont Mess with Mother Natu Essay re Frankenstein essaysDont Mess with Mother Nature The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is about a man who created something that messes with nature, and nature came back to mess with him because nature is more powerful than man. Victor Frankenstein was very interested in natural philosophy and chemistry and basically tried to play G-d by creating life. When he found the secret of activating dead flesh, he created a superhuman being composed of rotted corpses. What he did was considered unthinkable, and he was haunted by his own creation. When the monster escaped, Frankenstein knew that he had to deal with the consequences of what the monster might do. Frankenstein received a letter one day which informed him of his younger brother Williams murder, and immediately suspected that he was responsible, for he was the creator of the hideous monster. A friend of the family named Justine Moritz was the presumed murderer, and Frankenstein was determined to prove her innocent. Circumstantial evidence, however, led the courts to believe Justine guilty, because found in her pocket was a photograph which had belonged to William. Justine had been put to death, and Frankenstein had yet to find his creation. Finally, upon their meeting, the monster confessed to his creator of what he had been through, how he was rejected by society, and finally, how he had come to kill William. When William had revealed his name to the monster, the monster immediately figured that by killing the young boy, he would have revenge on Frankenstein for giving him life. The monster did not understand the concept of right and wrong and he especially didnt mean to kill anybody. His expression of anger ended up being violent, even fatal to the victim, and it just worked out that he killed people. As the monsters story continued, he demanded of Frankenstein a female mate who he can be with until his end, and promised to live away from society. Frankenstein, meanwhile, tried to restore the monsters demented mind so he could live a normal life. Although at first Frankenstein agreed to create a friend for the monster, he changed his mind for fear that between the two of them, his life, as well as many others, would be in danger. The creature wanted revenge, and so everything important in Frankensteins life ended up being destroyed, including his wife and best friend

Friday, April 10, 2020

Analytical Thinking Assessment Questions. (Usyd) free essay sample

Extensive definition is useful where words are difficult to define verbally. E. G. Defining yellow by pointing at yellow beetles or bananas. However, extensive deflation Is not an extensively used term, and Is unlikely to be understood as well as direct definition, and some people may not recognize or understand the examples pointed out by the definer. 9. A) No counter example as games need rules in order to be a game. However the necessary Is too broad as schools, libraries etc. Have rules but is not a game.B) X can be guilty due to emotional guilt of hurting someones feelings or bullying, lying to family and friends. This counter example shows its too narrow. C) X can be a person 1 OFF 10. Its not valid because the premise states that the bread eaten yesterday was safe, ND the second premise states that all the bread the have consumed was safe. We will write a custom essay sample on Analytical Thinking Assessment Questions. (Usyd) or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The conclusion is not valid with the premise. Argument: All bread I have eaten was safe. Tomorrows bread will be the same as all the previous bread I have eaten. Therefore tomorrows bread will be safe. 12.Golden mean fallacy: Allowing people to smoke outside public premises but not inside is the right thing to do because it represents a middle position in the debate about smoking in our society. Is a golden mean fallacy because the argument the person made is the middle ground between people being forced to smoke or ban people from smoking. Fallacious appeal to authority: The Minister for Health said that as smoking is responsible for the greatest proportion of preventable cancers, the reduction of passive smoking was one of the most effective public health interventions the government could make.Its not fallacious because the person of authority is relevant as he is the minister of health. His testimony is therefore sufficient to establish the conclusion of the argument. Straw person fallacy: Some of the finest Australians smoked all their lives. Bill Hunter was one of Australias finest actors and he smoked throughout his life. Why cant the government Just leave people alone? Abusive Ad Hominid: The Minister for Health Just says these things because that is what ministers of health are supposed to say these days in the nanny state Australia has become. The person attacks the minister Circumstantial Ad Hominid: If the government wants to ban smoking it should ban the production of cigarettes rather than their consumption. But governments are always too spineless to confront industry and too greedy for the revenue from taxes on cigarettes. The person attacks the claims of the government not banning the production of cigarettes instead of smoking due to the governments desire for money from the revenue made from taxes on cigarettes.Fallacious slippery slope: If we accept the implementation of this proposal we know what to expect next: one by one our rights to the peaceful consumption of legal products will be removed until we can neither smoke nor eat nor drink any of the things that, somehow, we are still able to purchase no smoke today and no smoky bacon tomorrow. It is fallacious because people can accept the implementation of the proposal however it does not mean that their rights will be removed.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Bristol Blenheim in World War II

Bristol Blenheim in World War II Specifications - Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV: General Length: 42 ft. 7 in. Wingspan: 56 ft. 4 in. Height: 9 ft. 10 in. Wing Area: 469 sq. ft. Empty Weight: 9,790 lbs. Loaded Weight: 14,000 lbs. Crew: 3 Performance Power Plant: 2 Ãâ€" Bristol Mercury XV radial engine, 920 hp Range: 1,460 miles Max Speed: 266 mph Ceiling: 27,260 ft. Armament Guns: 1 Ãâ€" .303 in. Browning machine gun in port wing, 1 or 2 Ãâ€" .303 in. Browning guns in rear-firing under-nose blister or Nash Thomson FN.54 turret, 2 Ãâ€" .303 in. Browning guns in dorsal turret Bombs/Rockets: 1,200 lbs. of bombs Bristol Blenheim: Origins: In 1933, the chief designer at the Bristol Aircraft Company, Frank Barnwell, began preliminary designs for a new aircraft capable of carrying a crew of two and six passengers while maintaining a cruising speed of 250 mph. This was a bold step as the Royal Air Forces fastest fighter of the day, the Hawker Fury II, could only achieve 223 mph. Creating an all-metal monocoque monoplane, Barnwells design was powered by two engines mounted in a low wing. Though dubbed the Type 135 by Bristol, no efforts were made to build a prototype. This changed the next year when noted newspaper owner Lord Rothermere took an interest. Aware of advances overseas, Rothermere was an outspoken critic of the British aviation industry which he believed was falling behind its foreign competitors. Seeking to make a political point, he approached Bristol on March 26, 1934, regarding purchasing a single Type 135 in order to have a personal aircraft superior to any flown by the RAF. After consulting with the Air Ministry, which encouraged the project, Bristol agreed and offered Rothermere a Type 135 for  £18,500. Construction of two prototypes soon began with Rothermeres aircraft dubbed the Type 142 and powered by two Bristol Mercury 650 hp engines. Bristol Blenheim - From Civil to Military: A second prototype, the Type 143, was also built. Slightly shorter and powered by twin 500 hp Aquila engines, this design was ultimately scrapped in favor of the Type 142. As development moved forward, interest in the aircraft grew and the Finnish government inquired regarding a militarized version of the Type 142. This led to Bristol beginning a study to assess adapting the aircraft for military use. The result was the creation of the Type 142F which incorporated guns and interchangeable fuselage sections which would allow it to be used as transport, light bomber, or ambulance. As Barnwell explored these options, the Air Ministry expressed interest in a bomber variant of the aircraft. Rothermeres aircraft, which he dubbed Britain First was completed and first took to sky from Filton on April 12, 1935. Delighted with the performance, he donated it to the Air Ministry to help push the project forward. As a result, the aircraft was transferred to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (AAEE) at Martlesham Heath for acceptance trials. Impressing the test pilots, it achieved speeds reaching 307 mph. Due to its performance, civil applications were discarded in favor military. Working to adapt the aircraft as a light bomber, Barnwell raised the wing to create space for a bomb bay and added a dorsal turret featuring a .30 cal. Lewis gun. A second .30 cal machine gun was added in the port wing. Designated the Type 142M, the bomber required a crew of three: pilot, bombardier/navigator, and radioman/gunner. Desperate to have a modern bomber in service, the Air Ministry ordered 150 Type 142Ms in August 1935 before the prototype flew. Dubbed the Blenheim, the named commemorated the Duke of Marlboroughs 1704 victory at Blenheim, Bavaria. Bristol Blenheim - Variants: Entering RAF service in March 1937, the Blenheim Mk I was also built under license in Finland (where it served during the Winter War) and Yugoslavia. As the political situation in Europe deteriorated, production of the Blenheim continued as the RAF sought to re-equip with modern aircraft. One early modification was the addition of a gun pack mounted on the aircrafts belly which featured four .30 cal. machine guns. While this negated the use of the bomb bay, it allowed the Blenheim to be used a long range fighter (Mk IF). While the Blenheim Mk I series filled a void in the RAFs inventory, problems quickly arose. Most notable of these was a dramatic loss of speed due to the increased weight of the military equipment. As a result, the Mk I could only reach around 260 mph while the Mk IF topped out at 282 mph. To address the problems of the Mk I, work began on what was eventually dubbed the Mk IV. This aircraft featured a revised and elongated nose, heavier defensive armament, additional fuel capacity, as well as more powerful Mercury XV engines. First flying in 1937, the Mk IV became the most produced variant of the aircraft with 3,307 built. As with the earlier model, the Mk VI could mount a gun pack for use as the Mk IVF. Bristol Blenheim - Operational History: With the outbreak of World War II, the Blenheim flew the RAFs first wartime sortie on September 3, 1939 when a single aircraft made a reconnaissance of the German fleet at Wilhelmshaven. The type also flew the RAFs first bombing mission when 15 Mk IVs attacked German ships in Schilling Roads. During the wars early months, the Blenheim was the mainstay of the RAFs light bombers forces despite taking increasingly heavy losses. Due to its slow speed and light armament, it proved particularly vulnerable to German fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Blenheims continued to operate after the Fall of France and raided German airfields during the Battle of Britain. On August 21, 1941 a flight of 54 Blenheims conducted an audacious raid against the power station at Cologne though lost 12 aircraft in the process. As losses continued to mount, crews developed several ad hoc methods for improving the aircrafts defenses. A final variant, the Mk V was developed as a ground attack aircraft and light bomber but proved unpopular with crews and saw only brief service. By mid-1942, it was clear that the aircraft were too vulnerable for use in Europe and the type flew its last bombing mission on the night of August 18, 1942. Use in North Africa and the Far East continued through the end of the year, but in both cases the Blenheim faced similar challenges. With the arrival of the De Havilland Mosquito, the Blenheim was largely withdrawn from service. The Blenheim Mk IF and IVFs faired better as night fighters. Achieving some success in this role, several were fitted with the Airborne Intercept Mk III radar in July 1940. Operating in this configuration, and later with the Mk IV radar, Blenheims proved capable night fighters and were invaluable in this role until the arrival of the Bristol Beaufighter in large numbers. Blenheims also saw service as long-range reconnaissance aircraft, thought they proved as vulnerable in this mission as when serving as bombers. Other aircraft were assigned to Coastal Command where they operated in a maritime patrol role and aided in protecting Allied convoys. Outclassed in all roles by newer and more modern aircraft, the Blenheim was effectively removed from frontline service in 1943 and used in a training role. British production of the aircraft during the war was supported by factories in Canada where the Blenheim was built as the Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke light bomber/maritime patrol aircraft. Selected Sources The Blenheim Society Warbird Alley: Bristol Blenheim