title: Roopa Ganguly

text: She acted in Anurag Basu's blockbuster film "Barfi!" (2012). She acted in Anjan Dutt's "Dutta Vs Dutta", (2012) where she played the character of "Runu mashi", who lives her life on her own terms and inspires the protagonist to live the life he desires. She featured in Joydeep Ghosh's "Mayabazar" (2012). The film has three individual stories. She played the protagonist in the story "Smriti" which is based on "Dehantar" by Sharadindu Bandopadhyay. She played Kuhu, a widow who sees her deceased husband in every single man she dates. She appeared in Riingo's Bengali film "Na Hannyate" (2012), where she played the character of "Jui", who is caught in a situation where she could save only one of her kids and leave the other to die. In 2013, she appeared in Utsav Mukherjee's hilarious social-satirical film "Half Serious." She played the role of goddess Durga in the film. She appeared in Rana Basu's Bengali film "Namte Namte" (2013). She also appeared in Shekhar Das's Bengali film "Nayanchampar Dinratri" (2013). In 2014, she appeared alongside Soumitra Chatterjee in Souvik Mitra's Bengali film "Punascha", where she played the muse of an award-winning author, played by Chatterjee. The film earned her rave reviews including the statement made by The Times of India that the film belongs to her only. In 2015, she acted in Debesh Chottopadhyay's Bengali film "Natoker Moto" and Aparna Sen's Bengali film "Arshinagar." She will be seen in the role of a foul mouthed politician in an upcoming Hindi film "Babumoshai Bandookbaaz", directed by Kushan Nandy.


title: Roopa Ganguly

text: In 2015, Ganguly joined Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election and quit Artiste Forum since she believed that a political figure should not hold a significant designation in Artiste Forum.


title: Roopa Ganguly

text: In West Bengal Assembly elections 2016, Ganguly lost from Howrah North to Trinamool Congress counterpart and cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla.


title: Roopa Ganguly

text: She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in October 2016 in place of cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, who resigned earlier.


title: Roopa Ganguly

text: Ganguly was married to Dhrubo Mukerjee, a mechanical engineer hailing from West Bengal, Kolkata from 1992 until 2007. They have one child, a son, born in 1997, Aakash Mukherjee. She was in a live-in relationship with the Bengali singer Dibyendu Mukherjee. They lived in Ganguly's flat in Mumbai until the end of their relationship. Ganguly maintained a pleasant formality whenever she met Mukherjee after their separation.


title: Roopa Ganguly

text: Ganguly had won numerous awards, including a National Award, Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards two times and Kalakar Awards three times. In 2011, she was awarded the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for rendering her voice in Aditi Roy's Bengali film "Abosheshey". She was awarded for her husky and haunting voice in the songs "Dure Kothay" and "Aji Bijan Ghare".


title: Landon Collins

text: Landon Alexander Collins (born January 10, 1994) is an American football strong safety for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was a part of the team that won the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. He was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Collins was named to the 2016 All-Pro Team and went to three Pro Bowls during his tenure with them. He has also played for the Washington Redskins / Football Team.


title: Landon Collins

text: Collins attended Dutchtown High School, in Geismar, Louisiana, where he was a two-sport star in football and track. In football, he was an All-American defensive back. As a sophomore, he had 26 tackles with 1.5 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery, while playing alongside senior Eric Reid. Replacing Reid, Collins accounted for 102 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and four interceptions as a junior, earning an 5A All-State selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. The Dutchtown Griffins went unbeaten through the regular season and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, only to be upset 29–14 by No. 24 New Iberia Westgate in the Class 5A quarterfinals. The Griffins finished the season with a 12–1 record. As a senior, Collins excelled on both sides of the ball. On offense, he rushed for 1,218 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 13.7 yards per carry. Meanwhile, in the defensive backfield, he had 34 tackles with four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Collins became the first player in LSWA history to earn 5A All-State honors on both sides of the ball. He led the Griffins to their second straight 10–0 regular season and District 5-5A title. However, in the opening round of the 5A playoffs, they were upset 28–14 by Ponchatoula. For his individual achievements, Collins earned All-American honors by "Parade" and "USA Today". He also starred in the 2012 Under Armour All-America Game, recording an interception and keying a goal-line stand.


title: Landon Collins

text: Also a standout track & field athlete, Collins was one of the state's top sprinters while at Dutchtown. At the 2011 Josten's Invitational, Collins ran the second leg on the Dutchtown 4 × 100m squad, helping lead them to victory and setting a new school record at 41.10 seconds. He won the 100-meter dash at the 2012 Episcopal 4-Way Championships, recording a personal-best time of 10.28 seconds. He also posted a career-best time of 21.60 seconds in the 200-meter dash at the 2012 Josten's Invitational, where he placed first. At the LHSAA Class 5A State Championships, Collins ran the second leg on the Dutchtown 4 × 200m squad, helping them claim the state title with a time of 1:25.40 minutes. In addition, he also ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and had a 36-inch vertical jump.


title: Landon Collins

text: Regarded as a five-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, Collins was ranked as the top safety prospect in his class and the third best player overall by 247sports.com. ESPN, in their rankings of the 2012 class' top 150 high school football players, also listed Collins as the top ranked safety, but as the sixth player overall, while Rivals.com had Collins as their second best safety and 17th best overall player. Recruited by nearly every major school, Collins narrowed his choice down to Alabama and Louisiana State. He announced his decision live at the Under Armour All-America Game, choosing the Crimson Tide. Upon choosing Alabama, Collins acknowledged that he "actually made the decision two years prior," but his mother, April Justin, was visibly displeased with her son's decision to choose the Crimson Tide over her LSU Tigers.


title: Landon Collins

text: When Collins arrived in Tuscaloosa for his freshman season, then-defensive coordinator Kirby Smart noted that Collins was a young player struggling to adjust to the nuances of the college game. Shortly after deciding to declare for the NFL Draft in January 2015, Collins recalled that as a freshman, "You're going to be lost. You don't know what's going on. You don't know the process of how everything goes." As a true freshman at Alabama, Collins contributed as a backup. He started on the kickoff and punt coverage units on and saw reserve action at safety in all 14 season games, recording 17 tackles and blocking a punt. He tied for the team lead with 10 special teams tackles, including nine on kickoff coverage and one on punt coverage. Alabama went on to win the BCS National Championship in 2012.


title: Landon Collins

text: After starting safety Vinnie Sunseri tore his ACL during Alabama's 52–0 win against Arkansas, Collins took over the starting job. In his first game as a starter against Tennessee, Collins had an 89-yard interception return for a touchdown. He finished the year with 70 tackles, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. Collins' 70 tackles ranked 2nd among the team, only behind starting linebacker C.J. Mosley, despite only having started six games. Despite starting the season 11–0, Alabama concluded the season with an Iron Bowl loss to Auburn and an Allstate Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma.


title: Landon Collins

text: As a junior, Collins started all fourteen games and led the team with 98 tackles, tied for the team lead in interceptions with three alongside Cyrus Jones, and finished second on the team with two fumble recoveries. He was named a unanimous All-American. The team would go on to make the first ever College Football Playoff, but eventually would lose to Ohio State in the semifinals.


title: Landon Collins

text: After his junior season, Collins entered the 2015 NFL Draft. Collins was reluctant to forgo his senior season at Alabama, but he was swayed by the NFL Draft Advisory Board's decision to grade him as a potential first-round pick. Mel Kiper Jr., of ESPN, even had him listed as a top-10 pick in one of his original mock drafts. Collins acknowledged that passing up on the opportunities to compete for another national championship and continue his education at Alabama was difficult, but vowed that he would complete the necessary courses in order to ensure that he would graduate.


title: Landon Collins

text: Prior to his junior season, Collins was projected as a high first-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft by various mock drafts.


title: Landon Collins

text: Collins was selected in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. The Giants originally owned the 40th pick, 8th overall in the second round, but made a trade with the Tennessee Titans in order to take Collins. On June 19, 2015, Collins signed a four-year, 6 million contract with the team.


title: Landon Collins

text: Collins entered training camp competing with Cooper Taylor and Nat Berhe to be the New York Giants' starting free safety, after they lost veterans Quintin Demps, Antrel Rolle, and Stevie Brown to free agency in the off season. On August 14, 2015, in a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Collins suffered a sprained MCL. He missed only one preseason game. The New York Giants named him the starting free safety to begin his rookie season. Collins was switched from his natural strong safety position since he was better suited to play free safety than Brandon Meriweather.


title: Landon Collins

text: He made his professional regular season debut in the New York Giants' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys and finished the 27–26 loss with four combined tackles. On October 19, 2015, Collins made his first career interception, picking off Sam Bradford and making five combined tackles in the Giant's 27–7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. On December 20, 2015, Collins recorded a season-high ten combined tackles and a pass deflection in a 38–35 loss to the Carolina Panthers. He finished his rookie season with 112 combined tackles, nine pass deflections, and an interception in 16 starts. The New York Giants finished 6–10 and head coach Tom Coughlin resigned at the end of the season.


title: Landon Collins

text: Collins enjoyed a breakout year in 2016 helping the Giants to an 11–5 record and to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.


title: Landon Collins

text: With the selection of Darian Thompson in the 2016 NFL Draft, Collins was able to switch back to his originally intended position of strong safety. He was named the "de facto" starting strong safety to begin the regular season.


title: Landon Collins

text: In the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Collins recorded six solo tackles and a pass deflection in his regular season debut at strong safety. The following week, he made sixed combined tackles and recorded his first career sack on Drew Brees in a 16–13 victory over the New Orleans Saints. On October 16, 2016, Collins racked up a season-high nine solo tackles, an assisted tackle, and sacked Joe Flacco in a 27–23 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The following week the New York Giants played the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham Stadium in London, and he made eight solo tackles and a season-high two interceptions off of Case Keenum, returning one for a 44-yard touchdown. He was named Week 7's NFC Defensive Player of the week.


title: Landon Collins

text: On November 6, 2016, Collins recorded a season-high 12 combined tackles, a pass deflection, a sack, and intercepted Carson Wentz during the Giant's 28–23 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive game and was the first safety to accomplish that feat since Troy Polamalu. The following week, he recorded five solo tackles and intercepted Andy Dalton in the fourth quarter of a 21–20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. During a Week 11 matchup with the Chicago Bears, Collins made six solo tackles, three pass deflections, and intercepted Jay Cutler with 1:11 left on the clock to seal the 22–16 victory. This was Collins fourth consecutive game with an interception. Collins earned NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November, registering 30 combined tackles, a sack, and three interceptions.


title: Landon Collins

text: On December 20, 2016, Collins was named to the 2017 Pro Bowl. He finished his first season under new head coach Ben McAdoo with 125 combined tackles, four sacks, 13 pass deflections, five interceptions, and a touchdown in 16 starts. Collins ended the season as the only player in NFL history to have over 100 solo tackles, more than two sacks, at least five interceptions, and with a minimum 12 pass deflections. He was also named first-team All-Pro. After the season, Collins was named NFC Defensive player of the Year by the Kansas City Committee of 101. He was also ranked 28th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.


title: Landon Collins

text: In Week 11, Collins recorded 15 tackles and had an Interception in a 12–9 overtime win over the Chiefs, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. The Giants started the season 2-10 and subsequently fired head coach Ben McAdoo. Collins expressed his displeasure with this decision by saying that McAdoo deserved to coach for at least one more year. In Week 14, Collins injured his ankle in a game against the Dallas Cowboys. Collins was forced to leave the game and was unable to return. However he returned the following week in Week 16. On December 19, 2017, Collins was named to his second Pro Bowl. On December 26, 2017, Collins was placed on injured reserve after suffering a fractured forearm in Week 16. He was ranked 92nd by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.


title: Landon Collins

text: During the offseason, Collins announced that he required surgery on his right forearm, and that he may have to miss part of the Giants training camp. Collins was part of trade rumors around the trade deadline; however, he was not moved. In the team's week 13 win over the Chicago Bears, Collins suffered a partially torn rotator cuff and was placed on injured reserve four days later after it was announced he would have surgery to repair it. He finished the season with 96 total tackles, four pass breakups, and a forced fumble playing and starting in 12 games.


title: Landon Collins

text: An unrestricted free agent for the 2019 season, Collins signed a six-year, $84 million contract with the Washington Redskins on March 13, 2019. After initial speculation on if Collins would wear number 21 with the Redskins after his idol, Sean Taylor, Collins chose 20 as 21 has not been given out by the team since Taylor's death in 2007.


title: Landon Collins

text: In Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, Collins made a team high 12 tackles as the Redskins lost 31–21.


title: Landon Collins

text: In week 6 against the Miami Dolphins, Collins recorded a team high 12 tackles and sacked Josh Rosen once as the Redskins won their first game of the season 17–16.


title: Landon Collins

text: Prior to the beginning of the 2020 season, Collins switched to his college number #26 following the release of Adrian Peterson giving his number #20 to Jimmy Moreland. In Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, Collins recorded his first sack and his first interception on the season. In Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, Collins tore his Achilles and was placed on injured reserve on October 27.


title: Landon Collins

text: After losing several linebackers to injury, Washington chose to switch Collins to a hybrid safety-linebacker role in October 2021. In Week 12 against the Seattle Seahawks, he forced a fumble on running back Alex Collins in Washington's 17-15 win. In the Week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Collins had his first interception of the season against Dak Prescott, and also recorded two sacks. The following week against the Philadelphia Eagles, he recorded an interception off a ball that bounced off Dallas Goedert's foot, one pass deflection, and one fumble recovery. In that game, he suffered a foot injury and was placed on injured reserve on December 24. On March 16, 2022, the team designated Collins as a post-June 1 release.


title: Landon Collins

text: On October 6, 2022, Collins rejoined the Giants, signing to their practice squad. Collins was elevated from the practice squad for Week 7 and Week 8 games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Seattle Seahawks.


title: Landon Collins

text: A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Collins grew up in the Algiers neighborhood. When Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005, Collins and his family had to leave, and eventually settled in Geismar in Ascension Parish. From ages 4–12, Tom Collins, Landon's father, was his football coach. Landon says his father "is the most influential coach I've ever had." Collins said that while his father coached him, he coined the nickname "Money" for his son because everything he touched "was just gold at the age of six." As a child, Landon's idols were former running back Clinton Portis, retired quarterback Peyton Manning, and the late Sean Taylor, who was a safety for the Redskins when he was murdered - Collins wore No. 21 to honor Sean Taylor. Collins also started playing baseball when he was 7 or 8 years old.


title: Landon Collins

text: Collins is the son of Tom Collins and April Justin. His father is currently a station director at the Coastal Bridge Construction Company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while his mother resides in Florida. Collins is Justin's first-born son. He has two brothers, Gerald Willis and Justin Collins, and one sister, Gerrah Willis. Gerald also played college football at the University of Florida and for the University of Miami. Willis also played for Baltimore Ravens.


title: Landon Collins

text: Collins' relationship with his mother has become much better. The two have never directly addressed Landon's decision to choose Alabama over LSU, which causes the issue to remain a source of tension in their relationship.


title: Landon Collins

text: Following U.S. President Donald Trump's September 2017 comments where he said that any player that kneels during the National Anthem should be fired or suspended, Collins and Giants teammates Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon all took a knee in their third game of the 2017 season against the Philadelphia Eagles. When asked about his decision to kneel, Collins said he was "absolutely conflicted" as he loved the U.S., adding that he was crying as he knelt. Collins also referenced his uncle who previously served in the Army as an additional source of conflicted feelings while taking a knee during the anthem. When the Giants played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week, Collins instead chose to raise his fist during the anthem. This decision came after Giants owner John Mara requested that the players stood during the anthem, while noting that he understood if they did not.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Wilma Jeanne Cooper (October 25, 1928 – May 8, 2013) was an American actress, best known for her role as Katherine Chancellor on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" (1973–2013). At the time of her death, she was eighth on the all-time list of longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States. She also guest starred as an episode's leading lady in dozens of television series in the 1950s and 1960s. She was the mother of three children, the eldest being actor Corbin Bernsen.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Jeanne Cooper was born in Taft, California, the youngest of three children of Albert Troy Cooper and his wife, the former Sildeth Evelyn Moore. The family lived in Kern County for several years, first in Taft until 1942 and then in Bakersfield. Her mother died on August 21, 1944, the year before Jeanne graduated from Taft Union High School, Her father lived for several more decades, dying on April 11, 1986.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper began her acting career in the 1950s, performing initially as a supporting player in films with stars like Maureen O'Hara, Glenn Ford, Tony Curtis, and Henry Fonda. Her first film role was as Myra in the 1953 western film, "The Redhead from Wyoming". She later appeared in small roles in "The Man from the Alamo", "Over-Exposed", "5 Steps to Danger", "Rock All Night", "House of Women", "13 West Street", "The Intruder", "Black Zoo", "The Glory Guys", "Tony Rome", "The Boston Strangler" and "Kansas City Bomber".


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper was a fixture on episodic television throughout the 1950s and 1970s. In 1956, she was cast as Mrs. Hinton in "The Rabbi Davis Story" of the religious anthology series, "Crossroads". That same year, she portrayed Louise Douglas in "Girl Bandit" of Broderick Crawford's syndicated crime drama, "Highway Patrol". She also appeared in the "Wagon Train" episode titled "The Whipping" and as Marie Conover in the 1957 "Cheyenne" episode titled "Top Hand" starring Clint Walker.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper played Ann Dix in the 1955 episode "I Am Joaquin" of the syndicated western anthology series, "Death Valley Days," hosted by Stanley Andrews. In the storyline, Ann searches with ultimate success for eight years for the return of her young daughter whom the Mexican bandit Joaquin Murrieta (Cliff Fields) left at a Roman Catholic church after he boarded a ship and stabbed to death the girl's father, Capt. Stephen Dix, played by John Damler.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: In 1957, she starred in one of the early episodes of two different western series, NBC's "Tales of Wells Fargo" starring Dale Robertson, in the role of the woman bandit Belle Starr, and two episodes on ABC’s "Maverick"; in 1959, she portrayed Duchess in a second "Tales of Wells Fargo" episode, "Clay Allison". In 1958, she was cast in the episode "Wheel of Fortune" of the NBC western series, "Jefferson Drum", starring Jeff Richards as a newspaper publisher. Also in 1958, Cooper appeared as Lucy in the "Sundown at Bitter Creek" episode of the CBS western anthology series, "Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre". She guest starred in "Wanted Dead or Alive" starring Steve McQueen in a 1959 episode titled "Man on Horseback."


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: In 1960, she again played Belle Starr in the "Shadow of Jesse James" episode of the TV series "Bronco" starring Ty Hardin. Cooper made five guest appearances during the nine-year run of CBS's "Perry Mason" starring Raymond Burr, beginning with the role of Laura Beaumont in the 1958 episode, "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse." In the final season of the show, she made her fifth and final appearance as defendant Miriam Fielding in the 1966 episode, "The Case of the Vanishing Victim". In 1962, Cooper earned her first Emmy nomination for her performance in "Ben Casey". She appeared as a regular on NBC's "Bracken's World" series about the movie business. She also appeared in episodes of "The Twilight Zone", "Hawaii Five-O", "Mannix", "Ironside", "Storefront Lawyers", "The Silent Force", "Touched by an Angel", "Gunsmoke", "The Untouchables", among numerous other series.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: In 1965, she appeared in the ABC network's Western television series "The Big Valley" as Elaine Baxter Jason, a mercantile store owner and an old friend of series character Victoria Barkley (Barbara Stanwyck). In another episode she appears as the money-hungry aunt of Heath (Lee Majors). Her husband was portrayed in the episode by John Anderson, who years later became known as MacGyver's grandfather, Harry Jackson.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper is best known for her role as Katherine Chancellor on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless". Her character broke ground in the daytime medium; Katherine endured several bouts with alcoholism, ischemic stroke, and the loss of many men in her life (four late husbands, and a child given away after birth).


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: In 1984, Katherine (and Cooper) also had a facelift on national television (Cooper had pitched the idea of having a live facelift to CBS executives, who agreed to write the facelift into the show).


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper received ten Daytime Emmy nominations, nine for Outstanding Lead Actress and one for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and two Primetime Emmy nominations. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys in 2004. For her contributions to television, Cooper received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. She won the 2008 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. This was her first competitive win; she had first been nominated in 1989.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper's character, Katherine, was thought to have died in a November 2008 episode. It was, however, her look-alike, Marge, who died, and Katherine had experienced memory issues due to the car accident that took Marge's life.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper had to take a medical leave in October 2011 and her part on the soap was temporarily recast with veteran actress Michael Learned. However, the next month, Cooper confirmed she was returning to the set. She returned as part of the show on December 23, 2011. She taped her last scene on the show in March 2013 on the same day as the "Young and the Restless" 40th anniversary and this scene aired on May 3, 2013, five days before her death.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: A tribute episode of "The Young and the Restless" in honor of Jeanne Cooper, made up of clips, cast memories and interviews, was shown on May 28, 2013 on CBS. Her character, Katherine, died offscreen a few months later after a trip around the world.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: Cooper married television producer Harry Bernsen, Jr., and they were together for 23 years before divorcing. In her book (released on July 31, 2012), Cooper makes it known that after their divorce, she and her ex-husband very rarely saw each other (only when family functions dictated) and they were not close or even friends before his death on May 31, 2008.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: The Bernsens had three children, all of whom are actors: Corbin Bernsen of "L.A. Law" fame (born September 7, 1954), whose mother Cooper portrayed twice on that series; Collin Bernsen, born March 30, 1958; and Caren Bernsen, born August 17, 1960.


title: Jeanne Cooper

text: In 2013, shortly after a round of promotion for the Y&R 40th anniversary, Cooper became ill due to an infection. She died on May 8, 2013, in a Los Angeles hospital. In addition to the infection, Cooper had been a heavy smoker most of her adult life and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Her final Y&R scene was taped March 26, 2013 (the exact date of Y&R's 40th anniversary) and aired on May 3, 2013. “Mom passed this morning”, her son, Corbin Bernsen, revealed on Twitter the day of her death. “She was in peace and without fear.”


title: This Is Us (season 3)

text: The third season of the American television series "This Is Us" continues to follow the lives and connections of the Pearson family across several time periods. The season is produced by Rhode Island Ave. Productions, Zaftig Films, and 20th Century Fox Television, with Dan Fogelman, Isaac Aptaker, and Elizabeth Berger serving as showrunners.


title: This Is Us (season 3)

text: A third season was ordered, alongside a second season, in January 2017, with production for season three beginning in July 2018. The season stars an ensemble cast featuring Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, Jon Huertas, Melanie Liburd, Niles Fitch, Logan Shroyer, Hannah Zeile, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Parker Bates, Eris Baker, Faithe Herman, Lonnie Chavis, and Lyric Ross.


title: This Is Us (season 3)

text: The third season premiered on September 25, 2018 and concluded on April 2, 2019. The season consisted of 18 episodes.


title: This Is Us (season 3)

text: On January 18, 2017, NBC renewed the series for a second and third season of 18 episodes each, for a total of 36 additional episodes.


title: This Is Us (season 3)

text: Main cast members Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, Jon Huertas and Ron Cephas Jones return from the second season as Jack Pearson, Rebecca Pearson, Randall Pearson, Kate Pearson, Kevin Pearson, Beth Pearson, Toby Damon, Miguel Rivas, and William H. Hill, respectively. Lyric Ross, who recurred as Deja throughout the second season, was subsequently promoted to the principal cast in the third season. In August 2018, Michael Angarano was cast to recur as Nick Pearson, Jack Pearson's brother; the character was first mentioned in the second season, and previously was depicted only briefly as a child. Melanie Liburd was promoted to series regular after guest starring in the second season as Zoe, Beth Pearson's cousin and Kevin Pearson's new love interest.


title: Family Guy (season 19)

text: The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family, consisting of father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie, and the family dog Brian, who reside in their hometown of Quahog.


title: Family Guy (season 19)

text: Season nineteen premiered the run of the eighteenth production season, which was executive produced by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, Richard Appel, Steve Callaghan, Danny Smith, Kara Vallow, Mark Hentemann, Tom Devanney and Patrick Meighan. Sulkin and Appel returned as the series' showrunners.


title: Family Guy (season 19)

text: During this season, Stewie says his first word ("Stewie's First Word"), Peter becomes an Italian mob boss ("La Famiglia Guy"), Peter finds out his mortal enemy Ernie the Giant Chicken is dying ("Fecal Matters"), Quahog gets a new mayor, voiced by Sam Elliot ("Wild Wild West"), Meg adopts a cat ("Family Cat") and Brian and Stewie go on a "Terminator"-esque adventure to save Stewie's life. ("PeTerminator")


title: Family Guy (season 19)

text: On June 26, 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd riots, Mike Henry announced that he would no longer voice the African American character Cleveland Brown. Actor Wendell Pierce launched a campaign to become Mike Henry's replacement. It was later announced on September 25, 2020 that actor and YouTube personality Arif Zahir, who is known for voicing Cleveland in several fan videos, would be the new voice for the character. This makes Season 19 the final season in which Cleveland Brown is voiced by Mike Henry.


title: Family Guy (season 19)

text: The season premiered on September 27, 2020, airing on Sundays as part of Fox's Animation Domination programming block, along with "The Simpsons", "Bless the Harts", "Bob's Burgers", and "The Great North".


title: Family Guy (season 19)

text: The season is available to stream internationally in the UK, Australia and Canada on Disney+'s Star hub.


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: Sabrina Claudio (born September 19, 1996) is an American singer and songwriter. In late 2016, Claudio uploaded several songs to SoundCloud, before compiling a select collection as part of her debut extended play, "Confidently Lost", which was released independently in March 2017. Her single "Unravel Me" peaked at number 22 on the "Billboard" Twitter Emerging Artists chart, and her single "Belong to You" peaked at number two on the same chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Her debut mixtape, "About Time" was released on October 5, 2017. It peaked at number 13 on "Billboard"s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: Claudio grew up in Fort Lauderdale. She is of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she began her music career in earnest. She first began recording and releasing video covers on Twitter and YouTube before transitioning to original tracks which she released on SoundCloud. Over the course of 2016, Claudio released several singles, including "Runnin' Thru Lovers", "Orion's Belt", and "Confidently Lost."


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: These songs would form part of her EP, "Confidently Lost", which she originally released independently on SoundCloud. The EP received a wide release in March 2017 via SC Entertainment. In May 2017, she released a single, "Unravel Me", off of an upcoming project due to be released later in 2017. The song would go on to peak at #22 on the "Billboard" Twitter Emerging Artists chart. She released another single for that project entitled "Belong to You" in July 2017, which peaked at #2 on the same chart.


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: It was announced in August 2017 that Claudio would be touring North America with 6lack on his Free 6lack Tour.


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: On October 5, 2017, Claudio's debut full-length digital mixtape, "About Time", was officially released. The mixtape is supported by the singles "Unravel Me" and "Belong to You". From October through November 2017, Apple Music promoted Claudio as their "Up Next" artist, a series that focuses on breakthrough artists by documenting their journey, inspiration and influences through exclusive interviews, live performances and a mini-documentary.


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: On April 2, 2018, Claudio released the single "All to You" followed by "Don't Let Me Down" featuring Khalid on April 4. Her debut studio album "No Rain, No Flowers", was released on August 15, 2018, preceded by the single "Messages From Her". Her management is SAL&CO/Neal Atweh.


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: In 2022, Claudio was credited on "Plastic Off the Sofa", the eighth track on Beyoncé's seventh studio album, "Renaissance".


title: Sabrina Claudio

text: In April 2018, a series of screenshots began to circulate around the social media app Twitter showcasing Claudio's alleged use of several racial slurs, and other offensive language directed at Black women. She also was accused of using a second account on Twitter to share racist messages. Claudio has since issued a now-deleted apology on Twitter for her actions.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Electric aircraft are seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of aviation, providing zero emissions and quieter flights.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Crewed flights in an electrically powered airship go back to the 19th century, and to 1917 for a tethered helicopter.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Electrically powered model aircraft have been flown at least since the 1970s, preceding the small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones used today. Small UAS could be used for parcel deliveries, and larger ones for long-endurance applications: aerial imagery, surveillance, telecommunications.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The first crewed free flight by an electrically powered aeroplane, the MB-E1, was made in 1973, and most crewed electric aircraft today are still only experimental prototypes.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The environmental effects of aviation on climate change have become a major driving force for the development of electric aircraft, with a zero-emissions electric powertrain being the goal for some development teams. Aviation accounts for 2.4% of all fossil fuel derived emissions, and its emissions of air transportation altogether increased by 32% between 2013 and 2018. While estimating aviation's non- effects on climate change is complex, NOx and contrails could increase this responsibility to 3.5%. Other benefits are the potential for noise reduction, in an industry with a severe noise pollution and abatement problem, as well as the removal of lead emissions for general aviation using 100LL fuel.


title: Electric aircraft

text: A solar cell converts sunlight directly into electricity, either for direct power or temporary storage. The power output of solar cells is low and requires that many be connected together, which limits their use. Typical solar panels running at 15–20% conversion efficiency (sunlight energy to electrical power) produce about in direct sunlight. Usable areas are further limited as output from a poorly performing panel impacts the output of all the panels on its circuit, meaning they all require similar conditions, including being at a similar angle to the sun, and not being masked by shadow.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Between 2010 and 2020, solar power modules have declined in cost by 90% and continue to drop by 13–15% per year. Solar cell efficiency has also risen substantially, from 2% in 1955 to 20% in 1985, and some experimental systems now exceed 44%. However, most of the technologies at these high efficiencies have only been possible under laboratory settings and not at full scale production level.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The free availability of sunlight makes solar power attractive for high-altitude, long-endurance applications, where the cold and reduced atmospheric interference make them significantly more efficient than on the ground. The drop in the dry-air temperature as altitude increases, called the environmental lapse rate (ELR), averages 6.49 °C/km (memorized in pilot training as 1.98 °C/1,000 ft or 3.56 °F/1,000 feet) so that temperature for a typical airliner's cruising altitude of around will be substantially lower than at ground level.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Night flying, such for endurance flights and with aircraft providing 24 hour coverage over an area typically require a backup storage system, which is charged during the day from surplus power, and supplies power during the hours of darkness.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Power beaming of electromagnetic energy such as microwaves relies on a ground-based power source. However, compared to using a power cable, power beaming allows the aircraft to move laterally and carries a much lower weight penalty, particularly as altitude increases. The technology has only been demonstrated on small models and awaits practical development at larger scales.


title: Electric aircraft

text: For powered vehicles replacing tethered aerostats, an electrical power cable can be connected to a ground-based supply, such as an electric generator or the local power grid. At low altitudes this avoids having to lift batteries, and was used by the experimental Petróczy-Kármán-Žurovec PKZ-1 observation vehicle of 1917. However the higher it flies, the heavier the length of cable it lifts becomes.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Batteries are the most common onboard energy storage component of electric aircraft, due to their relatively high storage capacity. Batteries first powered airships in the nineteenth century but the lead-acid batteries were very heavy and it was not until the arrival of other chemistries, such as nickel-cadmium (NiCd) later in the twentieth century, that batteries became practical for heavier-than-air aircraft. Modern batteries are mostly rechargeable types based on lithium technologies.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Lithium polymer (LiPo), a type of lithium-ion batteries (LIB), have long been applied in unmanned flight for their light weight and rechargeability. However, their energy density limits their application mostly to being drone batteries. Increasing maximum time of flight by simply designing larger aircraft using larger batteries is inefficient, because of the payload-range compromise. After a certain increase in battery weight, there are diminishing returns through the mass penalty not outweighing the increase in battery specific energy. There is a similar trade-off between the maximum range and number of passengers. Computational tools have been used to model this trend, predicting that a small-scale electric aircraft of average weight (1500 kg) and average energy density (150 Wh/kg) could travel a range of ~80 mi with one passenger, ~60 mi with two, and less than ~30 mi with three.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In 2017 the power available from batteries was estimated at around 170 Wh/kg, 145 Wh/kg at the shaft including the system efficiency, while a gas turbine extracted 6,545 Wh/kg of shaft power from an 11,900 Wh/kg fuel. In 2018 Lithium-ion batteries including packaging and accessories were estimated to give 160 Wh/kg while aviation fuel gave 12,500 Wh/kg. In 2018 the specific energy of electricity storage was still only 2% of aviation fuel. This 1:50 ratio makes electric propulsion impractical for long-range aircraft, as a mission for an all-electric, 12-passenger aircraft would require a six-fold increase in battery power density. That said, battery-electric motors have a higher efficiency (~90%) than most jet engines (~50%), which can be further exploited through emerging battery chemistries.


title: Electric aircraft

text: To be feasible for electric aircraft application, it is essential that power storage be improved. Energy density is widely recognized to be the bottleneck for zero-emission electric powertrain. Another limitation is the discharge rate due to demand-pack energy ratio and sensitive mission segments, as the discharge C-rate for take-off is 4C while it is almost 5C for landing. Electric aircraft have additional heat generation and end-of-life needs, requiring novel thermal management strategies, power-fade capabilities and battery pack failure modes.


title: Electric aircraft

text: As of 2019, the best Li-ion batteries achieved 250–300 Wh/kg, sufficient for a small aircraft, while a regional airliner would have needed a 500 Wh/kg battery pack and an Airbus A320-sized single-aisle would need 2 kWh/kg.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Electric power is only suitable for small aircraft while for large passenger aircraft, an improvement of the energy density by a factor 20 compared to li-ion batteries would be required.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Such batteries can reduce the overall operating costs for some short-range flights. For example, the electricity used in the Harbour Air Beavers costs them around $0.1 Canadian per kWh compared to $2.00 per liter for gas, providing of energy with a 44 MJ/kg fuel and a 0.75 density Avgas, $2/9.2round2 per chemical kWh or $2/9.2*3round2 per shaft kWh with an efficiency of one third. Jet fuel is cheaper and large gas turbine are more efficient, though. In 2021, beyond-lithium-ion technologies such as Solid-state battery (lithium-sulfur, LSB) and lithium-air batteries (LAB) have become increasingly promising areas of research for more competitive battery-electric aircraft performance.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The SAE International AE-7D committee was formed by Electro.Aero in 2018 to standardise electric aircraft charging and energy storage. One of the first documents developed was the AS6968 standard for sub-megawatt electric aircraft charging of electric aircraft. The AE-7D committee is also developing Aerospace Information Report AIR7357 for megawatt power level charging. Some airports have charging stations for electric cars which can also charge aircraft.


title: Electric aircraft

text: An ultracapacitor is a hybrid electrochemical energy storage system bridging batteries and capacitors, and has some advantages over batteries in being able to charge and discharge much faster with higher peak currents, while not being as limited in the number of charge-discharge cycles, as the reaction is not just chemical but also electrical.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Their energy density, typically around 5 Wh/kg, is however well below that of batteries, and they are considerably more expensive, even when their longer lifespan is factored in.


title: Electric aircraft

text: A fuel cell (FC) uses the reaction between two chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity, much like a liquid-propellant rocket motor, but generating electricity in a controlled chemical reaction, instead of thrust. While the aircraft must carry the hydrogen (or a similar fuel), with its own complications and risks, the oxygen can be obtained from the atmosphere.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Almost all electric aircraft to date have been powered by electric motors driving thrust-generating propellers or lift-generating rotors.


title: Electric aircraft

text: While the batteries weigh more than the equivalent in fuel, electric motors weigh less than their piston-engine counterparts and in smaller aircraft used for shorter flights, can partly offset the disparity between electric and gasoline energy densities. Electric motors also do not lose power with altitude, unlike internal-combustion engines, avoiding the need for complex and costly measures used to prevent this, such as the use of turbochargers.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The experimental Extra 330LE have a Siemens SP260D motor weighing 50 kg, with a 37.2 kWh battery pack, for an aircraft weight of 1,000 kg. It replaces a 235 kW (315 hp) Lycoming AEIO-580 piston engine weighing 202 kg. The piston-engine Extra 330 empty weight is 677 kg, 474 kg without the engine. The Lycoming engine has a fuel consumption of per hour when outputting , or 64/235round2 kg/kWh: it needs 37.2*0.27round1 kg of fuel to output the same 37.2 kWh.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Besides the motor itself, an aircraft weight is hampered by the necessary energy reserves: a 19-seat aircraft needs the mandatory IFR reserves of 5% route contingency, the flight to a 100 nmi alternate plus 30 minutes of holding before landing – 308 kg of fuel for a turboprop, or 4,300 kg of 250 Wh/kg batteries, similar to a current 19-seater empty weight. An electric propulsion system also includes a power inverter, while fuel engines have a fuel system themselves.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The experimental magniX magni500 electric motor weighs , while the certified Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114 weighs , both powering the Cessna 208 Caravan.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The increase in power, combined with Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) modifications can offset the weight of the batteries by increasing the airplane's gross operating weight, including the landing weight. Aircraft that use fossil fuels are lighter when they land, which allows the structure to be lighter. With a battery powered aircraft, the weight remains the same, and so may require reinforcement.


title: Electric aircraft

text: A hybrid electric aircraft is an aircraft with a hybrid electric powertrain. It typically takes off and lands under clean and quiet electric power, and cruises under conventional piston or jet engine power. This makes long flights practical, while reducing their carbon footprint.


title: Electric aircraft

text: By May 2018, there were over 30 projects, and short-haul hybrid-electric airliners were envisioned from 2032. The most advanced are the Zunum Aero 10-seater, the Airbus E-Fan X demonstrator, the VoltAero Cassio, UTC is modifying a Bombardier Dash 8, while the Ampaire Electric EEL prototype first flew on 6 June 2019.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In November 2018, MIT engineers achieved the first free flight with a model aircraft having no moving parts, the EAD Airframe Version 2. It is propelled by creating an ion wind using magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). MHD has been used to achieve vertical lift in the past, but only by cabling up the MHD ion generator system to an external power supply.


title: Electric aircraft

text: This was up from 70 the previous year and included 60% from startups, 32% from aerospace incumbents, half of them major OEMs and 8% from academic, government organizations and non-aerospace companies, mainly from Europe (45%) and the U.S. (40%). Mostly urban air taxis (50%) and general aviation aircraft (47%), a majority are battery-powered (73%), while some are hybrid-electric (31%), most of these being larger airliners. By May 2019, the number of known electric aircraft development programmes was closer to 170, with a majority of them aimed at the urban air taxi role.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The use of electricity for aircraft propulsion was first experimented with during the development of the airship in the latter part of the nineteenth century. On 8 October 1883, Gaston Tissandier flew the first electrically powered airship. The following year, Charles Renard and Arthur Krebs flew La France with a more powerful motor. Even with the lifting capacity of an airship, the heavy accumulators needed to store the electricity severely limited the speed and range of such early airships.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In 1909, an electric free flight model was claimed to have been flown eight minutes, but this claim has been disputed by the builder of the first recorded electric Radio-Controlled model aircraft flight in 1957. Power density for electric flight was problematic even for small models.


title: Electric aircraft

text: NASA's Pathfinder, Pathfinder Plus, Centurion, and Helios were a series of solar and fuel cell system–powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed by AeroVironment, Inc. from 1983 until 2003 under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology program. On September 11, 1995, Pathfinder set an unofficial altitude record for solar-powered aircraft of during a 12-hour flight from NASA Dryden. After further modifications, the aircraft was moved to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. On July 7, 1997, Pathfinder raised the altitude record for solar–powered aircraft to , which was also the record for propeller–driven aircraft.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On August 6, 1998, Pathfinder Plus raised the national altitude record to for solar-powered and propeller-driven aircraft.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On August 14, 2001, Helios set an altitude record of – the record for FAI class U (experimental/new technologies), and FAI class U-1.d (remotely controlled UAV with a mass between ) as well as the altitude record for propeller–driven aircraft. On June 26, 2003, the Helios prototype broke up and fell into the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii after the aircraft encountered turbulence, ending the program.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In 2005, Alan Cocconi of AC Propulsion flew, with the assistance of several other pilots, an unmanned airplane named "SoLong" for 48 hours non-stop, propelled entirely by solar energy. This was the first such around-the-clock flight, on energy stored in the batteries mounted on the aircraft.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The QinetiQ Zephyr is a lightweight solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). As of 23 July 2010 it holds the endurance record for an unmanned aerial vehicle of over 2 weeks (336 hours). It is of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer construction, the 2010 version weighing (the 2008 version weighed ) with a span of (the 2008 version had a wingspan). During the day it uses sunlight to charge lithium-sulphur batteries, which power the aircraft at night. In July 2010 a Zephyr made a world record UAV endurance flight of 336 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds (more than two weeks) and also set an altitude record of for FAI class U-1.c (remotely controlled UAV with a weight between ).


title: Electric aircraft

text: For a tethered device such as an air observation platform, it is possible to run the power up the tether. In an attempt to create a more practical solution than the clumsy balloons then in use, the Austro-Hungarian Petróczy-Kármán-Žurovec PKZ-1 electric-powered helicopter was flown in 1917. It had a specially-designed continuous-rated electric motor made by Austro-Daimler and received its power up a cable from a ground-based DC generator. However electric motors were not yet powerful enough for such applications and the motor burned out after only a few flights.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In 1964, William C. Brown at Raytheon flew a model helicopter that received all of the power needed for flight by microwave power transmission.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The world's first large-scale all-electric tilt-rotor was the AgustaWestland Project Zero unmanned aerial vehicle technology demonstrator, which performed unmanned tethered fights on ground power in June 2011, less than six months after the company gave the official go-ahead.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The first free-flying electric helicopter was the Solution F/Chretien Helicopter, developed by Pascal Chretien in Venelles, France. It went from computer-aided design concept on September 10, 2010, to first flight in August 2011, in under a year.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In September 2016, Martine Rothblatt and Tier1 Engineering successfully tested an electric-powered helicopter. The five minute flight reached an altitude of with a peak speed of . The Robinson R44 helicopter was modified with two three-phase permanent magnet synchronous YASA Motors, weighing , plus 11 Lithium polymer batteries from Brammo weighing . It later flew for 20 minutes in 2016.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On December 7, 2018, Tier 1 Engineering flew an electric, battery-powered R44 over at and an altitude of , setting a Guinness World Record for the farthest distance.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In June 2017, Airbus presented its CityAirbus, an electrically powered VTOL aircraft demonstrator. The multirotor aircraft is intended to carry four passengers, with a pilot initially and to become self-piloted when regulations allow. Its first unmanned flight was scheduled for the end of 2018 with manned flights planned to follow in 2019. Type certification and commercial introduction are planned for 2023.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Ingenuity, the NASA small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) which flew on Mars in 2021 to become the first extraterrestrial aircraft, has a single pair of coaxial rotors. The Dragonfly rotorcraft lander should be the second aircraft and rotorcraft to operate on another astronomical object than Earth. It should be flying in the atmosphere of Titan starting around 2034. The VTOL capabilities is incorporated in order to move the lander and its sensors at various locations farther from the landing site.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On 21 October 1973, the Militky MB-E1, a Brditschka HB-3 motor glider converted by Fred Militky and Heino Brditschka, flew for 9 minutes from Linz in Austria: the first electric aircraft to fly under its own power with a person on board, powered by Nickel–cadmium batteries (NiCad). NiCad batteries have a higher energy density than lead-acid batteries, needed to power an heavier than air aircraft.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Following successful human-powered flight, a relaunched Kremer prize allowed the crew to store energy before takeoff. In the 1980s several such designs stored electricity generated by pedalling, including the MIT Monarch and the Aerovironment Bionic Bat.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The Boeing-led FCD (fuel cell demonstrator) project uses a Diamond HK-36 Super Dimona motor glider as a research test bed for a hydrogen fuel cell powered light airplane. Successful flights took place in February and March 2008.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The European Commission has financed many low TRL projects for innovative electric or hybrid propulsion aircraft. The ENFICA-FC is a project of the European Commission, to study and demonstrate an all-electric aircraft with fuel-cells as the main or auxiliary power system. During the three-year project, a fuel-cell based power system was designed and first flown in a Rapid 200FC ultralight aircraft on 20 May 2010.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The first NASA Green Flight Challenge took place in 2011 and was won by a Pipistrel Taurus G4 on 3 October 2011.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In 2013 Chip Yates demonstrated that the world's fastest electric airplane, a Long ESA, a modified Rutan Long-EZ, could outperform a gasoline-powered Cessna and other aircraft in a series of trials verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. The Long ESA was found to be less expensive, have a higher maximum speed, and higher rate of climb, partly due to the ability of the aircraft to maintain performance at altitude as low air density does not impair engine performance.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In 2017, Siemens used a modified Extra EA-300 acrobatic airplane, the 330LE, to set two new records: on March 23 at the Dinslaken Schwarze Heide airfield in Germany, the aircraft reached a top speed of around over and the next day, it became the first glider towing electric aircraft.


title: Electric aircraft

text: NASA developed the X-57 Maxwell to demonstrate technology to reduce fuel use, emissions, and noise. Modified from a Tecnam P2006T, the X-57 will have 14 electric motors driving propellers mounted on the wing leading edges. In July 2017, Scaled Composites is modifying a first P2006T by replacing the piston engines with electric motors, to fly early in 2018, then will move the motors to the wingtips to increase propulsive efficiency and finally will install the high aspect ratio wing with 12 smaller props.


title: Electric aircraft

text: US/UK startup ZeroAvia develops zero-emissions fuel-cell propulsion systems for small aircraft, and tests its HyFlyer in Orkney supported by £2.7 million from the UK government.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On April 29, 1979, the Mauro Solar Riser became the first person-carrying, solar-powered aircraft to fly, with photovoltaic cells delivering at 30 volts and charging a small battery, which powered the motor. Following a 1.5-hour charge, the battery could power the aircraft for 3 to 5 minutes to reach a gliding altitude. It followed a successful model test in 1974, as solar cells were developed, at the same period than with NiCad batteries.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Under the direction of Freddie To, an architect and member of the Kremer prize committee, the Solar One was designed by David Williams and produced by Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments. A motor-glider type aircraft originally built as a pedal-powered airplane to attempt the Channel crossing, the airplane proved too heavy to be successfully powered by human power and was then converted to solar power, using an electric motor driven by batteries that were charged before flight by a solar cell array on the wing. The maiden flight of Solar One took place at Lasham Airfield, Hampshire, on June 13, 1979.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The MacCready Solar Challenger was first flown in 1980, and in 1981 flew 163 miles from Pontoise – Cormeilles Aerodrome, north of Paris, France to Manston Royal Air Force Base in Manston, United Kingdom, staying aloft 5 hours and 23 minutes, with pilot Stephen Ptacek at the controls.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The human piloted Solair 1, developed by Günther Rochelt, flew in 1983 with notably improved performance. It employed 2499 wing-mounted solar cells.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The German solar-powered aircraft "Icaré II" was designed and built by the institute of aircraft design (Institut für Flugzeugbau) of the University of Stuttgart in 1996. The leader of the project and often pilot of the aircraft is Rudolf Voit-Nitschmann, the head of the institute. The design won the Berblinger prize in 1996, the EAA Special Achievement Award in Oshkosh, the Golden Daidalos Medal of the German Aeroclub and the OSTIV-Prize in France in 1997.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Solar Impulse 2 is powered by four electric motors. Energy from solar cells on the wings and horizontal stabilizer is stored in lithium polymer batteries and used to drive propellers. In 2012 the first Solar Impulse made the first intercontinental flight by a solar aircraft, flying from Madrid, Spain to Rabat, Morocco. Completed in 2014, Solar Impulse 2 carried more solar cells and more powerful motors, among other improvements. In March 2015, the aircraft took off on the first stage of a planned round-the-world trip, flying eastwards from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Due to battery damage, the craft halted at Hawaii, where its batteries were replaced. It resumed the circumnavigation in April 2016 and reached Seville, Spain, in June 2016. The following month it returned to Abu Dhabi, completing its circumnavigation of the world.


title: Electric aircraft

text: An application is as a sustaining motor or even a self-launching motor for gliders. The most common system is the front electric sustainer, which is used in over 240 gliders. The short range is not a problem as the motor is used only briefly, either to launch or to avoid an outlanding (an unplanned landing while soaring).


title: Electric aircraft

text: The first commercially available, non-certified production electric aircraft, the Alisport Silent Club self-launching glider, flew in 1997. It is optionally driven by a DC electric motor running on of batteries that store of energy.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The first certificate of airworthiness for an electric powered aircraft was granted to the Lange Antares 20E in 2003. Also an electric, self-launching glider/sailplane, with a DC/DC brushless motor and lithium-ion batteries, it can climb up to with fully charged cells. The first flight was in 2003. In 2011 the aircraft won the 2011 Berblinger competition.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In late 2000s Chinese manufacturer of radio-controlled models Yuneec International developed and tested several battery-powered manned fixed-wing aircraft, including E430, the first electric aircraft designed to be serially produced, but failed to commercialize them (only prototypes were built) and in mid-2010s turned to the lucrative consumer drone market.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The Taurus Electro was the first two-seat electric aircraft to have ever flown, while the Taurus Electro G2 is the production version, that was introduced in 2011. Powered by a electric motor and lithium batteries for self-launching to an altitude of , after which the engine is retracted and the aircraft then soars as a sailplane. It is the first two-seat electric aircraft to have achieved series production.


title: Electric aircraft

text: As pilot training emphasises short flights, several companies make, or have demonstrated, light aircraft suitable for initial flight training. The Airbus E-Fan was aimed at flight training but the project was cancelled. Pipistrel makes light sport electric aircraft such as the Pipistrel WATTsUP, a prototype of the Pipistrel Alpha Electro. The advantage of electric aircraft for flight training is the lower cost of electrical energy compared to aviation fuel. Noise and exhaust emissions are also reduced compared with combustion engines.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The Bye Aerospace eFlyer 2 (formerly the Sun Flyer 2) is a light electric aircraft designed and under development by Bye Aerospace of Denver, Colorado. The aircraft was first publicly introduced on 11 May 2016, and first flew on 10 April 2018.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On 10 June 2020, the Velis Electro variant of the two-seat Pipistrel Virus was the first electric aircraft to secure type certification, from the EASA. Powered by a 76 hp (58 kW) electric motor developed with Emrax, it offers a payload of , a cruise speed of 90 kn (170 km/h), and a 50 min endurance. Pipistrel plans to deliver over 30 examples in 2020, to be operated as a trainer aircraft.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On 12 October 2021, Diamond Aircraft announced the development of the eDA40, targeting a 2022 first flight and a 2023 EASA/FAA Part 23 certification, tailored to the flight training market. The four-seat aircraft should be able to fly for up to 90 minutes, with 40% lower operating costs than piston power.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) is a NASA reconfigurable testbed in Plum Brook Station, Ohio, used to design, develop, assemble and test electric aircraft power systems, from a small, one or two person aircraft up to airliners. NASA research agreements (NRA) are granted to develop electric-propulsion components. They will be completed in 2019 and the internal NASA work by 2020, then they will be assembled in a megawatt-scale drive system to be tested in the narrowbody-sized NEAT.


title: Electric aircraft

text: In September 2017, UK budget carrier EasyJet announced it was developing an electric 180-seater for 2027 with Wright Electric. Founded in 2016, US Wright Electric built a two-seat proof-of-concept with 272 kg (600 lb) of batteries, and believes they can be scaled up with substantially lighter new battery chemistries. A 291 nmi (540 km) range would suffice for 20% of Easyjet passengers. Wright Electric will then develop a 10-seater, eventually an at least 120 passengers single aisle, short haul airliner and targets 50% lower noise and 10% lower costs. Jeffrey Engler, CEO of Wright Electric, estimates that commercially viable electric planes will lead to around a 30% reduction in energy costs.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On March 19, 2018, Israel Aerospace Industries announced it plans to develop a short-haul electric airliner, building on its small UAS electric power systems experience. It could develop it in-house, or with a startup like Israeli Eviation, U.S. Zunum Aero or Wright Electric.


title: Electric aircraft

text: Australia-based MagniX has developed an electric Cessna 208 Caravan with a motor for flight durations up to an hour.


title: Electric aircraft

text: The company's Magni5 electric motor produces continuously , peak at 2,500 rpm at 95% efficiency with a 53 kg (117 lb) dry mass, a 5 kW/kg power density, competing with the , Siemens SP260D for the Extra 330LE. By September 2018, a electric motor with a propeller had been tested on a Cessna iron bird. The Caravan was expected to fly by the fall of 2019 and by 2022 MagniX estimates electric aircraft will have ranges of by 2024. The motor ran on a test dynamometer for 1,000 hours. The iron bird is a Caravan forward fuselage used as a test bed, with the original Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engine replaced by an electric motor, inverter and a liquid-cooling system, including radiators, driving a Cessna 206 propeller. The production motor will produce at 1,900 rpm, down from the test motor's 2,500 rpm, allowing the installation without a reduction gearbox. On 28 May 2020, the MagniX electric-powered nine-passenger Cessna 208B "eCaravan" flew on electric power, towards commercial operation certification.


title: Electric aircraft

text: A 560-kW (750-hp) MagniX electric motor was installed in a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver seaplane. Harbour Air, based in British Columbia, was hoping to introduce the aircraft in commercial service in 2021, for trips under 30 minutes initially, until range increases as better batteries are introduced. On December 10, 2019, it made its first flight of four minutes duration from the Fraser River near Vancouver. The normally-fitted Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior piston engine of the six-passenger Beaver was replaced by a 135 kg (297 lb) magni500, with swappable batteries, allowing 30 minute flights with a 30-minute reserve. By April 2022, flight testing of a certifiable version through a STC was delayed until late 2023, to carry four passengers and a pilot on 30 minute flights with a 30 minute reserve. Magnix is seeking FAA certification for its 640 kW (850shp) Magni650 aircraft engine, while battery provider H55 (a spin-off from Solar Impulse) is pursuing EASA approval.


title: Electric aircraft

text: A demonstrator for the German Scylax E10 10-seater should fly in 2022. It should be used by FLN Frisia Luftverkehr to connect East Frisian islands with its range and 300 m (980 ft) short takeoff and landing distance.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On 23 September 2020, Gothenburg-based Heart Aerospace presented its ES-19 design, a 19-seat all-electric commercial aircraft planned to fly by mid-2026.


title: Electric aircraft

text: With a conventional aluminium airframe and wing, its planned range is 400 km (222 nmi) and expects to operate from runways as short as 800 m (2,640 ft).


title: Electric aircraft

text: Initially targeting airlines operating in the Nordic countries, Heart has received "expressions of interest" for 147 ES-19 aircraft worth about €1.1 billion or US$1.3 billion (€1100/147round1 million or $1300/147round1 million each) from at least eight airlines. Backed by Swedish venture capitalist EQT Ventures, Nordic governments and the European Union, Heart was initially funded by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova and is an alumnus of Silicon Valley start-up accelerator Y Combinator.


title: Electric aircraft

text: On 22 March 2021, Toulouse-based Aura Aero announced the development of its ERA (Electric Regional Aircraft), a 19-passenger electric aircraft, planned to be certified in 2026.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: Michael Vincent Budenholzer (born August 6, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the Bucks, he spent five seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, serving as an alternate video coordinator for the first two seasons and then as an assistant coach behind head coach Gregg Popovich. In 2021, Budenholzer coached the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: As a protégé of Gregg Popovich, Budenholzer is, similar to his mentor, commonly referred to by other coaches, players and media as "Bud" or "Coach Bud".


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: A native of Holbrook, Arizona, Budenholzer attended Pomona College, where he was a four-year letterman in basketball and golf and was named the Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1993. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. On September 19, 2015, Budenholzer was inducted into the Pomona-Pitzer Hall of Fame.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: After college, he spent the 1993–94 season in Denmark, playing professionally for Vejle Basketball Klub, where he averaged a team-high 27.5 points per game while also serving as head coach for two teams of the club's youth system. Previously, he had a "cup of coffee" playing for Pentland in the Scottish League.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: At the start of the 1994–95 season, Budenholzer was hired by the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a video coordinator. He held that position for two years before being named an assistant coach under head coach Gregg Popovich at the beginning of the 1996–97 season. Budenholzer was part of a staff that won four NBA championships while with the Spurs.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: Budenholzer left San Antonio at the end of the 2013 NBA Playoffs to begin his new career as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. In his first season as head coach, the Hawks would qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs as the 8th seed in the 2014 NBA Playoffs but would lose to the first-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: Budenholzer was named the December 2014 Eastern Conference Coach of the Month after leading the Hawks to a 14–2 record in the month. He was named the head coach of the Eastern Conference team at the 2015 NBA All-Star Game by virtue of Atlanta being in first place in the conference by the break. Budenholzer was named the January 2015 Eastern Conference Coach of the Month award after leading the Hawks to the first 17–0 record in a month in NBA history. He went on to lead the Hawks to a franchise record 60 wins, as well as their deepest playoff run in 48 years. On April 21, he was named the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2014–15 NBA Coach of the Year.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: On June 30, 2015, Budenholzer was promoted to president of basketball operations in addition to his duties as head coach. While Wes Wilcox was promoted to general manager, Budenholzer had the final say in all basketball matters.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: On August 1, 2015, Budenholzer served as Team Africa's assistant coach at the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: On April 25, 2018, Budenholzer and the Hawks agreed to part ways, having been removed as president of basketball operations for the Hawks on May 5, 2017.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: On May 17, 2018, the Milwaukee Bucks announced Budenholzer as their head coach. The Bucks found success in his first season, posting a 60–22 record. In January, Budenholzer was selected as the coach of the East team in the 2019 NBA All-Star Game. At the end of the season, he won the NBA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career and also won the National Basketball Coaches Association's Coach of the Year Award.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: On July 20, 2021, Budenholzer led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship, defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games, as the Bucks became the fifth team in NBA history to win the title after losing each of the first two games.


title: Mike Budenholzer

text: Budenholzer is the youngest of seven children born to Vince and Libby Budenholzer. He is of German descent. His father was also a basketball coach and spent 25 years coaching high school and college teams in Arizona before retiring in 1997. Budenholzer has four children: William Vincent, Savoia Elizabeth, Hanna Louise, and John Bent.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: Rielle Hunter (born Lisa Jo Druck; March 20, 1964, also known as Lisa Hunter, Lisa Jo Hunter, and Rielle Jaya James Druck) is an American former film producer. She is known for having had an affair with, and a child by, former U.S. Senator John Edwards, while he was a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. She is said to be the basis of a character in a Jay McInerney novel.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: Hunter was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her parents, James Druck (1934–1990) and Gwen Druck, owned Eagle Nest Farm in Ocala, Florida, where they raised show horses. They had four daughters. James Druck was a wealthy lawyer, who specialized in defending insurance companies.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: Hunter went to St. John Lutheran School and North Marion High School in Ocala. After high school, Hunter attended the University of Tampa, but she transferred after two years to the University of Florida. In her junior year she withdrew from the University of Florida to move to New York City to pursue an acting career.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: According to ABC News, Lisa Druck was a prize-winning equestrian when her father was implicated in the "horse murders" scandal, "an ugly plot to electrocute horses for insurance money". The convicted criminal and FBI informant Tommy "The Sandman" Burns stated that James Druck was involved in the 1982 insurance fraud death of Lisa's show jumper horse Henry the Hawk. Gwen and James Druck divorced that same year; Lisa was 17 years old at the time. James Druck was never charged, and he died of cancer in New York City in 1990.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: "Brat Pack" novelist Jay McInerney said that Hunter, his former girlfriend, is the basis for the lead character Alison Poole in the 1988 novel "Story of My Life". McInerney described their relationship and Hunter's role as the inspiration for the character in an interview in 2005. McInerney also said that he chose to write about her and her friends because he was both "intrigued and appalled" by their behavior.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: McInerney's friend and fellow Brat Pack author Bret Easton Ellis also includes the character Alison Poole in two of his novels, "Glamorama" and "American Psycho".


title: Rielle Hunter

text: There was open speculation that "Story of My Life" was a "roman à clef" novel when it first appeared; to "New York Magazine"'s questions "Is it real? Did it happen?" McInerney replied, "I'm anticipating some of that kind of speculation, but I'm utterly confident of not having any lawsuits on my hands. The book is a fully imagined work of fiction. On the other hand, it's not to say that I didn't make use of [pause] … That's why I live in New York. Mine is not an autonomous imagination."


title: Rielle Hunter

text: In 2008, McInerney incorporated the John Edwards affair into the Allison Poole follow-up story "Penelope on the Pond" in his collections "The Last Bachelor" and "How It Ended".


title: Rielle Hunter

text: Druck married attorney Alexander M. "Kip" Hunter III (born April 14, 1959) in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on August 3, 1991, and they moved from New York to establish a new home in Beverly Hills, California. She changed her name to Rielle Hunter in 1994.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: During the 1980s and 1990s, as Lisa Hunter and Lisa Jo Hunter, she appeared in several films, most notably "Overboard" (1987) and "Ricochet" (1991) in which she portrayed a reporter.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: According to "People", during this same period, while she was married to Alexander Hunter, her husband "financed the production of a play for her — a coming-of-age story about a group of tough 30-something New Yorkers [...] titled "Savage in Limbo"," which co-starred Elizabeth Dennehy.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: In 2000, as Rielle Hunter, she wrote, acted in, and produced a comedy short called "Billy Bob and Them", which starred Wolfgang Bodison. At that time her production company was called R Hunter Films.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: In 2002, Hunter appeared as a contestant on the GSN series "Lingo" (episode #1061, hosted by Chuck Woolery), on which she and her partner together won $500.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: In 2006, Hunter pitched the idea of a series of short informal campaign videos to Democrat John Edwards when she met him at a bar in New York City, where he was attending a business meeting. The Edwards campaign soon hired her to produce a series of promotional videos portraying behind-the-scenes life on the campaign trail and Hunter filmed and produced four of these short videos for the 2008 presidential campaign of John Edwards.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: In July 2006, Hunter formed the production company Midline Groove Productions LLC with her partner Mimi Godfrey Hockman. This company, which was based in South Orange, New Jersey, produced campaign promotional videos for Edwards. The series of ads, "Inspiring Politics: A Webisode Series Following John Edwards," was broadcast on the Internet rather than through conventional television. According to the Associated Press, Edwards' One America Committee paid Midline Groove Productions $100,000 on July 6, 2006, five days after Hunter incorporated the firm in Delaware. The committee later made two subsequent payments totaling $14,461, the final one on April 1, 2007. In all, Midline Groove filmed and produced four of these short videos; the shortest was 2½ minutes long.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: Hunter's videos were uploaded to YouTube. Recognition of the innovative nature of the series was given by "BusinessWeek" magazine, which included one of the episodes in a 2006 feature on new developments in Web video. Catherine Holoran, writing for the magazine, noted that the Hunter videos had effectively announced the presidential candidacy of Edwards ten days before he released the information to the mainstream media. Holoran stated that Hunter's series marked a "tipping point" in the history of web video which "sent the message that online video is a serious medium, ready to contend with traditional media for audiences and ad dollars." In 2008, Maria Russo, the reviewer of websites for the "Los Angeles Times", also mentioned that Hunter had been among the earliest adopters of YouTube for viral marketing purposes, and was the first filmmaker who exploited that venue for political campaign marketing.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: "The National Enquirer", a U.S. tabloid, cited claims by an anonymous source that Edwards had engaged in an extramarital affair with Hunter during Edwards's 2008 presidential campaign and that Hunter was pregnant. After a report by the "National Enquirer" on December 19, 2007, Hunter announced she was pregnant with the child of Andrew Young, a married man who is a former staffer for John Edwards' presidential campaign. Young, his wife Cheri, and their young children were living outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at the time in the same "Governor's Club" complex where Hunter was renting. Soon afterward, the Youngs and Hunter moved to California.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: Hunter became pregnant with Edwards' child in May 2007; she later said she found out she was pregnant only in July. She gave birth to her daughter on February 27, 2008, in Santa Barbara, California, but did not list the child's father's name on the birth certificate. She gave her own name as "Rielle Jaya James Druck" on her daughter's birth certificate, but gave the child the surname "Hunter".


title: Rielle Hunter

text: On August 8, Edwards admitted the affair, but denied that he was the father of Hunter's child and stated that he was willing to take a paternity test. "The Washington Post" reported that Robert Gordon (Hunter's attorney) stated that she had refused to allow a DNA test to establish paternity "now or in the future." However, Hunter's sister publicly asked Edwards to take a paternity test to determine whether the child was his.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: On August 12, 2008, Hunter's friend Pigeon O'Brien told CBS News that Edwards had lied about the timeline of the affair. She said the affair began in February 2006, six months before Edwards hired Hunter, and said the affair was not a brief liaison, but rather was allegedly characterized by Edwards to Hunter as a committed relationship. On August 13, 2008, Hunter's sister, Roxanne Druck Marshall, personally apologized to John Edwards's wife Elizabeth for her sister's behavior. She said Edwards had lied in his confession because, she said, the affair had been ongoing.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: On June 26, 2012 Hunter's book, "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter and Me", was released through a Dallas-based boutique publisher, BenBella Books. The same day, Hunter stated that her relationship with Edwards had broken up.


title: Rielle Hunter

text: On February 9, 2016, Hunter spoke on "Steve Harvey" in her first televised interview in almost five years, and stated they were still dating until February of 2015.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT) is an amphibious warfare vehicle and amphibious landing craft, introduced by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. (The USN and USMC use "L" to designate Amphibious vessels, also called "L class.") The United States Army, Canadian Army and British Army used several LVT models during World War II, and referred to those vehicles as "Landing Vehicle, Tracked."


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles. The types were known as amphtrack, "amtrak", "amtrac", etc. (portmanteaus of "amphibious tractor"), and "alligator" or "gator."


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The LVT had its origins in a civilian rescue vehicle called the "Alligator". Developed by Donald Roebling in 1935, the Alligator was intended to operate in swampy areas, inaccessible to both traditional cars and boats. Two years later, Roebling built a redesigned vehicle with improved water speed. The United States Marine Corps, which had been developing amphibious warfare doctrine based on the ideas of Lieutenant colonel Earl Hancock Ellis and others, became interested in the machine after learning about it through an article in "Life" magazine and convinced Roebling to design a more seaworthy model for military use.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: Both the US Navy and Roebling resisted the idea of a military design, the US Navy because it felt conventional landing craft could do the job, and Roebling because he wished his invention to be used only for peaceful purposes. Roebling was persuaded after war broke out in Europe, and completed a militarized prototype by May 1940. The Bureau of Ships requested a second prototype with a more powerful engine, and the USMC tested the design in November 1940. Impressed by the second prototype, the Bureau of Ships placed a contract for production of 100 units of a model using all-steel construction, for a more rugged and easily produced design, and the first LVT-1 was delivered in July 1941. Another 200 units were ordered even before the first production units were delivered. After more improvements to meet requirements of the Navy, made difficult by Roebling's lack of blueprints for the initial designs, the vehicle was adopted as "Landing Vehicle Tracked" or LVT.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The contract to build the first 200 LVTs was awarded to the Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), a manufacturer of insecticide spray pumps and other farm equipment, which built some parts for the Alligators. The initial 200 LVTs were built at FMC's factory in Dunedin, Florida, where most of the improvement work had been done as well. The first production LVT rolled out of the plant in July, 1941. Later, wartime LVT production was expanded by FMC and the Navy to four factories, including the initial facility in Dunedin; the new facilities were located in Lakeland, Florida, Riverside, California, and San Jose, California.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The LVT-1 could carry 18 fully equipped men or of cargo. Originally intended to carry replenishment from ships to shore, they lacked armor protection and their tracks and suspension were unreliable when used on hard terrain. However, the Marines soon recognized the potential of the LVT as an assault vehicle. A battalion of LVTs was ready for 1st Marine Division by 16 February 1942. The LVTs saw their first operational use in Guadalcanal, where they were used exclusively for landing supplies. About 128 LVTs were available for the landings.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: As early as January 1940, Roebling had prepared preliminary sketches of an LVT with a gun turret to provide fire support to the landing waves. The concept languished until June 1941, when USMC recommended development of an LVT armed with a 37mm gun and three machine guns and armored against 0.50 (12.7mm) machine gun fire. Development was slow and ultimately involved a complete redesign of the LVT, the LVT-2 Buffalo. Armored versions were introduced as well as fire support versions, dubbed "Amtanks", which were fitted with turrets from Stuart series light tanks (LVT(A)-1) and Howitzer Motor Carriage M8s (LVT(A)-4).


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: Among other upgrades were a new powerpack (engine and cooling accessories), also borrowed from the Stuarts, and a rubber "torsilastic" suspension which improved performance on land. After Borg-Warner evaluated the LVT-1, Borg-Warner and FMC began work on new designs. FMC was assisted by faculty from Caltech and the University of California and developed the designs that became the LVT-2 and the LVT(A)-1. Interest in the LVT was enough that the Secretary of the Navy formed the Continued Board for the Development of the Landing Vehicle Tracked on 30 October 1943.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: Production continued throughout the war, resulting in 18,616 LVTs delivered. 23 US Army and 11 USMC battalions were equipped by 1945 with LVTs. British and Australian armies also used LVTs in combat during World War II.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: In the late 1940s, a series of prototypes were built and tested, but none reached production stage due to lack of funding. Realizing that acquisition of new vehicles was unlikely, the Marines modernized some of the LVT-3s and LVT(A)-5s under projects SCB-60B and SCB-60A respectively, and kept them in service until the late 1950s.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: USMC LVT-1s were mainly used for logistical support at Guadalcanal. LVT-1 proved in this campaign its tactical capabilities, versatility and potential for amphibious operations.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: As LVT-1s were unarmed, the Marines decided to arm them using any available machine gun. Each one was armed with three .30-caliber machine guns (sometimes water-cooled models) and a .50-caliber machine gun. Organization of LVTs of the Amphibian Tractor Battalions for the assault:


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: In the amphibious assault on Tarawa in late 1943, the LVTs were first used for amphibious assault in order to negotiate the barrier reef, where several Higgins Boats had run aground and became stuck, and arrive to the most heavily defended beaches the Americans ever met in the Pacific. This was also the first use of the LVT-2 Water Buffalo in combat. 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion LVTs took part in the first, second, and third waves of landings and carried the continuous supply of ammunition, reinforcements, and ferrying back of the wounded. Of 125 vehicles used (50 new LVT-2s and 75 LVT-1s), only 35 remained operational by the end of the first day, continuing to ferry men and supplies across the coral reef and through the shallows to the beach.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion had only about 79 LVT-1s and 50 LVT-2s (directly shipped from San Diego) available for the assault. Most of the troops had to disembark from LCVP "Higgins boats" and wade across the reef chest-deep or higher water while under heavy enemy fire. American casualties were very heavy and many who made to the beach alive had lost their rifles and other essential gear.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: After Tarawa, many changes were made. The USMC recommended that a battalion of armored LVTs, two companies of DUKWs and two battalions of cargo LVTs be assigned to each division in future amphibious operations. The number of LVTs by battalion was increased to 300; before Tarawa it was 100. Due to mechanical reliability problems after every landing, the Marines replaced all LVTs used in operations.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: As a result of Tarawa experience, standardized armor kits were provided for the LVTs to be used in contested landings. Other improvements were made in the damage repair area, machine gun shields, and in the LVT design to increase crew and LVT survivability.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The gun-armed "amtank" LVT(A)-1 and LVT(A)-4 were developed to provide fire support. Armed with a 75mm howitzer, the latter was introduced in 1944 just before the Marianas campaign and was especially effective in this role as it was capable of destroying Japanese fortifications as it came ashore. Its howitzer complemented the 75mm gun of the M4 Sherman tanks used by the Marines. However, the LVT(A)-4 had an open-topped turret which left the crew vulnerable to artillery and infantry attack, especially to the latter, as it lacked any sort of machine gun armament. The lack of machine gun armament was eventually rectified, though the open-topped turret remained in order to save weight. Although usually used in a direct role during landings only (once inland the "amtanks" were assigned to artillery formations to augment their firepower), in the Marianas campaign "amtanks" were employed inland, much like regular tanks.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: In November 1943, US Marines landed on the island of Bougainville. 29 LVTs were landed on the first day, with a total of 124 LVTs operating with the Marines during the landing.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: In the campaign for the Marshall Islands, the full range of the LVT models became available, including armed Amtrac LVTs based on the proven LVT-2 with a tank gun turret. This provided close-in firepower as the cargo LVTs neared the beach. The combination of armoured cargo LVT-2 and the armed LVT(A)-1 together helped to capture the Marshalls far ahead of schedule.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: Saipan saw the massive use of the LVTs by the USMC with six battalions of cargo LVT, including the new ramped LVT-4, and two battalions of armored Amtracs, employing the new LVT(A)-4 with a 75 mm howitzer.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: At Tinian a field variant of the LVT-2 was created by the Seabees of the 3rd Battalion 18th Marines and 3rd Battalion 20th Marines. V Amphibious Corps chose beaches abutted by coral embankments up to 15 feet. The Japanese thought the embankments made the beaches unsuitable for a landing. The CB engineers constructed detachable ramps mounted on LVTs to make such an assault possible. Salvaging iron beams from the damaged sugar factory on Saipan they fabricated 10 assault vehicles. Their commander, General Harry Schmidt, was skeptical and ordered a vehicle go up and down a ramp 100 times before approving their use in combat. The Tinian assault was a success. The defenders were quickly overwhelmed compromising the remainder of the defenses. The Seabees named their LVTs "doodlebugs".


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: From the Peleliu campaign on, a number of LVTs were fitted with a flamethrower for use against fortifications. The LVT was usually flanked by a pair of gun tanks for protection. A number of LVTs were converted to armored ambulances carrying a doctor and three corpsmen. LVTs were also employed as guide boats for tanks unloading onto submerged reefs.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The largest use of LVTs was in the Leyte landing in October 1944, with nine US Army amtrac and two amtank battalions deployed by US Army 6th Army. These US Army LVTs were later used in other Philippine islands landings. 54 LVT(4) tracked amphibious assault vehicles of the 672nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion as part of the raiding force on 23 February 1945 forged across Laguna de Bay and crashed the gates during the liberation of Los Baños Internment Camp. They ferried the weakened liberated civilians back behind the lines during the contested withdrawal.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The US Army 826th Amphibious Tractor Battalion provided Company A to land 43rd Division troops in first wave of this first American return to the Philippine Islands. Following the landing Company A "amphibs" were utilized to transport dead and wounded, carry supplies inland and provide support throughout the invasion and subsequent taking of Leyte. Company A vehicles brought troops for the second major landing on Leyte at Ormoc. The Battalion provided vehicles for the landing at Luzon as well and during the conquest of Luzon personnel were heavily involved in clean-up operations of Japanese troops left behind the advance.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The LVT-4 played a crucial role both as the assault vehicle to carry troops and as the chief logistical vehicle in the first days of Battle of Iwo Jima. Ashore, the LVTs were used to rescue wheeled vehicles that could not navigate Iwo Jima's soft volcanic ash and steep terraces. In addition, American troops used the LVTs to transport casualties from the front lines to evacuation sites on the beaches. The 75 mm howitzer on the LVT-4 provided important fire support as the Marines slowly advanced across the island.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: This was the largest landing in the Central Pacific drive. The new LVT-3, a redesign of internal arrangements, was used successfully through the long Okinawa campaign. Over 1000 LVTs took part in the Battle of Okinawa.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: In Europe, LVTs were mainly used for landings and river crossing operations as well as assaults in swampy zones. By the end of 1943, 200 LVT-1s had been delivered to the British Army for training in preparation for future operations in Europe. The U.S., British, and Canadian armies used the Buffalo in the 1944 Battle of the Scheldt in the Low Countries, during Operation Plunder crossing of the Rhine in March 1945, along the Po River in Italy, across the river Elbe, and in a number of other river crossing operations.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: LVTs were used in the Normandy landings, but their use by the United States was limited as the US Army doctrine in Europe viewed the Sherman DD as the answer to assault on heavily defended beaches. LVT-2s were used to help unload supplies after the landings on Utah Beach from the cargo ships off the coast to the beach and through the nearby swamps.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: For the Rhine crossing, the British 21st Army Group had some 600 Buffalos available, most of them used to transport the assault infantry. As mud was expected to hamper the Sherman DD tanks, some LVTs were armed with a 20 mm cannon and two machine guns to give fire support until bridges could be constructed across the river. The "Specials" were under the 79th Armoured Division (which operated and coordinated the use of all specialist assault vehicles), that also provided Buffalos fitted with "Bobbin" carpets to create temporary roadways over the mud.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The US Army used LVT-2s and LVT-4s in Europe in small numbers in 1944–45 for river crossing operations. LVT-2s and LVT-4s were used by US troops on the Roer River crossing in 1945. US Army LVT-4's were also used by 752nd Tank Battalion to ferry 88th Infantry Division troops across the Po River in Italy in April 1945.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: Five LVT-4s were supplied through Lend-Lease to the Soviet Red Army, which used them when assaulting the well-defended west banks of the Oder and Danube rivers.


title: Landing Vehicle Tracked

text: The first operational use of the LVT in North Africa was in November 1942. A small number of LVT-1s were used during the landings on the coast of North Africa during Operation Torch. Four LVT-1s and two bulldozers were assigned to each shore party engineer company. Their tasks were towing vehicles and boat salvage operations. LVT-1s proved useful in getting stranded landing craft afloat, but they also experienced many mechanical failures.