38FT photos on Flickr

Redwood BB Escape Rd picnic 38ft Cir by John Harvey

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In the Mist - Cape Meares Light by Rick Makela

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The Cape Mears Light is located near Tillamook, Oregon. The Lighthouse was built in 1890, it's well maintained and was repainted in 2018. The tower only stands 38ft, it's beautiful red Fresnel lens is still in place.

HULKS DAD wall size 38ft X 8ft by NEYEC

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Right out of my comfort zone today! Thought about giving letters a miss and doing a character! So many people have done the HULK but HULKS Dad? not so many!

If was really windy again and didn’t start till 10.30 because of umming and arring about going!

When your misses say’s why not go and paint, YOU PAINT!

Out to BOSS!

Sir Isaac and Santorina Schooners by Dick Thies

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Sir Isaac was built in 1984 for shorthanded offshore sailing. She changed owners in 2001 and sailed locally for 5 years before beginning an extensive restoration project. She was relaunched in 2016 and has sailed year round in the Northwest both cruising and racing. Her tiny bowsprit and two equal main sails gives her a different look. In the Wooden Boat Festival schooner races, she has shown is a fast boat. I was surprised when she won the race her first time out.

Santorina is a 38ft Schooner like those that would have been used on the East coast of Canada in earlier times.. It was decided to locate twin Diesel engines in the forward accommodation (galley) area to make them totally accessible for maintenance. However, the two 410 pound Puegeot diesels located forward required some adjustment of the center of weight. The Schooner rig with the Main sail aft fit nicely for balance and power as the owner requested a rig for short handed sailing with roller furling on all sails except the main.

This photo was taken at Port Townsend's 2024 Wooden Boat Festival woodenboat.org/

Heidi-J .. by Janet Cartwright

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Seen returning to Bridlington Harbour after a days fishing, This 38ft vessel is a purpose built angling angling boat,

38-01_2010_Wells by John Woolley

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Former Caister independent 18 knot lifeboat 38-01 Bernard Matthews at low tide in Wells next to the Sea harbour, 24th October 2020. The one-off boat is based on a 38ft Lochin Marine design similar to the RNLI's Brede class but with clear elements of the RNLI Tyne class. The boat was built for Caister and served from 1991 to 2005 and was then purchased to operate as an independent lifeboat at Blyth following the withdrawal of the RNLI's all-weather lifeboat from the port It served at Blyth until 2016 and is now in private ownership

Cemaes Lifeboat, the Charles Henry Ashley. by D@nnyR Photogr@phics

31 59

The village of Cemaes Bay is proud to be the caretaker of the Charles Henry Ashley, a 38ft Watson designed lifeboat built in 1907 and stationed at the nearby ‘Porth yr Ogof’ lifeboat station by Wylfa Head until she was taken out of service in 1932. After several years in private ownership, she was re-launched after total renovation in April 2009. She is now a major attraction to visitors at her mooring in the harbour during the summer months.

A team of dedicated local enthusiasts now maintain and sail the vessel. Membership of the Cemaes Boat Club is open to those who wish to share the enjoyment of this historic lifeboat. For further information, contact the Club Membership Secretary (Laura Downs on 01407 710315). On designated sailing days, visitors can, by taking up temporary membership, qualify to join the crew for a sail or row in Cemaes Bay. She is also available for sail/rowing training and as a film and advertising set. Contact the Boat Club Secretary for details. (Please be aware that availability is totally weather dependent and the Coxswain of the day makes the final decisions)

The boat is not fitted with an engine, so faithfully reproduces the authentic practice of the early 20th century, being propelled from the harbour under oars and then hoisting her sails in open water. She is rigged with a jib, a dipping lug mainsail, and a dipping lugsail on the mizzen mast. These days, this is an unusual rig which can prove to be difficult to master. However, she may be old, but in a breeze of wind she slips along at a very respectable speed and provides a rewarding sailing experience as can be appreciated in the video clip below. There is always a core crew of trained sailors, with safety as their prime consideration, so novices are welcome.

www.cemaesclassiclifeboat.co.uk

The Tale of the 38ft Peter Rabbit by [Nocturne]

59 9

So every year me and my buddies used to have a race to see who can star trail Snugburys hay sculpture first. It's sort of fizzled out but I'm trying to keep it going. Last years sculpture was a bit of a dissapointment and I didn't even bother to visit, but this year has brought it back with this 38ft tall Peter Rabbit made of hay, the carrot is 10ft tall and the whole thing weighs 8 tonns and took over 1000 hours to build. Very impressive, I knew from the second I saw it it would make an awesome trail.

So last night me, my wife and son went out and got this awesome trail. We had been in the day time for a nice ice cream and to see it in person and weigh up a few angles.

Trailed for about 40 minutes, was going to go for an hour but it was getting a little too cold out in the open.

Make sure to visit Snugburys icecream farm to see the Peter Rabbit in person as the photos don't really do it justice, also they have Carrot Cake ice cream, which they had unfortinetly ran out of by the time we arrived.

Enjoy!

Don't forget to check out my sponsors

www.ledlenser.com - www.rosco.com - www.elwirecraft.co.uk

and my website

www.noctography.co.uk Including the shop

www.noctography.bigcartel.com

and one more important link

www.lightpaintingphotography.com

Tuxford Windmill. Jan 2014 by Simon W. Photography

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Nestled on the edge of a small town in rural North Nottinghamshire, Tuxford Windmill is one of the finest examples of a traditional working windmill. It's a Grade II Listed Building. The mill was erected in 1810 an remained in operation until the 1920s when it was damaged in a storm. The 38ft tower corn windmill was built before 1840 and out of use by 1906. At just over 200 years old, the windmill is the only privately owned commercial windmill to fund it’s on going restoration in Nottinghamshire and the rest of the UK, which mills grain using traditional stones, using wind-power only. The grains it uses for milling are mostly grown by the Turner family who farm in South Lincolnshire and are members of the British Soil Association. The rest of the milling grains are British grown and are sourced through a grain merchant. You can taste delicious goodies all made from the Mill's flour, at its Tearoom.

It's a 4-storey black tower mill with an ogee cap and four sails. Received an *SPAB Mill Section plaque for the restoration in 1995. The mill is built of red brick, tarred to create a weatherproof black exterior. There are two window openings at ground floor level and two doorways with 20th-century doors. The tower supports a white-painted cap and four sails with a fantail.

*The Mills Section of the SPAB is the UK's national organisation devoted to protecting and promoting traditional windmills and watermills.

Albums: (1) Old Nottingham. (2) Black and White.

--

No Group Banners, thanks.

"HINEWAI" - IMO 9824241 by Rick Vince

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28/07/2020, early morning departure.

Almost live (i.e. now, but it is tomorrow in NZ!) Timaru, New Zealand.

Assisting container ship 'Rio Bravo' to sail; destination Lyttelton, just up the coast..

A RAmparts Type 2500CL ASD Harbour Assist Tug.

See also here: flic.kr/p/2iu9wmp

''Hinewai' means 'Water Maiden' in Maori.

The tug departed Hong Kong on 07/12/2019 and arrived at Timaru on 10/01/2020.

Keel laid on 02/04/2018 and completed on 30/11/2018 by Hin Lee (Zhuhai) Shipyard Co.,Ltd., Zhuhai, China (5145)

(Sub-contracted from Cheoy Lee Shipyard, Hong Kong, China) (5145)

348 g.t., 145 dwt., and 60 tons bollard pull.

L x B x D = 25.40m (83ft 4in) x 11.80m (38ft 8in) x 4.63 - 5.10m.

Photo with permission of Martin.

Cessna 337 Skymaster (1) by Henrik Jensen

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Cessna 337 Skymaster.

The Cessna 337 Skymaster was a radical departure from previous Cessna light aircraft design. This is my LEGO version of this remarkable aircraft.

About this creation:

I have a weak spot for odd looking aircrafts, so the Cessna 337 Skymaster with its push-pull engine configeration and twin tail-booms, has always had my interest as a model subject. I wanted it to fit my other range of aircrafts so it`s build to 1:40 scale. Major challenges for this model was: the landing gear, the mainwing shape and the propeller. The main landing gear is braced with the help of a thin metalrod through the T-pieces holding the main wheels, and thus serves the dual purpose of preventing the legs from collapsing, and keeping the wheelaxles horisontal. No pieces are altered. The main wing shape is done by use of hinges inside the wing. Most of the wedge gap is covered by 1x2 tiles. I found no suitable 2 blade propeller 7 stud dia. in LEGOs range of propellers. I was really close to choosing a custom made one, but after reconsideration I decided for the brickbuilt one you see.

I guess the most commonly known Skymaster is the military version O2A. I`m missing a few pieces for this version, and as soon as everything is collected and photos taken, I`ll post it too.

About the Skymaster:

While the six-seat cabin had a familial resemblance to single-engine Cessnas, the Skymaster had a second pusher engine fitted at the cabin`s rear, with a twin-boom tail arrangement. The principal advantage of this was the easy maintenance of trim in the event of single-engined operation. The initial Model 336 sold modestly at 195 examples, but the improved Model 337, which had retractable landing gear and later a pressurized cabin, sold nearly 2800 models. Specifications apply to the Model 337 Super Skymaster.

Crew: 1/2

Powerplant: two 157kw (210hp) Continental IO-360-GB flat-six piston engines.

Performance: max speed 336 km/h (206mph); range 2288km (1422 miles); service ceiling 5485m (18.000ft)

Dimensions: wingspan 11.63m (38ft 2in); length 9.07m (29ft 9in); height 2.79m (9ft 2in)

Weight: 2100kg (4630lb) maximum take-off weight

Source: The Encyclopedia of Aircraft

More informations about the Skymaster at Wikipedia.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Great Coxwell Tithe Barn, Oxfordshire. by Andrew S Brown

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The internal timber-work supporting the weight of the immense stone roof.

One of the finest medieval tithe barns in the country, The barn is 144ft long and is 38ft wide, with an internal area of 5,502 square feet.

Built to house the tithes of the Cistercian Beaulieu Abbey in Hampshire on the south eastern edge of the New Forest, the Abbey seems to have had the barn built about 1292. Dendrochronology has established that some of the timbers in the roof of the barn were felled in the winter of 1291–92, and building with unseasoned timber was then common practice. Other timbers were felled earlier, from 1253 onwards.

DGJ_4772 - Point Aconi Lighthouse is it the END???? by Dennis Jarvis

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PLEASE, no multi invitations, glitters or self promotion in your comments. My photos are FREE for anyone to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks - NONE OF MY PICTURES ARE HDR.

The lighthouse was open when I arrived and vandalized on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. My pictures were taken September 17, 2011, then why hasn't the Coast Guard secured the site in the last 5 months??????? This is probably due to the fact that Point Aconi lighthouse is on the surplus list so they really don't care about it ! My information says it is still operational, I don't think it is since much of the wiring had been cut. Maybe next time I am in this area there will be no lighthouse, why would they repair a surplus lighthouse, some government official will probably say tear it down....... It is a sad fact that many small communities will not be able to afford the care and maintenance of these surplus lighthouses.

The first lighthouse was built here in 1874. The existing light station was built in 1989. The tower is 11.6 meters (38ft) high, light height: 25.6 meters (84ft) above water level. It is a white circular, fiberglass tower, with a red lantern. This light is located on High Point, 1.6 kilometers (1mi) south of Point Aconi.

Standing: This light is still standing.

Operating: This light is operational

Year began and lit: 1989

Tower Height: 11.58 meters (38ft) high.

Light Height: 25.6 meters (84ft) above water level.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: X-35B Joint Strike Fighter, A-6E Intruder, F-4S Phantom II, Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse, UH-1H Iroquois "Huey" Smokey III, F-105D Thunderchief, F4U-1D Corsair, P-40E, SR-71 Blackbird, et al by Chris Devers

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Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed Martin X-35B STOVL:

This aircraft is the first X-35 ever built. It was originally the X-35A and was modified to include the lift-fan engine for testing of the STOVL concept. Among its many test records, this aircraft was the first in history to achieve a short takeoff, level supersonic dash, and vertical landing in a single flight. It is also the first aircraft to fly using a shaft-driven lift-fan propulsion system. The X-35B flight test program was one of the shortest, most effective in history, lasting from June 23, 2001 to August 6, 2001.

The lift-fan propulsion system is now displayed next to the X-35B at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport.

On July 7, 2006, the production model F-35 was officially named F-35 Lightning II by T. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff USAF.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Date:

2001

Dimensions:

Wing span: 10.05 m (33 ft 0 in)

Length: 15.47 m (50 ft 9 in)

Height: approximately 5 m (15 ft 0 in)

Weight: approximately 35,000 lb.

Materials:

Composite material aircraft skin, alternating steel and titanium spars. Single-engine, single-seat configuration includes lift-fan and steering bars for vertical flight.

Physical Description:

Short takeoff/vertical landing variant to be used by U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines and the United Kingdom, equipped with a shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system which enables the aircraft to take off from a short runway or small aircraft carrier and to land vertically.

Engine: Pratt & Whitney JSF 119-PW-611 turbofan deflects thrust downward for short takeoff/vertical landing capability. The Air Force and Navy versions use a thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzle. The Marine Corps and Royal Air Force/Navy version has a swivel-duct nozzle; an engine-driven fan behind the cockpit and air-reaction control valves in the wings to provide stability at low speeds.

Other major subcontractors are Rolls Royce and BAE.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Grumman A-6E Intruder:

The Navy's experience in the Korean War showed the need for a new long-range strike aircraft with high subsonic performance at very low altitude--an aircraft that could penetrate enemy defenses and find and destroy small targets in any weather. The Grumman A-6 Intruder was designed with these needs in mind. The Intruder first flew in 1960 and was delivered to the Navy in 1963 and the Marine Corps in 1964.

The Navy accepted this airplane as an "A" model in 1968. It served under harsh combat conditions in the skies over Vietnam and is a veteran of the 1991 Desert Storm campaign, when it flew missions during the first 72 hours of the war. It has accumulated more than 7,500 flying hours, over 6,500 landings, 767 carrier landings, and 712 catapult launches.

Transferred from the United States Navy, Office of the Secretary

Date:

1960

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Overall: 16ft 2in. x 52ft 12in. x 54ft 9in., 26745.8lb. (4.928m x 16.154m x 16.688m, 12131.8kg)

Materials:

Conventional all-metal, graphite/epoxy wing (retrofit), aluminium control surfaces, titanium high-strength fittings (wing-fold).

Physical Description:

Dual place (side by side), twin-engine, all-weather attack aircraft; multiple variants.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | McDonnell F-4S Phantom II:

The U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps and the air forces of 12 other nations have flown the multi-role Phantom II. In this aircraft, then a Navy F-4J, on June 21, 1972, Cmdr. S. C. Flynn and his radar intercept officer, Lt. W. H. John, spotted three enemy MiG fighters off the coast of Vietnam and shot down one MiG-21 with a Sidewinder air-to-air missile. This Phantom also flew combat air patrols and bombing missions during the Linebacker II bombing campaign that same year.

Later assigned to the Marine Corps, this F-4J was extensively modernized and designated an F-4S. Changes included improving the engines (smokeless), hydraulics, electronics, and wiring; modifying the wings to increase maneuverability; and adding a radar homing and warning antenna, as well as formation tape lights on the fuselage and vertical tail.

Transferred from the United States Navy.

Manufacturer:

McDonnell Douglas Corporation

Date:

1958

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Overall: 16ft 3in. x 38ft 5in. x 58ft 3in., 39999.6lb. (4.953m x 11.709m x 17.755m, 18143.7kg)

Other: 58ft 3in. x 16ft 3in. x 38ft 5in. (17.755m x 4.953m x 11.709m)

Materials:

All metal, semi-monocoque structure

Physical Description:

Twin-turbojet (J79-GE-8), two-seat (tandem) fighter / bomber. All metal, semi-monocoque structure. Cantilever, low-wing, monoplane. Dog-toothed leading edge of wing (12 degrees), anhedral tail (23 degrees).

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Republic F-105D Thunderchief :

The F-105 was designed as a supersonic, single-seat, fighter-bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons or heavy bomb loads at supersonic speeds. The F-105D variant was an all-weather fighter-bomber version, fitted with mono-pulse and Doppler radar for night or bad weather operations. The original weapons bay, designed for nuclear stores, was sealed and fitted with additional fuel tanks. Bombs were carried on multiple weapons racks on the centerline of the fuselage, and on wing pylons. The aircraft was fitted with a retractable in-flight refueling probe. The first F-105D flew on 9 June 1959 and 610 F-105Ds were eventually built.

This aircraft has served in several F-105 units around the world and is restored to its 1967 Vietnam-era 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron camouflage as it flew during its assignment to Korat RTAB, Thailand. This jet also was briefly assigned to the 355 TFW located at Takhli RTAB in 1968. After this "Thud" finished its combat tour-which certainly included missions supporting Operation "Rolling Thunder," "Steel Tiger," and "Barrel Roll"-it returned stateside and began more than a decade assigned to the District of Columbia Air National Guard and was transferred to the Air and Space Museum in late 1981.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:

Republic Aviation Corporation

Date:

1961

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Overall: 19ft 8in., 26854.8lb. (5.994m, 12181.2kg)

Other: 19ft 8in. x 64ft 5in. x 34ft 11in. (5.994m x 19.634m x 10.642m)

Materials:

All metal monoplane, supersonic single-engine jet fighter.

Physical Description:

Single-seat, single-engine, jet, fighter/bomber; USAF.

• • • • •

Beginning in 1962, the H-34 served as the primary Marine Corps assault helicopter of the Vietnam War until its replacement by the turbine-powered CH-46. It began in 1952 as a Navy anti-submarine warfare helicopter evolved from the Sikorsky S-55 series. Initially designated as the HSS-1, it would also go on to see significant service in the combat assault and utility roles with the Army and Marine Corps. Great Britain and France also deployed versions in some of the first helicopter combat assault operations.

A large payload capacity and generous center-of-gravity range made the H-34 series an effective transport helicopter for the1950s. Its weaknesses were a reciprocating engine that struggled in the heat and humidity of Southeast Asia and maintenance intensive mechanical components. This Marine Corps UH-34D never served overseas, but wears the markings of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 that did see extensive combat in Vietnam.

Transferred from the United States Marine Corps

Manufacturer:

Sikorsky Aircraft

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Physical Description:

All equipment that came with the helicopter that is not attached to it is contained in box A19750823002 with the exception of two items. The VIP steps that attach to the side of the aircraft and the long-handled tool to assist with main rotor blade deployment are stored inside the helicopter's cabin.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Bell UH-1H Iroquois "Huey" Smokey III:

In 1956, the Iroquois, commonly known as the Huey, first flew as an Army replacement for the H-13 medevac helicopter of Korean War fame. By the end of the 20th century, Bell had produced more Hueys than any other American military aircraft, except for the Consolidated B-24. Superbly suited to the air mobility and medical evacuation missions in Vietnam, the Huey became an indelible symbol of that conflict.

This UH-1 compiled a distinguished combat record in Vietnam from 1966 to 1970 with four units, including the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion of the 1st Cavalry and the 118th and 128th Assault Helicopter Companies. Numerous patches on its skin attest to the ferocity of missions flown while operating as a "Smoke Ship," laying down smokescreens for air assault operations with the 11th Combat Aviation Battalion.

Transferred from the United States Army Aviation Museum

Manufacturer:

Bell Helicopter Company

Date:

1966

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Rotor Diameter: 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in)

Length: 12.6 m (41 ft 5 in)

Height: 4.2 m (13 ft 7 in)

Weight, empty: 2,580 kg (5,687 lb)

Weight, gross: 4,309 kg (9,500 lb)

Materials:

Overall: Metal airframe, plexiglass windows.

Physical Description:

Utility helicopter, two-blade main and tail rotors, powered by a single GE T-53L13BA turbo-shaft engine. There are oil stains on the lower aft fuselage and beneath the tail rotor gear box. The horizontal stabilizer was removed.

DGJ_4762 - Point Aconi Lighthouse by Dennis Jarvis

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PLEASE, NO invitations or self promotions, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks.

The Point Aconi lighthouse burned to the ground, according to Cape Breton firefighters, Feb 24, 2014

The first lighthouse was built here in 1874. The existing light station was built in 1989. The tower is 11.6 meters (38ft) high, light height: 25.6 meters (84ft) above water level. It is a white circular, fiberglass tower, with a red lantern. This light is located on High Point, 1.6 kilometers (1mi) south of Point Aconi.

The lighthouse was open and looks like it was broken into. My information says it is still operational but I don't think it is.

Standing: This light is not standing.

Operating: This light is no longer operational

Year began and lit: 1989

Tower Height:11.58 meters (38ft) high.

Light Height: 25.6 meters (84ft) above water level.

O-2A 101 by Henrik Jensen

33 16

Cessna O-2A Skymaster.

Intro:

The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010.

About this creation:

I have a weak spot for odd looking aircrafts, so the Cessna 337 Skymaster with its push-pull engine configuration and twin tail-booms, has always had my interest as a model subject. I wanted it to fit my other range of aircrafts so it`s build to 1:40 scale. Major challenges for this model was: the main-wing shape and the propeller. The main wing shape is done by use of hinges inside the wing. Most of the wedge gap is covered by 1x2 tiles. I found no suitable 2 blade propeller, 7 stud dia. , in LEGOs range of propellers. For my civil Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, I made a brick-built one, just to see if it was possible, and I`m actually quite pleased with the result. For this one I have modified a 9 stud dia. two blade propeller into a 7 stud diameter. I`ve added a self-adhesive printed template onto each propeller blade and sanded off the excessive area. With this modified propeller I was also able to add a spinner.

About the Skymaster:

Crew: 1/2

Powerplant: two 157kw (210hp) Continental IO-360-GB flat-six piston engines.

Performance: max speed 336 km/h (206mph); range 2288km (1422 miles); service ceiling 5485m (18.000ft)

Dimensions: wingspan 11.63m (38ft 2in); length 9.07m (29ft 9in); height 2.79m (9ft 2in)

Weight: 2100kg (4630lb) maximum take-off weight

Source: The Encyclopedia of Aircraft

More informations about the Cessna O-2A Skymaster at Wikipedia.

More pictures on my Flickr

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Pulling on the carrot by Warren

3

This year's straw sculpture at Snugburys Ice Cream commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter.

The large Peter Rabbit stands at 38ft tall, with 10ft ears and a 10ft carrot.

Week 32 - Silhouette by catberglar

5 4

Cleveland Point Lighthouse

The old Cleveland Point Lighthouse is a hexagonal wooden lighthouse about 12m (38ft) tall, made of painted weatherboards attached to a timber frame.

It has a gallery around the top made of painted iron alloy with glass windows, and the top (turret) is capped with a painted iron alloy dome.

The light used kerosene until 1934 when it was converted to electricity. The lighthouse was built in 1864 by the Queensland Government and lit up Cleveland Point until it was replaced in 1975.

In the 1860s, small farming settlements along the south coast of Moreton Bay, including at Cleveland, Victoria Point, Redland Bay and along the Logan and Albert Rivers relied on small ships (coastal steamers) for transport.

Travel by ship could be dangerous as the mudflats and sandbanks in Moreton Bay move, and the bay is also very tidal, which meant it gets very shallow, especially close to shore.

Information from Redland City Council

Winchester's High Street Christmas Tree by Adrian Pink

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Winchester's High Street Christmas tree is a festive attraction that draws many visitors to the city centre every year. The 38ft tall tree is usually installed in early November, ahead of the annual light switch-on event and the Cathedral Christmas Market. However, in 2022, the tree was delayed by a week due to Southern Water works that caused sewage flooding in the area. The tree finally went up on November 13, after the water company completed its investigation and cleared the site. The tree was decorated with lights and ornaments, and was switched on by local heroes nominated by the public on November 16. The tree remained in place until December 21, when the Christmas Market closed.

It is estimated that each Christmas around 15,000 real Christmas trees are sold in Winchester.

A study that looked at the average spend for Christmas lights and decorations for towns and cities across the UK revealed that Winchester is ranked within the top 20 lowest spending cities. The study took into account population size, and revealed that Winchester spends an average of £173 per thousand people on festive lights and decorations, and in total spends around £21,000 per year.

The red brick façade on the left is 105, High Street, Winchester is a historic building that dates back to the 18th century. It was originally a coaching inn, where travelers could rest and refresh themselves on their journeys. The 3 storey building has been renovated and restored over the years, and now houses a variety of shops, cafes, and offices. The architecture of the building reflects its rich history, with features such as a red brick, with stucco facade and a tiled roof. The building is located in the heart of Winchester, a city that boasts a cathedral, a castle, and many other attractions. 105, HIGH STREET, Winchester is a place where the past and the present meet, offering visitors a glimpse into the history and culture of this ancient city.

Beyond and to the right of the tree is the High Cross, also known as the City or Butter Cross. It is a historic monument which dates back to the early 15th century and was possibly a gift from Cardinal Beaufort, who was the Bishop of Winchester at the time. The cross is decorated with twelve figures of saints and other notable people, such as William of Wykeham, Lawrence de Anne (An early Mayor of Winchester), Aelfred the Great, and the oldest statue (Facing the nearby building) is of St John the Evangelist. There are, however, records that also indicate that this figure may be of St Amphibalus. The eight figures at high level represent, The Blessed Virgin, and the Saints Bartholomew, John, Lawrence, Maurice, Peter, Swithun, and Thomas. The cross was used as a market place for farmers to sell their produce, especially butter, cheese and eggs. The cross was nearly demolished in 1770, but was saved by a riot of the citizens who opposed its removal. The cross was restored by the architect G. G. Scott in 1865 and is now a protected structure and a scheduled ancient monument.

christmastrees.co.uk/winchester/

britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101095438-105-high-street-wi...

www.cityofwinchester.co.uk/history/html/buttercross.html

Royal yacht by Ken

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K/S Norge

HNoMY Norge is the Royal Yacht of the King of Norway. She is one of the world’s two remaining royal yachts. The other is the Danish Royal Yacht Dannebrog, since the British Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997. The Royal Yacht Norge was the Norwegian people's gift to King Haakon VII in 1947. The yacht is owned by the King but maintained and manned by the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Originally launched in 1937 by Camper and Nicholsons in Gosport, Hampshire as a luxury yacht for Thomas Sopwith, a wealthy British aviation engineer and industrialist, who was then the chairman of the Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Company.

She served in the Royal Navy as an armed yacht during the Second World War. It was taken in hand by the navy on 21 September 1939 for conversion at Portsmouth, and she served as HMS Philante. In September 1942, Yachting magazine reported that she was "one of the most luxurious warships afloat... her oak-panelled wardroom can seat fifty people at dinner at one table. The officer's cabins have private bathrooms, divan beds and the fittings of a West End hotel suite".

Philante's final contribution was in May 1945, when she was attached to 21st Escort Group with Admiral Horton on board and supervised the surrender and disarmament of 33 U-boats at Loch Eriboll on the north coast of Scotland.

When Prince Carl of Denmark, a naval officer, agreed to be elected to the vacant throne of Norway in 1905 (taking the royal name of Haakon), he was promised a royal yacht. Due to Norway's difficult economic situation after the dissolution of the union with Sweden, it never materialised. During the two World Wars the economy and other conditions never made it possible to acquire a yacht.

After World War II a nationwide appeal was made for funds to purchase a yacht for the respected and ageing king, who had become a truly national symbol through his steadfast resistance against Nazi Germany. Among the followers of the appeal were 300,000 of the country's school children. Eventually, interest centred on the British motor yacht Philante.

In July 1947, the ship was bought by Norway for 1,500,000 Norwegian Kroner, in time for a model to be made and presented to the King at his 75th birthday. She was returned to the original builders, Camper and Nicholsons, for a refit. After refitting was completed, she was commissioned on 17 May 1948, Norwegian Independence Day. Commander Captain Christian August Monsen took command of her and sailed her to Norway. On 9 June, she was presented to King Haakon and renamed Norge.

King Olav took over Norge after his father's death in 1957. When King Olav died in 1991, Norge was taken over by King Harald.

---

Tonnage: 1,628 t

Length: 80.6m (264ft 5in)

Beam: 11.6m (38ft 1in)

Draught: 4.7m (15ft 5in)

Propulsion:

2 × Bergen Diesel 1,760 hp (1,312 kW) (installed 1982)

2 shafts

Speed: 17 knots (31km/h; 20mph)

Range: 6,500 nmi (12,000km)

Complement: 54 (18 officers, 36 privates) during the season; 20 during winter

-----

Info in English and norsk - www.royalcourt.no/seksjon.html?tid=28712

Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNoMY_Norge

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay" panorama by Chris Devers

14

See more photos of this, and the Wikipedia article.

Details, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed P-38J-10-LO Lightning

In the P-38 Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and his team of designers created one of the most successful twin-engine fighters ever flown by any nation. From 1942 to 1945, U. S. Army Air Forces pilots flew P-38s over Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific, and from the frozen Aleutian Islands to the sun-baked deserts of North Africa. Lightning pilots in the Pacific theater downed more Japanese aircraft than pilots flying any other Allied warplane.

Maj. Richard I. Bong, America's leading fighter ace, flew this P-38J-10-LO on April 16, 1945, at Wright Field, Ohio, to evaluate an experimental method of interconnecting the movement of the throttle and propeller control levers. However, his right engine exploded in flight before he could conduct the experiment.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:

Lockheed Aircraft Company

Date:

1943

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Overall: 390 x 1170cm, 6345kg, 1580cm (12ft 9 9/16in. x 38ft 4 5/8in., 13988.2lb., 51ft 10 1/16in.)

Materials:

All-metal

Physical Description:

Twin-tail boom and twin-engine fighter; tricycle landing gear.

Long Description:

From 1942 to 1945, the thunder of P-38 Lightnings was heard around the world. U. S. Army pilots flew the P-38 over Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific; from the frozen Aleutian Islands to the sun-baked deserts of North Africa. Measured by success in combat, Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and a team of designers created the most successful twin-engine fighter ever flown by any nation. In the Pacific Theater, Lightning pilots downed more Japanese aircraft than pilots flying any other Army Air Forces warplane.

Johnson and his team conceived this twin-engine, single-pilot fighter airplane in 1936 and the Army Air Corps authorized the firm to build it in June 1937. Lockheed finished constructing the prototype XP-38 and delivered it to the Air Corps on New Year's Day, 1939. Air Corps test pilot and P-38 project officer, Lt. Benjamin S. Kelsey, first flew the aircraft on January 27. Losing this prototype in a crash at Mitchel Field, New York, with Kelsey at the controls, did not deter the Air Corps from ordering 13 YP-38s for service testing on April 27. Kelsey survived the crash and remained an important part of the Lightning program. Before the airplane could be declared ready for combat, Lockheed had to block the effects of high-speed aerodynamic compressibility and tail buffeting, and solve other problems discovered during the service tests.

The most vexing difficulty was the loss of control in a dive caused by aerodynamic compressibility. During late spring 1941, Air Corps Major Signa A. Gilke encountered serious trouble while diving his Lightning at high-speed from an altitude of 9,120 m (30,000 ft). When he reached an indicated airspeed of about 515 kph (320 mph), the airplane's tail began to shake violently and the nose dropped until the dive was almost vertical. Signa recovered and landed safely and the tail buffet problem was soon resolved after Lockheed installed new fillets to improve airflow where the cockpit gondola joined the wing center section. Seventeen months passed before engineers began to determine what caused the Lightning's nose to drop. They tested a scale model P-38 in the Ames Laboratory wind tunnel operated by the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) and found that shock waves formed when airflow over the wing leading edges reached transonic speeds. The nose drop and loss of control was never fully remedied but Lockheed installed dive recovery flaps under each wing in 1944. These devices slowed the P-38 enough to allow the pilot to maintain control when diving at high-speed.

Just as the development of the North American P-51 Mustang, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and the Vought F4U Corsair (see NASM collection for these aircraft) pushed the limits of aircraft performance into unexplored territory, so too did P-38 development. The type of aircraft envisioned by the Lockheed design team and Air Corps strategists in 1937 did not appear until June 1944. This protracted shakedown period mirrors the tribulations suffered by Vought in sorting out the many technical problems that kept F4U Corsairs off U. S. Navy carrier decks until the end of 1944.

Lockheed's efforts to trouble-shoot various problems with the design also delayed high-rate, mass production. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the company had delivered only 69 Lightnings to the Army. Production steadily increased and at its peak in 1944, 22 sub-contractors built various Lightning components and shipped them to Burbank, California, for final assembly. Consolidated-Vultee (Convair) subcontracted to build the wing center section and the firm later became prime manufacturer for 2,000 P-38Ls but that company's Nashville plant completed only 113 examples of this Lightning model before war's end. Lockheed and Convair finished 10,038 P-38 aircraft including 500 photo-reconnaissance models. They built more L models, 3,923, than any other version.

To ease control and improve stability, particularly at low speeds, Lockheed equipped all Lightnings, except a batch ordered by Britain, with propellers that counter-rotated. The propeller to the pilot's left turned counter-clockwise and the propeller to his right turned clockwise, so that one propeller countered the torque and airflow effects generated by the other. The airplane also performed well at high speeds and the definitive P-38L model could make better than 676 kph (420 mph) between 7,600 and 9,120 m (25,000 and 30,000 ft). The design was versatile enough to carry various combinations of bombs, air-to-ground rockets, and external fuel tanks. The multi-engine configuration reduced the Lightning loss-rate to anti-aircraft gunfire during ground attack missions. Single-engine airplanes equipped with power plants cooled by pressurized liquid, such as the North American P-51 Mustang (see NASM collection), were particularly vulnerable. Even a small nick in one coolant line could cause the engine to seize in a matter of minutes.

The first P-38s to reach the Pacific combat theater arrived on April 4, 1942, when a version of the Lightning that carried reconnaissance cameras (designated the F-4), joined the 8th Photographic Squadron based in Australia. This unit launched the first P-38 combat missions over New Guinea and New Britain during April. By May 29, the first 25 P-38s had arrived in Anchorage, Alaska. On August 9, pilots of the 343rd Fighter Group, Eleventh Air Force, flying the P-38E, shot down a pair of Japanese flying boats.

Back in the United States, Army Air Forces leaders tried to control a rumor that Lightnings killed their own pilots. On August 10, 1942, Col. Arthur I. Ennis, Chief of U. S. Army Air Forces Public Relations in Washington, told a fellow officer "… Here's what the 4th Fighter [training] Command is up against… common rumor out there that the whole West Coast was filled with headless bodies of men who jumped out of P-38s and had their heads cut off by the propellers." Novice Lightning pilots unfamiliar with the correct bailout procedures actually had more to fear from the twin-boom tail, if an emergency dictated taking to the parachute but properly executed, Lightning bailouts were as safe as parachuting from any other high-performance fighter of the day. Misinformation and wild speculation about many new aircraft was rampant during the early War period.

Along with U. S. Navy Grumman F4F Wildcats (see NASM collection) and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks (see NASM collection), Lightnings were the first American fighter airplanes capable of consistently defeating Japanese fighter aircraft. On November 18, men of the 339th Fighter Squadron became the first Lightning pilots to attack Japanese fighters. Flying from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, they claimed three during a mission to escort Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers (see NASM collection).

On April 18, 1943, fourteen P-38 pilots from the 70th and the 339th Fighter Squadrons, 347th Fighter Group, accomplished one of the most important Lightning missions of the war. American ULTRA cryptanalysts had decoded Japanese messages that revealed the timetable for a visit to the front by the commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. This charismatic leader had crafted the plan to attack Pearl Harbor and Allied strategists believed his loss would severely cripple Japanese morale. The P-38 pilots flew 700 km (435 miles) at heights from 3-15 m (10-50 feet) above the ocean to avoid detection. Over the coast of Bougainville, they intercepted a formation of two Mitsubishi G4M BETTY bombers (see NASM collection) carrying the Admiral and his staff, and six Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters (see NASM collection) providing escort. The Lightning pilots downed both bombers but lost Lt. Ray Hine to a Zero.

In Europe, the first Americans to down a Luftwaffe aircraft were Lt. Elza E. Shahan flying a 27th Fighter Squadron P-38E, and Lt. J. K. Shaffer flying a Curtiss P-40 (see NASM collection) in the 33rd Fighter Squadron. The two flyers shared the destruction of a Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-3 Condor maritime strike aircraft over Iceland on August 14, 1942. Later that month, the 1st fighter group accepted Lightnings and began combat operations from bases in England but this unit soon moved to fight in North Africa. More than a year passed before the P-38 reappeared over Western Europe. While the Lightning was absent, U. S. Army Air Forces strategists had relearned a painful lesson: unescorted bombers cannot operate successfully in the face of determined opposition from enemy fighters. When P-38s returned to England, the primary mission had become long-range bomber escort at ranges of about 805 kms (500 miles) and at altitudes above 6,080 m (20,000 ft).

On October 15, 1943, P-38H pilots in the 55th Fighter Group flew their first combat mission over Europe at a time when the need for long-range escorts was acute. Just the day before, German fighter pilots had destroyed 60 of 291 Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses (see NASM collection) during a mission to bomb five ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany. No air force could sustain a loss-rate of nearly 20 percent for more than a few missions but these targets lay well beyond the range of available escort fighters (Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, see NASM collection). American war planners hoped the long-range capabilities of the P-38 Lightning could halt this deadly trend, but the very high and very cold environment peculiar to the European air war caused severe power plant and cockpit heating difficulties for the Lightning pilots. The long-range escort problem was not completely solved until the North American P-51 Mustang (see NASM collection) began to arrive in large numbers early in 1944.

Poor cockpit heating in the H and J model Lightnings made flying and fighting at altitudes that frequently approached 12,320 m (40,000 ft) nearly impossible. This was a fundamental design flaw that Kelly Johnson and his team never anticipated when they designed the airplane six years earlier. In his seminal work on the Allison V-1710 engine, Daniel Whitney analyzed in detail other factors that made the P-38 a disappointing airplane in combat over Western Europe.

• Many new and inexperienced pilots arrived in England during December 1943, along with the new J model P-38 Lightning.

• J model rated at 1,600 horsepower vs. 1,425 for earlier H model Lightnings. This power setting required better maintenance between flights. It appears this work was not done in many cases.

• During stateside training, Lightning pilots were taught to fly at high rpm settings and low engine manifold pressure during cruise flight. This was very hard on the engines, and not in keeping with technical directives issued by Allison and Lockheed.

• The quality of fuel in England may have been poor, TEL (tetraethyl lead) fuel additive appeared to condense inside engine induction manifolds, causing detonation (destructive explosion of fuel mixture rather than controlled burning).

• Improved turbo supercharger intercoolers appeared on the J model P-38. These devices greatly reduced manifold temperatures but this encouraged TEL condensation in manifolds during cruise flight and increased spark plug fouling.

Using water injection to minimize detonation might have reduced these engine problems. Both the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and the North American P-51 Mustang (see NASM collection) were fitted with water injection systems but not the P-38. Lightning pilots continued to fly, despite these handicaps.

During November 1942, two all-Lightning fighter groups, the 1st and the 14th, began operating in North Africa. In the Mediterranean Theater, P-38 pilots flew more sorties than Allied pilots flying any other type of fighter. They claimed 608 enemy a/c destroyed in the air, 123 probably destroyed and 343 damaged, against the loss of 131 Lightnings.

In the war against Japan, the P-38 truly excelled. Combat rarely occurred above 6,080 m (20,000 ft) and the engine and cockpit comfort problems common in Europe never plagued pilots in the Pacific Theater. The Lightning's excellent range was used to full advantage above the vast expanses of water. In early 1945, Lightning pilots of the 12th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, flew a mission that lasted 10 ½ hours and covered more than 3,220 km (2,000 miles). In August, P-38 pilots established the world's long-distance record for a World War II combat fighter when they flew from the Philippines to the Netherlands East Indies, a distance of 3,703 km (2,300 miles). During early 1944, Lightning pilots in the 475th Fighter Group began the 'race of aces.' By March, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Lynch had scored 21 victories before he fell to antiaircraft gunfire while strafing enemy ships. Major Thomas B. McGuire downed 38 Japanese aircraft before he was killed when his P-38 crashed at low altitude in early January 1945. Major Richard I. Bong became America's highest scoring fighter ace (40 victories) but died in the crash of a Lockheed P-80 (see NASM collection) on August 6, 1945.

Museum records show that Lockheed assigned the construction number 422-2273 to the National Air and Space Museum's P-38. The Army Air Forces accepted this Lightning as a P-38J-l0-LO on November 6, 1943, and the service identified the airplane with the serial number 42-67762. Recent investigations conducted by a team of specialists at the Paul E. Garber Facility, and Herb Brownstein, a volunteer in the Aeronautics Division at the National Air and Space Museum, have revealed many hitherto unknown aspects to the history of this aircraft.

Brownstein examined NASM files and documents at the National Archives. He discovered that a few days after the Army Air Forces (AAF) accepted this airplane, the Engineering Division at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, granted Lockheed permission to convert this P-38 into a two-seat trainer. The firm added a seat behind the pilot to accommodate an instructor who would train civilian pilots in instrument flying techniques. Once trained, these test pilots evaluated new Lightnings fresh off the assembly line.

In a teletype sent by the Engineering Division on March 2, 1944, Brownstein also discovered that this P-38 was released to Colonel Benjamin S. Kelsey from March 3 to April 10, 1944, to conduct special tests. This action was confirmed the following day in a cable from the War Department. This same pilot, then a Lieutenant, flew the XP-38 across the United States in 1939 and survived the crash that destroyed this Lightning at Mitchel Field, New York. In early 1944, Kelsey was assigned to the Eighth Air Force in England and he apparently traveled to the Lockheed factory at Burbank to pick up the P-38. Further information about these tests and Kelsey's involvement remain an intriguing question.

One of Brownstein's most important discoveries was a small file rich with information about the NASM Lightning. This file contained a cryptic reference to a "Major Bong" who flew the NASM P-38 on April 16, 1945, at Wright Field. Bong had planned to fly for an hour to evaluate an experimental method of interconnecting the movement of the throttle and propeller control levers. His flight ended after twenty-minutes when "the right engine blew up before I had a chance [to conduct the test]." The curator at the Richard I. Bong Heritage Center confirmed that America's highest scoring ace made this flight in the NASM P-38 Lightning.

Working in Building 10 at the Paul E. Garber Facility, Rob Mawhinney, Dave Wilson, Wil Lee, Bob Weihrauch, Jim Purton, and Heather Hutton spent several months during the spring and summer of 2001 carefully disassembling, inspecting, and cleaning the NASM Lightning. They found every hardware modification consistent with a model J-25 airplane, not the model J-10 painted in the data block beneath the artifact's left nose. This fact dovetails perfectly with knowledge uncovered by Brownstein. On April 10, the Engineering Division again cabled Lockheed asking the company to prepare 42-67762 for transfer to Wright Field "in standard configuration." The standard P-38 configuration at that time was the P-38J-25. The work took several weeks and the fighter does not appear on Wright Field records until May 15, 1944. On June 9, the Flight Test Section at Wright Field released the fighter for flight trials aimed at collecting pilot comments on how the airplane handled.

Wright Field's Aeromedical Laboratory was the next organization involved with this P-38. That unit installed a kit on July 26 that probably measured the force required to move the control wheel left and right to actuate the power-boosted ailerons installed in all Lightnings beginning with version J-25. From August 12-16, the Power Plant Laboratory carried out tests to measure the hydraulic pump temperatures on this Lightning. Then beginning September 16 and lasting about ten days, the Bombing Branch, Armament Laboratory, tested type R-3 fragmentation bomb racks. The work appears to have ended early in December. On June 20, 1945, the AAF Aircraft Distribution Office asked that the Air Technical Service Command transfer the Lightning from Wright Field to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, a temporary holding area for Air Force museum aircraft. The P-38 arrived at the Oklahoma City Air Depot on June 27, 1945, and mechanics prepared the fighter for flyable storage.

Airplane Flight Reports for this Lightning also describe the following activities and movements:

6-21-45 Wright Field, Ohio, 5.15 hours of flying.

6-22-45Wright Field, Ohio, .35 minutes of flying by Lt. Col. Wendel [?] J. Kelley and P. Shannon.

6-25-45Altus, Oklahoma, .55 hours flown, pilot P. Shannon.

6-27-45Altus, Oklahoma, #2 engine changed, 1.05 hours flown by Air Corps F/O Ralph F. Coady.

10-5-45 OCATSC-GCAAF (Garden City Army Air Field, Garden City, Kansas), guns removed and ballast added.

10-8-45Adams Field, Little Rock, Arkansas.

10-9-45Nashville, Tennessee,

5-28-46Freeman Field, Indiana, maintenance check by Air Corps Capt. H. M. Chadhowere [sp]?

7-24-46Freeman Field, Indiana, 1 hour local flight by 1st Lt. Charles C. Heckel.

7-31-46 Freeman Field, Indiana, 4120th AAF Base Unit, ferry flight to Orchard Place [Illinois] by 1st Lt. Charles C. Heckel.

On August 5, 1946, the AAF moved the aircraft to another storage site at the former Consolidated B-24 bomber assembly plant at Park Ridge, Illinois. A short time later, the AAF transferred custody of the Lightning and more than sixty other World War II-era airplanes to the Smithsonian National Air Museum. During the early 1950s, the Air Force moved these airplanes from Park Ridge to the Smithsonian storage site at Suitland, Maryland.

• • •

Quoting from Wikipedia | Lockheed P-38 Lightning:

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Named "fork-tailed devil" by the Luftwaffe and "two planes, one pilot" by the Japanese, the P-38 was used in a number of roles, including dive bombing, level bombing, ground-attack, photo reconnaissance missions, and extensively as a long-range escort fighter when equipped with drop tanks under its wings.

The P-38 was used most successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations as the mount of America's top aces, Richard Bong (40 victories) and Thomas McGuire (38 victories). In the South West Pacific theater, the P-38 was the primary long-range fighter of United States Army Air Forces until the appearance of large numbers of P-51D Mustangs toward the end of the war. The P-38 was unusually quiet for a fighter, the exhaust muffled by the turbo-superchargers. It was extremely forgiving, and could be mishandled in many ways, but the rate of roll was too slow for it to excel as a dogfighter. The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft in production throughout American involvement in the war, from Pearl Harbor to Victory over Japan Day.

Variants: Lightning in maturity: P-38J

The P-38J was introduced in August 1943. The turbo-supercharger intercooler system on previous variants had been housed in the leading edges of the wings and had proven vulnerable to combat damage and could burst if the wrong series of controls were mistakenly activated. In the P-38J model, the streamlined engine nacelles of previous Lightnings were changed to fit the intercooler radiator between the oil coolers, forming a "chin" that visually distinguished the J model from its predecessors. While the P-38J used the same V-1710-89/91 engines as the H model, the new core-type intercooler more efficiently lowered intake manifold temperatures and permitted a substantial increase in rated power. The leading edge of the outer wing was fitted with 55 gal (208 l) fuel tanks, filling the space formerly occupied by intercooler tunnels, but these were omitted on early P-38J blocks due to limited availability.

The final 210 J models, designated P-38J-25-LO, alleviated the compressibility problem through the addition of a set of electrically-actuated dive recovery flaps just outboard of the engines on the bottom centerline of the wings. With these improvements, a USAAF pilot reported a dive speed of almost 600 mph (970 km/h), although the indicated air speed was later corrected for compressibility error, and the actual dive speed was lower. Lockheed manufactured over 200 retrofit modification kits to be installed on P-38J-10-LO and J-20-LO already in Europe, but the USAAF C-54 carrying them was shot down by an RAF pilot who mistook the Douglas transport for a German Focke-Wulf Condor. Unfortunately the loss of the kits came during Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier's four-month morale-boosting tour of P-38 bases. Flying a new Lightning named "Snafuperman" modified to full P-38J-25-LO specs at Lockheed's modification center near Belfast, LeVier captured the pilots' full attention by routinely performing maneuvers during March 1944 that common Eighth Air Force wisdom held to be suicidal. It proved too little too late because the decision had already been made to re-equip with Mustangs.

The P-38J-25-LO production block also introduced hydraulically-boosted ailerons, one of the first times such a system was fitted to a fighter. This significantly improved the Lightning's rate of roll and reduced control forces for the pilot. This production block and the following P-38L model are considered the definitive Lightnings, and Lockheed ramped up production, working with subcontractors across the country to produce hundreds of Lightnings each month.

Noted P-38 pilots

Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire

The American ace of aces and his closest competitor both flew Lightnings as they tallied 40 and 38 victories respectively. Majors Richard I. "Dick" Bong and Thomas J. "Tommy" McGuire of the USAAF competed for the top position. Both men were awarded the Medal of Honor.

McGuire was killed in air combat in January 1945 over the Philippines, after racking up 38 confirmed kills, making him the second-ranking American ace. Bong was rotated back to the United States as America's ace of aces, after making 40 kills, becoming a test pilot. He was killed on 6 August 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan, when his P-80 Shooting Star jet fighter flamed out on takeoff.

Charles Lindbergh

The famed aviator Charles Lindbergh toured the South Pacific as a civilian contractor for United Aircraft Corporation, comparing and evaluating performance of single- and twin-engined fighters for Vought. He worked to improve range and load limits of the F4U Corsair, flying both routine and combat strafing missions in Corsairs alongside Marine pilots. In Hollandia, he attached himself to the 475th FG flying P-38s so that he could investigate the twin-engine fighter. Though new to the machine, he was instrumental in extending the range of the P-38 through improved throttle settings, or engine-leaning techniques, notably by reducing engine speed to 1,600 rpm, setting the carburetors for auto-lean and flying at 185 mph (298 km/h) indicated airspeed which reduced fuel consumption to 70 gal/h, about 2.6 mpg. This combination of settings had been considered dangerous; it was thought it would upset the fuel mixture and cause an explosion. Everywhere Lindbergh went in the South Pacific, he was accorded the normal preferential treatment of a visiting colonel, though he had resigned his Air Corps Reserve colonel's commission three years before. While with the 475th, he held training classes and took part in a number of Army Air Corps combat missions. On 28 July 1944, Lindbergh shot down a Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia" flown expertly by the veteran commander of 73rd Independent Flying Chutai, Imperial Japanese Army Captain Saburo Shimada. In an extended, twisting dogfight in which many of the participants ran out of ammunition, Shimada turned his aircraft directly toward Lindbergh who was just approaching the combat area. Lindbergh fired in a defensive reaction brought on by Shimada's apparent head-on ramming attack. Hit by cannon and machine gun fire, the "Sonia's" propeller visibly slowed, but Shimada held his course. Lindbergh pulled up at the last moment to avoid collision as the damaged "Sonia" went into a steep dive, hit the ocean and sank. Lindbergh's wingman, ace Joseph E. "Fishkiller" Miller, Jr., had also scored hits on the "Sonia" after it had begun its fatal dive, but Miller was certain the kill credit was Lindbergh's. The unofficial kill was not entered in the 475th's war record. On 12 August 1944 Lindbergh left Hollandia to return to the United States.

Charles MacDonald

The seventh-ranking American ace, Charles H. MacDonald, flew a Lightning against the Japanese, scoring 27 kills in his famous aircraft, the Putt Putt Maru.

Robin Olds

Main article: Robin Olds

Robin Olds was the last P-38 ace in the Eighth Air Force and the last in the ETO. Flying a P-38J, he downed five German fighters on two separate missions over France and Germany. He subsequently transitioned to P-51s to make seven more kills. After World War II, he flew F-4 Phantom IIs in Vietnam, ending his career as brigadier general with 16 kills.

Clay Tice

A P-38 piloted by Clay Tice was the first American aircraft to land in Japan after VJ-Day, when he and his wingman set down on Nitagahara because his wingman was low on fuel.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Noted aviation pioneer and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry vanished in a F-5B-1-LO, 42-68223, c/n 2734, of Groupe de Chasse II/33, out of Borgo-Porreta, Bastia, Corsica, a reconnaissance variant of the P-38, while on a flight over the Mediterranean, from Corsica to mainland France, on 31 July 1944. His health, both physical and mental (he was said to be intermittently subject to depression), had been deteriorating and there had been talk of taking him off flight status. There have been suggestions (although no proof to date) that this was a suicide rather than an aircraft failure or combat loss. In 2000, a French scuba diver found the wreckage of a Lightning in the Mediterranean off the coast of Marseille, and it was confirmed in April 2004 as Saint-Exupéry's F-5B. No evidence of air combat was found. In March 2008, a former Luftwaffe pilot, Horst Rippert from Jagdgruppe 200, claimed to have shot down Saint-Exupéry.

Adrian Warburton

The RAF's legendary photo-recon "ace", Wing Commander Adrian Warburton DSO DFC, was the pilot of a Lockheed P-38 borrowed from the USAAF that took off on 12 April 1944 to photograph targets in Germany. W/C Warburton failed to arrive at the rendezvous point and was never seen again. In 2003, his remains were recovered in Germany from his wrecked USAAF P-38 Lightning.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay":

Boeing's B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 found its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons.

On August 6, 1945, this Martin-built B-29-45-MO dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, Bockscar (on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio) dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. A third B-29, The Great Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on both missions.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:

Boeing Aircraft Co.

Martin Co., Omaha, Nebr.

Date:

1945

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Overall: 900 x 3020cm, 32580kg, 4300cm (29ft 6 5/16in. x 99ft 1in., 71825.9lb., 141ft 15/16in.)

Materials:

Polished overall aluminum finish

Physical Description:

Four-engine heavy bomber with semi-monoqoque fuselage and high-aspect ratio wings. Polished aluminum finish overall, standard late-World War II Army Air Forces insignia on wings and aft fuselage and serial number on vertical fin; 509th Composite Group markings painted in black; "Enola Gay" in black, block letters on lower left nose.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit and the Giant Carrot by Warren

9

This year's straw sculpture at Snugburys Ice Cream commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter.

The large Peter Rabbit stands at 38ft tall, with 10ft ears and a 10ft carrot.

In the sunshine it looks he's attempting to pull it out!

Tunisia-3063 - Cisterns at Carthage by Dennis Jarvis

22 36

PLEASE, no multi invitations, glitters or self promotion in your comments, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE for anyone to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks - NONE OF MY PICTURES ARE HDR.

The Ancient Roman Cisterns at Carthage are an impressive example of Roman engineering. The La Malga cisterns, built by the Romans at the beginning of the second century AD, to store water brought from the Zaghouan hills in an aqueduct 132km (82mi) long. Only 15 of the original 24 cisterns are now left, each 95m (312ft) long, 12.5m (41ft) wide and 11.50m (38ft) high.

Bus shot...

RCAF "Sabre" S/N 23096 by Robert Sullivan

19 3

RCAF "Sabre" S/N 23096 has just arrived at Boeing Field for its new life as a chase plane in the flight test division.

Internet sources giving varying dates when Boeing took delivery – 1962 or December 1967. I say ’62: The Canadian Red Ensign on the tail was replaced by the Maple Leaf in 1965. Okay, maybe they were slow in adding the new flag, but there is more… In the background of photo 2 there is no I-5 freeway. By Dec. 1967, this highway had been completed for almost a year. In 1962, the construction had yet to begin near Boeing Field.

Jet Fighter

The F-86 "Sabre", built by North American, is best known for its outstanding combat performance during the Korean War. First flown in 1947, the "Sabre" was the United States' first fighter to fly supersonic -- in a dive. Starting in December of 1950, the Russian-made MiG-15 and the F-86 met in combat over Korea. The last U.S. Sabre was retired from the Air National Guard in 1965.

F-86s were built under license in Japan, Italy, Canada, and Australia. The Museum's example, called a CL-13B, is one of 1,815 "Sabre's" built by Canadair. It flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force until 1974, and served The Boeing Company as a chase plane for their flight test division until donated in 1991.

Canada: Coast-to-Coast

In 1956, Canadian "Sabre" pilots set out to break the cross-Canada speed record held by a Royal Canadian Navy T-33. R.J. "Chick" Childerhose and Ralph Annis refueled halfway, in Gimli, Manitoba. The 1,400-mile (2,240 km) second leg from Gimli to Halifax stretched the Sabre's range to the limit. While test-flying that leg, Annis landed in Halifax with eight gallons of fuel. Childerhose had five. Yet the official cross-Canada dash went off without a hitch. The "Sabre's", flying on fumes, arrived in Halifax five hours after takeoff from Vancouver, shattering the old record by an hour and twenty minutes.

Manufacturer: Canadair

Model: CL-13B Sabre Mk. 6

Year: 1954

Serial Number: 23363

Registration: N8686F

Wingspan: 38.00ft

Length: 38ft

Height: 15ft

Wing Area: 302.30ft²

Empty Weight: 10,618lbs

Gross Weight: 14,613lbs

Maximum Speed: 606mph

Cruise Speed: 489mph

Power Plant: One Avro Orenda Mark 14 engine with 7,275 lbs thrust

Ex CVLS ALB Bernard Matthews 38-01 by Chris, Norfolk

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Bernard Matthews 38-01 -38ft Lochin class AWL

The former Caister Volunteer Lifeboat Service (CVLS) all-weather lifeboat (ALB) Bernard Matthews is now in private ownership at Wells-next-the-sea in Norfolk. This one-off boat was built by Goodchild Marine Services at Gt. Yarmouth and is based on a 38ft. Lochin Marine design similar to the RNLI's Brede class but with clear elements of the RNLI Tyne class. The boat was built for Caister and served from 1991 to 2004 with several notable services.

Her longest service was on 25th. December 2001 to the Singapore-registered 2169 tons bulk gas carrier Kilgas Centurian which had run aground on the beach at Horsey Gap. The 81 metre ship had left Teesport and was heading to the Thames carrying 1,025 tonnes of liquid propane gas, 155 tonnes of diesel fuel, and 45 tonnes of gasoil. The ship was refloated with the aid of two tugs, Smit Tak and Anglia Duke. The tugs were assisted by Caister's lifeboat which took depth sounding, transfer equipment and connected tow lines. The lifeboat retuned home after 38 1/2 hours at sea.

What is regarded as Bernard Matthews finest service took place on the 8-9th. December 1993 to the Dutch trawler Vrouwe Grietve which was witnessed by a Royal Navy Captain who wrote the following letter to Lieutenant Commander B Miles, the director of the RNLI.

Dear Lieutenant Commander Miles RD FNI RNR

12 Dec 93

I am presently the Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMS NOTTINGHAM and my wife and I have been RNLI Shoreline members for a number of years, my regard and concern for the Institute stemming largely from my interests as a seafarer. I write to say that my admiration for the work of the lifeboatmen has been further intensified following a SAR incident in the early hours of 9 Dec.

Overnight 8/9 Dec. NOTTINGHAM was on passage from an exercise in the North Sea to our home port, PORTSMOUTH. The barometer had been falling markedly since the previous midday from around 100mb to 970, and the winds associated with this low had bought Force 9 conditions with steady 40kt westerlies gusting over 65kts, and a confused sea that was certainly a state 6, and at times 7. The sea surface temperature was 10 deg C and 8/8 low stratus. At 0115, my OOW informed me that we had received a Mayday Relay call on VHF IMM Ch 16, which put the Fishing Vessel declaring the distress about 40 nm ESE of Great Yarmouth and just 12 nm off our tract. I responded to Great Yarmouth CG and turned towards the FV.

FV VROUWE GRIETVE, a 40 m long trawler, had lost a man overboard in the conditions described, who was wearing yellow oilskins and wellington boots, but no lifejacket. A Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF MANSTON c/s Rescue 166 was en route, and the RNLI at GORLESTON and CAISTER were also responding. Sea conditions meant the NOTTINGHAM arrived at the datum at 0145z where several fishermen were now also searching.

It was impossible to launch my own Lynx helicopter as the deck was well out of limits, and in the event it was not SAR capable. Rescue 166 was only able to stay on task for 20 minutes or so in the conditions before needing to refuel at RAF COLTISHALL, and I became On Scene SAR Commander with the FV's and by now, several merchant ships, ranging from ferries, dredgers, Ro-Ro vessels and tankers. All of us were substantially built vessels, yet having great difficulty in manoeuvring for a search in the prevailing conditions. GORLESTON lifeboat had needed to turn back.

However, the Caister lifeboat continued to make way into all of this, and on raising his blue light we were able to vector him into the scene of search - a 7 square mile area SE of the datum promulgated by Great Yarmouth CG and agreed by me as of probability in which a man would drift to if fortunate enough to stay on the surface. To me the lifeboat looked like a "BREDE" class, and it was clear it was working at the very limits of, if not beyond, it's operating envelope, yet the Coxswain remained a cheerful voice on VHF with an incredible sense of determination and professionalism towards the search. Indeed my people were simply amazed as to how this small craft had managed to get to the scene. He sensibly elected to stay near to me as we swept through the area and must have been extremely uncomfortable in the conditions as time and time again he regularly disappeared beneath the high waves, and turning across the sea must have been particularly dangerous. One of my Bridge team was detailed to keep the lifeboat sighted.

Sadly, and it could be argued almost inevitably, we were unable to find the MOB. Following the guidance of Great Yarmouth CG regarding the line where no further hope remained of survival, I terminated the search after a few hours at 0500, and released the merchant ships from the area. The sea by this time was if anything worse, and NOTTINGHAM therefore provided an escort to the CAISTER lifeboat back to the relative lee of Great Yarmouth. During this six hour transit into sea, the lifeboatmen remained their very professional and cheerful selves, and as dawn broke we were able to see all the more clearly how much he was moving around and still being lost in the waves. My Flight Observer has taken some photographs which I shall forward to Caister.

All who witnessed, including some Army personnel who were embarked with me at the time, the lifeboat's work and fortitude were full of admiration for the courage that the crew displayed. As one of my sailors on the Bridge remarked

"These chaps have got real balls - especially when we are paid to be out in this and they are not!"

Throughout this incident your people showed incredible bravery and stamina - indeed just getting there and risking their own necks against the slimmest of chances of finding the MOB alive are testimony to their courage. Whilst I know this is part of the RNLI creed, in any persons book, this was, at it least an extraordinary effort and feat of seamanship, and certainly a very brave and sensitive response to save the life of a fellow seafarer. Whether or not your organisation chooses to recognise the CAISTER team for some form of appropriate form of award is within your gift, and I never did get the Coxswains name, but I should be grateful if you would pass on the admiration and respect from all in NOTTINGHAM to them. If nothing else, you may find a few more coins in the lifeboat slot next time one of my men goes past the collecting box.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Moncrieff.

This letter is testimony to the heroic exploits of the Caister crew. At the time of writing, Commander Moncrieff did not realise that the Caister Lifeboat is not part of the RNLI, subsequently he later carried out a surprise visit to the station and met Coxswain Dick Thurlow and his crew. He expressed personally his admiration of their efforts on that eventful night.

In 2005, Commander Moncrieff was appointed Commander South Atlantic.

When Caister received their new lifeboat the Bernard Matthews was purchased to operate as an independent lifeboat at Blyth following the widthdrawl of the RNLI's all-weather lifeboat from the port. It served as the "Spirit of Blyth and Wansbeck" (38-01) until 2016.

RCAF "Sabre" S/N 23096 by Robert Sullivan

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RCAF "Sabre" S/N 23096 has just arrived at Boeing Field for its new life as a chase plane in the flight test division.

Internet sources giving varying dates when Boeing took delivery – 1962 or December 1967. I say ’62: The Canadian Red Ensign on the tail was replaced by the Maple Leaf in 1965. Okay, maybe they were slow in adding the new flag, but there is more… In the background of photo 2 there is no I-5 freeway. By Dec. 1967, this highway had been completed for almost a year. In 1962, the construction had yet to begin near Boeing Field.

Jet Fighter

The F-86 "Sabre", built by North American, is best known for its outstanding combat performance during the Korean War. First flown in 1947, the "Sabre" was the United States' first fighter to fly supersonic -- in a dive. Starting in December of 1950, the Russian-made MiG-15 and the F-86 met in combat over Korea. With superior training, experience, and aircraft performance, "Sabre" pilots posted a ten-to-one victory ratio over the similar MiG-15. The last U.S. Sabre was retired from the Air National Guard in 1965.

F-86s were built under license in Japan, Italy, Canada, and Australia. The Museum's example, called a CL-13B, is one of 1,815 "Sabre's" built by Canadair. It flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force until 1974, and served The Boeing Company as a chase plane for their flight test division until donated in 1991.

Canada: Coast-to-Coast

In 1956, Canadian Sabre pilots set out to break the cross-Canada speed record held by a Royal Canadian Navy T-33. R.J. "Chick" Childerhose and Ralph Annis refueled halfway, in Gimli, Manitoba. The 1,400-mile (2,240 km) second leg from Gimli to Halifax stretched the Sabre's range to the limit. While test-flying that leg, Annis landed in Halifax with eight gallons of fuel. Childerhose had five. Yet the official cross-Canada dash went off without a hitch. The "Sabre's", flying on fumes, arrived in Halifax five hours after takeoff from Vancouver, shattering the old record by an hour and twenty minutes.

Manufacturer: Canadair

Model: CL-13B Sabre Mk. 6

Year: 1954

Serial Number: 23363

Registration: N8686F

Wingspan: 38.00ft

Length: 38ft

Height: 15ft

Wing Area: 302.30ft²

Empty Weight: 10,618lbs

Gross Weight: 14,613lbs

Maximum Speed: 606mph

Cruise Speed: 489mph

Power Plant: One Avro Orenda Mark 14 engine with 7,275 lbs thrust

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: View of south hangar, including B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay", a glimpse of the Air France Concorde, and many others by Chris Devers

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Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay":

Boeing's B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 found its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons.

On August 6, 1945, this Martin-built B-29-45-MO dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, Bockscar (on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio) dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. A third B-29, The Great Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on both missions.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:

Boeing Aircraft Co.

Martin Co., Omaha, Nebr.

Date:

1945

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Dimensions:

Overall: 900 x 3020cm, 32580kg, 4300cm (29ft 6 5/16in. x 99ft 1in., 71825.9lb., 141ft 15/16in.)

Materials:

Polished overall aluminum finish

Physical Description:

Four-engine heavy bomber with semi-monoqoque fuselage and high-aspect ratio wings. Polished aluminum finish overall, standard late-World War II Army Air Forces insignia on wings and aft fuselage and serial number on vertical fin; 509th Composite Group markings painted in black; "Enola Gay" in black, block letters on lower left nose.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: P-38 Lightning, with B-29 Enola Gay behind it by Chris Devers

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