View allAll Photos Tagged Axis
taken in January 2011. It was nice to see the park in lush green after the long due rains.
best viewed large on black at decluttr
taken in the wild, not a Zoo shot
Anime: Axis Powers Hetalia
Character: Arthur Kirkland (Punk version)
Cosplay by Minako
Photo by ElaizaLi
Zenit 11 + Helios - 44-2
Fuji Superia 200
After suffering too many defeats at the hands of G.I Joe and Action Force, Cobra Commander suggests that he, Baron Ironblood and General Blitz form an alliance to defeat their foes.
The Junkers Ju 87, popularly known as the "Stuka", is a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 and served the Axis in World War II from beginning to end (1939–1945).
The aircraft is easily recognisable by its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Upon the leading edges of its faired main gear legs were mounted ram-air sirens, officially called "Lärmgerät" (noise device), which became a propaganda symbol of German air power and of the so-called Blitzkrieg victories of 1939–1942, as well as providing Stuka pilots with audible feedback as to speed. The Stuka's design included several innovations, including automatic pull-up dive brakes under both wings to ensure that the aircraft recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high g-forces, or suffered from target fixation.
The Ju 87 operated with considerable success in close air support and anti-shipping roles at the outbreak of World War II. It led air assaults during the Invasion of Poland in September 1939. Stukas proved critical to the rapid conquest of Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France in 1940. Though sturdy, accurate, and very effective against ground targets, the Stuka was, like many other dive bombers of the period, vulnerable to fighter aircraft. During the Battle of Britain of 1940–1941, its lack of maneuverability, speed, or defensive armament meant that it required a heavy fighter escort to operate effectively.
After the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe deployed Stuka units in the Balkans Campaign, the African and the Mediterranean theatres and in the early stages of the Eastern Front war, where it was used for general ground support, as an effective specialized anti-tank aircraft and in an anti-shipping role. Once the Luftwaffe lost air superiority, the Stuka became an easy target for enemy fighters, but it continued being produced until 1944 for lack of a better replacement. By 1945 ground-attack versions of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 had largely replaced the Ju 87, but it remained in service until the end of the war in 1945.
fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Italie_13&oldid=42...
Italie 13 (ou Italie XIII) est le nom d'une vaste opération d'urbanisme engagée à Paris dans les années 1960 et interrompue au milieu des années 1970. Son objectif était de transformer en profondeur certains quartiers du 13e arrondissement, autour de l'avenue d'Italie dont elle a tiré son nom. De cette opération, partiellement mise en œuvre, datent les nombreuses tours du sud de l'arrondissement et en particulier le quartier des Olympiades.
Les tours des Olympiades derrière le seul bâtiment restant des usines Panhard
L'opération Italie 13 est l'une des réponses proposées par les urbanistes à un diagnostic souvent formulé par les architectes et les politiques depuis le début du xxe siècle : les arrondissements périphériques de Paris et plus particulièrement le XIIIe arrondissement comprennent de nombreux ilôts jugés insalubres ou simplement « mal construits ». La rénovation de ces îlots, soigneusement répertoriés par Raymond Lopez (architecte-conseil pour la ville de Paris) et son assistant Michel Holley, doit se faire non par un simple assainissement des immeubles mais par une réorganisation d'ensemble de ces quartiers dans l'esprit de la Charte d'Athènes de Le Corbusier :
construction en hauteur afin de libérer des espaces libres au sol et d'assurer aux appartements une meilleure luminosité
séparation des fonctions : les voies destinées à une circulation automobile importante doivent être distinctes de celles qui sont consacrées à la desserte locale ou aux trajets piétonniers.
D'autres principes de Le Corbusier, comme celui des parcs entourant les tours, sont toutefois mis de côté.
Le Plan d'urbanisme directeur (PUD), rédigé en 1959 et appliqué dès 1961, résume en quelques mots la nouvelle conception de la ville : « La trame urbaine n'est plus définie par les rues, mais par l'ordonnance des constructions, elles-mêmes guidées par des considérations fonctionnelles ». Le quartier des Olympiades illustrera ce programme à la perfection.
Grâce au soutien d'un pouvoir politique fort instauré par l'avènement de la Cinquième République, l'opération Italie 13 peut être lancée. Le Conseil de Paris l'approuve le 13 janvier 1966 et la confie au secteur privé. Elle doit couvrir un secteur de 87 hectares entre la place d'Italie, l'avenue de Choisy, les rues de Tolbiac et Nationale, les boulevards des Maréchaux et une partie des quartiers de Maison-Blanche et de la Butte aux Cailles de part et d'autre de l'avenue d'Italie. Il s'agit de construire 16 400 logements et 150 000 mètres carrés de surfaces commerciales et de bureaux, ainsi que des écoles et de petits jardins.
Les nombreux intervenants sont réunis au sein de l'Atelier de rénovation urbaine d'Italie 13 sous l'impulsion d'Albert Ascher et Michel Holley. Les tours doivent toutes avoir à peu près la même hauteur : une trentaine d'étages. Holley estime en effet que l'urbanisme de tours, loin d'opérer une rupture traumatique avec le passé, prolonge la vieille tradition parisienne de l'unité de hauteur des bâtiments. De la place des Vosges aux grandes avenues haussmanniennes, l'uniformité des gabarits est en effet un élément essentiel du paysage parisien.
Des résultats contrastés
Les principales réalisations de l'opération Italie 13 sont répartis sur trois principaux quartiers auxquels il faut ajouter quelques bâtiments isolés.
Vue des trois principaux quartiers de tours depuis la tour Super-Italie, annotée avec le nom des tours
Les Olympiades
L'opération des Olympiades, dirigée par Michel Holley de 1969 à 1974, est une mise en œuvre complète, la seule dans Paris avec le quartier Front-de-Seine, des objectifs du PUD :
les tours et les barres sont orientées le long d'un axe approximativement nord-sud indépendamment de l'orientation des rues. Leur disposition fait penser à une vallée de montagne centrée sur les fausses pagodes du centre commercial, loin de la structure traditionnelle du tissu urbain.
certaines rues sont mêmes invisibles, enfouies sous la dalle et utilisées uniquement pour l'accès des automobiles aux tours et les livraisons de marchandise : rues du Javelot et du Disque.
la séparation fonctionnelle consiste à réserver les avenues à la circulation automobile et la dalle aux piétons : les commerces sont installés sur la dalle, de même que l'entrée principale des tours.
La dalle des Olympiades
Il s'agit du plus vaste espace sur dalle de Paris avec le quartier du Front-de-Seine dans le XVe arrondissement. La dalle recouvre la gare de marchandise des Gobelins (située en fait assez loin de la manufacture et de l'avenue du même nom) qui communique avec les rues souterraines. Elle comporte huit tours et trois barres dont les noms correspondent à des villes olympiques : Athènes, Sapporo, Helsinki, Tokyo...
L'opération des Olympiades visait à séduire une population de cadres jeunes en tablant sur le modernisme du quartier et la présence de nombreux équipements scolaires et sportifs. Or les tours, éloignées du centre de Paris, trop standardisées dans leur architecture, n'ont pas attiré les Parisiens. Les tours sont restées inoccupées pendant plusieurs années et l'opération aurait sans doute été un échec sans l'arrivée des premiers réfugiés vietnamiens vers 1975. Ils ont rapidement occupé les appartements en vivant à plusieurs familles par appartement afin de payer les loyers élevés. Suivi par d'autres vagues de réfugiés et d'immigrés cambodgiens, laotiens, aujourd'hui chinois, ils ont ouvert ou repris de nombreux commerces financés par le système de la tontine et en ont fait l'un des quartiers asiatiques de Paris.
Curieusement, les toits en forme de pagode qui recouvrent les boutiques de la dalle ont été réalisés avant l'arrivée des Asiatiques et sans relation avec eux.
De nos jours, le quartier, dont la maintenance est complexe et coûteuse, fait l'objet de projets de rénovation dans le cadre d'un grand projet de renouvellement urbain (GPRU).
De droite à gauche : le Périscope (M. Novarina), Antoine-et-Cléopâtre (M. Holley) et les quatre tours du centre Galaxie
L'avenue d'Italie devait être élargie aux dimensions des Champs-Élysées et transformée en voie rapide, rattachée à un réseau de radiales traversant les arrondissements XII à XX. Les piétons et la desserte locale devaient traverser l'avenue par des passerelles ou des tunnels.
Du côté impair, Michel Holley a dessiné les plans de la tour Antoine-et-Cléopâtre, l'une des rares à échapper au modèle parallélépipédique strict.
De l'autre côté, quatre tours et une barre aux noms de minéraux ont été édifiés autour d'un jardin privé qui surplombe le centre commercial Italie II (anciennement Galaxie). Il s'agit d'un embryon de dalle : l'entrée principale de certaines tours se trouve au niveau de la passerelle qui devait enjamber l'avenue d'Italie. C'est l'un des seuls endroits où l'avenue d'Italie a été élargie à 70 mètres comme le prévoyait l'opération Italie 13.
Le projet le plus ambitieux de l'opération Italie 13 était celui de la tour Apogée : d'une hauteur comparable à celle de la tour Montparnasse, elle devait servir de « signal » à l'entrée du quartier, au bord de la place d'Italie. Proposée par Michel Holley sous diverses formes au cours des années 1970, la hauteur projetée à diminué progressivement avant l'annulation finale du projet. En 1980, l'État français a dû payer 470 millions de francs au promoteur pour être revenu sur le permis de construire qu'il lui avait délivré.
Le quartier Masséna
Ce quartier, qui occupe l'ancien emplacement des usines Panhard-Levassor de la porte d'Ivry à la rue Gandon, comprend d'est en ouest :
la villa d'Este où la concentration de tours est sans doute la plus élevée de Paris
le centre commercial Masséna 13
le quartier de la porte de Choisy.
Les tours de ce quartier donnent de plain-pied sur la rue et sont mieux intégrées dans le tissu urbain. Elles portent des noms de compositeurs ou de villes italiennes : Puccini, Palerme, Rimini...
Autres constructions
Il faut rajouter à cette liste quelques bâtiments et opérations isolés :
vers la porte d'Italie : la tour Super-Italie, seule tour ronde du quartier (Maurice Novarina, 1974) et la tour Chambord au bord du boulevard Kellermann.
le long du boulevard Vincent-Auriol : divers ensembles d'immeubles de grande hauteur dont trois tours portant les noms de Cheops, Chephren et Mykerinos à cause de leur forme légèrement pyramidale à la base, à côté desquelles se dresse l'une des tours les plus originales de Paris : la tour du Nouveau-Monde, dont les murs sont ornés de bas-reliefs sur toute leur hauteur.
La fin d'Italie 13 et le retour à une conception de la ville plus traditionnelle
La sortie de terre des tours s'est accompagnée d'un changement d'état d'esprit de la population, qui a trouvé un écho chez les professionnels (enquêtes de l'Atelier parisien d'urbanisme) et les politiques. En 1974, le nouveau président de la République, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, marque le point d'arrêt des grandes opérations d'urbanisme de tours. L'opération Italie 13 n'aura donc été que très partiellement mise en œuvre.
Il est difficile de nier que la construction des tours, vue autrefois comme un progrès décisif, n'a guère profité à l'image du XIIIe arrondissement, d'autant plus que, construites sur une hauteur, elles sont beaucoup plus visibles depuis le reste de Paris que les tours du Front-de-Seine. Sur le plan esthétique, l'uniformité des parallélépipèdes parisiens séduit certainement moins les Parisiens que l'exubérance de Manhattan pour les New-Yorkais. Les habitants, eux, portent un jugement très contrasté selon la tour dans laquelle ils résident, car la situation varie considérablement d'un immeuble à l'autre au niveau des équipements fournis, de l'état d'entretien et du standing général.
Toutefois, la dalle des Olympiades a conservé ses commerces et ne présente pas l'aspect d'esplanade semi-déserte du Front-de-Seine. L'arrivée de populations asiatiques a probablement permis de sauvegarder le dynamisme du quartier.
À cause du semi-échec de ce type d'opération, l'urbanisme s'est lancé en France, et en particulier à Paris, dans une direction beaucoup plus modeste. L'opération Paris Rive Gauche, à quelques centaines de mètres des Olympiades, seule opération urbaine de grande envergure menée à Paris depuis Italie 13, marque sur l'avenue Pierre-Mendès-France le retour à l'alignement sur rue et au gabarit uniforme : la pierre de taille de l'époque haussmanienne a simplement laissé la place à la paroi de verre. Et le patrimoine urbain, que le PUD croyait pouvoir négliger en dehors du « périmètre sacré » des six premiers arrondissements, fait désormais l'objet de toutes les attentions : alors que les architectes des années 1960 prévoyaient de détruire une gare d'Orsay devenue inutile, leurs successeurs des années 2000 intègrent la plupart des derniers vestiges du passé industriel (Grands Moulins de Paris, SUDAC, Frigos) dans les nouveaux quartiers du xxie siècle.
This was a big lots ad from 1989, I think. They were selling a product named Axis....which looks a lot like the Axe spray we know today.
Maybe Axis was imported into Big Lots from Canada or something?
Thank you for 6.6 million views 2017-2021
The above image is a scan from an original Kodachrome™ slide. The default size is 2000 x 1250 pixels, so clicking on the photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
The original image comes from my slide collection, amassed over the past 40+ years. They are a combination of my own photographs and ones acquired over those years.
I created this Photostream in 2017 for the purpose of holding my slide collection as an archive, as otherwise they would just remain in binders and boxes, not being enjoyed by anyone, myself included.
Comments are welcome.
Aircraft MSN: E2188
Type & Series: British Aerospace BAe146-200QC
Registration: F-GLNI
Operator: Axis Airways
Location (when available): Paris CDG
If the Location is blank, and you can identify it, you are welcome to leave a comment below.
Remarks:
My websites:
Fehler bitte melden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob alle Angaben richtig sind.
Displaying errors. I am not shure if all given informations are correct.
Austin and my AFVs. Not very many. Sometimes I find the vehicles harder than the tanks. :)
Credit to PA, Rebla, Piglet, Larry Lars, BroHamSanwich, Dede Winters, Ewok, and Legohaulic for inspiration.
This shot is looking straight up through a sculpture called "Axis", designed by Robert Kilvington, located in Vale Park in Aylesbury.
Details from RobertKilvington.com:
"To mark the junction in Vale Park between Old Victorian formal garden and new Aqua Vale swimming pool development.
Commissioned by Aylesbury Vale Arts Council through Artpoint Trust.
Made from 12 intersecting stainless steel 60mm tubes.
Size: Height 8 metres x 3 metres diameter.
Completed April 2002"
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
After the division of Czechoslovakia by Germany in 1939, Slovakia was left with a small air force composed primarily of Czechoslovak combat aircraft. This force defended Slovakia against Hungary in March 1939, in the Slovak–Hungarian War in March 1939 in which Hungary reoccupied Carpathian Ruthenia and parts of southern Slovakia. In this the SVZ suffered some losses against Royal Hungarian Air Force. Later, the SVZ also took part in the German Invasion of Poland. The SVZ took part in Axis offensives in the Ukraine and Russian Central front sectors of the Eastern Front under the lead of Luftwaffe in the Stalingrad and Caucasus operations. This engagement resulted in great losses of aircraft and personnel, though.
During the World War II, the Slovak Air force was charged with the defense of Slovak airspace, and, after the invasion of Russia, provided air cover for Slovak forces fighting against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front. For the rest of the war the SVZ fought US Army Air Forces and Royal Air Force raids against Slovakia.
Among the many more or less outdated German aircraft types inherited from the Luftwaffe during the early stages of WWII was a small number of Hs 123 A-1 dive bombers. The Henschel Hs 123 was a small single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft. The aircraft was designed to meet the 1933 dive bomber requirements for the reborn Luftwaffe. Both Henschel and rival Fieseler (with the Fi 98) competed for the production contract requirement, which specified a single-seat biplane dive bomber. The first prototype, the Hs 123 V1, was cleared for its maiden flight on 1 April 1935; General Ernst Udet, a World War I ace, flew it on its first public demonstration flight on 8 May 1935. The first three Henschel prototypes, with the first and third powered by 485 kW (650 hp) BMW 132A-3 engines and the second by a 574 kW (770 hp) Wright Cyclone, were tested at Rechlin in August 1936. Only the first prototype had "smooth" cowlings; from that point on, all aircraft had a tightly fitting, characteristic cowling that included 18 fairings covering the engine valves. The Henschel prototypes did away with bracing wires and although they looked slightly outdated with their single faired interplane struts and cantilever main landing gear legs attached to smaller (stub) lower wings, the Hs 123 featured an all-metal construction, clean lines and superior maneuverability. Its biplane wings were of a "sesquiplane" configuration, whereby the lower wings were significantly smaller than the top wings.
The overall performance of the Hs 123 V1 prototype prematurely eliminated any chance for the more conventional Fi 98, which was cancelled after a sole prototype had been constructed. During testing, the Hs 123 proved capable of pulling out of "near-vertical" dives; however, two prototypes subsequently crashed due to structural failures in the wings that occurred when the aircraft were tested in high-speed dives. The fourth prototype incorporated improvements to cure these problems; principally, stronger center-section struts were fitted. After it had been successfully tested, the Hs 123 was ordered into production with a 656 kW (880 hp) BMW 132Dc engine.
The Hs 123 was intended to replace the Heinkel He 50 biplane reconnaissance and dive bomber as well as acting as a "stop-gap" measure until the more modern and capable Junkers Ju 87 became available. As such, production was limited and no upgrades were considered, although an improved version, the Hs 123B, was developed by Henschel in 1938. A proposal to fit the aircraft with a more powerful 716 kW (960 hp) "K"-variant of its BMW 132 engine did not proceed beyond the prototype stage, the Hs 123 V5. The V6 prototype fitted with a similar powerplant and featuring a sliding cockpit hood was intended to serve as the Hs 123C prototype.
About 265 aircraft were produced and production of the Hs 123A ended in Autumn 1938. It was flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to midpoint of World War II. At the outbreak of hostilities, Hs 123s were committed to action in the Polish Campaign. Screaming over the heads of enemy troops, the Hs 123s delivered their bombs with devastating accuracy. A frightening aspect of an Hs 123 attack was the staccato noise of its engine that a pilot could manipulate by changing rpm to create "gunfire-like" bursts. The Hs 123 proved rugged and able to take a lot of damage and still keep on flying. Operating from primitive bases close to the front lines, the type was considered by ground crews to be easy to maintain, quick to re-equip and reliable even under dire field conditions.
The Polish campaign was a success for an aircraft considered obsolete by the Luftwaffe high command. Within a year, the Hs 123 was again in action in the Blitzkrieg attacks through the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Often positioned as the Luftwaffe's most-forward based combat unit, the Hs 123s flew more missions per day than other units, and again proved their worth in the close-support role. With Ju 87s still being used as tactical bombers rather than true ground support aircraft and with no other aircraft capable of this mission in the Luftwaffe arsenal the Hs 123 was destined to continue in service for some time, although numbers were constantly being reduced by attrition.
The Hs 123 was not employed in the subsequent Battle of Britain as the English Channel proved an insuperable obstacle for the short-ranged aircraft, and the sole leftover operator, II.(Schl)/LG 2, went back to Germany to re-equip with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter bomber (Jabo) variant. The Bf 109E fighter bomber was not capable of carrying any more bombs than the Hs 123. It did, however, have a greater range and was far more capable of defending itself. On the downside were the notoriously tricky taxiing, ground handling, and takeoff/landing characteristics of the Bf 109, which were exacerbated with a bomb load.
At the beginning of the Balkans Campaign, the 32 examples of the Hs 123 that had been retired after the fall of France were taken back into service and handed over to the Slovak Air Force to replace the heavy losses on the Eastern Front after combat fatigue and desertion had reduced the pilots' effectiveness. Most of Slovakia's obsolete biplanes were replaced with modern German combat aircraft, including the Messerschmitt Bf 109, so that the Hs 123s were initially regarded with distrust – but the machines proved their worth in the ensuing battles. The Slovak Hs 123s took part in the Battle of Kursk and supported ground troops, some were outfitted with locally designed ski landing gears which proved to be a very effective alternative to the Hs 123’s spatted standard landing gear which was prone to collect snow and mud and even block. After this deployment at the Russian front, the Slovak Air Force was sent back to defend Slovak home air space, primarily executed with Messerschmitt Bf 109 E and G types, Avia B-534, and some other interceptor types, also helped by Luftwaffe units active in the area.
Being confined to national borders, the Slovak Hs 123s were put in reserve and relegated to training purposes, even though they were occasionally activated to support German ground troops. From late August 1944 the remaining Hs 123s also actively took part in the suppression of the Slovak National Uprising against Germany.
Since Hs 123 production had already stopped in 1940 and all tools had been destroyed, the permanent attritions could not be replaced - due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts the type’s numbers dwindled. When Romania and the Soviet Union entered Slovakia, they organized with some captured aircraft and defectors a local Insurgent Air Force to continue the fight against Axis forces in country, including the last operational Slovak Hs 123s. No aircraft survived the war.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 8.33 m (27 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 24.85 m² (267.5 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,500 kg (3,307 lb)
Gross weight: 2,215 kg (4,883 lb)
Powerplant:
1× BMW 132Dc 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine with 660 kW (880 hp),
driving a 2-bladed metal variable-pitch propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 341 km/h (212 mph, 184 kn) at 1,200 m (3,937 ft)
Range: 860 km (530 mi, 460 nmi) with a 100 l drop tank
Combat range: 480 km (300 mi, 260 nmi) with 200 kg (440.9 lb) of bombs
Service ceiling: 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 15 m/s (3,000 ft/min)
Armament:
2× 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, 400 rpg
Up to 450 kg (992.1 lb) of bombs under fuselage and wings
The kit and its assembly:
A relatively simple what-if project, and it took a while to figure out something to do with a surplus Airfix Hs 123 A kit in The Stash™ without a proper plan yet. The Hs 123 is an overlooked aircraft, and the fact that all airframes were used during WWII until none was left makes a story in Continental Europe a bit difficult. I also did not want to create a German aircraft – Finland was an early favorite, because I wanted to add a ski landing gear (see below), but since I won’t build anything with a swastika on it this option was a dead end. Then I considered an operator from the Balkans, e. g. Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia or Slovakia – and eventually settled for the latter because of the national markings.
The kit was built almost OOB, and the Airfix Hs 123 is a nice offering. Yes, it’s a simple kit, but its is IMHO a very good representation, despite the many rivets on the hull, a rather bleak interior and some sinkholes (e. g. on the massive outer wings struts). It goes together well, just a little PSR here and there. I just added a dashboard (scratched from styrene sheet) and modified the OOB 50 kg bombs with extended impact fuzes with a flat, round plate at the tip, so that the bomb itself explodes above soft ground or snow for a bigger blast radius.
The only major modification is a transplanted ski landing gear from a PM Model (Finnish) Fokker D.XXI, which had to be reduced in length to fit under the compact Hs 123. A small tail ski/skid was scratched from styrene sheet material.
Thankfully, the Hs 123 only calls for little rigging – just between the central upper wing supports and there is a characteristic “triangle” wiring in the cowling. All these, together with the wire antenna, were created with heated sprue material.
Painting and markings:
Finland had been a favorite because I would have been able to apply a more interesting paint scheme than the standard Luftwaffe RLM 70/71/65 splinter scheme with a low waterline that was typical for the Hs 123 during WWII. However, as a former Luftwaffe aircraft I retained this livery but decided to add a winter camouflage as a suitable thematic supplement to the skis.
The basic colors became Humbrol 65 underneath and 30 and 75 from above – the latter for a stronger contrast to the Dunkelgrün than Humbrol 91 (Schwarzgrün). Thanks to the additional whitewash mottles, which were inspired by a similar livery seen on a contemporary Bulgarian Avia B.534, I did not have to be too exact with the splinter camouflage.
The cockpit and cowling interior were painted with RLM 02 (Humbrol 240), the propeller blades became Schwarzgrün (Humbrol 91, further darkened with some black) and the bombs were painted in a dark grey (Revell 77) while the small 100 l drop tank became bare aluminum (Revell 99).
However, before the white mottles could be added, the kit received its decals so that they could be painted around the markings, just as in real life. The Slovak national markings had to be scratched, and I used standard white simplified German Balkenkreuze over a cross made from blue decal stripes. Later a separate red decal circle was placed on top of that. The only other markings are the red “7” codes, edged in white for better contrast (from a Heller Bf 109 K) and the fuel information triangles on the fuselage from the Hs 123’s OOB sheet. As an ID marking for an Eastern Front Axis aircraft, I retained the wide yellow fuselage stripe from the OOB, sheet, too, and added yellow tips on the upper wings’ undersides.
The whitewash camouflage was then created with white acrylic paint (Revell 05), applied with a soft brush with a rounded tip. Once this had dried, I treated the surfaces with fine wet sandpaper for a weathered/worn look.
Finally, after some soot stains behind the exhausts and around the machine gun nozzles, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and the rigging (see above) was done.
The Hs 123 might not be the sexiest aircraft of WWII, but I like this rugged pug which could not be replaced by its successor, the Ju 87, and served in its close support role until literally no aircraft was left. Putting one on skis worked quite well, and the exotic Slovak markings add a special touch – even though the national markings almost disappear among the disruptive whitewash camouflage! The result looks quite plausible, though, and the old Airfix kit is IMHO really underestimated.
The chital (/tʃiːtəl/) or cheetal (Axis axis), also known as spotted deer or axis deer, is a species of deer that is native in the Indian subcontinent. The species was first described by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777. A moderate-sized deer, male chital reach nearly 90 cm (35 in) and females 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder. While males weigh 30–75 kg (66–165 lb), the lighter females weigh 25–45 kg (55–99 lb). The species is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and antlers are present only on males. The upper parts are golden to rufous, completely covered in white spots. The abdomen, rump, throat, insides of legs, ears, and tail are all white. The antlers, three-pronged, are nearly 1 m (3.3 ft) long.
Source: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chital)
The chital or cheetal (Axis axis), also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and in small numbers in Pakistan. The chital goes by various names in India, among which include: Chital horin in Bengali, Thith Muwa in Sinhalese, Jinke in Kannada, Pulli Maan in Tamil and Malayalam, Duppi in Telugu, Phutuki Horin in Assamese, Haran/Harin in Marathi, and Hiran in Hindi/Urdu (the latter two derived from Harini, the Sanskrit cognate for 'deer'). It is the most common deer species in Indian forests. The name Chital comes from the Bengali word Chitral /Chitra, which means "spotted". The chital is monotypic within the genus Axis, but this genus has also included three species that now are placed in Hyelaphus based on genetic evidence.
The chital's coat is pinkish fawn, marked with white spots, and its underparts are also white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in a lyre shape and may extend to 75 cm (2.5 ft). Compared to the hog deer, its close relative, the chital has a more cursorial build. It also has a more advanced morphology with antler pedicles being proportionally short and its auditory bullae being smaller. It also has large nasals. The male chital averages about 90 cm (35 in) tall at the shoulder, with a total length of 170 cm (67 in), including a 20 cm (7.9 in). Males, at a typical weight of 30 to 75 kg (66 to 170 lb), are somewhat larger than females, at 25 to 45 kg (55 to 99 lb). Exceptionally large males can weigh up to 98 to 110 kg (220 to 240 lb). The lifespan is around 8–14 years.
Chital have well-developed preorbital glands which have hairs that are like stiff little branches. They also have well-developed metatarsal glands and pedal glands on their hind legs. Males have larger preorbital glands than females and are opened very often in response to certain stimuli.
German Army Officer Renactor
The Victory Show 2016 1940's Reenactment Weekend
Main subject image taken by amhjp photography at the Peak Valley Railways 1940's Reenactment Weekend background stock image
Muiderstraatweg 21/04/2019 15h16
The Muiderstraatweg is part of the East-West axis of Diemen and will be completely redesigned. The trees have been felled and are planned again later. From April 30th till May 16 2019 tramline 19 will be shortened to Watergraafsmeer where it turns around to return to Sloterdijk.
This tram 830 of the series "12G" (817-841) was delivered to the GVB on 07/05/1991 and first put into service on line 24 on 20/07/1991. Since the opening of the Noord-Zuid metro line these trams are mainly used on line 19 and 24.
Photo taken on Easter Sunday 2019.
More information about line 19:
Opened: 22/07/2018
Route: Diemen - Middenweg - Sarphatistraat - Weteringschans - Leidseplein - de Clercqstraat - Admiraal de Ruijterweg - Sloterdijk
Length: 12.8 km
Depot: Remise Havenstraat
Equipment: Standard BN 12G trams (817 - 841)
This is a "big ol' boy" as we say in the Texas Hill Country. These axis deer are an introduced speces (aka invasive or exotic) and they are thriving a bit too well. He was eating up the corn distributed by our wildlife feeder during May 2022. At the time the ground was pretty bare - no grass or wildflowers except in areas where we had watered.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas
Deer, belonging to the family Cervidae, have a rich evolutionary history that spans millions of years. From their early ancestors to the diverse species we see today, deer have undergone significant changes and adaptations.
Deer belong to the order Artiodactyla, which also includes animals like cows, pigs, and giraffes. The earliest known ancestors of deer can be traced back to the early Miocene epoch, around 20 million years ago. These primitive deer-like creatures were small in size and lacked the distinctive antlers seen in modern deer. They had long legs, allowing them to be agile and fast runners.
Over time, deer underwent various evolutionary changes. One of the key developments was the evolution of antlers. Antlers initially evolved as bony outgrowths from the skull, primarily in males. These structures were used for combat during mating season, establishing dominance, and defending territories. The antlers' size and complexity increased as deer continued to evolve, leading to the diverse array of antler shapes and sizes seen today.
During the late Miocene epoch, around 10 million years ago, deer began to diversify into different lineages. One of these lineages gave rise to the subfamily Cervinae, which includes species like red deer, elk, and moose. Another lineage led to the subfamily Capreolinae, which includes species like roe deer, muntjac, and reindeer.
As deer evolved, they spread to different parts of the world. Fossil evidence shows that deer inhabited various continents, including North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This geographic distribution allowed deer to adapt to different environments and ecological niches.
In North America, deer underwent significant evolutionary changes. One of the most notable developments was the evolution of the long-legged, long-necked deer known as the giant deer or Irish elk. These impressive creatures, which lived during the Pleistocene epoch, had massive antlers that spanned up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) across. However, the giant deer became extinct around 7,700 years ago, likely due to a combination of environmental changes and hunting by early humans.
In Europe, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) has a prominent evolutionary history. Fossil records show that red deer have existed on the continent for over two million years. They went through various adaptations to survive in different habitats, including the development of larger body size and more complex antlers.
In Asia, the ancestors of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) originated and diversified. Sika deer are known for their distinctive white spots and have adapted to a wide range of habitats, from dense forests to grasslands. They have played an important role in Asian cultures and have been bred in captivity for their meat and antlers.
In Africa, the water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is a unique species found mainly in China and Korea. Unlike most deer, water deer lack antlers and possess long canine teeth, which are used for territorial fights. They are also exceptional swimmers, capable of traversing rivers and lakes to find food and escape predators.
Today, deer are found in various habitats worldwide, including forests, grasslands, and mountains. They have become important components of many ecosystems, influencing vegetation dynamics through grazing and providing food sources for predators. Humans have also had a significant impact on deer populations, with hunting and habitat loss posing challenges for some species.
In conclusion, deer have a fascinating evolutionary history that spans millions of years. From their humble beginnings as small, antler-less creatures, they have evolved into a diverse array of species with different adaptations and ecological roles. The development of antlers, theevolution of body size and shape, and the colonization of different continents are some of the key milestones in deer evolution. Today, deer continue to captivate us with their grace, beauty, and ecological significance, reminding us of the ever-evolving wonders of the natural world.