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US Geological Survey benchmark along the Mid State Trail, Bald Eagle State Forest, Union County.
I've licensed this photo as Creative Commons 0 (CC0) for release into the public domain. You're welcome to download the photo and use it without attribution.
Shangri-La's Fijian Resort and Spa
Yanuca Island (pronounced Ya-NU-tha), Sigatoka, Fiji
Post WWII, Pan American Airways hired Pete Slimmer to set up commissary services in various Pacific locations including Fiji. In 1960, Pete moved his family to the Fiji Islands, where he helped pioneer Fiji's tourism industry. Pete Slimmer attended San Francisco City College, and graduated from the Hospitality Management program. Pete Slimmer was a gourmet cook, who helped found the Skylodge Retreat in Fiji in 1960. Irishman Paddy Doyle was a civil engineer who in 1958 arrived in Fiji to help build the jet runway and international airport at Nadi.
Slimmer and Doyle acquired some barracks which had been used by a construction crew during the 18 months it took to build the new jet strip at Nadi. That was in March 1960. They spent six months renovating and air-conditioning the barracks, building a swimming pool, hotel bar then started addiing rooms. They began with 40 beds, and by 1964 had 100. Slimmer and Doyle were key figures in several Fiji companies. in addition to the Skylodge was the duty-free liquor concession at the airport and the new Mocambo Hotel, not far from the Skylodge. The airport's construction crew barracks evolved into the simple but swinging Skylodge Hotel. The airline crews flying between Australia and United States were housed there for periods of rest. The Skylodge hotel attracted the flight crews from Pan Am, Canadian Pacific & Quantas. The hotel's bar never closed - as the crews came in during all hours of the day. Paddy Doyle worked the desk and was the frequent bartender.
From the Skylodge financial success Pete Slimmer, Paddy Doyle and a Pan Am pilot developed the Hotel Fijian, one of the first full service resorts in the South Pacific. They had two sites in mind — Yanuca Island (a 100 acre mangrove swamp) and Natadola Beach. Mr Doyle and Mr Slimmer managed to persuade sceptical Pan Am pilot George Wilson and formed Fiji Resorts Limited with Mr. Wilson as chairman. On January 1, 1964 Fiji Resorts Limited secured a 99 year lease on half of the Yanuca Island from the 23 members of the tokatoka Nakuruvakarua with Adi Lady Lala named chief negotiator and appointed to a directorship of Fiji Resorts Ltd.. Later Mr. Ratu Aisea Waka Vosailagi gained a directorship position of Fiji Resorts Ltd. In 1969 the landowners formally agreed to lease out the whole island to Fiji Resorts Ltd. The annual land lease was F$ 20,000. Also a 1% fee is imposed on the resort's revenue exceeding F$ 1,800,000.
For financing The Fijian Village Mr. Slimmer and Mr. Wilson persuaded funding from British Overseas Airways, Pan American Airlines and Qantas. A grant was also received from the Fiji Government. More than $1million was raised in 23 days. About 250 workers, mostly villagers, helped construct a causeway across the 150 yard channel which separated the island from the mainland. On June 25, 1966, a foundation stone for the first 36 of the 108 lagoon wing rooms was overseen by Sir Derek Jakeway, the last Governor of Fiji before Independence. The buildings were completed in 18 months at a cost of $1.7million.
A competition was held on the name of the new resort. The short list compiled were Yanuca Island Resort, The Driftwood, Fiji Driftwood Hotel, Blue Lagoon Island Resort, Black Marlin Bay Hotel, Hibiscus Island Hotel, Turtle Reef Hotel, Golden Cowrie Hotel, Lokalevu (Big Surf) Hotel and Lewena (Content) Hotel. Out of all these, one name stood out and was finally chosen — The Fijian. It sounded simple but was brilliant from a promotional, marketing and branding standpoint.
The Fijian was designed by Pete Wemberly, same architect who did the Sheraton Maui and the Samoan Intercontinental. The Fijian Hotel & Resort opened in September of 1968 and was the "It" destination in the South Pacific. The Hotel Fijian had such luxuries as Muzak, room refridgerators, air conditioning & automatic coffee makers. The 108 room resort boasted a golf course, tennis courts, horse stables, sail boats and featured diving & snorkeling. The traditional opening ceremony was on October 22, 1967. The resort was opened by the Bau chief’s father, the late Vunivalu and Governor General of Fiji Ratu Sir George Cakobau and Adi Litia Cakobau. The resort began business with Paddy Doyle as general manager. The restaurants were named Lagoon Restaurant, Golden Cowrie Restaurant and Black Marlin Bar.
The Slimmer/Doyle/Wilson interests were sold in 1974 to Malaysian-Chinese business magnate Robert Kuok. Kuok had introduced a luxury hotel brand in 1971, named Shangri-La, after the fictional utopia in which inhabitants enjoy unheard-of longevity. Robert Kuok is a highly respected businessman in Asia - a legendary Chinese entrepreneur, commodities trader, hotelier and property mogul. Kuok's wealth is rooted in palm oil and shipping. At age 94 Kuok's personal wealth was $18.9 billion according to the Forbes’ 2018 The World’s Billionaires list. With the change in ownership, the resort came under the management of the Kuok owned Shangri-La International Group and the davui conch shell was replaced by the Shangri-La logo. Over the years Shangri La invested heavily in the resort and with the additional expansion, the facility today boasts 442 rooms, suites and beach bures, two swimming pools, five restaurants, six bars, a Peter Thomson designed nine hole golf course, a popular wedding chapel, world-class spa, as well as duty-free shops and extensive sporting facilities. As of 2018 The Fijian is 51 years old and has been under Shangri La's ownership and management for 44 years. Kuok’s second son, Kuok Khoon Ean, 57, heads Shangri-La Asia Limited which owns 71.64% of the Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort. Paddy Doyle later developed the Crow's Nest along the Coral Coast at Karotoga. The Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa was a benchmark for setting standards for service and innovation as Fiji emerged as a world-class tourism destination.
Robert Kuok invested in Fiji because of a chance meeting with Ratu Penaia Ganilau in the 1940's and his experience trading sugar in Fiji. Mr. Kuok had travelled to Fiji and spent a lot of time at The Fijian Resort during his sugar business dealings. He snatched up the opportunity to purchase the resort in 1974. The hotel was then the second hotel in the Shangri-La chain — which today is 100 hotels strong. Robert Kuok's grandson, Kuok Meng Xiong, known as M.X to hotel staff, is the chairman of board of directors Fiji Resorts Limited.
Starting in 2017 the Shangri-La Group is investing $72 million to give the Yanuca Island property a major makeover. The first phase involved enhancing staff facilities which included a brand new kitchen, lockers, changing room and laundry. Phase two will see complete renovation of the ocean and coral wing.
In January, 2017 Francis Lee was appointed general manager at the Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa. Mr. Lee was the General Manager of the Hylandia by Shangri-La Hotel in Yunnan, China He replaces Craig Powell who has taken on a full time role as Director of Public Affairs for Fiji Resorts Ltd. In 2014 Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa announced the appointment of Craig Powell as General Manager. He replaced Michael Monks who was general manager since 2010. Powell is a Fiji islander who was born in Singapore but grew up in Fiji. He attended Ecole Les Roches Hospitality School, one of the top four hotel management schools worldwide. He graduated from Les Roches in 1994. In January 2018 Treasure Island Fiji appointed Craig Powell as its new General Manager. Monks, as of 2017, is the General Manager at Sunway Putra Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Compiled by Dick Johnson / January, 2019
richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The DAP “Bunyip” fighter was an indigenous development as a successor for the successful CA-12 “Boomerang” fighter, which had been designed in late 1941. The main challenge to this ambition was the fact that fighter aircraft had never been manufactured before in Australia, and that the country’s aircraft industry was relatively young and only had acquired experience through license production.
The CA-12 proved to be successful, even though it had several weak spots. While the CA-12 was lively at low level, its performance fell away rapidly above altitudes of 15,000 ft (4,600 m), and its maximum speed of 265 knots (490 km/h) was not sufficient to make it an effective counter to Japanese fighters like the Zero and the Japanese Army's Nakajima Ki 43 ("Oscar"). Similarly, the best European fighters were reaching almost 350 knots (650 km/h), and even relatively sluggish contemporary fighters – like the Grumman F4F Wildcat and the Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk I – were substantially faster than the Boomerang.
As a consequence, CAC already commenced work upon a new variant which featured performance improvements in terms of speed, climb and ceiling during the CA-12’s flight testing phase. Designated CA-14, this aircraft was designed around an order for 145 U.S.-built, 1,700 hp (1,268 kW) Wright Cyclone R-2600 engines or, alternatively, by the even more powerful 1,850 hp (1,380 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800. In parallel, a design team around the Australian Department of Aircraft Production (DAP)’s chief engineer Robert Harford at Melbourne was also ordered to produce an independent, competitive design for a potential CA-12 successor with better overall performance characteristics, but using a different engine.
This was an unusual move, since DAP was an Aircraft Construction Branch of the Department of Supply and Development, an entity that had so far been primarily tasked with the license production of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber, but it was per se not a design or engineering center.
However, the DAP team accepted the challenge and produced the DAP “Bunyip” in record time. This aircraft was a compact single seat fighter aircraft, powered by the British Hercules engine, which was already in RAAF use through the Bristol Beaufighter – a lucky move, since CAC’s proposal for their upgraded CA-12 turned out to be a dud: the intended R-2800 was not available for export from the USA when serial production would have started, since any R-2800 production was allocated to US companies. Even though the Australian government favored CAC’s proposal, the Bunyip was ushered into production after a mere year of development and testing.
The Bunyip was an all-metal construction with a low wing and a fully retractable landing gear. While it roughly shared the CA-12’s outline, it was a completely new construction and aerodynamically much more refined than the Boomerang. The widespread use of light metal alloys instead of wood resulted in a lighter and stiffer structure, and, together with a much higher surface quality and the more powerful engine, many small innovations resulted in a significant improvement in speed and climb. Standard armament consisted of six 0.5” machine guns in the outer wings, firing outside of the propeller arc, and two underwing hardpoints allowed bombs of up to 250 lb (113 kg) caliber to be carried.
The first production variant, the Bunyip Mk. I, was introduced into service in summer 1943. RAAF 79 squadron began combat trials of the new type in late 1943 in support of the unit’s first sweep over Japanese-held territory from Gasmata on New Britain, together with Spitfires and Boomerangs as benchmarks. During this time, the new fighters made 102 individual sorties and claimed 15 aerial victories while losing only four aircraft in combat – a very successful start, even though these initial hot operations revealed several flaws. Another problem was the type’s similarity to the Japanese Nakajima Ki-44 fighter – in order to distinguish the RAAF Bunyips, practically all machines soon received prominent, ID markings in the form of white wing leading edges and tails.
Four Bunyips of this initial batch were lost to non-combat causes, mostly related to engine problems: Initially, the Hercules had the tendency to overheat in the hot and humid climate, this problem was traced back to an undersized oil cooler. The carburetor intakes in the wing roots caused reliability problems, too, due to dust ingestion, and there were problems with the stabilizers that tended to flutter at high speed, too.
After only forty Mk. I aircraft, production quickly changed to the Bunyip Mk. II, which incorporated several detail improvements like an enlarged oil cooler (which had, due to its size, to be re-located under the cockpit), dust filters, a stiffened landing gear and a reinforced tail structure. This variant also introduced an alternative armament of four 20mm Hispano cannon in the outer wings (called Mk. IIB, while the IIA retained the original machine gun armament) as well as the option to carry up to four unguided 60 lb missiles under its wings instead of bombs, what made the Bunyip a formidable ground attack aircraft. This role eventually became the type’s primary role, since, by the time of the Bunyip Mk. II’s introduction, the Spitfire had successfully filled the interceptor role and CAC was on the verge of commencing the manufacture of Mustangs under license to meet the sought bomber escort and air superiority roles. There was also an order for 250 of the new P-51H fighters for the RAAF, which was soon changed into a license production agreement at CAC as the Commonwealth CA-21 Mustang Mk. 24.
The DAP Bunyip’s active career was short and intense, and the aircraft was exclusively operated by the RAAF. In service, the operating units worked closely together with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, undertaking reconnaissance, artillery observation, ground attack, and aerial resupply missions in support of Australian ground troops fighting against the Japanese on Bougainville, New Britain and New Guinea. Until August 1945 a total of 351 Bunyips were produced at DAP’s Melbourne factory. After the end of WWII, the type was quickly phased out, though. Only a handful remained in RAAF service as advanced trainers and as ground instruction airframes until 1949.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Height: 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 17.59 m2 (189.3 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,638 kg (5,816 lb)
Gross weight: 3,315 kg (7,308 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Hercules XVII 14-cylinder, two-row, air-cooled radial, delivering 1,735 hp (1,294 kW),
driving a 3-bladed Hamilton Standard, 11 ft 7 in (3.53 m) diameter constant-speed fully-feathering propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 632 km/h (392 mph)
Cruise speed: 400 km/h (249 mph; 216 kn) at 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
Stall speed: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn)
Range: 765 km (475 miles)
Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,089 ft)
Rate of climb: 16.7 m/s (3,280 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 5.3 minutes to 5,000 meters (16,404 ft)
Armament:
4× 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano or CAC cannons with 200 RPG
Two underwing hardpoints for a total ordnance of 500 lb (227 kg),
or four launch rails for unguided 60 lb missiles
The kit and its assembly:
This is my submission to the 2019 “One Week Group Build” at whatifmodelers.com, and it’s actually a personal interpretation of a fantasy profile drawing created by fellow user PantherG who combined a La-5FN with an all-green RAAF livery. The result looked very convincing, and since the GB was coming up, I decided to turn the drawing into model hardware.
However, my build just stuck loosely to the drawing – the kit basis is an Eduard La-7, and I also wanted to get more away from the aircraft’s Soviet (and very characteristic) origins, primarily through a different, Western engine. A search in the spares box revealed the cowling from a Matchbox Bristol Beaufighter: an appropriate choice, since the engine was actually in RAAF use, and the cowling’s diameter fits well onto the La-7 fuselage. A suitable engine dummy had to be found, too, and I decided to add a spinner-less propeller for an even more different look. The latter was improvised from a B-24 propeller hub (Quickboost) and the La-7’s OOB propeller blades. It was mounted on a metal axis and a styrene tube was added behind the engine block as an adapter.
As a gimmick and a reminder of the CA-12’s characteristic “porcupine” exhaust, I added a similar installation to the engine, even though the flame damper had to be shortened considerably. IIRC, the exhaust stub also comes from a Matchbox Beaufighter.
Other changes concern the armament; all guns were moved into the outer wings, using a set of resin 20mm Hispano cannon (Pavla) for a Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC. Additionally, I mounted four 60 lb missiles and their respective launch rails under the outer wings – also resin aftermarket parts (Pavla again).
Painting and markings:
PantherG’s original profile drawing showed an all-green La-5FN with Australian markings and characteristic white quick ID markings. Since I already had an RAAF Hurricane in my collection with such a livery, I rather went for a different paint scheme and went for another RAAF “classic”: upper surfaces in foliage green and earth brown, paired with sky blue undersides – plus the white markings.
PantherG was so kind to draw up a matching profile, based on my plans, and I stuck to it as good as possible. The real challenge became the colors, though. RAAF tones, esp. foliage green, are under heavy debate among modelers, and it is hard to find good evidence. Moreover, the RAAF seems to have been very pragmatic when it came to (re-)painting the flying equipment, there must have been a lot of variance and tolerance concerning the paints’ tones.
The most frequent recommendation for foliage green is FS 34092, but while this bluish green tone goes into the right direction, I find it (after having seen trustworthy WWII pictures of RAAF aircraft) to be much too light, lacking chroma. Furthermore, the recommendation of simply using RAF Dark Earth for the RAAF’s Earth Brown appears fishy to me, too. Again, the RAAF tone appears to be much deeper and richer, and less reddish.
As a consequence I decided to mix my own colors and eventually settled on a 3:1 mix of IJN Green (Modelmaster 2116) plus Humbrol 30 (Dark Green) and a 3:1 mix of Humbrol 10 (Brown) with Modelmaster 2108 (French Earth Brown) – both became relatively dark tones, but this would only make the white ID markings and the grey tactical codes better stand out. The Sky Blue underneath was also a light but rich tone and I found in Modelmaster 2131 (Medium Su-27 Blue) a suitable approximation.
The white tail was painted with a mix of Humbrol 34 and some 147 (White and Light Grey FS 36495), while the wings’ white leading edges were created with white water slide decal sheet material (TL Modellbau) and some touch-ups with white enamel paint. A convenient but somewhat tricky solution that saved time and masking hazards – I guess that painting would have been the more hazardous alternative.
The kit received a standard black ink wash and panels were post-shaded with lightened basic tones, visually adding surface structures that are actually not there.
The interior of cockpit and landing gear were painted with RAF Interior Green (Humbrol 78) – I checked several sources and pictures of museum pics, and this seems to have been the typical tone for RAAF aircraft (or at least those that had been built in Australia).
The decals were puzzled together from various sources. The roundels belong to an RAAF Spitfire (from a Carpena sheet), and this aircraft’s serial number was cut into pieces and re-arranged for the Bunyip. The tactical codes were created with single RAF font letters in medium sea grey from Xtradecal.
Some soot stains around the exhaust and the cannon nozzles was added with grinded graphite, and some signs of wear added on the leading edges and around the cockpit as well as the engine with dry-brushed light grey and silver. Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri), and some oils stains (Tamiya Smoke) as well as small details (wire antenna, position lights) were added. Voilà.
Not a complex build, but the time frame of just nine days made this one, also due to the engine surgery, a tough build. Nevertheless, I am quite happy with the result – the La-7/RAAF combo just looks right, like a natural successor to the stubby CAC Boomerang.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The G.91Y was an increased-performance version of the Fiat G.91 funded by the Italian government. Based on the G.91T two-seat trainer variant, the single Bristol Orpheus turbojet engine of this aircraft was replaced by two afterburning General Electric J85 turbojets which increased thrust by 60% over the single-engine variant. Structural modifications to reduce airframe weight increased performance further and an additional fuel tank occupying the space of the G.91T's rear seat provided extra range. Combat manoeuvrability was improved with the addition of automatic leading edge slats. The avionics equipment of the G.91Y was considerably upgraded with many of the American, British and Canadian systems being license-manufactured in Italy.
Flight testing of three pre-production aircraft was successful, with one aircraft reaching a maximum speed of Mach 0.98. Airframe buffeting was noted and was rectified in production aircraft by raising the position of the tailplane slightly.
An initial order of 55 aircraft for the Italian Air Force was completed by Fiat in March 1971, by which time the company had changed its name to Aeritalia (from 1969, when Fiat aviazione joined the Aerfer). The order was increased to 75 aircraft with 67 eventually being delivered. In fact, the development of the new G.91Y was quite long, and the first order was for about 20 pre-series examples that followed the two prototypes. The first pre-series 'Yankee' (the nickname of the new aircraft) flew in July 1968.
AMI (Italian Air Force) placed orders for two batches, 35 fighters followed by another 20, later cut to ten. The last one was delivered around mid 1976, so the total was two prototypes, 20 pre-series and 45 series aircraft. No immediate export success followed, though, and the Italian G.91Ys’ service lasted until the early '90s as attack/recce machines, both over ground and sea, until the AMX replaced them until 1994.
However, upon retirement some G.91Ys were still in good condition and the airframes had still some considerable flight hours left, so that about thirty revamped aircraft were put up for sale from 1992 onwards. At the same time, Poland was undergoing a dramatic political change. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union the Eastern European country immediately turned its political attention westward, including the prospects of joining NATO. The withdrawal of Russian forces based in Poland and partly obsolete military equipment of the Polish forces themselves led to a procurement process from 1991 onwards, which, among others, included a replacement for the Polish MiG-17 (domestic Lim-5, Lim-6 and Lim-6bis types), which had been operated by both Polish air force and navy since the late Sixties, primarily as fighter bombers in their late career, but also for reconnaissance tasks.
The G.91Y appeared, even though a vintage design, to be a suitable replacement option, since its performance envelope and the equipment outfit with three cameras in the nose made it a perfect package – and the price tag was not big, either. Especially the Polish Navy showed much interest, and after 10 months of negotiations Poland eventually bought 22 G.91Y from Italy, plus five G.91T two-seaters for conversion training, which were delivered between June 1993 and April 1994.
For the new operator the machines only underwent minor modifications. The biggest change was the addition of wirings and avionics for typical Polish Air Force ordnance, like indigenous MARS-2 pods for 16 unguided 57mm S-5 missiles, iron bombs of Russian origin of up to 500 kg (1.100 lb) caliber, SUU-23-2 gun pods as well as R-3 and R-60 missiles (which were very similar to the Western AIM-9 Sidewinder and actually date back to re-engineered specimen obtained by the USSR during the Korea war!). All machines were concentrated at Gdynia-Babie Doły in a newly founded, dedicated fighter bomber of the 1 Naval Aviation Squadron, which also operated MiG-21 fighters and PZL Iskra trainers. The Polish G.91Ys, nicknamed “Polski Fiat” by their crews (due to their compact size and overall simplicity, in reminiscence of the very popular, locally license-built Fiat 126), not only replaced the vintage MiG-17 types and some Polish Navy MiG-21 fighters, but also the handful of MiG-15UTI trainer veterans which were still used by the Polish Navy for observation duties over the Baltic Sea.
When Poland joined NATO on 12 March 1999, the G.91Ys (18 were still in service, plus all five trainers) received another major overhaul, a new low-visibility paint scheme, and they were updated with avionics that ensured inter-operability with other NATO forces, e .g. a GPS positioning sensor in a small, dorsal hump fairing. In 2006, when deliveries of 48 F-16C/D fighters to Poland started, the G.91Ys were to be retired within 12 months. But problems with the F-16s’ operability kept the G.91Y fleet active until 2011, when all aircraft were grounded and quickly scrapped.
General characteristics:
Crew: one
Length: 11.67 m (38 ft 3.5 in)
Wingspan: 9.01 m (29 ft 6.5 in)
Height: 4.43 m (14 ft 6.3 in)
Wing area: 18.13 m² (195.149 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,900 kg (8,598 lb)
Loaded weight: 7,800 kg (17,196 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 8,700 kg (19,180 lb)
Powerplant:
2× General Electric J85-GE-13A turbojets, 18.15 kN (4,080 lbf) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,110 km/h (600 kn, 690 mph, Mach 0.95) at 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Range: 1,150 km (621 nmi, 715 mi)
Max. ferry range with drop tanks: 3,400 km (2,110 mls)
Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 86.36 m/s (17,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 480 kg/m² (98.3 lb/ft² (maximum)
Thrust/weight: 0.47 at maximum loading
Armament:
2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA cannons with 120 RPG
4× under-wing pylon stations with a capacity of 1,814 kg (4,000 lb)
The kit and its assembly:
This whiffy Yankee Gina was inspired by a profile that had popped up during WWW picture search a while ago. Tracking it back, I found it to be artwork created and posted at DeviantArt by user “Jeremak-J”, depicting a G.91Y in polish markings and sporting a two-tone grey camouflage with light blue undersides and a medium waterline. I found the idea bizarre, but attractive, and, after some research, I found a small historic slot that might have made this “combo” possible.
When I recently delved through my (growing…) kit pile I came across a Matchbox G.91Y in a squashed box and with a cracked canopy – and decided to use that kit for a personal Polish variant.
The Matchbox G.91Y bears light and shadow galore. While it is IIRC the only IP kit of this aircraft, it comes with some problem areas. The fit of any major kit component is mediocre and the cockpit tub with an integral seat-thing is …unique. But the overall shape is IMHO quite good – a typical, simple Matchbox kit with a mix of (very fine) raised and engraved panel lines.
The OOB canopy could not be saved, but I was lucky to find a replacement part in the spares box – probably left over from the first G.91Y I built in the early Eighties. While the donor part had to be stripped from paint and was quite yellowed from age, it saved the kit.
It was built almost OOB, since major changes would not make sense in the context of my background story of a cheap 2nd hand purchase for an air force on a lean budget. I just added some details to the cockpit and changed the ordnance, using missile pods and iron bombs of Soviet origin (from a Kangnam/Revell Yak-38).
The exhausts were drilled open, because OOB these are just blank covers, only 0.5 mm deep! Inside, some afterburners were simulated (actually main wheels from an Arii 1:100 VF-1).
The flaps were lowered and extended, which is easy to realize on this kit.
The clumsy, molded guns were cut away, to be later replaced with free-standing, hollow steel needles.
In order to add some more exterior detail I also scratched the thin protector frames around the nozzles with thin wire.
Since the replacement canopy looked quite old and brittle, I did not dare cutting the clear part in two, so that the cockpit remained closed, despite the effort put into the interior.
A personal extra is the pair of chaff/flare dispensers on the rear fuselage, reminiscent of Su-22 installations.
Painting and markings:
The inspiring profile was nice, but I found it to be a bit fishy. The depicted tactical code format would IMHO not be plausible for the aircraft’s intended era, and roundels on the fuselage flanks would also long have gone in the Nineties. Therefore, I rather looked at real world benchmarks from the appropriate time frame for my Polish Gina’s livery, even though I wanted to stay true to the artist’s original concept, too.
One direction to add more plausibility was the scheme that Polish Su-22 fighter bombers received during their MLU, changing the typical tactical camouflage in up to four hues of green and brown into a much more subdued two tone grey livery with lighter, bluish-grey undersides, combined with toned-down markings like tactical codes in white outlines only. Some late MiG-21s also received this type of livery, and at least one Polish Fishbed instructional airframe received white low-viz national insignia.
For the paint scheme itself I used the MiG-21 pattern as benchmark (found in the Planes & Pilots MiG-21 book) and adapted it to the G.91Y as good as possible. The tones were a little difficult to define – some painting instructions recommend FS 36118 (US Gunship Grey) for the dark upper grey tone, but this is IMHO much too murky. Esp. on the Su-22s, the two upper greys show only little contrast, and the lower grey does not stand out much against the upper tones, either. On the other side, I found a picture of a real-life MiG-21U trainer in the new grey scheme, and the contrast between the grey on the upper surfaces appeared much stronger, with the light grey even having a brownish hue. Hmpf.
As a compromise I settled for FS 36173 (F-15E Dark Grey) and 36414 (Flint Grey). For the undersides I went for FS 35414 (Blue Green), which comes close to the typical Soviet underside blue, but it is brighter.
After basic painting, the kit received a light black ink wash and subtle post-shading, mostly in order to emphasize single panels, less for a true weathering effect.
The cockpit was painted in Dark Gull Grey (Humbrol 140), with a light blue dashboard and a black ejection seat. The OOB pilot was used and received an olive drab suit with a light grey helmet, modern and toned down like the aircraft itself. The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in different shades of aluminum.
The decals were, as so often, puzzled together from various sources. The interesting, white-only Polish roundels come from a Mistercraft MiG-21. I also added them to the upper wing surfaces – this is AFAIK not correct, but without them I found the model to look rather bleak. Under the wings, full color insignia were used, though. The English language “Navy” markings on the fuselage might appear odd, but late MiG-21s in Polish Navy service actually had this operator designation added to their spines!
The typical, tactical four-digit code consists of markings for Italian Tornados, taken from two different Italeri sheets. The squadron emblem on the fin came from a Mistercraft Su-22, IIRC.
Most stencils were taken from the OOB sheet, some of them were replaced with white alternatives, though, in order to keep a consistent overall low-viz look.
Finally the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
An interesting result. Even though this Polish Gina is purely fictional, the model looks surprisingly convincing, and the grey low-viz livery actually suits the G.91Y well.
This Benchmark style table was customized to be 42"wide x 120"long x 42"h with the standard 2" thick top. Planking, medium distressing, hand worn edges, and Ruff Sawn sanding were options chosen.
The coordinating stools chosen were 10) 30"h Richland stationary sides with wood seats. Medium distressing and worn edges were done to match the table.
Brown Maple/Kona stain
A Global Positioning System setup on a benchmark on the top of the NOAA Sentinel at Shell Beach, Louisiana. NOAA Sentinels are water-level observing stations which have been strengthened to deliver real-time storm tide data during severe coastal events. Built to withstand category four hurricanes, these structures maintain an incredible presence, given their size and stature, along the Gulf coast.
To learn more about benchmarks and observing water levels, visit:
Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services
What Are Tides?, (Diving Deeper audio podcast)
(Original source: National Ocean Service Image Gallery)
Shangri-La's Fijian Resort and Spa
Yanuca Island (pronounced Ya-NU-tha), Sigatoka, Fiji
Post WWII, Pan American Airways hired Pete Slimmer to set up commissary services in various Pacific locations including Fiji. In 1960, Pete moved his family to the Fiji Islands, where he helped pioneer Fiji's tourism industry. Pete Slimmer attended San Francisco City College, and graduated from the Hospitality Management program. Pete Slimmer was a gourmet cook, who helped found the Skylodge Retreat in Fiji in 1960. Irishman Paddy Doyle was a civil engineer who in 1958 arrived in Fiji to help build the jet runway and international airport at Nadi.
Slimmer and Doyle acquired some barracks which had been used by a construction crew during the 18 months it took to build the new jet strip at Nadi. That was in March 1960. They spent six months renovating and air-conditioning the barracks, building a swimming pool, hotel bar then started addiing rooms. They began with 40 beds, and by 1964 had 100. Slimmer and Doyle were key figures in several Fiji companies. in addition to the Skylodge was the duty-free liquor concession at the airport and the new Mocambo Hotel, not far from the Skylodge. The airport's construction crew barracks evolved into the simple but swinging Skylodge Hotel. The airline crews flying between Australia and United States were housed there for periods of rest. The Skylodge hotel attracted the flight crews from Pan Am, Canadian Pacific & Quantas. The hotel's bar never closed - as the crews came in during all hours of the day. Paddy Doyle worked the desk and was the frequent bartender.
From the Skylodge financial success Pete Slimmer, Paddy Doyle and a Pan Am pilot developed the Hotel Fijian, one of the first full service resorts in the South Pacific. They had two sites in mind — Yanuca Island (a 100 acre mangrove swamp) and Natadola Beach. Mr Doyle and Mr Slimmer managed to persuade sceptical Pan Am pilot George Wilson and formed Fiji Resorts Limited with Mr. Wilson as chairman. On January 1, 1964 Fiji Resorts Limited secured a 99 year lease on half of the Yanuca Island from the 23 members of the tokatoka Nakuruvakarua with Adi Lady Lala named chief negotiator and appointed to a directorship of Fiji Resorts Ltd.. Later Mr. Ratu Aisea Waka Vosailagi gained a directorship position of Fiji Resorts Ltd. In 1969 the landowners formally agreed to lease out the whole island to Fiji Resorts Ltd. The annual land lease was F$ 20,000. Also a 1% fee is imposed on the resort's revenue exceeding F$ 1,800,000.
For financing The Fijian Village Mr. Slimmer and Mr. Wilson persuaded funding from British Overseas Airways, Pan American Airlines and Qantas. A grant was also received from the Fiji Government. More than $1million was raised in 23 days. About 250 workers, mostly villagers, helped construct a causeway across the 150 yard channel which separated the island from the mainland. On June 25, 1966, a foundation stone for the first 36 of the 108 lagoon wing rooms was overseen by Sir Derek Jakeway, the last Governor of Fiji before Independence. The buildings were completed in 18 months at a cost of $1.7million.
A competition was held on the name of the new resort. The short list compiled were Yanuca Island Resort, The Driftwood, Fiji Driftwood Hotel, Blue Lagoon Island Resort, Black Marlin Bay Hotel, Hibiscus Island Hotel, Turtle Reef Hotel, Golden Cowrie Hotel, Lokalevu (Big Surf) Hotel and Lewena (Content) Hotel. Out of all these, one name stood out and was finally chosen — The Fijian. It sounded simple but was brilliant from a promotional, marketing and branding standpoint.
The Fijian was designed by Pete Wemberly, same architect who did the Sheraton Maui and the Samoan Intercontinental. The Fijian Hotel & Resort opened in September of 1968 and was the "It" destination in the South Pacific. The Hotel Fijian had such luxuries as Muzak, room refridgerators, air conditioning & automatic coffee makers. The 108 room resort boasted a golf course, tennis courts, horse stables, sail boats and featured diving & snorkeling. The traditional opening ceremony was on October 22, 1967. The resort was opened by the Bau chief’s father, the late Vunivalu and Governor General of Fiji Ratu Sir George Cakobau and Adi Litia Cakobau. The resort began business with Paddy Doyle as general manager. The restaurants were named Lagoon Restaurant, Golden Cowrie Restaurant and Black Marlin Bar.
The Slimmer/Doyle/Wilson interests were sold in 1974 to Malaysian-Chinese business magnate Robert Kuok. Kuok had introduced a luxury hotel brand in 1971, named Shangri-La, after the fictional utopia in which inhabitants enjoy unheard-of longevity. Robert Kuok is a highly respected businessman in Asia - a legendary Chinese entrepreneur, commodities trader, hotelier and property mogul. Kuok's wealth is rooted in palm oil and shipping. At age 94 Kuok's personal wealth was $18.9 billion according to the Forbes’ 2018 The World’s Billionaires list. With the change in ownership, the resort came under the management of the Kuok owned Shangri-La International Group and the davui conch shell was replaced by the Shangri-La logo. Over the years Shangri La invested heavily in the resort and with the additional expansion, the facility today boasts 442 rooms, suites and beach bures, two swimming pools, five restaurants, six bars, a Peter Thomson designed nine hole golf course, a popular wedding chapel, world-class spa, as well as duty-free shops and extensive sporting facilities. As of 2018 The Fijian is 51 years old and has been under Shangri La's ownership and management for 44 years. Kuok’s second son, Kuok Khoon Ean, 57, heads Shangri-La Asia Limited which owns 71.64% of the Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort. Paddy Doyle later developed the Crow's Nest along the Coral Coast at Karotoga. The Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa was a benchmark for setting standards for service and innovation as Fiji emerged as a world-class tourism destination.
Robert Kuok invested in Fiji because of a chance meeting with Ratu Penaia Ganilau in the 1940's and his experience trading sugar in Fiji. Mr. Kuok had travelled to Fiji and spent a lot of time at The Fijian Resort during his sugar business dealings. He snatched up the opportunity to purchase the resort in 1974. The hotel was then the second hotel in the Shangri-La chain — which today is 100 hotels strong. Robert Kuok's grandson, Kuok Meng Xiong, known as M.X to hotel staff, is the chairman of board of directors Fiji Resorts Limited.
Starting in 2017 the Shangri-La Group is investing $72 million to give the Yanuca Island property a major makeover. The first phase involved enhancing staff facilities which included a brand new kitchen, lockers, changing room and laundry. Phase two will see complete renovation of the ocean and coral wing.
In January, 2017 Francis Lee was appointed general manager at the Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa. Mr. Lee was the General Manager of the Hylandia by Shangri-La Hotel in Yunnan, China He replaces Craig Powell who has taken on a full time role as Director of Public Affairs for Fiji Resorts Ltd. In 2014 Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa announced the appointment of Craig Powell as General Manager. He replaced Michael Monks who was general manager since 2010. Powell is a Fiji islander who was born in Singapore but grew up in Fiji. He attended Ecole Les Roches Hospitality School, one of the top four hotel management schools worldwide. He graduated from Les Roches in 1994. In January 2018 Treasure Island Fiji appointed Craig Powell as its new General Manager. Monks, as of 2017, is the General Manager at Sunway Putra Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Compiled by Dick Johnson / January, 2019
richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com