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Letter on reverse (below) kindly translated by xiphophilos: authored in the military hospital in Cuxhaven on 9.11.1915 and addressed to the sender's daughter, Hanna Brügmann in Hamburg.
Landsturmmann Gefreiter Brügmann and co. enjoy a hand of skat while taking a break from their duties at the military hospital / base.
Cuxhaven, situated on the North Sea was the home a number of fortresses built to prevent naval forces entering the Elbe River. During the course of the war, the fortresses heavy 28cm guns were removed and sent to Flanders and installed in static positions there.
One interesting event worth recalling here was on Christmas Day 1914, aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service were carried to within striking distance of Cuxhaven by seaplane tenders of the Royal Navy, supported by both surface ships and submarines. The aircraft flew over the Cuxhaven area and dropped their bombs, causing damage to shore installations (Zeppelin sheds).
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Notes:
Ldst.-I.-Ers.-Btl. Hamburg (IX. 34). Aufgestellt am 28.7.1915 durch Stellv. Gen.Kdo. IX. A.K. Standort: Cuxhaven. (Festungs-Kdtr. für die Befestigungen der Elbemündung in Cuxhaven). Wurde zuerst IV., dann III./Ldst.I.R.Nr. 602.
water drop photography. high speed photography. done with an external flash mounted to hot shoe. (dont have wireless trigger for flash yet) would like to go out and buy a SplashArt kit, but for now i will just do it manually.
The openings in the lobby let customers drop packages into four containers, pre-sorting them for different destinations
scusate sto troppo in fissa :D
P.S. auguri di buon anno...intanto ve li' faccio cosi' poi se ci riesco ve li faccio in maniera un po' piu' flickeriana !
happy new year to all!
Bethany Kingsley-Garner as the Dew Drop Fairy in 'Hansel and Gretel' by Scottish Ballet. Choreography is by Christopher Hampson.
The title of this shot is inspired by a Tori Amos lyric: "Do drop in at the Dew Drop Inn."
This is from tonight's dress rehearsal at the Festival Theatre. It opens there tomorrow before touring to: Glasgow; Aberdeen; Inverness; Newcastle; and Belfast.
You can find details about this production (and book tickets) here:
www.scottishballet.co.uk/event/hansel-gretel
My thanks are due to Scottish Ballet's Communications Officer, Carrie McAdam for inviting me.
Still playing with water drops. I realised that controlling drops in a wine glass is almost impossible but you do get some interesting random shapes. I used two off camera flashes bouncing off a white card.
The Drop Redoubt is one of the two forts on Western Heights, and is linked to the other, the Citadel, by a series of dry moats (the lines). It is, arguably, the most impressive and immediately noticeable feature on Dover’s Western Heights.
The artillery at the Redoubt faced mostly inland; it was intended to attack an invading force attempting to capture Dover from the rear.
The construction of the Redoubt was in two periods: the first being from 1804-1808 during the Napoleonic Wars, and the second from 1859-1864 following the recommendations of the 1859 Royal Commission.
First Period
The original form of the Drop Redoubt was a simple pentagon, formed by cutting trenches into the hillside and revetting (facing) them with brickwork. Thus, the Redoubt was a solid ‘island’ with barracks, magazine, and artillery, on top. Originally, it would have accommodated 200 troops but, by 1893, the numbers had been reduced to just 90.
A striking feature of the first period is the Soldiers’ Quarters – five bomb-proof casemates. These are parabolic in cross section and covered in a thick layer of earth to withstand the effect of mortar-bombs. The windows at the rear of each open into a trench, to protect them against blast.
Second Period
The rise of Napoleon III during the 1850s caused a further invasion scare, and a Royal Commission was set up in 1859 to investigate the defences of Britain. As a result, more work was deemed necessary at the Heights, and the Drop Redoubt had its defences improved. Caponiers were added to four of the corners of the existing fort (each with a stone staircase leading up to the top of the Redoubt), and gunrooms were built alongside two of them to allow fire along the North and South-East Lines. The original magazine was enlarged, and covered with a large earth bank as protection from mortar-fire.
The Officers’ Quarters, Guardroom, and cells also date from this period. They can be distinguished from the earlier work by the semi-circular shape of their arches.
During World War II, the Redoubt housed a squad of commandos that, in the event of invasion, would have been responsible for destroying Dover Harbour. Their presence was secret and the lines around the Redoubt were mined. Evidence of their stay are the sally ports in Caponiers 1 & 2, and the short tunnel leading from the encircling line to Drop Redoubt Road.
The entrance to Drop Redoubt was via a bridge. The inner third of this was pivoted so that the Redoubt could be isolated. The pivot and the recess into which the bridge swung can still be seen, although the bridge has long since gone. In the 1980s, a temporary scaffolding bridge was built by the army to enable access for guided tours of the Redoubt, but this was removed in the middle 1990s to prevent unauthorised entry and vandalism.
some fun dropping a little tomato in water.
Used "open flash" technique: in a dark room, bulb pose and manually triggerd the flash while dropping the tomato.
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If you would like to use THIS picture in any sort of media elsewhere (such as newspaper or article), please send me a Flickrmail or send me an email at natehenderson6@gmail.com.
This week's Strobist Sundays theme was "red".
I've been wanting to try some water drop photos ever since I read about them in this post by David Hobby.
strobist.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-photograph-water-dro...
My setup could not have been simpler. I built a scaffold out of some of my daughter's toys and hung a zip-lock bag over a glass casserole pan. I filled the bag with water and punched a very small hole in the bottom to create a steady drip into the pan, which was filled with about a inch of water. I positioned some foam core directly behind the pan and taped a sheet construction paper to it. The paper was illuminated with a single SB-600 fired at 1/16th power. The lit paper reflected off the water's surface and into the camera, which was set on a tripod looking down from about 30 degrees above the plane of the pan. Using this method, I was able produce any color water surface desired by just changing the color of the construction paper. The camera was fired with a remote trigger. I just hit the button when I saw a drop start to fall. This approach produced about a 30% success rate.
A few items of note that you may not read about in the many water drop tutorials on the web:
1. These types of photos look best if you can maximize the reflection off the surface of the water. If you use a light colored or highly reflective pan, light will reflect off the bottom of the tray, obscuring the water surface detail. To avoid this, I simply lined the bottom of the tray with black construction paper before filling it with water.
2. If, like me, you don't have a macro lens or extension tubes, try the zoom and crop method. My kit Nikon zoom had a minimum focusing distance of about 20 inches at 80mm. This is not quite macro territory, but I was able to get closer by cropping off about 40 percent of the frame. In this era of insanely large megapixel counts, you can easily afford to lose half of your frame. These pictured were produced with my modest 6 megapixel Nikon D50.
The An-2 is used as a light utility transport, parachute drop aircraft, agricultural work and many other tasks suited to this large slow-flying biplane. Its slow flight and good short field performance make it suited for short, unimproved fields, and some specialized variants have also been built for cold weather and other extreme environments. The Guinness Book of World Records states that the 45-year production run for the An-2 was for a time the longest ever, for any aircraft, but it was recently exceeded by the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.[1]
The Antonov An-2 was designed to meet a 1947 Soviet Ministry of Forestry requirement for a replacement for the Polikarpov Po-2, which was used in large numbers in both agricultural and utility roles. Antonov designed a large single bay biplane of all-metal construction, with an enclosed cockpit and a cabin with room for seats accommodating twelve passengers. The first prototype, designated SKh-1 and powered by a Shvetsov ASh-21 radial engine, flew on 31 August 1947. The second prototype was fitted with a more powerful Shvetsov ASh-62 engine, which allowed the aircraft's payload to be significantly increased from 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) to 2,140 kg (4,720 lb), and in this form it was ordered into production.[7]
Initial Soviet production was at State Factory 473 in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR where the bulk of up to 5,000 units had been produced by 1960. Later Soviet production (after 1965, of model An-2M especially) was at State Factory 464 at Dolgoprudniy, Russian SFSR. After 1960, however, most An-2s were been built at Poland's WSK factory in Mielec, with over 13,000 made there before full production ended in 1991. Limited production from parts stocks, as well as spares and maintenance coverage continued until 2001, when four aircraft were produced for Vietnam.[8] China also builds the An-2 under licence as the Shijiazhuang Y-5.[1] It has been occasionally and erroneously reported that there was East German production of the An-2. While An-2s were extensively refurbished in East Germany, there were no new aircraft built there.
The An-2 was designed as a utility aircraft for use in forestry and agriculture. However, the basic airframe is highly adaptable and numerous variants have been developed. These include hopper-equipped versions for crop-dusting, scientific versions for atmospheric sampling, water-bombers for fighting forest-fires, flying ambulances, float-equipped seaplane versions and lightly armed combat versions for dropping paratroops.[9] The most common version is the An-2T 12-seater passenger aircraft. All versions (other than the An-3) are powered by a 750 kW (1,000 hp) nine-cylinder Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engine, which was developed from the Wright R-1820.[1] It uses 43 gallons of avgas per hour.[9]
An-2 on skis at Volosovo air field, Moscow region
An-2 at Grand Junction aviation show.
The An-2 has design features which make it suitable for operation in remote areas with unsurfaced airstrips:
It has a pneumatic brake system (similar to those used on heavy road vehicles) to stop on short runways.[1]
It has an air line fitted to the compressor, so the pressure in the tires and shock absorbers can be adjusted without the need for special equipment.[1]
The batteries are large and easy to remove, so the aircraft does not need a ground power unit to supply power.[1]
There is no need for an external fuel pump to refuel the aircraft, as it has an onboard pump that allows the tanks to be filled from simple fuel drums.[1]
It has a minimum of complex systems. The crucial wing leading edge slats that give the aircraft its slow flight ability are fully automatic, being held closed by the airflow over the wings. Once the airspeed drops below 64 km/h (40 mph), the slats will extend because they are on elastic rubber springs.[1]
Take-off run: 170 m, landing run: 215 m (these numbers will of course vary depending on take-off/landing weight, outside air temperature, surface roughness, and headwind).[1]
Antonov An-2 (An2-TP)
A note from the pilot's handbook reads: "If the engine quits in instrument conditions or at night, the pilot should pull the control column full aft and keep the wings level. The leading-edge slats will snap out at about 64 km/h (40 mph) and when the airplane slows to a forward speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph), the airplane will sink at about a parachute descent rate until the aircraft hits the ground." [1]
The An-2 indeed has no stall speed quoted in the operating handbook. Pilots of the An-2 say one can fly the aircraft in full control at 30 mph (as a contrast, a modern Cessna four-seater light aircraft has a stall speed of around 50 mph). This slow stall speed makes it possible for the aircraft to fly backwards (if the aircraft is pointed into a headwind of, say, 35 mph (56 km/h), it will travel backwards at 5 mph (8.0 km/h) whilst under full control). (This is also possible with almost any other true Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, but the Antonov has the distinction of being able to do the trick in the mildest headwind.)[1]
Closeup on a private An-2TP
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European communist states, most airlines in these areas have been withdrawing their An-2s from service, as some of these aircraft are now over 40 years old and the production of avgas had decreased.[9] Private operators are still using the planes, as their stability, capacity and slow-flying ability make them very popular, for instance for skydiving.[1][9]
In the early 1980s Antonov experimented with a development of the An-2 powered by a modern turboprop engine. The unit used was a 1,450 horsepower (1,080 kW) Glushenkov engine and aircraft fitted with this engine were fitted with a longer, more streamlined nose to accommodate it. See Antonov An-3 article for more information.[1]
In 2013 Antonov announced that it had successfully flown for the first time a new version of the An-2 dubbed the An-2-100 fitted with a 3-blade reversible propeller and a 1500 shp Motor Sich MS-14 turboprop running on kerosene rather than Avgas which is no longer produced in CIS countries.[10]
Whilst their high noise levels, increasing maintenance costs, high fuel consumption[9] and unsophisticated nature (the pre-flight checks alone take between 30 and 40 minutes) make them obsolete for commercial service in Europe, the large number of aircraft available means that prices are low (from as little as US$30,000 for a serviceable example). This makes them ideal for the developing world, where their ability to carry large loads into short airstrips makes them assets to airlines on a budget. Many ex-Aeroflot An-2s work as regional airliners in Africa, Central and South America, Cuba and southeast Asia.[1]
Ukrainian Hryvna depicting the An-2 airplane
North Korea has a number of the aircraft with[11] wooden propellers and canvas wings on their variants (the Y-5 version licence-built in China) giving them a low radar cross-section and therefore a limited degree of "stealth".[12] In a war they could possibly be used to parachute or deliver special forces troops behind enemy lines for sabotage operations.[1]
The An-2's ability, looks and flying characteristics, and its status as one of the world's biggest single-engined production biplanes, mean that demand for the An-2 is increasing in Western Europe and the United States, where they are prized by collectors of classic aircraft, making it an increasingly common sight at airshows. However, many western countries prohibit the use of the An-2 commercially because the aircraft has not been certified by the relevant national aviation authorities. These restrictions vary by country, but all prevent the An-2 being used for any 'for profit' purpose, with the exception of the United States, where An-2s imported since 1993 are limited to experimental certification & Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 21.191,21.193,21.195,91.313,91.319,[9] but PZL-built An-2s are exempt from this restriction due to a bilateral agreement with Poland.[1]
Modernization and refitting projects[edit]
In 2013, Antonov received orders for upgrading "hundreds" of the An-2 planes still in operation in Azerbaijan, Cuba and Russia to the An-2-100 upgrade version.[4]
The Siberian Research Institute of Aviation (SIBNIA) has test flown a highly modified Antonov An-2 with carbonfibre winglet-like braces and carbonfibre wing structures. This is to demonstrate the aerodynamic and structural changes planned for an An-2 replacement, Sukhoi has announced on 10 June 2015. The aircraft was equipped with a five-bladed turboprop engine, most probably the Honeywell TPE331 already installed on a modernized version of the An-2 that entered service in 2014. The autoclave-cured carbonfibre composite materials – including wing panels, spars and ribs – were produced by the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant. Sukhoi says the design change improved the speed of the An-2 by 50%, and testing also has shown the minimum flying speed of the aircraft is “close to zero”.
Tuesday morning came awfully early, and I was still on a bit of a natural high from having spent the past 2 days up in the mountains with its moody/cloudy/misty/foggy weather. I came downstairs early, around 7:00, and ate breakfast alone for the last time at the Dragon’s Backbone Hostel. (I recall donating a book to their library, too; I forget which. Just a generic David Baldacci one, I think.)
Around 7:30, I started to set my way down the hill, enjoying the walk – going down is always much more relaxing than slogging my way up hill – and got to the main parking lot just below Dazhai with about 45 minutes to spare.
That 40 minute jaunt gave me time to reflect on the past two days. For the most part, I just thought it was a peaceful, beautiful, serene place, which I’d gladly visit again…probably in a different season (autumn, to give variety)…and that I wished I’d had a nicer (that is to say, any) sunrise or sunset. On Monday, I even woke up at 4:45 in the morning, but staring through the pitch black, not seeing stars, I knew that there wouldn’t be much of a sunrise to validate going an hour farther uphill above Tiantouzhai to the Music from Paradise viewpoint just to see….varying shades of gray. (The viewpoints here all have very interesting and flowery names. Ironically, at that one, there was a Chinese guy playing saxophone. If anyone wants to know what they’ll hear when they get to paradise…evidently, Simon & Garfunkel’s “Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme” and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”)
With close to an hour in the parking lot, it’s entertaining to take a back seat to the dark corners of your mind. The bus to Yangshuo finally pulled up and I clambered aboard to settle in for the roughly 3-4 hour ride back through Guilin and south to the Li River valley and the lush, karst landscape of Yangshuo. I don’t recall how much the bus ticket cost, but I want to say it was cheap. Maybe 80 RMB or something along those lines, which is a little less than $15.
The ride between Dragon’s Backbone & Yangshuo was completely uneventful. It was just one of those times I wish I had a time machine (or a personal helicopter) to make it go that much more quickly…and avoid the horrendous Chinese driving, including the unnecessary traffic jam in the south part of Guilin and thicker traffic between Guilin and Yangshuo.
So far, vacation was humming along pretty close to on schedule, and I was happy as a lark. The bus pulled into the heart of Yangshuo around 12:15. Yangshuo was the other big part of the first half of the trip. As I mentioned, the plan was to spend 5 nights in this corner of the province, so I had two nights here in Yangshuo.
Yangshuo is also getting a lot of attention as a travel destination these days, and is supposedly getting pretty crowded (though it didn’t feel crowded to me…not after living in some of the world’s major cities for the past 5-6 years). Yangshuo is one of those types of towns that people in the Pacific Northwest of the US or Colorado would love. (Yes, I’m being intentionally stereotypical.) What I mean to say is…this is an active person’s paradise. Yangshuo is rapidly becoming one of the top destinations in the world for rock climbing. People come here to be active. Most are younger, outdoorsy, athletic types…and Yangshuo probably has as many foreigners as locals most of the time.
In general, people will come here and set up base camp at any of the number of hostels, guesthouses, or hotels in the area. (I chose the Yangshuo Outside Inn, about 6 km west of Yangshuo, on the banks of the Yulong River. It’s run by a Dutchman – Ronald, I believe – and his Chinese wife. An old farmhouse that they converted into an inn, and it’s absolutely charming with the most wonderful service. I’ll gladly stay there if I get back to Yangshuo someday.)
At whichever hostel you choose – and since, like any small tourist spot with an overflow of guesthouses fighting for business, the rates tend to be low, and they try to offer services (travel packages, bike rentals, advice, arranging taxis, doing laundry, whatever you want ) to attract customers – you will probably be pleased with how little money you spend. I can only tell you that the Outside Inn had a terrific restaurant, bike rental, laundry service, rooms with AC, without AC (ceiling fans and mosquito nets instead), and suggestions for local and regional travel.
The village of Yangshuo is very small (and congested). There’s quite a bit of nightlife on Xi Dajie, since most who visit here are young and energetic. You’ll find all kinds of restaurants, bars, clubs. And surrounding this very small downtown are huge karst hills that look like gumdrops popping out of the ground.
During the day, rent a bike and ride to and from the nearby towns like Fuli (9 km to the east) or Xingping (about 20 km northeast). You can do things like take bamboo boat trips up and down the Li River (bigger and congested) or ride a bike along the Yulong River among the small villages and farms. Climb Moon Hill, go find caves, just…get outside.
And at night, come back, unwind, and relax downtown on Xi Dajie or enjoy the award-winning light show on the Li River that they have every night (weather permitting) that world-famous movie director Zhang Yimou (who also did the light show for the 2008 Beijing Olympics) put together for about 200 RMB. (I am sad to say, though, that I did not go see the light show. There may be another trip to Yangshuo for me yet…)
So what about my Yangshuo experience? Well…I checked in to the Outside Inn around 1:00 on Tuesday afternoon. Not wanting to waste a minute, the first thing I did was rented one of their bicycles, and hopped out on the road heading along the Yulong River. I joined up with two Chinese ladies, and off we went. We got separated later (because they were stopping every two seconds), though they were nice, friendly, and helpful. The bike was fine, though the seat felt like I was sitting on a brick. After arriving at the Dragon bridge (our original destination), I stayed there for about ten minutes. Right before getting there, though, I stopped at a roadside cafe, trying to wait for these two ladies for about 30 minutes. They never materialized, but I had an interesting time talking with the guy who owned the shop. Just sitting, drinking water, and passing the afternoon in the middle of nowhere.
The bridge was one of the most underwhelming bridges I’d seen. I don’t even think I photographed it. The surrounding scenery from atop the bridge, though, was quite nice (and is represented in this set). Climbing back on my bike, I worked my way the 90 minutes back to the hotel, feeling like my backside had been violated, and was black and blue. Since the temperatures were nearing 35 degrees, and it was a clear, sunny day, I figured it was time for a nap.
My ambition to get out early turned out to be the only real mistake I made this entire trip. On top of very slight heat exhaustion, I missed the most amazing sunset I’ve seen in China. The entire sky had turned every shade between deep purple and royal blue imaginable (which would have looked GREAT from next to the river), but I woke up about 1/3 of the way through that evening’s sundown and had to watch it tearfully between trees with only glimpses of the sky. At least it’s in my memory. I hoped the following night would be a repeat of this one, but, unfortunately, it was pretty much clouded over and didn’t photograph terribly well. Oh, well…lesson learned.
After a good night’s sleep, I woke up early on Wednesday to start exploring Yangshuo proper and the Li River, after staying exclusively on the Yulong River the previous day. I walked the 6 km to town. Well…about 3 km, then took a san lun che (“tuk tuk,” for those who’ve been to India) the rest of the way and just told the guy to stop…wherever. I got out, started wandering the main drag, and booked an afternoon tour of the Li River on a bamboo raft that would go from Xingping partway north on the river, then back to Xingping. (We would go to Xingping by bus and get stuck on the two-lane road coming back in terrible traffic). I still had quite a few hours to kill in the morning, so I wandered around Xi Dajie, and made it down to the riverside, where I booked yet another boat to go around the Li River. The first one cost, I think, 160 RMB from what I remember. This one was 100 RMB, but it was a bit of a lie. I had to hop on back a motorbike and we rode the 9 km to Fuli (a surprisingly nice little shopping area for souvenirs), and that boat was not an open-air bamboo raft, but more like…a very small cruise ship where you sit inside a cabin.
The ride wasn’t unpleasant at all – and the scenery was stunning – so I can’t complain too much. Besides, I did need to find a way to pass the morning, and this did just fine. After the boat and motorcycle ride back to Yangshuo, I had lunch, then went to the first place where I booked a boatride.
That really was a bamboo raft…the kind that’s canopied, and seats 4 people to a boat. So after the coach took us up to Xingping and dropped us off, we hopped on and had a ride for about 20-25 minutes up this stretch of the river (slightly more scenic than the section near Fuli), and then made our way back down to the starting point.
After the bus ride back to town, we got back around 6:00. I took a taxi to the hotel and, as I just mentioned, hoped to have a nice sunset (though my optimism has sunk after watching the afternoon sky start to cloud over). At any rate, I went out and found a place near the farmhouse…just in case.
With no good results from that sunset shot, I packed up my gear and spent the evening relaxing at the farmhouse with dinner, then back in my room reading. All in all, I had been very pleased up until this point with both Dragon’s Backbone and Yangshuo. Thursday morning didn’t need me to start too early. I also knew it would be a travel day, and I wouldn’t be shooting much (if at all). But, at least I’d see the Guangxi countryside, not quite knowing what the rest of the province looked like. It would be a pleasant and interesting day, I soon learned…
Some background:
The VF-1 was developed by Stonewell/Bellcom/Shinnakasu for the U.N. Spacy by using alien Overtechnology obtained from the SDF-1 Macross alien spaceship. Its production was preceded by an aerodynamic proving version of its airframe, the VF-X. Unlike all later VF vehicles, the VF-X was strictly a jet aircraft, built to demonstrate that a jet fighter with the features necessary to convert to Battroid mode was aerodynamically feasible. After the VF-X's testing was finished, an advanced concept atmospheric-only prototype, the VF-0 Phoenix, was flight-tested from 2005 to 2007 and briefly served as an active-duty fighter from 2007 to the VF-1's rollout in late 2008, while the bugs were being worked out of the fully functional VF-1 prototype (the VF-X-1).
Introduced in 2008, the VF-1 would be produced en masse within a short period of time, a total of 5,459 airframes were delivered until 2013. The space-capable VF-1's combat debut was on February 7, 2009, during the Battle of South Ataria Island - the first battle of Space War I - and remained the mainstay fighter of the U.N. Spacy for the entire conflict. From the start the VF-1 proved to be an extremely capable and versatile craft, successfully combating a variety of Zentraedi mecha even in most sorties which saw UN Spacy forces significantly outnumbered. The versatility of the Valkyrie design enabled the variable fighter to act as both large-scale infantry and as air/space superiority fighter. The signature skills of U.N. Spacy ace pilot Maximilian Jenius exemplified the effectiveness of the variable systems as he near-constantly transformed the Valkyrie in battle to seize advantages of each mode as combat conditions changed from moment to moment.
The basic VF-1 was deployed in four sub-variants (designated A, D, J, and S) and its success was increased by continued development of various enhancements and upgrades, including the GBP-1S "Armored" Valkyrie, FAST Pack "Super" Valkyrie and the additional RÖ-X2 heavy cannon pack weapon system for the VF-1S with additional firepower. The FAST Pack system was designed to enhance the VF-1 Valkyrie variable fighter, and the initial V1.0 came in the form of conformal pallets that could be attached to the fighter’s leg flanks for additional fuel – primarily for Long Range Interdiction tasks in atmospheric environment. Later FAST Packs were designed for space operations.
After the end of Space War I, production on Earth was stopped but the VF-1 continued to be manufactured both in the Sol system and throughout the UNG space colonies. Although the VF-1 would be replaced in 2020 as the primary Variable Fighter of the U.N. Spacy by the more capable, but also much bigger, VF-4 Lightning III, a long service record and its persistent production after the war in many space sectors proved the lasting worth of the design.
The versatile aircraft underwent constant upgrade programs. For instance, about a third of all VF-1 Valkyries were upgraded with Infrared Search and Track (IRST) systems, placed in a small, streamlined fairing in front of the cockpit. This system allowed passive long-range search and track modes, freeing the pilot from the need to give away his/her position through active radar emissions. The sensor could also be used for target illumination and precision weapons guidance.
Many Valkyries also received improved radar warning systems, with sensor arrays mounted on the wingtips, the fins and/or on the LERXs. Improved ECR measures and other defensive measure like flare/chaff dispensers were also added to some machines, typically in conformal fairings on the flanks of the legs/engine pods.
In early 2011, VF-1 production on Earth had already reached the 2.500th aircraft, a VF-1J which received a striking white-and-blue commemorative paint scheme upon roll-out, decorated with the logos of all major manufacturers and system suppliers. After a brief PR tour the machine (Bu. No. 2110406/1) was handed over to SVF-1, the famous Skull Squadron, as an attrition replacement for Major Yingluck 'Joker' Maneethapo's aircraft, leader of the unit’s 5th Flight and a Thai pilot ace from the first stages of the Zentraedi attacks in 2009.
With the opportunity to add more personal style to his new mount, Maneethapo's chose the non-standard modex ML 555 for his fighter - a play of words, because the five is pronounced 'ha' in Thai language and '555' a frequent abbreviation for 'laughing'. Bu. No. 2110406/1 retained its bright PR livery, because its primary colors matched well with SVF-1 ‘Lazulite’ flight’s ID color. The aircraft just lost the sponsor logos and instead received full military markings and tactical codes, including the unit’s renowned skull icon and the characteristic “ML” letter code on the foldable fins. The nose art for the 2.500th production VF-1 jubilee was retained, though.
In SVF-1 service, Bu. No. 2110406/1 was soon upgraded with an IRST and retrofitted with FAST Packs and avionics for various zero-G weapons for operations in space, since the unit was supposed to become based on SDF-1 and go into space with the large carrier ship. However, only SVF-1's Flight #1, 2 and 3 were taken on board of the SDF-1 when the ship left Earth, the remaining unit parts remained at the home base on Ataria Island, tasked with homeland defense duties.
In 2012, at the end of the war, SVF-1’s Lazulite’ flight was re-located on board of ARMD-02 (Armaments Rigged-up Moving Deck Space Carrier vessel), which was and rebuilt and attached to the refitted SDF-1 Macross as originally intended. There, Bu. No. 2110406/1 served into the first year of the New Era 0001 in 2013, when it was replaced as a Flight Leader’s mount by a VF-4 and handed over to SVF-42 back on Earth, where it was repainted in standard U.N. Spacy fighter colors (even though it still retained its commemorative nose art) and served until 2017. Bu. No. 2110406/1 was then retired and unceremoniously scrapped, having already exceeded its expected service life.
The VF-1 was without doubt the most recognizable variable fighter of Space War I and was seen as a vibrant symbol of the U.N. Spacy. At the end of 2015 the final rollout of the VF-1 was celebrated at a special ceremony, commemorating this most famous of variable fighters. The VF-1 Valkryie was built from 2006 to 2013 with several major variants (VF-1A = 5,093, VF-1D = 85, VF-1J = 49, VF-1S = 30), sub-variants (VF-1G = 12, VE-1 = 122, VT-1 = 68) and upgrades of existing airframes (like the VF-1P).
Despite its relatively short and intense production run the fighter remained active in many second line units and continued to show its worthiness even years later, e. g. through Milia Jenius who would use her old VF-1 fighter in defense of the colonization fleet - 35 years after the type's service introduction!
General characteristics:
All-environment variable fighter and tactical combat Battroid,
used by U.N. Spacy, U.N. Navy, U.N. Space Air Force and U.N.S. Marine Corps
Accommodation:
Pilot only in Marty & Beck Mk-7 zero/zero ejection seat
Dimensions:
Fighter Mode:
Length 14.23 meters
Wingspan 14.78 meters (at 20° minimum sweep)
Height 3.84 meters
Battroid Mode:
Height 12.68 meters
Width 7.3 meters
Length 4.0 meters
Empty weight: 13.25 metric tons
Standard T-O mass: 18.5 metric tons
MTOW: 37.0 metric tons
Power Plant:
2x Shinnakasu Heavy Industry/P&W/Roice FF-2001 thermonuclear reaction turbine engines, output 650 MW each, rated at 11,500 kg in standard or 225.63 kN in overboost
4x Shinnakasu Heavy Industry NBS-1 high-thrust vernier thrusters (1 x counter reverse vernier thruster nozzle mounted on the side of each leg nacelle/air intake, 1 x wing thruster roll control system on each wingtip)
18x P&W LHP04 low-thrust vernier thrusters beneath multipurpose hook/handles
Performance:
Battroid Mode: maximum walking speed 160 km/h
Fighter Mode: at 10,000 m Mach 2.71; at 30,000+ m Mach 3.87
g limit: in space +7
Thrust-to-weight ratio: empty 3.47; standard T-O 2.49; maximum T-O 1.24
Design Features:
3-mode variable transformation; variable geometry wing; vertical take-off and landing; control-configurable vehicle; single-axis thrust vectoring; three "magic hand" manipulators for maintenance use; retractable canopy shield for Battroid mode and atmospheric reentry; option of GBP-1S system, atmospheric-escape booster, or FAST Pack system
Transformation:
Standard time from Fighter to Battroid (automated): under 5 sec.
Min. time from Fighter to Battroid (manual): 0.9 sec.
Armament:
2x Mauler RÖV-20 anti-aircraft laser cannon, firing 6,000 ppm
1x Howard GU-11 55 mm three-barrel Gatling gun pod with 200 RPG, fired at 1,200 rpm
4x underwing hard points for a wide variety of ordnance, including…
12x AMM-1 hybrid guided multipurpose missiles (3/point), or
12x MK-82 LDGB conventional bombs (3/point), or
6x RMS-1 large anti-ship reaction missiles (2/outboard point, 1/inboard point), or
4x UUM-7 micro-missile pods (1/point) each carrying 15 x Bifors HMM-01 micro-missiles,
or a combination of above load-outs
The kit and its assembly:
Another small and vintage 1:100 VF-1 Fighter. This time it’s a non-canonical aircraft, based on a limited edition decal sheet that was published with the Japanese Model Graphix magazine in April 2001 (check this here for reference: www.starshipmodeler.com/mecha/jl_clrvalk.htm) with Hasegawa’s first release of their 1:72 Valkyrie Fighter kit. The give-away sheet featured several VF-1s, including an anniversary paint scheme for the 2.500th production Valkyrie. This is AFAIK neither ‘official’ nor canonical – but the pretty blue-and-white livery caught my attention, and I had for a long time the plan to re-create this livery on one of my favored 1:100 models. This would not work 100%, though, so I had to improvise – see below.
The kit was built OOB, with the landing gear down and (after taking the flight scenic pictures) with an open canopy, mounted on a small lift arm. Some typical small blade antennae the 1:100 simple kit lacks were added around the hull as a standard measure to improve the look. In the cockpit I added side consoles and a pilot figure for the in-flight shots.
The only non-standard additions are the IRST sensor fairing in front of the cockpit – the model of the anniversary VF-1 in the Model Graphix magazine carries this canonical upgrade, too, it was created from clear sprue material. Another tiny addition were the RHAWS antenna fairings at the top of the fins, scratched from small styrene profile bits.
The Valkyrie’s ordnance is standard and was taken OOB, featuring twelve AMM-1 missiles under the wings plus the standard GU-11 gatling gun pod; the latter was modified to hold a scratched wire display for in-flight pictures at its rear end. The Model Graphix VF-1 is insofar confusing as it seems to carry something that looks like a white ACMI pod on a non-standard pylon, rather attached to the legs than to the wings? That's odd and I could not make up a useful function, so I rejected this detail. The magazine Valkyrie's belly drop tank was - even though canonical, AFAIK - also not taken over to my later in-service status.
Painting and markings:
The more challenging part of the build, in two ways. First, re-creating the original commemorative livery would have called for home-made decals printed in opaque white for the manufacturers’ logos, something I was not able to do at home. So, I had to interpret the livery in a different way and decided to spin the aircraft’s story further: what would become of this VF-1 after its roll-out and PR event? In a war situation it would certainly be delivered quickly to a frontline unit, and since I had some proper markings left over, I decided to attach this colorful bird to the famous Skull Squadron, SVF-1, yet to a less glorious Flight. Since flight leaders and aces in the Macross universe would frequently fly VF-1s in individual non-standard liveries, sometimes even very bright ones, the 2,500th VF-1 could have well retained its catchy paint scheme.
The second part of the challenge: the actual paint job. Again, no suitable decals were at hand, so I had to re-create everything from scratch. The VF-1J kit I used thankfully came molded in white styrene, so that the front half of the aircraft could be easily painted in white, with no darker/colored plastic shining through. I painted the white (Revell 301, a very pure white) with a brush first. For the blue rear half, I settled upon an intense and deep cobalt blue tone (ModelMaster 2012). For the zigzag border between the colors, I used Tamiya masking tape, trimmed with a tailor’s zigzag scissors and applied in a slightly overlapping pattern for an irregular edge.
The landing gear became standard all-white (Revell 301, too), with bright red edges (Humbrol 174) on the covers. Antenna fairings were painted with radome tan (Humbrol 7) as small color highlights.
The cockpit interior became standard medium grey (Revell 47) with a black ejection seat with brown cushions (Humbrol 119 and Revell 84), and brown “black boxes” behind the headrest. The air intakes as well as the interior of the VG wings were painted dark grey (Revell 77). The jet nozzles/feet were internally painted with Humbrol 27003 (Steel Metallizer) and with Revell 91 on the outside, and they were later thoroughly treated with graphite to give them a burnt/worn look.
The GU-11 pod became standard bare metal (Revell 91, Iron metallic), the AMM-1s were painted in light grey (Humbrol 127) with many additional painted details in five additional colors, quite a tedious task when repeated twelve times...
After basic painting was one the model received a careful overall washing with black ink to emphasize the engraved panel lines, and light post-shading was done to the blue areas to emphasize single panels.
The full-color ’kite’ roundels came from an 1:100 VF-1A sheet, the skull emblems were left over from my Kotobukiya 1:72 VF-4 build some years ago, which OOB carries SVF-1 markings, too. The 2.500th aircraft nose art decoration was printed on clear decal film with an ink jet printer at home, even though it’s so small that no details can be discerned on the model. SVF-1’s “ML” tail code was created with single white decal letters (RAF WWII font), the red “555” modex came from an PrintScale A-26 Invader sheet, it's part of a USAF serial number from an all-black Korean War era aircraft.
The wings' leading edges were finished in medium grey, done with decal sheet material. The Model Graphix Valkyrie does not sport this detail, but I think that the VF-1 looks better with them and more realistic. Red warning stripes around the legs - also not seen on the model in the magazine - were made from similar material.
The confetti along the jagged edge between the white and the blue areas was created with decal material, too – every bit was cut out and put into place one for one… To match the cobalt blue tone, the respective enamel paint was applied on clear decal sheet material and cut into small bits. For the white and red confetti, generic decal sheet material was used. All in all, this was another tedious process, but, at the small 1:100 scale, masks or tape would have been much more complex and less successful with the brushes I use for painting. For this home-made approach the result looks quite good!
Finally, after some typical details and position lights had been added with clear paints over a silver base, the small VF-1 was sealed with a coat of semi-matt acrylic varnish, giving it a slightly shiny finish.
A pretty VF-1 – even though I’d call it purely fictional, despite being based on material that was published in a Japanese magazine more than 20 years ago. The simple yet striking livery was a bit tricky to create, but the result, with the additional SVF-1 unit markings, looks good and makes me wonder how this machine would look with FAST pack elements for use in space or as a transformed Battroid?
Today Jessie starts the 2nd grade and it's Sydney's first day of Kindergarten. Finally they are at the same school again! Woohoo! No more having to drop them off at separate schools. What a drag that got to be.
Jessie's very nervous. She has a male teacher. That really bummed her out. She cried on Friday when she found out. Hopefully he turns out to be nice. Sydney on the other hand is very excited. She woke up this morning and asked, "Can I eat my sandwich now?" :D Hope she does well.
Tom Stevens
Kamerin 20
Kyler 16
Jeffery 10
Point N’ Thyme Farm
pntntyme@yahoo.com
Jordan, NY 13080
631-766-9508
Foxglove Farm
Aquebogue, NY
L.I. Scapegoats
Maribeth Andersen
631.255.3161
Foxglve10@gmail.com
Martha Adams
madaafool@hotmail.com
Shannon
Vice President of Ney York state Dairy Goat Breeders Association
Certified milk tester for NYS
Show chairman for NYSDGBA
Registered operating room nurse for Syracuse Ortho Specialists SOS
Judged the youth 4-H fitting and showmanship class @ NYS Fair
Won her first goat at 8 by writing a 300 word essay on how she would care for it.
“I remember being in the car and getting butterflies when I saw the fairgrounds exit.” First started to really talk to Tom in their early 20s, they had started to date long distance while she was in nursing school in AZ. When Tom had his accident they began to speak more and more. She came up to help take care of him after one of his surgeries to rebuild his ears. She stayed at his families house for a week after the surgery to take care of him. That was a defining moment in their relationship. After she graduated she moved to Syracuse. Her and Tom bought his parents farm, the same house she had stayed to take care of him. They still live there to this day.
“All the goats have their own personalities, some I hate and some I love. I can just look at them and tell if something is wrong.”
“Favorite thing at the fair is walking around, people watching, there is always something new to see.”
“The worst part of the fair is leaving, and saying good-buy to the whole goat barn family until next year.
Tom
Prison guard at a maximum security facility for NYS Auburn
He does all of our hay yearly, cut, bail, stacking
He does a lot of the milking and chores in the am
Fixing all the things that break, builds things
Volunteer firefighter – burned over 28% over body, 22 surgeries
First remembers Shannon walking in the goat barn when he was 11 or 12.
Hates goats
“The best part of the fair is going home.”
“The best part really is that it’s like a family reunion with our goat family, some of us come from Texas, Arkansas, South Carolina. We all grew up together. We were in each other’s weddings. This is a home for all of us.”
Kamerin 20
Works at Barber Welding as a welder fabricator
Was the first in the family to get a Lamancha goat, it’s name is Eve and it’s five years old.
The fair is his vacation of choice
Girlfriend breeds Huskies and Great Pyrenees
Plans to go work in North Carolina fabricating and welding oil platforms
“my favorite part of the fair is sitting outside the goat barn with the rest of the goat family and watching people pass by as we do our pranks.”
Kyler 16
Track, cross-country, basketball, lifeguard. Works at an apple orchard working in the store front. Taking college courses, is on her high-school honor roll.
Enjoys jumping horses
“My favorite part of the fair is hanging out with my friends.”
Might raise goats when she is older, but would rather raise horses
“I love the goat family here because they are crazy—fun.”
Jeffery 10
Is a quarterback on his football team, also plays lacrosse, wrestling and basketball. But does not want to play baseball again.
His girlfriend is Piper Mcallister, age 10, they met when they first met when they were 4 in the goat barn. Both of their families show goats each year at the fair.
“My favorite part of the fair is the roller-coasters”
Does not want to raise goats when he grows up
Favorite part about being at the goat barn is pranking people
Pranks include:
Gluing money to the ground, putting someone in a large stuffed prize and scaring people, putting someone in a large box or can and, with a cell phone, telling them which way to walk to scare people, using a fake spider or a snake on a piece of fishing string to pull or drop in front of people.
Goats
Peppermint
Dairy Goats
Milk to feed baby goats
Must pasteurize milk to stop to spread of CAE Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis. AIDS like virus for goats that is spread though bodily fluids.
Breads Lamancha and Alpine dairy goats
They use also raise and show draft horses
Brittany Smith
Met the Stevens 10 years ago at the fair. Started coming to the fair each year with extend family, who also show goats. Started watching/ babysitting all the kids in the barn during the fair while the parents handled the show.
Works at Wellfleet as an account manager – company provides student health care to universities/ colleges.