A recently holiday to Porth, Cornwall, where we had a mid week storm.

Tragically the day before, a family was washed off a rock at Newquay resulting in the meaningless loss of the father, and 2 year old daughter left in a critical condition.

Never underestimate the power and forces of nature!

Генеральний штаб ЗСУ / General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Facebook) ЗАКОХАНА В "ГІАЦИНТИ" ЛЮБОВ Колишня викладачка історії Любов Плаксюк пов’язала своє життя зі Збройними Силами України у 2016 році. Військова кар’єра йшла "за звичним сценарієм", крок за кроком – від радіотелефоніста до командира відділення управління. Але все докорінно змінилося в житті житомирянки, коли вона побачила "роботу" важких 152-мм самохідних артилерійських установок. – Коли я побачила "Гіацинт" і вперше проїхалася на машині, від гуркоту якої перехоплює дух, зрозуміла – це моє! – зізнається Любов Плаксюк. – Відтоді весь вільний час придивлялася до роботи номерів розрахунку, читала книжки з артилерійської справи, вивчала конструкцію САУ, а у 2019-му зробила дебютний постріл з гармати на полігоні. Також, за цей час колишня "... View original post via t.me/UkraineArmyForce/112473 #russia #russian #army #military #ukraine #ukrainian #war #worldwar #ww3 #ww #ucraina #russland #russia #militare #guerra #krieg #війни #война #guerre #ukraine #украина #ucrania #україна #Rusia #Росія #Россия #Russie #ukrainearmy

Candid street shot during my photowalk in Venezia.

Believe me with the prime lense 35mm I was quite close to them when I took the shot (gasp!)

View large on dark grey

Polish Special Forces during HALO/HAHO training, 11th October 2013

Photos : Michał Szlaga dla JWK

Dominant Forces.

Sicut sonitus quadrigarum super civitates ejus commota est extrema motus electrica Sulphureum,

catastrofe incredibile bombardamente rânduri oribile descrise,

حرق انهيار قصاصات غامضة مزقتها العلاقات,

unter spuckte Wolken bedrohlich Fahrzeuge gefährlich Menschheit überschwemmt,

météores apocalyptiques masses la prose de fièvre incliné étonnement poèmes bras,

cognizioni interessate denti armi artificiale continuità inessenziale sistema particolare,

Η ασάφεια παραμετροποιήσεις σημασία περιγράφει αιμορραγίες ενδιαφέρον,

heddluoedd gwahanu gwahaniaethau ymwybyddiaeth gyfatebiaeth gwrthddweud tystiolaeth gollwng,

репродуктивного раздражительным стимулом антитеза иррациональных безразличия в абсолютно поднял,

wyobraża połączeń organicznych elementów procesów jednostkowych uniwersalny wykazując,

narušená příroda implicitně proti pojetí individuality odráží existenční myšlenky,

inversio armoton muotoja tunnustaen vaikutuksia silkkaa ovela epätodellinen tilaukset,

人類の理由を国エンティティを犠牲にする消失することは夢を知恵!

Steve.D.Hammond.

Polish Special Operations Forces train with U.S. Army Special Operations Forces at Fort Bragg, N.C., Sept. 15-23.

The revenue cutter Harriet Lane forces the merchant steamer Nashville to show its colors during the attack on Fort Sumter, April 13, 1861. Harriet Lane was one of the more famous ships in the Revenue Cutter Service. Built specifically to operate out of the New York Area, it helped to suppress the African slave trade and, for a short period, served under the Navy Department off Paraguay enforcing American rights in South America. Here, the vessel is shown exercising its right to stop an unidentified ship when it failed to respond to a signal to show its colors. While Nashville later served as a confederate blockade runner, it quickly hoisted the stars and stripes when Harriet Lane fired shots across its bow. Harriet Lane is credited with firing the first shots from the deck of a ship during the Civil War.

This work, The Cutter Harriet Lane Fires Across the Bow of Nashville by Howard Koslow, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.

www.dvidshub.net/image/1085228/cutter-harriet-lane-fires-...

www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/arts/design/howard-koslow-dies...

Turkish Special Forces Soldiers stands guard next to the courthouse as a vehicle transporting prisoners passes on December 27, 2016 at silivri district in Istanbul.. Almost 30 Turkish police will go on trial in Istanbul on December 27, 2016 charged with involvement in the July 15 coup bid, the city's first trial of alleged putschists. With indictments prepared against over 1,200 people, and some 41,000 under arrest in total, the trials following the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to be the most far-reaching legal process in Turkish history.

Photos: Ozan Kose

Manifestation du 5 décembre 2019 (pour la défense des retraites). Plus d'un million de manifestants dans toute la France. A Paris une manifestation gigantesque. Coupée en deux à la hauteur de la place de la République par un barrage et l'obstruction des CRS, avant même que l'énorme manif n'ait réellement commencé... Donc il y avait deux immenses cortèges à Paris, l'un au nord de la place de la République (où se trouvaient des dizaines de milliers de manifestants derrière les banderoles syndicales et politiques, et un autre cortège au sud de la place de la République, où se trouvaient encore des dizaines de milliers de manifestants, sans sono et véhicules syndicaux, mais avec beaucoup de voix et de mots et de jambes pour la défense de nos retraites

--

December 5, 2019 - Mass strikes and protests in France over pension reform (a disastrous reform driven by Macron and his wealthy friends). More than a million protesters throughout France.

In Paris a gigantic demonstration, cut in two at "Place de la République" by the obstruction of the police... before the march really began ... So there were two huge demos in Paris, one at north of the Republic Square (where there were tens of thousands of protesters behind the union banners), and another part of the demo south of the Republic Square, where were still tens of thousands of protesters, without the sound and the vehicles of the trade unionists, but with a lot of voices and words and shouting in defense of our pensions

Norwegian Special Forces during anti-piracy Ship Boarding exercise on the HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen – December 2013

Well, it's a WiP so far. The figure on the left is a Para, and the one on the right is a Radioman/Machine Gunner in an Army unit. I apologise for the poor quality :/

Also, standards for Modern Conflict.

+++ 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 Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, production models were flying, and two pre-production models did see very limited service in Italy just before the end of World War II. The XP-80 had a conventional all-metal airframe, with a slim low wing and tricycle landing gear. Like most early jets designed during World War II—and before the Allies captured German research data that confirmed the speed advantages of swept-wings—the XP-80 had straight wings similar to previous propeller-driven fighters, but they were relatively thin to minimize drag at high speed.

For the Luftwaffe the F-80E had become obsolete, and to reduce the number of operational aircraft types, the remaining German aircraft, a total of 34, were in 1965 passed through to the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish air force) as part of international NATO military support, where they remained in service until 1974 and were replaced by third generation F-4E Phantom II fighter jets.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 36 ft 9 1/2 in (11.23 m)

Wingspan: 37 ft 6 in (11.44 m) over tip tanks

Height: 13 ft 5 1/4 in (4.10 m)

Wing area: 241.3 sq ft (22,52 m²)

Empty weight: 10,681 lb (4.845 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 18,464 lb (8.375 kg)

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0134

Frontal area: 32 sq ft (3.0 m²)

Powerplant:

1× Allison J33-A-39 centrifugal compressor turbojet with 4,600 lbf (20 kN) dry thrust

and 27.0 kN (6,070 lbf) thrust with afterburning

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1,060 km/h (660 mph, 570 kn)

Cruise speed: 439 mph (707 km/h, 381 kn)

Range: 825 mi (1,328 km, 717 nmi)

Ferry range: 1,380 mi (2,220 km, 1,200 nmi)

Service ceiling: 50,900 ft (15,500 m)

Rate of climb: 7,980 ft/min (40.5 m/s)

Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in 4 minutes 50 seconds

Lift-to-drag: 17.7

Wing loading: 51.3 lb/sq ft (250 kg/m²)

Thrust/weight: 0.249 dry

0.328 with afterburner

Armament:

4× 0.79 in (20 mm) M24 cannon (190 rpg)

2x wing tip auxiliary tanks with 225 US gal (187 imp gal; 850 l) each

Underwing hardpoints for a total ordnance load of 4,800 lb (2.200 kg), including

2× 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, up to 4× pods with nineteen unguided Mighty Mouse FFARs each,

and/or up to 8× 5” (127 mm) HVAR unguided air-to-ground rockets

The kit and its assembly:

The idea of a swept-wing F-80 had been lingering on my idea list for a while, and I actually tried this stunt before in the form of a heavily modified F-94. The recent “Fifties” group build at whatifmodellers.com and a similar build by fellow forum member mat revived the interest in this topic – and inspired by mat’s creation, based on a T-33 fuselage, I decided to use the opportunity and add my personal interpretation of the idea.

Having suitable donor parts at hand was another decisive factor to start this build: I had a Heller T-33 in store, which had already been (ab)used as a donor bank for other projects, and which could now find a good use. I also had an F-80 canopy left over (from an Airfix kit), and my plan was to use Saab J29 wings (from a Matchbox kit) because of their limited sweep angle that would match the post-WWII era well.

Work started with the fuselage; it required a completely new cockpit interior because these parts had already gone elsewhere. I found a cockpit tub with its dashboard from an Italeri F4U, and with some trimming it could be mounted into the reduced cockpit opening, above the OOB front landing gear well. The T-33’s rear seat was faired of with styrene sheet and later PSRed away. The standard nose cone from the Heller T-33 was used, but I added gun ports for the new/different cannon armament.

For a different look with an afterburner engine I modified the tail section under the stabilizers, which was retained because of its characteristic shape. A generous section from the tail was cut away and replaced with the leftover jet pipe from an Italeri (R)F-84F, slightly longer and wider and decorated with innards from a Matchbox Mystère IV. This change is rather subtle but changes the F-80 profile and appears like a compromise between the F-80 and F-94 arrangements.

The T-33 wings were clipped down to the connection lower fuselage part. This ventral plate with integral main landing gear wells was mounted onto the T-33 hull and then the Saab 29 wings were dry-fitted to check their position along the fuselage and to define the main landing gear wells, which had to be cut into them to match their counterparts from the aircraft’s belly.

Their exact position was eventually fixed when the new swept stabilizers, taken from a Hobby Boss F-86, were mounted to the tail. They match well with the swept wings, and for an odd look I kept their dihedral.

The fin was eventually replaced, too – mat’s build retained the original F-80 fin, but with all other surfaces swept I found that the fin had to reflect this, too. So, I implanted a shortened Italeri (R)F-84F fin onto the original base, blended with some PSR into the rest of the tail.

With all aerodynamic surfaces in place it was time for fine-tuning, and to give the aircraft a simpler look I removed the dog teeth from the late Tunnan's outer wings, even though I retained the small LERXs. The wing tips were cut down a little and tip tanks (probably drop tanks from a Hobby Boss F-5E) added – without them the aircraft looked like a juvenile Saab 32!

The landing gear was mostly taken over from the Heller T-33, I just added small consoles for the main landing gear struts to ensure a proper stance, because the new wings and the respective attachment points were deeper. I also had to scratch some landing gear covers because the T-33 donor kit was missing them. The canopy was PSRed over the new opening and a new ejection seat tailored to fit into the F4U cockpit.

A final addition was a pair of pods with unguided FFARs. AFAIK the Luftwaffe did not use such weapons, but they’d make thematically sense on a Fifties anti-bomber interceptor - and I had a suitable pair left over from a Matchbox Mystère IV kit, complete with small pylons.

Painting and markings:

Since the time frame was defined by the Fifties, early Luftwaffe fighters had to carry a bare metal finish, with relatively few decorations. For the F-80E I gave the model an overall base coat with White Aluminum from a Dupli Color rattle can, a very nice and bright silver tone that comes IMHO close to NMF. Panels were post-shaded with Revell 99 (Aluminum) and 91 (Iron Metallic). An anti-glare panel in front of the windscreen was painted in the Luftwaffe tone RAL 6014, Gelboliv (Revell 42).

For some color highlights I gave the tip tanks bright red (Feuerrot, RAL 3000; Revell 330) outer halves, while the inner halves were painted black to avoid reflections that could distract the pilot (seen on a real Luftwaffe T-33 from the late Fifties). For an even more individual touch I added light blue (Tamiya X-14, Sky Blue) highlights on the nose and the fin, reflecting the squadron’s color code which is also carried within the unit emblem – the Tamiya paint came closest to the respective decal (see below).

The cockpit interior was painted with zinc chromate green primer (I used Humbrol 80, which is brighter than the tone should be, but it adds contrast to the black dials on the dashboard), the landing gear wells were painted with a mix of Humbrol 80 and 81, for a more yellowish hue. The landing gear struts became grey, dry-brushed with silver, while the inside of the ventral air brakes were painted in Feuerrot, too.

Then the model received an overall washing with black ink to emphasize the recessed panel lines, plus additional panel shading with Matt Aluminum Metallizer (Humbrol 27001), plus a light rubbing treatment with grinded graphite that emphasized the (few leftover) raised panel lines and also added a dark metallic shine to the silver base. Some of the lost panel lines were simulated with simple pencil strokes, too.

The decals/markings primarily came from an AirDoc aftermarket sheet for late Fifties Luftwaffe F-84Fs. The tactical code (“BB-xxx” was then assigned to the WaSLw 10 as unit code, but this soon changed to a similar but different format that told about the unit’s task as well as the specific unit and squadron within it; this was replaced once more by a simple xx+yy code that was only connected to a specific aircraft with no unit reference anymore, and this format is still in use today) was puzzled together from single letters/digits from the same decal set. Some additional markings like the red band on the fuselage had to be scratched, but most stencils came from an all-bare-metal Luftwaffe F-84F.

After some more detail painting the model was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic paint, just the anti-glare panel and the di-electric fairings on the nose and the fin tip became matt.

A thorough kitbashing build, but the result looks quite plausible, if not elegant? The slightly swept wings suit the F-80 with its organic fuselage shape well, even though they reveal the designs rather baroque shape. There’s a sense of obsolescence about the F-80E, despite its modern features? The Luftwaffe markings work well on the aircraft, too, and with the red and blue highlights the machine looks more attractive despite its simple NMF livery than expected.

The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft with a two-man crew that served during and after the Second World War. It was one of few operational front-line aircraft of the era constructed almost entirely of wood and was nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder". The Mosquito was also known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito was adapted to roles including low to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber, high-altitude night bomber, pathfinder, day or night fighter, fighter-bomber, intruder, maritime strike aircraft, and fast photo-reconnaissance aircraft. It was also used by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) as a fast transport to carry small high-value cargoes to, and from, neutral countries, through enemy-controlled airspace.

When the Mosquito began production in 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world. Entering widespread service in 1942, the Mosquito was a high-speed, high-altitude photo-reconnaissance aircraft, continuing in this role throughout the war. From mid-1942 to mid-1943 Mosquito bombers flew high-speed, medium or low-altitude missions against factories, railways and other pinpoint targets in Germany and German-occupied Europe. From late 1943, Mosquito bombers were formed into the Light Night Strike Force and used as pathfinders for RAF Bomber Command's heavy-bomber raids. They were also used as "nuisance" bombers, often dropping Blockbuster bombs - 4,000 lb (1,812 kg) "cookies" - in high-altitude, high-speed raids that German night fighters were almost powerless to intercept.

As a night fighter, from mid-1942, the Mosquito intercepted Luftwaffe raids on the United Kingdom, notably defeating Operation Steinbock in 1944. Starting in July 1942, Mosquito night-fighter units raided Luftwaffe airfields. As part of 100 Group, it was a night fighter and intruder supporting RAF Bomber Command's heavy bombers and reduced bomber losses during 1944 and 1945. As a fighter-bomber in the Second Tactical Air Force, the Mosquito took part in "special raids", such as the attack on Amiens Prison in early 1944, and in precision attacks against Gestapo or German intelligence and security forces. Second Tactical Air Force Mosquitos supported the British Army during the 1944 Normandy Campaign. From 1943 Mosquitos with RAF Coastal Command strike squadrons attacked Kriegsmarine U-boats (particularly in the 1943 Bay of Biscay, where significant numbers were sunk or damaged) and intercepting transport ship concentrations.

The Mosquito flew with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other air forces in the European theatre, and the Mediterranean and Italian theatres. The Mosquito was also used by the RAF in the South East Asian theatre, and by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) based in the Halmaheras and Borneo during the Pacific War.

By the early-mid-1930s, de Havilland had a reputation for innovative high-speed aircraft with the DH.88 Comet racer. The later DH.91 Albatross airliner pioneered the composite wood construction that the Mosquito used. The 22-passenger Albatross could cruise at 210 miles per hour (340 km/h) at 11,000 feet (3,400 m), better than the 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) Handley Page H.P.42 and other biplanes it was replacing. The wooden monocoque construction not only saved weight and compensated for the low power of the de Havilland Gipsy Twelve engines used by this aircraft, but simplified production and reduced construction time.

Air Ministry bomber requirements and concepts:

On 8 September 1936, the British Air Ministry issued Specification P.13/36 which called for a twin-engined medium bomber capable of carrying a bomb load of 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) for 3,000 miles (4,800 km) with a maximum speed of 275 miles per hour (443 km/h) at 15,000 feet (4,600 m); a maximum bomb load of 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) which could be carried over shorter ranges was also specified. Aviation firms entered heavy designs with new high-powered engines and multiple defensive turrets, leading to the production of the Avro Manchester and Handley Page Halifax.

In May 1937, as a comparison to P.13/36, George Volkert, the chief designer of Handley Page, put forward the concept of a fast unarmed bomber. In 20 pages, Volkert planned an aerodynamically clean medium bomber to carry 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) of bombs at a cruising speed of 300 miles per hour (480 km/h). There was support in the RAF and Air Ministry; Captain R N Liptrot, Research Director Aircraft 3 (RDA3), appraised Volkert's design, calculating that its top speed would exceed the new Supermarine Spitfire. There were, however, counter-arguments that, although such a design had merit, it would not necessarily be faster than enemy fighters for long. The ministry was also considering using non-strategic materials for aircraft production, which, in 1938, had led to specification B.9/38 and the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle medium bomber, largely constructed from spruce and plywood attached to a steel-tube frame. The idea of a small, fast bomber gained support at a much earlier stage than sometimes acknowledged though it was unlikely that the Air Ministry envisaged it not using light alloy components.

Project Mosquito:

Once design of the DH.98 had started, de Havilland built mock-ups, the most detailed at Salisbury Hall, in the hangar where E0234 was being built. Initially, this was designed with the crew enclosed in the fuselage behind a transparent nose (similar to the Bristol Blenheim or Heinkel He 111H), but this was quickly altered to a more solid nose with a more conventional canopy.

The construction of the prototype began in March 1940, but work was cancelled again after the Battle of Dunkirk, when Lord Beaverbrook, as Minister of Aircraft Production, decided there was no production capacity for aircraft like the DH.98, which was not expected to be in service until early 1941. Although Lord Beaverbrook told Air Vice-Marshal Freeman that work on the project had better stop, he did not issue a specific instruction, and Freeman ignored the request. In June 1940, however, Lord Beaverbrook and the Air Staff ordered that production was to focus on five existing types, namely the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Vickers Wellington, Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley and the Bristol Blenheim. Work on the DH.98 prototype stopped, and it seemed that the project would be shut down when the design team were denied the materials with which to build their prototype.

The Mosquito was only reinstated as a priority in July 1940, after de Havilland's General Manager L.C.L Murray, promised Lord Beaverbrook 50 Mosquitoes by December 1941, and this, only after Beaverbrook was satisfied that Mosquito production would not hinder de Havilland's primary work of producing Tiger Moth and Oxford trainers and repairing Hurricanes as well as the licence manufacture of Merlin engines. In promising Beaverbrook 50 Mosquitoes by the end of 1941, de Havilland was taking a gamble, because it was unlikely that 50 Mosquitos could be built in such a limited time; as it transpired only 20 Mosquitos were built in 1941, but the other 30 were delivered by mid-March 1942.

During the Battle of Britain, nearly a third of de Havilland's factory time was lost because the workers took cover in the factory's bomb shelters. Nevertheless, work on the prototype went quickly, such that E0234 was rolled out on 19 November 1940.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Britain, the original order was changed to 20 bomber variants and 30 fighters. It was still uncertain whether the fighter version should have dual or single controls, or should carry a turret, so three prototypes were eventually built: W4052, W4053 and W4073. The latter, both turret armed, were later disarmed, to become the prototypes for the T.III trainer. This caused some delays as half-built wing components had to be strengthened for the expected higher combat load requirements. The nose sections also had to be altered, omitting the clear perspex bomb-aimer's position, to solid noses designed to house four .303 machine guns and their ammunition.

Overview:

The Mosquito was a fast, twin-engined aircraft with shoulder-mounted wings. The most-produced variant, designated the FB Mk VI (Fighter-bomber Mark 6), was powered by two Merlin Mk 23 or Mk 25 engines driving three-bladed de Havilland hydromatic propellers. The typical fixed armament for an FB Mk VI was four Browning .303 machine guns and four 20 mm Hispano cannon while the offensive load consisted of up to 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of bombs, or eight RP-3 unguided rockets.

Construction:

The oval-section fuselage was a frameless monocoque shell built in two halves being formed to shape by band clamps over a mahogany or concrete mould, each holding one half of the fuselage, split vertically. The shell halves were made of sheets of Ecuadorean balsawood sandwiched between sheets of Canadian birch, but in areas needing extra strength— such as along cut-outs— stronger woods replaced the balsa filler; the overall thickness of the birch and balsa sandwich skin was only 7⁄16 inch (11 mm). This sandwich skin was so stiff that no internal reinforcement was necessary from the wing's rear spar to the tail bearing bulkhead. The join was along the vertical centre line. This split construction greatly aided the assembly of the internal equipment as it allowed the technicians easy access to the fuselage interior. While the glue in the plywood skin dried, carpenters cut a sawtooth joint into the edges of the fuselage shells, while other workers installed the controls and cabling on the inside wall. When the glue completely dried, the two halves were glued and screwed together. The fuselage was strengthened internally by seven bulkheads made up of two plywood skins parted by spruce blocks, which formed the basis on each half for the outer shell. Each bulkhead was a repeat of the spruce design for the fuselage halves; a balsa sheet sandwich between two plywood sheets/skins. Bulkhead number seven carried the fittings and loads for the tailplane and rudder, The type of glue originally used was Casein, which was later replaced by "Aerolite", a synthetic urea-formaldehyde, which was more durable. Many other types of screws and flanges (made of various woods) also held the structure together.

The fuselage construction joints were made from balsa wood and plywood strips with the spruce multi-ply being connected by a balsa V joint, along with the interior frame. The spruce would be reinforced by plywood strips at the point where the two halves joined to form the V-joint. Located on top of the joint the plywood formed the outer skin. During the joining of the two halves ("boxing up"), two laminated wooden clamps would be used in the after portion of the fuselage to act as support. A covering of doped Madapolam (a fine plain woven cotton) fabric was stretched tightly over the shell and a coat of silver dope was applied, after which the exterior camouflage was applied. The fuselage had a large ventral section cut-out, which was braced during construction, to allow it to be lowered onto the wing centre-section. Once the wing was secured the lower panels were replaced, and the bomb bay or armament doors fitted.

The all-wood wing was built as a one-piece structure and was not divided into separate construction sections. It was made up of two main spars, spruce and plywood compression ribs, stringers, and a plywood covering. The outer plywood skin was covered and doped like the fuselage. The wing was installed into the roots by means of four large attachment points. The engine radiators were fitted in the inner wing, just outboard of the fuselage on either side. These gave less drag. The radiators themselves were split into three sections: an oil cooler section outboard, the middle section forming the coolant radiator and the inboard section serving the cabin heater. The wing contained metal framed and skinned ailerons, but the flaps were made of wood and were hydraulically controlled. The nacelles were mostly wood, although, for strength, the engine mounts were all metal as were the undercarriage parts. Engine mounts of welded steel tube were added, along with simple landing gear oleos filled with rubber blocks. Wood was used to carry only in-plane loads, with metal fittings used for all triaxially loaded components such as landing gear, engine mounts, control surface mounting brackets, and the wing-to-fuselage junction. The outer leading wing edge had to be brought 22 inches (56 cm) further forward to accommodate this design. The main tail unit was all wood built. The control surfaces, the rudder and elevator, were aluminium framed and fabric covered. The total weight of metal castings and forgings used in the aircraft was only 280 lb (130 kg).

In November 1944, several crashes occurred in the Far East. At first, it was thought these were as a result of wing structure failures. The casein glue, it was said, cracked when exposed to extreme heat and/or monsoon conditions. This caused the upper surfaces to "lift" from the main spar. An investigating team led by Major Hereward de Havilland travelled to India and produced a report in early December 1944 stating that "the accidents were not caused by the deterioration of the glue but by shrinkage of the airframe during the wet monsoon season". However a later inquiry by Cabot & Myers definitely attributed the accidents to faulty manufacture and this was confirmed by a further investigation team by the Ministry of Aircraft Production at Defford which found faults in six different Marks of Mosquito (all built at de Havilland's Hatfield and Leavesden plants) which showed similar defects, and none of the aircraft had been exposed to monsoon conditions or termite attack; thus it was concluded that there were construction defects found at the two plants. It was found that the "Standard of glueing...left much to be desired”. Records at the time showed that accidents caused by "loss of control" were three times more frequent on Mosquitoes than on any other type of aircraft. The Air Ministry forestalled any loss of confidence in the Mosquito by holding to Major de Havilland's initial investigation in India that the accidents were caused "largely by climate" To solve the problem, a sheet of plywood was set along the span of the wing to seal the entire length of the skin joint along the main spar.

Information regarding the de Havilland DH98 Mosquito has been taken from excerpts contained on Wikipedia

Aston Martin Ulster Roadster (1936)

In 1927 Aston Martin was taken over by race driver A. C. Bertelli. He designed a 1.5-litre, SOHC engine which would eventually power the LeMans-racing Ulster. Thoughout the years the engine was devloped to include dry sump lubrication.

The Aston Martin Ulster stands as one of the most respected pre-war racecars. It was largely based on the Mark II which came before it.

The Ulster had a breif two year race program. During this time they dominated the British Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. In 1934, Ulsters took first, second and third place. The best LeMans result was achieved in 1935. Chassis LM20 raced to third overall which put it first in the 1101 to 1500cc class.

After the race efforts, Aston Martin readied a production version of the LeMans cars. Twenty-One of these cars were built of which all are accounted for today.

Aston Martin Ulster information used from:

www.supercars.net/cars/2084.html

In the 1980's a small number (7) replicas of the Aston Martin Ulster Roadster were manufactured as a kit car:

Fergus Mosquito (Aston Martin Ulster replica)

Kop Hill Climb - 25th September 2011

Fergus Mosquito - an Aston Martin Ulster replica.

Only seven were made in Kingsbridge, Devon, in the 1980s, using donor Morris Marina B-series engines and other parts.

UIJ233 is the best of the 7 replicas.

These two models, the de Havilland DH98 Mosquito aircraft and the Aston Martin Ulster Roadster of 1936 have been created in Lego miniland scale for Flickr LUGNuts' 79th Build Challenge, - 'LUGNuts goes Wingnuts" - featuring automotive vehicles named after, inspired by or related to aircraft.

US-Forces in Germany

The little "souvenir" sign caught my attention. At first I thought it was a modified Norwegian plate, but a friend gave me the clue to the old plates of the US Forces in Germany.

Hungarian armed forces

Greek F-16 joining forces with the "Knights of the Orange Tail" squadron

Photo by: Hagar Amibar

F-16 יווני באימון משותף עם טייסת "אבירי הזנב

הכתום"

צילום: הגר עמיבר

Dark storm clouds gathering over Syracuse University building near I-81.

Breaking Light.

Thorndon South, Essex.

August 2010.

Polaroid SX-70 Alpha (ii)

Polaroid Edgecut 600 film, 3-stop ND filter on lens.

[Losing Focus]

[All photographs © Toby Marsh. Please do not re-use without permission.

Do not post to Tumblr, Blogspot etc without permision.]

PolaroidSX70ii_01_EdgeCut600_01_04_edit_web copy

Baiona, Vigo.

Copyright: Enya B. Casal Sio "EnyaNoah"

Croatian Zapovjedništvo Specialjalnih Snaga (ZSS) and members of U.S. Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Europe (NSWTU-E) conduct maritime Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) training in Split, Croatia, April 14, 2022.

For the Croatian ZSS, Joint Combined Exchange Training, or JCET with partner nations is not uncommon.

The ZSS were founded in 2000 as the Special Operations Battalion and since then, its operators have participated in multiple operations, including stints in Afghanistan as part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Patrik Orcutt

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OJd6Rei1w0

A Special Forces candidate assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School crosses a water obstacle during the final phase of field training known as Robin Sage in central North Carolina, July 9, 2019. Robin Sage is the culmination exercise and has been the litmus test for Soldiers striving to earn the Green Beret for more than 40 years. (U.S. Army photo by K. Kassens)

German Armed Forces ( Bundeswehr) . Please follow my Site : www.facebook.com/combatcameraeurope.pictures/ and specially : www.facebook.com/groups/846775955359545/

Colonel Yuli Mamchor (R), commander of the Ukrainian military garrison at the Belbek airbase, speaks to troops under Russian command occupying the Belbek airbase in Crimea on March 4, 2014 in Lubimovka, Ukraine. The Ukrainians are stationed at their garrison nearby, and after spending a tense night anticipating a Russian attack following the expiration of a Russian deadline to surrender, in which family members of troops spent the night at the garrison gate in support of the soldiers, Mamchor announced his bold plan this morning to retake the airfield by confronting the Russian-lead soldiers unarmed. The Russian-lead troops fired their weapons into the air but then granted Mamchor the beginning of negotiations with their commander. Russian-lead troops have blockaded a number of Ukrainian military bases across Crimea.

For The Purge...

-----------------------------------------

Lithuanian Special Forces undergo timed range evaluations during a bilateral exercise with U.S. Special Forces, held in Kaunas, Lithuania, March 10, 2022.

A Lithuanian Special Forces member rapidly fires during a timed range evaluation as part of a bilateral exercise with U.S. Special Forces, held in Kaunas, Lithuania, March 10, 2022.

These joint range day evaluations are used to exchange tactics, enhance mission readiness and maintain advanced combat marksmanship skills while promoting a strong partnership with allied forces.

U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alisha Grezlik

Mali Losinj, 150312.

Vojna uvala Kovcanje.

Ministar obrane Ante Kotromnovic sa suradnicima posjetio je danas vojarnu Kovcanje gdje je prezentiran novi strateski pregled obrane i prikazane vjezbovne sposobnosti Bojne za specijalna djelovanja.

Foto: Davor Pongracic / CROPIX

Doing my bit for TRANS Atlantic relations by reclining on a GI's gun. After a good oiling, it was working rather well.

Norwegian Special Forces during anti-piracy Ship Boarding exercise on the HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen – December 2013

Snowbirds

....thought (or wished!) they'd be no more paper boats?

....well, they have multiplied and joined their forces on a baker's twine in order to form a galrland or a rather long mobile, depending on the way they'll will be hung.

Yiap!...that's what they'll do...kind of like them too much to say the truth, but these ones are heading to the room of a very special little prince, who happens to be the son of my beloved best girlfriend in Greece.

Details of the decor on the mini shelf, in the picture of the comments section, at your disposal if you may :)

Norwegian Special Forces during an anti-terrorist training exercise Gemini 2012 and was the first major anti-terror exercise after the terrorist attack on Norway on 22 last July

Constant repetition of movements with weapons ensures that operators can act without hesitation in a real world situation.

Teamwork is always important in the military, never more so than with the elite members of the Estonian Special Forces.

A Canadian Forces soldier and captain discuss some tactics under the cover of some camo netting...

A vig I built a while back for fun. The camo netting was really fun to build and I fell in love with it. I also really like the Amazing Armory vest.

Special Forces disembarking behind enemy lines

Location: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mindful%20Cove/199/174/27

Helicopter: French army Helicopter mesh box

Boat: Seals storm boat mesh box

Beret: Box beret commandos marine fr

Face paint: Inked kitty

Vest: [WAZ] Tactical Micro Chest Rig

Street fight fashions AK-47 Automatic weapon with Aimpoint scope

An operator practices quickly drawing his gun from his holster.

Nasa armorded vehicle APC escorts the 6 astronauts of STS-133 to launch pad 39-A [Photo: Luis Santana]

The equipment in front of the vehicle is used to dry the airfield. As fas as I know an old fighter engine is used in the dryer.

My Flickr Set: Nottingham Armed Forces Day June 2013

YouTube: youtu.be/8GP4njP0HNQ

Saut des chuteurs opérationnels du CPA 10 et des commandos marines avant le saut d'un Transall C 160 des FFDJ

Forces spéciales : Trépel, spécialistes de l’assaut

Basées à Lorient, les forces spéciales du commando Trépel sont spécialisées dans l’assaut à la mer et à la libération d’otages. Le commando porte le nom du capitaine Trépel, un des créateurs des commandos, disparu en 1944 au cours d’un raid en Hollande. La rédaction a partagé leur entrainement à 4 000 mètres d’altitude et dans le désert, à Djibouti.

The 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (French: 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 1er RPIMa) is one of three regiments (1er RPIMa, 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes (13e RDP), 4e RHFS) in the French Army Special Forces Brigade (BFST).

The 1er RPIMa is one of Europe's most experienced special forces units, and has been constantly operationally deployed right from the beginning of its new role over thirty years ago.

It takes advantage of an exceptional location in Bayonne, in South Western France, which enables all sort of training (amphibious, mountain…), and the proximity of dedicated assets of the French Army's 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment (4e RHFS) and airborne school (ETAP), two establishments that are essential for its training and operations.

The list of its recent operational deployments indicates a worldwide commitment that ranges from Afghanistan, to Africa and the Balkans. The acknowledged expertise of the Regiment is such that in recent years, many prominent European countries[who?] have entrusted it with the evacuation of their nationals in war-torn countries. The trust these countries have has never been misplaced and the 1er RPIMa has safely whisked out of harm's way hundreds of EU and foreign nationals in recent years.

Similarly, from the beginning of its involvement in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, first in 2001 and again from 2003 onwards, the Regiment has won high praises. The commitment of its members has been rewarded several times by the American forces in the form of Bronze Stars, Army Commendations and Army Achievement Medals.[citation needed]

The high level of expertise attained by the 1er RPIMa also makes it a highly sought-after partner in the development of Special Forces units abroad and the Regiment constantly receives requests for assistance in that specific field from sister units around the world.[citation needed]

Always the first to be deployed, the 1er RPIMa is at the forefront of France's defence. It is constantly on the lookout for new solutions and opportunities and thereby remains faithful to the motto of its SAS (Special Air Service) ancestors, "Who Dares Wins".

Polish Special Forces operators training for Door Breaching and Building Clearing - September 2013

Norwegian Armed Forces Personnel from the Air Mobile Protection Team from NORTADII Guard a Norwegian C-130J Hercules aircraft in Gao, Mali as part of the UN Operation MINUSMA - 2019-06-24

Photo: Torbjørn Kjosvold / Forsvaret