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Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen.
McCain.
Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
- Barack Obama - President Elect
Sen. Barack Obama spoke at a rally in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, after winning the race for the White House Tuesday night. The following is an exact transcript of his speech. (Source CNN)
The United States Military Academy held its annual Founders Day dinner. Mr. Todd Browne, class of '85, gave the founders day welcome and opening remarks. The guest speaker was CPT Kristen Griest, USMA Class of 2011. Medal of Honor recipients SGM Payne and SGM Williams attended the dinner and took time to pose with BG Buzzard, CSM Killingsworth, and cadets at the end of the event. The ceremony was held in Washington Hall, West Point, New York on March 16, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Tarnish Pride USMA/PAO).
During my trip to Boston, one of the highlights was my visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art. One of the more beautiful views was this one of the Founders Gallery overlooking Boston Harbor.
I highly recommend a visit to this lovely piece of architecture.
LUGNuts' founder Lino Martins has graciously given me permission to replicate his series of automotive illustrations based on various mixed alcoholic drinks.
The fourth in this series is a Lego -model replication of 'Boo-Berry' - Chevrolet 1963 Impala Low-rider.
In Lino's own words.
"For the first installment of a holy trinity of cars I went with a 1963 Chevy Impala customized as a lowrider. Starting in Los Angeles in the 1940’s, lowriders are an important part of Mexican-American culture and often include flamboyant paint jobs and religious iconography. I figured Boo Berry would best serve as “The Holy Ghost” in my Holy Trinity of cars. Thin whitewalls, small 100-spoke gold rims and minor gold details completes the look nicely. This one features subtle luminescent orbs that some believe to be spirits, especially when appearing in photographs. Let me know what you think and stay tuned for more soon. Thanks for stopping by. Procreate and Apple Pencil."
The United States Military Academy held its annual Founders Day dinner. Mr. Todd Browne, class of '85, gave the founders day welcome and opening remarks. The guest speaker was CPT Kristen Griest, USMA Class of 2011. Medal of Honor recipients SGM Payne and SGM Williams attended the dinner and took time to pose with BG Buzzard, CSM Killingsworth, and cadets at the end of the event. The ceremony was held in Washington Hall, West Point, New York on March 16, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Tarnish Pride USMA/PAO).
New Norcia.
The founder of this monastic town was Rosendo Salvado (1814-1900.) Salvado was born in Spain and became a
Benedictine monk, missionary and ordained priest from 1839. With Brother Serra he later sailed to Fremantle in January 1846 to set up a system of education for Aboriginal children. His mission at New Norcia was established in March 1846 and was named Norcia after the birthplace in Italy of St. Benedict. Hunger soon drove Brother Salvado back to Perth to give a one man piano concert to raise money for his mission. He returned to New Norcia with his bullock cart where he felled trees, ploughed, sowed and planted corn, vines for wine and established hives for honey. He set himself high standards of work which Brother Serra also met. The other monks were less able to work so hard. Brother Serra left the mission in 1848. Brother Salvado set about building an Abbey and a small village. He gathered the Murara and Victoria Plains Aboriginal people to the mission and began teaching them about Christianity. Through their spears and boomerangs he taught them the value and meaning of property and ownership. Soon his pupils were adept in animal husbandry, handicrafts, ploughing, horse husbandry and general farm work.
A papal decree gave Brother Salvado the title of Lord Abbot of New Norcia for life. After developing his mission for over fifty years Salvado died when he was visiting Rome in 1900. His remains were brought to WA for reburial in 1903 in the tomb of Carrara marble behind the altar in the church at New Norcia. His rule of New Norcia was followed by that of Abbot Fulgentious Torres, another Spanish brother. He brought with him eleven new recruits and set about transforming the mission station from a small village into a monastic town. He had erected two new boarding schools for the children of Catholic farming families and new accommodation for Aboriginal boarders. He added a campanile to the church. In 1904 he commissioned Teresian Sisters from Spain to run an Aboriginal girl’s orphanage. He invited Josephite Sisters to run the secondary college of St. Gertrude for Girls which was opened in 1908; and he enlisted the Marist Brothers to run St. Ildephonsus College for Boys which opened in 1913. Torres died in a Perth hospital in 1914 and was buried in New Norcia. As the mission expanded other services and structures were added to the settlement including a police station, a hotel, and a Post Office. They complemented the flourmill, the monastery, the abbey, the guesthouse, and the two colleges. Today the settlement also includes the museum and shop. You can walk around the complex and visit the cemetery and see the buildings or you can opt to join a tour of a particular building if available. You can join the monks for prayers in the Abbey Church at 12 pm (free) and you can have lunch in the New Norcia Hotel from noon or the roadhouse. Admission to the Museum, an essential place to visit, is $10 for concessions or $12. The Museum was formerly St. Joseph’s Aboriginal Girls Orphanage. Apart from the museum exhibits on Aboriginal education and the like, the art gallery part has some real treasures, including a cartoon by Renaissance artist Raphael. The European collection is mainly post Renaissance Spanish and Italian art but it has paintings by one Renaissance painter, Guido Reni 1575-1642. In 1986 the gallery was robbed and paintings damaged but they have all been returned and restored now. Such a collection of European art in the browned wheat belt of WA is so anachronistic and such a surprise. You can grab a map and do a 1.7 k walk along the creek if you want but the complex is large and interesting and takes considerable time for a mere amble.
Major Buildings at New Norcia.
The monastery. The current building is located on the site of the original 1847 monastery but it is now much changed and enlarged. This mainly occurred under Abbot Torres between 1903-1914. In the 19th century New Norcia’s Aboriginal population was often around 130 people but by the time of Abbott Torres (1903) this had declined substantially. He saw the need to revitalise the monastic community by adding colleges for farming boys and girls. New Norcia currently has about 10 monks and a workforce of about 50 people including members of several Aboriginal families who still live on the hill overlooking the Benedictine community. There is no access to the monastery which is where the monks live.
The Abbey Church. This fine building was made from local stones, mud plaster and rough-hewn tree trunks and wooden shingles. It opened in 1861 but has been added to several times. Abbot Torres altered the Georgian style of the church in 1908 by giving the façade a Spanish Baroque appearance. The church contains a massive pipe organ brought from Germany. Abbot Salvado’s tomb is in the church and the walls are adorned with European paintings.
St. Ildelphonsus Boys School. Opened in 1913 this boy’s college was of a simpler design than the girl’s college as the monastery was running low on funds by then. It is a revival of a Romanesque style with rounded windows, good symmetry and small turrets along the roofline. The statue in front of the building is of the founder of the Marist Brothers, Blessed Marcellin Champagnat.
St. Gertrude’s Girls School. This Gothic Revival building was opened in 1908. The Josephite sisters used the college as their convent as well. In 1970 the girl’s college amalgamated with the boy’s college as a co-educational boarding college, Salvado College. This in turn ceased operations in 1991. St. Gertrude’s is now used for weekend and conference accommodation.
New Norcia Hotel. Hospitality is an important part of the Benedictine tradition and the word “slave” on the front steps of the hotel means “welcome.” This imposing structure with a massive internal divided staircase was designed by Father Urbane Gimenez and built in 1927 as a hostel for parents visiting their children in either of the two boarding schools in the monastic compound. It is a great and atmospheric place for lunch.
Black British Entertainment Awards BBE Dec 2017 at Porchester Hall London with Jean Gasho Co Founder of BBE Lateysha Grace Welsh television personality and aspiring singer
#BBEAWARDS
The United States Military Academy held its annual Founders Day dinner. Mr. Todd Browne, class of '85, gave the founders day welcome and opening remarks. The guest speaker was CPT Kristen Griest, USMA Class of 2011. Medal of Honor recipients SGM Payne and SGM Williams attended the dinner and took time to pose with BG Buzzard, CSM Killingsworth, and cadets at the end of the event. The ceremony was held in Washington Hall, West Point, New York on March 16, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Tarnish Pride USMA/PAO).
Hebrews 12:1–3 (ESV)
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Not Grow Weary
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
three more mixed test shots with the four thirds 18-180 .. very pleased with this .. a welcome lens in my kit bag .. I realised when I was at bempton that sometimes the 100-400 long lens is to long which has driven me in this direction without spending a thousand pounds or so on one
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Reims Aviation Industries was a French aircraft manufacturer located in the city of Reims. Max Holste, the company founder, built his first aircraft in 1931, a light two-seater aircraft called the SHB1. In 1946 he started his own aircraft company in downtown Reims. In the 1950s two new models were designed, in 1950 the Broussard MH.1521 and in 1959 the Super Broussard MH.260, both military utility monoplanes. Additionally, Max Holste (later renamed into Reims Aviation) developed in 1956 the Bastang MH.351, and its evolution, the MH.352.
In 1954, when France had just emerged from the Indochina war, the country was again involved in a conflict: that of the Algerian war. The General Staff was aware of the need to have a specialized aircraft in the fight against guerrilla warfare, known as the "Overseas support aircraft". The resulting requirements brochure called for a two-engine aircraft with a crew of two or three, which, in addition to the anti-guerrilla warfare, had to be capable of ground attack, air support, reconnaissance and observation.
The project was submitted to industrialists in August 1955 with the following demands: a cruising speed greater than 400 km/h, loitering time of 5 hours on an observation mission, conveying distance of 2000 km and a 300 m takeoff distance on rough terrain. The aircraft had to weigh less than 5 tons, approximately 4800 kg. The armament had to be composed of at least 2 guns against lightly armored ground targets, plus bombs and rockets. Finally, a secondary capacity of transport and liaison was added.
No less than seven aircraft manufacturers submitted their projects in early 1956, which included Fouga (CM-220), Latécoère (Laté 820/821), Nord-Aviation (North 3300), Potez (TOE or 75), SIPA (S-1100), South-East (SE- 116) and Max Holste with the MH.351.
Unlike the other projects, which were designed from scratch, Reims Aviation decided to use an existing and proven airframe as basis for a conversion - the North American P-51D from WWII, which was at that time available at low costs and in considerable numbers, and the type had already been in use with the Armée de l'Air in recent years.
The initial MH.351 was a simple but thorough conversion of the warbird: the original Merlin engine and its ventral radiator bath were omitted and the cowling replaced with a new, solid nose section that contained two 30mm DEFA cannon and four 7.62 mm FN Browning machine guns. The new engines, a pair of light Bastan turboprops, were mounted in small nacelles on the wings' leading edges, more or less in the position of the P-51’s former machine gun bays. The original tailsitter landing gear was retained, including the Mustang’s inward-retracting landing gear. Inside of the cockpit, a second seat replaced the original radio equipment bay, so that an observer or a passenger could be carried. Four underwing hardpoints outside of the propeller arc could carry light ordnance like bombs of up to 227 kg (500 lb) caliber, unguided rockets/rocket pods or wire-guided AS.12 anti- tank missiles. No defensive armament was mounted.
Two prototypes were built and presented in March 1957, but the MF.351 was, like all other contenders, rejected and remained at the draft stage. Eventually, this whole contest did not lead to any serial construction, and in March 1960 the French Air Force preferred to buy off-the-shelf A-1 Skyraider and T-28 Trojan from the USA.
However, this was not the end of Reims' ambitions, since the idea of converting a P-51 into a cheap but effective COIN/reconnaissance aircraft was appealing to many small air forces around the world In 1958, when the failure of the French design contest was already to be expected, Reims started an evolutionary development of the MH.351 Bastang as a private venture, leading to the MH.352 Bastang II.
While the MH.352 was still a modified P-51D airframe, it had a totally different look and was effectively a total reconstruction of the WWII aircraft. The nose section had been lengthened, so that it could now, beyond the gun armament, hold a well for a front wheel, effectively changing the MH.351’s tail sitter layout into a tricycle aircraft. In order to shift the center of gravity backwards and ensure a proper stance, the wings were moved back 75cm (3’ 5 ½”) and the cockpit was moved forward by 50 cm (1’ 7 ½ “) and lengthened, giving the crew of up to three more space and the pilot a better field of view forward.
The wing span was slightly extended and new, more aerodynamic tip tanks introduced. In order to improve stability, especially at low speed, the fin the stabilizers were enlarged.
The main landing gear was also modified: the main struts, equipped with low pressure tires for operations from semi-prepared airstrips, were re-located into the engine nacelles. They were attached to the wings’ rear spar and now retracted forwards into fairings behind the Bastan engines, rotating 90° to lie flat next to the Bastans’ exhausts. The space inside of the inner wings was used for additional tanks, and fixed wing tip tanks were added, too. The gun armament was not changed, but three heavy duty hardpoints were added under the inner wings and the fuselage (all plumbed for drop tanks), which allowed the carriage of bombs of up to 1.000 lb caliber each. The Bastang I’s overall ordnance capacity of maximum 3,300 lb was not improved, though.
Around the same time, a cooperative agreement was signed with Cessna to produce light aircraft for the European market. The Max Holste company was officially reborn as Reims Aviation in 1962, mainly producing the FR172 Reims Rocket, a more powerful version of the Cessna 172, and the Cessna 337 Skymaster, which was developed into the armed Reims Milirôle.
The MH.352 was met with mixed interest – while there was serious sales potential in Africa, Asia and South/Middle America, the costs for a converted, now twenty years old WWII aircraft scared off many potential buyers. Another factor was that the USA pushed their own products into the 3rd world markets with Cold War military support program and attractive products like the A-1 or the A-37. As a consequence, in the course of the MH.352’s production from 1961–1972 only 32 aircraft were built.
Major operators included Guatemala (8), (Southern) Rhodesia (6), Myanmar (4), El Salvador (3) and Honduras (3). Some machines were involved in hot conflicts in which they demonstrated their tactical worth, despite the aircraft basis’ age, especially the Rhodesian aircraft were heavily involved in several campaigns during the early Seventies. The last MH.352, in the service of the Gabon Air Force, was retired in 1982.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2-3
Length: 33 ft (10,08 m)
Wingspan (incl. tip tanks): 40 ft 11 in (12,50 m)
Height: 15 ft 11 in (4.86 m)
Wing area: 260 sq ft (24.2 m²)
Airfoil: NAA/NACA 45-100 / NAA/NACA 45-100
Empty weight: 8,535 lb (3,875 kg)
Gross weight: 9,962 lb (4,523 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 13,788 lb (6,260 kg)
Fuel capacity (incl. wing tip tanks): 470 US gal (391 imp gal; 1,780 l)
Powerplant:
2× Turbomeca Bastan turboprops, 570 kW (760 hp) each, driving 4-bladed constant-speed,
variable-pitch propellers, 9 ft (2.75 m) diameter
Performance:
Maximum speed: 500 km/h (311 mph; 270 kn) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
Cruise speed: 430 km/h (267 mph; 232 kn) at 6,000 ft (1,800 m)
Stall speed: 143 km/h (89 mph; 77 kn, with flaps and undercarriage down)
Recommended Mach limit 0.8
Range: 1,650 mi (1,434 nmi; 2,655 km)
Combat radius: 350 km (217 mi; 189 nmi) with 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) weapons, High-low-high profile)
Ferry range: 3,710 km (2,305 mi; 2,003 nmi, max internal and external fuel)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 18 m/s (3,500 ft/min)
Wing loading: 39 lb/sq ft (190 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (300 W/kg)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 14.6
Armament:
4× 7.62 mm (0.3”) FN Browning machine guns with 380 RPG
2× 30mm (1.18”) DEFA cannon with 150 RPG
7× hardpoints for a total of 3,300 lb (1.500 kg) ordnance, including bombs, unguided missiles,
gun pods and drop tanks
The kit and its assembly:
The origins of this weird build date back to 2016 – the initial spark was a discussion around the P-82 Twin Mustang at whatifmodelers.com, and what “mutations” could be created from it. One idea was a single fuselage layout with two engines in classic, wing-mounted pods, and fellow user Tophe even created a profile for this idea. The idea stuck to my mind, and the recent “More or less engines” group build at the forum was a welcome spark to tackle this project in hardware form.
However, when I dug out the ingredients, I wondered if the original idea could be taken further? I remembered some Lockheed 18 Lodestar conversions (into business aircraft) that changed the aircraft from a tail sitter to a tricycle landing gear – could this be done with a two-engine Mustang, too? Another influential factor became the real French search for an "overseas support aircraft" in the late Fifties, and a modified Mustang could well fit into the specification profile.
Said and done, I used an Italeri P-51D as a starting point, and I had a pair of 1:144 resin NK-12 turpoprops (actually for a Tu-95!) left in my aftermarket set bank, which vaguely resemble the French Bastan engines (but still turned out to be quite massive for my plans).
Even though a lot of the P-51D basis went into this build, hardly any part of the kit remained untouched or was glued into the place where it was originally planned to be. Furthermore, lots of PSR went into the construction. Major modification include:
- The windscreen was moved 5mm forward for a bigger cockpit (with 3 seats), and the sliding part of the canopy was replaced by a clear part from an 1:72 Matchbox Blackburn Buccaneer. This also necessitated a new dorsal spine as a matching rear fairing. The cockpit received a new, extended floor and two additional bucket seats
- The original landing gear wells were closed (using the OOB covers and some putty), the ventral radiator disappeared and the nose slightly trimmed down in order to make room for the elongated, narrower new front end
- A new nose section with an integral front landing gear well (made from 0.5mm styrene sheet) and lots of lead beads hidden inside was created with 2C putty, integrating a nose tip from an Airfix Westland Whirlwind
- The wings were moved backwards by 5mm, the wing span was slightly extended (each side by roughly 5mm) and finally received customized tip tanks (originally belonging to a Heller Saab J29)
- The stabilizers were replaced by larger alternatives (from a Heller He 112) and the fin was extended in order to balance the overall proportions of the airframe
- The resin engines were mounted to nacelles, scratched from 1:48 drop tanks (IIRC from an F6F). The nacelles were later cut open to provide new main landing gear wells
- The main landing gear consists of the P-51’s OOB struts and wheels, while a front leg from a Matchbox A-4M Skyhawk was used. The result is quite stalky, but the low propeller position called for this layout
- Pylons from a Matchbox Hawker Harrier were attached under the wings with an external load of a pair of drop tanks and missile launchers
This sounds simpler than it actually was to create – I can hardly remember a model kit that I modified that much and thoroughly, even though most of the original substance remained!
As a side note, concerning the Italeri kit, I must say that the kit’s material is very thin and therefore the whole structure, especially the fuselage, is rather wobbly. The kit itself is not bad at all and comes with fine, engraved panel lines and a nice range of ordnance (including six HVARs, two bombs and drop tanks), but it was not the best choice for such a thorough conversion – the Academy kit, for instance, would have been easier to work with, and even the old Match box and Heller kits had made many things easier.
Painting and markings:
Finding a suitable paint scheme or an operator caused some headaches. The initial plan was an operational Armée de l’Air aircraft, but I soon rejected this because France eventually procured US aircraft, and there was no attractive paint scheme to be found. Then I changed my plans to an exotic operator, a smaller air force e.g. in Southern/Middle America or Africa, maybe a former French colony. After long consideration I eventually settled for Southern Rhodesia in the early Seventies – the country was rather affiliated with Great Britain, but since its air force operated the Reims Milirôle around the same time, why should the procurement not encompass the Bastang II, too? This was also a nice opportunity to apply the contemporary and very unique paint scheme of many RRAF aircraft: a wraparound scheme in RAF Dark Green and Dark Earth, with the brown tone applied uniformly to the lower sides. A very strange scheme, but, after consulting landscape pictures and aerials, apparently very effective at low level. The low-viz effect was further emphasized through minimal markings, just roundels on the fuselage, a small fin flash and small/minimal tactical codes or registrations.
I adopted this design to the Bastang, an easy task with a typical RAF pattern as benchmark for the upper surfaces. The basic tones were Humbrol 163 (which has a dull, olive drab touch) and 29, the latter mixed with a little 72 for a sun-bleached, more yellow-ish look. After basic painting, I added some new panel lines with a pencil and gave the kit a light black ink wash. Then the virtual panels were further emphasized through post-shading with slightly lighter mixes of the basic tones.
Internally, things remained very conservative. I gave the landing gear wells and their covers a zinc yellow primer finish, while the struts became aluminum. The cockpit was painted in Dark Gull Grey (Humbrol 140).
The Rhodesian markings come from an Xtradecal Hawker Hunter sheet, the tactical code was slightly changed and I added a yellow, RAF-style code letter on the fin for individual identification. Some stencils were added from the scrap box, but, just like in real life, the aircraft remained pretty devoid of any markings.
A very tough project, more ambitious and riddled with realization problems than the first look might reveal. It is also amazing that, even though roughly 80% of the original P-51D kit were used and donor parts are few, the whole thing looks so different from its WWII ancestor – like a crossbreed between a Shorts Tucano and a Grumman F7F? The dull Rhodesian paint scheme adds IMHO credibility to the exotic and somewhat purposeful-looking aircraft, only the stalky landing gear looks a little out of place – my fault, though, I should have placed the engines higher, above the wings, but it was already too late before I realized this mistake. Nevertheless, considering the effort and the risks that went into the build, I am happy with the outcome: A Mustang with more engines than usual, and a further evolutionary step from the original mono-fuselage P-82 idea from 2016. I am also amazed how well the simple paint scheme works over the real landscapes of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe!
Todd Shea is the founder of Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) a Pakistan-based charity also registered in the US. Todd is a singer, musician and a songwriter who has traveled all over the World performing his music. Todd got his inspiration to play music during the dark teen age years he went through after his mother’s death. The difficult times that Todd experienced in his early years taught him many life lessons, and he developed strong feelings towards humanity and the desire to help people harmed by tragedy. Todd eventually began to use music to share his experiences and convey a healing message to help troubled teenagers to get through their own hard times.
On 9/11, Todd never knew that his life would take such a drastic change and he would find abilities which he wasn't even aware of before the unfortunate event which affected the entire World and destroyed thousands of families. Todd had been visiting New York for a musical concert but instead put his guitar down to respond to the tragedy he witnessed from his hotel room window. Since then Todd has been directly involved in many disasters, providing logistics and operational support.
Todd has been working with and supporting many missions and organizations responding to disasters. Todd’s experiences include volunteering after the disastrous tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2005 and in the same year he worked as a logistics coordinator and animal rescuer during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. He then worked to deploy a group of doctors to the Pakistan earthquake in October 2005. Since then he has been working in Pakistan to assist people who were affected by natural disasters and conflict. In 2010 he initiated a mission to deploy doctors in Haiti to help those affected by the devastating earthquake, in early 2011 he provided disaster relief services to tsunami victims in Japan, assisted in the coordination of relief during Hurricane Sandy in New York in 2012 and deployed to The Philippines to provide logistical support to several Humanitarian organizations responding to Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
In 2014, Todd and CDRS continued to operate a Mother & Child Health Center in Northern Swat and began a collaboration with Imran Khan Foundation (IKF) to provide Mobile Medical Teams and major health system support in Bannu for the people of North Waziristan who have been forced to flee fighting between the Pakistan Army and The Taliban, and for communities affected by the flood emergency in Puhjab and AJK. In 2015, CDRS plans to further expand their collaboration with IKF and work with many other partners on projects focusing on health, Women's Empowerment and the Welfare of Children.
The Ladies of Sigma is celebrating 12 years on the grid & our RL formation & what better way to do it!! #Itsallgreektome!! Come suited & booted in your Greek Swag & bring all the love as we celebrate our #foundersday2022💙
DJ Gunz & DJ Brockie will be holding it down and everyone is invited!
#excellencethroughunity #twelveyears #changingwomenslives #womeninculture #sigmaupsilonnu💙 #Sorority #sigmalifeSL #webleedblue💙 #SistersofSigma
St Michael, Trinity Street, Cambridge
Set in the heart of tourist Cambridge, huddling among the colleges. Redundant in the 1970s, it now operates as Michaelhouse, a community café and prayer space stewarded by St Mary the Great next door. Michaelhouse was the name of the college to which it was appropriated in the 14th Century, now part of Trinity College. The nave is now a café, the chancel survives in the surprising complete form of the 1870s restoration by George Gilbert Scott junior. His is the grand reredos, the glass of the east window behind is by Hardman & Co. The medieval collegiate benches in the choir came from Trinity College.
This was one of central Cambridge's flagship Anglo-Catholic churches in its day. The evangelical tone of the early 19th Century memorials reset above the choir suggests that the church underwent a fairly radical change in churchmanship over the middle years of the century, perhaps surprisingly so at the heart of a protestant university. I'm sure there's a story there.
On the south side of the chancel is the simple, beautiful Founder's Chapel with fragments of medieval glass as well as a splendid Stuart glass royal arms.
A representation of the coat of arms of Worshipful Company of Founders made in 1800 of Coade Stone, an early artificial stone.
Founders' Hall, Bartholomew Passage, London EC1.
Sony A7II + Contax C/Y Distagon 25mm f/2.8 MM
The United States Military Academy held its annual Founders Day dinner. Mr. Todd Browne, class of '85, gave the founders day welcome and opening remarks. The guest speaker was CPT Kristen Griest, USMA Class of 2011. Medal of Honor recipients SGM Payne and SGM Williams attended the dinner and took time to pose with BG Buzzard, CSM Killingsworth, and cadets at the end of the event. The ceremony was held in Washington Hall, West Point, New York on March 16, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Tarnish Pride USMA/PAO).
License plate reads "MONYPIT" on this 1956 Mercury hardtop. This one is a driver as I have seen it around town about once a week.
The United States Military Academy held its annual Founders Day dinner. Mr. Todd Browne, class of '85, gave the founders day welcome and opening remarks. The guest speaker was CPT Kristen Griest, USMA Class of 2011. Medal of Honor recipients SGM Payne and SGM Williams attended the dinner and took time to pose with BG Buzzard, CSM Killingsworth, and cadets at the end of the event. The ceremony was held in Washington Hall, West Point, New York on March 16, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Tarnish Pride USMA/PAO).
Founders Hall at Heidelberg University was built in 1852. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Founders' Plaza
Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW / DFW)
Founders' Plaza is is located to the northwest of the airport. The closest runways are the approach ends of 18L and 18R.
Founders' Plaza (DFW official site):
Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas%2FFort_Worth_International_A...
The United States Military Academy held its annual Founders Day dinner. Mr. Todd Browne, class of '85, gave the founders day welcome and opening remarks. The guest speaker was CPT Kristen Griest, USMA Class of 2011. Medal of Honor recipients SGM Payne and SGM Williams attended the dinner and took time to pose with BG Buzzard, CSM Killingsworth, and cadets at the end of the event. The ceremony was held in Washington Hall, West Point, New York on March 16, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Tarnish Pride USMA/PAO).
Coachwork by Henri Gauthier - Lyon
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Estimated : € 30.000 - 40.000
Sold for € 42.550
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2018
- Charming example of quality France-Swiss marque
- Exceptional documentation including original bill of sale
- Original interior
- Fine touring car for Veteran Car Club or Teuf Teuf events
Zedel was cleverly named after the phonetic pronouncing of the two founders, Ernest Zürcher and Henri Lüthi, two Swiss gentlemen who joined forces for a brief period in 1901-1902. Originally named Zürcher et Lüthi et Cie, when Lüthi chose to part company, they renamed the business Fabrique de Moteurs et de Machines ZL. Zürcher having been supplying engines for motorcycles from 1897. Once on his own in addition to a Swiss business at Saint-Aubin-Sauges, he wisely also set up an operation across the border in France at Pontarlier, obviating the need for French buyers to pay high import taxes on his cars, as well as being able to tap into the considerable resources of engineering talent in this country. By the end of the first decade of the 20th Century, Zedel were producing a series of high quality automobiles at in modest production numbers.
The Zedel is another fabulous jewel of Jacques Vander Stappen's collection, a diminutive yet beautifully proportioned automobile symbolic of the era and country in which it was made. It is a car that has considerable charm to it from its design to its detail features and it is not surprising that it has been cherished through its life to arrive nearly 110 years after its delivery in such complete and appealing condition.
In keeping with many of the cars in this collection it is supported by an amazing file of documentation, which for the Zedel begins at day one, with the original contract made between M. Fabre-Sapin/Central Garage of Limoges and a Monsieur Paul Colas of St. Léonard on 14th May 1909. On this the car is very precisely described, from its windscreen to its detachable rear, black leather upholstery and canvas 'Capote Americaine' top. Its price some 7,902 Francs! M. Colas, or perhaps Zedel themselves elected for coachwork by nearby coachbuilder Henri Gauthier of Lyon, a company which produced many of the bodies for the Peugeot Bébé. This is followed by a deposit and purchase invoice, but more unusually, beyond these is the fact that M. Colas's service invoices remain with the car also, charting work carried out on it by Fabre-Sapin in 1913 and 1919. M. Colas would appear to have retained the Zedel until at least after the First World War, but beyond that it is not known for how long.
By the early 1980s, the Zedel was certainly in Belgium and sold by DLM Caravanes – Leon Delvaux to a Guy Boucharessas of Brussels on 3rd September 1984. It is understood that Mr. Vander Stappen purchased the car from Boucharessas. Today, on close inspection the Zedel appears much to its original order specifications and while it does appear to have received a sympathetic restoration at some point, its leather trim would appear to be original and is in remarkably good and complete order. Not used in recent years, we do advise recommissioning prior to road use, when ready it would make an excellent entry to Teuf-Teuf or Veteran Car Club events.
New students walk past our founder Cornelius Vanderbilt as faculty, students and staff cheer. Welcome, Class of 2017!