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29525 Tudor Way Magnolia, TX 77355
www.heritagetexas.com/property/48265106/29525-tudor-way-m...
This log retreat located on a serene 9+ acre fenced property was designed to maximize it’s potential with an appropriately scaled yet fully equipped modern home. The double tongue and groove log construction is beautifully accented by hand hewn log beams, railings, large windows, and impressive vaulted ceilings offering scale and charm. Despite the quaint quality of the exterior an expansive interior awaits………
The open main level features a well equipped mudroom, chef’s kitchen, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, large dining area, sitting areas, master suite, and great room with an open floor plan. All of which open to unobstructed views of the surrounding
pine and oak forest, a wraparound deck, sauna, hot tub, and terraced patio.
The main level master suite features a luxurious and meticulously detailed bathroom and large walk in closet. Noteworthy features include custom designed and built cabinetry and closet systems with an abundance of hidden storage space.
The upper level features an open game room, views from every room, two large guest suites each with spacious walk-in closets and attached bathrooms. This retreat also includes a large air conditioned shop and separate living quarters.
The careful planning, creative design, and intense attention to detail make it this a highly sought after country retreat near the city.
Contact for listing details:
www.heritagetexas.com/property/48265106/29525-tudor-way-m...
Ilene S. Gordon, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer,.Ingredion, USA at the Annual Meeting 2017 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 19, 2017
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Christian Clavadetscher
name: Dawn Lagerstedt
school: Washington Elementary 4th and 5th Grade
town:Schiller Park
state: Illinois
The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW. The i8 is part of BMW's electric fleet "Project i" being marketed as a new sub-brand, BMW i. The 2015 model year BMW i8 has a 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that delivers an all-electric range of 37 km under the New European Driving Cycle. Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency cycle, the range in EV mode is 24 km with a small amount of gasoline consumption. Its design is heavily influenced by the BMW M1 Homage concept car, which in turn pays homage to BMW's last production mid-engined sports car prior to the i8: the BMW M1.
The BMW i8 can accelerate from a dead-stop to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and has an electronic limited top speed of 250 km/h. The BMW i8 has a fuel efficiency of 2.1 L/100 km (134.5 mpg‑imp; 112.0 mpg‑US) under the NEDC test with carbon emissions of 49 g/km. The EPA rated the i8 combined fuel economy at 76 MPGe (3.1 L gasoline equivalent/100 km; 91 mpg-imp gasoline equivalent) and 29 miles per gallon (6.7L) when running in pure gasoline mode (after the battery is drained empty).
The initial turbodiesel concept car was unveiled at the 2009 International Motor Show Germany. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The i8 was released in Germany in June 2014. Deliveries to retail customers in the U.S. began in August 2014. By early November 2016 global sales since mid-2014 totaled more than 10,000 BMW i8s, making the i8 the world's top selling plug-in electrified sports car. The top selling markets are the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.
HISTORY
First introduced as the Concept Vision EfficientDynamics, the i8 is part of BMW's "Project i" and it is being marketed as a new brand, BMW i, sold separately from BMW or Mini. The BMW i3, launched for retail customers in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2013, was the first model of the i brand available in the market, and it was followed by the i8, released in Germany in June 2014 as a 2015 model year. Other i models are expected to follow.
The initial turbodiesel concept car was unveiled at the 2009 International Motor Show Germany, In 2010, BMW announced the mass production of the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept in Leipzig beginning in 2013 as the BMW i8. The BMW i8 gasoline-powered concept car destined for production was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 International Motor Show Germany. The following are the concept and pre-production models developed by BMW that preceded the production version.
BMW VISION EFFICIENT DYNAMICS (2009)
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept car is a plug-in hybrid with a three cylinder turbo-diesel engine. Additionally, there are two electric motors with 139 horsepower. It allows an acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
According to BMW, the average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle (KV01) is 3.76 liters/100 kilometers, and has a carbon dioxide emission rating of 99 grams per kilometer (1,3 l/100 km and 33g CO2/kabelham; EU-PHEV ECE-R101). The estimated all-electric range is 50 km, and the 24-liter petrol tank extends the total vehicle range to up to 700 km. The lightweight chassis is made mainly from aluminum. The windshield, top, doors and fenders are made from polycarbonate glass, with the body having a drag coefficient of 0.22.
The designers of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept were Mario Majdandzic for the exterior and Jochen Paesen for the interior.
The vehicle was unveiled in 2009 International Motor Show Germany, followed by Auto China 2010.
BMW i8 CONCEPT (2011)
BMW i8 Concept plug-in hybrid electric vehicle includes an electric motor located in the front axle powering the front wheels rated 96 kW (131 PS; 129 hp) and 250 N⋅m, a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine driving rear wheels rated 164 kW (223 PS; 220 hp) and 300 N⋅m of torque, with combined output of 260 kW (354 PS; 349 hp) and 550 N⋅m, a 7.2 kWh (26 MJ) lithium-ion battery pack that allows an all-electric range of 35 km. All four wheels provide regenerative braking. The location of the battery pack in the energy tunnel gives the vehicle a low centre of gravity, enhancing its dynamics. Its top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h and is expected to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. Under normal driving conditions the i8 is expected to deliver 80 mpg‑US (2.9 L/100 km; 96 mpg‑imp) under the European cycle. A full charge of the battery will take less than 2 hours using 220 V. The positioning of the motor and engine over the axles results in optimum 50/50 weight distribution.
The vehicle was unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany, followed by CENTER 548 in New York City, 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011, 82nd Geneva Motor Show 2012, BMW i Born Electric Tour at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni at Via Nazionale 194 in Rome, Auto Shanghai 2013.
This concept car was featured in the film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
BMW i8 CONCEPT SPYDER (2012)
The BMW i8 Concept Spyder included a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length over the BMW i8 Concept, carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) Life module, drive modules made primarily from aluminium components, interlocking of surfaces and lines, 22.4 cm screen display, off-white outer layer, orange tone naturally tanned leather upholstery.
The vehicle was unveiled in Auto China 2012 in Beijing and won Concept Car of the Year, followed by 83rd Geneva International Motor Show 2013. The designer of the BMW i8 Concept Spyder was Richard Kim.
BMW i8 COUPE PROTOTYPE (2013)
The design of the BMW i8 coupe prototype was based on the BMW i8 Concept. The BMW i8 prototype has an average fuel efficiency of less than 2.5 L/100 km (113.0 mpg‑imp; 94.1 mpg‑US) under the New European Driving Cycle with carbon emissions of less than 59 g/km. The i8 with its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell lightweight, aerodynamically optimized body, and BMW eDrive technology offers the dynamic performance of a sports car, with an expected 0–100 km sprint time of less than 4.5 seconds using both power sources. The plug-in hybrid system of the BMW i8 comprises a three-cylinder, 1.5-liter BMW TwinPower turbo gasoline engine combined with BMW eDrive technology used in the BMW i3 and develops maximum power of 170 kW (230 hp). The BMW i8 is the first BMW production model to be powered by a three-cylinder gasoline engine and the resulting specific output of 115 kW (154 hp) per liter of displacement is on a par with high-performance sports car engines and is the highest of any engine produced by the BMW Group. The BMW i8's second power source is a hybrid synchronous electric motor specially developed and produced by the BMW Group for BMW i. The electric motor develops maximum power of 96 kW and produces its maximum torque of around 320 N⋅m from standstill. Typical of an electric motor, responsive power is instantly available when starting and this continues into the higher load ranges. As well as providing a power boost to assist the gasoline engine during acceleration, the electric motor can also power the vehicle by itself. Top speed in electric mode is approximately 120 km/h), with a maximum driving range of up to 35 km. Linear acceleration is maintained even at higher speeds since the interplay between the two power sources efficiently absorbs any power flow interruptions when shifting gears. The model-specific version of the high-voltage 7.2 lithium-ion battery has a liquid cooling system and can be recharged at a conventional household power socket, at a BMW i Wallbox or at a public charging station. In the US a full recharge takes approximately 3.5 hours from a conventional 120 V, 12 amp household circuit or approximately 1.5 hours from a 220 V Level 2 charger.
The driver can also select several driving modes: SPORT, COMFORT and ECO PRO. Using the gear selector, the driver can either select position D for automated gear selection or can switch to SPORT mode. SPORT mode offers manual gear selection and at the same time switches to very sporty drive and suspension settings. In SPORT mode, the engine and electric motor deliver extra performance, accelerator response is faster and the power boost from the electric motor is maximized. And to keep the battery topped up, SPORT mode also activates maximum energy recuperation during overrun and braking as the electric motor’s generator function, which recharges the battery using kinetic energy, switches to a more powerful setting. The Driving Experience Control switch on the center console offers a choice of two settings. On starting, COMFORT mode is activated, which offers a balance between sporty performance and fuel efficiency, with unrestricted access to all convenience functions. Alternatively, the ECO PRO mode can be engaged, which, on the BMW i8 as on other models, supports an efficiency-optimized driving style. On this mode the powertrain controller coordinates the cooperation between the gasoline engine and the electric motor for maximum fuel economy. On deceleration, the intelligent energy management system automatically decides, in line with the driving situation and vehicle status, whether to recuperate braking energy or to coast with the powertrain disengaged. At the same time, ECO PRO mode also programs electrical convenience functions such as the air conditioning, seat heating and heated mirrors to operate at minimum power consumption, but without compromising safety. The maximum driving range of the BMW i8 on a full fuel tank and with a fully charged battery is more than 500 km in COMFORT mode, which can be increased by up to 20% in ECO PRO mode. The BMW i8’s ECO PRO mode can also be used during all-electric operation. The vehicle is then powered solely by the electric motor. Only if the battery charge drops below a given level, or under sudden intense throttle application such as kickdown, is the internal combustion engine automatically activated.
The vehicle was unveiled in BMW Group's Miramas test track in France.
PRODUCTION VERSION
The production BMW i8 was designed by Benoit Jacob. The production version was unveiled at the 2013 International Motor Show Germany, followed by 2013 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. It features butterfly doors, head-up display, rear-view cameras and partially false engine noise. Series production of customer vehicles began in April 2014. The electric two-speed drivetrain is developed and produced by GKN. It is the first production car with laser headlights, reaching further than LED lights.
The i8 has a vehicle weight of 1,485 kg (DIN kerb weight) and a low drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.26. In all-electric mode the BMW i8 has a top speed of 120 km/h. In Sport mode the i8 delivers a mid-range acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h in 2.6 seconds. The electronically controlled top speed is 250 km/h.
RANGE AND FUEL ECONOMY
The production i8 has a 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a usable capacity of 5.2 kWh and intelligent energy management that delivers an all-electric range of 37 km under the NEDC cycle. Under the EPA cycle, the range in EV mode is 24 km, with a gasoline consumption of 0.1 gallons per 100 mi, and as a result, EPA's all-electric range is zero. The total range is 530 km.
The production version has a fuel efficiency of 2.1 L/100 km (134.5 mpg‑imp; 112.0 mpg‑US) under the NEDC test with carbon emissions of 49 g/km. Under EPA cycle, the i8 combined fuel economy in EV mode was rated 76 equivalent (MPG-equivalent) (3.1 L gasoline equivalent/100 km; 91 mpg-imp gasoline equivalent), with an energy consumption of 43 kW-hrs/100 mi and gasoline consumption of 0.1 gal-US/100 mi. The combined fuel economy when running only with gasoline is 28 mpg‑US (8.4 L/100 km; 34 mpg‑imp) for city driving, and 29 mpg‑US (8.1 L/100 km; 35 mpg‑imp) in highway.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2014 edition of the "Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends" introduced utility factors for plug-in hybrids to represent the percentage of miles that will be driven using electricity by an average driver, in electric only or blended modes. The BMW i8 roadster has a utility factor in EV mode of 37%, compared with 83% for the BMW i3 REx, 66% for the Chevrolet Volt, 65% for the Cadillac ELR, 45% for the Ford Energi models, 43% for the McLaren P1, 39% for the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, and 29% for the Toyota Prius PHV.
SPECIAL EDITION
The special-edition BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition model was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show.[51] The Protonic Red Edition will be produced at BMW Plant Leipzig from July 2016. This special edition car sports a Protonic Red paint finish with accents in Frozen Grey metallic. The colour scheme is complemented by BMW W-spoke 470 light-alloy wheels painted in Orbit Grey metallic with hubs painted in Aluminium matt and mixed-size tires (front: 215/45 R20, rear: 245/40 R20). Inside the car features red double-stitching and applications in high-grade carbon fibre and ceramic trim.
ROADSTER
The BMW i8 Spyder concept was unveiled at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. In October 2016, BMW announced that the roadster variant would be added to the BMW i line-up in 2018.
The i8 Roadster is expected to get a longer-range battery and will have only 2 seats. The car's roof is an electric 2-piece unit, which neatly folds into the space where the rear seats would normally be.
SALES AND MARKETS
BMW originally planned to sell the i8 in about 50 countries, with the U.S. expected to be the largest sales market. In Europe, BMW expected the UK, Germany and France to be the top markets. On November 14, 2013, BMW announced they are taking orders for the i8 in Japan. Pricing starts at ¥19,170,000 (US$191,500) which includes the 8% consumption tax.
Global deliveries to retail customers totaled 1,741 units in 2014, and 5,456 in 2015, totaling cumulative sales of 7,197 units worldwide through December 2015. In 2015 global sales of the BMW i8 exceeded the combined figure of all other hybrid sports cars produced by other manufacturers. The United States is the leading market with 4,108 units delivered through October 2016, followed by the UK with about 1,700 units sold through October 2016, and Germany with 986 i8s registered through September 2016. Since mid-2014 more than 10,000 BMW i8s have been sold worldwide by early November 2016, representing 10% of BMW global electrified model sales, and making the i8 the world's top selling plug-in
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
In July 2012 the BMW i8 won the 2012 North American Concept Vehicle of the Year. The BMW i8 Spyder won the 2013 Best Production Preview Vehicle award. The i8 won AutoGuide's 2015 Reader’s Choice Green Car of the Year. BMW’s i8 has been the winner of the coveted title ‘World Green car of the Year’ at Fame India Eco Drive 2015 It also was selected as Autoblog's 2014 Technology of the Year. Top Gear Magazine awarded the i8 with their coveted Car of the Year award for 2014. Green Car Journal awarded the BMW i8 with its 2015 Luxury Green Car of the Year. The i8 won the UK Car of the Year 2015 and also UK Performance Car of the Year 2015. The World Car of the Year organization declared the i8 as the winner of the 2015 World Green Car Award.
WIKIPEDIA
For more information about the camera and/or lens used, or the full resolution of this image, please contact me. Please do not use this image without my written permission.
Please feel free to visit my website: www.SvenKester.com
Copyright © 2015 Sven Kester. All rights reserved.
+++ 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 Supermarine Seafire was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. It was analogous in concept to the Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalized version of the Spitfire's stablemate, the Hawker Hurricane. The name Seafire was derived from the abbreviation of the longer name Sea Spitfire.
The idea of adopting a navalized, carrier-capable version of the Supermarine Spitfire had been mooted by the Admiralty as early as May 1938. Despite a pressing need to replace various types of obsolete aircraft that were still in operation with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), some opposed the notion, such as Winston Churchill, although these disputes were often a result of an overriding priority being placed on maximizing production of land-based Spitfires instead. During 1941 and early 1942, the concept was again pushed for by the Admiralty, culminating in an initial batch of Seafire Mk Ib fighters being provided in late 1941, which were mainly used for pilots to gain experience operating the type at sea. While there were concerns over the low strength of its undercarriage, which had not been strengthened like many naval aircraft would have been, its performance was found to be acceptable.
From 1942 onwards, further Seafire models were quickly ordered, including the first operationally-viable Seafire F Mk III variant. This led to the type rapidly spreading throughout the FAA. In November 1942, the first combat use of the Seafire occurred during Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa. In July 1943, the Seafire was used to provide air cover for the Allied invasion of Sicily; and reprised this role in September 1943 during the subsequent Allied invasion of Italy. During 1944, the type was again used in quantity to provide aerial support to Allied ground forces during the Normandy landings and Operation Dragoon in Southern France. During the latter half of 1944, the Seafire became a part of the aerial component of the British Pacific Fleet, where it quickly proved to be a capable interceptor against the feared kamikaze attacks by Japanese pilots which had become increasingly common during the final years of the Pacific War. Several Seafire variants were produced during WWII, more or less mirroring the development of its land-based ancestor.
The Seafire continued to be used for some time after the end of the war, and new, dedicated versions were developed and exported. The FAA opted to promptly withdraw all of its Merlin-powered Seafires and replace them with Griffon-powered counterparts. The type saw further active combat use during the Korean War, in which FAA Seafires performed hundreds of missions in the ground attack and combat air patrol roles against North Korean forces during 1950. The Seafire was withdrawn from FAA service during the 1950s and was replaced by the newer Hawker Sea Fury, the last piston engine fighter to be used by the service, along with the first generation of jet-propelled naval fighters, such as the de Havilland Vampire, Supermarine Attacker, and Hawker Sea Hawk.
After WWII, the Royal Canadian Navy and French Aviation Navale also obtained Seafires to operate from ex-Royal Navy aircraft carriers. France received a total of 140 Seafires of various versions from 1946 on, including 114 Seafire Mk IIIs in two tranches (35 of them were set aside for spare part) until 1948, and these were followed in 1949 by fifteen Mk. 15 fighters and twelve FR Mk. 23 armed photo reconnaissance aircraft. Additionally, twenty land-based Mk. IXs were delivered to Naval Air Station Cuers-Pierrefeu as trainers.
The Seafire Mk. 23 was a dedicated post-war export version. It combined several old and new features and was the final “new” Spitfire variant to be powered by a Merlin engine, namely a Rolls-Royce Merlin 66M with 1,720 hp (1,283 kW) that drove a four-blade propeller. The Mk. 23 was originally built as a fighter (as Seafire F Mk. 23), but most machines were delivered or later converted with provisions for being fitted with two F24 cameras in the rear fuselage and received the service designation FR Mk. 23 (or just FR.23). Only 32 of this interim post-war version were built by Cunliffe-Owen, and all of them were sold to foreign customers.
Like the Seafire 17, the 23 had a cut-down rear fuselage and teardrop canopy, which afforded a better all-round field of view than the original cockpit. The windscreen was modified, too, to a rounded section, with narrow quarter windows, rather than the flat windscreen used on land-based Spitfires. As a novel feature the Seafire 23 featured a "sting" arrestor hook instead of the previous V-shaped ventral arrangement.
The fuel capacity was 120 gal (545 l) distributed in two main forward fuselage tanks: the lower tank carried 48 gal (218 l) while the upper tank carried 36 gal (163 l), plus two fuel tanks built into the leading edges of the wings with capacities of 12.5 (57 l) and 5.5 gal (25 l) respectively. It featured a reinforced main undercarriage with longer oleos and a lower rebound ratio, a measure to tame the deck behavior of the Mk. 15 and reducing the propensity of the propeller tips "pecking" the deck during an arrested landing. The softer oleos also stopped the aircraft from occasionally bouncing over the arrestor wires and into the crash barrier.
The wings were taken over from the contemporary Spitfire 21 and therefore not foldable. However, this saved weight and complexity, and the Seafire’s compact dimensions made this flaw acceptable for its operators. The wings were furthermore reinforced, with a stronger main spar necessitated by the new undercarriage, and as a bonus they were able to carry heavier underwing loads than previous Seafire variants. This made the type not only suitable for classic dogfighting (basic armament consisted of four short-barreled 20 mm Hispano V cannon in the outer wings), but also for attack missions with bombs and unguided rockets.
The Seafire’s Aéronavale service was quite short, even though they saw hot battle duty. 24 Mk. IIIs were deployed on the carrier Arromanches in 1948 when it sailed for Vietnam to fight in the First Indochina War. The French Seafires operated from land bases and from Arromanches on ground attack missions against the Viet Minh before being withdrawn from combat operations in January 1949.
After returning to European waters, the Aéronavale’s Seafire frontline units were re-equipped with the more modern and capable Seafire 15s and FR 23s, but these were also quickly replaced by Grumman F6F Hellcats from American surplus stock, starting already in 1950. The fighters were retired from carrier operations and soon relegated to training and liaison duties, and eventually scrapped. However, the FR.23s were at this time the only carrier-capable photo reconnaissance aircraft in the Aéronavale’s ranks, so that these machines remained active with Flottille 1.F until 1955, but their career was rather short, too, and immediately ended when the first naval jets became available and raised the performance bar.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 31 ft 10 in (9.70 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Height: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) tail down with propeller blade vertical
Wing area: 242.1 ft² (22.5 m²)
Empty weight: 5,564 lb (2,524 kg)
Gross weight: 7,415 lb (3,363 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 66M V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine,
delivering 1,720 hp (1,283 kW) at 11,000 ft and driving a 4-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 404 mph (650 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
Cruise speed: 272 mph (438 km/h, 236 kn)
Range: 493 mi (793 km) on internal fuel at cruising speed
965 mi (1,553 km) with 90 gal drop tank
Service ceiling: 42,500 ft (12,954 m)
Rate of climb: 4,745 ft/min (24.1 m/s) at 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,096 m) in 8 minutes 6 seconds
Armament:
4× 20 mm Hispano V cannon; 175 rpg inboard, 150 rpg outboard
Hardpoints for up to 2× 250 lb (110 kg) bombs (outer wings), plus 1× 500 lb (230 kg) bomb
(ventral hardpoint) or drop tanks, or up to 8× "60 lb" RP-3 rockets on zero-length launchers
The kit and its assembly:
This build was another attempt to reduce The Stash. The basis was a Special Hobby FR Mk. 47, which I had originally bought as a donor kit: the engine housing bulges of its Griffon engine were transplanted onto a racing P-51D Mustang. Most of the kit was still there, and from this basis I decided to create a fictional post-WWII Seafire/Spitfire variant.
With the Griffon fairings gone a Merlin engine was settled, and the rest developed spontaneously. The propeller was improvised, with a P-51D spinner (Academy kit) and blades from the OOB 5-blade propeller, which are slightly deeper than the blades from the Spitfire Mk. IX/XVI prop. In order to attach it to the hull and keep it movable, I implanted my standard metal axis/styrene tube arrangement.
With the smaller Merlin engine, I used the original, smaller Spitfire stabilizers but had to use the big, late rudder, due to the taller fin of the post-ware Spit-/Seafire models. The four-spoke wheels also belong to an earlier Seafire variant. Since it was an option in the kit, I went for a fuselage with camera openings (the kit comes with two alternative fuselages as well as a vast range of optional parts for probably ANY late Spit- and Seafire variant – and also for many fictional hybrids!), resulting in a low spine and a bubble canopy, what gives the aircraft IMHO very sleek and elegant lines. In order to maintain this impression I also used the short cannon barrels from the kit. For extended range on recce missions I furthermore gave the model the exotic underwing slipper tanks instead of the optional missile launch rail stubs under the outer wing sections. Another mod is the re-installment of the small oil cooler under the left wing root from a Spitfire Mk. V instead of the symmetrical standard radiator pair – just another subtle sign that “something’s not right” here.
Painting and markings:
The decision to build this model as a French aircraft was inspired by a Caracal Decals set with an Aéronavale Seafire III from the Vietnam tour of duty in 1948, an aircraft with interesting roundels that still carried British FAA WWII colors (Dark Slate Grey/Dark Sea Grey, Sky). Later liveries of the type remain a little obscure, though, and information about them is contradictive. Some profiles show French Seafires in British colors, with uniform (Extra) Dark Sea Grey upper and Sky lower surfaces, combined with a high waterline – much like contemporary FAA aircraft like the Sea Fury. However, I am a bit in doubt concerning the Sky, because French naval aircraft of that era, esp. recce types like the Shorts Sunderland or PBY Catalina, were rather painted in white or very light grey, just with uniform dark grey upper surfaces, reminding of British Coastal Command WWII aircraft.
Since this model would be a whif, anyway, and for a pretty look, I adopted the latter design, backed by an undated profile of a contemporary Seafire Mk. XV from Flottille S.54, a training unit, probably from the Fifties - not any valid guarantee for authenticity, but it looks good, if not elegant!
Another option from that era would have been an all-blue USN style livery, which should look great on a Spitfire, too. But I wanted something more elegant and odd, underpinning the bubbletop Seafire’s clean lines.
I settled for Extra Dark Sea Grey (Humbrol 123) and Light Grey (FS. 36495, Humbrol 147) as basic tones, with a very high waterline. The spinner was painted yellow, the only colorful marking. Being a post-war aircraft of British origin, the cockpit interior was painted in black (Revell 09, anthracite). The landing gear wells became RAF Cockpit Green (Humbrol 78), while the inside of the respective covers became Sky (Humbrol 90) – reflecting the RAF/FAA’s post-war practice of applying the external camouflage paint on these surfaces on Spit-/Seafires, too. On this specific aircraft the model displays, just the exterior had been painted over by the new operator. Looks weird, but it’s a nice detail.
The roundels came from the aforementioned 1948 Seafire Mk. III, and their odd design – esp. the large ones on the wings, and only the fuselage roundels carry the Aéronavale’s anchor icon and a yellow border – creates a slightly confusing look. Unfortunately, the roundels were not 100% opaque, this became only apparent after their application, and they did not adhere well, either.
The tactical code had to be improvised with single, black letters of various sizes – they come from a Hobby Boss F4F USN pre-WWII Wildcat, but were completely re-arrenged into the French format. The fin flash on the rudder had to be painted, with red and blue paint, in an attempt to match the decals’ tones, and separated by a white decal stripe. The anchor icon on the rudder had to be printed by myself, unfortunately the decal on the bow side partly disintegrated. Stencils were taken from the Special Hobby kit’s OOB sheet.
The model received a light black ink washing, post-panel shading with dry-brushing and some soot stains around the exhausts, but not too much weathering, since it would be relatively new. Finally, everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A relatively quick and simple build, and the Special Hobby kit went together with little problems – a very nice and versatile offering. The mods are subtle, but I like the slender look of this late Spitfire model, coupled with the elegant Merlin engine – combined into the fictional Mk. 23. The elegant livery just underlines the aircraft’s sleek lines. Not spectacular, but a pretty result.
About 18 months ago I bought the Olloclip 3-in-1 lens, and sometimes I actually remember to use it. It clips on the corner of your iPhone, offering macro, wide angle and fisheye lenses. I also bought the 2X Telephoto with polarizing filter, and a case which has the corner flip up so you can slip the lens on. It all fits in one pocket with the phone (at least the iPhone 5S, I haven't tried that with the 6+ yet).
The lenses run about $70, making the 3-in-1 under $25 per lens, and they come with lens covers and soft bags so you can put them in your pockets.. I was able to pick up the telephoto with the flip-up hard case for $99. There are also versions designed for several Android phones.
You can't expect DSLR-quality from a $25-70 lens, but having the ability to extend the usable range of your cell phone's camera can offer you perspectives and images not possible any other way.
Many of the lenses are unsharp, especially towards the corners. A fisheye in general distorts a scene. This one is blurry around the edge of the circle, and the image circle extends past the edge of the sensor. This is actually a good decision, since that maximizes the len's use of the rectangular sensor. The phone has trouble focusing with the macro on, even when using the Olloclip app, and the depth of field is very shallow, so small movements in the phone or subject make it even harder, so you may end up taking several photos to get a sharp one with the focus where you want it.. But again, to be able to extend the phone's capabilities at all and quickly capture shots not practical any other way, I find the macro and fisheye lenses particularly useful. One of these days I'll post a thorough review to my blog with lots of sample images.
I recently bought the equivalent lenses for the iPhone 6+, and they seem to be a step up in sharpness with less distortion. Other manufacturers are entering this market, so that competition will continue to drive quality up while holding prices to a reasonable level.
It is said that the best camera for the job is the one that's in your hand, and as the quality of mobile phone cameras increases, more and more often the camera in your hand ends up being your phone. Just as interchangeable lenses add value to a DSLR system, add-on lenses are becoming an increasingly useful accessory for extending the usefulness of your mobile phone's camera.
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The McLaren Senna image is from the internet. I altered the windows and created the reflection as well as enhanced the car color for this artwork.
The McLaren Senna is the personification of McLaren’s DNA at its most extreme, creating the purest connection between car and driver. It is the most track-focused road car we have ever built, and it will set the fastest lap times of any McLaren to date. That is what has driven us to build a track car that is unashamedly without compromise. One that is legalized for road use, but not sanitized to suit it. Nothing else matters but to deliver the most intense driving experience around a circuit.
Inspired by one of McLaren’s greatest racing drivers, the McLaren Senna is utterly dedicated to allowing the driver to be the best they can possibly be.
The McLaren Senna has a single-minded purpose. In the pursuit of the most rewarding and intuitive driving experience, pioneering active aerodynamics generate unprecedented levels of downforce. It is also the lightest vehicle we have built since the iconic F1, with our most powerful road car engine to date. This combination creates a staggering power-to-weight ratio of 668PS-per-tonne (659bhp). It is the most direct and responsive McLaren ever built, surpassing even the McLaren P1™ GTR, to create the purest connection with the driver. The McLaren Senna is a new track benchmark for McLaren.
We think of the McLaren Senna as a race car – we have designed and built it to perform on the track first and foremost. The active aerodynamics are pioneering, and the unprecedented visibility achieved through the unique glazed doors gives the driver total confidence. Exhaustive, fearless engineering has led us to revaluate and reassess every component, no matter how small or insignificant, to maximize performance. We have used carbon fibre for the monocoque, the body and everywhere we need lightness, rigidity and strength – it is the reason the McLaren Senna is the lightest road vehicle McLaren Automotive has ever built.
800PS and 800Nm from a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, the most powerful internal combustion engine McLaren has ever built. 800kg of downforce made possible by pioneering active aerodynamics. The lightest McLaren since the iconic F1 with dry weight of under 1200kg. A power-to-weight ratio of 668PS-per-tonne (659bhp) that ensures it will set the fastest lap times of any McLaren road car to date. 0-124mph (0-200km/h) in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 211mph (340km/h). Next-generation carbon ceramic brakes that utilize racing technology. Discover the savage performance of the McLaren Senna.
When Ayrton Senna arrived at McLaren in 1988 he was an outstanding young driver, but he wasn’t yet the complete champion he would become during his time with the team. At 28 years old he was starting his fifth season in Formula 1 with six wins under his belt; at McLaren he would convert all that promise into three World Drivers’ Championships.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.
Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:
Coalfield Development Corporation
$1,870,000
Natural Capital Investment Fund
$1,250,000
New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
$967,500
Mercer County Regional Airport
$1,500,000
Hatfield-McCoy Trail
$1,372,275
EntreEd K-14
$2,196,450
Randolph County Development Authority
$622,500
EdVenture Coding
$10,000
Hobet site planning
$200,000
TOTAL
$9,988,725
West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:
$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.
$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.
$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.
$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.
$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.
$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.
Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:
Percentage distribution of grant funds
West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%
Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%
Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%
Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%
Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%
Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%
TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%
ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16
•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.
•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.
•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.
•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.
•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.
•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.
•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.
•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.
•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.
•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.
•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.
•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.
ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries
Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.
•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.
•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.
•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.
•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.
POWER Special Projects Summaries
As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.
•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.
•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.
Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
De geboorte van de moderne beeldhouwkunst
Constantin Brancusi (Hobita, Roemenië 1876-1957 Parijs, Frankrijk) wordt beschouwd als de grondlegger van de moderne beeldhouwkunst. Na een academische kunstopleiding in Roemenië reisde hij door Europa en vestigde zich op 28-jarige leeftijd in Parijs. Daar werd hij opgemerkt door beeldhouwer Auguste Rodin en werkte hij in 1907 kort als een van diens assistenten, voordat hij vertrok om zijn eigen ideeën na te streven.
In de daaropvolgende jaren ontwikkelde Brancusi een nieuwe benadering van beeldhouwen die een blijvende invloed zou hebben. Zijn stijl legde de nadruk op direct beeldhouwen en polijsten om de essentie van zijn materialen (steen, hout, gips en brons) te onthullen. Hij wilde dat de eenvoud van zijn vormen de uiterlijke verschijningsvormen overstijgt en universele archetypen uitdrukt. De elementaire geometrie wordt voortdurend versterkt door het stapelen van sokkels en bases en door een spel van reflecties te creëren dat de kijker in het werk trekt.
(…) De tentoonstelling (de eerste Brancusi-retrospectief in Nederland in 50 jaar), die in zeven secties is opgedeeld, toont de belangrijkste revoluties die Brancusi teweegbracht: het overstijgen van het zichtbare, het heruitvinden van portretkunst en dierensculptuur, en het benutten van de relatie tussen sculptuur en ruimte, de ambiguïteit van vormen, het spel van licht en serialiteit.
Bron: informatiepaneel bij de ingang van de tentoonstelling.
--------
Torso van een jong meisje III, 1925
Brancusi koos ervoor om witte onyx, een kristallijn gesteente, te slijpen en te polijsten om de doorschijnende gloed van de jeugd op te roepen. Hij maximaliseerde de formele abstractie van het stuk door de ronde heupen te reduceren tot een uitlopende ovaal, die eindigt in een vlak gedeelte. Verheven en versterkt door een dubbele sokkel – een perfecte kubus van kalksteen op een eikenhouten zandloper – bereikt Torso van een jong meisje III (Torse de jeune fille III) totale perfectie van vorm en symmetrie.
Bron: Tekst bij het werk in de tentoonstelling
------------------------------------
The birth of modern sculpture
Constantin Brancusi (Hobita, Romania 1876-1957 Paris, France) is seen as the founder of modern sculpture. Following an academic art education in Romania, he traveled across Europe to settle in Paris at the age of 28. There, he was spotted by sculptor Auguste Rodin and worked briefly as one of his assistants in 1907 before leaving to pursue his own ideas.
Over the next few years, Brancusi invented a new approach to sculpture that was to have a lasting influence. His idiom emphasized direct carving and polishing to reveal the quintessence of his materials (stone, wood, plaster and bronze). He intended the simplicity of his forms to transcend outward appearances and express universal archetypes. Their elementary geometry is constantly invigorated by stacking plinths and bases on top of each other and by creating a a play of reflections that draws the viewer into the work.
(…) Arranged in seven sections, the exhibition (the first Brancusi retrospective in the Netherlands in 50 years) showcases the major revolutions brought about by Brancusi: transcending the visible, reinventing portraiture and animal sculpture, and exploiting the relationship of the sculpture to space, the ambiguity of forms, the play of light, and seriality.
Source: info panel at the exhibition’s entrance
----------------
Torso of a Young Girl III, 1925
Brancusi chose to cut and polish white onyx, a crystalline rock, to evoke the translucent glow of youth. He maximized the formal abstraction of the piece, reducing the rounded hips to a flared oval, terminated by a flat section. Elevated and enhanced by a double plinth – a perfect cube of limestone on a oak hourglass – Torso of a Young Girl III (Torse de jeune fille III) achieves total perfection of form an symmetry.
Source: Text accompanying the work in the exhibition
EVOLVE MAXIMIZE. EXPAND. ACTIVATE
Create Your Vision of a Better You For a Beautiful Life Live a Richer, Happier and Golden Life Style. For more info visit: evolvedlifevisions.com
Become Certified
Achieve your own profitable business safeguarded by our professional, experienced network
Clear, Comprehensive Certification gives you a recognized Life Coaching Accreditation within 6 weeks!
Certification in Evolved Visualization Techniques TM
Evolved Life Visions is an A rated member of WAOLS - World Alliance of Life coaches and Stylists.
Evolved Life Visions supports accreditation programs including those of the ICF - International Coaching Federation
Evolved Guided Visualization Techniques TM - GVT - is an accredited training program
Media and Experts - Say What!?
The latest reports from leading Universities arousing great worldwide media interest shows that neurosciences research proves that Visualization Techniques TM trick your brain into transforming your thoughts and behavior!
This means that when you have a clear Vision of what your want to Maximize and Achieve in your life you will be able to attain it.
Or social Platform
business.facebook.com/Evolved-Life-Visions-386232031583114/
plus.google.com/u/0/103901643902261086078
www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-harcourt-9351a9ab
www.pinterest.com/evolvedlifevisi/
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evolvedlifevisionsltd.tumblr.com/
www.dailymotion.com/evolvedlifevisions
www.flickr.com/photos/138201185@N07/
EVOLVE MAXIMIZE. EXPAND. ACTIVATE
Create Your Vision of a Better You For a Beautiful Life Live a Richer, Happier and Golden Life Style. For more info visit: evolvedlifevisions.com
Become Certified
Achieve your own profitable business safeguarded by our professional, experienced network
Clear, Comprehensive Certification gives you a recognized Life Coaching Accreditation within 6 weeks!
Certification in Evolved Visualization Techniques TM
Evolved Life Visions is an A rated member of WAOLS - World Alliance of Life coaches and Stylists.
Evolved Life Visions supports accreditation programs including those of the ICF - International Coaching Federation
Evolved Guided Visualization Techniques TM - GVT - is an accredited training program
Media and Experts - Say What!?
The latest reports from leading Universities arousing great worldwide media interest shows that neurosciences research proves that Visualization Techniques TM trick your brain into transforming your thoughts and behavior!
This means that when you have a clear Vision of what your want to Maximize and Achieve in your life you will be able to attain it.
Or social Platform
business.facebook.com/Evolved-Life-Visions-386232031583114/
plus.google.com/u/0/103901643902261086078
www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-harcourt-9351a9ab
www.pinterest.com/evolvedlifevisi/
www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwm6uaEbL1-txikirmrNvw
evolvedlifevisionsltd.tumblr.com/
www.dailymotion.com/evolvedlifevisions
www.flickr.com/photos/138201185@N07/
EVOLVE MAXIMIZE. EXPAND. ACTIVATE
Create Your Vision of a Better You For a Beautiful Life Live a Richer, Happier and Golden Life Style. For more info visit: evolvedlifevisions.com
Become Certified
Achieve your own profitable business safeguarded by our professional, experienced network
Clear, Comprehensive Certification gives you a recognized Life Coaching Accreditation within 6 weeks!
Certification in Evolved Visualization Techniques TM
Evolved Life Visions is an A rated member of WAOLS - World Alliance of Life coaches and Stylists.
Evolved Life Visions supports accreditation programs including those of the ICF - International Coaching Federation
Evolved Guided Visualization Techniques TM - GVT - is an accredited training program
Media and Experts - Say What!?
The latest reports from leading Universities arousing great worldwide media interest shows that neurosciences research proves that Visualization Techniques TM trick your brain into transforming your thoughts and behavior!
This means that when you have a clear Vision of what your want to Maximize and Achieve in your life you will be able to attain it.
Or social Platform
business.facebook.com/Evolved-Life-Visions-386232031583114/
plus.google.com/u/0/103901643902261086078
www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-harcourt-9351a9ab
www.pinterest.com/evolvedlifevisi/
www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwm6uaEbL1-txikirmrNvw
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www.dailymotion.com/evolvedlifevisions
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29525 Tudor Way Magnolia, TX 77355
www.heritagetexas.com/property/48265106/29525-tudor-way-m...
This log retreat located on a serene 9+ acre fenced property was designed to maximize it’s potential with an appropriately scaled yet fully equipped modern home. The double tongue and groove log construction is beautifully accented by hand hewn log beams, railings, large windows, and impressive vaulted ceilings offering scale and charm. Despite the quaint quality of the exterior an expansive interior awaits………
The open main level features a well equipped mudroom, chef’s kitchen, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, large dining area, sitting areas, master suite, and great room with an open floor plan. All of which open to unobstructed views of the surrounding
pine and oak forest, a wraparound deck, sauna, hot tub, and terraced patio.
The main level master suite features a luxurious and meticulously detailed bathroom and large walk in closet. Noteworthy features include custom designed and built cabinetry and closet systems with an abundance of hidden storage space.
The upper level features an open game room, views from every room, two large guest suites each with spacious walk-in closets and attached bathrooms. This retreat also includes a large air conditioned shop and separate living quarters.
The careful planning, creative design, and intense attention to detail make it this a highly sought after country retreat near the city.
Contact for listing details:
www.heritagetexas.com/property/48265106/29525-tudor-way-m...
I designed this model by using the 3D model ECHenry put up for sale as reference. I was able to get a lot more detail out of it that way. Not to mention as close to perfect proportions as I could possibly get. Having the actual model gave me some unique insight on the inner workings of ECHenry's design process. Like having differently scaled and oriented greebles duplicated in several places. Which is very much in the spirit of ILM model makers working on the original trilogy.
What that means for a Lego model is a lot of different techniques. The greebles on the engines and fuselage are as accurate as I could get them, and I'm super happy with the result. I even did my best to mimic panel detailing instead of maximizing tiles to be as efficient as possible.
The turret is a completely custom addition. The design was made by ThrawnsRevenge. We thought the underside looked a bit bare without something. And my head cannon is that one of the three people in the cockpit remotely operate it similar to an Apache helicopter's turret.
All in all I'm really happy with how this model turned out. I'd like to upload some IRL photos once I find space...
Instructions are available on Rebrickable if you want to build your own!
Ilene S. Gordon, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer,.Ingredion, USA at the Annual Meeting 2017 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 19, 2017
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Christian Clavadetscher
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
In the late 1970s the Mikoyan OKB began development of a hypersonic high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Designated "Izdeliye 301" (also known as 3.01), the machine had an unusual design, combining a tailless layout with variable geometry wings. The two engines fueled by kerosene were located side by side above the rear fuselage, with the single vertical fin raising above them, not unlike the Tu-22 “Blinder” bomber of that time, but also reminiscent of the US-American SR-71 Mach 3 reconnaissance aircraft.
Only few and rather corny information leaked into the West, and the 301 was believed not only to act as a reconnaissance plane , it was also believed to have (nuclear) bombing capabilities. Despite wind tunnel testing with models, no hardware of the 301 was ever produced - aven though the aircraft could have become a basis for a long-range interceptor that would replace by time the PVO's Tupolew Tu-28P (ASCC code "Fiddler"), a large aircraft armed solely with missiles.
Despite limitations, the Tu-28P served well in its role, but the concept of a very fast interceptor aircraft, lingered on, since the Soviet Union had large areas to defend against aerial intruders, esp. from the North and the East. High speed, coupled with long range and the ability to intercept an incoming target at long distances independently from ground guidance had high priority for the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Even though no official requirement was issued, the concept of Izdeliye 301 from the Seventies was eventually developed further into the fixed-wing "Izdeliye 701" ultra-long-range high-altitude interceptor in the 1980ies.
The impulse for this new approach came when Oleg S. Samoylovich joined the Mikoyan OKB after having worked at Suchoi OKB on the T-60S missile carrier project. Similar in overall design to the former 301, the 701 was primarily intended as a kind of successor for the MiG-31 Foxhound for the 21st century, which just had completed flight tests and was about to enter PVO's front line units.
Being based on a long range cruise missile carrier, the 701 would have been a huge plane, featuring a length of 30-31m, a wing span of 19m (featuring a highly swept double delta wing) and having a maximum TOW of 70 tons! Target performance figures included a top speed of 2.500km/h, a cruising speed of 2.100km/h at 17.000m and an effective range of 7.000km in supersonic or 11.000km in subsonic mode. Eventually, the 701 program was mothballed, too, being too ambitious and expensive for a specialized development that could also have been a fighter version of the Tu-22 bomber!
Anyway, while the MiG-31 was successfully introduced in 1979 and had evolved in into a capable long-range interceptor with a top speed of more than Mach 3 (limited to Mach 2.8 in order to protect the aircraft's structural integrity), MiG OKB decided in 1984 to take further action and to develop a next-generation technology demonstrator, knowing that even the formidable "Foxhound" was only an interim solution on the way to a true "Four plus" of even a 6th generation fighter. Other new threats like low-flying cruise missiles, the USAF's "Project Pluto" or the assumed SR-71 Mach 5 successor “Aurora” kept Soviet military officials on the edge of their seats, too.
Main objective was to expand the Foxhound's state-of the-art performance, and coiple it with modern features like aerodynamic instability, supercruise, stealth features and further development potential.
The aircraft's core mission objectives comprised:
- Provide strategic air defense and surveillance in areas not covered by ground-based air defense systems (incl. guidance of other aircraft with less sophisticated avionics)
- Top speed of Mach 3.2 or more in a dash and cruise at Mach 3.0 for prolonged periods
- Long range/high speed interception of airspace intruders of any kind, including low flying cruise missiles, UAVs and helicopters
- Intercept cruise missiles and their launch aircraft from sea level up to 30.000m altitude by reaching missile launch range in the lowest possible time after departing the loiter area
Because funding was scarce and no official GOR had been issued, the project was taken on as a private venture. The new project was internally known as "Izdeliye 710" or "71.0". It was based on both 301 and 701 layout ideas and the wind tunnel experiences with their unusual layouts, as well as Oleg Samoylovich's experience with the Suchoi T-4 Mach 3 bomber project and the T-60S.
"Izdeliye 710" was from the start intended only as a proof-of-concept prototype, yet fully functional. It would also incorporate new technologies like heat-resistant ceramics against kinetic heating at prolonged high speeds (the airframe had to resist temperatures of 300°C/570°F and more for considerable periods), but with potential for future development into a full-fledged interceptor, penetrator and reconnaissance aircraft.
Overall, “Izdeliye 710" looked like a shrinked version of a mix of both former MiG OKB 301 and 701 designs, limited to the MiG-31's weight class of about 40 tons TOW. Compared with the former designs, the airframe received an aerodynamically more refined, partly blended, slender fuselage that also incorporated mild stealth features like a “clean” underside, softened contours and partly shielded air intakes. Structurally, the airframe's speed limit was set at Mach 3.8.
From the earlier 301 design,the plane retained the variable geometry wing. Despite the system's complexity and weight, this solution was deemed to be the best approach for a combination of a high continuous top speed, extended loiter time in the mission’s patrol areas and good performance on improvised airfields. Minimum sweep was a mere 10°, while, fully swept at 68°, the wings blended into the LERXes. Additional lift was created through the fuselage shape itself, so that aerodynamic surfaces and therefore drag could be reduced.
Pilot and radar operator sat in tandem under a common canopy with rather limited sight. The cockpit was equipped with a modern glass cockpit with LCD screens. The aircraft’s two engines were, again, placed in a large, mutual nacelle on the upper rear fuselage, fed by large air intakes with two-dimensional vertical ramps and a carefully modulated airflow over the aircraft’s dorsal area.
Initially, the 71.0 was to be powered by a pair of Soloviev D-30F6 afterburning turbofans with a dry thrust of 93 kN (20,900 lbf) each, and with 152 kN (34,172 lbf) with full afterburner. These were the same engines that powered the MiG-31, but there were high hopes for the Kolesov NK-101 engine: a variable bypass engine with a maximum thrust in the 200kN range, at the time of the 71.0's design undergoing bench tests and originally developed for the advanced Suchoj T-4MS strike aircraft.
With the D-30F6, the 71.0 was expected to reach Mach 3.2 (making the aircraft capable of effectively intercepting the SR-71), but the NK-101 would offer in pure jet mode a top speed in excess of Mach 3.5 and also improve range and especially loiter time when running as a subsonic turbofan engine.
A single fin with an all-moving top and an additional deep rudder at its base was placed on top of the engine nacelle. Additional maneuverability at lower speed was achieved by retractable, all-moving foreplanes, stowed in narrow slits under the cockpit. Longitudinal stability at high speed was improved through deflectable stabilizers: these were kept horizontal for take-off and added to the overall lift, but they could be folded down by up to 60° in flight, acting additionally as stabilizer strakes.
Due to the aircraft’s slender shape and unique proportions, the 71.0 quickly received the unofficial nickname "жура́вль" (‘Zhurávl' = Crane). The aircaft’s stalky impression was emphasized even more through its unusual landing gear arrangement: Due to the limited internal space for the main landing gear wells between the weapons bay, the wing folding mechanisms and the engine nacelle, MiG OKB decided to incorporate a bicycle landing gear, normally a trademark of Yakovlew OKB designs, but a conventional landing gear could simply not be mounted, or its construction would have become much too heavy and complex.
In order to facilitate operations from improvised airfields and on snow the landing gear featured twin front wheels on a conventional strut and a single four wheel bogie as main wheels. Smaller, single stabilizer wheels were mounted on outriggers that retracted into slender fairings at the wings’ fixed section trailing edge, reminiscent of early Tupolev designs.
All standard air-to-air weaponry, as well as fuel, was to be carried internally. Main armament would be the K-100 missile (in service eventually designated R-100), stored in a large weapons bay behind the cockpit on a rotary mount. The K-100 had been under development at that time at NPO Novator, internally coded ‘Izdeliye 172’. The K-100 missile was an impressive weapon, and specifically designed to attack vital and heavily defended aerial targets like NATO’s AWACS aircraft at BVR distance.
Being 15’ (4.57 m) long and weighing 1.370 lb (620 kg), this huge ultra-long-range weapon had a maximum range of 250 mi (400 km) in a cruise/glide profile and attained a speed of Mach 6 with its solid rocket engine. This range could be boosted even further with a pair of jettisonable ramjets in tubular pods on the missile’s flanks for another 60 mi (100 km). The missile could attack targets ranging in altitude between 15 – 25,000 meters.
The weapon would initially be allocated to a specified target through the launch aircraft’s on-board radar and sent via inertial guidance into the target’s direction. Closing in, the K-100’s Agat 9B-1388 active seeker would identify the target, lock on, and independently attack it, also in coordination with other K-100’s shot at the same target, so that the attack would be coordinated in time and approach directions in order to overload defense and ensure a hit.
The 71.0’s internal mount could hold four of these large missiles, or, alternatively, the same number of the MiG-31’s R-33 AAMs. The mount also had a slot for the storage of additional mid- and short-range missiles for self-defense, e .g. three R-60 or two R-73 AAMs. An internal gun was not considered to be necessary, since the 71.0 or potential derivatives would fight their targets at very long distances and rather rely on a "hit-and-run" tactic, sacrificing dogfight capabilities for long loitering time in stand-by mode, high approach speed and outstanding acceleration and altitude performance.
Anyway, provisions were made to carry a Gsh-301-250 gun pod on a retractable hardpoint in the weapons bay instead of a K-100. Alternatively, such pods could be carried externally on four optional wing root pylons, which were primarily intended for PTB-1500 or PTB-3000 drop tanks, or further missiles - theoretically, a maximum of ten K-100 missiles could be carried, plus a pair of short-range AAMs.
Additionally, a "buddy-to-buffy" IFR set with a retractable drogue (probably the same system as used on the Su-24) was tested (71.2 was outfitted with a retractable refuelling probe in front of the cockpit), as well as the carriage of simple iron bombs or nuclear stores, to be delivered from very high altitudes. Several pallets with cameras and sensors (e .g. a high resolution SLAR) were also envisioned, which could easily replace the missile mounts and the folding weapon bay covers for recce missions.
Since there had been little official support for the project, work on the 710 up to the hardware stage made only little progress, since the MiG-31 already filled the long-range interceptor role in a sufficient fashion and offered further development potential.
A wooden mockup of the cockpit section was presented to PVO and VVS officials in 1989, and airframe work (including tests with composite materials on structural parts, including ceramic tiles for leading edges) were undertaken throughout 1990 and 1991, including test rigs for the engine nacelle and the swing wing mechanism.
Eventually, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 suddenly stopped most of the project work, after two prototype airframes had been completed. Their internal designations were Izdeliye 71.1 and 71.2, respectively. It took a while until the political situation as well as the ex-Soviet Air Force’s status were settled, and work on Izdeliye 710 resumed at a slow pace.
After taking two years to be completed, 71.1 eventually made its roll-out and maiden flight in summer 1994, just when MiG-31 production had ended. MiG OKB still had high hopes in this aircraft, since the MiG-31 would have to be replaced in the next couple of years and "Izdeliye 710" was just in time for the potential procurement process. The first prototype wore a striking all-white livery, with dark grey ceramic tiles on the wings’ leading edges standing out prominently – in this guise and with its futuristic lines the slender aircraft reminded a lot of the American Space Shuttle.
71.1 was primarily intended for engine and flight tests (esp. for the eagerly awaited NK-101 engines), as well as for the development of the envisioned ramjet propulsion system for full-scale production and further development of Izdeliye 710 into a Mach 3+ interceptor. No mission avionics were initially fitted to this plane, but it carried a comprehensive test equipment suite and ballast.
Its sister ship 71.2 flew for the first time in late 1994, wearing a more unpretentious grey/bare metal livery. This plane was earmarked for avionics development and weapons integration, especially as a test bed for the K-100 missile, which shared Izdeliye 710’s fate of being a leftover Soviet project with an uncertain future and an even more corny funding outlook.
Anyway, aircraft 71.2 was from the start equipped with a complete RP-31 ('Zaslon-M') weapon control system, which had been under development at that time as an upgrade for the Russian MiG-31 fleet being part of the radar’s development program secured financial support from the government and allowed the flight tests to continue. The RP-31 possessed a maximum detection range of 400 km (250 mi) against airliner-sized targets at high altitude or 200 km against fighter-sized targets; the typical width of detection along the front was given as 225 km. The system could track 24 airborne targets at one time at a range of 120 km, 6 of which could be simultaneously attacked with missiles.
With these capabilities the RP-31 suite could, coupled with an appropriate carrier airframe, fulfil the originally intended airspace control function and would render a dedicated and highly vulnerable airspace control aircraft (like the Beriev A-50 derivative of the Il-76 transport) more or less obsolete. A group of four aircraft equipped with the 'Zaslon-M' suite would be able to permanently control an area of airspace across a total length of 800–900 km, while having ultra-long range weapons at hand to counter any intrusion into airspace with a quicker reaction time than any ground-based fighter on QRA duty. The 71.0, outfitted with the RP-31/K-100 system, would have posed a serious threat to any aggressor.
In March 1995 both prototypes were eventually transferred to the Kerchenskaya Guards Air Base at Savasleyka in the Oblast Vladimir, 300 km east of Mocsow, where they received tactical codes of '11 Blue' and '12 Blue'. Besides the basic test program and the RP-31/K-100 system tests, both machines were directly evaluated against the MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters by the Air Force's 4th TsBPi PLS, based at the same site.
Both aircraft exceeded expectations, but also fell short in certain aspects. The 71.0’s calculated top speed of Mach 3.2 was achieved during the tests with a top speed of 3,394 km/h (2.108 mph) at 21,000 m (69.000 ft). Top speed at sea level was confirmed at 1.200 km/h (745 mph) indicated airspeed.
Combat radius with full weapon load and internal fuel only was limited to 1,450 km (900 mi) at Mach 0.8 and at an altitude of 10,000 m (33,000 ft), though, and it sank to a mere 720 km (450 mi) at Mach 2.35 and at an altitude of 18,000 m (59,000 ft). Combat range with 4x K-100 internally and 2 drop tanks was settled at 3,000 km (1,860 mi), rising to 5,400 km (3,360 mi) with one in-flight refueling, tested with the 71.2. Endurance at altitude was only slightly above 3 hours, though. Service ceiling was 22,800 m (74,680 ft), 2.000 m higher than the MiG-31.
While these figures were impressive, Soviet officials were not truly convinced: they did not show a significant improvement over the simpler MiG-31. MiG OKB tried to persuade the government into more flight tests and begged for access to the NK-101, but the Soviet Union's collapse halted this project, too, so that both Izdeliye 710 had to keep the Soloviev D-30F6.
Little is known about the Izdeliye 710 project’s progress or further developments. The initial tests lasted until at least 1997, and obviously the updated MiG-31M received official favor instead of a completely new aircraft. The K-100 was also dropped, since the R-33 missile and later its R-37 derivative sufficiently performed in the long-range aerial strike role.
Development on the aircraft as such seemed to have stopped with the advent of modernized Su-27 derivatives and the PAK FA project, resulting in the Suchoi T-50 prototype. Unconfirmed reports suggest that one of the prototypes (probably 71.1) was used in the development of the N014 Pulse-Doppler radar with a passive electronically scanned array antenna in the wake of the MFI program. The N014 was designed with a range of 420 km, detection target of 250km to 1m and able to track 40 targets while able to shoot against 20.
Most interestingly, Izdeliye 710 was never officially presented to the public, but NATO became aware of its development through satellite pictures in the early Nineties and the aircraft consequently received the ASCC reporting codename "Fastback".
Until today, only the two prototypes have been known to exist, and it is assumed – had the type entered service – that the long-range fighter had received the official designation "MiG-41".
General characteristics:
Crew: 2 (Pilot, weapon system officer)
Length (incl. pitot): 93 ft 10 in (28.66 m)
Wingspan:
- minimum 10° sweep: 69 ft 4 in (21.16 m)
- maximum 68° sweep: 48 ft 9 in (14,88 m)
Height: 23 ft 1 1/2 in (7,06 m )
Wing area: 1008.9 ft² (90.8 m²)
Weight: 88.151 lbs (39.986 kg)
Performance:
Maximum speed:
- Mach 3.2 (2.050 mph (3.300 km/h) at height
- 995 mph (1.600 km/h) supercruise speed at 36,000 ft (11,000 m)
- 915 mph (1.470 km/h) at sea level
Range: 3.705 miles (5.955 km) with internal fuel
Service ceiling: 75.000 ft (22.500 m)
Rate of climb: 31.000 ft/min (155 m/s)
Engine:
2x Soloviev D-30F6 afterburning turbofans with a dry thrust of 93 kN (20,900 lbf) each
and with 152 kN (34,172 lbf) with full afterburner.
Armament:
Internal weapons bay, main armament comprises a flexible missile load; basic ordnance of 4x K-100 ultra long range AAMs plus 2x R-73 short-range AAMs: other types like the R-27, R-33, R-60 and R-77 have been carried and tested, too, as well as podded guns on internal and external mounts. Alternatively, the weapon bay can hold various sensor pallets.
Four hardpoints under the wing roots, the outer pair “wet” for drop tanks of up to 3.000 l capacity, ECM pods or a buddy-buddy refueling drogue system. Maximum payload mass is 9000 kg.
The kit and its assembly
The second entry for the 2017 “Soviet” Group Build at whatifmodelers.com – a true Frankenstein creation, based on the scarce information about the real (but never realized) MiG 301 and 701 projects, the Suchoj T-60S, as well as some vague design sketches you can find online and in literature.
This one had been on my project list for years and I already had donor kits stashed away – but the sheer size (where will I leave it once done…?) and potential complexity kept me from tackling it.
The whole thing was an ambitious project and just the unique layout with a massive engine nacelle on top of the slender fuselage instead of an all-in-one design makes these aircraft an interesting topic to build. The GB was a good motivator.
“My” fictional interpretation of the MiG concepts is mainly based on a Dragon B-1B in 1:144 scale (fuselage, wings), a PM Model Su-15 two seater (donating the nose section and the cockpit, as well as wing parts for the fin) and a Kangnam MiG-31 (for the engine pod and some small parts). Another major ingredient is a pair of horizontal stabilizers from a 1:72 Hasegawa A-5 Vigilante.
Fitting the cockpit section took some major surgery and even more putty to blend the parts smoothly together. Another major surgical area was the tail; the "engine box" came to be rather straightforward, using the complete rear fuselage section from the MiG-31 and adding the intakes form the same kit, but mounted horizontally with a vertical splitter.
Blending the thing to the cut-away tail section of the B-1 was quite a task, though, since I not only wanted to add the element to the fuselage, but rather make it look a bit 'organic'. More than putty was necessary, I also had to made some cuts and transplantations. And after six PSR rounds I stopped counting…
The landing gear was built from scratch – the front wheel comes mostly from the MiG-31 kit. The central bogie and its massive leg come from a VEB Plasticart 1:100 Tu-20/95 bomber, plus some additional struts. The outriggers are leftover landing gear struts from a Hobby Boss Fw 190, mated with wheels which I believe come from a 1:200 VEB Plasticart kit, an An-24. Not certain, though. The fairings are slender MiG-21 drop tanks blended into the wing training edge. For the whole landing gear, the covers were improvised with styrene sheet, parts from a plastic straw(!) or leftover bits from the B-1B.
The main landing gear well was well as the weapons’ bay themselves were cut into the B-1B underside and an interior scratched from sheet and various leftover materials – I tried to maximize their space while still leaving enough room for the B-1B kit’s internal VG mechanism.
The large missiles (two were visible fitted and the rotary launcher just visibly hinted at) are, in fact, AGM-78 ‘Standard’ ARMs in a fantasy guise. They look pretty Soviet, though, like big brothers of the already not small R-33 missiles from the MiG-31.
While not in the focus of attention, the cockpit interior is completely new, too – OOB, the Su-15 cockpit only has a floor and rather stubby seats, under a massive single piece canopy. On top of the front wheel well (from a Hasegawa F-4) I added a new floor and added side consoles, scratched from styrene sheet. F-4 dashboards improve the decoration, and I added a pair of Soviet election seats from the scrap box – IIRC left over from two KP MiG-19 kits.
The canopy was taken OOB, I just cut it into five parts for open display. The material’s thickness does not look too bad on this aircraft – after all, it would need a rather sturdy construction when flying at Mach 3+ and withstanding the respective pressures and temperatures.
Painting
As a pure whif, I was free to use a weirdo design - but I rejected this idea quickly. I did not want a garish splinter scheme or a bright “Greenbottle Fly” Su-27 finish.
With the strange layout of the aircraft, the prototype idea was soon settled – and Soviet prototypes tend to look very utilitarian and lusterless, might even be left in grey. Consequently, I adapted a kind of bare look for this one, inspired by the rather shaggy Soviet Tu-22 “Blinder” bombers which carried a mix of bare metal and white and grey panels. With additional black leading edges on the aerodynamic surfaces, this would create a special/provisional but still purposeful look.
For the painting, I used a mix of several metallizer tones from ModelMaster and Humbrol (including Steel, Magnesium, Titanium, as well as matt and polished aluminum, and some Gun Metal and Exhaust around the engine nozzles, partly mixed with a bit of blue) and opaque tones (Humbrol 147 and 127). The “scheme” evolved panel-wise and step by step. The black leading edges were an interim addition, coming as things evolved, and they were painted first with black acrylic paint as a rough foundation and later trimmed with generic black decal stripes (from TL Modellbau). A very convenient and clean solution!
The radomes on nose and tail and other di-electric panels became dark grey (Humbrol 125). The cockpit tub was painted with Soviet Cockpit Teal (from ModelMaster), while the cockpit opening and canopy frames were kept in a more modest medium grey (Revell 57). On the outside of the cabin windows, a fat, deep yellow sealant frame (Humbrol 93, actually “Sand”) was added.
The weapon bay was painted in a yellow-ish primer tone (seen on pics of Tu-160 bombers) while the landing gear wells received a mix of gold and sand; the struts were painted in a mixed color, too, made of Humbrol 56 (Aluminum) and 34 (Flat White). The green wheel discs (Humbrol 131), a typical Soviet detail, stand out well from the rather subdued but not boring aircraft, and they make a nice contrast to the red Stars and the blue tactical code – the only major markings, besides a pair of MiG OKB logos under the cockpit.
Decals were puzzled together from various sheets, and I also added a lot of stencils for a more technical look. In order to enhance the prototype look further I added some photo calibration markings on the nose and the tail, made from scratch.
A massive kitbashing project that I had pushed away for years - but I am happy that I finally tackled it, and the result looks spectacular. The "Firefox" similarity was not intended, but this beast really looks like a movie prop - and who knwos if the Firefox was not inspired by the same projects (the MiG 301 and 701) as my kitbash model?
The background info is a bit lengthy, but there's some good background info concerning the aforementioned projects, and this aircraft - as a weapon system - would have played a very special and complex role, so a lot of explanations are worthwhile - also in order to emphasize that I di not simply try to glue some model parts together, but rather try to spin real world ideas further.
Mighty bird!
#Microsoft Windows 10 Event
To maximize the use of the new operating system “Windows 10” Microsoft has unveiled devices under the #event named Microsoft Windows 10 devices event”
In this Event it has revealed its first ever #laptop and two new brand #smartphones with #Windows10 operating system.
Microsoft’s first laptop, the surface book, built with a detachable screen, sixth generation #Intel processor, 13.5 inch and 12 hours battery back up
Along with its surface book it has show cased 2 new #lumia handsets with windows 10 operating system namely lumia 950 and 950 xl whereas 950 screen size is 5.2 inch Hd screen and 20 mega pixel camera and 950 Xl has 5.7 –inch screen
The main high light of both smart phones can be connected by a small portable display dock accessory into a personal computer. A keyboard or a mouse can be connected, Expanding the capacity of the smart phone to operate like a personal computer
Isn’t that interesting…?? To know more about Microsoft Windows 10 device event check this video www.microsoft.com/october2015event/en-us/live-event
Persistent URL: www.floridamemory.com/items/show/252943
Title: Art Cheek's Organic Garden
Date of film: 1975
Physical descrip: color; sound; original length: 12:33
Local call number: BA281; V-190; S.1239
General note: Art Cheek describes the benefits of organic gardening, while sharing methods he uses to maximize vegetable yields in his 4,000-square-foot garden. This work film contains several segments that document the garden's evolution from seeded soil to a lush cornucopia. Also see BA279 & BA282. Produced by WFSU-TV.
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 USA. Contact: 850.245.6700. Archives@dos.myflorida.com
10 Sept 2008 IR HDR Images.
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
High-dynamic-range imaging (HDRI) is a high dynamic range (HDR) technique used in imaging and photography to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity than is possible with standard digital imaging or photographic techniques. The aim is to present a similar range of luminance to that experienced through the human visual system. The human eye, through adaptation of the iris and other methods, adjusts constantly to adapt to a broad range of luminance present in the environment. The brain continuously interprets this information so that a viewer can see in a wide range of light conditions.
HDR images can represent a greater range of luminance levels than can be achieved using more 'traditional' methods, such as many real-world scenes containing very bright, direct sunlight to extreme shade, or very faint nebulae. This is often achieved by capturing and then combining several different, narrower range, exposures of the same subject matter. Non-HDR cameras take photographs with a limited exposure range, referred to as LDR, resulting in the loss of detail in highlights or shadows.
The two primary types of HDR images are computer renderings and images resulting from merging multiple low-dynamic-range (LDR) or standard-dynamic-range (SDR) photographs. HDR images can also be acquired using special image sensors, such as an oversampled binary image sensor.
Due to the limitations of printing and display contrast, the extended luminosity range of an HDR image has to be compressed to be made visible. The method of rendering an HDR image to a standard monitor or printing device is called tone mapping. This method reduces the overall contrast of an HDR image to facilitate display on devices or printouts with lower dynamic range, and can be applied to produce images with preserved local contrast (or exaggerated for artistic effect).
In photography, dynamic range is measured in exposure value (EV) differences (known as stops). An increase of one EV, or 'one stop', represents a doubling of the amount of light. Conversely, a decrease of one EV represents a halving of the amount of light. Therefore, revealing detail in the darkest of shadows requires high exposures, while preserving detail in very bright situations requires very low exposures. Most cameras cannot provide this range of exposure values within a single exposure, due to their low dynamic range. High-dynamic-range photographs are generally achieved by capturing multiple standard-exposure images, often using exposure bracketing, and then later merging them into a single HDR image, usually within a photo manipulation program). Digital images are often encoded in a camera's raw image format, because 8-bit JPEG encoding does not offer a wide enough range of values to allow fine transitions (and regarding HDR, later introduces undesirable effects due to lossy compression).
Any camera that allows manual exposure control can make images for HDR work, although one equipped with auto exposure bracketing (AEB) is far better suited. Images from film cameras are less suitable as they often must first be digitized, so that they can later be processed using software HDR methods.
In most imaging devices, the degree of exposure to light applied to the active element (be it film or CCD) can be altered in one of two ways: by either increasing/decreasing the size of the aperture or by increasing/decreasing the time of each exposure. Exposure variation in an HDR set is only done by altering the exposure time and not the aperture size; this is because altering the aperture size also affects the depth of field and so the resultant multiple images would be quite different, preventing their final combination into a single HDR image.
An important limitation for HDR photography is that any movement between successive images will impede or prevent success in combining them afterwards. Also, as one must create several images (often three or five and sometimes more) to obtain the desired luminance range, such a full 'set' of images takes extra time. HDR photographers have developed calculation methods and techniques to partially overcome these problems, but the use of a sturdy tripod is, at least, advised.
Some cameras have an auto exposure bracketing (AEB) feature with a far greater dynamic range than others, from the 3 EV of the Canon EOS 40D, to the 18 EV of the Canon EOS-1D Mark II. As the popularity of this imaging method grows, several camera manufactures are now offering built-in HDR features. For example, the Pentax K-7 DSLR has an HDR mode that captures an HDR image and outputs (only) a tone mapped JPEG file. The Canon PowerShot G12, Canon PowerShot S95 and Canon PowerShot S100 offer similar features in a smaller format.. Nikon's approach is called 'Active D-Lighting' which applies exposure compensation and tone mapping to the image as it comes from the sensor, with the accent being on retaing a realistic effect . Some smartphones provide HDR modes, and most mobile platforms have apps that provide HDR picture taking.
Camera characteristics such as gamma curves, sensor resolution, noise, photometric calibration and color calibration affect resulting high-dynamic-range images.
Color film negatives and slides consist of multiple film layers that respond to light differently. As a consequence, transparent originals (especially positive slides) feature a very high dynamic range
Tone mapping
Tone mapping reduces the dynamic range, or contrast ratio, of an entire image while retaining localized contrast. Although it is a distinct operation, tone mapping is often applied to HDRI files by the same software package.
Several software applications are available on the PC, Mac and Linux platforms for producing HDR files and tone mapped images. Notable titles include
Adobe Photoshop
Aurora HDR
Dynamic Photo HDR
HDR Efex Pro
HDR PhotoStudio
Luminance HDR
MagicRaw
Oloneo PhotoEngine
Photomatix Pro
PTGui
Information stored in high-dynamic-range images typically corresponds to the physical values of luminance or radiance that can be observed in the real world. This is different from traditional digital images, which represent colors as they should appear on a monitor or a paper print. Therefore, HDR image formats are often called scene-referred, in contrast to traditional digital images, which are device-referred or output-referred. Furthermore, traditional images are usually encoded for the human visual system (maximizing the visual information stored in the fixed number of bits), which is usually called gamma encoding or gamma correction. The values stored for HDR images are often gamma compressed (power law) or logarithmically encoded, or floating-point linear values, since fixed-point linear encodings are increasingly inefficient over higher dynamic ranges.
HDR images often don't use fixed ranges per color channel—other than traditional images—to represent many more colors over a much wider dynamic range. For that purpose, they don't use integer values to represent the single color channels (e.g., 0-255 in an 8 bit per pixel interval for red, green and blue) but instead use a floating point representation. Common are 16-bit (half precision) or 32-bit floating point numbers to represent HDR pixels. However, when the appropriate transfer function is used, HDR pixels for some applications can be represented with a color depth that has as few as 10–12 bits for luminance and 8 bits for chrominance without introducing any visible quantization artifacts.
History of HDR photography
The idea of using several exposures to adequately reproduce a too-extreme range of luminance was pioneered as early as the 1850s by Gustave Le Gray to render seascapes showing both the sky and the sea. Such rendering was impossible at the time using standard methods, as the luminosity range was too extreme. Le Gray used one negative for the sky, and another one with a longer exposure for the sea, and combined the two into one picture in positive.
Mid 20th century
Manual tone mapping was accomplished by dodging and burning – selectively increasing or decreasing the exposure of regions of the photograph to yield better tonality reproduction. This was effective because the dynamic range of the negative is significantly higher than would be available on the finished positive paper print when that is exposed via the negative in a uniform manner. An excellent example is the photograph Schweitzer at the Lamp by W. Eugene Smith, from his 1954 photo essay A Man of Mercy on Dr. Albert Schweitzer and his humanitarian work in French Equatorial Africa. The image took 5 days to reproduce the tonal range of the scene, which ranges from a bright lamp (relative to the scene) to a dark shadow.
Ansel Adams elevated dodging and burning to an art form. Many of his famous prints were manipulated in the darkroom with these two methods. Adams wrote a comprehensive book on producing prints called The Print, which prominently features dodging and burning, in the context of his Zone System.
With the advent of color photography, tone mapping in the darkroom was no longer possible due to the specific timing needed during the developing process of color film. Photographers looked to film manufacturers to design new film stocks with improved response, or continued to shoot in black and white to use tone mapping methods.
Color film capable of directly recording high-dynamic-range images was developed by Charles Wyckoff and EG&G "in the course of a contract with the Department of the Air Force". This XR film had three emulsion layers, an upper layer having an ASA speed rating of 400, a middle layer with an intermediate rating, and a lower layer with an ASA rating of 0.004. The film was processed in a manner similar to color films, and each layer produced a different color. The dynamic range of this extended range film has been estimated as 1:108. It has been used to photograph nuclear explosions, for astronomical photography, for spectrographic research, and for medical imaging. Wyckoff's detailed pictures of nuclear explosions appeared on the cover of Life magazine in the mid-1950s.
Late 20th century
Georges Cornuéjols and licensees of his patents (Brdi, Hymatom) introduced the principle of HDR video image, in 1986, by interposing a matricial LCD screen in front of the camera's image sensor, increasing the sensors dynamic by five stops. The concept of neighborhood tone mapping was applied to video cameras by a group from the Technion in Israel led by Dr. Oliver Hilsenrath and Prof. Y.Y.Zeevi who filed for a patent on this concept in 1988.
In February and April 1990, Georges Cornuéjols introduced the first real-time HDR camera that combined two images captured by a sensor3435 or simultaneously3637 by two sensors of the camera. This process is known as bracketing used for a video stream.
In 1991, the first commercial video camera was introduced that performed real-time capturing of multiple images with different exposures, and producing an HDR video image, by Hymatom, licensee of Georges Cornuéjols.
Also in 1991, Georges Cornuéjols introduced the HDR+ image principle by non-linear accumulation of images to increase the sensitivity of the camera: for low-light environments, several successive images are accumulated, thus increasing the signal to noise ratio.
In 1993, another commercial medical camera producing an HDR video image, by the Technion.
Modern HDR imaging uses a completely different approach, based on making a high-dynamic-range luminance or light map using only global image operations (across the entire image), and then tone mapping the result. Global HDR was first introduced in 19931 resulting in a mathematical theory of differently exposed pictures of the same subject matter that was published in 1995 by Steve Mann and Rosalind Picard.
On October 28, 1998, Ben Sarao created one of the first nighttime HDR+G (High Dynamic Range + Graphic image)of STS-95 on the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It consisted of four film images of the shuttle at night that were digitally composited with additional digital graphic elements. The image was first exhibited at NASA Headquarters Great Hall, Washington DC in 1999 and then published in Hasselblad Forum, Issue 3 1993, Volume 35 ISSN 0282-5449.
The advent of consumer digital cameras produced a new demand for HDR imaging to improve the light response of digital camera sensors, which had a much smaller dynamic range than film. Steve Mann developed and patented the global-HDR method for producing digital images having extended dynamic range at the MIT Media Laboratory. Mann's method involved a two-step procedure: (1) generate one floating point image array by global-only image operations (operations that affect all pixels identically, without regard to their local neighborhoods); and then (2) convert this image array, using local neighborhood processing (tone-remapping, etc.), into an HDR image. The image array generated by the first step of Mann's process is called a lightspace image, lightspace picture, or radiance map. Another benefit of global-HDR imaging is that it provides access to the intermediate light or radiance map, which has been used for computer vision, and other image processing operations.
21st century
In 2005, Adobe Systems introduced several new features in Photoshop CS2 including Merge to HDR, 32 bit floating point image support, and HDR tone mapping.
On June 30, 2016, Microsoft added support for the digital compositing of HDR images to Windows 10 using the Universal Windows Platform.
HDR sensors
Modern CMOS image sensors can often capture a high dynamic range from a single exposure. The wide dynamic range of the captured image is non-linearly compressed into a smaller dynamic range electronic representation. However, with proper processing, the information from a single exposure can be used to create an HDR image.
Such HDR imaging is used in extreme dynamic range applications like welding or automotive work. Some other cameras designed for use in security applications can automatically provide two or more images for each frame, with changing exposure. For example, a sensor for 30fps video will give out 60fps with the odd frames at a short exposure time and the even frames at a longer exposure time. Some of the sensor may even combine the two images on-chip so that a wider dynamic range without in-pixel compression is directly available to the user for display or processing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging
Infrared Photography
In infrared photography, the film or image sensor used is sensitive to infrared light. The part of the spectrum used is referred to as near-infrared to distinguish it from far-infrared, which is the domain of thermal imaging. Wavelengths used for photography range from about 700 nm to about 900 nm. Film is usually sensitive to visible light too, so an infrared-passing filter is used; this lets infrared (IR) light pass through to the camera, but blocks all or most of the visible light spectrum (the filter thus looks black or deep red). ("Infrared filter" may refer either to this type of filter or to one that blocks infrared but passes other wavelengths.)
When these filters are used together with infrared-sensitive film or sensors, "in-camera effects" can be obtained; false-color or black-and-white images with a dreamlike or sometimes lurid appearance known as the "Wood Effect," an effect mainly caused by foliage (such as tree leaves and grass) strongly reflecting in the same way visible light is reflected from snow. There is a small contribution from chlorophyll fluorescence, but this is marginal and is not the real cause of the brightness seen in infrared photographs. The effect is named after the infrared photography pioneer Robert W. Wood, and not after the material wood, which does not strongly reflect infrared.
The other attributes of infrared photographs include very dark skies and penetration of atmospheric haze, caused by reduced Rayleigh scattering and Mie scattering, respectively, compared to visible light. The dark skies, in turn, result in less infrared light in shadows and dark reflections of those skies from water, and clouds will stand out strongly. These wavelengths also penetrate a few millimeters into skin and give a milky look to portraits, although eyes often look black.
Until the early 20th century, infrared photography was not possible because silver halide emulsions are not sensitive to longer wavelengths than that of blue light (and to a lesser extent, green light) without the addition of a dye to act as a color sensitizer. The first infrared photographs (as distinct from spectrographs) to be published appeared in the February 1910 edition of The Century Magazine and in the October 1910 edition of the Royal Photographic Society Journal to illustrate papers by Robert W. Wood, who discovered the unusual effects that now bear his name. The RPS co-ordinated events to celebrate the centenary of this event in 2010. Wood's photographs were taken on experimental film that required very long exposures; thus, most of his work focused on landscapes. A further set of infrared landscapes taken by Wood in Italy in 1911 used plates provided for him by CEK Mees at Wratten & Wainwright. Mees also took a few infrared photographs in Portugal in 1910, which are now in the Kodak archives.
Infrared-sensitive photographic plates were developed in the United States during World War I for spectroscopic analysis, and infrared sensitizing dyes were investigated for improved haze penetration in aerial photography. After 1930, new emulsions from Kodak and other manufacturers became useful to infrared astronomy.
Infrared photography became popular with photography enthusiasts in the 1930s when suitable film was introduced commercially. The Times regularly published landscape and aerial photographs taken by their staff photographers using Ilford infrared film. By 1937 33 kinds of infrared film were available from five manufacturers including Agfa, Kodak and Ilford. Infrared movie film was also available and was used to create day-for-night effects in motion pictures, a notable example being the pseudo-night aerial sequences in the James Cagney/Bette Davis movie The Bride Came COD.
False-color infrared photography became widely practiced with the introduction of Kodak Ektachrome Infrared Aero Film and Ektachrome Infrared EIR. The first version of this, known as Kodacolor Aero-Reversal-Film, was developed by Clark and others at the Kodak for camouflage detection in the 1940s. The film became more widely available in 35mm form in the 1960s but KODAK AEROCHROME III Infrared Film 1443 has been discontinued.
Infrared photography became popular with a number of 1960s recording artists, because of the unusual results; Jimi Hendrix, Donovan, Frank and a slow shutter speed without focus compensation, however wider apertures like f/2.0 can produce sharp photos only if the lens is meticulously refocused to the infrared index mark, and only if this index mark is the correct one for the filter and film in use. However, it should be noted that diffraction effects inside a camera are greater at infrared wavelengths so that stopping down the lens too far may actually reduce sharpness.
Most apochromatic ('APO') lenses do not have an Infrared index mark and do not need to be refocused for the infrared spectrum because they are already optically corrected into the near-infrared spectrum. Catadioptric lenses do not often require this adjustment because their mirror containing elements do not suffer from chromatic aberration and so the overall aberration is comparably less. Catadioptric lenses do, of course, still contain lenses, and these lenses do still have a dispersive property.
Infrared black-and-white films require special development times but development is usually achieved with standard black-and-white film developers and chemicals (like D-76). Kodak HIE film has a polyester film base that is very stable but extremely easy to scratch, therefore special care must be used in the handling of Kodak HIE throughout the development and printing/scanning process to avoid damage to the film. The Kodak HIE film was sensitive to 900 nm.
As of November 2, 2007, "KODAK is preannouncing the discontinuance" of HIE Infrared 35 mm film stating the reasons that, "Demand for these products has been declining significantly in recent years, and it is no longer practical to continue to manufacture given the low volume, the age of the product formulations and the complexity of the processes involved." At the time of this notice, HIE Infrared 135-36 was available at a street price of around $12.00 a roll at US mail order outlets.
Arguably the greatest obstacle to infrared film photography has been the increasing difficulty of obtaining infrared-sensitive film. However, despite the discontinuance of HIE, other newer infrared sensitive emulsions from EFKE, ROLLEI, and ILFORD are still available, but these formulations have differing sensitivity and specifications from the venerable KODAK HIE that has been around for at least two decades. Some of these infrared films are available in 120 and larger formats as well as 35 mm, which adds flexibility to their application. With the discontinuance of Kodak HIE, Efke's IR820 film has become the only IR film on the marketneeds update with good sensitivity beyond 750 nm, the Rollei film does extend beyond 750 nm but IR sensitivity falls off very rapidly.
Color infrared transparency films have three sensitized layers that, because of the way the dyes are coupled to these layers, reproduce infrared as red, red as green, and green as blue. All three layers are sensitive to blue so the film must be used with a yellow filter, since this will block blue light but allow the remaining colors to reach the film. The health of foliage can be determined from the relative strengths of green and infrared light reflected; this shows in color infrared as a shift from red (healthy) towards magenta (unhealthy). Early color infrared films were developed in the older E-4 process, but Kodak later manufactured a color transparency film that could be developed in standard E-6 chemistry, although more accurate results were obtained by developing using the AR-5 process. In general, color infrared does not need to be refocused to the infrared index mark on the lens.
In 2007 Kodak announced that production of the 35 mm version of their color infrared film (Ektachrome Professional Infrared/EIR) would cease as there was insufficient demand. Since 2011, all formats of color infrared film have been discontinued. Specifically, Aerochrome 1443 and SO-734.
There is no currently available digital camera that will produce the same results as Kodak color infrared film although the equivalent images can be produced by taking two exposures, one infrared and the other full-color, and combining in post-production. The color images produced by digital still cameras using infrared-pass filters are not equivalent to those produced on color infrared film. The colors result from varying amounts of infrared passing through the color filters on the photo sites, further amended by the Bayer filtering. While this makes such images unsuitable for the kind of applications for which the film was used, such as remote sensing of plant health, the resulting color tonality has proved popular artistically.
Color digital infrared, as part of full spectrum photography is gaining popularity. The ease of creating a softly colored photo with infrared characteristics has found interest among hobbyists and professionals.
In 2008, Los Angeles photographer, Dean Bennici started cutting and hand rolling Aerochrome color Infrared film. All Aerochrome medium and large format which exists today came directly from his lab. The trend in infrared photography continues to gain momentum with the success of photographer Richard Mosse and multiple users all around the world.
Digital camera sensors are inherently sensitive to infrared light, which would interfere with the normal photography by confusing the autofocus calculations or softening the image (because infrared light is focused differently from visible light), or oversaturating the red channel. Also, some clothing is transparent in the infrared, leading to unintended (at least to the manufacturer) uses of video cameras. Thus, to improve image quality and protect privacy, many digital cameras employ infrared blockers. Depending on the subject matter, infrared photography may not be practical with these cameras because the exposure times become overly long, often in the range of 30 seconds, creating noise and motion blur in the final image. However, for some subject matter the long exposure does not matter or the motion blur effects actually add to the image. Some lenses will also show a 'hot spot' in the centre of the image as their coatings are optimised for visible light and not for IR.
An alternative method of DSLR infrared photography is to remove the infrared blocker in front of the sensor and replace it with a filter that removes visible light. This filter is behind the mirror, so the camera can be used normally - handheld, normal shutter speeds, normal composition through the viewfinder, and focus, all work like a normal camera. Metering works but is not always accurate because of the difference between visible and infrared refraction. When the IR blocker is removed, many lenses which did display a hotspot cease to do so, and become perfectly usable for infrared photography. Additionally, because the red, green and blue micro-filters remain and have transmissions not only in their respective color but also in the infrared, enhanced infrared color may be recorded.
Since the Bayer filters in most digital cameras absorb a significant fraction of the infrared light, these cameras are sometimes not very sensitive as infrared cameras and can sometimes produce false colors in the images. An alternative approach is to use a Foveon X3 sensor, which does not have absorptive filters on it; the Sigma SD10 DSLR has a removable IR blocking filter and dust protector, which can be simply omitted or replaced by a deep red or complete visible light blocking filter. The Sigma SD14 has an IR/UV blocking filter that can be removed/installed without tools. The result is a very sensitive digital IR camera.
While it is common to use a filter that blocks almost all visible light, the wavelength sensitivity of a digital camera without internal infrared blocking is such that a variety of artistic results can be obtained with more conventional filtration. For example, a very dark neutral density filter can be used (such as the Hoya ND400) which passes a very small amount of visible light compared to the near-infrared it allows through. Wider filtration permits an SLR viewfinder to be used and also passes more varied color information to the sensor without necessarily reducing the Wood effect. Wider filtration is however likely to reduce other infrared artefacts such as haze penetration and darkened skies. This technique mirrors the methods used by infrared film photographers where black-and-white infrared film was often used with a deep red filter rather than a visually opaque one.
Another common technique with near-infrared filters is to swap blue and red channels in software (e.g. photoshop) which retains much of the characteristic 'white foliage' while rendering skies a glorious blue.
Several Sony cameras had the so-called Night Shot facility, which physically moves the blocking filter away from the light path, which makes the cameras very sensitive to infrared light. Soon after its development, this facility was 'restricted' by Sony to make it difficult for people to take photos that saw through clothing. To do this the iris is opened fully and exposure duration is limited to long times of more than 1/30 second or so. It is possible to shoot infrared but neutral density filters must be used to reduce the camera's sensitivity and the long exposure times mean that care must be taken to avoid camera-shake artifacts.
Fuji have produced digital cameras for use in forensic criminology and medicine which have no infrared blocking filter. The first camera, designated the S3 PRO UVIR, also had extended ultraviolet sensitivity (digital sensors are usually less sensitive to UV than to IR). Optimum UV sensitivity requires special lenses, but ordinary lenses usually work well for IR. In 2007, FujiFilm introduced a new version of this camera, based on the Nikon D200/ FujiFilm S5 called the IS Pro, also able to take Nikon lenses. Fuji had earlier introduced a non-SLR infrared camera, the IS-1, a modified version of the FujiFilm FinePix S9100. Unlike the S3 PRO UVIR, the IS-1 does not offer UV sensitivity. FujiFilm restricts the sale of these cameras to professional users with their EULA specifically prohibiting "unethical photographic conduct".
Phase One digital camera backs can be ordered in an infrared modified form.
Remote sensing and thermographic cameras are sensitive to longer wavelengths of infrared (see Infrared spectrum#Commonly used sub-division scheme). They may be multispectral and use a variety of technologies which may not resemble common camera or filter designs. Cameras sensitive to longer infrared wavelengths including those used in infrared astronomy often require cooling to reduce thermally induced dark currents in the sensor (see Dark current (physics)). Lower cost uncooled thermographic digital cameras operate in the Long Wave infrared band (see Thermographic camera#Uncooled infrared detectors). These cameras are generally used for building inspection or preventative maintenance but can be used for artistic pursuits as well.
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The HST was my first “serious” Lego train MOC; I had built various generic locomotives as well as TLG sets. I started with the nose since it was the most challenging shape to capture. I liberally used 1x1 “cheese” slopes, SNOT, and half-brick offsets in order to render the HST’s distinctive tapered shape. At this time I had decided to make the HST a “7-wide” design. Different Lego train MOC builders whose work I admire a great deal, work in 6, 7, and 8 wide “scales”. Seven wide represents a good compromise between prototype scale and undersized. It represents a bigger challenge from a build point of view due to the scarcity of odd numbered plates and bricks. However, the extra stud in the middle makes a big difference in terms of fitting extra detail. I then turned my attention to the diagonal blue stripe on the side which cleverly disguises the body-height vents and provides a transition from the BR blue from bottom to top. Cheese slopes were used in both upright and inverted configurations to maximize the stripe extent.
Tonye Cole, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sahara Group, Nigeria at the Annual Meeting 2017 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 19, 2017
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Christian Clavadetscher
Karate For Kids
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Our Local ATA Martial Art schools in Cave Creek, Chandler, Mesa, Glendale, Arizona have carefully designed the karate programs for the youth within the community- age appropriate programs that are specifically aimed at the child’s development both physically and mentally. These karate lessons are taught through a top ranked and nationally recognized “Karate For Kids” program, that has a well established training curriculum designed school aged students.
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KRAV MAGA & MMA FITNESS
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History of Rice
Rice plants have been traced back to 5000 BC, but the practice of rice growing is believed to have originated in areas of China, and southern and eastern Asia, in about 2000 BC.
History of Rice Cultivation
There are many unproven mythological tales related to origin of rice, though historians hold little or no stock in any. Rice cultivation is considered to have begun simultaneously in many countries over 6500 years ago. Rice has been cultivated in China since ancient times. Chinese records of rice cultivation go back 4000 years. Most believe the roots of rice come from 3000 BC India, where natives discovered the plant growing in the wild and began to experiment with it. Cultivation and cooking methods are thought to have spread to the west rapidly and by medieval times, southern Europe saw the introduction of rice as a hearty grain. In several Asian languages the words for rice and food are identical.
African rice has been cultivated for 3500 years. In the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe, it started around 800 BC. Rice spread throughout Italy and then France, after the middle of the 15th century, later propagating to all the continents during the great age of European exploration. In 1694, rice arrived in South Carolina, probably originating from Madagascar. The Spanish brought rice to South America at the beginning of the 18th century.
Rice cultivation has been carried into all regions having the necessary warmth and abundant moisture favorable to its growth, mainly subtropical rather than hot or cold.
Extended Use of Rice
Rice has potential in a wide range of food categories. Besides having nutritional and medicinal benefits, the by-products of rice are equally important and beneficial. By-products from growing rice create many valuable and worthwhile products. The unedible parts, that are discarded through the milling process, and the edible part could be transformed into some of the following suggested products.
Rice By-Products
•Rice Husks
•Rice Bran
•Broken Rice
•Rice Flour
•Rice Milk
•Rice Pudding
•Rice Starch
•Rice Straw
•Rice used in Beverage Making
•Rice Paper
•Rice Glue
•Rice Cakes (mochi)
•Rice Vinegar
•Rice Soy Milk
•Red Yeast Rice
•Rice based food products
Types and Forms of Rice
Worldwide, there are more than 40,000 different varieties of rice. Often times, rice is categorized by its size as being either short grain, medium grain or long grain. Short grain, which has the highest starch content, makes the stickiest rice, while long grain is lighter and tends to remain separate when cooked. The qualities of medium grain fall between the other two types. Another way that rice is classified is according to the degree of milling that it undergoes. This is what makes a brown rice different than a white rice. Thus, the primary differences in different varieties of rice are their cooking characteristics, shapes and even colors and in some cases, a subtle flavor difference. The influx of convenience foods has brought consumers rice in bags, packets and cartons. Rice can be purchased cooked or uncooked, packed, dehydrated and also frozen. To meet the many special requirements of packaged foods, rice undergoes varying degrees of processing, including regular-milled, parboiled, precooked, and brown.
Accordingly, we can divide types and forms of rice in the following categories:
Long Grain / All Purpose: Indica Rice
Medium Grain Rice: Javanica Rice
Short Grain Rice: Japonica Rice
Speciality/Aromatic Rice
Nutritional Facts about Rice
Rice remains a staple food for the majority of the world's population. Rice is very nutritious. This important carbohydrate is the staple food for more than two-thirds of the world's population who rely on the nutritional benefits of rice.
Rice has the following nutritional benefits:
•Excellent source of carbohydrates: Rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates, which is an important source of the fuel our bodies need.
•Good energy source: Carbohydrates are broken down to glucose, most of which is used as energy for exercise and as essential fuel for the brain.
•Low fat, Low salt, No cholesterol: Rice is healthful for what it does not contain. Rice has no fat, no cholesterol and is sodium free. Rice is an excellent food to include in a balanced diet.
•A good source of vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, niacin, iron, riboflavin, vitamin D, calcium, and fiber.
•Low sugar
•No gluten: Rice is gluten free. All rice is gluten free, making rice the essential choice for people with gluten free dietary requirements.
•No additives and preservatives: Rice contains no additives or preservatives, making it an excellent inclusion in a healthy and balanced diet.
•Contains resistant starch: Rice also contains resistant starch, which is the starch that reaches the bowel undigested. This encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria, keeping the bowel healthy.
•Non-allergenic
•Cancer prevention and diet: Whole grains (such as brown rice) contain high amounts of insoluble fiber-the type of fiber some scientists believe may help protect against a variety of cancers.
•Rice is a low-sodium food for those with hypertension.
•It is a fair source of protein containing all eight amino acids.
Interesting Facts about Rice
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT RICE
•More than 90 percent of the world's rice is grown and consumed in Asia, where people typically eat rice two or three times a daily. Rice is the staple diet of half the world's population.
•Rice farming has been traced back to around 5,000 BC.
•Hundreds of millions of the poor spend half to three fourths of their incomes on rice and only rice.
•To plow 1 hectare of land in the traditional way, a farmer and his water buffalo must walk 80 km.
•It takes 5,000 liters of water to produce 1 kg of irrigated rice.
•More than 140,000 varieties of cultivated rice (the grass family Oryza sativa) are thought to exist but the exact number remains a mystery.
•Three of the world's four most populous nations are rice-based societies: People's Republic of China, India, and Indonesia. Together, they have nearly 2.5 billion people almost half of the world's population.
•The average Asian consumer eats 150 kg of rice annually compared to the average European who eats 5 kg.
•Every year, 50 million people are added to Asia's soaring population of 3.5 billion.
•Improved varieties are planted on three fourths of Asia's rice land and are responsible for producing most of the continent's rice.
•Asia is home to 250 million rice farms. Most are less than 1 hectare.
•In several Asian languages the words for 'food' and 'rice' are identical.
•Rice is thrown on newly married couples as a symbol of fertility, luck and wealth.
•65 kilos of rice are milled annually for every person on earth.
Basmati Rice in India
Basmati Rice, a variety of long grain rice with a fine texture, is the world's best rice that one can use for cooking and the leading aromatic fine quality rice in the world trade. Basmati rice means the "queen of fragrance" or the perfumed one. This type of rice has been grown in the foothills of the Himalayas for thousands of years. In India, Basmati rice is characterized by extra long, superfine slender grains having a length to breadth ratio of more than 3.5, sweet taste, soft texture, delicate curvature and an extra elongation with least breadth-wise swelling on cooking. This highly aromatic rice is India's gift to the whole world.
Find out everything you could possibly know about Basmati rice in India under the following heads:
History of Basmati Rice
Characteristics of Basmati Rice
Agronomic Features of Basmati Rice
Areas Producing Basmati Rice in India
The Basmati Patent
Production of Basmati Rice in India
Export of Basmati Rice from India
Basmati Rice Brands of India
Varieties of Basmati Rice
India in World Basmati Rice Industry
Rice in India
Rice is grown in many regions across India. For about 65% of the people living in India, rice is a staple food for them. Rice is essential to life in India. It is a part of nearly every meal, and it is grown on a majority of the rural farms.
Some important facts about rice in Indian Scenario are as:
•Agriculture is the main source of income for families in India. Farms cover over half the land and almost three-quarters of that land is used to grow the two major grains: rice and wheat.
•India is the second leading producer of rice in the entire world, preceded only by China.
•India's annual rice production is around 85-90 million tons. Annual consumption, is around 85 million tons.
•In India, Rice is cultivated in both seasons - Winter and Summer.
•West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Karnataka and Haryana are the major producing states. More than 50% of total production comes from the first four states.
•Food Corporation of India purchases around 20 to 25% of the total rice production in the country both under levy from the rice mills and directly in the form of paddy from the farmers at Minimum Support Prices announced by the Govt.
•More than 4000 varieties of rice are grown in India.
•India is the world's largest exporter of Basmati rice to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East Countries, Europe, and the United States.
•India has the potential to export one million tons of Basmati rice.
•Major destinations for Indian non-basmati, white/parboiled rice are Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Nigeria, South Africa, Ivory Coast, and other African countries.
Rice Processing
Harvesting is the process of collecting the mature rice crop from the field. Harvesting at the right time and in the right way maximizes grain yield and minimizes grain losses and quality deterioration. The post-harvesting operations of paddy crop and the storage of grains are as much important as producing the crop, because post-harvesting technology affects the quantity and quality of paddy and the finished product, that is, rice. Generally, losses in paddy and rice during the post-harvest operations amount to about 10% of field production. It is, therefore, necessary to adopt proper technology after harvesting the crop for the improvement of the quantity and quality of paddy and rice.
Post production includes all operations starting from harvesting up to grading and the stages are interdependent.
The various steps involved are as folllows :
Cleaning and Hulling
Drying
Quality and Grading
Harvesting or Cutting
Milling
Storage
Threshing
Rice Varieties in All India
Rice forms an integral part of the life of all Indians. The harvesting area of rice in India is the largest in the world. Rice cultivation is found in all the states of India.
Let us browse though the wide varieties of rice available in all parts of the country with their characteristics.
ASD-16 Rice
ASD-17 Rice
Gauri Rice
Gayatri Rice
Hari Rice
Heera Rice
HKR-120 Rice
IET-10222 Rice
IET-8548 Rice
Jaya Rice
Kalyani-II Rice
Kanak Rice
Karna Rice
Kshira Rice
Lalat Rice
Mahaveera Rice
MDU-3 Rice
Moti Rice
Narendra Dhan-118 Rice
Padmini Rice
Panvel-2 Rice
Pathara Rice
Prasanna Rice
Ratnagiri-1 Rice
Ratnagiri-2 Rice
Seshu Rice
Sonasali Rice
Sravani Rice
Srinivas Rice
Tara Rice
Vanaprabha Rice
Vikas Rice
Vikramarya Rice
Vivek Dhan-62 Rice
VL Dhan-163 Rice
Development of Hybrid Rice in India
During the last few years, hybrid rice technology in the tropics has entered the commercialization phase in India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. Research to develop hybrid rice was initiated in India way back in 1970s but with no success. It was only in the year 1989, the research programme was accelerated and intensified and within a period of 5 years, half a dozen rice hybrid rice varieties were developed from public and private sectors in India. By the end of 2001, a total of 19 hybrid rice varieties were released.
However, farmer adoption of hybrid rice has been much slower than expected because of several constraints. Improving grain and cooking quality characteristics of hybrids, incorporating resistance to some major pests and diseases, increasing average seed yields on a large scale to reduce seed costs are the research priorities. Policy interventions by the government for increased support, aggressive popularization of hybrids, and assured procurement of hybrid rice at a minimum support price are needed. If these problems can be solved, hybrid rice could be cultivated on 3-4 million hectares in India during the next decade to partially sustain food security. The government has intended to popularize hybrids on a priority basis during the tenth five-year plan period (2002-07).
Steps to Develop Hybrid Rice
•Use new seeds every season and follow recommended seeding rate
•Raise healthy seedlings
•Prepare the land early and properly
•Transplant seedlings then replant empty hills
•Apply the right kind and amount of fertilizer at the right time
•Maintain the right amount of water
•Manage the pests
Harvest on timeteps to Improve Production of Rice
The following strategies may be adopted to increase the productivity of rice in various states:
•Emphasis may be given on a cropping system approach rather than a single crop development approach..
•Propagation of location specific crop production technologies in different agro-climatic zones.
•Replacement of low potential/pest susceptible old varieties by new high yielding varieties with promising yield potential.
•To encourage cultivation of hybrid rice through demonstrations and making seed available to the farmers.
•Motivating the farmers to provide life saving irrigation to the crop wherever possible during long dry spells.
•Improving soil fertility.
•Emphasis on balanced use of plant nutrients along with the popularization of integrated plant management system.
•Use of bio-fertilizer.
•Popularization of line sowing in upland rice areas through suitable seeding devices establishment of desired level of plant population, easy in weed control and the application of other management techniques.
•Encouraging the use of machines as well as bullock drawn and hand operated implements.
•Effective control of pests and diseases by emphasizing the need based application of pesticides.
•More emphasis on the adoption of non-monetary inputs like timely sowing, maintaining optimum plant population, timely irrigation, efficient use of fertilizers, plant protection measures and timely harvesting of crop etc.
•
Medicinal Uses of Rice
Rice is believed by some to have medicinal properties. Although, this is not scientifically proven effective, it has been used in many countries for medicinal purpose. For example:
•Philippines: Rice polishings-the bran-is extracted and used as an excellent source of Vitamin B to prevent and cure beri-beri.
•Malaysia: In the Medicinal Book of Malayan Medicine, it is prescribed that boiled rice "greens" can be used as an eye lotion and for use with acute inflammation of the inner body tissues. The book also recommends applying a mixture of dried, powdered rice on certain skin ailments.
•Cambodia: The hulls (husk) of mature rice plants are considered useful for treating dysentery. The hulls of a three-month old rice plant are thought to be diuretic.
•China: The Chinese believe rice strengthens the spleen, as well as "weak stomach," increases appetite, and cures indigestion. Dried sprouted rice grains were once used as an external medicine to aid in digestion, give tone to muscles, and expel gas from the stomach and intestines.
India: Rice water is prescribed by the Pharmacopoeia of India as an ointment to counteract inflamed surface. Factors Influencing the Price of Rice
Factors that affect Rice Prices are as follows:
•Weather: Role of weather in rice production is immense. Temperature, rainfall and soil moisture are the important parameters that determine the crop condition. Further, natural calamities can also affect crops. Markets keep watch of these developments.
•Minimum Support Price: Changes in the minimum support prices (MSP) by the government also have immense impact on the price of rice.
•Government policies: Exchange rates, Fiscal policies, Export incentives and export promotion also influence price.
•Substitute Product: Availability of substitute products at cheaper rate may lead to weakness in demand. This situation happens especially when the main products price tends to become higher.
•Consumption: Rice consumption depends on two factors - population and income. Lets take for example Asia. Rice is the staple food of Asia. Low-income groups consume more rice according to the per capita income increase. But as the income increases, there arrives a point when the consumption starts to dip. Income growth and reduction in population result in a low consumption of rice.
•Seasonal cycles: Seasonal cycles are present in rice cultivation. Price tends to be lower as harvesting progresses and produce starts coming into the market. At the time of sowing and before harvesting price tends to rise in view of tight supply situation.
•Demand: Import demands as well as domestic demand.
•Breakthrough in the technology may increase the productivity and would lead to more supply. This may bring some softness in the price.
•
In an increasingly digitized world, vast amounts of data have the potential to produce new and insightful information, and there is a growing debate on how the public and private sector can maximize the benefits of big data. One of the richest sources of big data is the data captured by the use of ICTs. ICT-related big data are helping to produce development insights of relevance to public policy, such as understanding socio-economic wellbeing and poverty, as well as improving the monitoring of the information society. This panel will examine opportunities and challenges in using big data from the ICT industry to complement existing ICT indicators. It will present the new ITU Big Data Strategy and discuss the role of different players, including the ICT industry, governments, and international organisations. The session will address the following questions:
How can big data complement current information society measurements based on official statistics?
What is the role of the ICT industry as key source of big data?
How can the private and public sector cooperate to maximize the benefit of using big data?
What should international organizations such as ITU do to encompass big data sources in their statistical work?
Moderator: Nisha Pillai, Journalist and Facilitator
Keynote speaker: Reg Brennenraedts, Partner and Senior Consultant, Dialogic
©ITU/ R.Farrell
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Dates have been a staple food of the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years. They are believed to have originated around Iraq, and have been cultivated since ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, possibly as early as 4000 BCE. The Ancient Egyptians used the fruits to make date wine, and ate them at harvest. There is archaeological evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia in 6000 BCE.
There is also archeological evidence of date cultivation in Mehrgarh around 7000 BCE, a Neolithic civilization in India now western Pakistan. Evidence of cultivation is continually found throughout later civilizations in the Indus Valley, including the Harappan period 2600 to 1900 BCE.
name: Dawn Lagerstedt
school: Washington Elementary 4th and 5th Grade
town:Schiller Park
state: Illinois
This is the Visitor Center / Nature Center building at the Cave Creek Recreation Area north of the Carefree Highway off of 32nd Street in north Phoenix. I had to stop here to buy my Maricopa County Regional Parks System Annual Pass.
www.maricopa.gov/parks/cave_creek/
Located north of Phoenix, this 2,922-acre park sits in the upper Sonoran Desert. Ranging in elevation from 2,000 feet to 3,060, this desert oasis provides any hiker and equestrian majestic views. The Go John Trail loops around a mountain to provide the illusion of being miles away from civilization. In the 1870s, fever stricken gold seekers staked their dreams on the jasper-studded hills. Guided trails to these sites give visitors an opportunity to travel back in time.
[edit] thanks to sedonakin for pointing out that this is a very special building. It is LEED certified. www.maricopa.gov/parks/naturecenters.aspx
"Before the department began designing the prototype, staff sought Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification criteria from the U.S. Green Building Council to gain a better understanding as to which types of materials and facilities would work best to preserve the natural environment of the park.
The goal of the project was to design a fully functional, sustainable and energy efficient visitor’s center while minimizing the disturbance to the natural landscape and maximizing the design compatibility with the natural surroundings. Several other factors taken into consideration included the preservation of wildlife corridors, the need to avoid disturbing natural undeveloped land and the possibility of utilizing a site which already had been previously disturbed.
After a lengthy design process with a team of architects and staff, Parks agreed on a prototype that would be aesthetically pleasing to guests as well as energy efficient and functional.
The nature centers contain an entry pathway that welcomes visitors into the park and encourages them to venture into their natural surroundings. The nature centers at Cave Creek Regional Park and Usery Mountain Regional Park are paired with outdoor amphitheaters and are connected to the centers by scenic desert walkways that stem from the back patio. The amphitheaters allow staff to and incorporate interpretive and green educational programming opportunities.
As visitors make their way down the path to the center, they’ll notice a garden roof system that contains native plant species and enables the facility to visually integrate into its surrounding. The desert roof adds a significant insulative value, retains rainwater, and reduces storm water runoff on the site.
Once inside the facility, visitors will see a central skylight that is fully glazed for daylight admission yet is situated behind deep shade canopies to discourage direct sun in the summer. In the winter, when the low sun angle hits it, the skylight absorbs and reradiates the heat into the space. The floors consist of exposed concrete that, along with the 20-inch-thick masonry walls, act as a thermal mass.
The walls, glass and the roof are all designed and insulated to meet or exceed American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers energy standards. For instance, the windows are operable with dual-glazed low-e glass, allowing them to be opened for natural ventilation when the weather permits and to resist heat gain in the summer.
Whenever possible, Parks also took special care in selecting materials that were regional, rapidly renewable and offered high recycled content.For example, the majority of the installed materials were left with a natural finish to reduce the use of paints and varnishes. Exterior materials, such as the corrugated metal roofing panels and the unpainted steel siding, were chosen for their durability and low maintenance needs. The restrooms will use low-flow toilets and waterless urinals. " [end edit]
The standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system. It takes into account sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy atmosphere effects, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.
IMG_0519 maricopa country regional parks visitor center
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The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
13900 North Dove Mountain Boulevard
Marana, Arizona
**In the Beginning**
In 1926, Missourian Eugene Cayton arrived in Tucson to improve his health. He acquired what was then known as Ruelas Canyon in the Tortolita Mountains and established the T Bench Bar Ranch. "Cush" Cayton built for his wife, Inez, a stone house atop one of the smaller peaks. The stone house is still there on top of the hill overlooking Dove Mountain Boulevard near the eighth and ninth holes of the Gallery Golf Club. The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain was developed by John MacMillan, majority owner of Palo Verde Partners and opened in 2003.
The Cayton’s ranched the land until 1984. In 1985 David Mehl’s Cottonwood Properties Inc. Acquired the 1,300 acres of desert land and thus began Mehl's vision of Dove Mountain as an upscale golf community. David Mehl and his late brother George founded Tucson-based Cottonwood Properties in 1972. Its purpose was to invest in and develop quality real estate in the Tucson, Arizona area. David Mehl graduated from the University of Arizona in 1972.
In the early 1980’s Cottonwood Properties was the master developer of the 790 acre Westin La Paloma resort community in the foothills of Tucson. The development consisted of the 487 room Westin La Paloma Resort & Hotel and the 27 hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Cottonwood owned the hotel until 1988 when it sold the hotel to the Aoki Corp., the Japan-based construction company that owned Westin. Aoki spent $200 million to acquire 3 hotels - the Inter-Continental at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, the Inter-Continental at Buckhead in Atlanta, and an equity interest in the Westin La Paloma.
**Pygmy Owl**
In March 1997 the Pygmy Owl was added to the list of endangered species under federal law. In 1999 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service dealt a set-back to the development. Environmental protections for the ferruginous pygmy owl forced Cottonwood to scale back plans at Dove Mountain. The numbers of homes were scaled back from 13,000 to 6,500 and the numbers of proposed resorts were reduced to one from 3 or 4. Cottonwood also contributed several million dollars to a conservation fund managed by the federal agency.
In 1999 the Tucson Citizen quoted David Mehl ”By making density reductions, we are developing at a density compatible with the pygmy owl.. In areas where it’s not, then we’re offering to pay to make up for it.”
**The Development**
Cottonwood committed some twenty years of planning into making Dove Mountain a premiere golf resort community.
In the late 1990’s Cottonwood Properties partnered with Scottsdale-based Greenbrier Southwest Corp. and began planning a 500-room Hyatt resort hotel for Dove Mountain. The hotel was designed and the developers received a verbal commitment for the financing on Sept. 10, 2001. The next day, September 11, 2001, the world changed and the idea for the Hyatt Resort was shelved.
The principals of Greenbrier Southwest Corporation, Tim and Casey Bolinger, previously served with Woodbine Southwest Corporation in Phoenix from 1991-1998. They managed the planning, zoning, financing, development and marketing of the 730-acre Kierland master-planned community, including Kierland Commons and the Westin Kierland Resort.
Greenbrier Southwest developed a much smaller project – the Hidden Meadow Ranch in Greer, Arizona. Opened in 2002, the rustic ranch (transformed from a church youth camp) has 12 luxury cabins starting at $500 a night including meals.
In August 2007 a building permit was issued for a Ritz-Carlton resort and spa to be built in Dove Mountain in Marana. The building permit cost $309,643.10 and was applied for by Dove Mountain Hotel Co. LLC. Also, Tucson Water approved a water main extension, a 290,000-gallon reservoir and a booster station that would serve the proposed 250-room hotel.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain were announced as the largest branded resort/residential community managed by the Ritz Carlton hotel company. The $160 million hotel will be the second Ritz-Carlton in Arizona, joining the The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix.
The Ritz Carlton press release announced that HKS Hill Glazier Architects of Palo Alto, California will design the hotel as a low-rise, four story building embracing the feel of the desert southwest. The main building of adobe block, straw-flecked stucco, clay tile and native stone will include 226 guest rooms and suites. Separate buildings nearby will feature 24 individual casita rooms and suites.
In addition a $60-million Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course with 27-holes was planned for a late 2008 opening. The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain now hosts the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship beginning in February 2009 (The PGA Tour has committed to The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain through the 2013 event). When George and David Mehl hired Nicklaus in 1983 to design the Westin La Polama Golf Course, it was Nicklaus’s 26th golf course on his design resume. With Dove Mountain completed Nicklaus has designed over 200 golf courses around the world.
**Grand Opening**
The Ritz Carlton’s pre-opening General Manager – Michael McMahon - aims to have the resort become the first in the Tucson area to achieve AAA's highest rating of five diamonds. Previously McMahon was General Manager The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, Florida.
The hotel’s opening general manager was Allan Federer. In March 2011 Federer moved to the Ritz-Carlton Dubai as General Manager. Replacing Federer is Liam Doyle – who previously was general manager at the Sherbourne Dublin, Ireland and Hotel Manager at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach.
The Ritz-Carlton Grand Opening Press Release reported that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was in attendance at the December 18, 2009 event. Speakers at the event included owner and developer David Mehl of Cottonwood Properties, senior vice president of operations for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., Hank Biddle, and The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort general manager, Allan Federer.
“This day is a landmark event not only for the town of Marana, but for the State of Arizona,” stated general manager Allan Federer. “Over twenty years ago, David and his brother George Mehl had a vision to build the finest resort in the country. All it took was the right partners and the perfect location. With the help of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. and co-developer Greenbrier Southwest Corporation, it became a reality. Now the world has the opportunity to visit a place like no other, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain.”
Following the official ribbon-cutting seventy-two white doves were released symbolizing the property as the 72nd within The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. portfolio.
At full operation the hotel has 450 employees. It has 44,000 square feet of meeting space including a 9,000 square foot main ballroom.
The hotel’s opening Chef de Cuisine was Joel Harrington. Harrington previously was chef de cuisine of Fearing's at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. Harrington graduated from CIA in Hyde Park, NY and worked with Marcus Samuellson at Aquavit in NYC.
Replacing Harrington is Chef David Serus who previously served as Executive Sous-Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay and Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. Serus’ role encompass all hotel culinary activities, including those at CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar, Cayton’s Restaurant, Ignite Lobby Lounge, Turquesa Latin Grill, To Go, In-Room Dining, banquets, and catering.
**Two Landmark 200 Year Old Saguaros**
When Wild Burro Canyon was selected for the perfect hotel site, where balcony views of the Tortolita Mountains would be maximized, it was discovered that two majestic Saguaros, each estimated to be close to 200 years old, would have been lost. This was unacceptable to ownership. After three more months of analysis, the final solution was to simply shift the whole facility 25 feet. Today, as hotel guests behold the box canyon views from Ignite or CORE Kitchen and Wine Bar, they enjoy these two landmark cacti, which rise majestically overhead and stand in testament to the preservation of the High Sonoran Desert. “These cacti are sacred and add to our sense of place,” said Allan Federer, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain. “Guests gaze in awe and wonder at the desert’s version of a redwood, adding to the memories they will have of this beautiful property.”
Photos and text compiled by Dick Johnson
richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com
212-832-0098
March, 2012
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Another Rotundiary Illusion. This image contains two diametrically-opposed polar panoramas.
A rotunda (round room) in a full 360x360-degrees.
What used to be office spaces on three floors of the Bureau of Fire Protection building have been converted into wards and
private rooms for patients. For now, the CCMC has only about one-third of the beds it used to contain. On some days, two to three newborn babies have to share a bed.
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Cup
CM
inch
S(32)
32A 32B 32C
55-58
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42-44
32-36
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34A 34B 34C
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46-48
40-44
XL(38)
36D