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I have to make sure my toes are wrapped and protected when doing long distance hikes, otherwise I pay the price for days. It protects from blisters, rubbing, and eliminates bloody socks (and no one wants to see that!)
bricks stacked without any kind of fixitive,they are stretched horizontally and vertically to the limit of placement before they would fall.the thinnest of balsa wood hangs between them.the bricks were found partially cut with lip remaining.Assmbled London 1992
The south car included a ceremonial banner on either side to recognize the lifespan these cars went though, faithfully serving the Electric District for some 45 years. An amazing lifespan, to say the least!
Being outside, if it did rain, surely this jaunty throng of wellies would just keep the water in, rather than out?
SD26 4644 leads a SD40-2 and two BN units on an eastbound pig train, through McCook. She was built in 1959 as Santa Fe SD24 #944, and would become ST #629 in 1986.
Outside my window
two tall witch-elms
toss their inspired
green heads in the sun
and lean together whispering.
Trees make the world
a proper place.
~Robert Nye
A real food fighter knows how to blend in hostile environment.
Support food fighters on lego ideas!
ideas.lego.com/projects/4b2a91db-8777-454a-bcd3-1fc57a18a95e
These were the days when vehicles had proper lines and styling. Not like these boxes on wheels we have today. Although our modern cars are so much safer than these old boats
This guy, in the excellent beret, was sketching people on a bench sitting opposite him. I don't think they noticed him sketching them, but I know he noticed me photographing him, because he stopped drawing for some reason, and started turning pages. Despite moving to get a better angle (the initial shots were profiles), I'm still unhappy with the overall composition, too much space on the left, and I had to crop the right because it's full of confusing elements.
WOW its 2018 !!!! A proper built Loco.!!!! , Here 50049 BR large logo working for Cross Country trains passes near Trowell Junction working the 0Z27 10:13 DERBY _ DERBY Route Learner , Tuesday 20th February 2018
Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) is a public park located in the city of Nara, Japan, at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880 it is one of the oldest parks in Japan. Administratively, the park is under the control of Nara Prefecture. The park is one of the "Places of Scenic Beauty" designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Over 1,200 wild sika deer (シカ or 鹿 shika) freely roaming around in the park are also under designation of MEXT, classified as natural treasure. While the official size of the park is about 502 hectares (1,240 acres), the area including the grounds of Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, and Kasuga Shrine, which are either on the edge or surrounded by Nara Park, is as large as 660 hectares (1,600 acres).
While Nara Park is usually associated with the broad areas of the temples and the park proper, previously private gardens are now open to public. These gardens make use of the temple buildings as adjunct features of their landscapes.
The park is home to the Nara National Museum and Todai-ji, where the largest wooden building in the world houses a 15-metre (50 ft) tall statue of Buddha.
According to local folklore, Sika deer from this area were considered sacred due to a visit from Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, one of the four gods of Kasuga Shrine. He was said to have been invited from Kashima Shrine in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture, and appeared on Mount Mikasa (also known as Mount Wakakusa) riding a white deer. From that point, the deer were considered divine and sacred by both Kasuga Shrine and Kōfuku-ji. Killing one of these sacred deer was a capital offense punishable by death up until 1637, the last recorded date of a breach of that law.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_Park
www.visitnara.jp/destinations/area/nara-park/
Nara Park (奈良 公園, Nara Kōen) es un parque público ubicado en la ciudad de Nara, Japón, al pie del monte Wakakusa. Establecido en 1880, es uno de los parques más antiguos de Japón. Administrativamente, el parque está bajo el control de la prefectura de Nara. El parque es uno de los "Lugares de Belleza Escénica" designado por el Ministerio de Educación, Cultura, Deportes, Ciencia y Tecnología (MEXT). Más de 1200 ciervos sika salvajes (シ カ o 鹿 shika) que deambulan libremente por el parque también están bajo la designación de MEXT, clasificados como tesoros naturales. Si bien el tamaño oficial del parque es de aproximadamente 502 hectáreas (1.240 acres), el área que incluye los terrenos de Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji y el Santuario Kasuga, que están en el borde o rodeados por el Parque Nara, es tan grande como 660 hectáreas (1,600 acres).
Si bien el Parque Nara generalmente se asocia con las áreas amplias de los templos y el parque propiamente dicho, los jardines que antes eran privados ahora están abiertos al público. Estos jardines hacen uso de los edificios del templo como características adjuntas de sus paisajes.
El parque alberga el Museo Nacional de Nara y Todai-ji, donde el edificio de madera más grande del mundo alberga una estatua de Buda de 15 metros (50 pies) de altura.
Según el folclore local, los ciervos Sika de esta zona se consideraban sagrados debido a la visita de Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, uno de los cuatro dioses del Santuario Kasuga. Se dice que fue invitado desde el santuario de Kashima en la actual prefectura de Ibaraki, y apareció en el monte Mikasa (también conocido como monte Wakakusa) montado en un ciervo blanco. Desde ese momento, los ciervos fueron considerados divinos y sagrados tanto por el Santuario Kasuga como por Kōfuku-ji. Matar a uno de estos ciervos sagrados fue un delito capital punible con la muerte hasta 1637, la última fecha registrada de incumplimiento de esa ley.
El sika o ciervo sica (Cervus nippon) es una especie de cérvido propia del Extremo Oriente, cuyo hábitat se extiende desde el sur de Siberia hasta Vietnam, incluyendo Japón, Taiwán y varias islas más del Océano Pacífico cercanas a las costas de China. Una distribución tan amplia ha originado su división en varias subespecies, muchas de ellas insulares.
El sika es un ciervo de tamaño medio y cuernos desarrollados. Tiene un pelaje corto de color rojizo, con el vientre de color más claro y manchas blancas por todo el cuerpo, similar a otros cérvidos como el gamo o los ejemplares jóvenes de ciervo de Virginia. Se observa también una banda fina de pelo oscuro a lo largo del cuello y la espalda.
El sika ha sido cazado desde tiempos antiguos en todos los países de su distribución, excepto en Japón, donde, al igual que muchos otros animales salvajes, fue venerado como dios protector de la naturaleza por la religión tradicional sintoísta. Esto cambió durante la Era Meiji, cuando comenzó a ser cazado en gran número y los bosques en que vivía se vieron amenazados por la tala masiva y la tala de grandes superficies para destinarlas a plantaciones. Por suerte, se decidió protegerlo cuando su extinción en el archipiélago japonés parecía ya inminente. En la actualidad abunda especialmente en Hokkaidō, donde se encuentra en expansión debido a que carece de depredadores (las dos subespecies de lobos japoneses fueron exterminadas hace más de cincuenta años). En los últimos años se ha permitido la caza de un número reducido de cabezas al año, con el fin de estabilizar su población. También es un inquilino habitual de los parques y templos de otros lugares de Japón, especialmente en la ciudad de Nara. Por el contrario, en el continente asiático se encuentra en peligro de extinción, y las medidas tomadas al respecto hasta ahora se han mostrado insuficientes.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervus_nippon
The sika deer (Cervus nippon) also known as the spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north, it is now uncommon except in Japan, where the species is overabundant.
Its name comes from shika (鹿), the Japanese word for "deer". In Japan, the species is known as the nihonjika (ニホンジカ (日本鹿), "Japan deer").
In Nara Prefecture, Japan, the deer are also known as "bowing deer", as they bow their heads before being fed special shika senbei (鹿せんべい, called "deer cookies"). However, deer bow heads to signal that they are about to headbutt. Therefore, when a human 'bows' to a deer, the deer may take it as a challenge, and will assume the same stance before charging and attempting to headbutt the person. Deer headbutt both for play and to assert dominance, as do goats. Sika deer are found throughout the city of Nara and its many parks and temples like Tōdai-ji, as they are considered to be the messengers of the Shinto gods.
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
The brown-cheeked fulvetta (Alcippe poioicephala) (or brown-cheeked alcippe as the fulvettas proper are not closely related to this bird), is included in the Pellorneidae family. It was earlier also known as the quaker babbler.
This species is one of those retained in the genus Alcippe after the true fulvettas and some others were removed; the group had turned out to unite quite unrelated birds. Its closest relatives are probably the brown fulvetta, and the black-browed fulvetta which was only recently recognized as a distinct species again. The Javan fulvetta and the Nepal fulvetta might also belong into this group.(Pasquet et al. 2006)
The brown-cheeked fulvetta is a resident breeding bird in Bangladesh, India and Southeast Asia. Its habitat is undergrowth in moist forests and scrub jungle. This species, like most babblers, is not migratory, and has short rounded wings and a weak flight.
This babbler builds its nest in a tree, concealed in dense masses of foliage. The normal clutch is two or three eggs.
Brown-cheeked fulvetta measures 15 cm including its longish tail. It is brown above and buff, with no patterning on the body or wings. The crown is grey, and the cheeks are dark.
Brown-cheeked fulvettas have short dark bills. Their food is mainly insects and nectar. They can be difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer, but these are vocal birds, and their characteristic calls are often the best indication that these birds are present.
After missing a ‘proper shot’ of DB 60054 on Thursday as I misinterpreted the timetable, today the loco could be found on the oil circuit at Clay Mills, just into East Staffordshire (the border is the far bridge) on 12/01/19. This was my first visit to the footbridge here after a bit of homework was done on the location. The working was the 6M57 0717 Lindsey Oil Refinery to Kingsbury Oil Sidings tanks. A pillbox can be seen in the field behind the loco, with the redundant cooling towers of Willington Power Station on the horizon.
Her skirt was made by my sister and my mom, I love it! I really like this look for her, I'm going to try more poses and locations for pictures. I took this picture on a cloudy day, but the colors came out ok and my limited knowledge of Photoshop helped.
Alex is an Iplehouse nYID Aria
By far the finest window in the church is the late Arts & Crafts style Annunciation in the north aisle dating from 1936. In the latest edition of Pevsner Chris Pickford identifies it as probably the work of Birmingham-based artist Benjamin Warren (which seems entirely plausible given the high standard of Warren's work) and the open book below Mary with the initials 'BJ & WA' on the pages may well be confirmation of this.
St Botolph's church at Farnborough is a medieval building but so much restored and added to in the Victorian period that it can seem otherwise upon first inspection. The work has been done well with additions by the great George Gilbert Scott from 1874-5 that blend well with the old parts of the building, thus the north aisle and the upper part of the tower and spire form a uniform whole with the remainder, all rendered in the richly hued local ironstone which adds considerable charm.
The interior of the church is largely again defined by the Victorian restoration, though the elaborate carving of the chancel arch does incorporate some old elements. The furnishings are mainly Victorian too as is much of the stained glass, though there are a couple of more notable early 20th century windows too, one by Powells' on the south side but best of all is the lovely Arts & Crafts Annunciation in the north aisle, the most rewarding feature in the church in my opinion.
Farnborough church is sadly usually kept locked outside of services though was open on this occasion as I was accompanying a colleague who was meeting a member of the parish here, which enabled me to have a proper look inside without arranging an opening (though frustratingly I was still using my old camera at this time and thus my photos aren't anywhere near as good or comprehensive as I' would have liked).
www.farnboroughparishcouncil.co.uk/index.php/st-botolph-s...
Should have shot two frames, Only down @1/30th which is no problem but I received a nudge, thought the shot had gone off and I was safe.
I did like the feet blur, proper street job.
I'm trying very hard to think of a personal benefit of the coronavirus pandemic. Finally I can think of one, I'm not increasing my stockpile of images nearly as quickly as before -- and I can go back to some old folders and post something taken some years ago.
Parts of Montreal is quite hilly. Coming down Peel Street (rue Peel), we came across this blue car that followed the old-school downhill parking rules, turn the steering wheel in such a way that if the braking mechanism somehow breaks, or if your parked car is hit by another car, that it (hopefully) would be stopped by the curb/ kerb and would not roll down the hill and cause more damage and injuries to others.
Near 3484, rue Peel St, Montreal
Prior to entering the Qianlong Palace proper, one must pass through a buffer zone between the Gate of Conferring Blessings (锡庆门) [pictured far-right] and the Gate of Imperial Supremacy (皇极门) [pictured center-right]. Doing so would be impossible without noticing the extraordinary artistry and inimitable magnificence of the Nine Dragon Screen along the far-south wall of the palace compound. This sublime work of colored glazed tiles upon a marble dais presents, as the name would suggest, an auspicious gathering of nine dragons whose task it is to dispel evil spirits and ghosts; rather like the decorated interior entryway partitions of traditional Chinese homes. The vibrantly colored dragons are seen dancing amid a green sea and blue sky, with the outer four on either side ascending or descending while the centermost golden dragon faces the central axis of the Qianlong Palace – staring down any would-be trespassers. Nine dragon screens of this scale (roughly 30 meters in length) and of this contemporaneity (18th century) were anything but commonplace as there are only a few in all of China.
I certainly saved some of the best exploration of color for last, as the Qianlong Palace was the final area I designed of this piece. The use of azure, teal, and sand green brackets for the sea and sky backdrop was a refreshing dive into a pool of brightly tinted hues, while the variations in four-petal and five-petal flower plates for the dragons proved to be a bit of a throwback. The two flower plates on either side of the centermost “golden dragon” are actually the long-since discontinued “violet” of LEGO Scala infamy, the likes of which only appeared as a flower plate in one set from 2000. The screen is then topped off with alternating medium green clip tiles and a few sand green unicorn horns for good measure!
Charley (flatly): “I’m screwed up.”
Candy: “We’re all screwed up. The trick is finding the right screwdriver to help you loosen up.”
Charley: “Dan’s your screwdriver, I assume?”
Candy: *shrugs* “Yeah, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a guy. It can be whomever or whatever. Unfortunately, some people hit the booze and powder, which only makes it worse, if my mom’s mess of a life is any indication. That being said, I think Dane’s yours. Your screwdriver, I mean.”
Charley: “You don’t know that.”
Candy: “And you don’t not know it. Charley…*chews on her lip, obviously choosing her words with care* I think Dane already suspects some of the crap you dealt with as a kid. I mean he knows you grew up in foster care, right?”
Charley: “Yeah.”
Candy: “He knows you don’t like strangers crowding you.”
Charley: “Uh-huh.”
Candy: “Then, you shouldn’t assume he’s as clueless as you seem to think he is…”
Charley: *brow furrows, slowly* “Okay, I am not sure what freaks me out more here. The fact he might indeed be clueless, and I’ll have to explain everything in excruciating detail—assuming he sticks around that long—or the fact that I’m so damaged that he can tell without me saying anything at all. Geez…*buries her face in her hands, plaintively* I don’t know which is worse.”
Candy: *yanks Charley’s hands away from her face, fiercely* “Don’t you hide your face, Charley Sweeney! You don’t have a damn thing to be ashamed of! You didn’t do anything wrong!”
Charley (bleakly): “I think I’m in love with him.”
Candy: “Good, because he’s definitely in love with you, too. Everything else you can work out.”
Charley: *snorts* “Love does not conquer all.”
Candy: “Maybe not, but it sure improves your odds.”
Charley: *sighs* “I dunno, Can. I just feel like I’m outta my depth here and sinking fast.”
Candy: “Then grab onto Dane and don’t let go.”
Charley: “Wow. Callous. You want me to take him down with me, huh?”
Candy: *shakes head* “No. You’ll buoy each other. You won’t sink. You’ll swim. Together.”
Charley: “You really think so?”
Candy: “Absolutely. That’s kinda the point of being a couple. You got their back, and they got yours.”
Charley (tentatively): “Weell…I’m not really used to depending on other people, but…I guess I could give him the shirt. It is pretty cute. Just like him.”
Candy: *smiles beatifically* “Fluff that nutter!”
Charley: *wrinkles nose* “You have totally ruined the whimsy for me now. You know that, right, you insinuator of filth and perversion?”
Candy: “Yeah, well, I did learn from the master.”
Charley: “Kumi?”
Candy: “Danny.”
Emma: *bustles in carrying a tea service* “I think I remembered everythin’. I havena made a proper tea tray in a while. I donna have time for it much durin’ the week, and since Z usually brings me tea in bed on the weekends, I’m a wee bit oot o’ practice.”
Sun: *bounces in, sporting Z’s helmet* “Check it out! I’m a skater guuurl!”
Fashion Credits
**Any doll enhancements (i.e. freckles, piercings, eye color changes) were done by me unless otherwise stated.**
Emma
Dress: razldazl71 (Flickr.com)
Knit camisole: Jiajiadoll (Etsy.com)
Boots: Jennifer Sue
Bobby Pins: razldazl71 (Flickr.com)
Bracelets: Mix of the Wood Set and Flutter Set – Knife’s Edge Designs (me)
Doll is a Style Mantra Eden.
Sun
Jeans: Hazel Street Dezigns
Bra: IT – Nu.Face – Great Pretender Lilith
Halter: Volks – Who’s That Girl? – Natural Love
Armlets: Mattel – Generation Girl Lara
Blue Belt: Mattel – Barbie Basics – Collection 001, Look 003
Sneakers: Momoko – Preppy Girl
Head Scarf: Mattel – Fashion Fever Barbie
Charm Belt: Free Radical Necklace – Knife’s Edge Designs (me)
Bracelets: Hair rubber bands
Doll is a Mission Control Imogen.
Candy
Skirt, Shirt & Belt: Cangaway (Etsy.com)
Socks: Mattel – Generation Girl Chelsea
Boots: Pudding House (ebay.com)
Necklaces & Bracelets: Me
Doll is a Making a Scene Erin transplanted to a Misaki body.
Charley
Jeans: Bandai – Sakurana
Tank: Mattel – Fashion Fever Barbie – The screen print on the front is mine.
Belt: Cangaway (etsy.com)
Sweater: IT – FR2 – Only Natural Fashion
Glasses & Sneakers: Momoko Separates
Necklace: Me
Doll is a Morning Dew Giselle, transplanted to a Poppy bod, and re-rooted by the incredible valmaxi!
I fixed most of the proportion problems with my lion by lenghtening the body, lengthening the legs, narrowing the waist, developing the mane, and drooping the tail.
In spirit of Independence Day,I chose to post something Patriotic related.Honored by his Family as well as his Country,This is a shot from my GrandFathers Burial who was a Veteran...Joseph Caiola...
Happy Fourth of July and Enjoy your Freedom...
Kitty (bottom), Sable (left) n' Me (back) arsing around with photo props...
This is a trio you don't wanna mess with, we'll baffle you with silliness and stupidity ;)
+++ 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 Saab 35 Draken ('The Kite' or 'The Dragon') was a Swedish fighter-interceptor developed and manufactured by Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) between 1955 and 1974. Development of the Saab 35 Draken started in 1948 as the Swedish air force future replacement for the then also in development Saab 29 Tunnan dayfighter and Saab 32B Lansen night fighter. It featured an innovative but unproven double delta wing, which led to the creation of a sub-scale test aircraft, the Saab 210, which was produced and flown to test this previously unexplored aerodynamic feature. The full-scale production version entered service with frontline squadrons of the Swedish Air Force on 8 March 1960. It received the designation Flygplan 35 (Fpl 35; 'Aeroplane 35') and was produced in several variants and types, most commonly as a fighter type with the prefix J (J 35), standing for Jaktflygplan (Pursuit-aircraft), the Swedish term for fighter aircraft.
The Saab 35 Draken was known for, among other things, its many "firsts" within aviation. It was the first Western European-built combat aircraft with true supersonic capability to enter service and the first fully supersonic aircraft to be deployed in Western Europe. Design-wise it was one of, if not the first, combat aircraft designed with double delta wings, being drawn up by early 1950. The unconventional wing design also had the side effect of making it the first known aircraft to perform and be capable of the Cobra maneuver. It was also one of the first Western-European-built aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight, reaching it on 14 January 1960.
The Draken functioned as an effective supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War period. Even though the type was designed and intended as an interceptor, the Draken was considered to be a very capable dogfighter for the era, and its large wing area allowed the compact Saab 35 to carry a relatively high payload, too. In Swedish service, it underwent several upgrades, the ultimate of these being the J 35 J model which served until 1999. The Draken was also exported to several countries and remained operational in Austria until 2005.
In Swedish service, the Saab 35 was replaced by the Saab 37 “Viggen”. Development work on the new type was already initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following the selection of a radical canard delta wing configuration, the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967 and entered service on 21 June 1971. However, being a radical and new design, the service introduction of the Viggen – esp. of its initial version, the AJ 37 fighter-bomber – was not without teething troubles, and in the late Sixties the Swedish Air Force expected an attack aircraft gap in its line-up. The former A 32 A Lansen attack aircraft were reaching the end of their airframe lifetime and were simply outdated, even though it was still needed as an anti-ship attack platform for the indigenous Rb 04 guided missile, so that Saab suggested an interim solution: the conversion of seventy of the 120 produced J 35 D fighters into dedicated attack aircraft, with the designation A 35 G (Gustav).
The Saab A 35 G was heavily modified to make it into a fighter bomber aircraft. Compared to the fighter versions the outer wings where completely redesigned and the aircraft featured 9 hardpoints in total. Airframe and landing gear were strengthened to cope with an increased payload of 10,000 lb (4,540 kg) vs. the fighters’ usual 6,393 lb (2,900 kg). Several airframe components were restored or replaced to extend the life of the aircraft, and the landing gear featured low-pressure tires for a better field performance on improvised/dispersed airfields.
A wide array of ordnance could be carried, such as bombs of up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) caliber, MERs with up to six 100 kg (220 lb) bombs each, pods with unguided 75 mm or 135 mm rockets, single 14.5 cm psrak m49/56 high-explosive anti-tank rockets and, as a new weapon, the indigenous guided Rb 05 air-to-ground missile. This had been developed for the AJ 37 "Viggen in 1967 and was roughly comparable with the American AGM-12 Bullpup, but had some unique features. The Rb 05’s supersonic speed was deemed necessary to reduce the threat of surface-to-air missiles, and it allowed the missile to be deployed against slow/large aerial targets, too, making it a dual-purpose weapon. Consequently, the Rb 05’s fuze could be set by the pilot to impact mode for ground targets, or proximity mode for attacking air targets such as bombers.
The missile had a maximum range of 9 km (5.6 ml) and would usually be launched after a high-speed attack run on very low altitude and a climb to 400m for launch. Since the RB 05 was roll-stabilized, the aircraft did not need to be aimed straight at the target when launching and could immediately descend into terrain cover again, and this also made it possible to attack aerial targets from unusual angles and flight paths. Tracking the flares on the missile, the pilot would then visually guide the missile (the missile's engine was smokeless as to not obscure the view) with a small manual joystick towards the target. Guidance commands were transmitted to the missile via a jam-proof radio transmission link.
The A 35 G kept the J 35 D’s two 30 mm ADEN cannons, and a limited air defense capability was retained, too: the Gustav could carry up to four IR-guided Rb 24 (AIM-9B Sidewinder) AAMs, in addition to the Rb 05 in air-to-air mode. However, the aircraft lacked any air intercept radar, and had instead a Ferranti LRMTS (laser rangefinder and marked target seeker) and a counterweight installed in the nose, which resembled the S 35 E photo reconnaissance version’s nose, just without the windows for the side-looking cameras. For its attack role, the A 35 G received a new inertial navigation system, new altimeters and a ballistic computer from Saab called BT-9Rm, which worked with both bombs and rockets and even allowed for toss bombing. The Gustav Draken was furthermore fitted with electronic countermeasure (ECM) systems, a RHAWS and chaff and flare dispensers in their tail cones to improve its survivability over the battlefield.
The Gustav conversion program was accepted by the Swedish government in 1968. Work started in early 1969, the first revamped aircraft reached the operational units in late 1971. However, since production of the AJ 37 was starting at the same time, only 61 aircraft were eventually re-built from existing J 35 D airframes (one prototype and sixty production aircraft). Västgöta Wing (F 6) at Karlsborg was the first squadron to receive the A 35 G, replacing its A 32 A fighter bombers, the other unit to operate the type was Skaraborg Wing (F 7) at Såtenäs.
Among Sweden’s Draken fleet the Gustav was easy to recognize because it was the only version that carried the new “Fields & Meadows” splinter camouflage as standard livery. Service of the A 35 G lasted only until the early Eighties, though: as more and more AJ 37 all-weather fighter bombers reached the Swedish frontline units during the Seventies, the interim attack Draken, which was only effective under daylight and more or less good weather conditions, was withdrawn and either used for spares in the running J 35 J modernization program or directly scrapped, because many airframes had, suffering from the special stress of low-level flight operations, reached the end of their lifespan.
Another factor for the quick withdrawal was the disappointing performance of the type’s primary weapon, the Rb 05 missile: Its manual joystick steering in the cramped Draken cockpit (to be operated while the pilot was expected to fly at low altitude and evade enemy fire!) presented a number of problems, and the Rb 05’s ultimate accuracy was, even under ideal conditions, on the order of just 10 meters (33 ft), greater than desired. Targets like tanks or even ships were hard to hit with this level of scattering, combined with imminent danger for the pilot, and the air-to-air mode was even less effective. On the more modern Saab 37 the Rb 05 was therefore replaced by the Rb 75, a license-produced version of the American TV-guided AGM-65 Maverick “fire and forget” weapon. TV and laser seeker heads for the Rb 05 to improve the weapon’s accuracy and handling had been planned since the early Seventies, but were never realized.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 15.35 m (50 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 9.42 m (30 ft 11 in)
Height: 3.89 m (12 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 49.2 m² (530 ft²)
Airfoil: 5%
Empty weight: 8,175 kg (18,006 lb)
Gross weight: 11,500 kg (25,330 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 13,554 kg (29,845 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Svenska Flygmotor RM6C (license-built Rolls Royce Avon with Swedish EBK67 afterburner)
turbojet engine, 56.5 kN (12,700 lbf) thrust dry, 77.3 kN (17,240 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: 2,150 km/h (1,335 mph, 1,168 kn) at 11,000 m (36,089 ft), clean
1,430 km/h (888 mph, 777 kn) w. two dop tanks and two 454 kg (1.00 lb) bombs
Range: 1.120 km (605 nmi; 696 mi); clean, internal fuel only
Ferry range: 2,750 km (1,480 nmi; 1,710 mi) with four external 500 l drop tanks
Service ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 199 m/s (39,200 ft/min)
Wing loading: 231.6 kg/m² (47.4 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.7
Takeoff roll: 800 m (2,625 ft)
Armament:
2× 30 mm akan m/55 ADEN cannon with 100 rounds per gun
9× hardpoints with a total capacity of 4,500 kg (10.000 lb)
The kit and its assembly:
Even though the model depicts a what-if aircraft, the Draken’s proposed “Gustav” attack variant based on the J 35 D interceptor was real – even though I could not find much detail information about it. So, I took some inspiration from the contemporary Danish Saab 35XD export version, which probably had similar features to the Gustav? Another inspiring factor was a pair of Rb 05 missiles (from an Airfix Viggen) that I had bought with a spare parts lot some time ago – and an attack Draken would be the perfect carrier for these exotic (and unsuccessful) missiles.
For a low-budget build I used one of Mistercraft’s many recent re-boxings of the vintage Revell Draken from 1957(!), and this kit is nothing for those who are faint at heart. It is horrible.
The kit probably depicts a late J 35 A (already with a long tail section), but even for this variant it lacks details like the air scoops for the afterburner or a proper landing gear. The Draken’s characteristic tail wheel is also missing completely. Worst pitfall, however: there is NO interior at all, not even a lumpy seat! The canopy, the early model with struts, is disturbingly clean and crisp, though. The overall fit is mediocre at best, too – there are only a few visible seams, but any of them calls for filling and PSR. It’s a very toyish kit, even though the general outlines are O.K.
And the Mistercraft instructions are really audacious: they show all the parts that are actually NOT there at all. Suddenly a seat appears in the cockpit, a fin fairing from a J 35 D or later, or the tail wheel… And the decal sheets only roughly meet the aircraft you see in the painting instructions - there are three sheets, totally puzzled together, including material for aircraft not mentioned in the instructions, but that’s a common feature of most Mistercraft kits. But: how much can you taunt your disappointed customers?
So, this leaves lots of room for improvements, and calls for a lot of scratching and improvisation, too. First measure was to open both the air intakes (which end after 2mm in vertical walls) and the exhaust, which received an afterburner dummy deep inside to create depth. Next, I implanted a complete cockpit, consisting of s scratched dashboard (styrene sheet), the tub from an Italeri Bae Hawk trainer’s rear cockpit (which comes with neat side consoles and fits quite well) plus a shallow vintage ejection seat, probably left over from an early MiG from a KP kit or one of its many later reincarnations. As an alternative, there’s a Quickboost resin aftermarket set with a complete cockpit interior (even including side walls, IIRC intended to be used with the Hasegawa Draken) available but using it on this crappy kit would have been a waste of resources – it’s more expensive than the kit itself, and even with a fine cockpit the exterior would still remain sh!t.
Since I could not find any detail about the Gustav Draken’s equipment I gave it a laser rangefinder in a poor-fitting S 35 E (or is it a Danish export F-35?) nose that comes as an optional part with the vintage Revell mold – which is weird, because the recce Draken was built between 1963 and 1968 in 2 series, several years after the kit’s launch? Maybe the Mistercraft kit is based on the 1989 Revell re-boxing? But that kit also features an all-in-one pilot/seat part and a two-piece canopy… Weird!
Once the hull was closed many surface details had to be added. The afterburner air scoops were created from plastic profiles, which are aftermarket roof rails in H0 scale. Styrene profile material was also used to create the intakes behind the cockpit, better than nothing. The OOB pitot on the fin was very robust, and since it would be wrong on a J 35 D I cut it off and added a fairing to the fin tip, a shortened/modified ACMI pod, which bears a better pitot alternative at its tip. The pitot on the nose was scratched from heated styrene, since the kit offers no part at all.
Under the rear fuselage the whole tail wheel arrangement had to be scratched. The shallow fairing consists of a section from a Matchbox EA-6B drop tank, the wheel and its strut were tinkered together with bits from the scrap box and profile material. Not stellar, but better than OOB (= nothing!).
The landing gear struts were taken from the kit but beefed up with some details. The main wheels had to be replaced, the new ones come from a KP MiG-21, IIRC.
The ordnance consists of a pair of Rb 05’s from an Airfix Viggen, a pair of OOB drop tanks and MERs from a Matchbox A-7D, together with fourteen streamlined bombs from the same kit – twelve on the MERs and single bombs on the outer pylons. AFAIK, Sweden never used MERs on their aircraft, but the bombs come pretty close to some small bombs that I have seen as AJ 37 ordnance. Most pylons are OOB, I just added a single ventral station and two outer hardpoints under the wings. The Rb 05s received a prominent place under the air intakes on Sidewinder launch rails.
Painting and markings:
Finally a good excuse to apply the famous and complex “Fields & Meadows” paint scheme to a Draken model! However, this “combo” actually existed in real life, but only on a single aircraft: around 1980 a J 35 B (s/n 35520), aircraft “20” of F18, was painted in this fashion, but AFAIK it was only an instructional airframe. You find some pictures of this aircraft online but getting a clear three-side view (esp. from above!) as a reliable painting benchmark is impossible. However, a complete paint scheme of this aircraft is provided with one of Mistercraft’s Revell Draken re-boxings (not the one I bought, though), even though it is mismarked as a J 35 F of F10 in the instructions. One of the common Mistercraft errors, err, “surprises” (*sigh*).
Finding suitable model paints for the elaborate scheme is not easy, either, and after having applied it several times I stuck to my favorites: Humbrol 150 (Forest Green, FS 34127), 75 (Bronze Green), 118 (US Light Tan, FS 30219, a bit light but RAF Dark Earth is too somber) and Revell 06 (Tar Black, RAL 9021) on the upper surfaces and Humbrol 247 (RLM76) underneath.
A large ventral section was, typical for the J 35, left in bare metal, since leaking fuel and oil would frequently eat away any paint there. The section was painted with Revell 91 (Iron) and later treated with Matt Aluminum Metallizer (Humbrol). As per usual, the model received an overall light black ink washing and some post-shading in order to emphasize the panels, correct the splinter camouflage and dramatize the surface. Some extra weathering was done around the gun ports and the jet nozzle with graphite.
Internal details like the cockpit and the landing gear were painted with the help of Swedish Saab 35 reference pictures. The cockpit tub was painted in a dark, bluish green (Humbrol 76) with grey-green (Revell 67) side walls.
The landing gear and its respective wells were painted in a bluish grey (Revell 57), parts of the struts were painted in a bright turquoise (a mix of Humbrol 89 and 80; looks quite weird, but I like such details!). The wheel hubs became medium grey (Revell 47). The Rb 05 missiles were painted in white as live weapons, so that they stand out well from the airframe. The drop tanks received the same blue-grey as the underside (Humbrol 247). MERs and launch rails were painted in a neutral grey (RAL 7001) and the bombs became olive drab (RAL 6014, Gelboliv) with yellow rings and golden fuzes.
Decals/markings were puzzled together from a Moose Republic Saab 32 sheet (unit code number and emblem) and the spares box, including the red tactical tail code from an Italeri 1:72 Gripen and roundels from a Hasegawa Draken. Stencils were taken from the kit’s OOB sheet and also from the Hasegawa Draken sheet. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
What a horror trip! The paint scheme itself was/is challenging enough, but modding the crappy vintage Revell kit into something more presentable was already a fight in itself. However, I like the outcome. “Fields & Meadows” suits the Draken with its huge and flat upper surface well, and while the Gustav conversion did not take much effort the “mud mover” ordnance under this Mach 2 fighter really looks strange and makes you wonder what this is. A nice what-if model, despite its blurriness!
Thought I might like to see her in lashes, blue lashes that is. I always feel like my girls need eye lashes to flutter. What do you think?
Dublin (/ˈdʌblᵻn/, Irish: Baile Átha Cliath [blʲaːˈklʲiəh]) is the capital and largest city of Ireland.[8][9] Dublin is in the province of Leinsteron Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey. The city has an urban area population of 1,273,069.[10] The population of the Greater Dublin Area, as of 2011, was 1,801,040 persons.
Founded as a Viking settlement, the Kingdom of Dublin became Ireland's principal city following the Norman invasion. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century and was briefly the second largest city in the British Empire before the Acts of Union in 1800. Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State, later renamed Ireland.
Dublin is administered by a City Council. The city is listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as a global city, with a ranking of "Alpha-", placing it among the top thirty cities in the world.[11][12] It is a historical and contemporary centre for education, the arts, administration, economy and industry.
Toponymy
Although the area of Dublin Bay has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times, the writings of Ptolemy (the Greco-Roman astronomer and cartographer) in about 140 AD provide possibly the earliest reference to a settlement there. He called the settlement Eblana polis (Greek: Ἔβλανα πόλις).[13]
Dublin celebrated its 'official' millennium in 1988 AD, meaning that the Irish government recognised 988 AD as the year in which the city was settled and that this first settlement would later become the city of Dublin.
The name Dublin comes from the Gaelic word Dublind, early Classical Irish Dubhlind/Duibhlind, dubh /d̪uβ/, alt. /d̪uw/, alt /d̪u:/ meaning "black, dark", and lind /lʲiɲ[d̪ʲ] "pool", referring to a dark tidal pool where the River Poddle entered the Liffey on the site of the Castle Gardens at the rear of Dublin Castle. In Modern Irish the name is Duibhlinn, and Irish rhymes from Dublin County show that in Dublin Leinster Irish it was pronounced Duílinn /d̪ˠi:lʲiɲ/. The original pronunciation is preserved in the names for the city in other languages such as Old English Difelin, Old Norse Dyflin, modern Icelandic Dyflinn and modern Manx Divlyn as well as Welsh Dulyn. Other localities in Ireland also bear the name Duibhlinn, variously anglicized as Devlin,[14] Divlin[15] and Difflin.[16]Historically, scribes using the Gaelic scriptwrote bh with a dot over the b, rendering Duḃlinn or Duiḃlinn. Those without knowledge of Irish omitted the dot, spelling the name as Dublin. Variations on the name are also found in traditionally Gaelic-speaking areas (the Gàidhealtachd, cognate with Irish Gaeltacht) of Scotland, such as An Linne Dhubh ("the black pool"), which is part of Loch Linnhe.
It is now thought that the Viking settlement was preceded by a Christian ecclesiastical settlement known as Duibhlinn, from which Dyflin took its name. Beginning in the 9th and 10th century, there were two settlements where the modern city stands. The Viking settlement of about 841 was known as Dyflin, from the Irish Duibhlinn, and a Gaelic settlement, Áth Cliath ("ford of hurdles") was further up river, at the present day Father Mathew Bridge (also known as Dublin Bridge), at the bottom of Church Street. Baile Átha Cliath, meaning "town of the hurdled ford", is the common name for the city in modern Irish. Áth Cliath is a place name referring to a fording point of the River Liffey near Father Mathew Bridge. Baile Átha Cliath was an early Christian monastery, believed to have been in the area of Aungier Street, currently occupied by Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church. There are other towns of the same name, such as Àth Cliath in East Ayrshire, Scotland, which is Anglicised as Hurlford.
The subsequent Scandinavian settlement centred on the River Poddle, a tributary of the Liffey in an area now known as Wood Quay. The Dubhlinn was a small lake used to moor ships; the Poddle connected the lake with the Liffey. This lake was covered during the early 18th century as the city grew. The Dubhlinn lay where the Castle Garden is now located, opposite the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle. Táin Bó Cuailgne ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley") refers to Dublind rissa ratter Áth Cliath, meaning "Dublin, which is called Ath Cliath".
Middle Ages
Dublin was established as a Viking settlement in the 10th century and, despite a number of rebellions by the native Irish, it remained largely under Viking control until the Norman invasion of Ireland was launched from Wales in 1169.[17]The King of Leinster, Diarmait Mac Murchada, enlisted the help of Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke, to conquer Dublin. Following Mac Murrough's death, Strongbow declared himself King of Leinster after gaining control of the city. In response to Strongbow's successful invasion, King Henry II of England reaffirmed his sovereignty by mounting a larger invasion in 1171 and pronounced himself Lord of Ireland.[18] Around this time, the county of the City of Dublin was established along with certain liberties adjacent to the city proper. This continued down to 1840 when the barony of Dublin City was separated from the barony of Dublin. Since 2001, both baronies have been redesignated the City of Dublin.
Dublin Castle, which became the centre of Norman power in Ireland, was founded in 1204 as a major defensive work on the orders of King John of England.[19] Following the appointment of the first Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1229, the city expanded and had a population of 8,000 by the end of the 13th century. Dublin prospered as a trade centre, despite an attempt by King Robert I of Scotland to capture the city in 1317.[18] It remained a relatively small walled medieval town during the 14th century and was under constant threat from the surrounding native clans. In 1348, the Black Death, a lethal plague which had ravaged Europe, took hold in Dublin and killed thousands over the following decade.[20][21]
Dublin was incorporated into the English Crownas the Pale, which was a narrow strip of English settlement along the eastern seaboard. The Tudor conquest of Ireland in the 16th century spelt a new era for Dublin, with the city enjoying a renewed prominence as the centre of administrative rule in Ireland. Determined to make Dublin a Protestant city, Queen Elizabeth I of England established Trinity College in 1592 as a solely Protestant university and ordered that the Catholic St. Patrick's and Christ Church cathedrals be converted to Protestant.[22]
The city had a population of 21,000 in 1640 before a plague in 1649–51 wiped out almost half of the city's inhabitants. However, the city prospered again soon after as a result of the wool and linen trade with England, reaching a population of over 50,000 in 1700.
Early Modern
As the city continued to prosper during the 18th century, Georgian Dublin became, for a short period, the second largest city of the British Empire and the fifth largest city in Europe, with the population exceeding 130,000. The vast majority of Dublin's most notable architecture dates from this period, such as the Four Courtsand the Custom House. Temple Bar and Grafton Street are two of the few remaining areas that were not affected by the wave of Georgian reconstruction and maintained their medieval character.
Dublin grew even more dramatically during the 18th century, with the construction of many famous districts and buildings, such as Merrion Square, Parliament House and the Royal Exchange.[22] The Wide Streets Commissionwas established in 1757 at the request of Dublin Corporation to govern architectural standards on the layout of streets, bridges and buildings. In 1759, the founding of the Guinness brewery resulted in a considerable economic gain for the city. For much of the time since its foundation, the brewery was Dublin's largest employer.
Late Modern
Dublin suffered a period of political and economic decline during the 19th century following the Act of Union of 1800, under which the seat of government was transferred to the Westminster Parliament in London. The city played no major role in the Industrial Revolution, but remained the centre of administration and a transport hub for most of the island. Ireland had no significant sources of coal, the fuel of the time, and Dublin was not a centre of ship manufacturing, the other main driver of industrial development in Britain and Ireland. Belfast developed faster than Dublin during this period on a mixture of international trade, factory-based linen cloth production and shipbuilding.
The Easter Rising of 1916, the Irish War of Independence, and the subsequent Irish Civil War resulted in a significant amount of physical destruction in central Dublin. The Government of the Irish Free State rebuilt the city centre and located the new parliament, the Oireachtas, in Leinster House. Since the beginning of Normanrule in the 12th century, the city has functioned as the capital in varying geopolitical entities: Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541), Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1800), island as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), and the Irish Republic (1919–1922). Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, it became the capital of the Irish Free State(1922–1937) and now is the capital of Ireland. One of the memorials to commemorate that time is the Garden of Remembrance.
Dublin was also victim to the Northern IrishTroubles. While during this 30 year conflict, violence mainly engulfed Northern Ireland. However, the Provisional IRA drew a lot of support from the Republic, specifically Dublin. This caused a Loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force to bomb the city. The most notable of atrocities carried out by loyalists during this time was the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in which 34 people died, mainly in Dublin itself.
Since 1997, the landscape of Dublin has changed immensely. The city was at the forefront of Ireland's rapid economic expansion during the Celtic Tiger period, with enormous private sector and state development of housing, transport and business.