View allAll Photos Tagged Realization
I have come to the realization that the intense stare from a gorilla is really quite scary!!!!
This Momma Gorilla and her oh so gorgeous baby gave us the most vicious looking stare I'd seen from an animal... perhaps its was because they were behind the wall and not the other way round.....
Another shot from Belfast Zoo in the summer. I particularly liked the result of this shot, even though Momma is out of focus, you can still make out her disapproving frown :)
I'm apologising to you all for not having time to comment on your photos of late... and I'm afraid I won't get a chance until after Christmas... I do want to thank you all for the wonderful support and appreciation you have for my work.
I will get another couple of photos up before Christmas (hopefully a few seasonal ones) and will wish you all a merry Christmas then... For today (unfortunately I'm at work) I hope you all have a great Saturday and a stress free weekend :)
Hey, Little One...I can't lie. I'm terrified to be your mom. There is so much I need to learn about raising you from within my womb until you are an adult. But I'm willing to try and I'm ready to meet you.
this was another quicky.. was so exhausted last night and fell asleep early.
this past week has been really hard with my son's tantrums.. and we are trying to figure out how to help him work through his emotions and find some peace. so we have made some changes.. limiting tv time.. and making sure there is no violence in any programs.. my fault for not recognizing that 'kung fu panda' might have been too much for him. i feel so horribly for that because he really liked it..but it is majorly violent.
i believe that much of sickness and disease can come from not properly working through our emotions.. when we stuff things inside they can end up doing physical and emotional damage.. and with the little ones, they might not even know what they are feeling and many things are overwhelming. lesson learned but i feel like an idiot!
:(
Sometimes, some people think to be so much important that they are sure to be waited for indefinitely.
Hasselblad 500C/M + Zeiss Planar 80mm f/2.8 + Ilford FP4 125 (expired since 1983) + Ilford ID-11 + Epson V700 Scan (No photoshop except from dust)
Bruno Servant © All rights reserved - Downloading and using images without permission is illegal. PoissonSoluble92@hotmail.fr
During Andared's journey north, he discovered that the war had ended. This pleased Andared, all the more so when he found out that the Loreesi were going to pay war damages in in recompense for their actions. He was so happy, in fact, that he decided to ride to the northern coast of Lenfald to watch the sun set, his anxiety relieved at last.
What he saw when he arrived, he would never forget. Freshly dug, the graves of three Lenfel soldiers lay before him. They faced away from the sea and her cliffs. The soldier's swords lay across their graves, while a solitary flag flew above them.
Andared fell to his knees, and wept.
Before him, lay the true picture of war. There was no glory in it. No fame. The hollow victory they had "won" was lying six feet in the ground.
Andared's hands shook as he imagined the hundreds of scattered graves that these represented. The men and women who had given their lives in a meaningless war. A war that had changed nothing other than leaving a king and hundreds of his subjects in graves.
His thoughts turned to the Loreesi. His immediate reaction was anger, hatred. Then he saw the faces of the men he had slaughtered just a day before. One by one, their bloodied and horror-stricken faces danced before him. These men had been no threat to him. Had they been given the choice all of them would have surrendered. But instead, they were brutally murdered. He had laid aside mercy and callously ordered their execution.
More tears streamed down Andared's face as he thought of the wives who would never see their husbands. The mothers who would have to answer the fatherless children who begged to know "Why?".
Trembling, Andared raised his head toward heaven and cried out.
"Forgive me! I who could not show grace, beg to receive it. All I could see in them was evil and murder. Now I realize, I was the murderer. I beg you, forgive me!"
But the silent graves could not reply...
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My entry to the Local Challenge Contest 8 in the Lenfald faction.
I've come to the realization that unlike many 100 strangers project photographers, I can't go out with my goal being to seek subjects. Must not be my style. Strangers just kind of show up while I have my camera and I get a picture. It will probably take me a long time to finish this project....
That said... I was in the small park by my house and saw Jim hanging out on a bench talking with a friend. I started chatting with them and discovered that Jim is a volunteer at the Teton Raptor Center. The TRC takes in injured hawks, falcons, eagles etc. and nurses them back to health to hopefully release them back to their native habitat. Those that can't return to the wild find homes at the TRC, are well taken care of and become models for educational programs with schools and the public.
I learned a little about Jim but more about the Raptor Center. You can learn more about the Raptor Center at www.tetonraptorcenter.org
find out more about the 100 strangers project and see pictures from other photographers at www.100strangers.com
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Being social and ignoring what's in front of me will never give me happiness. I need to take the time to acknowledge and enjoy the influences in my life that gives me satisfaction. I think being there - walking through the grown-in pathways and searching in the thick brush for something insignificant... it made me realize that everything is "insignificant", and I need to accept that, no matter how unsettling that is. And yet, the sun on my back seemed so satisfying.
(c) Kayla Burton
Do not use without my permission.
6:45 A.M., February 21, 2015, I looked out my window in Troy, New York, USA, to check the weather. Snow is expected, by mid-afternoon, & I wanted to see if it would come early & disrupt my plans, yet again. What I hadn't realized is that, for the sake of preserving my privacy (closed shades until I'm up & dressed), I've been depriving myself of sunrises, ever since I moved into my apartment! What a lovely surprise, this morning!
"Brothers and sisters: FAITH is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1
"We walk by FAITH, not by sight" ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7.
MEDITATION
"FAITH is an entirely free gift which God makes to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Believing and Trusting in God to act in our lives is only possible by the Grace and Help of the Holy Spirit who moves the heart and converts it to God. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the mind and helps us to Understand, Accept, and Believe God's word. How do we grow in FAITH? By listening to God's word with Trust and Submission. FAITH also grows through Testing and Perseverance. The Lord wants to teach us how to pray in FAITH for His will for our lives and for the things He wishes to give us to enable us to follow Him FAITHfully and serve Him generously. "
#prayer and excerpt #meditation from today’s scripture reflection @ www.DailyScripture.Net or APP at Daily Scripture Servants of the Word
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THE NECESSITY OF FAITH
CCC161 Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent Him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation. "Since "without FAITH it is impossible to please [God]" and to attain to the fellowship of His sons, therefore without FAITH no one has ever attained justification, nor will anyone obtain Eternal Life 'But he who endures to the end.'"
FAITH - the beginning of eternal life
CCC164 Now, however, "we walk by FAITH, not by sight"; we perceive God as "in a mirror, dimly" and only "in part". Even though enlightened by Him in whom it believes, FAITH is often lived in darkness and can be put to the test. The world we live in often seems very far from the one Promised us by FAITH...
www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/161.htm
www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/164.htm
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ENCYCLICAL LETTER ~ BETWEEN FAITH AND REASON by Saint Pope John Paul II
www.ewtn.com/library/ENCYC/JP2FIDES.HTM
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“Why Faith Matters” - www.thecatholicthing.org/2024/05/01/why-faith-matters/
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Image in use at:
~ www.goodnewspost.net/inspirational-sayings-definition-of-...
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Filename - Faith - DSC_0638 Mtn Layers view toward LA SClNR2 2013
Following the Son...
Blessings,
Sharon 🌻
God's Beauty In Nature is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him...
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Bloggers are welcome to use my artwork with, “Image from Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon under Creative Commons license”, (next to the image or embedded in it) with a link back to the images you use and please let me know in the comment section below, thank you...
#prints availability upon request
Art4TheGlryOfGod Photography by Sharon
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Faith, Hope & Love in daily Art meditations...
X ~ www.twitter.com/Art4ThGlryOfGod
Flickr (complete portfolio) ~ www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/albums/
Fine Art America (canvas, prints & cards) ~ fineartamerica.com/profiles/sharon-soberon
Redbubble (canvas, prints & cards) ~ www.redbubble.com/people/4theglryofgod/shop
Pixoto (awards) ~ www.pixoto.com/4thegloryofgod/awards
Music Videos (from my Art Photography) ~
GA71 Side Event - Leaving No One Behind: Agents of Change for Achieving Goal 5 and the 2030 Agenda during the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. 24 September 2016.
While there are many diverse actors working to implement the 2030 Agenda, the voices and perspectives of those working at the grassroots and local level are central to ensuring that real and inclusive change is made. Women’s civil society and human rights organizations, girls’ activist groups, and men and boys engaged in advancing gender equality at the local level, have a unique role to play in our collective realization of SDG5 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development more broadly.
Through this high-level event Canada, UN Women and other partners are providing a space to promote the important role of these civil society actors and partners as agents of change, in the context of achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by the year 2030.
Speakers, Panelists, Participants Include:
Elizabeth Plank, Moderator; Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Canada; Shahriar Alam, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh; UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; Martin Bille Hermann, State Secretary for Development Policy, Denmark; Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, The Commonwealt; Gary Cohen, Together for Girls Founder; Laure Zonga-Hien, Ministre de la Femme, de la Solidarité nationale et de la Famille, Burkina Faso; Patricia Herdt, OIF; Sister Winifred Doherty, Director, Working Group on Girls; Mervis, Plan International Girl Advocate; Eneless, Plan International Girl Advocate; Aasha, Girl Activist, Working Group on Girls; Dr. Alaa Murabit, Voice of Libyan Women; Ishita Chaudhry, Member, High Level Task Force, International Conference on Population and Development;
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
19 BBY, a few days before the events of Order 66
Jedi General Kloos Gandl and his 36th Land Corps succesufully managed to defeat the Separatist forces on Tavuh system, but their job is not done yet. There are still many droids left on the planets, one of them being Reghaun. The Jedi and Commander CC-1026 "Grel" took one company, a small part of the Corps to help them clear out the planet. They are faced with hours and hours of walking through the forests of the planet meeting droid at every corner.
Jedi General Kloos Gandl is slicing the droid:
Commander CC-1026 "Grel" grabs his attention: "General! We got a huge problem!"
Jedi General Kloos Gandl: "I see it, Grel. Stay calm, we just need to get in cannons' blindspots. Push forward!"
Commander CC-1026 "Grel": "You heard him, troopers, push forward into it's blindspot! Under that droid!"
I am very proud of this MOC. It's the biggest one I've built in a while and very detailed with rocks and plants. The tree and that Octuptarra are here to create a height contrast and keep the whole moc of being flat. I am also very proud of my custom Clones. They look really good and are very cheaply made. I just used paper with my own printed pauldrons, kamas, belts, capes, etc. The helmet decals are made out of paper that is taped to actually sit on the helmet and not fall of. And no, they are not painted black, they are painted in very dark green. Overall I am very proud of the 36th Land Corps, my digital design and LEGO realization. Commander Grel is the one trooper that has his head turned slightly towards General Gandl. He can be distinguished by his 4 green dots on his left chest armor.
Another realization of Multioutlining project.
Light painting image done in Erg-Chebbi (Merzouga, Morocco) while LPWA Morocco meet-up October 2018. More details here youtu.be/vNz1htts-uc
This event was possible because of help from LPWA Morocco Representative Yasmina Cherkaoui @yaslightpainter and sponsorship by Royal Air Maroc, TheArtCompany Gallery (Casablanca), Maroc Telecom, 2M Television (Morocco), Do-It Co, Insitut Francais Casablanca and OCP (Casablanca).
More about Multioutlining technique see here www.lightpainters.com/archive/lpwa/publication/115/index.htm
In the realization of the attic Gaudí adopted an ingenious architectural solution based on the use of so-called catenary arch, which allows an even distribution of loads by eliminating the need for columns, walls and buttresses. The result is an environment that calls to mind a cave, or some say the rib cage of a large animal like a whale.
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Nella realizzazione della soffitta Gaudí adottò una ingegnosa soluzione architettonica basata sull'utilizzo del cosiddetto arco catenario o arco equilibrato, che consente una omogenea distribuzione dei carichi eliminando la necessità di colonne, muri e contrafforti. Il risultato è un ambiente che richiama una caverna, o secondo alcuni la cassa toracica di un grande animale come la balena. In passato vi trovava posto la lavanderia dei condomini mentre oggi ospita un piccolo museo dedicato all'architetto catalano. Due scale a chiocciola collegano i locali della soffitta alla terrazza.
it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Batll%C3%B3#La_soffitta
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Website (wip): picas.cc/
Twitter: twitter.com/supersum30
An Instantiation is a concept in Object Oriented Programming (OOP) - You can create an object with a set of properties that are defined by a Class in a program. When you create a member of a class, it is the instantiation (i.e. realization or creation) of a specific object of that class.
Object (computer science)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In computer science, an object is a location in memory having a value and possibly referenced by an identifier. An object can be a variable, a data structure, or a function. In the class-based object-oriented programming paradigm, "object" refers to a particular instance of a class where the object can be a combination of variables, functions, and data structures. In relational database management, an object can be a table or column, or an association between data and a database entity (such as relating a person's age to a specific person).[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Object-based languages
2 Object-oriented programming
3 Specialized objects
4 Distributed objects
5 Objects and the Semantic Web
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Object-based languages[edit]
Main article: Object-based language
An important distinction in programming languages is the difference between an object-oriented language and an object-based language. A language is usually considered object-based if it includes the basic capabilities for an object: identity, properties, and attributes. A language is considered object-oriented if it is object-based and also has the capability of polymorphism and inheritance. Polymorphism refers to the ability to overload the name of a function with multiple behaviors based on which object(s) are passed to it. Conventional message passing discriminates only on the first object and considers that to be "sending a message" to that object. However, some OOP languages such as Flavors and the Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) enable discriminating on more than the first parameter of the function.[2] Inheritance is the ability to subclass an object class, to create a new class that is a subclass of an existing one and inherits all the data constraints and behaviors of its parents but also changes one or more of them.[3][4]
Object-oriented programming[edit]
Main article: Object-oriented programming
Object-Oriented programming is an approach to designing modular reusable software systems. The object-oriented approach is fundamentally a modelling approach.[5] The object-oriented approach is an evolution of good design practices that go back to the very beginning of computer programming. Object-orientation is simply the logical extension of older techniques such as structured programming and abstract data types. An object is an abstract data type with the addition of polymorphism and inheritance.
Rather than structure programs as code and data an object-oriented system integrates the two using the concept of an "object". An object has state (data) and behavior (code). Objects can correspond to things found in the real world. So for example, a graphics program will have objects such as circle, square, menu. An online shopping system will have objects such as shopping cart, customer, product,. The shopping system will support behaviors such as place order, make payment, and offer discount. The objects are designed as class hierarchies. So for example with the shopping system there might be high level classes such as electronics product, kitchen product, and book. There may be further refinements for example under electronic products: CD Player, DVD player, etc. These classes and subclasses correspond to sets and subsets in mathematical logic.[6][7]
Specialized objects[edit]
An important concept for objects is the design pattern. A design pattern provides a reusable template to address a common problem. The following object descriptions are examples of some of the most common design patterns for objects.[8]
Function object: an object with a single method (in C++, this method would be the function operator, "operator()") that acts much like a function (like a C/C++ pointer to a function).
Immutable object: an object set up with a fixed state at creation time and which does not change afterward.
First-class object: an object that can be used without restriction.
Container: an object that can contain other objects.
Factory object: an object whose purpose is to create other objects.
Metaobject: an object from which other objects can be created (Compare with class, which is not necessarily an object)
Prototype: a specialized metaobject from which other objects can be created by copying
God object: an object that knows too much or does too much. The God object is an example of an anti-pattern.
Singleton object: An object that is the only instance of its class during the lifetime of the program.
Filter object
Distributed objects[edit]
Main article: Distributed object
The object-oriented approach is not just a programming model. It can be used equally well as an interface definition language for distributed systems. The objects in a distributed computing model tend to be larger grained, longer lasting, and more service-oriented than programming objects.
A standard method to package distributed objects is via an Interface Definition Language (IDL). An IDL shields the client of all of the details of the distributed server object. Details such as which computer the object resides on, what programming language it uses, what operating system, and other platform specific issues. The IDL is also usually part of a distributed environment that provides services such as transactions and persistence to all objects in a uniform manner. Two of the most popular standards for distributed objects are the Object Management Group's CORBA standard and Microsoft's DCOM.[9]
In addition to distributed objects, a number of other extensions to the basic concept of an object have been proposed to enable distributed computing:
Protocol objects are components of a protocol stack that enclose network communication within an object-oriented interface.
Replicated objects are groups of distributed objects (called replicas) that run a distributed multi-party protocol to achieve high consistency between their internal states, and that respond to requests in a coordinated way. Examples include fault-tolerant CORBA objects.
Live distributed objects (or simply live objects)[10] generalize the replicated object concept to groups of replicas that might internally use any distributed protocol, perhaps resulting in only a weak consistency between their local states.
Some of these extensions, such as distributed objects and protocol objects, are domain-specific terms for special types of "ordinary" objects used in a certain context (such as remote invocation or protocol composition). Others, such as replicated objects and live distributed objects, are more non-standard, in that they abandon the usual case that an object resides in a single location at a time, and apply the concept to groups of entities (replicas) that might span across multiple locations, might have only weakly consistent state, and whose membership might dynamically change.
Objects and the Semantic Web[edit]
The Semantic Web is essentially a distributed objects framework. Two key technologies in the Semantic Web are the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and the Resource Description Framework (RDF). RDF provides the capability to define basic objects—names, properties, attributes, relations—that are accessible via the Internet. OWL adds a richer object model, based on set theory, that provides additional modeling capabilities such as multiple inheritance.
OWL objects are not like standard large grained distributed objects accessed via an Interface Definition Language. Such an approach would not be appropriate for the Internet because the Internet is constantly evolving and standardization on one set of interfaces is difficult to achieve. OWL objects tend to be similar to the kind of objects used to define application domain models in programming languages such as Java and C++.
However, there are important distinctions between OWL objects and traditional object-oriented programming objects. Where as traditional objects get compiled into static hierarchies usually with single inheritance, OWL objects are dynamic. An OWL object can change its structure at run time and can become an instance of new or different classes.
Another critical difference is the way the model treats information that is currently not in the system. Programming objects and most database systems use the "closed-world assumption". If a fact is not known to the system that fact is assumed to be false. Semantic Web objects use the open world assumption, a statement is only considered false if there is actual relevant information that it is false, otherwise it is assumed to be unknown, neither true nor false.
OWL objects are actually most like objects in artificial intelligence frame languages such as KL-ONE and Loom.
The following table contrasts traditional objects from Object-Oriented programming languages such as Java or C++ with Semantic Web Objects:[11][12]
OOP ObjectsSemantic Web Objects
Classes are regarded as types for instances.Classes are regarded as sets of individuals.
Instances can not change their type at runtime.Class membership may change at runtime.
The list of classes is fully known at compile-time and cannot change after that.Classes can be created and changed at runtime.
Compilers are used at build-time. Compile-time errors indicate problems.Reasoners can be used for classification and consistency checking at runtime or build-time.
Classes encode much of their meaning and behavior through imperative functions and methods.Classes make their meaning explicit in terms of OWL statements. No imperative code can be attached.
Instances are anonymous insofar that they cannot easily be addressed from outside of an executing program.All named RDF and OWL resources have a unique URI under which they can be referenced.
Closed world: If there is not enough information to prove a statement true, then it is assumed to be false.Open world: If there is not enough information to prove a statement true, then it may be true or false.[13]
I decided to do a photoshoot rather dark in response to an article I read on the net. It spoke of the rape culture in our society. It really made me think and I wanted to recreate that in this series of three Photogallery with Hambleton.
Every once in a while I try something different to break the monotonous habits I form around methods of "making." In this case, digital painting.
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
66-0212 has had quite the career. Built as a HC-130P Combat King rescue support aircraft, it was initially assigned to the 48th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, in 1966. It wasn't there long before it was transferred to Vietnam, where it joined the 38th ARRS at Tan Son Nhut, coordinating rescues of downed airmen in Southeast Asia. 66-0212 was one of two aircraft selected in 1970 for a special mission, one that was kept highly guarded: Operation Kingpin. It wasn't until nearly the day of the operation that 66-0212's crew learned what the target of their mission was: the Son Tay prison camp, not far from Hanoi itself. Though Kingpin was almost perfectly executed, with 66-0212 one of the pathfinder aircraft for the USAF HH-53 Jolly Greens headed for Son Tay, it hit a dry hole: Son Tay's POWs had been moved to another camp due to flooding.
After the Son Tay raid, 66-0212 would remain in Vietnam a bit longer, before returning to the United States, for assignment at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico with the 1550th Air Training and Test Wing; it would be used to train other Combat King crews. The aircraft would remain at Kirtland for the rest of its active duty career, and was converted to a MC-130P Combat Talon in 1996, continuing to train special operations crews as part of the 58th Special Operations Wing. As newer MC-130s arrived, 66-0212 was transferred to the 129th Rescue Wing (California ANG) at Moffett Field until it was retired in 2018. Because of its status as a Son Tay raider, 66-0212 was donated to the Castle Air Museum.
I was a bit surprised to see a MC-130 on display, but Castle has done a nice job in maintaining this historic aircraft. It wears the current camouflage scheme for USAF special operations aircraft.
life just ain't going right for me recently, like it's toying with me. Happiness come & go just like the wind, as always luck is not on my side. Don't even know what to do anymore, time to wake up...
the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.
The realization of a sculpture designed by Leonardo Da Vinci but never created. This copy was sculpted by Nina Akamu. Random tourist for scale.
As planned by Leonardo, the bronze horse is 24 feet (7.3 metres) tall.
+++ 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:
Due to the restrictions of the Versailles treaties, the Reichswehr was already dealing with the increasing mobilization and motorization of the army after the end of the First World War. The realization that the speed of the troop units required appropriate equipment was available early on. However, the Reichswehr suffered from financial constraints and during the Weimar Republic the industry only had limited capacity for series production of larger, armored vehicles.
Nevertheless, at that time the Sd.Kfz. 3 (unarmored half-track transport vehicle/1927), the ARW (eight-wheel car/1928) and the ZRW (ten-wheel car/1928) provided fundamental experience. The findings of these tests and the troop testing with the Sd.Kfz. 3 enabled a more precise specification of the new vehicles to be developed. The "heavy" armored cars were primarily intended for the reconnaissance units of the new armored forces.
The incipient rearmament could only start with a "cheap" solution, though. A three-part armored structure for the chassis of commercially available off-road trucks was developed by the Army Weapons Office, Dept. WaTest 6, in cooperation with the company Deutsche Eisenwerke AG. The typical truck chassis featured front-wheel steering and a driven bogie at the rear (4x6 layout). In June 1929, the companies Magirus, Daimler-Benz and Büssing-NAG were commissioned to develop the desired armored car from it. If you consider that this truck class was developed for a payload of 1.5t, you can already conclude from this that the vehicles, which are now equipped with a significantly heavy armored structure, had little off-road mobility. Even if the appearance of the vehicles supplied by the different manufacturers was similar, there were external distinguishing features by which the manufacturer could be identified. The vehicles were tested in the Reichswehr from 1932 and introduced later.
One of the four crew members (driver, commander, gunner, radio-operator) was used as a reverse driver: with the narrow streets of the time and a turning circle of between 13 and 16m, this function was essential for a truck-sized heavy reconnaissance vehicle. The chassis had the excellent ladder-type configuration, able to withstand the stress of rough rides at high speed. The scout car was 5570 mm long, 1820 mm wide, 2250 mm high and weighed 5.35, 5.7 or 6 tons, depending on the manufacturer. The hull was made of welded steel armor, 5 to 14.5 mm (0.2-0.57 in) thick depending on the angle (bottom to front) with well-sloped plates. The armament consisted of a 2 cm KwK 30 with 200 rounds and a MG 13 with 1300 rounds in a manually operated turret. The fuel supply was 90, 105 or 110 liters, but with a consumption of about 35 or 40 liters per 100 km, this resulted in a completely inadequate range for a scout car.
Having no true alternatives at hand, the armored 4x6 car was accepted and became known as the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-wheel), and it was subsequently developed into two more vehicles. Up until 1937, 123 vehicles were built as Sd.Kfz. 231 reconnaissance cars and Sd.Kfz. 232 radio trucks. A further 28 were manufactured as Sd.Kfz. 263 (Panzerfunkwagen) command vehicles.
As early as 1932, after testing the pilot series, it was clear that the interim solution of "cheap" 6-wheel vehicles would not meet the future requirements of the armored divisions now planned. It was planned that from 1935/36 at least 18 vehicles of a new type that would meet the requirements for off-road mobility and high road speeds should be produced annually. Büssing-NAG had obviously made a good impression with the ARW and was now commissioned to make the revised vehicle ready for series production, which would become the SdKfz. 231 (8-Rad). The overall concept was completed between 1934 and 1935 and already showed all the features of the future type: all 8 wheels driven and steered, the same speed forwards and backwards, ability to change direction in less than 10 seconds, and a turning circle of "only" 10.5m. The vehicle layout was changed, too: the engine bay was relocated to the rear, the crew compartment was placed at the front end. This improved weight distribution, handling, and the field of view for the main forward driver.
The purpose of the new vehicles was identical to that of the earlier heavy 6-wheel vehicles, they were used on the same sites and so the same ordnance inventory designation was adopted, despite the vehicle’s many modifications. The so-called Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) was armed, corresponding to its 6-Rad counterpart, with a 2cm KwK 30 and the MG 13 (later MG 34) in a rotating turret. Likewise, the Sd.Kfz. 232 (8-Rad) carried a large, curved bow antenna, and there was a Sd.Kfz. 263 (8-Rad) command vehicle, too.
Nevertheless, the Army Weapons Office demanded a short-term solution for a vehicle based on the 4x6 chassis that offered better off-road performance and armament, namely a 37 mm anti-tank gun, with at least comparable range and armor protection. This interim vehicle was supposed to be ready for service in early 1934. Magirus accepted the challenge and proposed the Sd.Kfz. 241, a 4x8 vehicle. It retained the old overall 6-Rad layout with the front engine under a long bonnet, but it had a fourth steered axle added to lower ground pressure and improve the vehicle’s trench bridging capabilities. The powered two rear axles retained the 6-Rad’s twin wheels, so that the vehicle stood on a total of twelve tires with a relatively large footprint. The armored hull was very similar to the Sd.Kfz. 231 6-Rad, but carried a new, bigger turret with a 3.7 cm KwK 30 L/45 gun and an axis-parallel 7.92 mm MG 34 light machine gun.
The box-shaped turret exploited the hull’s width to the maximum and had a maximum armor of 15 mm, no base and the seat of the commander was attached to the tower wall. The commander sat elevated under a raised cupola in the rear section of the turret, just behind the main gun. He had five viewing slits protected by glass blocks and steel slides for all-round visibility. The gunner/loader, standing to the left of the main gun, had to constantly follow the movement of the turret, which was done by hand. In order to support the gunner when slewing the turret, the commander had an additional handle on the right side. The two crew members also had a turret position indicator.
The cannon was fired electrically via a trigger, the machine gun was operated mechanically with a pedal. To aim and view the outside, the gunner had a gun sight to the left of the gun with an opening in the gun mantlet. Standard access to the vehicle was through low double-doors in the vehicle’ flank, but side exit openings in the turret with two flaps each were also frequently used to board it. Another entry was through the commander cupola’s lid.
With all this extra hardware, the Sd.Kfz. 241’s overall weight rose considerably from the late Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) nearly 6 tons to 7.5 tons. As a consequence, the chassis had to be reinforced and a more powerful engine was used, a 6-cylinder Maybach HL 42 TRKM w carburetor gasoline engine with 4170 cc capacity and 100 hp (74 kW) output at 3000 rpm.
As expected, the Sd.Kfz. 241 was not a success. Even though the first vehicles were delivered in time in mid-1934, its operational value was rather limited. Off-road capability was, due to the extra weight, the raised center of gravity and the lack of all-wheel drive, just as bad as the 6-Rad vehicles, and the more powerful engine’s higher fuel consumption allowed neither higher range, despite bigger fuel tanks, nor a better street performance. The only real progress was the new 3.7 cm KwK 30’s firepower, which was appreciated by the crews, even though the weapon was only effective against armored targets at close range. At 100 m, 64 mm of vertical armor could be penetrated, but at 500 m this already dropped to 31 mm, any angle in the armor weakened its hitting power even further. The weapon’s maximum range was 5.000m, though, and with HE rounds the Sd.Kfz. 241 could provide indirect fire support. Another factor that limited the vehicle’s effectiveness was that the gun had to be operated by a single crew member who had to load and aim at the same time – there was simply not enough space for a separate loader who would also have increased the gun’s rate of fire from six to maybe twelve rounds per minute. The vehicle’s armor was also inadequate and only gave protection against light firearms, but not against machine guns or heavier weapons. On the other side, the cupola on top of the turret offered the commander in his elevated position a very good all-round field of view, even when under full protection – but this progressive detail was not adopted for the following armored reconnaissance vehicles and remained exclusive to German battle tanks.
Only a total of fifty-five Sd.Kfz. 241s were completed by Magirus in Cologne until 1936, when production of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) vehicle family started and soon replaced the Sd.Kfz. 241, which was primarily operated at the Eastern Front in Poland and Czechoslovakia. By 1940, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left in any frontline army unit, but a few survivors were grouped together and handed over to police units. Their main gun was either completely deleted or sometimes replaced with a second machine gun, and they were used for urban patrols and riot control duties. However, by 1942, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left over.
Specifications:
Crew: Four (commander, gunner, driver, radio operator/rear driver)
Weight: 7.5 tons (11.450 lb)
Length: 5,85 metres (19 ft 2 in)
Width: 2,20 metres (7 ft 2 ½ in)
Height: 2,78 metres (9 ft 1 in)
Ground clearance: 28.5 cm (10 in)
Suspension: Torsion bar and leaf springs
Fuel capacity: 150 litres (33 imp gal; 40 US gal)
Armor:
8–15 mm (0.31 – 0.6 in)
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 70 km/h (43.5 mph)
52 km/h (32.3 mph) backwards
Operational range: 250 km (155 miles)
Power/weight: 13 PS/ton
Engine:
Maybach HL42 TRKM water-cooled straight 6-cylinder petrol engine with 100 hp (74 kW),
driving the rear pair of axles
Transmission:
Maybach gearbox with 5-speed forward and 4-speed reverse
Armament:
1× 37 mm KwK 30 L/45 cannon with 70 rounds
1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun mounted co-axially with 1.300 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
This fictional armored car was inspired by a leftover rear axles from an Italeri Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) model that I converted into a fictional half-track variant some time ago. I wondered if the set could be transplanted under an 8-Rad chassis, to create a kind of missing link to the 8x8 successors of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) with a total of twelve tires on four axles.
The basis became a First to Fight 1:72 Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) kit – a rather simple and robust affair, apparently primarily intended for tabletop purposes. But the overall impression is good, and it would be modified, anyway, even though the plastic turned out to be rather soft/waxy and the parts’ sprue attachment points a bit wacky.
The hull was “turned around” to drive backwards, so that its rear engine ended up in the front. I eventually only used the rear twin wheels from the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad), but not its single axles and laminated springs. Instead, I first cut the OOB mudguards in two halves, removed their side skirts and glued them onto the lower hull in reversed order, so that the exhausts and their muffler boxes would end up at the rear of the front fenders. With these in place I checked the axles’ position from the OOB ladder chassis, which is a single, integral part, and found that the rear axles’ position had to be moved by 2mm backwards. Cutting the original piece and re-arranging it was easier to scratch a new rear suspension, and the rocker bars had to be shortened to accept the wider twin wheels.
The original small turret with the 20 mm autocannon was deleted and replaced with core elements from a Panzer III turret, left over from previous conversion projects. Wider than any original turret of the Sd.Kfz. 231/232 family, it had to be narrowed by roughly 5mm – I had to cut a respective plug from the turret’s and the mantlet’s middle section, the deformed hatch was covered under a Panzer III commander cupola. To mate the re-arranged turret with the OOB adapter plate to mount it onto the hull, and to add overall stability to the construction, I filled the interior with 2C putty.
The typical storage bin at the turret’s rear was omitted, though, it would have made it too large for the compact truck chassis. The shape was a perfect stylistic match, even though, with the longer gun barrel, the vehicle reminds a lot of the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car?
Most small details like the bumpers and the headlights were taken OOB, I added a whip antenna base at the rear and mounted two spare wheels at the back, one of them covered with a tarpaulin (made from paper tissue drenched with white glue, this was also used to create the gun mantlet seals).
Painting and markings:
Typical for German vehicles from the early WWII stages the Sd.Kfz. 241 was painted Panzergrau (RAL 7021; I used Humbrol 67, which is authentic, but mixed it with some 125 to create a slightly lighter shade of grey) overall - quite dull, but realistic. To make the vehicle look more interesting, though, I added authentic contemporary camouflage in the form of low-contrast blotches with RAL 8017, a very dark reddish brown, mixed from Humbrol 160 and some 98. Better, but IMHO still not enough.
After the model received a washing with highly thinned red-brown acrylic artist paint I applied the few decals and gave the parts an overall dry-brushing treatment with grey and dark earth. Everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish. For even more “excitement”, I decided to add a coat of snow.
For the simulated “frosting” I used white tile grout – which has the benefits of being water-soluble, quite sturdy to touch and the material does not yellow over time like gypsum.
First, the wheels, the chassis and the inside of the wheel arches received a separate treatment with relatively dryly mixed tile grout, simulating snow and dirt clusters. Once thoroughly dried, the wheels were mounted. Then the model was sprayed with low surface tension water and loose tile grout was drizzled over hull and turret, creating a flaky coat of fake snow. Once dry again, everything received another coat of matt acrylic varnish to protect and fixate everything further.
A relatively quick build, done in a few days. The First to Fight kit is very simple and went together well, but I’d use something else the next time due to the odd material it was molded with. The outcome of an 4x8 scout car looks quite plausible, though, like the missing link between the Sd.Kfz. 231 and 232 – the unintended similarity with the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car was a bit surprising, though. And the snow on the model eventually makes it look a bit more interesting, the stunt was worth the effort.
+++ 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:
Due to the restrictions of the Versailles treaties, the Reichswehr was already dealing with the increasing mobilization and motorization of the army after the end of the First World War. The realization that the speed of the troop units required appropriate equipment was available early on. However, the Reichswehr suffered from financial constraints and during the Weimar Republic the industry only had limited capacity for series production of larger, armored vehicles.
Nevertheless, at that time the Sd.Kfz. 3 (unarmored half-track transport vehicle/1927), the ARW (eight-wheel car/1928) and the ZRW (ten-wheel car/1928) provided fundamental experience. The findings of these tests and the troop testing with the Sd.Kfz. 3 enabled a more precise specification of the new vehicles to be developed. The "heavy" armored cars were primarily intended for the reconnaissance units of the new armored forces.
The incipient rearmament could only start with a "cheap" solution, though. A three-part armored structure for the chassis of commercially available off-road trucks was developed by the Army Weapons Office, Dept. WaTest 6, in cooperation with the company Deutsche Eisenwerke AG. The typical truck chassis featured front-wheel steering and a driven bogie at the rear (4x6 layout). In June 1929, the companies Magirus, Daimler-Benz and Büssing-NAG were commissioned to develop the desired armored car from it. If you consider that this truck class was developed for a payload of 1.5t, you can already conclude from this that the vehicles, which are now equipped with a significantly heavy armored structure, had little off-road mobility. Even if the appearance of the vehicles supplied by the different manufacturers was similar, there were external distinguishing features by which the manufacturer could be identified. The vehicles were tested in the Reichswehr from 1932 and introduced later.
One of the four crew members (driver, commander, gunner, radio-operator) was used as a reverse driver: with the narrow streets of the time and a turning circle of between 13 and 16m, this function was essential for a truck-sized heavy reconnaissance vehicle. The chassis had the excellent ladder-type configuration, able to withstand the stress of rough rides at high speed. The scout car was 5570 mm long, 1820 mm wide, 2250 mm high and weighed 5.35, 5.7 or 6 tons, depending on the manufacturer. The hull was made of welded steel armor, 5 to 14.5 mm (0.2-0.57 in) thick depending on the angle (bottom to front) with well-sloped plates. The armament consisted of a 2 cm KwK 30 with 200 rounds and a MG 13 with 1300 rounds in a manually operated turret. The fuel supply was 90, 105 or 110 liters, but with a consumption of about 35 or 40 liters per 100 km, this resulted in a completely inadequate range for a scout car.
Having no true alternatives at hand, the armored 4x6 car was accepted and became known as the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-wheel), and it was subsequently developed into two more vehicles. Up until 1937, 123 vehicles were built as Sd.Kfz. 231 reconnaissance cars and Sd.Kfz. 232 radio trucks. A further 28 were manufactured as Sd.Kfz. 263 (Panzerfunkwagen) command vehicles.
As early as 1932, after testing the pilot series, it was clear that the interim solution of "cheap" 6-wheel vehicles would not meet the future requirements of the armored divisions now planned. It was planned that from 1935/36 at least 18 vehicles of a new type that would meet the requirements for off-road mobility and high road speeds should be produced annually. Büssing-NAG had obviously made a good impression with the ARW and was now commissioned to make the revised vehicle ready for series production, which would become the SdKfz. 231 (8-Rad). The overall concept was completed between 1934 and 1935 and already showed all the features of the future type: all 8 wheels driven and steered, the same speed forwards and backwards, ability to change direction in less than 10 seconds, and a turning circle of "only" 10.5m. The vehicle layout was changed, too: the engine bay was relocated to the rear, the crew compartment was placed at the front end. This improved weight distribution, handling, and the field of view for the main forward driver.
The purpose of the new vehicles was identical to that of the earlier heavy 6-wheel vehicles, they were used on the same sites and so the same ordnance inventory designation was adopted, despite the vehicle’s many modifications. The so-called Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) was armed, corresponding to its 6-Rad counterpart, with a 2cm KwK 30 and the MG 13 (later MG 34) in a rotating turret. Likewise, the Sd.Kfz. 232 (8-Rad) carried a large, curved bow antenna, and there was a Sd.Kfz. 263 (8-Rad) command vehicle, too.
Nevertheless, the Army Weapons Office demanded a short-term solution for a vehicle based on the 4x6 chassis that offered better off-road performance and armament, namely a 37 mm anti-tank gun, with at least comparable range and armor protection. This interim vehicle was supposed to be ready for service in early 1934. Magirus accepted the challenge and proposed the Sd.Kfz. 241, a 4x8 vehicle. It retained the old overall 6-Rad layout with the front engine under a long bonnet, but it had a fourth steered axle added to lower ground pressure and improve the vehicle’s trench bridging capabilities. The powered two rear axles retained the 6-Rad’s twin wheels, so that the vehicle stood on a total of twelve tires with a relatively large footprint. The armored hull was very similar to the Sd.Kfz. 231 6-Rad, but carried a new, bigger turret with a 3.7 cm KwK 30 L/45 gun and an axis-parallel 7.92 mm MG 34 light machine gun.
The box-shaped turret exploited the hull’s width to the maximum and had a maximum armor of 15 mm, no base and the seat of the commander was attached to the tower wall. The commander sat elevated under a raised cupola in the rear section of the turret, just behind the main gun. He had five viewing slits protected by glass blocks and steel slides for all-round visibility. The gunner/loader, standing to the left of the main gun, had to constantly follow the movement of the turret, which was done by hand. In order to support the gunner when slewing the turret, the commander had an additional handle on the right side. The two crew members also had a turret position indicator.
The cannon was fired electrically via a trigger, the machine gun was operated mechanically with a pedal. To aim and view the outside, the gunner had a gun sight to the left of the gun with an opening in the gun mantlet. Standard access to the vehicle was through low double-doors in the vehicle’ flank, but side exit openings in the turret with two flaps each were also frequently used to board it. Another entry was through the commander cupola’s lid.
With all this extra hardware, the Sd.Kfz. 241’s overall weight rose considerably from the late Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) nearly 6 tons to 7.5 tons. As a consequence, the chassis had to be reinforced and a more powerful engine was used, a 6-cylinder Maybach HL 42 TRKM w carburetor gasoline engine with 4170 cc capacity and 100 hp (74 kW) output at 3000 rpm.
As expected, the Sd.Kfz. 241 was not a success. Even though the first vehicles were delivered in time in mid-1934, its operational value was rather limited. Off-road capability was, due to the extra weight, the raised center of gravity and the lack of all-wheel drive, just as bad as the 6-Rad vehicles, and the more powerful engine’s higher fuel consumption allowed neither higher range, despite bigger fuel tanks, nor a better street performance. The only real progress was the new 3.7 cm KwK 30’s firepower, which was appreciated by the crews, even though the weapon was only effective against armored targets at close range. At 100 m, 64 mm of vertical armor could be penetrated, but at 500 m this already dropped to 31 mm, any angle in the armor weakened its hitting power even further. The weapon’s maximum range was 5.000m, though, and with HE rounds the Sd.Kfz. 241 could provide indirect fire support. Another factor that limited the vehicle’s effectiveness was that the gun had to be operated by a single crew member who had to load and aim at the same time – there was simply not enough space for a separate loader who would also have increased the gun’s rate of fire from six to maybe twelve rounds per minute. The vehicle’s armor was also inadequate and only gave protection against light firearms, but not against machine guns or heavier weapons. On the other side, the cupola on top of the turret offered the commander in his elevated position a very good all-round field of view, even when under full protection – but this progressive detail was not adopted for the following armored reconnaissance vehicles and remained exclusive to German battle tanks.
Only a total of fifty-five Sd.Kfz. 241s were completed by Magirus in Cologne until 1936, when production of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) vehicle family started and soon replaced the Sd.Kfz. 241, which was primarily operated at the Eastern Front in Poland and Czechoslovakia. By 1940, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left in any frontline army unit, but a few survivors were grouped together and handed over to police units. Their main gun was either completely deleted or sometimes replaced with a second machine gun, and they were used for urban patrols and riot control duties. However, by 1942, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left over.
Specifications:
Crew: Four (commander, gunner, driver, radio operator/rear driver)
Weight: 7.5 tons (11.450 lb)
Length: 5,85 metres (19 ft 2 in)
Width: 2,20 metres (7 ft 2 ½ in)
Height: 2,78 metres (9 ft 1 in)
Ground clearance: 28.5 cm (10 in)
Suspension: Torsion bar and leaf springs
Fuel capacity: 150 litres (33 imp gal; 40 US gal)
Armor:
8–15 mm (0.31 – 0.6 in)
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 70 km/h (43.5 mph)
52 km/h (32.3 mph) backwards
Operational range: 250 km (155 miles)
Power/weight: 13 PS/ton
Engine:
Maybach HL42 TRKM water-cooled straight 6-cylinder petrol engine with 100 hp (74 kW),
driving the rear pair of axles
Transmission:
Maybach gearbox with 5-speed forward and 4-speed reverse
Armament:
1× 37 mm KwK 30 L/45 cannon with 70 rounds
1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun mounted co-axially with 1.300 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
This fictional armored car was inspired by a leftover rear axles from an Italeri Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) model that I converted into a fictional half-track variant some time ago. I wondered if the set could be transplanted under an 8-Rad chassis, to create a kind of missing link to the 8x8 successors of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) with a total of twelve tires on four axles.
The basis became a First to Fight 1:72 Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) kit – a rather simple and robust affair, apparently primarily intended for tabletop purposes. But the overall impression is good, and it would be modified, anyway, even though the plastic turned out to be rather soft/waxy and the parts’ sprue attachment points a bit wacky.
The hull was “turned around” to drive backwards, so that its rear engine ended up in the front. I eventually only used the rear twin wheels from the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad), but not its single axles and laminated springs. Instead, I first cut the OOB mudguards in two halves, removed their side skirts and glued them onto the lower hull in reversed order, so that the exhausts and their muffler boxes would end up at the rear of the front fenders. With these in place I checked the axles’ position from the OOB ladder chassis, which is a single, integral part, and found that the rear axles’ position had to be moved by 2mm backwards. Cutting the original piece and re-arranging it was easier to scratch a new rear suspension, and the rocker bars had to be shortened to accept the wider twin wheels.
The original small turret with the 20 mm autocannon was deleted and replaced with core elements from a Panzer III turret, left over from previous conversion projects. Wider than any original turret of the Sd.Kfz. 231/232 family, it had to be narrowed by roughly 5mm – I had to cut a respective plug from the turret’s and the mantlet’s middle section, the deformed hatch was covered under a Panzer III commander cupola. To mate the re-arranged turret with the OOB adapter plate to mount it onto the hull, and to add overall stability to the construction, I filled the interior with 2C putty.
The typical storage bin at the turret’s rear was omitted, though, it would have made it too large for the compact truck chassis. The shape was a perfect stylistic match, even though, with the longer gun barrel, the vehicle reminds a lot of the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car?
Most small details like the bumpers and the headlights were taken OOB, I added a whip antenna base at the rear and mounted two spare wheels at the back, one of them covered with a tarpaulin (made from paper tissue drenched with white glue, this was also used to create the gun mantlet seals).
Painting and markings:
Typical for German vehicles from the early WWII stages the Sd.Kfz. 241 was painted Panzergrau (RAL 7021; I used Humbrol 67, which is authentic, but mixed it with some 125 to create a slightly lighter shade of grey) overall - quite dull, but realistic. To make the vehicle look more interesting, though, I added authentic contemporary camouflage in the form of low-contrast blotches with RAL 8017, a very dark reddish brown, mixed from Humbrol 160 and some 98. Better, but IMHO still not enough.
After the model received a washing with highly thinned red-brown acrylic artist paint I applied the few decals and gave the parts an overall dry-brushing treatment with grey and dark earth. Everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish. For even more “excitement”, I decided to add a coat of snow.
For the simulated “frosting” I used white tile grout – which has the benefits of being water-soluble, quite sturdy to touch and the material does not yellow over time like gypsum.
First, the wheels, the chassis and the inside of the wheel arches received a separate treatment with relatively dryly mixed tile grout, simulating snow and dirt clusters. Once thoroughly dried, the wheels were mounted. Then the model was sprayed with low surface tension water and loose tile grout was drizzled over hull and turret, creating a flaky coat of fake snow. Once dry again, everything received another coat of matt acrylic varnish to protect and fixate everything further.
A relatively quick build, done in a few days. The First to Fight kit is very simple and went together well, but I’d use something else the next time due to the odd material it was molded with. The outcome of an 4x8 scout car looks quite plausible, though, like the missing link between the Sd.Kfz. 231 and 232 – the unintended similarity with the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car was a bit surprising, though. And the snow on the model eventually makes it look a bit more interesting, the stunt was worth the effort.
"Here's a sobering thought: what if, at this very moment, I am living
up to my full potential?"
- Jane Wagner
Our first good glimpse of an Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin. When I was a child, I saw a documentary about the friendly dolphins of Western Australia and was captivated. I had seen dolphins from the coast of South Africa, where I grew up, but had not ever come very close to a wild one. It became a “bucket list” dream of mine to see the WA dolphins. 30 years later, I finally got to do it! The dolphins were as gregarious as described. We were fortunate to have the area to ourselves for about 10 minutes, during which time the dolphins curiously swam around and under our kayak, playfully popping up right beside us only to disappear. They “charged” toward us then dove under, showed off their amazing tails and otherwise delighted us. (When motorized boats later appeared, they swam off. Kayaking was definitely the best way to see them.). It was a very emotional moment for me, as dolphins were my favourite animal as a child, and I had longed to be this close to wild ones; the experience was just a dream come true. Special thank you to Jean Hort for recommending Mandurah! It was so worth the visit.
something strange.....is happening to me.....
something more.....than my two eyes can see.....
Johnny Rivers "Realization" 1969
Music from my hippy-psychadelic period.
Ideas living in your mind
hopes growing in your heart
dreams invading your nights and days
thoughts being present in your tears, shrugs and chukcles
The stuff you are made of
Now
materializing
solidifying
corporealizing
The world outside your mind
is mimicing, mirroring, materializing
your idea
As I prepared for my day today, my mind thought reached a realization - it's be a full 10 months since I've photographed a bear! No wonder I've been missing them.
On a trip to the Canadian Rockies to meet up with Jeff Clow's DCPT in Banff, Tom & I went out early to explore other photo opportunities surrounding that area. One of the areas that we found particularly fun for it's uniqueness, was the town of Golden in British Columbia, Canada. There was so much to do there - hiking, mountain biking, paragliding - to name a few. There was also quite a bit of wildlife there, including BEAR! So you know that I was quite the happy camper. Actually even the camping was wonderful, as we slept peacefully in our yurt nearby.
So, one evening when we drove around the town, on the way out, I spotted this black bear along the roadside (which is unusual because normally wildlife is spotted by my personal "wildlife spotter extraordinaire" husband Tom. The black bear was seemingly dining on what appeared to be some grain or oats that got spilled in the gravel along the roadside pull-out. So we pulled over and from the car, I happily snapped away images. Of course, when a car is pulled over with a long lens pointed out the window, many more cars are to follow. Now when I'm the additional car, it's never a problem :-) , but when you have wildlife to yourself, trying to be respectable to their space and signs that they're exhibiting with your presence, when a big rig shows up and activates it's air brakes and positions itself between you and the wildlife, that's an issue... enough said, I won't dwell on it. Back to the story ...
So every time we were either coming or going from the area, must times we spotted a black bear there. Not sure how many there were, but there was more than one based upon size, color, etc. So it became on ritual to stop in on the area and watch or wait for the bears to show up.
In this image, the bigger of the bears had obviously fed enough and was taking a break in the action. As it simply laid down and rested, it would look up at me while I was photographing it. The look in its eyes was such an intriguing look and I couldn't help but wonder what it was thinking. What do you think?
Well, I just had to get my bear fix for the day. My time to visit with the bears and other wildlife (other than birds) are WAY overdue. In a few weeks I'll begin my 30-day countdown to Alaska and for me, it can't come soon enough!
Thanks for stopping by to visit and especially appreciate all of your comments and thoughts. Have a busy day today, so I'll be catching up with your streams as time allows this weekend. Have a great one!