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The Self-Realization Fellowship Encinitas Retreat, Hermitage, and Meditation Gardens is a spiritual retreat, monastic ashram, and meditation gardens in Encinitas, California, United States. Its famous golden lotus towers rise above the white wall along Highway 101 near Swami's Seaside Park.
52 Weeks of 2015
Week No: 5
Theme: From this spot (Season 1) (to be followed with three additional shots from this spot spaced over the year)
Category: ConceptualOur Daily
Challenge: In the Distance
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Sometimes...it's best to keep your mouth shut. Sometimes...you have to realize it's not your problem. Sometimes...when you've rolled your eyes so much that you can no longer see forward...accept that it's time to go back home.
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It is possible to be both perceptive and appreciative at the same time. These two words form an alliance of compassion and without question, all that comes from this realization become treated to nature's greatest offerings. Seeing is believing.
9th February 2013: Animals make for the best of friends at least they are loyal. Sorry for not having been around, still under shock. We deal with life's blows with the weight of time. It's funny how guilt and shame affect even the innocent.
+++ 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.
His job often brings him to the most despicable places. The very places where you expect to find the scum and villainy he is payed to capture: dirty, ugly and dark.
Today the landscape is different.
The day’s last rays of sun bathe his armor as he walks across the remains of the old mining facility.
He can see the sea, just few kilometers away from his current location.
The target is even closer, rummaging the abandoned facility for some valuable item.
This is going to be a quick, after all. He draws his blaster and unsheathes his vibrosword.
It can end only in two ways and he gets paid in both cases…
The amazing, badass Samurai Boba Fett is back in action in the first outdoor photo I ever took of him :)
The action figure is made by Bandai and its full “designation” is Tamashii Nations Movie Realization Ronin Boba Fett.
I hope you like this photo :)
May the Force be with You :)
“A Red Realization” 2019 from the #BurdensOfAWhiteDressProject.
When you wake up, you finally understand that you can never go back to the way things were.
And waking up to the truth of our reality can be the most frightening thing we’ve ever done.
I was 19 when I first told my little sister I wanted to leave the cult we had been raised in. She winced as though I had slapped her across her face. She had been out for a year already, and had weathered incredible amounts of abuse as she fought for her freedom and in the aftermath.
Saying those words out loud to another person was the scariest thing I had ever done. Although my siblings and I had been raised to “report” on each other, it wasn’t that I was afraid of her sharing my secret. It was that I was afraid of my own desire to leave.
It would take me three years from that point. I was sent to multiple re-indoctrination camps, one almost immediately after my confession (and not through any fault of my sisters). I lost my way multiple times. But it was never as scary as that first moment of realization.
And yet I am infinitely grateful for it as well.
What about you? Have you ever woken up to a reality or decision that you hadn’t wanted to face but knew it was the path you needed to take?
Big thank you to @ben_e_photography For naming the photo and for his assistance during the shoot!
Oh don't sulk, darling....it happens to the best of us, and I'm not really making fun of you. In fact, I find your occasional naiveté in these matters positively endearing. 😋
Anyway, though she was concerned about her shoulders and her bra, the story had a happy ending. Her shoulders simply weren't a problem at all, and the bra she had on worked just fine. I simply pulled her straps down and she wore it that way all evening with no trouble. As I told Daisy, she needn't have worried...her Mistress has been there herself many times, and knows just what to do. 😉
[3:32pm]
2008 - Day 25
Ugh. I hate homecoming.
Although this year was alot better. I didn't actually film the whole ceremony thing this year because I finally came to the realization that the money involved would not be worth the effort. Last year I made a little over 200 dollars, which isn't bad money but unfortunatly all of my DVD's at one point or another messed up, which meant I had to deal with pissed off students and the occasional parent demanding an explination as to why the movie went halfway and then stopped. The honest truth is that I have no idea why they work on my Dvd player but not on everyone elses, I sure as hell don't do it on purpose. I think it's the program that I use though. Ulead DVD Workshop is finikey as it is but using their burning software just compounds the problem.
But anyway my point is that I made 200 dollars but put in a solid 48 hours of work on it that means that If I were to give away the copies for free, I would be making roughly 4 dollars an hour. And that amount of time was only a conservative estimate so I probably made even less. I just didn't want to deal with all the hassle of everything going wrong. That happens enough when I'm taking pictures.
But anyway, I'm going to skip ahead to 4th period because nothing intresting happened before that excpet the arrivial of the english teacher's really hot adopted daughter Anna, unfortunatly, even though she looked 16 she was 22 and recently married. Life sucks dosen't it? But anyway, we had a big test in Mrs. Britts math class, and as always I'd msised the day where they did most of the work so I only knew how to do about half of the work. I got through it though, after alot of stress and a little finageling I managed to get it done and turned it in. After the bell had rung of course.
From then until around 1:30 I stayed in the Science lab and talked to Heather and her mom. It's really strange how different Heather is when you talk to her without alot of people around. In a really good way of course. We talked for about 30 minutes in the science lab while we were counting change and tying together all of the suckers that they were going to give away at the Pep Rally and then when 1:30 rolled around, we walked down to the Gym and took pictures. Including one of me with a pom pom on my head looing rather nerdish. If I manage to get ahold of it I'll post it up here because it's really really bad.
The Pep rally was pretty funny actually, the younger girls (5-9) did a really funny version of the "Soulja Boy" (I hope I spelled that right) dance. And the highschool cheerleaders did a very provocative dance to some other rap song, I don't listen to that kind of music so I don't know, but I will tell you one thing, I found out right then that Hannah Inman can seriously dance. I'll leave the details out on that one, just use your imagination.
Anyway, after the pep rally was over and we got the Spirit Stick. Or actually we didn't actually win it but it was given to the senior class out of pitty for our dwindiling numbers. Heather and I were the only people sitting in the bleachers when the cheerleaders did there thing. It was a little wierd that we won. But that was that and after we left I just sat around the science lab and talked to Noah, Sarah and Heather.
I played so me piano afterwards and did what Stephanie said made me look like an old man. I'd just play different songs on the piano and Noah would guess which ones they were. It wasn't really the most fun thing in the world but it really sucked when everybody left and I was stuck alone in the school with nothing to do.
I took this picture during the time between the end of school and the game and yes, I know that I did this pictures a few day's ago but I don't think it turned out as good as It could have, and the girl who's eye I used previously wasn't exactly the ideal subject. But that's just my own opinion, and we all know what opinions are like.
Anyway, I'm actually very happy with this, it took a bit of convincing to get the model to cooperate though. Brooke is a 7th grader who does NOT like having her picture taken so It's always fun to annoy her with the camera. But, like I said I had to make all sorts of promises to get this picture, including a promise to kill somebody at the school, which I don't think I'll be doing. Some of the other things she said she'd do to get me to kill the guy were unsuitable for discussion here but I'm sure you can use you're imagination.
Anyway...
Sarah came back after galavanting around Whiteville with Stephanie for a few hours so I went up to the school after everybody had left and talked to them for about an hour. It was basically an hour of discussing the wierdest topics imaginable, half of the time though we were in the presence of Mr. Gergle which was a little awkward for me but Sarah and Stephanie didn't seem to mind.
They're a little wierd.
6 o'clock rolled around and I was forced to leave the two girls up at the school and go down to the gym to take pictures of the girls prancing around in there dresses. I don't like being forceful with some of these parents but I had to because the honest truth was that I was hired to take pictures of these girls and the parents, as much as I appreciate there wanting to take pictures of there kids, attempted a thousand times to set up their own pictures or try to push me out of the way and take more pictures of their own. They only got away with it once though. I had to ask nicely but forcefully for them to shove off. I don't think that these parents would expect me to be rude in that respect but I had to be, and it worked, they left.
After taking all of the picture for Mrs. Paige I went back to taking pictures of the game. It was pretty much over so I only got a few pictures before Fuller Royal one of the photographers working for the local paper came in and asked me to take some pictures of the Homecoming court so he wouldn't have to stay. I thought it was pretty cool that he trusted me enough to do his job.
What's really awsome is that one of the pictures that I took today is going to be on the front page of the sports page in the NewsReporter on Monday. Which I think is pretty awsome. I've had 5 or 6 pictures that I've taken in the Newspaper but nothing on the front page. So anyway...
Caroline got Queen and Lauren got Princess. Not really any suprise there.
After everything ended mom picked us up and we went home.
I just played on the computer until I got to where I am now. I'm really tired, itst 2 in the morning and Tomorrow I have to get up early and take the SAT, which sucks because had that not been the case I would have been able to go out to eat with Noah and his family.
But there's always next time.
Anyway, I'm out.
ENGLISH :
The realization of this tympanum in the nineteenth century in the Romanesque Revival style, heavily criticized at the outset, however, seems to be a good success. (The former tympanum, was hammered during the Revolution and became almost smooth)
mmm, i feel very *alive* today.
among other things, i've been walking down the stairs backwards, and have been amazed at how rewarding it is.
sound silly, lol? try it (carefully ; )
it very strongly invites you into the present, and as a part of you wonders what the hell you are doing, the other enters the o-so-important sense of *wonder*,,, my favorite door to all the best things of life.
after i experienced the stairs, likely for the first time, i became keenly aware of how many thousands of times i've gone down those stairs. how did i manage to miss the rush i felt today?
the stairs have been the same since i moved in, so it must have been always available to me. i had just been somehow blind to it.
then my thoughts turned to playgrounds. why, exactly do kids like playgrounds? i realized i'd never wondered that before - i'd just wrote it off as one of the many things that 'just is' (a recurring sadness of the adult condition).
the fact is, it's a lot of work to really work a playground - climbing, lifting, pushing, crawling, jumping - and most kids i know do their best to avoid as much work as possible (a recurring genius of the kid condition).
so what is it about that kind of 'work' that is so desirable?
my oldest boy Prevail is 3. he's in that stage where he loves cleaning (yep, cleaning). watching him do the same yesterday, i had a flashback to when i was a little kid following my mom around with my white & blue popper vacuum as she wielded the real thing. i remember feeling a sense of excitement and a little bit of healthy fear of the mysteriously loud and powerful vacuum, jumping quickly away if it came to close.
then of course, you grow up and realize that cleaning isn't fun or exciting at all, it's work (the recurring tragedy of growing up).
so i took my kid to the park and watched him work - which, as the expression on his beautiful face indicated, was definitely playing,,, and so, a realization:
it is not what we do that makes something work or play, exciting or boring, it is the degree to which we are *experiencing* what we are doing.
there is a joy in experiencing that defies the ability to comprehend, but as sure as kids smile, it is there. there are a million perspectives from which to experience each part of life, and each one is an invitation to enter into wonder, growth and joy. sound too good to be true? take a moment to really watch kids at play - it's working for them.
i challenge you to look around the room you're in right now. or go to your living room, look at what is there, choose something and interact with it in a way you never have before. jump off your couch, see how far you can make it. throw a pillow at your partner as they enter the room (gently ; ). next time you're going to the fridge to get something to eat, close your eyes and rely completely on your hands to do the choosing.
when the voice in your head starts telling you that you're losing it, go ahead and gladly agree. when did we start deciding that normalcy and its monotony were worth holding on to???
we were wiser as kids than we remember,,, but what can be forgotten, can be remembered.
the world, my friends,,, is a playground, and there's so much there that we haven't yet explored.
much love and many blessings,
jesh ; )
Yes, this is that moment when Jasper feels the horrifying humiliation of the ball bouncing off his chest (see the note on the photo) rather than the satisfying squish of the ball between his teeth
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, at Self-Realization Fellowship's Lake Shrine, opened to the public in 1950. A portion of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes are enshrined behind this Golden Lotus Archway. [10 of 12]
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Week 8 Image 1 Selfie project
So at first I had not intended to use this image. I decided it was important to post it because I feel very frustrated with my own choices...this was not a first choice, yet received better reviews...sometimes I feel like I should be paying more attention to those images that I likely would just overlook.
Série limitée et numérotée, avec certificat joint, pour chaque modèle de cadre.
PHOTO & TIRAGE en VENTE directe. DEVIS personnalisé SUR DEMANDE relevez la référence sous la photo
Me contacter : comlaphoto@gmail.com
Les photos, pour une lecture plus rapide, sont ici en basse résolution.
Tous ces clichés sont disponibles en haute résolution pour des tirages de qualité supérieure sur tous types de supports.
Tirages et impression sur tous supports : tirage classique, d’art, supports rigides (dibond, plexi, bois et pvc), toile, bâche etc.…
Réalisation de trompe l’œil.
A l’exception des œuvres d’artistes bénéficiant de la protection propriété intellectuelle (sculpteurs, architectes, peintres, marques, tags, graffitis, dessinateurs etc.)
Series limited and numbered, with certificate attached, for each model framework.
PHOTO & drawing in direct sales. Custom application specifications take the reference under the photo
Contact me: comlaphoto@gmail.com
The photos, for a faster reading, are here in low resolution.
All these clichés are available in high resolution for prints of superior quality on all types of media.
Prints and print in all formats: Classic, fine art print, rigid supports (dibond, selection, wood and pvc), canvas, tarpaulin etc....
Realization of proboscis eye.
Except the works of artists protected intellectual property (sculptors, architects, painters, designers etc.)
This was a beautiful place to visit. Located near san diego CA. Thanks to my friends website I was able to find this pretty place.
if you are ever in the area of san diego her website is a great tool for you to use to visit beautiful places. She has put in alot of time in to create this website. check it out!
hiddensandiego.net/
The state of Self-realization, as we call it, is not attaining something new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that which you always are and which you always have been. All that is needed is that you give up your realization of the not-true as true. All of us are regarding as real that which is not real. We have only to give up this practice on our part.
Be as you are – The teachings of sri Ramana Maharishi
+++ 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.