View allAll Photos Tagged Refinement
Alessandra went on a little cruise with us today to the chalk cliff coast on the island Rügen.
Fashion credits: Outfit made by Frau E
"Have you ever noticed how few sitting places you find in private gardens?
How seldom the versatility and importance of benches is considered? True
gardeners, with their peerless taste, dexterity and inspired planting, never stop ...
To sit is almost an offence, a sign of depravity and an outrage towards every
felicitous refinement that has gone into making a garden."
- Mirabel Osler
Linda Hartong Photography. ©All Rights Reserved. 2008 Do not use, copy or edit any of my photographs without written permission.
F-WTSB (201) first flew on 6 December 1973 from Toulouse, France, where it was built. Its last flight was on 19 April 1985 from Chateauroux to Toulouse. It flew a total of 909 hours. It is currently on display inside the Aeroscopia museum near Airbus Factory at Toulouse.
Two of six “development” aircraft, ex-Air France F-WTSB (ser. no. 201) and its British counterpart G-BDDG (ser. no. 202) never actually entered service. They were used to undertake the final phase of testing and certification before the actual production aircraft were built. Tasks included aircrew training, route proving, endurance testing and technical refinement as well as acting as a test bed for production techniques.
Panorama stitched from three hand-held photos.
first shoot with my beloved sister for ages....
it was sooooooo unbelievable cold.
and again no chance to overwork it. so they're pure.
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Land Rover and renowned Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen have revealed the first in a series of unique works entitled ‘Ultimate Vistas’, extraordinary landscape photographs captured with help from the world’s ultimate SUV: the Range Rover.
The life of luxury begins here. In an exceptional frame(executive) in the heart of an open-air theater, the prestigious house set up as 1679 by Jules-Hardouin Mansart, big architect of the Palace of Versailles, reveals you its secrets of history(story)...
Colbert, counts of Maulévrier, writes the first chapter of this fascinating epic in the XVIIth century. Witness(baton) of the madness of the men(people), plundered and set on fire several times, the luxury castle is always reborn of its ashes.
Today livened up(led) by the passion of his(her) owners, Dominique and Jean-Louis Popihn, it became a charming and character hotel allying big comfort, dream decoration(set) and refinement, very close to Angers
The 1900 appeared in 1952. It was derived from the 1400, and for some years was Fiat’s leading car. The subsequent Gran Luce version was endowed with elegance and refinement. The two-door bodywork displayed several distinguishing features: the shape of the roof and large wrap-round rear window, no uprights between the side windows, the design of the radiator grille, and the two-colour paintwork.
1.901 cc
4 Cylinder
80 hp @ 4.000 rpm
Vmax : 145 km/h
Museo dell'Automobile
Corso Unità d'Italia 40
Torino - Turin
Italia - Italy
January 2019
A mecha beast for the Nindroid Army :D Still a wip so lets see how this goes ^^ This is a mechanized version based on the frame i used for my shin godzilla but given some refinements
Budapest
Tomb of Guttmann Family
Architect: Béla Lajta, 1908
Secession - premodern style
View the architect's works in my set: www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157645708831478
About Lajta Béla: lajtaarchiv.hu/az-archivumrol/?lang=en
Lajta Béláról: lajtaarchiv.hu/az-archivumrol/
"His mature work, striving to look beyond the eventualities of the fin-de-siècle and to create a modern yet enduring style is characterised by reducing mass to basic geometrical shapes, arriving at monumentality through the simplicity of form and the refinement of the choice of materials as well as clearly projecting the interior arrangement of the building onto the divisions of the facade. Lajta arrived at simple geometrical monumentality partly through studying historic architecture, so his work often uses abstract allusions to typical elements of the architecture of the ancient Middle East, Greek and Roman antiquity and other historic periods. He never gave up using ornamentation, thus his characteristically transformed, mostly folk art inspired motifs make a significant contribution to the general character of his buildings."
Budapest
Tomb of Guttmann Family
Architect: Béla Lajta, 1908
Secession - premodern style
View the architect's works in my set: www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157645708831478
About Lajta Béla: lajtaarchiv.hu/az-archivumrol/?lang=en
Lajta Béláról: lajtaarchiv.hu/az-archivumrol/
"His mature work, striving to look beyond the eventualities of the fin-de-siècle and to create a modern yet enduring style is characterised by reducing mass to basic geometrical shapes, arriving at monumentality through the simplicity of form and the refinement of the choice of materials as well as clearly projecting the interior arrangement of the building onto the divisions of the facade. Lajta arrived at simple geometrical monumentality partly through studying historic architecture, so his work often uses abstract allusions to typical elements of the architecture of the ancient Middle East, Greek and Roman antiquity and other historic periods. He never gave up using ornamentation, thus his characteristically transformed, mostly folk art inspired motifs make a significant contribution to the general character of his buildings."
RUBBERBANDance Group
rubberbandance.com
HISTORY RBDG
Company Overview
Victor Quijada, choreographer and performer, founded the RUBBERBANDance Group (RBDG) to make it a channel for expressing and disseminating its choreographic identity by creating, among others, evocative and unpublished plays. The company, co-directed by interpreter Anne Plamondon, is responsible for creating, producing and distributing Quijada's work nationally and internationally in the form of shows, films and special events.
With RBDG, Victor Quijada reconciles the aesthetics of the two poles of the dance that inhabit him: the spontaneity, the risk, the temerity and the audacity of his youth, while he was bathing in hip-hop culture and refinement and the choreographic maturity of ballet and contemporary dance, where he evolved as a professional dancer. The revolutionary character of the aesthetic movement created by Quijada is illustrated by a dozen years of research that have led to more than twelve creations. Impressed by the inherent independence of the street and a keen sense of direction, Quijada's choreographies explore human relationships by capturing the ardor of obsession, the brutality of violence, the delicacy of tenderness , comedy and tragedy, not forgetting sincerity and courage.
Carrying the sensibility of street dancers, Victor Quijada seeks ways to integrate the spontaneity of hip-hop circles into the stage. He has explored various forums, made spontaneous representations and knocked down barriers between performers and the public in innumerable ways. All this with the same objective: to get rid of the format of the usual representations so that the public experiences the dance actively, rather than passively.
In addition to their stage and film creations, Victor Quijada and Anne Plamondon have developed a training program to prepare professional dancers for the demands of Quijada's choreographies. This program introduces the dancers to a hybrid movement influenced by the vocabularies of urban and contemporary dances, with emphasis on interpretation, decision-making, the use of rhythmic variations and accompaniment. Workshops, lecture-demonstrations, question and answer sessions and school performances are also regularly offered as part of the tours.
RBDG also helps young choreographers who want to express their own voice. The Post Hip Hop Project, born in 2009 at the Cinquième Salle, invites young artists to work their creations under the mentorship of Victor Quijada and then present them to the public.
Company History
Founded in Montreal in 2002, the company immediately delighted the public and critics with three creations presented at Espace Tangente over two seasons. At the same time, the company participates in mixed programs and organizes parties throughout the city to present smaller pieces. Tender Loving Care and Hasta La Próxima share a place in the top five dance productions of the newspaper Le Devoir, while Elastic Perspective begins in 2003 a series of more than 100 performances after winning the RIDEAU Prize at Festival Vue on the Relève. The RUBBERBANDance Group then obtains a residence at Usine C for the 2003-2004 season. The play Slicing Static was created, and later named the best dance production in 2004 by the Hour newspaper.
In 2005, Anne Plamondon joined Quijada as artistic director to assist with strategic planning. A second residency at Usine C was granted to them in 2006, followed by a four-year residency at Place des Arts. During this period, four new pieces were created, thanks to the support of multiple partners: Loan Sharking and AV Input / Output in 2008, Punto Ciego in 2009 and Gravity of Center in 2011.
RBDG also co-produced five films choreographed by Victor Quijada. The choreographer goes so far as to realize two: Secret Service and Small Explosions That Are Yours to Keep. Hasta La Próxima, shot in 2003, is a finalist in the short film category at the American Choreography Awards.
Now well established, the company embodies Canadian artistic innovation in the United States, Europe, Mexico and Japan. RBDG is at the forefront of the Montreal contemporary dance community and is recognized internationally for its unique vision of this form of dance.
In terms of peer recognition, Quijada received the Choreography Fellowship from the Princess Grace Foundation (USA), the Peter Darrell Choreography Award (England), the Bonnie Bird North American Award (England), the Choreography Media Honors (US) in addition to a second PGF award with the 2016 Work in Progress Residency Award.
The Arabian or Arab horse (Arabic: الحصان العربي [ ħisˤaːn ʕarabiː], DMG ḥiṣān ʿarabī) is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.
A trio of beautiful Armstrong Siddeleys presented at the Terribly British Day.
(3) Armstrong Siddeley STAR SAPPHIRE; the Star Sapphire saloon was announced on 17 October 1958 and production continued through to the summer of 1960. It retained the previous model's commanding driving position. Though little changed externally, the radiator grille no longer rose to the top of the bonnet, many refinements were incorporated.
The six-cylinder engine was enlarged more than 16% to 3,990 cc with larger twin Stromberg carburettors as standard and power output increased to [SAE] 165 bhp (167 hp, 123 kW), or [DIN] 145 bhp (147 hp, 108 kW). Perhaps more important was an increase of nearly 30% in torque at 50 m.p.h. Big end and main bearings were now made of lead indium and a vibration damper fitted to the nose of the crankshaft. The compression ratio was raised to 7.5 to 1. The car could now lap the Lindley high speed track at 104 m.p.h.
Various suspension modifications had been carried out. Servo-assisted 12 in (305 mm) Girling disc brakes were now installed on the front wheels and Burman recirculating ball power steering was standardised with a turning circle reduced by 4'6". A BorgWarner type DG automatic gearbox was fitted which incorporated a lever on the facia to hold intermediate gear at 35, 45, 55, and 65 m.p.h.
Door hinges were now concealed and the front doors now hinged at their leading edge. There was an independent heater for the rear passengers and demisting slots for the rear window. All features were standard, the provision of alternatives being believed to lead to an unsatisfactory compromise.
902 saloons were produced, as well as 77 long-wheelbase cars, 73 of which were built as limousines (including 2 prototypes). The limousine version was made in 1960 only and had a single-carburettor engine and manual gearbox (the automatic gearbox was fitted to 12 examples). The remaining 4 chassis were used for 3 hearses and an ambulance. 980 Star Sapphires were produced.
The Star Sapphire won the £4,000 four-door coachwork class at the 1958 Earls Court Motor Show ahead of a Princess limousine and a Jaguar Mark IX.
A Star Sapphire saloon with automatic transmission was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1959. It had a top speed of 99.6 mph (160.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 14.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 15.4 miles per imperial gallon (18.3 L/100 km; 12.8 mpg‑US) was recorded. The test car cost £2,498 including taxes of £735. By then purchase tax had been reduced by one-sixth on 8 April 1959. (Wikipedia).
Parkes, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Another one from my teeny TLR/Portra 160 walkabout.
This photo has only a couple dust removal edits and the usual crop refinement - no contrast changes, no color refinements, nor any adjustments when scanned.
Mamiya C330
Mamiya-Sekor ƒ2.8 80mm
Kodak Portra 160 [fresh]
CineStill C-41 kit
Tehachapi Pass, Cache Creek RR overpass near the Cameron Road / CA-58 intersection.
The nightly C-41 party is long over. The yield was fourteen 4x5 sheets, two 120 rolls and two 135 rolls from a quart kit. That's all the color negative film I had accumulated over a few years - I don't shoot color much at all. Nine of the 4x5's have decent shots. This 120 roll had a few decent shots, all posted here. The other 120 roll and the two 135 rolls were total trash - mostly due to technical issues out of my control. Overall, nothing was wall worthy - but then, little ever is.
The Waverly at Las Olas is a 14-story high-rise built in 2004. The Waverly is pet-friendly and offers a number of amenities including a resident clubroom with a billiards table and kitchen, a gym, heated swimming pool, hot tub, and garage parking.
This building offers elegant design and post-modern architecture The Waverly is South Florida's pinnacle of social refinement. Residents here enjoy lavish, resort-style living wrapped in the luxury of downtown shopping and dining. Private balconies reveal spectacular views of the city skyline while the warm Atlantic Ocean beach waters rest only moments away. This residential dream is a mere walking distance from the central business district, residents embrace a seamless mingling of professional and social life. Uncommon comforts meet everyday life at The Waverly at Las Olas.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.emporis.com/buildings/134919/the-waverly-at-las-olas-...
images1.loopnet.com/d2/69CNS5ZhhN8-au-FUodLOA2_jXdCoDgJwS...
The Waverly at Las Olas is a 14-story high-rise built in 2004. The Waverly is pet-friendly and offers a number of amenities including a resident clubroom with billiards table and kitchen, a gym, heated swimming pool, hot tub, and garage parking.
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Well, finally, after a long hiatus I am posting something. Humvee model, design from @tiger_1_3_1 on Instagram, with my refinements aimed at eliminating some "illegal" techniques, the camouflage is 100% taken from @brickbattlefield - I really hate reproducing camos in Lego, so I am really glad someone already made the vehicle in appropriate colors which I could copy onto my build.
Overall, 10/10 build, some clever techniques were used here, and most of the parts are easily available in necessary colors. Deals with Tiger are a treat!
Photos were taken with phone camera and with daylight being light source, I think it came out remarkably okay, for my photo skills lol. I will definitely get a proper lightbox and a lamp someday, it's just low on my priority list and I have problems with storage space (there's none).
You can expect more posts in coming weeks, as I did build some stuff over the last months, a lot of it are smaller things, not sure if I will drop them into single post or separate ones, I will see I guess.
It's been several weeks since I've been able to shoot this particular time lapse again. I especially wanted to shoot this one because it was the last night viewing at the Anglican Cathedral tower and also because the Liverpool ONE Wheel was in town. I was really fortunate with the weather. It was so clear that you can even make out traffic over on the other side of the Mersey! Well, at least you can on the versions of the video which Flickr haven't degraded so badly although it's not too bad when viewed in full screen HD mode.
Here is a better quality version on Vimeo.
This is sunset over 2 hours (3pm-5pm) 1,478 individual photos taken at 5 second intervals.
Things to look out for include:
- Liverpool ONE Wheel!
- Swinging crane on the far left
- Faint star near top edge
- Construction site activity, bottom right
- Someone in a red car parallel parking (badly), bottom edge
No soundtrack to this one, but I'd recommend an instrumental version of Coldplay's Clocks to listen to whilst viewing.
For technical info, check out my other time lapses. It's pretty much the same process although I'm learning refinements in the shooting aspect each time I do one of these.
This is the other kimono I bought for Momohime months ago. I think it's really beautiful and refined.
Momohime sometimes drives me crazy because of:
1. Her wig: it's so long that it's really difficult to care of and there are always hairs all over the scene. So... I have to remove them with photoshop.
2. Her eyes: I love them, but they reflect light a lot and that's a problem, because her pupils almost dissapear >< And then again, I have to fix that with photoshop.
Nevertheless, I love this girl to pieces, because she's really photogenic, hehe
The life of luxury begins here. In an exceptional frame(executive) in the heart of an open-air theater, the prestigious house set up as 1679 by Jules-Hardouin Mansart, big architect of the Palace of Versailles, reveals you its secrets of history(story)...
Colbert, counts of Maulévrier, writes the first chapter of this fascinating epic in the XVIIth century. Witness(baton) of the madness of the men(people), plundered and set on fire several times, the luxury castle is always reborn of its ashes.
Today livened up(led) by the passion of his(her) owners, Dominique and Jean-Louis Popihn, it became a charming and character hotel allying big comfort, dream decoration(set) and refinement, very close to Angers
The essence of Caribbean architecture comes to life as a pair of green double solid doors with elegant white trim adorns a stone building on the enchanting island of St. Kitts. The composition exudes a sense of timeless charm, capturing the fine details and textures of the stone structure.
The vibrant green doors, a focal point against the neutral stone backdrop, evoke a sense of welcome and character. The fine white trim adds a touch of sophistication, creating a visual interplay that is both classic and refined. The careful attention to composition transforms this architectural detail into a work of art, highlighting the intrinsic beauty of the Caribbean island's craftsmanship.
This fine art photograph invites viewers to appreciate the subtle nuances of design and color, showcasing the inherent elegance found in the simple yet exquisite elements of Caribbean architectural aesthetics on the island of St. Kitts.
This print is available in the gallery here - james-insogna.pixels.com/featured/essence-of-caribbean-ar...
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Burke and James 5x7 shown here with the Industar 51.
A bit raggedy but functional. The Schneider 210 is giving a bit of trouble in terms of light loss, although that could be me or my filters, not sure yet. Contact printing shows the center density pretty quickly. My tray developing technique certainly needs refinement. I also have a Caltar II 210 so perhaps will give that a try tomorrow before I purchase a Fujinon.
Built in 1895-1896, this Chicago School-style thirteen-story skyscraper was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler for the Guaranty Construction Company. It was initially commissioned by Hascal L. Taylor, whom approached Dankmar Adler to build "the largest and best office building in the city,” but Taylor, whom wanted to name the building after himself, died in 1894, just before the building was announced. Having already had the building designed and ready for construction, the Guaranty Construction Company of Chicago, which already had resources lined up to build the project, bought the property and had the building constructed, with the building instead being named after them. In 1898, the building was renamed after the Prudential Insurance Company, which had refinanced the project and became a major tenant in the building after it was completed. Prudential had the terra cotta panels above the main entrances to the building modified to display the company’s name in 1898, upon their acquisition of a partial share in the ownership of the tower. The building became the tallest building in Buffalo upon its completion, and was a further refinement of the ideas that Sullivan had developed with the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, which was built in 1890-92, and featured a design with more Classical overtones, which were dropped with the design of the Guaranty Building in favor of a more purified Art Nouveau and Chicago School aesthetic, and with more intricate visual detail, with the ornate terra cotta panels cladding the entire structure, leaving very few areas with sparse detail. The building is an early skyscraper with a steel frame supporting the terra cotta panel facade, a departure from earlier load bearing masonry structures that had previously been predominant in many of the same applications, and expresses this through large window openings at the base and a consistent wall thickness, as there was no need to make the exterior walls thicker at the base to support the load from the structure above. The building also contrasts with the more rigid historically-influenced Classical revivalism that was growing in popularity at the time, and follows Sullivan’s mantra of “form ever follows function” despite having a lot of unnecessary detail on the exterior cladding and interior elements. The building’s facade also emphasizes its verticality through continual vertical bands of windows separated by pilasters that are wider on the first two floors, with narrower pilasters above, with the entire composition of the building following the tripartite form influenced by classical columns, with distinct sections comprising the base, shaft, and capital, though being a radical and bold abstraction of the form compared to the historical literalism expressed by most of its contemporaries, more directly displaying the underlying steel structure of the building.
The building is clad in rusty terra cotta panels which feature extensive Sullivanesque ornament inspired by the Art Nouveau movement, which clad the entirety of the building’s facades along Church Street and Pearl Street, with simpler red brick and painted brick cladding on the facades that do not front public right-of-ways, which are visible when the building is viewed from the south and west. The white painted brick cladding on the south elevation marks the former location of the building’s light well, which was about 30 feet wide and 68 feet deep, and was infilled during a 1980s rehabilitation project, adding an additional 1,400 square feet of office space, and necessitating an artificial light source to be installed above the stained glass ceiling of the building’s lobby. The building’s windows are mostly one-over-one double-hung windows in vertical columns, with one window per bay, though this pattern is broken at the painted portions of the non-principal facades, which feature paired one-over-one windows, on the second floor of the principal facades, which features Chicago-style tripartite windows and arched transoms over the building’s two main entry doors, on the thirteenth floor of the principal facades, which features circular oxeye windows, and at the base, which features large storefront windows that include cantilevered sections with shed glass roofs that wrap around the columns at the base of the building. The building’s terra cotta panels feature many natural and geometric motifs based on plants and crystalline structures, the most common being a “seed pod” motif that symbolizes growth, with a wide variation of patterns, giving the facade a dynamic appearance, which is almost overwhelming, but helps to further grant the building a dignified and monumental appearance, and is a signature element of many of the significant works of Adler and Sullivan, as well as Sullivan’s later independent work. The building’s pilasters halve in number but double in thickness towards the base, with wide window openings underneath pairs of window bays above on the first and second floors, with the pilasters terminating at circular columns with large, decorative, ornate terra cotta capitals in the central bays, and thick rectilinear pilasters at the corners and flanking the entry door openings. The circular columns penetrate the extruded storefront windows and shed glass roofs below, which formed display cases for shops in the ground floor of the building when it first opened, and feature decorative copper trim and mullions framing the large expanses of plate glass. The base of the building is clad in medina sandstone panels, as well as medina sandstone bases on the circular columns. The major entry doors feature decorative copper trim surrounds, a spandrel panel with ornate cast copper detailing above and the name “Guaranty” emblazoned on the face of each of the two panels at the two entrances, decorative transoms above with decorative copper panels as headers, and arched transoms on the second floor with decorative terra cotta trim surrounds. Each of the two major entrance doors is flanked by two ornate Art Nouveau-style wall-mounted sconces mounted on the large pilasters, with smaller, partially recessed pilasters on either side. The building features two cornices with arched recesses, with the smaller cornice running as a belt around the transition between the base and the shaft portions of the building, with lightbulbs in each archway, and the larger cornice, which extends further out from the face of the building, running around the top of the building’s Swan Street and Pearl Street facades, with a circular oxeye window in each archway. The lower corner recessed into the facade at the ends, while the upper cornice runs around the entire top of the facade above, with geometric motifs in the central portions and a large cluster of leaves in a pattern that is often repeated in Sullivan’s other work at the corners. The spandrel panels between the windows on the shaft portion of the building feature a cluster of leaves at the base and geometric patterns above, with a repeat of the same recessed arch detail as the cornice at the sill line of each window. The pilasters feature almost strictly geometric motifs, with a few floral motifs thrown in at key points to balance the composition of the facade with the windows. A small and often overlooked feature of the ground floor is a set of stone steps up to an entrance at the northwest corner of the building, which features a decorative copper railing with Sullivanesque and Art Nouveau-inspired ornament, which sits next to a staircase to the building’s basement, which features a more utilitarian modern safety railing in the middle.
The interior of the building was heavily renovated over the years before being partially restored in 1980, with the lobby being reverted back to its circa 1896 appearance. The Swan Street vestibule has been fully restored, featuring a marble ceiling, decorative mosaics around the top of the walls, a decorative antique brass light fixture with Art Nouveau detailing and a ring of lightbulbs in the center, the remnant bronze stringer of a now-removed staircase to the second floor in a circular glass wall at the north end of the space, and a terazzo floor. The main lobby, located immediately to the west, features a Tiffany-esque stained glass ceiling with ellipsoid and circular panels set into a bronze frame that once sat below a skylight at the base of the building’s filled-in light well, marble cladding on the walls, mosaics on the ceiling and around the top of the walls, a bronze staircase with ornate railing at the west end of the space, which features a semi-circular landing, a basement staircase with a brass railing, a terrazzo floor, and multiple historic three-bulb wall sconces, as well as brass ceiling fixtures matching those in the vestibule. The building’s elevators, located in an alcove near the base of the staircase, features a decorative richly detailed brass screen on the exterior, with additional decorative screens above, with the elevator since having been enclosed with glass to accommodate modern safety standards and equipment, while preserving the visibility of the original details. Originally, when the building was built, the elevators descended open shafts into a screen wall in the lobby, with the elevators originally being manufactured by the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company, with these being exchanged in 1903 for water hydraulic elevators that remained until a renovation in the 1960s. Sadly, most of the historic interior detailing of the upper floors was lost during a series of renovations in the 20th Century, which led to them being fully modernized during the renovation in the 1980s, with multiple tenant finish projects since then further modifying the interiors of the upper floors.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, owing to its architectural significance, and to help save the building, which had suffered a major fire in 1974 that led to the city of Buffalo seeking to demolish it. A renovation in the early 1980s managed to modernize the building while restoring the lobby and the exterior, which was carried out under the direction of the firm CannonDesign, and partial funding from federal historic tax credits. The building was purchased in 2002 by Hodgson Russ, a law firm, which subsequently further renovated the building to suit their needs, converting the building into their headquarters in 2008. This renovation was carried out under the direction of Gensler Architects and the local firm Flynn Battaglia Architects. The building today houses offices on the upper floors, with a visitor center, known as the Guaranty Interpretative Center, on the first floor, with historic tours offered of some of the building’s exterior and interior spaces run by Preservation Buffalo Niagara. The building was one of the most significant early skyscrapers, and set a precedent for the modern skyscrapers that began to be built half a century later.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The SAAB B31 was a Swedish jet-powered multirole aircraft, originally designed to serve as a tactical bomber, ground attack, reconnaissance and interceptor aircraft. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Sweden set about the rebuilding and modernization of its armed forces. Regarding aviation, jet propulsion had been identified as the powerplant of the future, and experience with the SAAB 21R, which had been converted from a propeller-pusher aircraft into a jet-powered fighter and attack aircraft in 1947, bolstered confidence in the home industry’s competence. The Saab 21R was only an interim solution, though. One hundred and twenty-four aircraft were planned but this number was reduced to only 64 and they were mainly used as fighter-bombers. The Flygvapnet’s standard post-war bomber, the Saab 18, a twin piston-engine design from 1944, was outdated, too, and its performance was regarded as inadequate for the Fifties. This led to a major development initiative for modern jet aircraft for the Flygvapnet in 1946, which spawned the Saab 29 ‘Tunnan’ fighter and the Saab B31 light bomber. Both aircraft were initially designed around the de Havilland Goblin turbojet of British origin, but when the more powerful de Havilland Ghost became available, this was chosen as the standard powerplant. Both aircraft incorporated such modern features as swept wings or ejection seats.
The Saab B31 was originally developed as a straightforward tactical bomber replacement for the Saab 18, called the Saab B31, which would carry its free-fall ordnance internally in a bomb bay. The Saab B31 had a streamlined, drop-shaped fuselage. A crew of two were envisioned, the pilot and a navigator/bomb aimer. They would sit in separate cabins, a generously glazed nose section with an optical bombsight and a navigational/bomb aiming radar in a shallow blister underneath, and in a fighter-type cockpit on top of the hull, respectively. Swept wings were planned that would offer a good compromise between speed benefits and range/lift. Due to the aircraft’s size and weight, two de Havilland Ghost engines were required, but integrating these bulky centrifugal flow engines with a relatively large diameter turned out to be a design challenge.
Several layouts were evaluated, including engines buried in the rear fuselage with side air intakes, or engines mounted in wing root fairings with individual exhausts at the wings’ trailing edge. Eventually the Saab B31’s powerplants were directly mounted in nacelles under slightly swept (20°) shoulder wings, what made access and maintenance easy and kept the fuselage free for a huge fuel capacity, a generous bomb bay, and a conventional tricycle main landing gear. The latter’s tread width was quite narrow, though, which might have caused handling problems, so that during the bomber’s design refinements the landing gear arrangement was radically changed into a tandem layout. It eventually comprised of two main struts featuring large low-pressure twin wheels, supported by small outrigger wheels that semi-retracted into fairings under the bulbous engine nacelles. While unusual, this arrangement had the side benefit that the bomb bay could be lengthened and the fuel capacity in the fuselage could be increased without a center of gravity shift, with the rear/main landing gear strut well placed further aft, well behind the aircraft’s center of gravity. This, however, prevented normal rotation upon take-off, so that the front strut was lengthened to provide the aircraft with an imminent positive angle of attack while rolling, giving the Saab B31 a distinctive nose-up stance on the ground.
The enlarged bomb bay could hold up to four free-fall 340 kg bombs, the B31’s primary weapon. Additional ordinance, typically two further single bombs of up to 500 kg caliber, pods with unguided missiles, or drop tanks to extend range, could be carried on a pair of hard points outside of the engine nacelles. The maximum total payload was 2.400 kg. No offensive or defensive guns were carried, the B31 was supposed to rely only on speed and agility. Large air brakes on the aircraft’s flanks were introduced to prevent the exceeding of the B31’s design speed limit of Mach 0.9 in a dive, and they also helped to slow down the aircraft upon landing. To reduce the landing run length further a brake parachute was housed in an extended teardrop fairing on the fin that also held the swept horizontal stabilizers.
Overall, the Saab B31 reminded vaguely of the Soviet Yak-120/25 (NATO code Flashlight A) and of the French Sud-Ouest SO.4050 Vautour, which were both under development at the same time. Beyond the original tactical bomber role that was supposed to supersede the Swedish B 18, the Saab B31 was also intended to fulfill night/all-weather reconnaissance missions, outfitted with a camera and sensor pallet in the bomb bay and flash bombs on the wing hardpoints. Furthermore, the aircraft was proposed to become, in a second step, the basis for a jet-powered long-range all-weather fighter, a type of aircraft that was direly needed by Flygvapnet during the late Forties. The situation was so severe and urgent that the Swedish Air Force did not want to wait for a J31 development and had to procure sixty radar-equipped de Havilland Mosquito NF.30 night fighters from Great Britain as a hasty stopgap solution – a totally outdated model in the late Forties, but it was the best and only readily available off-the-rack solution.
In parallel, both engine and aircraft technology underwent dramatic developments and literally made leaps: In December 1948, an initial contract for the design and mockup of Saab's newly proposed P.1150 design was issued, a modern swept-wing design that already represented the next, transonic fighter aircraft generation. The resulting aircraft would become the Saab 32 ‘Lansen’ and it literally overtook the B31’s intended role as the Saab 18 bomber and attack aircraft replacement. However, a modern all-weather fighter with long range and a powerful radar was still not on the horizon, and, consequently, the Saab B31’s original bomber/reconnaissance version was dropped completely in favor of an optimized interceptor derivative with a powerful on-board radar: the J31. This was, however, also just a stopgap solution until an all-weather fighter version of the favored Saab 32 would be ready for service, so that a single aircraft type would take over multiple military roles and therewith simplify production, maintenance and logistics.
From that point on the Saab B31 was re-designed and optimized for a principal fighter role, with an attack capability as a secondary capability. However, due to its bomber origins and its intended mission profile the J31 was not intended to be a typical sleek and nimble dogfighter (that was the contemporary Saab 29’s role as a day fighter, even though a radar-equipped version of the Tunnan was on Saab’s drawing boards, too, yet not realized because compact systems were not available), but rather as a standoff night fighter which would loiter on station and patrol the air space, search for targets and then identify and engage them.
The bomber’s large air brakes were a welcome feature to position the approaching fighter behind a potential slower target, which were primarily relatively cumbersome bombers that would come in at medium to high altitude and at subsonic speed. This mission profile heavily influenced the J31 design and also set boundaries that were later hard to overcome and develop the aircraft’s potential further. While the light bomber basis would meet the required demands concerning range, speed and limited agility, the obligatory radar and its periphery to fulfill the N/AW fighter mission led to a major re-design of the forward fuselage. A large radar dish under a solid nose radome now occupied the formerly glazed nose section, and the radar operator was placed together with the pilot in a new pressurized side-by-side cockpit under a common canopy. A large and relatively flat forward windshield was used; while not conducive to high-speed flight, it provided distortion-free external visibility, something that was particularly valued for a night fighter at that time. Both pilot and navigator/radar operator had full steering equipment, what also made a dedicated trainer version unnecessary. Both sticks were extendable so that more force could be exerted upon it by the pilot as a fallback measure in the event of a hydraulic failure. Bleed air from the engines was used to de-ice the wings’ and tail surfaces’ leading edges and the engines’ air intakes, so that the aircraft could operate even in harsh climatic conditions.
Radar and fire control system for the J31 were created and produced by Ericsson and called “Gryning” (= Dawn). The system was quite advanced for the time even though complex: a combination of three different radars, each performing separate functions. The system comprised a search radar, a tracking radar, both located in the nose under a huge mutual radome, and a tail warning radar with a separate, smaller antenna. The search radar covered the front hemisphere and could detect aircraft at distances up to 35 kilometres (about 20 miles) away while the tracking radar could achieve a weapons lock up to 4 km (2.5 miles) away. Additionally, the Gryning system had a limited look-down capability, being able to detect aircraft that flew underneath the J31 at an altitude of down to 800 m (2.600 ft). The tail-mounted surveillance radar was effective up to 15 km (almost 10 miles) away. The complexity of this vacuum tube-based radar system, produced before the advent of semiconductor electronics, required a lot of internal space and intensive maintenance to keep it operating properly – and it would have been much too big or heavy to fit into the more modern but also more slender Saab 32 airframe.
The armament was changed, too. While the B31 bomber was intended to carry no guns at all the fighter derivative was now armed with four 20 mm cannon in the lower nose, plus two retractable unguided air-to-air missile racks in the former bomb bay in tandem, carrying a total of 96 projectiles, which were supposed to be fired singly, short bursts or in one or more massive salvoes against bomber formations, covering a huge field of fire and ensuring a takedown even with a single hit. This core armament was complemented by a pair of underwing hardpoints outside of the engine nacelles which could carry pods with further 18 unguided missiles each, iron bombs of up to 500 kg calibre for a secondary attack capability, or 570 l drop tanks to extend the J31’s range and loiter time.
An initial order for three prototypes was placed by the Swedish government, and on 16 October 1950, the first J31, even though still lacking the radar, conducted its maiden flight. The flight test program proceeded relatively smoothly, but the performance was rather poor for a fighter. More powerful engines were required, but choices for Saab were very limited. The use of the Saab 29’s indigenous afterburner variant of the Ghost (which was by then license-produced in Sweden as the Svenska Flygmotor RM2) was deemed inefficient for the large aircraft, so that attempts were made to improve the Ghost’s dry thrust for the J31 without an increased fuel consumption through reheat. This new indigenous engine variant became the RM2F (“förstärkt” = “powered-up”), which provided 5,400 lbf (24.02 kN) of thrust with water-alcohol injection instead of the RM2’s original dry 5,000 lbf (22 kN) maximum thrust. The tank for the required water-alcohol mixture was carried in the rear half of the former bomb bay and replaced one of the unguided missile racks. These were hardly ever used operationally, though, and soon completely removed, replaced by a second water-alcohol tank, which gave the aircraft enough endurance of 30 minutes at the increased thrust output level.
A follow-on order for six pre-production aircraft was soon received, which were still equipped with the weaker original RM2 and designated J31A. These machines were delivered to F 1 Västmanland Flygflottilj at Hässlö air base in Central Sweden, which just had been converted from a bomber to a night fighter unit, having been equipped with the J 30 Mosquitos. There the J31 was evaluated against the J30 until early 1951 and deemed superior in almost every aspect. With these satisfactory results, a full production order for 54 more aircraft was placed in mid-1951. These machines were now outfitted with more powerful RM2F engines and other refinements and designated J31B. This became the type’s operational main variant. All were delivered to F 1 where they were exclusively operated and gradually replaced the J 30s. In service the J31 received the unofficial nickname “Val” (= Whale), due to its bulky yet streamlined shape, but it was officially never adopted.
During regular maintenance in the following two years, the six early J31As received the stronger RM2F, together with the second water-alcohol tank as well as some avionics updates and were accordingly re-designated J31Bs. Further updates included wipers for the windscreen (a serious issue esp. at slow speed and while taxiing) and two smaller brake parachutes instead of the single large original one.
All J31s were delivered in a natural metal finish and retained it throughout their career; only two machines ever received camouflage during trials, but this measure was deemed unnecessary for the aircraft due to their role. Some aircraft of F 1’s 3rd squadron and operated by the unit’s staff flight had the aircrafts’ fins painted in dark green, though, to improve the contrast to the tactical code letters’ colour, yellow or white, respectively. The J31s’ radomes were made from fiberglass and originally tinted in opaque black. During maintenance and after damage, however, some machines received newly produced replacement fairings which were untinted/semi-transparent.
The only major update the J31B received was rolled out starting in 1958, when the IR-guided Rb24 (AIM-9B Sidewinder AAM) was introduced in the Swedish Air Force. Together with the J29 Tunnan fighters the J31s were outfitted to carry launch rails on the wing hardpoints – even though only a single pair could be carried in total. This, however, markedly improved the type’s combat efficiency, and it would take until the Saab 35F in 1965 with its Rb27/28 Falcon missiles to introduce more capable guided anti-aircraft missiles. Since the Rb24s extended the J31’s weapon range considerably, a potential gun upgrade with 30 mm cannons was not executed and Saab’s resources rather allocated into the Saab 32’s development.
Even though the J31B was a capable night and all-weather fighter for its time, it was limited due to its outdated weaponry and quickly superseded by advancing radar, engine and aerodynamic technologies. It did its job but lacked development and performance potential – and it was a large and complicated aircraft that required lots of maintenance. However, the J31 turned out to be a very stable and robust weapon platform, and it was quite popular among the crews because of the spacious cockpit, even though the field of view on the ground was very limited, due to the tall landing gear front leg, and several J31s were involved in taxiing accidents. Due to its twin engines and radar intercept operator, pilots gained more confidence on long missions in the remote northern areas of. Sweden, esp. on mission over open water.
When the Saab 32’s fighter version, the J 32B, eventually became operational in 1958, it was clear that the heavy and highly limited twin-engine J31B would not remain in service for much longer. By 1963 all machines had been retired from frontline service, initially stored in reserve but scrapped by 1970. Two machines remained operational, though: as flying test beds for the Swedish Air Force’s Försökscentralen (FC) at Malmen AB, where they served until 1981 – primarily to test radar and missile guidance systems, and as radar targets for war games and anti-aircraft unit trainings.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 15,76 m (51 ft 7 1/2 in)
Wingspan: 16.96 m (55 ft 2/3 in)
Height: 4,21 m (13 ft 9 1/2 in)
Wing area: 45 m2 (480 sq ft)
Empty weight: 9,000 kg (19,823 lb)
Gross weight: 17,500 kg (38,546 lb)
….Max takeoff weight: 19,000 kg (41,850 lb)
Fuel capacity: 5,100 L (1,350 US gal / 1,120 imp gal) maximum internal fuel
plus 2x 570 L (150 US gal, 120 imp gal) optional drop-tanks
Powerplant:
2× Svenska Flygmotor RM2F centrifugal-flow turbojet engine (Rolls Royce Ghost), each with
4,750 lbf (21.1 kN) dry thrust at 10,250 rpm and
5,400 lbf (24.02 kN) with temporary water-alcohol injection
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,090 km/h (677 mph, 588 kn; Mach 0.9) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
Cruise speed: 732 km/h (455 mph, 395 kn)
Stall speed: 150 km/h (92.8 mph, 80.6 kn) with approach power
Combat range: 1.850 km (1,145 mi, 995 nmi) on internals
Ferry range: 2.200 km (1,375 mi, 1,195 nmi) with 2× 570 l drop-tanks
Service ceiling: 16,200 m (53,062 ft)
Rate of climb: 40 m/s (7.681 ft/min)
Wing loading: 87.1 lb/sq ft (388 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.32
Armament:
4× 20 mm (0.79 in) akan m/47C (license produced Hispano Mark V) autocannon with 220 RPG
48× 75 mm (3.0 in) srak m/55 (Bofors 75 mm (3.0 in) rocket "Frida") unguided air-to-air missiles
with contact fuze high-capacity warhead on retractable rack in ventral bay
(not used operationally, later completely deleted in favor of a second water-alcohol tank)
2× wet underwing hardpoints outside of the engine nacelles for 600 kg (1.321 lb) each;
alternatively a pair of Rb24 (AIM9-B Sidewinder) IR-guided air-to-air missiles
The model and its assembly:
While it does not look spectacular, the J31 (actually my second use of this designation for a Swedish Fifties all-weather fighter, the first was an A.W. Meteor NF.14, but the “31” was lent from the Spitfire PR.XIX in Swedish service as S31) was a major creation feat. It all started with a discussion with fellow Swedish board member Pellson at whatifmodellers.com about Saab prototypes, esp. the early designs. That made me wonder about a twin-jet engine aircraft, something that could replace the Saab 18 bombers much like the BAC Canberra with the RAF’s Mosquito – and looking at similar international projects of the time like the Soviet Il-29 and Yak-25 as well as the French S.O. 4050 Vautour I thought that something similar could work well for Sweden, too.
My concept started with a primary light bomber and attack role, much like the B18 and the Canberra, with the outlook to develop a radar-bearing all-weather fighter from it, which was direly needed in Sweden in the Mid-Fifties and led to the procurement of two interim types in real life, the J30 (Mosquito night fighter) and the J33 (Venom night fighter), while plans were made to equip the J29 with a radar and the Saab 32 already on the drawing boards, even though the latter’s fighter version would be delayed well into the Sixties.
The core of the build was a leftover fuselage from a Matchbox F3D Skyknight – from an incomplete kit that came OOB with one of its three sprue trees double (even though in different colours!). The canopy was also still there, and now I eventually found a good use for it. However, not much more would be taken over from the Skyknight, because the overall layout would be much different, dictated by the bulky centrifugal flow engines that were (only) available to Sweden in the late Forties and which also powered the successful J29 Tunnan. The engines could, due to their diameter and the need for ducts, not be buried in the fuselage, so that they would go under the wings, directly attached to them as in the Il-29 and Vautour. The wings would be slightly swept (around 20°), as a compromise between modernism (as on the J29) and good range/endurance, and shoulder-mounted for good ground clearance and to avoid FOP (an issue of the Yak-25).
Since the engine pods should not be too large and bulky I decided that the main wheels would not retract into them (à la Il-28) and rather follow the Vautour route: with a tandem arrangement retracting into the fuselage and with small outrigger wheels. This had, for the original bomber version, the benefit, that the internal bomb bay could become longer than with a more conventional tricycle landing gear arrangement that would full retract into the hull, much like the Douglas A3D/B.66, with a wider track. And it would look more exotic, too.
With this concept I started a donor parts safari and started work on the fuselage. First major feat was to clean the F3D’s flanks from its original engine fairings – thankfully the Matchbox kit provides them as separate parts, so omitting them was simple, but there were enough major recesses and areas beyond the F3D’s basically teardrop shape hull that had to be filled and PSRed, including the original wing attachment points in the hull’s middle.
Another issue was the cockpit, which was missing through the double sprues. I was lucky to find an original Matchbox F3D tub in the spare box, from my first Skyknight build ever in the late Eighties (then built as a Vietnam era EF-10). New seats were procured as well as two (ugly) pilot figures and a dashboard from an Italeri Tornado IDS. However, the cockpit would later cause some more trouble…
The nose was generously filled with steel balls to keep it down (you never know…), and once the hull was closed, I implanted a new rear landing gear well. In the meantime, I kept searching for engine nacelle and wing parts – both turned out to be challenging. Not that I had not enough material to choose from, but I wanted to make the parts to be as authentic as possible – the nacelles conveying a centrifugal engine inside (see the Gloster Meteor for reference), and the light wing sweep angle as well as the desire for a not-too-modern look made the wing choice really hard.
The nacelles were completed first. I remembered some leftover parts from a Matchbox Meteor night fighter, mainly the intakes, which would be perfect. But the rest of the nacelles took a while to materialize. Eventually I found engine pods from a Hobbycraft Su-25, which are separate pieces. They had a more or less square diameter shape, but their size was good and so I combined them with the round (and bigger!) Meteor NF.14 intakes, after having added trimmed-down intake cones from a Trumpeter Il-28 inside, and PSRing the different shapes into something …more natural. Even though outrigger wheels would later be added I omitted eventual wells at this point, because I had to define the stance through the tandem main wheels first, and this was still tbd.
The wing donors became a lengthy affair. At one point I became so desperate that I tried to use the wing tips from a VEB Plasticart 1:100 Tu-20/95 bomber, but that failed (thankfully!) because the parts turned out to be warped and simply too ugly for the build. I did not find any suitable material in The Stash™, tested wings from an A-6 and an F-14, nothing worked well. I eventually procured – in a forlorn move – a vintage Revell 1:113 B-47 kit. Horrible thing, but its outer wings were useful, even though they required massive modifications. Their roots were cut away to reduce span and their angle was set at about 20°; the slender tips were also cut off, resulting in an almost trapezoid shape with a slightly extended wing chord at the trailing edge of the roots. Lots of PSR was required to improve the surface and to fill some gaps from the OOB engine pod attachment points of the B-47. Ugh.
At that point I had also already found a good fin: from an Academy/Minicraft 1:144 B-1B bomber! This not only offered a very Fifties-esque round and swept shape, it also had suitable attachment points for the stabilizers for a cruciform tail, which appeared necessary due to the engines’ wing position. As a side benefit, I could use the B-47’s wing tips as stabilizers, even though they had to be PSRed a lot, too.
To attach the new wings to the F3D fuselage I made cutouts at shoulder height, but the engine pods were first mounted and PSRed under the wings. More putty and sanding mess, but it was worthwhile.
In the meantime I worked on the landing gear and used parts from the ugly VEB Plasticart Tu-20/95 to scratch a tandem layout with twin wheels and a significant nose-up stance (due to the rear wheels’ position beyond the aircraft’s centre of gravity). Once this was settled and the wings in place I could work on the outrigger wheels. These were procured from a Matchbox 1:72 Sea Harrier and mounted in scratched fairings under the engine pods, so that they could semi-retract. With the ground clearance defined by the main wheels a suitable position and length for the outriggers could be found, and in the end the J31 has a proper stance with all four legs on the ground.
Painting and markings:
I like to apply simple liveries to weird builds, and for the J31 I settled upon a NMF finish – which was typical for the contemporary J29 Tunnan fighters, too. Only the reconnaissance versions as well as the fighters of as single operational unit were ever camouflaged (in dark green and dark blue). The only other realistic cammo option would have been the standard Swedish uniform dark green over blue grey. But bare metal appeared IMHO much better suited.
As a non-standard measure the model received an overall thin coat of grey primer, primarily to identify dents and notches on its many PSRed surface areas – a good move, because a lot of small flaws could be identified and treated before a final overall coat with “White Aluminium” from a rattle can (Duplicolor, RAL 9006) was applied and details like the radome, antennae (both in black) and the landing gear and its wells (in a light bronze tone, seen on Saab 29s and 32s) were painted in detail. I think the silver underlines the J31’s clean lines well?
The model received a light black ink washing, less for true weathering but to emphasize engraved details and for a “cloudier” look of the NMF surfaces. This was further enhanced through a careful treatment with grinded graphite (which adds a truly metallic shine to the paint), and since a lot of surface details were lost through PSR I did some manual panel-shading with different silver tones and re-created panel lines all over the hull with a soft pencil, mostly free-handedly. Quite simple, but it improves the overall impression a lot.
Decals were puzzled together. The Swedish roundels came from a generic TL-Modellbau sheet, the “T” on the tail was scratched from generic white and blue stripes from the same manufacturer. The blue band around the nose was made with the same material, plus a white “T” – inspired by tactical markings from some J29s from the Fifties. Some stencils were collected from the scrap box, and black walkway borders added to the wings’ upper surfaces and the spine behind the cockpit. As a side benefit these hide some lingering inconsistencies on the wing surfaces well.
Finally, the model was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish (Italeri) for a shiny finish, except for the radomes, which became matt.
It might not look spectacular or exciting, but I am quite proud of this “second” J31, because it not only was a major kitbashing project, it also conveys the Fifties “look and feel” I wanted to catch, like its contemporaries S.O. 4050 Vautour, Yak-25, or even the stillborn Baade Ba-152 airliner. From that point it turned out very well, and going for a simple NMF livery was IMHO also a good move – the J31 has a certain “space age” look? At least, this is what you can get when you combine major parts from F3D, B-47. B1, Il-28, Su-25, Tu-95 and a Gloster Meteor… 😉
Border matching with additional refinement
See also Airtight Frame I
Coachwork by Tickford
Chassis n° AM300/3/1575
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 80.000 - 140.000
Unsold
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
"The introduction of a new model by David Brown is always an event of importance. Here in the Aston Martin DB Mark III Sports Saloon are incorporated all the elements of a superlative motor car. The highest ideals of roadholding, steering, braking and sheer performance have been achieved. Exciting and functional, elegant and exhilarating, it is incomparably the best Aston Martin car ever produced." – Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.
Two years after the introduction of the DB2/4 Mark II came the DB Mark III, 551 of which, mainly saloons, were made between March 1957 and July 1959. Externally the most obvious change was the adoption of a DB3S-style grille, establishing the 'hallmark' look of subsequent Aston Martins, which had been drawn up by Tickford designer, Bert Thickpenny. This restyled nose give the car a more imposing look, while the interior boasted a redesigned dashboard with instruments grouped in a cowled panel ahead of the driver. According to The Autocar: "The latest models – the DB Mk IIIs – have a number of important improvements and, in addition, a subtle crispness and refinement, as compared with the DB2/4, not easily attributed to any one modification."
The 3.0-litre DBA engine benefited from an extensive redesign by Tadek Marek (newly arrived from Austin) and featured, among other improvements, a stiffer block, stronger crankshaft, and a new cylinder head with bigger valves. 162bhp was available with the single-pipe exhaust system, 178bhp with the optional twin-pipe version. Elsewhere there were improvements to both clutch and gearbox; Laycock overdrive became available and front disc brakes were standard rather than optional after the first 100 cars had been built, commencing at chassis '1401'. Despite the inevitable weight increase, the Mark III was faster than any of its predecessors with a top speed of 120mph (193km/h).
The DB Mark III is also notable as the first Aston Martin to feature in a 'James Bond' novel, being driven by '007' in Goldfinger. It was also the last Aston Martin produced with the W O Bentley-era six-cylinder engine.
Its accompanying copy guarantee form reveals that left-hand drive chassis number '1575' was despatched to Aston Martin's US importer J S Inskip on 20th July 1958 and delivered to its first owner, Mr Arthur Parmenter of Warwick, Rhode Island. The car left the Newport Pagnell factory finished in Peony with Off White Connolly hide interior trim. The AMOC Register records the fact that the car was still in the USA in 1996.
At around that time '1575' was advertised for sale by The Aston Workshop as 'comprehensively restored in 1996 by one of America's premier Aston Martin specialists' and was said to be 'beautifully finished and correctly detailed throughout'.
All metal work was said to have been completed, including the bulkhead, prior to a bare-metal re-spray. The engine was described as fully rebuilt, while the brakes had been overhauled and the suspension checked and fully serviced. A new wiring harness all new pipe-work had been fitted. The engine was said to be 'virtually concours' and correctly detailed. The interior had been re-trimmed in top quality Connolly biscuit hides with fawn Wilton carpets edged in biscuit. The dashboard had been removed and renovated; the brightwork re-chromed; and the wire wheels rebuilt and shod with Pirelli radial tyres.
Since its acquisition by the vendor, the Aston has been kept in storage and not used. Re-commissioning will be required before it returns to the road.
Camera: ONDU MultiFormat Mk I pinhole camera @ 6x12
Red Adox filter
Pinhole: f/160
"Focal length": 40mm
Exposure: 21 secs
Film: Foma Fomapan 400 Action developed in Kodak Xtol Replenished
Bought a barely used Ondu Multiformat Mk I. I think the previous owner had given up on it, as it is a pain to wind the film on. This has been solved by Ondu on later models (Mark II & III).
The camera has a very nice design and finish, and I am confident that I can make it work better. Later models have more refinements, but the photographic results will be the same (except for the rise function).
Coachwork by Snutsel
Engine: 6 cyl. - 5.332 cm³ - 115 bhp
Transmission: 4 speed
Top speed: 145 kph
This Zaventem based make built cars through until the end of the '20s, which from technical and refinement angles rivalled with the best produced cars of that time. Such names as Isotta Fraschini, Bentley and Hispano Suiza spring to mind.
Excelsior (to be better translated as 'astounding') literally refers to the exceptional quality of the cars, which technically were also highly innovative, such as the ADEX dual braking system with Dewandre servo.
History of Excelsior:
Compagnie Nationale Excelsior, more simply known as Excelsior, was a Belgian car manufacturer established by Arthus de Coninck in Brussels in 1903. The company first started to manufacture cars in 1904.
The first models were powered by a two- or four-cylinder Aster engine. In 1907, however, the company made headlines with the Adex, powered by a six-cylinder side-valve engine with a capacity of nine litres. This car's chassis could be easily modified for Grand Prix racing. In 1912, the car took second place in the French Grand Prix, and when the Belgian Royal Family purchased an Excelsior, the advertising value proved considerable.
A second version of the Adex came out in 1920, with a smaller 4767 cc, six-cylinder engine including an overhead camshaft. The Adex inspired the design of the later Excelsior Albert I, which was powered by a six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 5346 cc. An Excelsior Albert I finished 6th and another 9th in the 1923 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
In 1929, the company was sold to its competitor Impéria. Until 1932, the company was called Impéria-Excelsior, after which the name Excelsior was dropped.
(Wikipedia)
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Autoworld is a vintage car museum in the center of Brussels, Belgium, located in the southern hall of the Cinquantenaire Park. It holds a large and varied collection of 350 oldtimers.
Well, finally, after a long hiatus I am posting something. Humvee model, design from @tiger_1_3_1 on Instagram, with my refinements aimed at eliminating some "illegal" techniques, the camouflage is 100% taken from @brickbattlefield - I really hate reproducing camos in Lego, so I am really glad someone already made the vehicle in appropriate colors which I could copy onto my build.
Overall, 10/10 build, some clever techniques were used here, and most of the parts are easily available in necessary colors. Deals with Tiger are a treat!
Photos were taken with phone camera and with daylight being light source, I think it came out remarkably okay, for my photo skills lol. I will definitely get a proper lightbox and a lamp someday, it's just low on my priority list and I have problems with storage space (there's none).
You can expect more posts in coming weeks, as I did build some stuff over the last months, a lot of it are smaller things, not sure if I will drop them into single post or separate ones, I will see I guess.
More refinements to the Glowmonk(tm) machine and another test subject. :-)
Strobist info - Canon 430ez with a blue gel to camera left. Lighting with batcomputer inspired lighting rig to front of spaghetti to produce glow.
The Correr Museum occupies the upper floors of the Procuratorie Nuove. It contains several neoclassical rooms that seem designed as a counterpoint to the Byzantine-Gothic melange of the basilica of San Marco at the other end of the equare.
The ballroom was designed by Lorenzo Santi in 1822. Giuseppe Borsato added some refinements in 1837-38. During the Napoleonic era, the French ruled from this position, considering the Doge's Palace to be tainted by its Republican past.
P7080866.
In early 1963 Giovanni Michelotti was commissioned by Triumph to design a GT version of the Spitfire 4, which they had recently introduced. The Spitfire was also a Michelotti design.
To improve the performance of the new car, the engine was replaced by the more powerful 2.0 litre Triumph in-line 6.
The new model underwent further refinement and was finally launched as the Triumph GT6.
Expo : 100 Years Michelotti
1921 - 2021
DAF Museum
Eindhoven
Nederland - Netherlands
February 2022
EDIT - 05/04/15 - Added vents to the front part of the handguard.
7.62x54mm bolt-action rifle.
A refinement on the vaunted and recent models of the world-renowned Mosin Nagant M1891/30, the design features some parts of the classic rifle mixed in with modern hardware.
Fiendishly accurate and powerful, this battle-hardened weapon is no stranger to conflict - in fact, this sniper rifle is the mainstay weapon of countless paramilitaries, terrorist groups and resistance fighters, to civilians, law enforcement, and even federal armies.
The rifle features a flip-off top rail similar in appearance to hybrid sights. On the push of a lever, the lock will disengage and the rail will flip off, granting easier access to the bolt during reloading. There is an additional bottom rail for attaching bipods.
Despite from those modern-day features, this weapon still retains its high degree of user friendliness, with its loose tolerances in the firing mechanism and ergonomic grip.
Gustave Eiffel was initially unreceptive to Koechlin’s and Nouguier’s design. It was only after Sauvestre’s refinements that Eiffel lent his support to the project ...
Find out more about Eiffel Tower and see the design + build insights in the companion 60-page digital book, now available at www.roccobuttliere.com/shop/eiffel-tower-digital-book.
All four of them can fit snugly inside the tank :).
I still have to make refinements on the turret and chassis, but she's almost there.