View allAll Photos Tagged Refinement
(Museum description) Pianos were a symbol of female refinement in early 19th-century America, providing a new avenue for self-expression. This is one of the earliest American-made examples and was used in Topsfield, Massachusetts. The elegant floral painting above the keyboard adds a feminine quality to an otherwise plain, Federal-style case.
St Mary Woolnoth, King William Street, London
Opinions vary greatly as to the merits of this church, observed Margaret Tabor in her splendid little 1924 volume London City Churches, a review of all those churches in the City built up to the end of the 18th Century. Some critics point to it as an illustration of the lack of genius of Wren's pupils... others find "much refinement" in the north front, and admire the classical details... The clanging quotation marks that drop around the words 'much refinement' probably tell us all we need to know about Ms Tabor's opinion. The pupil of Wren who was lacking in genius on this occasion was Nicholas Hawksmoor of course, who is today recognised as quite the most innovative English urban church architect of the 18th Century. That Ms Tabor was not without allies is reflected in the fact that on several occasions this building has been threatened. In 1863 an application was made for its demolition, so that the land could be used for the construction of Bank underground station. The parishioners fought off the attempt (in the event, the station was built in the crypt, and the neo-classical screen now hosting a Starbucks to the south of the church was built as the station entrance). In 1919, the Diocese of London's Commission into City Churches recommended St Mary Woolnoth as one of nineteen churches for demolition, the proceeds going to the construction of new churches in the suburbs.
St Mary Woolnoth's superb location at the meeting point of Lothbury and King William Street is of course the main reason for these periodic avaricious attempted land grabs, but it must be said that over the years there are many people who haven't really 'got' St Mary Woolnoth. The purity of the Classical form is undoubted - how the Victorians must have hated it! - but that box of an interior, unrelenting in its mathematical perfection, is easier to admire than to love. When the galleries were in situ and before the high box pews were replaced it must have been a claustrophobic experience sitting here on a Sunday, despite the light from above. Sometimes I take people in here and it blows them away, it takes their breath away. It doesn't do that to me. Perhaps I, too, am one of the people who don't really get St Mary Woolnoth.
Quite what TS Eliot thought of it I don't know, but his own memories of working in the City which weave their way into his masterpiece, The Waste Land, recalled the church very precisely:
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.
Flowed up the hill and down King William Street,
To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours
With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.
One of the rectors here at the end of the 18th Century was the hymn writer John Newton. Newton had been a slave trader in an earlier part of his life, but repented and became a vocal opponent of the trade. He is buried here, and his epitaph, although fully in the language of early 19th Century pious memory, is still rather moving: John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the Faith he had laboured long to destroy.
(c) Simon Knott, December 2015
[image: Inline image 1]
EXCERPT from:
www.trumpetcallofgodonline.com/index.php5?title=Refinemen...
*Shall I reward you for your disobedience, simply because you are called
Christian?!*
My children, I have sent to you many in My own name, putting MY words in
their mouths; and behold, I am sending 144,000 more, the witnesses. Yet you
scoff and reject them, yea you persecute them on account of their words.
Therefore, O disobedient generation who do call of themselves Christian,
you are given up to refinement and shall pass through the fire, even the
fires of The Last Week; you shall not be gathered... *There shall be great
wailing and gnashing of teeth.*
And so it will come to pass: Those who would be first shall be last, and
those who were accounted as last shall be first. For every man, who thinks
himself righteous, shall be left. For there are none righteous! No, not
one!... *Not one person or church... All is vanity and pride, complete
vexation of spirit.*
*For I have already told you that I require of you humility, *
*A complete forsaking of your wills, walking in faith, *
*Abiding wholly in the doctrine of Christ...*
*Yet all you men in the churches abide in your own doctrine, *
*Walking always in religion, and not in faith...*
*For not one of you obeys God, in truth.*
I tell you, all religions shall fail! Not one shall persist! For The
Salvation of God is nowhere to be found in the religions of men, nor shall
one find Me in any denomination or church. Thus all your attempts to hold
onto your self-righteousness are in vain, for every bitter and perverse
doctrine of men shall burn in that day.
My children, Christ’s church dwells within Him, and He dwells in the hearts
of men. This is where My Son has rebuilt the temple, which has fallen down.
Yet you seek outwardly in the world for fulfillment, mixing the things of
the world with the things of God, polluting pure worship with the
abominations of the pagan and the heathen... *Desecrating My name and My
glory as you continue segregating My Word, in an effort to maintain your
own way.*
+++ 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… 😉
I'm trying Pilot multi pens to see how they work while sketching live subjects. These pens hold 4 tools each and I have two of them. One has a pencil, eraser, black and brown ink. The other has blue, red, green, and violet ink. For these sketches I used red to do a quick gesture sketch to capture a pose, black to refine the contour, and pencil or green to shade.
Strathmore softcover journal, Pilot Hi-TEC-C Coleto Me 4 color multi pens.
The Mona Lisa (la Gioconda, la Jaconde), on display in the Salle des États of the Denon Wing, by Leonardo da Vinci, dates to circa 1503–1506, with possible later refinements until 1517.
Leonardo da Vinci began Mona Lisa around 1503, likely in Florence, and continued to refine it over several years, possibly until his death in 1519. The painting portrays Lisa Gherardini, a Florentine woman, and was commissioned by her husband, the merchant Francesco del Giocondo, although the exact circumstances remain debated. Renowned for its subtle modeling of form through Leonardo’s sfumato technique and the enigmatic expression of its subject, the painting became part of the French royal collection when Leonardo moved to France under the patronage of King Francis I. It entered the Louvre after the French Revolution and rose to global fame, particularly following its theft in 1911. While its modest size (77 x 53 cm) often surprises visitors, it remains as one of the most iconic and visited works of art in the world, emblematic of Renaissance humanism and innovation.
The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum and one of its largest, housing over 35,000 works of art from prehistory to the 19th century. Originally built as a fortress under Philippe Auguste in the late 12th century, it was transformed into a royal palace and later into a public museum during the French Revolution in 1793. Its collections span eight departments, including Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman art, Islamic art, sculpture, decorative arts, paintings, prints, and drawings. The museum is organized across three wings—Denon, Sully, and Richelieu—surrounding the Cour Napoléon. The modern glass Pyramid entrance, designed by architect I. M. Pei and inaugurated in 1989, unifies the historic palace complex while serving as a symbol of the museum’s global identity.
Femininity & refinement- this Ulysse Nardin Classico Small Second is the essence of elegance.
#UlysseNardin available at #JohnsonWatchCo
Distinctive detailing such as a palladian window, covered porches, and prominent gables give this relaxed farmhouse special refinement. Interior accent columns distinguish the inviting two-story foyer from the dining room. A spacious great room is set off by two-story windows and opens to the kitchen and breakfast bay. Throughout the first floor, nine foot ceilings add volume and drama. The master suite is secluded downstairs and features a space-amplifying tray ceiling. The master bath includes a double bowl vanity, garden tub, and separate shower. Storage abounds with roomy linen and walk-in closets. Upstairs, two generous bedrooms have ample closet and storage space. The skylit bonus room enjoys second floor access. *Photographed home may have been modified from the original construction documents.* www.dongardner.com/house-plan/420/the-creston/
In Malabar Farm State Park in Monroe Township in Richland County, Ohio, on September 29th, 2019, along the Jungle Brook Trail, a/k/a Bromfield's Junglebrook Trail.
Black Hand Sandstone is a stratigraphic member of the Cuyahoga Formation, from the Tournaisian age (358.9 ±0.4 to 346.7 ±0.4 mya) of the early Mississippian Epoch of the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era.
According to the map in the 1975 soil survey of Richland County, soils here are predominantly silt loam Inceptisols (Fluventic Endoaquepts) of the Shoals series.
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Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names terms:
• Malabar Farm State Park (1102377)
• Richland (county) (1002823)
Art & Architecture Thesaurus terms:
• autumn (300133093)
• Carboniferous (300391469)
• moss (plant) (300262568)
• Paleozoic (300391254)
• parks (recreation areas) (300008187)
• sandstone (300011376)
• temperate deciduous forests (300387649)
Wikidata items:
• 29 September 2019 (Q57350579)
• Black Hand Sandstone (Q59388621)
• Erie Drift Plain (Q64072343)
• Inceptisol (Q843717)
• Low Lime Drift Plain (Q80576918)
• Monroe Township (Q6902402)
• Mississippian (Q744718)
• Ohio state park (Q38001301)
• outcrop (Q531953)
• plant litter (Q2512035)
• September 29 (Q2882)
• September 2019 (Q47087604)
• Shoals series (Q80581072)
• Southern Great Lakes forests (Q16201663)
• state park (Q1761072)
• Tournaisian (Q940381)
• Treaty of Fort Industry (Q7837057)
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
• Parks—Ohio (sh85098185)
Distinctive detailing such as a palladian window, covered porches, and prominent gables give this relaxed farmhouse special refinement. Interior accent columns distinguish the inviting two-story foyer from the dining room. A spacious great room is set off by two-story windows and opens to the kitchen and breakfast bay. Throughout the first floor, nine foot ceilings add volume and drama. The master suite is secluded downstairs and features a space-amplifying tray ceiling. The master bath includes a double bowl vanity, garden tub, and separate shower. Storage abounds with roomy linen and walk-in closets. Upstairs, two generous bedrooms have ample closet and storage space. The skylit bonus room enjoys second floor access. *Photographed home may have been modified from the original construction documents.* www.dongardner.com/house-plan/420/the-creston/
Original early Series 2.
Series 2, 2A and 3 have a devoted following all over the world as anyone who has ever used one will confirm.
Legendary capabilities off road and superior refinements all round compared to Series 1. Perfectly engineered longer and wider relative to S1. Iconic period styling by David Bache.
Owned and operated by Border Rovers.
Border Rovers can be contacted on:
07515899390
Series II 88-inch utilities (1958-1961)
The Series II Land Rover was introduced in April 1958, exactly 10 years after the original was shown in Amsterdam. Both “Regular” and “Long” models had the same wheelbases as the Series Is they replaced, but there were many important differences. Most obvious was the styling (by Rover’s David Bache), which was impressive enough to survive with only minor changes into the 21st century. It provided barrel-sides to cover axles with wider tracks, plus a sill panel to conceal the underpinnings, and a particularly neat truck cab option. Mechanical changes focussed on a new and much more powerful petrol engine, this time an OHV four-cylinder of 2286cc. However, the 88-inch models retained the old 2-litre engine until summer 1958. The existing 2052cc diesel, a close cousin of the new petrol engine, remained available. The usual range of body styles was on offer – soft top, truck cab, and Station Wagon (see below). Overseas buyers could also have a Window Hardtop model. Bronze Green was still the most popular colour, but there were six others: Beige, Dark Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Marine Blue and Poppy Red, the latter for fire engines. There were 60,456 88-inch Series II models, of which just 9,539 were diesel-powered. The last five 1500-series chassis (from 1960) appear to have had Perkins diesel engines from new.
Rather than spline out my shot this week, I concentrated on adding loads of keys and inbetweens to really nail down what's happening. That's the first version! Since there is so much data now, I thought I'd literally just hit the 'spline' button on all the curves and see what happens! That's the second version. I think it's working OK, despite a few instances of gimbal and a dodgy FK/IK switch that I'll sort out next week.
Thanks to Karl for the suggestion to raise Stewie up at the end to really emphasise the exhaustive collapse. Great idea!
I modified the trawler-barge in this photo by adjusting the angle and perspective, lowering the contrast, blurring it a bit, and re-doing the waterline. I think it's an improvement--and PhotoShop exercise.
I wasn't able to apply all comments, such as to show the Cadillac upside down while eating shellfish. That would be sooo Monterey Bay! Unfortunately, while the Cadillac was in drydock, it was right-side up!
Suggestions are welcome!
The Orange Collection
The Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 60.000 - 90.000
Sold for € 94.300
Zoute Grand Prix 2023
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2023
"The Aston Martin DB9 is a thoroughbred sports car with GT levels of comfort and refinement. Combining Aston Martin's unique character with an uncompromising design philosophy, the DB9 was borne out of a synthesis of traditional craftsmanship, high-tech manufacturing, modern components and use of the finest materials." - Aston Martin.
Launched in 2003 as successor to the DB7, the DB9 was the first model to be built at Aston Martin's new factory at Gaydon, Warwickshire. Like its predecessor, the DB9 was styled by Ian Callum, with finishing touches applied by Henrik Fisker. State-of-the-art manufacturing techniques were employed in making the aluminium/composite body, which was robotically assembled using a combination of self-piercing rivets and adhesive. Although some 25% lighter than that of the DB7, this advanced bodyshell possesses double the structural stiffness.
The DB9 was powered by a development of the 5.9-litre, 48-valve, V12 engine found in the DB7 Vantage producing 470bhp, an output sufficient to propel the aerodynamic coupé to a top speed of 306km/h (190mph) with 60mph attainable from a standing start in a neck-snapping 4.8 seconds. The aluminium engine was mounted as far back as possible in the chassis, while the transmission/final drive was positioned ahead of the rear axle, resulting in 85% of the car's mass being sited between the axles and a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. Transmission options were a six-speed manual or six-speed 'Touchtronic 2' semi-automatic.
Inside the DB9 one finds the typically elegant, luxurious and supremely comfortable hand crafted interior traditionally associated with Aston Martin, featuring primarily wood and leather trim as well as the latest in modern technology, subtly deployed. Although scheduled for a slightly higher production level than previous Aston Martins, the DB9 remained an exclusive product affordable only by a privileged few. Its price at launch was £111,000, with the Volante convertible some £14,000 more. Production ceased in 2016.
Commissioned from Aston Martin by our vendor, the DB9 Volante offered here is one of eight different models forming the Orange Special Limited Edition Collection, all of which are finished in unique Orange No.1 paintwork. Built to Swiss specifications, the car comes with a certificate of authenticity from Aston Martin; a copy of the sales invoice; a (photocopy) Swiss Carte Grise; photocopy EC Certificate of Conformity; and a detailed list of its money-no-object specification. The DB9 has recently benefited from recommissioning by noted marque specialists Stratton Motor Company.
Boeing 247-D
The Boeing 247-D was the refinement of the first truly modern airliner. The 247, a derivative of the Model 200 Monomail and B-9 bomber, showed a substantial improvement over the Ford Tri-Motor, cutting eight hours from the coast-to-coast flying time, and was capable of carrying 10 people. The Museum's 247-D flew in the famous England-to-Australia air race of 1934.