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Zhijin Cave (simplified Chinese: 织金洞; traditional Chinese: 織金洞; pinyin: Zhījīn Dòng; lit. 'Weaving Gold Cave') is a karst cave located in Minzhai Village (民寨乡), Zhijin County, Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China. An important tourism area, the site lies 23 km (14 mi) northeast of the county town and 166 km (103 mi) from the provincial capital, Guiyang.
Originally called the Daji Cave (打鸡洞), it was discovered in 1980 by the Zhijin County Tourism Resources Exploration Team. Split into three layers,[1] the cave extends for some 13.5 km (8.4 mi) over a total area of 7 km2 (2.7 sq mi) and is believed to possess the largest unsupported roof span of any cave worldwide. More than 120 different crystalline formations are found in the cave's interior along with stalactites and the "Silver Rain Tree" (银雨树), a 17 m (56 ft) tall rare flower-like transparent crystal.
The surrounding area, known as the Guizhou Zhijin Cave Scenic Area (贵州织金洞风景区), was made a national level tourist site by the Chinese State Council in 1988. Other attractions here spread over an area of 307 km2 (119 sq mi) and includes Zhijin Old Town (织金古城区) as well as Luojie River Scenic Area (裸结河景区).
Waiting for kenny to help me cleaning up this mess ;-p
Thanks y'all! This one made it to Explore ;-)
In order to find the time to simply my house, I figured out that I need to schedule time to do it! So I started my simplify calendar and I'm scheduling time to do stuff. If I can schedule in like an hour a day of getting rid of clutter, I'll make a dent in it eventually.
This is the Simplify Your Life pattern with the Ebb top front button placket, lengthened to a 3 button. On this one I used the Ebb lower portion with the vents.
Details for this dress in photos on the Simplify Your Life Flickr album.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The "Entwicklung" tank series (= "development"), more commonly known as the E-Series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardized series of tank designs. There were to be six standard designs in different weight classes, from which several specialized variants were to be developed. This intended to reverse the trend of extremely complex tank designs that had resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability.
The E-series designs were simpler, cheaper to produce and more efficient than their predecessors; however, their design offered only modest improvements in armor and firepower over the designs they were intended to replace, such as the Jagdpanzer 38(t), Panther Ausf. G or Tiger II. However, the resulting high degree of standardization of German armored vehicles would also have made logistics and maintenance easier. Indeed, nearly all E-series vehicles — up through and including the E-75 — were intended to use what were essentially the Tiger II's 80 cm (31½ in) diameter, steel-rimmed road wheels for their suspension, meant to overlap each other (as on the later production Tiger I-E and Panther designs that also used them), even though in a highly simplified fashion. For instance, while the E-50/75’s running gear resembled outwardly the Tiger II’s, the latter’s torsion bar suspension, which necessitated a complex hull with many openings, was replaced by very compact conical spring coil packages that each held a pair of interleaved road wheels – with the benefit that all suspension elements remained outside of the hull. This considerably simplified production and saved time as well as scarce material.
Focus of initial chassis and combat vehicle development was the E-50/75 Standardpanzer, designed by Adler. These were two mostly identical vehicles and only differed in armor thickness, overall weight and running gear design to cope with the different weights. While the E-50 was the standardized replacement for the medium PzKpfw. V “Panther” and the last operational PzKpfw. VI “Tiger”, with an operational weight of around 50 tons, the E-75 was intended to become the standard heavy tank in the 70 ton class, as a replacement for the Tiger II battle tank and the Jagdtiger SPG. They were to share many components, including the same Maybach HL 234 engine with up to 900 hp output and the drivetrain, as well as running gear elements and almost all peripheral equipment. Both E-50 and E-75 were built on the same production lines for ease of manufacture.
This universal tank chassis would, beyond the primary use for battle tanks, also become the basis for a wide range of specialized support vehicles like self-propelled artillery, assault guns, tank hunters and anti-aircraft weapon carriers, which would gradually replace and standardize the great variety of former support vehicles, dramatically optimizing maintenance and logistics.
The E-50/75 SPAAG sub-family itself was quite diversified and comprised a wide range of vehicles that mainly carried different turrets with the respective weaponry as well as air space surveillance, targeting and command equipment. The range of armament included not only guns of various calibers for short, medium and long range in armored and mostly fully enclosed turrets. There were furthermore armored launch ramps for anti-aircraft missiles, including the guided “Rheintochter”, “Wasserfall” or “Enzian” SAMs as well as batteries with unguided “Taifun” anti-aircraft missiles.
The most important vehicle among this new family was the Einheits-Flakpanzer E-50/55mm, even though its development was delayed and protracted. In May 1943, Oberleutnant Dipl. Ing von Glatter-Götz, responding to the orders of Inspectorate 6, initiated the development of a new series of Flakpanzers based on already existing chassis. The Panzer I and II were outdated or used for other purposes. The Panzer III tank chassis was earmarked for the production of the StuG III and thus not available. The Panzer IV and the Panzer V Panther were considered next. The Panzer IV tank chassis was already in use for several German modifications, so it was decided to use it for the Flakpanzer program, eventually leading to the light “Kugelblitz” SPAAG. The Panzer V Panther was considered in case even the Panzer IV chassis proved to be inadequate for the task, as an interim chassis for new turrets until the new tank generation, the “Einheitspanzer” or “E-Serie”, had become available. This would only happen in late 1945, though.
In the meantime several SPAAG proposals were made on the Panther basis, including the “Coelian” family of AA turrets with weapons like the 37 mm Flak 37 and the new 3.7 cm (L/77) Flak 341 twin gun, the Luftwaffe’s 30 mm MK 103 machine cannon and a new 55 mm autocannon, mounted in a fully closed turret on a medium to heavy tank chassis.
The new 55mm gun had its roots in a newly developed medium 50 mm gun, the Flak 41, which had been banned in 1942 to save resources and focus on existing anti-aircraft weapons. Nevertheless, the German field troops demanded such a weapon to finally be able to deal with Allied attack aircraft, esp. the Soviet Union’s armored Ilyushin Il-2 “Shturmovik”. Since the development of the Flak 41 had expressly been forbidden, Rheinmetall and Krupp set about building a completely new weapon with a bigger caliber for longer range and a heavier explosive shell that would fill the operational gap between the established 37 and 88 mm anti-aircraft guns.
This new gun project was handled under the alias "Gerät 58" and launched in early 1943. It gradually evolved in the course of the year with only little (if any) official support. In fact, it was rather a private venture that responded to the army’s needs, and it was already the attempt to anticipate a worsening war situation. For instance, all experiences made with the construction of the 37 mm Flak 43 with regards to the sheet metal stamping technology, which saved material as well as production time, were adopted for the Gerät 58, too. The result was – for its size – a relatively compact and foremost simple gun which, thanks to its low fire height and a modern design of the mount, showed very good shooting results.
Initial work was centered around a single-barrel field gun version. Its lower carriage consisted of a turntable to which the wheel racks of the special trailer 204 were attached to two spars. In the firing position, the carriage was set down as with all other anti-aircraft guns. Three small hydraulic supports were attached to the mount ring, on which the weapon could be fired in the driving position. The Krupp design had some problems but required 300 kg less raw materials to manufacture than the Rheinmetall design. However, when the prototypes were presented to Heeresamt authorities, the development of this very successful weapon was again prohibited in November 1943 as "not necessary".
In 1944, however, the lack of usable anti-aircraft weapon systems between the light and heavy flak guns was finally recognized, supported by the analysis of experiences from the Battle of Kursk during the last year. After revisions, three experimental guns (2 from Rheinmetall, one from Krupp) were tested in comparative shooting in mid-1944 at the Luftwaffe’s development center. A few shortcomings emerged and it was agreed to build a fourth experimental gun based on the Rheinmetall designs by the end of 1944. New trials began in February 1945 and were completed in April. By the time a twin mount for the Gerät 58 in a modified “Coelian” turret was also ready for trials, and tests with this weapon in the new Rheinmetall Einheits-Flakturm for the Einheitspanzer series started, too.
In these final forms the Gerät 58 was quickly cleared for production and service, and the weapon’s project designation was retained, even though “Flak 45” was also common. The autocannon had an overall length of 8,15 mm (26.7 ft) and weighed 2.990 kg (6,586 lb). The barrel length was 4,21 m (13 ¾ ft) for a bore of 77, and the weapon fired a HE/fragmentation shell (weighing 2.030 g/4 ½ lb) with a muzzle velocity of 1.050 m/sec /3,440 ft/sec). Recoil was 280 mm (11 in). Against aerial targets, the Gerät 58 had a maximum effective ceiling of 6,000 m (6,560 yards) and a practical rate of fire of 140 RPM. Armor-piercing rounds were able to penetrate 110 mm vertical hardened steel armor at 500 m or 70 mm at 2,000 m. The ammunition could be fed in from both sides and the spent cases were ejected downwards, so that the gun could be easily adapted to multiple mounts and to fully enclosed tank turrets. In the Rheinmetall turret the Gerät 58 received a manual magazine feed for each barrel that could store five rounds (plus one ready in the gun chamber) for short continuous bursts. These magazines were driven by gravity, though, and once expended, had to be reloaded manually. The ammunition supply in the Rheinmetall turret comprised 104 rounds in total.
In its operational form the Gerät 58/Rheinmetall turret combination introduced another novel feature: The rangefinding point on the gun had been dispensed with, but instead of this the most modern radio-based measuring devices were able to feed their data directly into the sighting device – what meant that the fire control input had to come from an external device in the form of electric impulses. In the case of the Gerät 58, this was the newly developed Kommandogerät 44, a very compact combined stereoscopic sight, coupled with an analogue range calculator. This replaced the traditional scope. Due to the weapon’s weight and bulk, all weapon orientation was carried out by means of hydraulic motors via a control column that were slaved to the gunner’s Kommandogerä, so that aiming and firing was semi-automatized. The gunner still had to use an optical scope to find and pinpoint the target, but the Kommandogerät translated this, together with additional information like range, temperature or wind shear, into electrical input for the guns that automatically corrected the weapon’s orientation and triggered them with a respective lead at an ideal moment.
Thanks to the Gerät 58’s innovative electronic input interface and its motorized controls, aiming and firing could also be slaved to an external director. This could be the bigger and more capable Kommandogerät 40 or the Sd.Kfz. 282 “Basilisk” mobile anti-aircraft radar. Furthermore, several anti-aircraft weapons could be guided and operated this way by a single command unit with improved sensors, for higher accuracy under any weather condition as well as for concentrated and more effective fire and an improved first shot hit probability
Due to the dire war situation and an urgent need for this formidable new anti-aircraft weapon, the Gerät 58 and its highly innovative periphery were immediately pushed into production. The first field guns reached the frontline units in September 1945, with mixed success. Due to parallel delays with the new E-50/75 chassis and material shortages, which highly limited the output of the new tanks from early 1945 on, the new Gerät 58, mounted together with the Kommandogerät 44 in the new Rheinmetall Einheits-Flakturm, were initially combined with other chassis, primarily revamped Panzer V battle tanks as well as some leftover heavy Tiger I tanks.
The first complete E-50/55mm SPAAGs reached the frontline units in March 1946, but since both chassis and weapons had been ushered into production and service, many teething troubles emerged and it would take until late 1946 that the Sd.Kfz. 191/3, how the new vehicle had officially been designated, had turned into an effective and reliable weapon system.
Specifications:
Crew: Six (commander, gunner, two loaders, driver, radio operator)
Weight: 56.5 tonnes (62.2 short tons)
Length: 7.27 m (23 ft 10 ¾ in), hull only
9.29 m (30 ft 5 in) with guns forward
Width: 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in)
Height 3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
Ground clearance: 495 to 510 mm (1 ft 7.5 in to 1 ft 8.1 in)
Suspension: Conical spring
Fuel capacity: 720 liters (160 imp gal; 190 US gal)
Armor:
30 – 60 mm (1.2 – 2.4 in)
Performance:
Speed
- Maximum, road: 55 km/h (34 mph)
- Sustained, road: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Cross country: 20 to 30 km/h (13 to 19 mph)
Operational range: 160 km (99 miles)
Power/weight: 16 PS/tonne (14.5 hp/ton)
Engine:
V-12 Maybach HL 234 gasoline engine with 900 PS (885 hp/650 kW)
Transmission:
ZF AK 7-200 with 7 forward 1 reverse gears
Armament:
2× 5,5 cm (2.17 in) L/77 Gerät 58 anti-aircraft cannon with 104 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
Finally I found the motivation to build a “standard” E-50 Flakpanzer to complete my growing German SPAAG collection. I had this kit stashed away for years, but never was in the right mood to tackle this OOB build of the ModelCollect kit. It’s s decent kit that comes with brass barrels for the 55 mm guns and a small PE sheet for grates on the engine cover and small bits like lugs and protectors for the hull crew’s periscopes. It’s finer than the similar Trumpeter kit and more friend – but this also comes at a price, because some molding solutions are quite doubtful, e. g. three(!) sprue attachment points for tiny and most delicate bits or placing sprue channels between the teeth of the sprocket wheels. WTF? As a bonus you get all the parts to build an E-75 chassis – for the E-50 you just leave a pair of wheels per side away.
The kit went together well, and I used all the PE options for this one. The only modification I made are dented and partly deleted armor mudguards, so that the tank looks less “uniform”.
Painting and markings:
Another variant of German late WWII standards, with roots in the “Hinterhalt” scheme. The paint scheme was inspired by a real Panther Ausf. D from the Eastern front in late 1943, which consists only of Dunkelgelb (RAL 7028) and Olivgrün (RAL 6003) in rather pale shades and in a kind of rough splinter pattern.
I interpreted the scheme as if the tank had been painted all-green and then the lighter color had been applied on top of that. Since no view for the upper surfaces were available, I assumed that this might have been a late-war “Sparanstrich” with only minimal use of the Dunkelgelb, so that hull and turret roof remained green – even though I added mottles in Dunkelgelb to them, as if sun was shining through the leaves of a tree, to better break up the vehicle’ outlines. Dunkelgelb was also added under the gun to reduce the contrast of the barrels against the sky when they are raised.
True to this concept, the model received initially an overall coat with modern RAL 6003 from the rattle can, plus a light coat of RAL 6011 (Resedagrün) on top to the upper surfaces as a shading and weathering measure – and for a rather pale look. The wheels were painted uniformly in the same way, too.
Once dry, the “wedges” on the more or less vertical surfaces were added with a brush, using a mix of Humbrol 121 and 72 for a pale and less yellowish interpretation of RAL 7028.
The kit received the usual washing with dark brown, highly thinned acrylic paint before the decals were applied – puzzled together from the scrap box. A dry brushing treatment with light olive green (Revell 45) followed, highlighting surface details and edges. More dust and dirt traces as well as some rust marks with watercolors followed, and then a coat of matt varnish.
Unfortunately. the kit’s tracks were molded in a yellowish sand color and had to be fully painted. Onto a black base coat, a cloudy mix of dark grey, red brown and iron acrylic paints was added. The many delicate tools on the tank’s hull are molded, and instead of trying to paint them I rubbed over them with graphite, leaving them with a dark metallic shine. Just some wooden handles were then painted with a reddish brown. The antennae were made from heated sprue material, and, finally, the tank’s lower areas were dusted with a greyish-brown mineral pigment mix, simulating dust and mud residue.
A quite simple build, since the kit was built straight OOB with no conversions at all. However, the Modellcollect E-50/75 model is still tricky and need some attention, the Trumpeter kit is easier (but also not as detailed). The result looks a bit odd, thanks to the pale paint scheme (pistache and vanilla?), but it’s something different from the usual standard “Hinterhalt” tri-color variations. And it’s certainly not the last semi-fictional German SPAAG…
Just chose my word for 2013 - simplify! I need it in all areas of my life this year - tired of spending, tired of complications - starting a do - over!
Happy New Year Friends!
It would appear that SanDisk realized their card branding was getting out of hand. Extreme I, II, III, IV, etc. Ultra I, II, III (was there more?). Am I missing anything. I'm sure that when the marketing department was doing this, they had a valid reason for each name. However, it seems like they came to their senses and are simplifying the line-up.
As far as I can tell the new CF cards come in three varieties:
Ultra, 30MB/sec
Extreme 60MB/sec
Extreme Professional 90MB/sec
I am not sure if this holds true for the SD cards, but I'm sure there is something similar. Definitely a good move on their part, there was really no reason to keep all those SKUs out there clogging up resellers systems and confusing customers. Hopefully this simplification brings the prices down further (still seem a bit inflated if you ask me)
This new Extreme CF card is rated twice as fast as the Extreme III card it replaces. Part of this increase comes from UDMA technology, which, from what I understand writes to blocks scattered throughout the card. The extra speed only comes when using compatible cameras and card readers, but in theory should really speed things up. So, we will see how this little guy performs, and hopefully the 32GB Extreme Pro cards come down to 50 bucks before years end!
OrigamiUSA posted a picture of the crease pattern Brian Chan drew on a blackboard for a class at the 2008 June convention. It seems to be of a simplified version of his Wall-E. I overlaid the info from the blackboard on his official cp. Red=mt, blue=valley, brn=you'll figure it out. Purple=my notes. Green heart=approx location of robot body
Due to "chasing" European 2012 and also going back to camp for a 2 week NS reservist , i had been hibernating on photography....
With the official opening of garden by the bay on 29th june 2012, what could be a better way to resume my photography journey with a big bang upload of photos of it...
View my flickr set on gardens by the bay using the following link
www.flickr.com/photos/gwwang/sets/72157630358093212/
.:Taken from From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:.
About Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands (traditional Chinese: 濱海灣金沙; simplified Chinese: 滨海湾金沙) is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is billed as the world's most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, including cost of the prime land.[1][2]
With the casino complete, the resort features a 2,561-room hotel, a 1,300,000-square-foot (120,000 m2) convention-exhibition centre, the 800,000-square-foot (74,000 m2) The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall, an iconic ArtScience museum, two large theatres, seven "celebrity chef" restaurants, two floating Crystal Pavilions, an ice skating rink, and the world's largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex is topped by a 340m-long SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people and a 150m infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world's largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 67m.[3][4] The 20-hectare resort was designed by Moshe Safdie Architects. The local architect of record was Aedas Singapore, and engineering was provided by Arup and Parsons Brinkerhoff (MEP). The main contractor was Ssangyong Engineering and Construction.[5]
Originally set to open in 2009, Las Vegas Sands faced delays caused by escalating costs of material and labour shortages from the onset. The severe global financial crisis also pressured the company to delay its projects elsewhere to complete the integrated resort.[6] Although Marina Bay Sands has been compared on scale and development costs to MGM's CityCenter, the latter is a mixed-use development, with condominium properties (comprising three of the seven main structures) being sold off.[7][8]
The resort was officially opened with a two-day celebration on 23 June 2010 at 3.18 pm, after a partial opening (which included the casino) on 27 April 2010.[9] The SkyPark opened a day later on 24 June 2010. The theatres were completed in time for the first performance by Riverdance on 30 November 2010. The floating pavilions are still being built and are expected to be fully completed by 2011. The indoor skating rink, which uses artificial ice, opened to a performance by Michelle Kwan on 18 December 2010. The ArtScience Museum opened to the public and the debut of a 13-minute light, laser and water spectacle called Wonder Full on 19 February 2011 marked the full completion of the entire Integrated Resort.
The grand opening of Marina Bay Sands was held on 17 February 2011. It also marked the opening of the seven celebrity chef restaurants. The highly-anticipated Broadway musical The Lion King debuted on 3 March 2011.[10] The last portion of the Marina Bay Sands, the floating pavilions, were finally opened to the public when the two tenants (Louis Vuitton and Pangaea Club) opened on 18 September 2011 and 22 September 2011 respectively.
About Garden by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay consists of three distinctive waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, spanning a total of 101 hectares. They are set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, encircling the Marina Reservoir like a green necklace. The Gardens will complement the array of attractions around Marina Bay.
Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government that further transforms Singapore from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’, in which the city is woven into a green and floral tapestry. This aims to raise the quality of life in Singapore with a more holistic and all-encompassing programme that enhances greenery and flora in the city. First announced to the public by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally in August 2005, Gardens by the Bay will become Singapore’s premier urban outdoor recreation space, and a national icon.
An international competition for the design of the master plan was held in January 2006 to elicit the best designs for the Gardens. This attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries, from which two firms – Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter – were eventually awarded the master plan design for the Bay South and Bay East Gardens respectively.
The Gardens are being developed in phases. Bay South is currently being constructed and is slated to be completed by June 2012. Bay East has been developed as an interim park in support of the Youth Olympic Games 2010, and is scheduled to open to the public in late 2011 or early 2012. The full master plan implementation of Bay East and the development of Bay Central are part of the next phase of development.
...:Taken from From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:.
The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel located in Singapore, constructed in 2005–2008. Described by its operators as an observation wheel,[2] it reaches 42 stories high, with a total height of 165 m (541 ft), making it the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, 5 m (16 ft) taller than the Star of Nanchang and 30 m (98 ft) taller than the London Eye.
Situated on the southeast tip of the Marina Centre reclaimed land, it comprises a 150 m (492 ft) diameter wheel, built over a three-story terminal building which houses shops, bars and restaurants, and offers broad views of the city centre and beyond to about 45 km (28 mi), including the Indonesian islands of Batam and Bintan, as well as Johor, Malaysia.
The final capsule was installed on 2 October 2007, the wheel started rotating on 11 February 2008 and it officially opened to the public on 1 March 2008.[1] Tickets for rides on the first 3 nights were sold out for S$8,888 (US$6,271), an auspicious number in Chinese culture.[2] The grand opening for the Flyer was held on 15 April 2008.[3]
Each of the 28 air-conditioned capsules is capable of holding 28 passengers, and a complete rotation of the wheel takes about 30 minutes.[4] Initially rotating in a counter-clockwise direction when viewed from Marina Centre, its direction was changed on 4 August 2008 under the advice of Feng shui masters.[5]
.:From www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_news&task=... :.
About Super trees
Concept and Overview
•Supertrees are uniquely designed vertical gardens ranging from 25 to 50 metres in height (9 to 16 storey), with emphasis placed on the vertical display of tropical flowering climbers, epiphytes and ferns.
•There are a total of 18 Supertrees, all located within Bay South at Gardens by the Bay. Out of the 18 Supertrees, twelve are situated in the Supertree Grove while the remaining six are placed in clusters of threes near the Arrival Square and Dragonfly Lake.
•Given the relatively short time span to create a garden from reclaimed land, the Supertrees provide an immediate scale and dimension to the Gardens while marrying the form and function of mature trees.
•They also create height to balance the current and future tall developments in the Marina Bay area.
•In the day, the Supertrees' large canopies provide shade and shelter. At night, the Supertrees will come alive with lighting and projected media.
•Eleven of the Supertrees are embedded with environmentally sustainable functions.
•A 128-metre-long aerial walkway will connect the two 42-metre Supertrees in the Supertree Grove and enable visitors to take in a different view of the Gardens from a height of 22 metres.
•The 50-metre Supertree will have a treetop bistro that will offer a panoramic view of the Gardens and surrounding Marina Bay area, while F&B outlets located in the Supertree Grove will offer a casual dining experience amidst the lush garden setting. These are among the many dining options that will be available in the Gardens.
•Visitors can look forward to getting up-close to the Supertrees when Bay South officially opens in June 2012.
Construction
The Supertree comprises four major parts:
•Reinforcement concrete core - Inner vertical structure that upholds the Supertree;
•Trunk - A steel frame that will be attached around the reinforcement concrete core;
•Planting panels - Installed on the trunk in preparation for the planting of the living skin;
•Canopy - Shaped like an inverted umbrella, the canopy will be assembled and hoisted via a hydraulic jack system (with the exception of the 50m Supertree canopy which will be assembled at its final height).
Environmentally Sustainable Functions
•Eleven Supertrees will have canopies embedded with environmentally sustainable functions.
•Some will have photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy for lighting up the Supertrees. Some will be integrated with the cooled conservatories and serve as air exhaust receptacles.
Plants
•Over 162,900 plants comprising more than 200 species and varieties of bromeliads, orchids, ferns and tropical flowering climbers will be planted on the 18 Supertrees.
•Examples of some of the species that will be planted on the Supertrees include the Tillandsia stricta from Brazil, Tillandsia fasciculate from Panama, Cattleya maxima from Ecuador, and Pseudorhipsalis from Costa Rica.
•The plants are chosen based on the following considerations:
◦Suitable for vertical planting
◦Lightweight and hardy
◦Soil-less
◦Easy to maintain
◦Suitable for Singapore's Climate
◦Not commonly found in Singapore
◦Visually interesting
•The Supertrees will have different planting schemes in various colours ranging from warm tones like reds, browns, orange and yellows, to cooler hues like silver and pink.
.:From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:.
About Garden by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay consists of three distinctive waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, spanning a total of 101 hectares. They are set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, encircling the Marina Reservoir like a green necklace. The Gardens will complement the array of attractions around Marina Bay.
Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government that further transforms Singapore from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’, in which the city is woven into a green and floral tapestry. This aims to raise the quality of life in Singapore with a more holistic and all-encompassing programme that enhances greenery and flora in the city. First announced to the public by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally in August 2005, Gardens by the Bay will become Singapore’s premier urban outdoor recreation space, and a national icon.
An international competition for the design of the master plan was held in January 2006 to elicit the best designs for the Gardens. This attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries, from which two firms – Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter – were eventually awarded the master plan design for the Bay South and Bay East Gardens respectively.
The Gardens are being developed in phases. Bay South is currently being constructed and is slated to be completed by June 2012. Bay East has been developed as an interim park in support of the Youth Olympic Games 2010, and is scheduled to open to the public in late 2011 or early 2012. The full master plan implementation of Bay East and the development of Bay Central are part of the next phase of development.
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BOX DATE: 2011
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Frankie; Lagoona; Ghoulia
IMPORTANT NOTES: My Frankie is the simplified, "Black Friday" version who did not come with a locker or booklet.
PERSONAL FUN FACT: Ordinarily, when Mattel releases simplified versions of dolls later on, they get majorly ripped off in the accessory department. But as I mentioned above, Miss Frankie came with all the same goodies as the original version, with the exception of the locker and booklet. While the locker was a cool addition, it was the least interesting accessory she was sold with. So I'm a happy clam with this version of Frankie! While this Frankie's two ensembles are really adorable, I have to say that her accessories are the highlight of this doll. She has a cute little bear, a pin cushion, some thread, and the cutest scissor earrings ever!!! Science and sport themed dolls are far more common, which is why I was so drawn to Home Ick Frankie when I learned about this line. Granted, the doll herself isn't nearly as pretty as Ghoulia and Lagoona. I also prefer the clothes sold with Miss Yelps and Miss Blue. But Frankie's concept is rather unique. Although in recent years, I have seen more sewing themed dollies. For instance, I spotted a Barbie sewing accessory pack at Target one time that I really wanted. Of course, Monster High versions of these pieces are even cooler. I love how Frankie's stuffed bear she is working on sewing kind of looks like a voodoo doll. Her skull shaped pin cushion is also perfect for a monster to use in home ec class! The scissor earrings are incredibly clever too. It's interesting that a sticker sheet was included with Frankie, but there was no locker to decorate with them. That's alright though, because these stickers are super cute and work great for other things. I prefer Frankie's main look with the tights, apron, and shirt. It feels a tad more detailed and less bland than her spare dress. Even though this shirt looks quite long, it cannot be worn by itself. Just ask my secondhand Home Ick Frankie who was only wearing it when I rescued her from the local flea market!
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The "Entwicklung" tank series (= "development"), more commonly known as the E-Series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardized series of tank designs. There were to be six standard designs in different weight classes, from which several specialized variants were to be developed. This intended to reverse the trend of extremely complex tank designs that had resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability.
The E-series designs were simpler, cheaper to produce and more efficient than their predecessors; however, their design offered only modest improvements in armor and firepower over the designs they were intended to replace, such as the Jagdpanzer 38(t), Panther Ausf.G or Tiger II. However, the resulting high degree of standardization of German armored vehicles would also have made logistics and maintenance easier. Indeed, nearly all of the E-series vehicles — up through and including the E-75 — were intended to use what were essentially the Tiger II's eighty centimeter diameter, steel-rimmed road wheels for their suspension, meant to overlap each other (as on the later production Tiger I-E and Panther designs that also used them), even though in a much simplified fashion.
Compared with the earlier designs, the amount of drilling and machining involved in producing the Standardpanzer designs was reduced drastically, which would have made them quicker, easier and cheaper to produce, as would the proposed conical spring system, replacing their predecessors' torsion bar system which required a special steel alloy.
Focus of initial chassis and combat vehicle development was the E-50/75 Standardpanzer, designed by Adler, both being mostly identical and only differing in armor thickness, overall weight and running gear design to cope with the different weights.
There were also lighter chassis variants, though, including the light E-5 and E-10 for armored, tracked reconnaissance vehicles and the E-25. The E-25 designs, in the 25-50 tonnes weight class, were to be the replacements of all Panzer III and Panzer IV based designs, with Alkett, Argus and Adler, with involvement of Porsche. This family would include medium reconnaissance vehicles, medium Jagdpanzer and heavy Waffenträger, using five Tiger II style road wheels per side, combined with "slack-track" design. Track propulsion was switched to a rear drive sprocket, as a consequence of mating the engine and the gearbox into a tail-mounted, single and very compact power pack that made the voluminous and heavy power train through the hull obsolete. This allowed the gun mount to be directly attached to the hull floor, which lowered the overall silhouette, and the gained space offered more room for the crew’s operations as well as for ammunition storage.
The medium tank hunter received high priority and the project was called Jagdpanzer E-25/88 and ran under the inventory ordnance number "SdKfz. 198"; . It was to replace various Panzer IV tank hunters and the light "Hetzer" from 1945 onwards, which all either suffered from insufficient firepower, lack of mobility, or armor. Another tank the E-25/88 would replace was the excellent but complex and expensive Jagdpanther with its 8.8 cm Pak 43/3 or 43/4 L/71 cannon.
The Jagdpanzer E-25/88 was to eradicate all problems of the Panzer IV tank hunter family and combine the benefits from all former types, including the powerful 8.8cm PaK, which could take down any Allied tank around late 1944 at considerably distances. Even though the E-25 tank hunter was initially to be outfitted with the proven 7.5 cm/L70 gun from the Jagdpanzer IV and the Panther battle tank, it was surmised that this armament would not be enough for the enemy's next generation tanks.
Beyond its heavy armament, the new tank hunter was to offer good protection through armor and hull shape alike, as well as high mobility, while keeping overall weight at around 30 tons (the Jagdpanzer IV weighed roundabout 25 tons, while the much bigger Jagdpanther weighed 45 tons) and overall size smaller than the Jagdpanther.
Heavier tank hunters than the E-25/88, based of the new E-50 and E-75 chassis were under development in parallel, but they were all to carry heavier guns, including the 12.8 cm PaK and newly developed 10.5 cm and 13 cm cannons. An E-100 SPG on the drawing board (called "Krokodil") was to carry a 15 cm or even a 17.5 cm anti tank gun.
In late 1944, with the Allied invasion in the West and rising pressure from the East, anti tank and assault SPGs were direly needed and the rejuvenation of the German tank force was sped up in a hurry. As a consequence the Jagdpanzer E-25/88 was prematurely ushered into production before the medium E-25 chassis development had been fully completed.
As a stopgap solution, initial production tanks were outfitted with a Henschel running gear that dated back to the canceled VK20 and VK30 tank program, and these vehicles were later re-designated SdKfz. 198/1 (while the vehicles with the new/standardized running gear became the SdKfz. 198/2). However, its overlapped and interleaved roadwheel-based suspension system (called “Schachtellaufwerk”) was a considerable improvement against the Panzer IV design, even though it was more complex than the final E-25 system. Around 80 vehicles were produced with the Henschel suspension until production was switched to the simplified Alkett suspension based on the unified wheels of the bigger Einheitspanzer types.
The upper hull remained basically the same throughout production, though, and was based on proven principles. To accommodate the heavy-calibre gun, much as on previous unturreted tank destroyers, the glacis plate and sloped hull sides of the Jagdpanzer E-25/88 were extended up into an integral, turretless fixed casemate as part of the main hull itself, providing a relatively roomy interior. The Jagdpanzer E-25/88 had side armour of up to 60 mm, frontal and gun mantlet armour was 80mm. The E-25's engine was a Maybach HL 101 with 550 PS (539 hp, 341 kW), another recognizable improvement in comparison with its frequently underpowered predecessors. Maximum speed was up to 52 km/h (32 mph) on level ground, and the interleafed running gear allowed a smooth ride and high speed even in rough terrain - even though the complex design meant that the wheels could clog up easily with heavy mud or snow.
The gun was mounted in a central "Saukopf" mantlet, similar to the Jagdpanzer IV, and had a limited traverse of 11° to each side, with an elevation of −8° to +15°. 50 rounds for the main gun could be stowed. A single 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun for frontal defence and against soft ground targets was carried in a ball mount on the right side of the front glacis plate, operated by the wireless operator. Another MG-34 was mounted in a remotely controlled turret on top of the hull, operated by the commander who sat under a cupola with seven periscopes for a good field of view. This machine gun was, in later production tanks, to be replaced by a 30mm MK 108 (actually a compact, belt-fed aircraft machine gun), but this was never carried out since MK 103 production was completely allocated to the Luftwaffe. The driver sat on the left. The gunner had a visual rangefinder and a periscope telescopic sight. The periscope - linked to the gun mount - was under an armored housing on the roof.
In service the vehicle was, due to its crouched silhouette, unofficially called "Dachs" (Badger), a name that was quickly adopted in official circles, too. The first vehicles reached Western front line units along the Rhine in March 1945. They proved to be very successful and popular with its crews, because the tank was agile, easy to handle and less cramped than most of its predecessors. Total production reached 250 vehicles until the end of hostilities, and many of the E-25/88s design features were later incorporated into the post WWII “Jagdpanzer Kanone” for the German Bundeswehr.
Specifications:
Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, radio operator, driver)
Weight: 31 tonnes (34.5 short tons)
Length: 6.98 metres (22 ft 10 in) (hull only)
9.93 metres (32 ft 6 1/2 in) incl. gun
Width: 3.20 metres (10 ft 6 in)
Height 2.48 metres (8 ft 1 1/2 in)
Ground clearance: 495 to 510 mm (1 ft 7.5 in to 1 ft 8.1 in)
Suspension: Torsion bar
Fuel capacity: 450 litres (120 US gal)
Armor:
10–80 mm (0.4 – 3.15 in)
Performance:
Speed
- Maximum, road: 52 km/h (32 mph)
- Sustained, road: 42 km/h (26 mph)
- Cross country: 16 to 25 km/h (9.5 to 15.5 mph)
Operational range: 210 km (130 mi)
Power/weight: 17,74 PS/tonne (16 hp/ton)
Engine:
V-12 Maybach Maybach HL 101 gasoline engine with 550 PS (539 hp, 341 kW)
Transmission:
ZF AK 7-200 with 7 forward 1 reverse gears
Armament:
1× 8.8 cm KwK 43/4 L/71 with 50 rounds
2× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns with a total of 5.200 rounds
(one in the casemate front and a remote-controlled gun on the commander's cupola)
The kit and its assembly:
It does not look spectacular, but this compact tank hunter is a major kitbashing, inspired by - but not necessarily an exact model of - the real but unrealized German E-25 Jagdpanzer project.
Things started with a leftover chassis from a Trumpeter "Sturer Emil" SPG with an early interleaf suspension design and a relatively long hull. I wanted to save it and incorporate it into a Heer '46 design, and soon the idea of a Jagdpanzer IV successor was born. Selling it as an E-25 design and incorporating a bigger gun was a logical step.
The build was very pragmatic. The lower hull with the wheel attachments was taken OOB, but it was shortened by 5mm. This was achieved by simply taking away a plug behind the last road wheel and in front of the sprocket wheel, which was moved from the front to the rear end.
While this sounds simple, the attachment points’ different diameters and the need for a sturdy construction (due to the kit’s vinyl tracks) posed quite a challenge. In the wake of this modification, the track’s support wheels were deleted, too, for the E-25’s simplified “slack track” layout. The tracks were shortened accordingly, and mounted/fixed with super glue (as one of the final steps after painting).
The upper hull comes basically from an Armorfast Jagdpanther, after several trials with a Jagdpanzer IV, a Brummbär and even a potentially scratched casemate. The Jagdpanther hull was reduced in height, though, and also slightly shortened, so that the new tank would be more compact than a Jagdpanther and also differ in the silhouette.
In order to change the look even more, the “Saukopf” gun mantlet from a Jagdpanzer IV/70 was implanted (even though with an 8,8cm barrel), as well as the vehicle’s protective shields for the motor deck. Overall hull width was adapted to the Sturer Emil tracks through mudguards.
The machine gun turret was scratched, and some other details changed or added, including some periscopes, a Panzer IV commander cupola and some equipment pieces on the mudguards.
Painting and markings:
This time, I wanted a disruptive scheme for this tank hunter, and adopted a rather simple livery for the E-25/88: a uniform RAL 6003 Olivgrün for the upper hull (appied with a rattle can, plus a hush with RAL 6011 on the upper surfaces), with a dense, irregular pattern of sand/yellow blotches - lighter than the authentic RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb, though (I have used Humbrol 103, Cream).
Wheels and the lower hull flanks (behind the running gear) were painted in RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb (RAL 8000, which comes pretty close, IMHO).
Similar schemes were, for instance, applied to some Ferdinand tank Hunters, operated in Italy and the Eastern Front, but also on Jagdpanthers at the Western front (e. g. in Belgium). The result reminds a bit of a Giraffe, or of the unique British "net" scheme applied to tanks on Malta.
On top of the basic paintwork, a dark brown washing was added and the edges further emphasized through dry-brushing with light grey and pale sand tones, plus some acrylic silver.
Once the wheels and tracks were fitted into place and the few decals applied, a coat of matt acrylic varnish was added. Finally, dust and dry mud were simulated with mixed pigments, applied with a soft brush onto wet stains of varnish.
This E-25 tank hunter model looks pretty conclusive, and at first glance it looks very German, because it incorporates many typical design features. But the more you look the more “unique” it looks, e. g. through the low Schachtellaufwerk, the lowered Jagdpanther upper hull and its combination with the Saukopf gun mantlet from the Jagdpanzer IV. It looks very purposeful, and the paint scheme appears to be very effective, too, blurring the outlines and details well.
Detail from my Art Journal. Simplify your life? Well, I say complicate it if you want to, but we don't have to. It shold be easy-breezy at least some of the time, right. Maybe it means; don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing the best you can. Move at
via Instagram instagr.am/p/CAqdhYdAJms/