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True Heroes Racing is a motorcycle and sidecar racing team which supports wounded, injured and sick UK service personnel and veterans, by encouraging and inspiring them to be part of a team and to refocus on their health and fitness.
True Heroes Racing is the first injured military team competitively racing in three classes (on both two and three wheels) in the 2019 British Superbike Championships.
Tom Bryant and Michael Russell ib practice at BSB Superbikes Snetterton
"I had to come all the way from the highway and byways of Tallahassee, Florida to MotorCity, Detroit to find my true love. If you gave me a million years to ponder, I would never have guessed that true romance and Detroit would ever go together." Alabama - True Romance (1993)
Country, I was a soldier for you
I did what you asked me to
It was wrong and you knew.
Country, now I’m just a stranger to you
A number a name it’s true
Throw me away when you’re through.
Home of the brave and the free, the red white and blue
But I wish it was true.
- The White Buffalo
Amtrak Phase One heritage locomotive 156 is currently in service on the San Joaquin. After departing Stockton, 156 passes by an ex BN GP50 returning to Mormon Yard after visiting UP's Stockton Yard.
© 2014 Patrick Dirden Photography
All Rights Reserved
'Sup homies?
So I was tagged by the lovely Bee (I don't know how to make the heart thingy) to share ten things about myself. So I'll try to come up with ten things you don't already know. Alright here we go. Are you ready? Do you want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Well you can't handle the truth!!! D'I mean... Here we go.
1. I don't eat cheese and I don't drink coffee. Or tea.
2. I'm planning on getting one of these somewhere in the future. I already have a name for it and I can tell you, it is a cool name. No Mr. Fluffypups or Ms. Diamondgloss for me. No sirrie.
3. I'm going to Scotland this year. My family makes fun of it because I can't stand the cold and it's supposed to be cold there. Well I'm going! Like it or not!
4. I speak/ understand English, Dutch, French, Spanish, (not all fluently though), and a wee bit o' German, Hungarian, Greek and Italian.
5. I once burned my hand in the oven so bad I had a nice square dark spot of about 2cmx2cm on my hand for two years. It's gone now and maybe I miss it sometimes.
6. I rode horseback for 11 years.
7. My most common dream is being chased by someone who wants to kill me. I once dreamt a dinosaur was trying to eat me and I was like waah a dinosaur? They don't exist anymore! Oh hey, this is a dream! Get up get up get up get up well of course I didn't wake up. Very rarely I have lucid dreams like that, once I chose to fly and that was I think the best dream ever.
8. I have a younger sister. Hi sis! *waves*
9. I tend to travel with fruit(s).
10. I like sausages. Mmmm bratwurst... Oh man I could eat one right now. But we don't have any. :( If you're out there, bring me one, will ya? You will forever have my gratitude and the privilege of one day being saved by the secret superheroine that I am. D'I mean... Bratwurst! And o. Els doesn't share food.
Al museo con papà, mamma, fratellino, e un astuccio pieno di colori.
E si, questo istante mi ha colpito quanto una bella opera d'arte.
Centre Pompidou (Parigi, Francia).
Buds developing on a lateral leafless spur (only stipules & bracts present) of the hybrid
P. 'Kew Gardens' x P. 'Buzios' No.4 - see below.
From the underground steel cage fight matches at Silent Sam's, Ben 10 prepares for combat!
Character Biography
Benjamin Kirby "Ben" Tennyson is the titular main protagonist of the Ben 10 franchise. He was an ordinary 10-year-old boy until he found the Omnitrix, a powerful watch-like device that allowed him to turn into 10 different aliens.
Though initially immature and clumsy, Ben grew to be a true hero. By the time he was 16, he had become famous in not only his hometown of Bellwood but on Earth and beyond. Ben has also been deputized by the Plumbers and has gained more aliens as time progressed.
Appearance
Ben's physical appearance has changed throughout the series from a 10-year-old to a 16-year-old. However, he retains some recurring characteristics. He has brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, and he is quite skinny for his age, though he shows a lot of muscle definition due to being athletic.
Regular Appearances
In the Omniverse flashbacks in which he was five years old, Ben wore green overalls with a white shirt underneath it. White numbers saying "5 1/2" were on a black square in front of his overalls.
In the Original Series and Omniverse flashbacks, Ben's usual clothes consisted of a black-striped, white shirt with short sleeves, military green cargo pants with side pockets with a black belt hidden under his shirt, and black and white sneakers with black stripes. Ben wore the original Omnitrix on his left wrist.
In Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, Ben wore a black short-sleeved T-shirt, blue jeans, and a green jacket with white stripes on his left sleeve and the number 10 on the right, white socks, and black and white Converse-style shoes. His hair is also shorter than it was when he was 10/11 years old. Ben wore the reconfigured original Omnitrix in Alien Force and the Ultimatrix in Ultimate Alien on his left wrist.
In Omniverse, Ben wears a black shirt that has a green stripe in the middle with a white 10 and green stripes on the sides of his shirt. He wears brown cargo pants with pockets at the knees with a brown belt hidden under the shirt and green and white shoes. He has also grown out his hair. He wears the Omnitrix on his left wrist.
During water-based activities in the Original Series, he wore a blue swimsuit in The Krakken and A Small Problem and a red and yellow swimsuit in Divided We Stand and Big Fat Alien Wedding.
In a daydream in The Galactic Enforcers, Ultra Ben looked like Ben with a stereotypical superhero costume in a grey, black and white color scheme.
In Back With a Vengeance, he wore a yellow raincoat while touring Niagara Falls on a ship.
In A Change of Face, he wore a pilgrim outfit.
In Merry Christmas, while cursed as an elf, he had pointy ears, and his eyes were fully green.
In Game Over, while inside Sumo Slammer Smackdown, he wore brownish-green armor and had longer hair, tied in a ponytail.
In The Unnaturals, he wore a blue baseball shirt with the letter "C" at the front and number 23 at the back, white shorts, blue and yellow socks, blue and white shoes, and a blue baseball helmet. Before the baseball game and after he battled the Squires and Coach Finn, he wore a blue and yellow baseball cap with the letter "C" in the middle.
In Secret of the Omnitrix, he wore light blue pajamas. Later in the movie, he wore a pale blue spacesuit with white stripes on the sleeves and thighs, along with a white helmet with pale blue stripes.
In a dream in Perfect Day, Ultra Ben wore frameless blue goggles with horn-like extensions, a cyan shirt and white pants. He also donned a white cape.
In Big Fat Alien Wedding, during the wedding ceremony, he wore a purple tuxedo with a red bow tie and white polo shirt.
In Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2, he temporarily wore a visor in the Mt. Rushmore Plumber base.
In Ben 10 Returns: Part 1 and War of the Worlds: Part 1, Ben's soccer clothes consisted of the T-shirt he wore as a 10/11-year-old but with the number 10 at the back, a long-sleeved green undershirt, green shorts, gray gloves with black stripes, and knee-high socks.
In a flashback in Ben 10 Returns: Part 2, Young Ben wore his T-shirt from the Original Series and shoes from Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, along with military green shorts, white socks, and a bluish grey bicycle helmet.
In What Are Little Girls Made Of? and In Charm's Way, he wore green trunks.
In Save the Last Dance, he wore a white bicycle helmet.
In Birds of a Feather, when on the Moon, he wore an orange spacesuit with four arms.
In Alien Swarm, he briefly wore a dark grey hoodie. While riding Max's motorcycle, he wore a black helmet.
In The Final Battle: Part 1, when held captive by Kraab, he wore an orange cuff.
In Duped, The Perfect Girlfriend and Of Predators and Prey: Part 1, Ben briefly wore 3D glasses. In Duped, along with the glasses, he also wore a black wig in the style of a bun.
In Ultimate Alien, Ben wore a standard Plumber suit during a few of his off-world excursions.
In Video Games, he wore a blue full-body motion capture suit with white balls on it.
In Fused, Revenge of the Swarm, and Night of the Living Nightmare, Ben's sleeping clothes consisted of his usual black T-shirt and white shorts.
In Basic Training, while at the barracks in the Plumbers' Academy, he wore an olive tank top and black shorts.
In Inspector #13, he wore a green T-shirt and black shorts.
In Catch a Falling Star, he wore a white cast around his right arm.
In The Ultimate Enemy: Part 2, he wore full-body armor while wielding Ascalon.
In Omniverse, Ben sometimes wears a white hooded jacket with green stripes on both arms and a green number 10 on the right side.
In Omniverse, while riding the Tenn-Speed, Ben wears a white helmet with the number 10 on it, a green visor, a short-sleeved black T-shirt, long white pants and a belt with the number 10 on it.
In Malefactor, 11-year-old Ben wore a Psycholeopterran-proof visor.
In Arrested Development, 11-year-old Ben's gym clothes consisted of a white T-shirt with a red outline, and red shorts with a vertical white line.
In Bros in Space, he wore a ceremonial female Revonnahgander outfit.
In Special Delivery, while working for Mr. Baumann, he wore a pink and white cap and a pink apron with a black 'B' on it.
In From Hedorium to Eternity, 11-year-old Ben's pajamas consisted of a green T-shirt with a white "10" on it, as well as white shorts.
In The Most Dangerous Game Show, Ben wore a crown bestowed upon him by Charles Zenith.
Personality
“You think I don't know? When it's hero time, if I mess up, somebody could die. From what you told me, if we mess up this time, everybody could die... Maybe that's too much to have in your head when you have to win. Maybe if I pretend everything is a big joke, when the time comes, I'll be able to do what I have to do.”
– 10-year-old Ben to 17-year-old Kevin asking him to be serious.
Initially cocky, childish, and selfish, Ben's immaturity and attention-seeking behavior often led him to joke around, regardless of the situation, which landed him in trouble with adults. When he was 10 years old, he often used the Omnitrix improperly in order to benefit himself instead of actually helping others, such as using Grey Matter to search cereal boxes for a gold Sumo Slammer card.
His allies often criticized his attitude, unaware of the fact that he used humor to mask his fears. It was also implied that, on some level, Ben helped people to get rewards and for the thrill of being a hero, rather than because it was the right thing to do.
Despite some childish attitude, Ben was heroic, caring and generally good-natured, always willing to save others at any time even at the risk of himself. In spite of this good nature, heroism, and his moments of maturity, Ben could occasionally get carried away when it came to fame and recognition.
This led him to act rather arrogantly and recklessly, and occasionally made dire mistakes and alienated his loved ones. However, he was quick to realize his mistakes and is quick to take responsibility and knew not to take things too far.
Over the years, Ben has displayed good leadership skills, as well as the ability to adapt his attitude to a situation, becoming serious when it's called for. He became more mature, responsible and sensible. He continues to be kind-hearted and willing to lay down his own life for others, such as when he attempted to sacrifice himself to set the sentient Ultimate Forms free from the Ultimatrix.
His idealistic views and unwillingness to compromise his values – aspects condemned by Azmuth, yet commended by others – sometimes drive him to act against reason, such as helping his enemies if they need it (most remarkably Vilgax).
Professor Paradox has praised Ben's good nature, going so far as to say he had the gift to make the right choices at the right moments, and even Azmuth himself states that Ben ultimately always does the right thing.
Also, Ben doesn't give up and wouldn't let anyone stop him from doing what's right for those in need, especially his family, friends and mentors, or to bring enemies down, even when he once got a broken arm.
However, even as a teen, Ben still displays some of his negative childish traits at times, which usually comes to light when Ben gets too caught up with fame.
Ben also has a violent, aggressive side: when Ben fails to save someone, is worried about the well-being his loved ones, or if people get hurt because of his failure, he becomes angry and lashes out, even at people he cares about.
Perhaps the most notable of these instances is when Kevin willingly mutated himself to stop Aggregor, Ben was determined to kill Kevin, even fighting Gwen when she refused to help him.
During the episode, Ben confessed to Max that he felt guilty for letting fame get into his head and claimed that he was trying to act more mature for once. He also threatened to hunt down and destroy the Forever Knights if Driscoll did not promise to cease hunting down aliens.
Ben has experienced trust issues, when it comes to automatically trusting everybody and teaming up with people whose true colours are later revealed and turns against the team.
Though often perceived as unintelligent because of his immaturity and constant joking, Ben is cunning and resourceful when needed, quickly adapting when the Omnitrix doesn't provide him with the alien he wanted. He has once admitted that people assume he's not paying attention, but he actually is.
In Omniverse, Ben started thinking of himself as more of a superhero than a Plumber, often remarking that he's not a cop, but a superhero.
Powers and Abilities - Street Fighting Proficiency
Ben is a fairly proficient fighter, even as a human, being able to hold his own against Pierce.
Although he mainly employs a loose street fighting style, he also knows martial arts, having been trained in savate and karate by Gwen, and Marquess of Queensbury boxing.
On top of that, he has gained practical experience from years of fighting aliens. He copied a lot of his fighting moves from Kangaroo Commando.
Ben has also received basic Plumber training, having succeeded in the Plumbers' Academy with a 95 out of a 100.
Ben has good reflexes, being able to easily dodge shots from Manny's blasters before disarming him while in human form, dodge Sunder's axe attacks, Zed's lunges, and a laser blast from Tummyhead.
Ben has an extraordinarily sharp memory, as he was perfectly capable of remembering and writing down the mystic rune-like symbols for entering the inter-dimensional realm of Legerdomain with just one glance from a distance. This is even more true for things that interest him.
Ben is surprisingly a natural at hoverboard-based combat, which generally requires intensive training and the use of holographic simulators. Relatedly, he is also good at snowboarding.
Ben has shown himself to be quite proficient in using weaponry, such as a DNA Repair Gun and Ascalon.
Ben is proficient at driving, having been taught by Max. For example, he was able to swerve out of the way at the last second to avoid coming into contact with Eunice's crashing pod.
Ben has impressive piloting skills, as shown when, at 10 years old, he could adequately control a gyropod (a small ship designed for alien pilots) within seconds of testing, and at 16 years old, could pilot the Rustbucket 3. He gets this skill from a combination of playing video games and tap lessons Sandra made him take, though he would never admit it. Despite this, Kevin is considered to be a better pilot than Ben.
Ben is proficient at baseball.
Ben is proficient at soccer, serving as a goalie for his high school team. In fact, he was the first freshman start as goalie on his school's team.
Ben is a decent musician, as he knew a variety of electric guitar techniques like shredding, hammer-ons, and pinch harmonics, and on drums, was able to keep up with a professional rock band.
It is evident that Ben is smart in some respects, possessing an above-average to high intelligence and maintaining a B+ average at school. Gwen even stated that he really is not working up to his potential at school.
Equipment - Omnitrix
“"You are...one of us?"
"I'm one of everybody."”
– A Necrofriggian Guard and Big Chill.
Ben is the wielder of the Omnitrix (formerly the Ultimatrix and first Omnitrix), which gives him the power to modify his own genetic code in order to turn into various alien creatures. Traditionally, he could only transform into ten aliens at the beginning of both the Original Series and Alien Force, but he later gained additional forms by either unlocking them or by scanning the DNA of aliens he met.
When transforming into an alien, Ben gets all the creature's features, including its appearance, voice, all of its unique and special abilities and powers, strengths and weaknesses. Though he mostly retains his personality, there are some cases where the transformation causes a change in it, like with Rath and Juryrigg.
Though he usually uses his alien forms to fight, he can impersonate aliens as he did with Waterhazard to convince P'Andor to go home, though he was only successful at getting P'Andor to believe he was Bivalvan.
In addition to transforming into aliens, the Ultimatrix included what is referred as an "evolutionary function", that allowed Ben to evolve his alien forms, referred to as Ultimate Forms.
In addition to the primary transformations and evolutionary function, the Omnitrices and Ultimatrix can both be used for various purposes. Both have a built-in Universal Translator that allows Ben to communicate with most aliens that do not speak English.
The original Omnitrix displayed the ability to manipulate and repair genetic damage, a function he used to cure DNAliens and save the Highbreed from extinction. Azmuth also mentioned that Ben could use the original Omnitrix to bring back to life any species stored on Primus.
The current Omnitrix also has a failsafe to help prevent Ben from dying.
Ben formerly owned an X321 hoverboard, given to him by Tetrax. It was destroyed when it fell into a vat of nuclear waste. Tetrax gave him a second hoverboard which was later destroyed by Khyber. The second hoverboard was later either rebuilt or replaced.
Plumber Badge
Ben has a Plumber suit, allowing him to survive in unsuitable environments. Kevin modified his suit by installing a propulsion unit and neuroshock pulsers.
As a Galactic Enforcer, Ben had a badge which allowed him to activate some features from the team's ship remotely.
Ben formerly had a hazmat suit, given to him by Max. The suit protected him from the effects of Corrodium and allowed him to survive in space.
Ben temporarily wore a spacesuit, given to him by Tetrax, which allowed him to survive in space.
Ben temporarily used an ID Mask to disguise himself as a DNAlien to navigate a Highbreed ship.
Ben temporarily drove Kevin's car when Kevin had been aged into an old man by the Time Monster.
Ben formerly wielded a DNA Repair Gun, which he used to revert the DNAliens back to human. Simian later sold it to the Incurseans.
Ben temporarily used Max's motorcycle during Alien Swarm.
Ben formerly owned the Mark 10, given to him as a birthday gift by Kevin. The car is now owned by Sandra.
Ben temporarily wielded Ascalon, which also covered him in armor.
Ben, as Juryrigg, created the Tenn-Speed from parts of the destroyed Proto-TRUK. It was later damaged by Ben off-screen prior to Let's Do the Time War Again, and its parts were used by Ben 10,000 as Uprigg to create the Time Cycles. Both Time Cycles were destroyed when Ben and Rook crash-landed onto the Contumelia Ship.
When in Sumo Slammer Smackdown, he had access to a sword.
Weaknesses - Coulrophobia
Ben appears to have a short attention span and very little patience at times. More often than not, it can get him into trouble, such as not reading the directions when trapped in Sumo Slammer Smackdown.
Though he has matured substantially since receiving the original Omnitrix, he is still a teenager with much to learn and is prone to irrational impulses and recklessness.
Ben has coulrophobia (i.e. a fear of clowns), which was indirectly caused by Max.
Ben is vulnerable to the cold virus.
Ben is vulnerable to hypnosis.
Ben is not immune to Corrodium and will be mutated when exposed to this mineral unless he either wears special protection or transforms into an alien.
Ben can be rendered unconscious by sedative quills, such as those generated by Argit's species.
Ben has an allergy to peanuts.
Ben can experience pain from electricity, such as that generated by a Nosedeenian, Phil as a Terroranchula, a Conductoid or a Cerebrocrustacean.
Ben's worst fear is that of peacocks.
Ben's worst subject is Physics.
Whenever the Omnitrix times out, Ben is left powerless until he either dodges or switches to a new alien form. In addition to gaining the selected alien's powers and strengths, he gains its weaknesses.
Whenever Ben unlocks a new alien form, he is at a disadvantage of not knowing its abilities and weaknesses until he gains experience with using that alien. However, this was not an issue when he wielded the recalibrated original Omnitrix, as the device granted him full understanding of the aliens' powers.
Despite his experience in using the Omnitrices and Ultimatrix, Ben still does not know every function of them. Due to his inquisitive nature and impatience, he has accidentally unlocked new functions such as the Master Control and the randomizer, which can at times do more harm than good.
Though the current Omnitrix is designed to work only for him, Ben still has not mastered it. According to Azmuth, Ben may get the Master Control on his 18th birthday.
The current Omnitrix does not actually mistransform, but rather it is due to Ben hitting the Omnitrix too hard, thereby causing the time-out function to select another alien at random.
At times, the natural biological behavior of certain aliens can override Ben's behavior, such as Big Chill's reproductive phase or Swampfire's blossoming process.
Any illness Ben is experiencing in his human form will affect his alien forms.
Family
Ben has stated that he loves and cares about his mom and dad, and that they're good parents and raised him well enough to become the person he is today.
Ken Tennyson
Ben looked up to Ken as a role model, and Ben practically "worshipped" Ken when he was 10. Ken took Ben to his first soccer practice.
Gwen Tennyson
In the Original Series, Ben's relationship with Max seemed to be that of a father and son, because the majority of the series took place in the summer and Max was the only guardian available. When he was seriously injured in The Alliance, Ben went full strength with Four Arms and brutally destroyed Vilgax's Mechadroids as they were the catalyst for his injury. His relationship with his grandfather has not changed much at all during Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, and Omniverse.
In Ben 10 Returns: Part 1, he yelled at Gwen when she jokingly wondered how Max's cooking hadn't killed him, as he was worried about where he was.
Lucy Mann
Ben and Lucy get along quite well in both the Original Series and Omniverse, though Ben was nervous about dancing with her in Big Fat Alien Wedding. During the Omniverse flashbacks, he was shown to enjoy her company, which she reciprocated.
Allies
Azmuth
Ben's initial thoughts of Azmuth before meeting him were never stated, but he did find it to be somewhat surprising that he was a Galvan. After meeting him, he thought of him as a jerk who cared about no one but himself. However, his perception of him changed when Azmuth fixed the Omnitrix.
Five years prior to Omniverse, Ben and Azmuth interacted more frequently after the latter's reintegration into Galvan society. Ben was disgusted towards Azmuth's refusal to correct Malware, but they still respected and assisted each other. In a flashback in Showdown: Part 1, Azmuth warned Ben to not overuse Feedback, but Ben did not heed his warning and Feedback was lost from the Omnitrix after a fight with Malware. and during a flashback in Showdown: Part 2, Azmuth offered Ben advice and comfort after he lost Feedback.
In Alien Force, Ben respected Azmuth as the creator of the Omnitrix, though he was willing to go against his orders when he deemed it necessary, such as when he refused to stay out of the final battle against the Highbreed. In Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2, Ben lost Azmuth's trust after hacking the Omnitrix.
Professor Paradox
Ben first met Professor Paradox in Paradox to stop a Trans-Dimensional Creature. Professor Paradox claimed he would help Ben save the "whole entire universe".
Paradox puts great faith in Ben, even stating to Azmuth that he was destined for greatness.
Jimmy Jones
Jimmy revealed Ben's identity to the public on Earth by linking alien sightings along with the intergalactic peace symbol all on their chests matching that of a picture of Ben ready to activate the Omnitrix and leaking it to his own personal website.
In Ultimate Alien, Ben considered him a reliable source of information. However, in Omniverse, Ben is shown to be very skeptical and dismissive of Jimmy's claims and theories.
Skurd
Initially, Ben and Skurd had a strenuous relationship, with Ben finding Skurd's snark to be annoying and Skurd finding Ben to be nothing more than a "free lunch". During their tenure together, they would frequently bicker. However, over time, the two grew closer, with both saying they owed the other their life. Ben 10,000, upon seeing Skurd for the first time in years, recalled fond memories.
Romantic
Elena Valadis
Elena Valadis is one of the Plumbers' kids and a former member of Ben's soccer team. Ben met Elena when he was 13 and had to convince his soccer teammates to let her join. She appeared in the live-action film Ben 10: Alien Swarm.
Elena also appeared in Revenge of the Swarm, where she served as the Queen of the Hive. Victor Valadis attacked Ben at night, so the trio went to her to find whether she knew anything about the Microchips.
Later, when Ben mentioned Julie, it made her angry and jealous, and she kidnapped her in order to keep Ben all to herself. They almost kissed, but her plan was revealed to Ben, and he saved Julie. Elena, being possessed by the Hive Queen, encountered Armodrillo and choked him with the Microchips.
However, she was convinced by Julie to not to do so. She willingly sacrificed herself in order save Ben, proving how much she liked him and that there was still the Elena that cared for him. Ben became sorry for her, understanding how much she had liked him. At the end of the episode, the Microchips reformed, revealing she was still alive.
Elena appeared in The Perfect Girlfriend disguised as Julie. As Julie, she tried to do everything to make Ben happy. Once Ben found out Julie was Elena, he tried to reason with her, but when the real Julie turned up, he ended up fighting her as Ultimate Echo Echo, during which she choked him with the Microchips again. Julie told Elena that if she killed him, then no one could have him. At the end of the episode, Elena retreated into the sewer, "knowing what hate feels like" indicating that she now had a hatred for Ben and promised to return.
Eunice
The Unitrix's pod was discovered in the forest at the same time Ben's team was driving for a camping trip. After encountering her, she stayed with them for the day, bonding with Ben (who had recently broken up with Julie).
The two of them were soon attacked by Sunder, who shut Eunice down and attempted to get away before Gwen and Kevin stopped him as Kevin restarted the Unitrix again. While the four of them scuffled with Sunder that led to a muddy area, Azmuth arrived, broke up the fight, and cleared things up. Following a brief argument, Ben allowed Azmuth, under a compromise, to take on Eunice as one of his assistants on Primus.
Emily
Emily briefly dated Ben, but the reason they broke up was that Ben went "hero" and left Emily on a 200-foot-tall watchtower, causing Emily to get angry at Ben.
Ester
When Ester first met Ben in Hot Stretch, they fought for the fusion device. When she realized the other Kraaho were doing evil things, she joined Ben's team. She introduced him to her friends, and they played an alien version of hockey.
Ben turned into Waterhazard and splashed everyone with water to cool them down, even when Ester told him not to. He then brought her a towel, and she blushed as he gazed at her.
She turned the water floating around him into snowflakes and ran off laughing. Rook told Ben she liked him. When she became the chief, she hugged Ben and told him she and her kind would be good neighbors. Later Ester's friends called Ben her boyfriend, and Ben at first denied it, but then excitedly asked Rook if he had a chance with her.
In Rules of Engagement, Ben offered to help clean up the Hot Spot with her. She excitedly agreed, wrapping her arms around his arm. She also stated that she is fond of Mr. Smoothy.
Sometime before Return to Forever, they went on a movie date.
In Catfight, Ester was in a double date with Ben, Rook, and Rayona. Later in the episode, she hugged Ben, and the two ran off to watch Sumo Slammers 6 3D again.
In Fight at the Museum, Ester invited Ben to the Bellwood Museum for a date, but Ben, not knowing it was a date, brought Rook since Rook enjoys museums. Ester was shown to be horrified when she heard that Ben and Kai end up together in the future Spanner comes from, while Ben himself stated there was no way that was going to happen.
Later in The Most Dangerous Game Show, feeling that Ben really was destined to be with Kai, Ester decided to let go of him. While trying to talk to Ben, who she couldn't get in contact with, Ester ultimately fell in love with Antonio. Eventually, Ester made her feelings known to Ben, breaking up on good terms, even stating she still liked him while remaining friends.
Empress Attea
In The Frogs of War: Part 2, Bullfrag infiltrated Attea's team and from the moment she saw him, Attea had a crush on him. When they met in the cell block of Plumber Headquarters, Bullfrag came up to her and started flirting, taking note that his new form showed her in a whole new light. Attea was a bit flustered, but started flirting back, only to be knocked out by a mana blast by Gwen. Bullfrag blamed his crush on Attea on his Incursean DNA.
At the end of the episode, when leaving Earth, she gave Ben the offer to come with her and "Ditch that monkey face and turn into Bullfrag again". He promptly declined. Attea gave him a kiss to the back of his head with her long tongue, winked, and took off.
She later decided that Ben was her only option for a mate in Catfight. However, Ben later convinced her that she was capable of ruling on her own.
Drew Saturday
In T.G.I.S., Ben gained a crush on Drew Saturday the minute he saw her. She responded to Ben saying, "right back at ya". When Doc told Ben, Rook, Zak, and Fisk that Dr. Animo and his Chupacabra army were attacking Mr. Baumann's store, Drew offered to stay behind to look after the petrified Gilford Bromley.
Ben, though, suggested that Rook stay behind, and Drew come with him, telling them that they might need her medical expertise. Later, when Ben, Rook, Zak, and Fisk arrived at the airship to stop V.V. Argost and his army of cryptids, Doc and Drew revealed themselves and told them that they escaped moments before Argost showed up. Ben then instantly told Drew that he was happy that she was okay, causing Zak to remind him that Doc was okay too. At the end of the episode, Ben told Zak how it was a pleasure to work with him and his mom. He then took a photo with Zak, Doc, Drew, and Fisk as Four Arms.
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A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Ben 10
Sumo Slammers
Ben 10
2006, Bandai
True Value, Shop Rite Hardware and Paint Supply, Silas Deane Hwy Wethersfield, CT, Pics by Mike Mozart , AKA MiMo on Instagram instagram.com/MikeMozart
[78/365] True colors.
“I see your true colors
and that's why I love you
so don't be afraid to let them show
your true colors
true colors are beautiful
like a rainbow ”
– Cyndi Lauper
I use a camera and Flickr to show you my true colors. Snapshots and stories of my life, witch I used to keep only for myself, are now available for everyone. A strange feeling…
But I have come to realize that the more you share the more you receive.
I have not made any color adjustments in this picture. These are true colors.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
It took China long way to develop and produce a true supersonic fighter aircraft: in March, 1964, Shenyang Aircraft Factory began the first domestic production of the J-7 jet fighter. However, the mass production of the aircraft, which had been developed through Soviet help, license production and reverse-engineering, was severely hindered by an unexpected problem—the Cultural Revolution. This incident and its consequences resulted in poor initial quality and slow progress.
This, in turn, resulted in full scale production only coming about in the 1980s, by which time the J-7 design was showing its age. However, through the years the J-7 saw constant development and refinement in China.
One of the many directions of the prolific J-7 family was the J-7III series, later re-coded J-7C. This variant was in so far special, as it was not based on the 1st generation MiG-21F. It was rather a reverse-engineered MiG-21MF obtained from Egypt, but just like the Soviet ejection seat, the original Soviet radar failed to impress Chinese, so a domestic Chinese radar was developed for the aircraft called the "JL-7". JL-7 is a 2 cm wavelength mono pulse fire radar weighing 100 kg, with a maximum range of 28 km, and MTBF is 70 hours.
However, due to the limitation of Chinese avionics industry in the 1980s, the performance of the domestic Chinese fire control radars were not satisfactory, because due to their relatively large size, the nosecone had to be enlarged, resulting in decrease in aerodynamic performance of the series. As a result, only very limited numbers of this series were built.
The J-7III prototypes comprised a series of a total of 5 aircraft, equipped with domestically developed HTY-3 ejection seat and KL-11 auto pilot. These machines had to be powered by the domestic WP-7 engine (a copy of the MiG-21F's Tumansky R-11) because the intended WP-13F (a license build of the Tumansky R-13) failed to meet the original schedule. The J-7III was planned to enter service in 1985, but due to the delay of WP-13 development, it was not until 1987 when the design was finally certified.
Production of the true J-7C fighter started in 1989, when the WP-13 became available, but only a total of 17 were built until 1996. It was soon superseded by the J-7IIIA, the prototype of the more sophisticated J-7D. This upgraded all-weather fighter was equipped with KJ-11A auto pilot, JD-3II TACAN, ADS-1 air data computer, Type 563B INS, WL-7A radio compass, Type 256 radar altimeter, TKR-122 radio, 930-4 RWR, 941-4A decoy launcher, and an improved JL-7A radar.
The fighter was to be armed with PL-7 & PL-8 AAMs and carried a twin 23 mm gun (a copy of the MiG-21MF's ventral GSh-23-2 cannon). A HK-13A HUD replaced HK-03D optical sight in earlier models. The upgraded JL-7A fire control radar had look-down/shoot-down capability added.
The production J-7D received an uprated WP-13FI engine, and initial certification was received in November 1994, but it was not until more than a year later in December 1995 when the model was finally fully certified due to the need to certify the WP-13FI on the aircraft. But, again, the results were not satisfactory and only 32 were built until 1999.
Even though the J-7C and D had been developed from a much more modern basis than the earlier MiG-21F derivatives, the "new" type offered - except for the more capable radar and the all-weather capability - no considerable benefit, was even less manoueverable in dogfight situations, more complex and expensive, and also had a very limited range. What was needed was a revolutionary step forward.
Such a proposal came from Chengdu Aircraft Corporation's general designer Mr. Wang Zi-fang (王子方) in 1998, who had already worked on the J-7D. He proposed the addition of fuselage elements that would partly replace the inner wing sections and create lift, but also offer additional room for more and better avionics, allowing the carriage of state-of-the-art weaponry like the PL-11 AAM, together with more internal fuel. Furthermore, the adaptation of the WS-13 turbofan, a new engine for which project work had just started and which would improve both range and performance of the modified aircraft.
In 2000, while an alternative design, the J-7FS, had been under parallel development and cleared for service by then, CAC received green lights for a developmental technology demonstrator under the label J-7DS (S stands for Shi-yan, 试验, meaning "experimental" in Chinese).
While the general third generation MiG-21 outlines were retained, the blended wing/body sections - certainly inspired by US American types like the F-16 and the F-18 - and a new, taller fin changed overall proportions considerably. Esp. from above, the bigger wing planform with extended LERXes (reminiscent of the MiG Analog experimental delta wing aircraft that were used during the Tu-144 development in the Soviet union) created the impression of a much more massive and compact aircraft, even though the dimenions remained unchanged.
Thanks to the additional space in the BWB sections, new and better equipment could be installed, and the aerodynamics were changed, too. For instance, the J-7's air brakes under the forward fuselage were deleted and replaced by a new pair of splayed design, stabilizing the aircraft more effectively in a dive. The single air brake in front of the ventral fin was retained, though, as well as the blown flaps from the MiG-21MF.
The ventral gun pod with a domestic copy of the GSh-23-2 was also deleted; this space, together with the air brake compartment, was now used for a semi-recessed laser range finder, so that guided ammunition could be deployed. But a gun was retained: a new, more effective Type 30-I 30 mm (1.18 in) cannon (a copy of the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1) with 150 rounds was placed into the port LERX, under the cockpit.
Inside of the LERX on the other side, compartments for new avionics (esp. for the once more upgraded JL-7B fire control radar) were added. With this radar and weapons like the PL-11 missile, the aircraft finally achieved the long desired BVR interception capability.
Flanking the new, longer WS-13 engine, the BWBs held extra fuel tanks. For en even more extended range and loiter time, provisions were made for a fixed air-refuelling probe on the starboard side under the cockpit.
Under the inner wings, an additional pair of pylons was added (for a total of seven), and overall ordnance load could be raised to 3.000 kg (6.600 lb).
The first J-7DS first flew in summer 2005, still only powered by an WP-13I engine, for a 22-month test program. Three prototypes were built, but only the first two aircraft were to fly – the third machine was only used for static tests.
The driving force behind this program was actually the PLANAF, the People's Liberation Army, Naval Air Force (中國人民解放軍海軍航空兵). While the Chinese Air Force rather placed its bet on the more modern and sophisticated Chengdu J-10 fighter, the PLANAF was rather looking for a more simple and inexpensive multi-role combat aircraft that could carry out both air defence and strike missions, and replace the ageing (and rather ineffective) J-8 fighters and Q-5 attack aircraft, as well as early J-7II fighters with limited all-weather capability. Consequently, the type was only operated by the PLANAF from 2010 onwards and received the official designation J-7DH ("H" for 海军 [Haijun] = Navy).
Production was still continuing in small numbers in late 2016, but the number of built specimen is uncertain. About 150 J-7DH are supposed to be in active service, mostly with PLANAF Northern and East Fleet units. Unlike many former J-7 variants (including its ancestor, the PLAAF's more or less stillborn C and D variants), the J-7DH was not offered for export.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 14.61 m (47 ft 10½ in)
15.69 m (51 ft 5 in) with pitot
Wingspan: 7,41 m (24 ft 3½ in)
Height: 4.78 m (15 ft 8½ in)
Wing area: 28.88 m² (309.8 ft²)
Aspect ratio: 2.8:1
Empty weight: 5,892 kg (12.977 lb)
Loaded weight: 8,240 kg (18.150 lb)
Max. take-off weight: 9,800 kg (21.585 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Guizhou WS-13 turbofan with a dry thrust of 51.2 kN (11,510 lbf)
and 84.6 kN (19,000 lbf) with afterburner
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.0, 2,200 km/h (1.189 knots, 1.375 mph)
Stall speed: 210 km/h (114 knots, 131 mph) IAS
Combat radius: 1.050 km (568 nmi, 652 mi) (air superiority, two AAMs and three drop tanks)
Ferry range: 2,500 km (1.350 nmi, 1.550 mi)
Service ceiling: 17,500 m (57.420 ft)
Rate of climb: 195 m/s (38.386 ft/min)
Armament:
1× Type 30-I 30mm (1.18") cannon with 150 rounds in the port forward fuselage;
7× hardpoints (6× under-wing, 1× centerline under-fuselage) with a capacity of 3,000 kg maximum (up to 500 kg each); Ordnance primarily comprises air-to-air missiles, including PL-2, PL-5, PL-7, PL-8, PL-9 and PL-11 AAMs, but in a secondary CAS role various rocket pods an unguided bombs of up to 500kg caliber can be carried
The kit and its assembly:
Another Chinese whif, and again a MiG-21 derivative - a fruitful source of inspiration. The J-7DH is not based ona real world project, though, but was rather inspired by an article about a Chinese 2020 update for the MiG-21 from Japan, including some drawings and artwork.
The latter depicted a late MiG-21 with some minor mods, but also some characteristic F-16 parts like the chines and the BWB flanks grafted to it - and it looked good!
Since I recently butchered an Intech F-16 for my Academy T-50 conversion (primariliy donation the whole landing gear, including the wells), I had a donor kit at ahnd, and I also found a Mastercraft MiG-21MF in my stash without a true plan. So I combined both for "something Chinese"...
The build was pretty starightforward - except for the fact that the Intech F-16 is a rather clumsy affair (donating the fin and the fuselage flanks) and that no part from the Mastercraft MiG-21 matches with another one! Lots of improvisation and mods were necessary.
On the other side, the F-16 parts were just glued onto the MiG-21 fuselage and blended into one with putty (in several layers, though).
The fin was taken wholesale from the F-16, but clipped by about 5mm at the top. I originally wanted to use F-16 wings with wing tip launch rails and the stabilizers, too, but when I held them to the model it looked wacky - so I reverted to the Fishbed parts. The stabilizers were taken OOB, but the wing span was reduced at the roots, so that the original MiG-21 wing span was retained. Only the landing gear wells had to be adapted accordingly, but that was easier than expected and the result looks very organic.
With more wing area, I added a third pair of hardpoints under the wing roots, and I kept the gun under the cockpit in the LERX. That offered room inside of the fuselage, filled by a laser rangefinder in a canoe fairing where the original gun used to be.
On the tail, a new jet nozzle was mounted, on the fuselage some air scoops and antennae were added an an IR sensor on the nose. A new seat was used in the cockpit instead of the poor L-shaped OOB thing. The PL-2 & -11 ordnance consists of simple AIM-9Bs and slightly modified AIM-120, plus some launch rails from the scrap box.
Paintings and markings:
Modern Chinese military aircraft are hardly benchmarks for creative paint schemes - and the only "realistic" option in this case would have been a uniform grey livery. The original J-7C PLAAF night fighters carried a high contrast sand/dark green/light blue livery, similar to the MiG-21 export scheme (a.k.a. "Pumpkin"), but I found the latter not suitabel for a naval operator.
I eventually found a compromise, using one of the J-7C schemes as pattern but using grey tones instead - still not very colorful, but the "clover" patterns would help disrupt the aircraft's outlines and support the modern look and feel of this whif.
Basic colors are Humbrol 140 (Dark Gull Grey, FS 36231) and 165 (RAF Medium Sea Grey) from above, plus 122 (IAF Pale Blue, FS 35622) on the undersides. With the dark grey pattern placed with no direct connection to the Pale Blue undersides, there's even a blending effect between the tones - not spectacular, but IMHO effective.
The cockpit interior became pale teal (a mix of Soviet Cockpit Blue and white), while the landing gear wells were painted with a mix of Humbrol 56, 119 and 225 - for a yellow-ish, dull metallic brown. The wheel discs became bright green (Humbrol 131), and any di-electric panel and the radome became deep green (Humbrol 2).
The decals come from a Begemot MiG-21 sheet (roundels), while the tactical 5-digit code comes from an Airfix 1:72 B-17 sheet. The yellow code is a bit unusual, as well as its place on the fin, but both occur on Chinese fighters.
The code itself is based on the information published in the 2010 book “Chinese Air Power” by Yefim Gordon und Dmitriy Komissarov, where the Chinese code system is explained – I hope that it is more or less authentic.
The kit received a light black ink wash and some dry painting with lighter blue-grey shades, but no weathering, since modern Chinese aircraft tend to look pretty clean and pristine. Since the kits both did not feature much surface details, and a lot of the few OOB details got lost during the PSR process for the BWB wing sections, I painted some details and panel lines with a soft pencil - a compromise, though. Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
The result is a pretty subtle whif, and with the F-16 parts added the result even looks very conclusive! From above, the extra fuselage width makes the Fishbed look very massive, which is underlined by the extended stabilizer span. But I think that retailing the original MiG-21 delta wing was a good decision, because it helps retaining the Fishbed's "fast" look.
I am just not 100% happy with the finish - but for the crappy kits I used as basis it's O.K.