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A shot from Buralow Camp grounds Kurrajong nsw. Its 80x3 min exposures over a 5 hour period , then layered together in photoshop
Specially designed and built for my brother @alexrapina, his beloved @goniagoniagorecka and their adorable dog @mia. May Rockabilly be with them.
Kelvin Scottish AGM 684L was a former Central SMT standard Leyland Leopard Alexander Y type new as T184 in November 1973, it transferred to Kelvin with is takeover of the Central Depot at Old Kipatrick in June 1985.
It is seen here in June 1986 on Church Street in Dumbarton wearing the first Kelvin livery and carrying its initial fleetnumber E431 working on the 85 service between Balloch and Brucehill in Dumbarton.
©eb2010
Do not use this image without my permission
On the 11/10/15 the Puffing Billy Railway operated a special train from Emerald to Belgrave for the AGM. Here 861 climbs the grade up to Menzies Creek.
An instructional version of the AGM-62 "Walleye" slung beneath a Douglas A4-F Skyhawk on the flight deck of the USS Midway CV-41 Museum in San Diego. Behind the "Walleye" are display versions of the Mk. 82 low-drag general purpose bomb with the Snake Eye tail retarding device used for low-altitude release.
The AGM-62 "Walleye" was an unpowered television-guided glide bomb. Introduced in 1963, the "Walleye" was the first of a family of precision-guided munitions designed to hit targets with minimal collateral damage. The "Walleye" was superseded by the AGM-65 "Maverick."
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Airbus Helicopters Tiger, formerly known as the Eurocopter Tiger, is a four-bladed, twin-engined attack helicopter, which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters), the successor company to Aérospatiale's and DASA's respective helicopter divisions, which designate it as the EC665. In Germany and Australia it is known as the 'Tiger'; in France and Spain it is called the 'Tigre'.
Development of the Tiger started during the Cold War and it was initially intended as a dedicated anti-tank helicopter platform to be used against a Soviet ground invasion of Western Europe. During its prolonged development period, the Soviet Union collapsed, but France and Germany chose to proceed with the Tiger, developing it instead as a multirole attack helicopter. It achieved operational readiness in 2008 and since the type's introduction to service, Tigers have been used in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali.
The Tiger has the distinction of being the first all-composite helicopter developed in Europe. Even the earliest models also incorporated other advanced features such as a glass cockpit, stealth technology and high agility to increase its survivability. The Tiger has a tandem-seat cockpit and is operated by a two-man crew; the pilot is placed in the forward position, with the gunner seated behind. Either of the crew members can manage the weapon systems or the primary flight controls, switching roles if necessitated. In addition to flying the aircraft, the Tiger's pilot would typically be in control of the self-defense systems and communications, as well as some secondary weapon functions.
Amongst the Tiger's notable qualities, it possesses very high levels of agility, much of which is attributed to the design of its 13-meter four-bladed hinge-less main rotor; the Tiger can perform full loops and negative g manoeuvers. Power is provided by a pair of FADEC-controlled MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 turboshaft engines.
In Germany, the EC 665 is also known as the PAH-2 (Panzerabwehrhubschrauber 2 for “Second Anti-tank helicopter, the Bo 105 was PAH-1) and UHT (from Unterstützungshubschrauber Tiger German for "Support Helicopter Tiger"). As delivered, the German Tiger was originally a medium-weight multi-role fire support helicopter. The UHT can carry PARS 3 LR "fire and forget" and/or HOT3 anti-tank missiles as well as 70 mm (2.8 in) Hydra 70 air-to-ground fire support rockets. Four AIM-92 Stinger missiles (two on each side) can be mounted to the stub wings' tips for air-to-air combat. Unlike the HAP/HCP version (operated by France) it has no integrated gun turret, but a 12.7 mm (0.50 in) gunpod can be fitted if needed. The weapon configuration was designed to be multirole and easily convertible to cover the whole spectrum of possible mission scenarios and to be effective against a broad range of targets. Another difference is the use of a mast-mounted sight, which has second-generation infrared and CCD TV cameras (range 18 km).
Its introduction was not without trouble, though. In fact, the 68 ordered German EC 665s were hardly operational at all: In August 2009, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the ten operational Tigers in the German Army were only suitable for pilot training, while others had not been accepted due to defects. In May 2010, Germany suspended deliveries over "serious defects particularly with wiring"; in response Eurocopter stated that "Corrective measures related to wiring problems have been developed, agreed by the customer and are being implemented". These problems lasted, though, and under an agreement between the German government and Eurocopter made in March 2013, only a total of 51 Tiger UHs would remain in service – effectively, a 40 were operated in the helicopter's original role in a single unit, the Kampfhubschrauberregiment 36 (KHR 36) „Kurhessen“ in Fritzlar.
In order to mend the program and widen the helicopter’s capabilities, Eurocopter launched in 2014 an upgrade program for the rest of the German Tiger order, the so-called Tiger KWS (Kampfwertsteigerung, for combat capabilities update). A central upgrade was the introduction of more powerful engines, primarily for a better performance under hot/high climatic conditions. Further modifications of the Tiger KWS included a new tail section with a 10 blade Fenestron rotor system with a variable angular spacing, so that the noise was distributed over different frequencies and overall noise reduced The ducted tail rotor was also shielding both the tail rotor itself from collision damage and ground personnel from the hazard posed by a traditional spinning rotor. The stabilizing tail surfaces had to be re-located, though, but overall the helicopter became more compact thorugh this change.
The core of the program was the integration of the Artemis millimeter-wave fire-control radar (FCR) target acquisition system and the Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI), housed in a dome located above the main rotor, replacing the UHT’s optical Osiris system, which was relocated to a chin position. The radome's raised position enables 360° target detection while the helicopter is behind obstacles (e.g. terrain, trees or buildings). The Artemis system is capable of simultaneously tracking up to 128 aerial and ground targets and engaging up to 16 at once; an attack could be initiated within 30 seconds. A radio modem integrated with the sensor suite allowed data to be shared with ground units and other helicopters, allowing them to fire on targets detected by a single helicopter. In fact, this coordinating role was the Tiger KWS' prime role within the Bundeswehr structure, so only a small number of these machines was eventually necessary.
Beyond the UHT’s standard armament, the Tiger KWS could be equipped with a wide range of guided air-to-ground missiles, including the AGM-65 Maverick against small targets and the Sea Skua ASM for anti-ship duties (for which the Marineflieger helicopters, designated KWS-M, had a GEC-Ferranti Seaspray I illumination radar installed in a thimble radome above the Osiris system).
The Artemis system also allowed full-fledged air-to-air missiles to be effectively deployed. Beyond the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-defense, the UHT KWS could also fire the mid-range AIM-120 and therefore fulfill air space surveillance duties and point defense against incoming aircraft, even against low-flying targets like cruise missiles. The integration of air-to-air missiles was a major step forward for the Tiger’s mission envelope, and was requested especially by the German Navy as a protection measure for its ships on worldwide NATO and UN peacekeeping missions. Heavier gun pods, carrying a Mauser BK 27 machine cannon with 150 RPG, were introduced, too, as a more effective weapon against both ground and air targets and with a longer range.
In February 2016, the first of twelve newly built Tiger KWS was delivered to the German Bundeswehr and allocated to Luftwaffe and the Marineflieger units (each receiving six). Eight standard UHTs were to be updated until 2019, too. After initial trials 2016 on board of the German fregate "Bayern" in the course of the peacekeeping Operation Atalanta against pirates at the coast of Somalia, France became interested in the Artemis system, too, and considered the procurement of eight navalized and updated Tigers for the Aéronavale.
General characteristics:
Crew: Two (pilot and weapon systems officer)
Length: 13.21 m fuselage (43 ft 3 1/4 in)
Rotor diameter: 13.00 m (42 ft 8 in)
Disc area: 133 m² (1,430 ft²)
Height: 5.18 m (17 ft 11 in) with radome mast,
3.83 m (12 ft 7 in) w/o
Internal fuel capacity: 1,080 kg (2,380 lb)
Empty weight: 3,060 kg (6,750 lb)
Loaded weight: 5,090 kg (11,311 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 6,000 kg (13,000 lb)
Powerplant:
2× MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390-G turboshaft engines, 1.102 kW (1.500 shp) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 290 km/h (157 knots, 181 mph)
Range: 800 km (430 nm, 500 mi) in combat configuration
1,300km with external tanks at the inboard stations
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 10.7 m/s (2,105 ft/min)
Power/mass: 0.23 hp/lb (0.38 kW/kg)
Armament:
Four stub wing hardpoints for e.g. 12.7mm or 27 mm autocannon pods, 68 mm (2.68 in) SNEB or
70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra 70 unguided rockets pods, AGM-65 Maverick guided missiles or starters with 4x
PARS 3 LR and/or HOT3 anti-tank missiles; additionally, the German navy helicopters could carry up to
four Sea Skua missiles against sea targets
The kit and its assembly:
The second of my Italeri Tiger helicopters that I had purchased in a lot without a real plan some years ago. This one was simply spawned by the question what a) an updated UHT with a radar system like the AH-64D and b) a German Marineflieger UHT would look like? After the German navy got rid of their Tornados, what could be the more compact and economical alternative? This model combines these questions, and as a whif there was even a bit more to it.
The Italeri kit itself ain’t bad, but it has raised details and fit, esp. around the engines and the rotor mast, is rather dubious. PSR is a must. Anyway, it was built more or less OOB, the only changes are the Fenestron (transplanted wholesale from a Revell EC 135) with a corresponding movement of the stabilizers forward, the radome from an Academy AH-64D and the re-located Osiris optical system to the chin. The latter necessitated a fairing, which consists of a piece from a drop tank half.
Since I wanted to add Sea Skuas under the stub wings (taken from an Italeri 1:72 NATO weapon set), I also added a small thimble radome for an illumination radar on top of the nose. This subtly changes the Tiger's profile and adds a purposeful, Mi-28-ish look. Some blade antennae were re-located and radar warning sensors added, as well as a pitot made from thin wire in front of the cockpit.
Beyond the Sea Skuas I gave the model a single AIM-9 Sidewinder with a mathcing launch rail and a scratched gun pod, made from a Soviet GSh-23-2 pod with a single gun barrel (a hollow steel needle).
For later display and beauty pics, a vertical styrene tube was added into the model's center of gravity as an adapter for a holder.
Painting and markings:
The late German Marineflieger Tornados wore some interesting camouflage schemes under the Norm 87 scheme, and I wanted something similar for this navalized Tiger. However, a direct adaptation of the Tornados' scheme and its murky colors (RAL 7009, 7012 and 5008) appeared too dark for the smaller helicopter, lacking contrast that would help breaking up the outlines against sky and ground.
An alternative would have been RAL 7030, 7009 and 7012, but I used this one already on another Marineflieger whif (an Aero L-39 target tug). Another potential option was RAL 7030, 7000 and 7012 (incl. a bluish grey tone "Fehgrau", which is used uniformly on the German navy's ships and on some Marineflieger Do-28D Skyservants and Do 228s operated in the pollution control role), but this would rather have been suitable for a fighter aircraft, operating at medium to high altitudes. For "ground work", both options were IMHO too bright.
I eventually went back to the Tornado colors and replaced the RAL 7012 (Basaltgrau, very similar to Dark Sea Grey) with RAL 7030 (Steingrau, a brownish light grey). This resulted in a good contrast with the RAL 7009 (Grüngrau) and RAL 5008 (Graublau), and I kept the more or less naval color palette with grey/green/blue tones - even though and AFAIK, no German naval aircraft ever carried such a scheme. Still looks quite convincing.
The camouflage pattern was adopted from the land-based German Tigers, just the colors were replaced. I used Revell 75, 67 and a 1:1 mix of Humbrol 77 and 79. The cockpit interior became medium grey (Revell 47), the rotor blades Anthrazit (Revell 9).
The kit received a light wash with black ink and some panel post-shading.
The German roundels, flags as well as the tactical codes were created with material from TL Modellbau. The "MARINE" marking on the IR dampers was made up with single black 3mm letters, also with TL Modellbau material. A few stencils were taken from the OOB sheet, and some additional inscriptions were gathered from an 1:72 MiG-21 sheet from Begemot or simply painted. Finally, everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
An apparently simpel build, but the intergration (and choice) of the Fenestron tail rotor caused some headaches and PSR sessions. But I am happy with the result: fist of all, I finally found a use for the surplus kit (reducing the stash height, marginally...), and the resulting helicopter does not look bad or unrealistic at all.
Photo taken by Reimar Wendt and uploaded with his kind permission (slide kindly provided for scanning by Florian Weiß).
München-Riem
March 1990
F-ODVH "Prince Hamzeh"
Airbus A310-304
491
Royal Jordanian Airline
An American Airlines B767 can be seen taxiing behind F-ODVH, and a TWA TriStar in the distance - these were typical Riem visitors in the late 1980s/early 1990s.
First flight 4 January 1989. Delivered to Royal Jordanian on 15 March 1989. Reregistered as JY-AGM in 2004. To Tupelo, MS, for scrapping in September 2013. (Source: planelogger.com)
Registration details for this airframe:
www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/F-ODVH/400552
F-ODVH with Royal Jordanian at LHR in September 2002 (additional AMMAN 2002 sticker):
www.flickr.com/photos/pslg05896/29588369644
This airframe as JY-AGM with Royal Jordanian at FRA in May 2008 (revised colours):
www.flickr.com/photos/herrv/51264768811
Cockpit section left at TUP in July 2017:
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/3/6/6/4686663.jpg?...
Scan from Kodachrome slide.
AGM-86 ALCM subsonic air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) built by Boeing and operated by the US Air Force.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
National Air and Space Museum
Chantilly, VA
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
The A-14 program originally started in 2005 as a private venture, initiated by Northrop-Grumman together with the Elbit Group as a joint venture through Elbit’s Texas-based aircraft division M7 Aerosystems, an approved supplier to major aerospace clients. The aircraft was intended to replace the USAF’s A-10 attack aircraft as well as early F-16s in the strike role from 2010 onwards. The time slot for the project turned out to be advantageous, because at that time the USAF was contemplating to replace the simple and sturdy A-10 with the much more complex F-35, eventually even with its VTOL variant, and the highly specialized F-117 was retired, too.
The A-14 revived conceptual elements of Grumman’s stillborn A-12 stealth program for the US Navy, which had also been part of the USAF’s plans to replace the supersonic F-111 tactical bomber, but on a less ambitious and expensive level concerning technology, aiming for a more effective compromise between complexity, survivability and costs. The basic idea was an updated LTV A-7D (the A-10’s predecessor from the Vietnam War era), which had far more sophisticated sensor and navigation equipment than the rather simple but sturdy A-10, but with pragmatic stealth features and a high level of survivability in a modern frontline theatre or operations.
M7 Aerosystems started on a blank sheet, even though Northrop-Grumman’s A-12 influence was clearly visible, and to a certain degree the aircraft shared the basic layout with the F-117A. The A-14 was tailored from the start to the ground attack role, and therefore a subsonic design. Measures to reduce radar cross-section included airframe shaping such as alignment of edges, fixed-geometry serpentine inlets that prevented line-of-sight of the engine faces from any exterior view, use of radar-absorbent material (RAM), and attention to detail such as hinges and maintenance covers that could provide a radar return. The A-14 was furthermore designed to have decreased radio emissions, infrared signature and acoustic signature as well as reduced visibility to the naked eye.
The resulting airframe was surprisingly large for an attack aircraft – in fact, it rather reminded of a tactical bomber in the F-111/Su-24 class than an alternative to the A-10. The A-14 consisted of a rhomboid-shaped BWB (blended-wing-and-body) with extended wing tips and only a moderate (35°) wing sweep, cambered leading edges, a jagged trailing edge and a protruding cockpit section which extended forward of the main body.
The majority of the A-14’s structure and surface were made out of a carbon-graphite composite material that is stronger than steel, lighter than aluminum, and absorbs a significant amount of radar energy. The central fuselage bulge ended in a short tail stinger with a pair of swept, canted fins as a butterfly tail, which also shrouded the engine’s hot efflux. The fins could have been omitted, thanks to the aerodynamically unstable aircraft’s fly-by-wire steering system, and they effectively increased the A-14’s radar signature as well as its visual profile, but the gain in safety in case of FBW failure or physical damage was regarded as a worthwhile trade-off. Due to its distinctive shape and profile, the A-14 quickly received the unofficial nickname “Squatina”, after the angel shark family.
The spacious and armored cockpit offered room for the crew of two (pilot and WSO or observer for FAC duties), seated side-by-side under a generous glazing, with a very good field of view forward and to the sides. The fuselage structure was constructed around a powerful cannon, the five-barrel GAU-12/U 25 mm ‘Equalizer’ gun, which was, compared with the A-10’s large GAU-8/A, overall much lighter and more compact, but with only little less firepower. It fired a new NATO series of 25 mm ammunition at up to 4.200 RPM. The gun itself was located under the cockpit tub, slightly set off to port side, and the front wheel well was offset to starboard to compensate, similar in arrangement to the A-10 or Su-25. The gun’s ammunition drum and a closed feeding belt system were located behind the cockpit in the aircraft’s center of gravity. An in-flight refueling receptor (for the USAF’s boom system) was located in the aircraft’s spine behind the cockpit, normally hidden under a flush cover.
Due to the gun installation in the fuselage, however, no single large weapon bay to minimize radar cross section and drag through external ordnance was incorporated, since this feature would have increased airframe size and overall weight. Instead, the A-14 received four, fully enclosed compartments between the wide main landing gear wells and legs. The bays could hold single iron bombs of up to 2.000 lb caliber each, up to four 500 lb bombs or CBUs, single laser-guided GBU-14 glide bombs, AGM-154 JSOW or GBU-31/38 JDAM glide bombs, AGM-65 Maverick guided missiles or B61 Mod 11 tactical nuclear weapons, as well as the B61 Mod 12 standoff variant, under development at that time). Retractable launch racks for defensive AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles were available, too, and additional external pylons could be added, e.g. for oversize ordnance like AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) or AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), or drop tanks for ferry flights. The total in- and external ordnance load was 15,000 lb (6,800 kg).
The A-14 was designed with superior maneuverability at low speeds and altitude in mind and therefore featured a large wing area, with high wing aspect ratio on the outer wing sections, and large ailerons areas. The ailerons were placed at the far ends of the wings for greater rolling moment and were split, making them decelerons, so that they could also be used as air brakes in flight and upon landing.
This wing configuration promoted short takeoffs and landings, permitting operations from primitive forward airfields near front lines. The sturdy landing gear with low-pressure tires supported these tactics, and a retractable arrester hook, hidden by a flush cover under the tail sting, made it possible to use mobile arrested-recovery systems.
The leading edge of the wing had a honeycomb structure panel construction, providing strength with minimal weight; similar panels covered the flap shrouds, elevators, rudders and sections of the fins. The skin panels were integral with the stringers and were fabricated using computer-controlled machining, reducing production time and cost, and this construction made the panels more resistant to damage. The skin was not load-bearing, so damaged skin sections could be easily replaced in the field, with makeshift materials if necessary.
Power came from a pair of F412-GE-114 non-afterburning turbofans, engines that were originally developed for the A-12, but de-navalized and lightened for the A-14. These new engines had an output of 12,000 lbf (53 kN) each and were buried in blended fairings above the wing roots, with jagged intakes and hidden ducts. Flat exhausts on the wings’ upper surface minimized both radar and IR signatures.
Thanks to the generous internal fuel capacity in the wings and the fuselage, the A-14 was able to loiter and operate under 1,000 ft (300 m) ceilings for extended periods. It typically flew at a relatively low speed of 300 knots (350 mph; 560 km/h), which made it a better platform for the ground-attack role than fast fighter-bombers, which often have difficulty targeting small, slow-moving targets or executing more than just a single attack run on a selected target.
A mock-up was presented and tested in the wind tunnel and for radar cross-section in late 2008. The A-14’s exact radar cross-section (RCS) remained classified, but in 2009 M7 Aerosystems released information indicating it had an RCS (from certain angles) of −40 dBsm, equivalent to the radar reflection of a "steel marble". With this positive outcome and the effective design, M7 Aerosystems eventually received federal funding for the production of prototypes for an official DT&E (Demonstration Testing and Evaluation) program.
Three prototypes/pre-production aircraft were built in the course of 2010 and 2011, and the first YA-14 made its maiden flight on 10 May 2011. The DT&E started immediately, and the machines (a total of three flying prototypes were completed, plus two additional airframes for static tests) were gradually outfitted with mission avionics and other equipment. This included GPS positioning, an inertial navigation system, passive sensors to detect radar usage, a small, gyroscopically stabilized turret, mounted under the nose of the aircraft, containing a FLIR boresighted with a laser spot-tracker/designator, and an experimental 3-D laser scanning LIDAR in the nose as a radiation-less alternative to a navigation and tracking radar.
Soon after the DT&E program gained momentum in 2012, the situation changed for M7 Aerosystems when the US Air Force considered the F-35B STOVL variant as its favored replacement CAS aircraft, but concluded that the aircraft could not generate a sufficient number of sorties. However, the F-35 was established as the A-14’s primary rival and remained on the USAF’s agenda. For instance, at that time the USAF proposed disbanding five A-10 squadrons in its budget request to cut its fleet of 348 A-10s by 102 to lessen cuts to multi-mission aircraft in service that could replace the specialized attack aircraft.
In August 2013, Congress and the Air Force examined various proposals for an A-10 replacement, including the A-14, F-35 and the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle, and, despite the A-14’s better qualities in the ground attack role, the F-35 came out as the overall winner, since it was the USAF’s favorite. Despite its complexity, the F-35 was – intended as a multi-role tri-service aircraft and also with the perspective of bigger international sales than the more specialized A-14 – regarded as the more versatile and, in the long run, more cost-efficient procurement option. This sealed the A-14’s fate and the F-35A entered service with U.S. Air Force F-35A in August 2016 (after the F-35B was introduced to the U.S. Marine Corps in July 2015). At that time, the U.S. planned to buy 2,456 F-35s through 2044, which would represent the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps for several decades.
Since the A-14’s technology was considered to be too critical to be marketed to export customers (Israel showed early interest in the aircraft, as well as South Korea), the program was cancelled in 2016.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2 (pilot, WSO)
Length: 54 ft 11 1/2 in (16.78 m)
Wingspan: 62 ft 11 1/2 in (19.22 m)
Height: 11 ft 3 3/4 in (3.45 m)
Wing area: 374.9 ft² (117.5 m²)
Empty weight: 24,959 lb (11,321 kg)
Loaded weight: 30,384 lb (13,782 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 50,000 lb (22,700 kg)
Internal fuel capacity: 11,000 lb (4,990 kg)
Powerplant:
2× General Electric Whitney F412-GE-114 non-afterburning turbofans
with 12,000 lbf (53 kN) thrust each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 630 mph (1,010 km/h, 550 kn) at 40,000 ft altitude /
Mach 0.95 at sea level
Cruise speed: 560 mph (900 km/h, 487 kn) at 40,000 ft altitude
Range: 1,089 nmi (1,253 mi, 2,017 km)
Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,100 mi, 3,300 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,200 m)
Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (250 m/s)
Wing loading: 133 lb/ft² (193 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.48 (full internal fuel, no stores)
Take-off run: 1,200 m (3,930 ft) at 42,000 lb (19,000 kg) over a 15 m (30 ft) obstacle
Armament:
1× General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer 25 mm (0.984 in) 5-barreled rotary cannon
with 1,200 rounds (max. capacity 1,350 rounds)
4x internal weapon bays plus 4x external optional hardpoints with a total capacity of
15,000 lb (6,800 kg) and provisions to carry/deploy a wide range of ordnance
The kit and its assembly:
A major kitbashing project which I had on my idea list for a long time and its main ingredients/body donors already stashed away – but, as with many rather intimidating builds, it takes some external motivation to finally tackle the idea and bring it into hardware form. This came in August 2020 with the “Prototypes” group build at whatifmodellers.com, even though is still took some time to find the courage and mojo to start.
The original inspiration was the idea of a stealthy successor for the A-10, or a kind of more modern A-7 as an alternative to the omnipresent (and rather boring, IMHO) F-35. An early “ingredient” became the fuselage of a Zvezda Ka-58 stealth helicopter kit – I liked the edgy shape, the crocodile-like silhouette and the spacious side-by-side cockpit. Adding wings, however, was more challenging, and I remembered a 1:200 B-2A which I had turned into a light Swedish 1:72 attack stealth aircraft. Why not use another B-2 for the wings and the engines, but this time a bigger 1:144 model that would better match the quite bulbous Ka-58 fuselage? This donor became an Italeri kit.
Work started with the fuselage: the Ka-58’s engine and gearbox hump had to go first and a generous, new dorsal section had to be scratched with 1mm styrene sheet and some PSR. The cockpit and its glazing could be retained and were taken OOB. Under the nose, the Ka-58’s gun turret was omitted and a scratched front landing gear well was implanted instead.
The wings consist of the B-2 model; the lower “fuselage half” had its front end cut away, then the upper fuselage half of the Ka-58 was used as benchmark to cut the B-2’s upper wing/body part in two outer wing panels. Once these elements had been glued together, the Ka-58’s lower nose and tail section were tailored to match the B-2 parts. The B-2 engine bays were taken OOB and mounted next, so that the A-14’s basic hull was complete and the first major PSR session could start. Blending the parts into each other turned out to be a tedious process, since some 2-3 mm wide gaps had to be filled.
Once the basic BWP pack had been finished, I added the fins. These were taken from an 1:72 F-117 kit (IIRC from Italeri), which I had bought in a lot many moons ago. The fins were just adapted at their base to match the tail sting slope, and they were mounted in a 45° angle. This looks very F-117ish but was IMHO the most plausible solution.
Now that the overall length of the aircraft was defined, I could work on the final major assembly part: the wing tips. The 1:144 B-2 came with separate wing tip sections, but they proved to be much too long for the Squatina. After some trials I reduced their length by more than half, so that the B-2’s jagged wing trailing edge was kept. The result looks quite natural, even though blending the cut wing tips to the BWB turned out to be a PSR nightmare because their thickness reduces gently towards the tip – since I took out a good part of the inner section, the resulting step had to be sanded away and hidden with more PSR.
Detail work started next, including the cockpit glazing, the bomb bay (the B-2 kit comes with one of its bays open, and I kept this detail and modified the interior) and the landing gear, the latter was taken from the F-117 donor bank and fitted surprisingly well.
Some sensors were added, too, including a flat glass panel on the nose tip and a triangular IRST fairing under the nose, next to the landing gear well.
Painting and markings:
For a stealth aircraft and a prototype I wanted something subdued or murky, but not an all-black or -grey livery. I eventually settled for the rather dark paint scheme that the USAF applied to its late B-52Gs and the B-1Bs, which consists of two tones from above, FS 36081 (Dark Grey, a.k.a. Dark Gunship Grey) and 34086 (Green Drab), and underneath (FS 36081 and 36118 (Gunship Grey). The irregular pattern was adapted (in a rather liberal fashion) from the USAF’s early B-1Bs, using Humbrol 32, 108 and 125 as basic colors. The 108 turned out to be too bright, so I toned it down with an additional coat of thinned Humbrol 66. While this considerably reduced the contrast between the green and the grey, the combination looks much better and B-1B-esque.
The wings’ leading edges were painted for more contrast with a greyish black (Tar Black, Revell 09), while the landing gear, the interior of the air intakes and the open bomb bay became glossy white. The cockpit was painted in medium grey (Humbrol 140) and the clear parts received a thinned inner coating with a mix of transparent yellow and brown, simulating an anti-radar coating – even though the effect turned out to be minimal, now it looks as of the plastic parts had just yellowed from age…
After the initial livery had been finished the model received a black ink washing and some post-panel shading with slightly brightened variations of the basic tones (using Humbrol 79, 144 and 224). Decals were added next, an individual mix from various sources. The “Stars-and-Bars” come from a PrintScale A-7 sheet, most stencils come from an F-16 sheet.
After some more detail painting and a treatment with graphite on the metal areas (exhausts, gun port), the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
Batman’s next Batwing? Maybe, there’s certainly something fictional about this creation. But the “Squatina” turned out much more conclusive (and even pretty!) than I expected, even though it became a bigger aircraft than intended. And I am positively surprised how good the bodywork became – after all, lots of putty had to be used to fill all the gaps between parts that no one ever expected to be grafted together.
Members of Shine attended the 48th AGM, which were also attended by our Patrons, David proud and Danny Mills. After the formal businesses, attendees were able to enjoy the Shine Awards Ceremony. The day proved a great opportunity for members to meet Shine’s trustees, staff, and other members of the Shine community. Thank you to all who attended.
On the day of the Class 40 Preservation Society's AGM, 40145 was given an additional run on the first round trip of the East Lancs diesel diagram. Here the loco is being detached at Bury leaving 37418 to work solo for the rest of the turn.
The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-surface missile (ASM) first developed for anti-armor use, but later models were developed for precision strikes against other target types, and have been used in a number of targeted killings of high-profile individuals. It was originally developed under the name Helicopter Launched, Fire and Forget Missile, which led to the colloquial name 'Hellfire' ultimately becoming the missile's formal name.
M36 Captive Flight Training Missile
The M36 is an inert device used for training the handling of the Hellfire. It includes an operational laser seeker.
Allgemeine Motoren, also known as AGM, created this multipurpose truck for use by the Emmerian armed forces as well as for the civilian market. It can be covered in the rear and can carry many tons of cargo. It can also mount large guns in the rear. The small wheels are meant for better load-bearing and traction. ...not much of an excuse, I know.
Credit to Wolfie for his awesome Mercedes truck.
Con la llegada de la reformista Segunda República, hubo también mudanzas para el gremio militar desde el Ministerio de la Guerra. Así, en junio de 1931 se decreta el cierre de la Academia General Militar de Zaragoza, por motivos económicos, ideológicos, y políticos. Desde ese momento, la reivindicación de la AGM se convirtió en una de las señas de identidad de las derechas. La imagen se corresponde con uno de los reportajes publicados al objeto de denunciar el estado ruinoso de los edificios que, aunque fueron inaugurados en 1927, "antes de tres meses" estarían hundidos si no se ponía remedio. Tras el golpe de Estado del 18 de julio de 1936, como las instalaciones seguían sorprendentemente en pie, fueron reconvertidas para servir de temporal campo de concentración durante unos años. En 1940, el enorme complejo fue reinaugurado oficialmente como AGM, y sometido a sucesivas ampliaciones.
En la imagen, aérea vista del conjunto de edificios de la AGM, poco antes del supuesto hundimiento, no producido.
Fuente: Foto Marín Chivite, "Crónica" (Madrid).
Proyecto GAZA ("Gran Archivo Zaragoza Antigua") es un compendio de imágenes de la antigua Zaragoza (España), acompañadas de textos creados por José María Ballestín Miguel y la colaboración de Antonio Tausiet.