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One of the many beautiful Art Deco buildings along Ocean Drive in South Beach.
Different perspective: flickr.com/photos/ohadby/84574434/
More on my photoblog: ohad.me
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden answers a question from the audience after providing a keynote address at the Human Space Exploration: The Next Steps event on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015 at The Center for American Progress in Washington DC. Administrator Bolden spoke about the future of human exploration in the context of NASA’s Journey to Mars. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
A full interview with the Israeli painter Raphael Perez (in Hebrew Rafi Peretz) about the ideas behind the naive painting, resume, personal biography and CV
Question: Raphael Perez Tell us about your work process as a naive painter?
Answer: I choose the most iconic and famous buildings in every city and town that are architecturally interesting and have a special shape and place the iconic buildings on boulevards full of trees, bushes, vegetation, flowers.
Question: How do you give depth in your naive paintings?
Answer: To give depth to the painting, I build the painting with layers of vegetation, after those low famous buildings, followed by a tall avenue of trees, and behind them towers and skyscrapers, in the sky I sometimes put innocent signs of balloons, kites.
A recurring motif in some of my paintings is the figure of the painter who is in the center of the boulevard and paints the entire scene unfolding in front of him, also there are two kindergarten teachers who are walking with the kindergarten children with the state flags that I paint, and loving couples hugging and kissing and family paintings of mother, father and child walking in harmony on the boulevard.
Question: Raphael Perez What characterizes your naive painting?
Answer: Most naive paintings have the same characteristics
(Definition as it appears in Wikipedia)
• Tells a simple story to absorb from everyday life, usually with humans.
• The representation of the painter's idealization to reality - the mapping of reality.
• Failure to maintain perspective - especially details even in distant details.
• Extensive use of repeating patterns - many details.
• Warm and bright colors.
• Sometimes the emphasis is on outlines.
• Most of the characters are flat, lack volume
• No interest in texture, expression, correct proportions
• No interest in anatomy.
• There is not much use of light and shadow, the colors create a three-dimensional effect.
I find these definitions to be valid for all my naive paintings
Question: Raphael Perez Why do you mainly choose the city of Tel Aviv?
Answer: I was born in Jerusalem, the capital city which I love very much and also paint,
I love the special Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv, the ornamental buildings that were built a century ago in the 1920s and 1930s, the beautiful boulevards, towers and modern skyscrapers give you the feeling of the hustle and bustle of a large metropolis and there are quite a few low and tall buildings that are architecturally fascinating in their form the special one
Also, the move to Tel Aviv, which is the capital of culture, freedom, and secularism, allowed me to live my life as I chose, to live in a relationship with a man, Jerusalem, which is a traditional city, it is more complicated to live a homosexual life, also, the art world takes place mainly in the city of Tel Aviv, and it is possible that from a professional point of view, this allows I can support myself better in Tel Aviv than in any other city in Israel.
Question: raphael perez are the paintings of the city of Tel Aviv different from the paintings of the city of Jerusalem
Answer: Most of the paintings of Jerusalem have an emphasis on the color yellow, gold, the color of the old city walls, the subjects I painted in Jerusalem are mainly a type of idealization of a peaceful life between Jews and Arabs and paintings that deal with the Jewish religious world, a number of paintings depict all shades of the currents of Judaism of today
In contrast, the Tel Aviv paintings are more colorful, with skyscrapers, the sea, balloons and more secular motifs
Question: Raphael Perez Tell us about which buildings and their architects you usually choose in your city paintings
Answer: My favorite buildings are those that have a special shape that anyone can recognize and are the symbols of the city and you will give several examples:
In the city of Tel Aviv, my favorite buildings are: the opera building with its unusual geometric shape, the Yisrotel tower with its special head, the Hail Bo Shalom tower that for years was the symbol of the tallest building in Tel Aviv, the Levin house that looks like a Japanese pagoda, the burgundy-colored Nordeau hotel with the special dome at the end of the building, A pair of Alon towers with the special structure of the sea, Bauhaus buildings typical of Tel Aviv with the special balconies and the special staircase, the Yaakov Agam fountain in Dizengoff square appears in a large part of the paintings, many towers that are in the stock exchange complex, the Aviv towers and other tall buildings on Ayalon, in some of the paintings I took plans An outline of future buildings that need to be built in the city and I drew them even before they were built in reality,
In the paintings of Jerusalem, I mainly chose the area of the Old City and East Jerusalem, a painting of the walls of the Old City, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the El Akchea Mosque, the Tower of David, most of the famous churches in the city, the right hand of Moses, in most of the paintings the Jew is wearing a blue shirt with a red male cord I was in the youth movement and the Arab with a galabia, and in the paintings of the religious public then, Jews with black suits and white shirts, tallitas, kippahs, special hats, synagogues and more
I also created three paintings of the city of Haifa and one painting of Safed
In the Haifa paintings I drew the university, the Technion, the famous Egged Tower, the Sail Tower, well-known hotels, of course the Baha'i Gardens and the Baha'i Temple, Haifa Port and the boats and other famous buildings in the city
Question: Have you created series of other cities from around the world?
Answer: I created series of New York City with all the iconic and famous buildings such as: the Guggenheim Museum, the famous skyscrapers - the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Lincoln Center, the famous synagogue in the city, the Statue of Liberty, the flags of the United States and other famous buildings
Two paintings of London and all its famous sites, Big Ben, famous monuments, the Ferris wheel, Queen Elizabeth and her family, the double bus, the famous public telephone, palaces, famous churches, well-known monuments
I created 4 naive paintings of cities in China, a painting of Shanghai, two paintings of the city of Suzhou and a painting of the World Park in the city of Beijing... I chose the famous skyline of Shanghai with all the famous towers, the famous promenade, temples and old buildings, two Paintings of the city of Suzhou with the famous canals, bridges, special gardens, towers and skyscrapers of the city
Tang Jie served the Lord zealously for nearly forty years and expected the return of the Lord Jesus eagerly all the time. Having given up her family and her career, she established many house meeting places. As the work of the Holy Spirit shifted, the church became desolate gradually. She tried every possible way to revive it, but in vain. During this process, God’s gospel of the last days came upon her church. To “defend the Lord’s way,” she wrote a pamphlet to fabricate rumors against, slander, and attack Almighty God’s work of the last days, and sealed her church to hinder the believers from listening to the messages. However, increasingly more believers returned to Almighty God. At the end of her tether, Tang Jie fell into misery, confusion, and helplessness….
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The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.
Bob Dylan pondered many questions in that iconic song. And of course, there answers were, well, blowin’ in the wind. And that in turn conjures up images of things blowing in the wind, and what better thing to represent that than a simple reed?
We hum (or sing if we are so inclined) that song quite a lot, but often, with a surprisingly cheery lilt. Yet, when it comes down to it, the song isn’t really about cheery things at all, and the questions it asks are not easy ones to ask or answer. Mountains washing to the sea? Cannon balls flying? Doves “sleeping” in the sand?
This tune was indeed running through my head as I was composing this shot. I didn’t, and don’t, have any answers, but it seemed to me that this shot represented the song quite well. The wind for me continues to blow: perhaps one day it will carry to me the answers.
Haii people xD So, I got a lot of questions from my friends, so I thought I would start this one off! Here we go :3 Oh yeah, this photo I took in the mall a few days ago xD
Who was your first Bratz doll? My first doll was First Edition Cloe. But, she's gone now, and I'm still looking for one in a good condition.
What's up with you and Blondie? xD Well, we talk in school a tad, and we text alot, but I'm afraid to get close to him like I was. Let's just say his girlfriend wants me to jump out of an airplane....without a parachute.
Who would bully you? That's a good question. Honestly, I think it's the people that are prissy and bitchy. Why? Because I'm different. I don't like being a stuck up slut. I like being a freak.
How many dolls do you have? Well, in total with every type of doll I have....I'd say around 150, maybe more O_O
When will results be up? Results will be up before the weekend :) Just school got in the way again ._.
How are you doing? I'm doing pretty good, just tired xD
Why do you have better taste in music than me? xD! I didn't know I did x3
Do you like jerkey? Weell...I'm a vegitarian so...no xD
Why am I asking so much? Because you can xD
What's your fave movie? Hmmm....I like all the National Treasures, Goonies, all Pokemon movies, and Love and Other Drugs. I can't choose one xD
Whos your celeb crush? Avan Jogia <333333333333333333333
What kind of socks are you wearing? I don't have any socks on :O
Who's your fave MH? Either Frankie or Ghoulia :D
Whos your fave bratz doll? In my collection...It's a tie between Jenna and Misty :)
Do you like the 10/10/10 Bratz better than the Bratz now? Nope, I hate almost all the new Bratz right now. I don't like the body shape, nor the faceups. I usually buy for clothing. xD
How long is your hair? It goes down to the bottom of my back...Idk how long that is exactally >.>
What is your religion? I'm Protestant, but I don't go to church...I'm not really a die hard religious girl, but I (for the most part) believe in God, Jesus, etc.
Whos your fave singer? Taylor Swift :D If you ask me what band, I will not be able to tell you. I will combust.
What pets do you have? I have a 28 year old slider/box/mud (we really don't know xD) turtle named Mr. T, and a Domestic Shorthaired cat that's 2 years old. Her name is Little Miss Kitters ^O^
Do you have any deformaties? I started laughing when I read this question xD I AM NOT AN ANIMAL. I AM A HUMAN BEING. (old movie reference xD) And well...Hmm....the whites of my eyes aren't white. They're a light blue. My doctor said it's because I was supposed to be blue eyed, but it faded and just never really...left. xD And I'm short. xD I can't think of any others!
If you had to eat either 16 raw steaks, or 500 Fire Ants, which would you pick? Uhhmm...Again, being a vegitarian I can't eat the steaks...So...I'm stuck with Fire Ants a la EWW. xD
What is your wishlist for Bratz dolls? I have many on the list, I'll make a seperate photo for that. But, my number one doll right now is Sweet Dreams Sierra I believe :D
How do you cut doll hair? I'm really not that good at it xD I usually brush it out, get it wet, straighten it, then cut to the length I want to. If I screw it all up, I figure out some way to make it work.
How do you get rid of bangs on a bratz doll? I just cut them off as close to the roots, then I go back with a nail clipper and rip out the little pieces left. xD
Please, ask more questions so I can do another photo! :D
I was waiting for the bus, when I saw a young guy approaching. I was quite in my own thoughts, lighting a cigaret when he ask me, if I had been waiting long for the bus?
I answered him in my very own male voice, that I had been waiting QUITE a while, so that it should soon be coming... Perhaps I should explain that I never ”twist” my vocal cords to sound female, but just as well, I try to refrain from growling and reaching the low tones and notes of normal speech. But this time I half forgot, or half didn't really care (even I don't know which)? Very unlike me really! Anyway, he did seem sligthly chocked, but I was puzzled to find him keeping the conversation going!? ”Is it time for the night busses already?” He said and I answered, though in my more usual ”Lisa way” now. He even sad down close to me in the bus and we talked on the ride towards the city of this and that, going out, nightbusses and so forth. At a time he said ”... Im just going to hang out with some friends, I seldom really go out as there is usually problems with ID... ”. I was confused.. ”But... problems with ID... but how so..?” .”How old do you think I am?” he asked, I guessed ”21... perhaps 23” I said and was QUITE surprised when he said he was only 16 years old. I was VERY surprised I must admit, so much it obviously showed, which made him proud he even said :o) ”Just wait!!” I smiled in return, ”soon enough, you will wish to be guessed YOUNGER than you are! :o)”
How insight full of you :o) how DO you do it? Read my mind this way, that is? But yes, of cause I could not help my self, asking him to guess my age?...though... the expression on his face made me wish I my self had brought an ID. I seriously doubt he belived me. Anyway, when the time came for him to get of the bus, he gallantly presenting me his hand, wishing me a good evening. He was.. EXTREMELY sweet, kind and empathic. Just a kid really, but with more wisdom than could be added together, from 3 average society adults.
I am so used to idiots, that these... human beacons of kindness, wisdom and light, never cease to amaze me, when they leisurely wander across my path in life. - I wonder.. if they in fact feel the same way as I do, about me I mean, those human beacons? Perhaps they do, in fact! Quite possibly, really!
A good start on the evening though, especially as the ”dress up” part was a little stressed with time. (I HATE that)
I was going to ”Queer party” at Warehouse 9. An event where one is sure to meet quite interesting people and I was not disapointed.
These 2 ”guys” (on the pictures)...I call them ”guys” as the one said -”To day I am Benjamin” -, was the incarnation of, femininity, in every little movement and gesture. The guy on the right, made a casual dance so nymph like, while just talking on the phone totally unaware, that I was stunned in admiration. Benjamin (the one on the left) at a time, took off his T-shirt, presenting a stomach and waist so slim and feminin, even I can not come close. He was wearing a black bra and it looked only, feminine!!! He even talked with a voice so velvet smooth, one thought only of one thing the second he opened his mouth and started pronunciation words :oP WOW!
These 2 ”guys” I have not seen before in Denmark. Obviously they are quite young and again I am filled with hope for the future, as they (much as I) had an invisible sign to every little thought and movement they made that said, ”This is me, try me, see if I give a fuck what you think!”
Then... a woman (she said she was a lesbian) started hitting on me.. I hate it when they do that.. Especially when I clearly sense, that in male form they wouldn't spare me a word or a second glance. But I did also meet a most charming and intelligent young guy, they DO exist, but again very very young was he, perhaps a little too.... :o)
All in all a good evening and I got to walk rather long through the city, in my super white ”walkability” 10 (though only 4 inch) leather stiletto heels. LOVE that, just walking down the street... Ok I admit it, you don't have to look at me that way.. I LOOOOVE it, when the cars honked their horn passing by, in salute to my feminin contribution to the streetview, all five times in fact ;o)
To be honest, it usually flatters me in such a degree I smile involuntarily, in bliss and thanks.. Though I try my best not to look in the direction of the cars, as it happenes I am quite familiar with the male system of comunication and content.
One can smile, blush and look down. But smiling facing a person, is a tiny, small invitation.
Transvestit København Danmark
In case you're wondering, the answer is: No, I have no idea why it has an enormous phallus sticking off the front. o0;
I hit up the Gundam wiki just to kill some time the other day and stumbled upon this little lovely, which I had never seen before. I'll admit, my fandom doesn't extend too much beyond the anime, so I'm often surprised by units from manga/novels. Following my recent admonishment for being too stuck on the "Gundam Aesthetic", I thought this would be a fun way to branch out.
The torso/arms are basically the same ones I used on GN Archer, though I had to make a few changes to accommodate the technic hole w/ 3 balls for the hip. I've tried to build legs like this before and not been happy with the results, but these I like. I want tooth plates like the one I used for the face that are printed with gundam eyes and little red beards. Can someone get me those for Christmas? I've been a good boy this year, I promise! ^^
The weapon... thing remains a bit of a mystery to me... apparently it's an all-in-one sword/rifle/bit/shield/blender/coffee maker/whatever, but descriptions of it seem to vary in how much of what it's actually capable of. I offer it here in various modes- make of it what you will!
I hope you can forgive my use of the non-canonical Titan's color scheme, but I think this is much more dramatic than the all-white-everything of the original. ^^
Nikon N80, Nikkor 28-80mm lens, Ilford Delta 3200 film.
Thank you for all your kind comments, awards, and invites, much appreciated!
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some background:
The Rolls-Royce Griffon engine was designed in answer to Royal Navy specifications for an engine capable of generating good power at low altitudes. Concepts for adapting the Spitfire to take the new engine had begun as far back as October 1939; Joseph Smith felt that "The good big 'un will eventually beat the good little 'un." and Ernest Hives of Rolls-Royce thought that the Griffon would be "a second power string for the Spitfire". The first of the Griffon-engined Spitfires flew on 27 November 1941. Although the Griffon-powered Spitfires were never produced in the large numbers of the Merlin-engined variants they were an important part of the Spitfire family, and in their later versions kept the Spitfire at the forefront of piston-engined fighter development. The first Griffon-powered Spitfires suffered from poor high- altitude performance due to having only a single stage supercharged engine. By 1943, Rolls-Royce engineers had developed a new Griffon engine, the 61 series, with a two-stage supercharger. In the end it was a slightly modified engine, the 65 series, which was used in the Mk. XIV, the first Spitfire mark with a Griffon engine to enter service. The resulting aircraft provided a substantial performance increase over the Mk IX. Although initially based on the Mk VIII airframe, common improvements made in aircraft produced later included the cut-back fuselage and tear-drop canopies, and the E-Type wing with improved armament.
The Mk. XIV differed from its direct predecessor, the Mk XII, in that the longer, two-stage supercharged Griffon 65, producing 2,050 hp (1,528 kW), was mounted 10 inches (25.4 cm) further forward. The top section of the engine bulkhead was angled forward, creating a distinctive change of angle to the upper cowling's rear edge. A new five-bladed Rotol propeller of 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) in diameter was used. The "fishtail" design of ejector exhaust stub gave way to ones of circular section. The increased cooling requirements of the Griffon engine meant that all radiators were much bigger, and the underwing housings were deeper than previous versions. The cowling fasteners were new, flush fitting "Amal" type and there were more of them. The oil tank (which had been moved from the lower cowling location of the Merlin engine variants to forward of the fuselage fuel tanks) was increased in capacity from 6 to 10 gal.
To help balance the new engine, the radio equipment was moved further back in the rear fuselage and the access hatch was moved from the left fuselage side to the right. Better VHF radio equipment allowed for the aerial mast to be removed and replaced by a "whip" aerial further aft on the fuselage spine. Because the longer nose and the increased slipstream of the big five-bladed propeller a new tail unit with a taller, broader fin and a rudder of increased area was adopted.
When the new fighter entered service with 610 Squadron in December 1943 it was a leap forward in the evolution of the Spitfire. The Mk. XIV could climb to 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in just over five minutes and its top speed, which was achieved at 25,400 ft (7,700 m), was 446 mph (718 km/h). In operational service many pilots initially found that the new fighter could be difficult to handle, particularly if they were used to earlier Spitfire marks. But in spite of the difficulties, pilots appreciated the performance increases.
F Mk. XIVs had a total of 109.5 gal of fuel consisting of 84 gal in two main tanks and a 12.5 imp gal fuel tank in each leading-edge wing tank; other 30, 45, 50 or 90 gal drop tanks could be carried. The fighter's maximum range was just a little over 460 miles (740 km) on internal fuel, since the new Griffon engine consumed much more fuel per hour than the original Merlin engine of earlier variants. By late 1944, Spitfire XIVs were fitted with an extra 33 gal in a rear fuselage fuel tank, extending the fighter's range to about 850 miles (1,370 km) on internal fuel and a 90 gal drop tank. Mk. XIVs with "tear-drop" canopies had 64 gal. As a result, F and FR Mk. XIVs had a range that was increased to over 610 miles (980 km), or 960 miles (1,540 km) with a 90 gal drop tank. The armament initially consisted of two 20 mm Hispano cannon and four light 0.303” machine guns (in a standard “C” wing configuration), but later builds had the latter replaced with a pair of heavier 0.5” machine guns that had better range and weight of fire (“E” wing configuration).
The first test of the aircraft was in intercepting V1 flying bombs and the Mk. XIV was the most successful of all Spitfire marks in this role. When 150 octane fuel was introduced in mid-1944 the "boost" of the Griffon engine was able to be increased to +25 lbs (80.7"), allowing the top speed to be increased by about 30 mph (26 kn; 48 km/h) to 400 mph (350 kn; 640 km/h) at 2,000 ft (610 m).
The Mk. XIV was used by the 2nd Tactical Air Force as their main high-altitude air superiority fighter in northern Europe with six squadrons operational by December 1944.
One problem which did arise in service was localized skin wrinkling on the wings and fuselage at load attachment points; although Supermarine advised that the Mk. XIVs had not been seriously weakened, nor were they on the point of failure, the RAF issued instructions in early 1945 that all F and FR Mk. XIVs were to be refitted with clipped wings. Spitfire XIVs began to arrive in the South-East Asian Theatre in June 1945, too late to operate against the Japanese. In total, 957 Mk. XIVs were built, over 430 of which were FR Mk. XIVs.
After the war, secondhand Mk. XIVs still in good shape were exported to a number of foreign air forces; 132 went to the Royal Belgian Air Force, 70 went to the Royal Indian Air Force and 30 of the reconnaissance version went to the Royal Thai Air Force. The Royal Iraqi Air Force (RIrAF) was another operator, even though only a small one.
In late 1946, five years after the Anglo-Iraqi War had left the RIrAF shattered, the Iraqis reached an agreement with the British under which they would return their surviving Avro Ansons in exchange for the authorization to order more modern and potent fighter aircraft from the UK, namely Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Furies. The next year, three de Havilland Doves and three Bristol Freighters were ordered, too, and they arrived in early 1947 with a batch of ten refurbished ex-RAF Spitfire F Mk. XIVcs, some of them WWII survivors. All these machines received the original wing tips to better cope with the expected higher ambient temperatures in the Middle Eastern theatre of operations, reinforced aluminum skinning along the wing roots, and they were retrofitted with hardpoints under the wings and the fuselage to carry unguided missiles, bombs and drop tanks, what gave them an additional ground attack capability. The radio equipment was modernized, too, including a DF loop antenna as navigational aid. Despite these standardizations, though, the Spitfires were delivered with a mix of the different canopies.
The RIrAF was still recovering and re-structuring its assets when it joined in the war against the newly created state of Israel in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The RIrAF only played a small role in the first war against Israel, though. A few Spitfire F Mk. XIVs as well as Avro Anson training bombers operated from Transjordan airfields from where they flew several attacks against the Israelis. After a series of indiscriminate attacks on Arab capitals, flown by three Boeing B-17s that had been pressed into service by the Israeli Air Force, the governments of Transjordan and Syria demanded that the Iraqis take more offensive action and replace their Ansons with Hawker Furies. However, only six Furies were sent to Damascus to join the Spitfires in the region, and they never encountered any Israeli aircraft during their deployment.
Despite some effective attacks on ground targets by the Spitfires, limited amount of cannon ammunition, RPGs and suitable bombs heavily limited the Iraqi operations. The fighters were mostly used for armed reconnaissance, and three Spitfires were upgraded to FR Mk. XIV standard for this purpose. In 1949 a second batch of eight more Spitfire F Mk. XIVs was delivered from Britain, and in 1951 the RIrAF purchased 20 more Fury F.Mk.1s, for a total of 50 F.Mk.1s single-seaters and 2 two-seaters. They soon replaced the Spitfires in frontline units, even though the machines were still kept in service.
In the early Fifties, thanks to increased income from oil and agricultural exports, the RIrAF was thoroughly re-equipped. In 1951, 15 each of de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks, Percival Provosts and North American T-6s were bought to replace obsolete de Havilland Tiger Moth trainers. With these new aircraft the RIrAF Flying School was expanded into the Air Force College. The training curriculum was improved, and the number of students graduating each year was increased. This allowed to form a solid basis for the RIrAF's long-term growth. Also in 1951, the RIrAF bought its first helicopters: three Westland Dragonflies. The RIrAF's first jet fighter was the de Havilland Vampire: 12 FB.Mk.52 fighters and 10 T.Mk.55 trainers were delivered from 1953 to 1955, and they fully replaced the Spitfires. The Vampires were quickly supplemented by 20 de Havilland Venoms, delivered between 1954 and 1956.
Following the formation of the Baghdad Pact, the United States donated at least six Stinson L-5 Sentinels and seven Cessna O-1 Bird Dogs to the RIrAF. The RAF also vacated Shaibah Air Base, and the RIrAF took over it as Wahda Air Base. In 1957, six Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6s were delivered. The next year, the United States agreed to provide 36 F-86F Sabres free of charge.
However, following the 14 July Revolution of 1958, which resulted in the end of monarchy in Iraq, the influence of the Iraqi Communist Party grew significantly. The first commander of the Iraqi Air Force (the "Royal" prefix was dropped after the revolution), Jalal Jaffar al-Awqati, was an outspoken communist, and encouraged prime minister Abd al-Karim Qasim to improve relations between Iraq and the USSR. The Soviets reacted quickly, and in the autumn of 1958 a series of arms contracts was passed between Iraq and the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. These stipulated the delivery of MiG-15UTI trainers, MiG-17F fighters, Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, and Antonov An-2 and An-12 transports. The first aircraft arrived in Iraq in January 1959; during the late Sixties and the early Seventies additional MiG-17s may have been purchased and then forwarded to either Syria or Egypt.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m) with full span elliptical tips
Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
Wing area: 242.1 sq ft (22.49 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 2213 (root), NACA 2209.4 (tip)
Empty weight: 6,578 lb (2,984 kg)
Gross weight: 7,923 lb (3,594 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 8,400[53] lb (3,810 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Griffon 65 supercharged V12, 2,050 hp (1,530 kW) at 8,000 ft (2,438 m),
driving a 5-bladed Jablo-Rotol propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 441 mph (710 km/h, 383 kn) in FS supercharger gear at 29,500 ft.
391 mph in MS supercharger gear at 5,500 ft.
Combat range: 460 mi (740 km, 400 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,090 mi (1,760 km, 950 nmi)
Service ceiling: 43,500 ft (13,300 m)
Rate of climb: 5,040 ft/min (25.6 m/s) in MS supercharger gear at 2,100 ft.
3,550 ft/min in FS supercharger gear at 22,100 ft.
Time to altitude: 7 mins to 22,000 ft (at max weight)
Wing loading: 32.72 lb/sq ft (159.8 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.24
Armament:
2× 20 mm (0.787-in) Hispano Mk II cannon, 120 rpg
4× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns, 350 rpg,
Underwing hard points for 8× 60 lb (27 kg) rockets, 2 x 250 lb (113 kg) bombs or slipper tanks,
1× ventral hardpoint for a 500 lb (227 kg) bomb or a drop tank
The kit and its assembly:
This was a rather spontaneous interim build. The Academy Spitfire was left over from a D-Day combo that contained a Hawker Typhoon, too, and I lacked an idea for the Spitfire for a long time) since I am not a big fan of the aircraft, at least what-if-inspiration-wise). However, when pondering about a potential operator from the very early pos-war period I remembered the Royal Iraqi Air Force and its later Hawker Hunters which retained their NATO-style camouflage (RAF green/grey) despite being primarily operated in a desert environment. This, on a Spitfire…?
From this idea the Academy Spitfire was built almost OOB. Because the kit offers them as an option and for the cool look, I gave the Spitfire four RPGs under each outer wing. The ventral drop tank was taken from a Special Hobby late Spitfire kit. The only other additions are the antenna mast and the non-standard DF loop antenna behind the cockpit, created from thin wire and mounted on a small, streamlined socket.
Painting and markings:
The upper surfaces were painted in standard RAF WWII colors, Dark Green and Ocean Grey, using a mix of Humbrol 163 and 30 for a slightly more bluish WWII-style green and a mix of 106 and 145 for a lightened grey tone, respectively. As an individual contrast and paint scheme variation the undersides and the spinner were painted in RAF Azure Blue (Humbrol 157, lightened up with 47), more appropriate than the standard WWII Medium Sea Grey from the European theatre of operations. The cockpit interior became RAF cockpit green (Humbro,78) while the inside surfaces of the landing gear were painted in Medium Sea Grey (Humbrol 165), reflecting the original undersides’ tone in former RAF service.
Other markings were minimal. The Iraqi triangles were taken from a Balkan Models Su-25 sheet, because their green was rather pale, for more contrast to the surrounding camouflage. RIrAF fin flash was taken from a PM Model Hawker Fury two-seater (a.k.a. “Bagdad Fury”). The tactical code came from an Airfix Hawker Hunter (from an optional Kuwaiti machine). This looked O.K. but somewhat bleak, so I added more markings. I could not find any evidence for special ID markings on Iraqi aircraft during the Arab-Israel war, but to add an eye-catcher I gave the aircraft white ID bands on the wings and on the fuselage – inspired by markings carried by Egyptian aircraft (e. g. Spitfires) during the conflict, but somewhat simplified, without black trim. They were created from generic white decal sheet material.
After some soot stains around the gun ports and the exhausts, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A relatively simple project and just a fictional livery - but the Iraqi Spitfire looks pretty cool, especially the ID stripes add a special touch. The European RAF scheme looks a bit off on an aircraft that would be delivered to the Middel East, but the Iraqi Air Force operated British types like the Hunter in this guise, and later Su-22 fighter bombers carried a similarly murky camouflage in very dark green and earth brown.
Am very much impressed that some of you managed to guessed who she is correctly!
:)
Few facts I learn on that evening.
She's from Osaka.
She debuted just a few days before Yaemi.
She's (16 < x < 19) years old this year.
Today's airbrushed style pinup photo features Melissa in this salute to the WW2 Jeep! Answering a call from the US Army for automobile makers to replace the ageing WW1 vehicles in the face of the upcoming WW2 conflict, two different companies jumped into process. Only 11 days later, bids were received by Willys-Overland Motors, American Bantam, and eventually the Ford Motor Company. Bantam won the contract, but couldn't sustain production need for war and as such Willys and Ford were given the blueprints to develop and improve upon Bantam's design. Each company made their own version of the Bantam design in 1941 and began to produce their own models (Willys making the 'MA': 'M'ilitary model 'A' and Ford making the 'GP': 'G'eneral 'P'urpose). In mid-1941 the government decided to select one of the companies to produce their vehicle in order to standardize production. Willys won the contract after improving upon the earlier model and incorporating the best parts of the Bantam and Ford designs. The resulting vehicle was called the 'MB' (Military model B). When Willys couldn't keep up with the demand, Ford was asked to help produce the MBs which were then called GPW (General Purpose Willys). Willys produced over 360,000 MBs and ford produced over 280,000 GPWs. The Jeep would go on to be one of the most iconic vehicles of all time with post-war versions of the military Jeep being produced into the 1960s. You can still see some designs of the original Jeep in many of the current Jeep company models.
Did you know you can order many of the pinups you see posted on here? Check out the Dietz Dolls online store where you can find military pinups, classic pinups, the propaganda pinup poster series, and lots more in sizes ranging from 8x10 prints to 24x36 posters! www.dietzdolls.com/catalog
Model: Melissa
Photographer: Britt Dietz
Online Pinup Print and Poster Store: www.dietzdolls.com/catalog
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The easy answer? I didn't listen. This is from '09, my first month in photography. Rob had been at great pains to get us to reverse our consciousness and think backgrounds first, subject as a placement within that background, therefore second. I, at the time, was subject dominant, relegating the background to little or no importance. I show this pic to our students every Saturday as an example of what NOT to do. That horizon, or rather where I placed it, is way too high, through her ears! All I had to do was get lower (prone in this case) and the horizon would have been in the lower third of the frame, thus leaving her head and torso in clear air with no distractions. Even with the loveliest of subjects you can still get it wrong (as I did). Her beauty won't carry everything. This was the last time I did this. I have it in my camera bag to serve as a reminder (admonishment, warning etc). Whenever I post my pics to the various groups I belong to I see the same mistakes being made again and again by people who just don't consider backgrounds at all. OR shoot the subject from the standing position i.e. too high, making the poor girl look like she has dwarven legs. So if she's not a hobbit or whatever...it's not very flattering. The rest of the pic is fine, good colour, sharp enough, nice pose, eye connection. But that horizon blows it. I've even seen pros stuff it up in situations where all they had to do was get lower. I know rules are made to be broken, I do it too. But first the rules have to be learned, then broken for a reason, not by accident or out of ignorance. Sadly many will just see Gorgeous M in a red bikini and that's plenty for them. It's NOT enough. This was one of the most painful lessons I've learned ;-) but we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again. Hey I've got a great idea for a song....
EDITED PHOTO IN COMMENTS !
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From ocean to sky
Summer and fall
I have been there though it all
From laughing and crying
To pain that comes easy
From shades of gray meaning
That turn out so sweetly
I wonder when
I wonder what I'll find...
I look up to the sun
It only hurts my eyes
Maybe it's the answer
I've been wanting in disguise
The more you are with me
The more that I'm alone
I don't need the answer I already know
Subtle and grace
Desperate for change
My hand moves away
Melt dry eyes for days
Something's not right
Smiles and tantrums
Hit the ground running
It's all over and been done
I wonder when
I wonder I'll find...
I look up to the sun
It only hurts my eyes
Maybe it's the answer
I've been wanting in disguise
The more you are with me
The more that I'm alone
I don't need the answer I already know
What happens next?
We'll stop and go
The promises has already run cold
So now you know
So now you know
I look up to the sun
It only hurts my eyes
Maybe it's the answer
I've been wanting in disguise
The more you are with me
The more that I'm alone
I don't need the answer
The answer
I look up to the sun
It only hurts my eyes
Maybe it's the answer
I've been wanting in disguise
The more you are with me
The more that I'm alone
I don't need the answer I already know
The question:
New Zealand is in the unenviable position of having one of the highest drowning rates per capita in the OECD, approximately twice that of Australia. Why are there far fewer drownings (per capita) in Australia than in New Zealand?
Statue of a Victorious Youth, 300-100 B.C.E, Getty Villa. This statue made of bronze inlaid with copper, depicting an Olympic winner wearing an Olive wreath was found submerged in international waters off the Adriatic coast.
Zulu's been missing for nearly two weeks now. No sightings. No victims. More gutsy criminals with the thought of pulling off more serious crimes. I have a lead on a guy who may know where she's gone... according to some low-level street thugs. The man himself is said to not be much of a crook himself, but he claims to have seen her a few weeks back. His name is Graham Greene, and he supposedly works for Roman Sionis. I'll likely be able to track Greene down in the Industrial District.
Sionis owns a good chunk of the Industrial District of Gotham, most of it is warehouses, however, and not especially valuable real estate. Kind of funny when you think about it.
I perch on top of a building and peer down into several warehouses using the cowl's zoom function. No action in most of them until something catches my eye through the window of one. A thug carrying a rifle that looks a tad big for his skinny frame is wandering around in front of the window. I leap off the building and make a bee line for the warehouse.
I crash through the window, catching the skinny man in a tackle. He wears a nasty-smelling flannel that probably hasn't been washed in ages. He tries to bring his rifle up, but its too heavy. I wrench it out of his hands chuck it across the room. He charges at me while screaming. I catch him in a headlock and bellow in his ear.
"Are you Graham Greene?"
"N-no... I--"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Y-yes... I-I-I swear, man, I ain't Graham... look..." He fumbles in his pocket and whips out his drivers license. Not him. I swiftly knock him out. I'm about to exit through the window once more when I feel a bullet ricochet off my shoulder. I look to see a man in a leather jacket and baseball cap holding the other man's rifle.
"Lookin' for Graham Greene, Batsy? That's me... now... whaddya want wit' me?"
"Word on the street is you can help me find one of my friends, Mr. Greene. Care to--"
"Maaan, Batsy! I ain't seen none a' ya friends nowhere! I ain't into that whips n' chains shit no more, I went to rehab, man!" He bursts out laughing, clearly amused by his own joke. Before he can react I grab him by the throat and lift him up.
"Mr. Greene, my friend's name is Zulu, and she's been missing for nearly two weeks. I'm told you were the last one who saw her. Is this correct?"
His face drops for a second; I've caught him off guard. He masks it by smirking again, except it looks fake.
I've just about had it with this man and we've only been talking for under five minutes. I drop him and grip him by the shoulders.
"Hey... HEY! The fuck is you doin'?"
I pick him up and hurl him as hard as I can into the wall. My anger and frustration have now left me for the most part. He lies on the ground moaning, rubbing his back.
"Mr. Greene, my friend could be hurt, lost, or even worse... dead. You're going to help me, or else..."
"Or else what? You won't kill me, bud... you don't have the bat-balls to do that...!"
"...Or else I'll turn you in. If you help me... I'll leave you free."
"You serious?"
"Yes."
"Right... well, I saw this hooded lady and two other dudes, bulky motherfuckers, entering Patton Arms a few weeks back. Saw a bigass cargo jet leaving a few hours later, maybe they was goin' somewhere? I dunno, man, I'd go talk to whoever the fuck owns Patton Arms---"
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"Hey, man no--"
I knock him out and leave him with his buddy. I disassemble the rifle and hop out the window again. The night is still young.
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Mattel’s answer to Kenner’s mega hit Six Million Dollar Man series, the Ultimate Man of Adventure, Pulsar! He has fantastic working lungs and heart with blood circulation plus opening face to reveal a holographic mission disc. To maintain Pulsar, Mattel came up with this Life Systems Centre, the counterpart to Kenner's SMDM Bionic Transport and Repair Station, which was also released in 1977 and it is packed with gimmicks and play-ability. Sadly though the entire Pulsar series is Pulsar himself, his nemesis, the Ultimate Enemy, Hypnos and this Life Systems Centre, just three only. Sorry it did not go well for they are really wonderful toys... When it comes to word "Pulsar" people would most likely think Nissan Pulsar!