View allAll Photos Tagged base
The Los Angeles Angels were a Minor League Baseball team based in Los Angeles that played in the "near-major league" Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957. From 1903 through 1957, the Los Angeles Angels, a PCL team, were one of the mainstays of the Pacific Coast League, winning the PCL pennant 12 times. From 1903 through 1925, the team played at 15,000-seat Washington Park (also known as Chutes Park), just south of downtown Los Angeles. Both the team and the park were founded by James Furlong "Jim" Morley (1869–1940). During this time, the Angels (or Looloos or Seraphs as they were sometimes called), won pennants in 1903, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1916, 1918, and 1921.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ivan Howard
Positions: Second Baseman, First Baseman and Third Baseman / Utility Infielder
Bats: Both • Throws: Right
5'-10", 170 lbs
Born: October 12, 1882 in Kenney, IL
Ivan Chester Howard (b. October 12, 1882 – d. March 30, 1967 at age 84) was a professional baseball infielder who played for four seasons in Major League Baseball. Howard was the younger brother of major leaguer Del Howard. He played for the St. Louis Browns during 1914 and 1915, primarily as a first baseman, after which he was replaced by George Sisler, then was purchased by the Cleveland Indians on February 20, 1916, for whom he played chiefly at second base in the 1916 campaign. His career came to an end with 27 games played in 1917.
He was later the manager of the Oakland Oaks minor league team in the Pacific Coast League from 1923 to 1929, leading the Oaks to one pennant in 1927.
MLB debut - April 25, 1914, for the St. Louis Browns
Last MLB appearance - September 29, 1917, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics:
Batting average - .233
Home runs - 2
RBI - 86
Teams
St. Louis Browns (1914–1915)
Cleveland Indians (1916–1917)
Link to his minor league stats - www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=howard...
(San Francisco Call, 1 September 1908) - Star Players Purchased for the Angels - Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast league, has purchased two more Three I league stars, giving $800 for each — Catcher Mike Simon and Second Baseman Ivan Howard, both of the Cedar Rapids team. Second Baseman Howard, is from Kenney a small town near Bloomington Ill. He is a brother of the Chicago club infielder. He first played professionally with Boone, Ia., in 1905, was given a trial by Omaha in 1906 and then went to Cedar Rapids. He is fast in fielding and a fine hitter, being regarded as the leading batsman with the Rabbits. Howard is ambitious to follow his brother into the majors and there is every reason to believe that he will do so. Both of the Rabbit stars will add great strength to the Los Angeles lineup.
(Los Angeles Herald, 16 September 1908) - W. R. Ashford, sporting editor of the Cedar Rapids, la.. Gazette, writes enthusiastically regarding Ivan Howard, the crack second baseman of that team, who will join the Angel band this week in San Francisco. Ashford says that Howard is a fast, consistent, dependable player, and is a heady baserunner. He ranked .280 in batting throughout the season of the Three-Eye league, and was a topnotcher in base running and stealing, as well as being a champion run getter.
(Los Angeles Herald, 13 October 1909) - Second baseman Ivan Howard will leave today for his home in Kenney, Ill., across lots from the home city of Elmer Thorsen, the big pitcher. Howard has a badly cut leg injured in a collision with McArdle's spikes three days ago, and will have to remain out of the game for the remainder of the season.
(Los Angeles Herald, 28 February 1910) - the Angel band will have the best first baseman and field captain in the league, none barred. Dillon ranked first among the Coast league first basemen last season, at that. Jud Smith also led the third basemen and will go back on the job this year. Ivan Howard, one of the best second basemen in the league, will hold down his old place, as will Bert Delmas at short. This makes a strong infield defense, with all of them good hitters, and as they have played together long enough to have their team work down pat, they should be even stronger this season than last.
(Los Angeles Herald, 30 October 1910) - Ivan Howard and Frank Murphy will try the climate of San Diego for the winter, and incidentally will be members of Bill Palmer's San Diego winter league club.
(Los Angeles Herald, 5 March 1911) - Metzger has arrived from his Connecticut home and will play at second base, while Ivan Howard, the peerless, will be shunted to the outfield.
(Los Angeles Herald, 28 June 1911) - Ivan Howard is a jewel of rare value. Whenever he gets on the paths the opposing team goes to pieces, because the players know that he is a daredevil and will take any sort of a chance to win, while his marvelous speed makes him a tough one to handle when he bows his neck and starts to run. When he started to steal second In that sixth round yesterday the fans gasped, but he not only got away with it, but just kept going until he got home, while the excited Seals were throwing the ball all over the lot. The fans stood up and gave Howard an ovation that no other player has received this season.
(Los Angeles Herald, 4 September 1911) - It passes all understanding how these big league scouts ever happened to let Ivan Howard slip their notice. Here Is the greatest second baseman in the minor leagues and when It comes to running the bases he has them all skinned to a frazzle. It is nothing for him to beat out a bunt and then steal his way round the circuit. When he gets on the paths the opposition goes all to pieces because It cannot hold him down.
(Los Angeles Herald, 29 March 1912) - IVAN HOWARD, WHO WILL HOLD DOWN SHORT FOR ANGELS, IS FASTEST BASE RUNNER IN THE PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
(Sporting Life - 16 November 1912) - The Howard brothers, Ivan and Del, will leave after the close of the season for Southwestern Oregon on an extended hunting trip. They expect to be absent until after the first of January. The veteran Del Howard led the Pacific Coast league in hitting for the season with .389.
(Sporting Life - 31 May 1913) - Ivan Howard will continue to hold down first base, which he has been doing in an acceptable style.
(Sporting Life - 24 January 1914) - President R. L. Hedges, of the St. Louis Browns, announced yesterday that he had signed Ivan Howard, utility man with Los Angeles last season. Howard is a brother of Del Howard, a former Cub star, and lives in Kenney, Ills. Howard started his base ball career in Kenney and then, went to Cedar Rapids, of the Central Association. He remained in that league from 1907 until 1908, when he was purchased by Los Angeles. He was drafted from the Coast league team by the Browns.
(The World of Baseball - 3 July 1915) - Ivan Howard, first baseman of the St. Louis Browns, was spiked by shortstop Weaver In the Chicago - St. Louis game of June 27, and was found to be so seriously injured that it was decided to send him back to St. Louis. It was said he probably would not play for a month.
(Sporting Life - 4 March 1916) - First baseman Ivan Howard, the Coast first baseman transferred by St. Louis to Cleveland, is a big game hunter and every Winter goes after bear, deer and mountain lion on the coast. The exercise he gets in this way is the reason why Ivan always reports in good condition in the Spring. Cleveland critics say that although Ivan Howard, the outfield / first baseman has been secured by the Indians, for the waiver price, have not given up hope of obtaining Chick Gandil of Washington, in which event Howard will get an outfield berth.
(Sporting Life - 26 August 1916) - Manager McCredie, of Portland, agreed to let Guisto come on at once if Cleveland would furnish him with a man to fill the big Italian's shoes. Ivan Howard readily assented to go to the coast, saying, "I'll play my head off out there, but my heart will be with the Cleveland players. I'd do anything in the world to help them win the pennant and if my going and Guisto's coming will turn the trick, I don't want anybody to say that I was the means of preventing it.
The Scenic Sentiment word stamps and quotes can add a dynamic touch to a scene. It can become a focal point in a scene and enhance the emotional quality of whatever statement you want to make.
Original: Dye based and pigment ink on 4.25" x 11" glossy cardstock. Gel pens.
Stamps: "Earth Laughs in Flowers" saying from Scenic Sentiments sheet #4. Snowy Brook 358I, Sedge Filler 251C, Tree Cluster 244E, Tree Duo Lg 086B, Cloud Cumulus 018E, and Spiny Branches 330F.
For more information visit:
BASE AÉREA DE MORÓN (PROVINCIA DE SEVILLA)
100th ARW's KC-135R's 23540
USAFE Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker "Holy Terror"
The Green Bay trail is built on the former right-of-way of the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee RR's "Shore Line", which was abandoned in 1955.
This pedestal was likely a signal base. It also could have been a pedestal for the overhead catenary. (The CNSM's Shore Line used mostly trolley wire, however in a 1930s modernization, a portion of the line in Winnetka received overhead catenary).
After sharing a breakfast of samagon and pickles with a rotating group of retired Soviet officers, I photographed this top-secret communist training contraption on the Jagala Soviet Army base in 1990. Until my unannounced arrival in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic as a +1 wedding guest, the officers had spent their entire careers learning to hate, preparing for war with, but never personally meeting an “enemy” American. I was nicknamed Comrade Disneyland.
Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force paratroopers move into position during training with U.S. Army Alaska’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in the Donnelly Training Area near Fort Greely as part of exercise Arctic Aurora, June 20, 2018. Arctic Aurora is a yearly bilateral training exercise involving elements of U.S. Army Alaska and the JGSDF, which focuses on strengthening ties between the two by executing combined small unit airborne proficiency operations and basic small arms marksmanship with a focus on combat readiness and interoperability between the two military forces.
Photos:
U.S. Air Force photo: Senior Airman Curt Beach
25/05/2025, Fodico Marine base, Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.
Left to right:
1) Shackleton - Built in 2012, Multicat.
2) Pacific Tiger - Built in 1990, tug/utility vessel.
3) Cape Gloucester - Built in 2022, landing craft.
Data:
Shackelton:
A twin-screw multicat designed for anchor handling, pusher tug, and marine construction duties.
LOA: 15m, Beam: 6m, Operating Draft: 1.5m, Clear Working Deck: 50 sqm.
Main Engines: 2x 405hp Yanmar.
Aux Engines: 1x 40kva Yanmar.
Deck Equipment: 15ton winch 2x3to coupling winch, 8mt HS marine crane.
Pacific Tiger, IMO 9040209:
Built by Southern Ocean Shipyard, Singapore (180).
158 g.t. & 119 dwt.
LOA: 23.5m, Beam: 7.8m, Operating Draft: 2.4m, Clear Working Deck: 48sqm.
Main Engines: 2x 600hp Yanmar.
Aux Engines: 2x 50kva Cummins.
Bow Thruster: nil.
Deck Equipment: 2x 8ton, 1x 5ton deck winches, 1x PK 14000 crane. 1x 28ton fixed davit.
Cape Gloucester - IMO 9816385:
See: flic.kr/p/2r6hdUm
well, some new tessellations. they share the same basic pattern, which isn't exactly the usual square grid...
the first one designed is the blue one (it's even the last folded). it didn't work how i wanted, but it's nice. btw i should fold it again avoiding some unnecessary creases.
the 2nd one (the light green one) tends to curve, but has a nice back side.
the 3rd (the dark green one) is the one closest to my initial idea.
Alessandro Beber, January 2001
+++ 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:
Following Hungary's membership of NATO in 1999, there were several proposals to achieve a NATO-compatible fighter force. Considerable attention went into studying second-hand aircraft options as well as modifying the nation's existing MiG-29 fleet. In 2001, Hungary received several offers of new and used aircraft from various nations, including Sweden, Belgium, Israel, Turkey, and the US. Although the Hungarian government initially intended to procure the F-16, in November 2001 it was in the process of negotiating a 10-year lease contract for 12 Gripen aircraft from Sweden, with an option to purchase the aircraft at the end of the lease period.
As part of the procurement arrangements, Saab had offered an offset deal valued at 110 per cent of the cost of the 14 fighters. Initially, Hungary had planned to lease several Batch II Saab 39s; however, the inability to conduct aerial refueling and weapons compatibility limitations had generated Hungarian misgivings. The contract was then renegotiated and eventually signed on 2 February 2003 for a total of 14 Gripens, which had originally been A/B standard and had undergone an extensive upgrade process to the NATO-compatible C/D 'Export Gripen' standard. At the same time, the need for an advanced jet trainer as a replacement for the Hungarian Air Force’s last eight MiG-21UM aircraft became more and more imminent. The Gripen two-seaters alone could not cope with this task and were operationally too expensive to be used as trainers, so that Hungary requested an additional offer for a small number of Sk 90 trainers from Swedish surplus stock.
Developed under the designation FSK900, the Saab Sk 90 was a replacement for the Saab 105 (also known as Saab Sk 60) transitional trainer, light attack and reconnaissance aircraft. The FSK900 was a conservative design, with a configurational resemblance to the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet, even though the FSK900 was overall bigger and heavier, and the two machines could be easily told apart at a glance.
The Swedish Air Force accepted Saab’s design, leading to a contract for two nonflying static-test airframes and four flying prototypes. Detail design was complete by the end of 1993 and prototype construction began in the spring of 1994, leading to the initial prototype’s first flight on 29 July 1994. The first production Sk 90 A, how the basic trainer type was officially dubbed, was delivered to the Swedish Air Force in 1996.
A total of 108 production Sk 90s were built until 1999 for Sweden in several versions. The initial Sk 90 A trainer was the most common variant and the basis for the Sk 90 B version, which carried a weather radar as well as more sophisticated avionics that enabled the deployment of a wider range of weapons and other ordnance. However, this version was not adopted by the Swedish air force but exported to Austria as the Sk 90 Ö. Another variant was the S 90 C (for “Spaning” = reconnaissance); a small number was produced with a set of cameras in the nose for the Swedish Air Force, where it replaced the ground attack/reconnaissance Sk 60 Cs.
In service, the Sk 90 was regarded as strong, agile, and pleasant to fly, while being cheap to operate. But despite its qualities and potential, the Sk 90 did not attain much foreign interest, primarily suffering from bad timing and from the focus on domestic demands. The aircraft came effectively 10 years too late to become a serious export success, and in the end the Sk 90 was very similar to the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (even though it was cheaper to operate), at a time when the German Luftwaffe started to prematurely phase out its attack-capable variant and flooded the global market with cheap secondhand aircraft in excellent condition. Furthermore, the Saab Sk 90 had on the global market with the BAe Hawk another proven competitor with a long and positive operational track record all over the world.
Beyond Hungary, potential Sk 90 buyers were Malaysia as well as Singapore, Myanmar, Finland, and Poland. Austria eventually procured 36 Sk 90 Ö in 2002, replacing its Saab 105 fleet and keeping up its close connection with Saab since the Seventies. A late operator became the independent Republic of Scotland in 2017, with a dozen leased secondhand Saab Sk 90 A trainers which were later purchased.
The Swedish Sk 90 offer for Hungary was a 10-year lease contract similar to the Gripen package, and comprised five refurbished Sk 90 A trainers from the first production batch, which had been stored in Sweden for spares. The Hungarian Sk 90 deal also included an option to purchase the aircraft at the end of their lease period. In parallel, to save maintenance costs for the relatively small fleet of a completely new/different aircraft type, an agreement with neighboring neutral Austria could be arranged to outsource major overhauls to the Austrian Air Force and its newly established Sk 90 Ö service base at Linz – a deal from which both sides benefited. However, to improve flight safety over Austria’s mountainous terrain during these transfer flights, the Hungarian Sk 90 As had a simple navigational radar retrofitted with a small radome in their noses. Otherwise, the machines were basically identical with the original Swedish aircraft.
The aircraft were flown under civil registration from Sweden to Hungary between April and September 2005. To keep the distance to their Austrian service station short, the machines were not allocated to the 59th Air Regiment at Kecskemét Air Base, where the Hungarian Gripen fleet was based, but rather to the 47th Air Regiment at Pápa Air Base in Northwestern Hungary, where the last Hungarian MiG-21UM trainers had been operated. These were fully retired in 2008.
Beyond their primary role as advanced/jet conversion trainers, the Hungarian Sk 90 As were also intended to be used for tactical reconnaissance duties with Orpheus pods with daylight cameras and an infrared line scanner, inherited from the Italian Air Force, as light attack aircraft and ─ armed with gun pods and air-to-air missiles ─ as (anti-tank) helicopter hunters. Reflecting these low-level tasks, the machines received a tactical camouflage in green and tan, similar to the former MiG-21s, instead of the Gripens’ all-grey air superiority scheme.
While the Hungarian Air Force operated its total of 14 Gripen and 5 Sk 90 aircraft under lease, in 2011, the country reportedly intended to purchase these aircraft outright. However, in January 2012, the Hungarian and Swedish governments agreed to extend the lease period for a further ten years. According to Hungarian Defence Minister Csaba Hende, this agreement represented considerable cost savings, so that the running business model was retained. The service agreement with Austria could be extended, too.
One Sk 90 A was lost in a landing accident in May 2016, and two Gripens had to be written off through accidents in the meantime, too. To fill these gaps, Hungary signed a replacement contract in 2018 to come back to its full fleet of 14 Gripen, and the Sk 90 A fleet was expanded to seven aircraft. These new machines were delivered in 2019.
General characteristics:
Crew: two pilots in tandem
Length incl. pitot: 13.0 m (42 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 9.94 m (32 ft 7 in)
Height: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Empty weight: 3,790 kg (8,360 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,500 kg (16,530 lb)
Powerplant:
2× Williams International FJ44-4M turbofans without reheat, rated at 16.89 kN (3,790 lbst) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,038 km/h (645 mph)
Stall speed: 167 km/h (104 mph, 90 kn)
Range: 1,670 km (900 nm; 1,036 m) with two 450 L (99 imp gal; 120 US gal) drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 51 m/s (10,000 ft/min)
Armament:
No internal gun; five hardpoints for 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of payload and a variety of ordnance,
including AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and a conformal, ventral gun pod (not used by the Hungarian
Air Force, instead, UPK-23-250 pods with a fixed twin-barrel GSh-23L cannon and 200-250 rounds
were carried under the fuselage and/or the inner wing hardpoints)
The kit and its assembly:
This additional member of my fictional Sk 90 family came spontaneously when I studied information concerning the MiG-21. I came across the Hungarian trainers and wondered with what they could have been replaced after 2000 – and “my” fictional Sk 90 came to my mind. I also had a suitable decal set in store, so I dug out a(nother) Hasegawa T-4 and created this whiffy Hungarian variant.
The kit is the old/first T-4 mold; Hasegawa did the T-4 twice, and both kits differ considerably from each other in their construction. The first one has a fuselage consisting of two simple halves with separate wings attached to it; the later mold features a separate cockpit section and a single dorsal wing section, so that the wings’ anhedral is ensured upon assembly.
The air intakes are also different: the old mold features ducts which are open at their ends, while the new mold comes with additional inserts for the intakes which end in a concave wall, making them hard to paint. The fin of the old kit consists of two full halves, while the new one has the rudder molded into just one half of the fin for a thinner trailing edge. The same goes for the wings’ upper halves: on the new mold, they comprise the full flaps and ailerons, while the old kit has them split up, resulting in a marginally thicker training edge. However, you can hardly recognize this and it’s IMHO not a flaw.
Personally, I prefer the old kit, because it is much more straightforward and pleasant to build – even though some details like the main landing gear struts are better on the new mold.
The (old) kit itself is relatively simple and fit is quite good, even though some PSR was necessary on almost every seam. The only mods I made are additional emergency handles on the seats (made from thin wire), and I added an Orpheus recce pod under the fuselage with an integral pylon, left over from an Italeri F-104G kit. The OOB underwing pylons were used, together with the original drop tanks.
Painting and markings:
The prime reason for a Hungarian Sk 90 was the paint scheme, and the fact that I have a sweet spot for Hungary in genarl. The livery was adapted from the late Hungarian MiG-21bis, a more or less symmetrical pattern consisting of a yellowish light tan and a bluish dark green, with light blue undersides. It’s actually a very simple paint scheme, and my adaptation is a free interpretation, since the T-4’s layout with shoulder-mounted wings is quite different from the sleek Fishbed with mid-mounted delta wings.
Finding good color matches was not easy, because pictures of reference Hungarian MiG-21s show a wide variety of green and brown shades, even though I assume that this is just weathering. I found some good pictures of a late MiG-21UM trainer with an apparently fresh paint job, and these suggested a hard contrast between the upper tones. With this benchmark I settled for Humbrol 63 (Sand), and Modelmaster 2091 (RLM 82, Dunkelgrün). The undersides were painted with Humbrol 47 (Sea Blue Gloss), since they appeared rather bright and pale in reference pictures.
The cockpit interior was painted in medium grey (Revell 47), the landing gear and the air intakes in white (Revell 301), very conservative. The Orpheus pod was painted in light grey (FS 36375, Humbrol 127) to set it apart from the light blue undersurfaces. The drop tanks were painted in green and blue.
National markings, the large orange “47” decoration and the small emblems on nose and fin came from a Mistercraft MiG-21UM decal sheet. The tactical code in red, etched with white, was created with single digits from a Hungarian Aero Decals (HAD) sheet for Mi-24s, reflecting the aircraft’s (fictional) serial numbers’ final three digits.
Finally, after some light weathering and post-shading (for a slightly sun-bleached look, esp. on the upper surfaces), the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
Number four in my growing Sk 90 family, and certainly not the last one. A quick and simple project since the model itself was built almost OOB, and the “old” Hasegawa T-4 is really a simple build. However, I am amazed (once more) how much potential a T-4 travesty bears: even in Hungarian colors and markings this whif looks disturbingly convincing. The green/brown/blue paint scheme suits the aircraft well, too, even though it looks a lot like an Alpha Jet now, and there’s even a Su-25ish look to it?!
base truck model T1825 - KAMAZ-5325-1001-69 (G5)
engine Cummins-ISB 6.7E5250 turbocharged 6 cylinder Euro-5 diesel engine 6.67 liters with rated capacity of 242 hp
The colonization of the Moon is the proposed establishment of permanent human communities on the Moon. Advocates of space exploration have seen settlement of the Moon as a logical step in the expansion of humanity beyond the Earth. Recent indication that water might be present in noteworthy quantities at the Lunar poles has increased interest in the Moon. Polar colonies could also avoid the problem of long Lunar nights (about 354 hours, a little more than two weeks) and take advantage of the sun continuously.
Permanent human habitation on a planetary body other than the Earth is one of science fiction's most prevalent themes. As technology has advanced, and concerns about the future of humanity on Earth have increased, the argument that space colonization is an achievable and worthwhile goal has gained momentum. Because of its proximity to Earth, the Moon has been seen as a prime candidate for the location of humanity's first permanently occupied extraterrestrial base.
Base is 5"x2". Alltogether the mushroom and base is 6.5" tall.
Mushrooms love mossy logs.
Felted wool, oak
Available
Black base colour on wings, white markings near wing edges and small white dots near the bottom of the wings. Orange areas near body all seperated by black veining. Head and thorax black with white spots on the back of the head, abdomen orange. Pouch on the hindwings. Underside is paler version of the topside
Male - similar in appearance but lacks pouch and has a black and white spot on the underside of the hindwings
Caterpillar - black body with broken yellow longitudinal lines along it's sides, and yellow and white speckling along it's back. Two red and black spikes project from the shoulder area, two more from the rear end and two longer ones from just behind the head. Black head with white striping
Pupa - large green pods, bulbous near the top and tapers slightly downwards
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (Aug. 15, 2018) - U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirits, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, land at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. B-2s regularly rotate through the Indo-Pacific to conduct routine air operations, which integrate capabilities with key regional partners and demonstrate U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the region. These operations are in support of the U.S. Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Danielle Quilla) 180815-F-OL040-1004
** Interested in following U.S. Indo-Pacific Command? Engage and connect with us at www.facebook.com/indopacom | twitter.com/PacificCommand |
www.instagram.com/indopacom | www.flickr.com/photos/us-pacific-command; | www.youtube.com/user/USPacificCommand | www.pacom.mil/ **
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during and after the Second World War. The Spitfire was built in many variants, using several wing configurations, and was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft.
The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works (which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong from 1928). In accordance with its role as an interceptor, Mitchell designed the Spitfire's distinctive elliptical wing to have the thinnest possible cross-section; this thin wing enabled the Spitfire to have a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters, including the Hawker Hurricane.
It was the only British fighter to be in continuous production throughout World War II, and remained in service with several air forces around the world for several years. One of its post-war operators was the Lebanese Air Force, or Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Lubnaniyya (لقوات الجوية اللبنانية).
The Lebanese Air Force was established in 1949 under the command of then-Lieutenant Colonel Emile Boustany who later became commander of the army. Soon after its establishment, a number of planes were donated by the British, French, and Italian governments, with additional planes donated by Britain and Italy later that same year.
Britain donated 4 Percival Prentices, 2 World War II-era Percival Proctors and seven trpocailized Supermarine Spitfires (six Mk. XVIe and one TR.8 two-seater), while Italy donated 4 Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers which were mainly used for transportation.
The Mk XVI Spitfire was a WWII design, and the last variant powered by a Merlin engine and based on the original, sleek fuselage. It was basically the same as the Mk IX, except for the engine, a Merlin 266. The Merlin 266 was the Merlin 66 and was built under licence in the USA by the Packard Motor Company. The "2" was added as a prefix in order to avoid confusion with the engines, as they required different tooling.
All Mk XVI aircraft produced (a total of 1,054 Mk XVIs left Castle Bromwich) were of the Low-Altitude Fighter (LF) variety. This was not determined by the length of the wings (clipped wings were fitted to most LF Spitfires), but by the engine, which had been optimised for low-altitude operation. All production Mk XVIs had clipped wings for low altitude work and were fitted with the rear fuselage fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 75 gal. Many XVIs featured cut-down rear fuselages with bubble canopies. On these aircraft the rear fuselage tank capacity was limited to 66 gal.
Because of a slightly taller intercooler and rearranged accessories on the Packard Merlins a new, bulged upper cowling was introduced, a detail that also appeared on late production IXs. For the service in the Middel East region the Lebanese machines received dust filters which considerably changed the aircraft's silhouette.
Armament consisted of two 20 mm Hispano II cannons - each with 120 rpg - and two 0.50 calibre Browning machine guns - each with 250 rpg. 1 × 500 lb (227 kg) bomb could be carried underneath the centre rack, and 1 × 250 lb (114 kg) bomb could be slung under each wing. As a special feature, the wing hardpoints of the Lebanese Spitfires were "wet" so that slipper tanks with 24 gal. each could be carried, compensating for the reduces rear fuselage tank due to the bubble canopy's lowered dorsal spine.
The Lebanese Spitfires only saw a short service, since in 1953, jet fighters were introduced when 16 de Havilland Vampire jets were received, and the first Hawker Hunters arrived in 1959, which replaced the obsolete Spitfires. This initial Hunter batch was followed by more Hunters through 1977.
In 1968, 12 Mirage IIIELs were delivered from France but were grounded in the late 1970s due to lack of funds. In 2000, the grounded Mirages were sold to Pakistan, and four Hunters were even revived in 2008 and served until 2014.
General characteristics:
Crew: one pilot
Length: 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Height: 11 ft 5 in (3.86 m)
Wing area: 242.1 ft2 (22.48 m2)
Airfoil: NACA 2209.4(tip)
Empty weight: 5,065 lb (2,297 kg)
Loaded weight: 6,622 lb (3,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 6,700 lb (3,039 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 supercharged V12 engine,
rated at 1.470 hp (1.096 kW) at 9.250 ft (2.820 m)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 370 mph, (322 kn, 595 km/h)
Combat radius: 410 nmi (470 mi, 760 km)
Ferry range: 991 nmi (1,135 mi, 1,827 km)
Service ceiling: 36,500 ft (11,125 m)
Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min (13.2 m/s)
Wing loading: 27.35 lb/ft2 (133.5 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.22 hp/lb (0.36 kW/kg)
Armament:
2x 20mm Hispano Mk II cannon (120 RPG)
2x .5 in Browning machine guns (250 RPG)
Three hardpoints (1 ventral, 1 under each outer wing) for up to 1.000 lb (454 kg).
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is based on a simple idea: how did Lebanon's Air Force start? Small countries make a good whif playground, and I guess that nobody has the Lebanon on his/her list...?
Another factor was that I had some Austrian roundels left in store that could, with a green dot, easily be turned into Lebanese markings. So the theme was quickly settled, but the details take some preparation time, so the idea lingered for some time.
After some legwork I deemed a simple Spitfire with a dust filter worthy as an initial aircraft, and the respective Hobby Boss kit of a Spitfire Mk. VB in the stash came handy.
But somehow this was a bit dull, and at the inception of the Lebanon Air Force there were better option available than an early Mk. V. I still wanted a sleek, Merlin-powered Spitfire variant, though, and eventually settled for the Mk. XVI - with its clipped wings and the bubble canopy it has a very distinctive look.
When a "1 Week group Build" at whatifmodelers.com in the Easter Week 2015 was announced, I took this occassion to build the Lebanese Spitfire.
By that time I already had a basis kit at hand (Heller's Spitfire XVI) as well as some donation parts and decals.
Work was strightforward, the Heller kit was built almost OOB. It's a rather old model kit, with raised panel lines, but good detail. The material is thin, so the built item lacks some structural stability! On the other side, this makes some minor mods really easy: I lowered the flaps and moved the tail rudders slightly off of neutral position. I also opened the cockpit "door" on the left side for later static display, even though the cockpit itself was left OOB. It's a bit "flat", but for the kit's age it's pretty good, and the injected canopy is crystal clear and fits perfectly.
I had some major woes concerning the fit for the forward fuselage, and even more when I tried to mate wings and fuselage: there was a 1mm gap(!) on both sides that had to be bridged with putty, and the thin and flexible material did help much...
Other mods concern the propeller (added a styrene tube and a metal axis for free spin), the radiators (these are molded into the lower wings - sounds horrible, but is made very well and thin, I just added some foamed styrene inside as protective mesh because OOB there's just a blank "box" inside) and the kit received a dust filter - a resin piece taken from a Pavla conversion set for Hawker Hurricanes.
Painting and markings:
While a donated RAF Spitfire would certainly have carried a desert paint scheme in Dark Earth/Mid Stone/Azure Blue or a late WWII Dark Green/Ocean Grey/Light Sea Grey livery I settled for something more individual and effective for the rugged Levantine terrain.
In this case I went for the rarely used RAF 'Tropical Scheme' in Mid Stone/Dark Green from above and with Mediterrenean Blue undersides.
The pattern itself is standard RAF, the upper cammo taken down onto the dust filter's flanks was taken over from RAAF Spitfires during WWII (RAF aircraft would carry a higher waterline, with the filter painted completely in the lower surface's tone). Basic paints are RAF Dark Green from Modelmaster and Humbrol 84 (RAF Mid Stone) - rather authentic. But I used Humbrol 87 (Steel Grey) for the undersides - it's rather intense and has a greenish hue, and by far not as dark as the typical RAF Azure Blue or PRU Blue.
Interior surfaces were painted in RAF Cockpit Green (Modelmaster Authentic), while the landing gear and its wells were kept in Aluminum Dope (Humbrol 56).
Decals/markings were puzzled together and improvised. The Lebanese roundels are actually Austrian national markings into which a dark green dot has ben added manually... the fin flash and the roman/arabic codes come from an Xtradecal aftermarket sheet.
Beyond these basic markings I did not add anything flashy - in 1951 things were rather simple,
The kit received a light shading and some dry painting with light grey, plus a light black ink wash. Soot/exhaust stains were created with grinded graphite and around the engine some leaked oil was added with Tamiya's "Smoke", and everything was sealed under a coat of matt acrylic varnish.
I'll admit it's not a spectacular whif, and overall rather simple concerning build and painting. But a proud addition to whatifmodelers.com's "! Week Group Build", even though this was already finished in just three days from sprues to beauty pics...
Guitarist at the bash during the 2023 National Scout Jamboree at The Summit Bechtel Reserve in Mount Hope, West Virginia. (BSA Photo by Leo He)
**********Beginning of Shooting Data Section**********
20230721-20-09-03--LH date - 7/21/23 time - 20:09:03
Formed in 1940 with the merger of the Gulf, Mobile and Northern and Mobile and Ohio Railroads (and the Chicago and Alton in 1947), the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio operated a 3,000-mile railroad between Chicago and the Gulf Coast out of its beautiful Spanish Revival building in Mobile, Alabama.
Built in 1907 for the GM&N, the building served as the railroad's corporate headquarters as well as the southern terminus of the Rebel, the South's first streamlined passenger train launched in 1935. The Rebel was rebranded as the Gulf Coast Rebel after the 1940 merger and operated between Mobile and Saint Louis with modern heavyweight equipment. Nonetheless, the GM&O could not compete with rival Illinois Central in the southern passenger market, and all GM&O passenger services south of Saint Louis ended in 1958 with the discontinuation of the Gulf Coast Rebel.
Ultimately, the GM&O merged with the IC in 1972, and the offices were vacated in 1986. Today, the remnants of the GM&O system is divided up between Illinois Central successor CN, UP, KCS, and various shortline operators, and the glamorous terminal building was restored in 2001 after years of disrepair.
A Scout relaxes in Charlie Base Camp during the 2023 National Scout Jamboree at The Summit Bechtel Reserve in Mount Hope, West Virginia. (BSA Photo by Tom Copeland)
**********Beginning of Shooting Data Section**********
20230721-18-45-23-58-TC date - 7/21/23 time - 6:45:23 PM
BASE Orlando hosted a community event in Downtown Orlando, bodypainting 49 volunteers in different shades of the rainbow to honor and remember the 49 victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
During development of the earlier Hawker Typhoon, the design team, under the leadership of Sydney Camm, had already planned out a series of design improvements; these improvements cumulated in the Hawker P. 1012, otherwise known as the Typhoon II or Thin-Wing Typhoon. Although the Typhoon was generally considered to be a good design, Camm and his design team were disappointed with the performance of its wing, which had proved to be too thick in its cross section, and thus created airflow problems which inhibited flight performance, especially at higher altitudes and speeds where it was affected by compressibility. In addition, there had been other issues experienced with the Typhoon, such as engine unreliability, insufficient structural integrity, and the inability to perform high altitude interception duties.
In March 1940, engineers were assigned to investigate the new low–drag laminar flow wing developed by NACA in the United States, which was later used in the North American P-51 Mustang.
The wing planform was changed to a near-elliptical shape to accommodate the 800 rounds of ammunition for the four 20 mm Hispano cannons, which were moved back further into the wing. The new wing had greater area than the Typhoon's, but it sacrificed the leading-edge fuel tanks of the Typhoon: to make up for this loss in capacity, Hawker engineers added a new 21 in (53 cm) fuel bay in front of the cockpit, with a 76 Igal (345 l) fuel tank. In addition, two inter-spar wing tanks, each of 28 Igal (127 l), were fitted on either side of the center section and, starting with late model Tempest Vs, a 30 Igal (136 l) tank was carried in the leading edge of the port wing root, giving the Tempest a total internal fuel capacity of 162 Igal (736 l).
The ailerons were fitted with spring-loaded tabs which lightened the aerodynamic loads, making them easier for the pilot to use and dramatically improving the roll rate above 250 mph (402 km/h). The spar structure of the Tempest V also allowed the wings to carry up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of external stores. Also developed specifically for the Tempest by Hawker was a streamlined 45 gal (205 l) "drop tank" to extend the operational radius by 500 mi (805 km) and carrier fairing; the redesigned wing incorporated the plumbing for these tanks, one to each wing.
Another important feature of the new wing was Camm's proposal that the radiators for cooling the engine be fitted into the leading edge of the wing inboard of the undercarriage. This eliminated the distinctive "chin" radiator of the Typhoon and improved aerodynamics. A further improvement of the Tempest wing over that of the Typhoon was the exceptional, flush-riveted surface finish, essential on a high-performance laminar flow airfoil. The new wing and airfoil, and the use of a four-bladed propeller, acted to eliminate the high frequency vibrations that had plagued the Typhoon. The design team also chose to adopt the new Napier Sabre IV engine for the Tempest, drawings of which had become available to Hawker in early 1941.
In February 1941, Camm commenced a series of discussions with officials within the Ministry of Aircraft Production on the topic of the P.1012. In March 1941 of that year, clearance to proceed with development of the design, referred to at this point as the Typhoon II, was granted. By October 1941, development of the proposal had advanced to the point where the new design was finalized.
The majority of production Tempests, including the initial Mk. V, were powered by variants of the high-powered Napier Sabre II 24-cylinder engine, which was capable of producing over 2,400 hp (1,789 kW) on emergency boost for short periods of time, driving either a four-bladed, 14 ft (4.267 m) diameter de Havilland Hydromatic or Rotol propeller. Alternative engines were used on some production variants, such as the Tempest II, for which a Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder two-row radial engine was adopted, or the final Tempest VI, upon which a Napier Sabre V was used. Most Tempests, esp. the later Mk. II and VI variants, were tropicalized with air filters and other special equipment and measures, because from late 1944 on the Tempests were primarily earmarked for deployment to the South-East Asian theatre of operations, e. g. for combat against Japan and as escort fighters of Tiger Force, a proposed British Commonwealth long-range bomber force based on Okinawa.
One of these late sub-variants for the SEA theatre was a highly modified high-altitude interceptor, the HF. Mk. IV. The designation was re-used from a planned fighter variant with a Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 piston engine. One prototype (LA614) was built and tested, but the Tempest’s planned Griffon-powered variants (including the Mk. III with a Rolls-Royce Griffon 85 and contra-rotating propellers) were all cancelled in February 1943. The HF. Mk. IV was based on the Mk. II fighter that had just entered production; it was built by Gloster as a dedicated response to counter Japanese fast and high-flying reconnaissance aircraft like the Mitsubishi Ki-46 (“Dinah”), which operated with impunity. The HF. Mk. IV was, like the Mk. II, powered by a Centaurus V with an output of up to 2,590 hp/1,932 kW. To keep the engine’s operation stable at height the Centaurus was outfitted with two-stage, two-speed superchargers and an intercooler. The intercooler’s fairing was housed in a small fairing under the fuselage in front of the landing gear wells and housed both its radiator as well as an auxiliary oil cooler. Both superchargers and the intercooler were mounted behind the engine and partly occupied the fuel bay in front of the cockpit, reducing its capacity by 20 Igal.
Instead of a four-blade propeller the HF. Mk. IV’s engine drove a new five-blade propeller with a 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) diameter from Rotol to better convert the engine’s power into propulsion at height, even though this caused additional drag at low altitudes. Extended, "pointed" tips were fitted to the wings to improve lift, increasing the wingspan by 7½ ft to 48 ft 4 in (14,76 m). With these modifications, the Tempest’s ceiling was raised by about 6.000 ft (2.000 m) to 44,000 ft (13,000 m). Consequently, the cockpit was pressurized through a Marshall-manufactured compressor. This was mounted in a compartment above the superchargers behind the engine and drew its air through a small intake in front of the windscreen. An automatic valve allowed a maximum pressure differential of +2 lb./sq.in. This was built up during the climb and was maintained at heights of 28,000 ft and above. To compensate the loss of internal fuel capacity, the HF. Mk. IV received specially designed underwing slipper tanks with a 90 imp gal (110 US gal; 410 l) capacity. They were more aerodynamic than the standard drop tanks, so that the aircraft’s performance was less impaired, but they could not be jettisoned.
Only fifty-two Hawker Tempest HF Mk. IIs were eventually built (two prototypes converted from early Mk. II airframes and 50 serial aircraft), because in early 1945 it was foreseeable that Japan was under heavy pressure and retreating to its homeland, so that Tiger Force was never established. Instead, most Tempest HF Mk. IVs were sent to Burma and India, where they served in their intended role as high altitude interceptors against Japanese reconnaissance aircraft until the end of hostilities.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 34 ft 5 in (10,50 m)
Wingspan: 48 ft 4 in (14,76 m)
Height: 16 ft 1 in (4,90 m) (tail down with one propeller blade vertical)
Wing area: 338 sq ft (31,5 m²)
Gross weight: 12,500 lb (5,700 kg)
Maximum takeoff weight: 14,650 lb (6,645 kg)
Fuel capacity: 160 imp gal (190 US gal; 730 l) internal
plus optional undwrwing tanks with 90 imp gal (110 US gal; 410 l)
or 180 imp gal (220 US gal; 820 l)
Oil tank capacity: 16 imp gal (19 US gal; 73 l)
Powerplant:
1× Bristol Centaurus V with two-stage, two-speed superchargers and intercooler,
delivering a maximum output of 2,590 hp/1,932 kW, driving a five-bladed Rotol propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 405 mph (652 km/h, 360 kn) at 17,000 ft (5.200 m)
385 mph (620 km/h, 335 kn) at 26,000 ft (7.900 m)
370 mph (595 km/h, 330 kn) at sea level
Combat range: 420 mi (680 km, 360 nmi) with internal fuel
Service ceiling: 44,000 ft (13,000 m)
Rate of climb: 5,300 ft/min (27 m/s)
Time to altitude: 21,500 ft (7,050 m) in 6 minutes at combat power
30,000 ft (9,000 m) in 12 minutes
Wing loading: 40 lb/sq ft (193,6 kg/m²) at 13,500 lb (6.100 kg)
Power/mass: 0.19 hp/lb (0,32 kW/kg) at 13,500 lb (6.100 kg)
Armament:
4× 20 mm (0.787 in) Mark V Hispano cannon in the outer wings, 200 RPG
Two underwing hardpoints, typically occupied by a pair of 67.5 Igal (81 US gal; 300 l) slipper tanks,
alternatively 2× 45 imp gal (54 US gal; 200 l) or 2× 90 imp gal (110 US gal; 410 l) drop tanks, or 2×
bombs of up to 1.000 lb (4545 kg) caliber
The kit and its assembly:
This fictional high-altitude Hawker Tempest variant was inspired by leftover wing tip extensions from an AZ Models Spitfire kit. I remembered that the late Spitfire variants had a modified wing shape, much like the Tempest’s oval shape, and from this the idea to transplant these tips was born.
The rest of the modifications of the Matchbox kit at the core of the build were logical steps - and I must say that the Matchbox Tempest is not a bad kit. It goes together really well, and while the recessed surface details are somewhat soft, the overall impression is good to me.
For a high-altitude variant I added a leftover five blade propeller from a Pioneer 2 Hawker Sea Fury that was modified with a styrene tube adapter to match the OOB MK. II’s Centaurus engine. A radiator from a Macchi C.205V was added for the intercooler, and a small compressor’s air intake was added in front of the cockpit. The bulges for the compressors and their respective plumbings in front of the cockpit are curved pieces of sprue material - simple, but effective.
Under the wings the post-war attachment points for missile launch rails were PSRed away and the pitot, originally an L-shaped device under the left wing, was relocated to the leading edge – similar to the tropicalized export Tempests. The slipper tanks come from a Hobby Boss MiG-15, but they had to be PSRed to match the Tempest’s very different wing shape. I found that they’d look more elegant than the original drop tanks.
Inside of the cockpit I added a dashboard and a small gunsight behind the windscreen (the canopy had been cut into two pieces for open display) , scratched from styrene sheet – I could not live with the void in front of the pilot, and anything is probably better than nothing in this case, since the Matchbox kit only offers a seat (and a pilot figure, though), but no dashboard, floor or side panels. The kit comes, however, with nice oxygen flasks behind the seat. Weird.
Painting and markings:
I wanted an unusual paint scheme for this high-altitude Tempest, even though something typically British. Inspiration came from a recce Spitfire in SEAC markings, and I liked its combination of Medium Sea Grey upper surfaces and PRU Blue undersides, coupled with a low waterline and the small, all-blue SEAC roundels. The paints I used were Humbrol 165 and 230. On top of that I added white ID bands, what made IMO sense as a fighter, and as an odd color contrast the spinner was painted in Sky (Tamiya XF-23).
The cockpit was painted mostly in almost-black (Revell 06, Anthracite), just with the bucket seat and the floor painted in Cockpit Green (Humbrol 78). This was also used for the landing gear wells.
The decals come mostly from an Xtradecal sheet for SEAC Spitfires, e. g. the roundels and the fin flash. The aircraft's serial number did not exist at all and was puzzled together with material from the same sheet, so that the font matched. The white ID bands were created with generic decal sheet material (from TL Modellbau), and lots of decal softener was used to make the stripes conform to the guns' bulgings on the upper wing surfaces. Woerked well, though. The tactical code was created from separate white 6mm letters, also generic stuff from TL Modellbau. Many SEAC aircraft either did not carry a unit code, or they used smaller, non-regular fonts, so that this solution is quite plausible.
After some final weathering with post-shading as well as oil and soot stains with graphite the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A relatively simple build, since there were no structural changes - but I am amazed how different and good the extended Spitfire wing tips look on the Tempest? A very elegant shape, and from certain angles the model looks like a beefed up Mistubishi A5M or reminds (oddly) of a Vickers Wellesley? The grey/blue livery also adds an exotic touch, as well as the small SEAC roundels. However, the hardware combo works very well.
An abandoned military base in Eastern Europe. Gas masks and forgotten times laying deep in the woods