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Tanunda. The German Heart of the Barossa.
The two early settlements of Langmeil and Tanunda were situated on lands leased in the early days from George Fife Angas in the case of Langmeil and land owned by Charles Flaxman for Tanunda. But from 1844 the government was selling other surveyed land just to the north of Flaxman’s private town. The original village of Langmeil which was settled in 1843 eventually became part of Tanunda. It was based along the banks of the North Para River. The settlement soon had a Lutheran school and church. The first Dankes Lutheran Church of timber and thatch opened in 1846.It was demolished in 1888 when the new Langmeil Lutheran church opened. Pastor Augustus Kavel who was responsible for bringing German migrants to SA for George Fife Angas is buried in the Langmeil churchyard. But Langmeil was not the first Lutheran Church as the Tabor Lutheran church was built in brick in 1850. Now located in the Main Street of Tanunda it was demolished and the bricks were used to erect the 1871 Tanunda Tabor Lutheran Church. Tabor Church marks the emergence of Tanunda (an Aboriginal word for moving waters) as a very German settlement. A German language newspaper the Sud Australische Zeitung began operations in 1855; in later years a German bowling alley was built and the male liedertafel choir began performances in 1861; a brass band (1857) and a later band stand and hall were established in the late 19th century along with the Tanunda Club in 1891. In the main street and surrounds the German butches, bakers and retail stores all began operations from the 1850s. One early structure in Tanunda which was set up by an English man was Edmund Davey’s flour mill of 1850. Davey went on to established flourmills across SA before he died in 1885. The flourmill which still stands indicates that the early settlers were wheat growers rather than vineyard operators. That came later in the 19th century and into the 20th century. The very German heart of Tanunda and Langmeil was the Der Zeigenhart or Goat Square which was used as an early market square. As the second generation of German settlers emerged places like Tanunda become more like a typical rural South Australia town with government facilities. Frist came the Post Office and Telegraph station which opened in 1866 and the classically designed Courthouse which began sentencing in 1866, then came old state government school which opened in 1877 and the railway line which opened in 1911 with its fine stone railway station being completed in 1913. The first agricultural show was held in 1857 and show grounds were developed from 1862. On the outskirts of the town, near the later railway station, Chateau Tanunda was established in 1889 by John Basedow as locally produced wine and spirts became accepted by South Australians and even found a small English market. Basedow joined forces with investors Sir Samuel Davenport, Mrs Cleland and others to raise over £37,000 to build the chateau. When completed in 1890 it was the largest winery building in Australia. The bluestone used in its construction was quarried at Bethany. Although the first vines were planted on the Chateau Tanunda grounds in the late 1840s there was no commercial production of wine until around 1890. From 1916 until 1998 Chateau Tanunda was owned and run by the Seppelt family. In its heyday it was known for its Chateau Tanunda brandy.
Some of the fine historical buildings of Tanunda include:
1. Langmeil Lutheran Church. This 1888 church replaced an earlier 1846 church. The congregation here started as the German heart of the Barossa. By 1857 the greater Langmeil area contained 777 people with 113 families and it included 243 children born in SA. At that time “greater Langmeil” covered almost all of the Barossa Valley. Pastor Kavel was the resident pastor of Langmeil and in 1854 a manse was built for him near the church. Pastor Kavel died in 1860 and was buried in Langmeil cemetery. As the founder of the Lutheran Church in Australia in 1838 a large memorial was erected over his grave in 1938.
2. The old Langmeil Lutheran School. Operations began in 1846. The oldest building is the Kavel Room on the corner of Jane Place which was built in 1865. The school is now the Faith Lutheran College.
3. St Johns Lutheran Church. It was erected in 1868 and the tower and spire was added in 1887. This congregation was formed from a breakaway group from the Langmeil Church in 1860.
4. The Post Office and Telegraph station. Work started in 1865 and it opened in 1866. It is now the town museum. But the first postal service to Tanunda began in the late 1840s.
5. Edmund Davey’s flourmill with the advertisements for Laurel Kerosene on it. The oldest part was built in stone in 1850.
6. The classical style Courthouse built in 1866. It closed many years ago and is now a residence. Court session were held by magistrates in Tanunda from around 1850.
7. The original timber framed St Aiden’s Anglican Church erected in 1912. It closed when the new Anglican Church opened in Murray Street in 1962. It then became a Catholic Church but it is now a Christian Charismatic Church.
8. The Tanunda Club. Established in 1891 and still operating. The local men who pushed for its establishment included John Basedow of Chateau Tanunda and Schrapel a local retailer. They hoped to promote the consumption of Barossa wines and spirts. The old railway station is more or less just behind the Tanunda Club. The railway service closed in 1980 and the restored building is used by the local radio station.
9. St Paul’s Lutheran Church. This relatively recent church was built in 1928 but the congregation began worshipping in 1904 and they used a wood and iron church from 1911 to 1928.
10. Schrapel’s and Sons store. Established in 1884 but the current building so marked dates from around 1900. The family purchased land from the SA government in 1845. They began as general importers of products but ended up being electrical suppliers and electricians. They sold everything from tractors, shoes and furniture to radios (in the 1920s), glassware and drapery etc. They provided the first electricity for Tanunda District Council in 1920. By the 1950s they were primarily a hardware store.
North West- Rieschiek Cottage.North east – the Shoe maker’s House.
11. The cottages of Goat Square. The important little square was laid out in the private town of Charles Flaxman who was the agent of George Fife Angas. For the work he did for Angas he was given several sections of land. This was the centre of Flaxman’s private town and the streets have English names after the children of Charles Flaxman- John, Maria, Charles, Elizabeth, Jane, Samuel and Ellen. Goats were probably sold in the market square hence the name. Around the edges are some of Tanunda’s oldest cottages. They include on the North West corner the impressive red roofed German style shoemaker’s house named Rieschiek; opposite was the saddler’s house. Nearly all of the 1840s cottages are now operated as bed and breakfast establishments with unrelated names such as Flaxman, Kavel and Menge. There is now a modern goat sculpture in the middle of Goat Square.
12. In the Main Street is Tabor Lutheran Church. The first church here was built in brick in 1850. Bricks from this church were used in the construction of the current church in 1871. The tower and bells were added in 1910. The bells were imported from Germany.
13. In the Main Street you will also see the Tanunda Hotel which dates from 1846. The upper floor was added much later. It has been modernised since.
Based at RAF Marham, 207 Squadron is the joint RAF and Royal Navy Operational Conversion Unit for the Lightning. ZM141 code 007 Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning of 207 Squadron in the static display at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on 19th July 2024.
Taken in Fairmount, Indiana on a Nikon FE with a 28-85 f3.5-4.5 lens. Shot on Lomo Berlin Kino film and developed in ID11 stock.
First Glasgow Caledonia Based 33979 SN65OFU Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 MMC Is Seen here Leaving Glasgow Bus Station Working Service 88 To Harestanes On Saturday 1st December 2018.
+++ 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 TIE/LN starfighter, or TIE/line starfighter, simply known as the TIE Fighter or T/F, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward.
The TIE Fighter was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems and led to several upgraded TIE models such as TIE/sa bomber, TIE/IN interceptor, TIE/D Defender, TIE/D automated starfighter, and many more.
The original TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Imperial philosophy of quantity over quality.
However, a disadvantage of the fighter was its lack of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE/LN's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did incorporate crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did next to nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire.
Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the light fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/LNs also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays.
The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE Fighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing destroyed fighters and their pilots. That, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones, leading to the introduction of the TIE Advanced x1 and its successor, the TIE Avenger. The following TIE/D Defender as well as the heavy TIE Escort Fighter (or TIE/E) were touted as the next "logical advance" of the TIE Series—representing a shift in starfighter design from previous, expendable TIE models towards fast, well armed and protected designs, capable of hyperspace travel and long-term crew teams which gained experience and capabilities over time.
The TIE/E Escort, was a high-performance TIE Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems and it was introduced into service shortly before the Battle of Endor. It was a much heavier counterpart to the agile and TIE/D fighter, and more of an attack ship or even a light bomber than a true dogfighter. Its role were independent long range operations, and in order to reduce the work load and boost morale a crew of two was introduced (a pilot and a dedicated weapon systems officer/WSO). The primary duty profile included attack and escort task, but also reconnoiter missions. The TIE/E shared the general layout with the contemporary TIE/D fighter, but the cockpit section as well as the central power unit were much bigger, and the ship was considerably heavier.
The crew enjoyed – compared with previous TIE fighter designs – a spacious and now fully pressurized cockpit, so that no pressurized suits had to be worn anymore. The crew members sat in tandem under a large, clear canopy. The pilot in front had a very good field of view, while the WSO sat behind him, in a higher, staggered position with only a limited field of view. Both work stations had separate entries, though, and places could not be switched in flight: the pilot mounted the cockpit through a hatch on port side, while the WSO entered the rear compartment through a roof hatch.
In a departure from the design of previous TIE models, instead of two parallel wings to either side of the pilot module, the TIE Escort had three quadanium steel solar array wings mounted symmetrically around an aft section, which contained an I-s4d solar ionization reactor to store and convert solar energy collected from the wing panels. The inclusion of a third wing provided additional solar power to increase the ship's range and the ship's energy management system was designed to allow weapons and shields to be charged with minimum loss of power to the propulsion system.
Although it was based on the standard twin ion engine design, the TIE/E’s propulsion system was upgraded to the entirely new, powerful P-sz9.8 triple ion engine. This allowed the TIE/E a maximum acceleration of 4,220 G or 21 MGLT/s and a top speed of 144 MGLT, or 1,680 km/h in an atmosphere — almost 40 percent faster than a former standard TIE Fighter. With tractor beam recharge power (see below) redirected to the engines, the top speed could be increased to 180 MGLT in a dash.
In addition to the main thrusters located in the aft section, the TIE Escort's triple wing design allowed for three arrays of maneuvering jets and it featured an advanced F-s5x flight avionics system to process the pilot's instructions. Production models received a class 2, ND9 hyperdrive motivator, modified from the version developed for the TIE Avenger. The TIE/E also carried a Sienar N-s6 Navcon navigation computer with a ten-jump memory.
Special equipment included a small tractor beam projector, originally developed for the TIE Avenger, which could be easily fitted to the voluminous TIE Escort. Models produced by Ysanne Isard's production facility regularly carried such tractor beams and the technology found other uses, such as towing other damaged starfighters until they could achieve the required velocity to enter hyperspace. The tractor beam had limited range and could only be used for a short time before stopping to recharge, but it added new tactics, too. For instance, the beam allowed the TIE/E crews to temporarily inhibit the mobility of enemy fighters, making it easier to target them with the ship's other weapon systems, or prevent enemies from clear shots.
The TIE Escort’s weapons systems were primarily designed to engage bigger ships and armored or shielded targets, like armed freighters frequently used by the Alliance. Thanks to its complex weapon and sensor suite, it could also engage multiple enemy fighters at once. The sensors also allowed an effective attack of ground targets, so that atmospheric bombing was a potential mission for the TIE/E, too.
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The TIE Escort Fighter carried a formidable array of weaponry in two modular weapon bays that were mounted alongside the lower cabin. In standard configuration, the TIE/E had two L-s9.3 laser cannons and two NK-3 ion cannons. The laser and ion cannons could be set to fire separately or, if concentrated power was required, to fire-linked in either pairs or as a quartet.
The ship also featured two M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers, each of which could be equipped with a standard load of three proton torpedoes or four concussion missiles. Depending on the mission profile, the ship could be fitted with alternative warheads such as proton rockets, proton bombs, or magnetic pulse warheads.
Additionally, external stores could be carried under the fuselage, which included a conformal sensor pallet for reconnaissance missions or a cargo bay with a capacity for 500 kg (1.100 lb).
The ship's defenses were provided by a pair of forward and rear projecting Novaldex deflector shield generators—another advantage over former standard TIE models. The shields were designed to recharge more rapidly than in previous Imperial fighters and were nearly as powerful as those found on capital ships, so that the TIE/E could engage other ships head-on with a very high survivability. The fighters were not equipped with particle shields, though, relying on the reinforced titanium hull to absorb impacts from matter. Its hull and wings were among the strongest of any TIE series Starfighter yet.
The advanced starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions, and the Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology. The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Empire, though, and units were assigned only to the most elite crews.
The TIE/E played a central role in the Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and mixed Defender and Escort units participated in several other battles, including the Battle of Endor. The TIE Escort continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY, and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War..
The kit and its assembly:
Another group build contribution, this time to the Science Fiction GB at whatifmodelers.com during summer 2017. Originally, this one started as an attempt to build a vintage MPC TIE Interceptor kit which I had bought and half-heartedly started to build probably 20 years ago. But I did not have the right mojo (probably, The Force was not strong enough…?), so the kit ended up in a dark corner and some parts were donated to other projects.
The sun collectors were still intact, though, and in the meantime I had the idea of reviving the kit’s remains, and convert it into (what I thought was) a fictional TIE Fighter variant with three solar panels. For this plan I got myself another TIE Interceptor kit, and stashed it away, too. Mojo was still missing, though.
Well, then came the SF GB and I took it as an occasion to finally tackle the build. But when I prepared for the build I found out that my intended design (over the years) more or less actually existed in the Star Wars universe: the TIE/D Defender! I could have built it with the parts and hand and some improvisation, but the design similarity bugged me. Well, instead of a poor copy of something that was more or less clearly defined, I rather decided to create something more individual, yet plausible, from the parts at hand.
The model was to stay a TIE design, though, in order to use as much donor material from the MPC kits as possible. Doing some legwork, I settled for a heavy fighter – bigger than the TIE Interceptor and the TIE/D fighter, a two-seater.
Working out the basic concept and layout took some time and evolved gradually. The creative spark for the TIE/E eventually came through a Revell “Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter” snap fit kit in my pile – actually a prize from a former GB participation at phoxim.de (Thanks a lot, Wolfgang!), and rather a toy than a true model kit.
The Jedi Fighter was in so far handy as it carries some TIE Fighter design traits, like the pilot capsule and the characteristic spider web windscreen. Anyway, it’s 1:32, much bigger than the TIE Interceptor’s roundabout 1:50 scale – but knowing that I’d never build the Jedi Starfighter OOB I used it as a donor bank, and from this starting point things started to evolve gradually.
Work started with the cockpit section, taken from the Jedi Starfighter kit. The two TIE Interceptor cockpit tubs were then mounted inside, staggered, and the gaps to the walls filled with putty. A pretty messy task, and once the shapes had been carved out some triangular tiles were added to the surfaces – a detail I found depicted in SW screenshots and some TIE Fighter models.
Another issue became the crew – even though I had two MPC TIE Interceptors and, theorectically, two pilot figures, only one of them could be found and the second crewman had to be improvised. I normally do not build 1:48 scale things, but I was lucky (and happy) to find an SF driver figure, left over from a small Dougram hoovercraft kit (from Takara, as a Revell “Robotech” reboxing). This driver is a tad bigger than the 1:50 TIE pilot, but I went with it because I did not want to invest money and time in alternatives. In order to justify the size difference I decided to paint the Dougram driver as a Chiss, based on the expanded SW universe (with blue skin and hair, and glowing red eyes). Not certain if this makes sense during the Battle of Endor timeframe, but it adds some color to the project – and the cockpit would not be visible in much detail since it would be finished fully closed.
Reason behind the closed canopy is basically the poor fit of the clear part. OOB, this is intended as an action toy – but also the canopy’s considerable size in 1:50 would prevent its original opening mechanism.
Additional braces on the rel. large window panels were created with self-adhesive tape and later painted over.
The rear fuselage section and the solar panel pylons were scratched. The reactor behind the cockpit section is actually a plastic adapter for water hoses, found in a local DIY market. It was slightly modified, attached to the cockpit “egg” and both parts blended with putty. The tail opening was closed with a hatch from the OOB TIE Interceptor – an incidental but perfect match in size and style.
The three pylons are also lucky finds: actually, these are SF wargaming/tabletop props and would normally be low walls or barriers, made from resin. For my build, they were more or less halved and trimmed. Tilted by 90°, they are attached to the hull with iron wire stabilizers, and later blended to the hull with putty, too.
Once the cockpit was done, things moved more swiftly. The surface of the hull was decorated with many small bits and pieces, including thin styrene sheet and profiles, steel and iron wire in various strengths, and there are even 1:72 tank tracks hidden somewhere, as well as protective caps from syringes (main guns and under the rear fuselage). It’s amazing how much stuff you can add to such a model – but IMHO it’s vital in order to create some structure and to emulate the (early) Star Wars look.
Painting and markings:
The less spectacular part of the project, even though still a lot of work because of the sheer size of the model’s surface. Since the whole thing is fictional, I tried to stay true to the Imperial designs from Episode IV-VI and gave the TIE/E a simple, all-light grey livery. All basic painting was done with rattle cans.
Work started with a basic coat of grey primer. On top of that, an initial coat of RAL 7036 Platingrau was added, esp. to the lower surfaces and recesses, for a rough shading effect. Then, the actual overall tone, RAL 7047, called “Telegrau 4”, one of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate tones, was added - mostly sprayed from abone and the sides onto the model. Fuselage and panels were painted separately, overall assembly was one of the final steps.
The solar panels were to stand out from the grey rest of the model, and I painted them with Revell Acrylic “Iron Metallic” (91) first, and later applied a rather rich wash with black ink , making sure the color settled well into the many small cells. The effect is pretty good, and the contrast was slightly enhanced through a dry-brushing treatment.
Only a few legible stencils were added all around the hull (most from the scrap box or from mecha sheets), the Galactic Empire Seal were inkjet-printed at home, as well as some tactical markings on the flanks, puzzled together from single digits in "Aurebash", one of the Imperial SW languages/fonts.
For some variety and color highlights, dozens of small, round and colorful markings were die-punched from silver, yellow, orange, red and blue decal sheet and were placed all over the hull - together with the large panels they blur into the the overall appearance, though. The hatches received thin red linings, also made from generic decals strips.
The cockpit interior was a bit challenging, though. Good TIE Fighter cockpit interior pictures are hard to find, but they suggest a dark grey tone. More confusingly, the MPC instructions call for a “Dark Green” cockpit? Well, I did not like the all-grey option, since the spaceship is already monochrome grey on the outside.
As a compromise I eventually used Tamiya XF-65 "Field Grey". The interior recieved a black ink in and dry-brushing treatment, and some instruments ansd screens were created with black decal material and glossy black paint; some neon paint was used for sci-fi-esque conmtraol lamps everywhere - I did not pay too much intention on the interior, since the cockpit would stay closed, and the thick clear material blurs everything inside.
Following this rationale, the crew was also painted in arather minimal fashion - both wear a dark grey uniform, only the Chiss pilot stands aout with his light blue skin and the flourescent red eyes.
After an overall black ink wash the model received a dry brusing treatment with FS 36492 and FS 36495, for a weathered and battle-worn look. After all, the "Vehement" would not survive the Ballte of Endor, but who knows what became of TIE/E "801"'s mixed crew...?
Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, and some final cosmetic corrections made.
The display is a DIY creation, too, made from a 6x6" piece of wood, it's edges covered with edgebonder, a steel wire as holder, and finally the display was paited with semi-matt black acrylic paint from the rattle can.
A complex build, and the TIE/E more or less evolved along the way, with only the overall layout in mind. Work took a month, but I think it was worth the effort. This fantasy creation looks pretty plausible and blends well into the vast canonical TIE Fighter family - and I am happy that I finally could finish this mummy project, including the surplus Jedi Starfighter kit which now also find a very good use!
An epic one, and far outside my standard comfort zone. But a wothwhile build!
Police helicopter India 99 landing at it's base at Barton.
India 99 is one of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) fleet.
This aircraft serves the Greater Manchester area, but is also often called out to Merseyside, North Wales Lancashire and Cheshire.
NPAS is a police aviation service that provides centralised air support to the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales. It replaced the previous structure whereby police forces operated their own helicopters, either individually or in small consortia (such as the South East Air Support Unit).
Base-model Toyota Camry.
The registration details have since been removed from the system.
Year: 2004
Series: ACV36R
Engine: 2.4L 4 Cylinder Aspirated
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Fuel: Unleaded Petrol
Drive: Front Wheel Drive
Colour: Silver
Plate Number: CP-64-AH (NSW)
Date Registered: 02/01/2018
Bolivian solidier on a lonely military based on the edge of Salar de Uyuni is looking at me.
The Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (British company name: Antofagasta (Chili) & Bolivia Railway or FCAB for short) is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge, with a route that climbed from sea level to over 4,500 m (14,764 ft), while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons[which?] per annum. It proved that a railway with such a narrow gauge could do the work of a standard gauge railway, and influenced the construction of other railways such as the Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas. It was later converted to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge, and still operates today.
The railway started at the Chilean port of Antofagasta. It proceeded up the front range of the Andes to Ollagüe on the Bolivian border, then across the Bolivian pampas to Uyuni and Oruro. At Oruro, the gauge changed to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge for the remainder of the route to La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. A number of branches were added to reach various mining fields. The Collahuasi branch reached 4,815 m (15,797 ft) above sea level, regarded at the time of construction as the highest railway in the world. The total length of the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge lines, including branches and subsidiaries, was 1,537 km (955 mi). - wikipedia
+++ 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:
The MBR-04 series were the first combat-ready Destroids and the most successful land-combat weapon Destroids that were built with OverTechnology of Macross. The abbreviation MBR (Main Battle Robot) indicates the model was developed as a walking humanoid weapon emphasizing the heavy armor firepower of an artillery combat vehicle, designed to replace mainline battle tanks.
Despite inferior anti-aircraft abilities, the Tomahawk boasted firepower like no other biped vehicle from the Destroid series. Originally, the Tomahawk was just called "MBR Mk. I", but once its systems and structural elements became the basis for other models, its designation changed into the "Type 04" Destroid. The main frame from the waist down was common to the Type 04 series, which included the the Defender and the Phalanx, a module which consolidated the thermonuclear reactor and ambulatory OverTechnology system of the Destroids. Production line integration using this module was a key goal of Destroid development.
The Type 04 series was developed jointly by Viggers and Chrauler and became also the basis of the MBR-04 Tomahawk. Unlike the variable fighters (which had to be designed to accommodate transformation mechanisms), the MBR series featured a structure with a large capacity that allowed plenty of room for machinery and armor.
Projectile resistance was stressed in the design, but the Tomahawk did not have the armor strength to withstand a direct hit from a Zentraedi mobile weapon. However, the Tomahawk made use of heaviness to add firepower and versatility such that it came to symbolize those features of the Destroid.
First development began in May 2001 and trial production began in December 2003. The decision to formally introduce the MBR-04 series of Destroids was made in June 2006, mass production began and the MBR-04-Mk I rollout occurred in February 2007. The Mk VI Tomahawk's and Mk X Defender's rollouts were in November 2007 and March 2009, respectively.
The MBR-04-Mk. I's initial weaponry consisted of rocket launchers and two arms for use in close-quarters combat. Eventually, the Tomahawk's arms evolved into fixed armaments unsuitable for hand-to-hand combat and thus it was best fielded in a combined arms role with cooperating Destroid models and the VF-1.
The Type 04 design led to expansion of installed armaments and achieved improvement in productivity and serviceability which contributed to the rapid development of the Destroid variations. The Tomahawk itself underwent a rapid development. Earlier variants, which mainly differed in the design of the arms and the weapon package, were only produced in limited numbers. The Mk. III introduced the first heavy particle beam cannon to the Destroids, and the following Mk IV. achieved excellent results in maneuvers and an enhanced output. The Mk. VI became the eventual mass production type, and some of the earlier models were later brought to Mk. VI standard.
Eventually, a considerable number 440 units (initially, 500 were envisioned) were deployed aboard the SDF-1 Macross and operated by the U.N. Spacy as well as the U.N.S. Marine Corps. Most of the Destroid Tomahawks were deployed upon the surface of SDF-1 to perform close-range interception and also to operate as an immediate combat force. A small number - primarily from the early variants with full arms and articulated hands for bigger field versatility in small combat groups - was operated by the UNSMC for landing operations and special tasks.
The Tomahawk operated as a core ground combat unit during the Great Stellar War (Space War I) and - when paired with the VF-1 variable fighter - achieved impressive military gains against the Zentraedi army.
General characteristics:
Equipment Type: main battle robot, series 04
Government: U.N. Spacy
Manufacturer: Viggers/Chrauler
Introduction: February 2007
Accommodation: 1 pilot plus space for a second crew member
Dimensions:
Height 12.7 meters (overall)
11.27 meters (up to head unit)
Length 5.1 meters
Width 7.9 meters
Mass: 31.3 metric tons
Power Plant:
Kranss-Maffai MT808 thermonuclear reactor, developing 2800 bhp output;
Auxiliary GE EM9G fuel generator, rated at 450 kW
Propulsion:
2x thrust nozzles mounted in the lower back region, allowing the capability to perform jumps,
plus several vernier nozzles around the hull for Zero-G manoeuvers
Performance:
Maximum speed: 180 km/h
Design features:
- Detachable weapons bay (attaches to the main body via two main locks);
- Extending/retractable periscope telescope (in weapon bay directly above the cockpit);
- Option pack featuring missiles or searchlight (can be mounted on either side of the weapon bay);
- Coolant tank (installed within the upper left side of the back torso);
- Capable of performing jumps via 2 x thrust nozzles (mounted in the lower back torso);
- Radiators with exhaust ports in the rear on the left and right hips
- Cockpit can be separated from the body in an emergency (only the cockpit block is recovered);
- Head unit equipped with 2 camera eyes, upper eye moving along a slit,
the lower protected by a polarized light shield
Armament:
1x Mauler PBG-07 liquid-cooled electrically-charged twin particle beam gun
2x Bifors close-in self-guided rocket launchers in the shoulders
with 12 rockets per launcher (24 rockets total)
2x Astra TZ-III gun clusters in the lower chest with each cluster featuring:
- 1x laser gun
- 1x 25 mm heavy machine gun
- 1x 180 mm grenade launcher
- 1 x flamethrower
2x Ramington M-89 12.7 mm air-cooled machine guns, mounted within the head unit
Option packs:
1x Erlikon anti-aircraft self-guided missile launcher with 6 missiles (shoulder mount)
1x Rheinstahl 35 mm automatic rapid-fire cannon (lower arm pod)
1x Stonewell 20 mm six-barrel gatling gun (lower arm pod)
The kit and its assembly:
After a long time, a Macross mecha kit again. The idea behind this modified Tomahawk was that I always wondered about the clumsy "cannon arms" of the Mk. VI variant, and what an earlier version - with complete arms and hands - could have looked like? When I delved through my Macross donor parts bank I came across two lower arms from former VF-1 conversions (from different kits, though...), and I tested them on my authentic 1:100 Tomahawk Mk. VI model that I have built about 20 years ago: they seemed to work in size and volume!
An extensive spare parts and sprues safari followed and yielded two complete hands/fists from a VF-1 Gerwalk Arii kit (these appear to be totally outsized!), as well as lower arms/elbow sections, so that a transplantation to the Tomahawk’s arm stumps, which would later even allow a lengthwise axis mobility. And with some extra vinyl caps the transformation experiment could begin.
The basis is a Bandai re-issues of Imai’s 1982 1:100 Tomahawk kit, in specific from Macross' 30th anniversary merchandise. They seem to pop up every five years!?
However, having built and re-built several of the Imai/Arii Destroid kits, I made some changes beyond the arm transplantation, since there’s a lot of space for improvement, even though the kit as such is decent for its age. But you have to expect PSR almost everywhere, and the kit’s vintage “Matryoshka” construction of the model (build one element from two halves, place it between two more halves, etc.) does not make the assembly process easy – but there are ways to evade this inherent problem, see below.
One important improvement measure was a completely now hip joint arrangement. OOB, the Tomahawk's posture is pretty stiff, with the legs and feet straight forward - it's supposed to just stand upright, and with the model’s OOB joint options it is really hard to create a vivid poise. Furthermore, the bolts that hold the legs are prone to break off, even more so because the Tomahawk kit is from the 1st generation of mecha kits, without vinyl caps and just very tight joint fit.
My solution was the implantation of a new hip “bone” made from plastic-coated steel, which is stiff in itself but can be bent in two dimensions. The thighs had to be modified accordingly, since the wire is much thinner than the original bolts. As a convenient trick, the receptor holes in the thighs were simply filled with small vinyl rings - their outer AND inner diameter fit perfectly for the new arrangement. With this trick, a much more dynamic and "natural" leg position could be achieved, also thanks to the Tomahawk’s large feet and their joints. This tuning measure improves the model considerably.
Another change is the Tomahawk's weaponry, which is OOB pretty impressive. Since my fictional Mk. III lost its main arm weapons, I decided to give it at least a major cannon on the shoulder. A convenient donor came from a Dorvack 1:24 PA-36K "Berlon" kit, placed on a scratched mount on the right shoulder,. Which allows the weapon to be moved up and down. To make place for the new twin gun, the OOB sextuple missile launcher was moved to the left side, necessitating a modification of its holder, too.
As mentioned above, the arms use donor parts from the Arii VF-1 Gerwalk kit, but there are also less obvious changes. While the shoulder mounts and the upper arms were taken OOB from the Tomahawk kit, I modified their attachment system. Instead of the "put the arms between the fuselage halves" solution, I modified the arms so that they can be stuck independently into their respective hull openings. This has the benefit that they are actually movable (remember the tight fit of the model’s joints, add some paint and nothing will ever move), and they can be built and painted separately from the rest of the model. In order to stabilize the arms when in place and prevent them from falling out too easily, I added an interlaced styrene tube axis arrangement between them. Very simple and effective, and it works well.
The VF-1 Gerwalk lower arms were taken OOB. Upon test-fitting I found that the bulky Tomahawk could even take some more muscle on its new arms, so I added a pair of FAST packs from a Super Valkyrie kit to them (also found in the spares box…). These would, however, not contain AAMs, as on the VF-1, but rather more guns. I went for a medium machine cannon in the left arm and a gatling gun (scratched from syringe needles, fiddly affair...) against soft and aerial targets in the right arm.
In order to provide the model with some more details and depth I added a lot of small styrene bits everywhere – this is actually only necessary on the front sides of the lower legs for an authentic improvement, but all those other tiny bits and pieces just underline the mecha’s sturdiness and provide visual detail for the later painting process.
The machine guns above the cockpit were replaced with hollow steel needles; since these are thinner than the OOB barrels, I filled the gaps with paper tissues drenched in thinned white glue. Flexible cables (elastic braid) were added to the twin beam cannon and to the legs/hip joints.
Painting and markings:
Basically a simple affair, because I wanted to stay true to the original look of a typical Macross Destroid. These tend to carry a uniform livery, esp. the Tomahawk/Defender/Phalanx family is kept in murky/dull tones of green, brown and ochre: unpretentious "mud movers". Anything else or even complex camouflage patterns are rare. The OOB MBR-04-Mk. VI carries a reddish-brown livery, and Yamato also did an 1:60 Tomahawk action figure in an overall olive drab tone, which appears canonical.
However, for a personal touch I chose a greyish dark green as basic overall tone, Field Grey (Tamiya XF-65). The missile launcher covers on the shoulders were painted in NATO olive green (RAL 6014, Gelboliv, Revell 46), but the different tone became, after weathering, harder and harder to tell, so that the Tomahawk ended up with a relatively uniform livery.
Otherwise there's hardly any other color on the Tomahawk’s hull. The hands/fists were painted with Polished Steel metallizer, the bellows in the knees became anthracite (Revell 06). The characteristic white trim on the lower legs that many Destroids carry was painted with white - unfortunately none of the Destroid kits offers them as a decal. However, due to the legs' uneven underground, these would be difficult to apply, anyway. The lower camera visor was created with simple clear red paint on top of a basic coat with silver. The other small camera windows at the top and back are small decal squares in dayglo orange.
The model was thoroughly weathered with a heavier black ink wash and a total of three dry brushing turns: the first, generous treatment with acrylic Revell 67 (Grüngrau, RAL 7009), followed by the second, moer careful turn around the edges and other details with acrylic Revell 45 (Helloliv, a yellowish variant of RLM 02). The decals followed next, mostly taken from the OOB sheet, just with a few extra stencils, new tactical codes and the "Trixie” nose art (it actually belongs to a P-40F, piloted by Joseph A Bloomer Jr of the 318th FS/325th FG in the MTO) on the lower left leg – a typical detail of many Destroids.
The third dry brushing turn followed, this time with acrylic Revell 75 (a yellowish light grey), esp. on the edges and concentrated around the lower areas of the Tomahawk, simulating wear and dust/mud residue.
Finally, the model received an overall coat with acrylic matt varnish from the rattle can. Some bare metal showing through at a few edges was added, too, again through dry-brushing with silver. After final assembly of the elements, some mineral pigments were dusted onto the model with a soft, big brush. Around the feet, pigments were also applied into small patches of wet matt acrylic varnish, forming stable mud crusts.
In the end, I am quite happy with the outcome, even though the Field Grey turned out to be darker/more murky than expected, even though the color itself suits the Tomahawk well. The transplanted arms also blend well into this mecha which bristles with weapons: this fictional (I had no reference material for earlier Tomahawk versions except the official short texts from the Macross publications) result looks pretty plausible and complements the 20-years-old Mk. VI in my collection well.
The base of the building is massive in its own right, its a very perculiar shape.
Shanghai tower:
320 hours to build
74216 Bricks
Built by Ryan McNaught and Mitchell Kruik
巴基斯坦－Gilgit-Baltistan地区－喀喇昆仑中央国家公园－K2BC徒步－Concordia-K2BC－Broad Peak登山大本营
View of Broad Peak base camp on Godwin-Austen glacier, with majestic K2 in background, in CKNP (Central Karakoram National Park), Gilgit-Baltistan region, northern Pakistan.
© All rights reserved. You may not use this photo in website, blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
+++ 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 history of Focke Wulf's Fw 190 in Japan started with a rejection: in 1943 a single FW 190 A-5 had been supplied to Japan for evaluation, but at first, the type was not put into production by the Japanese. Anyway, the results of the study by Japanese engineers were incorporated in the design of the Ki-61 fighter. This evaluation did not go unnoticed, since the type received the Allied code-name 'Fred'.
By that time, the teething development problems of Mitubishi's J2M ‘Raiden’ (Thunderbolt) 'Jack' led to a slowdown in production. Biggest issues were the Kasei engine, an unreliable propeller pitch change mechanism and the main undercarriage members. Another drawback of the type was that its design put emphasis on performance and pilot protection rather than maneuverability. By the time the Fw 190 was tested, only fourteen J2M had been completed.
To make matters even worse, the Mitsubishi A7M 'Reppu' fighter was also behind schedule, so that replacements for the A6M 'Zero', backbone of the IJN’s air force, were overdue.
This situation left the Imperial Japanese Navy without a land-based interceptor. The first few produced J2M2 were delivered to the development units in December 1942 but further trials and improvements took almost a year, and it took until June 1944 that the ‘Raiden’ could make its combat debut, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
While the Raiden was to be developed further for the high-altitude interceptor role, the IJN decided in January 1944 to adopt the highly effective Fw 190 as a supplementary interceptor for medium heights - only as a stop-gap at first, but the type quickly evolved into various sub-variants, much like in Germany.
License production of the adopted Fw 190 started at Hitachi in May 1944. The original airframe was modified to cater to Japanese needs and customs, and the most obvious difference of the J10F1, how the plane was officially called, was the use of the Mitsubishi MK4R Kasei 23c radial engine instead of the original BMW 801. It was a modified version of the engine in the J2M, but simplified and made more reliable. The engine produced 1.820hp and drove a four-bladed propeller. Another distinctive feature was a small fin fillet, which compensated directional instability due to the longer forward fuselage.
By its pilots, the J10F quickly became called “hueruge” (フエルゲル), a transcription of the Fw 190's German nickname "Würger" (=Shrike).
Variants:
J10F1
The original main variant with the MK4R Kasei 23e and armed with 2× 13.2 mm Type 3 machine guns and 4× 20 mm two Type 99 Model 2 cannons, 354 aircraft produced.
While no official sub-variant was developed or designated, single machines differed considerably in equipment. This included field-modifications like reduced armament for better performance or ground-attack equipment, e .g. racks for a total of four unguided 60kg air-to-air missiles under the outer wings.
J10F1-G
In late 1945 a few J10F1 were modified for the anti-ship role and night attacks, and they received the "-G" suffix for their new land-based bomber role. These planes had a reduced gun armament, flame dampers and an IR sight, similar to the German “Spanner” device.
Most of these planes were to carry special weapons, like a single indigenous Ke-Go 110 heat-seeking guided bomb under the belly, or, alternatively, a copy of the German Bv 246 "Hagelkorn" gliding bomb, which had been delivered to Japan in 1944 for tests and adopted for production. To allow more space under the fuselage while carrying these bombs on the ground, some of these aircraft had a longer tail wheel strut fitted. Additionally, tests were made with a torpedo on the centerline hardpoint. It is uncertain if these weapons were actually used in combat, though.
J10F2
The only variant that was developed so far that it entered service, incorporating many detail modifications and improvements. These included thicker armored glass in the cabin's windshield (from 5.5 cm/2.2” to 7.6cm/3”) and extra armor plating behind the pilot's seat. The wing skinning was thickened in localized areas to allow for a further increase in dive speed. A water-methanol engine boost was added, which allowed an engine output of 2.050 hp for short periods, which boosted the top speed to 695 km/h. 52 were produced.
J10F3
High altitude project with a pressurized cabin, a larger wing span of 11.96 m (39 ft 2 in) and a turbo-supercharged MK4R-C Kasei 23c engine, with the turbo-supercharger mounted behind the cockpit (itself made wider). This doubled the altitude at which the engine could produce its rated power, from 15,750ft up to 30,185ft. The J10F3 only carried two 20mm cannons in the wing roots, but had two extra oblique-firing 20mm cannon installed aft of the cockpit for use against high flying American B-29 bombers (much like the German "Schräge Musik" installments). Two prototypes were completed in June 1945, but the turbo-supercharger proved troublesome, and no further aircraft of this type were produced.
From late 1944 on, the J10F1 was quickly thrown into service and became a nasty surprise for Allied aircraft. The modified Focke Wulf design proved to be agile, fast and much tougher than earlier Japanese fighters, coupled with a relatively heavy armament. Beyond interception duties, the J10F1 was frequently employed in close support and anti-shipping tasks, since its low level handling and ordnance load was excellent.
Its only drawback was - as with the original Fw 190 - that performance dropped at heights above 6.000m. This should not have posed a problem with the J2M, but that type's delay left the Allied high-altitude bomber attacks relatively unharmed, so that the J10F3 version was hastily developed, but failed to realize. In Germany, the similar situation resulted in the Fw 190 D-9 variant and finally in the superb Ta-152.
J10F1General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 9.29 m (30 ft 6¾ in)
Wingspan:10.51 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.95 m (12 ft 12 in)
Wing area:18.30 m² (196.99 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,490 kg (7,694 lb)
Max. take-off weight: 4,840 kg (10,670 lb)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 656 km/h (408 mph) at 19,420 ft (5,920 m)
Rate of climb:17 m/s (3,300 ft/min)
Range: 800 km (500 mi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
Engine: 1 Mitsubishi MK4R Kasei 23e radial engine with 1.820hp
Armament:
2 × 13.2 mm Type 3 machine guns, 300 rpg, in the nose
4 × 20 mm two Type 99 Model 2 cannons, 200 rpg, two in the wing roots, two outside of the landing gear.
Three hardpoints, one under the fuselage (max. 500 kg/1.102 lb) and one under each wing for 250 kg/550 lb each for bombs or fuel tanks. Total external ordnance load of 1.000kg (2.205 lb).
The kit and its assembly
The 'Japanese Fw 190' is a popular what-if topic, so I wanted to add my interpretation to the plethora of whifs and replicas of the real test machine. Actually, a clean Fw 190 looks pretty Japanese with its radial engine and sleek lines. When I recently came across a similar build at britmodelers.com, I thought that painting a Fw 190 green/grey and putting some Hinomarus on is logical and simple, but there's more in the subject than just cosmetics. I wanted a bit more... And while the concept remained simple, I had enough ideas and spare parts for a twin combo! In the end, the J10F was built as a pure interceptor and as a 'special purpose' night strike aircraft.
Basically, my limiting design idea for the J10F's design was the idea that Japan would not have received the Fw 190’s original BMW 801 radial engine, so that an alternative powerplant had to be fitted. I had hoped that this would have set the 'new' plane outwardly a bit apart from its German ancestor, and also make you look twice because the result would not be a 1:1 "Japanized" Fw 190 A/F. I tried, but I suppose that the effect is not as 'powerful' as intended – but judge for yourself?
The basic kits for both conversions come from Hobby Boss. It is a simple and clean kit, but with very good fit and engraved details. In an attempt to change the plane's look a little, I tried to transplant other engines - radials, too. Donation parts for both kits come from an Italeri Ju 188, which features two pairs of engines. The radials I used are actually BMW 801’s, too, but they lack the typical cooling fan and the cowlings are 3-4mm longer because they'd carry the engine mountings on the Ju 188's wings. Actually, the fuselage is minimal longer now, maybe 4-5mm, but the shape is still very close to the original Fw 190, so I think that this mod hardly is recognizable at all?
The change was a bit tricky, due to the massive fuselage of the Hobby Boss kit, but it worked. The new cowlings received new cooling louvres and exhaust pipes. New, four-bladed propellers were added, scratch-built from leftover Mosquito NF.30 propellers from the Airfix kit and drop tank front halves.
Otherwise, though, not much was changed, the two kits just differ in equipment details and received Matchbox pilot figures in order to cover up the bleak and very deep cockpit.
The interceptor:
As an interceptor I left the plane clean, without external ordnance. I wanted to emphasize its elegant look, which makes it look like a Ki-43 on casual glance, or even an A6M. The plane carries the normal gun armament (from a Fw 190 A-8), this is supposed to be the original/standard J10F mentioned above.
The night attacker:
The J10F1-G variant saw more modifications, including a new exhaust system with flame dampers built from scratch. Other special equipment comprises an IR sight in front of the canopy, flare protectors, the fuselage hardpoint and the scratch-built Ke-Go 110 bomb. In order to cover the deleted gun access panels under the wings, I added streamlined bomb shackles for two Japanese 60kg bombs each, donated from a Matchbox Ju 87 kit.
About the Ke-Go bomb
This bomb, which looks like a penguin, is a fantasy derivate of a real Japanese development series until summer 1945. In a nutshell, the Ke-Go bomb actually was one of the first “fire and forget” weapons I have heard of. With the guidance of a bolometer seeker and a self-correcting steering mechanism, the bomb would (only) be useable against strong and clear heat sources – a ship’s kettle at night, when surrounding heat level was low, would qualify, and the bomb would be guided by deviation and correction from that heat source - if it locked on correctly, though! My Ke-Go 110 is a smaller version of the original Ke-Go bombs, suitable for lighter planes.
Painting
Being an IJN plane, paint scheme choices for the J10F were rather limited - and since it is a whif plane I stuck to my policy that I rather use a simple/subtle paint scheme.
The interceptor:
For the clean and rather conservative interceptor I settled for a simple IJN Green/Gray livery (N. 2 ‘Aomidori-iro’, a bluish, very dark green and N.10 ‘Hairyokushoku’, respectively), with Testors 2116 and 2117 as basic tones. Yellow wing leading edges were added, cut from an aftermarket decal sheet. As a design twist I painted the engine cowling black, A6M-style. The propeller spinner was painted in red brown (typical Japanese WWII primer color), with an orange tip, matching the arrow symbol decal on the tail fin. The propeller blades were painted with Testor’s ‘Rubber’, #1183.
A slightly worn look was achieved through a light wash with black ink and some dry painting with paler shades of Green (Humbrol 91 and 185) and Aluminum, plus light exhaust marks and gun smoke residues with flat black. Some bare metal spots were added, which also highlight some details and add to the worn look.
All decals for the green fighter come from a Hobby Boss A6M, only the arrows come from the Hobby Boss He 162. Finally, everything was sealed under a semi-matte varnish, for a light shine to the surface – typical IJN machines appear to be rather shiny?
The night attacker:
This variant received a more fantastic and stealthy paint scheme - I wanted to set the plane apart from the clean and shiny interceptor: a grunty, desperate strike aircraft against overwhelming sea forces.
AFAIK, there had not been specific nocturnal cammo schemes at the IJNAS, except for all-green aircraft? A bit boring, I thought, esp. with a typical green/gray sister plane.
So I made up a personal variant: In a first step, upper surfaces were painted in a brownish-grey basic tone, AFAIK called ‘Ameiro’ – it is the color which was used on early Zeroes which were based on carriers, and the tone faded quickly to a light gray. This color is very similar to RAL 7014 ‘Fenstergrau’ and reminds of B.S. ‘Hemp’. I improvised it with a mix of Humbrol 141 (60%), 83 (35%) and a bit of 155 (5%). On top of that a dense array of dark green blotches (Humbrol 185, Chrome Green, at first, and later also with Humbrol 116 for more contrast) was applied, breaking up the plane’s lines and covering the light gray tone almost completely.
Undersides originally sported ‘Ameiro’, too, but they were painted as if they had been covered with a very dark gray tone in the field (Humbrol 67), even leaving out the hinomarus and flaking off everywhere. The black engine cowling was retained.
Hinomaru and squadron emblems come from the same Mitsubishi A6M from Hobby Boss as mentioned above, featuring even less markings. As a side note: I have never seen Hinomaru with a black(!) rim before? I am not certain if this is correct or an authentic modification - it matches the night fighter role perfectly, though. This time I chose a matte varnish, except for the cowling which received some streaks with more shiny semi-matte varnish.
In both cases, cockpit interior surfaces and landing gear wells were painted in ‘Aodake Iro’, simulated with a base of Aluminium (Humbrol 56) and a coat of translucent blue lacquer on top.
All in all, these pair of rather simple model kit was built in a couple of days, taking the pictures and waiting for good light took almost the same time! I am not 100% happy, because the engine mod is not as obvious as I expected, even though the four-bladed prop and the slightly elongated fuselage give the J10F a menacing and fast look, like a “Baby Tempest”.
The Buffalo was one of the first U.S. monoplanes with an arrestor hook and other modifications for aircraft carriers. It won a competition against the Grumman F4F Wildcat in 1939 to become the U.S. Navy's first monoplane fighter aircraft.
(Source : Wikipedia)
A C-130J Super Hercules prepares to drop a container deployment system during a flying training deployment July 16, 2013, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. FTD Thracian Summer is an opportunity for American and Bulgarian forces to train together and learn how each other perform their mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Trevor Rhynes)
Another shot courtesy of Flickr user m20wc51, taken in Korea in 1968-69 by Specialist Mueller. I don't quite know what we're seeing here, but other photos in the series seem to imply that five or six soldiers were brought by bus to this event, and Mueller thought it worth while to get shots of individual soldiers dismounting from the bus, followed by a group of shot of them lining up for whatever it was. One other shot appears to show them at tables enjoying a meal with the ladies. Note that the skin colour of the lady's legs is darker than her arms because she is probably wearing that new-fangled invention pantyhose. She also has a note-book and a pen, so she may be one of the organizers of this event, whatever it is.
The yellow plate on the bus tells us it is from Seoul area, and between the lights, two hanja (Chinese) characters and the hangeul characters to make an English word – 'beu-suh", that is, "bus."
Original shot can be found here for purposes of comparison. The shot was clean and only required minor detailing. Film stock unknown, but like a number of Mueller's shots, it fades down to emphasize the yellows and purples, with the blues tending to suffer.
I haven't uploaded this image on account of any photographic merit, but simply as a first attempt at photo stitching. For some reason I have struggled to find some software to carry out this task. It would seem that at long last I might have unlocked the "Photoshop Elements" process. This particular view comprises two shots taken last week of Terry approaching the summit of Base Brown. They weren't taken in readiness for stitching, it was just a coincidence that they were compatible. Fingers crossed next time on the hills I can shoot something a little more noteworthy.
"That's it?"
"Fort Zhukov, mates. Used to be a shining example of soviet imperialism."
AP: "Now it's a rats nest."
RH: "Most are, Patton."
AP: "This ain't your first deactivated soviet base?"
RH "Not my first military base if that's what your asking."
"Stay focused, ya bellends."
"Y'know, it's not as big as I though it'd be. Doesn't look like a military base. More like a prison...."
RH: "....most are."
AP: "There's only one gate and the walls are pretty tall. Not to mention the concrete's gotta be thick."
"May look impregnable, but this ol' Fort ain't ran by the commies no more. Just raggered locals walkin' around in night gowns."
"Still, breaking in is gonna be all kinds of a pain in the dick. Destroying it is just another layer of hell."
AP: "You brought the Sky Slayer along, right? It's got airstrike capabilities. Though honestly I'd rather have an A-10..."
RH: "Plus we left it at an airbase in Laitava. Stealth chopper or not it goes over the border and they'll probably catch wind that the sky's gonna be on fire soon."
AP: "The Sky Slayer's stealth VS whatever decades-old radar this place has? You shitting me?"
RH: "Kinyetz loves his tech. He's probably got modern radar, and the stuff the Chinese and Russians got now make's all of Uncle Sam's jets just another waste of taxpayer money."
AP: "Yeah, lower frequency stuff. Shit, Sky Slayer's set up like modern jets, only higher frequency radars."
"Does it matter? Sky Slayer's pretty much immune to missiles."
"Lookit all them SAMs, lad. All the gizmos on your chopper might not do that much it all that's comin' at ya at once."
AP: "He's right. Sky Slayer can deal with a couple SAM's and another aircraft but all that down there? Too much to handle, one's gonna get through."
RH: "Well, this base was made in the like the 80s, can't all be analogue down there. Gotta be able to hack into those SAMs and shut them down remotely. Hell, self destruct could be possible."
"The more shit that blows up the better. Those fuel silos will definitely be the first to go when we bust in."
"Alot of lights on the walls, though. Can't get them by surprise if they see us a mile out."
AP: "Like eyepatch said, can't all be analogue. Maybe we can just disable everything remotely and kick the place into the dark ages."
RH: "Biggest problem is I don't have a single idea how to do that."
"Gon' be honest with you blokes, don't think we have enough soldiers on our team for this, anyway. May not look big but I see alot o' wankers in rags down there carrying all kinds of Kalashnikovs. Some are new, shiny AK-12s...."
"Maybe the Wymarcie military can help us?"
RH: "Yeah, good luck with that. Most outdated, unmotivated armed forces on the entire damned planet on our side backing us up against these animals. Hell, Kinyetz probably has them under his thumb."
"The kid in the village wasn't. All we need to do is boost their morale ourselves. But how....."
AP: "Well, I see a place I can help out from. That radio mast about half a mile out to the northwest would be a pretty good sniping spot."
'Sniping from a radio tower?"
AP: "I can do it!"
RH: "Anybody notice that hatch by the west wall?...."
"Look, we got a fuckload of stuff on our plates as is. Let's just go home and try to figure things out. Most importantly how to turn the everything off on this place."
"Sounds like a plan."
AP: "Break!"
RH: "Wonder what's in there...."
Mama 645, Ilford HP5 Film
Image ©Philip Krayna, BoxxCarr, all rights reserved. This image is not in the public domain. Please contact me for permission to download, license, reproduce, or otherwise use this image, or to just say "hello". I value your input and comments. See more at www.boxxcarr.com.
NAVAL BASE GUAM (May 1, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), who have tested negative twice for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, arrive pierside and prepare to return to the ship following completion of their off-ship quarantine. Sailors from Theodore Roosevelt were moved to locations on Naval Base Guam and local hotels in an effort to implement an aggressive mitigation strategy to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of the Sailors. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Carpenter)
I hadn't really planned on train chasing, but Mike phoned me to say what he was doing, so I thought what the heck, I may as well do the same. Rolling cautiously into Watco's base at Warwick, the train will stop here for an hour while the locos are refuelled.
Lomo LC-A with Kodak Ektar 100 film.
After a hard day exploring it is always good to return to a cozy, comfortable campsite.
Atlantic Ocean in the distance.
Riis Park, Fort Tilden, Rockaway, Queens, NY.
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (Aug. 16, 2021) - A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II pilot performs pre-flight checks ahead of a flying mission Aug. 16, 2021, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The flying mission, part of Eielson AFB’s Red Flag exercise, gave pilots the opportunity to test and refine aerial tactics. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christian Conrad) 210816-F-VG042-1078
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www.instagram.com/indopacom | www.flickr.com/photos/us-pacific-command; | www.youtube.com/user/USPacificCommand | www.pacom.mil/ **
Thats our way to get a well presentation for our minfigures.
There is a standard base for one minfigure wich can be connected with another one. Two bases are connected by the legs of a minifigure in the retral line. So you get two lines of minfigures with a great view of all of them.
More information and pics up: THE BRICK TIME
Be sure to visit the BrickLink-Shop: THE BRICK TIME - Store
- www.kevin-palmer.com - Many colorful wildflowers were blooming at the start of the Heart Mountain Trail. From here it was 4 miles to the summit.