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Welcome to the Moon Base Outpost! This is the 4th in my "Rainbow Outposts" series (1st: Castle (Red), 2nd: Pirates (Blue), 3rd: Western (Orange)). Green may not be the most traditional color for classic space, but I had already used red and blue, and felt that out of all "classic" themes space was the best fit for this color. I had 2 goals with this model: to include as much NPU as possible and really embrace the whole "green" theme with some green technology. Look at all sides of the model and you'll find some neat details, such as an authentic (albeit cut and taped) LEGO bag to form the greenhouse, a functional LEGO education solar panel, a brick separator and real motor built into the walls, a huge radar dish and communications tower, and even an alien autopsy.
NAVAL BASE GUAM (May 14, 2020) Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Carlo Sunga, from Ontario, Calif., operates a forklift in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt's COVID-negative crew returned from quarantine beginning on April 29 and is making preparations to return to sea to continue their scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Pyoung K. Yi)
Ventilation hole in the ceiling of the emergency stopping point in the eastern tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. This is a part of the Sedrun multifunction station. This stations house ventilation equipment and technical infrastructure and serve as emergency stops and evacuation routes in the other tube.
800 m (2,625 ft) below Sedrun.
Gotthard-Basistunnel
Lüftungsloch in der Decke der Nothaltestelle in der Oströhre des Gotthard-Basistunnels. Sie ist Teil der Multifunktionsstelle Sedrun. Diese Multifunktionsstellen beherbergen Tunnelbelüftung und technische Installationen und dienen als Nothaltestellen und Evakuationsrouten in die andere Röhre.
800m unter Sedrun.
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (Mar. 18, 2016) - F-15 Eagles from Kadena's 44th Fighter Squadron taxi down the runway. Members of the 44th FS participated in training to demonstrate Kadena's air superiority and wartime readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Lynette M. Rolen) 160318-F-DD647-068
** Interested in following U.S. Pacific Command? Engage and connect with us at www.facebook.com/pacific.command and twitter.com/PacificCommand and www.pacom.mil/
+++ 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:
Due to increasing tensions in Europe which led to World War 2, AVRO Aircraft started developing combat aircraft, and as a subsidiary of Hawker, they had access to the Hurricane plans. At the time that the Hurricane was developed, RAF Fighter Command consisted of just 13 squadrons, each equipped with either the Hawker Fury, Hawker Demon, or the Bristol Bulldog – all of them biplanes with fixed-pitch wooden propellers and non-retractable undercarriages. After the Hurricane's first flight, Avro started working on a more refined and lighter aircraft, resulting in a similar if not higher top speed and improved maneuverability.
The result was Avro’s project 675, also known as the "Swallow". The aircraft was a very modern and lightweight all-metal construction, its profile resembled the Hawker Hurricane but its overall dimensions were smaller, the Swallow appeared more squatted and streamlined, almost like a race version. The wings were much thinner, too, and their shape reminded of the Supermarine Spitfire’s famous oval wings. Unlike the Spitfire, though, the Swallow’s main landing gear had a wide track and retracted inwards. The tail wheel was semi-retractable on the prototype, but it was replaced by a simpler, fixed tail wheel on production models.
The Swallow made its first flight on 30th December 1937 and the Royal Air Force was so impressed by its performance against the Hurricane that they ordered production to start immediately, after a few minor tweaks to certain parts of the aircraft had been made.
On 25 July 1939, the RAF accepted their first delivery of Avro Swallow Mk. Is. The first machines were allocated to No.1 Squadron, at the time based in France, where they were used in parallel to the Hurricanes for evaluation. These early machines were powered by a 1.030 hp (770 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk II liquid-cooled V-12, driving a wooden two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller. The light aircraft achieved an impressive top speed of 347 mph (301 kn, 558 km/h) in level flight – the bigger and heavier Hurricane achieved only 314 mph (506 km/h) with a similar engine. Like the Hurricane, the Swallow was armed with eight unsynchronized 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in the outer wings, outside of the propeller disc.
In spring 1940, Avro upgraded the serial production Swallow Mk.I's to Mk.IA standard: the original wooden propeller was replaced by a de Havilland or Rotol constant speed metal propeller with three blades, which considerably improved performance. Many aircraft were retrofitted with this update in the field workshops in the summer of 1940.
In parallel, production switched to the Swallow Mk. II: This new version, which reached the frontline units in July 1940, received an uprated engine, the improved Rolls-Royce Merlin III, which could deliver up to 1,310 hp (977 kW) with 100 octane fuel and +12 psi boost. With the standard 87 Octane fuel, engine performance did not improve much beyond the Merlin II's figures, though. A redesigned, more streamlined radiator bath was mounted, too, and altogether these measures boosted the Swallow’s top speed to 371 mph (597 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,096 m). This was a considerable improvement; as a benchmark, the contemporary Hurricane II achieved only 340 mph (547 km/h).
However, several fundamental weak points of the Swallow remained unsolved: its limited range could not be boosted beyond 300 miles (500 km) and the light machine gun armament remained unchanged, because the Swallow’s thin wings hardly offered more space for heavier weapons or useful external stores like drop tanks. Despite these shortcomings, the pilots loved their agile fighter, who described the Swallow as an updated Hawker Fury biplane fighter and less as a direct competitor to the Hurricane.
Being a very agile aircraft, the Swallow Mk. II became the basis for a photo reconnaissance version, too, the PR Mk. II. This was not a true production variant of the Swallow, though, but rather the result of field modifications in the MTO where fast recce aircraft were direly needed. The RAF Service Depot at Heliopolis in Egypt had already converted several Hurricanes Is for photo reconnaissance duties in January 1941, and a similar equipment update was developed for the nimble Swallow, too, despite its limited range.
The first five Swallow Mk. IIs were modified in March 1941 and the machines were outfitted with a pair of F24 cameras with 8-inch focal length lenses in the lower rear fuselage, outwardly recognizable through a shallow ventral fairing behind the cooler. Some PR Mk. IIs (but not all of them) were also outfitted with dust filters, esp. those machines that were slated to operate in Palestine and Northern Africa. For night operations some PR Mk. IIs also received flame dampers (which markedly reduced the engine’s performance and were quickly removed again) or simpler glare shields above the exhaust stacks.
The machines quickly proved their worth in both day and night reconnaissance missions in the Eastern Mediterranean theatre of operations, and more field conversions followed. Alternative camera arrangements were developed, too, including one vertical and two oblique F24s with 14-inch focal length lenses. More Swallow Mk. IIs were converted in this manner in Malta during April (six) and in Egypt in October 1941 (four). A final batch, thought to be of 12 aircraft, was converted in late 1941.
Even though the Swallow PR Mk. IIs were initially left armed with the wing-mounted light machine guns, many aircraft lost their guns partly or even fully to lighten them further. Most had their wing tips clipped for better maneuverability at low altitudes, a feature of the Swallow Mk. III fighter that had been introduced in August 1941. Some machines furthermore received light makeshift underwing shackles for photoflash bombs, enabling night photography. These were not standardized, though, a typical field workshop donor were the light bomb shackles from the Westland Lysander army co-operation and liaison aircraft, which the Swallow PR Mk. IIs partly replaced. These allowed a total of four 20 lb (9.1 kg) bombs or flash bombs for night photography to be carried and released individually through retrofitted manual cable pulls. The mechanisms were simply mounted into the former machine gun bays and the pilot could release the flash bombs sequentially through the former gun trigger.
For duties closer to the front lines a small number of Swallow PR Mk. IIs were further converted to Tactical Reconnaissance (Tac R) aircraft. An additional radio was fitted for liaison with ground forces who were better placed to direct the aircraft, and the number of cameras was reduced to compensate for the gain of weight.
However, by 1942, the Swallow had already reached its limited development potential and became quickly outdated in almost any aspect. Since the Supermarine Spitfire had in the meantime been successfully introduced and promised a much bigger development potential, production of the Avro Swallow already ceased in late 1942 after 435 aircraft had been built. Around the same time, the Swallows were quickly phased out from front-line service, too. Several machines were retained as trainers, messenger aircraft or instructional airframes. 20 late production Mk. IIs were sold to the Irish Air Corps, and a further 50 aircraft were sent to Canada as advanced fighter trainers, where they served until the end of the hostilities in 1945.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 28 ft 1 in (8.57 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 7 in (10.25 m)
Height: 8 ft 6 in (2.60 m)
Wing area: 153 ft² (16.40 m²)
Empty weight: 3,722 lb (1,720 kg)
Gross weight: 5,100 lb (2,315 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Merlin III liquid-cooled V-12, rated at 1,310 hp (977 kW) at 9,000 ft (2,700 m)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 381 mph (614 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
Range: 360 miles (580 km)
Service ceiling: 36,000 ft (10,970 m)
Rate of climb: 2,780 ft/min (14.1 m/s)
Wing loading: 29.8 lb/ft² (121.9 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)
Armament:
No internal guns
2x underwing hardpoints for a pair of 19-pound (8.6 kg) photoflash bombs each
The kit and its assembly:
This is the third incarnation of a whif that I have built some time ago for a Battle of Britain Group Build at whatifmodellers.com. This fictional machine – or better: its model – is based on a profile drawing conceived by fellow forum member nighthunter: an Avia B.135, outfitted with a Merlin engine, a ventral radiator in the style of a Hawker Hurricane, and with RAF markings. It was IIRC a nameless design, so that I created my own for it: the Avro 675 Swallow, inspired by the bird's slender wing and body that somehow resonates in the clean B.35 lines (at least for me).
I’ve already built two of these fictional aircraft as early WWII RAF fighters, but there was still potential in the basic concept – primarily as a canvas for the unusual livery (see below). The basis became, once again, the vintage KP Models B.35 fighter with a fixed landing gear. It’s a sleek and pretty aircraft, but the kit’s quality is rather so-so (the molds date back to 1974). Details are quite good, though, especially on the exterior, you get a mix of engraved and raised surface details. But the kit’s fit is mediocre at best, there is lots of flash and the interior is quite bleak. But, with some effort, things can be mended.
Many donation parts for the Swallow, beyond the Merlin engine, propeller and (underwing) radiator, and pitot, were taken in this case from a Revell 1:72 Spitfire Mk. V. Inside of the cockpit I used more Spitfire donor material, namely the floor, dashboard, seat and rear bulkhead/headrest with a radio set. The blurry, single-piece canopy was cut into three pieces for optional open display on the ground, but this was not a smart move since the material turned out to be very thin and, even worse, brittle – cracks were the unfortunate result.
New landing gear wells had to be carved out of the massive lower wing halves. Since the original drawn Swallow profile did not indicate the intended landing gear design, I went for an inward-retracting solution, using parts from the Spitfire and just mounted them these “the other way around”. Due to the oil cooler in one of the wing roots, though, the stance ended up a little wide, but it’s acceptable and I stuck to this solution as I already used it on former Swallow builds, too. But now I know why the real-world B.135 prototype had its landing gear retract outwards – it makes more sense from an engineering point of view.
The Merlin fitted very well onto the B.35 fuselage, diameter and shape are a very good match, even though there’s a small gap to bridge – but that’s nothing that could not be mended with a bit of 2C putty and PSR. A styrene tube inside of the donor engine holds a styrene pipe for a long metal axis with the propeller, so that it can spin freely. The large chin fairing for a dust filter is a transplant from an AZ Models Spitfire, it helps hide the ventral engine/fuselage intersection and adds another small twist to this fictional aircraft. From the same source came the exhaust stacks, Revell’s OOB parts are less detailed and featured sinkholes, even though the latter would later hardly be recognizable.
With the dust filter the Swallow now looks really ugly in a side view, it has something P-40E-ish about it, and the additional bulge behind the radiator for the cameras (certainly not the best place, but the PR Hurricanes had a similar arrangement) does not make the profile any better!
Further small mods include anti-glare panels above and behind the exhaust stacks (simple 0.5 mm styrene sheet), and the small underwing flash bombs were scratched from styrene profile material.
Painting and markings:
The livery was the true motivation to build this model, as a canvas to try it out: Long ago I came across a very interesting Hawker Hurricane camouflage in a dedicated book about this type, a simple all-over scheme in black blue, also known as “Bosun Blue”, together with very limited and toned-down markings. As far as I could find out this livery was used in the Middle East and later in India, too, for nighttime photo reconnaissance missions.
However, defining this color turned out to be very difficult, as I could not find any color picture of such an aircraft. I guess that it was not a defined color, but rather an individual field mix with whatever was at hand – probably roundel blue and black? Therefore, I mixed the obscure Bosun Blue myself, even though this took some sorting out and experiments. I initially considered pure Humbrol 104 (Oxford Blue) but found it to have a rather reddish hue. FS 35042 (USN Sea Blue) was rejected, too, because it was too greenish, even with some black added. I eventually settled on a mix of Humbrol 15 (Midnight Blue) and 33 (Flat Black), which appeared as a good compromise and also as a very dark variant of a cyan-heavy blue tone.
The cockpit interior and the inside of the landing gear wells were painted with RAF cockpit green (Humbrol 78), while the landing gear struts became aluminum (Humbrol 56) – pretty standard.
The decals/markings were puzzled together from various sources. Using a real-world RAF 208 Squadron MTO night photography Hurricane as benchmark I gave the aircraft a light blue individual code letter (decals taken from the Revell Spitfire Mk. V's OOB sheet, which has the letters’ Sky tone totally misprinted!). The spinner was painted in the same tone, mixed individually to match the letter.
Markings were apparently generally very limited on these machines, e. g. they did not carry any unit letter code) and the Type B roundels only on fuselage and upper wings. The latter were improvised, with wacky Type B-esque roundels from a Falkland era Sea Harrier placed on top of RAF roundels with yellow edges. The sources I consulted were uncertain whether these rings were yellow, white, or maybe even some other light color, but I went for yellow as it was the RAF's markings standard. Looks odd, but also pretty cool, esp. with the Type B roundels’ slightly off proportions.
The subdued two-color fin flash on the dark aircraft was/is unusual, too, and following real world practice on some PR Hurricanes I added a thin white edge for better contrast. The small black serial on a white background, as if it was left over from an overpainted former fuselage band, came from a Latvian Sopwith Camel (PrintScale sheet); in RAF service N8187 would have been used during the pre-WWII period and therefore a plausible match for the Swallow, even though it belongs to a batch of RN aircraft (It would probably have been a Fairey Fulmar)..
No black ink washing was applied to the model due to its dark overall color, just the cockpit and the landing gear were treated this way. Some light weathering and panel shading was done all over, and soot stains as well as light grey “heat-bleached” areas due to lean combustion around the exhausts were painted onto the fuselage. Finally, everything was sealed under a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and wire antennae (stretched sprue material) were added.
A simple project, realized in a couple of days – thanks to the experience gathered during former builds of this fictional aircraft. However, the Avro Swallow looked already promising in nighthunter's original profile, almost like a missing link between the sturdy Hurricane and the more glorious Spitfire. The result looks very convincing, and the all-blue livery suits the aircraft well! . At first glance, the Swallow looks like an early Spitfire, but then you notice the different wings, the low canopy and the shorter but deeper tail. You might also think that it was a travestied Yak-3 or LaGG aircraft, but again the details don’t match, it’s a quite subtle creation.
I am amazed how good this thing looks overall, with its elegant, slender wings and the sleek fuselage lines – even though the dust filter and the camera fairing strongly ruin the side profile. Maybe another one will join my RAF Swallow collection someday, this time in Irish Air Corps colors.
c-base spacestation 2014
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Base Zoning Map
of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance
For more information, please contact the Loudoun County Department of Planning & Zoning.
***
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Joint Base Lewis - McChord Military Police, Washington. Check out the homepage for the AJM STUDIOS Northwest Police Department! Visit the Northwest Law Enforcement Association. Visit the Northwest Law Enforcement Association Homepage. 2011.
+++ 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 Grumman Mohawk began as a joint Army-Marine program through the then-Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer), for an observation/attack plane that would outperform the light and vulnerable Cessna L-19 Bird Dog. In June 1956, the Army issued Type Specification TS145, which called for the development and procurement of a two-seat, twin turboprop aircraft designed to operate from small, unimproved fields under all weather conditions. It would be faster, with greater firepower, and heavier armor than the Bird Dog, which had proved very vulnerable during the Korean War.
The Mohawk's mission would include observation, artillery spotting, air control, emergency resupply, naval target spotting, liaison, and radiological monitoring. The Navy specified that the aircraft had to be capable of operating from small "jeep" escort class carriers (CVEs). The DoD selected Grumman Aircraft Corporation's G-134 design as the winner of the competition in 1957. Marine requirements contributed an unusual feature to the design: since the Marines were authorized to operate fixed-wing aircraft in the close air support (CAS) role, the mockup featured underwing pylons for rockets, bombs, and other stores, and this caused a lot of discord. The Air Force did not like the armament capability of the Mohawk and tried to get it removed. On the other side, the Marines did not want the sophisticated sensors the Army wanted, so when their Navy sponsors opted to buy a fleet oil tanker, they eventually dropped from the program altogether. The Army continued with armed Mohawks (and the resulting competence controversy with the Air Force) and also developed cargo pods that could be dropped from underwing hard points to resupply troops in emergencies.
In mid-1961, the first Mohawks to serve with U.S. forces overseas were delivered to the 7th Army at Sandhofen Airfield near Mannheim, Germany. Before its formal acceptance, the camera-carrying AO-1AF was flown on a tour of 29 European airfields to display it to the U.S. Army field commanders and potential European customers. In addition to their Vietnam and European service, SLAR-equipped Mohawks began operational missions in 1963 patrolling the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Germany and France showed early interest in the Mohawk, and two OV-1s were field-tested by both nations over the course of several months. No direct orders resulted, though, but the German Bundesheer (Army) was impressed by the type’s performance and its capability as an observation and reconnaissance platform. Grumman even signed a license production agreement with the French manufacturer Breguet Aviation in exchange for American rights to the Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft, but no production orders followed.
This could have been the end of the OV-1 in Europe, but in 1977 the German government, primarily the interior ministry and its intelligence agency, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), showed interest in a light and agile SIGINT/ELINT platform that could fly surveillance missions along the inner-German border to the GDR and also to Czechoslovakia. Beyond visual reconnaissance with cameras and IR sensors, the aircraft was to be specifically able to identify and locate secret radio stations that were frequently operated by Eastern Block agents (esp. by the GDR) all across Western Germany, but primarily close to the inner-German border due to the clandestine stations’ low power. The Bundeswehr already operated a small ELINT/ECM fleet, consisting of converted HFB 320 ‘Hansa’ business jets, but these were not suited for stealthy and inconspicuous low flight level missions that were envisioned, and they also lacked the ability to fly slowly enough to locate potential “radio nests”.
The pan and the objective were clear, but the ELINT project caused a long and severe political debate concerning the operator of such an aerial platform. Initially, the Bundesheer, who had already tested the OV-1, claimed responsibility, but the interior ministry in the form of the German customs department as well as the German police’s Federal Border Guard, the Bundesgrenzschutz and the Luftwaffe (the proper operator for fixed-wing aircraft within the German armed forces), wrestled for this competence. Internally, the debate and the project ran under the handle “Schimmelreiter” (literally “The Rider on the White Horse”), after a northern German legendary figure, which eventually became the ELINT system’s semi-official name after it had been revealed to the public. After much tossing, in 1979 the decision was made to procure five refurbished U.S. Army OV-1As, tailored to the German needs and – after long internal debates – operate them by the Luftwaffe.
The former American aircraft were hybrids: they still had the OV-1A’s original short wings, but already the OV-1D’s stronger engines and its internal pallet system for interchangeable electronics. The machines received the designation OV-1G (for Germany) and were delivered in early 1980 via ship without any sensors or cameras. These were of Western German origin, developed and fitted locally, tailored to the special border surveillance needs.
The installation and testing of the “Schimmelreiter” ELINT suite lasted until 1982. It was based on a Raytheon TI Systems emitter locator system, but it was locally adapted by AEG-Telefunken to the airframe and the Bundeswehr’s special tasks and needs. The system’s hardware was stowed in the fuselage, its sensor arrays were mounted into a pair of underwing nacelles, which occupied the OV-1’s standard hardpoints, allowing a full 360° coverage. In order to cool the electronics suite and regulate the climate in the internal equipment bays, the OV-1G received a powerful heat exchanger, mounted under a wedge-shaped fairing on the spine in front of the tail – the most obvious difference of this type from its American brethren. The exact specifications of the “Schimmelreiter” ELINT suite remained classified, but special emphasis was placed upon COMINT (Communications Intelligence), a sub-category of signals intelligence that engages in dealing with messages or voice information derived from the interception of foreign communications. Even though the “Schimmelreiter” suite was the OV-1Gs’ primary reconnaissance tool, the whole system could be quickly de-installed for other sensor packs and reconnaissance tasks (even though this never happened), or augmented by single modules, what made upgrades and mission specialization easy. Beyond the ELINT suite, the OV-1G could be outfitted with cameras and other sensors on exchangeable pallets in the fuselage, too. This typically included a panoramic camera in a wedge-shaped ventral fairing, which would visually document the emitter sensors’ recordings.
A special feature of the German OV-1s was the integration of a brand new, NATO-compatible “Link-16” data link system via a MIDS-LVT (Multifunctional Information Distribution System). Even though this later became a standard for military systems, the OV-1G broke the ground for this innovative technology. The MIDS was an advanced command, control, communications, computing and intelligence (C4I) system incorporating high-capacity, jam-resistant, digital communication links for exchange of near real-time tactical information, including both data and voice, among air, ground, and sea elements. Outwardly, the MIDS was only recognizable through a shallow antenna blister behind the cockpit.
Even though the OV-1Gs initially retained their former American uniform olive drab livery upon delivery and outfitting in German service, they soon received a new wraparound camouflage for their dedicated low-level role in green and black (Luftwaffe Norm 83 standard), which was better suited for the European theatre of operations. In Luftwaffe service, the OV-1Gs received the tactical codes 18+01-05 and the small fleet was allocated to the Aufklärungsgeschwader (AG) 51 “Immelmann”, where the machines formed, beyond two squadrons with RF-4E Phantom IIs, an independent 3rd squadron. This small unit was from the start based as a detachment at Lechfeld, located in Bavaria/Southern Germany, instead of AG 51’s home airbase Bremgarten in South-Western Germany, because Lechfeld was closer to the type’s typical theatre of operations along Western Germany’s Eastern borders. Another factor in favor of this different airbase was the fact that Lechfeld was, beyond Tornado IDS fighter bombers, also the home of the Luftwaffe’s seven HFB 320M ECM aircraft, operated by the JaBoG32’s 3rd squadron, so that the local maintenance crews were familiar with complex electronics and aircraft systems, and the base’s security level was appropriate, too.
With the end of the Cold War in 1990, the OV-1Gs role and field of operation gradually shifted further eastwards. With the inner-German Iron Curtain gone, the machines were now frequently operated along the Polish and Czech Republic border, as well as in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, monitoring the radar activities along the coastlines and esp. the activities of Russian Navy ships that operated from Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg. For these missions, the machines were frequently deployed to the “new” air bases Laage and Holzdorf in Eastern Germany.
In American service, the OV-1s were retired from Europe in 1992 and from operational U.S. Army service in 1996. In Germany, the OV-1 was kept in service for a considerably longer time – with little problems, since the OV-1 airframes had relatively few flying hours on their clocks. The Luftwaffe’s service level for the aircraft was high and spare parts remained easy to obtain from the USA, and there were still OV-1 parts in USAF storage in Western German bases.
The German HFB 320M fleet was retired between 1993 and 1994 and, in part, replaced by the Tornado ECR. At the same time AG 51 was dissolved and the OV-1Gs were nominally re-allocated to JaboG 32/3. With this unit the OV-1Gs remained operational until 2010, undergoing constant updates and equipment changes. For instance, the machines received in 1995 a powerful FLIR sensor in a small turret in the aircraft’s nose, which improved the aircraft’s all-weather reconnaissance capabilities and was intended to spot hidden radio posts even under all-weather/night conditions, once their signal was recognized and located. The aircrafts’ radio emitter locator system was updated several times, too, and, as a passive defensive measure against heat-guided air-to-air missiles/MANPADS, an IR jammer was added, extending the fuselage beyond the tail. These machines received the suffix “Phase II”, even though all five aircraft were updated the same way.
Reports that the OV-1Gs were furthermore retrofitted with the avionics to mount and launch AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs under the wing tips for self-defense remained unconfirmed, even more so because no aircraft was ever seen carrying arms – neither the AIM-9 nor anything else. Plans to make the OV-1Gs capable of carrying the Luftwaffe’s AGM-65 Maverick never went beyond the drawing board, either. However, BOZ chaff/flare dispenser pods and Cerberus ECM pods were occasionally seen on the ventral pylons from 1998 onwards.
No OV-1G was lost during the type’s career in Luftwaffe service, and after the end of the airframes’ service life, all five German OV-1Gs were scrapped in 2011. There was, due to worsening budget restraints, no direct successor, even though the maritime surveillance duties were taken over by Dornier Do 228/NGs operated by the German Marineflieger (naval air arm).
General characteristics:
Crew: Two: pilot, observer/systems operator
Length: 44 ft 4 in (13.53 m) overall with FLIR sensor and IR jammer
Wingspan: 42 ft 0 in (12.8 m)
Height: 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Wing area: 330 sq. ft (30.65 m²)
Empty weight: 12,054 lb (5,467 kg)
Loaded weight: 15,544 lb (7,051 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,109 lb (8,214 kg)
Powerplant:
2× Lycoming T53-L-701 turboprops, 1,400 shp (1,044 kW) each
Performance:
Never exceed speed: 450 mph (390 knots, 724 km/h)
Maximum speed: 305 mph (265 knots, 491 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
Cruise speed: 207 mph (180 knots, 334 km/h) (econ cruise)
Stall speed: 84 mph (73 knots, 135 km/h)
Range: 944 mi (820 nmi, 1,520 km) (SLAR mission)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
Rate of climb: 3,450 ft/min (17.5 m/s)
Armament:
A total of eight external hardpoints (two ventral, three under each outer wing)
for external loads; the wing hardpoints were typically occupied with ELINT sensor pods, while the
ventral hardpoints frequently carried 300 l drop tanks to extend loiter time and range;
Typically, no offensive armament was carried, even though bombs or gun/missile pods were possible.
The kit and its assembly:
This build became a submission to the “Reconnaissance” Group Build at whatifmodellers.com in July 2021, and it spins further real-world events. Germany actually tested two OV-1s in the Sixties (by the German Army/Bundesheer, not by the air force), but the type was not procured or operated. The test aircraft carried a glossy, olive drab livery (US standard, I think) with German national markings.
However, having a vintage Hasegawa OV-1A in the stash, I wondered what an operational German OV-1 might have looked like, especially if it had been operated into the Eighties and beyond, in the contemporary Norm 83 paint scheme? This led to this purely fictional OV-1G.
The kit was mostly built OOB, and the building experience was rather so-so – after all, it’s a pretty old mold/boxing (in my case the Hasegawa/Hales kit is from 1978, the mold is from 1968!). Just a few things were modified/added in order to tweak the standard, short-winged OV-1A into something more modern and sophisticated.
When searching for a solution to mount some ELINT sensor arrays, I did not want to copy the OV-1B’s characteristic offset, ventral SLAR fairing. I rather settled for the late RV-1D’s solution with sensor pods under the outer wings. Unfortunately, the OV-1A kit came with the type’s original short wings, so that the pods had to occupy the inner underwing pair of hardpoints. The pods were scratched from square styrene profiles and putty, so that they received a unique look. The Mohawk’s pair of ventral hardpoints were mounted, but – after considering some drop tanks or an ECM pod there - left empty, so that the field of view for the ventral panoramic camera would not be obscured.
Other small additions are some radar warning sensor bumps on the nose, some extra antennae, a shallow bulge for the MIDS antenna on the spine, the FLIR turret on the nose (with parts from an Italeri AH-1 and a Kangnam Yak-38!), and I added a tail stinger for a retrofitted (scratched) IR decoy device, inspired by the American AN/ALG-147. This once was a Matchbox SNEB unguided missile pod.
Painting and markings:
For the intended era, the German Norm 83 paint scheme, which is still in use today on several Luftwaffe types like the Transall, PAH-2 or CH-53, appeared like a natural choice. It’s a tri-color wraparound scheme, consisting of RAL 6003 (Olivgrün), FS 34097 (Forest Green) and RAL 7021 (Teerschwarz). The paints I used are Humbrol 86 (which is supposed to be a WWI version of RAL 6003, it lacks IMHO yellow but has good contrast to the other tones), Humbrol 116 and Revell 9. The pattern itself was adapted from the German Luftwaffe’s Dornier Do 28D “Skyservants” with Norm 83 camouflage, because of the type’s similar outlines.
A black ink washing was applied for light weathering, plus some post-shading of panels with lighter shades of the basic camouflage tones for a more plastic look. The cockpit interior was painted in light grey (Humbrol 167), while the landing gear and the interior of the air brakes became white. The scratched SLAR pods became light grey, with flat di-electric panels in medium grey (created with decal material).
The cockpit interior was painted in a rather light grey (Humbrol 167), the pilots received typical olive drab Luftwaffe overalls, one with a white “bone dome” and the other with a more modern light grey helmet.
The decals were improvised. National markings and tactical codes came from TL Modellbau sheets, the AG 51 emblems were taken from a Hasegawa RF-4E sheet. The black walkways were taken from the Mohak’s OOB sheet, the black de-icer leading edges on wings and tail were created with generic black decal material. Finally, the model was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
An interesting result, and the hybrid paint scheme with the additional desert camouflage really makes the aircraft an unusual sight, adding to its credibility.
If you walk west passing the porters shelter and volleyball court you will have a spectacular view of the monument of the well-known climber Anatoli Boukreev. You have the panoramic view of several peaks-Tharpu Chuli (5663m), Singu Chuli (6501m), Hiunchuli, you can also observe a few birds, thar, Himalayan weasels and pika. O/N at Annapurna Base Camp.
+++ 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 McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic jet fighter which primarily served the United States Air Force (USAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft as a long-range bomber escort (known as a penetration fighter) for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Voodoo was instead developed as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber for the Tactical Air Command (TAC) and later evolved into an all-weather interceptor as well as into a reconnaissance platform.
The Voodoo's career as a fighter-bomber (F-101A and C) was relatively brief, but the reconnaissance fighter versions served for some time. Along with the US Air Force's Lockheed U-2 and US Navy's Vought RF-8 Crusaders, the RF-101 reconnaissance variant of the Voodoo was instrumental during the Cuban Missile Crisis and saw extensive service during the Vietnam War. Beyond original RF-101 single seaters, a number of former F-101A and Cs were, after the Vietnam era, converted into photo reconnaissance aircraft (as RF-101G and H) for the US Air National Guards.
Delays in the 1954 interceptor project (also known as WS-201A, which spawned to the troubled F-102 Delta Dagger) led to demands for an interim interceptor aircraft design, a role that was eventually won by the Voodoo’s B model. This new role required extensive modifications to add a large radar to the nose of the aircraft, a second crewmember to operate it, and a new weapons bay using a unique rotating door that kept its four AIM-4 Falcon missiles (two of them alternatively replaced by unguided AIR-2 Genie nuclear warhead rockets with 1.5 Kt warheads) semi-recessed under the airframe.
The F-101B was first deployed into service on 5 January 1959, and this interceptor variant was produced in greater numbers than the original F-101A and C fighter bombers, with a total of 479 being delivered by the end of production in 1961. Most of these were delivered to the Air Defense Command (ADC), the only foreign customer was Canada from 1961 onwards (as CF-101B), after the cancellation of the CF-105 Arrow program in February 1959. From 1963–66, USAF F-101Bs were upgraded under the Interceptor Improvement Program (IIP; also known as "Project Bold Journey") with a fire control system enhancement against hostile ECM and an infrared sighting and tracking (IRST) system in the nose in place of the Voodoo’s original hose-and drogue in-flight refueling probe.
The F-101B interceptor later became the basis of further Voodoo versions which were intended to improve the tactical reconnaissance equipment of the US Air National Guards. In the early 1970s, a batch of 22 former Canadian CF-101Bs were returned to the US Air Force and, together with some USAF Voodoos, converted into dedicated reconnaissance aircraft, similar to the former RF-101G/H conversion program for the single-seat F-101A/C fighter bombers.
These modified interceptors were the RF-101B and J variants. Both had their radar replaced with a set of three KS-87B cameras (one looking forward and two as a split vertical left/right unit) and a panoramic KA-56 camera, while the former missile bay carried different sensor and avionics packages.
The RF-101Bs were exclusively built from returned Canadian Voodoos. Beyond the photo camera equipment, they featured upgraded navigational equipment in the former weapon bay and a set of two AXQ-2 TV cameras, an innovative technology of the era. A TV viewfinder was fitted to the cockpit and the system was operated effectively from altitudes of 250 ft at 600 knots.
The other re-built reconnaissance version, the RF-101J, was created from twelve former USAF F-101Bs, all of them from the final production year 1961 and with relatively few flying hours. Beyond the KS-87B/KA-56 camera set in the nose, the RF-101J featured a Goodyear AN/APQ-102 SLAR (Side-looking airborne radar) that occupied most of the interceptor’s former rotating internal weapon bay, which also carried a fairing for a heat exchanger. The radar’s conformal antenna array was placed on either side of the lower nose aft of the cameras and allowed to record radar maps from view to each side of the aircraft and pinpoint moving targets like trucks in a swath channel approximately 10 nautical miles (11.5 miles/18 km) wide. To identify potential targets along the flight path for the SLAR and to classify them, the RF-101J furthermore received an AN/AAS-18 Infrared Detecting Set (IRDS). It replaced the F-101B’s IRST in front of the cockpit and was outwardly the most obvious distinguishing detail from the RF-1010B, which lacked this hump in front of the windscreen. The IRDS’ range was almost six miles (9.5 km) and covered the hemisphere in front of the aircraft. With the help of this cryogenically-cooled device the crewman in the rear cockpit could identify through a monitor small heat signatures like hot engines, firing weapons or campfires, even in rough terrain and hidden under trees.
Both new Voodoo recce versions were unarmed and received AN/APR-36 radar homing and warning sensors to nose and tail. They also had an in-flight refueling receptacle re-fitted, even though this was now only compatible with the USAF’s high-speed refueling boom system and was therefore placed in a dorsal position behind the cockpit. Furthermore, both versions received a pair of unplumbed underwing pylons for light loads, e. g. for AN/ALQ-101,-119 or -184 ECM pods, photoflash ejectors for night photography or SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys and chaff dispenser pods.
The RF-101Bs were delivered in 1971 and allocated to the 192d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the Nevada Air National Guard, where they served only through 1975 because their advanced TV camera system turned out to be costly to operate and prone to failures. Their operational value was very limited and most RF-101Bs were therefore rather used as proficiency trainers than for recce missions. As a consequence, they were already phased out from January 1975 on.
The RF-101Js entered service in 1972 and were allocated to the 147th Reconnaissance Wing of the Texas Air National Guard. Unlike the RF-101Bs’ TV cameras, the AN/APQ-102 SLAR turned out to be reliable and more effective. These machines were so valuable that they even underwent some upgrades: By 1977 the front-view camera under the nose had been replaced with an AN/ASQ-145 Low Light Level TV (LLLTV) camera, sensitive to wavelengths above the visible (0.4 to 0.7 micrometer) wavelengths and ranging into the short-wave Infrared (usually to about 1.0 to 1.1 micrometer). The AN/ASQ-145 complemented the IRDS with visual input and was able to amplify the existing light 60,000 times to produce television images as clearly as if it were noon. In 1980, the RF-101Js were furthermore enabled to carry a centerline pod for the gigantic HIAC-1 LOROP (Long Range Oblique Photography) camera, capable of taking high-resolution images of objects 100 miles (160 km) away.
USAF F-101B interceptors were, as more modern and effective interceptors became available (esp. the F-4 Phantom II), handed off to the Air National Guard, where they served in the fighter role until 1982. Canadian CF-101B interceptors remained in service until 1984 and were replaced by the CF-18 Hornet. The last operational Canadian Voodoo, a single EF-101B (nicknamed the “Electric Voodoo”, a CF-101B outfitted with the jamming system of the EB-57E Canberra and painted all-black) was returned to the United States on 7 April 1987. However, the RF-101Js served with the Texas ANG until 1988, effectively being the last operational Voodoos in the world. They were replaced with RF-4Cs.
General characteristics:
Crew: Two
Length: 67 ft 5 in (20.55 m)
Wingspan: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
Height: 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
Wing area: 368 ft² (34.20 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 65A007 mod root, 65A006 mod tip
Empty weight: 28,495 lb (12,925 kg)
Loaded weight: 45,665 lb (20,715 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 52,400 lb (23,770 kg)
Powerplant:
2× Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 afterburning turbojets
with 11,990 lbf (53.3 kN) dry thrust and 16,900 lbf (75.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 1.72, 1,134 mph (1,825 km/h) at 35,000 ft (10,500 m)
Range: 1,520 mi (2,450 km)
Service ceiling: 54,800 ft (17,800 m)
Rate of climb: 36,500 ft/min (185 m/s)
Wing loading: 124 lb/ft² (607 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.74
Armament:
None, but two 450 US gal (370 imp gal; 1,700 l) drop-tanks were frequently carried on ventral
hardpoints; alternatively, a central hardpoint could take single, large loads like the HIAC-1 LOROP
camera pod.
A pair of retrofitted underwing hardpoints could carry light loads like ECM jammer pods,
flare/chaff dispensers or photoflash ejectors
The kit and its assembly:
This is another project that I had on my agenda for a long while. It originally started with pictures of an RF-101H gate guard in Louisville at Standiford Field International from around 1987-1991:
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/6/2/9/1351926.jpg?...
www.aerialvisuals.ca/Airframe/Gallery/0/41/0000041339.jpg
This preserved machine wore a rather unusual (for a Voodoo) ‘Hill’ low-viz scheme with toned-down markings, quite similar to the late USAF F-4 Phantom IIs of the early Eighties. The big aircraft looked quite good in this simple livery, and I kept the idea of a Hill scheme Voodoo in the back of my mind for some years until I recently had the opportunity to buy a cheap Matchbox Voodoo w/o box and decals. With its optional (and unique) RF-101B parts I decided to take the Hill Voodoo idea to the hardware stage and create another submission to the “Reconnaissance and Surveillance” group build at whatifmodellers.com around July 2021: an ANG recce conversion of a former two-seat interceptor, using the RF-101B as benchmark but with a different suite of sensors.
However, the Matchbox Voodoo kit is rather mediocre, and in a rather ambitious mood I decided to “upgrade” the project with a Revell F-101B as the model’s basis. This kit is from 1991 and a MUCH better and finely detailed model than the rather simple Matchbox kit from the early Eighties. In fact, the Revell F-101B is actually a scaled-down version of Monogram’s 1:48 F-101B model kit from 1985, with many delicate details. But while this downscaling practice has produced some very nice 1:72 models like the F-105D or the F-4D, the scaling effect caused IMHO in this case a couple of problems. Revell's assembly instructions for the 1:72 kit are not good, either. While the step-by-step documentation is basically good, some sketches are so cluttered that you cannot tell where parts in the cockpit or on the landing gear are actually intended to be placed and how. This is made worse by the fact that there are no suitable markings on the parts – you are left to guessing.
Worse, there is a massive construction error: the way the wings section is to be assembled and mounted to the hull is impossible! The upper wing halves have locator pins for the fuselage, but they are supposed to be glued to the lower wing half (which also encompasses the aircraft's belly) and the mounted to the hull. The locator pins make this impossible, unless you bend the lower wing section to a point where it might warp or break, or you just cut the pins off - and live with some instability. Technically the upper wing halves have to be mounted to the fuselage before you glue the lower wing section to them, but I am not certain if this would work well because you also have to assemble the air intakes at the same time “from behind”, which is only feasible when the wings have already been completed but still left away from the fuselage. It’s a nonsense construction! I cannot remember when I came across a kit the last time with such an inherent design flaw?
Except for the transplanted RF-101B nose section, which did not fit well because the Matchbox Voodoo apparently has a more slender nose, the Revell kit was built mostly OOB. However, this is already a challenge in itself because of the kit’s inherent flaws (see above), its complex construction and an unorthodox assembly sequence, due to many separate internal modules including the cockpit tub, a separate (fully detailed) front landing gear well, a rotating weapon bay, air intakes with complete ducts, and the wing section. A fiddly affair.
Only a few further changes beyond the characteristic camera fairing under the radome were made. The rotating weapon bay was faired-over with the original weapon pallet, just fixing it into place and using putty to blend it into the belly. The small underwing pylons (an upgrade that actually happened to some late Voodoos) were taken from a vintage Revell F-16. The SLAR antenna fairings along the cockpit flanks were created with 0.5mm styrene sheet and some PSR. They are a little too obvious/protruding, but for a retrofitted solution I find the result acceptable. The drop tanks came from the Revell kit, the underwing ordnance consists of an ALQ-119 ECM pod from a Hasegawa aftermarket set and a SUU-42 dispenser, scratched from a Starfighter ventral drop tank, bomb fins and the back of a Soviet unguided missile launcher.
Painting and markings:
Very simple and basic. While I originally wanted to adopt the simple two-tone ‘Hill’ scheme from the gate guard for my fictional Voodoo, I eventually settled for the very similar but slightly more sophisticated ‘Egypt One’ scheme that was introduced with the first F-16s – it just works better on the F-101’s surfaces. This scheme uses three grey tones: FS 36118 (Gunship Gray, ModelMaster 1723) for the upper wing surfaces, the “saddle” on the fuselage and the canopy area with an anti-glare panel, FS 36270 (Medium Grey, Humbrol 126) on the fin and the fuselage area in front of the wing roots, and FS 36375 (Light Ghost Grey, Humbrol 127) for all lower surfaces, all blended into each other with straight but slightly blurred edges (created with a soft, flat brush). The radome and the conformal antennae on the flanks became Revell 47 for a consistent grey-in-grey look, but with a slightly different shade. The model received an overall black ink washing and some post panel shading, so that the large grey areas would not look too uniform.
As an updated USAF aircraft I changed the color of the landing gear wells’ interior from green zinc chromate primer to more modern, uniform white, even though the red inside of the covers was retained. The interior of the flaps (a nice OOB option of Revell’s kit) and the air brakes became bright red, too.
The cockpit retained its standard medium grey (Humbrol 140, Dark Gull Grey) interior and I used the instrument decals from the kit – even though these did not fit well onto the 3D dashboards and side consoles. WTF? Decal softener came to the rescue. The exhaust area was painted with Revell 91 (Iron) and Humbrol’s Steel Metallizer (27003), later treated with graphite for a dirty, metallic shine.
Markings/decals primarily come from a 1:72 Hi-Decal F-4D sheet that contains (among others) several Texas ANG Phantoms from the mid-Eighties. Some stencils were taken over from the original Voodoo sheet, the yellow formation lights had to be procured from a Hasegawa F-4E/J sheet (the Matchbox sheet was lost and the Revell sheet lacks them completely!). The characteristic deep yellow canopy sealant stripes came from a CF-101 sheet from Winter Valley Decals (today part of Canuck Models as CAD 72008). I was lucky to have them left over from another what-if build MANY moons ago, my fictional CF-151 kitbashing.
Everything went on smoothly, but the walkway markings above the air intakes became a problem. I initially used those from the Revell sheet, which are only the outlines so that the camouflage would still be visible. But the decal film, which is an open square, turned out to be so thin that it wrinkled on the curved surface whatever I tried, and what looked like a crisp black outline on the white decal paper turned out to be a translucent dark blue with blurry edges on the kit. I scrapped them while still wet… Enter plan B: Next came the walkway markings from the aforementioned Winter Valley sheet, which were MUCH better, sharper and opaque, but they included the grey walking areas. While the tone looked O.K. on the sheet it turned out to be much too light for the all-grey Voodoo, standing out and totally ruining the low-viz look. With a bleeding heart I eventually ripped them off of the model with the help of adhesive tape, what left light grey residues. Instead of messing even more with the model I finally decided to embrace this accident and manually added a new black frame to the walkway areas with generic 2mm decal stripe material from TL Modellbau The area now looks rather worn, as if the camouflage had peeled off and light grey primer shows through. An unintentional result, but it looks quite “natural”.
The “Rhino Express” nose art was created with Corel Draw and produced with a simple inkjet printer on clear decal sheet. It was inspired by the “toenail” decoration on the main landing gear covers, a subtle detail I saw IIRC on a late CF-101B and painted onto the model by hand. With its all-grey livery, the rhino theme appeared so appropriate, and the tag on the nose appeared like a natural addition. It’s all not obvious but adds a personal touch to the aircraft.
Finally, after some more exhaust stains had been added to various air outlets around the hull, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, position lights were added with clear paint and the camera windows, which had been created with black decal material, received glossy covers. The IRST sensor was painted with translucent black over a gold base.
Well, while the all-grey USAF livery in itself is quite dull and boring, but I must say that it suits the huge and slender Voodoo well. It emphasizes the aircraft's sleek lines and the Texas ANG fin flash as a colorful counterpoint, as well as the many red interior sections that only show from certain angles, nicely break the adapted low-viz Egypt One livery up. The whole thing looks surprisingly convincing, and the subtle rhino markings add a certain tongue-in-cheek touch.
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea (Dec. 1, 2021) - Lloyd J. Austin III, United States Secretary of Defense, left, is escorted across the flight line by Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) deputy commander, middle left, Col. Joshua Wood, 51st Fighter Wing commander, middle right, and Chief Master Sgt. Justin Apticar, 51st Fighter Wing command chief, right, at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Dec. 1, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Douglas Lorance) 211201-F-QC626-1047
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Iktinos and Kallikrates, Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens, 447 – 432 B.C.E.
Phidias directed the temple's sculptural program
Charlie Base Camp bash 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**********
20230721-19-46-27-05-TC date - 7/21/23 time - 7:46:27 PM
Base of Cypress Tree, Moody Forest Preserve, Appling County, Georgia
Shot using adapted Nikon 180mm F2.8D