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I did this pen and ink as a tribute to Winslow Homer, based on a watercolor he did on a farm in upstate New York where he spent some summers staying with a family--that's one of the sisters who lived on the farm I believe. My Meadow Walk series of drawings featured wildflowers, butterflies, birds and rabbits drawn from a rabbit's eye viewpoint, so I worked Homer's reader into the meadow from that low viewpoint which was fun! Alex
The church standing within the temple portico's 17 metres tall columns are the most visible and attention drawing feature of this structure.
The first version of the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda is believe to date to the 7th Century but it was heavily reworked over the centuries.
The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina (Tempio di Antonino e Faustina) was originally built by the emperor Antoninus Pius and dedicated to his deceased wife, Faustina in 141 AD. After his death, the temple was re-dedicated to both Antoninus and Faustina.
Even in its 'mutated' state, this is the most 'intact' ancient Roman temple in the Forum. The portico columns/façade and cella (inner chamber) are the main surviving elements. The temple's roof was reportedly destroyed during the transformation of the structure into a church. This was one of the last major ancient Roman buildings completed within the Roman Forum archeological area.
The inscription on on the façade above the columns is still visible and reads: "DIVO ANTONINO ET DIVAE FAUSTINAE EX S". A rough translation is 'For the divine Antoninus and the divine Faustina, by order of the Senate '.
Rome; July 2019
Another piece by Manda Lane for the Geelong Women's street art project.
This piece is made up of 77 of Manda's floral drawings, featuring florals native to the Geelong region. Manda enlisted the help of the community to colour them in, running three "Colour Me A Wallflower" sessions where members of the public were invited to join Manda and help colour in a flower. These have then been pasted to this large wall to form this beautiful piece in Lt Malop St.
Gifts | Facebook | Twitter | G+ | Blog | Music | © Ben Heine
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NEW: Prints of the above image now available!
This image is about exploration, shamanism and self-revelation.
My new giant 3D drawing featuring a tiger and an owl in a dense
forest. A quiet tiger, a scary owl and an imprudent artist, maybe
a fun trio. It is part of my "Pencil Vs Camera" series (the concept is
totally reversed in this image, though, the only piece of reality in
the composition being the human model). The 2 animals and the
forest are actually anamorphic sketches drawn on a huge piece
of paper in my studio, no more, no less than optical illusions.
I took the photo (using a tripod and a self timer) and also made the
big sketch (handmade, as usual). View the work in progress at this
link or on my blog to understand how I made it.
UPDATE: It has just been published today! Read and watch this
interview I gave for the Weekly Flickr and for Yahoo Screen. It
is a big honor, thank you!
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For more information about my artwork: info@benheine.com
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Another attempt at drawing. Featuring Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.
Comment below for thoughts!
Some of my drawings featured in Thomas Thorspecken's brand new book URBAN SKECHTING: the complete guide to techniques.
Available an Amazon.
Getting back to drawing
Got inspired to draw a realism version of Emilia from Re:Zero. :) Drawn using ps cc, cintiq 24hd.
Drawing timelapse video found here: youtu.be/7wPfF7VO1xI
One of my drawings featured in TOYLAND by Louis Bou, Monsa. This drawing is a Sketch for Supernenek´s STORMER , by Erregiro
Recent collage/drawing featuring photos of two of my sculptures made with recycled materials.
My blog: 'Narolc's World': www.narolc.blogspot.com
Special 4-for-1 offer on Plaxton President drawings featuring four different types. As I've got all the variable parts as layers on the same master .pdn file this is the best way I could think of presenting them all 'as one' but also allowing for different variants. Uploading all possible combinations would run into the dozens and dozens of Plaxton Presidents, so to avoid that here are the main four and I dare say you could get creative and swap pieces between them (different flaps/vents/upper screen etc) if you needed to.
For all of these I made one Plaxton President drawing and the following things are variable:
Height - full or low height
Length - with or without centre half bay (only full height short)
Upper deck windscreen - single piece or two piece
Windows - gasket or bonded (short full height only bonded)
Filler flaps - square flaps or Stagecoach round fillers
Grille above last l/d side window - well it's either there or it's not
I used the Photo Effects software on the camera to take this picture. Interesting, I am going to try it for street photography in a couple of weeks.
There's 5 of my drawings featured in the current "bauheft" by Schaff publishing company about the Hamburg circular railway. // Im aktuellen "bauheft" des Schaff-Verlags über die Hamburger Ringbahn sind 5 meiner Zeichnungen veröffentlicht.
You can purchase it here: // Hier bestellbar:
Recent, small-scale, collage/drawing featuring (right) a picture of one of my sculptures, which I constructed out of recycled materials including broken toys, computer components, plastic, wood, glass, metal, acrylic paints and PVA medium.
My blog: www.narolc.blogspot.com
A little tablet PC drawing featuring a green freighter...coloring is somewhat unfinished but i like it that way , after all its just a concept ;).
Strangely the green that appears quite kaki-like on the original image appears to be more of a basic , flashy green once on flickr.
More info, Renders, Models and Concept Art on my website: www.renderstorm.fr
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.
After building the Lego blocks and the Lego Dude, I've added some finishing touches: I've given him a baseball cap and a cup of coffee. Then I added two simple textures for his face (in SketchBook Pro, because surprisingly, Photoshop lacks a simple mirror drawing feature), and a T-Shirt.
For the latter I made two versions: a South Beach design from one of my own shirts, and a Plesk design for my friends from plesk.com for the #CheersPlesk campaign.
Some of my drawings featured in Thomas Thorspecken's brand new book URBAN SKECHTING: the complete guide to techniques.
Available an Amazon.
Some of my drawings featured in Thomas Thorspecken's brand new book URBAN SKECHTING: the complete guide to techniques.
Available an Amazon.
13.5" x 17"
This is #5 in a series of drawings featuring the guy I simply call The Phantom. It's inspired by Phantom of the Opera, of course, but it's not a retelling of that story.
my Venice drawings featured in Gabriel Campanario's "The Art of Urban Sketching" (www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592537251/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d...)
The Daily Express Building at 120 Fleet Street, London (now occupied by Goldman Sachs) is one of the finest Art Deco buildings in Britain. It was built in 1932 by Sir Owen Williams and at the time it reflected the fine modern newspaper the Express was - sadly for journalism, that's manifestly no longer the case.
The facade is of black vitrolite (an opaque pigmented glass popular from the 1920s to the 1950s) and clear glass, and it was the only building of its kind in Fleet Street; it's quite rightly Grade II Listed.
In 1945, the newspaper's celebrated cartoonist, Carl Giles, produced a lovely drawing featuring the office. "When you've finished basking in all this reflected glory - one of you boys can slip out and get the Editor's tea." The editor in question was the legendary Arthur Christiansen; the paper's circulation then was more than 3 million. Today, in 2025, it's around 121,000.
"Mid Century Leaf and Shapes Abstract" by Patti Deters. This image is a beautiful and vibrant mid-century abstract drawing featuring an array of bold, geometric shapes with a central focus on a large green leaf shape in the center against a background of light peach or coral, sometimes called salmon. The combination of clean lines and organic shapes gives the piece a retro, mid-century modern feel. With its mid-century modern style and playful energy, it is a dynamic and eye-catching composition that will surely add a pop of color to any room. If you like simple and minimal, please see more artwork at patti-deters.pixels.com/featured/mid-century-leaf-and-sha....
my Stuttgart and car drawings featured in Gabriel Campanario's "The Art of Urban Sketching" (www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592537251/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d...)
I used the Photo Effects software on the camera to take this picture. Interesting, I am going to try it for street photography in a couple of weeks.
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.
Melle - Red Landscape (1952).
---
Biographical sketch
Koos Levy-van Halm
1908-1922, a retrospective
Melle Johannes Oldeboerrigter was born on 27 May 1908 in Wittenburg, a residential neighbourhood adjacent to Amsterdam's eastern harbour area. He was the youngest of three and the only son. His parents, who were forty-three and thirty-seven when Melle was born, had each been through a lot by then. His father, Hendericus Oldeboerrigter, was born on 31 January 1865 in the village of Nijega in Friesland. At age 12, he signed on to work on a sailing vessel and advanced from junior seaman to boatswain. Raised Catholic, he soon became a socialist and was politically active in the seamen's league, an organization that subscribed to the ideals of the social-anarchist Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis.
Melle's mother, Johanna Geertruida de Vries, was a very practical woman. She came from Harlingen, where she was born on 3 July 1870 and was a widow when she married Hendericus. By age thirty she had experienced serious emotional losses, including the deaths of her first husband and two children of tuberculosis. One of her children that died had been called Melle as well. Melle and his sisters Liberta and Henriëtte, four and two years older than him, respectively, were vaguely familiar with this past; their mother stayed in touch with the relatives of her late husband. She rarely spoke about the events, and Melle did not learn what actually happened until 1942. As a young woman, she was sufficiently resilient to cope with her new family life. With her husband at sea, however, she lived in constant fear of another loss and sometimes with good reason, such as during World War I, when the ship on which Hendericus sailed was rumoured to have been sunk by torpedoes. In such crises, she let her children give in to their emotions, and they all wept frequently.
The children were very close. The house where they were born at 32 Derde Wittenburgerdwarsstraat comprised six families on three floors; in their half of the rear third-floor apartment, the family had a room with an alcove and a tiny kitchen. As was customary, the entire family slept in the alcove. The area was separated off the back of the room, containing a large bedstead against the wall on each side, with a curtain serving as a partition down the centre.
The Oostelijke Eilanden [eastern islands] – Wittenburg, Kattenburg and Oostenburg – had only two bridges connecting them to the rest of Amsterdam. The streets of Wittenburg were filled with hastily built nineteenth-century residential construction and the remaining shipyards. Young island dwellers, including Melle, roamed the fields around them or ventured into the city. Melle saw more than most children, thanks to his disposition and upbringing. He enjoyed popular books, such as In sloot en plas by E. Heimans and J.P. Thijsse, which was read by all his family members as well. In an interview published in 1970 in the Algemeen Handelsblad daily, Melle reminisced that he often went to catch sticklebacks and tadpoles with his friends. He explained that he derived this interest from the youth movement and from people such as Thijsse, a vast source of knowledge: 'There are no longer any sticklebacks or frogs... And where will they find an anthill? I drew them all as a small child.'
His talent for drawing did indeed become noticeable early on; he cultivated this skill at home and at school. Still, he did not remember his years in primary school as a happy time. His name was difficult to remember, and being left-handed was another obstacle. At the posh school, as he referred to kindergarten, he had his name pinned on his smock. Melle was an absent-minded child and had a vivid imagination.
In an interview with Ischa Meijer (1972), Melle described his childhood home as poor but cosy. He was especially close to his mother and said that she was very wise. She used to comfort him after his many 'visionary nightmares,' which differed little from the 'waves of images' that 'overwhelmed' him later in life. His mother used her earnings to supplement the wages of her seafaring husband and brought home small treats for her children. Art supplies were always available. Sometimes she gave them little presents. One very special gift was called the book of cats and was by the graphic artist Steinlen. As a young draughtsman, Melle later met and was influenced by the other work of this socially dedicated artist.
Despite his frequent absences, Melle's father had a considerable say about how his children were raised. An ardent socialist, he managed to pass his principles on to his children. All three quickly joined the socialist choir De Jonge Proletaar. In addition to the recreational singing and dancing on Sunday mornings, the children needed to master cantatas with complicated texts. The choir that performed at Domela Nieuwenhuis's seventieth birthday in Amsterdam's Concert Hall in 1916 addressed him as 'Father Nieuwenhuis.' Melle later considered himself fortunate to have been present at the event and described the socialist leader as a Saint Nicholas dressed as a commoner. He believed that experiencing a historical era enriched his life. His father felt the same way and was unable to control his emotions when he described the 1918 sailors' uprising he had witnessed in Kiel, which had led Hamburg to be controlled briefly by a council of workers and soldiers (the Council Republic).
Melle later called himself a socialist by conviction. Unlike his father, he was wary of active confrontations. His depictive ability enabled him to respond in his own, unique way.
1922
Melle is admitted at the graphic school in Amsterdam to learn typesetting at age fourteen. He attends evening classes in drafting and lithography as well. While in school, he joins the anarchist youth movement behind De Moker, een opruiend blad voor jonge arbeiders [an incendiary magazine for young workers]. Known for its typography and radical content, De Moker was published privately. Melle produced several illustrations for the magazine, taking the Belgian artist Frans Masereel as his role model. The group, which opposed the established order, was immensely idealistic. Men and women went camping together, swam nude and abstained from smoking and drinking. The congresses held at rural venues featured lectures by prominent individuals such as Anton Constandse and Bart de Ligt.
A small group advocated a lifestyle without commitments. This appealed to Melle, who longed to travel throughout Europe, singing and playing his guitar. His father warned him against this course, because he objected to the extreme consequence of anarchism and favoured a measure of discipline and social adaptation. Melle complied with his father's request that he complete his training and then look for work. As an adult, Melle concluded that the discipline he needed to become a typographer was the appropriate mindset for becoming a successful painter.
1925
Melle worked for several printers with brief interruptions. One printed the countercultural periodical Zwarte Kat, to which Melle contributed.
In Het Vrije Volk (1975) Melle said the following about this work: 'When I was young I produced drawings for pornographic papers. Because I neither smoke nor drank and still belonged to the youth movement, I simply saved the money. Eventually I invested it in a revolutionary youth magazine...'
1926
Melle refuses to do his compulsory military service. While distributing anarchist, anti-militarist leaflets at the barracks, he is arrested. Released after fourteen days, he escapes a lengthy prison sentence, as he is rejected from the armed forces because of his tiny build.
Around this time Melle meets Marth Bruijn, a dancer at an experimental dance troupe run by Florrie Rodrigo.
1930-1934
Melle becomes a typesetter at the Arbeiderspers and does the layout for Het Volk, a daily published there. Honing his skills as a typesetter, he works extremely quickly. In his free time, he draws many dummies in chalk and pastels, comparable to a journal of drawings. Compelling newspaper reports inspire many of his drawn memos. He later uses watercolours, sometimes on very large sheets, and has a few series bound. He destroys a lot of his work as well. He asks to be assigned night shifts at the printing press to balance his busy schedule. Melle becomes friends with Lex Althoff, the supervisor of the night editorial board. Lex introduces him to De Kring, an artists' society where Melle meets writers, such as Gerard den Brabander, Jacob Hiegentlich and Jac. van Hattum, and artists, such as Henk Harriet and Willy Sluiter. He draws for periodicals that represent specific political views and illustrates books and book jackets, including for the publishing company Boekenvrienden Solidariteit, which H. Kohn founded in exile.
1934
After several temporary abodes, Melle and Marth move to 62 Amsteldijk in Amsterdam. They do not marry on principle. Both are politically active.
1935-1936
Melle joins the Bond van Kunstenaars ter Verdediging van de Kultuur (League of artists in defence of culture). In this capacity, he helps design the variegated exhibition De Olympiade onder dictatuur (The Olympics in a dictatorship) at De Geelvinck in Amsterdam in 1936.
1938
Melle starts painting, as he indicates in a memo.
Historian Jacques Presser is the first to purchase one of his oil paintings. Author Theun de Vries is the first to write reflections about Melle's graphics and other work in Kroniek van Hedendaagse Kunst en Kultuur.
1940-1944
Following the outbreak of the war, several people in need of a place to hide find shelter at the Amsteldijk.
Melle continues to work at the Arbeiderspers. He also manages to provide type outside the company for the underground press, such as the resistance paper De Vonk. In the few moments that remain after performing his daily duties, Melle draws and paints. Though highly prolific during the early war years, he sometimes has to use inferior materials in his paintings, such as printer's ink.
Owners of works from this early period include: interior designer Jaap Penraat, dancer Florrie Rodrigo, physician Wim Storm, author Maurits Dekker, night-shift executive editor for Het Volk Lex Althoff, industrialist Edie de Swaan and antique dealer Jac. Vecht, who also owns a book comprising a series of watercolour lawn scenes.
1944
In the November issue of the underground paper De Vrije Kunstenaar – launched by Gerrit van der Veen's resistance group in 1942 – one of the few drawings featured is by Melle. Lou Lichtveld (Albert Helman), a close friend of Melle's, was an editor at that point. Fellow editor L.P.J. Braat remarks in a commentary about a facsimile edition (1970): 'Anybody at the time who saw this wonderful drawing "Solidarity," depicting a German soldier gorging himself, with an emaciated Dutch child facing him, realized immediately which well-known painter and artist had produced it.' A note by Melle about this period reads: '... in November all work ground to a halt: no light, no coal, no home.'
Melle moves in with Puck van Hilst – the couple later marries – at 90 Stadhouderskade.
1945
Melle quits his job and devotes all his time to art. He keeps his workshop on the Amsteldijk. Puck supports them as a pedicurist. The exhibition Kunst in vrijheid [Art in freedom] at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam features four of Melle's oil paintings.
A small circle of admirers purchases his work regularly. In hard times Melle receives help from good friends, such as the De Swaan brothers.
Melle moonlights as a contributor to the weekly De Vlam, socialistisch weekblad voor vrijheid en cultuur. His drawings appear on the cover, credited to his pseudonym Frits. Deriving from the underground paper De Vonk and with the physician Wim Storm as the executive editor, De Vlam's contributing editors include Henriëtte Roland Holst, Jef Last and Tom Rot.
1946
Tentoonstelling van teekeningen van Melle [Exhibition of Melle's drawings] is his first solo exhibit, held at the Galerie Lemaire, 28 Leidsestraat, Amsterdam.
1947
First exhibition featuring drawings, watercolours and paintings opens at Huize Sluiter in Groningen. Poet-painter Hendrik de Vries delivers an introductory speech.
Melle's father dies.
A series of drawings with titles such as Oude man in bed [Old man in bed], Laatste stappen van een oude man [Final steps of an old man], Riekus in grot [Riekus in cave], Nog bij moeder [Still with mom].
1948
Melle's mother dies.
1949
First exhibition at the book and art dealer Magdalena Sothmann, 284 Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam.
1950
First foreign exhibition of Melle's work is organized at Galerie Rudolf Hoffmann in Hamburg.
1953
Melle and Puck move to 126 Weteringschans. Melle takes a part-time job as a typesetting instructor at the institute for industrial art, later the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. That same year, his duties are expanded to comprise typography at the bound graphics department.
1955
Puck van Hilst and Melle Oldeboerrigter marry.
Director of Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum Esquire W. Sandberg rejects two of the three paintings selected by a jury for an exhibition celebrating the tenth anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. This opinion echoes that of other museum directors who refuse to exhibit Melle's work. Just before the opening, Melle is given the opportunity to submit two other paintings.
1958
Sexologist C. Van Emde Boas publishes a controversial article in the January issue of the literary journal De Nieuwe Storm, analysing Melle's work based on his childhood experiences.
A group of friends and relatives organizes a fiftieth birthday celebration for Melle at café Schiller. Cinematographer Max de Haas records a motion picture of the event.
1961-1962
The Stichting Kunstenaarsverzet 1942-1945 selects Melle for the visual art award. Melle refuses to accept the award, upon learning that one of the jurors had joined the Kultuurkamer.
1965
At the eighth Biennale, Melle's work is exhibited in Saõ Paolo. J.N. van Wessem, the director of Leiden's municipal museum De Lakenhal, who helped set up this exhibition, writes Melle about the glowing appreciation for his work, especially among foreign artists.
1967
Melle's becomes a painting instructor at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in the free graphics department in addition to his other duties.
Melle receives the Keerkring seal from the Keerkring society of artists, where many regard him as the 'greatest living painter.'
1968
A tribute from Her Majesty: on 29 April Melle becomes a Companion of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Melle's friends form a committee to organize a sixtieth birthday celebration for him in the Koningszaal at Artis, the Amsterdam zoo. In addition, the committee arranges for Van Oorschot publishers to issue a binder containing twelve prints and two lithographs.
Large review exhibition at the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede.
On the VARA television series Signalement, Henk de By produces a program about Melle, one of the first art shows broadcast in colour.
1969
In Stockholm, Melle's work is featured at the major theme-based exhibition The second international exhibition of erotic art.
1972
Large review exhibition at Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum and at the Gemeentemuseum Arnhem.
1973
Melle retires from his job.
1974
Collaborative project with former student Ruscha Langelaan: Duoschilderij.
1976
On 24 May Melle dies of a heart attack and is buried at the Oosterbegraafplaats cemetery in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam, July 1988
(from: 'Melle schilder, aquarellist, tekenaar, Amsterdammer', Joh. Enschedé en Zonen, Haarlem, 1988, p. 108 ff.)
Some of my drawings featured in Thomas Thorspecken's brand new book URBAN SKECHTING: the complete guide to techniques.
Available an Amazon.
I have had these animal stencils since the age of two. I can't possibly know how many of my early drawings featured a rabbit, a deer, a horse, a cow, a bear, or a pig, but I can tell you for certain that the number is large. Some of these drawings can be found in my reading folder.
This is one of many curious items collected in JD's House of Miscellany.
--
Purchase this image and learn more about it at the source.
Source: photos.jdhancock.com/photo/2009-07-01-224441-1972-animal-...
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.
Our Flickrfriend, Hmood who lives in Duba, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on a photoshoot now at some historical sites in Arabia. Most of what I will post is in the same vicinity. Some findings here go back four centuries. Here' is the pertinent information. The well is described in the very last paragraph.
Here's Hmood's photostream and I see he's posting them at large sizes. I'll start turning them into paintings now and then refer you back to the originals. This is really great stuff.
www.flickr.com/photos/33724967@N04/
These are relatively small files, I'm not sure if Hmood zips them before he sends them, or if my software zips them upon receipt, but at any rate they get zipped and I open them at about 400 pizels height. I can only effectively enlarge them to 800 pixels and then I simplify them for better visuals. You go on ahead, I really don't need to climb all the way to the bottom of the well...ok?
Passing Through Al-Jouf
Ibtissam Al-Sahli
Umar Mosque
ASSYRIANS, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Nabataeans, and Muslims — they all passed this place, no matter where they were from, and this should suggest some importance. Al-Jouf, the heart of the northern Saudi region, was once the gateway to the north and to Iraq and sometimes the site of fierce conflicts between ancient nations. Al-Jouf is strategically located at the junction of many main roads. Some tales say the Queen of Sheba passed through Al-Jouf on her way to visit Suliman ibn Dawood. The Shebans themselves often traveled the road stretching from the south of the Arabian peninsula to Syria.
In the first millennium, the road was of the utmost importance to the civilization and political history of the Arabian peninsula. The road began in Yemen, passing north, parallel to the Red Sea continuing on to Madinah, Ula, Madain Saleh, and then to Petra in Jordan.
Another road went west to Gaza and Asqalan on the Mediterranean and a third went from Petra to Damascus and on into Asia Minor, modern Turkey. A fourth road went from Madain Saleh to Taima and then to Iraq or Al-Jouf and from Al-Jouf to Wadi Sirhan and on to Syria.
These roads were important highways for Arab civilizations such as Sheba between the tenth and fifth centuries B.C., Qatyan between the fourth century B.C., and the fifth century A.D. and Najran between the fourth century B.C. and the fifth century A.D. In the Islamic period, the region received the attention of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh ) and the caliphs who came after him.
Al-Jouf region consists of several cities and villages, the most important of which, from a historical point of view, are Doumat Al Jandal, Skaka, Al-Tuwair and Qara. The area is located beyond the Al-Nufud Desert which covers the area like a reddish-yellow carpet. Arriving by air in Al-Jouf, the Al-Nufud looks even more beautiful than was reported by the 19th century British traveler, Lady Anne Blunt, the granddaughter of the famous poet, Lord Byron, and wife of the British poet and politician, Wilfred Blunt. Lady Anne made her journey to Najd in 1878 in search of Arabian horses and she wrote her story in a book published in 1881. She recorded, " It looked at first instance like a total chaos of sand dunes moving here and there but after hours of traveling, we began to discover more striking properties. Large sand cavities from one acre to 200 acres in size in horseshoe shapes."
Marid Fortress
Many remains, such as the old city in a circular area surrounded by the Al-Jouf mountain range are found in Doumat Al-Jandal, 55 kilometers from Sakaka, the capital of Al-Jouf. The mountain range is 152 meters high and in the center of the circle is Marid Fortress which overlooks the entire Al-Jouf valley. The age of the fortress has not yet been accurately determined but it is certain that the lower part was built before the 3rd century A.D. Sheikh Hamad Al Jasir in his book, "North-Eastern Peninsula" said that Doumat Al-Jandal was first mentioned in the 3rd century A.D. during the reign of Zenobia (267-272 A.D), the famous Arab queen of Tadmur- Palmyra in modern Syria. Al Jasir said that evidence indicated that Zenobia invaded Doumat Al-Jandal but the city resisted successfully and the queen returned home with no booty.
Doumat Al Jandal appears again in history in the 5th century when it was conquered by the Arab King Imro'al-Kais, who lived in Iraq but moved later to Doumat Al-Jandal. In the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula, Imro'al-Kais became very strong and he controlled the area known today as Jordan, taking the island at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba from the Byzantines.
In the Islamic period, Doumat Al-Jandal resisted three attacks but fell to the fourth. Much destruction occurred to the outer wall of the fortress and the towers when the fortress was attacked by Sattam bin Sha'alan in 1853.
According to Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudairi in his book, " Al-Jouf Wadi Al-Nofakh", Talal ibn Rashid conquered the fortress later but Nawaf Al-Sha'alan managed to hold it despite a 10-month siege. A local story has it that Nawaf asked Syria to supply him with special mountain-climbing tools to help his men climb the fortress walls.
Al-Twair Fortress
The archaeological mission to Al-Jouf in 1976 discovered the old city of Al-Twair which was built over an area of 500 by 250 meters but is now covered by sand dunes. Remains of an old wall were found in addition to containers and dishes made of blue and green ceramics. Such remains may date as early as the first century B.C., which is supported by the Greek geographers who said that the region was inhabited at that time. Above a large group of rocks is Al-Twair Fortress at an elevation that permits control of a wide area and allows observation of movements in all directions. On the rocks, there are Thamudian and Nabataean inscriptions in addition to drawings of seven ostriches.
Za'abal Fortress
On the top of a steep sand hill northwest of Sakaka stands Za'abal Fortress. It is an irregular building with a tower at each corner; one tower is still in good condition.
The fortress was built on the ruins of an old building. The new building is 150 years old; however, the people of the area argue that the building might be as much as 300 years old but all agree that it was built on the remains of an older fortress. People from Al-Jouf say that the grave of a companion of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is at the foot of the hill. No one, however, knows who the companion was. Near Za'abal Fortress, there is a cave called Hadhra and though the origin of the name is unknown, it might be named after someone who once lived in the area. Another fortress is on one of the hills near Za'abal Fortress. It is said that the fortress was the castle of Mursal Al-Dwaihi Al-Khalidi of Sakaka and that it is 200 years old. The presence of so many fortresses indicates the importance of Al-Jouf to those who once lived there. The absence of natural barriers such as mountains or deep valleys was the reason for building fortresses which could protect the locals from enemy attacks.
Al-Jouf not only possesses fortresses but many other archaeological sites, such as the Mosque of Omar ibn Al-Khatab, built in 638 A.D. as Omar marched to Jerusalem.
At Prince Mountain near Za'abal Fortress, there are drawings featuring female agricultural workers performing traditional activities.
There is also the Sysra well, 200 meters southwest of Az'abal Fortress. The well is drilled in a semi-conical shape in the rocks with a ladder excavated on the sides of the well to the bottom which is 15 meters from the surface. There are openings in the rocks under the ladder. One of them leads to a tunnel in the well. At Al-Rajajil, 10 kilometers southeast of Sakaka, there are 50 groups of columns called Al-Rajajil, most of which are broken, laying on the ground.
This is a layout drawing featuring Ugh from Dino Boy (1966). The untrimmed animation paper measures 10.5" x 12.5" and the image measures 8" x 8.75".
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
my Stuttgart drawings featured in Gabriel Campanario's "The Art of Urban Sketching" (www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592537251/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d...)
Handmade by Sun Min during the early days of Uglydolls. This doll was a concept doll that was done with the intention of showing the piece to Starbucks. The apron on this doll was made from the same cloth as the apron for the first ever Wage doll sewn by Sun Min as a gift to David. Some of the early press materials and drawings featured Wage with four teeth as a decision was still being made on his final look. This is the only Wage doll to have been made with the four teeth. This doll was one of the first ever sewn, even before Sun-min completed the first few sent to Giant Robot.
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.