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For many years I have driven past this rustic house located just at the top of the Niagara Escarpment in Grimsby, Ontario on Ridge Road and thought it might be a good subject under the right conditions. Yesterday I passed it again and noticed that the early morning sun at this time of year, late summer, managed to come in below the tree line out of the frame to the right and illuminate the now well overgrown, somewhat old-fashioned, flower garden at the foot of the porch. I resolved to come back the next day and try to get a photo of this before it is (yet again) too late. So I did. - JW
Date Taken: 2018-09-18
Tech Details:
Taken using a tripod-mounted Nikon D7100 fitted with and AF-P DX 70-300mm 1:4.5-6.3 lense set to 170mm, Auto WB, ISO100, Aperture priority mode, f/8.0, 1/60 sec with an EV+0.67 exposure bias (based on test shot histogram). PP in free Open Source RAWTherapee from Nikon RAW/NEF source file: set final image size to 9000x6000, leave exposure compensation at EV+0.0, increase contrast and Chromaticity in L-A-B mode, enable Shadows/Highlights and recover highlight details as well as slightly recover shadows, set colour temperature to 4900K (warmer than camera as-shot but much more like the lighting at the time), sharpen (edges only), save. PP in free Open Source GIMP: set black-point to base of data, adjust tone curve to boost the brightest tones without blowing out the ‘white’ paint details and also slightly boost the lower/darkest 20% (approx) of the curve while holding the mid-tones at the default values, slightly boost contrast, adjust colour balance to slightly reduce the yellow tone, slightly decrease the yellow channel colour saturation, sharpen, save, scale image to 6000 wide, sharpen, save, add fine black-and-white frame, add bar and text on left, save, scale image to 2048 wide for posting on-line, sharpen slightly, save.
This wind-driven grist mill
had been used by local farmers,
Montauk Highway & Halsey Lane.
The James Corwith Grist Mill was built in 1800 in Sag Harbor and moved to Water Mill in 1814 by Corwith. Its operation lasted until 1887.
-- Mapquest
Happy Windmill Wednesday
Photo taken by Irene while I drove.
Eyes Of March 2
Stuck in Traffic....No Option Other Than Take This Photo
Wembley, North West London, UK.
1959 Triumph TR3A driven by John Hasty during the afternoon Sprint Race for Group 5 on Saturday at the 2014 Jefferson 500
If you are interested in this, or any of my other photos from this event please visit my website. prints.swankmotorarts.com/f968605205
New pictures from a relatively old model, finished during the late Nineties - the Pontiac Grand Prix has collected some dust and the decals have yellowed over the years, so that I photoshopped a little and refreshed some areas digitally.
Some background:
ISM Racing was an auto racing team owned by Bob Hancher. The team fielded entries in the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. ISM fielded cars in the IRL from 1997 to 1999, and McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco brand products, sponsored their Winston Cup car. The company announced in 1997 that it would sponsor the No. 35 Pontiac driven by Todd Bodine. The car would be owned by Bob Hancher. The team debuted on the weekend of the announcement at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Bodine finishing 26th.
After a rumor that Tabasco had ended its sponsorship, the team failed to qualify for the first three races of the 1998 season. Surprisingly, McIlhenny Company voiced no concerns, despite the high-pressure stakes of NASCAR racing. After a tenth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Team Tabasco missed the next race at Darlington Raceway, as well as three of the next four races, ranking 39th place in the one race in which it did appear. A practice accident took Bodine out of the California 500, where Wally Dallenbach Jr. filled in as driver. Bodine would be back on board for the Coca-Cola 600 in late May, finishing 28th.
June 6 saw Bodine's last ride in the Tabasco Pontiac at Richmond International Raceway. In his brief tenure, Team Tabasco only managed to qualify in five of the first thirteen races (including the race during which Dallenbach drove). ISM replaced Bodine with Loy Allen Jr. for the Pepsi 400 on a temporary basis; after the race was delayed due to wildfires, Bodine was fully released by the team before the next race at New Hampshire International Speedway. Gary Bradberry and Jimmy Horton were scheduled to drive for the team at future races.
After running only one of the next three races, however, Hancher sold the operation to Tim Beverly and his driver Darrell Waltrip. The Tyler Jet Motorsports team drove Chevrolet Monte Carlos and intended to continue using the model. In their first race, the Brickyard 400, Waltrip started dead-last but climbed through the field to finish 13th. But the team's use of Chevrolets sparked outrage at McIlhenny Company because it had invested heavily in Pontiacs as part of its marketing program. Lawsuits ensued between Tabasco and Hancher, and McIlhenny Company forced the team to run Pontiacs. Waltrip's best finish that year was 18th at Richmond; otherwise, the team performed poorly and Tabasco left the sport at the end of the year.
In NASCAR discussion this affair has become known as the "Tabasco Fiasco".
About the model:
This real world race car model was built around 2000 - one of the very few car kits I ever did.
The inspiration came through television - in the mid 90ies, local Free TV aired parts of the NASCAR Winston Cup series, as summaries but also some complete live races. Being interested in motorsport, I followed the series and decided to try my skills at a model - and the choice fell onto this Pontiac Grand Prix from the 1998 season.
At first I was a bit disappointed by the kit, because it looked pretty simple and crude, with flash and rather soft details. But after building it and checking reference pictures of the real stock cars of that era, I must admit that the kit is a) very accurate, b) fits well and c) offers anything you might ask for.
The kit was built almost 100% right out of the box. The only changes I made were opened cooler intakes in the car's front (you can see the radiator behind the mesh, the motor is complete, too, as well as the interior - the hood can be opened, and the whole car body can be lifted from the chassis) and scratch-built safety belts from paper instead of the decals, for a 3D effect. The rest is OOB.
The paintjob was hell, though, because the first attempt to paint the car body with white from the rattle can went awry, with cracks appearing everywhere, so that I eventually had to get rid of the initial layers of primer and paint through a bath in brake fluid. Messy affair that also washed out some of the styrene's softener, leaving the plastic rather brittle and with a matt/coarse surface. However, the second attempt (with a different primer) was successful. Applying the large decals on the car's bulged shapes was another challenge, but the carrier film was pretty elastic so that it worked even without decal softener or other aids. Finally, everything was sealed with glossy varnish. And after lot of sweat and cursing, the car looks just great!
Just mentioning the title of Acclaim's latest, BMX XXX, conjures up images of pedal-powered hedonism, protesting parents and tongue wagging from hormone-driven adolescents. In preparation for this review I went out of my way to peruse some of the finer adult movie review sites on the net for clues on how to cleverly refer to naughty things without using naughty words. But after poring over well written reviews for flicks like Midsummer Night's Ream and Breakfast is Tiffany, I quickly realized that there's not nearly enough smut in BMX XXX to warrant a special vocabulary. This is a BMX extreme sports game first and foremost and not some daring new take on the genre. Indeed the basic ingredients for serious debauchery --you know, pimps, hoes, fire trucks and balloons-- are well represented, but they don't come together in a way that changes the game's basic premise of freestyle tricking all over the place for points.
However, as a BMX videogame BMX XXX runs into several problems that cannot be masked by the game's sense of humor and semi-nudity. BMX XXX is an extremely linear game in that everything has to be unlocked step by step. In the main Hardcore Tour career mode (the only other modes are create-a-rider and multiplayer) you have no timer to worry about, but your character has a health meter that can run out if you bail too often. New levels are opened up by accomplishing a minimum number of goals in each level. The infamous stripper videos featuring dancers from the world famous strip club franchise, Scores, are the prime unlockables and are associated with the most difficult challenges. The humor of BMX XXX comes through whenever you stop to talk to certain characters who have challenges for you. There are only a handful of character interaction cinemas in each level, but they're full of raunchy jokes, plenty of cussing and eventually a loony explanation for why you need to complete the challenge they give you. Helping a guy who's having trouble doing his business in a portable toilet by mounting it on your handle bars and shaking things up for him is even funnier when that nutball explains it to you. These scenes are entertaining and will yank a few chuckles and guffaws out of the most hardened gamers, but they aren't always as helpful as they should be. In fact the goal system itself isn't very user friendly to begin with. Where Aggressive Inline spoiled us by giving us a shot of the area or object in question, BMX XXX leaves us scrambling to figure out just what the challenge requires more often than not. Usually a clock is counting down while we're trying to figure out which wall or switch we're supposed to wall tap or where the hell that bungee jumper is so we can push him over and this can be extremely frustrating early on. Challenges where you have to find or collect certain objects are different because you're prepared to be a little disoriented as you search. Furthermore, when you do fail a challenge, again we've been spoiled by other extreme sports games, there's no way to quickly re-try that challenge. If it's a challenge from a character you have to pedal your ass back to where you found them and initiate another cinema to start all over again. The levels of BMX XXX aren't any larger or more creative than the levels in either Aggressive Inline or Dave Mirra 2. In fact the overall feeling is that within these giant levels there seems to be more "dead spaces" with no ramps, rails or other trick obstacles to use for tricks. Compare this with the levels of Aggressive Inline where you always seemed to have options in front of you for pulling off different tricks. Too often in BMX XXX you'll find yourself driving to a fun area that has plenty of trick equipment, rather than grinding your way over there and earning points like in A.I. Grinding is more fun than driving no matter what the context.
Since health is your only limitation in BMX XXX, accomplishing goals is the only way to receive a health boost. This sort of reinforces the idea that the developers want you to go after the toughest challenges, since once a challenge is done, it's off your list and you can't get anymore health for it. There are exceptions to this since some challenges are always available to you even after you've cleared them, just so you can get replenish your health. Also, bike parts upgrade your bike/rider so that you'll have boosted attributes for speed, manuals, air, etc.
Each level has its own set of challenges made difficult by that level's particular layout. The problem here is most of the challenges have the same basic premise from level to level. Collecting five clowns, Godzillas or flatulent construction workers and delivering them to a specific location ends up feeling very repetitive. The same can be said for collecting 45 coins, beer bottles or donuts seen floating about the Bronx, Syracuse or Mall levels. Collecting those 45 items though is how you'll unlock the fine ladies of Scores from deep within BMX XXX.
The stripper videos in the game are a big deal for videogames, but not as big a deal as anybody, not Acclaim, the mainstream media nor your knucklehead buddy down the street would have you believe. There are Scores facilities in the Bronx and Las Vegas levels, where it actually makes sense to have those strip clubs, but accomplishing certain goals in each level unlocks new video clips. The big deal is that unlocking stripper videos is certainly a huge departure from merely unlocking a new rider, or new bike or new shoes when you reach a certain level of expertise in a level. I mean, they are professional dancers and some of the best at what they do, or so I've read. There's a particular girl or theme associated with each level so unlocking both videos for the Dam level, for example will get you parts one and two of a dance sequence so if you get attached to one girl, you know you've got more coming. On the other hand, they're only dancing for about 25 seconds and they're strippers, not porn stars plying their trade. The topless nudity is in the context of a dance routine, so teasing and titillating (that word should mean something different than it does) the videogaming audience out there is the mood. It would take a lot more exposure, fluids and other acts for this R-rated content to earn an X rating. Three Xs? That would require farm animals from other planets I think. But within the context of the game as a whole where you're pulling tricks on a bike and interacting with all kinds of colorful characters who happen to curse this time, the strippers are merely a tacked on piece of the equation that says videogames + dirty words + naked chicks = fun for males ages 18-34.
The developers did a good job of giving gamers a little payoff early on by making the first video extremely easy to unlock. I say this is a good thing, because from there on out, you're going to be hard pressed to earn every other skin snippet locked up in the game. Unlocking movies comes down to collecting all 45 items of a particular level, clearing all 20 gaps of a particular level and winning both competitions with gold medals. That's a slick way to get some value out of the game, since there's no point in playing XXX if you're not going for the stripper videos.
The head to head multiplayer game covers three game types: paintball, skillz and the surprising strip challenge. The latter takes the concept of HORSE a step further by removing clothing items --including big puffy jackets and long pants-- from the loser. The two player games are nice bonuses if you can get into the main game, but there's not much here that won't get you over the hump otherwise. For an Xbox game, BMX XXX looks a lot like a third or fourth generation PlayStation title and this proves to be the game's greatest weakness. The characters in the game look far too blocky to convince me that this is the evolution of the Dave Mirra BMX engine on Xbox. The animation is a mixed bag of good and bad where your rider moves well but other stuff and characters in the environment are awkward and stiff.
Not that past BMX games from Acclaim were known for their spectacular character models, but it's clear that Z-Axis didn't attempt to push the envelope here in XXX. Since most Xbox owners are going to create near-nude female characters complete with exposed nether regions, it would've made sense to have, uh, smoother skinned, more authentic looking physiques. After all, players will be unlocking video clips of real exotic dancers for immediate comparison. Staring down the barrel of a colored splotch of fabric wedged between two blocky cheeks for 20 hours can't be healthy for anybody, even people who are into that sort of thing. The characters you meet in the game don't look much better with maybe a few dozen polygons used to "flesh out" their forms. The tricks are animated very well with the rider and bike interacting naturally. It's easy to recognize the difference between an X-Up and an X-Down or a Decade and a Tailwhip with your rider seamlessly transitioning into and out of a trick while in midair and getting full extension in the move. But there can still be awkward moments, usually on the ground and near rails, where your rider will snap and jerk into stalls and grinds or they'll make unnatural, impossible changes of direction
There's a wobbly bike animation where your character will lose a little speed as he or she tries to regain their balance after barely landing a sketchy move. A helpful animation like this, though, doesn't explain some of the inexplicable bails and crashes you'll encounter from time to time when you approach certain ramps and rails. Also the range of the "magnetic" grind/stall move is inconsistent to the point where you'll never know if you'll be given the benefit of the doubt and so sometimes your rider will suddenly pop onto a nearby rail or sometimes they won't. There's no indication from the rider animation to indicate whether or not you're going to catch the rail or not.
The video quality of the stripper videos is done up with professional quality lighting and filters and might convince you that you're watching an episode of "G-String Divas" but without all of that talking and emoting. The voice acting is surprisingly strong even though it was easy for us to recognize that a few of the characters in the game used the same actor. The accents and dialects are all done perfectly from the disembodied voice of a construction worker stinking up a portable toilet to a Winona Ryder-like shoplifter with an annoying California valley girl whine. Many of the potty mouth jokes are subtle so the crisp delivery of the lines was imperative.
The soundtrack, like those of most extreme sports games, is all over the place with a smattering of rock, punk and hip hop tracks. The majority of the cuts are from the eighties and nineties and include songs from De La Soul, Motley Crue and The Neptunes. In fact, once you get to unlocking stripper videos, song titles like "The Magic Number", "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Lapdance" are "cleverly" (as in not really) repurposed for the video at hand.
Sound effects are extremely mediocre. There's a slight rattling sound from your bike whenever you land a trick cleanly on flatland and a metal-on-metal ping when you hit stalls and begin grinds. The characters you can interact with will usually have something funny to say as you pass them by on your way somewhere else and you'll get the panning and proper directional sound.
One unnecessarily annoying (as in there's no reason for this) problem with custom soundtracks is how the game will skip from one song back to the first as you pick up and begin challenges. One cut will be playing as you ride up to an NPC and hit Y to speak with them, but when you actually begin pedaling away to do it, ten times out of ten, the game will begin playing whatever happens to be the first song on your soundtrack list. In fact anytime the music stops because of gameplay and starts up again, it will begin with your number one cut rather than progressing through your list of songs in regular order. If the first song of your soundtrack is your favorite, it won't be for long. BMX XXX didn't live up to my expectation because, like many people, I was expecting an evolution of the Mirra franchise with the welcome addition of potty mouth humor and nude women. The women and humor are there, but the evolution just isn't. I think BMX XXX got caught up in a different kind of identity crisis than we've seen before. But looking at it for what it is, either the game needed to have more XXX or a more refined BMX side, but leaving it caught up in the middle where it is now won't be very satisfying for hardcore gamers. Whether or not XXX is a turning point for mature-themed videogames remains to be seen but popularity is a key element for controversy and XXX has plenty of spotlight on it.
Mirra 2 scored a 6.9 last year thereby denying us the humor and irony this time around. A 6.8 and Acclaim owes us one.
+++ 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 Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe.
After entering service with the U.S. Army, the aircraft received the reputation of a "Widowmaker" due to the early models' high accident rate during takeoffs and landings. The Marauder had to be flown at exact airspeeds, particularly on final runway approach and when one engine was out. The 150 mph (241 km/h) speed on short final runway approach was intimidating to pilots who were used to much slower speeds, and whenever they slowed down below what the manual stated, the aircraft would stall and crash.
The B-26 became a safer aircraft once crews were re-trained, and after aerodynamics modifications (an increase of wingspan and wing angle-of-incidence to give better takeoff performance, and a larger vertical stabilizer and rudder). After aerodynamic and design changes, the aircraft distinguished itself as "the chief bombardment weapon on the Western Front" according to a United States Army Air Forces dispatch from 1946. The Marauder ended World War II with the lowest loss rate of any USAAF bomber.
A total of 5.288 were produced between February 1941 and March 1945. By the time the United States Air Force was created as an independent service separate from the Army in 1947, all Martin B-26s had been retired from U.S. service. Furthermore, after the end of hostilities in the European theatre of operations, many airframes with low flying hour numbers were left in British airfield.
This was the situation when establishing Hunting Aircraft in 1944 by the purchase of Percival Aircraft: this business was absorbed into the British Aircraft Corporation in 1959.
At the end of 1945 the young British company Hunting Air Travel Ltd., a division of Hunting plc., based at Luton Airport, entered the scene - actually a commercial airline, not an aircraft manufacturer. The new airline began commercial operations from Bovingdon Airport at the start of 1946, and the lack of suitable passenger aircraft for domestic routes (or to continental neighbors) led to a private conversion program for leftover B-26 airframes.
This work was done by Percival Aircraft Ltd, which had become part of Hunting in 1936 and also had its headquarter at Luton. At first, only five B-26B bombers were planned to be converted into P.26 airliners. The airframes underwent considerably changes, primarily stripping them off of any military equipment, closing the bomb bays and adding a passenger cabin with appropriate seating and entry.
Furthermore, the bombers' original R-2800 engines were replaced by more powerful and efficient R-3350 radials with 2.000 hp/1.470 kW each. This was a simple task, since this engine had been an early design options and the mountings were compatible.
Other modifications included an enlarged wingspan, which was intended for a more economical flight as well as a reduced landing speed, especially when loaded.
The revamped aircraft entered service in 1951 when Hunting Air Travel changed its name to Hunting Air Transport. Flying primarily on the British Isles, the aircraft attained immediately some interest from other small airlines, also from continental Europe.
When Percival Aircraft Ltd changed its name to Hunting Percival Aircraft in 1954, a total of 21 B-26 bombers had been converted for Hunting-Clan Air Transport (6, Hunting Air Transport had changed its name in 1953), Aer Lingus (6), Derby Airlines (4), Sabena (3) and Manx Airlines (2).
All of these differed slightly, being tailored to their operators' needs, e. g. concerning seat capacity, engines or entry configurations. The last machines were re-built for Aer Lingus, with 27 passenger seats (nine rows in 2+1 configuration), a crew of four, and integral boarding ladder under the rear fuselage (instead of standard side doors). Furthermore, these final machines were driven by slightly more powerful (2.200 hp/1.640 kW) turbo-compound R-3350 engines, which offered a considerably improved fuel efficiency and an extended range (+20%).
By that time the civil aircraft industry had undergone a major recovery and new models like the turboprop-driven Fokker F.27 Friendship entered the scene - faster, with bigger passenger capacities and more efficient, and the P.26 could not keep up anymore. Another big weakness was the lack of a pressurized cabin, so that the P.26 could only operate at medium altitude. Until 1960 all remaining P.26 were withdrawn and scrapped, most of them had reached their service life, anyway, but operational costs had become prohibitive.
General characteristics:
Crew: 4 (pilot, navigator/radio operator, two service)
Capacity: 21–32 passengers
Length: 58 ft 3 in (17.8 m)
Wingspan: 79 ft 3 in (24.20 m)
Height: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
Wing area: 734 ft² (66 m²)
Empty weight: 24.000 lb (11.000 kg)
Loaded weight: 37.000 lb (17.000 kg)
Powerplant:
2× Wright R-3350-745C18BA-1 radial, each rated at 2.200 hp (1.640 kW),
driving four-bladed propellers
Performance:
Maximum speed: 287 mph (250 knots, 460 km/h) at 5.000 feet (1.500 m)
Cruise speed: 225 mph (195 knots, 362 km/h)
Landing speed: 100 mph (79 knots, 161 km/h)
Range: 3.420 mi (2.975 nmi; 5.500 km)
Service ceiling: 21.000 ft (6.400 m)
Wing loading: 46,4 lb/ft² (228 kg/m²)
The kit and its assembly:
Another Group Build entry, this time for the 2015 "De-/Militarize it" GB at whatifmodelers.com that ran from June through August. I am not 100% certain how the idea of converting a B-26 bomber into a 50ies airliner came up - I have modified the aircraft before, and maybe handling with resin R-3350s for the Supermarine Stalwart flying boat had a subtle influence. However, it was a suitable idea, and I quickly got hands on a vintage Matchbox kit of the Marauder.
This one was chose because of the simplicity of the kit (e .g. without an open bomb bay) and its relatively clean surface. When I got it, though, I had to cope with missing parts: the complete cockpit was missing. The seller did not mention it, I did notice it too late, so I had to create the interior from scratch, as well as the civil pilot figures which were puzzled together, too.
Anyway, conversion was rather straightforward. All guns and turrets were closed/faired over. The dorsal turret received a plug, the nose is the OOB clear part hidden under a coat of putty and the new tail cone is actually a nose from a Frog Supermarine Attacker.
Additionally, some of the original windows were hidden (including the ventral entry hatch) while new round windows, esp. for the passenger cabin under the wing spar, were drilled. They were later filled with Clearfix, after all paint work was done.
The wing tips were enlarged with donations from a Hobby Boss La-7 pistion fighter, leftover from a former conversion project. Even though I did not expect much from this addition I think that the bigger wingspan (the total extension is less than 2", though) and the more pointed tips subtly change the look and the proportions of the B-26?
The OOB engines were replaced by resin R-3350 from Contrails: a perfect match, just the OOB nacelles had to be shortened because the R-3350s come with a complete exhaust section, they are pretty long compared to the R-2800s. Actually, this option was real: AFAIK the R-3350 was a high power alternative for the B-26, but I think that at the time of the aircraft's design it was not available yet, and when it came into production the B-29 received anything that rolled off of the production lines. But in this post WWII case it's a good and plausible modification, since airliners from that era (e .g. the Lockheed Constellation) were powered by this engine type, too.
Further mods include new wheels (just for a modernized look, instead of the WWII grass runway balloon tires) and the passengers received a retractable boarding staircase. This addition was originally intended as a display trick, because the B-26 kit is prone to tip over on its tail. But it turned out that the resin engines weigh so much that the kit even stands without extra weight inside now! Well, the scratched stair was fitted, anyway...
Painting and markings:
This was a bit complicated, because I wanted a 50ies livery, yet a colorful option. One early choice had been Belgian airline Sabena in dark blue and white, or the Netherland's KLM, but then I stumbled across a limited decal sheet from airliner specialist TwoSix Decals for a 1:72 Fokker F.27 in Aer Lingus service, upon the type's introduction in 1955. Perfect match, and since I like green and I could avoid white as far as possible, this was the winning design! :D
From that, things were again straightforward: the paint scheme remains close to the benchmark. The dark green on the upper fuselage is Humbrol 3 (Brunswick Green), the fin was sprayed in white and the metallic undersides were painted with different aluminum shades, including Revell Acrylics, Modelmaster 'Aluminum Plate' Metallizer and simple Aluminum paint, plus some Humbrol 56 for fake panel lines and the fabric-covered ailerons.
Panel lines on the upper fuselage and some dirt were painted with Humbrol 91 (Black Green). On top of that a very light black ink wash was applied in order to emphasize engravings, esp. on the wings and the white fin.
The decals came next (wonderfully printed, dead sharp, very thin carrier film), and they posed less problems than expected. The window openings on the white cheatline were simply covered and punched through, and after final cosmetic touch-ups incl. light soot stains behind the engine exhausts. I also added de-icing leading edges and some walking areas on the wings, cut from black and grey decals sheet (from TL Modellbau).
Finally the kit received a coat of glossy acrylic varnish from the rattle can (which did not turn out as evenly as expected, I guess to due to the age of the paint… The aircraft looks somewhat dirty now), et voilà, the Irish Marauder Commuter was ready for take-off!
I am really happy how this conversion turned out. I have seen pics of civilized B-26s (yes, this was actually done, but only in a few cases), and without all the lumps and bumps and with a decent paint job the aircraft looks really sleek and elegant. The classic, early Aer Lingus livery confirms this, a pretty and unusual bird!
Wiki - The Battle of Barrington was an intense and deadly gunfight between federal agents and notorious Great Depression Era gangster, Baby Face Nelson, that took place on November 27, 1934 in the town of Barrington, outside Chicago, Illinois. It resulted in the deaths of Nelson, Federal Agent Herman "Ed" Hollis and Agent/Inspector Samuel P. Cowley.
With the death of "Public Enemy Number One" John Dillinger in July 1934, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, known at the time as the Division of Investigation, focused on eliminating what remained of the notorious Dillinger Gang. Lester "Baby Face Nelson" Gillis, whom newspapers of the era dubbed "Dillinger's aid", had managed to elude the federal dragnet. By late November 1934, the new Public Enemy Number One was hid out in the isolated piney woods of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Bolstered by his new found status, the diminutive Nelson bragged he would rob, "...a bank a day for a month."
On the morning of November 27, Nelson, sporting a thin mustache on his youthful face, Helen Gillis (Nelson's loyal wife), and John Paul Chase, Nelson's trusted right-hand man, departed Lake Geneva and traveled south, toward Chicago, on U.S. Route 12 (now U.S. 14). Nelson planned to meet two underworld figures in Chicago and had reasoned daylight the safer time to travel as agents would expect an evening departure.
Near the village of Fox River Grove, Illinois, Nelson observed a vehicle driven in the opposite direction. Inside the car were federal agents Thomas McDade and William Ryan. McDade and Ryan were traveling to Lake Geneva to support a fellow agent who had relayed an encounter with Nelson. The agents and the gangster recognized each other simultaneously and after several U-turns by the agents and by Nelson, Nelson wound up in pursuit of the federal car.
As Nelson's powerful V-8 Ford, driven by Helen Gillis, caught up to the weaker federal sedan, Nelson and Chase opened fire on the agents. Incredibly, McDade and Ryan were not killed or injured. The agents returned fire, sped ahead and ran off the highway. Taking defensive positions, McDade and Ryan awaited Nelson and Chase. The agents, however, were unaware a round fired by Ryan had punctured the water pump and or the radiator of Nelson's Ford. With his Ford rapidly losing power, Nelson was now pursued by a Hudson automobile driven by two more agents: Herman Hollis and Samuel P. Cowley.
A plaque at the Barrington Park District in Barrington, Illinois commemorates the site of the Battle of Barrington, a 1934 shootout that claimed the lives of two FBI agents and resulted in the death of notorious Chicago gangster Baby Face Nelson.
With his new pursuers attempting to pull alongside, Nelson instructed Helen Gillis to steer into the entrance of Barrington's Northside Park, just across the line from Fox River Grove, and stop. Hollis and Cowley overshot Nelson's Ford by over 100 feet (30 m). With their car stopped at an angle, Hollis and Cowley exited, took defensive positions behind the vehicle and, as Helen Gillis fled toward a drainage ditch, opened fire on Nelson and Chase.
Within seconds of the gun battle starting, a round from Cowley's Thompson submachine-gun struck Nelson above his belt line. The .45 caliber bullet tore through Nelson's liver and pancreas and exited from his lower back. Nelson grasped his side and leaned on the Ford's running board. Chase, in the meantime, continued to fire from behind the car. When Nelson regained himself, he suddenly stepped into the line of fire and advanced toward Cowley and Hollis. Cowley was hit by a burst from Nelson's machine gun, after retreating to a nearby ditch. Pellets from Hollis' shotgun struck Nelson in the legs and momentarily downed him. Hollis, possibly already wounded, retreated behind a utility pole. With his shotgun empty, Hollis drew his service revolver only to be struck by a bullet to the head from Nelson's gun. Hollis slid against the pole and fell face down. Nelson stood over Hollis for a moment then limped toward the agents' bullet-riddled car. Nelson backed the agents' car over to the Ford, and, with Chase's help, loaded the agents' vehicle with guns and ammo from the disabled Ford. After the weapon's transfer, Nelson, too badly wounded to drive, collapsed into the Hudson. Chase got behind the wheel and, along with Helen Gillis and the mortally wounded Nelson, fled the scene.
Nelson had been shot a total of nine times; a single (and ultimately fatal) machine gun slug had struck his abdomen and eight of Hollis's shotgun pellets had hit his legs. After telling his wife "I'm done for", Nelson gave directions as Chase drove them to a safe house on Walnut Street in Wilmette. Nelson died in bed there, with his wife at his side, at 7:35 that evening. Hollis, with massive head wounds, was declared dead soon after arriving at the hospital. At a different hospital, Cowley hung on long enough to confer briefly with Melvin Purvis, telling him, "Nothing would bring [Nelson] down." He underwent unsuccessful surgery before succumbing to a stomach wound similar to Nelson's.
Following an anonymous telephone tip, Nelson's body was discovered wrapped in a Native American patterned blanket in front of St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery in Skokie, which still exists today. Helen Gillis later stated that she had placed the blanket around Nelson's body because, "He always hated being cold..."
Newspapers reported, based on the questionable wording of an order from J. Edgar Hoover ("...find the woman and give her no quarter"), that the Bureau of Investigation had issued a "death order" for Nelson's young widow, who wandered the streets of Chicago as a fugitive for several days, described in print as America's first female "public enemy". After surrendering on Thanksgiving Day, Helen Gillis, who had been paroled after capture at Little Bohemia Lodge, served a year in prison for harboring her late husband and died in 1987. Chase was apprehended later and served a term at Alcatraz and died in 1973. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIo-GKSEG2g
The buildings around Place Vendôme were built around 1720. The column was erected by Napoleon to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz (1805). The column was covered by metal from cannons captured in the battle.
This gives a sample of cars driven in France in 1968. I see at least two Volkswagens. I did not find any VWs in my 1960 photos.
Lake County, Oregon, 2025
Mamiya 645 1000S, Sekor C 80mm f1.9, Fuji Acros II 100, Developed Kodak D-76 1:1
Greenlees Grove is located in Federation Forest State Park off of Highway 410. I’ve driven by this small state park many times on my way to Mount Rainier National Park and the surrounding area but I’ve never stopped there. Well this past Mother’s Day my wife wanted to do a hike so we headed out to this place. We started on a trail from the parking lot that took us down by the White River and the trail was pretty overgrown and in desperate need of clearing. There were fallen trees everywhere and it was a little hard to pick up the trail. We eventually made it back up a hill to a nice loop trail that goes by Greenlees Grove that has some pretty impressive trees. I thought it was cool and I just read that there’s a little Hobbit Village there. I will for sure head back there to check it out.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed'” – Isaiah 56:1
For purchasing, licensing, or more information you can find me at www.bSharpPhoto.com (or contact me through flickr). Thanks for looking!
100% mesh, materials enabled, HUD driven, resizable (x,y,z), 6 color options for the pebbles, 10 options for the metal parts :
- platinum
- pewter
- silver
- iron
- brass
- white gold
- gold
- bronze
- copper
- tarnish
Limited time offer - 30 L only till 23th of April 2015
We were driven from Stavanager to a small village where we caught the Lysefjord ferry. Our coach left the ferry at Lysebotn at the end fo the fjord and then drove up the mountain side on a road with 31 hair pin bends including two in a single land 5 km long tunnel. We then crossed the mountain tops for several hours before we came down into a valley near the village of Rysstad. from there we drove down to Kristiansand on the southern coast of Norway. A fantastic road and ferry trip.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaX64o71vGQ&list=RDFaX64o71vG...
Tiffany Designs Scarlett Dress
★★★ MESH CASUAL ★★★
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➣ Includes:
• Mesh Dress
• Mesh Belt
• Classic Texture HUD Driven (3 Colors)
• PBR Textures (3 colors separate)
════════════════════════════════════════════════════
➣ Compatible with:
➠ LARA X, Petite
➠ LEGACY, Perky
➠ BOMBSHELL
➠ REBORN, Waifus
➠ GENX, Curvy
════════════════════════════════════════════════════
★ Before buying, please try the free demo.
★ Thank you for shopping at ::TIFFANY DESIGNS:: !
☎ In world assistance if you need additional help - please contact LucyHope.
Tiffany Designs
LM: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hilton%20Villas/232/207/22
MP: marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/139726?
LaraX
Doux Adrienne hair
Built and driven by Claude and Bernard Marreau, and hidden in a private collection for many years. This example was their first attempt to win the Dakar Rally, after some earlier attempts with a Renault 4 Sinpar. They would eventually do so in 1982 with a similar car, now in the collection of Renault Classic.
Exposition : Renault 120 Years
13/07/2018 - 02/09/2018
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
January 2018
The 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse is a customized sports car manufactured by Diamond-Star Motors and Mitsubishi Motors. The Eclipse is driven by Brian O'Conner and plays a minor role in The Fast and the Furious.
Under the alias, "Brian Earl Spilner", Brian O'Conner used the Eclipse in preparation for his first street race. He practices driving in the Eclipse at the parking lot at Dodger Stadium, but can't keep the car from spinning out of control. Despite complications experienced earlier, Brian decided to participate in the street race to win the favor of Dominic Toretto.
During the race, the Eclipse's intake manifold began to overheat from an overcompensation of NOS used in the vehicle. Brian ignored the warnings and continued to use the NOS until the car began to fall apart. He managed to beat Edwin, but eventually lost control of the car. He lost to Dominic, who won the race and the pink slip to Eclipse
Although the Eclipse was legally registered to "Brian Earl Spilner" it was funded by the LAPD-FBI task force. In the aftermath of the car's destruction, Special Agent Bilkins complained about the $80,000 price tag.
According to The Fast and the Furious: The Official Car Guide written by Eddie Paul, the 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse has 420a 16-valve dual overhead cam 2-Liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 165hp before turbo.
It has a full Robo Car Aero Armor Eclipse Body Kit, custom made carbon fiber front splitter, a custom GT style roof scoop, a APR two level GT2 style wing, carbon fiber mirrors, 1997 spec Eclipse headlights, and green neon lighting, alongside SE7EN 18-inch wheels by Axis Sport Tuning Inc. in 225/40ZR18 Toyo Tires.
"...The 488 GTB name marks a return to the classic Ferrari model designation with the 488 in its moniker indicating the engine's unitary displacement, while the GTB stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The new car not only delivers unparalleled performance, it also makes that extreme power exploitable and controllable to an unprecedented level even by less expert drivers..."
Source: Ferrari
Photographed during Driven Club event in Northern Ireland.
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Monster Jam Triple Threat Series presented by AMSOIL @ Verizon Center, Washington, DC on January 28, 2017
Featuring:
Grave Digger driven by Krysten Anderson,
El Toro Loco driven by Armando Castro,
Pirate's Curse driven by Camden Murphy,
Megalodon driven by Justin Sipes,
Alien Invasion driven by Bernard Lyght,
Zombie driven by Ami Houde, Monster Mutt Rottweiler driven by JR Seasock,
Blue Thunder driven by Matt Cody,
Driven by the Swede Björn Waldegaard, this SM Group 5 prototype finished third in the Portuguese TAP Rally of 1972. In 1973 this same car was in the hands of the Verrier - Umbricht duo finishing in 6th place in the Bandama Rally - also known as the Marathon of the Ivory Coast - just behind the identical SM of Neyret - Terramorsi and the DS 23 Group 2 of Bochnicek - Kaja (3rd). From the 73 cars at the start a mere 8 were ranked after 4.000 km.
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
August 2019
The tramway is driven by the cables in the centre of the rails, on front / back platform where the driver stands there is a grab device to clamp on to the cable for the direction of travel.
Have just found out that who I thought was the driver is a signalman , the actual driver is the winchman in the engine shed.
This truck is driven by one of 62 Diamond Drivers within the company. Based on my understanding, Diamond is the highest award level a Swift driver can achieve, based on a number of qualifications, such as years of service, safety, etc.
Women's cycling clothing underwent significant changes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by the desire for practicality and freedom of movement. By 1910, the Rational Dress Movement had gained considerable traction, advocating for clothing that was both comfortable and suitable for physical activities like cycling. This movement challenged traditional Victorian fashions, which were often cumbersome and restrictive.
During the cycling craze of the 1890s, women began adopting more practical attire, including bloomers and knickerbockers, which were initially met with ridicule and resistance. However, as cycling grew in popularity, these garments became more accepted and evolved into various styles such as tailored tweed knickerbockers suits, bloomers designed to be concealed under skirts, and bifurcated skirts. These innovations were crucial in allowing women to participate more freely in cycling and other outdoor activities.
By 1910, the influence of the Rational Dress Movement was evident in women's cycling attire. Clothing designed specifically for cycling emphasized functionality and comfort, reflecting a shift towards more practical and liberating fashions.
Lady Florence Harberton, a key figure in the Rational Dress Movement, advocated for exercise and mobility for women, promoting the adoption of practical clothing. Her efforts contributed significantly to the acceptance of cycling as a legitimate activity for women and the development of appropriate attire.
The transition to rational dress was not without controversy. Women who chose to wear cycling-specific clothing often faced public scrutiny and ridicule. However, the persistence of women cyclists and the support of organizations like the Cyclists' Touring Club helped to legitimize these changes and pave the way for greater freedom and equality in women's fashion and activities.
Despite the progress made by the Rational Dress Movement, fully embracing practical cycling attire remained a challenge. Even into the early 20th century, women continued to face societal pressures regarding appropriate dress, and the complete normalization of cycling-specific clothing was gradual.
+++ 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 Nakajima Ki-104 was a further development of the Ki-87; the latter was a Japanese high-altitude fighter-interceptor of World War II, a single seat, exhaust-driven turbo-supercharged engined, low-wing monoplane with a conventional undercarriage.
The Ki-87 was one of several designs of various manufacturers developed in response to American B-29 Superfortress raids on the Home Islands. The Ki-87 followed up on earlier research by Nakajima and the Technical Division of Imperial Army Headquarters into boosting a large radial engine with an exhaust-driven turbo-supercharger, which had begun in 1942, well before the B-29 raids began.
The efforts of the Technical Division of Imperial Army Headquarters eventually culminated into the high-performance, tandem-engine Tachikawa Ki-94-I, while the Ki-87 under the lead of Kunihiro Aoki was developed as a fall-back project, using less stringent requirements.
Nakajima started in July 1943 with the construction of three prototypes, to be completed between November 1944 and January 1945, and seven pre-production aircraft, to be delivered by April 1945.
The Technical Division of Imperial Army Headquarters made itself felt during the development of the Ki-87 prototype when they insisted upon placing the turbo-supercharger in the rear-fuselage, and from the sixth prototype the Nakajima fighter was to have that arrangement. Construction was further delayed due to problems with the electrical undercarriage and the turbo-supercharger itself. As a consequence, the first Ki-87 prototype was not completed until February 1945; it first flew in April, but only five test flights were completed.
A further variant, the Ki-87-II, powered by a 3,000 hp Nakajima Ha217 (Ha-46) engine and with the turbo-supercharger in the same position as the P-47 Thunderbolt. Due to the long development period of the Ki-87, several major structural changes were made, too, that eventually changed the aircraft so much that it received a new, separate kitai number and became the Ki-104.
Kunihiro Aoki's new design was approved by the Koku Hombu, and an order was placed for one static test airframe, three prototypes, and eighteen pre-production aircraft. Only 2 prototypes were built in the event; the first was equipped with a single 1,895 kW (2,541 hp) Nakajima Ha219 [Ha-44] engine, driving a 4-blade, but the second one received the stronger Nakajima Ha217 (Ha-46) and a 6-blade propeller.
The pre-production machines (Ki-104-I or -Tei) were all produced with Ha217 engines, but featured various four-bladed propeller (-a, -b) designs as well as the new 6-blade propeller (-c). Compared to the prototypes, armament was beefed up from a pair of 20mm Ho-5 and a pair of 30mm Ho-155-I cannons in the wings to four of the new, more compact Ho-155-II cannons (originally designed for the unsuccessful Ki-102 assault aircraft and optimized for wing installation).
All pre-production Ki-104-Is were allocated to an independent IJA Headquarter Flight where they were tested alongside established fighters in the defence of the Tokyo region. Based on this 3rd Independent Flight's unit marking, a completely black tail with the unit's emblem, the Ki-104s were inofficially called Ic '黒の尾'/'Kurono-'o, which literally means "Black Tail".
The first operational Ki-104s reached this unit in spring 1945 and saw limited use against the incoming streams of B-29 bombers (2 unconfirmed downings in the Tokyo region). After these initial contacts that left a serious impression the new type received the USAF code name "Cooper", but the hostilities' soon end however stopped any further work and serial production. No Ki-104 survived the war.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Height: 4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 28 m² (301.388 ft²)
Airfoil: Tatsuo Hasegawa airfoil
Empty weight: 4,637 kg (10,337 lb)
Loaded weight: 6.450 kg (14.220 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Nakajima Ha219 [Ha-44-12] 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,835 kW (2,461 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 712 km/h (385 kn, 443 mph)
Cruise speed: 440 km/h (237 kn, 273 mph)
Range: 2,100 km (1,305 mi)
Service ceiling: 14,680 m (48,170 ft)
Wing loading: 230.4 kg/m² (47.2 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.28 kW/kg (0.17 hp/lb)
Climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft): 5 min 9 sec;
Climb to 10,000 m (32,800 ft): 17 min 38 sec;
Climb to 13,000 m (42,640 ft): 21 min 03 sec
Armament
4× 30 mm (1.18 in) Ho-155-II cannons in the wings
Underwing hardpoints and centerline pylon for up to 3× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs
or a single 300l drop tank under the fuselage
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is the result of many ideas and occasions. First of all, I had a leftover six-blade propeller from a Hasegawa J7W Shinden in stock. Then I recently had an eye on kits of late Japanese high altitude fighters with turbosuperchargers, like the Ki-91-II or the Ki-106. These are available from RS Models, but rare and rather costly. And I wondered how a P-47 might look like without its deep belly? All this was finally thrown into a big idea stew, and the Ki-104 is the home-made hardware result!
As a side note: the Ki-104 was a real IJA project, AFAIK based/related to the Tachikawa Ki-94-I twin-boom/push-pull high altitude fighter, a re-worked, more conventional design. Information is sparese and it never reached any hardware stage and remained a paper project as the Rikugun Kogiken Ki-104; I just "revived" the number for my whif, but maybe the real Ki-104 could have looked like it... ;-)
The kit is a bashing of various parts and pieces:
- Fuselage and wing roots from an Academy P-47-25
- Wings from an Ark Model Supermarine Attacker (ex Novo)
- Tail fin is a modified part of a Matchbox Ju 188 stabilizer
- The stabilizers are outer sections from a Matchbox Douglas F3D Skyknight
- Cowling comes from an ART Model Grumman F8F Bearcat, the engine was scratched
- Propeller from a Hasegawa J7W Shinden
- Main wheels from a Matchbox F6F Hellcat
My choice fell onto the Academy Thunderbolt because it has engraved panel lines, offers the bubble canopy as well as good fit and detail. The belly duct had simply been sliced off, and the opening later faired over with styrene sheet and putty.
The Bearcat cowling was chosen because it had very good fitting width in order to match with the P-47 fuselage, and it turned out to be a very good choice - even though I had to add a dorsal connection, a simple styrene wedge, to create a good profile.
Inside, the engine consists of a reversed Hobby Boss F6F engine, with a fan dummy that covers any view on non-existent interior details... A styrene tube was added, into which a metal axis can be inserted. The latter holds the propeller, so that it can spin with little hindrance.
The Attacker wings were chosen because of their "modern" laminar profile - the Novo kit is horrible, but acceptable for donations. And the risen panel lines and rivets should later do great work during the weathering process... OOB, the Attacker wings had too little span for the big P-47, so I decided to mount the Thunderbolt's OOB wings and cut them at a suitable point: maybe 0.5", just where the large wheel fairings for the main landing gear ends.
The intersection with the Attacker wings is almost perfect in depth and width, relatively little putty work was necessary. I just had to cut out new landing gear well parts.
With the new wing shape, the tail surfaces had to be changed accordingly, with parts from a Matchbox Skyknight and a highly modified piece from a Matchbox Ju 188 stabilizer.
The OOB cockpit and landing gear was retained, I just replaced the main wheels with slightly more delicate alternatives from a Matchbox F6F Hellcat.
Once the basic bodywork was done I added the exhaust arrangement under the fuselage; the outlets are oil cooler parts from a Fw 190A, the air scoop once belonged to a Martin Marauder and the long ducts are actually HO scale roof rails. The oil cooler under the engine comes from a Hobby Boss La-7.
Pretty wild mix, but it works surprisingly well!
Painting and markings:
Even though this was supposed to become a late WWII IJA fighter, I did neither want the stereotype NMF look nor the classic green/grey livery or a respective mottled scheme. What I finally settled upon, though, took a long while to manifest, and it looks ...odd.
I wanted a camouflage scheme, but none of the more exotic real world options was fine for me; there had been fighters with black upper surfaces, bright blue ones, or blue mottle on top of NMF. But all this did not convince me, and I eventually created an experimental scheme. And the paint was supposed to look heavily worn, as if the paint had been applied directly onto the bare metal, without primer, so that it chips and flakes off easily.
The tones were supposed to be suitable for high altitudes, but not the classic IJA colors - nothing even close. eventuelly I came up with an all-around turquoise green (ModelMaster Fulcrum Grey Green) plus a pale grey-green (ModelMaster RAF Dark Slate Grey) as contrast for the upper sides. Sick combination, yes, esp. with the Aluminum shining through, which was applied first as a kind of acrylic primer. The camouflage paint was carefully brushed on top of that, with panel-wise strokes from back to front. Tedious, but effective.
The black tail was applied similarly, it is a free interpretation of real IJA markings; for instance, the 244th Sentai arcraft bore all-red tail sections. Black is an uncommon color, but since I wanted to create fictional squadron markings, too, this was a suitable concept. And it looks cool and mysterious...
The cockpit interior was painted with Aodake Iro (Modelmaster), the section behind the pilot's seat and where the sliding canopy moves on the outside, were painted with IJA Dark Green - just an odd idea. In front of the cockpit a black anti glare panel was added. The landing gear and the respective wells were painted with Steel Metallizer (just to set them apart from the lighter Aluminum all around). The propeller was painted in reddish brown tones, the spinner in Humbrol 160 and the blades in 173.
After this basic painting the kit received a black ink wash, and decals were applied. These were taken from various aftermarket sheets, including generic, white and yellow sheet for the Home Defence markings on wings and fuselage, the white fuselage trim or the yellow ID markings on the wings' leading edges.
As next step the complete kit was carefully wet-sanded, primarily from front to back, so that more of the aluminum primer showed through, the decals (esp. the Hinomaru) were worn out and the camouflage paint on top lost some of its hard edges.
The sanding residues had to be cleaned away thoroughly (with a soft toothbrush and lots of water), and then, repairs, e .g. where the bare plastic came through, as well as extra effects with dry-painted, lighter camouflage tones were done. Final cosmetics also include oil and dirt stains with Tamiya"Smoke", also applied by brush.
Once everything was dry and clean (despite the kit's look), everything was sealed under a coat of varnish - a 3:1 mix of matt and gloss Revell Acrylics.
A complex and lengthy painting process, but I think the effort paid out because the procedure mimicks the structure and look of a worn paint job instead of trying to look like it when you paint a cammo scheme and add metal effects "on top". This works for small chips, but not for the flaked look I had been looking for.
The Ki-104 turned out to be a very conclusive kitbashing - I think that the P-47-with-Attacker-wings-and-new-cowling bears more potential, and I might try it again, e. g. for a naval Thunderbolt development?