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Oct 2008.
St. Michael's Castle (Russian: Михайловский замок, Mikhailovsky zamok), also called the Mikhailovsky Castle or the Engineers Castle (Russian: Инженерный замок, Inzhenerny zamok), is a former royal residence in the historic centre of Saint Petersburg, Russia. St. Michael's Castle was built as a residence for Emperor Paul I by architects Vincenzo Brenna and Vasili Bazhenov in 1797-1801. The castle looks different from each side, as the architects used the motifs of various architectural styles such as French Classicism, Italian Renaissance and Gothic.
St. Michael's Castle was built to the south of the Summer Garden and replaced a small wooden palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Afraid of intrigues and assassination plots, Emperor Paul I didn't like the Winter Palace where he never felt safe. Due to his personal interest in Medieval knights and his constant fear of assassination, the new royal residence was built like a castle with rounded corners in which a small octagonal courtyard is located. The castle was surrounded by the waters of the Moika River, the Fontanka River and two specially dug canals (the Church Canal and the Sunday Canal), transforming the castle area into an artificial island which could only be reached by drawbridges.
Construction began on 26 February (N.S. 9 March), 1797 and the castle was solemnly consecrated on 8 November 1800, i.e. on St. Michael's Day according to the Eastern Orthodoxy, though works on its internal furnishing proceeded until March 1801. In 1800, the bronze equestrian Monument to Peter the Great was erected in front of the castle. The equestrian statue had been designed during Peter the Great's lifetime and later, with the casting completed in 1747 by architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. By order of Paul I, the inscription "From Great Grandson to Great Grandfather" was made on the pedestal that is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of two Russian victories over Sweden during the Great Northern War.
Ironically, Paul I was assassinated only 40 nights after he moved into his newly built castle. He was murdered on 12 March 1801, in his own bedroom, by a group of dismissed officers headed by General Bennigsen. The conspirators forced him to a table, and tried to compel him to sign his abdication. Paul offered some resistance, and one of the assassins struck him with a sword, and he was then strangled and trampled to death. He was succeeded by his son, the Emperor Alexander I, who was actually in the palace, and to whom general Nicholas Zubov, one of the assassins, announced his accession.
After Paul's death, the imperial family returned to the Winter Palace; St. Michael's Castle was abandoned and in 1819 was given to the army's Main Engineering School (later to become the Nikolayevskaya Engineering Academy). Since then the building has been called the Engineer Castle. Between 1838 and 1843, the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky studied as a cadet at the Main Engineering School.
In the early 1990s, St. Michael's Castle became a branch of the Russian Museum and now houses its Portrait Gallery, featuring official portraits of the Russian Emperors and Empresses and various dignitaries and celebrities from the late 17th to the early 20th century.
Wiki.
Honestly Vincent had been looking forward to flying the skies with Damien despite everything that had happened between them recently. The engines were fired up and they were off for hours! It felt like old times with just the two of them. It was good to have one-on-one time again now that they weren't fighting. He was still clinging to the hope that things would go back to normal.
But while Vincent was smiling and chuckling...it was just a facade. What should have been a fun evening out instead had been secretly ruined for him. He had to put on a brave face because he sure as Hell wasn't about to tell Damien that he was thinking about Aiden and Charlie the Octopus (as he very recently and bitterly dubbed her). Even Damien and all the strong herb he could smoke couldn't stop those intrusive thoughts and images of the two of them together and all the what-ifs of what could be. And to top it all off he KNEW this was illogical!
The next morning after a restless sleep, Vincent groggily found himself standing alone with a steaming mug of coffee while staring up at Aiden's vacant hammock. He...he missed Aiden. What was up with that? He'd just seen him yesterday afternoon! There was no reason to be missing him already! Yet he was oblivious of the prevalent look of longing upon his face that suggested otherwise.
Damien returned very shortly afterwards with breakfast. He insisted on sticking around and keeping Vincent company while waiting. Aiden wasn't expected until noon and there was still a couple hours to go so Vincent was glad to have some sort of distraction again.
When Aiden arrived at the appointed time, he was greeted by Vincent and Damien up on the deck waiting for him while Vincent smoked from his pipe. It was the best way for Vincent to keep himself centered while they'd waited. Yet, if you'd looked at him you'd never guess anything was amiss. Thankfully, the moment his eyes rested on Aiden, relief filled him. That was better. However, there was still the matter of wanting to know how things had gone last night...
Aiden quickly put up his overnight bag and rejoined his crewmates on the top deck with Eugene the mechanical hermit crab in hand. He flashed a grin at Vincent as he took a seat down on the ground next to where his captain sat on a crate. With his legs spread out wide, Aiden set Eugene down on the floorboards and watched as he crawled around. With an impish little smile Aiden glanced up at Damien and gestured towards his creation.
"Damien, meet Eugene! I made him while you were gone. I used Fulgora's Eye just like with Pete!"
"You...you made another one."
"I did! He's adorable, isn't he? He just moves around aimlessly forever and ever and ever!"
"Yes," Damien agreed with a wry smile. He obviously didn't think so. "Absolutely ...adorable."
Aiden knew Damien didn't think much of him or his ideas. Likewise, Aiden didn't think much of Damien, so was he antagonizing him a little bit? Yes, he was! Pretending that Damien had meant it after all, Aiden grinned a little wider and responded enthusiastically, "Right?! Vincent thought so, too! You should have seen how tiny the screws were! I had a lot of fun breaking apart the Fulgora's Eye and chipping off a piece tiny enough to fit inside and..."
Vincent smirked a little to himself and said nothing as Aiden launched into one of his excited explanations about how he'd done it. He basically gave Damien a taste of his own medicine by not letting him get much of a word in. Nearly three minutes passed and Aiden was STILL talking about Fulgora's Eye and Vincent could see Damien was already spacing out. Vincent, however, was still following along interestedly.
When Aiden finished his excited rant one more minute after that, Vincent chuckled and told him, "Good! I'm glad you're making good use of the Fulgora's Eye." Though, opposite him, Damien sneered, "Good use? Eh, if you say so. At least the lantern is somewhat useful."
Aiden's head snapped up in defense and he opened his mouth to buck back when he saw Vincent's silent, pleading look; begging him to not say anything. So instead Aiden closed his mouth and scooped Eugene into his hand and held him close and tried not to let Damien get to him. This was bullshit. Utter...bullshit...
"We had a marvelous time last night! Leon's Claw is in great condition by the way," Damien informed Aiden with a small grin as he strode over and stood on Vincent's other side. "After sitting these two months on her ass there were no problems whatsoever getting her up in the air!"
Vincent chuckled and shifted off the crate and gave a small little stretch as he responded, "Well, thank Aiden! He's done a great job keeping the engines running and the ship ready to go at any time. Did you really think I was going to let my ship sit all this time as if she were dead in the water? Speaking of, I'd like to get back on schedule as soon as possible." Deflecting to the safer, new topic Vincent turned to look at his crewmates and huffed, "My uncle has been delayed further in his return to the capital. I need to speak with him before we make our final arrangements. He better be back before the ball or else I'd hate to be in his shoes when Aunt Jennifer finally gets a hold of him..."
Had...had Vincent not told Damien about their moonlit flight? Aiden wondered. He tried to listen as Damien and Vincent discussed how soon after the ball they'd be leaving. But instead his mind was occupied by the idea that Vincent and he shared a secret knowledge of a wonderful night together sailing the skies during the full moon.
Not long after Damien suggested that they head out to let Aiden settle in. Vincent didn't really want to go but he wanted to talk to Aiden in private. It would be easier to do that if Damien thought he was leaving, too. They had managed to skirt around yesterday's details. He'd not told Damien that Aiden had gone to the Dubois manor for dinner alone nor that there had been a gathering yesterday in Vincent's office beforehand. It wasn't that Aiden or he were doing anything wrong, right? He didn't 'have' to tell Damien everything that went on in his life!
After managing to shake Damien off half an hour later Vincent returned to Leon's Claw while trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in his stomach. Not knowing the details was eating at him! Yet in his calm voice he called out, "Aiden?"
"I'm here! Come on down!"
When Vincent made his descent, he found Aiden sitting atop his hammock and leaning back against the wall with his knees drawn up and forearms resting over his knees. In his hand was Eugene, who was turned off. It was as if he simply was wanting to hold something in his hands. There was no sign of Aiden's sketchbook or tools beside him. It appeared he was just...sitting. Aiden rarely just sat there unless something was heavy on mind. But he saw how Aiden sat up a bit more and his smile lighting up upon seeing him. With a small, curious tilt of his head Aiden asked, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, everything's fine. I-I was wanting to speak with you in private is all," Vincent explained with a slight smile. "About yesterday."
In private? That all but confirmed it, Aiden realized. Vincent really hadn't told Damien much of any of what's been going on lately. He felt his stomach fill with butterflies that Vincent had come to see him...just him.
"What about yesterday?" Aiden wondered aloud to him to which Vincent simply smiled as he leaned against one of the pillars.
"Ah, nothing serious. I was simply wanting to know how your evening was at my aunt's. Did you have a good time?"
Vincent gave a soft chuckle as Aiden lit up with an enthusiastic nod and exclaimed, "I did! I swear if I could eat Mrs. Faris' cooking again, I could die happy!"
"Without a doubt her cooking is worth visiting home for every time. What did she make?"
"Shepherd's pie!"
"I'm jealous! I don't think I've had that since last Summer."
"Next time, you should come with me! I'm going back over there on Monday afternoon!"
Wait...Aiden was going back over there on Monday? But why? Wetting his lips and ignoring the feeling of a rock sitting in his stomach, Vincent dared to ask, "What's happening on Monday?"
"Oh, I'm practicing with Charlotte for the masquerade! She even offered to come as my plus one."
"I see. Good for you! That's wonderful. I appreciate the invitation but I have plans that day. I'm sure you'll do great. Like I said, you've already got natural talent."
Vincent gave a nod and forced a smile to indicate his approval despite feeling as though he'd just been slapped. Apparently, Abigail hadn't kept an eye on things as much as he'd hoped she would. The idea of going back to his family home on Monday with Aiden didn't sound appealing at all; not if he was going to be subjected to watching Charlie and Aiden dancing and looking so fucking perfect together...
"Anyway," Vincent quickly added as his gaze diverted and pretended not to be bothered, "I'm glad things went well but I should take my leave. I'll be in touch."
Already?! Aiden didn't want Vincent to go yet! He'd only just gotten here! He quickly suggested, "You don't have to go yet. Did you want to stay and smoke together?"
"As tempting as that is, I really must be going. Maybe next time. Have a pleasant day. I'll see you soon."
"Oh, okay. See you soon."
And with that, Vincent left, leaving Aiden sitting atop his hammock with a small furrow on his brow and feeling even more troubled than before Vincent had arrived. That hadn't been Vincent's real smile. He knew his captain enough to be able to tell the difference. Aiden didn't like it when Vincent fake-smiled...but why do it to begin with? What was wrong?
...
The following week felt like a blur for Vincent. With the masquerade being less than a week away now and preparations to be made for leaving the capital in the near future, it was easy to keep himself busy. Plus, his uncle had finally returned after his massive but unavoidable delay. Unfortunately, that meant there was even MORE to be done with much less time to do it. Thankfully he had made it back in time! At least it helped keep Vincent's mind occupied...
Today, Vincent was due to meet with Damien and run a few errands for the ship's business. Once that was all taken care of, then he'd be heading to his most anticipated and final stop of the week: Rosamund's!
Rosamund warmly welcomed the captain and his first mate to her wagon. It had been since last Summer since she'd seen Damien. However, this time she observed the two of them with a slightly different lens now that she was aware that not all had been well with them lately.
It was a profitable meeting for both parties. Deals were struck, a late lunch of venison was shared, herb was smoked, and the day was going swell thus far! Vincent was happy with everything and he made sure Rosamund was well compensated for her wares and sensitive, particular information of which he'd not be able to find out otherwise regarding some rivals and competition. He was eagerly looking forward to the day here very soon where he'd be inviting Aiden along on these sort of meetings and get him fully integrated into the crew of Leon's Claw. In fact, he already had plans to do so after things settled down from the ball before heading back to the skies.
Once everything was all said and done, Rosamund escorted her guests back into the bustling city. She needed to run an errand there so they decided to walk together. Once they made it to where they needed to part, Vincent and Damien began to bid their hostess a final farewell. As Damien was chuckling and speaking with Rosamund, Vincent turned to look around at the city and...felt like he was suddenly punched very, very hard in the stomach.
Across the road and completely oblivious to Vincent's staring was Aiden. And he wasn't alone. Looking more mature and grown up than Vincent had ever seen her was Charlotte. She had her hands ('More like tentacles,' Vincent thought to himself) wrapped around Aiden's arm as he escorted her along. They were smiling! And laughing! At least they weren't completely alone. One of the family lady's maids was following behind a short distance away as a chaperone of sorts.
Vincent was aware that they were meeting for dance practices this week but what the Hell were they doing all the way out here?! The longer Vincent stared, the worse he felt! It felt like everything inside him was clenching painfully. And to make matters worse, Damien had suddenly noticed them as well.
"Is that-? It is!" Damien exclaimed with a wide grin. "Who would have thought it, eh, Vincent?" He set his elbow atop Vincent's shoulder and lightly leaned against him as he watched the young couple walk together from afar. Vincent folded his arms across his chest as Rosamund came up alongside Vincent's other side. She brought her hand up over her brows and peered around.
"Who are we talking about?"
"See the blond man with the blue shirt over there? That's our engineer: Aiden," Damien explained. Vincent silently begged him to stop talking, but Damien did not. He cheerfully continued, "And the beauty on his arm is Vincent's cousin. I had no idea they were courting! This is brilliant!"
"Ooh, I see! He's real easy on the eyes, too," Rosamund responded with an appreciative smile as she appraised Aiden's appearance from afar. With a smirk she gently nudged Vincent's arm and demanded, "So when were you planning to introduce us?! I forgot you said you had a new engineer!"
Vincent turned towards Rosamund and with absolutely no emotion on his face or in his tone as he responded simply, "Very soon. Forgive me, I just remembered I have a sudden urgent matter to attend to."
"Wait, Vincent! Where are you going?"
Ignoring Damien's demands and Rosamund's bewildered expression, Vincent continued to briskly walk away in the opposite direction of his associates and the direction Aiden and Charlotte were heading. He...he needed to go home. Now. He was done. Just...so fucking done with everything.
---
NEXT PART: (Soon to come!)
To select another chapter (or even start from the beginning), here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (LGBTQ+) series. It is a slow burn and is rated YOUNG ADULT!***
Special thank you to my husband Vin for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain! And BIG THANK YOU to Vin for also putting together all these poses and being my hero! ♥
And also thank you to Mythra Rose-Älskling for starring, once again, as our lovely Rosamund!
*** This scene was taken in Second Life at Victorian London - Time Portal! When you first land, head down the main road and just as you come to the main city square, look straight ahead across the courtyard and you'll find the location for this scene!
You can check out this AMAZING roleplay-type parcel and even rent from there! Its so realistic! Seriously! The details here are incredible!
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and the Engineer has a Discord Server! If you would like to join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
FACEBOOK PAGE: The Captain and the Engineer has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
CSX L059 (Former PAR LA-3) sits in the backwoods of Wilmington waiting for a signal up the Wildcat branch. Conductor turned Engineer Connor Maher takes the helm on this wet November afternoon.
The wood chisels have leather sheaths that slide into the canvas slots. These chisels are still VERY sharp and look as if they have never been used.
Really neat!
Veteran Engineer J.C is at the helm of 4777, bringing 589 into Arnprior with cars for Nylene. John has called Ottawa his home terminal for years, working through both the CN and OCR eras, and he still takes pride in his work to this day
A CVSR locomotive engineer answer questions from an onlooker as his train sits in Akron, Ohio, at the end of a run.
Sean Rossi of Blackfire Research Corporation. Lighting: Paul C Buff Einstein with grid for key camera left. Einstein with Umbrella bounced of wall for fill camera right. Fired with Cybersyncs.
LOCH EWE, SCOTLAND, United Kingdom (Oct. 19 2016) An Estonian engineer launches a Seafox mine disposal unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) from Estonian mine countermeasures ship ENS Sakala during a mine countermeasures exercise as part of NATO exercise Noble Mariner 16.Noble Mariner 16 is designed to confirm the NATO Response Force 2017 Maritime Forces interoperability, evaluate their readiness and validate the capabilities of the NRF 2017 MCC by exercising NRF missions and tasks. This year, exercise Noble Mariner is combined with the Royal Navy exercise Joint Warrior and Unmanned Warrior and NATO Air Command's Noble Arrow. By combining these exercises participants from all exercises gain greater interoperability and more capability development. NATO photo by FRA N CPO Christian Valverde /Released.
United States Military Academy cadets receive instruction on demolition tactics from 101st Airborne Combat Engineers at Range 12, West Point, New York on June 15, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Hennen, USMA)
How many video engineers does it take to change a light bulb..?
Somewhere in San Francisco, circa 1996. [Scanned from 35mm negative.]
66154 is seen heading east along the SAK line at Culross with 6X40 Stirling to Carlisle yard 'empty track panel carriers'. The SAK line saw a number of engineering trains over the weekend of 12/13th Sept in conjunction with on-going work at Larbert.
With the SAK line being effectively out of use between Charleston Jcn and Alloa the chance to once again photograph trains on the section was too good to miss even with the dismal weather.
United States Military Academy cadets receive instruction on demolition tactics from 101st Airborne Combat Engineers at Range 12, West Point, New York on June 15, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Hennen, USMA)
It's lovely to be able to capture a moment that would be difficult to place in time (assuming one didn't have acces to "EXIF" data!). One of the crew of NNR's Standard 4MT "Mogul" (Driver or Fireman? I don't know which) prepares the locomotive for bed at Weybourne Station. The sharp eyed will notice that the train this shot was taken from is hauled by a BR Class 37 Diesel-Electric. Meaning the photo was definately captured post 1962.
Sunday engineering works at Chipping Sodbury resulted in 3 freights on Saturday evening for Network Rail from Hinksey within an hour with Freightliner traction, all of which passed Shrivenham within 20 mins of each other
The first working 6Y64, the 18:50 Hinksey - Chipping Sodbury approaches Shrivenham behind 66524
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The P-51H (NA-126) was the final production Mustang, embodying the experience gained in the development of the lightweight XP-51F and XP-51G aircraft. This aircraft, brought the development of the Mustang to a peak as one of the fastest production piston-engine fighters to see service in WWII.
In July of 1943, U.S. Army approved a contract with North American Aviation to design and build a lightweight P-51. Designated NA-105, 5 aircraft were to be built and tested. Edgar Schmued, chief of design at NAA, began this design early in 1943. He, in February of 1943, left the U.S. on a two-month trip to England. He was to visit the Supermarine factory and the Rolls Royce factory to work on his lightweight project.
Rolls Royce had designed a new version of the Merlin, the RM.14.SM, which was proposed to increase the manifold pressure to 120 (from 67 max) and thus improve military emergency horsepower to 2,200. Schmued was very eager to use this powerplant, since the new Merlin was not heavier than the earlier models. In order to exploit the new engine to the maximum, he visited the engineers at Rolls Royce in Great Britain. However, British fighters were by tendency lighter than their U.S. counterparts and Schmued also asked for detailed weight statements from Supermarine concerning the Spitfire. Supermarine did not have such data, so they started weighing all the parts they could get a hold of and made a report. It revealed that the British had design standards that were not as strict in some areas as the U.S, and American landing gear, angle of attack and side engine design loads were by tendency higher. When Schmued returned, he began a new design of the P-51 Mustang that used British design loads, shaving off weight on any part that could yield. The result was an empty weight reduction by 600 pounds, what would directly translate into more performance.
This design effort led to a number of lightweight Mustang prototypes, designated XP-51F, XP-51G and XP-51J. After their testing, the production version, NA-126 a.k.a. P-51H, was closest to the XP-51F. The project began in April 1944 and an initial contract for 1,000 P-51Hs was approved on June 30, 1944, which was soon expanded.
The P-51H used the V-1650-9 engine, a modified version of the new Merlin RM.14.SM that included Simmons automatic supercharger boost control with water injection, allowing War Emergency Power as high as 2,218 hp (1,500 kW) and a continuous output of up to 1,490 hp (1.070 kW).
Even though the P-51H looked superficially like a slightly modified P-51D, it was effectively a completely new design. External differences to the P-51D included lengthening and deepening the fuselage and increasing the height of the tailfin, which reduced, together with a lower fuel load in the fuselage tank, the tendency to yaw. The landing gear was simplified and lightened. The canopy resembled the P-51D bubble top style, over a raised pilot's position. The armament was retained but service access to the guns and ammunition was improved, including the introduction of ammunition cassettes that made reloading easier and quicker. With the new airframe several hundred pounds lighter, extra power, and a more streamlined radiator, the P-51H was faster than the P-51D, able to reach 472 mph (760 km/h; 410 kn) at 21,200 ft (6,500 m), making it one of the fastest piston engine aircraft in WWII.
The high-performance P-51H was designed to complement the P-47N as the primary aircraft for the invasion of Japan, with 2,000 ordered to be manufactured at NAA’s Inglewood plant. Variants of the P-51H with different versions of the Merlin engine were produced in limited numbers, too, in order to ramp up production and deliveries to frontline units. These included the P-51L, which was similar to the P-51H but utilized the V-1650-11 engine with a modified fuel system, rated at maximum 2,270 hp (1,690 kW), and the P-51M, or NA-124. The P-51M, of which a total of 1629 was ordered, was built in Dallas and utilized the V-1650-9A engine. This variant was optimized for operations at low and medium altitude and lacked water injection, producing less maximum power at height. However, it featured attachment points for up to ten unguided HVAR missiles under the outer wings as well as improved armor protection for the pilot against low-caliber weapons esp. from ground troops, which ate up some of the light structure’s weight benefit.
Most P-51H and L were issued to USAF units, while the P-51M and some Hs were delivered to allied forces in the Pacific TO, namely Australia and New Zealand. Only a few aircraft arrived in time to become operational until the end of hostilities, and even less became actually involved in military actions during the final weeks of fighting in the Pacific.
The RAAF received only a handful P-51Hs, since Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) had recently started license production of the P-51D (as CA-18) and the RAAF rather focused on this type. However, there were plans in early 1945 to build the P-51H locally as the CA-21, too, but this never came to fruition.
New Zealand ordered a total of 370 P-51 Mustangs of different variants to supplement its Vought F4U Corsairs in the PTO, which were primarily used as fighter-bombers. Scheduled deliveries were for an initial batch of 30 P-51Ds, followed by 137 more P-51Ds and 203 P-51Ms. The first RNZAF P-51Ms arrived in April 1945 and were allocated to 3 Squadron as well as to the Flight Leaders School in Ardmore (near Auckland in Northern New Zealand) for conversion training. The machines arrived as knocked-down kits via ship in natural metal finish, but the operational machines were, despite undisputed Allied air superiority, immediately camouflaged in field workshops to protect the airframes from the harsh and salty environment, esp. on the New Guinean islands. The RNZAF Mustangs also received quick identification markings in the form of white tail surfaces and white bands on the wings and in front of and behind the cockpit, in order to avoid any confusion with the Japanese Ki-61 “Hien” (Tony) and Ki-84 (Frank) fighters which had a similar silhouette and frequently operated in a natural metal finish.
During the final weeks of the conflict, the RNZAF only scored three air victories: two Japanese reconnaissance flying boats were downed and a single Ki-84 fighter was shot down in a dogfight over Bougainville. Most combat situations of 3 Squadron were either fighter escorts for F4U fighter bombers or close air support and attacks against Japanese strongholds or supply ships.
After the war, many USAF P-51Hs were immediately retired or handed over to reserve units. The surviving P-51Js were, due to their smaller production numbers, were mostly donated to foreign air forces in the course of the Fifties, in order to standardize the US stock. Despite its good performance, the P-51H/J/M did not take part in the Korean War. Instead, the (by the time re-designated) F-51D was selected, as it was available in much greater numbers and had a better spares supply situation. It was considered as a proven commodity and perceived to be stouter against ground fire – a misconception, because the vulnerable ventral liquid cooling system caused heavy losses from ground fire. The alternative P-47 would have been a more effective choice. The last American F-51H Mustangs were retired from ANG units in 1957, but some of its kin in foreign service soldiered on deep into the Sixties. The F-51D even lasted into the Eigthies in military service!
After the end of hostilities in the PTO, the RNZAF’s forty-two operational P-51Ms met different fates: The twenty-six survivors, which had reached frontline service in New Guinea, were directly scrapped on site, because their transfer back to New Zealand was not considered worthwhile. Those used for training in New Zealand were stored, together with the delivered P-51Ds, or, together with yet unbuilt kits, sent back to the United States.
In 1951, when New Zealand’s Territorial Air Force (TAF) was established, only the stored P-51D Mustangs were revived and entered service in the newly established 1 (Auckland), 2 (Wellington), 3 (Canterbury), and 4 (Otago) squadrons. Due to the small number, lack of spares and communality with the P-51D, the remaining mothballed RNZAF F-51Ms were eventually scrapped, too.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 33’ 4” (10.173 m)
Wingspan: 37‘ (11.28 m)
Height: 13‘ 8” (4.17 m) with tail wheel on ground, vertical propeller blade
Wing area: 235 sq ft (21.83 m²)
Airfoil: NAA/NACA 45-100 / NAA/NACA 45-100
Empty weight: 7.180 lb (3,260 kg)
Gross weight: 9,650 lb (4,381 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 11,800 lb (5,357 kg)
Fuel capacity: 255 US gal (212 imp gal; 964 l)
Aspect ratio: 5.83
Powerplant:
1× Packard (Rolls Royce) V-1650-9A Merlin 12-cylinder liquid cooled engine, delivering 1,380 hp
(1,030 kW) at sea level, driving a 4-blade constant-speed Aeroproducts 11' 1" Unimatic propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 465 mph (750 km/h; 407 kn) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Cruise speed: 362 mph (583 km/h, 315 kn)
Stall speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
Range: 855 mi (1,375 km, 747 nm) with internal fuel
1,200 mi (1,930 km, 1,050 nmi) with external tanks
Service ceiling: 30,100 ft (9,200 m)
Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16.3 m/s) at sea level
Wing loading: 30.5 lb/sq ft (149 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.19 hp/lb (315 W/kg)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 14.6
Recommended Mach limit 0.8
Armament:
6× 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with a total of 1,880 rounds
2× underwing hardpoints for drop tanks or bombs of 500 pounds (227 kg) caliber each,
or 6 or 10 5” (127 mm) T64 HVAR rockets
The kit and its assembly:
A relatively simple project, a whiffy color variant based on RS Model’s 1:72 P-51H kit – which I quickly turned into a P-51M, which was planned as mentioned in the background, but never produced in real life.
The model was strictly built OOB, and while this short-run kit goes together quite well, I encountered some problems along the way:
- There are massive and long ejector pin markers, sometimes in very confined locations like the radiator intake. Without a mini drill, getting rid of them is very difficult
- Somehow the instructions for the cockpit are not correct; I put the parts into place as indicated, and the pilot’s seat ended up way too far forward in the fuselage
- The canopy, while clear, is pretty thick and just a single piece, so that you have to cut the windscreen off by yourself if you want to show the otherwise very nice cockpit.
- The separated windscreen section itself includes a piece of the cowling in front of the window panes, which makes its integration into the fuselage a tricky affair. However, this IMHO not-so-perfect construction became a minor blessing because the separated windscreen turned out to be a little too narrow for the fuselage – it had to be glued forcibly to the fuselage (read: with superglue), and the section in front of the window panes offered enough hidden area to safely apply the glue on the clear piece.
- While there are some resin parts included like weighted wheels, it is beyond me why tiny bits like the underwing pitot or most delicate landing gear parts have been executed in resin, as flat parts of a resin block that makes it IMHO impossible to cut them out from.
- The tail wheel is a messy three-piece construction of resin and IP parts, with a flimsy strut that’s prone to break already upon cutting the part from the IP sprue. Furthermore, there’s no proper location inside of the fuselage to mount it. Guess and glue!
- The fit of the stabilizers is doubtful; it’s probably best to get rid of their locator pins and glue them directly onto the fuselage
- The propeller consists of a centerpiece with the blades, which is enclosed by two spinner halves (front and back). This results in a visible seam between them that is not easy to fill/PSR away
On the positive side I must say that the engraved surface details, the cockpit interior and the landing gear are very nice, and there is even the complete interior of the radiator and its tunnel included. PSR requirements are also few, even though you won’t get along well without cosmetic bodywork.
The only personal modification is a styrene tube inside of the nose for the propeller, which was mounted onto a metal axis for free rotation; OOB, the propeller is not moveable at all and is to be glued directly to the fuselage.
While the kit comes with optional ordnance (six HVARs or a pair of 500 lb bombs, both in resin), I just used the bomb pylons and left them empty, for a clean look.
Painting and markings:
Even though the model was a quick build, finding a suitable color concept took a while; I had a whiffy P-51H on my agenda for a long time (since the RS Models kit came out), and my initial plan was to create an Australian aircraft. This gradually changed to an RNZAF aircraft during the last weeks of WWII in the PTO, and evolved from an NMF finish (initial and IMHO most logical idea) through am Aussie-esque green/brown camouflage to a scheme I found for a P-40: a trainer that was based in New Zealand and (re)painted in domestic colors, namely in Foliage Green, Blue Sea Grey and Sky. This might sound like a standard RAF aircraft, but in the end the colors and markings make this Mustang look pretty exotic, just as the P-51H looks like a Mustang that is “not quite right”.
The Foliage Green is Humbrol 195 (Dark Green Satin, actually RAL 6020 Chrome Oxide Green), which offers IMHO a good compromise between the tone’s rather bluish hue and yellow shades – I find it to be a better match than the frequently recommended FS 34092, because RAL 6020 is darker. The RNZAF “Blue Sea Grey”, also known as “Pacific Blue” or “Ocean Blue”, is a more obscure tone, which apparently differed a lot from batch to batch and weathered dramatically from a bluish tone (close to FS 35109 when fresh) to a medium grey. I settled for Humbrol 144 (FS 35164; USN Intermediate Blue), which is rumored to come close to the color in worn state.
The undersides were painted with Humbrol 23 (RAF Duck Egg Blue), which I found to be a suitable alternative to the more greenish RAF Sky, even though it’s a pretty light interpretation.
Tail and spinner were painted white, actually a mix of Humbrol 22 (Gloss White) and 196 (Light Grey, RAL 7035) so that there would be some contrast room left for post-shading with pure white.
The interior of cockpit and landing gear wells was painted with zinc chromate primer yellow (Humbrol 81), while the landing gear struts became Humbrol 56 (Aluminum Dope). The radiator ducts received an interior in aluminum (Revell 99).
In order to simulate wear and tear as well as the makeshift character of the camouflage I painted the wings’ leading edges and some other neuralgic areas in aluminum (Revell 99, too) first, before the basic camouflage tones were added in a somewhat uneven fashion, with the metallized areas showing through.
Once dry, the model received an overall washing with thinned black ink and a through dry-brushing treatment with lighter shades of the basic tones (including Humbrol 30, 122 and 145) for post-panel-shading and weathering, esp. on the upper surfaces.
The decals are a mix from a Rising Decals sheet for various RNZAF aircraft (which turned out to be nicely printed, but rather thin so that they lacked opacity and rigidity), and for the tactical markings I stuck to the RNZAF practice of applying just a simple number or letter code to frontline aircraft instead of full RAF-style letter codes. The latter were used only on aircraft based on home soil, since the RNZAF’s frontline units had a different organization with an aircraft pool allocated to the squadrons. Through maintenance these circulated and were AFAIK not rigidly attached to specific units, hence there was no typical two-letter squadron code applied to them, just single ID letters or numbers, and these were typically painted on the aircraft nose and/or the fin, not on the fuselage next to the roundel. The nose art under the cockpit is a mix of markings from P-40s and F4Us.
The white ID bands on fuselage and wings are simple white decal strips from TL-Modellbau. While this, together with the all-white tail, might be overdone and outdated towards mid-1945, I gave the Kiwi-Mustang some extra markings for a more exciting look – and the aircraft’s profile actually reminds a lot of the Ki-61, so that they definitely make sense.
Towards the finish line, some additional dry-brushing with grey and silver was done, soot stains were added with graphite to the exhaust areas and the machine gun ports, and the model was finally sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
After the recent, massive YA-14 kitbashing project, this Mustang was – despite some challenges of the RS Models kit itself – a simple and quick “relief” project, realized in just a couple of days. Despite being built OOB, the result looks quite exotic, both through the paint scheme with RNZAF colors, but also through the unusual roundels and the striking ID markings (for a Mustang). I was skeptical at first, but the aircraft looks good and the camouflage in RNZAF colors even proved to be effective when set into the right landscape context (beauty pics).
This time I switched my position 90 degrees from the last shot posted to work on Engineer's south face with is the most well know mountain face in the San Juans. I have struggled to catch a good sunset with the cliff face saturated so I was happy.
There was a rain shower in the distance near Silverton which was more like a sunset shower with its redish illuminated glow.
Students and alumni of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology pack Cook Stadium to cheer their Fightin' Engineers to victory over Hanover College on September 19, 2015 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Rose-Hulman has been ranked the top school in undergraduate engineering education since 1998 by US News & World Report.
Photo by Daniel M. Reck.
Great Kiskadee inspects an old item of abandoned machinery.
A member of the Tyrant Flycatchers, the largest New World bird family, with about 400 species and the most diverse Costa Rican family with 82 species.
The Royal Engineer Association (Plymouth Branch) present their Standard at the Plymouth Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday 2016.
Worcester Polytechnic Engineers (No.21) vs. Johnson & Wales Wildcats
January 27, 2018
Sports & Recreation Center (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
JWU 26-9 WPI
157 pounds: Timothy Higginson (Johnson & Wales (RI)) technical fall (17-1 6:41) over Peter Nash (Worcester Polytechnic).
©2018 - Lewis Brian Day. All rights reserved.
Not to be reproduced in any format or via any platform without express written permission.
47576 King's Lynn rushes past White Waltham piloted by a plain grey engineers livery Class 47, thought to be 47364..
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47576 entered service as D1771 in 1964. It was withdrawn in 2002 and finally scrapped in 2005.
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47364 was new to traffic in 1964 as D1883
After this photo was taken it was painted ino Civil Engineer 'Dutch' livery and again renumbered briefly as 47981 before being scrapped in 2000 at Wigan .
Scan from 6x7 transparency
I am a Chemical Engineer. Twenty years ago, I never imagined being one. Blogged
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Nikon D80 + 18-200mmVR
Sandia data engineer Rudy Garcia received the 2022 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Technical Achievement and Recognition, or STAR, Award for his work in research and engineering of large software systems and remote-sensing applications, along with his expertise in cloud computing and big geospatial-data architectures.
He said his greatest professional strength is the ability to see the big picture and work collaboratively with his colleagues to meet Sandia’s mission.
Learn more at bit.ly/3FH6xtf
Photo by Craig Fritz.