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CN Track Evaluation train is doing its thing at Ackerville, WI.
This GP38-2W is losing its stripes, after almost 37 years of service.
Photographed here departing Chester Railway Station is an Alexander Dennis E40D Enviro400 City on loan to Arriva Buses Wales with the registration SN66WLK and fleet code 7921, which was new to Alexander Dennis, Falkirk in October 2016 and is seen operating the 11:40 Sapphire service 1 to Wrexham.
53d Test and Evaluation Group
Red Flag 17-1: Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, 2017
Las Vegas - Nellis AFB (LSV / KLSV)
USA - Nevada, February 7, 2017
Photo: TDelCoro
Beech T-34 Mentor done up in the markings of a chase plane from the Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Seen taxiing in at the 2014 Copperstate Fly-In in Casa Grande, Arizona.
A lolvely young Belted Kingfisher gives me a wary look, but decided I wasn't a threat as I floated up to her in the kayak. She sat with me for about 20 minutes before flying off to join her parents in the woods behind.
Photographed here at Wrexham Bus Station is an Alexander Dennis E20D Enviro200 MMC on loan to Townlynx with the registration YX65RLO, which was new to Alexander Dennis, Falkirk in December 2015 and is seen alighting passengers after completing the 08:45 service 28A from Flint.
So I have turned this into a bit of an exercise in lens evaluation. This time I shot this still life with the 4x5 Intrepid and the Schneider Xenotar f2.8 lens (105mm) to see how things rendered. This lens is made for a much smaller format than 4x5 so you can see significant vignetting in the corners. Sometimes that is an asset, sometimes not so much.
I'm surprised at how different the rendering of the scene is using the Xenotar, compared to the Kodak Ektar 12". There's really a huge difference! The Ektar delivers a much softer, more pleasing image, in my opinion.
What do YOU think? Do you have a favorite so far? Next comes the Voigtlander Petzval on 5x7!
85 degree drop, loose stones, 40 foot straight down. It's a yes. He managed this without a moment's hesitation and without losing footing once.
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Former Gwendraeth Valley cut down class 03 locomotive No 03119 in BR Blue livery keeps 09006 and 09015 company at Lydney Junction on the Dean Forest Railway. The Shunter was delivered on Friday 20th December for a full service and mechanical evaluation prior to joining its former stablemate 03141 already at Gwendraeth Valley. On withdrawal, 119 entered directly into preservation initially with the West Somerset Railway and most recently at the Epping and Ongar Railway. Both 03119 and 03141 retain their air controlled multi operational gear which brings the exciting possibility of eventually witnessing a pair of multigear-equipped 03s running on the route they were designed for.
Sample image taken with a Fujifilm X-Pro 2 and XF 10-24mm lens. These samples and comparisons are part of my Fujifilm X-Pro 2 review at:
www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Fujifilm_X-Pro2/
Feel free to download the original image for evaluation on your own computer or printer, but please don't use it on another website or publication without permission from www.cameralabs.com/
Canadian National TEST ( Track Evaluation System) train 0998, led by CN 4791 (GP38-2W) is seen here departing Canadian National's Bell Yard south down the Beaumont Subdivision. Hattiesburg MS.
Note on reverse (title).
Whippet A249 now in service with the Freikorps, undergoes some running repairs in front of the Hotel Eden in Berlin.
The Germans captured fewer than fifteen Whippets however just two were in running condition. Initially they were kept for evaluation purposes, but one of them - A249, saw action with the Freikorps in the German Revolution of 1918–1919. The Germans gave them the designation Beutepanzer A.
About 10 meters from my door at 3:15 in the afternoon. Had taken my dog out saw the cat coming whisked the dog back inside grabbed my point & shooter. Quality not quite up to par as I'm limited to one hand till after things heal.
Evaluating the new Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphone cameras.
Lightroom reports this as a 13mm equivalent lens (0.5x, cropped to 64:27, Magic Eraser to takeout people, lamp post, and sculpture).
The CN TEST train sits in the siding at Entrance, AB for four as Q116 storms past with an ex-Oakway SD60 on the point. This is the first time in probably 30 years that I have shot a GP-9 on the mainline.
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm BAe Sea Harrier FA.2 ZD582/712 with the (Operational Evaluation Unit) OEU/899 Squadron on the 'SHAR' line at RNAS Yeovilton back in October 1997
Scanned Kodak 35mm Transparency
Naval Test Evaluation Museum, Patuxent River NAS (2005)
United States - East-Coast Tour 2005
Boeing X-32B JSF
The X-32B (STOVL variant) was one of two Concept Demonstration Aircraft (CDA) designed and manufactured by Boeing.
The B Version was powered by a single Pratt and Whitney F-119 turbofan engine with 90 deg Direct Lift thrust vectoring.
Photo Selection
Southern Shorthaul Railroad Alco DL500Gs 44204 and 442S1 (since renumbered to its original 44220) approach Beresfield station, New South wales, with the Australian Rail Track Corporation' 'AK Cars' track evaluation train - 13 January 2020.
80D_2_1_0344
For the 50 layers project I noted that quite a few people we're going for a 'post-apocalyptic' theme where I decided to go for something a little more subtle, I decided upon a' jungle' theme as I believed it would look nice and work well. Before reaching the final design, I noted a few imperfections and was able to act upon them with the help of class feedback, some of those imperfections being: the size and scaling of the bee on the front-right in comparison to the dolphins at the back, the lack of individuality with the lotuses, being only duplicates and also the sheer amount of lily pads in the back left. The comments on Thinglink stated that:
"It would look more realistic if you used different images for the lily pads and flowers, instead of just the same one over and over".
"the bee is the same size as the dolphins".
"It's a great picture with nice colours. Perhaps take out some of the lily pads".
I acted upon the feedback by deleting several lily pad images, adding and editing a second lotus image by changing the colour using the 'colour replacement tool' and resizing the bee image.
As well as feedback, their we're additional comments stating what was liked on the design, such as:
"The birds look subtle but when you see them, they are awesome"
"I like how you've made the dolphins look realistic jumping out of water"
"Really well done with the colours as they are vibrant and exciting, this makes your image stand out and makes it look good, well done"
"Good way of using ripples in your work maybe use shadows, but other than that it's perfect".
Editing the images on the document was particularly easy as I have only needed to use basic tools such as the 'magic wand', 'eraser' and 'colour replacement'. The magic wand I used in most if not all my layers to remove the background, the eraser I used like the magic wand but to do a more precise and careful job and the colour replacement tool I used to make the images of the water ripple blend in with the water in the background.
My favourite piece of the document was the water ripples under the leaves as it was easy to edit and looked naturally realistic.
Arista II film. Its been 35 years since I have played with ortho lith film. I forgot how picky this stuff is.
Tooled-up Panavia Tornado GR.1 ZG706/E from the 'TOEU' (Tornado Operational Evaluation Unit) on short finals to home-base at Boscombe Down, 19th July 1990
The GR.1's had the single sensor pod to the right of the nose-wheel leg. The later GR.4 variant sported two - one either side. In addition the Air-to-Air refuelling probe housing stands out well in this shot.
Scanned print
Having previously been loaned out to a number of operators for evaluation, including Lynx and BorderBus, Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 MMC Demonstrator - SK71 CKX is currently a member of the Sanders fleet based at their Holt Depot.
On yet another sunny and warm morning, in this view we see it heading along Runton Road in Cromer while working the above Norwich bound service X44 journey. I believe this is the second day on the road with Sanders and the least said about my attempt to capture it yesterday the better.
In the background we can see the outline of Incleborough Hill. A very popular destination on our walks, that affords panoramic views, especially looking west along the coast towards Sheringham, Blakeney and beyond.
GWR 387131 seen here on test runs for the final time before entering into service the following Monday(05/09/2016)
With the completion of its latest series of milestone tests, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has now survived all of the harsh conditions associated with a rocket launch to space.
Webb’s recent tests have validated that the fully assembled observatory will endure the deafening noise, and the jarring shakes, rattles and vibrations that the observatory will endure during liftoff. Known as “acoustic” and “sine-sibration” testing, NASA has worked carefully with its international partners to match Webb’s testing environment precisely to what Webb will experience both on launch day, and when operating in orbit.
Though each component of the telescope has been rigorously tested during development, demonstrating that the assembled flight hardware is able to safely pass through a simulated launch environment is a significant achievement for the mission. Completed in two separate facilities within Northrop Grumman’s Space Park in Redondo Beach, California, these tests represent Webb’s final two, in a long series of environmental tests before Webb is shipped to French Guiana for launch.
The next environment Webb will experience is space.
Read the full feature on this milestone: go.nasa.gov/3d5Kuhh
Now that environmental testing has been successfully concluded, Webb will move forward into the last full extension of its iconic primary mirror and sunshield, followed by a full systems evaluation before being encapsulated in a specialized shipping container for transport to South America.
Image credit: NASA/Chris Gunn
Well, are you?
Abby Kroke Photography ©
Do not use my work without my permission on any website, blog, or for personal use.
Girls, welcome to the second elimination! Without further ado, let’s start the individual evaluations.
www.flickr.com/photos/93283699@N03/34180377982/in/faves-9... Zsa: This is a great picture Zsa. It’s dramatic yet simple, classy yet intriguing. The black and white effect works amazingly here. The background gives me jardin a la française vibes and I love it. My only critic would be that I think the photo would have been stronger if you have looked straight to the camera. Great job !
www.flickr.com/photos/pancakeboss/33414078064/in/faves-93... Shonelle: I’m torn about this picture Shonelle. Part of me loves it and part of me not so much. I love the sassy yet blasé pose and the attitude here. The makeup is gorgeous. But I think the overall look could have been stronger.
www.flickr.com/photos/bratzrlife13/34251105755/in/faves-9...
Flynn: Just like Shonelle, I’m torn about this photo. And it’s for the opposite reason : i truly love your look here. It’s exquisite. Pure élégance à la française. The setting is great too. However, I think you could have gone more confident and original with the pose.
www.flickr.com/photos/56256134@N02/34250207505/in/faves-9... Amara: You’re serving classic Marie-Antoinette and I’m here for that. I love the elegance of the pose and the overall styling. It’s really beautiful. This is a step up from last week, well done !
www.flickr.com/photos/130518526@N07/34089968062/in/faves-... Jiana: This is completely unexpected ! I have to say that I love everything about this picture, except the fact that it does not entirely read Marie Antoinette and French couture. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. But to me, your modern take on the theme might have toned down the French vibe I wanted.
www.flickr.com/photos/jkuli0/34246502365/in/faves-9328099...
Alejandra : I love it ! This is exactly what I wanted from you : confidence, sass, and sexiness. I love the Girls Aloud I Can’t Speak French vibe that I get from it. The look, the attitude, the hair, the location : perfect from top to bottom.
www.flickr.com/photos/94274459@N07/34236997055/in/faves-9... Luna : I can’t lie here, I’m disappointed Luna. You did an amazing job last week. But this week, I’m sorry my dear but you’ve failed. The dress and the overall styling is too simple, and the lighting is too dark. It could have worked if you had a mean facial expression but this is not Marie Antoinette inspired.
www.flickr.com/photos/133472189@N04/33409624313/in/faves-... Ember : I’m dead. I can’t breathe. I LOVE IT ! The setting is perfect, the outfit and overall styling screams Marie Antoinette. The hair, the pose, the mirror, the look : everything is here. You’ve killed the competition this week, well done !
www.flickr.com/photos/145923557@N03/33574807330/in/faves-... Rebeka : This is truly gorgeous Rebeka ! I love it. It’s everything I wanted for this theme ! You did an amazing job ! I love the pose and the dress. It’s flawless. The hair and the make are perfect too. You truly delivered this week. The idea of the flag is unique and truly is a risk, but it works. Congratz !
Rose: This is a huge step up from last week Rose, I’m super proud of you. I like the attitude and it works amazingly with the expensive gown you’re wearing. The location is nice too. My only criticism would be that I wished you had curly hair here. It would have made the picture more Marie-Antoinette in my opinion. But great job !
So, without further ado, the top photo this week goes to……………..
Ember! Congratulations Ember, you’re photo is just flawless. This is art. You’ve won immunity for the next challenge and therefore cannot be eliminated next week.
And now, from best to worst:
2nd. Rebeka. Keep up the good work!
3rd. Alejandra
4th. Zsa
5th. Jiana
6th. Amara
7th. Rose
8th. Flynn
9th. Shonelle
10th. Luna
Mary K, I’m sorry, but this is the end of the road for you. You’ve failed to deliver again but we’ve talked and I completely understand why. Take care of yourself girl. We’ll miss you, have a safe trip back home.
Now, for this week’s theme, we’re going to Morocco ! This week is all about lingerie and sexiness. Don’t forget that you have to be sexy but classy. Lingerie is all about selling the product with your amazing bodies, not selling your bodies in lingerie. We know that you can rock the oriental lingerie vibe. Impress us.
Deadline: 05.28
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
The A-14 program originally started in 2005 as a private venture, initiated by Northrop-Grumman together with the Elbit Group as a joint venture through Elbit’s Texas-based aircraft division M7 Aerosystems, an approved supplier to major aerospace clients. The aircraft was intended to replace the USAF’s A-10 attack aircraft as well as early F-16s in the strike role from 2010 onwards. The time slot for the project turned out to be advantageous, because at that time the USAF was contemplating to replace the simple and sturdy A-10 with the much more complex F-35, eventually even with its VTOL variant, and the highly specialized F-117 was retired, too.
The A-14 revived conceptual elements of Grumman’s stillborn A-12 stealth program for the US Navy, which had also been part of the USAF’s plans to replace the supersonic F-111 tactical bomber, but on a less ambitious and expensive level concerning technology, aiming for a more effective compromise between complexity, survivability and costs. The basic idea was an updated LTV A-7D (the A-10’s predecessor from the Vietnam War era), which had far more sophisticated sensor and navigation equipment than the rather simple but sturdy A-10, but with pragmatic stealth features and a high level of survivability in a modern frontline theatre or operations.
M7 Aerosystems started on a blank sheet, even though Northrop-Grumman’s A-12 influence was clearly visible, and to a certain degree the aircraft shared the basic layout with the F-117A. The A-14 was tailored from the start to the ground attack role, and therefore a subsonic design. Measures to reduce radar cross-section included airframe shaping such as alignment of edges, fixed-geometry serpentine inlets that prevented line-of-sight of the engine faces from any exterior view, use of radar-absorbent material (RAM), and attention to detail such as hinges and maintenance covers that could provide a radar return. The A-14 was furthermore designed to have decreased radio emissions, infrared signature and acoustic signature as well as reduced visibility to the naked eye.
The resulting airframe was surprisingly large for an attack aircraft – in fact, it rather reminded of a tactical bomber in the F-111/Su-24 class than an alternative to the A-10. The A-14 consisted of a rhomboid-shaped BWB (blended-wing-and-body) with extended wing tips and only a moderate (35°) wing sweep, cambered leading edges, a jagged trailing edge and a protruding cockpit section which extended forward of the main body.
The majority of the A-14’s structure and surface were made out of a carbon-graphite composite material that is stronger than steel, lighter than aluminum, and absorbs a significant amount of radar energy. The central fuselage bulge ended in a short tail stinger with a pair of swept, canted fins as a butterfly tail, which also shrouded the engine’s hot efflux. The fins could have been omitted, thanks to the aerodynamically unstable aircraft’s fly-by-wire steering system, and they effectively increased the A-14’s radar signature as well as its visual profile, but the gain in safety in case of FBW failure or physical damage was regarded as a worthwhile trade-off. Due to its distinctive shape and profile, the A-14 quickly received the unofficial nickname “Squatina”, after the angel shark family.
The spacious and armored cockpit offered room for the crew of two (pilot and WSO or observer for FAC duties), seated side-by-side under a generous glazing, with a very good field of view forward and to the sides. The fuselage structure was constructed around a powerful cannon, the five-barrel GAU-12/U 25 mm ‘Equalizer’ gun, which was, compared with the A-10’s large GAU-8/A, overall much lighter and more compact, but with only little less firepower. It fired a new NATO series of 25 mm ammunition at up to 4.200 RPM. The gun itself was located under the cockpit tub, slightly set off to port side, and the front wheel well was offset to starboard to compensate, similar in arrangement to the A-10 or Su-25. The gun’s ammunition drum and a closed feeding belt system were located behind the cockpit in the aircraft’s center of gravity. An in-flight refueling receptor (for the USAF’s boom system) was located in the aircraft’s spine behind the cockpit, normally hidden under a flush cover.
Due to the gun installation in the fuselage, however, no single large weapon bay to minimize radar cross section and drag through external ordnance was incorporated, since this feature would have increased airframe size and overall weight. Instead, the A-14 received four, fully enclosed compartments between the wide main landing gear wells and legs. The bays could hold single iron bombs of up to 2.000 lb caliber each, up to four 500 lb bombs or CBUs, single laser-guided GBU-14 glide bombs, AGM-154 JSOW or GBU-31/38 JDAM glide bombs, AGM-65 Maverick guided missiles or B61 Mod 11 tactical nuclear weapons, as well as the B61 Mod 12 standoff variant, under development at that time). Retractable launch racks for defensive AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles were available, too, and additional external pylons could be added, e.g. for oversize ordnance like AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) or AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), or drop tanks for ferry flights. The total in- and external ordnance load was 15,000 lb (6,800 kg).
The A-14 was designed with superior maneuverability at low speeds and altitude in mind and therefore featured a large wing area, with high wing aspect ratio on the outer wing sections, and large ailerons areas. The ailerons were placed at the far ends of the wings for greater rolling moment and were split, making them decelerons, so that they could also be used as air brakes in flight and upon landing.
This wing configuration promoted short takeoffs and landings, permitting operations from primitive forward airfields near front lines. The sturdy landing gear with low-pressure tires supported these tactics, and a retractable arrester hook, hidden by a flush cover under the tail sting, made it possible to use mobile arrested-recovery systems.
The leading edge of the wing had a honeycomb structure panel construction, providing strength with minimal weight; similar panels covered the flap shrouds, elevators, rudders and sections of the fins. The skin panels were integral with the stringers and were fabricated using computer-controlled machining, reducing production time and cost, and this construction made the panels more resistant to damage. The skin was not load-bearing, so damaged skin sections could be easily replaced in the field, with makeshift materials if necessary.
Power came from a pair of F412-GE-114 non-afterburning turbofans, engines that were originally developed for the A-12, but de-navalized and lightened for the A-14. These new engines had an output of 12,000 lbf (53 kN) each and were buried in blended fairings above the wing roots, with jagged intakes and hidden ducts. Flat exhausts on the wings’ upper surface minimized both radar and IR signatures.
Thanks to the generous internal fuel capacity in the wings and the fuselage, the A-14 was able to loiter and operate under 1,000 ft (300 m) ceilings for extended periods. It typically flew at a relatively low speed of 300 knots (350 mph; 560 km/h), which made it a better platform for the ground-attack role than fast fighter-bombers, which often have difficulty targeting small, slow-moving targets or executing more than just a single attack run on a selected target.
A mock-up was presented and tested in the wind tunnel and for radar cross-section in late 2008. The A-14’s exact radar cross-section (RCS) remained classified, but in 2009 M7 Aerosystems released information indicating it had an RCS (from certain angles) of −40 dBsm, equivalent to the radar reflection of a "steel marble". With this positive outcome and the effective design, M7 Aerosystems eventually received federal funding for the production of prototypes for an official DT&E (Demonstration Testing and Evaluation) program.
Three prototypes/pre-production aircraft were built in the course of 2010 and 2011, and the first YA-14 made its maiden flight on 10 May 2011. The DT&E started immediately, and the machines (a total of three flying prototypes were completed, plus two additional airframes for static tests) were gradually outfitted with mission avionics and other equipment. This included GPS positioning, an inertial navigation system, passive sensors to detect radar usage, a small, gyroscopically stabilized turret, mounted under the nose of the aircraft, containing a FLIR boresighted with a laser spot-tracker/designator, and an experimental 3-D laser scanning LIDAR in the nose as a radiation-less alternative to a navigation and tracking radar.
Soon after the DT&E program gained momentum in 2012, the situation changed for M7 Aerosystems when the US Air Force considered the F-35B STOVL variant as its favored replacement CAS aircraft, but concluded that the aircraft could not generate a sufficient number of sorties. However, the F-35 was established as the A-14’s primary rival and remained on the USAF’s agenda. For instance, at that time the USAF proposed disbanding five A-10 squadrons in its budget request to cut its fleet of 348 A-10s by 102 to lessen cuts to multi-mission aircraft in service that could replace the specialized attack aircraft.
In August 2013, Congress and the Air Force examined various proposals for an A-10 replacement, including the A-14, F-35 and the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle, and, despite the A-14’s better qualities in the ground attack role, the F-35 came out as the overall winner, since it was the USAF’s favorite. Despite its complexity, the F-35 was – intended as a multi-role tri-service aircraft and also with the perspective of bigger international sales than the more specialized A-14 – regarded as the more versatile and, in the long run, more cost-efficient procurement option. This sealed the A-14’s fate and the F-35A entered service with U.S. Air Force F-35A in August 2016 (after the F-35B was introduced to the U.S. Marine Corps in July 2015). At that time, the U.S. planned to buy 2,456 F-35s through 2044, which would represent the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps for several decades.
Since the A-14’s technology was considered to be too critical to be marketed to export customers (Israel showed early interest in the aircraft, as well as South Korea), the program was cancelled in 2016.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2 (pilot, WSO)
Length: 54 ft 11 1/2 in (16.78 m)
Wingspan: 62 ft 11 1/2 in (19.22 m)
Height: 11 ft 3 3/4 in (3.45 m)
Wing area: 374.9 ft² (117.5 m²)
Empty weight: 24,959 lb (11,321 kg)
Loaded weight: 30,384 lb (13,782 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 50,000 lb (22,700 kg)
Internal fuel capacity: 11,000 lb (4,990 kg)
Powerplant:
2× General Electric Whitney F412-GE-114 non-afterburning turbofans
with 12,000 lbf (53 kN) thrust each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 630 mph (1,010 km/h, 550 kn) at 40,000 ft altitude /
Mach 0.95 at sea level
Cruise speed: 560 mph (900 km/h, 487 kn) at 40,000 ft altitude
Range: 1,089 nmi (1,253 mi, 2,017 km)
Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,100 mi, 3,300 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,200 m)
Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (250 m/s)
Wing loading: 133 lb/ft² (193 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.48 (full internal fuel, no stores)
Take-off run: 1,200 m (3,930 ft) at 42,000 lb (19,000 kg) over a 15 m (30 ft) obstacle
Armament:
1× General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer 25 mm (0.984 in) 5-barreled rotary cannon
with 1,200 rounds (max. capacity 1,350 rounds)
4x internal weapon bays plus 4x external optional hardpoints with a total capacity of
15,000 lb (6,800 kg) and provisions to carry/deploy a wide range of ordnance
The kit and its assembly:
A major kitbashing project which I had on my idea list for a long time and its main ingredients/body donors already stashed away – but, as with many rather intimidating builds, it takes some external motivation to finally tackle the idea and bring it into hardware form. This came in August 2020 with the “Prototypes” group build at whatifmodellers.com, even though is still took some time to find the courage and mojo to start.
The original inspiration was the idea of a stealthy successor for the A-10, or a kind of more modern A-7 as an alternative to the omnipresent (and rather boring, IMHO) F-35. An early “ingredient” became the fuselage of a Zvezda Ka-58 stealth helicopter kit – I liked the edgy shape, the crocodile-like silhouette and the spacious side-by-side cockpit. Adding wings, however, was more challenging, and I remembered a 1:200 B-2A which I had turned into a light Swedish 1:72 attack stealth aircraft. Why not use another B-2 for the wings and the engines, but this time a bigger 1:144 model that would better match the quite bulbous Ka-58 fuselage? This donor became an Italeri kit.
Work started with the fuselage: the Ka-58’s engine and gearbox hump had to go first and a generous, new dorsal section had to be scratched with 1mm styrene sheet and some PSR. The cockpit and its glazing could be retained and were taken OOB. Under the nose, the Ka-58’s gun turret was omitted and a scratched front landing gear well was implanted instead.
The wings consist of the B-2 model; the lower “fuselage half” had its front end cut away, then the upper fuselage half of the Ka-58 was used as benchmark to cut the B-2’s upper wing/body part in two outer wing panels. Once these elements had been glued together, the Ka-58’s lower nose and tail section were tailored to match the B-2 parts. The B-2 engine bays were taken OOB and mounted next, so that the A-14’s basic hull was complete and the first major PSR session could start. Blending the parts into each other turned out to be a tedious process, since some 2-3 mm wide gaps had to be filled.
Once the basic BWP pack had been finished, I added the fins. These were taken from an 1:72 F-117 kit (IIRC from Italeri), which I had bought in a lot many moons ago. The fins were just adapted at their base to match the tail sting slope, and they were mounted in a 45° angle. This looks very F-117ish but was IMHO the most plausible solution.
Now that the overall length of the aircraft was defined, I could work on the final major assembly part: the wing tips. The 1:144 B-2 came with separate wing tip sections, but they proved to be much too long for the Squatina. After some trials I reduced their length by more than half, so that the B-2’s jagged wing trailing edge was kept. The result looks quite natural, even though blending the cut wing tips to the BWB turned out to be a PSR nightmare because their thickness reduces gently towards the tip – since I took out a good part of the inner section, the resulting step had to be sanded away and hidden with more PSR.
Detail work started next, including the cockpit glazing, the bomb bay (the B-2 kit comes with one of its bays open, and I kept this detail and modified the interior) and the landing gear, the latter was taken from the F-117 donor bank and fitted surprisingly well.
Some sensors were added, too, including a flat glass panel on the nose tip and a triangular IRST fairing under the nose, next to the landing gear well.
Painting and markings:
For a stealth aircraft and a prototype I wanted something subdued or murky, but not an all-black or -grey livery. I eventually settled for the rather dark paint scheme that the USAF applied to its late B-52Gs and the B-1Bs, which consists of two tones from above, FS 36081 (Dark Grey, a.k.a. Dark Gunship Grey) and 34086 (Green Drab), and underneath (FS 36081 and 36118 (Gunship Grey). The irregular pattern was adapted (in a rather liberal fashion) from the USAF’s early B-1Bs, using Humbrol 32, 108 and 125 as basic colors. The 108 turned out to be too bright, so I toned it down with an additional coat of thinned Humbrol 66. While this considerably reduced the contrast between the green and the grey, the combination looks much better and B-1B-esque.
The wings’ leading edges were painted for more contrast with a greyish black (Tar Black, Revell 09), while the landing gear, the interior of the air intakes and the open bomb bay became glossy white. The cockpit was painted in medium grey (Humbrol 140) and the clear parts received a thinned inner coating with a mix of transparent yellow and brown, simulating an anti-radar coating – even though the effect turned out to be minimal, now it looks as of the plastic parts had just yellowed from age…
After the initial livery had been finished the model received a black ink washing and some post-panel shading with slightly brightened variations of the basic tones (using Humbrol 79, 144 and 224). Decals were added next, an individual mix from various sources. The “Stars-and-Bars” come from a PrintScale A-7 sheet, most stencils come from an F-16 sheet.
After some more detail painting and a treatment with graphite on the metal areas (exhausts, gun port), the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
Batman’s next Batwing? Maybe, there’s certainly something fictional about this creation. But the “Squatina” turned out much more conclusive (and even pretty!) than I expected, even though it became a bigger aircraft than intended. And I am positively surprised how good the bodywork became – after all, lots of putty had to be used to fill all the gaps between parts that no one ever expected to be grafted together.
About two months since 'Demo Bus A' was trialled with Coastliner, an integral Streetdeck, the second demonstrator finally found itself working to and from the Yorkshire coast and Leeds for an evaluation period... BF63 HDC is a Volvo B5TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 which was first trialled with Lothian Buses before entering First Group for a while (see if you can spot evidence of it's Firstgroup use) having operated in Manchester and Halifax before heading south. This was the first bus to be used by Lothian to feature a full-front LED destination display, and as the evaluation of this was also successful the batch of Gemini 3's subsequently ordered came with the same destination setup.
This trial with Yorkshire Coastliner is likely to be its last foray in the demonstrator scene for this vehicle, as it has been purchased by East Yorkshire Motor Services along with BX14SYT which was used by Harrogate and District for trial on route 36 (and despite failing in service after 3 days so it didn't complete its first trial, along with customers preferring the Streetdeck and E400MMC whilst fuel efficiency suggested the Streetdeck was better due to its inline engine, Transdev still ordered a fleet of B5TL's for the 36 - some of which are ready for delivery now). The result of this Coastliner trial will be an interesting one to see what ends up being ordered... both trial vehicles have had glazed staircases, though this Gemini 3 only has the simple glazing option and not the full triangle of glazing as the Streetdeck demonstrator had; what is known though is that if a Wrights bus is chosen, it will not feature this 'classic' design as it has been phased out - instead it would have the 'jaunty' styling which was seen on the Streetdeck demonstrator.
The bus is seen here at York Stonebow with an 843 sunday service to Scarborough... I was very lucky here as I didn't know this was out today due to nothing being posted about its times on Twitter, and whilst shopping for gifts along St Nicholas fair in Parliament Street I happened to look up and down towards the Piccadilly junction at the exact moment this passes along towards Stonebow - and as I was walking with my bike, that turned into a bit more or a meaningful jog with my bike so I could zip along and get this photo on what may be my only chance to snap this.
For double decker demonstrators I feel I have done well to get photos of what I have considering I didn't really venture far for them... I have Sl15ZGP Streetdeck pictured both with Coastliner and EYMS in York, E400MMC YX64VOO in York with EYMS before they bought it, E400MMC YY64GWX in Harrogate, B5TL MCV lowheight EvoSeti BP15OLH in York and fullheight version BF65WHZ in Conisbrough, classic-fronted Streetdeck's SN64CTU in Harrogate with SN64CSF & SN64CSO in Doncaster, B5TL Gemini 3's BX14SYT in Harrogate and now BF63HDC in York.