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1957 Dodge D500, on a cold, wet, muddy night at the Big M. Visit the set page for more information about this location.
Night, stacked 2 and 8 minute exposures. Full moon, red, purple and green-gelled flashlight.
Reprocessed and replaced, June 2025.
On the train on the way to Dublin going through the Curragh, Co. Kildare.
This is 4 photos stitched with Autostitch. The stitch didn't work out great, so there's a bit of photoshoppery here too. See Large
Inspired by this (I got to get me one of those fancy Russians thingys...)
Part of the Ireland set.
See the Slideshow
The plastic conduit to the left is my E-Field antenna with a pre-amp.
If you look just to the right of my gutter, there is a small platform with an external GPS antenna. GPS signals are used for extremely accurate time keeping of detected pulses.
Officially the Republic of Korea, and often referred to as Korea, is a state in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest metropolitan city in the world and a major global city.South Korea lies in a temperate climate region with a predominantly mountainous terrain. Its territory covers a total area of 100,032 square kilometers and has a population of over 50 million, making it the third most densely populated (significantly sized) country in the world.
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period. Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910, when Korea was annexed by Japan. After liberation and occupation by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a democracy. A war between the two Koreas ended in an uneasy cease-fire. After the war and a period of military rule, the South Korean economy grew significantly and the country was transformed into a major economy and a full democracy.
South Korea is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 16 administrative divisions and is a developed country with a high standard of living. It has the fourth largest economy in Asia and the 15th largest in the world. The economy is export-driven, with production focusing on electronics, automobiles, ships, machinery, petrochemicals and robotics. South Korea is a member of the United Nations, WTO, OECD and G-20 major economies. It is also a founding member of APEC and the East Asia Summit.
History
The early years
Having occupied Najin and Ch’ŏngjin on 12 August, the Soviets moved into Wonsan and Hamhŭng on 24 August and P’yŏngyang during 24-26 August, sending troops directly into each of the provinces. Chistiakov, commander of the Soviet 25th Army arrived in Hamhŭng on 24 August and in accordance with his orders from the headquarters of the 1st Field Army of the Far Eastern Division he opened negotiations with the provincial governor and other Japanese leaders of the provincial government about taking over administration of the province. The content of their agreement was as follows:
If anyone, whether they are Japanese or Korean, leaves their post, they will immediately be sentenced to death by hanging. … For the time being, the Japanese police and military police will maintain order and administrative functions will continue to be carried out as before by the Japanese provincial governor and his subordinates. Those who cause disturbances of the peace will be severely punished. … Work should continue in factories, workshops, mines etc, and goods must not be removed from these workplaces.
This agreement was published in the Soviet Army’s decree of 25 August. This decree, which stressed the continuation of Japanese administrative and security control, was the Soviet command’s first official position revealing their policy toward the Korean peninsula. However, before a day had passed this decree was cancelled. Song Sŏnggwan, Ch’oe Kimo, Im Ch’ungsŏk and Sally Joe, and Kim Inhak, members of the South Hamgyŏng Province Communist Council as well as To Yongho and Ch’oe Myŏnghak, leaders of the South Hamgyŏng Province branch of the Committee for the Preparation of Korean Independence had visited Chistiakov, informing him that a ‘South Hamgyŏng Executive Committee’ had been formed and requesting that authority for administration be transferred to this committee. Chistiakov cancelled the decree and announced that, “this Executive Committee will manage all administrative and security affairs, under the command of the Soviet Army.”
The government moved rapidly to establish a political system that was partly styled on the Soviet system, with political power monopolised by the Worker's Party of Korea (WPK). The establishment of a command economy followed. Most of the country's productive assets had been owned by the Japanese or by Koreans who had been collaborators. The nationalization of these assets in 1946 placed 70% of industry under state control. By 1949 this percentage had risen to 90%. Since then, virtually all manufacturing, finance and internal and external trade has been conducted by the state.
In agriculture, the government moved more slowly towards a command economy. The "land to the tiller" reform of 1946 redistributed the bulk of agricultural land to the poor and landless peasant population, effectively breaking the power of the landed class. In 1954, however, a partial collectivization was carried out, with peasants being urged, and often forced, into agricultural co-operatives. By 1958, virtually all farming was being carried out collectively, and the co-operatives were increasingly merged into larger productive units.
Like all the postwar communist states, North Korea undertook massive state investment in heavy industry, state infrastructure and military strength, neglecting the production of consumer goods. By paying the collectivized peasants low state-controlled prices for their product, and using the surplus thus extracted to pay for industrial development, the state carried out a series of three-year plans, which brought industry's share of the economy from 47% in 1946 to 70% in 1959, despite the devastation of the Korean War. There were huge increases in electricity production, steel production and machine building. The large output of tractors and other agricultural machinery achieved a great increase in agricultural productivity.
Korean war
The consolidation of Syngman Rhee's government in the South with American military support and the suppression of the October 1948 insurrection ended hopes that the country could be reunified by way of Stalinist revolution in the South, and from early 1949 Kim sought Soviet and Chinese support for a military campaign to reunify the country by force. The withdrawal of most U.S. forces from South Korea in June 1949 left the southern government defended only by a weak and inexperienced South Korean army. The southern regime also had to deal with a citizenry of uncertain loyalty. The North Korean army, by contrast, had been the beneficiary of the Soviet Union's outdated Soviet WWII-era equipment, and had a core of hardened veterans who had fought as anti-Japanese guerrillas or with the Chinese Communists.
Initially, the Soviet Union's Joseph Stalin rejected Kim's requests for permission to invade the South, but in late 1949 the Communist victory in China and the development of Soviet nuclear weapons made him re-consider Kim's proposal. In January 1950, after China's Mao Zedong indicated that China would send troops and other support to Kim, Stalin approved an invasion.[2] The Soviets provided limited support in the form of advisors who helped the North Koreans as they planned the operation, and Soviet military instructors to train some of the Korean units. However, from the very beginning Stalin made it clear that the Soviet Union would avoid a direct confrontation with the U.S. over Korea and would not commit ground forces even in case of some major military crisis. The stage was set for a civil war between two rival regimes on the Korean peninsula.
For over a year before North Korean forces tried to attack the southern government on June 25, 1950, the two sides had been engaged in a series of bloody clashes along the 38th parallel, especially in the Ongjin area on the west coast. On June 25, 1950, the northern forces escalated the battles into a full-fledged offensive and crossed the parallel in large numbers. Due to a combination of surprise, superior military forces, and a poorly armed South Korean army, the Northern forces quickly captured Seoul and Syngman Rhee and his government was forced to flee further south. However, the North Koreans failed to unify the peninsula when foreign powers entered the civil war. North Korean forces were soon defeated and driven northwards by United Nations forces led by the U.S. By October, the U.N. forces had retaken Seoul and captured Pyongyang, and it became Kim's turn to flee. But in November, Chinese forces entered the war and pushed the U.N. forces back, retaking Pyongyang in December and Seoul in January 1951. In March U.N. forces retook Seoul, and the war essentially became a bloody stalemate for the next two years. The front was stabilized in 1953 along what eventually became the current Armistice Line. After long negotiations, the two sides agreed on a border formed by the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and a ceasefire was declared. An official peace treaty, however, was never signed, and the two Koreas have technically been at war since 1960.
Before the war, Kim took control of North Korean politics, with the support of the armed forces, who respected his wartime record and long resistance to the Japanese. Pak Hon-yong, party vice chairman and Foreign Minister of the DPRK, was blamed for the failure of the southern population to support North Korea during the war and was executed after a show-trial in 1955. Most of the South Korean leftists who defected to the North in 1945–1953 were also accused of espionage and other crimes and killed, imprisoned or exiled to remote agricultural and mining villages. Potential rivals from other groups such as Kim Tu-bong were also purged
Gojoseon 2333 BC–108 BC
Gojoseon (Korean pronunciation: [kodʑosʌn]) was an ancient Korean kingdom. According to the Samguk Yusa and other medieval-era records, Gojoseon is said to have been founded in 2333 BC by Dangun, who is said to be a Posterity of Heaven. It was centered in the basins of Liao and Northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
Archaeological evidence of Gojoseon are found in the transition from the Jeulmun pottery to the Mumun pottery around 1500 BC, when groups of semi-sedentary small-scale agriculturalists occupied most of the Korean Peninsula. Local bronze production began around the 8th century BC. Based on contemporaneous written records, modern historians generally believe it developed from a loose federation into a powerful kingdom between 7th and 4th centuries BC.
Go(고, 古), meaning "ancient," distinguishes it from the later Joseon Dynasty; Joseon, as it is called in contemporaneous writings, is also romanized as Chosŏn.
Proto-Three Kingdoms: 108–57 BC
When Gojoseon was defeated by the Han dynasty of China in 108 BC, the northern region of the peninsula and Manchuria was occupied by the states of Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo, Dongye, and other minor statelets. Goguryeo's traditional founding date is 37 BC, but it was mentioned in Chinese records as early as 75 BC, or possibly even 2nd century BC. China installed four commanderies in former Gojoseon territory, but three of them fell quickly to Korean resistance. Goguryeo gradually conquered and absorbed all its neighbors, and destroyed the last Chinese commandery in 313.
In the south, the little-understood state of Jin had given rise to the loose confederacies Jinhan, Byeonhan, and Mahan, or collectively, Samhan. Baekje was founded in 18 BC in Mahan territory and began to slowly overtake it. Silla was founded by the unification of six chiefdoms within the Jinhan, traditionally in 57 BC, although it may have been somewhat later. Byeonhan was absorbed into the later Gaya confederacy, which in turn was annexed by Silla.
Because of this continuity, most historians consider the Three Kingdoms to begin around the fall of Gojoseon, but the three did not dominate the peninsula as kingdoms until around 300.
Three Kingdoms: 57 BC – 668 AD
The name "Three Kingdoms" was used in the titles of the histories Samguk Sagi (12th century) and Samguk Yusa (13th century), and should not be confused with the earlier Chinese Three Kingdoms.
The Three Kingdoms were founded after the fall of Gojoseon, and gradually conquered and absorbed various other small states and confederacies. After the fall of Gojoseon, the Han dynasty established four commanderies in northern parts of the Korean peninsula. Three fell quickly to the Samhan, and the last was destroyed by Goguryeo in 313.
The nascent precursors of Baekje and Silla expanded within the web of complex chiefdoms during the Proto Three Kingdoms Period, and Goguryeo conquered neighboring Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye, and other complex chiefdoms in northern Korea and Manchuria. The three polities made the transition from complex chiefdom to full-fledged state-level societies in the 3rd century.
All three kingdoms shared a similar culture and language. Their original religions appear to have been shamanistic, but they were increasingly influenced by Chinese culture, particularly Confucianism and Taoism. In the 4th century, Buddhism was introduced to the peninsula and spread rapidly, briefly becoming the official religion of all three kingdoms.
North-South States: 698–935
After the unification wars, the Tang Dynasty established territories in the former Goguryeo, and began to administer and establish communities in Baekje. Silla attacked the Chinese in Baekje and northern Korea in 671.
China then invaded Silla in 674 but Silla defeated the Chinese army in the north. Silla drove the Tang forces out of the peninsula by 676 to achieve unification of most of the Three Kingdoms.
Unified Silla was a time when Korean arts flourished dramatically and Buddhism became a large part of Silla culture. Buddhist monasteries such as the Bulguksa are examples of advanced Korean architecture and Buddhist influence. State-sponsored art and architecture from this period include Hwangnyongsa Temple, Bunhwangsa Temple, and Seokguram Grotto, a World Heritage Site.
Silla began to experience political troubles in 780. This severely weakened Silla and soon thereafter, descendants of the former Baekje established Later Baekje. In the north, rebels revived Goguryeo, beginning the Later Three Kingdoms period.
Unified Silla lasted for 267 years until, under King Gyeongsun, it was absorbed by Goryeo in 935.
Goryeo Dynasty 918–1392
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ (Officially the Kingdom of Goryeo) (918-1392) was a Korean sovereign state established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which became to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392. Goryeo expanded its borders to present-day Wonsan in the north-east (936~943) and the Amnok River (993) and finally almost the whole of the Korean peninsula (1374).
Two of this period's most notable products are Goryeo celadon pottery and the Tripitaka Koreana — the Buddhist scriptures (Tripitaka) carved onto roughly 80,000 woodblocks and stored, and still in, Haeinsa. Goryeo also created the world's first metal-based movable type printing press in 1234 and the oldest surviving movable metal type book, the Jikji, was made in 1377.
In 668, Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo with Tang Dynasty help, but by the late 9th century it was tottering, its monarchs being unimaginative and pressed by the power of powerful statesmen. Many burglars and outlaws bubbled and in 900 Gyeon Hwon revolted from Silla control in the Jeolla region as Hubaekje and next year Gung Ye revolted from the northern regions as Hugoguryeo (Taebong). A son-of-a regional lord, Wang Geon went into Hugoguryeo as a general.
Hugoguryeo fell when Wang Geon revolted and killed Gung Ye in 918, and the tottering Silla was too overpowered by Goryeo and Hubaekje and surrendered to Goryeo in 935. In 936 Hubaekje surrendered and Goryeo started a unbroken dynasty that ruled Korea for 474 years.
By the 14th century Goryeo was tottering under Yuan Dynasty control. Although King Gongmin managed to "free" his kingdom from the Mongolian yoke, the Goryeo general Yi Seonggye revolted and overthrew the last king of Goryeo, King Gongyang in 1392. Gongyang was killed in 1394.
The name "Goryeo" is derived from "Goguryeo," one of the ancient Three Kingdoms of Korea. The English name "Korea" derives from "Goryeo." See also Names of Korea.
Joseon Dynasty 1392–1897
Joseon (July 1392 – August 1910) (also Chosŏn, Choson, Chosun), was a Korean sovereign state[3] founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul and the kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Amnok and Duman rivers (through the subjugation of the Jurchens). Joseon was the last royal and later imperial dynasty of Korean history. It was the longest ruling Confucian dynasty.
During its reign, Joseon consolidated its absolute rule over Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring Japan and Qing virtually overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.
However, whatever power the kingdom recovered during its isolation further waned as the 18th century came to a close, and faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure and rebellions at home, the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly in the late 19th century. In 1895, the Joseon Dynasty was forced to write a document of independence from the Qing Dynasty after the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War and its peace treaty, the Treaty of Shimonoseki. From 1897 to 1910, Korea was formally known as the Korean Empire to signify a sovereign nation no longer a tributary of the Qing Dynasty. The Joseon Dynasty came to an end in 1910, when the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was enforced by the Empire of Japan.
The Joseon's rule has left a substantial legacy on the modern face of Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues, and even the modern Korean language and its dialects stem from the traditional thought pattern that originated from this period.
Korean Empire 1897–1910
The Sino-Japanese War marked the rapid decline of any power the Joseon Dynasty of Korea had managed to hold against foreign interference, as the battles of the conflict itself had been fought on Korean soil and the surrounding seas. With its newfound preeminence over waning China, Japan had Japanese delegates negotiate the Treaty of Shimonoseki with the Qing emissaries, through which Japan wrested control over the Liaodong Peninsula from China (a move designed to prevent the southern expansion of Japan's new rival, Russia), and, more importantly to Korea, scrapped the centuries-old tributary relationship between Joseon and the Qing Dynasty. However, Russia realized this agreement as an act against its interests in northeastern China and eventually brought France and Germany to its side in saying that the Liaodong Peninsula should be repatriated to China.
At the time, Japan had no power to resist such foreign pressure, especially by nations that it considered far more advanced and which it sought to emulate, and as such relinquished its claim to the Liaodong Peninsula. With the success of the three-country intervention, Russia emerged as another major power in East Asia, replacing the Qing Dynasty as the country that the many government officials in the Joseon court advocated close ties with to prevent more Japanese meddling in Korean politics. Queen Min (the later Empress Myeongseong), the consort of King Gojong, also realized this change and recognized it by formally establishing closer diplomatic relations with Russia to counter Japan.
Queen Min began to emerge as a key figure in higher-level Korean resistance to Japanese influence. Japan, seeing its designs endangered by the queen, quickly replaced its ambassador to Korea, Inoue Kaoru, with Miura Goro, a diplomat with a background in the Japanese military. It is widely believed that he orchestrated the assassination of Queen Min on October 8, 1895, at her residence at Gyeongbokgung, nearby the Geoncheong Palace, the official sleeping quarters of the king within Gyeongbok Palace.
Japanese rule 1910–1945
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion (22 August 1910 to 15 August 1945). Formally, Japanese rule ended on 2 September 1945 upon the Japanese defeat in World War II in 1945.
Korea was occupied and declared a Japanese protectorate in the 1905 Eulsa Treaty, and officially annexed in 1910 through the annexation treaty. Japan's involvement in the region began with the 1876 Treaty of Ganghwa during the Joseon Dynasty and increased with the subsequent assassination of Empress Myeongseong (also known as "Queen Min") in 1895. The 1905 and 1910 treaties were eventually declared "null and void" by both Japan and South Korea in 1965.
In Korea, the period is usually described as a time of "Japanese forced occupation" (Hangul: 일제 강점기; Ilje gangjeomgi, Hanja: 日帝强占期). Other terms used for it include "Japanese Imperial Period" (Hangul: 일제시대, Ilje sidae, Hanja: 日帝時代) or "Wae (Japanese) administration" (Hangul: 왜정, Wae jeong, Hanja: 倭政). In Japan, a more common description is "Japanese rule of Chosun" (日本統治時代の朝鮮, Nippon Tōchi-jidai no Chōsen?).
Provisional Gov't 1919–1948
The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China and later in Chongqing, during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea.The Government was formed on April 13, 1919, following the Korean Declaration of Independence during the March 1st movement of the same year.
The government did not gain formal recognition from world powers, though modest form of recognition was given from the Nationalist Government of China and a number of other governments, most of whom were in exile themselves.
The Government strived for the independence of Korea from Japanese annexation that lasted from 1910 to 1945. They coordinated the armed resistance against the Japanese army during the 1920s and 1930s, including the Battle of Chingshanli in October, 1920 and the assault on Japanese military leadership in Shanghai in April 1932.
This struggle culminated in the formation of Korean Liberation Army in 1940, bringing together many if not all Korean resistance groups in exile. The government duly declared war against Japan and Germany on December 9 1941, and the Liberation Army took part in allied action in China and parts of Southeast Asia.
Prior to the end of World War II, the Korean Liberation Army was preparing an assault against the Japanese in Korea in conjunction with American Office of Strategic Services, but the Japanese surrender prevented the execution of the plan. The government's goal was achieved with Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945.
Division of Korea 1945–1948
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship with the zone of control demarcated along the 38th parallel. The purpose of this trusteeship was to establish a Korean provisional government which would become "free and independent in due course." Though elections were scheduled, the two superpowers backed different leaders and two states were effectively established, each of which claimed sovereignty over the whole Korean peninsula
The Korean War (1950-1953) left the two Koreas separated by the DMZ, remaining technically at war through the Cold War to the present day. North Korea is a communist state, often described as Stalinist and isolationist. Its economy initially enjoyed substantial growth but collapsed in the 1990s, unlike that of its Communist neighbor China. South Korea emerged, after decades of authoritarian rule, as a capitalist liberal democracy with one of the largest economies in the world.
Since the 1990s, with progressively liberal South Korean administrations, as well as the death of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, the two sides have taken small, symbolic steps towards a possible Korean reunification.
Geography
South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, which extends some 680 miles (1,100 km) from the Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west, and the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east. Its southern tip lies on the Korea Strait and the East China Sea.
The country's total area is 38,622.57 square miles (100,032.00 km2).
South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the Nakdong River.
South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not arable. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30% of the total land area.
About three thousand islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea. Jeju-do is located about 100 kilometers (about 60 mi) off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the country's largest island, with an area of 1,845 square kilometres (712 sq mi). Jeju is also the site of South Korea's highest point: Hallasan, an extinct volcano, reaches 1,950 meters (6,398 ft) above sea level. The most eastern islands of South Korea include Ulleungdo and Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo), while Marado and Socotra Rock are the southernmost islands of South Korea.
South Korea has 20 national parks and some popular nature places like Boseong Tea Field, Suncheon Bay Ecological Park in South Jeolla province
Other info
Oficial Name:
대한 민국
大韓民國
Daehan Minguk
Establishment
- Liberation declared March 1, 1919 (de jure)
- Liberation August 15, 1945
- First Republic August 13, 1948
- United Nations Recognition December 12, 1948
Area:
99.539km2
Inhabitants:
49.235.000
Language:
Korean
[kor] 42,000,000 in South Korea (1986). Population total all countries: 67,019,690. Also spoken in American Samoa, Australia, Bahrain, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Japan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Mongolia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Russia (Asia), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Suriname, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, USA, Uzbekistan. Alternate names: Hanguohua, Hanguk Mal. Dialects: Seoul (Kangwondo, Kyonggido), Ch'ungch'ongdo (North Ch'ungch'ong, South Ch'ungch'ong), Kyongsangdo (North Kyongsangdo, South Kyongsangdo), Chollado (North Chollado, South Chollado), Cheju Island. There is a difference of opinion among scholars as to whether or not Korean is related to Japanese. Some scholars suggest that both languages are possibly distantly related to Altaic. Dialect boundaries generally correspond to provincial boundaries. Some dialects are not easily intelligible with others (Voegelin and Voegelin 1977). The suffix '-do' on dialect names means 'province'. Comprehension of Standard Korean may be lower on Cheju Island. Classification: Language Isolate
Capital city:
Seoul
Meaning country name:
Korea (Korean: 한국 in South Korea ) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Korea is currently divided into North Korea and South Korea.
Although the borders of historical Korean dynasties fluctuated, the peninsula today is defined as coterminous with the political borders of the two Koreas combined. Thus, the peninsula borders China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast, with Japan situated to the southeast across the Korea Strait.
The history of Korea began with the legendary founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by Dangun. Limited linguistic evidence suggests probable Altaic origins of these people, whose northern Mongolian Steppe culture absorbed immigrants and invaders from northern Manchuria, Mongolia and China.[citation needed] The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Koreans later passed on these, as well as their own advances, to Japan.
After the unification of the Three Kingdoms by Silla in 676, Korea was ruled by a single government and maintained political and cultural independence until the nineteenth century, despite the Mongol invasions of the Goryeo Dynasty in the 13th century and Japanese invasions of the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. In 1377, Korea produced the Jikji, the world's oldest movable metal print document. In the 15th century, the turtle ships, possibly the world's first ironclad warships, were deployed, and during the reign of King Sejong the Great, the Korean alphabet han-geul was created.
During the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit Kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs of Japan and Europe. In 1910, Korea was forcibly annexed by Japan and remained occupied until the end of World War II in August 1945.
In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender and disarming of Japanese troops in Korea; the Soviet Union accepting the surrender north of the 38th parallel and the United States taking the surrender south of it. This led to division of Korea by the two great powers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea.
Desciption Flag:
The flag of South Korea, or Taegukgi (Although revised official Romanization is Taegeukgi, the word Taegukgi has been used in English world historically) has three parts: a white background; a red and blue taegeuk in the center; and four black trigrams, one in each corner of the flag. In Korean, the flag is called the Taegeukgi. The design of the flag was reportedly suggested by Qing diplomat Ma Jianzhong in 1882 during the reign of King Gojong, and was designed by Bak Yeong-hyo, the Korean ambassador to Japan. King Gojong proclaimed the Taegeukgi to be the official flag of Korea on 6 March 1883.
The four trigrams originates in the Chinese book I Ching, representing the four Chinese philosophical ideas about the universe: harmony, symmetry, balance, circulation. The general design of the flag also derives from traditional use of the tricolor symbol (red, blue and yellow) by Koreans starting from the early era of Korean history. The white background symbolizes "cleanliness of the people." The taegeuk represents the origin of all things in the universe; holding the two principles of "Eum", the negative aspect rendered in blue, and "Yang", the positive aspect rendered in red, in perfect balance. Together, they represent a continuous movement within infinity, the two merging as one. The four trigrams are:
||| Force (☰; geon (건; 乾) in Korean) = heaven (天), spring (春), east (東), virtue (仁);
¦¦¦ Field (☷; gon (곤; 坤)) = earth (地), summer (夏), west (西), justice (義);
|¦| Radiance (☲; ri (리; 離)) = sun (日), fall (秋), south (南), courtesy (禮);
¦|¦ Gorge (☵; gam (감; 坎)) = moon (月), winter (冬), north (北), knowledge or wisdom (智).
Traditionally, the four trigrams are related to the Five Elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. An analogy could also be drawn with the four western classical elements.
Coat of arms:
The Coat of arms of South Korea consists in the taeguk symbol present on the national flag surrounded by five stylized petals and a ribbon bearing the inscription "The Republic of Korea" (Daehan Minguk), the official name of the country, in Hangul characters. The Yin and Yang represents peace and harmony. The Five petals all have meaning and are related to Korea's national flower (the Hibiscus syriacus).
Motto:
널리 인간을 이롭게 하라___-Beneficts to all People-
National Anthem: Aegukga
Hangul
동해 물과 백두산이 마르고 닳도록
하느님이 보우하사 우리나라 만세
남산 위에 저 소나무 철갑을 두른 듯
바람서리 불변함은 우리 기상일세
가을 하늘 공활한데 높고 구름 없이
밝은 달은 우리 가슴 일편단심일세
이 기상과 이 맘으로 충성을 다하여
괴로우나 즐거우나 나라 사랑하세
Hangul and Hanja
東海 물과 白頭山이 마르고 닳도록
하느님이 保佑하사 우리나라 萬歲
南山 위에 저 소나무 鐵甲을 두른 듯
바람서리 不變함은 우리 氣像일세
가을 하늘 空豁한데 높고 구름 없이
밝은 달은 우리 가슴 一片丹心일세
이 氣像과 이 맘으로 忠誠을 다하여
괴로우나 즐거우나 나라 사랑하세
無窮花 三千里 華麗江山
大韓사람 大韓으로 길이 保全하세
Romanization
Donghae mulgwa Baekdusani mareugo daltorok
Haneunimi bouhasa urinara manse
Namsan wie jeo sonamu cheolgabeul dureun deut
Baram seori bulbyeonhameun uri gisangilse
Ga-eul haneul gonghwalhande nopgo gureum eopsi
Balgeun dareun uri gaseum ilpyeondansimilse
I gisanggwa i mameuro chungseong-eul dahayeo
Goerouna jeulgeouna nara saranghase
Mugunghwa samcheolli hwaryeogangsan
Daehansaram daehaneuro giri bojeonhase
English
Until the day when the East Sea's waters and Mt. Baekdu are dry and worn away,
God shall protect and preserve us. May our nation live through eternity!
The pinetree atop Namsan stands firmly unchanged under wind and frost as if wrapped in armour,
as is our resilient spirit.
Autumn sky is void and vast, high and cloudless,
the bright moon is our heart, undivided and true.
With this spirit and this mind, give all loyalty,
in suffering or in joy, love the country.
Three thousand Li of splendid rivers and mountains, filled with Roses of Sharon;
Great Korean People, let us everlastingly preserve our Great Korean nation.
Internet Page: www.english.president.co.kr
S.K. in diferent languages
eng: South Korea
cat | ina | ita: Corea del Sud
hrv | hsb | slv: Južna Koreja
ast | spa: Corea del Sur
dan | swe: Sydkorea
deu | ltz: Südkorea / Südkorea
fra | jnf: Corée du Sud
ind | msa: Korea Selatan / كوريا سلاتن
kin | run: Koreya y’ubumanuko
roh-enb | roh-eno: Corea dal Süd
afr: Suid-Korea
arg: Corea d’o Sur
aze: Cənubi Koreya / Ҹәнуби Кореја
bam: Kɔre Woroduguyanfan
bos: Južna Koreja / Јужна Кореја
bre: Korea ar Su; Sukorea
ces: Jižní Korea
cor: Korea Dheghow
cos: Corea suttana
crh: Cenübiy Koreya / Дженюбий Корея
csb: Półniowò Kòreja
cym: De Corea
dsb: Pódpołdnjowa Koreja
epo: Sud-Koreo; Sud-Koreio
est: Lõuna-Korea
eus: Hego Korea
fao: Suður-Korea
fin: Etelä-Korea
frp: Corê du Sud
fry: Súd-Korea
fur: Coree dal Sud
gag: Üülen Koreya / Ӱӱлен Kорея
gla: Coirea a Deas; Coiria a Deas; Corea a Deas
gle: An Chóiré Theas / An Ċóiré Ṫeas; An Choria Theas / An Ċoria Ṫeas
glg: Corea do Sur
glv: Yn Chorea Yiass
hat: Kore disid
hau: Koreya ta Kudu
hun: Dél-Korea
ibo: Kọria Ndida
isl: Suður-Kórea
jav: Korea Selatan
kaa: Tuʻslik Koreya / Түслик Корея
kmr: Korê ya Cenûbê / Коре йа Щәнубе / کۆرێیا جەنووبێ
kur: Koreya Başûr / کۆرەیا باشوور
lat: Corea Meridionalis; Corea Meridiana
lav: Dienvidkoreja
lim: Zuud-Korea
lin: Kore ya Sidi
lit: Pietų Korėja
lld-bad: Corea dl Süd
lld-grd: Corea dl Sud
mlg: Kôrea Atsimo
mlt: Korea t’Isfel
mol: Coreea de Sud / Корея де Суд
nds: Süüdkorea / Süüdkorea
nld: Zuid-Korea
nor: Sør-Korea
nrm: Coraée-du-Su
oci: Corèa del Sud
pap: Sur-Korea
pol: Korea Południowa
por: Coreia do Sul / Coréia do Sul
que: Uralan Kuriya
rmy: Sudutni Koreya / सुदुत्नी कोरेया
roh-gri: Corea dal Sid
roh-srs: Corea dil Sid
ron: Coreea de Sud
rup: Corea di Not
scn: Corea dû Sud
slk: Južná Kórea
slo: Jugju Korea / Йугйу Кореа
sme: Lulli-Korea
smg: Pėitū Kuoriejė
smo: Malo Korea
som: Kooriyada Koonfureed; Kuuriyada Koonfureed
sqi: Korea Jugore
srd: Corea de Josso
swa: Korea ya Kusini
szl: Korea Pouedńowo
tet: Koreia Súl
tgl: Timog Korea
ton: Saute Kōlea
tpi: Saut Korea
tuk: Günorta Koreýa / Гүнорта Корея
tur: Güney Kore
uzb: Janubiy Quriya / Жанубий Қурия; Janubiy Koreya / Жанубий Корея
vie: Nam Hàn; Hàn Quốc
vol: Sulüda-Koreyän; Hangukän
vor: Lõunõ-Korea
wln: Nonne Corêye
wol: Koore bu Sid
zza: Korya Veroci
abq | bul: Южна Корея (Južna Koreja)
alt: Тӱштӱк Корея (Tüštük Koreja)
bak: Көньяҡ Корея / Könyaķ Koreya
bel: Паўднёвая Карэя / Paŭdniovaja Kareja
che: Къилбера Корея (Q̣ilbera Koreja)
chm: Кечывалвел Корея (Kečyvalvel Koreja)
chv: Кӑнтӑр Корейӑ (Kăntăr Korejă)
kaz: Оңтүстік Корея / Oñtüstik Koreya / وڭتۇستىك كورەيا
kbd: Южнэ Корея (Južnă Koreja)
kir: Түштүк Корея (Tüštük Koreja)
kjh: Южнай Корея (Južnaj Koreja)
kom: Южнӧй Корея (Južnöj Koreja)
krc: Юг Корея (Jug Koreja)
kum: Къыбла Корея (Qybla Koreja)
mkd: Јузна Кореа (Juzna Korea)
mon: Өмнөд Солонгос (Ömnöd Solongos)
oss: Хуссар Корей (Ĥussar Korej)
rus: Южная Корея (Južnaja Koreja)
srp: Јужна Кореја / Južna Koreja
tat: Көньяк Корея / Könyaq Koreä
tgk: Қурияи Ҷанубӣ / قوریۀ جنوبی / Qurijai Çanubī; Кореяи Ҷанубӣ / کاریۀ جنوبی / Korejai Çanubī
tyv: Мурнуу-Көрей (Murnuu-Körej)
udm: Лымшор Корея (Lymšor Koreja)
ukr: Південна Корея (Pivdenna Koreja)
ara: كوريا الجنوبية (Kūrīyā l-Ǧanūbīyâ)
ckb: کۆریای باشوور / Koryaî Başûr
fas: کرۀ جنوبی / Koreye Janubi
prs: کوریای جنوبی (Kōriyā-ye Janūbī)
pus: سهيلي کوريا (Sahīlī Koriyā)
snd: ڏکڻ ڪوريا (Ḋakʰaṇ Koriyā)
uig: جەنۇبىي چاۋشيەن / Jenubiy Chawshyen / Җәнубий Чавшйән; جەنۇبىي چاۋشەن / Jenubiy Chawshen / Җәнубий Чавшән
urd: جنوبی کوریا (Janūbī Koriyā)
div: ސައުތް ކޮރެއާ (Sa'ut Kore'ā)
heb: דרום קוראה (Dərôm Qôreʾah); דרום קוריאה (Dərôm Qôrêʾah); קוראה הדרומית (Qôreʾah ha-Dərômît); קוריאה הדרומית (Qôrêʾah ha-Dərômît)
lad: קוריאה דיל סור / Korea del Sur
yid: דרום קאָריִיע (Dorem Koriye)
amh: ደቡብ ኮርያ (Däbub Korya)
ell-dhi: Νότια Κορέα (Nótia Koréa)
ell-kat: Νότιος Κορέα (Nótios Koréa)
hye: Հարավային Կորեա (Haravayin Korea)
kat: სამხრეთ კორეა (Samĥreṭ Korea)
hin: दक्षिण कोरिया (Dakṣiṇ Koriyā)
ben: দক্ষিণ কোরিয়া (Dôkṣiṇ Koriyā)
pan: ਦੱਖਣੀ ਕੋਰੀਆ (Dakʰkʰaṇī Korīā)
kan: ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಕೊರಿಯಾ (Dakṣiṇa Koriyā)
mal: ദക്ഷിണ കൊറിയ (Dakṣiṇa Koṟiya)
tam: தென் கொரியா (Teṉ Koriyā); தென்கொரியா (Teṉkoriyā)
tel: దక్షిణ కొరియా (Dakṣiṇa Koriyā)
zho: 南韓/南韩 (Nánhán); 韓國/韩国 (Hánguó)
yue: 南韓/南韩 (Nàahmhòhn); 韓國/韩国 (Hòhngwok)
jpn: 韓国 (Kankoku)
kor: 한국/韓國 (Hanguk); 남한/南韓 (Namhan)
bod: ལྷོ་ཁྲའོ་ཤན་ (Lho. Kʰra'o.šan.); ཁྲའོ་ཤན་ལྷོ་རྒྱུད་ (Kʰra'o.šan. Lho.rgyud.)
dzo: ལྷོ་ཀོ་རི་ཡ་ (Lho.Ko.ri.ya.)
mya: တောင္ကုိရီးယား (Toũ Koẏìyà)
tha: เกาหลีใต้ (Kaw[h]lī Tái)
lao: ເກົາຫຼີໄຕ້ (Kaw[h]ḷī Tái)
khm: កូរ៉េខាងត្បូង (Kūre Kʰāṅtbūṅ)
chr: ᏅᎦᎾᏭ ᎢᏗᏢ ᎪᎴᏯ / Nvganawu Iditlv Goleya; ᏅᎦᎾᏭ ᎢᏗᏢ ᎪᎴᎠ / Nvganawu Iditlv Golea
CHROMODORIDIDAE- SULAWESI GLOSSOROIS
Okinawa, Japan
Sony RX100 V
Nauticam housing
Inon Z-330 external strobe x2
Sola photo 1200 light & motion
Inon UCL 67 M67
The External Porticoes
The Sebasteion of Aphrodisias, a city of the Roman Asia Minor in Caria, was discovered in 1979. It was a religious sanctuary dedicated to the worship of the Julio Caudian emperors as gods (Theoi Sebastoi) – a widespread practice in Greek-speaking parts of the Roman empire.
The Sebasteion was dedicated to Aphrodite and the imperial family, an appropriate pair since Venus was the mother of Aeneas, the mythical founder of the Julian line.
The complex consists of a monumental gateway on the west, which led into two long porticoes on the north and south, at the east end of which stood a temple. The two porticoes were three stories high, with Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders respectively in their first, second and third stories. Relief panels flanked by columns were in the two upper stories. The 180 panels (of which about eighty have survived) were varied in their subject matter—mythology, allegory and, important for our purposes, imperial figures of the Julio-Claudian era. This last group provides a rich store of Julio-Claudian iconography and can be surprisingly detailed. Two reliefs, probably the most striking pieces of all Agrippina’s surviving sculpture, come from this source.
The photo shows a detail of the South building façade with relief panels depicting scenes from Greek mythology in the middle storey, and the exploits of the Roman emperors in the upper storey. The image inside the central higher panel shows the emperor Claudius with is 4th wife Agrippina.
Aphrodisias Sebasteion
South Portico
Claudius – early Nero age (41 – 58 AD)
Aphrodisias, Caria, Turkey
Hales Bar is the oldest Bar in Harrogate, from around 1766. Apparently names after William Hales who became landlord in 1882.
7.2 Volt 2000 mAh RC car battery. Full power - 1.5 recycle times. Don't know if it will work with Canon, Nikon or any other brand of flash. I haven't blown one up yet - but PLEASE USE AT YOUR OWN RISK !
Moira House
After 145 years of educating girls, Moira House closed its doors for the last time on the 31st. August 2020 due to unsustainable financial losses.
The school was founded in 1875 by Charles Barlow Ingham. It began life as a family project borne out of financial necessity and, more importantly, Mr. Ingham's strong dissatisfaction with the education that his sister and wife had both received.
Charles Ingham had begun his own schooling at the age of two and was well educated, musically accomplished and a skilled carpenter, engineer, architect and innovator.
Charles discovered his aptitude for teaching while working in his father's paper mill, holding classes for the workers there.
His visit to America in 1874 to liquidate the family business gave him the opportunity to visit American schools, and the visit inspired him to begin a school in England for girls, thereby securing his family's income and giving him the chance to pioneer new methods in education.
-- The Opening of the School
The school opened as The Ladies High School, Moira House, Addiscombe near Croydon on the 24th. January 1875. There were initially four day pupils and three boarders from across the Atlantic.
The school began with no arbitrary rules, no marks or prizes, no forced preparation for external exams, no punishments, and no bells to announce the beginning of the day or change in lessons. Charles believed that such insistent reminders of duty were not necessary where intelligent and knowledge-loving children were involved.
He believed that every subject should have its own room and teacher. He believed that girls should be taught to play instruments, and encouraged his students to play the violin - quite unheard of in the 1870's.
Charles also felt that girls should be involved in team sports, and Moira House was one of the very first girls' schools in the UK to have a cricket team.
-- The Moira House Move to Eastbourne
The school remained in Addiscombe for eight years and then, on the recommendation of friends of the family, Moira House moved briefly to Bournemouth before settling in Staveley Road in Eastbourne.
It was decided that Eastbourne was where the school would remain, and Charles Ingham became architect of the school's home - known as School House, at 44, Carlisle Road. The building is shown in the photograph.
The foundation stone was laid by the oldest and youngest girls in the school, and their names, along with those of the Ingham family, were placed in the cavity of the foundation stone.
In 1908, Gertrude Ingham took over her father's role as Head of School and remained Headmistress until 1939. Even after leaving this role she was closely involved in the school until her death in 1956.
Members of Moira House were early advocates for women's rights. The following appeared in in a 1913 issue of the school magazine, The Shuttle:
'In the hurly-burly of the struggle it is sometimes
difficult to keep one's temper and remain always
sweet and serene and poised, but because the
ideal behind the Woman Movement is the desire
for increased facilities for service, harmony and
peace will surely follow the storm, and out of the
tumult shall emerge a new woman.
A woman no longer limited and ignorant, the
chattel of her husband or the household drudge,
but being balanced, intellectual, capable, free;
fit to take her place in all the departments of life,
whether public or private, as individual helpmeet
or as social servant.'
The reference to social servant and helpmeet indicates that there was still a way to go in terms of women's career aspirations - 'helpmeet' means a helpful mate or assistant, especially to one's husband.
-- The Moira House School League
The school League came into being from a number of events in the early 1900's. A play performed by the school in 1918 entitled 'The Quest for the Holy Grail' gave hope at a time when the world was at war.
And during the 1918-19 Spanish Flu epidemic, many teachers were taken ill, forcing the girls to take more of a leading role in the running of the school - a teacher later recalling them as 'knights in shining armour' who ministered to their sick classmates.
From these events came the formation of The League, a system in which girls and staff elected School Knights, Standard Bearers, Squires and Pages.
Founded on the principles of King Arthur's Round Table, the girls took the motto of the knights as their own:
"Live Pure; Speak True;
Right Wrong; Follow The
King."
At the time of the formation of The League it was important that the system was not rigid and was, like the school itself, open to change and natural progression when deemed necessary.
One such change came in the 1950's when the Pyramids (the school house system) were formed. This engendered a spirit of inter-pyramid competition. The newly-formed pyramids were subject to yearly, even termly, name changes and were known by a variety of names including Genghis Khan, Neptune and even the Beachy Head Bashers.
Eventually the girls decided that their Pyramids should have permanent names and these were Excalibur, Pegasus and Vulcan. Merlin was created much later in the 1970's.
-- Changes in Moira House Leadership
Mona Swann led the school while these later changes took place, and she admitted that at the time she wasn't all that keen on some of the names, but as the girls liked them they remained.
Mona was a Moira House pupil herself, and in her own words had a rebellious nature, and a reputation as the naughtiest girl in her previous school. Miss Ingham helped her through this, and in doing so gave her a love of learning and teaching.
Once qualified Mona returned to the school as a teacher. She became Headmistress from 1939-1960, overseeing the evacuation of the school to Windermere and its return to Eastbourne in 1945.
-- Moira House in World War II
With pressure from parents, particularly those from overseas, it was decided to evacuate the school away from the Channel during the war.
The initial evacuation was to the Thurlestone Hotel near Plymouth, but this was jumping out of the frying pan into the fire - Plymouth was bombed for the first time on the 6th. July 1940. The bombing, and the potential for enemy invasion, made Devon unsafe, and the Ferry Hotel in Windermere was eventually found.
The entire contents of the school was transferred to Windermere including beds, tables, shelves, chairs and books, as well as carpets, blankets, linen, crockery and silverware.
The school re-opened in Windermere in September 1940 with 96 girls under the headship of Miss Mona Swann whose aim was to recreate the essence of Moira House, both educationally and physically.
Peggy Hargreaves (née Wynter Bee), a former pupil, recalled:
"On Saturday the 14th. November 1940, when the
Battle of Britain was at its height, the day on which
our Spitfires shot down over a hundred of the enemy's
planes, my Grandmother, Mother, my two sisters and
myself took a train from London to Windermere. There
we arrived at 9 pm, having crossed Lake Windermere
by the Ferry, on the doorstep of the School which
welcomed us with open arms despite not having
received a letter or telegram warning them of our
impending arrival."
This reception was typical of Moira House, which managed whilst in Windermere to maintain its reputation of passion and community spirit as well as achieving excellent examination results.
By the time the school returned to Eastbourne in 1945, an increase to 108 girls necessitated the rapid purchase of The Lodge, which was renamed Dunn House.
-- Later Changes in Leadership
In 1960 Mona Swann retired, and in the following 15 years, three Headmistresses in turn took on the role: Mrs. Ladas, Mrs. Oliver and Mrs. Foxon.
In 1975, a Headmaster, Adrian Underwood, was appointed. He brought with him new ideas and plans for the advancement of the school in the hope of securing the school's future. Looking at the school's history, its aims and ideals, Mr. Underwood, with the help of Howard Barlow and Shona Beattie - then School Knight - devised the School Crest and the motto: Nemo a Me Alienus - 'Other People Matter'.
After 24 years of service Mr. Underwood retired as Head and passed the role to Ann Harris, a much loved and respected Headmistress who sadly passed away before she could enjoy her retirement.
Mrs. Lesley Watson then led the school for 7 years until Mr. James Sheridan became Principal.
-- Changes in Location
The school relocated five times over its lifetime, and yet the name that first graced the gate posts in Addiscombe, i.e. 'Moira House', remained. 145 years ago, a Greek scholar remarked to Mr. Ingham upon the appropriateness of the name - Moirai - the three fates said to govern the destiny of all.
Charles Ingham took that name, but gave to his students the ability to take control over their fate, to better themselves, to be confident individuals and lifelong learners, and to think and care for other people.
-- Re-Purposing of the Moira House Site
At the moment (2023) development plans are underway to turn the school buildings into luxury flats, with additional residential accommodation being built in the grounds. Sign of the times.
What will happen to the school's large modern gymnasium and 25 metre heated indoor swimming pool remains to be seen.
Photography & External Artistic Management by Luis Campillo.
Tassis Project by Ars Divina.
Artistic director :
- Jose Ignacio Delgado.
Actress:
- Angy Ducci.
- Laura González.
- Mariela Rodriguez.
Hairdresser Artist Olga García.
Make Up Artist Rosa Castelló.
Loft 44 Staff:
- Artistic Management Pilar Curiel.
- Lighting Assistant Jose Antonio Vicario.
- General Assistant Begoña Jimenez.
- Making of video Javier Vicario.
Thank's to Justino Díez & Monasterio de Santa María de Palazuelo, Cabezón de Pisuerga, Valladolid.
© Luís Campillo 2014
+++ 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.
+++ 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:
When Marcel Dassault started work on jet-powered fighters after WWII, the development evolved in gradual steps instead of quantum leaps, leading to a long line of aircraft. The Mystère IV was an evolutionary development of the Mystère II aircraft. Although bearing an external resemblance to the earlier aircraft, the Mystère IV was in fact a new design with aerodynamic improvements for supersonic flight. The prototype first flew on 28 September 1952, and the aircraft entered service in April 1953. The first 50 Mystere IVA production aircraft were powered by British Rolls-Royce Tay turbojets, while the remainder had the French-built Hispano-Suiza Verdon 350 version of that engine.
France was the main operator of the Mystère IV. In April 1953 the United States government and the United States Air Force placed an order for 223 aircraft to be operated by the French, and at the peak usage the Armée de l‘air operated 6 squadrons. Most of the aircraft were purchased under a United States Offshore Procurement contract and many were returned to US custody after they were retired. The Mystère IVs were used in the 1956 Suez Crisis and continued to remain in French service into the 1980s, even though they were quickly relegated into second line duties as more capable types like the Super Mystère SM2B or the Mirage III entered service.
Other international operators included Israel (using about sixty Mystère IVs in large-scale combat during the 1967 Six Day War), India (104 aircraft procured in 1957 and extensively used in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965) and Ecuador.
The Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE, Ecuadorian Air Force) was officially created on October 27, 1920. However, like in many other countries, military flying activity already started before the formal date of birth of the Air Force. By 1939 the Ecuadorian Air Force was still limited to about 30 aircraft, though, and a staff of about 60, including 10 officers. Military aviation did not start in earnest until the early forties when an Ecuadorian mission to the United States resulted in the delivery of an assortment of aircraft for the Aviation school at Salinas: three Ryan PT-22 Recruits, six Curtiss-Wright CW-22 Falcons, six Fairchild PT-19A Cornells and three North American AT-6A Harvards arrived in March 1942, considerably boosting the capacity of the Escuela de Aviación at Salinas.
The 1950s and 1960s saw a further necessary buildup of the air force, gaining more units and aircraft, while efforts were made in enhancing the facilities at various airbases. In May 1961 the "First Air Zone" with its subordinate unit Ala de Transportes No.11 was founded. The "Second Air Zone" controlled the units in the southern half of Ecuador, Ala de Combate No.21 at Taura, Ala de Rescate No.22 at Guayaquil and Ala de Combate No.23 at Manta as well as the Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación "Cosme Rennella B." (ESMA) at Salinas.
It was at this time that the FAE was looking for a capable (yet affordable) jet fighter that would replace the vintage F-47 “Thunderbolt” piston engine fighters of American origin that had been operated since 1947 as well as the ageing fleet of Gloster Meteor jet fighters. After consulting various options, including the British Hawker Hunter and the American F-86 Sabre, Ecuador settled upon the French Mystère IV. A total of 32 aircraft were ordered in 1958 and delivered until early 1963 in two tranches, subsequently outfitting two combat squadrons.
The Ecuadorian aircraft resembled the early French Mystère IV standard and were powered by the British Rolls-Royce Tay 250. However, they differed in small details and incorporated some updates, leading to the individual designation Mystère IVE (for Ecuador). This included a modified instrumentation and a British Martin Baker ejection seat in the cockpit. On the outside, a fairing for a brake parachute at the fin’s base was the most obvious change, and there were small oval boundary layer fences on the wings’ leading edges that improved the aircraft’s handling. The front landing gear was slightly different, too, now outfitted with a mudguard.
To improve the aircraft’s capabilities in air-to-air combat, an American AN/APG-30 range-finding radar was fitted, mounted to the center of the air intake (under a slightly enlarged radome) and linked with the gyroscopic gunsight in the cockpit. It was effective at a range of up to 2.750 m, but only covered a narrow cone directly in front of the aircraft. Initially the aircraft were operated as pure fighters/interceptors, but soon they also took over ground attack and CAS missions with iron bombs and unguided missiles, even though the Mystère IV’s ordnance capacity was rather limited. But the aircraft had a good handling at low altitude and were a stable weapon platform, so that the pilots operated them with confidence.
In the early Seventies, Ecuador had plans to upgrade its Mystères with Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 engines, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Tay from the USA and outfitted with an afterburner. With reheat the J48 delivered 8,750 lbf (38.9 kN) of thrust, but continuous dry thrust was only 6,350 lbf (28.2 kN), markedly less than the old Tay engine. The high fuel consumption with operating afterburner would have markedly limited the aircraft’s range, and this engine switch would have necessitated major modifications to the aircrafts’ tail section, so that the upgrade eventually did not come to fruition due the lack of funds and the rather limited and only temporary improvement in performance.
Nevertheless, in course of their career in Ecuador, the Mystères’ still underwent some modifications and modernizations. In the early Seventies an MLU program was carried out: the retractable pannier for unguided missiles was deleted in favor of an extra fuel tank and upgraded navigational and weapon avionics. The latter included wirings for IR-guided AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs on the outer underwing pylons, what greatly improved the aircraft’s air-to-air capabilities. The original DEFA 552 guns were replaced with more modern DEFA 553s, which had a new feed system, a nitro-chrome plated steel barrel (which was longer than the 552’s and now protruded visibly from the openings), a forged drum casing, and improved electrical reliability. During this upgrade phase the machines also lost their original natural metal livery and they received a less conspicuous tactical NATO-style grey/green paint scheme with metallic-grey undersides.
In this form the Ecuadorean Mystère IVEs soldiered on well into the Eighties, with a very good reliability record. During their active career they even saw “hot” action on several occasions, for instance in a continuous border dispute with Peru, the so-called Paquisha War. This brief military clash over the control of three watch posts flared up in January 1981 and the Mystères became involved. The first incident was a dogfight with an A-37B of the Fuerza Aérea del Peru (FAP), launched from Guayaquil to intercept it – with no casualities, though. Several similar interception incidents happened until early February 1981, and the FAE Mystères also flew several CAS missions to repel the Peruvian Jungle Infantry and to support Ecuadorian ground forces. Despite their age, the aircrafts’ ruggedness and simplicity proved them to be reliable, and its high roll rate and good handling at low altitude made it a versatile platform that was still competitive, even though its rather sluggish acceleration turned out to be a serious weak spot, esp. in the country’s typical mountainous terrain. Its relatively low range with internal fuel only was another operational problem.
The Mystère IVEs were finally retired in 1988 and replaced by Mirage F.1C fighters from France and IAI Kfir C.7 fighter bombers from Israel.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 12.89 m (42 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 11.12 m (36 ft 6 in)
Height: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 32.06 m² (345.1 sq ft)
Empty weight: 5,860 kg (12,919 lb)
Gross weight: 8,510 kg (18,761 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 9,500 kg (20,944 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce Tay 250 centrifugal-flow turbojet engine with 34.32 kN (7,720 lbf) thrust
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,110 km/h (690 mph, 600 kn) at sea level
Range: 915 km (569 mi, 494 nmi) with internal fuel only
2,280 km (1,420 mi; 1,230 nmi) with drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,000 m (49,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 40 m/s (7,900 ft/min)
Armament:
2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannon with 150 rounds per gun
1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of payload on four underwing hardpoints, incl. bombs, rockets or drop tanks
The kit and its assembly:
A very simple project, and basically just an OOB kit in the colors of a fictional operator. The whole thing was inspired by the question: what could have been a predecessor of the Ecuadorean Mirage F.1s? Not an existential question that might pop up frequently, but I quickly decided that the Mystère IV would have been a good/plausible contender. I found this idea even more attractive when I considered a camouflage paint scheme for it, because you only get either French or Indian machines in a uniform NMF outfit or IDF Mystères in desert camouflage (either in brown/blue or the later sand/earth/green scheme).
The kit is the venerable Matchbox Mystère IVA, even though in its Revell re-boxing. It’s a very simple affair, with partly crude details like the landing gear or the dreaded “trenches” for engraved surface details, esp. on the wings. But it goes together quite well, and with some corrections and additions you get a decent model.
The kit was basically built OOB, I just added underwings pylons with some ordnance for a fighter bomber mission: a pair of drop tanks and two SNEB missile launcher pods (tanks leftover from a Sword F-94, IIRC, and the pods from a Matchbox G.91Y). A complete tub with a floor and with side consoles (origin is uncertain, though – maybe it came from an Xtrakit Supermarin Swift?) was fitted to the cockpit and the primitive OOB ejection seat was replaced with something more convincing, pimped with seatbelts (masking tape) and ejection trigger handles (thin wire).
The flaps were lowered for a more natural look, and I added small oval boundary layer fences from a BAe Hawk as a personal twist. The clumsy front wheel, originally molded onto the strut as a single piece, was replaced with something better. The main landing gear covers were replaced with thinner styrene sheet material (the OOB parts are VERY thick) and pieces from hollow steel needles were implanted into the respective fairings as gun barrels.
A thinner pitot, created from heated sprue material, was used instead of the rather massive OOB part. The ranging radar fairing in the intake was slightly enlarged with the help of white glue. And, finally, a piece of sprue was implanted into the fin’s base as a brake parachute fairing, reminiscent of the Polish Lim-6/7, license-produced MiG-17s.
Painting and markings:
Actually quite conservative, with a typical Seventies paint scheme in dark grey/dark green. I even considered a more exotic three-tone scheme but found that – together with the colorful national markings – this would look too busy. Since there is no reference for a Mystère IV in such a guise, I simply adapted the standard pattern from a Royal Air Force Supermarine Swift. For a different look than the standard RAF colors – after all, the fictional Ecuadorean Mystère IVs were painted with domestic material. I used Humbrol 75 (Bronze Green) and ModelMaster 2057 (FS 36173, USAF Neutral Grey) for a good contrast between the upper tones, with Humbrol 56 (Alu Dope) underneath.
The tail section received a burned metal look, using Revell 91 (Iron) and some graphite. The cockpit interior was painted in a very dark grey (Revell 09, Anthracite) while the landing gear became silver-grey and the wells zinc-chromate primer (Humbrol 81). For some contrast, the drop tanks became shiny aluminum (Revell 99).
The kit received a light black ink washing, primarily for the recessed panel lines, and a subtle panel post-shading – for a less uniform surface than for true weathering, I’d imagine that the aircraft would be looked after well. However, some gun soot stains around the weapon ports were added with graphite, too.
The Ecuadorean roundels and unit markings came from an Xtradecal Strikemaster sheet, the tactical codes from a Croco Decal sheet for various South-American trainers. The flag on the rudder was, due to its sweep, painted, and most stencils were taken from the Mystère’s OOB sheet or procured from an Ecuadorian Mirage V on a Carpena sheet.
Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, the ordnance was added and the position lights on the wing tips were created with silver and clear paint on top of that.
Well, this was not a spectacular conversion build, rather an OOB travesty with some cosmetic changes. However, the rather classic grey/green camouflage suits the tubby aircraft well and the bright national insignia really stand out on it – a pretty combo. The whole package as fictional Mystère IVE looks surprisingly convincing!
These have always looked good with arch extensions and external mods (or bumper removal) and this one is no exception. Plenty of them present too, which was great.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force by the mid-1960s and became a major part of their air wings.
The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2. It can carry over 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon, but later models incorporated a cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record.
The F-4 was used extensively by these three U.S. services during the Vietnam War, serving as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, as well as being important in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles by the close of U.S. involvement in the war. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U.S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, the USAF had one pilot and two WSOs, and the US Navy one pilot and one RIO, become aces in air-to-air combat. It continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force; the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy; and the F/A-18 in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (suppression of enemy air defenses) roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the only aircraft used by both U.S. flight demonstration teams: the USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the US Navy Blue Angels (F-4J). The F-4 was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as an unmanned target in the U.S. Air Force. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft.
General characteristics
* Crew: 2
* Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.2 m)
* Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7 m)
* Height: 16 ft 6 in (5.0 m)
* Wing area: 530.0 ft² (49.2 m²)
* Airfoil: NACA 0006.4-64 root, NACA 0003-64 tip
* Empty weight: 30,328 lb (13,757 kg)
* Loaded weight: 41,500 lb (18,825 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 61,795 lb (28,030 kg)
* Powerplant: 2× General Electric J79-GE-17A axial compressor turbojets, 17,845 lbf (79.4 kN) each
* Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0224
* Drag area: 11.87 ft² (1.10 m²)
* Aspect ratio: 2.77
* Fuel capacity: 1,994 U.S. gal (7,549 L) internal, 3,335 U.S. gal (12,627 L) with three external tanks (370 U.S. gal (1,420 L) tanks on the outer wing hardpoints and either a 600 or 610 U.S. gal (2,310 or 2,345 L) tank for the centerline station).
* Maximum landing weight: 36,831 lb (16,706 kg)
Performance
* Maximum speed: Mach 2.23 (1,472 mph, 2,370 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
* Cruise speed: 506 kn (585 mph, 940 km/h)
* Combat radius: 367 nmi (422 mi, 680 km)
* Ferry range: 1,403 nmi (1,615 mi, 2,600 km) with 3 external fuel tanks
* Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
* Rate of climb: 41,300 ft/min (210 m/s)
* Wing loading: 78 lb/ft² (383 kg/m²)
* lift-to-drag: 8.58
* Thrust/weight: 0.86 at loaded weight, 0.58 at MTOW
* Takeoff roll: 4,490 ft (1,370 m) at 53,814 lb (24,410 kg)
* Landing roll: 3,680 ft (1,120 m) at 36,831 lb (16,706 kg)
Armament
* Up to 18,650 lb (8,480 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including general purpose bombs, cluster bombs, TV- and laser-guided bombs, rocket pods (UK Phantoms 6 × Matra rocket pods with 18 × SNEB 68 mm rockets each), air-to-ground missiles, anti-runway weapons, anti-ship missiles, targeting pods, reconnaissance pods, and nuclear weapons. Baggage pods and external fuel tanks may also be carried.
* 4× AIM-7 Sparrow in fuselage recesses plus 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinders on wing pylons; upgraded Hellenic F-4E and German F-4F ICE carry AIM-120 AMRAAM, Japanese F-4EJ Kai carry AAM-3, Hellenic F-4E will carry IRIS-T in future. Iranian F-4s could potentially carry Russian and Chinese missiles. UK Phantoms carried Skyflash missiles[111]
* 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan 6-barreled gatling cannon, 640 rounds
* 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder, Python-3 (F-4 Kurnass 2000), IRIS-T (F-4E AUP Hellenic Air Force)
* 4× AIM-7 Sparrow, AAM-3(F-4EJ Kai)
* 4× AIM-120 AMRAAM for F-4F ICE, F-4E AUP (Hellenic Air Force)
* 6× AGM-65 Maverick
* 4× AGM-62 Walleye
* 4× AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-78 Standard ARM
* 4× GBU-15
* 18× Mk.82, GBU-12
* 5× Mk.84, GBU-10, GBU-14
* 18× CBU-87, CBU-89, CBU-58
While I was in Darjeeling in December I finally made it to the Yiga Choeling Monastery in Ghoom (Ghum). This was my sixth visit to Darjeeling and I had been suggested to go and see this monastery during my first trip, way back in 2012. For various reasons I had never ended up going, despite many walks between Darjeeling and Ghoom. However on the morning of the 3rd of December I had been at the Batasia War Memorial for sunrise. That was nearby and I had plenty of energy so I decided to head down to Ghoom before walking back to Darjeeling. Glad I did.
Being there early in the morning meant it was a very quiet and calm time. Despite not being spiritual myself, in any way, I do like visiting Buddhist sites. They generally have a calmness about them, as do any monks, nuns and devotees you meet there. I also spend a bit of time in Dharamsala so I have plenty of opportunities to do visit such places, but to be honest temples in Dharamsala (Mcleodganj) tend to be more crowded with tourists, and therefore less peaceful.
Below is some text I have copied from the monatsery website, explaining some of the site's history.
"Ghoom Monastery is the popular name of the Yiga Choeling Monastery located at Ghoom at an elevation of 8,000 feet, 8 km from Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal.
The monastery belongs to the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat sect and is famous for its 15 feet high special statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The external structure of the building was established in 1850 by the famous Mongolian astrologer and monk Sokpo Sherab Gyatso. Since 1850 to 1905 he had administered as the head of the monastery. Later he went to Tibet and died in his birth province.
In 1909 Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang, popularly called Lama Domo Geshe Rinpoche, succeeded Sherab Gyatso as head of the monastery. The main statue inside the temple is that of the Maitreya Buddha (Gyalwa Shampa) or the Future Buddha. This 15 feet high statue was specially commissioned during his tenure. He acted as the head of the monastery since 1910 to 1952. Later, he went to Tibet and died in his birth place.
During the Chinese occupation of 1959 in Tibet many high ranking abbots fled to India and took refuge in this monastery. In 1951 H.H. the Dalai Lama sent H.E the Dhardo Rinpoche as a head monk of Tibetan monastery in Bodh Gaya. In 1961 he was sent as a head of the Yiga Choeling monastery Ghoom, Darjeeling.
He passed away in 1990 and three years after his demise, a boy named Tenzin Legshad Wangdi was recognized as his reincarnation.
On 25th April 1996 he was enthroned at Kalimpong Tibetan ITBCI school with monastic custom. The thirteenth in the line of Tulkus, Tenzin Legshad Wangdi, still goes by the name of Dhardo Tulku. At present H.E. Tenzin Legshad Wangdi is studying Tibetan Philosophy in Drepung Loseling University in South India. Under the supervision of H.E the Dhardo Rinpoche, the Managing Committee was set up in order to uplift the monastery. Since then various policies have been formulated and implemented and some became successes and others went in vain due to certain circumstances.
For the last two decades the monastery has been going through severe crises in terms of both monks and finance. Till now, the grants-in-aid entitled to the monastery have not been received either from government nor from any other source. Presently the monastery is meeting its needs through donations and contributions from local devotees."
taken from - yigachoeling.com
Not sure what this structure is that it needs so much external bracing. It's part of the old industrial area in Mile End, which is good hunting grounds for me.
The Arboretum has an interactive map on their web site. This map is found at the Arborway Gate.
Pasting from Wikipedia: Arnold Arboretum:
• • • • •
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is an arboretum located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and is the second largest "link" in the Emerald Necklace.
History
The Arboretum was founded in 1872 when the President and Fellows of Harvard College became trustees of a portion of the estate of James Arnold (1781–1868).
In 1842, Benjamin Bussey (1757–1842), a prosperous Boston merchant and scientific farmer, donated his country estate Woodland Hill and a part of his fortune to Harvard University "for instruction in agriculture, horticulture, and related subjects". Bussey had inherited land from fellow patriot Eleazer Weld in 1800 and further enlarged his large estate between 1806 and 1837 by acquiring and consolidating various farms that had been established as early as the seventeenth century. Harvard used this land for the creation of the Bussey Institute, which was dedicated to agricultural experimentation. The first Bussey Institute building was completed in 1871 and served as headquarters for an undergraduate school of agriculture.
Sixteen years after Bussey's death, James Arnold, a New Bedford, Massachusetts whaling merchant, specified that a portion of his estate was to be used for "...the promotion of Agricultural, or Horticultural improvements". In 1872, when the trustees of the will of James Arnold transferred his estate to Harvard University, Arnold’s gift was combined with 120 acres (0.49 km2) of the former Bussey estate to create the Arnold Arboretum. In the deed of trust between the Arnold trustees and the College, income from Arnold’s legacy was to be used for establishing, developing and maintaining an arboretum to be known as the Arnold Arboretum which "shall contain, as far as practicable, all the trees [and] shrubs ... either indigenous or exotic, which can be raised in the open air of West Roxbury". The historical mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase knowledge of woody plants through research and to disseminate this knowledge through education.
Charles Sprague Sargent was appointed director and Arnold Professor of Botany shortly after the establishment of the institution in 1872.[2] Together with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted he developed the road and pathway system and delineated the collection areas by family and genus, following the then current and widely accepted classification system of Bentham and Hooker. The Hunnewell building was designed by architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr. in 1892 and constructed with funds donated by H. H. Hunnewell in 1903. From 1946 to 1950 the landscape architect Beatrix Farrand was the landscape design consultant for the Arboretum. Her early training in the 1890s included time with Charles Sprague Sargent and chief propagator and superintendent Jackson Thornton Johnson.[3] Today the Arboretum occupies 265 acres (107 hectares) of land divided between four parcels, viz. the main Arboretum and the Peters Hill, Weld-Walter and South Street tracts. The collections, however, are located primarily in the main Arboretum and on the Peters Hill tract. The Arboretum remains one of the finest examples of a landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and it is a Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site) and a National Historic Landmark.
Robert E. Cook is the seventh and current Director of the Arnold Arboretum. He is also the Director of the Harvard University Herbaria located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Status
The Arboretum is privately endowed as a department of Harvard University. The land, however, was deeded to the City of Boston in 1882 and incorporated into the so-called "Emerald Necklace". Under the agreement with the City, Harvard University was given a thousand-year lease on the property, and the University, as trustee, is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of the Arboretum; the City retains responsibility for water fountains, benches, roads, boundaries, and policing. The annual operating budget of $7,350,644 (fiscal year 2003) is largely derived from endowment, which is also managed by the University, and all Arboretum staff are University employees. Other income is obtained through granting agencies and contributors.
Location
The main Arborway gate is located on Route 203 a few hundred yards south of its junction with the Jamaicaway. Public transportation to the Arboretum is available on the MBTA Orange Line to its terminus at Forest Hills Station and by bus (#39) to the Monument in Jamaica Plain. The Arboretum is within easy walking distance from either of these points.
Hours
The grounds are open free of charge to the public from sunrise to sunset 365 days of the year. The Visitor's Center in the Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sundays 12 p.m.–4 PM. The Visitor’s Center is closed on holidays. The Library, located in the Hunnewell Building, is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.. The Library is closed on Sundays and holidays. Stacks are closed and the collection does not circulate.
Area
Two hundred and sixty-five acres (107 hectares) in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston, Massachusetts, located at 42°19′N 71°5′W / 42.317°N 71.083°W / 42.317; -71.083, with altitudes ranging from 46 feet (15 m) in the meadow across the drive from the Hunnewell Building to 240 feet (79 m) at the top of Peters Hill.
Climate
Average yearly rainfall is 43.63 inches (1,102 mm); average snowfall, 40.2 inches (102 centimeters). Monthly mean temperature is 51.5 °F (10.8 °C); July's mean temperature is 73.5 °F (23 °C); January's is 29.6 °F (-1.3 °C). The Arboretum is located in USDA hardiness zone 6 (0 to −10 °F, −18 to −23 °C).
Collections (as of September 14, 2007)
At present, the living collections include 15,441 individual plants (including nursery holdings) belonging to 10,216 accessions representing 4,099 taxa; with particular emphasis on the ligneous species of North America and eastern Asia. Historic collections include the plant introductions from eastern Asia made by Charles Sprague Sargent, Ernest Henry Wilson, William Purdom, Joseph Hers, and Joseph Rock. Recent introductions from Asia have resulted from the 1977 Arnold Arboretum Expedition to Japan and Korea, the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition to western Hubei Province, and more recent expeditions to China and Taiwan.
Comprehensive collections are maintained and augmented for most genera, and genera that have received particular emphasis include: Acer, Fagus, Carya, Forsythia, Taxodium, Pinus, Metasequoia, Lonicera, Magnolia, Malus, Quercus, Rhododendron, Syringa, Paulownia, Albizia, Ilex, Gleditsia and Tsuga. Other comprehensive collections include the Bradley Collection of Rosaceous Plants, the collection of conifers and dwarf conifers, and the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection. Approximately 500 accessions are processed annually.
Collections policy
The mission of the Arnold Arboretum is to increase our knowledge of the evolution and biology of woody plants. Historically, this research has investigated the global distribution and evolutionary history of trees, shrubs and vines, with particular emphasis on the disjunct species of East Asia and North America. Today this work continues through molecular studies of the evolution and biogeography of the floras of temperate Asia, North America and Europe.
Research activities include molecular studies of gene evolution, investigations of plant-water relations, and the monitoring of plant phenology, vegetation succession, nutrient cycling and other factors that inform studies of environmental change. Applied work in horticulture uses the collections for studies in plant propagation, plant introduction, and environmental management. This diversity of scientific investigation is founded in a continuing commitment to acquire, grow, and document the recognized species and infraspecific taxa of ligneous plants of the Northern Hemisphere that are able to withstand the climate of the Arboretum’s 265-acre (1.07 km2) Jamaica Plain/Roslindale site.
As a primary resource for research in plant biology, the Arboretum’s living collections are actively developed, curated, and managed to support scientific investigation and study. To this end, acquisition policies place priority on obtaining plants that are genetically representative of documented wild populations. For each taxon, the Arnold Arboretum aspires to grow multiple accessions of known wild provenance in order to represent significant variation that may occur across the geographic range of the species. Accessions of garden or cultivated provenance are also acquired as governed by the collections policies herein.
For all specimens, full documentation of both provenance and history within the collection is a critical priority. Curatorial procedures provide for complete and accurate records for each accession, and document original provenance, locations in the collections, and changes in botanical identity. Herbarium specimens, DNA materials, and digital images are gathered for the collection and maintained in Arboretum data systems and the herbarium at the Roslindale site.
Research
Research on plant pathology and integrated pest management for maintenance of the living collections is constantly ongoing. Herbarium-based research focuses on the systematics and biodiversity of both temperate and tropical Asian forests, as well as the ecology and potential for sustainable use of their resources. The Arboretum's education programs offer school groups and the general public a wide range of lectures, courses, and walks focusing on the ecology and cultivation of plants. Its quarterly magazine, Arnoldia, provides in-depth information on horticulture, botany, and garden history. Current Research Initiatives
Plant Records
Plant records are maintained on a computerized database, BG-BASE 6.8 (BG-Base Inc.), which was initiated in 1985 at the request of the Arnold Arboretum and the Threatened Plants Unit (TPU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). A computerized mapping program (based on AutoCAD (Autodesk)) is linked to BG-BASE, and each accession is recorded on a series of maps at a scale of 1-inch (25 mm) to 20 feet (1:240) or 1-inch (25 mm) to 10 feet (1:120). A computer-driven embosser generates records labels. All accessioned plants in the collections are labeled with accession number, botanical name, and cultivar name (when appropriate), source information, common name, and map location. Trunk and/or display labels are also hung on many accessions and include botanical and common names and nativity. Stake labels are used to identify plants located in the Leventritt Garden and Chinese Path.
Grounds Maintenance
The grounds staff consists of the superintendent and assistant superintendent, three arborists, and ten horticultural technologists. A service garage is adjacent to the Hunnewell Building, where offices and locker rooms are located. During the summer months ten horticultural interns supplement the grounds staff. A wide array of vehicles and modern equipment, including an aerial lift truck and a John Deere backhoe and front loader, are used in grounds maintenance. Permanent grounds staff, excluding the superintendents, are members of AFL/CIO Local 615, Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Nursery and Greenhouse Facilities
The Dana Greenhouses, located at 1050 Centre Street (with a mailing address of 125 Arborway), were completed in 1962. They comprise four service greenhouses totaling 3,744 square feet (348 m²), the headhouse with offices, cold rooms, storage areas, and a classroom. Staffing at the greenhouse includes the manager of greenhouses and nurseries, the plant propagator, two assistants, and, during the summer months, two horticultural interns. Adjacent to the greenhouse is a shade house of 3,150 square feet (293 m²), a 12,600 cubic foot (357 m³) cold storage facility, and three irrigated, inground nurseries totaling approximately one and one-half acres (6,000 m²). Also located in the greenhouse complex is the bonsai pavilion, where the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection is displayed from the middle of April to the end of October. During the winter months the bonsai are held in the cold storage unit at temperatures slightly above freezing.
Isabella Welles Hunnewell Internship Program
The living collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a paid summer internship program [2] that combines hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Intern trainees will be accepted for 12- to 24-week appointments. Ten interns will work with the grounds maintenance department and two in the Dana Greenhouses.
As part of the training program, interns participate in mandatory instructional sessions and field trips in order to develop a broader sense of the Arboretum’s horticultural practices as well as those of other institutions. Sessions and field trips are led by Arnold staff members and embrace an open question and answer format encouraging all to participate. Interns often bring experience and knowledge that everyone, including staff, benefits from. It is a competitive-free learning environment.
Horticultural Apprenticeship
The Arboretum created the horticultural apprenticeship program in 1997 to provide hands-on experience in all aspects of the development, curation, and maintenance of the Arboretum's living collections to individuals interested in pursuing a career in an arboretum or botanical garden.
The Living Collections department of the Arnold Arboretum offers a summer internship program[4] that combines practical hands-on training in horticulture with educational courses. Fourteen Interns/Horticultural Trainees are accepted for twelve to twenty-four week appointments. Interns receive the majority of their training in one of three departments: Grounds Maintenance, Nursery and Greenhouse, or Plant Records.
Lilac Sunday
The second Sunday in May every year is "Lilac Sunday". This is the only day of the year that picnicing is allowed. In 2008, on the 100th anniversary of Lilac Sunday, the Arboretum website touted:
Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a daylong celebration. On Lilac Sunday, garden enthusiasts from all over New England gather at the Arboretum to picnic, watch Morris dancing, and tour the lilac collection. On the day of the event, which takes place rain or shine, the Arboretum is open as usual from dawn to dusk.[5]
Associated Collections
The Arboretum's herbarium in Jamaica Plain holds specimens of cultivated plants that relate to the living collections (ca. 160,000). The Jamaica Plain herbarium, horticultural library, archives, and photographs are maintained in the Hunnewell building at 125 Arborway; however, the main portions of the herbarium and library collections are housed in Cambridge on the campus of Harvard University, at 22 Divinity Avenue.
Publications
The inventory of living collections is updated periodically and made available to sister botanical gardens and arboreta on request; it is also available on the Arboretum’s website (searchable inventory). Arnoldia, the quarterly magazine of the Arnold Arboretum, frequently publishes articles relating to the living collections. A Reunion of Trees[6] by Stephen A. Spongberg (curator emeritus) recounts the history of the introduction of many of the exotic species included in the Arobretum’s collections. New England Natives[7] written by horticultural research archivist Sheila Connor describes many of the trees and shrubs of the New England flora and the ways New Englanders have used them since prehistoric times. Science in the Pleasure Ground[8] by Ida Hay (former curatorial associate) constitutes an institutional biography of the Arboretum.
Institutional Collaborations
The Arboretum maintains an institutional membership in the American Public Garden Association (APGA) and the International Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Additionally, members of the staff are associated with many national and international botanical and horticultural organizations. The Arboretum is also a cooperating institution with the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), and as an active member of the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC), it is committed to broadening and maintaining its holdings of: Acer, Carya, Fagus, Stewartia, Syringa, and Tsuga for the purposes of plant conservation, evaluation, and research. The Arboretum is also a member of the North American China Plant Exploration Consortium (NACPEC).
See also
Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection, donated by businessman and ambassador Larz Anderson
The Case Estates of the Arnold Arboretum
List of botanical gardens in the United States
North American Plant Collections Consortium
External links
Arnold Arboretum Official Website
Arnold Arboretum Visitor Information
American Public Gardens Association (APGA)
Virtual Information Access (VIA) Catalog of visual resources at Harvard University.
Garden and Forest A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry (1888–1897)
this will be on for about 2 weeks until the swelling goes down and then they will do surgery too fix all the breaks.
Signs of the intensity of the fire inside HST Power Car 43029 after it went on fire in Kilsby Tunnel following a fractured fuel pump spraying high pressure fuel onto the very hot exhaust.
Fotografado em Brasília, Brasil.
Photographed in Brasília, Brazil .
A text In English:
The Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, so called from its forked tail, is one of the largest hummingbirds in cities and gardens, but it also occurs in gallery forests, bushy pastures and edges of woods or coppices. It is green, except for the blue head and upper breast, turning to iridescent purple according to the direction of light; it has dark wings and a heavy black bill. The tail is dark blue with the external feathers longer than central ones. It is very aggressive and attacks other hummingbirds that dare to visit flowers in certain trees. Where the flowers are available for many months, the individual is fiercely territorial, but generally needs to search soon for other flowering plants. It flies to catch small insets on or under leaves in the gallery forests or woodlands. The female builds a small cup-shaped nest saddled on a branch, not far from the main trunk in the shade of leaves. Perched on favorite branches, the male can utter long but low chirps. Once in a while, it interrupts these singing sessions to feed, and flies back for more song or to clean the plumage. They occur from the Guianas and Amazon River to Paraguay and southeastern Peru. They can get along with partially deforested zones, but may disappear with intensive agriculture and with the development of treeless cities.
Um texto em Português:
Beija-flor Tesoura (Eupetomena macroura), Beija-flor Tesoura (Eupetomena macroura), fotografado em Brasília-DF, Brasil.
Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin, 1788): tesoura; swallow-tailed hummingbird c.
Destaca-se das espécies estudadas pelo maior porte e pela cauda comprida e bifurcada, o que lhe valeu o nome popular. Como é comum entre os beija-flores, é uma espécie agressiva que disputa com outras o seu território e fontes de alimento.
Nidificação: o ninho, em forma de tigela, é assentado numa forquilha de arbusto ou árvores, a cerca de 2 a 3 m do solo. O material utilizado na construção é composto por fibras vegetais incluindo painas, musgos e liquens, aderidos externamente com teias de aranhas.
Hábitat: capoeiras, cerrados, borda de matas e jardins.
Tamanho: 17,0 cm
The African Tulip Tree:
Spathodea campanulata
Common Names: African tuliptree, flame of the forest, fountaintree, fireball
Family: Bignoniaceae (bignonia family)
Description:
This is a large upright tree with glossy deep green pinnate leaves and glorious orange scarlet flowers. It may grow to 80 ft (24.4 m) on an ideal site, but most specimens are much smaller. The tree has a stout, tapering, somewhat buttressed trunk covered in warty light gray bark. The lateral branches are short and thick. The 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) long opposite leaves, which emerge a bronzy color, are massed at the ends of the branches. They are composed of 5-19 deeply veined oval leaflets. The horn shaped velvety olive buds appear in upturned whorls at the branch tips. A few at a time, the buds of the lowest tier bend outward and open into big crinkled red orange tuliplike bells with red streaked gold throats, frilly yellow edges, and four brown-anthered stamens in the center. They are followed by 5-10 in (12.7-25.4 cm) green brown fingerlike pods pointing upwards and outwards above the foliage. Each of these pods contains about 500 tissue papery seeds. The tree flowers in spurts all through the growing season, but peak bloom is usually in the spring. 'Aurea' is a rare cultivar with yellow to orange flowers and tends to be a smaller tree.
Location:
African tuliptree comes from the rainforests of Equatorial Africa. It is widely planted throughout the tropics and has naturalized in many parts of the Pacific. It favors moist habitats below 3,000 ft (914 m), but will grow on drier sites and thrives at up to 4,000 ft (1219 m). The biggest trees grow in moist, sheltered ravines.
Culture:
This species loves rich soil, but puts up with just about anything with a little fertility to it, including limerock. It is not a beachfront plant, but will survive a bit of salinity. African tuliptrees need serious pruning after every freeze or windstorm. Gardeners in marginal regions should plan on growing this as a large ephemeral shrub and plant it in a sheltered place where it can be reached by ladders or bucket trucks for regular pruning and removal of dead branches.
Light: African tuliptree will survive in shade, but demands full sun for fast growth and best flowering.
Moisture: These trees grow best with plenty of moisture, but will shed their leaves and endure drought.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 10 - 11. African tuliptrees drop their leaves when chilled and freeze easily, but they come back from the roots vigorously and often bloom the next season. Top growth will be killed at 28-30ºF (-2.2 - -1.1ºC), but the roots may survive down to 22ºF (-5.6ºC) or below.
Propagation: In the wild, the flowers are pollinated by birds and bats and the seeds are dispersed by wind. In cultivation, African tuliptrees often are grown from seed, but seed production is erratic. New specimens can be started from tip cuttings, root cuttings, or suckers.
African tuliptree:
The smooth gray bark provides a beautiful background for the brilliant red flowers of the African tuliptree.
Usage:
African tuliptrees are grown for shade, color and tropical effects. The wood is difficult to burn, so the tree is also valuable for fire resistant landscaping. The wood has been used for blacksmith's bellows and the like. The buds contain a liquid that will squirt out if they are squeezed or pierced and children enjoy using these as water pistols. They also enjoy playing with the boatlike open seed pods. In Africa and Haiti, the flowers are thought to have magical properties and the wood is used for witch doctors' wands.
Features:
This is one of the world's most spectacular flowering trees. It is also very fast growing. Young trees may put on 6 ft (0.6 m) in height and 2 in (10.2 m) in diameter per year and often begin blooming when they are only a few years old.
WARNING:
African tuliptrees have weak, brittle wood and tend to become hollow and drop large branches as they age, so they are easily shattered by high winds. This tree is also inclined to become invasive in suitable genuinely tropical environments and is regarded as an exotic problem species in Hawaii, Fiji, French Polynesia, and Samoa. In such places, African tuliptree invades both abandoned farmland and mature forests, where the seeds germinate rapidly and form understory thickets from which a few saplings eventually grow into the canopy. Although African tuliptree is not typically thought of as a toxic plant, African hunters are said to have boiled the seeds to extract arrow poison.
Linda Conway Duever 7/20/00; updated 1/20/04
# Family: Bignoniaceae
# California Native: No
# Habit: Evergreen to Partly Deciduous
# Sunset Zones: 21 - 24
# Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
# Water Needs: Moist Soil
# Soil Type: Loam or Sand
# Height: 50 feet
# Growth Rate: 36 Inches per Season
# Shape: Oval or Rounded
# Longevity: 50 to 150 years
# Leaves: Lanceolate to Ovate Glossy Medium Green
# Flowers: Showy, Orange or Red
# Fruit: Very Large (Over 3.00 inches)
# Bark: Dark Gray or Light Gray, Furrowed, Rough or Scaly
The power and persistence of Nature is demonstrated anew on man- made, space age technology. At Launch Pad 39B, Flicker Woodpeckers apparently decided to test the suitability of the Space Shuttle Discovery's external tank for a future home. Their "survey" resulted in about 71 holes ranging in size from 1/2 to 4 inches (1.27-10 cm.) in diameter in the tank's thermal protection foam insulation. Managers are assessing the damage and will determine what repairs need to be made. Discovery was slated for a liftoff on June 8 on Mission STS-70.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
HONOLULU, Hawaii (Dec. 13, 2021) - A U.S. Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 463, conducts an external lift of a joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV), at “DZ Canes”, Hawaii, Dec. 13, 2021. 3d RadBn and HMH-463 conducted this training to maintain readiness and enhance capabilities in expeditionary environments. This marks the first time a helicopter squadron has performed an external lift of this weight by lifting two JLTVs and personnel. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Dalton J. Payne) 211213-M-VB420-1110
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Sherbourne's Victorian Gothic church (All Saints) is a Grade II* Listed building, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, an eminent Victorian architect
photos taken with a Sony A77ii and a Samyang f2.8/10mm lens
Beautiful Sunset over Chris Burden's Urban Light, an art installation in the main entrance of LACMA(Los Angeles County Museum of Art) The Miracle Mile, Mid City West Los Angeles, California.
This unfortunate tractor seems to have overheated. Behind it is a BMS/Morris van which has reached the end of the road and in the background, inverted, is a large mid 50's American car with 4 headlights.
The slide is labled "Shirley Tip" but I don't think that is correct. the slide was destined for the bin by it's owner who was having a clear-out.
Copyright Geoff Dowling; All rights reserved
Self portrait in the reflection of the eyes of my daughter in the hands of my son with the three graces in Washington DC.