The kit and its assembly:

This project was initially inspired by a set of decals from an ESCI A-4G which I had bought in a lot – I wondered if I could use it for a submission to the “In the navy” group build at whatifmodelers.com in early 2020. I considered an FJ-3M in Australian colors on this basis and had stashed away a Sword kit of that aircraft for this purpose. However, I had already built an FJ variant for the GB (a kitbashed mix of an F-86D and an FJ-4B in USMC colors), and was reluctant to add another Fury.

This spontaneously changed after (thanks to Corona virus quarantine…) I cleaned up one of my kit hoards and found a conversion set for a 1:72 CAC 27 from JAYS Model Kits which I had bought eons ago without a concrete plan. That was the eventual trigger to spin the RAN Fury idea further – why not a navalized version of the Avon Sabre for HMAS Melbourne?

The result is either another kitbash or a highly modified FJ-3M from Sword. The JAYS Model Kits set comes with a THICK sprue that carries two fuselage halves and an air intake, and it also offers a vacu canopy as a thin fallback option because the set is actually intended to be used together with a Hobby Craft F-86F.

While the parts, molded in a somewhat waxy and brittle styrene, look crude on the massive sprue, the fuselage halves come with very fine recessed engravings. And once you have cleaned the parts (NOTHING for people faint at heart, a mini drill with a saw blade is highly recommended), their fit is surprisingly good. The air intake was so exact that no putty was needed to blend it with the rest of the fuselage.

The rest came from the Sword kit and integrating the parts into the CAC 27 fuselage went more smoothly than expected. For instance, the FJ-3M comes with a nice cockpit tub that also holds a full air intake duct. Thanks to the slightly wider fuselage of the CAC 27, it could be mounted into the new fuselage halves without problems and the intake duct almost perfectly matches the intake frame from the conversion set. The tailpipe could be easily integrated without any mods, too. The fins had to be glued directly to the fuselage – but this is the way how the Sword kit is actually constructed! Even the FJ-3M’s wings match the different fuselage perfectly. The only modifications I had to make is a slight enlargement of the ventral wing opening at the front and at the read in order to take the deeper wing element from the Sword kit, but that was an easy task. Once in place, the parts blend almost perfectly into each other, just minor PSR was necessary to hide the seams!

Other mods include an extended front wheel well for the longer leg from the FJ-3M and a scratched arrester hook installation, made from wire, which is on purpose different from the Y-shaped hook of the Furies.

For the canopy I relied on the vacu piece that came with the JAYS set. Fitting it was not easy, though, it took some PSR to blend the windscreen into the rest of the fuselage. Not perfect, but O.K. for such a solution from a conversion set.

The underwing pylons were taken from the Sword kit, including the early Sidewinders. I just replaced the drop tanks – the OOB tanks are very wide, and even though they might be authentic for the FJ-3, I was skeptical if they fit at all under the wings with the landing gear extended? In order to avoid trouble and for a more modern look, I replaced them outright with more slender tanks, which were to mimic A-4 tanks (USN FJ-4s frequently carried Skyhawk tanks). They actually come from a Revell F-16 kit, with modified fins. The refueling probe comes from the Sword kit.

A last word about the Sword kit: much light, but also much shadow. While I appreciate the fine surface engravings, the recognizably cambered wings, a detailed cockpit with a two-piece resin seat and a pretty landing gear as well as the long air intake, I wonder why the creators totally failed to provide ANY detail of the arrester hook (there is literally nothing, as if this was a land-based Sabre variant!?) or went for doubtful solutions like a front landing gear that consists of five(!) single, tiny parts? Sadism? The resin seat was also broken (despite being packed in a seperate bag), and it did not fit into the cockpit tub at all. Meh!

The kit and its assembly:

This project was initially inspired by a set of decals from an ESCI A-4G which I had bought in a lot – I wondered if I could use it for a submission to the “In the navy” group build at whatifmodelers.com in early 2020. I considered an FJ-3M in Australian colors on this basis and had stashed away a Sword kit of that aircraft for this purpose. However, I had already built an FJ variant for the GB (a kitbashed mix of an F-86D and an FJ-4B in USMC colors), and was reluctant to add another Fury.

This spontaneously changed after (thanks to Corona virus quarantine…) I cleaned up one of my kit hoards and found a conversion set for a 1:72 CAC 27 from JAYS Model Kits which I had bought eons ago without a concrete plan. That was the eventual trigger to spin the RAN Fury idea further – why not a navalized version of the Avon Sabre for HMAS Melbourne?

The result is either another kitbash or a highly modified FJ-3M from Sword. The JAYS Model Kits set comes with a THICK sprue that carries two fuselage halves and an air intake, and it also offers a vacu canopy as a thin fallback option because the set is actually intended to be used together with a Hobby Craft F-86F.

While the parts, molded in a somewhat waxy and brittle styrene, look crude on the massive sprue, the fuselage halves come with very fine recessed engravings. And once you have cleaned the parts (NOTHING for people faint at heart, a mini drill with a saw blade is highly recommended), their fit is surprisingly good. The air intake was so exact that no putty was needed to blend it with the rest of the fuselage.

The rest came from the Sword kit and integrating the parts into the CAC 27 fuselage went more smoothly than expected. For instance, the FJ-3M comes with a nice cockpit tub that also holds a full air intake duct. Thanks to the slightly wider fuselage of the CAC 27, it could be mounted into the new fuselage halves without problems and the intake duct almost perfectly matches the intake frame from the conversion set. The tailpipe could be easily integrated without any mods, too. The fins had to be glued directly to the fuselage – but this is the way how the Sword kit is actually constructed! Even the FJ-3M’s wings match the different fuselage perfectly. The only modifications I had to make is a slight enlargement of the ventral wing opening at the front and at the read in order to take the deeper wing element from the Sword kit, but that was an easy task. Once in place, the parts blend almost perfectly into each other, just minor PSR was necessary to hide the seams!

Other mods include an extended front wheel well for the longer leg from the FJ-3M and a scratched arrester hook installation, made from wire, which is on purpose different from the Y-shaped hook of the Furies.

For the canopy I relied on the vacu piece that came with the JAYS set. Fitting it was not easy, though, it took some PSR to blend the windscreen into the rest of the fuselage. Not perfect, but O.K. for such a solution from a conversion set.

The underwing pylons were taken from the Sword kit, including the early Sidewinders. I just replaced the drop tanks – the OOB tanks are very wide, and even though they might be authentic for the FJ-3, I was skeptical if they fit at all under the wings with the landing gear extended? In order to avoid trouble and for a more modern look, I replaced them outright with more slender tanks, which were to mimic A-4 tanks (USN FJ-4s frequently carried Skyhawk tanks). They actually come from a Revell F-16 kit, with modified fins. The refueling probe comes from the Sword kit.

A last word about the Sword kit: much light, but also much shadow. While I appreciate the fine surface engravings, the recognizably cambered wings, a detailed cockpit with a two-piece resin seat and a pretty landing gear as well as the long air intake, I wonder why the creators totally failed to provide ANY detail of the arrester hook (there is literally nothing, as if this was a land-based Sabre variant!?) or went for doubtful solutions like a front landing gear that consists of five(!) single, tiny parts? Sadism? The resin seat was also broken (despite being packed in a seperate bag), and it did not fit into the cockpit tub at all. Meh!

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator (Consolidated Model 34) was an American heavy strategic bomber built for United States Army Air Forces during World War II, which had the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in combat during World War II; that engagement also resulted in the last American to die in air combat in World War II. It was developed by Consolidated Aircraft in parallel with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a fallback design should the B-29 prove unsuccessful.[1] The B-32 only reached units in the Pacific in mid-May 1945, and subsequently saw only limited combat operations against Japanese targets before the formal end of the war on 2 September 1945. Most of the extant orders of the B-32 were canceled shortly thereafter and only 118 B-32 airframes of all types were built.

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

The kit and its assembly:

This project was initially inspired by a set of decals from an ESCI A-4G which I had bought in a lot – I wondered if I could use it for a submission to the “In the navy” group build at whatifmodelers.com in early 2020. I considered an FJ-3M in Australian colors on this basis and had stashed away a Sword kit of that aircraft for this purpose. However, I had already built an FJ variant for the GB (a kitbashed mix of an F-86D and an FJ-4B in USMC colors), and was reluctant to add another Fury.

This spontaneously changed after (thanks to Corona virus quarantine…) I cleaned up one of my kit hoards and found a conversion set for a 1:72 CAC 27 from JAYS Model Kits which I had bought eons ago without a concrete plan. That was the eventual trigger to spin the RAN Fury idea further – why not a navalized version of the Avon Sabre for HMAS Melbourne?

The result is either another kitbash or a highly modified FJ-3M from Sword. The JAYS Model Kits set comes with a THICK sprue that carries two fuselage halves and an air intake, and it also offers a vacu canopy as a thin fallback option because the set is actually intended to be used together with a Hobby Craft F-86F.

While the parts, molded in a somewhat waxy and brittle styrene, look crude on the massive sprue, the fuselage halves come with very fine recessed engravings. And once you have cleaned the parts (NOTHING for people faint at heart, a mini drill with a saw blade is highly recommended), their fit is surprisingly good. The air intake was so exact that no putty was needed to blend it with the rest of the fuselage.

The rest came from the Sword kit and integrating the parts into the CAC 27 fuselage went more smoothly than expected. For instance, the FJ-3M comes with a nice cockpit tub that also holds a full air intake duct. Thanks to the slightly wider fuselage of the CAC 27, it could be mounted into the new fuselage halves without problems and the intake duct almost perfectly matches the intake frame from the conversion set. The tailpipe could be easily integrated without any mods, too. The fins had to be glued directly to the fuselage – but this is the way how the Sword kit is actually constructed! Even the FJ-3M’s wings match the different fuselage perfectly. The only modifications I had to make is a slight enlargement of the ventral wing opening at the front and at the read in order to take the deeper wing element from the Sword kit, but that was an easy task. Once in place, the parts blend almost perfectly into each other, just minor PSR was necessary to hide the seams!

Other mods include an extended front wheel well for the longer leg from the FJ-3M and a scratched arrester hook installation, made from wire, which is on purpose different from the Y-shaped hook of the Furies.

For the canopy I relied on the vacu piece that came with the JAYS set. Fitting it was not easy, though, it took some PSR to blend the windscreen into the rest of the fuselage. Not perfect, but O.K. for such a solution from a conversion set.

The underwing pylons were taken from the Sword kit, including the early Sidewinders. I just replaced the drop tanks – the OOB tanks are very wide, and even though they might be authentic for the FJ-3, I was skeptical if they fit at all under the wings with the landing gear extended? In order to avoid trouble and for a more modern look, I replaced them outright with more slender tanks, which were to mimic A-4 tanks (USN FJ-4s frequently carried Skyhawk tanks). They actually come from a Revell F-16 kit, with modified fins. The refueling probe comes from the Sword kit.

A last word about the Sword kit: much light, but also much shadow. While I appreciate the fine surface engravings, the recognizably cambered wings, a detailed cockpit with a two-piece resin seat and a pretty landing gear as well as the long air intake, I wonder why the creators totally failed to provide ANY detail of the arrester hook (there is literally nothing, as if this was a land-based Sabre variant!?) or went for doubtful solutions like a front landing gear that consists of five(!) single, tiny parts? Sadism? The resin seat was also broken (despite being packed in a seperate bag), and it did not fit into the cockpit tub at all. Meh!

The kit and its assembly:

This project was initially inspired by a set of decals from an ESCI A-4G which I had bought in a lot – I wondered if I could use it for a submission to the “In the navy” group build at whatifmodelers.com in early 2020. I considered an FJ-3M in Australian colors on this basis and had stashed away a Sword kit of that aircraft for this purpose. However, I had already built an FJ variant for the GB (a kitbashed mix of an F-86D and an FJ-4B in USMC colors), and was reluctant to add another Fury.

This spontaneously changed after (thanks to Corona virus quarantine…) I cleaned up one of my kit hoards and found a conversion set for a 1:72 CAC 27 from JAYS Model Kits which I had bought eons ago without a concrete plan. That was the eventual trigger to spin the RAN Fury idea further – why not a navalized version of the Avon Sabre for HMAS Melbourne?

The result is either another kitbash or a highly modified FJ-3M from Sword. The JAYS Model Kits set comes with a THICK sprue that carries two fuselage halves and an air intake, and it also offers a vacu canopy as a thin fallback option because the set is actually intended to be used together with a Hobby Craft F-86F.

While the parts, molded in a somewhat waxy and brittle styrene, look crude on the massive sprue, the fuselage halves come with very fine recessed engravings. And once you have cleaned the parts (NOTHING for people faint at heart, a mini drill with a saw blade is highly recommended), their fit is surprisingly good. The air intake was so exact that no putty was needed to blend it with the rest of the fuselage.

The rest came from the Sword kit and integrating the parts into the CAC 27 fuselage went more smoothly than expected. For instance, the FJ-3M comes with a nice cockpit tub that also holds a full air intake duct. Thanks to the slightly wider fuselage of the CAC 27, it could be mounted into the new fuselage halves without problems and the intake duct almost perfectly matches the intake frame from the conversion set. The tailpipe could be easily integrated without any mods, too. The fins had to be glued directly to the fuselage – but this is the way how the Sword kit is actually constructed! Even the FJ-3M’s wings match the different fuselage perfectly. The only modifications I had to make is a slight enlargement of the ventral wing opening at the front and at the read in order to take the deeper wing element from the Sword kit, but that was an easy task. Once in place, the parts blend almost perfectly into each other, just minor PSR was necessary to hide the seams!

Other mods include an extended front wheel well for the longer leg from the FJ-3M and a scratched arrester hook installation, made from wire, which is on purpose different from the Y-shaped hook of the Furies.

For the canopy I relied on the vacu piece that came with the JAYS set. Fitting it was not easy, though, it took some PSR to blend the windscreen into the rest of the fuselage. Not perfect, but O.K. for such a solution from a conversion set.

The underwing pylons were taken from the Sword kit, including the early Sidewinders. I just replaced the drop tanks – the OOB tanks are very wide, and even though they might be authentic for the FJ-3, I was skeptical if they fit at all under the wings with the landing gear extended? In order to avoid trouble and for a more modern look, I replaced them outright with more slender tanks, which were to mimic A-4 tanks (USN FJ-4s frequently carried Skyhawk tanks). They actually come from a Revell F-16 kit, with modified fins. The refueling probe comes from the Sword kit.

A last word about the Sword kit: much light, but also much shadow. While I appreciate the fine surface engravings, the recognizably cambered wings, a detailed cockpit with a two-piece resin seat and a pretty landing gear as well as the long air intake, I wonder why the creators totally failed to provide ANY detail of the arrester hook (there is literally nothing, as if this was a land-based Sabre variant!?) or went for doubtful solutions like a front landing gear that consists of five(!) single, tiny parts? Sadism? The resin seat was also broken (despite being packed in a seperate bag), and it did not fit into the cockpit tub at all. Meh!

The kit and its assembly:

A popular what-if/Luft ‘46 topic: a Fw 190 with a late Bf 109 nose, and sometimes other transplants, too. This one was triggered by a fictional profile created by fellow user ysi_maniac at whatifmodelers.com, but it’s rather a personal interpretation of the idea than a hardware recreation of the artwork. The reason is simple: virtually putting together 2D profiles is an easy task, but when the 3rd dimension comes to play, things become more complicated.

One of the consequences is that such an aircraft would have been very unlikely in real life. Another factor against the idea is that the Daimler Benz engines were primarily earmarked for Messerschmitt products, esp. the late Bf 109. Even Kurt Tank’s Ta 152, powered by his favored DB 603, was hard to realize – and the RLM’s unwillingness to provide him with this engine delayed this high potential aircraft so far that the Fw 190 D-9, with its Jumo 213 as a fallback option, was realized as an interim/second best solution.

However, whifworld offers the freedom of creativity, and I have never seen a hardware realization of a Fw 190/Bf 109 hybrid, so I created the Fw 190E through the mating of a Fw 190D (Academy kit) with the engine/front end of a Bf 109K (Heller).

The transplantation was basically straightforward, starting with the Bf 109 engine cut off of the fuselage. Then a matching section from the Fw 190 nose was cut away, too. While the diameters of both sections (in a side view) match each other quite well, the fuselage diameter shapes are to tally different, and the Bf 109 engine is MUCH too narrow for the Fw 190. That’s the problem the CG whiffers can simply ignore.

The eventual solution concerned both donor parts: the DB 605 was widened by ~2mm through the insertion of wedge-shaped pieces of styrene between the halves. As an unwanted side effect, the Bf 109’s machine guns on the cowling would squint now, so they had to be erased with putty and re-drilled, once the body work was finished.

The fuselage section in front of the Fw 190’s cockpit was, on the other side, narrowed through wedges taken out, and some force – again narrowing the fuselage width by another ~2mm. That does not sound much, but at 1:72 these 4mm mean a major disparity! This modification also created a gap between the fuselage and the wing roots towards their front end, which had to be filled, too, and the wing roots themselves had to be re-shaped in order to match the much more narrow DB 605’s underside.

Furthermore, the engine internally received a styrene tube adapter for the propeller’s new metal axis, and the oil cooler intake was filled with foamed styrene (it would normally remain empty). Once the engine had dried and the fuselage halves with the OOB cockpit closed, both elements were mated and the cowling gap filled and re-sculpted with 2C putty, since the OOB part with the Fw 190’s engine-mounted machine guns would not fit anymore.

As a result, the profile view of the aircraft is O.K., it looks slender and quite plausible, but when you take a look from above, the (still) wide section in front of the cockpit looks odd, as well as the widened rear section of the BD 605 cowling.

Another central issue was the radiator installation for the DB 605. In real life, I’d expect that an annular radiator would have been the most probable solution, and the aircraft wouldn’t have differed much outwardly from the Dora. But for the sake of a different look, and following the idea of a rushed emergency conversion program that would use as many stock elements as possible, I rather went for the complete Bf 109K nose, coupled with a separate ventral radiator under the fuselage. Wing coolers (as used on board of the Bf 109) were ruled out, since I expected them to be too complicated to be quickly added to the Fw 190’s airframe and wing structure.

The radiator fairing was scratched from leftover ship hull parts – thanks to its wide and relatively flat shape, the arrangement looks quite aerodynamic and plausible.

The propeller had to be modified, too: I retained the Bf 109’s spinner, but rather used the Fw 190’s slightly bigger propeller blades, for a balanced look.

The canopy became another issue. While the Academy kit is very nice and goes together well, the clear parts, esp. the sliding part of the canopy, has a major flaw: the headrest is to be glued into it, and in order to give the builder some help with the proper position, Academy added some locator slots to the clear part. This could be nice, and the rear pair will later be covered under paint, but the front pair is plainly visible and reaches up very high into the side windows! WTF?

You can hardly sand them away, and so I dediced outright to replace the canopy altogether - I was lucky to have a Rob Tauris vacu canopy, actually for the Hasegawa Fw 190A/F in the donor bank. This does naturally not fit 100% onto the (modified) Academy fuselage, but with some (more) PSR work the vacu parts blend in quite well, and the thin material is an additional bonus.

Apart from the engine and the canopy, not much was changed. The landing gear is OOB, I just replaced the wing root gun barrels with hollow steel needles.

Fallback Records

McAllen, Texas

The kit and its assembly:

A popular what-if/Luft ‘46 topic: a Fw 190 with a late Bf 109 nose, and sometimes other transplants, too. This one was triggered by a fictional profile created by fellow user ysi_maniac at whatifmodelers.com, but it’s rather a personal interpretation of the idea than a hardware recreation of the artwork. The reason is simple: virtually putting together 2D profiles is an easy task, but when the 3rd dimension comes to play, things become more complicated.

One of the consequences is that such an aircraft would have been very unlikely in real life. Another factor against the idea is that the Daimler Benz engines were primarily earmarked for Messerschmitt products, esp. the late Bf 109. Even Kurt Tank’s Ta 152, powered by his favored DB 603, was hard to realize – and the RLM’s unwillingness to provide him with this engine delayed this high potential aircraft so far that the Fw 190 D-9, with its Jumo 213 as a fallback option, was realized as an interim/second best solution.

However, whifworld offers the freedom of creativity, and I have never seen a hardware realization of a Fw 190/Bf 109 hybrid, so I created the Fw 190E through the mating of a Fw 190D (Academy kit) with the engine/front end of a Bf 109K (Heller).

The transplantation was basically straightforward, starting with the Bf 109 engine cut off of the fuselage. Then a matching section from the Fw 190 nose was cut away, too. While the diameters of both sections (in a side view) match each other quite well, the fuselage diameter shapes are to tally different, and the Bf 109 engine is MUCH too narrow for the Fw 190. That’s the problem the CG whiffers can simply ignore.

The eventual solution concerned both donor parts: the DB 605 was widened by ~2mm through the insertion of wedge-shaped pieces of styrene between the halves. As an unwanted side effect, the Bf 109’s machine guns on the cowling would squint now, so they had to be erased with putty and re-drilled, once the body work was finished.

The fuselage section in front of the Fw 190’s cockpit was, on the other side, narrowed through wedges taken out, and some force – again narrowing the fuselage width by another ~2mm. That does not sound much, but at 1:72 these 4mm mean a major disparity! This modification also created a gap between the fuselage and the wing roots towards their front end, which had to be filled, too, and the wing roots themselves had to be re-shaped in order to match the much more narrow DB 605’s underside.

Furthermore, the engine internally received a styrene tube adapter for the propeller’s new metal axis, and the oil cooler intake was filled with foamed styrene (it would normally remain empty). Once the engine had dried and the fuselage halves with the OOB cockpit closed, both elements were mated and the cowling gap filled and re-sculpted with 2C putty, since the OOB part with the Fw 190’s engine-mounted machine guns would not fit anymore.

As a result, the profile view of the aircraft is O.K., it looks slender and quite plausible, but when you take a look from above, the (still) wide section in front of the cockpit looks odd, as well as the widened rear section of the BD 605 cowling.

Another central issue was the radiator installation for the DB 605. In real life, I’d expect that an annular radiator would have been the most probable solution, and the aircraft wouldn’t have differed much outwardly from the Dora. But for the sake of a different look, and following the idea of a rushed emergency conversion program that would use as many stock elements as possible, I rather went for the complete Bf 109K nose, coupled with a separate ventral radiator under the fuselage. Wing coolers (as used on board of the Bf 109) were ruled out, since I expected them to be too complicated to be quickly added to the Fw 190’s airframe and wing structure.

The radiator fairing was scratched from leftover ship hull parts – thanks to its wide and relatively flat shape, the arrangement looks quite aerodynamic and plausible.

The propeller had to be modified, too: I retained the Bf 109’s spinner, but rather used the Fw 190’s slightly bigger propeller blades, for a balanced look.

The canopy became another issue. While the Academy kit is very nice and goes together well, the clear parts, esp. the sliding part of the canopy, has a major flaw: the headrest is to be glued into it, and in order to give the builder some help with the proper position, Academy added some locator slots to the clear part. This could be nice, and the rear pair will later be covered under paint, but the front pair is plainly visible and reaches up very high into the side windows! WTF?

You can hardly sand them away, and so I dediced outright to replace the canopy altogether - I was lucky to have a Rob Tauris vacu canopy, actually for the Hasegawa Fw 190A/F in the donor bank. This does naturally not fit 100% onto the (modified) Academy fuselage, but with some (more) PSR work the vacu parts blend in quite well, and the thin material is an additional bonus.

Apart from the engine and the canopy, not much was changed. The landing gear is OOB, I just replaced the wing root gun barrels with hollow steel needles.

My photoshoot for yesterday cancelled, so I went out scouting locations. Discovered that the place I'd been hoping to use for today's photoshoot was a no go--it appeared to be in the process of rehab or something. It was a huge bummer, since I really liked that location.

So I just wandered around looking for abandoned buildings. Checked out this place as a fallback and it worked, but wasn't great. Shot things in 3D just 'cause. You can see this urine bottle in 3D if you cross your eyes at it.

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

A British supporter’s badge for the BMX Freestyle championships which took place in Budapest, Hungary 1992.

BMX Freestyle involves acrobatic-like stunts and tricks using a BMX bicycle. Freestyle evolved in the US during the later 1970’s but it’s popularity took off worldwide after the publication of BMX’s first dedicated magazine called ‘Freestylin’ Magazine’. Manufacture of new types of BMX bicycles and their sales took off as the sport took a hold worldwide. The sport became more organised and by the early 1980’s worldwide championships were taking place. The sport reached the peak of it’s popularity during the 1980’s and despite a fallback, it still remains a widely practised sport requiring great skill, experience of training and nerve.

Other references:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARnjhKSP_mw&NR=1 (a YouTube clip from the 1992 championships demonstrating the ‘flatland’ form of Freestyle. There are various disciplines of BMX Freestyle, of which ‘flatland’ is one of them).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle_BMX (General history of BMX Freestyle).

Enamels: n/a.

Finish: n/a.

Material: White-metal.

Fixer: Butterfly-clutch type.

Size: 1 5/16” diameter (about 34mm).

Process: Diecast moulded.

Maker: No maker’s name or mark .

Thank you for reading.

Stuart.

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

Where German units had flexibility, they could exhaust Soviet attacks in successive lines of defense, then conduct successful counterstrikes.

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

Fallback Records

McAllen, Texas

i'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun.

homework like you wouldn't believe.

here's my trusty old fallback :]

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

Day 5 of the Strada Jan 2024 challenge - quick view from the dock. 10 x 8"

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

...well, for the rest of the 13 minutes that's left of the day .Today was busy, despite being a weekend. No photoshoot till now. Fallback, nakie in an updo! LOL. The only stock eyechips in common with most Blythes, pink... Other stock include light brown, medium grey and light blue.

Bij de uitrusting van een tijdelijk heli vliegveld behoort natuurlijk een wind-zak !.

from Wikipedia:

In 1980, Aerospatiale had replaced the older SA 330 Puma with the newer AS 332 Super Puma as the firm's primary utility helicopter.[9] The AS 332 Super Puma proved to be highly popular; in between July 1981 and April 1987 there was an average production rate of 3 helicopters per month being built for customers, both military and civil.[10] IPTN, an Indonesian aerospace company, also manufactured both the SA 330 and AS 332 under license from Aerospatiale for domestic customers;[11] during the 1990s Iran also procured a number of Indonesian-built Super Pumas.[12]

The Super Puma has proved especially well-suited to the North Sea oil industry, where it is used to ferry personnel and equipment to and from oil platforms. One of the biggest civil operators of the type is Bristow Helicopters, who have a fleet of at least 30 Super Pumas. By 2005, various models of Super Puma have been operated by 38 different nations for a wide variety of purposes;[11] a total of 565 Super Pumas (including military-orientated Cougars) had been delivered or were on order at this point as well.[13]

The success of the AS 332 Super Puma led to the pursuit of extended development programs to produce further advanced models; features included lengthened rotor blades, more powerful engines and gearboxes, increases in takeoff weight, and modernised avionics.[10] A wide variety of specialised Super Puma variants followed the basic transport model into use, including dedicated Search and rescue (SAR) and Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) versions. Military Super Pumas have been marketed as the AS532 Cougar since 1990. As a fallback option to the NHIndustries NH90, a Mark III Super Puma was also considered for development.[10]

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The SAAB B31 was a Swedish jet-powered multirole aircraft, originally designed to serve as a tactical bomber, ground attack, reconnaissance and interceptor aircraft. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Sweden set about the rebuilding and modernization of its armed forces. Regarding aviation, jet propulsion had been identified as the powerplant of the future, and experience with the SAAB 21R, which had been converted from a propeller-pusher aircraft into a jet-powered fighter and attack aircraft in 1947, bolstered confidence in the home industry’s competence. The Saab 21R was only an interim solution, though. One hundred and twenty-four aircraft were planned but this number was reduced to only 64 and they were mainly used as fighter-bombers. The Flygvapnet’s standard post-war bomber, the Saab 18, a twin piston-engine design from 1944, was outdated, too, and its performance was regarded as inadequate for the Fifties. This led to a major development initiative for modern jet aircraft for the Flygvapnet in 1946, which spawned the Saab 29 ‘Tunnan’ fighter and the Saab B31 light bomber. Both aircraft were initially designed around the de Havilland Goblin turbojet of British origin, but when the more powerful de Havilland Ghost became available, this was chosen as the standard powerplant. Both aircraft incorporated such modern features as swept wings or ejection seats.

When the Saab 32’s fighter version, the J 32B, eventually became operational in 1958, it was clear that the heavy and highly limited twin-engine J31B would not remain in service for much longer. By 1963 all machines had been retired from frontline service, initially stored in reserve but scrapped by 1970. Two machines remained operational, though: as flying test beds for the Swedish Air Force’s Försökscentralen (FC) at Malmen AB, where they served until 1981 – primarily to test radar and missile guidance systems, and as radar targets for war games and anti-aircraft unit trainings.

General characteristics:

Crew: 2

Length: 15,76 m (51 ft 7 1/2 in)

Wingspan: 16.96 m (55 ft 2/3 in)

Height: 4,21 m (13 ft 9 1/2 in)

Wing area: 45 m2 (480 sq ft)

Empty weight: 9,000 kg (19,823 lb)

Gross weight: 17,500 kg (38,546 lb)

….Max takeoff weight: 19,000 kg (41,850 lb)

Fuel capacity: 5,100 L (1,350 US gal / 1,120 imp gal) maximum internal fuel

plus 2x 570 L (150 US gal, 120 imp gal) optional drop-tanks

Powerplant:

2× Svenska Flygmotor RM2F centrifugal-flow turbojet engine (Rolls Royce Ghost), each with

4,750 lbf (21.1 kN) dry thrust at 10,250 rpm and

5,400 lbf (24.02 kN) with temporary water-alcohol injection

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1,090 km/h (677 mph, 588 kn; Mach 0.9) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)

Cruise speed: 732 km/h (455 mph, 395 kn)

Stall speed: 150 km/h (92.8 mph, 80.6 kn) with approach power

Combat range: 1.850 km (1,145 mi, 995 nmi) on internals

Ferry range: 2.200 km (1,375 mi, 1,195 nmi) with 2× 570 l drop-tanks

Service ceiling: 16,200 m (53,062 ft)

Rate of climb: 40 m/s (7.681 ft/min)

Wing loading: 87.1 lb/sq ft (388 kg/m²)

Thrust/weight: 0.32

Armament:

4× 20 mm (0.79 in) akan m/47C (license produced Hispano Mark V) autocannon with 220 RPG

48× 75 mm (3.0 in) srak m/55 (Bofors 75 mm (3.0 in) rocket "Frida") unguided air-to-air missiles

with contact fuze high-capacity warhead on retractable rack in ventral bay

(not used operationally, later completely deleted in favor of a second water-alcohol tank)

2× wet underwing hardpoints outside of the engine nacelles for 600 kg (1.321 lb) each;

alternatively a pair of Rb24 (AIM9-B Sidewinder) IR-guided air-to-air missiles

The model and its assembly:

While it does not look spectacular, the J31 (actually my second use of this designation for a Swedish Fifties all-weather fighter, the first was an A.W. Meteor NF.14, but the “31” was lent from the Spitfire PR.XIX in Swedish service as S31) was a major creation feat. It all started with a discussion with fellow Swedish board member Pellson at whatifmodellers.com about Saab prototypes, esp. the early designs. That made me wonder about a twin-jet engine aircraft, something that could replace the Saab 18 bombers much like the BAC Canberra with the RAF’s Mosquito – and looking at similar international projects of the time like the Soviet Il-29 and Yak-25 as well as the French S.O. 4050 Vautour I thought that something similar could work well for Sweden, too.

My concept started with a primary light bomber and attack role, much like the B18 and the Canberra, with the outlook to develop a radar-bearing all-weather fighter from it, which was direly needed in Sweden in the Mid-Fifties and led to the procurement of two interim types in real life, the J30 (Mosquito night fighter) and the J33 (Venom night fighter), while plans were made to equip the J29 with a radar and the Saab 32 already on the drawing boards, even though the latter’s fighter version would be delayed well into the Sixties.

The core of the build was a leftover fuselage from a Matchbox F3D Skyknight – from an incomplete kit that came OOB with one of its three sprue trees double (even though in different colours!). The canopy was also still there, and now I eventually found a good use for it. However, not much more would be taken over from the Skyknight, because the overall layout would be much different, dictated by the bulky centrifugal flow engines that were (only) available to Sweden in the late Forties and which also powered the successful J29 Tunnan. The engines could, due to their diameter and the need for ducts, not be buried in the fuselage, so that they would go under the wings, directly attached to them as in the Il-29 and Vautour. The wings would be slightly swept (around 20°), as a compromise between modernism (as on the J29) and good range/endurance, and shoulder-mounted for good ground clearance and to avoid FOP (an issue of the Yak-25).

Since the engine pods should not be too large and bulky I decided that the main wheels would not retract into them (à la Il-28) and rather follow the Vautour route: with a tandem arrangement retracting into the fuselage and with small outrigger wheels. This had, for the original bomber version, the benefit, that the internal bomb bay could become longer than with a more conventional tricycle landing gear arrangement that would full retract into the hull, much like the Douglas A3D/B.66, with a wider track. And it would look more exotic, too.

With this concept I started a donor parts safari and started work on the fuselage. First major feat was to clean the F3D’s flanks from its original engine fairings – thankfully the Matchbox kit provides them as separate parts, so omitting them was simple, but there were enough major recesses and areas beyond the F3D’s basically teardrop shape hull that had to be filled and PSRed, including the original wing attachment points in the hull’s middle.

Another issue was the cockpit, which was missing through the double sprues. I was lucky to find an original Matchbox F3D tub in the spare box, from my first Skyknight build ever in the late Eighties (then built as a Vietnam era EF-10). New seats were procured as well as two (ugly) pilot figures and a dashboard from an Italeri Tornado IDS. However, the cockpit would later cause some more trouble…

The nose was generously filled with steel balls to keep it down (you never know…), and once the hull was closed, I implanted a new rear landing gear well. In the meantime, I kept searching for engine nacelle and wing parts – both turned out to be challenging. Not that I had not enough material to choose from, but I wanted to make the parts to be as authentic as possible – the nacelles conveying a centrifugal engine inside (see the Gloster Meteor for reference), and the light wing sweep angle as well as the desire for a not-too-modern look made the wing choice really hard.

The nacelles were completed first. I remembered some leftover parts from a Matchbox Meteor night fighter, mainly the intakes, which would be perfect. But the rest of the nacelles took a while to materialize. Eventually I found engine pods from a Hobbycraft Su-25, which are separate pieces. They had a more or less square diameter shape, but their size was good and so I combined them with the round (and bigger!) Meteor NF.14 intakes, after having added trimmed-down intake cones from a Trumpeter Il-28 inside, and PSRing the different shapes into something …more natural. Even though outrigger wheels would later be added I omitted eventual wells at this point, because I had to define the stance through the tandem main wheels first, and this was still tbd.

The wing donors became a lengthy affair. At one point I became so desperate that I tried to use the wing tips from a VEB Plasticart 1:100 Tu-20/95 bomber, but that failed (thankfully!) because the parts turned out to be warped and simply too ugly for the build. I did not find any suitable material in The Stash™, tested wings from an A-6 and an F-14, nothing worked well. I eventually procured – in a forlorn move – a vintage Revell 1:113 B-47 kit. Horrible thing, but its outer wings were useful, even though they required massive modifications. Their roots were cut away to reduce span and their angle was set at about 20°; the slender tips were also cut off, resulting in an almost trapezoid shape with a slightly extended wing chord at the trailing edge of the roots. Lots of PSR was required to improve the surface and to fill some gaps from the OOB engine pod attachment points of the B-47. Ugh.

At that point I had also already found a good fin: from an Academy/Minicraft 1:144 B-1B bomber! This not only offered a very Fifties-esque round and swept shape, it also had suitable attachment points for the stabilizers for a cruciform tail, which appeared necessary due to the engines’ wing position. As a side benefit, I could use the B-47’s wing tips as stabilizers, even though they had to be PSRed a lot, too.

To attach the new wings to the F3D fuselage I made cutouts at shoulder height, but the engine pods were first mounted and PSRed under the wings. More putty and sanding mess, but it was worthwhile.

In the meantime I worked on the landing gear and used parts from the ugly VEB Plasticart Tu-20/95 to scratch a tandem layout with twin wheels and a significant nose-up stance (due to the rear wheels’ position beyond the aircraft’s centre of gravity). Once this was settled and the wings in place I could work on the outrigger wheels. These were procured from a Matchbox 1:72 Sea Harrier and mounted in scratched fairings under the engine pods, so that they could semi-retract. With the ground clearance defined by the main wheels a suitable position and length for the outriggers could be found, and in the end the J31 has a proper stance with all four legs on the ground.

Painting and markings:

I like to apply simple liveries to weird builds, and for the J31 I settled upon a NMF finish – which was typical for the contemporary J29 Tunnan fighters, too. Only the reconnaissance versions as well as the fighters of as single operational unit were ever camouflaged (in dark green and dark blue). The only other realistic cammo option would have been the standard Swedish uniform dark green over blue grey. But bare metal appeared IMHO much better suited.

As a non-standard measure the model received an overall thin coat of grey primer, primarily to identify dents and notches on its many PSRed surface areas – a good move, because a lot of small flaws could be identified and treated before a final overall coat with “White Aluminium” from a rattle can (Duplicolor, RAL 9006) was applied and details like the radome, antennae (both in black) and the landing gear and its wells (in a light bronze tone, seen on Saab 29s and 32s) were painted in detail. I think the silver underlines the J31’s clean lines well?

The model received a light black ink washing, less for true weathering but to emphasize engraved details and for a “cloudier” look of the NMF surfaces. This was further enhanced through a careful treatment with grinded graphite (which adds a truly metallic shine to the paint), and since a lot of surface details were lost through PSR I did some manual panel-shading with different silver tones and re-created panel lines all over the hull with a soft pencil, mostly free-handedly. Quite simple, but it improves the overall impression a lot.

Decals were puzzled together. The Swedish roundels came from a generic TL-Modellbau sheet, the “T” on the tail was scratched from generic white and blue stripes from the same manufacturer. The blue band around the nose was made with the same material, plus a white “T” – inspired by tactical markings from some J29s from the Fifties. Some stencils were collected from the scrap box, and black walkway borders added to the wings’ upper surfaces and the spine behind the cockpit. As a side benefit these hide some lingering inconsistencies on the wing surfaces well.

Finally, the model was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish (Italeri) for a shiny finish, except for the radomes, which became matt.

It might not look spectacular or exciting, but I am quite proud of this “second” J31, because it not only was a major kitbashing project, it also conveys the Fifties “look and feel” I wanted to catch, like its contemporaries S.O. 4050 Vautour, Yak-25, or even the stillborn Baade Ba-152 airliner. From that point it turned out very well, and going for a simple NMF livery was IMHO also a good move – the J31 has a certain “space age” look? At least, this is what you can get when you combine major parts from F3D, B-47. B1, Il-28, Su-25, Tu-95 and a Gloster Meteor… 😉

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

i found the extra hour I gained hidden in the freezer. It was some of the country ham we bought at the flea market this summer.

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

During the short period of time before the NYS&W GE B40's arrived to help pull trains on the D&H, this is what you might find. A fallback of an all Alco consist as seen arriving at Bevier St. off from Beldon Hill.

No photos today... so threw this together at the last minute. (Duckies are the default fallback photo.)

In two weeks, we are headed to our first geocaching mega-event, the Allegany State Park Geobash. We are pre-making a whole flock of duckies, some of them with special ASP Geobash symbols, icons, and mascots.

Here are six marked, ready to be turned into duckies and eight finished duckies.

If people are curious, I'll throw some notes on them.

Thousands of antifascists, trade unionists and members of the local community marched in victory through Whitechapel today after the English Defence League failed in its bid to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

Only around 600 members of EDL made it to their final rally point – at Aldgate, outside the Tower Hamlets borough boundary in East London.

The racists and fascists of the EDL had bragged that they were coming to the heart of Tower Hamlets – “marching into the lion’s den” in the multiracial, multicultural borough. Despite a national mobilisation, they failed utterly.

Electric

Instead the day belonged to antifascists and antiracists, with an electric atmosphere of solidarity as white, black and Asian people, of all religions and none, came together.

Throughout the day, the antiracists gathered, with speeches, trade union banners, flags and music at the UAF/United East End protest close to East London Mosque, with anti-EDL protesters and local people also gathered directly outside the mosque and occupying key road junctions and streets to make sure EDL supporters could not enter the borough.

The groups converged at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street in the afternoon and cheered the news that EDL leader “Tommy Robinson” had been arrested, along with 72 other EDL members before the racists and fascists were escorted away by police.

Railworkers

The first blow against the EDL was struck early by the RMT railworkers’ union, which prevented the organisation’s planned “muster” at Liverpool Street station, by threatening to close the station down if the violent racists were allowed to gather there.

They had already been refused any venue in Tower Hamlets, including Sainsbury’s car park.

The EDL were instead forced to gather at Kings Cross – after their fallback plan to meet at pubs in Euston was scuppered when the pubs declared they would not host the racists either. Their journey south was then held up when RMT members closed the tube station.

The EDL were eventually escorted by police to Aldgate. A group of EDL members, who went direct to a pub in Liverpool Street, showed the organisation’s violent character, throwing flash bombs, attempting to attack passers by and setting fire to a journalist who was reporting events.

Chanting

But the EDL were unable to enter Tower Hamlets, instead moving through the City of London to their rally point.

Tommy Robinson – who arrived at the EDL event disgracefully dressed up as a rabbi – was arrested there, sparking more scuffles between the EDL and police.

When the EDL had left the area, the antiracist protestors marched in their thousands back down Whitechapel Road, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Black and white unite and fight, smash the EDL”.

As the march passed the East London Mosque, demostrators broke into spontaneous applause.

The mosque is the symbol of the area’s Muslim community – the particular target of the EDL’s anti-Muslim racism.

Afterwards, UAF national officer Martin Smith said:

Today we have won. We haven’t had anybody arrested. We have stopped the EDL coming into this borough. Tommy Robisnon has been arrested. We have marched on the streets today, the EDL have gone and we have won.

Speakers

The UAF/United East End demo had earlier heard from speakers including CWU deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, East London Mosque’s Dilowar Khan, former MEP Glyn Ford, veteran local antifascist Phil Maxwell, Terry Stewart of LGBT group Out East, former council leader Phil Maxwell and a range of other local trade union and community representatives.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent a message of support, saying: “This is a fitting response to those who peddle hatred and fear.”

Musicians and DJs added to the wonderful atmosphere of unity and solidarity, with trade union banners from all over the country lining the street.

Brilliant

The UAF/United East End mobilisation was called because it was clear that the EDL still intended to come to Tower Hamlets for a static demonstration, despite the home office ban on marching.

The aim was to show the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists and ensure they could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.

Today’s brilliant day of antiracist, antifascist solidarity showed why that was right.

For more information and further stories check out www.uaf.org.uk and www.socialistworker.co.uk

"Polyfills, a term coined by Remy Sharp back in 2010, are scripts that mimic a future API providing fallback functionality to older browsers. The rise of HTML5, CSS3 and ES5 resulted in various polyfills being written by developers all over the world to fill in the gaps of browser support, so we can use new standards before they are universally adopted by browser makers.

In this talk, we will explore various techniques commonly employed in good polyfills and shims, so you can start writing your own when a polyfill for the feature you need is not already available. This way, not only you will be able to improve your own workflow, but also share it with the world and give back to the community."

Mesh Retail Vendor Display Shelf:

▸ 2 Total Colors: Wood & White(Light) and Wood &Black.

▸ 6 Total Meshes: Available with PBR & Fallback textures, Classic Blinn-Phong and Baked blank to tint.

▸ LI (Land Impact): 2 will vary if resized.

▸ Textures, baked blanks and AO Maps Included to customize.

Try the free demo before purchasing.

Marketplace: marketplace.secondlife.com/p/mi-Serena-Retail-Display/268...

Inworld: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/INFINITA/222/222/2356

Fallback Records

McAllen, Texas

with special guest, Christopher Collins of For Those Who Are Heroes

On a warm afternoon in the heart of Brooklyn, distress calls flood the airwaves of a madman in full body armor terrorizing the streets. As NYPD clears the area of civilians, strategically placed bombs bring local government buildings crumbling to the ground. The NYPD special task force has arrived on the scene to find the assailant has placed a bio-weapon in one of the devastated buildings. Realizing the situation is beyond their ability – the commander decides to fallback and contacts the Commissioner…

…after receiving the SITREP by Task Force Commander Higgins; and appropriately grilling his team for their incompetence, the Commissioner calls in a personal favor to one of his poker buddies — a 3-Star general over at the Pentagon.

In less than an hour, COBALT Team arrives on the scene with their orders in-hand:DISARM AND DETAIN.

The following narration is a first-person perspective of that mission...cont' at bit.ly/1iwBymq

So, my husband is at work and I'm in our home office. Then THIS began. I had NO idea this clock did this. I hope I remember next time change. Yes I was scared, and yes I screamed but only for a few seconds. Long enough to feel really stupid though.

For the first time in Year 2, I almost missed a day. I only realized 20 minutes before midnight that I hadn't taken my 365 shot for today. This was my fallback idea...incase of an emergency. :) Now I have to come up with a new fallback idea.

On a side note, I had to do an ode to the microwave. One of the greatest inventions ever created. Remember before the microwave, it would take 45 minutes to an hour to cook up our Swanson's frozen dinners? Or as they were called back then...TV dinners. :)

With so many different ways to watch video on the web these days, you need to make sure that your videos are reaching the widest audience possible. From the desktop to smartphones and tablets, you need to cover alot of bases. That is why Stargazer Interactive has created a new version of its popular FLV player with HTML5 ready fallback coding which allows you to make sure everyone is able to watch your videos with no loss of quality.

Now you can offer Flash Video to viewers who have Flash Player enabled and also offer MP4 and Ogg-Vorbis to those who are visiting your site on a non-flash enabled device - such as an iPhone or iPad.

HTML5 Ready

iPhone & iPad Ready

Videos will play on Mobile Devices

Easy Setup - No ActionScript Knowledge Required

Live demo: www.flashcomponents.net/component/flash-video-player-with...

There were a family of these flycatchers hawking for insects from the small lakes in this park. While I usually have birds as my first photo subject priority, with odonates and other critters as a fallback priority, on this outing I had come here mainly for dragonflies... this shot is an opportunistic byproduct.

IMG_0873; Vermilion Flycatcher

(2012) 365 Day Project Day 55

Have had this idea for a few days and was just waiting for the dandelion to grow again. We have a big weed in the front yard which seems to produce a new dandelion about once a week so gives me a fallback pic every 7 days.

There were a family of these flycatchers hawking for insects from the small lakes in this park. While I usually have birds as my first photo subject priority, with odonates and other critters as a fallback priority, on this outing I had come here mainly for dragonflies... this shot is an opportunistic byproduct. It's of a 1st-year male Vermillion Flycatcher just coming into its adult plumage.

IMG_0910; Vermilion Flycatcher

Fallback Records

McAllen, Texas

happy 15th anniversary to these bad ass hoes!

I remember way back in 06 when my sister gave me all her bratz, but I didn't really have my own until 2007 and lost interest around 2009, but when I saw the bratz r bak commercial, I knew these whores needed a comeback into the shelves of my doll collection. so really I've been a fan for a long time and I love these divaz to death and I'm not gonna give up on them because of some tweaks needed to be changed.

My favorite bratz from the old days was definitely my girlz really rock cloe considering she's the first bratz I had on my own, my fav collection is so Tokyo a go go my sister had the club and fianna and they were the shit like I loved those fab sons of bitches. My fav bratz from the squad is jade, and 2nd would go to either dana cuz she was serving asf or nevra cuz nev was flawless back in ze day. I would say fianna cuz I lived her big for head as well. #forheadqueen. I loved the reboot since the thatdamnchristian leaks wayyyy back, and me and my mom got in a heated argument because she threatened to stop buying me dolls befire and after the reboot (but she still does 😌) and yes people hate the reboot buy I mean I kinda love it there needs to be lots of tweaks but I actually like it, especially the new 2017 dolls which I'm hoping were touched by #Bratzthoughtz and look flawless asf.

so yeah I mean these girls are everything, I can't imagine life without these sickening hunties and I hope they got high asf in stylesville on they 15th ann!

and bitches #fallback

#778 - 365 2010 Day 47: The challenge on a grey and rainy day is for me to get something done early and to find either light or colour.

It has been done many times before, but rain on a car is a reliable fallback, especially when you find a polished car. My car is a disgrace, so thanks to the owner of this spangly new Vauxhall ...

OK. It is my turn to cook after all the wonderful holiday fare. What with all the fancy food VA and my family have cooked, I decide on a comfort food fallback – mac & cheese. The Barefoot Contessa recipe calls for a touch of nutmeg. I decide to check the cupboard before buying a jar. I cannot see any and unload the cabinet.

I guess I don’t do this check too often. 3 full nutmeg jars. 5 jars of ginger. 3 crushed red peppers. I hate to think of how many gallons of chili I need to cook to use up all that cumin. Who knows why I bought that much Curry.

This is just the dry stuff. Don’t ask how many jars of wasabi and hot Chinese mustard are in the fridge.

Happy New Year all. My mind is gone. It may be time to put this old geezer on the ice flow or give me the Viking Funeral. In my own defense – at least I checked or it would be 4 full jars of nutmeg.

At least I have some Kicking Horse coffee.

My oops, I forgot to do Flickr pics from my dslr and it’s late fallback.