View allAll Photos Tagged force
Life force of very vibrant rose highlighted using filter in Photoshop. Red rose captured in my garden.
GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb
Primary function: GPS/INS smart-guided 250-lb. standoff weapon. Dimensions: Length 5 ft. 9 in.; diameter 6.08 in.; wingspan 63.3 in. Range: More than 20 miles.
Israeli Soldiers from the Caracal Battalion during a field training exercise – April 2014
Images: Israeli Defence Force
Toghill, Leslie C
TOGHILL, LESLIE CYRIL
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 612946
Date of Death: 12/02/1942
Age: 23
Service: Royal Air Force, 49 Sqdn.
Panel Reference Panel 95.
Memorial RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of Frederick Henry and Grace Ellen Toghill, of Norwich.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/1808883/TOGHILL...
In the official Casualty Communique number 173, printed in Flight Magazine on the 19th November, Sergeant L C Toghill is listed amongst those who were “Previously reported missing, now presumed Killed in Action”
12 February, 1942: In recent months, Bomber Command had dropped over 3,000 tons of bombs on the battle cruisers 'Scharnhorst' and 'Gneisenau' and the light cruiser 'Prinz Eugen' as they resided in the French port of Brest. The two larger ships had both been badly damaged, and the threat of further damage had prevented the ships from sailing out into the Atlantic on another raid against allied shipping. In a daring and well-executed operation, the Germans sailed their 3 ships straight up through the English Channel to bring them back to the greater protection of a German port. What followed on the part of the British Command has since been labelled as a catalogue of catastrophes, needless to say that the German warships achieved their destination unharmed. Heavily armed and protected by the Luftwaffe, the Germans exacted a heavy toll during the gallant British attempts to stop their breakout; Fighter Command lost 16 aircraft and the Fleet Air Arm had 6 Swordfish destroyed. Bomber Command's part in the action involved 244 aircraft of which 15 were lost in action, and a further 2 crashing on return. Only 5 Group had been on a 4 hour 'stand by', as bomber Squadrons made frantic efforts to prepare their aircraft. Eventually, 5 Group contributed 64 Hampdens and 15 Manchesters to attack the German warships; 9 Hampdens were reported missing and one crashed on return. 49 Squadron's participation was prompted by a signal from Group received at 10.00hrs requesting 20 aircraft to attack the 'Scharnhorst' and 'Gneisenau' at sea! Cpl Trevor Simpson recalls the urgency with which the preparations were carried out, and he is almost certain that this was the occasion when the Hampdens were taxied into a hangar, bombed up and then taxied out!
In low cloud and rain with extremely poor visibility, only 3 of the squadron's aircraft found the primary target.
It is now believed that two of the aircraft were shot down by German fighters, AE132 piloted by F/Sgt Charles Pollitt and AE396 flown by Sgt Edward Phillips. What we do know for certain is that these two crews plus that of Sgt Mervyn Holt (AE249) disappeared into the dark waters of the North Sea without trace; they are all remembered at Runnymede.
Hampden AE396 (EA-W)
Sgt E.W. Phillips Pilot (Missing)
Sgt A. Jackson W/OP (Missing)
Sgt K.W. Heard Pilot (Missing)
Sgt L.C. Toghill A/G (Missing)
www.bomberhistory.co.uk/49squadron/Roll%20of%20honour/Rol...
Sergeant Edward Walter Phillips, aged 21 - Son of Edward A. and Mary E. Phillips, of Conisbrough, Yorkshire.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/1804294/PHILLIP...
Sergeant Alexander Jackson, aged 20 - Son of Alexander William and Elsie Jackson, of New Wortley, Leeds, Yorkshire
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/1800975/JACKSON...
Sergeant Kenneth William Heard, aged 20 - Son of John Edward and Emily Winifred Heard, of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/1799831/HEARD,%...
Tuck, Derrick B
TUCK, DERRICK BERNARD
Rank: Sergeant
Trade: Air Gnr.
Service No: 3000563
Date of Death: 25/06/1945
Age: 19
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Grave Reference 2. E. 10.
Cemetery MOASCAR WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Albert George and Mabel Gertrude Tuck, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2114827/TUCK,%2...
MOASCAR WAR CEMETERY, Egypt.
Historical Information
Moascar was the name given to the military camp near the town of Ismailia. The desert cemetery was started at Moascar by the military authorities for the burial of war casualties, mainly from the Canal Zone. After the war, further graves were moved into the cemetery from a number of burial grounds in the vicinity where permanent maintenance was not possible.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2009801/MOASCAR%20W...
I can’t find a reference to Derrick in the Official Casualty Lists held at the Flight site, but they are poorly indexed.
I could not find any reference to a crash in Egypt on this day.
.
Winter, Russell H
WINTER, RUSSELL HARRY
Rank: Flying Officer
Trade: W.Op./Air Gnr.
Service No: 169680
Date of Death: 28/07/1944
Age: 29
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 78 Sqdn.
Grave Reference Grave 11.
Cemetery ST. JORIS COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of George and Lilian Winter, of Norwich; husband of Irene Mabel Winter, of Upper Hillesdon, Norwich.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2253042/WINTER,...
Another one who wasn’t readily traceable through the official casualty lists as printed in Flight Magazine.
78 Squadrons were flying Halifax’s at this time.
Bomber Command Diary
27/28 July 1944
30 Mosquitos to Stuttgart and 12 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
28 July 1944
199 aircraft - 159 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitos, 20 Stirlings - of Nos 3, 4 and 8 Groups attacked two launching sites and made two further separate raids on the Forêt de Nieppe storage site. All bombing was through cloud but the various methods used were believed to have led to accurate results. 1 Halifax lost from one of the Forêt de Nieppe raids.
28/29 July 1944
494 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 5 and 8 Groups in the last raid of the current series on Stuttgart. German fighters intercepted the bomber stream while over France on the outward flight; there was a bright moon and 39 Lancasters were shot down, 19 per cent of the force.
307 aircraft - 187 Halifaxes, 106 Lancasters, 14 Mosquitos from Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups - to Hamburg. German fighters again appeared, this time on the homeward flight, and 18 Halifaxes and 4 Lancasters were lost, 12 per cent of the force. The Halifax casualties were 9.6 per cent; No 431 (Canadian) Squadron, flying from Croft airfield in Co. Durham, lost 5 of its 17 aircraft on the raid. This was the first heavy raid on Hamburg since the Battle of Hamburg just a year earlier. The bombing on this raid was not well concentrated. The Germans estimated that only 120 aircraft bombed in the city area, with no recognisable aiming point, though western and harbour areas received the most bombs.
119 aircraft of Nos 1, 4 and 8 Groups attacked the flying bomb stores area at Forêt De Nieppe again. No aircraft lost.
Support and 95 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 13 Mosquitos to Frankfurt, 41 RCM sorties, 50 Mosquito patrols, 5 Halifaxes minelaying in the River Elbe. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,126 sorties, 61 aircraft (5.4 per cent) lost.
www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/jul44.html
Other casualties from 78 Squadron who died the same day and who are buried in the St Joris Communal Cemetery:-
Flight Lieutenant William Gladstone Hoffman, aged 21, Pilot.
Son of Eagar and Hazel Hoffman; husband of Nan Hoffman, of Forres, Morayshire.
www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2253038/HOFFMAN...
The headstones can be seen here
www.inmemories.com/Cemeteries/stjoris.htm
A closer shot of the headstone shows the Star of David.
twgpp.org/information.php?id=2903832
There is a bit more about the cemetery, which attributes Russell Winter and William Hoffman as members of the same crew, of Halifax MZ340 on this Dutch Language site.
translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=ht...
There is actually a monument to the crew of the plane, for which there is a photograph on the same site. I’ve tried to tidy up the Google translation of the original piece in Dutch.
Took off at 16.04 on the 28th July from RAF Breighton, England, with a target of the V1 sites and stores in the Forest of Nieppe. 8 miles from the Belgium coast it was hit by German Flak from unit Abt 252 located at Mariakerke, Ostend. The pilot avoided Nieport City, and dropped 16 225kg bombs between St Joris and Kappelle, accidentally killing two civilians at St Joris. The pilot stayed with the damaged aircraft so that the crew could escape. Wireless Operator\Air Gunner Harry Russell Winter was found drowned in the canal with a torn parachute. Halifax EY-X with Pilot William Hoffman aboard crashed at 17.59 at a farm near Great Noordhof.
The crew who survived the crash were F/O W I F Bell, (Navigator), F/O Ronald E F Collier (Bomb Aimer), P/O Kevin W Burns, (Flight Engineer), Sergeant George R G Marley, (Mid-Upper Gunner) and Sergeant Robert C Laing, (Rear Gunner). They were all taken Prisoner. There is a book about the crash, “The Last Flight of Halifax Mk 111 MZ-340 EY-X” by Jean-Pierre Vandorpe.
www.aviationheritage.eu/nl/content/monument-slachtoffers-...
A local comments on a Dutch Forum site that he witnessed the crash, Russell is believed to have struck his head on the door frame and was unconscious when he fell. His parachute did not open.
www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/viewtopic.php?t=8897&s...
Wakefield, Charles A,
WAKEFIELD, CHARLES ALBERT
Rank: Yeoman of Signals
Service No: C/J 39854
Date of Death: 15/02/1942
Age: 42
Service: Royal Navy, H.M.S. President III
Panel Reference 58, 2.
Memorial CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of Albert and Mary Louise Wakefield; husband of Ethel Wakefield, of Norwich, Norfolk.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2473562/WAKEFIE...
On the 1900 census, the 1 year old Charles A, (Born Hellesdon, Norfolk) was recorded at 159 Aylsham Road, Norwich. At that time this part of Aylsham Road fell within the Parish of St Mary Hellesdon.
This was the household of his parents, Albert E, (aged 25 and a Brickmaker from Heydon, Norfolk) and Louisa, (aged 22 and a Tailoress from Horsford, Norfolk).
The most likely match on the GRO index of marriages is that of a Charles A Wakefield to an Ethel Crossfield that took place in St Georges, Hanover Square, London in the July to September 1929 quarter.
15/02/1942
Empire Spring, steamship
BROWN, Walter T, Act/Able Seaman, C/JX 186153, (President III, O/P), MPK
CHAPMAN, Charles O, Ordinary Telegraphist, P/JX 197809, (President III, O/P), MPK
COX, Albert E G, Convoy Signalmam, C/JX 174046, (Pembroke, O/P), MPK
DIBBEN, Arthur D H, Captain, (Eaglet, O/P), MPK
HARRISON, Arthur, Act/Able Seaman, D/JX 214735, (President III, O/P), MPK
JEFFS, Alexander G, Ordinary Signalman, C/JX 185518, (President III, O/P), MPK
STARKEY, Herbert J, Act/Able Seaman, C/JX 223501, (President III, O/P), MPK
THOMPSON, Robert, Leading Signalman, C/JX 185536, (Pembroke, O/P), MPK
WAKEFIELD, Charles A, Convoy Yeoman of Signals, C/J 39854, (Pembroke, O/P), MPK
WATSON, Lewis T, Convoy Signalmam, C/JX 174071, (Pembroke, O/P), MPK
www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1942-02FEB.htm
Empire Spring
Empire Spring was a 6,946 GRT CAM ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 8 March 1941 and completed in June 1941. Torpedoed on 14 February 1942 and sunk by U-576 in the North Atlantic.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Empire_ships_(Si%E2%80%93Sy)#Empire_Spring
She had left the Mersey on the 5th February 1942 in Convoy. The convoy broke up on the 15th February 1942 and the Empire Spring went missing, presumed hit by German Submarine U-576 and sunk with her crew of 42 and 5 Gunners.
www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?30961
Watson, Arthur C.
WATSON, ARTHUR CHARLES
Rank: Chief Engine Room Artificer
Service No: C/M 34510
Date of Death: 24/08/1940
Age: 37
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy, H.M.S. Penzance
Panel Reference 37, 2.
Memorial CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of Henry and Alice Watson; husband of Elsie Edith Watson, of Norwich, Norfolk.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2473733/WATSON,...
At 20.38 hours on 24 Aug, 1940, HMS Penzance (L 28) (Cdr A.J. Wavish, RN), escorting the convoy SC-1, was hit by one torpedo from U-37, broke in two and sank in a few minutes southwest of Iceland. When the stern section sank the unsecured depth charges detonated, killing some of the survivors swimming in the water and slightly damaging the U-boat. Nevertheless two ships from the convoy stopped to pick up survivors. Twelve men were picked up by the British steam merchant Fylingdale, but one of them later died of injures and was buried at sea. Seven men were picked up by the Blairmore, which was torpedoed and sunk by the same U-boat later that night. All men from the sloop survived the second sinking, were rescued after about 17 hours by the Swedish motor merchant Eknaren (Master Erik Kallstrom) and landed at Baltimore.
Complement 108 officers and men (90 dead and 18 survivors).
www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/474.html
Webster, Stanley G
WEBSTER, STANLEY GORDON
Rank: Serjeant
Service No: T/45514
Date of Death: 08/07/1942
Regiment/Service: Royal Army Service Corps
Grave Reference 3. G. 7.
Cemetery BEIRUT WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Thomas William and Florence Elizabeth Webster, of Norwich.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2188096/WEBSTER...
Woods, Charles W.
Probably
WOODS, CHARLES WILLIAM
Rank: Driver
Service No: T/221302
Date of Death: 14/01/1944
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: Royal Army Service Corps
Grave Reference II. D. 26.
Cemetery BARI WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of William and Florance Woods, of Norwich; husband of Hannah Elizabeth Woods, of Norwich.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2077260/WOODS,%...
Yallop, John S
(Only match)
YALLOP, JOHN SIDNEY
Rank: Able Seaman
Service No: C/J 96159
Date of Death: 17/09/1940
Service: Royal Navy, H.M.S. Kent
Panel Reference 36, 2.
Memorial CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Husband of M. M. Yallop.
CWGC www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2474343/YALLOP,...
Photograph of HMS Kent
www.naval-history.net/Photo06caKent1NP.jpg
September 1940
17th Carried out bombardment of Fort Cappuzo.
Hit by torpedo from Italian aircraft during air attacks and disabled.
Taken in tow by HMS NUBIAN.
19th Arrived in tow at Alexandria, where emergency repairs were carried out.
www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CA-Kent.htm
John was one of 33 crew members killed in the attack including a father and son.
On 15 September 1940 the battleship Valiant, the aircraft carrier Illustrious, Kent, the anti-aircraft cruisers Calcutta and Coventry, and seven destroyers left Alexandria bound for Benghazi. During the night of 16/17 September 1940, aircraft from the Illustrious mined the harbour of Benghazi. They also attacked shipping in the harbour with torpedoes and bombs, sinking two destroyers and two merchant ships. Kent and two destroyers were detached to bombard Bardia while returning to Alexandria. During the night of 17/18 September 1940 the ship was hit in the stern by a torpedo from Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers from the 279th Independent Torpedo Squadron (Italian: Squadriglie Autonomo Aerosiluranti) led by Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia. She was towed back to base by the destroyers with great difficulty.[
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Kent_(54)
The Italian Army had crossed the Libyan border into Egypt a few days earlier and had re-taken Fort Capuzzo. The British Army had retreated to prepared position, leaving only a light screen of troops to delay the Italians advance. Part of the deception was to make the screen seen much stronger than it was. In deterring the Italian advance up the coastal road, the Royal Navy bombardment was part of that deception.
I saw Family Force 5 again! They performed twice last night, 3 hours of them, very fulfilling. My 5th time seeing them, gets better every time. really good show! I tried to narrow down the shots but every second was a photo op. I wish I had videotaped it instead because it was definitely a show to remember.
This Boeing B-52D Stratofortress, nicknamed Diamond Lil, was flown from 1957 to 1983 and ended its career with over 15,000 flying hours. This long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber was moved from Peterson Air Force Base in December 1983 and dedicated on . It is one of the two B-52D's credited with a confirmed MIG kill during the Vietnam conflict. Flying out of U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield in southern Thailand, the crew of the "Diamond Lil" shot down a MIG northeast of Hanoi during "Linebacker II" action on Christmas Eve, 1972.
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. The youngest of the five United States service academies, it was founded in 1959 and graduated its first class in 1959. With a total enrollment of only around 4,500, the Air Force Academy is among the most selective colleges in the country. The campus of the Academy covers 18,000 acres on the east side of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains, just north of Colorado Springs, at a stated altitude of 7,258 feet above sea-level, which is the elevation of the cadet area.
The Cadet Area, located approximately four miles west of the Academy's north entrance off U.S. I-25, was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) and lead architect Walter Netsch, with SOM partner John O. Merrill relocating from Chicago to a Colorado Springs field office to oversee the construction. Completed in 1963, and expanded from 1965-1968 by the architectural firms of Leo A. Daly, Inc. and Henningson, Durham, and Richardson, the Cadet Area has gone largely unchanged since. The design is notable for its distinct, modernist style--contrasting the traditional designs of West Point and Annapolis--with extensive use of aluminum on building exteriors, suggesting the outer skin of aircraft or spacecraft.
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, passes by Denali as it flies above the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, during a training sortie for RED FLAG-Alaska 22-2, June 22, 2022. The 18th Aggressor Squadron supports RFA by sharing its knowledge of adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures to participating units, ensuring the United States and its allies receive the best air combat training possible. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Patrick Sullivan)
Travelling along the Kirkby Road at Sutton-in-Ashfield on a sunny afternoon of 20-08-12, our local Parcel Force van, EJ59 VXH, I have photographed this too many times, I wish they would get a new one! Lol!
While waiting for the First Family to arrive at the hangar yesterday, I decided to get in some shots of Air Force 1. The Secret Service were pretty cool - but they said if I were to step inside of those cones....
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
In Autumn 1946, the Saab company began internal studies aimed at developing a replacement aircraft for the Saab B 18/S 18 as Sweden's standard attack aircraft. In 1948, Saab was formally approached by the Swedish Government with a request to investigate the development of a turbojet-powered strike aircraft to replace a series of 1940s vintage attack, reconnaissance, and night-fighter aircraft then in the Flygvapnet’s inventory. On 20 December 1948, a phase one contract for the design and mock-up of the proposed aircraft was issued. The requirements laid out by the Swedish Air Force were demanding: the aircraft had to be able to attack anywhere along Sweden's 2,000 km (1,245 miles) of coastline within one hour of launch from a central location, and it had to be capable of being launched in any weather conditions, at day or night.
In response, Saab elected to develop a twin-seat aircraft with a low-mounted swept wing and equipped with advanced electronics. On 3 November 1952, the first prototype, under the handle “Fpl 32” (flygplan = aircraft) conducted its first flight. A small batch of prototypes completed design and evaluation trials with series production of the newly designated Saab 32 Lansen beginning in 1953. The first production A 32A Lansen attack aircraft were delivered to the Swedish Air Force and proceeded through to mid-1958, at which point manufacturing activity switched to the Lansen’s other two major scheduled variants, the J 32B all-weather fighter and the photo reconnaissance S 32C, optimized for maritime operations.
The idea behind the J 32 originated from the late 1940s: Even before the SAAB 29 Tunnan had taken to the air, discussions began between SAAB and the Swedish Aviation Administration regarding a future night fighter aircraft with a jet engine. Since the end of the war, the Swedish Air Force had wanted a night fighter aircraft but was forced to put these on the shelf due to cost reasons. In the end, they managed to obtain sixty de Haviland Mosquito night fighter aircraft (then designated J 30) from Great Britain as a low-budget solution, but the J 30 was far from modern at the end of the 1940s and talks with SAAB regarding a domestic alternative continued.
At the beginning of the 1950s, the Fpl 32 project was in full swing and the aircraft was selected as the basis for an indigenous all-weather jet night fighter with a sighting radar and various heavier weapons to be able to shoot down bombers – at the time of the J 32B’s design, the main bomber threat was expected to enter Swedish airspace at subsonic speed and at high altitude. The original idea was that this aircraft would replace the J 30 Mosquito from 1955 onwards, but this proved to be impossible as the J 30 fleet needed to be replaced long before this and the A 32A as initial/main varia of the Fpl 32 had priority. Because of this operational gap, in January 1951 the Swedish Air Force ordered the British de Haviland Venom (then designated J 33) as an interim all-weather fighter and plans for the J 32B were postponed until later with the idea that the Lansen’s fighter variant would replace the J 33 at the end of the 1950s and benefit from technological progress until then.
On 7 January 1957, the first J 32B conducted its maiden flight, and it was a considerable step forward from the A 32A attack aircraft – in fact, excepts for the hull, it had only little in common with the attack variant! The new fighter version was powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon Mk 47A (locally designated RM6A) which gave as much thrust without an afterburner as the SAAB A 32A's original RM5A2 did with an afterburner, greatly improving the aircraft’s rate of climb and acceleration, even though the J 32B remained only transonic.
The armament consisted of four heavier fixed 30 mm ADEN m/55 automatic cannon in a slightly re-contoured nose, plus Rb 24/AIM-9B Sidewinder IR-guided AAMs and various unguided rockets against air and ground targets. Instead of the A 32A’s Ericsson mapping and navigation radar, which was compatible with the indigenous Rb 04C anti-ship missile, one of the earliest cruise missiles in western service, the J 32B carried a PS-42/A. This was a search/tracking X-band radar with a gyro-stabilized antenna with a swivel range of 60° to each side and +60°/−30° up/down. The radar featured the option of a 3D display for both WSO and pilot and its data could be directly displayed in the pilot’s Sikte 6A HUD, a very modern solution at the time.
A total of 118 aircraft (S/N 32501-32620) were produced between 1958 and 1960, serving in four fighter units. However, the J 32B only served for just under 12 years as a fighter aircraft in the Swedish Air Force: aviation technology progressed very quickly during the 1960s and already in 1966, the J 32B began to be replaced by the J 35F, which itself was already an advanced all-weather interceptor version of the supersonic Draken. In 1969 only the Jämtland's Air Flotilla (F4) still had the J 32B left in service and the type began to be completely retired from frontline service. In 1970 the plane flew in service for the last time and in 1973 the J 32B was officially phased out of the air force, and scrapping began in 1974.
However, the J 32Bs’ career was not over yet: At the beginning of the 1970s, Målflygdivisionen (MFD for short, the “Target Air Division”) was still using old J 29Fs as target tugs and for other training purposes, and they needed to be replaced. The choice fell on the much more capable, robust and readily available J 32B. Twenty-four machines were transferred to the MFD in 1971 to be used for training purposes, losing their radar and cannon armament. Six of these six J 32Bs were in 1972 modified into dedicated target tugs under the designation J 32D, six more J 32Bs were left unmodified and allocated to various second-line tasks such as radio testing and ground training.
The other twelve J 32Bs (s/n 32507, -510, -512, -515, -529, -541, -543, -569, -571, -592, -607 and -612) became jamming aircraft through the implementation of ECR equipment under the designation J 32E. This electronics package included internally:
- An INGEBORG signal reconnaissance receiver with antennae in the radome,
covering S, C and L radar frequency bands
- A G24 jamming transmitter, also with its antenna in the radome, covering alternatively
S, C and L frequency bands. This device co-operated with the external ADRIAN jamming pod
- Apparatus 91B; a broadband jammer, later integrated with INGEBORG
- MORE, a jammer and search station for the VHF and UHF bands
- FB-6 tape player/recorder; used, among other things, to send false messages/interference
Additional, external equipment included:
- PETRUS: jamming pod, X-band, also radar warning, intended for jamming aircraft
and active missile radars
- ADRIAN: jamming pod, active on S- and C-band, intended for jamming land-based and
shipboard radars
- BOZ-1, -3, -9 and -100 chaff dispenser pods
Outwardly, the J 32E differed from its brethren only through some blade antennae around the hull, and they initially retained the fighters’ blue-green paint scheme and their tactical markings so that they were hard to distinguish from the original fighters. Over time, orange day-glow markings were added to improve visibility during training sessions. However, during the mid-Nineties, three machines received during scheduled overhauls a new all-grey low-visibility camouflage with toned-down markings, and they received the “16M” unit identifier – the only MFD aircraft to carry these openly.
When a J 32E crashed in 1975, three of the remaining six training J 32Bs were modified into J 32Es in 1979 to fill the ranks. The MFD kept operating the small J 32Ds and Es fleet well into the Nineties and the special unit survived two flotilla and four defense engagements. At that time, the Målflygdivisionen was part of the Swedish Air Force’s Upplands Flygflottilj (F16), but it was based at Malmen air base near Linköpping (where the Swedish Air Force’s Försökscentralen was located, too) as a detachment unit and therefore the machines received the unit identifier “F16M”, even though the “M” suffix did normally not appear on the aircraft. However, through a defense ministry decision in 1996 the Target Air Division and its associated companies as well as the aircraft workshop at Malmen were to be decommissioned, what meant the end of the whole unit. On June 26, 1997, a ceremony was held over the disbandment of the division, where, among other things, twelve J 32Es made a formation flight over Östergötland.
After the decommissioning of the division, however, the Lansens were still not ‘dead’ yet: the J 32D target tugs were kept operational by a private operator and received civil registrations, and eight flightworthy J 32Es were passed over to FMV:Prov (Provningsavdelningen vid Försvarets materielverk, the material testing department of the Swedish Air Force’s Försökscentralen) to serve on, while other airframes without any more future potential were handed over to museums as exhibition pieces, or eventually scrapped. The surviving J 32Es served on in the electronic aggressor/trainer role until 1999 when they were finally replaced by ten modified Sk 37E Viggen two-seaters, after their development and conversion had taken longer than expected.
However, this was still not the end of the Saab 32, which turned out to be even more long-lived: By 2010, at least two Lansens were still operational, having the sole task of taking high altitude air samples for research purposes in collaboration with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, and by 2012 a total of three Lansens reportedly remained in active service in Sweden.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 14.94 m (49 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 13 m (42 ft 8 in)
Height: 4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 37.4 m² (403 sq ft)
Airfoil: NACA 64A010
Empty weight: 7,500 kg (16,535 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 13,500 kg (29,762 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Svenska Flygmotor RM6A afterburning turbojet
(a Rolls Royce Avon Mk.47A outfitted with an indigenous afterburner),
delivering 4,88 kp dry and 6,500 kp with reheat
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,200 km/h (750 mph, 650 kn)
Range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi) with internal fuel only
Service ceiling: 15,000 m (49,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 100 m/s (20,000 ft/min)
Armament:
No internal weapons.
13× external hardpoints (five major pylons and eight more for light weapons)
for a wide variety of up to 3.000 kg of ordnance, typically only used
for ECM and chaff/flare dispenser pods and/or a conformal ventral auxiliary tank
The kit and its assembly:
This is a what-if project that I had on my idea list for a long time, but never got the nerve to do it because it is just a mild modification – the model depicts a real aircraft type, just with a fictional livery for it (see below).
The plan to create a J 32E from Heller’s A 32 kit from 1982 predated any OOB option, though. Tarangus has been offering a dedicated J 32B/E kit since 2016, but I stuck to my original plan to convert a Heller fighter bomber which I had in The Stash™, anyway)- also because I find the Tarangus kit prohibitively expensive (for what you get), even though it might have saved some work.
The Heller A 32A kit was basically built OOB, even though changing it into a J 32B (and even further into an “E”) called for some major modifications. These could have been scratched, but out of convenience I invested into a dedicated Maestro Models conversion set that offers resin replacements for a modified gun bay (which has more pronounced “cheek fairings” than the attack aircraft, the lower section is similar to the S 32C camera nose), a new jet exhaust and also the Lansen’s unique conformal belly tank – for the cost of a NIB Heller Saab 32 kit alone, though… :-/
Implanting the Maestro Models parts was straightforward and relatively easy. The J 32B gun bay replaces the OOB parts from the Heller kit, fits well and does not require more PSR than the original part. Since the model depicts a gun-less J 32E, I faired the gun ports over.
The RM6A exhaust was a bit more challenging – it is a bit longer and wider than the A 32A’s RM5. It’s not much, maybe 1mm in each dimension, so that the tail opening had to be widened and slightly re-contoured to accept the new one-piece resin pipe. The belly tank matched the kit’s ventral contours well. As an extra, the Maestro Models set also offers the J 32B’s different tail skid, which is placed further back on the fighter than on the attack and recce aircraft.
The J 32E’s characteristic collection of sizable blade antennae all around the hull was scratched from 0.5 mm styrene sheet. Furthermore, the flaps were lowered, an emergency fuel outlet was added under the tail, the canopy (very clear, but quite thick!) cut into two parts for optional open display, and the air intake walls were extended inside of the fuselage with styrene sheet.
Under the wings, four pylons (the Heller kit unfortunately comes totally devoid of any ordnance or even hardpoints!) from the spares box were added that carry scratched BOZ-1 chaff dispensers and a pair of ADRIAN/PETRUS ECM pod dummies – all made from drop tanks, incidentally from Swedish aircraft (Mistercraft Saab 35 and Matchbox Saab 29). Sure, there are short-run aftermarket sets for this special equipment that might come closer to the real thing(s), but I do not think that the (quite considerable) investments in all these exotic aftermarket items are worthwhile when most of them are pretty easy to scratch.
Painting and markings:
The paint scheme was the actual reason to build a J 32E: the fundamental plan was to build a Lansen in the Swedish air superiority low-viz two-tone paint scheme from the Nineties, and the IMHO only sensible option beyond pure fantasy was the real J 32E as “canvas”. I used JAS 39 Gripens as reference: their upper tone is called Pansargrå 5431-17M (“Tank Grey”, which is, according to trustworthy sources, very close to FS 36173, U.S. Neutral Grey), while the undersides are painted in Duvagrå 5431-14M (“Dove Grey”; approximately FS 36373, a tone called “High Low Visibility Light Grey”). Surprisingly, other Swedish types in low-viz livery used different shades; the JA 37s and late J 35Js were painted in tones called mörkgrå 033M and grå 032M, even though AJSF 37s and AFAIK a single SK 37 were painted with the Gripen colors, too.
After checking a lot of Gripen pictures I selected different tones, though, because the greys appear much lighter in real life, esp. on the lower surfaces. I ended up with FS 36231 (Dark Gull Grey, Humbrol 140, a bit lighter than the Neutral Grey) and RLM 63 (Lichtgrau, Testors 2077, a very pale and cold tone). The aircraft received a low waterline with a blurry edge, and the light grey was raised at the nose up to the radome, as seen on JA 37s and JAS 39s. To make the low-viz Lansen look a little less uniform I painted the lower rear section of the fuselage in Revell 91 and 99, simulating bare metal – a measure that had been done with many Lansens because leaking fuel and oil from the engine bay would wash off any paint in this area, leaving a rather tatty look. Di-electric fairings like the nose radome and the fin tip were painted with a brownish light grey (Revell 75) instead of black, reducing contrast and simulating bare and worn fiber glass. Small details like the white tips of the small wing fences and the underwing pylons were adapted from real-world Lansens.
After a light black ink wash, I emphasized single panels with Humbrol 125 and 165 on the upper surfaces and 147 and 196 underneath. Additionally, grinded graphite was used for weathering and a grimy look – an effective method, thanks to the kit’s fine raised panel lines. The silver wing leading edges were created with decal sheet material and not painted, a clean and convenient solution that avoids masking mess.
The ECM and chaff dispenser pods were painted in a slightly different shade of grey (FS 36440, Humbrol 40). As a subtle contrast the conformal belly tank was painted with Humbrol 247 (RLM 76), a tone that comes close to the Lansens’ standard camouflage from the Sixties’ green/blue livery, with a darker front end (Humbrol 145) and a bare metal tail section.
The cockpit interior was, according to pictures of real aircraft, painted in a greenish grey; I used Revell 67 (RAL 7009, Grüngrau) for most surfaces and slightly darker Humbrol 163 for dashboards and instrument panels. The landing gear wells as well as the flaps’ interior became Aluminum Bronze (Humbrol 56), while the landing gear struts were painted in a bluish dark green (Humbrol 195) with olive drab (Revell 46) wheel hubs - a detail seen on some real-life Saab 32s and a nice contrast to the light grey all around.
All markings/decals came from RBD Studio/Moose Republic aftermarket sheets for Saab 32 and 37. From the latter the low-viz national markings and the day-glo orange tactical codes were taken, while most stencils came from the Lansen sheet. Unfortunately, the Heller kit’s OOB sheet is pretty minimalistic – but the real A/S 32s did not carry many markings, anyway. Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish. As a confusing detail I gave the aircraft an explicit “16M” unit identifier, created with single black 4 mm letters/numbers. As a stark contrast and a modern peace-time element I also gave the Lansen the typical huge day-glo orange tactical codes on the upper wings that were carried by the Swedish interceptors of the time.
A relatively simple build, thanks to the resin conversion set – otherwise, creating a more or less believable J 32E from Heller’s A 32 kit is a tough challenge. Though expensive, the parts fit and work well, and I’d recommend the set, because the shape of the J 32B’s lower nose is quite complex and scratching the bigger jet pipe needs a proper basis. The modern low-viz livery suits the vintage yet elegant Lansen well, even though it reveals the aircraft’s bulk and size; in all-grey, the Lansen has something shark- or even whale-ish to it? The aircraft/livery combo looks pretty exotic, but not uncredible - like a proven war horse.
Aira Force drops an impressive 65 feet down a ravine at the foot of Gowbarrow Fell. Aira beck starts it's journey the upper slopes of Stybarrow Dodd at a height of 720 metres and flows north-easterly before turning south, blocked by the high heather-covered slopes of Gowbarrow.
Catalog #: 10_0018494
Title: Bombardment Group; 14th Air Force; 16th Squadron; P-40s
Date: 1941-1945
Additional Information: World War Two Squadron/Group
Tags: Bombardment Group; 14th Air Force; 16th Squadron; P-40s, World War Two Squadron/Group, 1941-1945
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
Catalog #: 10_0015978
Title: Operation Allied Force Yugoslavia
Date: 1999
Additional Information: Operation Allied Force Yugoslavia
Tags: Operation Allied Force Yugoslavia, Operation Allied Force Yugoslavia, 1999
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
I just received the Anna Couture de Force Figure from the Disney Store. She is $69.95, $5 less expensive than the Elsa figure. She was actually shipped by Enesco, the manufacturer. She is an 8 inch high resin figure of Anna in her black and green Coronation outfit. She is holding a pink fan in one hand and holding up her skirt in the other. It recalls the scene of her singing the "sophisticated grace" part of "For the First Time in Forever." She is a very pretty figure, with lots of details that are true of the movie character. There is gold glitter on the fan, which does shed. There are two minor but noticeable defects in the figure. One is that the gold glitter is applied unevenly on the front of the fan. The other is that there is a small gash in her left shoulder (to our right), that also cuts into the strap of her gown. Other than that, the details and painting are very nicely down. She is very sturdy free standing, and is considerably heavier than the companion Elsa figure.
I photograph Anna from all angles, and also show her with the Elsa Couture de Force Figure. I like the rendering of Elsa's face better than Anna, and Elsa's transparent cape is amazing, and is unlike that of any other Elsa figure. But the Anna figure is matches with Elsa very well. Both of them are still available from the US Disney Store website.
U.S. and Portuguese airmen compete in the Defender Challenge May 30, 2014, at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal. The Portuguese air force held the challenge in celebration of the 59th anniversary of the Air Police Squadron. The challenge tested the airmen’s strength, endurance and ability to work together to accomplish tasks. (U.S. Air Force photo by Guido Melo/Released)
Force HC - Engine 1298cc
Race Number 62 Nicholas Scott
The Force HC was designed as a hillclimb car weighing just 340kg the HC is powerd by a gen 1 hayabusa with flat slide carbs. Short sump with swing arm
Many thanks for a fantabulous
45,318,206 views
Shot 11:10:2015 at the Midland Auto Club, (Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship) Curborough Sprint - Ref 110-492
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles are a family of armored fighting vehicles designed for the U.S. Army and United States Marine Corps with of goal of surviving IED attacks and ambushes - prompted by US deaths in in Iraq.
F-22 Raptor fighters from the 27th Fighter Squadron share the Kadena Air Force Base ramp in Okinawa, Japan, on February 28, 2007.
Caracal Battalion Conducts Concluding Exercise
Last week, the Caracal Battalion conducted a concluding exercise in Southern Israel, testing the cadets' abilities and knowledge in the field. April 10, 2012
The Caracal Battalion was created to accommodate women seeking to join a combat unit and fight alongside men. In 2004, the unit was recognized as an official battalion.
The Israel Defense Forces Facebook
The Israel Defense Forces blog
Follow us on Twitter
Pavements and equipment Airmen from the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron repair sections of the runway Aug. 27, 2014, at Langley Air Force Base, Va. According to 633rd CES leadership the improvements will provide a safe environment to sustain current flying operations, and secure future mission capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Connor Estes/Released)