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"This [Qur'an] is notification for the people that they may be warned thereby and that they may know that He (Allah) is but one God and that those of understanding will be reminded." (Surah Ibrahim, Ayah 52)
[Vertorama]
1. Photograph using 3 steps - foreground, center, sky.
2. Each shot contains 9 exposures (27 exposures in total).
3. Manually tonemapped each image and then merge all together using Photoshop CS5
4. Auto merge center and sky and then manually mask the foreground image.
5. Finalized using ACR and CS5
Note: If you noticed, Allah's name engraved at the center of the dome
Coachwork by Pininfarina
Chassis n° 915.696
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 600.000 - 800.000
Sold
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
A development of the pre-war 6C 2300 and 2500, the 6C 2500 Super Sport is the ultimate variant of the elegant, glamorous, and luxurious Alfa Romeos that were developed under the guidance of engineers Vittorio Jano and Wilfredo Ricart (before the latter left to establish Pegaso). Pinin Farina's cabriolet was presented in Lausanne on 4th and 5th October 1946 at the Premières Journées d'Elégance event, which aimed to revive Italian coachbuilding after WW2.
This car boasts arguably the most iconic body style for this model: a design that exhibits Pinin Farina's typical stylistic features such as integrated headlights, flowing and continuous lines, and recessed door handles (also typical of the Ferrari and Cisitalia cars designed by Pinin Farina in this period). It is finished in the beautiful original colour combination of Petrol Green with tan leather interior and beige soft-top.
The specification is state-of-the-art for the time, including a twin-overhead-camshaft engine and independent suspension all round. Alfa Romeo ambitiously raced the 6C 2300 and 2500, amassing an impressive string of victories and podium finishes including 1st and 2nd in the 1937 Mille Miglia; 1, 2, 3 in the 1937 6-hour Targa Abruzzo at Pescara; and another Pescara win in 1938. These successes continued after the end of WW2, including an overall win in the 1950 Targa Florio.
The most technically potent of several 6C 2500 models was the Super Sport. With three Weber carburettors it produced 110bhp even on the low-octane fuel available in Europe at the time. The 6C 2500's relatively stiff frame and four-wheel independent suspension delivered this power to the road much better than the typically cart-sprung live-axle cars of the day. Easier on drivers and passengers, the suspension's supple ride ensued that a competitor would remain alert at the end of the Mille Miglia, as well as enabling the owner of this Gran Turismo Alfa to emerge fresh at the end of a road trip to Cannes.
Their combination of sophisticated engineering, durability, and attractive bodywork has ensured that the 6C 2500 is, and has always been, highly sought after by collectors and performance-minded enthusiasts. Three variants were built post-war, including the two closed versions: one by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, and one in house by Alfa Romeo.
Most exclusive of the post-war 6C 2500 line was the 6C 2500 Super Sport, built on a short (2.7 metres) chassis and intended exclusively for coachbuilt bodywork. Total production of the 6C 2500 Super Sport was 458 units, of which 75 were built between 1939-1943 and 383 between 1947-1951. According to the Fabio Morlacchi and Stefano Salvetti books, around 63 Super Sport Pinin Farina cabriolets were manufactured after the war. With such an exalted pedigree it is not surprising that the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport should attract the attention of filmmakers, director/producer Joseph L Mankiewicz casting one ('915.834') in his 1954 movie, The Barefoot Contessa, in which it was driven by Humphrey Bogart alongside his co-star, Ava Gardner (photographs and a film extract may be found in the car's history file).
A '2nd series' example, chassis number '915.696 has an exceptionally well-documented history. This particular car boasts matching numbers and colours, the latter an elegant and rare combination, and a body by one of the most prestigious Italian coachbuilders: Carrozzeria Pinin Farina. It is likely the only one to have been ordered with such a colour combination.
The car has a known and documented history from 1948 until today, including more than 50 original document pages; letters to Alfa Romeo in Italy; bills; photographs, etc, all of which contributes to making this car unique. It represents the best of both worlds: a sure protagonist at the most prestigious Concours d'Élégance venues such as Villa d'Este, Chantilly, Pebble Beach, etc while at the same time being an unusual and unexpectedly capable sports car for long-distance competitions (it is eligible for the Mille Miglia and other high profile international rallies).
• Major component identification numbers are as follows:
• Chassis: 915.696 ('2nd series')
• Engine: 928.001
• Pinin Farina body: 153
• Body structure: 10044
• Gearbox: 945.808 (22 x 39)
• Drive shaft: 963.840
• Rear axle: 985.688, 15 x 59
• Weber Carburettors Tipo 36 DO2: 362, 1108, 1112
• Suspension legs: 963.840
Chassis number '915.696' was produced on 25th October 1948 and sold on 11th April 1949 to Mr Edmondo Cornudet of Milan, Italy, who drove the car for the first years of its life. In 1958 Mr Cornudet put his Alfa up for sale and the car was sold to Mr Fred Puhn, an American from San Diego, California. Fred Puhn, who worked part time in a grocery store, had seen a classified advertisement in the San Diego newspaper for several exotic Italian cars. He called immediately and talked to the seller, Mr Bill Brehaut, who was importing and selling used Italian cars from his home. It turned out that Bill Brehaut was one of the two men who started Road & Track magazine!
The car on offer, an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Pinin Farina convertible, was too expensive ($2,000) for Fred Puhn. He then decided to ask Bill Brehaut to find a less expensive car and paid for it by cheque ($550) on 27th May 1958. Later in 1958, Bill Brehaut's business partner in Italy, Mr Michele Vernola from Milan, notified him of a car that was right for Fred Puhn. It was a 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Pinin Farina convertible just like the one he first rode in. The price was only $585 in Italy because the car had covered 100,000 kilometres and needed a repaint. The Alfa was not of the quality Messrs Brehaut and Vernola liked to deal in, but nevertheless they decided to import it as a special favour for Fred Puhn, who had spent all his savings purchasing the car. Other costs were shipping up to $330; duties up to $45; Bill Brehaut's fees up to $20; and Michele Vernola's fees up to $100.
When Fred Puhn received the shipping papers he went to the port of Long Beach to see the car for the first time: "It was beautiful, faded grey paint and threadbare top aside; it was the car of my youthful dreams". Of course, he had to come back on another day to get it through customs; the customs declaration was dated 20th November 1959.
With his friend, Jerry, Fred travelled again to Long Beach to collect the car. They put a little gas in it, and it fired up straight away. The exhaust was a little smoky, but otherwise it ran well: "I was on a cloud as we drove down Highway 101 back to San Diego. We stopped at San Juan Capistrano for lunch and a photo (see attached picture). It was the only photo I would have of car in its original state, for disaster loomed ahead.
"We were only a few minutes from home in San Diego and passed under a freeway. I marvelled at the echo of the exhaust in the tunnel and pushed on the throttle to amplify it. In the next instant, an old Ford coming the other way suddenly turned left in front of us. I crashed into the Ford with the brakes locked. The Ford driver took off trying to escape the consequences. Jerry leaped out my Alfa, flagged down a passing car and took after the escaping culprit. He caught him a few blocks away and brought him to the back scene. The cops then arrived and promptly gave me a ticket for no registration or plates (contrary to what the DMV told me over the phone). The guy who caused the accident had no insurance but promised in writing to pay for my repairs. He never did. The Alfa would drive if you did not turn the steering wheel much, so we limped home. I was more than demoralised. It was hard not to cry in front of my friends.
"The next few months were spent going into debt and watching a craftsman slowly repair the Alfa. Finally, it was done, so I painted it red. After that, there were good both times and had times with the car. I drove it to college and parked it next to my friend Jerry's newly acquired FIAT 8V. Going to school with the top down was a blast on a winding canyon road, and I raced every car I saw. The Alfa even made a trip to the Colton drag strip and won a trophy by beating a VW Beetle. I took out a girl on a date in the Alfa, but she complained at being stared at because the car had right-hand drive. I impressed my hot-rodder friend by taking him for a ride at night and showing him 150 (kph) on the speedometer. He thought it was miles per hour."
The Alfa's registration plate was in 1960 was 'PSX 679'. Fred Puhn took good care of his car and eventually overhauled the complex hand-built engine. On 14th December 1960 he bought various parts from Michele Vernola including new bearings and a timing chain, as well as some valves and valve springs He also had the cylinder block bored at Westerlund & Lange on 5th August 1961 in order to fit a set of new pistons. Other machining work done at Westerlund and Lange on 30th September 1961 including grinding the crankshaft and line-boring the main bearings.
But despite all those works the oil pressure was falling again, leading Fred Puhn to conclude: "I am sure it was a mistake I made putting the pressure relief valve back together." "In a fit of depression", he traded the car for an MG TF to Mr John M Schoenfeld, 3353 Albatross, San Diego, California, who kept it for eight years. Despite its lubrication problem, the Alfa obviously left a deep impression on Fred Puhn, who some 50 years later wrote an article about it for the July 2012 edition of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club's magazine in the USA!
On 28th June 1963, John Schoenfeld had the seats reupholstered in blue at Hillcrest Auto Top Shop for $81.80 (see invoice naming both Hillcrest Auto Top Shop and Hydro Products Co).
In 1963, he changed the clutch, the brakes and the master cylinder, and repaired some of the instruments. He also ordered new rod bearings from Michele Vernola. A service bill from Morena Blvd., San Diego, California dated 15th July 1963 showed a total of 76,214 kilometres recorded at that time. Hence, we can deduce that the car, which had 100,000 kilometres recorded in 1959, in fact had covered 176,214 kilometres by June 1963 as the odometer has only five digits.
In 1965 John M. Schoenfeld sold the Alfa Romeo to Mr Lew Skaug, Chula Vista, San Diego, California, who registered it on 10th May '65. On 22nd September 1965, he was looking for new connecting bearing rods and main bearings. In 1965, the car was registered 'LLB 313'. It seems that this was the only occasion Lew Skaug paid the annual license fee, so it is likely that the car was not driven much at this time.
In June 1970, Lew Skaug sold the car to Mr Robert Craft Archibald, 4216 Morrell, San Diego, California, CA, who registered it on 31st July of that year. Unfortunately there is no information available for his period of ownership. In 1980 Robert Archibald sold the Alfa Romeo for $800 to Mr Howard Staniforth, the father of the last owner who kept the car until 2013; he got the car running and drove it a short distance. Subsequently, the car was dismantled and Howard Staniforth commenced some cosmetic refurbishment in his small workshop (Staniforth Electric), although without finishing the work (see photographs taken prior to 2013).
On 16th October 2013, with the odometer showing 80,255 kilometres (almost certainly 180,255 in actuality), the car was sold by Howard Staniforth's son to broker Fantasy Junction of Emeryville, California (US title under the name of Fantasy Junction in file), who in turn sold it to another broker, Mr Francisco Ramos García of Classic Road, Madrid, Spain. The car arrived in Europe through the port of Alicante, Spain, on 17th July 2014 and was customs cleared.
Before selling the car to Fantasy Junction, Ray Staniforth wrote a short history of his car (see pictures in file and online catalogue).
By the end of 2015 the Alfa had been sold to Mr Andrea Sivieri from Ferrara, Italy, who made the decision to start a complete restoration in the autumn of 2016. However, he was unable to proceed because of the task's complexity and insufficient funds. A full restoration commenced in France in March 2019, and after more than 5,000 hours of work was finally completed in the spring of 2022 (important restoration file with 2400 photos). Some 99% of the original parts were retained during the restoration, including the Borrani wheels.
The car comes with a French carte grise de collection, a 1947 Alfa Romeo reproduction brochure La nuova 6C 2500 2a serie tipo Sport e Super Sport. In addition, some original manuals from 1948 and 1949: Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Series II Owner's Manual for the Sport and & Super Sport, and Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Series II & III Workshop/Spare Parts Manual for the Sport & Super Sport, are available if required.
This exceptional 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet by Pinin Farina must be one of the most handsome of post-war Alfa Romeos and would be a worthy addition to any connoisseur's collection. It is more than a wonderful car: it is a masterpiece.
Detail from The Ten Largest. Part of the Paintings for the Temple (1907) by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944). Exhibition in Kunstmuseum The Hague NL.
The view outside my window the other night. Couldn't help but grab the camera!
There was a great colour behind the moon but i have also added a texture here too which i don't ever do but feel it works well..
Voiceb©x
view (L)arge
I believe, Mother's Guidance is key to every child's life in this Earth. This is my wife guiding my daughter in the zoo. God could not be here, so he has send us Mother. This is a little different from my last two uploads in this series.
This photograph may not be as smart as any other photo, but it holds a big significance to me ;-)
The Rihno in the picture is the same one that I shared yesterday.
Taken in Alipore Zoo. This is the third photograph in this series where I will be uploading photos taken during my day out in the zoo. You may visit the full series at The Alipore Zoo set.
Taken near Goodwill, Oklahoma with a fast moving thunderstorm passing thru and hints of the sun, giving way.
Before I die I'm tryna f*ck you, baby
Hopefully we don't have no babies
I don't even wanna go back home
Hopefully, I don't leave you on your own
Ayy
Trips that you plan for the next whole week
Bands too long for a ni**a so cheap
And your flex OD, and your sex OD
You got it, girl, you got it (ayy)
You got it, girl, you got (yeah)
Pretty lil' thing, you got a bag and now you wildin'
You just took it off the lot, no mileage
Way they hittin' you, the DM lookin' violent
Talkin' wild, you come around and now they silent
Flew the coop at 17, no guidance
You be stayin' low but you know what the vibes is
Ain't never got you nowhere bein' modest
Poppin' shit but only 'cause you know you're poppin', yeah
No Guidance - Chris Brown ft Drake
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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The OV-10 Bronco was initially conceived in the early 1960s through an informal collaboration between W. H. Beckett and Colonel K. P. Rice, U.S. Marine Corps, who met at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, and who also happened to live near each other. The original concept was for a rugged, simple, close air support aircraft integrated with forward ground operations. At the time, the U.S. Army was still experimenting with armed helicopters, and the U.S. Air Force was not interested in close air support.
The concept aircraft was to operate from expedient forward air bases using roads as runways. Speed was to be from very slow to medium subsonic, with much longer loiter times than a pure jet. Efficient turboprop engines would give better performance than piston engines. Weapons were to be mounted on the centerline to get efficient aiming. The inventors favored strafing weapons such as self-loading recoilless rifles, which could deliver aimed explosive shells with less recoil than cannons, and a lower per-round weight than rockets. The airframe was to be designed to avoid the back blast.
Beckett and Rice developed a basic platform meeting these requirements, then attempted to build a fiberglass prototype in a garage. The effort produced enthusiastic supporters and an informal pamphlet describing the concept. W. H. Beckett, who had retired from the Marine Corps, went to work at North American Aviation to sell the aircraft.
The aircraft's design supported effective operations from forward bases. The OV-10 had a central nacelle containing a crew of two in tandem and space for cargo, and twin booms containing twin turboprop engines. The visually distinctive feature of the aircraft is the combination of the twin booms, with the horizontal stabilizer that connected them at the fin tips. The OV-10 could perform short takeoffs and landings, including on aircraft carriers and large-deck amphibious assault ships without using catapults or arresting wires. Further, the OV-10 was designed to take off and land on unimproved sites. Repairs could be made with ordinary tools. No ground equipment was required to start the engines. And, if necessary, the engines would operate on high-octane automobile fuel with only a slight loss of power.
The aircraft had responsive handling and could fly for up to 5½ hours with external fuel tanks. The cockpit had extremely good visibility for both pilot and co-pilot, provided by a wrap-around "greenhouse" that was wider than the fuselage. North American Rockwell custom ejection seats were standard, with many successful ejections during service. With the second seat removed, the OV-10 could carry 3,200 pounds (1,500 kg) of cargo, five paratroopers, or two litter patients and an attendant. Empty weight was 6,969 pounds (3,161 kg). Normal operating fueled weight with two crew was 9,908 pounds (4,494 kg). Maximum takeoff weight was 14,446 pounds (6,553 kg).
The bottom of the fuselage bore sponsons or "stub wings" that improved flight performance by decreasing aerodynamic drag underneath the fuselage. Normally, four 7.62 mm (.308 in) M60C machine guns were carried on the sponsons, accessed through large forward-opening hatches. The sponsons also had four racks to carry bombs, pods, or fuel. The wings outboard of the engines contained two additional hardpoints, one per side. Racked armament in the Vietnam War was usually seven-shot 2.75 in (70 mm) rocket pods with white phosphorus marker rounds or high-explosive rockets, or 5" (127 mm) four-shot Zuni rocket pods. Bombs, ADSIDS air-delivered/para-dropped unattended seismic sensors, Mk-6 battlefield illumination flares, and other stores were also carried.
Operational experience showed some weaknesses in the OV-10's design. It was significantly underpowered, which contributed to crashes in Vietnam in sloping terrain because the pilots could not climb fast enough. While specifications stated that the aircraft could reach 26,000 feet (7,900 m), in Vietnam the aircraft could reach only 18,000 feet (5,500 m). Also, no OV-10 pilot survived ditching the aircraft.
The OV-10 served in the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy, as well as in the service of a number of other countries. In U.S. military service, the Bronco was operated until the early Nineties, and obsoleted USAF OV-10s were passed on to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms for anti-drug operations. A number of OV-10As furthermore ended up in the hands of the California Department of Forestry (CDF) and were used for spotting fires and directing fire bombers onto hot spots.
This was not the end of the OV-10 in American military service, though: In 2012, the type gained new attention because of its unique qualities. A $20 million budget was allocated to activate an experimental USAF unit of two airworthy OV-10Gs, acquired from NASA and the State Department. These machines were retrofitted with military equipment and were, starting in May 2015, deployed overseas to support Operation “Inherent Resolve”, flying more than 120 combat sorties over 82 days over Iraq and Syria. Their concrete missions remained unclear, and it is speculated they provided close air support for Special Forces missions, esp. in confined urban environments where the Broncos’ loitering time and high agility at low speed and altitude made them highly effective and less vulnerable than helicopters.
Furthermore, these Broncos reputedly performed strikes with the experimental AGR-20A “Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS)”, a Hydra 70-millimeter rocket with a laser-seeking head as guidance - developed for precision strikes against small urban targets with little collateral damage. The experiment ended satisfactorily, but the machines were retired again, and the small unit was dissolved.
However, the machines had shown their worth in asymmetric warfare, and the U.S. Air Force decided to invest in reactivating the OV-10 on a regular basis, despite the overhead cost of operating an additional aircraft type in relatively small numbers – but development and production of a similar new type would have caused much higher costs, with an uncertain time until an operational aircraft would be ready for service. Re-activating a proven design and updating an existing airframe appeared more efficient.
The result became the MV-10H, suitably christened “Super Bronco” but also known as “Black Pony”, after the program's internal name. This aircraft was derived from the official OV-10X proposal by Boeing from 2009 for the USAF's Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance requirement. Initially, Boeing proposed to re-start OV-10 manufacture, but this was deemed uneconomical, due to the expected small production number of new serial aircraft, so the “Black Pony” program became a modernization project. In consequence, all airframes for the "new" MV-10Hs were recovered OV-10s of various types from the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
While the revamped aircraft would maintain much of its 1960s-vintage rugged external design, modernizations included a completely new, armored central fuselage with a highly modified cockpit section, ejection seats and a computerized glass cockpit. The “Black Pony” OV-10 had full dual controls, so that either crewmen could steer the aircraft while the other operated sensors and/or weapons. This feature would also improve survivability in case of incapacitation of a crew member as the result from a hit.
The cockpit armor protected the crew and many vital systems from 23mm shells and shrapnel (e. g. from MANPADS). The crew still sat in tandem under a common, generously glazed canopy with flat, bulletproof panels for reduced sun reflections, with the pilot in the front seat and an observer/WSO behind. The Bronco’s original cargo capacity and the rear door were retained, even though the extra armor and defensive measures like chaff/flare dispensers as well as an additional fuel cell in the central fuselage limited the capacity. However, it was still possible to carry and deploy personnel, e. g. small special ops teams of up to four when the aircraft flew in clean configuration.
Additional updates for the MV-10H included structural reinforcements for a higher AUW and higher g load maneuvers, similar to OV-10D+ standards. The landing gear was also reinforced, and the aircraft kept its ability to operate from short, improvised airstrips. A fixed refueling probe was added to improve range and loiter time.
Intelligence sensors and smart weapon capabilities included a FLIR sensor and a laser range finder/target designator, both mounted in a small turret on the aircraft’s nose. The MV-10H was also outfitted with a data link and the ability to carry an integrated targeting pod such as the Northrop Grumman LITENING or the Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP). Also included was the Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) to provide live sensor data and video recordings to personnel on the ground.
To improve overall performance and to better cope with the higher empty weight of the modified aircraft as well as with operations under hot-and-high conditions, the engines were beefed up. The new General Electric CT7-9D turboprop engines improved the Bronco's performance considerably: top speed increased by 100 mph (160 km/h), the climb rate was tripled (a weak point of early OV-10s despite the type’s good STOL capability) and both take-off as well as landing run were almost halved. The new engines called for longer nacelles, and their circular diameter markedly differed from the former Garrett T76-G-420/421 turboprop engines. To better exploit the additional power and reduce the aircraft’s audio signature, reversible contraprops, each with eight fiberglass blades, were fitted. These allowed a reduced number of revolutions per minute, resulting in less noise from the blades and their tips, while the engine responsiveness was greatly improved. The CT7-9Ds’ exhausts were fitted with muzzlers/air mixers to further reduce the aircraft's noise and heat signature.
Another novel and striking feature was the addition of so-called “tip sails” to the wings: each wingtip was elongated with a small, cigar-shaped fairing, each carrying three staggered, small “feather blade” winglets. Reputedly, this installation contributed ~10% to the higher climb rate and improved lift/drag ratio by ~6%, improving range and loiter time, too.
Drawing from the Iraq experience as well as from the USMC’s NOGS test program with a converted OV-10D as a night/all-weather gunship/reconnaissance platform, the MV-10H received a heavier gun armament: the original four light machine guns that were only good for strafing unarmored targets were deleted and their space in the sponsons replaced by avionics. Instead, the aircraft was outfitted with a lightweight M197 three-barrel 20mm gatling gun in a chin turret. This could be fixed in a forward position at high speed or when carrying forward-firing ordnance under the stub wings, or it could be deployed to cover a wide field of fire under the aircraft when it was flying slower, being either slaved to the FLIR or to a helmet sighting auto targeting system.
The original seven hardpoints were retained (1x ventral, 2x under each sponson, and another pair under the outer wings), but the total ordnance load was slightly increased and an additional pair of launch rails for AIM-9 Sidewinders or other light AAMs under the wing tips were added – not only as a defensive measure, but also with an anti-helicopter role in mind; four more Sidewinders could be carried on twin launchers under the outer wings against aerial targets. Other guided weapons cleared for the MV-10H were the light laser-guided AGR-20A and AGM-119 Hellfire missiles, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System upgrade to the light Hydra 70 rockets, the new Laser Guided Zuni Rocket which had been cleared for service in 2010, TV-/IR-/laser-guided AGM-65 Maverick AGMs and AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radar missiles, plus a wide range of gun and missile pods, iron and cluster bombs, as well as ECM and flare/chaff pods, which were not only carried defensively, but also in order to disrupt enemy ground communication.
In this configuration, a contract for the conversion of twelve mothballed American Broncos to the new MV-10H standard was signed with Boeing in 2016, and the first MV-10H was handed over to the USAF in early 2018, with further deliveries lasting into early 2020. All machines were allocated to the newly founded 919th Special Operations Support Squadron at Duke Field (Florida). This unit was part of the 919th Special Operations Wing, an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It was assigned to the Tenth Air Force of Air Force Reserve Command and an associate unit of the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). If mobilized the wing was gained by AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) to support Special Tactics, the U.S. Air Force's special operations ground force. Similar in ability and employment to Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), U.S. Army Special Forces and U.S. Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Tactics personnel were typically the first to enter combat and often found themselves deep behind enemy lines in demanding, austere conditions, usually with little or no support.
The MV-10Hs are expected to provide support for these ground units in the form of all-weather reconnaissance and observation, close air support and also forward air control duties for supporting ground units. Precision ground strikes and protection from enemy helicopters and low-flying aircraft were other, secondary missions for the modernized Broncos, which are expected to serve well into the 2040s. Exports or conversions of foreign OV-10s to the Black Pony standard are not planned, though.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 42 ft 2½ in (12,88 m) incl. pitot
Wingspan: 45 ft 10½ in(14 m) incl. tip sails
Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)
Wing area: 290.95 sq ft (27.03 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64A315
Empty weight: 9,090 lb (4,127 kg)
Gross weight: 13,068 lb (5,931 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 17,318 lb (7,862 kg)
Powerplant:
2× General Electric CT7-9D turboprop engines, 1,305 kW (1,750 hp) each,
driving 8-bladed Hamilton Standard 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) diameter constant-speed,
fully feathering, reversible contra-rotating propellers with metal hub and composite blades
Performance:
Maximum speed: 390 mph (340 kn, 625 km/h)
Combat range: 198 nmi (228 mi, 367 km)
Ferry range: 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi, 2,200 km) with auxiliary fuel
Maximum loiter time: 5.5 h with auxiliary fuel
Service ceiling: 32.750 ft (10,000 m)
13,500 ft (4.210 m) on one engine
Rate of climb: 17.400 ft/min (48 m/s) at sea level
Take-off run: 480 ft (150 m)
740 ft (227 m) to 50 ft (15 m)
1,870 ft (570 m) to 50 ft (15 m) at MTOW
Landing run: 490 ft (150 m)
785 ft (240 m) at MTOW
1,015 ft (310 m) from 50 ft (15 m)
Armament:
1x M197 3-barreled 20 mm Gatling cannon in a chin turret with 750 rounds ammo capacity
7x hardpoints for a total load of 5.000 lb (2,270 kg)
2x wingtip launch rails for AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs
The kit and its assembly:
This fictional Bronco update/conversion was simply spawned by the idea: could it be possible to replace the original cockpit section with one from an AH-1 Cobra, for a kind of gunship version?
The basis is the Academy OV-10D kit, mated with the cockpit section from a Fujimi AH-1S TOW Cobra (Revell re-boxing, though), chosen because of its “boxy” cockpit section with flat glass panels – I think that it conveys the idea of an armored cockpit section best. Combining these parts was not easy, though, even though the plan sound simple. Initially, the Bronco’s twin booms, wings and stabilizer were built separately, because this made PSR on these sections easier than trying the same on a completed airframe. One of the initial challenges: the different engines. I wanted something uprated, and a different look, and I had a pair of (excellent!) 1:144 resin engines from the Russian company Kompakt Zip for a Tu-95 bomber at hand, which come together with movable(!) eight-blade contraprops that were an almost perfect size match for the original three-blade props. Biggest problem: the Tu-95 nacelles have a perfectly circular diameter, while the OV-10’s booms are square and rectangular. Combining these parts and shapes was already a messy PST affair, but it worked out quite well – even though the result rather reminds of some Chinese upgrade measure (anyone know the Tu-4 copies with turboprops? This here looks similar!). But while not pretty, I think that the beafier look works well and adds to the idea of a “revived” aircraft. And you can hardly beat the menacing look of contraprops on anything...
The exotic, so-called “tip sails” on the wings, mounted on short booms, are a detail borrowed from the Shijiazhuang Y-5B-100, an updated Chinese variant/copy of the Antonov An-2 biplane transporter. The booms are simple pieces of sprue from the Bronco kit, the winglets were cut from 0.5mm styrene sheet.
For the cockpit donor, the AH-1’s front section was roughly built, including the engine section (which is a separate module, so that the basic kit can be sold with different engine sections), and then the helicopter hull was cut and trimmed down to match the original Bronco pod and to fit under the wing. This became more complicated than expected, because a) the AH-1 cockpit and the nose are considerably shorter than the OV-10s, b) the AH-1 fuselage is markedly taller than the Bronco’s and c) the engine section, which would end up in the area of the wing, features major recesses, making the surface very uneven – calling for massive PSR to even this out. PSR was also necessary to hide the openings for the Fujimi AH-1’s stub wings. Other issues: the front landing gear (and its well) had to be added, as well as the OV-10 wing stubs. Furthermore, the new cockpit pod’s rear section needed an aerodynamical end/fairing, but I found a leftover Academy OV-10 section from a build/kitbashing many moons ago. Perfect match!
All these challenges could be tackled, even though the AH-1 cockpit looks surprisingly stout and massive on the Bronco’s airframe - the result looks stockier than expected, but it works well for the "Gunship" theme. Lots of PSR went into the new central fuselage section, though, even before it was mated with the OV-10 wing and the rest of the model.
Once cockpit and wing were finally mated, the seams had to disappear under even more PSR and a spinal extension of the canopy had to be sculpted across the upper wing surface, which would meld with the pod’s tail in a (more or less) harmonious shape. Not an easy task, and the fairing was eventually sculpted with 2C putty, plus even more PSR… Looks quite homogenous, though.
After this massive body work, other hardware challenges appeared like small distractions. The landing gear was another major issue because the deeper AH-1 section lowered the ground clearance, also because of the chin turret. To counter this, I raised the OV-10’s main landing gear by ~2mm – not much, but it was enough to create a credible stance, together with the front landing gear transplant under the cockpit, which received an internal console to match the main landing gear’s length. Due to the chin turret and the shorter nose, the front wheel retracts backwards now. But this looks quite plausible, thanks to the additional space under the cockpit tub, which also made a belt feed for the gun’s ammunition supply believable.
To enhance the menacing look I gave the model a fixed refueling boom, made from 1mm steel wire and a receptor adapter sculpted with white glue. The latter stuff was also used add some antenna fairings around the hull. Some antennae, chaff dispensers and an IR decoy were taken from the Academy kit.
The ordnance came from various sources. The Sidewinders under the wing tips were taken from an Italeri F-16C/D kit, they look better than the missiles from the Academy Bronco kit. Their launch rails came from an Italeri Bae Hawk 200. The quadruple Hellfire launchers on the underwing hardpoints were left over from an Italeri AH-1W, and they are a perfect load for this aircraft and its role. The LAU-10 and -19 missile pods on the stub wings were taken from the OV-10 kit.
Painting and markings:
Finding a suitable and somewhat interesting – but still plausible – paint scheme was not easy. Taking the A-10 as benchmark, an overall light grey livery (with focus on low contrast against the sky as protection against ground fire) would have been a likely choice – and in fact the last operational American OV-10s were painted in this fashion. But in order to provide a different look I used the contemporary USAF V-22Bs and Special Operations MC-130s as benchmark, which typically carry a darker paint scheme consisting of FS 36118 (suitably “Gunship Gray” :D) from above, FS 36375 underneath, with a low, wavy waterline, plus low-viz markings. Not spectacular, but plausible – and very similar to the late r/w Colombian OV-10s.
The cockpit tub became Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Humbrol 140) and the landing gear white (Revell 301).
The model received an overall black ink washing and some post-panel-shading, to liven up the dull all-grey livery. The decals were gathered from various sources, and I settled for black USAF low-viz markings. The “stars and bars” come from a late USAF F-4, the “IP” tail code was tailored from F-16 markings and the shark mouth was taken from an Academy AH-64. Most stencils came from another Academy OV-10 sheet and some other sources.
Decals were also used to create the trim on the propeller blades and markings on the ordnance.
Finally, the model was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and some exhaust soot stains were added with graphite along the tail boom flanks.
A successful transplantation – but is this still a modified Bronco or already a kitbashing? The result looks quite plausible and menacing, even though the TOW Cobra front section appears relatively massive. But thanks to the bigger engines and extended wing tips the proportions still work. The large low-pressure tires look a bit goofy under the aircraft, but they are original. The grey livery works IMHO well, too – a more colorful or garish scheme would certainly have distracted from the modified technical basis.
I didn't realise the chap in the picture was blind until I looked at the picture on my monitor and noticed his white guidance stick folded down in his hand.
The reason I took the picture was because I was really heartened to see a really old couple out and about, not wearing face masks, and who were not deterred by the doom mongering propaganda from the 2 previous years.
Victime d'atrocités ? Non... C'est plutôt une modèle maquillée par le spécialiste d'effets spéciaux Rémy Couture. Très habile le mec !
La supervision des parents est conseillée.
Victim of atrocities? No ... It is rather a model wearing makeup by the special effects specialist Remy Couture. The guy is very skilled!
Parental guidance is advised.
Press L to view in full screen.
Gentle Guidance.
Thanks for your views, faves and supportive comments. These are always very much appreciated.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.
The Center for Disease Control has recently issued guidance that recommends we all wear face masks when we go out to prevent us, if we happen to be infected, from transmitting the Corona Virus to others. But I don't know just how effective the practice will be.
I created a new Photoshop action script to add various layers of detail that I could play with to bring out just what I want. Certainly, this image isn't going to be to everyone's taste and borders on "overdone" to mine but I like the "gritty" detail.
If you're new to Photoshop, basically Google "surface blur sharpening" and you'll get the idea of what's being done here. I just take it to the next level by using multiple layers with varying radius and threshold values, picking the one's that work best and tweaking the fill levels for balance. Throw in some additional Lightroom adjustments and you get something like this.
I find it's most useful on cloudy day images where everything otherwise looks "soft".
Lake Park Community Church began as a Sunday School class in 1918 under the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. R.E. McLaren in what was then known as Kelsey City, Florida. As the population began to grow, the need for a regular church became apparent, and in June of 1925, Kelsey City Community Church was organized. On February 7, 1926, the congregation selected a Board of Directors as well as the Articles of Agreement and signed by the 35 charter members. Dr. J.C. Calhoun, the acting pastor of the Sunday School since March of 1924, was called as the first pastor. Mr. Harry S. Kelsey, founder of Kesey City (which became known as Lake Park), donated a house to be used as parsonage for the church.
In 1928, the Great Hurricane devastated the area and as a result, many members moved away, and new membership declined. The congregation persevered, and on February 12, 1929, the Kelsey City Community Church was formally incorporated as a legal entity in the State of Florida. In June of that year, arrangements were made to rent the Community Club building for services, and in 1938, the church acquired the Community Club building, converting it into a church, which continues to house the church to this day. At that time, there was, however, no regular pastor, and the church was used by several organizations as Christian Endeavor and the Ladies Aid Society, with a stated pastor being called in August of 1940.
The war years proved a struggle for the church, as attendance declined and services were temporarily put on hold, though Sunday School still met along with the Ladies Aid Society. In 1947, however, a new Board of Directors was elected, and they sought to revive membership by updating the by-laws, acquiring a new pastor, and initiating a new slate of church-life activities, culminating in joining the Congregational Christian Church on October 26, 1947.
Ground was broken for the Fellowship Hall in 1948, and at the end of that year, the church voted to approve a merger of all Congregational Churches with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. At that time, the church ordained and received a permanent pastor, Rev. Charles Meeker, in September 1949. It was in that same year that another hurricane damaged the church, and the church, once again, repaired and renovated the church.
In 1950, the congregation began building a parsonage, and on November 2 of that year, the church celebrated its 25th anniversary. The parsonage was completed on September 16, 1951, and in 1958, an educational wing was added to the Fellowship Hall.
In 1965, the congregation adopted a new constitution, joining the United Church of Christ, and changed the name of the church to Community United Church of Christ.
Through a gift from Swanee Kurtz, the Carillon was added to the church building in 1979, and in 1982, Fellowship Hall was remodeled, the Narthex as added to the Sanctuary, and stained glass windows were donated and installed to the church. In 1991, the west side rooms of the church were renovated.
In August of 2023, the church called Rev. David Williams as the new full-time pastor, and in October of the same year, the congregation voted to depart the United Church of Christ and change the name to Lake Park Community Church, recapturing her heritage.
Through the years, the church has held various services and activities. The Sunday School, which formed the church’s foundation, continues, along with Adult Bible classes, various outreach campaigns, and international mission work.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
pbcpao.gov/Property/Details?parcelId=36434220010190020
www.lakeparkflorida.gov/government/historic-structures
www.facebook.com/people/Lake-Park-Community-Church/615532...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.