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Iturrarango lorategi botanikoa

 

Aia

 

ASTERACEAE

  

Hemicriptófito., 35-70(90) cm. VI-IX. Repisas herbosas de roquedos, pastos de laderas sombrías, graveras, en ambientes frescos; (350)900-1900 m. Montañas pirenaicas y septentrionales: (E)R; Valles atlánticos: RARÍSIMA. Orófito Europeo. W: endemismo pirenaico-cantábrico.

 

(Berriatua, Orozko, Urduña/Orduña) Burgos Gipuzkoa(Aia, Amezketa, Asteasu, Azkoitia, Bergara, Getaria, Zestoa)

Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive

 

With the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive, Mercedes-AMG is entering a new era: the locally emission-free super sports car featuring advanced technology from the world of Formula 1 is the most exclusive and dynamic way in which to drive an electric car. The most powerful AMG high-performance vehicle of all time has four electric motors producing a total output of 552 kW and a maximum torque of 1000 Nm. As a result, the gullwing model has become the world's fastest electrically-powered series production vehicle: the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.

 

A new dimension of driving performance - a convincing synonym for the AMG brand promise are the outstanding driving dynamics which come courtesy of AMG Torque Dynamics as well as torque distribution to individual wheels, which is made possible by means of wheel-selective all-wheel drive. The most "electrifying" gullwing model ever has been developed in-house by Mercedes-AMG GmbH. The high-voltage battery for the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is the result of cooperation between Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth (GB). This is an area in which the British Formula 1 experts were able to contribute their extensive know-how with KERS hybrid concepts.

 

"The SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is setting new standards for cars with electric drives. As the most powerful gullwing model ever, it is also representative of the enduring innovational strength of Mercedes-AMG. Our vision of the most dynamic electric vehicle has become a reality. With the help of our colleagues at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, we are bringing exciting advanced technology from the world of Formula 1 to the road", according to Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

 

Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive (2014)

2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive

  

Pioneering, visionary, electrifying: the powerful and locally emission-free super sports car with electric drive also embodies the development competence of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. With this innovative and unique drive solution, AMG - as the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz - is demonstrating its technological leadership in this segment. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is aimed at technology-minded super sports car fans who are open to new ideas and enthusiastic about ambitious high-tech solutions for the future of motoring.

 

Enormous thrust thanks to 1000 Nm of torque

 

The pioneering drive package in the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is impressive and guarantees a completely innovative and electrifying driving experience: enormous thrust comes courtesy of four synchronous electric motors providing a combined maximum output of 552 kW and maximum torque of 1000 Nm. The very special gullwing model accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited). The agile response to accelerator pedal input and the linear power output provide pure excitement: unlike with a combustion engine, the build-up of torque is instantaneous with electric motors - maximum torque is effectively available from a standstill. The spontaneous build-up of torque and the forceful power delivery without any interruption of tractive power are combined with completely vibration-free engine running characteristics.

 

The four compact permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors, each weighing 45 kg, achieve a maximum individual speed of 13,000 rpm and in each case drive the 4 wheels selectively via a axially-arranged transmission design. This enables the unique distribution of torque to individual wheels, which would normally only be possible with wheel hub motors which have the disadvantage of generating considerable unsprung masses.

 

Powerful, voluminous, dynamic, emotional and authentic: the characteristic sound of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive embodies the sound of the 21st century. After an elaborate series of tests as well as numerous test drives, the AMG experts have created a sound which captures the exceptional dynamism of this unique super sports car with electric drive. Starting with a characteristic start-up sound, which rings out on pressing the "Power" button on the AMG DRIVE UNIT, the occupants can experience a tailor-made driving sound for each driving situation: incredibly dynamic when accelerating, subdued when cruising and as equally characteristic during recuperation. The sound is not only dependent on road speed, engine speed and load conditions, but also reflects the driving situation and the vehicle's operating state with a suitable driving noise. Perfect feedback for the driver is guaranteed thanks to a combination of the composed sound, the use of the vehicle's existing inherent noises and the elimination of background noise - this is referred to by the experts as "sound cleaning". The impressive sound comes courtesy of the standard sound system with eleven loudspeakers.

 

Advanced Formula 1 technology: high-voltage lithium-ion battery

 

Battery efficiency, performance and weight: in all three areas Mercedes-AMG is setting new standards. The high-voltage battery in the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive boasts an energy content of 60 kWh, an electric load potential of 600 kW and weighs 548 kg - all of which are absolute best values in the automotive sector. The liquid-cooled lithium-ion high-voltage battery features a modular design and a maximum voltage of 400 V.

 

Advanced technology and know-how from the world of Formula 1 have been called on during both the development and production stages: the battery is the first result of the cooperation between Mercedes-AMG GmbH in Affalterbach and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd. Headquartered in Brixworth in England, the company has been working closely with Mercedes-AMG for a number of years. F1 engine experts have benefited from its extensive expertise with the KERS hybrid concept, which made its debut in the 2009 Formula 1 season. At the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009, Lewis Hamilton achieved the first historic victory for a Formula 1 vehicle featuring KERS hybrid technology in the form of the Mercedes-Benz KER System. Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains supplies the Formula 1 teams MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Sahara Force India with Mercedes V8 engines and the KERS.

 

The high-voltage battery consists of 12 modules each comprising 72 lithium-ion cells. This optimised arrangement of a total of 864 cells has benefits not only in terms of best use of the installation space, but also in terms of performance. One technical feature is the intelligent parallel circuit of the individual battery modules - this helps to maximise the safety, reliability and service life of the battery. As in Formula 1, the battery is charged by means of targeted recuperation during deceleration whilst the car is being driven.

 

High-performance control as well as effective cooling of all components

 

A high-performance electronic control system converts the direct current from the high-voltage battery into the three-phase alternating current which is required for the synchronous motors and regulates the energy flow for all operating conditions. Two low-temperature cooling circuits ensure that the four electric motors and the power electronics are maintained at an even operating temperature. A separate low-temperature circuit is responsible for cooling the high-voltage lithium-ion battery. In low external temperatures, the battery is quickly brought up to optimum operating temperature with the aid of an electric heating element. In extremely high external temperatures, the cooling circuit for the battery can be additionally boosted with the aid of the air conditioning. This also helps to preserve the overall service life of the battery system.

 

Quick charge function via special wall box

 

Ideally the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is charged with the aid of a so-called wall box. Installed in a home garage, this technology provides a 22 kW quick-charge function, which is the same as the charging performance available at a public charging station. A high-voltage power cable is used to connect the vehicle to the wall box, and enables charging to take place in around three hours. Without the wall box, charging takes around 20 hours. The wall box is provided as an optional extra from Mercedes-AMG in cooperation with SPX and KEBA, two suppliers of innovative electric charging infrastructures for the automotive industry.

 

Eight-stage design for maximum safety

 

To ensure maximum safety, the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive makes use of an eight-stage safety design. This comprises the following features:

•all high-voltage cables are colour-coded in orange to prevent confusion

•comprehensive contact protection for the entire high-voltage system

•the lithium-ion battery is liquid-cooled and accommodated in a high-strength aluminium housing within the carbon-fibre zero-intrusion cell

•conductive separation of the high-voltage and low-voltage networks within the vehicle and integration of an interlock switch

•active and passive discharging of the high-voltage system when the ignition is switched to "off"

•in the event of an accident, the high-voltage system is switched off within fractions of a second

•continuous monitoring of the high-voltage system for short circuits with potential compensation and insulation monitors

•redundant monitoring function for the all-wheel drive system with torque control for individual wheels, via several control units using a variety of software

 

By using this design, Mercedes-AMG ensures maximum safety during production of the vehicle and also during maintenance and repair work. Of course the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive also meets all of the statutory and internal Mercedes crash test requirements.

 

All-wheel drive with AMG Torque Dynamics enables new levels of freedom

 

Four motors, four wheels - the intelligent and permanent all-wheel drive of the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive guarantees driving dynamics at the highest level, while at the same time providing the best possible active safety. Optimum traction of the four driven wheels is therefore ensured, whatever the weather conditions. According to the developers, the term "Torque Dynamics" refers to individual control of the electric motors, something which enables completely new levels of freedom to be achieved. The AMG Torque Dynamics feature is permanently active and allows for selective distribution of forces for each individual wheel. The intelligent distribution of drive torque greatly benefits driving dynamics, handling, driving safety and ride comfort. Each individual wheel can be both electrically driven and electrically braked, depending on the driving conditions, thus helping to

•optimise the vehicle's cornering properties,

•reduce the tendency to oversteer/understeer,

•increase the yaw damping of the basic vehicle,

•reduce the steering effort and steering angle required,

•increase traction,

•and minimise ESP® and ASR intervention.

 

The AMG Torque Dynamics feature boasts a great deal of variability and individuality by offering three different transmission modes:

•Comfort (C): comfortable, forgiving driving characteristics

•Sport (S): sporty, balanced driving characteristics

•Sport plus (S+): sporty, agile driving characteristics

 

AMG Torque Dynamics enables optimum use of the adhesion potential between the tyres and the road surface in all driving conditions. The technology allows maximum levels of freedom and as such optimum use of the critical limits of the vehicle's driving dynamics. Outstanding handling safety is always assured thanks to the two-stage Electronic Stability Program ESP®.

 

"AMG Lightweight Performance" design strategy

 

The trailblazing body shell structure of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is part of the ambitious "AMG Lightweight Performance" design strategy. The battery is located within a carbon-fibre monocoque which forms an integral part of the gullwing model and acts as its "spine". The monocoque housing is firmly bolted and bonded to the aluminium spaceframe body. The fibre composite materials have their roots in the world of Formula 1, among other areas. The advantages of CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) were exploited by the Mercedes-AMG engineers in the design of the monocoque. These include their high strength, which makes it possible to create extremely rigid structures in terms of torsion and bending, excellent crash performance and low weight. Carbon-fibre components are up to 50 percent lighter than comparable steel ones, yet retain the same level of stability. Compared with aluminium, the weight saving is still around 30 percent, while the material is considerably thinner. The weight advantages achieved through the carbon-fibre battery monocoque are reflected in the agility of the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive and, in conjunction with the wheel-selective four-wheel drive system, ensure true driving enjoyment. The carbon-fibre battery monocoque is, in addition, conceived as a "zero intrusion cell" in order to meet the very highest expectations in terms of crash safety. It protects the battery modules inside the vehicle from deformation or damage in the event of a crash.

 

The basis for CFRP construction is provided by fine carbon fibres, ten times thinner than a human hair. A length of this innovative fibre reaching from here to the moon would weigh a mere 25 grams. Between 1000 and 24,000 of these fibres are used to form individual strands. Machines then weave and sew them into fibre mats several layers thick, which can be moulded into three-dimensional shapes. When injected with liquid synthetic resin, this hardens to give the desired structure its final shape and stability.

 

Optimum weight distribution and low centre of gravity

 

The purely electric drive system was factored into the equation as early as the concept phase when the super sports car was being developed. It is ideally packaged for the integration of the high-performance, zero-emission technology: by way of example, the four electric motors and the two transmissions can be positioned as close to the four wheels as possible and very low down in the vehicle. The same applies to the modular high-voltage battery. Advantages of this solution include the vehicle's low centre of gravity and balanced weight distribution - ideal conditions for optimum handling, which the electrically-powered gullwing model shares with its petrol-driven sister model.

 

New front axle design with pushrod damper struts

 

The additional front-wheel drive called for a newly designed front axle: unlike the series production vehicle with AMG V8 engine, which has a double wishbone axle, the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive features an independent multi-link suspension with pushrod damper struts. This is because the vertically-arranged damper struts had to make way for the additional drive shafts. As is usual in a wide variety of racing vehicles, horizontal damper struts are now used, which are operated via separate push rods and transfer levers. Thanks to this sophisticated front-axle design, which has already been tried and tested in the world of motorsport, the agility and driving dynamics of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive attain the same high levels as the V8 variant. Another distinguishing feature is the speed-sensitive power steering with rack-and-pinion steering gear: the power assistance is implemented electrohydraulically rather than just hydraulically.

 

AMG ceramic composite brakes for perfect deceleration

 

The SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is slowed with the aid of AMG high-performance ceramic composite brakes, which boast direct brake response, a precise actuation point and outstanding fade resistance, even in extreme operating conditions. The over-sized discs - measuring 402 x 39 mm at the front and 360 x 32 mm at the rear - are made of carbon fibre-strengthened ceramic, feature an integral design all round and are connected to an aluminium bowl in a radially floating arrangement.

 

The ceramic brake discs are 40 percent lighter in weight than the conventional, grey cast iron brake discs. The reduction in unsprung masses not only improves handling dynamics and agility, but also ride comfort and tyre grip. The lower rotating masses at the front axle also ensure a more direct steering response - which is particularly noticeable when taking motorway bends at high speed.

 

Exclusive, high-quality design and appointments

 

Visually, the multi-award-winning design of the SLS AMG is combined with a number of specific features which are exclusive to the Electric Drive variant. The front apron has a striking carbon-look CFRP front splitter which generates downforce on the front axle. The radiator grille and adjacent air intakes adorn special areas painted in the vehicle colour and with bionic honeycomb-shaped openings. They are not only a visual highlight but, thanks to their aerodynamically optimised design, also improve air flow over the cooling modules mounted behind them. Darkened headlamps also impart a sense of independence to the front section. Viewed from the side, the "Electric Drive" lettering stands out on the vehicle side, as do the AMG 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels with their specific paint design. The SLS AMG Electric Drive comes as standard with 265/35 R 19 tyres on the front and 295/30 R 20 tyres on the rear. The overall look is rounded off to dynamic effect by the new diffuser-look rear apron, and the darkened rear lamps. One feature reserved exclusively for the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is the "AMG electricbeam magno" matt paint finish. A choice of five other colours is available at no extra cost.

 

When the exterior colour AMG electricbeam magno is chosen, the high-quality, sporty interior makes use of this body colour for the contrasting stitching - the stitching co-ordinates perfectly with designo black Exclusive leather appointments. AMG sports seats and numerous carbon-fibre trim elements in the interior underscore the exclusive and dynamic character of what is currently the fastest electric car. Behind the new AMG Performance steering wheel there is a newly designed AMG instrument cluster: instead of a rev counter, there is a power display providing information on the power requirements, recuperation status, transmission modes and battery charge.

 

AMG Performance Media as standard

 

The AMG DRIVE UNIT comprises the electronic rotary switch for selecting the three transmission modes of "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport) and "S+" (Sport plus), which the driver can use to specify different performance levels from the electric motors, which in turn also changes the top speed and accelerator pedal response. Behind the buttons for "power" and "ESP On/Off", there are also buttons for AMG Torque Dynamics and AMG Setup.

 

In addition to carbon-fibre exterior mirrors, AMG carbon-fibre engine compartment cover, COMAND APS, Media Interface, Blind Spot Assist and reversing camera, the standard equipment also includes the AMG Performance Media system. Besides full high-speed mobile internet access, the system provides information on engine performance, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, tyre pressure, vehicle setup and lap times, as well displaying a variety of additional information such as:

•vehicle energy flow

•battery charge status

•burrent range

•AMG Torque Dynamics

•temperatures of the battery and motors

•energy consumption kWh/100 km

 

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive will be celebrating its market launch in 2013. The price in Germany (incl. 19% VAT) will be 416,500 EUR.

 

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

  

Some background:

The origins of the Henschel Hs 165 date back to early 1937, when the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, German Ministry of Aviation) issued a specification for a carrier-based torpedo bomber to operate from Germany's first aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin construction of which had started at the end of 1936. The specification was originally issued to two aircraft producers, Fieseler and Arado, and demanded an all-metal biplane with a maximum speed of at least 300 km/h (186 mph), a range of at least 1,000 km and capable both of torpedo and dive-bombing. By the summer of 1938 the Fieseler design proved to be superior to the Arado design, the Ar 195.

Anyway, by the time the Fi 167 prototype was ready for tests and proved its excellent handling, the biplane layout was already outdated and did not promise much development potential. Therefore, the RLM's request was repeated in late 1938 and a monoplane requested. Since the Graf Zeppelin was not expected to be completed before the end of 1940, the RLM did not put much pressure behind the project.

 

Among others, Henschel replied with the Hs 165. It was a compact and conservative low wing monoplane of all-metal construction with a crew of two (pilot and navigator/observer/gunner) under a common, heavily framed and high glasshouse canopy. In order to achieve a high performance, the airframe was originally developed around the new 14 cylinder BMW 139 radial engine with 1,550 hp (1,140 kW). The main landing gear was fully retractable, retracting outwards into wells that were part of the outer, foldable wings. Similar to the Ju87 C, the wings could manually be folded backwards, so that the aircraft became very compact for onboard stowage.

The tail wheel, placed behind a V-shaped arrester hook, could not be retracted, even though a mechanism allowed the control of the tail's ground clearance for the carriage of a torpedo under the fuselage and an optimized angle of attack for starts and landings.

 

Armament consisted of a pair of 20mm MG FF cannons in the wings, a pair of 7.92mm machine guns above the engine, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, and another single light machine gun for rear defense.

 

Among the special equipment of the Hs 165 for naval operations was a two-seat rubber dinghy with signal ammunition and emergency ammunition. A quick fuel dump mechanism and two inflatable 750 L (200 US gal) bags in each wing and a further two 500 L (130 US gal) bags in the fuselage enabled the aircraft to remain afloat for up to three days in calm seas.

 

When the first two prototypes of the Hs 165 (the V-1 and V-2) were about to be finished, it became clear that the BMW 139 would not materialize, but rather be replaced by an even more powerful engine. The new design was given the name BMW 801 after BMW was given a new block of "109-800" engine numbers by the RLM to use after their merger with Bramo. The first BMW 801A's ran in April 1939, only six months after starting work on the design, with production commencing in 1940.

 

Hs 165 V-1 was re-engined and ready for testing in mid 1940, while the first catapult launch tests on board of the Graf Zeppelin carrier were already carried out with Arado Ar 197s, modified Junkers Ju 87Bs and modified Messerschmitt Bf 109Ds. However, the Graf Zeppelin was still incomplete and not ready for full military service, and the changing strategic situation led to further work on her being suspended. In the wake of this decision, the completion of further carrier-borne aircraft was stopped and the completed examples were taken into Luftwaffe service in several evaluation/test units.

 

The Hs 165 initially fell victim to this decision, and only five airworthy airframes were completed as Hs 165 A-0 pre-production aircraft. Anyway, these were kept in service as test beds and other development duties, and Henschel kept working on detail improvements since the aircraft was also intended to become a land-based replacement for the Ju 87 dive bombers which had become obsolete by 1941, too. This aircraft was planned as the Hs 165 B.

 

However, by the spring of 1942 the usefulness of aircraft carriers in modern naval warfare had been amply demonstrated, and on 13 May 1942, the German Naval Supreme Command ordered work resumed on the German carrier projects. Henschel was happy to have the refined Hs 165 A at hand, and the type was immediately put into production.

 

The resulting Hs 165 A-1 differed in many equipment details from the former pre-production aircraft, and the armament was upgraded, too. The wing-mounted MG FF 20mm cannons were replaced with more effective and lighter MG 151/20 guns, while the pair of MG 17 machine guns above the engine was replaced by a pair of heavy MG 131 machine guns. The observer's single, light MG 15 machine gun was also upgraded to a belt-fed MG 81Z with two barrels, or a single MG 131.

The original BMW 801A engine remained the same, though, and due to the Hs 165 A-1’s higher overall weight the aircraft's performance deteriorated slightly.

 

Production did not last for long though, because further work on the Graf Zeppelin was soon terminated, and this time for good. In the meantime, the RLM had also decided to reduce the variety of aircraft types and rather develop specialized versions of existing aircraft than dedicated types like the Hs 165. As a consequence Hs 165 production was stopped again in June 1943, with several improved versions on the drawing board. These included the A-2 single seater and the C with an alternative liquid-cooled Jumo 213 powerplant.

The land-based Hs 165 B never materialized because, at the time of the type’s introduction into service, the dive bomber concept had turned out to be much too vulnerable in the European theatre of operations. Effectively, the Hs 165 needed cover from more agile fighters and did not stand a chance against enemy fighters.

 

However, until the end of production about 100 Hs 165 aircraft had been delivered to land-based front line units, since no German aircraft carrier ever materialized, and these machines were primarily used in Northern Europe in the coastal defense role and for harassment attacks in the North and Baltic Sea until 1945.

In service, they were gradually replaced by Ju 88 torpedo bombers and the Fw 190 A-5a/U14, which was able to carry a single torpedo, too, but offered a much better performance than the heavy and large Hs 165.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 2 (pilot and observer/gunner)

Length: 11.08 m (36 ft 4 in)

Wingspan: 13.95 m (45 ft 9 in)

Height: 4.18 m (13 ft 8 in)

Wing area: 26.8 m² (288 ft²)

Empty weight: 9,725 lb (4,411 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 14,300 lb (6,486 kg)

 

Powerplant:

1 × BMW 801A air-cooled 14 cylinder two row radial engine, 1,700 hp (1,250 kW)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 302 mph (262 kn, 486 km/h) at 11,000 ft (3,350 m)

Cruise speed: 235 mph (204 kn, 378 km/h)

Range: 1,400 miles (1,220 nmi, 2,253 km)

Service ceiling: 22,500 ft (6,860 m)

Wing loading: 43.1 lb/ft² (210 kg/m²)

Power/mass: 0.12 hp/lb (0.19 kW/kg)

 

Armament:

2× 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wings

2 × 13 mm MG 131 machine gun above the engine

1 × 7.92 mm MG 81Z, firing backwards

 

1× 1000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb, or

1× 765 kg (1,685 lb) torpedo, or

1 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb plus 4 × 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, or

4 × 250 kg (551 lb) ventrally

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another entry for the 2016 "In the Navy" Group Build at whatfimodelers.com, and in this case a complete kitbash for a fictional aircraft. Originally, this idea started as a Hs 126 on floats, which then turned into a low wing aircraft (in the Ju 87 class) and finally evolved into a carrier-capable torpedo bomber. Pretty dramatic evolution, but once the plan was settled, things quickly turned into hardware.

 

Ingredients include:

- Fuselage, cockpit and stabilizers (though mounted differently) from an Italeri Hs 126

- Wings from a Mastercraft (ex ZTM Plastyk) PZL 23 Karas, with the ventral gondala removed

- Landing gear from a Matchbox He 70, wheels from a Mastercraft Su-22;

- Engine/cowling from an Academy Fw 190, plus various donation parts and a putty plug

- Canopy from a Matchbox Brewster Buffalo

- German torpedo from the spares box (IIRC from an Italeri He 111)

 

Even though this is a kitbash, work was rather easy and straightforward, because most of the parts come from OOB donation kits. First, the Hs 126 fuselage was finished without an interior and the Fw 190 nose section transplanted. Inside, a styrene tube was added in order to hold the propeller and let it spin freely. In parallel, the landing gear wells were cut into the wings and the flaps separated/opened. Then the canopy was integrated into the fuselage, using styrene strips and putty.

For the wings, a wide opening had to be cut into the Hs 126’s lower fuselage, and the parts took some putty work to blend together.

Once the wings were in place, the landing gear was mounted as well as the scratched torpedo hardpoint. The cockpit interior followed suit with new seats and two figures, then the Buffalo canopy was modified for the rear machine gun mount and glued into place.

  

Painting and markings:

I wanted a rather "dry", typical German livery, and settled for a simple splinter scheme with a low waterline in the naval colors RLM 72 (a kind of very dark olive drab) and 73 (a bluish, very dark green) with light blue (RLM 65) undersides.

 

In this case I used enamels from the Modelmaster Authentic range, treated with a light black ink wash and with serious panel shading (with Humbrol 66 and a mix of Humbrol 30 + 77, respectively), because some color pictures I got hands on from early German naval aircraft (e. g. He 115 or Ar 196) suggest that the two murky, green tones weathered and bleached easily, and the enhanced contrast between the very similar colors was IMHO helpful, anyway.

 

The interior and the landing gearw as painted in contemporary RLM 02, the torpedo is simple black with a gun metal tip and a brass propeller.

 

The markings had to be puzzled together; I originally wanted the kit to be part of one of the Küstenfliegergruppen, in particular KüFliGr 106. But in mid 1943, these were partly integrated into the Kampffliegergruppen, and offensive parts of KüFliGr 106 were added to KG 6. It took some time to figure out where KG 6 was operating in the time frame I wanted to place the Hs 165, and eventually found 8./KG 6 from the third group that was based in Belgium at that time and flew Ju 88 torpedo bombers - so I added the Hs 165 to that squadron.

 

As a side effect, the aircraft would not carry any of the fuselage bands or other bright ID markings - the only color highlights are the red wing tip and the individual code "K" letter, and I used a grey decal for the 8th squadron's code letter "S" for better contrast with the dark green livery. Another "highlight" is a KG 6 emblem behind the engine, which I found on a Peddinghaus Decals sheet in the stash. Anyway, this minimal and very conservative livery does not look bad at all, though?

  

A complex kitbashing,done in about a week, and despite some trouble and major body work the result looks IMHO very good - especially the flight scenes, with the retracted (retouched...) landing gear show the sleek lines of the Hs 126, the fictional Hs 165 looks pretty fast and purposeful. And with a different engine, this could also carry some Hinomaru - the thing reminds me a lot of Japanese torpedo bombers (e. g. the B5N?) and carrier-borne reconnaissance aircraft?

 

. . . this is not in a zoo - it is wildlife! One hit with their giant claws and you are damaged! Luckily they are not aggressive . . .

__________________________

 

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar. A member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae, it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 metres in rare cases and weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms.

 

Their unusually large size has been attributed to island gigantism, since no other carnivorous animals fill the niche on the islands where they live. However, recent research suggests the large size of Komodo dragons may be better understood as representative of a relict population of very large varanid lizards that once lived across Indonesia and Australia, most of which, along with other megafauna, died out after the Pleistocene. Fossils very similar to V. komodoensis have been found in Australia dating to greater than 3.8 million years ago, and its body size remained stable on Flores, one of the handful of Indonesian islands where it is currently found, over the last 900,000 years, "a time marked by major faunal turnovers, extinction of the island's megafauna, and the arrival of early hominids by 880 ka [kiloannums]."

 

As a result of their size, these lizards dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. It has been claimed that they have a venomous bite; there are two glands in the lower jaw which secrete several toxic proteins. The biological significance of these proteins is disputed, but the glands have been shown to secrete an anticoagulant. Komodo dragon group behaviour in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of big Komodo dragons mainly consists of deer, though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans in the area of West Manggarai Regency where they live in Indonesia.

 

Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September. About 20 eggs are deposited in abandoned megapode nests or in a self-dug nesting hole. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and therefore dwell in trees, safe from predators and cannibalistic adults. They take 8 to 9 years to mature, and are estimated to live up to 30 years.

 

Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.

 

ETYMOLOGY

The Komodo dragon is also known as the Komodo monitor or the Komodo Island monitor in scientific literature, although this is not very common. To the natives of Komodo Island, it is referred to as ora, buaya darat (land crocodile), or biawak raksasa (giant monitor).

 

EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY

The evolutionary development of the Komodo dragon started with the Varanus genus, which originated in Asia about 40 million years ago and migrated to Australia. Around 15 million years ago, a collision between Australia and Southeast Asia allowed the varanids to move into what is now the Indonesian archipelago, extending their range as far east as the island of Timor. The Komodo dragon was believed to have differentiated from its Australian ancestors 4 million years ago. However, recent fossil evidence from Queensland suggests the Komodo dragon evolved in Australia before spreading to Indonesia. Dramatic lowering of sea level during the last glacial period uncovered extensive stretches of continental shelf that the Komodo dragon colonized, becoming isolated in their present island range as sea levels rose afterwards.

 

DESCRIPTION

In the wild, an adult Komodo dragon usually weighs around 70 kg, although captive specimens often weigh more. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, an average adult male will weigh 79 to 91 kg and measure 2.59 m, while an average female will weigh 68 to 73 kg and measure 2.29 m. The largest verified wild specimen was 3.13 m long and weighed 166 kg, including undigested food. The Komodo dragon has a tail as long as its body, as well as about 60 frequently replaced, serrated teeth that can measure up to 2.5 cm in length. Its saliva is frequently blood-tinged, because its teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue that is naturally lacerated during feeding. This creates an ideal culture for the bacteria that live in its mouth. It also has a long, yellow, deeply forked tongue. Komodo dragon skin is reinforced by armoured scales, which contain tiny bones called osteoderms that function as a sort of natural chain-mail. This rugged hide makes Komodo dragon skin poorly suited for making into leather.

 

SENSES

As with other Varanids, Komodo dragons have only a single ear bone, the stapes, for transferring vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea. This arrangement means they are likely restricted to sounds in the 400 to 2,000 hertz range, compared to humans who hear between 20 and 20,000 hertz. It was formerly thought to be deaf when a study reported no agitation in wild Komodo dragons in response to whispers, raised voices, or shouts. This was disputed when London Zoological Garden employee Joan Proctor trained a captive specimen to come out to feed at the sound of her voice, even when she could not be seen.

 

The Komodo dragon can see objects as far away as 300 m, but because its retinas only contain cones, it is thought to have poor night vision. The Komodo dragon is able to see in color, but has poor visual discrimination of stationary objects.

The Komodo dragon uses its tongue to detect, taste, and smell stimuli, as with many other reptiles, with the vomeronasal sense using the Jacobson's organ, rather than using the nostrils. With the help of a favorable wind and its habit of swinging its head from side to side as it walks, a Komodo dragon may be able to detect carrion from 4–9.5 km away. It only has a few taste buds in the back of its throat. Its scales, some of which are reinforced with bone, have sensory plaques connected to nerves to facilitate its sense of touch. The scales around the ears, lips, chin, and soles of the feet may have three or more sensory plaques.

 

BEHAVIOUR AND ECOLOGY

The Komodo dragon prefers hot and dry places, and typically lives in dry, open grassland, savanna, and tropical forest at low elevations. As an ectotherm, it is most active in the day, although it exhibits some nocturnal activity. Komodo dragons are solitary, coming together only to breed and eat. They are capable of running rapidly in brief sprints up to 20 km/h, diving up to 4.5 m, and climbing trees proficiently when young through use of their strong claws. To catch out-of-reach prey, the Komodo dragon may stand on its hind legs and use its tail as a support. As it matures, its claws are used primarily as weapons, as its great size makes climbing impractical.

 

For shelter, the Komodo dragon digs holes that can measure from 1–3 m wide with its powerful forelimbs and claws. Because of its large size and habit of sleeping in these burrows, it is able to conserve body heat throughout the night and minimize its basking period the morning after. The Komodo dragon hunts in the afternoon, but stays in the shade during the hottest part of the day. These special resting places, usually located on ridges with cool sea breezes, are marked with droppings and are cleared of vegetation. They serve as strategic locations from which to ambush deer.

 

DIET

Komodo dragons are carnivores. Although they eat mostly carrion, they will also ambush live prey with a stealthy approach. When suitable prey arrives near a dragon's ambush site, it will suddenly charge at the animal and go for the underside or the throat. It is able to locate its prey using its keen sense of smell, which can locate a dead or dying animal from a range of up to 9.5 km. Komodo dragons have been observed knocking down large pigs and deer with their strong tails.

 

Komodo dragons eat by tearing large chunks of flesh and swallowing them whole while holding the carcass down with their forelegs. For smaller prey up to the size of a goat, their loosely articulated jaws, flexible skulls, and expandable stomachs allow them to swallow prey whole. The vegetable contents of the stomach and intestines are typically avoided. Copious amounts of red saliva the Komodo dragons produce help to lubricate the food, but swallowing is still a long process (15–20 minutes to swallow a goat). A Komodo dragon may attempt to speed up the process by ramming the carcass against a tree to force it down its throat, sometimes ramming so forcefully, the tree is knocked down. To prevent itself from suffocating while swallowing, it breathes using a small tube under the tongue that connects to the lungs. After eating up to 80% of its body weight in one meal, it drags itself to a sunny location to speed digestion, as the food could rot and poison the dragon if left undigested for too long. Because of their slow metabolism, large dragons can survive on as little as 12 meals a year. After digestion, the Komodo dragon regurgitates a mass of horns, hair, and teeth known as the gastric pellet, which is covered in malodorous mucus. After regurgitating the gastric pellet, it rubs its face in the dirt or on bushes to get rid of the mucus, suggesting, like humans, it does not relish the scent of its own excretions.

 

The largest animals eat first, while the smaller ones follow a hierarchy. The largest male asserts his dominance and the smaller males show their submission by use of body language and rumbling hisses. Dragons of equal size may resort to "wrestling". Losers usually retreat, though they have been known to be killed and eaten by victors.

 

The Komodo dragon's diet is wide-ranging, and includes invertebrates, other reptiles (including smaller Komodo dragons), birds, bird eggs, small mammals, monkeys, wild boar, goats, deer, horses, and water buffalo. Young Komodos will eat insects, eggs, geckos, and small mammals. Occasionally, they consume humans and human corpses, digging up bodies from shallow graves. This habit of raiding graves caused the villagers of Komodo to move their graves from sandy to clay ground and pile rocks on top of them to deter the lizards. The Komodo dragon may have evolved to feed on the extinct dwarf elephant Stegodon that once lived on Flores, according to evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond.

 

The Komodo dragon drinks by sucking water into its mouth via buccal pumping (a process also used for respiration), lifting its head, and letting the water run down its throat.

 

SALIVA

Auffenberg described the Komodo dragon as having septic pathogens in its saliva (he described the saliva as "reddish and copious"), specifically the bacteria E. coli, Staphylococcus sp., Providencia sp., Proteus morgani, and P. mirabilis. He noted, while these pathogens can be found in the mouths of wild Komodo dragons, they disappear from the mouths of captive animals, due to cleaner diets and the use of antibiotics. This was verified by taking mucous samples from the external gum surfaces of the upper jaws of two freshly captured individuals. Saliva samples were analyzed by researchers at the University of Texas, who found 57 strains of bacteria growing in the mouths of three wild Komodo dragons, including Pasteurella multocida. The rapid growth of these bacteria was noted by Fredeking: "Normally it takes about three days for a sample of P. multocida to cover a Petri dish; ours took eight hours. We were very taken aback by how virulent these strains were". This study supported the observation that wounds inflicted by the Komodo dragon are often associated with sepsis and subsequent infections in prey animals. How the Komodo dragon is unaffected by these virulent bacteria remains a mystery.Research in 2013 suggested that the bacteria in the mouths of komodo dragons are ordinary and similar to those found in other carnivores. They actually have surprisingly good mouth hygiene. As Bryan Fry put it: "After they are done feeding, they will spend 10 to 15 minutes lip-licking and rubbing their head in the leaves to clean their mouth... Unlike people have been led to believe, they do not have chunks of rotting flesh from their meals on their teeth, cultivating bacteria." The observation of prey dying of sepsis would then be explained by the natural instinct of water buffalos, who are not native to the islands where the Komodo dragon lives, to run into water when attacked. The warm, feces filled water would then cause the infections. The study used samples from 16 captive dragons (10 adults and six neonates) from three U.S. zoos.

 

VENOM

In late 2005, researchers at the University of Melbourne speculated the perentie (Varanus giganteus), other species of monitors, and agamids may be somewhat venomous. The team believes the immediate effects of bites from these lizards were caused by mild envenomation. Bites on human digits by a lace monitor (V. varius), a Komodo dragon, and a spotted tree monitor (V. scalaris) all produced similar effects: rapid swelling, localized disruption of blood clotting, and shooting pain up to the elbow, with some symptoms lasting for several hours.

 

In 2009, the same researchers published further evidence demonstrating Komodo dragons possess a venomous bite. MRI scans of a preserved skull showed the presence of two glands in the lower jaw. The researchers extracted one of these glands from the head of a terminally ill specimen in the Singapore Zoological Gardens, and found it secreted several different toxic proteins. The known functions of these proteins include inhibition of blood clotting, lowering of blood pressure, muscle paralysis, and the induction of hypothermia, leading to shock and loss of consciousness in envenomated prey. As a result of the discovery, the previous theory that bacteria were responsible for the deaths of Komodo victims was disputed.

 

Kurt Schwenk, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Connecticut, finds the discovery of these glands intriguing, but considers most of the evidence for venom in the study to be "meaningless, irrelevant, incorrect or falsely misleading". Even if the lizards have venom-like proteins in their mouths, Schwenk argues, they may be using them for a different function, and he doubts venom is necessary to explain the effect of a Komodo dragon bite, arguing that shock and blood loss are the primary factors.

 

Other scientists such as Washington State University's Biologist Kenneth V. Kardong and Toxicologists Scott A. Weinstein and Tamara L. Smith, have stated that this allegation of venom glands "has had the effect of underestimating the variety of complex roles played by oral secretions in the biology of reptiles, produced a very narrow view of oral secretions and resulted in misinterpretation of reptilian evolution". According to these scientists "reptilian oral secretions contribute to many biological roles other than to quickly dispatch prey". These researchers concluded that, "Calling all in this clade venomous implies an overall potential danger that does not exist, misleads in the assessment of medical risks, and confuses the biological assessment of squamate biochemical systems".

 

REPRODUCTION

Mating occurs between May and August, with the eggs laid in September. During this period, males fight over females and territory by grappling with one another upon their hind legs, with the loser eventually being pinned to the ground. These males may vomit or defecate when preparing for the fight. The winner of the fight will then flick his long tongue at the female to gain information about her receptivity. Females are antagonistic and resist with their claws and teeth during the early phases of courtship. Therefore, the male must fully restrain the female during coitus to avoid being hurt. Other courtship displays include males rubbing their chins on the female, hard scratches to the back, and licking. Copulation occurs when the male inserts one of his hemipenes into the female's cloaca. Komodo dragons may be monogamous and form "pair bonds", a rare behavior for lizards. Female Komodos lay their eggs from August to September and may use several types of locality; in one study, 60% laid their eggs in the nests of orange-footed scrubfowl (a moundbuilder or megapode), 20% on ground level and 20% in hilly areas. The females make many camouflage nests/holes to prevent other dragons from eating the eggs. Clutches contain an average of 20 eggs, which have an incubation period of 7–8 months. Hatching is an exhausting effort for the neonates, which break out of their eggshells with an egg tooth that falls off soon after. After cutting themselves out, the hatchlings may lie in their eggshells for hours before starting to dig out of the nest. They are born quite defenseless and are vulnerable to predation. Sixteen youngsters from a single nest were on average 46.5 cm long and weighed 105.1 grams. Young Komodo dragons spend much of their first few years in trees, where they are relatively safe from predators, including cannibalistic adults, as juvenile dragons make up 10% of their diets. The habit of cannibalism may be advantageous in sustaining the large size of adults, as medium-sized prey on the islands is rare. When the young approach a kill, they roll around in fecal matter and rest in the intestines of eviscerated animals to deter these hungry adults. Komodo dragons take approximately three to five years to mature, and may live for up to 50 years.

 

PARTHENOGENESIS

A Komodo dragon at London Zoo named Sungai laid a clutch of eggs in late 2005 after being separated from male company for more than two years. Scientists initially assumed she had been able to store sperm from her earlier encounter with a male, an adaptation known as superfecundation. On 20 December 2006, it was reported that Flora, a captive Komodo dragon living in the Chester Zoo in England, was the second known Komodo dragon to have laid unfertilized eggs: she laid 11 eggs, and seven of them hatched, all of them male. Scientists at Liverpool University in England performed genetic tests on three eggs that collapsed after being moved to an incubator, and verified Flora had never been in physical contact with a male dragon. After Flora's eggs' condition had been discovered, testing showed Sungai's eggs were also produced without outside fertilization. On 31 January 2008, the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, became the first zoo in the Americas to document parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons. The zoo has two adult female Komodo dragons, one of which laid about 17 eggs on 19–20 May 2007. Only two eggs were incubated and hatched due to space issues; the first hatched on 31 January 2008, while the second hatched on 1 February. Both hatchlings were males.

 

Komodo dragons have the ZW chromosomal sex-determination system, as opposed to the mammalian XY system. Male progeny prove Flora's unfertilized eggs were haploid (n) and doubled their chromosomes later to become diploid (2n) (by being fertilized by a polar body, or by chromosome duplication without cell division), rather than by her laying diploid eggs by one of the meiosis reduction-divisions in her ovaries failing. When a female Komodo dragon (with ZW sex chromosomes) reproduces in this manner, she provides her progeny with only one chromosome from each of her pairs of chromosomes, including only one of her two sex chromosomes. This single set of chromosomes is duplicated in the egg, which develops parthenogenetically. Eggs receiving a Z chromosome become ZZ (male); those receiving a W chromosome become WW and fail to develop, meaning that only males are produced by parthenogenesis in this species.

 

It has been hypothesized that this reproductive adaptation allows a single female to enter an isolated ecological niche (such as an island) and by parthenogenesis produce male offspring, thereby establishing a sexually reproducing population (via reproduction with her offspring that can result in both male and female young). Despite the advantages of such an adaptation, zoos are cautioned that parthenogenesis may be detrimental to genetic diversity.

 

HISTORY

DISCOVERY BY THE WESTERN WORLD

Komodo dragons were first documented by Europeans in 1910, when rumors of a "land crocodile" reached Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbroek of the Dutch colonial administration. Widespread notoriety came after 1912, when Peter Ouwens, the director of the Zoological Museum at Bogor, Java, published a paper on the topic after receiving a photo and a skin from the lieutenant, as well as two other specimens from a collector. The first two live Komodo dragons to arrive in Europe were exhibited in the Reptile House at London Zoo when it opened in 1927. Joan Beauchamp Procter made some of the earliest observations of these animals in captivity and she demonstrated the behaviour of one of these animals at a Scientific Meeting of the Zoological Society of London in 1928. The Komodo dragon was the driving factor for an expedition to Komodo Island by W. Douglas Burden in 1926. After returning with 12 preserved specimens and 2 live ones, this expedition provided the inspiration for the 1933 movie King Kong. It was also Burden who coined the common name "Komodo dragon." Three of his specimens were stuffed and are still on display in the American Museum of Natural History.

 

STUDIES

The Dutch, realizing the limited number of individuals in the wild, outlawed sport hunting and heavily limited the number of individuals taken for scientific study. Collecting expeditions ground to a halt with the occurrence of World War II, not resuming until the 1950s and 1960s, when studies examined the Komodo dragon's feeding behavior, reproduction, and body temperature. At around this time, an expedition was planned in which a long-term study of the Komodo dragon would be undertaken. This task was given to the Auffenberg family, who stayed on Komodo Island for 11 months in 1969. During their stay, Walter Auffenberg and his assistant Putra Sastrawan captured and tagged more than 50 Komodo dragons. The research from the Auffenberg expedition would prove to be enormously influential in raising Komodo dragons in captivity. Research after that of the Auffenberg family has shed more light on the nature of the Komodo dragon, with biologists such as Claudio Ciofi continuing to study the creatures.

 

CONSERVATION

The Komodo dragon is a vulnerable species and is on the IUCN Red List. There are approximately 4,000 to 5,000 living Komodo dragons in the wild. Their populations are restricted to the islands of Gili Motang (100), Gili Dasami (100), Rinca (1,300), Komodo (1,700), and Flores (perhaps 2,000). However, there are concerns that there may presently be only 350 breeding females. To address these concerns, the Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to protect Komodo dragon populations on islands including Komodo, Rinca, and Padar. Later, the Wae Wuul and Wolo Tado Reserves were opened on Flores to aid with Komodo dragon conservation.

 

Komodo dragons avoid encounters with humans. Juveniles are very shy and will flee quickly into a hideout if a human comes closer than about 100 metres. Older animals will also retreat from humans from a shorter distance away. If cornered, they will react aggressively by gaping their mouth, hissing, and swinging their tail. If they are disturbed further, they may start an attack and bite. Although there are anecdotes of unprovoked Komodo dragons attacking or preying on humans, most of these reports are either not reputable or caused by defensive bites. Only a very few cases are truly the result of unprovoked attacks by abnormal individuals, which lost their fear towards humans.

 

Volcanic activity, earthquakes, loss of habitat, fire, loss of prey due to poaching, tourism, and illegal poaching of the dragons themselves have all contributed to the vulnerable status of the Komodo dragon. Under Appendix I of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), commercial trade of skins or specimens is illegal.

 

On Padar, a former population of the Komodo dragon became extinct, of which the last individuals were seen in 1975. It is widely assumed that the Komodo dragon died out on Padar after a strong decline of the populations of large ungulate prey, for which poaching was most likely responsible.

 

IN CAPTIVITY

Komodo dragons have long been great zoo attractions, where their size and reputation make them popular exhibits. They are, however, rare in zoos because they are susceptible to infection and parasitic disease if captured from the wild, and do not readily reproduce. As of May 2009, there were 13 European, 2 African, 35 North American, 1 Singaporean, and 2 Australian institutions that kept Komodo dragons.

 

The first Komodo dragons were displayed at London Zoo in 1927. A Komodo dragon was exhibited in 1934 at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., but it lived for only two years. More attempts to exhibit Komodo dragons were made, but the lifespan of these animals was very short, averaging five years in the National Zoological Park. Studies done by Walter Auffenberg, which were documented in his book The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor, eventually allowed for more successful managing and reproducing of the dragons in captivity.

 

A variety of behaviors have been observed from captive specimens. Most individuals are relatively tame within a short time, and are capable of recognizing individual humans and discriminating between familiar keepers. Komodo dragons have also been observed to engage in play with a variety of objects, including shovels, cans, plastic rings, and shoes. This behavior does not seem to be "food-motivated predatory behavior".

 

Even seemingly docile dragons may become unpredictably aggressive, especially when the animal's territory is invaded by someone unfamiliar. In June 2001, a Komodo dragon seriously injured Phil Bronstein, the then husband of actress Sharon Stone, when he entered its enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo after being invited in by its keeper. Bronstein was bitten on his bare foot, as the keeper had told him to take off his white shoes and socks, which the keeper stated could potentially excite the Komodo dragon as they were the same color as the white rats the zoo fed the dragon. Although he escaped, Bronstein needed to have several tendons in his foot reattached surgically.

 

IN POPULARE CULTURE

Komodo dragons are used as a main theme in Komodo (1999), Curse of the Komodo (2004) and Komodo vs. Cobra (2005).

 

The comedy team of Bob and Ray performed a popular sketch entitled "The Komodo Dragon Expert."

 

The plot of the 1990 film, The Freshman, involves a university freshman, an aging mobster and a Komodo dragon.

 

In the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall, one of the Chinese henchmen in a casino that Bond visits in Macau is overtaken, dragged off and presumably killed by a Komodo dragon.

 

WIKIPEDIA

samyang 85mm @ f1.4

170mm @ f1.4 (35mm equivalent)

i think the maximum on the adapter is f2.8

Khokana, suffered considerable damage to the 7.8R earthquake that hit on April 25th 2015 and the aftershocks that followed. 80% of the villagers lost their homes to the quake. Many depend on subsistence agriculture. Rebuilding homes for them is going to be a near to impossible task.

 

. . . this photograph is not taken by me - It´s just to show you how the village is looking after the earthquake . . .

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My photographs of Khokana and Bungamati are taken shortly before the earthquake! They are the last photographs of the Newari houses in this UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE . . .

 

Beside this two villages the main damage took place in Kathmandu.

 

THE WHOLE CITY OF KATHMANDU SHIFTED 3 METER TO THE SOUTH - IN 30 SECONDS !

 

The top of the Jaya Bageshwari Temple in Gaushala and some parts of the Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath Stupa, Ratna Mandir, inside Rani Pokhari, and Durbar High School have been destroyed. In Patan, the Char Narayan Mandir, the statue of Yog Narendra Malla, a pati inside Patan Durbar Square, the Taleju Temple, the Hari Shankar, Uma Maheshwar Temple and the Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati were destroyed.

 

MANY OF THESE HISTORICAL PLACES I HAVE VISITED SHORTLY BEFORE THE EARTHQUAKE AND I HAVE MORE THAN 2000 PHOTOGRAPHS OF THOSE ARCHITECTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

I will upload them soon. But it takes time - a lot of time - depending on how much correction is necessary. And architectural photographs need some correction!

 

. . . by the way: for many decades I was an operator for electronical picture processing in a big company in Ahrensburg/Germany . . .

 

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THE APRIL 2015 NEPAL EARTHQUKE

The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed more than 9,000 people and injured more than 23,000. It occurred at 11:56 NST on 25 April, with a magnitude of 7.8Mw or 8.1Ms and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). Its epicenter was east of the district of Lamjung, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 8.2 km. It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake.

 

The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19, making April 25, 2015 the deadliest day on the mountain in history. The earthquake triggered another huge avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing.

 

Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened, across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple and the Swayambhunath Stupa. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.

 

Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal at the intervals of 15–20 minutes, with one shock reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April at 12:54:08 NST. The country also had a continued risk of landslides.

 

A major aftershock occurred on 12 May 2015 at 12:51 NST with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3. The epicenter was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mt. Everest. More than 200 people were killed and more than 2,500 were injured by this aftershock.

 

EARTHQUAKE

The earthquake occurred on 25 April 2015 at 11:56 a.m. NST (06:11:26 UTC) at a depth of approximately 15 km (which is considered shallow and therefore more damaging than quakes that originate deeper in the ground), with its epicentre approximately 34 km east-southeast of Lamjung, Nepal, lasting approximately fifty seconds. The earthquake was initially reported as 7.5 Mw by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) before it was quickly upgraded to 7.8 Mw. The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) reported the earthquake's magnitude to be 8.1 Ms. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said two powerful quakes were registered in Nepal at 06:11 UTC and 06:45 UTC. The first quake measured 7.8 Mw and its epicenter was identified at a distance of 80 km to the northwest of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Bharatpur was the nearest major city to the main earthquake, 53 km from the epicenter. The second earthquake was somewhat less powerful at 6.6 Mw. It occurred 65 km east of Kathmandu and its seismic focus lay at a depth of 10 km below the earth's surface. Over thirty-eight aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 Mw or greater occurred in the day following the initial earthquake, including the one of magnitude 6.8 Mw.

 

KATHMANDU SHIFTED IN 30 SECONDS 3 METER TO THE SOUTH

According to the USGS, the temblor was caused by a sudden thrust, or release of built-up stress, along the major fault line where the Indian Plate, carrying India, is slowly diving underneath the Eurasian Plate, carrying much of Europe and Asia. Kathmandu, situated on a block of crust approximately 120 km wide and 60 km long, reportedly shifted 3 m to the south in a matter of just 30 seconds.

 

The risk of a large earthquake was well known beforehand. In 2013, in an interview with seismologist Vinod Kumar Gaur, The Hindu quoted him as saying, "Calculations show that there is sufficient accumulated energy [in the Main Frontal Thrust], now to produce an 8 magnitude earthquake. I cannot say when. It may not happen tomorrow, but it could possibly happen sometime this century, or wait longer to produce a much larger one." According to Brian Tucker, founder of a nonprofit organization devoted to reducing casualties from natural disasters, some government officials had expressed confidence that such an earthquake would not occur again. Tucker recounted a conversation he had had with a government official in the 1990s who said, "We don't have to worry about earthquakes anymore, because we already had an earthquake"; the previous earthquake to which he referred occurred in 1934.

 

GEOLOGY

Nepal lies towards the southern limit of the diffuse collisional boundary where the Indian Plate underthrusts the Eurasian Plate, occupying the central sector of the Himalayan arc, nearly one-third of the 2,400 km long Himalayas. Geologically, the Nepal Himalayas are sub-divided into five tectonic zones from north to south, east to west and almost parallel to sub-parallel. These five distinct morpho-geotectonic zones are: (1) Terai Plain, (2) Sub Himalaya (Sivalik Range), (3) Lesser Himalaya (Mahabharat Range and mid valleys), (4) Higher Himalaya, and (5) Inner Himalaya (Tibetan Tethys). Each of these zones is clearly identified by their morphological, geological, and tectonic features.

 

The convergence rate between the plates in central Nepal is about 45 mm per year. The location, magnitude, and focal mechanism of the earthquake suggest that it was caused by a slip along the Main Frontal Thrust.

 

The earthquake's effects were amplified in Kathmandu as it sits on the Kathmandu Basin, which contains up to 600 m of sedimentary rocks, representing the infilling of a lake.

 

Based on a study published in 2014, of the Main Frontal Thrust, on average a great earthquake occurs every 750 ± 140 and 870 ± 350 years in the east Nepal region. A study from 2015 found a 700-year delay between earthquakes in the region. The study also suggests that because of tectonic stress buildup, the earthquake from 1934 in Nepal and the 2015 quake are connected, following a historic earthquake pattern.

 

The convergence rate between the plates in central Nepal is about 45 mm per year. The location, magnitude, and focal mechanism of the earthquake suggest that it was caused by a slip along the Main Frontal Thrust.

 

The earthquake's effects were amplified in Kathmandu as it sits on the Kathmandu Basin, which contains up to 600 m of sedimentary rocks, representing the infilling of a lake.

 

Based on a study published in 2014, of the Main Frontal Thrust, on average a great earthquake occurs every 750 ± 140 and 870 ± 350 years in the east Nepal region. A study from 2015 found a 700-year delay between earthquakes in the region. The study also suggests that because of tectonic stress buildup, the earthquake from 1934 in Nepal and the 2015 quake are connected, following a historic earthquake pattern.

 

INTENSITY

According to "Did You Feel It?" (DYFI?) responses on the USGS website, the intensity in Kathmandu was IX (Violent). Tremors were felt in the neighboring Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Gujarat in the National capital region around New Delhi and as far south as Karnataka. Many buildings were brought down in Bihar. Minor cracks in the walls of houses were reported in Odisha. Minor quakes were registered as far as Kochi in the southern state of Kerala. The intensity in Patna was V (Moderate). The intensity was IV (Light) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The earthquake was also experienced across southwestern China, ranging from the Tibet Autonomous Region to Chengdu, which is 1,900 km away from the epicenter. Tremors were felt in Pakistan and Bhutan.

 

AFTERSHOCKS

A series of aftershocks began immediately after the mainshock, at intervals of 15–30 minutes, with one aftershock reaching 6.6Mw within 34 minutes of the initial quake. A major aftershock of magnitude 6.9 Mw occurred on 26 April 2015 in the same region at 12:54 NST (07:08 UTC), with an epicenter located about 17 km (11 mi) south of Kodari, Nepal. The aftershock caused fresh avalanches on Mount Everest and was felt in many places in northern India including Kolkata, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and Assam. The aftershock caused a landslide on the Koshi Highway which blocked the section of the road between Bhedetar and Mulghat.

 

A model of GeoGateway, based on a United States Geological Survey mechanism of a near-horizontal fault as well as location of aftershocks showed that the fault had an 11° dip towards the north, striking at 295°, 50 km wide, 150 km long, and had a dip slip of 3 m. The USGS says the aftershock registered at a shallow depth of 10 km.

 

Assuming that 25 April earthquake was the largest event in this seismic episode, Nepal could expect more than 30 aftershocks greater than magnitude 5 over the following month. As of 23 September 2015, 395 aftershocks had occurred with different epicenters and magnitudes equal to or above 4 Mw (out of which 51 aftershocks are equal to or above 5 Mw and 5 aftershocks above 6 Mw) and more than 20,000 aftershocks less than 4 Mw.

 

12th MAY 2015 EARTHQUAKE

A second major earthquake occurred on 12 May 2015 at 12:51 NST with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3Mw 18 km southeast of Kodari. The epicenter was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mt. Everest. It struck at the depth of 18.5 km. This earthquake occurred along the same fault as the original magnitude 7.8 earthquake of 25 April but further to the east. As such, it is considered to be an aftershock of the 25 April quake. Tremors were also felt in northern parts of India including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and other North-Indian States.

 

At least 153 died in Nepal as a result of the aftershock and about 2,500 were injured. 62 others died in India, two in Bangladesh, and one in China.

 

AFTERMATH

Disastrous events in very poor and politically paralyzed nations such as Nepal often become a long drawn out chain of events, in that one disaster feeds into another for years or even decades upon end. The after effects from the earthquake have knock-on effects on a myriad seemingly unrelated aspects: human trafficking, labour cost and availability, rental and property cost burdens, urbanization, private and public debt burdens, mental health, politics, tourism, as well as disease and healthcare system damages, disasters that come with the monsoon season. The first monsoon related effects: a landslip on 11 June claimed 53 lives meanwhile a glacial lake had burst in particularly hard hit Solukhumbhu district;[56] whether or not the quake had contributed to such events is often unknown and unresearched, but certainly possible.

 

CASUALTIES

NEPAL

The earthquake killed more than 8,800 in Nepal and injured more than twice as many. The rural death toll may have been lower than it would have been as the villagers were outdoors, working when the quake hit. As of 15 May, 6,271 people, including 1,700 from the 12 May aftershock, were still receiving treatment for their injuries. More than 450,000 people were displaced.

 

The Himalayan Times reported that as many as 20,000 foreign nationals may have been visiting Nepal at the time of the earthquake, although reports of foreign deaths were relatively low.

 

INDIA

A total of 130 deaths were reported in India - including 58 in Bihar, 16 in Uttar Pradesh, 3 in West Bengal and 1 in Rajasthan. China27 dead and 4 missing, all from the Tibet Autonomous Region.Bangladesh4 dead.

 

AVALANCHES ON MOUNT EVEREST

This earthquake caused avalanches on Mount Everest. At least 19 died, including Google executive Dan Fredinburg, with at least 120 others injured or missing.

 

LANDSLIDES IN THE LANGTANG VALLEY

In the Langtang valley located in Langtang National Park, 329 people were reported missing after an avalanche hit the village of Ghodatabela and the village of Langtang. The avalanche was estimated to have been two to three kilometres wide. Ghodatabela was an area popular on the Langtang trekking route. The village of Langtang has been destroyed by the avalanche. Smaller settlements on the outskirts of Langtang were buried during the earthquake, such as Chyamki, Thangsyap, and Mundu. Twelve locals and two foreigners were believed to have survived. Smaller landslides occurred in the Trishuli River Valley with reports of significant damage at Mailung, Simle, and Archale. On 4 May it was announced that 52 bodies had been found in the Langtang area, of which seven were of foreigners.

 

DAMAGE

Thousands of houses were destroyed across many districts of the country, with entire villages flattened, especially those near the epicenter. The Tribhuvan International Airport serving Kathmandu was closed immediately after the quake, but was re-opened later in the day for relief operations and, later, for some commercial flights. It subsequently shut down operations sporadically due to aftershocks, and on 3 May was closed temporarily to the largest planes for fear of runway damage. Many workers were not at their posts, either from becoming earthquake casualties or because they were dealing with its after effects. Flights resumed from Pokhara, to the west of the epicentre, on 27 April.

 

Several of the churches in the Kathmandu valley were destroyed. As Saturday is the principal day of Christian worship in Nepal, 500 people were reported to have died in the collapses.

 

Several pagodas on Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, collapsed, as did the Dharahara tower, built in 1832; the collapse of the latter structure killed at least 180 people, Manakamana Temple in Gorkha, previously damaged in an earlier quake, tilted several inches further. The northern side of Janaki Mandir in Janakpur was reported to have been damaged. Several temples, including Kasthamandap, Panchtale temple, the top levels of the nine-story Basantapur Durbar, the Dasa Avtar temple and two dewals located behind the Shiva Parvati temple were demolished by the quake. Some other monuments including the Taleju Bhawani Temple partially collapsed.

 

The top of the Jaya Bageshwari Temple in Gaushala and some parts of the Pashupatinath Temple, Swyambhunath, Boudhanath Stupa, Ratna Mandir, inside Rani Pokhari, and Durbar High School have been destroyed.In Patan, the Char Narayan Mandir, the statue of Yog Narendra Malla, a pati inside Patan Durbar Square, the Taleju Temple, the Hari Shankar, Uma Maheshwar Temple and the Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati were destroyed. In Tripureshwar, the Kal Mochan Ghat, a temple inspired by Mughal architecture, was completely destroyed and the nearby Tripura Sundari also suffered significant damage. In Bhaktapur, several monuments, including the Fasi Deva temple, the Chardham temple and the 17th century Vatsala Durga Temple, were fully or partially destroyed.Outside the Valley, the Manakamana Temple in Gorkha, the Gorkha Durbar, the Palanchok Bhagwati, in Kabhrepalanchok District, the Rani Mahal in Palpa District, the Churiyamai in Makwanpur District, the Dolakha Bhimsensthan in Dolakha District, and the Nuwakot Durbar suffered varying degrees of damage. Historian Prushottam Lochan Shrestha stated, "We have lost most of the monuments that had been designated as World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur District, Nepal. They cannot be restored to their original states." The northeastern parts of India also received major damage. Heavy shocks were felt in the states Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and others. Huge damage was caused to the property and the lives of the people.

 

ECONOMIC LOSS

Concern was expressed that harvests could be reduced or lost this season as people affected by the earthquake would have only a short time to plant crops before the onset of the Monsoon rains.

 

Nepal, with a total Gross Domestic Product of USD$19.921 billion (according to a 2012 estimate), is one of Asia's poorest countries, and has little ability to fund a major reconstruction effort on its own. Even before the quake, the Asian Development Bank estimated that it would need to spend about four times more than it currently does annually on infrastructure through to 2020 to attract investment. The U.S. Geological Survey initially estimated economic losses from the temblor at 9 percent to 50 percent of gross domestic product, with a best guess of 35 percent. "It’s too hard for now to tell the extent of the damage and the effect on Nepal’s GDP", according to Hun Kim, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official. The ADB said on the 28th that it would provide a USD$3 million grant to Nepal for immediate relief efforts, and up to USD$200 million for the first phase of rehabilitation.

 

Rajiv Biswas, an economist at a Colorado-based consultancy, said that rebuilding the economy will need international effort over the next few years as it could "easily exceed" USD$5 billion, or about 20 percent of Nepal's gross domestic product.

 

SOCIAL EFFECTS

It was reported that the survivors were preyed upon by human traffickers involved in supply of girls and women to the brothels of South Asia. The most affected were the poor communities who lost their homes.

 

MINORITIES/RACIAL ELEMENT

In the bitter fight for supplies, single women have had very little access to post-quakes relief as dropped or handed out supplies are hoarded by males, where rapes and fear of rapes block material aid and healthcare services from reaching them, according to a report by the Inter-party Women’s Alliance (IPWA). Additionally, the earthquake has hit certain minorities, Tibeto-Burman (Oriental) races were hardest hit as they tend to inhabit the higher slopes of mountains as opposed to the central valleys, and thus are harder to access, less educated and connected, and are considered lower caste within Nepali society. Malnutrition in children, where 41 percent of children under five were stunted, 29 percent were underweight and 11 percent were emaciated according to UNICEF before the quake, has worsened considerably some 3 months after the quake according to a survey, with the most undernourished being Tamang and Chepang peoples.

 

MEDIA COVERAGE

On 3 May, the hashtag #GoHomeIndianMedia was trending worldwide on Twitter condemning news covered by the Indian media as insensitive and inhumane to victims of the tragedy. People of Nepal acknowledged the aid and effort put by the Indian armed forces, yet, at the same time, accused Indian news networks of carrying out "a public relations exercise" on behalf of the Indian government, for patronising aid given as exclusive, and for hogging space on relief planes where aid material or rescue or medical personnel could have been sent instead. Indian users responded with the hashtags #SorryNepal and #DontComeBackIndianMedia.

 

RESCUE AND RELIEF

About 90 percent of soldiers from the Nepalese Army were sent to the stricken areas in the aftermath of the earthquake under Operation Sankat Mochan, with volunteers mobilized from other parts of the country. Rainfall and aftershocks were factors complicating the rescue efforts, with potential secondary effects like additional landslides and further building collapses being concerns. Impassable roads and damaged communications infrastructure posed substantial challenges to rescue efforts. Survivors were found up to a week after the earthquake.

 

As of 1 May 2015, international aid agencies like Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and the Red Cross were able to start medically evacuating the critically wounded by helicopter from outlying areas, initially cut-off from the capital city, Kathmandu, and treating others in mobile and makeshift facilities. There was concern about epidemics due to the shortage of clean water, the makeshift nature of living conditions and the lack of toilets.

 

Emergency workers were able to identify four men who had been trapped in rubble, and rescue them, using advanced heartbeat detection. The four men were trapped in up to ten feet of rubble in the village of Chautara, north of Kathmandu. An international team of rescuers from several countries using FINDER devices found two sets of men under two different collapsed buildings.

 

Volunteers used crisis mapping to help plan emergency aid work. Public volunteers from around the world added details into online maps. Information was mapped from data input from social media, satellite pictures and drones of passable roads, collapsed houses, stranded, shelterless and starving people, who needed help, and from messages and contact details of people willing to help. On-site volunteers verified these mapping details wherever they could to reduce errors. First responders, from Nepalese citizens to the Red Cross, the Nepal army and the United Nations used this data. The Nepal earthquake crisis mapping utilized experience gained and lessons learned about planning emergency aid work from earthquakes in Haiti and Indonesia.

 

Reports are also coming in of sub-standard relief materials and inedible food being sent to Nepal by many of the foreign aid agencies.

 

A United States Marine helicopter crashed on 12 May while involved in delivering relief supplies. The crash occurred at Charikot, roughly 72 kilometers east of Kathmandu. Two Nepalese soldiers and 6 American soldiers died in the crash.

 

REPAIR AND RECONSTRUCTION

MONUMENTS

UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture began strengthening damaged monuments in danger of collapsing before the monsoon season. Subsequent restoration of collapsed structures, including historic houses is planned. Architectural drawings exist that provide plans for reconstruction. According to UNESCO, more than 30 monuments in the Kathmandu Valley collapsed in the quakes, and another 120 incurred partial damage. Repair estimates are $160 million to restore 1,000 damaged and destroyed monasteries, temples, historic houses, and shrines across the country. The destruction is concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley.

 

UNESCO designated seven groups of multi-ethnic monuments clustered in the valley as a single World Heritage Site, including Swayambhu, the Durbar squares of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan. Damaged in the quakes were the structures in the three Durbar squares, the temple of Changu Narayan, and the 1655 temple in Sankhu. Drones fly above cultural heritage sites to provide 3D images of the damage to use for planning repairs.

 

INTERNATIONAL AID

UNICEF appealed for donations, as close to 1.7 million children had been driven out into the open, and were in desperate need of drinking water, psychological counsel, temporary shelters, sanitation and protection from disease outbreak. It distributed water, tents, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and buckets. Numerous other organizations provided similar support.

 

India was the first to respond within hours, being Nepal's immediate neighbour, with Operation Maitri which provided rescue and relief by its armed forces. It also evacuated its own and other countries' stranded nationals. The United Kingdom has been the largest bilateral aid donor to Nepal following the earthquake. The United States, China and other nations have provided helicopters as requested by the Nepalese government.

 

On 26 April 2015, international aid agencies and governments mobilized rescue workers and aid for the earthquake. They faced challenges in both getting assistance to Nepal and ferrying people to remote areas as the country had few helicopters. Relief efforts were also hampered by Nepalese government insistence on routing aid through the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund and its National Emergency Operation Center. After concerns were raised, it was clarified that "Non-profits" or NGOs already in the country could continue receiving aid directly and bypass the official fund. Aid mismatch and supply of "leftovers" by donors, aid diversion in Nepal, mistrust over control of the distribution of funds and supplies, congestion and customs delays at Kathmandu's airport and border check posts were also reported. On 3 May 2015, restrictions were placed on heavy aircraft flying in aid supplies after new cracks were noticed on the runway at the Tribhuvan airport (KTM), Nepal's only wide-body jet airport.

 

WIKIPEDIA

 

Heracleum maximum. Here, you can see the spirit of the plant, his face muffled by the pod.

BSSR House, 2011. Huib van Wijk, architect.

 

CREATIVITY IS AN UNKNOWN LANGUAGE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS.

 

We are living in busy times, and families don’t always have much time to spend together. In response to this, the sociable kitchen is introduced, which is a large, inviting communal area for the family, with plenty of room to meet, have fun, cook lovely food and eat together. Our kitchen is the place for meals and the family’s meeting place. With plenty of room for everyday meals and parties. Cosiness, togetherness and time for one another. A place for shared experiments in the art of creating wonderful food and great taste experiences. Our kitchen works just as well on weekdays, when everything needs to be done quickly and efficiently, as it does at the weekend when there is more time to enjoy cooking. The focal point in the kitchen set-up is the work island. This is in the centre of the room, so that more than one person can work and prepare meals at the same time. Whether you’re making sushi or an omelette.

 

Architecture is about reduction. This kitchen has been reduced to its essence.

Old sci-fi movies are a great inspiration. With a little silhouette and light it is nice to recreate key scenes!

Who remembers this movie?

Panorama of 6 photo's taken within one second. @ TT-Circuit Assen - Ducati Clubraces 2014.

Why come up with something new when you can repeat?

A small business located in the Irvington District on the east side of Indianapolis.

Have you ever wondered what the maximum number of Wii Points that is allowed to be tied to your Wii Shop account?

 

20,000 = $200.

Laurent Giles Dorus Mohr ketch, another superb powerful yacht from this famous yacht designer. The first of 4 to be built, the original construction of this yacht was no expense spared, all teak hull, decks and superstructure. 4 cylinder Gardner engine. 4 berths in 2 luxurious double cabins, plus settee berth in the saloon. Good 2010 survey report. This is a very comprehensively equipped yacht in extremely smart condition and ready to go. A better example you will not find.

 

£ 98,000

Specs

Builder: Port Hamble Ltd

Designer: J. Laurent Giles

Flag of Registry: United Kingdom

Keel: Full

Hull Shape: Displacement

 

Dimensions

Beam: 12 ft 2 in

LWL: 38 ft 0 in

Length on Deck: 49 ft 3 in

Minimum Draft: 6 ft 0 in

Maximum Draft: 6 ft 0 in

 

Engines

Total Power: 56 HP

 

Engine 1:

Engine Brand: Gardner

Engine Model: 4LW

Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel

Propeller: 3 blade propeller

Drive Type: Direct Drive

Engine Power: 56 HP

  

Tanks

Fresh Water Tanks: (280)

Fuel Tanks: (134)

 

Accommodations

Number of single berths: 1

Number of twin berths: 2

Number of cabins: 3

Number of heads: 2

Number of bathrooms: 2

 

Electronics

Autopilot - Autohelm 7000

Compass

Radar

VHF - Navico. XM DSC.

Radar Detector

Depthsounder - Autohelm

Plotter - Garmin

Wind speed and direction

Log-speedometer

 

Sails

Battened mainsail

Genoa

 

Rigging

Steering wheel

 

Inside Equipment

Oven

Refrigerator

Marine head

Electric bilge pump

Manual bilge pump

Battery charger - Numar

Hot water - Valiant gas heaters

Heating - Eberspacher warm air and Shipmate solid fuel.

 

Electrical Equipment

Shore power inlet

 

Outside Equipment/Extras

Liferaft - 6 man

Tender - Plastimo 240 + Tohatsu outboard

Total Liferaft Capacity: 6

Electric windlass

 

Covers

Mainsail cover

Lazyjacks

  

Full specification

A classic Jack Laurent Giles design, the first of 4 that were been built to this design.

 

Built by Port Hamble Ltd, in 1961. This is a top quality and very expensive original construction in all teak hull, deck and superstructure.

 

She has had a recent refit, autumn 2010 and is looking very smart indeed.

 

The hull is planked in teak, all copper and bronze fastened to heavy oak frames with twin steamed intermediates

 

Oak floors on the heavy frames, galvanised straps on the steamed timbers.

 

Lead keel, bronze keel bolts.

 

Extra thick sheer strake in classic Laurent Giles style with gold cove line.

Exceptionally fair hull.

Solid yacht-laid teak deck, caulked and payed with varnished king plank and cover-boards and deep varnished teak toe rail.

 

Stainless steel stanchions, pulpit and push-pit.

 

Delta plough anchor self-stows in a stemhead fitting.

 

Danforth bower anchor self stows in a hawse in the stbd bow with stainless steel protection plate.

 

Superstructure in 4 parts:

a shallow coach-roof over the fore cabin, galley and fwd heads:

 

the next step up over the sunken deck saloon

 

step up to the wheel shelter over the midships cock-pit

 

after coach-roof over the aft cabin.

 

The coamings are in varnished teak with chromed port holes and window frames.

 

Varnished grab rails on the coach-roof decks

 

Fine chromed vents on Dorade boxes.

 

Modern Lewmar style flush deck hatch on the fore deck.

 

Perspex roof in the wheel shelter allows the helmsman to see the sails above.

 

Bermudian ketch rig on varnished spruce masts and spars.

 

The main mast is stepped on the forward coach-roof with a steel tube compression post

 

below. Single spreaders with jumper struts above.

 

Stainless steel rigging with swaged terminals and bronze rigging screws to internal

 

stainless steel chain plates.

 

Twin lowers and cap shrouds, twin fore stays to the stemhead, twin standing back-stays.

 

Twin topping lifts to the main boom which stows in a crutch on the wheel-house roof.

 

Main boom 3-point attachment sheet on the after coach-roof.

 

The mizzen mast is stepped through the aft deck.

 

Cap shrouds round twin forward swept spreaders, twin well-spaced lowers, twin standing back-stays to the push-pit.

Mizzen boom sheets to the push-pit.

3 x Barlow 26 top action sheet winches on the after coach-roof under the wheel shelter.

 

Pair of captive wire and brake halyard winches on the main mast take the headsail and main sail halyards.

Single top-action Lewmar winch on the main mast.

Mizzen mast halyard winch.

 

Sails

Mainsail with lazy jacks and sail cover

Mizzen with lazy jacks and sail cover

Genoa.

 

Gardner 4LW 56hp 4-cyl diesel engine with Gardner gear-box to centre-line 3-blade prop.

 

Fresh water cooled with remote header tank.

 

Remote heat exchanger.

 

Borg Warner Velvet Drive gear box allows very smooth gear change.

 

Separate gear and throttle controls.

 

Tanks:

Fuel 603 litres

Water 1278 litres.

Batteries

Engine start 2 x 12v

Service 4 x 12v

Numar battery charger

 

Accommodation:

4 berths + saloon settee.

V-berths in for cabin.

Centre bulkhead door to passageway with stbd heads and port galley.

The heads compartment has a Blake sea toilet with varnished teak seat, porcelain hand

Basin and shower. Teak grating shower tray. Paloma gas bulkhead mounted water heater.

Galley with Plastimo Neptune 2500 2 burner grill and oven gas cooker, new 2010, sink,fridge and Valiant gas water heater on the bulkhead.

Steps up to the saloon with U-shaped dinette to port upholstered in blue fabric around the double drop leaf teak table.

Chart desk/side-board down to stbd side with drawers and cupboards under and stowage under the side deck.

 

Shipmate stainless steel sold fuel cabin heater on the fwd bulkhead with flue to deck,

tiles on the bulkhead behind.

Beautiful varnished teak joinery, glinting brass of lamps, clock and barometer.

 

Centre-line step up to the cock-pit with port helm and helmsman’s seat. Seat lockers each side.

 

From the saloon, steps down in the after stbd corner to a passageway through to the aft cabin.

Lockers to stbd under the side deck. Engine room to port.

Aft cabin with port and stbd berths, dressing table between.

Hanging locker in the fwd stbd corner by the door, heads compartment in the forward port corner with Blake sea toilet, porcelain hand basin, shower with hot water from

Valiant gas waster heater on the bulkhead.

All original varnished mahogany joinery with drawers under the generous berths.

 

Compass,

Radar

XM DSC VHF

Navico VHF

Garmin 65 GPS

Garmin Map 185 chart plotter

Autohelm 7000 auto-pilot

Autohelm speed indicator

Autohelm depth sounder

Autohelm wind indicator

Autohelm electronic compass

Clock and barometer

Rudder indicator

Eberspacher warm air cabin heater.

Kent Clearview screen

Boarding ladder

Vetus 24v windlass

Ample chain

Danforrth bower anchor

Delta kedge anchor

Plastimo 240 RIB with Tohatsu o/b engine

S/s davits over the stern

6-man life raft

2 x life buoys with lights

Radar reflector

Manual and 12v bilge pumps

Plastimo MOB rescue sling.

Warps and fenders

 

An exceptionally fine and practical classic yacht.

Inspected spring 2011.

2010 survey report.

Specimens and ephemera from Schriftguss AG Brüder Butter at the library of the Klingspor Museum, Offenbach

Wrocław, ul Legnicka/Plac Jana Pawła

 

Annual field days at Keinuhonka farm

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

  

Some background:

The origins of the Henschel Hs 165 date back to early 1937, when the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, German Ministry of Aviation) issued a specification for a carrier-based torpedo bomber to operate from Germany's first aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin construction of which had started at the end of 1936. The specification was originally issued to two aircraft producers, Fieseler and Arado, and demanded an all-metal biplane with a maximum speed of at least 300 km/h (186 mph), a range of at least 1,000 km and capable both of torpedo and dive-bombing. By the summer of 1938 the Fieseler design proved to be superior to the Arado design, the Ar 195.

Anyway, by the time the Fi 167 prototype was ready for tests and proved its excellent handling, the biplane layout was already outdated and did not promise much development potential. Therefore, the RLM's request was repeated in late 1938 and a monoplane requested. Since the Graf Zeppelin was not expected to be completed before the end of 1940, the RLM did not put much pressure behind the project.

 

Among others, Henschel replied with the Hs 165. It was a compact and conservative low wing monoplane of all-metal construction with a crew of two (pilot and navigator/observer/gunner) under a common, heavily framed and high glasshouse canopy. In order to achieve a high performance, the airframe was originally developed around the new 14 cylinder BMW 139 radial engine with 1,550 hp (1,140 kW). The main landing gear was fully retractable, retracting outwards into wells that were part of the outer, foldable wings. Similar to the Ju87 C, the wings could manually be folded backwards, so that the aircraft became very compact for onboard stowage.

The tail wheel, placed behind a V-shaped arrester hook, could not be retracted, even though a mechanism allowed the control of the tail's ground clearance for the carriage of a torpedo under the fuselage and an optimized angle of attack for starts and landings.

 

Armament consisted of a pair of 20mm MG FF cannons in the wings, a pair of 7.92mm machine guns above the engine, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, and another single light machine gun for rear defense.

 

Among the special equipment of the Hs 165 for naval operations was a two-seat rubber dinghy with signal ammunition and emergency ammunition. A quick fuel dump mechanism and two inflatable 750 L (200 US gal) bags in each wing and a further two 500 L (130 US gal) bags in the fuselage enabled the aircraft to remain afloat for up to three days in calm seas.

 

When the first two prototypes of the Hs 165 (the V-1 and V-2) were about to be finished, it became clear that the BMW 139 would not materialize, but rather be replaced by an even more powerful engine. The new design was given the name BMW 801 after BMW was given a new block of "109-800" engine numbers by the RLM to use after their merger with Bramo. The first BMW 801A's ran in April 1939, only six months after starting work on the design, with production commencing in 1940.

 

Hs 165 V-1 was re-engined and ready for testing in mid 1940, while the first catapult launch tests on board of the Graf Zeppelin carrier were already carried out with Arado Ar 197s, modified Junkers Ju 87Bs and modified Messerschmitt Bf 109Ds. However, the Graf Zeppelin was still incomplete and not ready for full military service, and the changing strategic situation led to further work on her being suspended. In the wake of this decision, the completion of further carrier-borne aircraft was stopped and the completed examples were taken into Luftwaffe service in several evaluation/test units.

 

The Hs 165 initially fell victim to this decision, and only five airworthy airframes were completed as Hs 165 A-0 pre-production aircraft. Anyway, these were kept in service as test beds and other development duties, and Henschel kept working on detail improvements since the aircraft was also intended to become a land-based replacement for the Ju 87 dive bombers which had become obsolete by 1941, too. This aircraft was planned as the Hs 165 B.

 

However, by the spring of 1942 the usefulness of aircraft carriers in modern naval warfare had been amply demonstrated, and on 13 May 1942, the German Naval Supreme Command ordered work resumed on the German carrier projects. Henschel was happy to have the refined Hs 165 A at hand, and the type was immediately put into production.

 

The resulting Hs 165 A-1 differed in many equipment details from the former pre-production aircraft, and the armament was upgraded, too. The wing-mounted MG FF 20mm cannons were replaced with more effective and lighter MG 151/20 guns, while the pair of MG 17 machine guns above the engine was replaced by a pair of heavy MG 131 machine guns. The observer's single, light MG 15 machine gun was also upgraded to a belt-fed MG 81Z with two barrels, or a single MG 131.

The original BMW 801A engine remained the same, though, and due to the Hs 165 A-1’s higher overall weight the aircraft's performance deteriorated slightly.

 

Production did not last for long though, because further work on the Graf Zeppelin was soon terminated, and this time for good. In the meantime, the RLM had also decided to reduce the variety of aircraft types and rather develop specialized versions of existing aircraft than dedicated types like the Hs 165. As a consequence Hs 165 production was stopped again in June 1943, with several improved versions on the drawing board. These included the A-2 single seater and the C with an alternative liquid-cooled Jumo 213 powerplant.

The land-based Hs 165 B never materialized because, at the time of the type’s introduction into service, the dive bomber concept had turned out to be much too vulnerable in the European theatre of operations. Effectively, the Hs 165 needed cover from more agile fighters and did not stand a chance against enemy fighters.

 

However, until the end of production about 100 Hs 165 aircraft had been delivered to land-based front line units, since no German aircraft carrier ever materialized, and these machines were primarily used in Northern Europe in the coastal defense role and for harassment attacks in the North and Baltic Sea until 1945.

In service, they were gradually replaced by Ju 88 torpedo bombers and the Fw 190 A-5a/U14, which was able to carry a single torpedo, too, but offered a much better performance than the heavy and large Hs 165.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 2 (pilot and observer/gunner)

Length: 11.08 m (36 ft 4 in)

Wingspan: 13.95 m (45 ft 9 in)

Height: 4.18 m (13 ft 8 in)

Wing area: 26.8 m² (288 ft²)

Empty weight: 9,725 lb (4,411 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 14,300 lb (6,486 kg)

 

Powerplant:

1 × BMW 801A air-cooled 14 cylinder two row radial engine, 1,700 hp (1,250 kW)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 302 mph (262 kn, 486 km/h) at 11,000 ft (3,350 m)

Cruise speed: 235 mph (204 kn, 378 km/h)

Range: 1,400 miles (1,220 nmi, 2,253 km)

Service ceiling: 22,500 ft (6,860 m)

Wing loading: 43.1 lb/ft² (210 kg/m²)

Power/mass: 0.12 hp/lb (0.19 kW/kg)

 

Armament:

2× 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wings

2 × 13 mm MG 131 machine gun above the engine

1 × 7.92 mm MG 81Z, firing backwards

 

1× 1000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb, or

1× 765 kg (1,685 lb) torpedo, or

1 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb plus 4 × 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, or

4 × 250 kg (551 lb) ventrally

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another entry for the 2016 "In the Navy" Group Build at whatfimodelers.com, and in this case a complete kitbash for a fictional aircraft. Originally, this idea started as a Hs 126 on floats, which then turned into a low wing aircraft (in the Ju 87 class) and finally evolved into a carrier-capable torpedo bomber. Pretty dramatic evolution, but once the plan was settled, things quickly turned into hardware.

 

Ingredients include:

- Fuselage, cockpit and stabilizers (though mounted differently) from an Italeri Hs 126

- Wings from a Mastercraft (ex ZTM Plastyk) PZL 23 Karas, with the ventral gondala removed

- Landing gear from a Matchbox He 70, wheels from a Mastercraft Su-22;

- Engine/cowling from an Academy Fw 190, plus various donation parts and a putty plug

- Canopy from a Matchbox Brewster Buffalo

- German torpedo from the spares box (IIRC from an Italeri He 111)

 

Even though this is a kitbash, work was rather easy and straightforward, because most of the parts come from OOB donation kits. First, the Hs 126 fuselage was finished without an interior and the Fw 190 nose section transplanted. Inside, a styrene tube was added in order to hold the propeller and let it spin freely. In parallel, the landing gear wells were cut into the wings and the flaps separated/opened. Then the canopy was integrated into the fuselage, using styrene strips and putty.

For the wings, a wide opening had to be cut into the Hs 126’s lower fuselage, and the parts took some putty work to blend together.

Once the wings were in place, the landing gear was mounted as well as the scratched torpedo hardpoint. The cockpit interior followed suit with new seats and two figures, then the Buffalo canopy was modified for the rear machine gun mount and glued into place.

  

Painting and markings:

I wanted a rather "dry", typical German livery, and settled for a simple splinter scheme with a low waterline in the naval colors RLM 72 (a kind of very dark olive drab) and 73 (a bluish, very dark green) with light blue (RLM 65) undersides.

 

In this case I used enamels from the Modelmaster Authentic range, treated with a light black ink wash and with serious panel shading (with Humbrol 66 and a mix of Humbrol 30 + 77, respectively), because some color pictures I got hands on from early German naval aircraft (e. g. He 115 or Ar 196) suggest that the two murky, green tones weathered and bleached easily, and the enhanced contrast between the very similar colors was IMHO helpful, anyway.

 

The interior and the landing gearw as painted in contemporary RLM 02, the torpedo is simple black with a gun metal tip and a brass propeller.

 

The markings had to be puzzled together; I originally wanted the kit to be part of one of the Küstenfliegergruppen, in particular KüFliGr 106. But in mid 1943, these were partly integrated into the Kampffliegergruppen, and offensive parts of KüFliGr 106 were added to KG 6. It took some time to figure out where KG 6 was operating in the time frame I wanted to place the Hs 165, and eventually found 8./KG 6 from the third group that was based in Belgium at that time and flew Ju 88 torpedo bombers - so I added the Hs 165 to that squadron.

 

As a side effect, the aircraft would not carry any of the fuselage bands or other bright ID markings - the only color highlights are the red wing tip and the individual code "K" letter, and I used a grey decal for the 8th squadron's code letter "S" for better contrast with the dark green livery. Another "highlight" is a KG 6 emblem behind the engine, which I found on a Peddinghaus Decals sheet in the stash. Anyway, this minimal and very conservative livery does not look bad at all, though?

  

A complex kitbashing,done in about a week, and despite some trouble and major body work the result looks IMHO very good - especially the flight scenes, with the retracted (retouched...) landing gear show the sleek lines of the Hs 126, the fictional Hs 165 looks pretty fast and purposeful. And with a different engine, this could also carry some Hinomaru - the thing reminds me a lot of Japanese torpedo bombers (e. g. the B5N?) and carrier-borne reconnaissance aircraft?

 

Early juveniles in August when all or most adults dead. Similar form to adults, but periostracum thinner and paler, and spire protrudes less.

Maximum dimension 4.1 mm and 3.3 mm, Portlethen, north-east Scotland, August 1970.

 

Full SPECIES DESCRIPTION BELOW

Revised PDF available at www.researchgate.net/publication/372768813_Lacuna_pallidu....

Sets of OTHER SPECIES at: www.flickr.com/photos/56388191@N08/collections/

  

Lacuna pallidula (da Costa, 1778)

 

Synonyms: Cochlea pallidula da Costa, 1778; Lacuna neritoidea Gould, 1840; Lacuna patula Thorpe, 1844; Lacuna retusa Brown.

Current taxonomy: WoRMS www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140168

Vernacular: Pallid chink shell; Pale lacuna; Gwichiad agennog gwelw (Welsh); Lacuna pâle (French); Lavspiret grubesnegl (Danish); Bleke scheefhoren (Dutch); Blek lagunsnäcka (Swedish).

 

Shell description

The largest dimension of female shells is up to about 12 mm fig. 01 flic.kr/p/2kNQ7pc and males grow to 6 mm. The species has an annual life cycle; all or most adults are dead by June. Their small juvenile offspring occur in summer fig. 02 flic.kr/p/2kGH2G9 , growing to full size in winter. The body whorl forms the great majority of the shell, and the very small spire is sunk below the upper margin in most views. Juveniles are similar in form with a slightly lower spire. Sutures between the whorls are distinct. The smooth surface has no sculpture apart from numerous, growth lines.

One face of the hollow columella is missing, exposing a long wide columellar groove (lacuna, chink or canal), leading to a large funnel-like umbilicus fig. 03 flic.kr/p/2kNL1YB . On some specimens the columellar groove is indistinct and the umbilicus reduced fig. 04 flic.kr/p/2kNPCc9 and fig. 05 flic.kr/p/2oQ83ra .

The very large ‘D’ shape aperture is as high as the whole shell, and it occupies about 75% of the area in apertural-view images fig. 01 flic.kr/p/2kNQ7pc . The palatal lip is semi-circular, and it continues along the abapertural side of the columellar groove. The wide, white columellar lip forms the adapertural edge of the groove fig. 03 flic.kr/p/2kNL1YB .

The ‘D’ shape operculum is a rapidly expanding oligogyrous spiral with its off-centre nucleus close to the base of the columellar lip. It is transparent, tinted yellow fig. 04 flic.kr/p/2kNPCc9 & fig. 06 flic.kr/p/2kNL1Ut or nearly colourless fig. 05 flic.kr/p/2oQ83ra . The substantial periostracum is olive-brown with distinct growth lines on large specimens fig. 07 flic.kr/p/2kNQ773, and it usually extends beyond the lip of the aperture fig. 04 flic.kr/p/2kNPCc9 . Under the periostracum, the calcareous shell is white or yellowish white fig. 01 flic.kr/p/2kNQ7pc . Live adults with a thick opaque periostracum are olive-green/brown in water fig. 08 flic.kr/p/2kNPC3g becoming dull brown when dead and dried fig. 01 flic.kr/p/2kNQ7pc . There are no coloured bands or variegation at any stage.

 

Body description

The flesh is translucent white with varying amounts of yellow or pink tinting fig. 07 flic.kr/p/2kNQ773 and fig. 05 flic.kr/p/2oQ83ra . The snout is ventrally slit fig.06 flic.kr/p/2kNL1Ut and usually rolled into a cylinder fig. 09 flic.kr/p/2oQ92WM . The extended cephalic tentacles are long, smooth, translucent whitish and taper to a blunt tip. When contracted they wrinkle and any yellow tint is intensified fig. 08 flic.kr/p/2kNPC3g . There is a black eye on a slight bulge at the base of each tentacle fig. 07 flic.kr/p/2kNQ773 . The roof of the mantle cavity is whitish translucent showing the colour of the shell except for the mantle edge which is thick and sometimes yellowish fig. 09 flic.kr/p/2oQ92WM . The foot is white with varying amounts of yellow or pink fig. 07 flic.kr/p/2kNQ773 , especially on the opercular disc which supports, and is visible under and through, the transparent operculum fig. 05 flic.kr/p/2oQ83ra and fig. 09 flic.kr/p/2oQ92WM . The two small, flat metapodial tentacles protrude beyond the posterior of the operculum fig. 09 flic.kr/p/2oQ92WM .

 

Key identification features

Lacuna pallidula

1) Columellar groove (lacuna or chink) leads to umbilicus fig. 01 flic.kr/p/2kNQ7pc but is sometimes sealed over fig. 04 flic.kr/p/2kNPCc9 .

2) Largest dimensions up to 12 mm (female) and 6 mm (male). Hardly any of the spire protrudes beyond the body whorl fig. 01 flic.kr/p/2kNQ7pc

3) Very large ‘D’ shape aperture equals shell height and occupies about 75% of area in apertural view fig. 01 flic.kr/p/2kNQ7pc.

4) Shell olive-brown with no spiral bands fig. 08 flic.kr/p/2kNPC3g .

5) Body white fig. 07 flic.kr/p/2kNQ773 , sometimes yellowish or pinkish; no grey stipple.

6) Found mainly on Fucus serratus and sometimes on Laminaria.

 

Similar species

Lacuna parva (da Costa, 1778) fig. 10 flic.kr/p/2kNL1A2 .

1) Columellar groove (“lacuna” or “chink) leads to umbilicus. 2) Usual maximum height 4 mm; sometimes 6 mm. Spire 30% to 40% of shell height.

3) Aperture occupies about 50% of area in apertural-view images.

4) Body whorl has three brown spiral bands; basal band 1 easily overlooked if base of shell not examined. Some shells are uniform white or brown with no bands.

5) Body translucent white, usually stippled grey.

6) Found mainly, especially when young, on small red weeds. Sometimes on fucoids.

 

Littorina fabalis (W. Turton, 1825) and

L. obtusata (Linnaeus, 1758) fig. 11 flic.kr/p/2kNPBJk .

1) No columellar groove or umbilicus.

2) Maximum dimension up to 17 mm. Very large body whorl and small spire.

3) Aperture occupies about 50% of area in apertural-view images.

4) Shell of L. obtusata is sometimes greenish olive.

5) Body varied shades of yellow, brown or black.

6) Found on Fucus serratus (L. fabalis) or Ascophyllum (L. obtusata) and on Fucus vesiculosus (both).

 

Lacuna vincta (Montagu, 1803) fig. 12 flic.kr/p/2kNQ6PK .

1) Columellar groove (“lacuna” or “chink”) leads to umbilicus. 2) Maximum height about 10 mm. Well developed spire about 50% of adult shell height, and about 30% on juveniles less than 3 mm high.

3) Aperture occupies about 30% of area in apertural-view images of full grown adults.

4) Body whorl has four brown spiral bands.

5) Body whitish with grey, yellow, orange and/or aquamarine parts.

6) Found on Laminaria and, especially juveniles, on small red weeds. Also on Zostera and sometimes on fucoids.

 

Lacuna crassior (Montagu, 1803) fig. 13 flic.kr/p/2kGH26u

1) Wide white columellar shelf. Usually no groove or umbilicus but sometimes small ones present.

2) Distinct spire about 50% of mature shell height, about 45% when younger.

3) Aperture occupies about 30% of area in apertural view.

4) Shell when live, has translucent, yellowish-brown spire and brownish-white body whorl. Thick periostracum has distinct, raised, transverse (costal) ridges. Dead dry shells are dull yellowish-brown if periostracum retained, yellowish white with faint spiral lines if periostracum worn off.

5) Body translucent whitish.

6) A rare species which often associates with the bryozoan Alcyonidium diaphanum.

 

Habits and ecology

L. pallidula feeds on the surface of Fucus serratus (Smith, 1973) and Laminaria (Lebour, 1937) near low water on rocky shores and to 70 metres depth. It is usually absent where turbidity or soft substrate prevents growth of F. serratus. It cannot survive desiccation. Some populations live in the Baltic in salinity down to 12‰.

It moves with a bipedal stepping motion, lifting alternately the right and left sides of the foot. It breeds in late winter and spring, sometimes extending into summer and autumn, with a maximum in February to May in Britain, but precise dates vary regionally. The spawn mass is a low gelatinous dome with an almost circular, oval base (not kidney-shape), diameter 3.9 mm to 5.3 mm (Lebour, 1937), laid on fronds of F. serratus or Laminaria. There are up to about 200 ova per spawn mass fig. 14 flic.kr/p/2kNQ71M . In the low salinity Øresund, Denmark, the masses are smaller with as few as 13 ova (Thorson, 1946 in Fretter & Graham, 1962).

Fretter and Graham (1962) reported confusion with the spawn of “Littorina littoralis” (the name mistakenly used formerly by British authors for an aggregate of Littorina obtusata and L. fabalis). The limited material examined for this account suggests the confusion is with L. fabalis which lives on F. serratus at the same shore level and lays similar, almost circular oval spawn masses, while L. obtusata lives higher up the shore, favouring Ascophyllum, and often lays kidney-shaped spawn masses up to 7 mm long. The difference between the spawn masses of L. fabalis and Lacuna pallidula may be that the latter has a distinctly bevelled peripheral rim while the surface of the former slopes to the substrate without a break in slope fig. 14 flic.kr/p/2kNQ71M . But more investigation is required to test these suggestions; the difference might be due to age of spawn mass. Lacuna parva also has similar spawn but it is found on red algae and is smaller, about 2.5 mm diameter with about 50 ova in Britain fig. 14 flic.kr/p/2kNQ71M ; 2.2 mm to 2.5 mm with 6 to16 ova in the brackish Øresund (Ockelmann & Nielsen, 1981 in Wigham & Graham, 2017).

The individual egg capsules of L. pallidula become angular as they swell and become crowded and compressed. There is no planktonic veliger stage; young emerge as tiny crawling snails. Through a microscope, just before hatching, two tentacular extensions of the opercular disc protruding beyond the operculum may be detected on the embryos within the clear capsules (Fretter & Graham, 1962). Males die after mating, and the females about a month later, so all or most adults breeding in the main period are dead by June or July, and few specimens over 5 mm high can be found in August fig. 02 flic.kr/p/2kGH2G9 . Both sexes grow rapidly until October. From October to February males grow slowly, but females at three times their rate so that by breeding time they are over twice as high as males (Thorson, 1946 in Fretter & Graham, 1962). When mating, the small male rides on the female’s shell near the aperture with his penis inserted into her mantle cavity 15Lp flic.kr/p/2rSk89j.

 

Distribution and status

L. pallidula occurs from northern Norway and Iceland to Atlantic Spain and New England (USA). GBIF map www.gbif.org/species/2301181

It is found all around Britain and Ireland, but is scarce or absent in the north-eastern Irish Sea and southern North Sea where lack of hard substrate and/or turbidity hinder the growth of Fucus serratus and Laminaria. UK distribution map NBN species.nbnatlas.org/species/NBNSYS0000175975#tab_mapView

 

Acknowledgements

For use of images, I thank Sarah Charles and Rob Durrant.

 

References and links

Forbes, E. & Hanley S. 1849-53. A history of the British mollusca and their shells. vol. 3 (1853), London, van Voorst. archive.org/details/historyofbritish03forbe/page/56/mode/2up

Also plate LXX11 at end of vol.4, fig. 1 & 2, also fig. 3 & 4 labelled “L. patulaarchive.org/details/historyofbritish04forbe/page/n459/mod...

 

Fretter, V. and Graham, A. 1962. British prosobranch molluscs. London, Ray Society.

 

Graham, A. 1988. Molluscs: prosobranch and pyramidellid gastropods. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) no.2 (Second edition). Leiden, E.J.Brill/Dr. W. Backhuys. 662 pp.

 

Jeffreys, J.G. 1862-69. British conchology. vol. 3 (1865). London, van Voorst.

archive.org/details/britishconcholog03jeffr/page/350/mode...

 

Lebour, M.V. 1937. The eggs and larvae of the British prosobranchs with special reference to those living in the plankton. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K., 22: 105 – 166. plymsea.ac.uk/953/

 

Ockelmann, K. W. and Nielsen, C. 1981. On the biology of the prosobranch Lacuna parva in the Øresund. Ophelia 20: 1-16.

Abstract at www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00785236.1981.10426559

 

Smith, D. A. S. 1973. The population biology of Lacuna pallidula (da Costa) and Lacuna vincta (Montagu) in north-east England. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K., 53: 493-520.

 

Thorson, G. 1946. Reproduction and larval development of the Danish marine bottom invertebrates. Meddelelser fra Kommissionen for Danmarks Fiskeri- og Havundersøgelser, Serie Plankton 4: 1-523.

 

Wigham, G.D. & Graham, A. 2017. Marine gastropods 2: Littorinimorpha and other, unassigned, Caenogastropoda. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) no.61. (344 pages). Field Studies Council, Telford, England.

 

Glossary

‰ = (salinity) parts salt per thousand parts water (brackish <30‰).

abapertural = away from the aperture.

abapical = away from the apex of the shell.

adapertural = towards the aperture

adapical = towards the apex of the shell.

aperture = mouth of gastropod shell; outlet for head and foot.

apical = at or near the apex.

chink = (see columellar groove).

columella = solid or hollow axis around which gastropod shell spirals; concealed except next to aperture where hollow ones may end in an umbilicus, slit or siphonal canal.

 

columellar = (adj.) of or near central axis of spiral gastropod,

columellar groove = Groove where one face of hollow columella missing, terminates in umbilicus. Also called “lacuna” or “chink.

 

columellar lip = lower (abapical) part of inner lip of aperture.

cephalic = (adj.) of the head.

costa = (pl. costae) rib crossing a whorl of a gastropod shell at about 90° to direction of coiling and any spiral ribs or lines.

 

costal = (adj.) of, or arranged like, costae.

ctenidium = comb-like molluscan gill; usually an axis with a row of filaments either side.

height = (of gastropod shells) distance from apex of spire to base of aperture.

lacuna = (see columellar groove).

mantle = sheet of tissue that secretes the shell and forms a cavity for the gill.

oligogyrous = (of a spiral) having few turns.

operculum = plate of horny conchiolin used to close shell aperture.

palatal lip = outer lip of gastropod aperture.

parietal lip = upper (adapical) part of inner lip of gastropod aperture that lies, often as a glaze, on surface of whorl.

 

periostracum = thin horny layer of conchiolin often coating shells.

plankton = animals and plants that drift in pelagic zone (main body of water).

protoconch = apical whorls produced during embryonic and larval stages of gastropod; often different in form from other whorls.

 

suture = groove or line where whorls adjoin.

umbilicus = cavity up axis of some gastropods, open as a hole or chink on base of shell, sometimes sealed over.

 

umbilical groove = narrow slit opening of umbilicus on some gastropods.

veliger = shelled larva of marine gastropod or bivalve mollusc which swims by beating cilia of a velum (bilobed flap).

  

The MKC Protected Luxury Transport Series was created to accommodate various figures of power who must keep a low profile in regards to how well they are protected. The J5 "Solstice" model is a

Repulsor / Adjustable G-Diffuser craft propelled by four (4) MKC-CO34M Plasma Engines. The Adjustable G-Diffuser allows the vehicle to travel through air lanes as a medium-light class vessel, as well as hovering at feet off of the ground to travel along machine highways, and the integrated repulsor drive provides maximum control and comfort.

 

A variable lap of luxury can be found inside each J5, with most being custom orders for couches, bars, tables, various electronics and other entertainment, as well as many extra security options. Each J5 comes standard with bullet proof energy dispersing windows, and has enough room to accommodate a security team of six (6, not including the driver, co-pilot, bartender, and stewart / stewardess) and seating for 8-12 humans. Other security options include pursuit weaponry (made to order) and countermeasures (shown).

 

This J5 is the special edition "Hyperion Solstice" which belongs to MKC. The color is exclusive to his craft, as is the security team aboard it.

Technical Data:

Length - 30.5m

Height - 9m (gear down)

Width - 12m

Landing Gear - 25" Rims (Options vary)

Engines - MKC-CO34Mx4 Plasma Microdynamo Engines

Repulsors - One 6 Generator Engine feeding 24 double Stacked Plates.

Crew (optional from MKC)

1 Driver/Pilot, 1 CoPilot, 1 NavComms Officer, Up to 2 Steward/Stewardess, 1 Bartender, and 6 Security personnel (not including the bartender). MKC also has full crews available for hire at very competitive prices!

Maximum Rocknroll .

miserabiletshirts [at] gmail [dot] com

An information point at the launch event for relaunching Arriva Yorkshire MAX Grand Yorkshire Connections route 415 between York and Selby - the launch was held at the designer outlet to the south of York. The route now has new style timetables, designed and printed by the same company used by Transdev Blazefield (including Yorkshire Coastliner)

Demonstratie van breakdance crew Rafaga De Viento tijdens Existenz Maximum.

 

Fotoreeks voor studentenblad Veto.

Murat Boz 'Maximum' albüm çekimleri

Windermere (sometimes tautologically called Lake Windermere to distinguish it from the nearby town of Windermere[a]) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the largest Scottish lochs and Northern Irish loughs.

 

The lake is about 11 miles (18 km) in length and 1 mile (1.6 km) at its widest, has a maximum depth of 64 metres (210 ft), and has an elevation of 39 metres (128 ft) above sea level. Its outflow is the River Leven, which drains into Morecambe Bay. The lake is in the administrative council area of Westmorland and Furness and the historic county of Westmorland, with the lake forming part of the boundary between the historic counties of Westmorland and Lancashire. It has been one of the country's most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway's branch line in 1847. The Freshwater Biological Association was established on the shore of Windermere in 1929 and much of the early work on lake ecology, freshwater biology and limnology was conducted here.

 

Etymology

The word 'Windermere' is thought to translate as "'Winand or Vinand's lake'... The specific has usually been identified with an Old Swedish personal name 'Vinandr', genitive singular 'Vinandar'"... although "the personal noun is of very restricted distribution even in Sweden." Another possibility is that it refers to a "Continental Germanic personal noun, 'Wīnand'...Since this name could not have been current until the 12th century, the fact that the Old Norse genitive singular '-ar-' has been added to it, it would suggest that Old Norse was still a living language in the area at that time." Alternative spellings may be 'Wynhendermere' and 'Wynenderme' The second element is Old English 'mere', meaning 'lake' or 'pool'. It was known as "Winander Mere" or "Winandermere" until at least the 19th century.

 

Its name suggests it is a mere, a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, but despite the name this is not the case for Windermere, which in particular has a noticeable thermocline, distinguishing it from typical meres. Until the 19th century, the term "lake" was, indeed, not much used by or known to the native inhabitants of the area, who referred to it as Windermere/Winandermere Water, or (in their dialect) Windermer Watter. The name Windermere or Windermer was used of the parish that had clearly taken its name from the water. The poet Norman Nicholson comments on the use of the phrase 'Lake Windermere': "a certain excuse for the tautology can be made in the case of Windermere, since we need to differentiate between the lake and the town, though it would be better to speak of 'Windermere Lake' and Windermere Town', but no one can excuse such ridiculous clumsiness as 'Lake Derwentwater' and 'Lake Ullswater."

 

The extensive parish included most of Undermilbeck (that is, excepting Winster and the part of Crook chapelry that lay west of the Gilpin, which were part of Kirkby Kendal parish), Applethwaite, Troutbeck and Ambleside-below-Stock, that is, the part of Ambleside that lay south of Stock Beck. The parish church was at Bowness in Undermilbeck.

 

Geography

Windermere is long and narrow, like many other ribbon lakes, and lies in a steep-sided pre-glacial river valley that has become deepened by successive glaciations. The current lake was formed after the Last Glacial Maximum during the retreat of the British and Irish Ice Sheet some time between 17,000 and 14,700 years ago, just before the start of the Windermere Interstadial. The lake water was sourced from the meltwater of retreating ice in the catchment, which receded up the Troutbeck valley and up the valleys that now contain the rivers Rothay and Brathay. There were at least nine ice retreat phases, indicated by buried recessional moraines. The lake has two separate basins – north and south – with different characteristics influenced by the geology. This consists of hard volcanic rocks in the north basin and softer shales in the south.

 

The lake is drained from its southernmost point by the River Leven. It is replenished by the rivers Brathay, Rothay, Trout Beck, Cunsey Beck and several other lesser streams. The lake is largely surrounded by foothills of the Lake District which provide pleasant low-level walks; to the north and northeast are the higher fells of central Lakeland.

 

There is debate as to whether the stretch of water between Newby Bridge and Lakeside at the southern end of the lake should be considered part of Windermere, or a navigable stretch of the River Leven. This affects the stated length of the lake, which is 11.23 miles (18.07 km) long if measured from the bridge at Newby Bridge, or 10.5 miles (16.9 km) if measured from Lakeside[citation needed]. The lake varies in width up to a maximum of 1 mile (1.6 km), and covers an area of 14.73 km2 (5.69 sq mi). With a maximum depth of 66.7 m (219 ft) and an elevation above sea level of 39 m (128 ft), the lowest point of the lake bed is well below sea level.

 

There is only one town or village directly on the lakeshore, Bowness-on-Windermere, as the village of Windermere does not directly touch the lake and the centre of Ambleside is one mile (1.6 km) to the north of Waterhead. The village of Windermere is about 20 minutes' walk from Millerground, the nearest point on the lakeshore. It did not exist before the arrival of the railway in 1847. The station was built in an area of open fell and farmland in the township of Applethwaite. The nearest farm was Birthwaite, which gave its name to the station and the village that began to grow up near it. In about 1859, the residents began to call their new village by the name of Windermere, much to the chagrin of the people of Bowness, which had been the centre of the parish of Windermere for many centuries. Since 1907 the two places have been under one council and, although there are still two separate centres, the area between is largely built up, albeit bordering on woodland and open fields. Windermere railway station is a hub for train and bus connections to the surrounding areas and is 1+1⁄4 miles (2 km) from the Waterbus jetty. There is a regular train service to Oxenholme on the West Coast Main Line, where there are fast trains to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester Airport, Birmingham and London.

 

Islands

The lake contains eighteen islands. By far the largest is the privately owned Belle Isle opposite Bowness.[15] It is around a kilometre in length, and 16 hectares (40 acres).[citation needed] Its older name was Lang Holme, and 800 years ago it was the centre of the manor of Windermere and later, in effect, of a moiety of the barony of Kendal.

 

The other islands or "holmes" are considerably smaller. The word "holme" or "holm" means small island or islet and comes from Old Norse holmr (as in Stockholm). The island of Lady Holme is named after the chantry that formerly stood there and in former centuries was sometimes called St Mary Holme or just Mary Holme. The remaining islands are Bee Holme (the insular status of which depends on the water level), Blake Holme, Crow Holme, Birk or Birch Holme (called Fir Holme on Ordnance Survey maps), Grass Holme, Lilies of the Valley (East, and West), Ling Holme (a rocky hump with a few trees and a growth of ling), Hawes Holme, Hen Holme (also rocky and sometimes known as chair and Table Island from some old flags or slabs of stone that were formerly found there), Maiden Holme (the smallest island, with just one tree), Ramp Holme (variously called Roger Holme and Berkshire Island at different times in its history), Rough Holme, Snake Holme, Thompson Holme (the second largest), Silver Holme.

 

The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region and national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is primarily famous for the Cumbrian Mountains, its lake and coastal scenery, and for its literary associations with William Wordsworth and other Lake Poets, Beatrix Potter, and John Ruskin.

 

The Cumbrian mountains, or fells, include England's tallest mountains: Scafell Pike (978 m (3,209 ft)), Helvellyn (950 m (3,120 ft)), Skiddaw (931 m (3,054 ft)), and Cross Fell (893 m (2,930 ft)), which all have a topographical prominence of more than 600m. The region contains sixteen major lakes. They include Windermere, which with a length of 18 km (11 miles) and an area of 14.73 km2 (5.69 square miles) is both the longest and largest lake in England, and Wast Water, which at 79 metres (259 ft) is the deepest lake in England.

 

The Lake District National Park was established in 1951, and covers an area of 2,362 km2 (912 square miles), the bulk of the region. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

 

National Park

The Lake District National Park includes all of the central Lake District, though the town of Kendal, some coastal areas, and the Lakeland Peninsulas are outside the park boundary. The area was designated a national park on 9 May 1951, a month after the Peak District, the first UK national park. It retained its original boundaries until 2016 when it was extended by 3% in the direction of the Yorkshire Dales National Park to incorporate areas land of high landscape value around the Lune Valley.

 

The national park received 18.14 million tourist visitors in 2022. This equates to 29.15 million tourist days, counting visits of greater than three hours. It is the largest of the thirteen national parks in England and Wales and the second largest in the UK after the Cairngorms National Park. Its aim is to protect the landscape by restricting unwelcome change by industry or commerce. The area of the national park, with the exception of the 2016 extension, was designated a World Heritage Site in 2017 as a cultural landscape. This was the fourth attempt to list the park, after two attempts in the 1980s and one in 2012 failed.

 

The park is governed by the National Park Authority, which is based at offices in Kendal. It runs a visitor centre on Windermere at a former country house called Brockhole, Coniston Boating Centre, and Information Centres. The Park Authority has 20 members: six appointed by Westmorland and Furness Council, four by Cumberland Council, and ten by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.

 

Human geography

The precise extent of the Lake District was not defined traditionally, but is slightly larger than that of the National Park[citation needed], the total area of which is about 2,362 square kilometres (912 sq mi). The park extends just over 51 kilometres (32 mi) from east to west and nearly 64 kilometres (40 mi) from north to south, with areas such as the Lake District Peninsulas to the south lying outside the National Park.

 

Settlement

There are only a few major settlements within this mountainous area: the towns of Keswick, Windermere, Ambleside, and Bowness-on-Windermere are the four largest. Significant settlements close to the boundary of the national park include Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal, Ulverston, Dalton-in-Furness, Whitehaven, Workington, Cockermouth, Penrith, Millom and Grange-over-Sands; each of these has important economic links with the area. Other villages are Coniston, Threlkeld, Glenridding, Pooley Bridge, Broughton-in-Furness, Grasmere, Newby Bridge, Staveley, Lindale, Gosforth and Hawkshead. The economies of almost all are intimately linked with tourism. Beyond these are a scattering of hamlets and many isolated farmsteads, some of which are still tied to agriculture;[citation needed] others now function as part of the tourist economy.

 

Communications

Roads

The Lake District is very nearly contained within a box of trunk routes and major A roads. It is flanked to the east by the A6 road, which runs from Kendal to Penrith (though the National Park extension approved in 2015 is east of the A6); across its southern fringes by the A590, which connects the M6 to Barrow-in-Furness, and the A5092, and across its northern edge by the A66 trunk road between Penrith and Workington. The A595 (linking the A66 with the A5092) forms the park boundary from Calder Bridge to Holmrook, then crosses the coastal plain of the park until turning inland at the Whicham Valley, forming much of the park boundary again until joining the A5092 at Grizebeck.

 

Besides these, a few A roads penetrate the area itself, notably the A591 which runs north-westwards from Kendal to Windermere and then on to Keswick. It continues up the east side of Bassenthwaite Lake. "The A591, Grasmere, Lake District" was short-listed in the 2011 Google Street View awards in the Most Romantic Street category. The A593 and A5084 link the Ambleside and Coniston areas with the A590 to the south whilst the A592 and A5074 similarly link Windermere with the A590. The A592 also continues northwards from Windermere to Ullswater and Penrith by way of the Kirkstone Pass.

 

Some valleys which are not penetrated by A roads are served by B roads. The B5289 serves Lorton Vale and Buttermere and links via the Honister Pass with Borrowdale. The B5292 ascends the Whinlatter Pass from Lorton Vale before dropping down to Braithwaite near Keswick. The B5322 serves the valley of St John's in the Vale whilst Great Langdale is served by the B5343. Other valleys such as Little Langdale, Eskdale and Dunnerdale are served by minor roads. The last of these is connected with the first two by the Wrynose and Hardknott passes respectively; both of these passes are known for their steep gradients and are together one of the most popular climbs in the United Kingdom for cycling enthusiasts. A minor road through the Newlands Valley connects via Newlands Hause with the B5289 at Buttermere. Wasdale is served by a cul-de-sac minor road,[a] as is Longsleddale and the valleys at Haweswater and Kentmere. There are networks of minor roads in the lower-lying southern part of the area, connecting numerous communities between Kendal, Windermere, and Coniston.

 

Railways and ferries

The West Coast Main Line skirts the eastern edge of the Lake District and the Cumbrian Coast Line passes through the southern and western fringes of the area. A single railway line, the Windermere Branch Line, penetrates from Kendal to Windermere via Staveley. Railways once served Broughton-in-Furness and Coniston (closed to passengers in 1958) and another ran from Penrith to Cockermouth via Keswick (closed west of Keswick in 1966 and completely in 1972). Part of the track of the latter is used by the improved A66 trunk road.

 

The Cumbrian Coast line has three stations within the boundaries of the national park (and additionally Drigg, about a third of a mile from the park boundary). The line gives railway enthusiasts and others a flavour of a pre-Beeching railway line, with features like manually operated level crossing gates, as well as giving a good connection to the steam railway into Eskdale and providing access for cyclists and serious walkers to the Western Fells.

 

The narrow gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway runs from Ravenglass on the west coast up Eskdale as far as Dalegarth Station near the hamlet of Boot, catering for tourists. Another heritage railway, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, runs between Lake Windermere and Haverthwaite, and tourists can connect at Lakeside with the boats up the lake to Bowness.

 

A vehicle-carrying cable ferry, the Windermere Ferry, runs frequent services across Windermere. There are also seasonal passenger boats on Coniston Water, Derwent Water, and Ullswater.

 

Footpaths and bridleways

There are many paths over which the public has a right of way, all of which are signposted at their origin on public roads and at some other points. Within the area of the National Park in 2012 there were 2,159 km (1,342 mi) of public footpaths, 875 km (544 mi) of public bridleways, 15 km (9 mi) of restricted byways and 30 km (19 mi) of byways open to all traffic. There is also a general "right to roam" in open country, which includes approximately 50% of the national park.

 

Many of these tracks arose centuries ago and were used either as ridge highways (such as along High Street) or as passes for travelling across the ridges between settlements in the valleys. Historically these paths were not planned for reaching summits, but more recently they are used by fell walkers for that purpose. The Coast to Coast Walk, which crosses the north of England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, traverses the national park from west to east.

 

Bridleways are intended for horse riding and walkers, with cyclists also permitted to use them. Cyclists must give way to all other bridleway users. Motor vehicles are only allowed on "byways open to all traffic" (green lanes) but in practice Traffic Regulation Orders have been brought in on several prohibiting motor traffic, although a system of permits operates on Gatesgarth Pass.

 

Land ownership

Most of the land within the national park is in private ownership, with about 55% registered as agricultural land. Landowners include:

 

Individual farmers and other private landowners, with more than half of the agricultural land farmed by the owners.

The National Trust owns around 25% of the total area (including some lakes and land of significant landscape value).

The Forestry Commission and other investors in forests and woodland.

United Utilities (owns 8%)

Lake District National Park Authority (owns 3.9%)

 

Physical geography

The Lake District is a roughly circular upland massif, deeply dissected by a broadly radial pattern of major valleys which are largely the result of repeated glaciations over the last 2 million years. The apparent radial pattern is not from a central dome, but from an axial watershed extending from St Bees Head in the west to Shap in the east. Most of these valleys display the U-shaped cross-section characteristic of glacial origin and often contain long narrow lakes in bedrock hollows, with tracts of relatively flat ground at their infilled heads, or where they are divided by lateral tributaries (Buttermere-Crummock Water; Derwent Water-Bassenthwaite Lake).[b] Smaller lakes known as tarns occupy glacial cirques at higher elevations. It is the abundance of both which has led to the area becoming known as the Lake District.

 

Many of the higher fells are rocky, while moorland predominates lower down. Vegetation cover in better-drained areas includes bracken and heather, although much of the land is boggy, due to the high rainfall. Deciduous native woodland occurs on many of the steeper slopes below the tree line, but with native oak supplemented by extensive conifer plantations in many areas, particularly Grizedale Forest in the generally lower southern part of the area. The Lake District extends to the sea to the west and south.

 

The highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike (978m/3210'), has a far-reaching view on a clear day, ranging from the Galloway Hills of Scotland, the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Snowdonia in Wales.

 

Cumbrian Mountains

Lake District is located in the Lake DistrictScafell PikeScafell PikeScafellScafellScafellScafellHelvellynHelvellynSkiddawSkiddawHigh StreetHigh StreetGrasmoorGrasmoorConiston Old ManConiston Old ManGreat GableGreat GableKendalKendalPenrithPenrithKeswickKeswickAmblesideAmblesideCockermouthCockermouthWindermereWindermereGrasmereGrasmere

 

Major fells and towns shown within the National Park

Lake District

The mountains (or 'fells') of the Lake District are known as the "Cumbrian Mountains", "Cumbrian Fells" or "Lakeland Fells". The four highest fells exceed 3,000 feet (914 m). These are:

 

Scafell Pike, 978 m (3,209 ft)

Scafell, 965 m (3,166 ft)

Helvellyn, 951 m (3,120 ft)

Skiddaw, 931 m (3,054 ft)

 

Northern Fells

The Northern Fells are a clearly defined range of hills contained within a 13 km (8 mi) diameter circle between Keswick in the southwest and Caldbeck in the northeast. They culminate in the 931 m (3,054 ft) peak of Skiddaw. Other notable peaks are Blencathra (also known as Saddleback) (868 m (2,848 ft)) and Carrock Fell. Bassenthwaite Lake occupies the valley between this massif and the North Western Fells.

 

North Western Fells

The North Western Fells lie between Borrowdale and Bassenthwaite Lake to the east and Buttermere and Lorton Vale to the west. Their southernmost point is at Honister Pass. This area includes the Derwent Fells above the Newlands Valley and hills to the north amongst which are Dale Head, Robinson. To the north stand Grasmoor, highest in the range at 852 m (2,795 ft), Grisedale Pike and the hills around the valley of Coledale, and in the far northwest is Thornthwaite Forest and Lord's Seat. The fells in this area are rounded Skiddaw slate, with few tarns and relatively few rock faces.

 

Western Fells

The Western Fells lie between Buttermere and Wasdale, with Sty Head forming the apex of a large triangle. Ennerdale bisects the area, which consists of the High Stile ridge north of Ennerdale, the Loweswater Fells in the far northwest, the Pillar group in the southwest, and Great Gable (899 m (2,949 ft)) near Sty Head. Other tops include Seatallan, Haystacks and Kirk Fell. This area is craggy and steep, with the impressive pinnacle of Pillar Rock its showpiece. Wastwater, located in this part, is England's deepest lake.

 

Central Fells

The Central Fells are lower in elevation than surrounding areas of fell, peaking at 762 m (2,500 ft) at High Raise. They take the form of a ridge running between Derwent Water in the west and Thirlmere in the east, from Keswick in the north to Langdale Pikes in the south. A spur extends southeast to Loughrigg Fell above Ambleside. The central ridge running north over High Seat is exceptionally boggy.

 

Eastern Fells

The Eastern Fells consist of a long north-to-south ridge, the Helvellyn range, running from Clough Head to Seat Sandal with the 950 m (3,118 ft) Helvellyn at its highest point. The western slopes of these summits tend to be grassy, with rocky corries and crags on the eastern side. The Fairfield group lies to the south of the range and forms a similar pattern with towering rock faces and hidden valleys spilling into the Patterdale valley. It culminates in the height of Red Screes overlooking the Kirkstone Pass.

 

Far Eastern Fells

The Far Eastern Fells refers to all of the Lakeland fells to the east of Ullswater and the A592 road running south to Windermere. At 828 m (2,717 ft), the peak known as High Street is the highest point on a complex ridge that runs broadly north-south and overlooks the hidden valley of Haweswater to its east. In the north of this region are the lower fells of Martindale Common and Bampton Common whilst in the south are the fells overlooking the Kentmere valley. Further to the east, beyond Mardale and Longsleddale is Shap Fell, an extensive area consisting of high moorland, more rolling and Pennine in nature than the mountains to the west.

 

Southern Fells

The Southern Fells occupy the southwestern quarter of the Lake District. They can be regarded as comprising a northern grouping between Wasdale, Eskdale, and the two Langdale valleys, a southeastern group east of Dunnerdale and south of Little Langdale, and a southwestern group bounded by Eskdale to the north and Dunnerdale to the east.

 

The first group includes England's highest mountains: Scafell Pike in the centre, at 978 m (3,209 ft) and Scafell one mile (1.6 km) to the southwest. Though it is slightly lower, Scafell has a 700 ft (210 m) rockface, Scafell Crag, on its northern side. This group also includes the Wastwater Screes overlooking Wasdale, the Glaramara ridge overlooking Borrowdale, the three tops of Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and Esk Pike. The core of the area is drained by the infant River Esk. Collectively these are some of the Lake District's most rugged hillsides.

 

The second group, otherwise known as the Furness Fells or Coniston Fells, have as their northern boundary the steep and narrow Hardknott and Wrynose passes. The highest are Old Man of Coniston and Swirl How which slightly exceed 800 m (2,600 ft).

 

The third group to the west of the Duddon includes Harter Fell and the long ridge leading over Whitfell to Black Combe and the sea. The south of this region consists of lower forests and knolls, with Kirkby Moor on the southern boundary. The southwestern Lake District ends near the Furness peninsula and Barrow-in-Furness, a town which many Lake District residents rely on for basic amenities.

 

Southeastern area

The southeastern area is the territory between Coniston Water and Windermere and east of Windermere towards Kendal and south to Lindale. There are no high summits in this area which are mainly low hills, knolls and limestone cuestas such as Gummer's How and Whitbarrow. Indeed, it rises only as high as 333 m (1,093 ft) at Top o' Selside east of Coniston Water; the wide expanse of Grizedale Forest stands between the two lakes. Kendal and Morecambe Bay stand at the eastern and southern edges of the area.

 

Valleys

The main radial valleys are (clockwise from the south) Dunnerdale, Eskdale, Wasdale, Ennerdale, the Vale of Lorton, and Buttermere valley, the Derwent Valley and Borrowdale, the Ullswater valley, Haweswater valley, Longsleddale, the Kentmere valley, those converging on the head of Windermere - Grasmere, Great Langdale and Little Langdale, and the Coniston Water valley. The valleys break the mountains up into blocks, which have been described by various authors in different ways. The most frequently encountered approach is that made popular by Alfred Wainwright who published seven separate area guides to the Lakeland Fells.

 

Only one of the lakes in the Lake District is called by that name, Bassenthwaite Lake. All the others such as Windermere, Coniston Water, Ullswater and Buttermere are meres, tarns and waters, with mere being the least common and water being the most common. The major lakes and reservoirs in the National Park are given below.

 

Bassenthwaite Lake

Brotherswater

Buttermere

Coniston Water

Crummock Water

Derwent Water

Devoke Water

Elter Water

Ennerdale Water

Esthwaite Water

Grasmere

Haweswater Reservoir

Hayeswater

Loweswater

Rydal Water

Thirlmere

Ullswater

Wast Water

Windermere

 

Woodlands

Below the tree line are wooded areas, including British and European native oak woodlands and introduced softwood plantations. The woodlands provide habitats for native English wildlife. The native red squirrel is found in the Lake District and a few other parts of England. In parts of the Lake District, the rainfall is higher than in any other part of England. This gives Atlantic mosses, ferns, lichen, and liverworts the chance to grow. There is some ancient woodland in the National Park. Management of the woodlands varies: some are coppiced, some pollarded, some left to grow naturally, and some provide grazing and shelter.

 

Coast

The Lake District extends to the coast of the Irish Sea from Drigg in the north to Silecroft in the south, encompassing the estuaries of the Esk and its tributaries, the Irt and the Mite. The intertidal zone of the combined estuaries includes sand, shingle and mudflats, and saltmarsh. The dune systems on either side of the estuary are protected as nature reserves; Drigg Dunes and Gullery to the north and Eskmeals Dunes[31] to the south. South of the estuary, the coast is formed in low cliffs of glacial till, sands, and gravels.

 

The district also extends to the tidal waters of Morecambe Bay and several of its estuaries alongside the Furness and Cartmel Peninsulas, designated on M6 motorway signposts as the "Lake District Peninsulas", and the southern portions of which lie outside the park. These are the Duddon Estuary, the Leven Estuary, and the western banks and tidal flats of the Kent Estuary. These areas are each characterised by sand and mudflats of scenic and wildlife interest. The coast is backed by extensive flats of raised marine deposits left when the relative sea level was higher.

 

along the Oder ✶ Wroclaw ✶ Poland

 

20240402_194341

Native American variety, blooming now in the UC Botanical Garden's Eastern North America section. My favorite, for its subtle beauty.

It's worth mentioning that most rhododendrons grown in private home gardens in America these days are imported from Asia. This is the native variety, which hails from the mountains of the Southern Highlands (the Appalachians). It was collected in the wild and brought here for display and conservation by scientists at the University of California.

 

Stool from thrifstore, painted.

Cover out of old t-shirts.

kisskus.typepad.com/kisskus/2011/09/the-new-stool.html

Molto Alto Heeft deze week een foto van de Maxima geüpload www.flickr.com/photos/moltoalto/6046793394/. Ik vond zelf de compositie van de foto geweldig! Zelf ben ik geen fan van cargo, maar in een industriële omgeving vind ik het tof. En laat het deze keer kloppen! Ik heb toestemming gevraagd én gekregen van molto alto om te laten zien wat ik er zelf mee gedaan zou hebben.

 

nu kun je uiteraard zeggen dat 'bewerking' niet meetelt en dat het niet helemaal klopt in de wetten van fotografie. Echter is dat niet helemaal waar. Ook met rolletjes en film werd al gegoocheld met kleuren en effecten. Er zijn opnames in het verleden gemaakt met dubbele filmlagen, uitgeknipt en ingeplakt. Het ouderwetse 'photoshoppen'. Bewerkingen zijn van alle tijden en horen nou eenmaal bij het vak. Fotografie is namelijk het vertellen van een verhaal d.m.v. beelden. Zwart wit rolletjes hoefden niet per sé zwart wit te zijn.

 

Zelf ben ik voor de geïndustrialiseerde omgeving en het benadrukken ervan. Dus spelen met lagere vibrantie in kleuren, minder verzadiging, meer benadrukking van de industrie. Daar zijn varianten op zoals ik hier laat zien, met het Orgineel van Molto Alto onderaan.

 

Mijn persoonlijke voorkeur gaat uit naar de middelste, omdat het de kenmerkende gele snuit weergeeft.

 

Zo zie je dat een foto meerdere gezichten kan hebben. Meerdere verhalen, meerdere betekenissen. Dat is wat ik hiermee wilde laten zien. :)

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