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Lady Porkshanks had spent many hours working on new ideas back at the Carriage, although she did take a break to utilize the modification she had made to the pressure chamber above the boiler room. On their last stop off in The Orient, she had come upon an most wonderful local custom of bathing in hot natural springs for health and relaxation, and the experience most appealed to her!
She later realised while working on the steam engine that powers the massive fans of the Carriage, that the chamber of water above the boiler idles at a fairly constant low temperature within the bathing range. She had cut a new hatch into the side of the chamber and lined the edges with a thick tar-like substance she had used previously to patch holes in the bottom of the hull when they had ran afoul of rock outcroppings and stumps. She had installed a new flow regulator directly on the conjunction between the two so that she could manually terminate the incoming fluid if the heat rapidly increased by accident or emergency need at an inopportune moment.
As she lay under the propped-up lid of the tank and soaked in delightfully warm water, she pondered. Her eyes lazily followed the trails of vapour rising up around her, Lady Porkshank's mind wandered to other varieties of mist she discovered back in The East. She reached down out of the tank and picked up her belt and rotated it in her hands until she found the ornate Chinese incense holder she carried with her often. She opened the black-with-age brass tube and dropped out an all-surfaces match and a single stick of her pungent 'secret recipe' incense.
Sticking the base of the incense into an overlap in the hull wall near her, she ran the head of the match across a bit of iron rust and touched the flame to begin the slow burn. The smoke trail drifted out and mingled with the heated tub vapour and became a solid wall between herself and the world. Images fell away and the sound of the shore lapping became like a languid sort of music from an alien world beyond the sky above! Her senses ceased their incessant prattling on and she turned inward, falling into a deep meditation within her very consciousness itself!
Something about the Caves of Al Alia still tugged at her thoughts, but she could not place a pin into what it precisely was! They had sifted through nearly all of the machinery and traveled the whole course of the caves to their terminations, but something was missing. Some piece of tapestry remained no matter how much she unraveled things!
Then it hit her... or at least she imagined that it dropped into her lap in a way to cause her to wake with a start straight up in the tank! Her forehead nearly missed the hard resin on the edge of the carved chamber, and she announced a curse upon the evening air far louder than she had in years.
How could she have missed such an obvious element, she wondered as her anger built. She felt her old bullet wound in her shoulder tense up and immediately breathed deeply to calm herself. At her core, Eugenia Porkshanks was an emotional woman, although nearly every aspect of her life had conspired long ago to cause her to build a severe and calculating way of presenting herself. If she had wavered in her pursuit for a moment, the men would think her irrational. If she showed a passion for feminine arts around most men, she was considered a liability on the battlefield. But most of all; if she lost her control, her old wounds would cramp up and she would find herself wracked with pain in hours!
The life she led was in some respects, within her ability; but in her pursuit to prove herself a man's equal in technological and psychological pursuits, she had often pushed too hard and caused some permanent damage to her corpus. This is also why the bath appealed to her on a physically soothing level.
Now calmed, she realized that she could have overlooked something, and if it was the case, then she was bothered for naught. But if she was right, then something had indeed escaped her attention thus far. She would need to check again to know which option was the one real truth!
So she dried and dressed herself and left a message on the ship's wax cylinder that she was leaving for the caves one last time.
As she trudged up the incline behind the ridge a second time in the quickly increasing night, she payed close attention to the trees around her. She was looking for a sign of damage under the six foot mark. There was none. She was looking for a wide path leading up to the artificial tunnel from anywhere else. There was none.
And finally, as she drew near to the entrance of the tunnel, she searched in vain for a large pile of rubble. She had calculated the mass of the tunnel alone to measure in the tons, and it would have been freshly dug as well; but a thin vine network crawled all over the terrain.
There were small piles of rock scattered about the place where the machine had dug the tunnel, but their placement only doubled her confidence that the tunnel had indeed been dug from within. Checking the marks on the walls of the tunnel tripled her bet, they also told of a churning drill working toward the exterior!
The fact that the machine was not yet found meant that it was either transported by some unknown method under the ground or one of the deep lakes of the extensive caves connected with the sea water and they had removed the device by hidden submersible!
Dear lord, this changed the game! She dashed down the now silent tunnel and instead of taking the door up to the main chamber, she followed the long straight tunnel all the way. There was a giant fan sitting silent sentry over the end of the tunnel. She pushed against one of the blades and it creaked ominously as the echo reverberated down the narrow corridor of stone.
She had a hunch. They hadn't discovered a crucial passage because it wasn't a passage any more! When the Silver Talon had devised the creation of the machines, he had hollowed out large portions of solid rock and built the giant contraptions inside the hollows. However, the tunneler would have been taken away before construction began, and perhaps there remained a clue at the other end of that first tunnel!
Now that most of the machines had been disassembled, they laid bare and torn apart like carcasses on the plains. She peered into each nook and cranny looking desperately for some evidence that the chamber it was on might continue on behind it!
She searched for hours in the quiet dark, finding nothing. What could have possibly taken away the tunnel-boring machine, where did it travel off to?
She fell easily with her back against the wide curved surface of the cooling tower and sat down to think. Her frustration got the best of her for a moment and she punched the side of the massive tower with her fist.
It would have to be a big hole leading away from the caves, how could she have missed it? It would have to be some where central, as none of the cave tunnels would have permitted a machine that large through without having to use it!
What could she be missing? She laid her head back and impacted the side of the water tower with a great sigh.
As she listened in the deep blackness to the echo reflecting within the liquid of the tower, the obvious finally dawned within her mindscape!
They had never drained the tower!
Rushing up the ladder to the top of the tower, she peered down, but it was too deep to show anything with her weak little Ambience Enhancer wrist lamp. She reached over to the valves and cranked the big one with all her might! She wedged her locknut puller into the wheel of the valve and it gave after a momentary struggle.
The sound came from far below of rushing water! The surface rippled lightly and began to lower slowly but surely. She stood and watched the water as it was draining by sheer will alone. Like if she were to spend a pound of attention elsewhere, the water would rebel and flow back up to full height or greater!
As the water level dropped, it revealed a thin ladder with an end placed about ten feet from the lip of the tower. She saw that the only way to reach it was to jump down into the water as it receded and swim to the ladder so she held her breath and leapt.
She slowly climbed down the ladder a few feet above the lowering surface for quite a surprising amount of time. The tower was clearly far deeper than anyone could have imagined! Darkness extended in all directions, but she could see the ladder stretch out toward the black cave ceiling with no end in sight.
Finally, she could hear a drain sucking air, and islands of rock appeared and quickly grew to cover the bottom of the tower as the last of the water pooled up.
As she stepped off the ladder and looked around, a large brass door in the side of the metal tower was staring her down defiantly.
Having Liked The Band Evanescence For A Few Years I Figured I Would Make This Tribute Car To The Best Album In My Opinion, "The Open Door" I Started By Painting The Rear Black And Using A Cardboard Divider Painting The Front In Blue. It's Blended Well.
The modifications of the modules of this variation produced a large pinwheel motif inside the star. The pattern is the same for the front and back. 15cm squares of duo-coloured papers are used.
Inexpensive socket head crank bolts with integrated black plastic thread covers have been around for decades. These bolts accept a 8mm Allen wrench. The threads of all square tapered axles are a standard metric size so these bolts can be used on any cranks. And with the snap-on thread cover sleeves there was no need for a separate dust cover. A great idea. However, I always thought they looked bad on vintage cranks. So, I removed the black plastic sleeve from one pair and painted them with a "Bright Coat Metallic Finish" aerosol enamel from Rust-oleum. Not a true chrome like finish, but even after a single coating, to my eye it is much less distracting and a nice compliment to the non-anodized crankset. Further paint applications would likely produce a more shiny finish. Durability of the paint on this plastic base is questionable, but I am pleased with the initial result. Next photo shows better how this now almost disappears on the bike.
"Old Barn"
Cessey-sur-Tille (Côte d'Or)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
The modification to accommodate 9 modules involves the changing of the angle of just one fold. The angles in the previous 5 and 7 as well as this 9-Piece variation are just a close estimate. Therefore, during the initial assembling of the modules, the centre "hole" of the model is not regular. The Modules can be adjusted to form a regular hole in the centre by simply inserting a finger through it and give the model a little spin. 7.5cm squares Kami are used for folding the modules. Up to 12 Modules can be assembled simply by changing the angle of just one fold to the module. I will post the rest later. Many thanks to Andrey Hechuev for sharing this excellent modular.
No diagrams for my modification of the modules but video tutorial of the original 8-Piece New-Found Hope Star is posted here -
Based on the amazing Micro-Model designed by master builder Mariann Asanuma for Brickjournal
Ignoring the elegant lines of Mariann's model, I made a few tweaks to the design, extending the roof and adding a chimney. I also gave a bigger hat to the snowman, 'cause I'm a rebel like that.
Oh, and I changed the door to red-and-green and used a 1x1 red plate to create a wee little doorknob.
This Nestorian Church officially known as the Church of St. George the Exiler, lies within the walls of the old town of Famagusta.
St. George of the Greeks, not to be confused with the similarly named St. George of the Latins, is the second largest church in Famagusta, and during the middle ages it served as the Cathedral for the Greek Orthodox community. It was built in the 12th century, to the west of a much earlier church dedicated to St. George and around a similar time the grand building of the Latin St. Nicholas Cathedral was initiated.
The build is thought to be financed by East Syrian Nestorian merchants, the Lakhas brothers, who were known for their immense wealth. The architecture and decorations of the building were reminiscent of the Southern French and Italian Gothic churches of the time and may have been influenced by King Peter I’s visit to Avignon in 1363. This version of the church’s history represents the virtual consensus of scholars of medieval Famagusta – however its architecture is also reminiscent of the 12th–13th century Crusader architecture in Palestine and Syria.
The Orthodox Cathedral
When the French Catholic Lusignans took rule of the island in 1191, they inherited an island that was predominately eastern Orthodox, and they immediately reduced the power of the church. In doing so, the southeast corner of Famagusta became a compact Greek quarter, and a conglomeration of several churches came about, most still inherent today and within close proximity of one another.
Although there was a perfectly serviceable cathedral church, namely the small Byzantine St. Simeon Church, the Orthodox community wanted a place of worship that rivalled its neighbouring counterparts. They built the much greater church with a wide central nave, two side aisles and huge columns that held up the nave vaulting.
Gothic elements were also added to the church’s north side to create a hybrid form of architecture that makes this 14th century Byzantine figure somewhat rare amongst Mediterranean churches, let alone those found in North Cyprus. The central nave also featured chapels on both sides, leading to a cross nave, all with rounded apses.
St. George of the Greeks became theOrthodox cathedral of Famagusta and was dedicated to St. Epiphanius Bishop of Salamis, who had gained a reputation as a strong defender of orthodoxy. It is believed the saint’s remains were formerly buried at the adjacent St. Simeon before his body was hauled off to the former Eastern Roman Empire capital of Constantinople, by Emperor Leo in the 9th century.
Unfortunately however, the structure was too large, with insufficient buttressing and a roof that was just too heavy, and years of modifications and renovations followed. The pillars throughout the nave were expanded to take more weight and the roof was inserted with large upturned terracotta pots to spread the load.
The church was not in existence long enough to find out if the revised compositions were sustainable. Taking the brunt of the Ottomans, evidence of which is still very evident in the remaining walls, the main of the build stood for a little over a hundred years.
Siege of Famagusta
After the capture of the city, the church was converted into a stable for camels, with worship here only being permitted once a year, during the feast of St. George the Exiler.
The Ottoman siege in 1571 left its marks on the structure and visitors today can still see cannon ball marks on the top of the church – look closely enough and you will also see some of the cannonballs still embedded in the walls. Consequently, little remains of its vaulted roof.
It is believed that during this era the apse was used as a shooting gallery, and there is much evidence in the form of bullet holes to be seen. By the 18th century, the walled city of Famagusta was more or less abandoned, with only a handful of residents living near to the desolate churches. Sailors from the nearby port would disembark and come into the city, sometimes sketching drawings of their ships into the plaster of these derelict churches. Some of these etchings can be seen at the western end of the St. George Greek church.
A passing glance and you will miss them though, a careful inspection of the wall is required.
British Era
In 1905, the British administration handed the church to the Greek Cypriots, who used it as their parish. By the 1930’s, many frescoes that were previously observed had disappeared, and between 1937 and 1939, Greek Cypriots undertook excavations and repaired some parts of the build.
Present Ruins
The church is still nevertheless home to numerous frescoes dated to the 14th and 15th centuries, depicting the life of Christ. Unlike Byzantine Orthodox churches, the frescoes in the Nestorian Church were not part of a unified design, and many were painted in differing periods by various artists. Visitors can still make out the faint outlines of once-rich frescos upon the interior stone walls.
The apse on the other hand may have had a unified design, but this is impossible to ascertain given the level of damage.
The church walls are made of ashlarand the structure has three naves and three apses. All three naves have entrances to their west. Originally, the church was built with a single nave and a protruding apse – the other two naves and two minor apses were added at a later date.
Some fragments of wall paintings still cling to the walls of the eastern apse and pieces of pottery jars sit within ceiling, which were thought to improve the church acoustics.
During the pre-Ottoman modifications, collars were added to support the overweight, and visitors will notice the remains of the iron clamps that were used to hold the blocks together.
A drawing of the church from the 18th century shows a dome on the church, not unlike the one on the nearby St. Nikolas Church, an octagonal drum with the dome sat on top. Even with the extra support added to the pillars, eventually the dome has fallen to inexistence.
Along the walls of the church, you can see several arched niches. These alcoves were the tombs of the patrons of the church. The sarcophagus was at ground level, while the brackets you can see would have held a stone slab, probably with an effigy of the deceased carved on it. It is believed that these niches were built after the walls, and their construction further weakened the roof support.
Excavations on this site have also unearthed coloured glass, most likely from the old church windows.
The only church in Famagusta that still has a bell, the Church of St. George of the Greeks is one of the best-preserved ones from the medieval times albeit the damage incurred and yet another impressive ruin to add to your visit list with much to discover.
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of the de facto state Northern Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime republics of Genoa and Venice), Famagusta was the island's most important port city and a gateway to trade with the ports of the Levant, from where the Silk Road merchants carried their goods to Western Europe. The old walled city and parts of the modern city are de facto part of Northern Cyprus as the capital of the Gazimağusa District.
The city was known as Arsinoe or Arsinoë (Greek: Ἀρσινόη, Arsinóē) in antiquity, after Ptolemy II of Egypt's sister and wife Arsinoe II.
By the 3rd century, the city appears as Ammochostos (Greek: Ἀμμόχωστος or Αμμόχωστος, Ammókhōstos, "Hidden in Sand") in the Stadiasmus Maris Magni.[5] This name is still used in modern Greek with the pronunciation [aˈmːoxostos], while it developed into Latin Fama Augusta, French Famagouste, Italian Famagosta, and English Famagusta during the medieval period. Its informal modern Turkish name Mağusa (Turkish pronunciation: [maˈusa]) came from the same source. Since 1974, it has formally been known to Turkey and Northern Cyprus as Gazimağusa ([ɡaːzimaˈusa]), from the addition of the title gazi, meaning "veteran" or "one who has faught in a holy war".
In the early medieval period, the city was also known as New Justiniana (Greek: Νέα Ἰουστινιανία, Néa Ioustinianía) in appreciation for the patronage of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, whose wife Theodora was born there.
The old town of Famagusta has also been nicknamed "the City of 365 Churches" from the legend that, at its peak, it boasted a church for every day of the year.
The city was founded around 274 BC, after the serious damage to Salamis by an earthquake, by Ptolemy II Philadelphus and named "Arsinoe" after his sister.[6] Arsinoe was described as a "fishing town" by Strabo in his Geographica in the first century BC. In essence, Famagusta was the successor of the most famous and most important ancient city of Cyprus, Salamis. According to Greek mythology, Salamis was founded after the end of the Trojan War by Teucros, the son of Telamon and brother of Aedes, from the Greek island of Salamis.
The city experienced great prosperity much later, during the time of the Byzantine emperor Justinian. To honor the city, from which his wife Theodora came, Justinian enriched it with many buildings, while the inhabitants named it New Justiniania to express their gratitude. In AD 647, when the neighboring cities were destroyed by Arab raiding, the inhabitants of these cities moved to Famagusta, as a result of which the city's population increased significantly and the city experienced another boom.
Later, when Jerusalem was occupied by the Arabs, the Christian population fled to Famagusta, as a result of which the city became an important Christian center, but also one of the most important commercial centers in the eastern Mediterranean.
The turning point for Famagusta was 1192 with the onset of Lusignan rule. It was during this period that Famagusta developed as a fully-fledged town. It increased in importance to the Eastern Mediterranean due to its natural harbour and the walls that protected its inner town. Its population began to increase. This development accelerated in the 13th century as the town became a centre of commerce for both the East and West. An influx of Christian refugees fleeing the downfall of Acre (1291) in Palestine transformed it from a tiny village into one of the richest cities in Christendom.
In 1372 the port was seized by Genoa and in 1489 by Venice. This commercial activity turned Famagusta into a place where merchants and ship owners led lives of luxury. By the mid-14th century, Famagusta was said to have the richest citizens in the world. The belief that people's wealth could be measured by the churches they built inspired these merchants to have churches built in varying styles. These churches, which still exist, were the reason Famagusta came to be known as "the district of churches". The development of the town focused on the social lives of the wealthy people and was centred upon the Lusignan palace, the cathedral, the Square and the harbour.
In 1570–1571, Famagusta was the last stronghold in Venetian Cyprus to hold out against the Turks under Mustafa Pasha. It resisted a siege of thirteen months and a terrible bombardment, until at last the garrison surrendered. The Ottoman forces had lost 50,000 men, including Mustafa Pasha's son. Although the surrender terms had stipulated that the Venetian forces be allowed to return home, the Venetian commander, Marco Antonio Bragadin, was flayed alive, his lieutenant Tiepolo was hanged, and many other Christians were killed.
With the advent of the Ottoman rule, Latins lost their privileged status in Famagusta and were expelled from the city. Greek Cypriots natives were at first allowed to own and buy property in the city, but were banished from the walled city in 1573–74 and had to settle outside in the area that later developed into Varosha. Turkish families from Anatolia were resettled in the walled city but could not fill the buildings that previously hosted a population of 10,000. This caused a drastic decrease in the population of Famagusta. Merchants from Famagusta, who mostly consisted of Latins that had been expelled, resettled in Larnaca and as Larnaca flourished, Famagusta lost its importance as a trade centre. Over time, Varosha developed into a prosperous agricultural town thanks to its location away from the marshes, whilst the walled city remained dilapidated.
In the walled city, some buildings were repurposed to serve the interests of the Muslim population: the Cathedral of St. Nicholas was converted to a mosque (now known as Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque), a bazaar was developed, public baths, fountains and a theological school were built to accommodate the inhabitants' needs. Dead end streets, an Ottoman urban characteristic, was imported to the city and a communal spirit developed in which a small number of two-storey houses inhabited by the small upper class co-existed with the widespread one-storey houses.
With the British takeover, Famagusta regained its significance as a port and an economic centre and its development was specifically targeted in British plans. As soon as the British took over the island, a Famagusta Development Act was passed that aimed at the reconstruction and redevelopment of the city's streets and dilapidated buildings as well as better hygiene. The port was developed and expanded between 1903 and 1906 and Cyprus Government Railway, with its terminus in Famagusta, started construction in 1904. Whilst Larnaca continued to be used as the main port of the island for some time, after Famagusta's use as a military base in World War I trade significantly shifted to Famagusta. The city outside the walls grew at an accelerated rate, with development being centred around Varosha. Varosha became the administrative centre as the British moved their headquarters and residences there and tourism grew significantly in the last years of the British rule. Pottery and production of citrus and potatoes also significantly grew in the city outside the walls, whilst agriculture within the walled city declined to non-existence.
New residential areas were built to accommodate the increasing population towards the end of the British rule,[11] and by 1960, Famagusta was a modern port city extending far beyond Varosha and the walled city.
The British period saw a significant demographic shift in the city. In 1881, Christians constituted 60% of the city's population while Muslims were at 40%. By 1960, the Turkish Cypriot population had dropped to 17.5% of the overall population, while the Greek Cypriot population had risen to 70%. The city was also the site for one of the British internment camps for nearly 50,000 Jewish survivors of the Holocaust trying to emigrate to Palestine.
From independence in 1960 to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus of 1974, Famagusta developed toward the south west of Varosha as a well-known entertainment and tourist centre. The contribution of Famagusta to the country's economic activity by 1974 far exceeded its proportional dimensions within the country. Whilst its population was only about 7% of the total of the country, Famagusta by 1974 accounted for over 10% of the total industrial employment and production of Cyprus, concentrating mainly on light industry compatible with its activity as a tourist resort and turning out high-quality products ranging from food, beverages and tobacco to clothing, footwear, plastics, light machinery and transport equipment. It contributed 19.3% of the business units and employed 21.3% of the total number of persons engaged in commerce on the island. It acted as the main tourist destination of Cyprus, hosting 31.5% of the hotels and 45% of Cyprus' total bed capacity. Varosha acted as the main touristic and business quarters.
In this period, the urbanisation of Famagusta slowed down and the development of the rural areas accelerated. Therefore, economic growth was shared between the city of Famagusta and the district, which had a balanced agricultural economy, with citrus, potatoes, tobacco and wheat as main products. Famagusta maintained good communications with this hinterland. The city's port remained the island's main seaport and in 1961, it was expanded to double its capacity in order to accommodate the growing volume of exports and imports. The port handled 42.7% of Cypriot exports, 48.6% of imports and 49% of passenger traffic.
There has not been an official census since 1960 but the population of the town in 1974 was estimated to be around 39,000 not counting about 12,000–15,000 persons commuting daily from the surrounding villages and suburbs to work in Famagusta. The number of people staying in the city would swell to about 90,000–100,000 during the peak summer tourist period, with the influx of tourists from numerous European countries, mainly Britain, France, Germany and the Scandinavian countries. The majority of the city population were Greek Cypriots (26,500), with 8,500 Turkish Cypriots and 4,000 people from other ethnic groups.
During the second phase of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 14 August 1974 the Mesaoria plain was overrun by Turkish tanks and Famagusta was bombed by Turkish aircraft. It took two days for the Turkish Army to occupy the city, prior to which Famagusta's entire Greek Cypriot population had fled into surrounding fields. As a result of Turkish airstrikes dozens of civilians died, including tourists.
Unlike other parts of the Turkish-controlled areas of Cyprus, the Varosha suburb of Famagusta was fenced off by the Turkish army immediately after being captured and remained fenced off until October 2020, when the TRNC reopened some streets to visitors. Some Greek Cypriots who had fled Varosha have been allowed to view the town and journalists have been allowed in.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Famagusta by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. The UN's Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.
Famagusta's historic city centre is surrounded by the fortifications of Famagusta, which have a roughly rectangular shape, built mainly by the Venetians in the 15th and 16th centuries, though some sections of the walls have been dated earlier times, as far as 1211.
Some important landmarks and visitor attractions in the old city are:
The Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque
The Othello Castle
Palazzo del Provveditore - the Venetian palace of the governor, built on the site of the former Lusignan royal palace
St. Francis' Church
Sinan Pasha Mosque
Church of St. George of the Greeks
Church of St. George of the Latins
Twin Churches
Nestorian Church (of St George the Exiler)
Namık Kemal Dungeon
Agios Ioannis Church
Venetian House
Akkule Masjid
Mustafa Pasha Mosque
Ganchvor monastery
In an October 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund listed Famagusta, a "maritime ancient city of crusader kings", among the 12 sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and destruction, citing insufficient management and development pressures.
Famagusta is an important commercial hub of Northern Cyprus. The main economic activities in the city are tourism, education, construction and industrial production. It has a 115-acre free port, which is the most important seaport of Northern Cyprus for travel and commerce. The port is an important source of income and employment for the city, though its volume of trade is restricted by the embargo against Northern Cyprus. Its historical sites, including the walled city, Salamis, the Othello Castle and the St Barnabas Church, as well as the sandy beaches surrounding it make it a tourist attraction; efforts are also underway to make the city more attractive for international congresses. The Eastern Mediterranean University is also an important employer and supplies significant income and activity, as well as opportunities for the construction sector. The university also raises a qualified workforce that stimulates the city's industry and makes communications industry viable. The city has two industrial zones: the Large Industrial Zone and the Little Industrial Zone. The city is also home to a fishing port, but inadequate infrastructure of the port restricts the growth of this sector. The industry in the city has traditionally been concentrated on processing agricultural products.
Historically, the port was the primary source of income and employment for the city, especially right after 1974. However, it gradually lost some of its importance to the economy as the share of its employees in the population of Famagusta diminished due to various reasons. However, it still is the primary port for commerce in Northern Cyprus, with more than half of ships that came to Northern Cyprus in 2013 coming to Famagusta. It is the second most popular seaport for passengers, after Kyrenia, with around 20,000 passengers using the port in 2013.
The mayor-in-exile of Famagusta is Simos Ioannou. Süleyman Uluçay heads the Turkish Cypriot municipal administration of Famagusta, which remains legal as a communal-based body under the constitutional system of the Republic of Cyprus.
Since 1974, Greek Cypriots submitted a number of proposals within the context of bicommunal discussions for the return of Varosha to UN administration, allowing the return of its previous inhabitants, requesting also the opening of Famagusta harbour for use by both communities. Varosha would have been returned to Greek Cypriot control as part of the 2004 Annan Plan but the plan had been rejected by a majority(3/4) of Greek Cypriot voters.
The walled city of Famagusta contains many unique buildings. Famagusta has a walled city popular with tourists.
Every year, the International Famagusta Art and Culture Festival is organized in Famagusta. Concerts, dance shows and theater plays take place during the festival.
A growth in tourism and the city's university have fueled the development of Famagusta's vibrant nightlife. Nightlife in the city is especially active on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights and in the hotter months of the year, starting from April. Larger hotels in the city have casinos that cater to their customers. Salamis Road is an area of Famagusta with a heavy concentration of bars frequented by students and locals.
Famagusta's Othello Castle is the setting for Shakespeare's play Othello. The city was also the setting for Victoria Hislop's 2015 novel The Sunrise, and Michael Paraskos's 2016 novel In Search of Sixpence. The city is the birthplace of the eponymous hero of the Renaissance proto-novel Fortunatus.
Famagusta was home to many Greek Cypriot sport teams that left the city because of the Turkish invasion and still bear their original names. Most notable football clubs originally from the city are Anorthosis Famagusta FC and Nea Salamis Famagusta FC, both of the Cypriot First Division, which are now based in Larnaca. Usually Anorthosis Famagusta fans are politically right wing where Nea Salamis fans are left wing.
Famagusta is represented by Mağusa Türk Gücü in the Turkish Cypriot First Division. Dr. Fazıl Küçük Stadium is the largest football stadium in Famagusta. Many Turkish Cypriot sport teams that left Southern Cyprus because of the Cypriot intercommunal violence are based in Famagusta.
Famagusta is represented by DAÜ Sports Club and Magem Sports Club in North Cyprus First Volleyball Division. Gazimağusa Türk Maarif Koleji represents Famagusta in the North Cyprus High School Volleyball League.
Famagusta has a modern volleyball stadium called the Mağusa Arena.
The Eastern Mediterranean University was founded in the city in 1979. The Istanbul Technical University founded a campus in the city in 2010.
The Cyprus College of Art was founded in Famagusta by the Cypriot artist Stass Paraskos in 1969, before moving to Paphos in 1972 after protests from local hoteliers that the presence of art students in the city was putting off holidaymakers.
Famagusta has three general hospitals. Gazimağusa Devlet Hastahanesi, a state hospital, is the biggest hospital in city. Gazimağusa Tıp Merkezi and Gazimağusa Yaşam Hastahanesi are private hospitals.
Personalities
Saint Barnabas, born and died in Salamis, Famagusta
Chris Achilleos, illustrator of the book versions on the BBC children's series Doctor Who
Beran Bertuğ, former Governor of Famagusta, first Cypriot woman to hold this position
Marios Constantinou, former international Cypriot football midfielder and current manager.
Eleftheria Eleftheriou, Cypriot singer.
Derviş Eroğlu, former President of Northern Cyprus
Alexis Galanos, 7th President of the House of Representatives and Famagusta mayor-in-exile (2006-2019) (Republic of Cyprus)
Xanthos Hadjisoteriou, Cypriot painter
Oz Karahan, political activist, President of the Union of Cypriots
Oktay Kayalp, former Turkish Cypriot Famagusta mayor (Northern Cyprus)
Harry Luke British diplomat
Angelos Misos, former international footballer
Costas Montis was an influential and prolific Greek Cypriot poet, novelist, and playwright born in Famagusta.
Hal Ozsan, actor (Dawson's Creek, Kyle XY)
Dimitris Papadakis, a Greek Cypriot politician, who served as a Member of the European Parliament.
Ṣubḥ-i-Azal, Persian religious leader, lived and died in exile in Famagusta
Touker Suleyman (born Türker Süleyman), British Turkish Cypriot fashion retail entrepreneur, investor and reality television personality.
Alexia Vassiliou, singer, left here as a refugee when the town was invaded.
George Vasiliou, former President of Cyprus
Vamik Volkan, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry
Derviş Zaim, film director
Famagusta is twinned with:
İzmir, Turkey (since 1974)
Corfu, Greece (since 1994)
Patras, Greece (since 1994)
Antalya, Turkey (since 1997)
Salamina (city), Greece (since 1998)
Struga, North Macedonia
Athens, Greece (since 2005)
Mersin, Turkey
Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.
Northern Cyprus extends from the tip of the Karpass Peninsula in the northeast to Morphou Bay, Cape Kormakitis and its westernmost point, the Kokkina exclave in the west. Its southernmost point is the village of Louroujina. A buffer zone under the control of the United Nations stretches between Northern Cyprus and the rest of the island and divides Nicosia, the island's largest city and capital of both sides.
A coup d'état in 1974, performed as part of an attempt to annex the island to Greece, prompted the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. This resulted in the eviction of much of the north's Greek Cypriot population, the flight of Turkish Cypriots from the south, and the partitioning of the island, leading to a unilateral declaration of independence by the north in 1983. Due to its lack of recognition, Northern Cyprus is heavily dependent on Turkey for economic, political and military support.
Attempts to reach a solution to the Cyprus dispute have been unsuccessful. The Turkish Army maintains a large force in Northern Cyprus with the support and approval of the TRNC government, while the Republic of Cyprus, the European Union as a whole, and the international community regard it as an occupation force. This military presence has been denounced in several United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Northern Cyprus is a semi-presidential, democratic republic with a cultural heritage incorporating various influences and an economy that is dominated by the services sector. The economy has seen growth through the 2000s and 2010s, with the GNP per capita more than tripling in the 2000s, but is held back by an international embargo due to the official closure of the ports in Northern Cyprus by the Republic of Cyprus. The official language is Turkish, with a distinct local dialect being spoken. The vast majority of the population consists of Sunni Muslims, while religious attitudes are mostly moderate and secular. Northern Cyprus is an observer state of ECO and OIC under the name "Turkish Cypriot State", PACE under the name "Turkish Cypriot Community", and Organization of Turkic States with its own name.
Several distinct periods of Cypriot intercommunal violence involving the two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, marked mid-20th century Cyprus. These included the Cyprus Emergency of 1955–59 during British rule, the post-independence Cyprus crisis of 1963–64, and the Cyprus crisis of 1967. Hostilities culminated in the 1974 de facto division of the island along the Green Line following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The region has been relatively peaceful since then, but the Cyprus dispute has continued, with various attempts to solve it diplomatically having been generally unsuccessful.
Cyprus, an island lying in the eastern Mediterranean, hosted a population of Greeks and Turks (four-fifths and one-fifth, respectively), who lived under British rule in the late nineteenth-century and the first half of the twentieth-century. Christian Orthodox Church of Cyprus played a prominent political role among the Greek Cypriot community, a privilege that it acquired during the Ottoman Empire with the employment of the millet system, which gave the archbishop an unofficial ethnarch status.
The repeated rejections by the British of Greek Cypriot demands for enosis, union with Greece, led to armed resistance, organised by the National Organization of Cypriot Struggle, or EOKA. EOKA, led by the Greek-Cypriot commander George Grivas, systematically targeted British colonial authorities. One of the effects of EOKA's campaign was to alter the Turkish position from demanding full reincorporation into Turkey to a demand for taksim (partition). EOKA's mission and activities caused a "Cretan syndrome" (see Turkish Resistance Organisation) within the Turkish Cypriot community, as its members feared that they would be forced to leave the island in such a case as had been the case with Cretan Turks. As such, they preferred the continuation of British colonial rule and then taksim, the division of the island. Due to the Turkish Cypriots' support for the British, EOKA's leader, Georgios Grivas, declared them to be enemies. The fact that the Turks were a minority was, according to Nihat Erim, to be addressed by the transfer of thousands of Turks from mainland Turkey so that Greek Cypriots would cease to be the majority. When Erim visited Cyprus as the Turkish representative, he was advised by Field Marshal Sir John Harding, the then Governor of Cyprus, that Turkey should send educated Turks to settle in Cyprus.
Turkey actively promoted the idea that on the island of Cyprus two distinctive communities existed, and sidestepped its former claim that "the people of Cyprus were all Turkish subjects". In doing so, Turkey's aim to have self-determination of two to-be equal communities in effect led to de jure partition of the island.[citation needed] This could be justified to the international community against the will of the majority Greek population of the island. Dr. Fazil Küçük in 1954 had already proposed Cyprus be divided in two at the 35° parallel.
Lindley Dan, from Notre Dame University, spotted the roots of intercommunal violence to different visions among the two communities of Cyprus (enosis for Greek Cypriots, taksim for Turkish Cypriots). Also, Lindlay wrote that "the merging of church, schools/education, and politics in divisive and nationalistic ways" had played a crucial role in creation of havoc in Cyprus' history. Attalides Michael also pointed to the opposing nationalisms as the cause of the Cyprus problem.
By the mid-1950's, the "Cyprus is Turkish" party, movement, and slogan gained force in both Cyprus and Turkey. In a 1954 editorial, Turkish Cypriot leader Dr. Fazil Kuchuk expressed the sentiment that the Turkish youth had grown up with the idea that "as soon as Great Britain leaves the island, it will be taken over by the Turks", and that "Turkey cannot tolerate otherwise". This perspective contributed to the willingness of Turkish Cypriots to align themselves with the British, who started recruiting Turkish Cypriots into the police force that patrolled Cyprus to fight EOKA, a Greek Cypriot nationalist organisation that sought to rid the island of British rule.
EOKA targeted colonial authorities, including police, but Georgios Grivas, the leader of EOKA, did not initially wish to open up a new front by fighting Turkish Cypriots and reassured them that EOKA would not harm their people. In 1956, some Turkish Cypriot policemen were killed by EOKA members and this provoked some intercommunal violence in the spring and summer, but these attacks on policemen were not motivated by the fact that they were Turkish Cypriots.
However, in January 1957, Grivas changed his policy as his forces in the mountains became increasingly pressured by the British Crown forces. In order to divert the attention of the Crown forces, EOKA members started to target Turkish Cypriot policemen intentionally in the towns, so that Turkish Cypriots would riot against the Greek Cypriots and the security forces would have to be diverted to the towns to restore order. The killing of a Turkish Cypriot policeman on 19 January, when a power station was bombed, and the injury of three others, provoked three days of intercommunal violence in Nicosia. The two communities targeted each other in reprisals, at least one Greek Cypriot was killed and the British Army was deployed in the streets. Greek Cypriot stores were burned and their neighbourhoods attacked. Following the events, the Greek Cypriot leadership spread the propaganda that the riots had merely been an act of Turkish Cypriot aggression. Such events created chaos and drove the communities apart both in Cyprus and in Turkey.
On 22 October 1957 Sir Hugh Mackintosh Foot replaced Sir John Harding as the British Governor of Cyprus. Foot suggested five to seven years of self-government before any final decision. His plan rejected both enosis and taksim. The Turkish Cypriot response to this plan was a series of anti-British demonstrations in Nicosia on 27 and 28 January 1958 rejecting the proposed plan because the plan did not include partition. The British then withdrew the plan.
In 1957, Black Gang, a Turkish Cypriot pro-taksim paramilitary organisation, was formed to patrol a Turkish Cypriot enclave, the Tahtakale district of Nicosia, against activities of EOKA. The organisation later attempted to grow into a national scale, but failed to gain public support.
By 1958, signs of dissatisfaction with the British increased on both sides, with a group of Turkish Cypriots forming Volkan (later renamed to the Turkish Resistance Organisation) paramilitary group to promote partition and the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey as dictated by the Menderes plan. Volkan initially consisted of roughly 100 members, with the stated aim of raising awareness in Turkey of the Cyprus issue and courting military training and support for Turkish Cypriot fighters from the Turkish government.
In June 1958, the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, was expected to propose a plan to resolve the Cyprus issue. In light of the new development, the Turks rioted in Nicosia to promote the idea that Greek and Turkish Cypriots could not live together and therefore any plan that did not include partition would not be viable. This violence was soon followed by bombing, Greek Cypriot deaths and looting of Greek Cypriot-owned shops and houses. Greek and Turkish Cypriots started to flee mixed population villages where they were a minority in search of safety. This was effectively the beginning of the segregation of the two communities. On 7 June 1958, a bomb exploded at the entrance of the Turkish Embassy in Cyprus. Following the bombing, Turkish Cypriots looted Greek Cypriot properties. On 26 June 1984, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş, admitted on British channel ITV that the bomb was placed by the Turks themselves in order to create tension. On 9 January 1995, Rauf Denktaş repeated his claim to the famous Turkish newspaper Milliyet in Turkey.
The crisis reached a climax on 12 June 1958, when eight Greeks, out of an armed group of thirty five arrested by soldiers of the Royal Horse Guards on suspicion of preparing an attack on the Turkish quarter of Skylloura, were killed in a suspected attack by Turkish Cypriot locals, near the village of Geunyeli, having been ordered to walk back to their village of Kondemenos.
After the EOKA campaign had begun, the British government successfully began to turn the Cyprus issue from a British colonial problem into a Greek-Turkish issue. British diplomacy exerted backstage influence on the Adnan Menderes government, with the aim of making Turkey active in Cyprus. For the British, the attempt had a twofold objective. The EOKA campaign would be silenced as quickly as possible, and Turkish Cypriots would not side with Greek Cypriots against the British colonial claims over the island, which would thus remain under the British. The Turkish Cypriot leadership visited Menderes to discuss the Cyprus issue. When asked how the Turkish Cypriots should respond to the Greek Cypriot claim of enosis, Menderes replied: "You should go to the British foreign minister and request the status quo be prolonged, Cyprus to remain as a British colony". When the Turkish Cypriots visited the British Foreign Secretary and requested for Cyprus to remain a colony, he replied: "You should not be asking for colonialism at this day and age, you should be asking for Cyprus be returned to Turkey, its former owner".
As Turkish Cypriots began to look to Turkey for protection, Greek Cypriots soon understood that enosis was extremely unlikely. The Greek Cypriot leader, Archbishop Makarios III, now set independence for the island as his objective.
Britain resolved to solve the dispute by creating an independent Cyprus. In 1959, all involved parties signed the Zurich Agreements: Britain, Turkey, Greece, and the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Makarios and Dr. Fazil Kucuk, respectively. The new constitution drew heavily on the ethnic composition of the island. The President would be a Greek Cypriot, and the Vice-President a Turkish Cypriot with an equal veto. The contribution to the public service would be set at a ratio of 70:30, and the Supreme Court would consist of an equal number of judges from both communities as well as an independent judge who was not Greek, Turkish or British. The Zurich Agreements were supplemented by a number of treaties. The Treaty of Guarantee stated that secession or union with any state was forbidden, and that Greece, Turkey and Britain would be given guarantor status to intervene if that was violated. The Treaty of Alliance allowed for two small Greek and Turkish military contingents to be stationed on the island, and the Treaty of Establishment gave Britain sovereignty over two bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
On 15 August 1960, the Colony of Cyprus became fully independent as the Republic of Cyprus. The new republic remained within the Commonwealth of Nations.
The new constitution brought dissatisfaction to Greek Cypriots, who felt it to be highly unjust for them for historical, demographic and contributional reasons. Although 80% of the island's population were Greek Cypriots and these indigenous people had lived on the island for thousands of years and paid 94% of taxes, the new constitution was giving the 17% of the population that was Turkish Cypriots, who paid 6% of taxes, around 30% of government jobs and 40% of national security jobs.
Within three years tensions between the two communities in administrative affairs began to show. In particular disputes over separate municipalities and taxation created a deadlock in government. A constitutional court ruled in 1963 Makarios had failed to uphold article 173 of the constitution which called for the establishment of separate municipalities for Turkish Cypriots. Makarios subsequently declared his intention to ignore the judgement, resulting in the West German judge resigning from his position. Makarios proposed thirteen amendments to the constitution, which would have had the effect of resolving most of the issues in the Greek Cypriot favour. Under the proposals, the President and Vice-President would lose their veto, the separate municipalities as sought after by the Turkish Cypriots would be abandoned, the need for separate majorities by both communities in passing legislation would be discarded and the civil service contribution would be set at actual population ratios (82:18) instead of the slightly higher figure for Turkish Cypriots.
The intention behind the amendments has long been called into question. The Akritas plan, written in the height of the constitutional dispute by the Greek Cypriot interior minister Polycarpos Georkadjis, called for the removal of undesirable elements of the constitution so as to allow power-sharing to work. The plan envisaged a swift retaliatory attack on Turkish Cypriot strongholds should Turkish Cypriots resort to violence to resist the measures, stating "In the event of a planned or staged Turkish attack, it is imperative to overcome it by force in the shortest possible time, because if we succeed in gaining command of the situation (in one or two days), no outside, intervention would be either justified or possible." Whether Makarios's proposals were part of the Akritas plan is unclear, however it remains that sentiment towards enosis had not completely disappeared with independence. Makarios described independence as "a step on the road to enosis".[31] Preparations for conflict were not entirely absent from Turkish Cypriots either, with right wing elements still believing taksim (partition) the best safeguard against enosis.
Greek Cypriots however believe the amendments were a necessity stemming from a perceived attempt by Turkish Cypriots to frustrate the working of government. Turkish Cypriots saw it as a means to reduce their status within the state from one of co-founder to that of minority, seeing it as a first step towards enosis. The security situation deteriorated rapidly.
Main articles: Bloody Christmas (1963) and Battle of Tillyria
An armed conflict was triggered after December 21, 1963, a period remembered by Turkish Cypriots as Bloody Christmas, when a Greek Cypriot policemen that had been called to help deal with a taxi driver refusing officers already on the scene access to check the identification documents of his customers, took out his gun upon arrival and shot and killed the taxi driver and his partner. Eric Solsten summarised the events as follows: "a Greek Cypriot police patrol, ostensibly checking identification documents, stopped a Turkish Cypriot couple on the edge of the Turkish quarter. A hostile crowd gathered, shots were fired, and two Turkish Cypriots were killed."
In the morning after the shooting, crowds gathered in protest in Northern Nicosia, likely encouraged by the TMT, without incident. On the evening of the 22nd, gunfire broke out, communication lines to the Turkish neighbourhoods were cut, and the Greek Cypriot police occupied the nearby airport. On the 23rd, a ceasefire was negotiated, but did not hold. Fighting, including automatic weapons fire, between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and militias increased in Nicosia and Larnaca. A force of Greek Cypriot irregulars led by Nikos Sampson entered the Nicosia suburb of Omorphita and engaged in heavy firing on armed, as well as by some accounts unarmed, Turkish Cypriots. The Omorphita clash has been described by Turkish Cypriots as a massacre, while this view has generally not been acknowledged by Greek Cypriots.
Further ceasefires were arranged between the two sides, but also failed. By Christmas Eve, the 24th, Britain, Greece, and Turkey had joined talks, with all sides calling for a truce. On Christmas day, Turkish fighter jets overflew Nicosia in a show of support. Finally it was agreed to allow a force of 2,700 British soldiers to help enforce a ceasefire. In the next days, a "buffer zone" was created in Nicosia, and a British officer marked a line on a map with green ink, separating the two sides of the city, which was the beginning of the "Green Line". Fighting continued across the island for the next several weeks.
In total 364 Turkish Cypriots and 174 Greek Cypriots were killed during the violence. 25,000 Turkish Cypriots from 103-109 villages fled and were displaced into enclaves and thousands of Turkish Cypriot houses were ransacked or completely destroyed.
Contemporary newspapers also reported on the forceful exodus of the Turkish Cypriots from their homes. According to The Times in 1964, threats, shootings and attempts of arson were committed against the Turkish Cypriots to force them out of their homes. The Daily Express wrote that "25,000 Turks have already been forced to leave their homes". The Guardian reported a massacre of Turks at Limassol on 16 February 1964.
Turkey had by now readied its fleet and its fighter jets appeared over Nicosia. Turkey was dissuaded from direct involvement by the creation of a United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in 1964. Despite the negotiated ceasefire in Nicosia, attacks on the Turkish Cypriot persisted, particularly in Limassol. Concerned about the possibility of a Turkish invasion, Makarios undertook the creation of a Greek Cypriot conscript-based army called the "National Guard". A general from Greece took charge of the army, whilst a further 20,000 well-equipped officers and men were smuggled from Greece into Cyprus. Turkey threatened to intervene once more, but was prevented by a strongly worded letter from the American President Lyndon B. Johnson, anxious to avoid a conflict between NATO allies Greece and Turkey at the height of the Cold War.
Turkish Cypriots had by now established an important bridgehead at Kokkina, provided with arms, volunteers and materials from Turkey and abroad. Seeing this incursion of foreign weapons and troops as a major threat, the Cypriot government invited George Grivas to return from Greece as commander of the Greek troops on the island and launch a major attack on the bridgehead. Turkey retaliated by dispatching its fighter jets to bomb Greek positions, causing Makarios to threaten an attack on every Turkish Cypriot village on the island if the bombings did not cease. The conflict had now drawn in Greece and Turkey, with both countries amassing troops on their Thracian borders. Efforts at mediation by Dean Acheson, a former U.S. Secretary of State, and UN-appointed mediator Galo Plaza had failed, all the while the division of the two communities becoming more apparent. Greek Cypriot forces were estimated at some 30,000, including the National Guard and the large contingent from Greece. Defending the Turkish Cypriot enclaves was a force of approximately 5,000 irregulars, led by a Turkish colonel, but lacking the equipment and organisation of the Greek forces.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1964, U Thant, reported the damage during the conflicts:
UNFICYP carried out a detailed survey of all damage to properties throughout the island during the disturbances; it shows that in 109 villages, most of them Turkish-Cypriot or mixed villages, 527 houses have been destroyed while 2,000 others have suffered damage from looting.
The situation worsened in 1967, when a military junta overthrew the democratically elected government of Greece, and began applying pressure on Makarios to achieve enosis. Makarios, not wishing to become part of a military dictatorship or trigger a Turkish invasion, began to distance himself from the goal of enosis. This caused tensions with the junta in Greece as well as George Grivas in Cyprus. Grivas's control over the National Guard and Greek contingent was seen as a threat to Makarios's position, who now feared a possible coup.[citation needed] The National Guard and Cyprus Police began patrolling the Turkish Cypriot enclaves of Ayios Theodoros and Kophinou, and on November 15 engaged in heavy fighting with the Turkish Cypriots.
By the time of his withdrawal 26 Turkish Cypriots had been killed. Turkey replied with an ultimatum demanding that Grivas be removed from the island, that the troops smuggled from Greece in excess of the limits of the Treaty of Alliance be removed, and that the economic blockades on the Turkish Cypriot enclaves be lifted. Grivas was recalled by the Athens Junta and the 12,000 Greek troops were withdrawn. Makarios now attempted to consolidate his position by reducing the number of National Guard troops, and by creating a paramilitary force loyal to Cypriot independence. In 1968, acknowledging that enosis was now all but impossible, Makarios stated, "A solution by necessity must be sought within the limits of what is feasible which does not always coincide with the limits of what is desirable."
After 1967 tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots subsided. Instead, the main source of tension on the island came from factions within the Greek Cypriot community. Although Makarios had effectively abandoned enosis in favour of an 'attainable solution', many others continued to believe that the only legitimate political aspiration for Greek Cypriots was union with Greece.
On his arrival, Grivas began by establishing a nationalist paramilitary group known as the National Organization of Cypriot Fighters (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston B or EOKA-B), drawing comparisons with the EOKA struggle for enosis under the British colonial administration of the 1950s.
The military junta in Athens saw Makarios as an obstacle. Makarios's failure to disband the National Guard, whose officer class was dominated by mainland Greeks, had meant the junta had practical control over the Cypriot military establishment, leaving Makarios isolated and a vulnerable target.
During the first Turkish invasion, Turkish troops invaded Cyprus territory on 20 July 1974, invoking its rights under the Treaty of Guarantee. This expansion of Turkish-occupied zone violated International Law as well as the Charter of the United Nations. Turkish troops managed to capture 3% of the island which was accompanied by the burning of the Turkish Cypriot quarter, as well as the raping and killing of women and children. A temporary cease-fire followed which was mitigated by the UN Security Council. Subsequently, the Greek military Junta collapsed on July 23, 1974, and peace talks commenced in which a democratic government was installed. The Resolution 353 was broken after Turkey attacked a second time and managed to get a hold of 37% of Cyprus territory. The Island of Cyprus was appointed a Buffer Zone by the United Nations, which divided the island into two zones through the 'Green Line' and put an end to the Turkish invasion. Although Turkey announced that the occupied areas of Cyprus to be called the Federated Turkish State in 1975, it is not legitimised on a worldwide political scale. The United Nations called for the international recognition of independence for the Republic of Cyprus in the Security Council Resolution 367.
In the years after the Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus one can observe a history of failed talks between the two parties. The 1983 declaration of the independent Turkish Republic of Cyprus resulted in a rise of inter-communal tensions and made it increasingly hard to find mutual understanding. With Cyprus' interest of a possible EU membership and a new UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 1997 new hopes arose for a fresh start. International involvement from sides of the US and UK, wanting a solution to the Cyprus dispute prior to the EU accession led to political pressures for new talks. The believe that an accession without a solution would threaten Greek-Turkish relations and acknowledge the partition of the island would direct the coming negotiations.
Over the course of two years a concrete plan, the Annan plan was formulated. In 2004 the fifth version agreed upon from both sides and with the endorsement of Turkey, US, UK and EU then was presented to the public and was given a referendum in both Cypriot communities to assure the legitimisation of the resolution. The Turkish Cypriots voted with 65% for the plan, however the Greek Cypriots voted with a 76% majority against. The Annan plan contained multiple important topics. Firstly it established a confederation of two separate states called the United Cyprus Republic. Both communities would have autonomous states combined under one unified government. The members of parliament would be chosen according to the percentage in population numbers to ensure a just involvement from both communities. The paper proposed a demilitarisation of the island over the next years. Furthermore it agreed upon a number of 45000 Turkish settlers that could remain on the island. These settlers became a very important issue concerning peace talks. Originally the Turkish government encouraged Turks to settle in Cyprus providing transfer and property, to establish a counterpart to the Greek Cypriot population due to their 1 to 5 minority. With the economic situation many Turkish-Cypriot decided to leave the island, however their departure is made up by incoming Turkish settlers leaving the population ratio between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots stable. However all these points where criticised and as seen in the vote rejected mainly by the Greek Cypriots. These name the dissolution of the „Republic of Cyprus", economic consequences of a reunion and the remaining Turkish settlers as reason. Many claim that the plan was indeed drawing more from Turkish-Cypriot demands then Greek-Cypriot interests. Taking in consideration that the US wanted to keep Turkey as a strategic partner in future Middle Eastern conflicts.
A week after the failed referendum the Republic of Cyprus joined the EU. In multiple instances the EU tried to promote trade with Northern Cyprus but without internationally recognised ports this spiked a grand debate. Both side endure their intention of negotiations, however without the prospect of any new compromises or agreements the UN is unwilling to start the process again. Since 2004 negotiations took place in numbers but without any results, both sides are strongly holding on to their position without an agreeable solution in sight that would suit both parties.
i modified my old LC-A rusian version to have some the feature the LC-A+ has. i added a multiple exposure switch and cable shutter release.
I also added a new rubber skin. it is off an old Pentax slide zoom lens, witch is cool because it the skin if from another camera and it adds great grip too
The plastic shutter of my Big shot was beyond repair so I replaced it with a press type leaf shutter from an oscilloscope camera.
I kept is the single element plastic lens .
Distance from film plane is almost the same so only a small change in RF calibration is necessary.
The shutter is capable of various speeds but I'll leave it at 1/15s The aperture is adjustable for L/D correction.
With the plastic nosecone in place there will be little difference except the cable release thread where the red lever used to be. The shutter has an X-sync contact so I can mount an electronic flash where the Magicube used to be.
modded my 2015 Barbie Dream House to remove the first floor and make it more of a townhouse. next phase will be adding accents and furnishing for a modern look.
1934 : construction of engine, transmission and frame
1935 : completion of first version of chassis
1936 : testing period, modifications of chassis, start of body making
1937 : completion of chassis and body for race car
1938 : modification into street car
In 1934 Alfa-Romeo's brilliant engineer Vittorio Jano began secretly developing a racer with a mid-mounted V12 engine. Developed outside the Alfa works in the Fiume (now Rijeka) garage of Gino and Oscar Jankovits, the project stalled when Jano left Alfa-Romeo in 1937. Unable to use the V12, the brothers settled for a less powerful 6C 2300 unit. Their 'Aerospider' remained hidden until 1946, when Gino fled Communist rule, driving under the frontier barrier into Italy in a hail of bullets.
Class XII : Racing cars
Zoute Concours d'Elegance
The Royal Zoute Golf Club
Zoute Grand Prix 2017
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2017
I have been working on a new project for my boy Marcus,
He is getting his demon wings, which are part of his background story.
This is only just the basic frame form of the wings. I will be sculpting them with apoxie soon when I find some more time for it.
Manufactured by VEB Pentacon Dresden Kamera- und Kinowerke, East Germany
Model: c.1966, First modification, (Produced between 1966-67),
as to Mike's Praktica Collection
all Praktica nova was made from 1964-69
35 mm SLR film camera
Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50 mm f/2.8, M42 mount, w/ small DOF prewiev plunge knob, and DOF scale, serial no.7139074
Aperture: f/2.8 - f/22, setting dial and focusing ring on the lens
Focusing: 1- split image rangefinder and, 2- microprism screen in the viewfinder
Focus range: 0.5-15m +inf
Shutter: mechanically controlled horizontal-run rubberised cloth-blind type shutter
Instant-return mirror
Speeds: pull-up and rotate twin settings dial on the top plate for fast and slow speeds:
1/2-1/500 +B,
Shutter speeds can be selected before or after cocking the shutter but the shutter speed dial rotates both when film is advanced and after the shutter is released.
Shutter speeds 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 require the indicator knob over the speeds dial to be set to the red triangle on the top plate just back of the dial.
There are no speeds available between 1/8 and 1/30.
Shutter cocking lever: also winds the film, short stroke, on the top plate, right
Shutter release: obliquely mounted, on front-right of the camera, beside the lens mount,
w/ cable release socket and locking device colar around the cable release socket
with a light pressure you can see the DOF preview in the viewfinder
Viewfinder: SLR pentaprism, fixed, eye-level view finder, with Fresnel lens, a triangular red indicator appeares in the top-left of the viewfinder when the shutter required winding
Frame counter: coupled with the winding lever, advance type, auto-reset, beneath the lever
Film memory dial: on the winding lever
Film speed and frame number memory dial: beneath the re-winding lever
Re-winding lever: folding type, on the top plate, left
Re-wind releasing: a small knob just beside the winding lever
Exposure meter: none
Self-timer: none
Flash PC socket: two, X and F synch, on the front of the camera, lower left side
X synch about 1/40, set the speed dial to the flash mark
Flash shoe: none
Back cover: hinged, opens with a small latch, right side of the camera
Tripod socket: 1/4''
Strap lugs
Serial no. 70429
+lens cup and leather ever ready case + strap
VEB Pentacon was an East German camera maker formed in 1964 by amalgation of many companies, including Kamera Werke and Welta. Originally Pentacon was the export model name for the Contax D, since the use of the name Contax had been prohibited for East German company VEB Zeiss Ikon. The new name had been coined from Penta-prism and Con-tax.
The production of VEB Pentacon essentially concentrated on the Praktica SLRs.
Lens mount M42x1 was first used in Zeiss' Contax S of 1949; this East German branch of Zeiss also sold cameras under the Pentacon name; after merger with other East German photographic manufacturers, the name Praktica was used. M42 thread mount cameras first became well-known in Japan under the Praktica brand, and thus the M42 mount is known as the Praktica thread mount there. Since there were no proprietary elements to the M42 mount, many other manufacturers used it; this has led to it being called the Universal thread mount or Universal screw mount by many. The M42 mount was popularized in the United States by Pentax; thus, it is also known as the Pentax thread mount, despite the fact that Pentax did not originate it. From: Camerapedia
The other day I took apart a Helios 44m-6 lens to modify so that I can use it on my D90 with the full range of apertures. On the older models (non-M models I believe), you don't have to do this. On the newer models, there is a pin that is pushed in when you take a picture that changes the aperture. If you don't have an adapter that pushes in the pin, you can only shoot wide open, in this case at f2.
Because this was a modification of an official set, I only used (to my knowledge) legal building techniques.
At Lego shows in 2024, my Castle class would occasionally derail when there was a kink in the track, particularly when entering corners.
I put this down to the chassis setup I'd chosen, based on Carl Greatrix's previous Castle model, whereby the rear bogie wheels were fixed to the main chassis. In some cases, it seemed these wheels were getting raised off the track by the driving wheels behind.
I've now re-worked the chassis to have a more conventional pivoted bogie. There is still only 1 set of flanged drivers, to allow the bogie to not crash sideways into the cylinders. However now the bogie is on a single pivot, positioned above the rear bogie wheels.
This should help to 'steer' the loco into corners, and the little shoulder on the pin piece also helps to keep the weight on the bogie wheels.
Manufacturer: Metallunion AG
Chassis Nos.: 19100-001 to -599
Crew: 2
Weight: 10.800kg
Length (hull): 3,47m
Width (hull): 1,85m
Height: 2,53m
Engine: Magna MTU-3488c
Radio: FuG 50/c-M
Speed: 30km/h
Range: 280km
Armament: PWM.47/Sd. Laser Gun, 6x IR smoke petard
Armor: Early Police models 15mm Tungsten. Army use models 25mm Tungsten + 12mm Special Heatproof Ceramic Armor. Late models often carried individuals upgrades
and modifications.
Description and History
The HX-39 "Krampus" was one of the first quadrupedal tank designs conceived for the SDR forces. Designed in 2874, this compact, manned tank was originally intended as a lightly armored riot control and urban combat vehicle for the National-Defense Army Police Battalions.
Speed and armor was of secondary priority - the HX-39 was rather focussed on high mobility in difficult and confined terrain, and consequently a compact overall shape was the result.
Beyond the Police use, the Krampus (lending its name to a fiendish mythological figure) also saw sparse use with the Strahl National Defence Army as a light scout and training vehicle. These vehicles features upgraded armor and a 15mm machine gun instead of the Police version's water cannon. In 5 years of production, about 600 of these vehicles were built.
With the start of hostilities on Earth in 2882 and the quick advances in A.I. technology, which lead to unmanned scout vehicles like the Gans tank or the Neuspotter, the Krampus was quickly withdrawn from SDF front service. Yet, the small tank's design still proved useful for training, landing units and special operation groups, where it was kept in service in small numbers.
The Krampus' hull offered, thanks to its simple but sturdy construction and the original design's water tank, room for constant improvement and the development of special purpose versions. Popular field modifications in the 2880ies were upgraded armament. The 15mm machine gun was often replaced by a compact laser, and/or Neu Panzerschreck missiles were added, too. An additional flame thrower in the turret was also a popular choice as a close range weapon and means of defense. With an internal tank, this weapon would allow fourty bursts with a range of up to 60m.
In some cases with special ops teams, parts of the original Tungsten steel hull were replaced by or lined with ceramic pieces - which massively improved survivability in the changing battlefield. In some cases even indirect sight systems like the KgZF4 were installed, what got the 'Krampus' up to date with modern contemporary combat suits like the P.K.A Ausf. M 'Melusine'. The famous Skull Combat Team kept four H-39F as support units in this configuration, and a handful of other Krampus tanks still served with similar equipment in late 2886.
Beyond this development potential, its ability to retract its legs for minimum width also made it useable in scenarios where larger and especially wheeled or even tracked vehicles would either get stuck or could not use the terrain to their benefit. It would, neverthless, be rarely encountered in large scale battles.
Effectively, the small 'Krampus' tank saw service behind the front lines in small numbers for a long time. One was, for example, used at Bomvol & Zionel for artificial intellgence experiments in early 2883, and a battalion of modified HX-39 was employed in the SDR raid on Torifujiograd in December 2884 in a command task, where it fought alongside PKA units in an urban battlefield.
Well, I will admit that this story is totally fake, but based on the vague, semi-official Ma.K material which is available out there. This mecha was inspired by three things: one aspect was my faint interest for the Ma.K universe and its original mecha designs. Then there was the inspiration through the KV-2X walking tank from MiG Productions, which looks impressive but which I never liked for its (IMHO) poor technical design. And then there was the fact that I got hold of a box with collectible Melusine combat suits in 1:35 scale. There were so many of them, I seriously considered a diorama - but at 1:35 scale only a few Ma.K mecha designs are actually available as a kit. Hasegawa's Nutcracker tank would have been an option - but it was too big for my taste and the space available. So, traditional scratch-building was the only valid option!
This was also the starting point for a model and diorama for a model kit contest of a German SF modelers' internet forum (much like starshipmodelers.com). At this early project stage I had the idea of an urban PKA mass scene, rushing forward between ruins with the support of a small armored vehicle, soemthinmg like the Gladiator. Consequently, I wanted a (small) tank for an urban or tight setting, and keep the construction as compact and simple as possible. Four legs were a must, and I wanted to use a single stock kit for the hull. Elements for both requirements were found after long research!
The hull comes mostly from a 1:35 scale Hotchkiss H-39 tank. By the way, I love French tank designs from the pre-WWII era, because they most of them have a very unique and almost organic look to them, due to their cast steel hulls. The H-39 is no excemption, and this smooth look makes it IMHO quite suitable for the Ma.K universe and Kow yokoyama's design without much modification. I found a H-39 from Trumpeter, a good base for my project.
The legs come from a walking tank from the Japanese 'Junk Tank Rock' series of models - scratch-built tanks like Kow Yokoyama's design. The TACO-34M 'Beetle' donated its complete four legs, and with little modification some parts from this resin kit's original hull found their way onto my Krampus design.
Assembly rather followed "look and feel" than a true conversion plan. At an early stage I found that the typical "small tank" look of the hull had to go, and that the hull was too long for the original Beetle Tank's leg assembly. Instead of elongating the legs I decided to shorten the hull, making it even more compact. About 1.5cm were taken away from the front, and the glacis plate elongated to form a rather vertical front. This stubby look moved the turret relatively forward, which resulted in a nice and different look. For reference: in real life, the tank's hull would just be about 3.5m in length! A really tiny tank - anyone remember the 'Bonaparte' tank from Masamune Shirow's "Dominion" maga series? This could be a close relative...
During assembly, a lot of spare parts went into the kit, to much to make a list. But among others, many generic parts from a HO scale "Roof Details" Set from Cornerstone Modulars found their way on and into the kit. Most of the newly-built engine bulk was constructed from these parts.
The Melusine figures came already painted in a winter livery. Being the design benchmark for the diorama, the Krampus would receive a similar finish. Overall, the paint scheme looks much like a German Luftwaffe Dark Green from WWII, with light grey and/or white painted on top of it, plus yellow-orange markings.
To match this look, the Krampus was sprayed all-over in dark olive green (RAL 6003, "Olivgrün"), with some lighter shades sprayed lightly onto the top sides and dark olive drab from below - but this can hardly be discerned at all.
Next, decals were applied (from the scratch box).
On top of that and around the decals, light grey was painted with a flat brush, leaving free edges and areas which would be difficult to reach by 1/35 scale hands under field conditions. This was done twice, with Humbrol's 28 and 196 and with different brush sizes. The idea was to create an improvised and weathered look, with the dark green shimmering through. This effect would later be enhanced through a coat of snow and more weathering with black and earth colors. The stripe markings on the hull and legs were painted by hand, too, with a mix of yellow and orange, emulating the Melusine suits' OOB contrast stripes.
After a coat of matte varnish, the snow coating followed. As per usual, I used white joint mortar (plaster is too grayish and becomes yellow over time, as it absorbs up humidity!), rinsed through a fine mesh onto the kit which was sprayed with water.
From above, only a thin coat of fresh snow should be seen, but the legs and lower body rather clogged with dirt and snow, as if the Krampus had been walking through deep snow for some time. This was achived through more of the same joint mortar, just mixed up with a bit of water (so it would remain grainy) and real "dirt", scavenged from balcony flower pots ;)
When dry, the stuff sticks well to the kit's surface and can even stand being touched, but some hair spray and more matte varnish sealed everything in place.
As final step, the legs were assembled onto the hull and hydraulich tubes installed, and final painting details like some metal and rust or the commando cupola's visors were added. Finally, the Krampus was ready for action!
I will admit that this kit is not the most complicated one, compared to a truly scratch-built item. But matching two carefully selected basic kits yielded an IMHO nice and plausible model, and due to the time pressure of the model kit contest where it would take part in, I am pretty satisfied, esp. with more work ahead with the diorama and the tuning of about six Melusine figures...
I like poster modifications, but not so uncreative and primitive. They should go to an Islamic country or to North Korea, where they have not to see naked flesh.
+++ 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 Reno Air Races, officially known as the National Championship Air Races, is a multi-day event tailored to the aviation community that takes place each September at the Reno Stead Airport a few miles north of Reno, Nevada. Air racing is billed as "the world's fastest motor sport" and Reno is one of the few remaining venues. The event includes races in 6 classes and demonstrations by airshow pilots.
The probably most spectacular race class is the "Unlimited". With the exception of very few “scratch-built” aircraft, the Unlimited Class has generally been populated by stock or modified WWII fighters with the P-51 Mustangs, F-8F Bearcats and Hawker Sea Fury being flown most often, flying in speeds exceeding 500 mph.
One of the many P-51 custom racers was the "Gulf Mirage". It was a former military aircraft (ex s/n 44-73350), formerly operated by the Swiss Air Force and bought for around $3,500, that had undergone several successive modifications during its career in order to reduce the aircraft's drag and make it more and more competitive.
"Gulf Mirage" started its racing career in 1968 as an almost original P-51D which had been stripped off of any military equipment, under the ownership of Daniel Haskin, owner of Aeropart Service Inc. and WWII and Korea War pilot veteran. The aircraft's original name was "Mirage", with the civil registration N613C. The debut with the racing number 83 saw only a mediocre result, and, for the next season, the yellow and purple Mustang underwent its first major modifications.
These were carried out by Aero Trans Corp. DBA in Ocala, Florida, and included clipped wings and ailerons (the wing span was reduced by a total of ~5'), and the Mustang's characteristic tunnel radiator was replaced by two recessed radiators, which now occupied the former machine gun compartments in the wings. In this guide, the aircraft took part in the 1969 National Air Races, but severe cooling problems and numerous leaks in the almost untested radiator system prevented an active participation in the Unlimited Class races.
1970, "Mirage" was back, now tested and most technical bugs sorted out, and was able to achieve a respectable 4th place. In 1971, the modified Mustang was back, but during the main race a piston jammed and the aircraft could hardly be controlled - ending in a rugged belly landing after the landing gear had collapsed upon touchdown, which also caused a crack in the motor block.
However, the airframe was mostly intact, and Daniel Haskin started to search for sponsors for a rebuild and upgrade of "Mirage", as well as a new pilot. Through his industrial connections, he was able to win Grady Davis, vice president of Gulf Oil, who was an avid motorsport enthusiast and had founded the Gulf Oil Racing Team in 1966, for his project. In the course of 1972, "Mirage" underwent, thanks to financial and technical support, its second radical modification: the ruined Merlin engine was replaced by a bigger Rolls Royce Griffon (salvaged from an ex RAF Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk 19 reconnaissance aircraft) and its respective engine mounts, now driving a five blade propeller. The wing radiators were slightly enlarged in order to match the Griffon's increased power, and the aircraft was rebuilt with an eye to weight reduction. In the end, 600 pounds (270 kg) were removed from the airframe. The Mustang's original bubble canopy was replaced by a much smaller, streamlined fairing, and, after initial flight tests, the fin was slightly extended in order to counter the new propeller's torque and improve directional stability.
Outwardly, the new sponsorship resulted in a new name - the aircraft was now called "Gulf-Mirage" - a new, very different livery in the typical Gulf Racing colors: light blue with bright orange trim. With Peter Holm, a new pilot was found, too.
1973 saw the first start of the refurbished aircraft with the new starting number 63, but "Gulf-Mirage" did not finish its first race due to oil pressure problems, and any further flights were cancelled. In 1974 the pale blue Mustang was back - and this time everything worked fine and "Gulf-Mirage" was able to score a 3rd place in the Unlimited Class Gold Race. In 1975 the aircraft raced at the California National Air Races and finished in 2nd place - with a speed of 422 miles per hour (679 km/h).
After racing for several years with limited success, the aircraft was sold in 1983 to Wiley Sanders of Sanders Truck Lines, and it lost its characteristic blue and orange livery. After frequent participations in various air races, the aircraft was sold again in late 1989 and moved to the United Kingdom, not to return to the United States again until 1995. Since then, the aircraft has not made any public appearance yet.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 6½ in (9.93 m)
Height: 13 ft 5 in (4.10 m; tail wheel on ground, vertical propeller blade.)
Wing area: 197.6 sq ft (18.42 m²)
Empty weight: 7,030 lb (3,194) kg
Loaded weight: 8,750 lb (3,972 kg)
Max. take-off weight: 11,450 lb (5,200 kg)
Powerplant:
1× modified Rolls Royce Griffon 65 supercharged V12,
with a race output of ~3,000 hp (2,160 kW) at low altitude
Performance:
Maximum speed: 473 mph (763 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Stall speed: 100 mph (160 km/h)
Mach limit 0.82
The kit and its assembly:
This is another group build submission, this time the topic was “Racing and Competition” – and what’s more obvious than a (fictional) Reno Racer? The Mustang is a classic choice for the Unlimited Class, with many warbirds and some exotic, dedicated constructions with high-volume piston engines. I wanted something plausible, though, that perfectly blends into the class’ pedigree, so I took inspiration from different real P-51 racers and modified my build with whatever I considered plausible.
The basic kit is Academy’s P-51D, which I like because of its good fit, surface structure and nice details like the good cockpit and landing gear, as well as the option to build the model with lowered flaps. Just the tail wheel is IMHO a little short and needs an extension at its base for a proper stance of the model.
However, in order to turn the Mustang into a mutated Reno Racer and high speed aircraft, I gave it the following modifications – everything gathered from real-world Mustang modifications throughout the years:
Clipped wings, a traditional way to reduce drag and improve low altitude handling. I cut away about 1cm from each wing – and there have been more radical modifications in real life, even including the transplantation of swept wings from a Learjet! The original wing tips were retained, though, and slightly extended so that they would match with the slightly deeper, shortened wing.
The ventral radiator was cut away and faired over; instead, two smaller radiators were integrated into the wings where the machine gun bays had been, scratched from styrene sheet material. This was inspired by Anson Johnson’s Mustang N13Y, as flown in 1949.
The spacious bubble canopy was replaced by a much smaller hood. At first, I wanted to use a Spitfire or Typhoon bubble canopy, but, after some dry fitting tests, these were still too big for a radical racer. Eventually I came up with a weird combo: the cockpit glazing from an 1:100 Tamiya Il-28 bomber (which, unfortunately, turned out to be quite thick), extended rearwards with the rear section of an 1:72 Academy Fw 190 cockpit canopy/fairing. Both had to be tailored to match each other, as well as the Mustang’s different fuselage shape, and the cockpit opening itself in the fuselage had to be drastically made smaller, with the help of styrene sheet and lots of PSR.
The engine was upgraded from a V-1710/Merlin to a Griffon engine; this was pretty easy, thanks to the transplantation of conformal rocker cam fairings from a Special Hobby Spitfire kit: they almost match the cowling shape perfectly!
In order to create a more Griffon-esque look (using the Griffon-powered RB-51 “Red Baron” Mustang as benchmark), I made the original carburetor air intake under the propeller disappear and modified the lower cowling. A new carburetor intake was scratched from a piece of a small drop tank and placed further back, just in front of the landing gear wells. Looks very Spitfire-like now!
Additionally, a different propeller with more blade area was incorporated, a one-piece five-blade propeller from a Frog Spitfire Mk. XIV. The new piece was mounted onto a metal axis and a styrene tube adapter was inserted into the Mustang’s nose. Since the new propeller’s spinner came with a slight increase in diameter (overall maybe just 1mm, but it would be recognizable), the cowling was adjusted accordingly, realized through some PSR work.
As a visual counterbalance to the bigger nose section, the fin tip was slightly extended (maybe by 2mm) through the integration of a piece from a Special Hobby He 100.
Finally, the OOB pitot under the wing was replaced by a more delicate alternative made from thin wire, and no other antennae were fitted, for a sleek and clean look.
In the end, a lot of changes - but the overall effect is IMHO still subtle, and the whole thing looks quite plausible. And there had been more radical conversions in real life!
Painting and markings:
This started as a tough challenge, since I wanted a simple livery, yet something well-known from the Seventies. One option was a black “JPS Special” livery, but I eventually came across a very nice “Gulf Racing” sponsor markings set from A.C.B.-Shop, a German car model specialist. The team’s light blue and orange cars are still iconic and popular today, and why should Gulf Oil not even have sponsored a Reno Racer…?
Painting started with an overall coat of pastel blue from the rattle can – a generic tone from Duplicolor, which comes close to RAL 5024, but it’s less saturated. Initially I thought that the blue tone was just too pale, but things became more convincing once I added orange bands (Humbrol 18, it comes very close to the decals’ tone) to the wings and the fuselage, as well as to the nose section and the spinner. The latter received a chrome silver tip, created with Humbrol’s Polished Aluminum metallizer, which was also used on the blades’ front side. Their back side became black. Black was also used for a narrow anti-glare panel in front of the windscreen.
The cockpit interior became dark grey while the landing gear wells and covers were painted in zinc chromate yellow (Humbrol 81) – an ugly but deliberate contrast to the colorful exterior. The struts were painted in aluminum (Humbrol 56). As another color highlight, the wheel discs were painted in bright red – seen on a WWII Mustang, probably a personal addition of the pilot?
Once dry, the kit received a light black ink wash, in order to emphasize the engraved panel lines. Then orange sections received black rims, created with generic 2mm decal stripe material from TL Modellbau. The lowered flaps were a bit problematic, but the curved trim under the nose posed serious problems because the straight decal stripes had to be bent into curves. Thanks to some Gunze decal softener, this eventually worked – not perfect, but O.K. for what I wanted to achieve.
Next came the major sponsor markings and the race numbers. The Gulf logos came from the aforementioned decal set while the number was puzzled together with white decal circles from a Hasegawa Ki-61 (actually foundations for hinomaru with white borders!) and single numerals, which actually belong to contemporary Russian Air Force aircraft, from a Begemot sheet with generic tactical codes in various sizes.
In the scrap box I also found some sponsor decals (from a Heller 1:43 Lancia Delta), and some stencils were taken from an Academy P-47D sheet.
Finally, after some finishing touches, the kit was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish from Italeri.
Well, the “Gulf-Mirage” looks simple and plausible, but in the end a lot of modifications were integrated that shift the Reno Racer away from the standard warbird. I am actually quite pleased with the outcome, because neither the technical modifications, nor the fictional/adapted Gulf Racing livery look out of place. The combo works well!
4 days into the healing process. No visible scabbing or scarring. It does itch some, but not too much.
Slight modification of the photography studio.
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If you would like to use THIS picture in any sort of media elsewhere (such as newspaper or article), please send me a Flickrmail or send me an email at natehenderson6@gmail.com
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird:
No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated globally in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71, the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird's performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments during the Cold War.
This Blackbird accrued about 2,800 hours of flight time during 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 3,418 kilometers (2,124 miles) per hour. At the flight's conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian.
Transferred from the United States Air Force.
Manufacturer:
Designer:
Date:
1964
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Dimensions:
Overall: 18ft 5 15/16in. x 55ft 7in. x 107ft 5in., 169998.5lb. (5.638m x 16.942m x 32.741m, 77110.8kg)
Other: 18ft 5 15/16in. x 107ft 5in. x 55ft 7in. (5.638m x 32.741m x 16.942m)
Materials:
Titanium
Physical Description:
Twin-engine, two-seat, supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft; airframe constructed largley of titanium and its alloys; vertical tail fins are constructed of a composite (laminated plastic-type material) to reduce radar cross-section; Pratt and Whitney J58 (JT11D-20B) turbojet engines feature large inlet shock cones.
• • • • •
See more photos of this, and the Wikipedia article.
Details, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Vought F4U-1D Corsair:
By V-J Day, September 2, 1945, Corsair pilots had amassed an 11:1 kill ratio against enemy aircraft. The aircraft's distinctive inverted gull-wing design allowed ground clearance for the huge, three-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller, which spanned more than 4 meters (13 feet). The Pratt and Whitney R-2800 radial engine and Hydromatic propeller was the largest and one of the most powerful engine-propeller combinations ever flown on a fighter aircraft.
Charles Lindbergh flew bombing missions in a Corsair with Marine Air Group 31 against Japanese strongholds in the Pacific in 1944. This airplane is painted in the colors and markings of the Corsair Sun Setter, a Marine close-support fighter assigned to the USS Essex in July 1944.
Transferred from the United States Navy.
Manufacturer:
Date:
1940
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Dimensions:
Overall: 460 x 1020cm, 4037kg, 1250cm (15ft 1 1/8in. x 33ft 5 9/16in., 8900lb., 41ft 1/8in.)
Materials:
All metal with fabric-covered wings behind the main spar.
Physical Description:
R-2800 radial air-cooled engine with 1,850 horsepower, turned a three-blade Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller with solid aluminum blades spanning 13 feet 1 inch; wing bent gull-shaped on both sides of the fuselage.
Long Description:
On February 1, 1938, the United States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics requested proposals from American aircraft manufacturers for a new carrier-based fighter airplane. During April, the Vought Aircraft Corporation responded with two designs and one of them, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, won the competition in June. Less than a year later, Vought test pilot Lyman A. Bullard, Jr., first flew the Vought XF4U-1 prototype on May 29, 1940. At that time, the largest engine driving the biggest propeller ever flown on a fighter aircraft propelled Bullard on this test flight. The R-2800 radial air-cooled engine developed 1,850 horsepower and it turned a three-blade Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller with solid aluminum blades spanning 13 feet 1 inch.
The airplane Bullard flew also had another striking feature, a wing bent gull-shaped on both sides of the fuselage. This arrangement gave additional ground clearance for the propeller and reduced drag at the wing-to-fuselage joint. Ironically for a 644-kph (400 mph) airplane, Vought covered the wing with fabric behind the main spar, a practice the company also followed on the OS2U Kingfisher (see NASM collection).
When naval air strategists had crafted the requirements for the new fighter, the need for speed had overridden all other performance goals. With this in mind, the Bureau of Aeronautics selected the most powerful air-cooled engine available, the R-2800. Vought assembled a team, lead by chief designer Rex Biesel, to design the best airframe around this powerful engine. The group included project engineer Frank Albright, aerodynamics engineer Paul Baker, and propulsion engineer James Shoemaker. Biesel and his team succeeded in building a very fast fighter but when they redesigned the prototype for production, they were forced to make an unfortunate compromise.
The Navy requested heavier armament for production Corsairs and Biesel redesigned each outboard folding wing panel to carry three .50 caliber machine guns. These guns displaced fuel tanks installed in each wing leading edge. To replace this lost capacity, an 897-liter (237 gal) fuselage tank was installed between the cockpit and the engine. To maintain the speedy and narrow fuselage profile, Biesel could not stack the cockpit on top of the tank, so he moved it nearly three feet aft. Now the wing completely blocked the pilot's line of sight during the most critical stages of landing. The early Corsair also had a vicious stall, powerful torque and propeller effects at slow speed, a short tail wheel strut, main gear struts that often bounced the airplane at touchdown, and cowl flap actuators that leaked oil onto the windshield. These difficulties, combined with the lack of cockpit visibility, made the airplane nearly impossible to land on the tiny deck of an aircraft carrier. Navy pilots soon nicknamed the F4U the 'ensign eliminator' for its tendency to kill these inexperienced aviators. The Navy refused to clear the F4U for carrier operations until late in 1944, more than seven years after the project started.
This flaw did not deter the Navy from accepting Corsairs because Navy and Marine pilots sorely needed an improved fighter to replace the Grumman F4F Wildcat (see NASM collection). By New Year's Eve, 1942, the service owned 178 F4U-1 airplanes. Early in 1943, the Navy decided to divert all Corsairs to land-based United States Marine Corps squadrons and fill Navy carrier-based units with the Grumman F6F Hellcat (see NASM collection). At its best speed of 612 kph (380 mph) at 6,992 m (23,000 ft), the Hellcat was about 24 kph (15 mph) slower than the Corsair but it was a joy to fly aboard the carrier. The F6F filled in splendidly until improvements to the F4U qualified it for carrier operations. Meanwhile, the Marines on Guadalcanal took their Corsairs into combat and engaged the enemy for the first time on February 14, 1943, six months before Hellcat pilots on that battle-scared island first encountered enemy aircraft.
The F4U had an immediate impact on the Pacific air war. Pilots could use the Corsair's speed and firepower to engage the more maneuverable Japanese airplanes only when the advantage favored the Americans. Unprotected by armor or self-sealing fuel tanks, no Japanese fighter or bomber could withstand for more than a few seconds the concentrated volley from the six .50 caliber machine guns carried by a Corsair. Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington assumed command of Marine Corsair squadron VMF-214, nicknamed the 'Black Sheep' squadron, on September 7, 1943. During less than 5 months of action, Boyington received credit for downing 28 enemy aircraft. Enemy aircraft shot him down on January 3, 1944, but he survived the war in a Japanese prison camp.
In May and June 1944, Charles A. Lindbergh flew Corsair missions with Marine pilots at Green Island and Emirau. On September 3, 1944, Lindbergh demonstrated the F4U's bomb hauling capacity by flying a Corsair from Marine Air Group 31 carrying three bombs each weighing 450 kg (1,000 lb). He dropped this load on enemy positions at Wotje Atoll. On the September 8, Lindbergh dropped the first 900-kg (2,000 lb) bomb during an attack on the atoll. For the finale five days later, the Atlantic flyer delivered a 900-kg (2,000 lb) bomb and two 450-kg (1,000 lb) bombs. Lindbergh went ahead and flew these missions after the commander of MAG-31 informed him that if he was forced down and captured, the Japanese would almost certainly execute him.
As of V-J Day, September 2, 1945, the Navy credited Corsair pilots with destroying 2,140 enemy aircraft in aerial combat. The Navy and Marines lost 189 F4Us in combat and 1,435 Corsairs in non-combat accidents. Beginning on February 13, 1942, Marine and Navy pilots flew 64,051 operational sorties, 54,470 from runways and 9,581 from carrier decks. During the war, the British Royal Navy accepted 2,012 Corsairs and the Royal New Zealand Air Force accepted 364. The demand was so great that the Goodyear Aircraft Corporation and the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation also produced the F4U.
Corsairs returned to Navy carrier decks and Marine airfields during the Korean War. On September 10, 1952, Captain Jesse Folmar of Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-312 destroyed a MiG-15 in aerial combat over the west coast of Korea. However, F4U pilots did not have many air-to-air encounters over Korea. Their primary mission was to support Allied ground units along the battlefront.
After the World War II, civilian pilots adapted the speedy bent-wing bird from Vought to fly in competitive air races. They preferred modified versions of the F2G-1 and -2 originally built by Goodyear. Corsairs won the prestigious Thompson Trophy twice. In 1952, Vought manufactured 94 F4U-7s for the French Navy, and these aircraft saw action over Indochina but this order marked the end of Corsair production. In production longer than any other U.S. fighter to see service in World War II, Vought, Goodyear, and Brewster built a total of 12,582 F4Us.
The United States Navy donated an F4U-1D to the National Air and Space Museum in September 1960. Vought delivered this Corsair, Bureau of Aeronautics serial number 50375, to the Navy on April 26, 1944. By October, pilots of VF-10 were flying it but in November, the airplane was transferred to VF-89 at Naval Air Station Atlantic City. It remained there as the squadron moved to NAS Oceana and NAS Norfolk. During February 1945, the Navy withdrew the airplane from active service and transferred it to a pool of surplus aircraft stored at Quantico, Virginia. In 1980, NASM craftsmen restored the F4U-1D in the colors and markings of a Corsair named "Sun Setter," a fighter assigned to Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-114 when that unit served aboard the "USS Essex" in July 1944.
• • •
Quoting from Wikipedia | Vought F4U Corsair:
The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–1953).
The Corsair served in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, as well as the French Navy Aeronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s. It quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II, and the U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair.
F4U-1D (Corsair Mk IV): Built in parallel with the F4U-1C, but was introduced in April 1944. It had the new -8W water-injection engine. This change gave the aircraft up to 250 hp (190 kW) more power, which, in turn, increased performance. Speed, for example, was boosted from 417 miles per hour (671 km/h) to 425 miles per hour (684 km/h). Because of the U.S. Navy's need for fighter-bombers, it had a payload of rockets double the -1A's, as well as twin-rack plumbing for an additional belly drop tank. Such modifications necessitated the need for rocket tabs (attached to fully metal-plated underwing surfaces) and bomb pylons to be bolted on the fighter, however, causing extra drag. Additionally, the role of fighter-bombing was a new task for the Corsair and the wing fuel cells proved too vulnerable and were removed.[] The extra fuel carried by the two drop tanks would still allow the aircraft to fly relatively long missions despite the heavy, un-aerodynamic load. The regular armament of six machine guns were implemented as well. The canopies of most -1Ds had their struts removed along with their metal caps, which were used — at one point — as a measure to prevent the canopies' glass from cracking as they moved along the fuselage spines of the fighters.[] Also, the clear-view style "Malcolm Hood" canopy used initially on Supermarine Spitfire and P-51C Mustang aircraft was adopted as standard equipment for the -1D model, and all later F4U production aircraft. Additional production was carried out by Goodyear (FG-1D) and Brewster (F3A-1D). In Fleet Air Arm service, the latter was known as the Corsair III, and both had their wingtips clipped by 8" per wing to allow storage in the lower hangars of British carriers.
It is now the countdown to Christmas, and with many airlines already preparing for the seasonal rush, they are also preparing the upcoming S25 schedule for next summer which continues to see modifications and finalisations before being implemented from late-March 2025.
British Airways in the wake struggling aircraft availability are in the process of finalising their S25 schedule for next summer; unavailability has played a part in certain routes seeing frequency reductions and even outright cancelled, but there are certain routes that do see frequency increases as a result of refurbishment programmes being complete.
With credit as ever to AeroRoutes and British Airways reservation system, here are the expected changes taking place to the flag-carrier's long-haul network to commence from 30th March 2025 unless stated otherwise:
-Austin-Bergstrom: Commencing from 31st March 2025, increased from daily to 13 weekly flights; BA191/190 converted from Airbus A350-1000s to 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs, whilst newly introduced 6 weekly BA187/186 utilises Boeing 787-10s.
-Bahrain: Previously daily flight cancelled, now operating thrice weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday only (Monday, Wednesday and Friday only from Bahrain) utilising Boeing 787-8s instead of 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs.
-Chicago-O'Hare: Capacity changes to thrice daily flights; BA295/294 utilises Boeing 787-10s instead of 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs, BA297/296 utilises Boeing 777-300ERs instead of Boeing 787-10s, and BA299/298 utilises 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs instead of Boeing 787-9s.
-Dallas-Fort Worth: Daily flight (BA193/192) cancelled, tentatively scheduled to recommence from 26th October 2025.
-Delhi-Indira Ghandi: Continues to operate twice daily instead of previously planned thrice daily scheduled from 19th April 2025; both BA143/142 and BA257/256 utilises Boeing 787-8s.
-Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok: Reduced from twice daily to daily; BA31/32 utilises Airbus A350-1000s instead of 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs.
-Johannesburg-O.R. Tambo: Continues to operate twice daily; both flights now utilise Airbus A380s with BA55/54 converted from Boeing 777-300ERs. BA57/56 continues to utilise Airbus A380s.
-Kuala Lumpur-Sepang: Now scheduled to be reintroduced from 1st April 2025, BA33/34 operates daily utilising Boeing 787-9s.
-Kuwait City: Daily flight (BA157/156) cancelled.
-Las Vegas-Harry Reid: Increased from daily to 10 weekly flights; BA275/274 operates daily utilising Airbus A350-1000s, whilst BA271/270 operates thrice weekly utilising 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs. Of note, from 16th June 2025 to 9th September 2025 sees BA271/270 temporarily suspended.
-Miami: Reduced from twice daily to daily; BA209/208 cancelled, whilst BA207/206 operates daily utilising Airbus A380s.
-Pittsburgh: Increased from 6 weekly to daily; BA171/170 utilises a mixture of Boeing 787-8/9/10s.
-Rio de Janeiro/Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim: Continues to operate daily; BA249/248High-J Boeing 777-200ERs instead of Airbus A350-1000s.
-San Diego: Seasonal twice daily flights reintroduced; BA265/264 utilises Boeing 777-300ERs instead of 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs, whilst BA273/272 utilises Boeing 787-8s.
-Vancouver: Gradually increases from daily to twice daily; BA85/84 operates daily utilising 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs instead of Airbus A350-1000s, whilst newly introduced BA87/86 initially operates 4 weekly from 5th April 2025, increasing to daily from 18th June 2025 utilising 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs.
-Washington-Dulles: Increases from twice to thrice daily; BA217/216 utilises Boeing 777-300ERs instead of 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs, newly-introduced BA291/290 utilises Boeing 787-8s, and BA293/292 utilises Airbus A380s.
Thus far, the major changes have been select flights being cancelled either filled by other airlines or their transatlantic partner, American Airlines. Direct transatlantic flights otherwise not served by their partner do see various increases, notably Austin, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Vancouver and Washington-Dulles. Compared to the previous winter schedule, British Airways do expect aircraft availability to improve for next summer.
Currently, British Airways operates 41 Boeing 787s, which includes 12 Boeing 787-8s, 18 Boeing 787-9s and 11 Boeing 787-10s. British Airways have 7 Boeing 787-10s on-order.
Zulu Bravo Lima Hotel is one of 11 Boeing 787-10s operated by British Airways, delivered new to the flag-carrier on 12th June 2024 and she is powered by 2 Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-J3 engines.
Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner G-ZBLH on short finals into Runway 27L at London Heathrow (LHR) on BA48 from Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), Washington.
refernce:
i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff293/Roadkill619/army-of-two...
And I made a custom shield for my masterkey modification, it really got that "metallic look.
I made this m4 modification a long time ago:
I took this shot from my balcony about two days ago, and after I did some modification to it with Gimp to give it a classic feel, I think I am pretty pleased with the outcome :)
In the beginning it didn’t remind me of my grandfather, Mr. J (as I will call him), but the more I worked on it the more he came to mind. (Beside he loved to walk just like the older gentleman here.)
The reason I want to talk a bit about Mr. J is because I think there is a lot to learn from his simple life. Mr. J was very misunderstood by everyone and even to this day, including me. Even though he passed away in 2001 at the age of 87 he was still misunderstood by everyone!
(I am listening to Romanza by Andrea Bocelli to help write! ca.youtube.com/watch?v=rOC9GqbNHlQ A beautiful song, isn’t it?)
He was a very kind person, never hurt anybody intentionally or caused anybody a problem, or as much as yell anybody (at least not in the 16 years I knew him before leaving Iraq). Every time I remember him I remember him smiling, because I had never seen him without a smile on his face. This was the problem!
You see, because he was always smiling people automatically thought he was always happy, and they automatically thought he never felt pain—pretty much assumed he doesn’t feel pain! That’s why people never felt the need to apologize to him if they hurt his feelings (sadly, including me), because next time they met him he met them with the same angelic smile! Nobody ever tried to get to know him; they thought he was just a shallow person! Even though it was such a pleasure just be around him, because he could put a smile on anybody’s face just by being around them. Kids especially loved him, including me and my sister.
Nobody ever tried to figure out what is on that man’s heart, and if he needed comfort. Nobody ever tried to get to know him. He was an introvert (I am like him, I guess), even though he still was surrounded by family members. But not once did I see someone show an interest in what he was feeling on the inside. That’s pretty much because he never showed what was going on in his heart and mind. He hid it pretty well.
Then in 1997 my grandma passed away. They were married for 43 years at the time. My grandfather again hid his feelings very well: just a couple of small tears against his white pale skin, without any obvious emotions on his face. And it was so confusing: how cans a man be so kind, peaceful, and loving and not show emotions, at all? Then about a week later my family and I went to church, but he didn’t come with us. When we came home my grandfather was lying on a sofa weeping, and weeping and weeping. He was surprised when we came, and I think he tried to hide the fact that he was mourning the lose of his wife, but he just couldn’t do it because he was way too heart broken to put on a smiling face.
I was shocked! First time in my life I realized my grandfather had feelings! He was left home alone often, and I wondered how often he cried by himself? I’ve heard him pray in anguish before, but I never understood what he was saying simply because he prayed in Turkish. (He was brought up north of Iraq where he learned to speak Turkish, Assyrian (modern Aramaic), and Kurdish along with Arabic.) Even then nobody has tried to comfort him, because he had put such walls around him for so long that nobody knew how to approach him.
Sadly, I was not kind to him in my teen years: I avoided him, yelled at him, and even run away so he wouldn’t talk to me, because he would delay me from playing with my friends! How foolish was I when I was young! Until today I regret those days when I mistreated him. But the most haunting thing in my memory is not my insults, but the smile he always met my disrespecting behaviour and insults with.
At the time I didn’t realize that I was seeing myself in few years when I saw how he acted. I didn’t realize that I pretty much had an identical DNA to his! I didn’t realize that I was so much like him until recently when people started asking me, “Are you always this happy?” It was kind of a confusing question, especially when it came from so many different people. I never thought of myself as being happy. I always thought of myself as someone who needs so much inner healing…the kind of healing that only our heavenly Father can perform.
Then I realized those people are kind of right, I always meet people with a smile, and always hide my feelings, and almost never confront those who hurt me, even those who hurt me intentionally just for the sake of hurting me. Even then I still meet them with a smile. This of course built a wall around me.
This was confirmed to me when a few days ago my mom said (in mention to something very painful happened to me last year), “I am very surprised by how confidently you are handling that situation!” What she didn’t know or anyone else (until now) is that I’ve cried, wept, cried out to God, cried myself to sleep almost daily in the last year and still do until today.
I have always wondered why people feel it is ok to be mean and never apologize, and I think it is partly because I am a Christian. I’ve realized many people, including Christians, don’t feel the need to apologize to Christians because they think God will take care of their hurts. Or that the other person has probably already forgiven them so why bother? This is especially true when it comes to apologizing to someone who we consider to be more spiritually mature, such as a pastor. But the main reason is pride…I know this because I’ve experienced how it feels to apologize to someone when I feel that I am “lowering” myself by doing so: pride.
This was confirmed to me by the way people treated my youngest uncle’s wife www.flickr.com/photos/001fj/2152995301/in/set-72157602515.... She is so loving, kind, and giving toward others that people who meet her either love her or dislike her because they are so jealous of her. When she is among people, they would love her because they are overwhelmed by her character. But when she is not, I could feel the jealousy rising in their attitude towards her. Amazingly, they never felt that they have ever wronged her, or they owed her an apology!
In 2001 my dad called to tell us that my grandfather had passed away. My mom was apprehended to tell me and my sister because she knew we loved him a lot. When she told me first, I didn’t say anything. Then she went to my sister’s room to tell her, my sister cried. When she came from my sister’s room I had already wiped the few tears I had allowed to come down my face. Later that day when she went shopping with my sister I cried my heart out because my grandfather was more a father to us than a grandfather. He had protected us for countless years when my dad was in the army—just his presence was enough. He used to wake up so early in the morning to go buy us fresh (HOT!) bread so we can eat fresh bread with breakfast before we went to school. He used to tickle my palms with his beard. He used to give my sister and me piggy-back rides! He used to come with me to the garden at night to bring my toy cars or something because when I was little I used to be scared of the dark. Just his presence was enough for me. And now he was gone—no more.
What did that man who every body loved gain from building such high walls around him that not only nobody could break through, but nobody could see through? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Did he still experience pain? Yes. Did those emotional walls protect him from hurt? No...after all he was still human! Did he cry? Yes; the only difference is that this way he experience pain by himself with no one to comfort him.
I don’t really have a big message through this writing. However, recently God is been showing me that I need to speak up when someone hurts my feelings, I can’t just hide my hurts. How can I have a successful marriage if I don’t confront my future wife when she disrespects me, or hurts my feelings, and so on?
That doesn’t mean I should be disrespectful to others in return! No, but what it means is that I have to show feelings if I am ever to be treated like a human with feelings! Our Lord Jesus Christ cried, wept, got angry, frustrated, scared, and overwhelmed with sadness. So here it is: the only perfect person ever to live showed feelings!
It is not our call to be “Mr. nice guy” all the time! It is not God’s purpose for our lives! We are to be kind, respectful, and peaceful, yes, but not build walls so nobody can get through to us. God’s purpose for us is to be holy like He is holy, and to have pure feelings and express them in a holy matter with pure motives!
I don’t know exactly why I don’t say anything when someone hurts me. However, I can think of many reasons. One of them is that when people hurt our feelings most of the time they know, (if that’s not what their purpose was in the first place!), so what is the point of telling them that? If someone who is really close to me yells at me or calls me demeaning names, do I really need to inform them that this hurts my feelings? Isn’t it obvious? Another reason is that deep inside I don’t feel that I deserve people’s kind words, respect, or love. So I am actually never disappointed when someone hurts me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get hurt.
That’s the whole reason why we build emotional walls: so we don’t get hurt the next time someone hurts our feelings! But what a lie it is! We do get hurt, again and again and again—as long as we are alive we get hurt! And building emotional walls are disobedience toward God, because His will for our lives is joy, and peace, and a life full of purpose! You can’t have a meaningful purpose in life without meaningful relationships!
I am not talking about being jailed and not being able to connect with others such as probably what the apostle Paul went through when he was in prison—even then he built close and godly relationships. I am talking about deliberately building emotional walls around us.
If you ask people who know me they will tell you that Fadi gives his all in whatever he does. And if you ask someone who knows me pretty well, then they will tell you that Fadi gives his all even when he loves. But what others don’t know is that Fadi doesn’t expect others to give their all to him, in any way. Why? Because I’ve build an emotional wall that says: emotions can go out, but nothing can go in. You see how it works? It might not be a full blown emotional wall, it could be a one way wall, but whatever Satan can get to destroy your life he will do with.
When we left Iraq it was a very kept quiet event. You see, my mom worked as an accountant for the government and no people who worked for the government were allowed to leave the country. That’s why I didn’t have the chance to say “good-by” to a lot of my friends. Many of them were at their summer jobs, or visiting relatives since it was a summer break. That broke my heart. And in Jordan I didn’t have any friends. So somehow I had decided to never have friends again…ever! Even though now I know that’s wrong but I’ve been without any close friends for so long that I’ve learned to live this way. If you remember, you probably added me as a contact not vice versa—I can’t even allow myself to add contacts on flickr! I don’t even add people to my MSN list…I actually don’t even come online! Because something inside of me says “no” to any kind of friendship I initiate. I guess this way I feel that if you reject me then that’s ok, because you chose to be my contact in the first place; it is like you started it, you ended it, and that’s shouldn’t hurt as much as if I started it, and you ended it! It is a very messed up way of thinking, isn’t it? I have experienced some very dear friendships they have started, and they ended too, but believe me it hurts just as much as anything else I can image.
However, building emotional walls has not always been a bad thing, because it drove me closer to Jesus: since He is the only friend I know who will never leave me nor forsake me. And I know all things He does are for my best, even if they hurt. I’ve experienced His friendship in ways I cannot describe. But even this is not a biblical teaching: God created us for each other, He never intended for us to be friends with Him alone.
Until today I wish I can undo my painful words toward my grandfather. Sometimes I wonder one thing: who gave us the right to insult others, disrespect them, be mean to them, look down upon them, reject them, break their hearts, yell at them, not be considerate towards their feelings or the circumstances they are going through…? My question is not why we do such things, but what makes us feel entitled to do such things?
I don’t think we will ever be perfect as not do any of those things, but when burst of anger are an expected part of how we act then we need to draw closer to the Father and re-evaluate ourselves.
I wonder how many broken relationships we have experienced were from God—to protect us from marrying the wrong person. Yet we responded to those “rejections” negatively without giving thought to God’s rule in them that they serve a purpose of His in our lives—to protect us. And so what do we do? We start building emotional walls!
Until today family members use Mr. J as an example of someone who had “no feelings”, “didn’t experience pain”, “had no dignity”…etc. But I know better today: there is no such a thing as a human who doesn’t have feelings, doesn’t experience pain, or has no dignity—we all do. Even the homeless, the beggars, and serials killers!
Have you ever heard of “The Green River Killer” (Gary Ridgeway)? He was found guilty of murdering 48 women in the U.S.; but he estimated that he had murdered over 70 women over the 20 years of his killing spree. Do you know what it means to kill 48 women? Just to give you an idea: it took the judge 20 minutes to name all his victims and him simply replying “guilty” after each name. In his sentencing he showed absolutely no emotions…how could he after murdering so many? How can anyone reach inside of him and get some emotions out of him! You could actually feel the emotional wall he has built for so long…until one old man, the father of one of his young victims, stood up to address him [the video link is posted below]:
ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qgSI37_8wRw
What I wanted to show here is that there is no such a thing as a person without feelings: even though he didn’t show remorse for taking the lives of so many, she showed feelings when he was being forgiven.
Before you close the window to this writing ask yourself: have you mistreated someone, many be continuously, and not apologized, tried to amend your wrong doings, asked for forgiveness of both the person and God, and repented of doing so and turned toward God for guidance and empowerment of how to treat others the way He desires us to treat each other.
Especially our parents. We take our parents for granted thinking that we deserve their time, money, energy, service, love…especially our mothers.
Will you make the commitment today to let God work on your character whether it is tearing down the emotional walls you’ve built for a long time or short time, for whatever reason, and also to let Him work on you the way you treat others? I grantee you that God’s way is the best way for now and eternity. Painful at time yes, but there is no true genius peace without listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and obey Him. You cannot have peace without growing in your relationship with Him, and you can’t do so without obeying Him. And I grantee you that obeying Him always requires a change in you to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I don’t really blame others for the way they saw him, after all that’s how he portrayed himself to others. However, to treat someone in a demeaning manner just because the way we assume they are is wrong, and sinful. When it is all said and done the fact remains that Mr. J treated other good, unlike the way they treated him, and for that he will always deserve my respect, and I am honoured that I am his grandson.
I didn’t write from my personal experience about me and my grandfather because I like to be vulnerable—nobody does—but because I am hoping through those simple words we might be able to see parts of ourselves and draw closer to God for a change: a change for an abundance of life.
What is God has been calling you to do for some time but you are putting it off, or have decided to disobey Him, because it is making you uncomfortable by requiring of you to get out of your comfort zone by shattering an emotional wall you have built to “protect” your heart from being hurt? Well, if God is bringing something to your mind then today is your chance for a step closer to experience His peace, joy and purpose for your life.
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I will leave you with those verses:
"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him, In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will." (Ephesians 1:5)
"Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." (Romans 15:7)
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:14)
"We who had sweet fellowship together walked in the house of God in the throng." (Psalm 55:14)
"Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Galatians 6:2,10)
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)
"He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalms 147:3)
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
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And finally! One of my favourite Christian songs and singers of all times :) Enjoy :)
Comforter – CeCe Winans
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcfBMdLbkNM
Faithful friend and father
I've called you through the years.
You've been great physician when sickness lingered near.
Through distressing moments your name is new and sweet
You've become comforter to me.
You are comforter that's who you are to me.
Comforter a name that fits so perfectly.
Peace that passes all understanding
Comforter is who you are to me.
To the grieving family who weeps for loved ones gone.
The pain of separation consumes another home.
On the waves of sorrow
You walk with perfect ease
Comforter is who the whole world needs.
You are comforter that's who you are to me.
Comforter a name that fits so perfectly.
Peace that passes all understanding
Comforter is who you are to me
Peace giver, Life changer
Joy giver, Peace river
Way maker, Life changer
Peace giver, Joy giver
You are comforter that's who you are to me.
Comforter a name that fits so perfectly.
Peace that passes all understanding
Comforter is who you are to me
Lessons learned over Europe and the Pacific showed that the B-24 was vulnerable to attacks from the front—a problem it shared with the B-17. In the field, B-24 crews jammed as many machine guns as possible into the glasshouse nose of the B-24D (some B-24s at Ploesti had five or six guns in a nose designed only for three at most), but this was not the solution.
Consolidated experimented with various kinds of modifications until settling on a redesigned nose with a manned turret (unlike the remote chin turret on the B-17G). This would cause some loss of aerodynamics on an aircraft already known for its difficult handling, but it at least would give the B-24 better defense from forward attacks. The redesign also made the nose roomier, added chin windows for the bombardier, enlarged the dorsal and tail turrets for better visibility, and enclosed the waist positions. The wet wing used by the B-24D was deleted in favor of self-sealing fuel tanks, eliminating the B-24’s tendency to catch fire.
Production shifted to the B-24H in late 1943, but there was a shortage of the electrically-powered Emerson nose turret, and so a hydraulically-powered Sperry turret was used on the B-24J. If that was not confusing enough, Consolidated also produced a lighter version, the B-24L, with no ball or tail turrets, leaving it to individual groups to install heavier turrets, flexible mounts, or no armament at all. All three were produced at once, and all three were used in increasingly heavy combat over Europe.
Though losses climbed over Europe, the aircraft could at least be easily replaced, for by the introduction of the B-24H/J series, Liberator production had truly hit its stride. Four factories were producing B-24s, but the most famous and efficient was Ford’s Willow Run plant, which by 1944 was producing one bomber per hour—crews fresh from training would arrive at Willow Run around nightfall, and pick up their new B-24 the next morning. The B-24 would not only become the most produced bomber of World War II, it would be the most produced American combat aircraft in history—no less than 18,482 Liberators would come off the line by the end of the war.
B-24Js and like variants would see heavy service worldwide, replacing the B-17 entirely in the Pacific and supplementing it over Europe. B-24s would bomb both Berlin and attack the southernmost Japanese home islands. Besides acting as strategic bombers, Liberators would also act as antisubmarine maritime patrol aircraft for the RAF, the USAAF, and the US Navy as the PB4Y-1; the latter would also be converted to primitive cruise missiles in Operation Aphrodite against German V-weapon sites in Belgium. One Aphrodite mission would claim the life of Joseph Kennedy Jr., older brother of future President John F. Kennedy. Still others would be converted to long-range transports, flying fuel over the Himalayas “Hump” in support of operations in China, and two would be converted to executive transports for both Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the latter becoming the first of many Presidential aircraft. By 1945, it was possible to find B-24s literally everywhere, from Alaska’s cold Aleutians to sunny Brazil, from China to Italy.
After the end of World War II, the USAAF rapidly scrapped nearly its entire B-24 fleet, but a few soldiered on in the 1960s, mainly in India, where they operated as maritime patrol aircraft. Others served as seed aircraft for postwar airlines, including Qantas of Australia. By 1968, however, nearly all B-24s had disappeared from inventories worldwide; today, only 14 complete Liberators are left, with two aircraft flyable.
"Lassie, I'm Home" was a B-24L assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Pandaveswar, India in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater of war. The B-24L was an attempt to lighten the heavy B-24J a little and make it less sluggish; the nose and tail turrets were left off the aircraft at the Willow Run plant in Michigan, and installed as necessary in the field. Most L models replaced the nose turret with a lighter ring mount, which made the B-24L less nose heavy. This would be important for the 7th BG, since its operations would take it over the Himalayas for operations against Japanese forces in China. The 7th had an interesting war long before it arrived in India in 1943: its B-17s had come under attack at Pearl Harbor, and the group was whittled down to almost nothing in the dark days of early 1942, in an attempt to defend the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from Japanese invasion.
"Lassie" (the name refers to the Scottish term, not the dog) made it through the war and returned home to the US, to be scrapped at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. The scrapyard's owner, Minot Pratt, thought the nose art worthy of preservation and had it axed out of the aircraft. Later, it ended up with the Commemorative Air Force and loaned to the EAA AirVenture Museum, where I saw it in May 2018.
Apparently Lassie just stepped out of the shower, and is a bit surprised to see her guy. This was based on a famous pinup in Yank magazine, and reproduced several times in nose art.
If anyone is insane enough out there to want to use an electronic flash with a Box Brownie, here is one way of doing it. This is a Brownie Flash Capacitor which I picked up for 99p. The circuit is basic and made of sturdy brass pieces. It is easy to dismantle and more importantly, easy to put back together again. Contacts one and two connect to the the flash contacts in the camera. All you have to do is figure out how to connect them to a flash, or flash trigger. (Note that not all box brownie flash contacts are the same)
I chose to use a piece of brass wire, a custom made brass screw (I have a lathe), and a cheap cold shoe designed to mount on a standard 1/4" BSW tripod screw. The custom screw does the twin job of fixing the hot shoe to the flash unit, and making the connection with one of the brass contacts (I drilled a hole through the cold shoe, via the existing threaded hole). The other contact is made between the metal shoe and the second flash contact, using a bit of bent brass wire, running through a second hole drilled in the cold shoe, the other end wedged in the convenient hole in the brass strip that forms a battery contact in the flash unit. I drilled all holes by hand; using high speed is a recipe for melted plastic and burning smells. Anyway, my cold shoe is now a hot shoe.
Oh, and don't put a battery in it or you'll charge up that scary capacitor and who knows what it might do to your flash / flash trigger in the hot shoe. You also need to adjust the camera flash sync a little otherwise it will go off too early.
The advantage to doing it this way is that it is completely reversible (apart from two small holes in the flash unit) and the unit can still be used with a flash bulb if desired. It would probably best to cover the hot shoe in that case; I'm not sure if the contacts could zap a careless finger when the capacitor discharges.