Champagne brunch on the Queen Mary

🎅Christmas boat parade🎄the boats owners decorate with lights and they go through the harbor , it’s quite pretty.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

Some background:

The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic jet fighter which primarily served the United States Air Force (USAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft as a long-range bomber escort (known as a penetration fighter) for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Voodoo was instead developed as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber for the Tactical Air Command (TAC) and later evolved into an all-weather interceptor as well as into a reconnaissance platform.

USAF F-101B interceptors were, as more modern and effective interceptors became available (esp. the F-4 Phantom II), handed off to the Air National Guard, where they served in the fighter role until 1982. Canadian CF-101B interceptors remained in service until 1984 and were replaced by the CF-18 Hornet. The last operational Canadian Voodoo, a single EF-101B (nicknamed the “Electric Voodoo”, a CF-101B outfitted with the jamming system of the EB-57E Canberra and painted all-black) was returned to the United States on 7 April 1987. However, the RF-101Js served with the Texas ANG until 1988, effectively being the last operational Voodoos in the world. They were replaced with RF-4Cs.

General characteristics:

Crew: Two

Length: 67 ft 5 in (20.55 m)

Wingspan: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)

Height: 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)

Wing area: 368 ft² (34.20 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A007 mod root, 65A006 mod tip

Empty weight: 28,495 lb (12,925 kg)

Loaded weight: 45,665 lb (20,715 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 52,400 lb (23,770 kg)

Powerplant:

2× Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 afterburning turbojets

with 11,990 lbf (53.3 kN) dry thrust and 16,900 lbf (75.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: Mach 1.72, 1,134 mph (1,825 km/h) at 35,000 ft (10,500 m)

Range: 1,520 mi (2,450 km)

Service ceiling: 54,800 ft (17,800 m)

Rate of climb: 36,500 ft/min (185 m/s)

Wing loading: 124 lb/ft² (607 kg/m²)

Thrust/weight: 0.74

Armament:

None, but two 450 US gal (370 imp gal; 1,700 l) drop-tanks were frequently carried on ventral

hardpoints; alternatively, a central hardpoint could take single, large loads like the HIAC-1 LOROP

camera pod.

A pair of retrofitted underwing hardpoints could carry light loads like ECM jammer pods,

flare/chaff dispensers or photoflash ejectors

The kit and its assembly:

This is another project that I had on my agenda for a long while. It originally started with pictures of an RF-101H gate guard in Louisville at Standiford Field International from around 1987-1991:

imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/6/2/9/1351926.jpg?...

www.aerialvisuals.ca/Airframe/Gallery/0/41/0000041339.jpg

This preserved machine wore a rather unusual (for a Voodoo) ‘Hill’ low-viz scheme with toned-down markings, quite similar to the late USAF F-4 Phantom IIs of the early Eighties. The big aircraft looked quite good in this simple livery, and I kept the idea of a Hill scheme Voodoo in the back of my mind for some years until I recently had the opportunity to buy a cheap Matchbox Voodoo w/o box and decals. With its optional (and unique) RF-101B parts I decided to take the Hill Voodoo idea to the hardware stage and create another submission to the “Reconnaissance and Surveillance” group build at whatifmodellers.com around July 2021: an ANG recce conversion of a former two-seat interceptor, using the RF-101B as benchmark but with a different suite of sensors.

However, the Matchbox Voodoo kit is rather mediocre, and in a rather ambitious mood I decided to “upgrade” the project with a Revell F-101B as the model’s basis. This kit is from 1991 and a MUCH better and finely detailed model than the rather simple Matchbox kit from the early Eighties. In fact, the Revell F-101B is actually a scaled-down version of Monogram’s 1:48 F-101B model kit from 1985, with many delicate details. But while this downscaling practice has produced some very nice 1:72 models like the F-105D or the F-4D, the scaling effect caused IMHO in this case a couple of problems. Revell's assembly instructions for the 1:72 kit are not good, either. While the step-by-step documentation is basically good, some sketches are so cluttered that you cannot tell where parts in the cockpit or on the landing gear are actually intended to be placed and how. This is made worse by the fact that there are no suitable markings on the parts – you are left to guessing.

Worse, there is a massive construction error: the way the wings section is to be assembled and mounted to the hull is impossible! The upper wing halves have locator pins for the fuselage, but they are supposed to be glued to the lower wing half (which also encompasses the aircraft's belly) and the mounted to the hull. The locator pins make this impossible, unless you bend the lower wing section to a point where it might warp or break, or you just cut the pins off - and live with some instability. Technically the upper wing halves have to be mounted to the fuselage before you glue the lower wing section to them, but I am not certain if this would work well because you also have to assemble the air intakes at the same time “from behind”, which is only feasible when the wings have already been completed but still left away from the fuselage. It’s a nonsense construction! I cannot remember when I came across a kit the last time with such an inherent design flaw?

Except for the transplanted RF-101B nose section, which did not fit well because the Matchbox Voodoo apparently has a more slender nose, the Revell kit was built mostly OOB. However, this is already a challenge in itself because of the kit’s inherent flaws (see above), its complex construction and an unorthodox assembly sequence, due to many separate internal modules including the cockpit tub, a separate (fully detailed) front landing gear well, a rotating weapon bay, air intakes with complete ducts, and the wing section. A fiddly affair.

Only a few further changes beyond the characteristic camera fairing under the radome were made. The rotating weapon bay was faired-over with the original weapon pallet, just fixing it into place and using putty to blend it into the belly. The small underwing pylons (an upgrade that actually happened to some late Voodoos) were taken from a vintage Revell F-16. The SLAR antenna fairings along the cockpit flanks were created with 0.5mm styrene sheet and some PSR. They are a little too obvious/protruding, but for a retrofitted solution I find the result acceptable. The drop tanks came from the Revell kit, the underwing ordnance consists of an ALQ-119 ECM pod from a Hasegawa aftermarket set and a SUU-42 dispenser, scratched from a Starfighter ventral drop tank, bomb fins and the back of a Soviet unguided missile launcher.

Painting and markings:

Very simple and basic. While I originally wanted to adopt the simple two-tone ‘Hill’ scheme from the gate guard for my fictional Voodoo, I eventually settled for the very similar but slightly more sophisticated ‘Egypt One’ scheme that was introduced with the first F-16s – it just works better on the F-101’s surfaces. This scheme uses three grey tones: FS 36118 (Gunship Gray, ModelMaster 1723) for the upper wing surfaces, the “saddle” on the fuselage and the canopy area with an anti-glare panel, FS 36270 (Medium Grey, Humbrol 126) on the fin and the fuselage area in front of the wing roots, and FS 36375 (Light Ghost Grey, Humbrol 127) for all lower surfaces, all blended into each other with straight but slightly blurred edges (created with a soft, flat brush). The radome and the conformal antennae on the flanks became Revell 47 for a consistent grey-in-grey look, but with a slightly different shade. The model received an overall black ink washing and some post panel shading, so that the large grey areas would not look too uniform.

As an updated USAF aircraft I changed the color of the landing gear wells’ interior from green zinc chromate primer to more modern, uniform white, even though the red inside of the covers was retained. The interior of the flaps (a nice OOB option of Revell’s kit) and the air brakes became bright red, too.

The cockpit retained its standard medium grey (Humbrol 140, Dark Gull Grey) interior and I used the instrument decals from the kit – even though these did not fit well onto the 3D dashboards and side consoles. WTF? Decal softener came to the rescue. The exhaust area was painted with Revell 91 (Iron) and Humbrol’s Steel Metallizer (27003), later treated with graphite for a dirty, metallic shine.

Markings/decals primarily come from a 1:72 Hi-Decal F-4D sheet that contains (among others) several Texas ANG Phantoms from the mid-Eighties. Some stencils were taken over from the original Voodoo sheet, the yellow formation lights had to be procured from a Hasegawa F-4E/J sheet (the Matchbox sheet was lost and the Revell sheet lacks them completely!). The characteristic deep yellow canopy sealant stripes came from a CF-101 sheet from Winter Valley Decals (today part of Canuck Models as CAD 72008). I was lucky to have them left over from another what-if build MANY moons ago, my fictional CF-151 kitbashing.

Everything went on smoothly, but the walkway markings above the air intakes became a problem. I initially used those from the Revell sheet, which are only the outlines so that the camouflage would still be visible. But the decal film, which is an open square, turned out to be so thin that it wrinkled on the curved surface whatever I tried, and what looked like a crisp black outline on the white decal paper turned out to be a translucent dark blue with blurry edges on the kit. I scrapped them while still wet… Enter plan B: Next came the walkway markings from the aforementioned Winter Valley sheet, which were MUCH better, sharper and opaque, but they included the grey walking areas. While the tone looked O.K. on the sheet it turned out to be much too light for the all-grey Voodoo, standing out and totally ruining the low-viz look. With a bleeding heart I eventually ripped them off of the model with the help of adhesive tape, what left light grey residues. Instead of messing even more with the model I finally decided to embrace this accident and manually added a new black frame to the walkway areas with generic 2mm decal stripe material from TL Modellbau The area now looks rather worn, as if the camouflage had peeled off and light grey primer shows through. An unintentional result, but it looks quite “natural”.

The “Rhino Express” nose art was created with Corel Draw and produced with a simple inkjet printer on clear decal sheet. It was inspired by the “toenail” decoration on the main landing gear covers, a subtle detail I saw IIRC on a late CF-101B and painted onto the model by hand. With its all-grey livery, the rhino theme appeared so appropriate, and the tag on the nose appeared like a natural addition. It’s all not obvious but adds a personal touch to the aircraft.

Finally, after some more exhaust stains had been added to various air outlets around the hull, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, position lights were added with clear paint and the camera windows, which had been created with black decal material, received glossy covers. The IRST sensor was painted with translucent black over a gold base.

Well, while the all-grey USAF livery in itself is quite dull and boring, but I must say that it suits the huge and slender Voodoo well. It emphasizes the aircraft's sleek lines and the Texas ANG fin flash as a colorful counterpoint, as well as the many red interior sections that only show from certain angles, nicely break the adapted low-viz Egypt One livery up. The whole thing looks surprisingly convincing, and the subtle rhino markings add a certain tongue-in-cheek touch.

Dublin architecture. 2017

Architect:

Johann Hendrik van den Broek + Jacob Berend Bakema

Parque Estadual Terra Ronca/GO

Terra Ronca's State Park/GO - Brazil

falandoemfotos.blogspot.com.br/

A war memorial in the Belgian town of La Roche-en-Ardenne. This M4A1 has been penetrated by some sort of anti-tank weapon.

Pine needle and mushroom, Henry County, Georgia

Kardon camera testing with Ilford FP4+ film.

Mobile subscriber penetration rate in Hong Kong is 229% (April 2013)

ALL Photos of "Smartphones in Hong Kong" :

www.flickr.com/photos/hltam/sets/72157634777136191/

the weather held and we got deep in a new hole

Spotted this awesome supercar combo in Frankfurt some days ago.

What would be your choise?

Comments and critism are welcome. :)

PS: Just a few meters in front of the SLR was standing the matt grey SL65 AMG Black Series.

Michael Essa (bmw) and Austin Meeks (nissan) love the wall at Orlando Speedworld

Photo: valtersboze.com

The original Polaris final stage had three RVs. Chevaline traded that for two but added a wide variety of 'pen-aids' (penetration aids) to avoid interception and destruction- thus assuring the Russians that Moscow would be getting the chop if they started chucking nukes.

A link to the Wiki page for anyone who'se interested in this sort of thing.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevaline

The tubes you see are for chucking out decoy balloons, made of Mylar, shaped, heated and inflated to look like an RV- also flares, chaff etc. Anything to confuse a defender.

Everyone knows what a missile looks like- massive great thing 60 feet long or whatever. But the only bit for the target to worry about- the only bit that gets to arrive at the target- is the RV, the Re-entry Vehicle- with the instant sunshine inside. This looks a bit like a big ice cream cone, although the Chevaline RVs were blunt nosed things.

Interestingly, the proper name for this thing is a PAC- a Penetration Aid Carrier. One of the RVs remained with the PAC, while the other seperated from it.. The PAC had 27 decoys to deploy. Both RVs went to the same target, so this is not a MIRV.

The RVs used Quartz Phenolic sacrificial ablative coatings to go straight into the atmosphere from Space at Mach numbers around 25. That is seriously strong, heat-wise. Almost nothing can stand that, but RVs can.

Kiev 2012.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/21

No HDR!

Explored!

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

Some background:

The Panther tank, officially Panzerkampfwagen V Panther (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 171, was a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to the end of the war. The Panther was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 medium tank and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Nevertheless, it served alongside the Panzer IV and the heavier Tiger I until the end of the war. It is considered one of the best tanks of World War II for its excellent firepower, protection, and mobility although its reliability in early times were less impressive.

The Panther was a compromise. While having essentially the same Maybach V12 petrol (700 hp) engine as the Tiger I, it had better gun penetration, was lighter and faster, and could traverse rough terrain better than the Tiger I. The trade-off was weaker side armor, which made it vulnerable to flanking fire. The Panther proved to be effective in open country and long-range engagements.

Between 1964-1973 the USSR rebuilt the entire Syrian military from the ground up, reorganizing it along Warsaw Pact lines and equipping it with gear strictly of Soviet origin. There was no place for ex-Wehrmacht tanks and in any case, Czechoslovakia had ended spares & ammo support for the Panzer IV and the Panthers, so the types had no future. The surviving tanks were scrapped in Syria, except for a single Panzer IV survivor sold to a collector in Jordan.

Specifications:

Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)

Weight: 50 tonnes (55.1 long tons; 45.5 short tons)

Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in) hull only

7.52 m (24 ft 7¾ in) overall with gun facing forward

Width: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) hull only

3,70 m (12 ft 1¾ in) with retrofitted side skirts

Height: 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in)’

Ground clearance: 56 cm (22 in)

Suspension: Double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels

Fuel capacity: 720 liters (160 imp gal; 190 US gal),

some Syrian Panthers carried two additional external 200 l fuel drums

Armor:

15–80 mm (0.6 – 3.93 in)

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)

Operational range: 250 km (160 mi) on roads; 450 km (280 mi)with auxiliary fuel tanks

100 km (62 mi) cross-country

Power/weight: 14 PS (10.1 kW)/tonne (12.7 hp/ton)

Engine & transmission:

Maybach HL230 V-12 gasoline engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)

ZF AK 7-200 gearbox with 7 forward 1 reverse gear

Armament:

1× 7,5 cm KwK 40 (L/48) with 87 rounds

2× 7.92 mm MG 34 or 42, or similar machine guns;

one co-axial with the main gun, another in the front glacis plate

with a total of 5.100 rounds (not always mounted)

Provision for a 12.7 mm DShK or Breda anti-aircraft machine gun on the commander cupola

The kit and its assembly:

A rather exotic what-if model, even though it’s almost built OOB. Inspiration came when I stumbled upon the weird Syrian Panzer IVs that were operated against Israel during the Six Day War – vehicles you would not expect there, and after more than 20 years after WWII. But when I did some more research, I was surprised about the numbers and the variety of former German tanks that Syria had gathered from various European countries, and it made me wonder if the Panther could not have been among this shaggy fleet, too?

I had a surplus Dragon Panther Spähpanzer in The Stash™, to be correct a “PzBeobWg V Ausf. G”, an observation and artillery fire guidance conversion that actually existed in small numbers, and I decided to use it as basis for this odd project. The Dragon kit has some peculiarities, though: its hull is made from primed white metal and consists of an upper and lower half that are held together by small screws! An ambiguous design, because the parts do not fit as good as IP parts, so that the model has a slightly die-cast-ish aura. PSR is necessary at the seams, but due to the metal it’s not easy to do. Furthermore, you have to use superglue everywhere, just as on a resin kit. On the other side, surface details are finely molded and crisp, even though many bits have to be added manually. However, the molded metal pins that hold the wheels are very robust and relatively thin – a feature I exploited for a modified running gear (see below).

For the modified Panther in my mind I had to retrograde the turret back to a late standard turret with mantlet parts left over from a Hasegawa kit – they fitted perfectly! The PzBeobWg V only comes with a stubby gun barrel dummy. But I changed the armament, anyway, and implanted an aftermarket white metal and brass KwK 40 L48, the weapon carried by all Syrian Panzer IVs, the Jagdpanzer IVs as well as the StuG IIIs. This standardization would IMHO make sense, even if it meant a performance downgrade from the original, longer KwK 42 L70.

For a Syrian touch, inspired by installations on the Panzer IVs, I added a mount for a heavy DShK machine gun on the commander’s cupola, which is a resin aftermarket kit from Armory Models Group (a kit that consists of no less than five fiddly parts for just a tiny machine gun!).

To change and modernize the Panther’s look further, I gave it side skirts, leftover from a ModelCollect T-72 kit, which had to be modified only slightly to fit onto the molded side skirt consoles on the Panther’s metal hull. A further late addition were the fuel barrels from a Trumpeter T-54 kit that I stumbled upon when I looked for the skirts among my pile of tank donor parts. Even though they look like foreign matter on the Panther’s tail, their high position is plausible and similar to the original arrangement on many Soviet post-WWII tanks. The whip antennae on turret and hull were created with heated black sprue material.

As a modern feature and to change the Panther’s overall look even more, I replaced its original solid “dish” road wheels with T-54/55 “starfish” wheels, which were frequently retrofitted to T-34-85s during the Fifties. These very fine aftermarket resin parts (all real-world openings are actually open, and there’s only little flash!) came from OKB Grigorovich from Bulgaria. The selling point behind this idea is/was that the Panther and T-54/55 wheels have almost the same diameter: in real life it’s 860 vs. 830 mm, so that the difference in 1:72 is negligible. Beneficially, the aftermarket wheels came in two halves, and these were thin enough to replace the Panther’s interleaved wheels without major depth problems.

Adapting the parts to the totally different wheel arrangement was tricky, though, especially due to the Dragon kit’s one-piece white metal chassis that makes any mods difficult. My solution: I retained the inner solid wheels from the Panther (since they are hardly visible in the “3rd row”), plus four pairs of T-54/55 wheels for the outer, more rows of interleaved wheels. The “inner” T-54/55 wheel halves were turned around, received holes to fit onto the metal suspension pins and scratched hub covers. The “outside” halves were taken as is but received 2 mm spacer sleeves on their back sides (styrene tube) for proper depth and simply to improve their hold on the small and rounded metal pin tips. This stunt worked better than expected and looks really good, too!

Painting and markings:

Basically very simple, and I used pictures of real Syrian Panzer IVs as benchmark. I settled for the common green livery variant, and though simple and uniform, I tried to add some “excitement” to it and attempted to make old paint shine through. The hull’s lower surface areas were first primed with RAL 7008 (Khakigrau, a rather brownish tone), then the upper surfaces were sprayed with a lighter sand brown tone, both applied from rattle cans.

On top of that, a streaky mix of Revell 45 and 46 – a guesstimate for the typical Syrian greyish, rather pale olive drab tone - was thinly applied with a soft, flat brush, so that the brownish tones underneath would shine through occasionally. Once dry, the layered/weathered effect was further emphasized through careful vertical wet-sanding and rubbing on all surfaces with a soft cotton cloth.

The rubber side skirts were painted with an anthracite base and the dry-brushed with light grey and beige.

The model then received an overall washing with a highly thinned mix of grey and dark brown acrylic artist paint. The vinyl tracks (as well as the IP spare track links on the hull) were painted, too, with a mix of grey, red brown and iron, all acrylic paints, too, that do not interact chemically with the soft vinyl.

The decals/markings are minimal; the Arabian scribble on the turret (must be a name?), using the picture of a Syrian Panzer IV as benchmark, was painted in white by hand, as well as the white circle on the turret roof. The orange ID triangles are a nice contrast, even though I was not able to come up with real-life visual evidence for them. I just found a color picture of a burned T-34-85 wreck with them, suggesting that the color was a dull orange red and not florescent orange, as claimed in some sources. I also found illustrations of the triangles as part of 1:35 decal sets for contemporary Syrian T-34-85s from FC Model Trend and Star Models, where they appear light red. For the model, they were eventually cut out from decal sheet material (TL-Modellbau, in a shade called “Rotorange”, what appears to be a good compromise).

Dry-brushing with light grey and beige to further emphasize edges and details followed. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic vanish overall, and some additional very light extra dry-brushing with silver was done to simulate flaked paint. Dirt and rust residues were added here and there with watercolors. After final assembly, the lower areas of the model were furthermore powdered with mineral pigments to simulate dust.

The idea of a modernized WWII Panther: a simple idea that turned into a major conversion. With the resin DShK machine gun and T-54/55 wheel set the costs of this project escalated a little, but in hindsight I find that the different look and the mix of vintage German and modern Soviet elements provide this Panther with that odd touch that sets it apart from a simple paint/marking variation? I really like the outcome, and I think that the effort was worthwhile - this fictional Panther shoehorns well into its intended historical framework. :-D

.

Penetration

The US Navy's experience in the Korean War showed the need for a new long-range strike aircraft with a high subsonic performance at tree-top height to permit under-the-radar penetration of enemy defences and capable of finding and hitting small targets in any weather. The outcome was the Grumman A-6 Intruder.

Manned by a pilot and bombardier/navigator seated side-by-side, the twin-engined design increased reliability and delivered superior performance to other single-engine designs.

The first A-6As were delivered to the Navy in 1963 and to the Marines in 1964. The first operational squadron to receive the them was VA-75, and began supporting US forces in Vietnam flying off of the carrier USS Independence and remained heavily engaged for the duration of the conflict. The Digital Integrated Attack and Navigation Equipment (DIANE) and its sub-systems incorporated into the aircraft enabled the crew to attack pre-selected targets at night or under adverse weather conditions without having to look out of the cockpit during the mission (from launch to recovery). On 23 May 1966, an A-6 fitted with a hose and drogue-refueling apparatus made its first flight to demonstrate that a tanker version of the jet was feasible.

As A-6 aircraft were produced -- from the -6A through the -6E -- developments in sophisticated electronics and delivery hardware were incorporated to include Low Light Level TV (LLLTV), Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), laser targeting, and Moving Target Identification (MTI).

Properly used, Intruders were capable of delivering highly-effective aerial attacks. For example, two A-6s made a night strike with 26,500 lb bomb loads against a power plant in North Vietnam. The Vietnamese were convinced that B-52 bombers had been at work. A Navy Cross was awarded for that mission.

Succeeding the A-6A in production, the A-6E first flew in February 1970, in the form of a modified A-6A. The new model, featuring an updated avionics suite, airborne radar set, and navigational computer, entered service with the VA-42 training unit in 1971, and with VA-85 as the first operational unit in December that year.

After fatigue problems were discovered in the A-6E fleet, a new wing of graphite/epoxy construction was developed and flown by 1987. In addition to the new composite wing, these aircraft also were fitted with a digital armament system and a stand-off weapons capability under the systems weapons integration programme (SWIP).

Subsequent to Vietnam, equally effective all-weather strikes were made by A-6s against targets in Libya during the Gulf of Sidra crisis, Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf, and Iraqi installations during Desert Storm operations. The last of the A-6E Intruders were retired in 1997 although the EA-6B Prowler variants are still in service.

The above airframe was accepted by the US Navy on 5 March 1968 at the Grumman plant on Long Island and flown to NAS Whidbey Island, WA. The aircraft flew missions in both Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. During its flying career, it had accumulated more than 7,500 flying hours, more than 6,500 landings, 767 carrier landings, and 712 catapult launches.

Seen with an AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile under the wing at the National Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center.

BUT I am not sure. I think it could be the Pink-Spotted Hawk-Moth (Agrius cingulta) which is found in the Neotropical and Neartic

(Butterfly and Moth by David Carter, 1992)

Not AI, the first time I had ever done a shoot with a (very) attractive man. ❤️❤️

Mobile subscriber penetration rate in Hong Kong is 229% (April 2013)

ALL Photos of "Smartphones in Hong Kong" :

www.flickr.com/photos/hltam/sets/72157634777136191/

The origins of the A-6 Intruder came in a 1957 Navy specification for a new attack aircraft to replace the aging Douglas AD-1/A-1 Skyraiders. The Marine Corps initiated the request with a desire for a Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft capable of short takeoff. At the same time, however, the Navy's experience in the Korean War showed the need for a new long-range strike aircraft with high subsonic performance at tree-top height to permit under-the-radar penetration of enemy defenses and to be capable of finding and hitting small and moving targets in any weather. Thus, the final specifications combined both missions, giving requirements for speed, range, weight, and payload, but left the numbers and type of engines to the bidders. The specifications also included a new wrinkle: unlike prior invitations, this one required the bidders to design and integrate the entire weapons system rather than having another manufacturer supply the equipment for later installation.

Grumman's design won out. Designated as the A2F Intruder (re-designated the A-6 in 1962), it featured twin jet engines in the wing roots and side-by-side seating for the two-person crew, with the Bombardier/Navigator's seat slightly lower and further back to improve the pilot's view out the right side of the aircraft. The seating arrangement was possible because of the bulbous nose, which is necessary to house the significant target acquisition and tracking radar and a separate, smaller terrain radar. Input from these and other instruments fed into a central computer system, the Digital Integrated Attack and Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which drove new Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays—one of the first times these were used in an aircraft—to guide the pilot in navigation and bombing. The DIANE system was critical to the Intruder's all-weather ability. The Intruder's shape led to nicknames like "Flying Drumstick" and "Iron Tadpole," along with the more general "Double Ugly" and in better times, "Mighty Alpha Six."

Initial orders for the Intruder were placed in March of 1959 for eight YA2F-1 development aircraft. The first one flew on April 19th, 1960. The original design featured jet tailpipes that tilted down 23° to help shorten takeoffs and landings. However, testing with the YA2F-1s showed that this made no difference, so the feature was removed from production aircraft along with other changes due to testing. The YA2F-1s also added strengthened nose gear to accommodate the Navy's new nose-tow catapult system that replaced the older bridle-tow system. The Intruder was the first to have the new tow bar on the nose gear after Grumman's W2F-1/E-2A Hawkeye early warning airplane, designed around the same time as the Intruder.

The first A-6As were delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1963 and the Marines Corps in 1964. The first operational squadron to receive them was VA-75 ("Sunday Punchers"), which began supporting U.S. forces in Vietnam in 1965, flying off of the carrier USS Independence. The A-6's all-weather capability, enabled by the Digital Integrated Attack and Navigation Equipment (DIANE) and its subsystems, was a significant technological advancement. It allowed the crew to attack preselected targets at night or under adverse weather conditions without looking out of the cockpit during the mission (from launch to recovery). This capability greatly enhanced the aircraft's versatility and effectiveness in various combat scenarios.

As A-6 aircraft were produced, sophisticated electronics and delivery hardware developments were incorporated. 19 A models were modified to A-6Bs for "Iron Hand" missions (suppression of enemy anti-aircraft missiles). About a dozen aircraft became C models that carried a specialized belly pod called TRIM (Trails, Roads, Interdiction Multi-sensor) that included Low Light Level TV (LLLTV), Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), and other specialized systems. TRIM was both heavy and unreliable. It was later replaced with a wing-mounted "Pave Knife" pod designed by the U.S. Air Force that added laser targeting and could be flown on many aircraft, not just the A-6. Properly used, Intruders were capable of delivering highly effective aerial attacks. For example, two A-6s made a night-time strike, dropping 26 500 lb. bombs against a power plant in North Vietnam. The Vietnamese were convinced that B-52 bombers had been at work. A Distinguished Navy Cross was awarded for this mission.

The final variant of the Intruder, the A-6E, first flew in February 1970 as a modified A-6A. 240 A-6Es were rebuilt as A, B, and C models, with another 207 that Grumman manufactured new. The new model, featuring an updated avionics suite, airborne radar set, and a navigational computer, entered service with the VA-42 ("Green Pawns") training unit in 1971 and with VA-85 ("Black Falcons") as the first operational unit in December of that year.

The new radar set was a multi-mode radar that replaced the two single-mode radars in the A-6A. As a result, there was space available in the nose for new sensors, but the final design of those sensors took longer than anticipated. Grumman delivered most of the A-6Es (new and conversion) with accommodations to install the sensors later. These sensors ultimately became a chin-mounted pod known as TRAM (Target Recognition Attack Multi-sensor) that featured FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red camera), laser ranging and designation, and a laser sensor (so the bombardier/navigator could see targets designated by others) in a gyro-stabilized turret. The TRAM began coming into the fleet in 1979. Newly constructed Intruders had them installed on the production line, as did older Intruders converted after that, but most were retrofitted to aircraft in the field.

After fatigue problems were discovered in the A-6E fleet, new wings made from graphite/epoxy construction were developed and flown by 1987. In addition to the new composite wings, these aircraft were fitted with a digital armament system and a standoff weapons capability under the Systems Weapons Integration Program (SWIP).

Since Vietnam, the A-6s have made effective all-weather strikes against targets in Libya during the Gulf of Sidra crisis, Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf, and Iraqi installations during Desert Storm operations. TRAM-equipped A-6E Intruders were responsible for up to 85% of the laser designations and laser-guided bomb drops during Operation Desert Storm. The Intruder's last combat missions were over Bosnia in 1994. Despite its continued effectiveness, the A-6 Intruder was retired from frontline service in 1997, marking the end of an era in military aviation. Its retirement was a testament to the advancements in military technology and the changing nature of warfare.

This aircraft is not an ordinary A-6 but is, in fact, an A-6F Intruder II. This version was a more advanced A-6E that was proposed in the mid-1980s that would have replaced the Intruder's aging Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojets with non-afterburning versions of the General Electric F404 turbofan used in the F/A-18 Hornets, providing substantial improvements in both power and fuel economy. The A-6F would have had new avionics, including a Norden AN/APQ-173 synthetic aperture radar and multi-function cockpit displays—the AN/APQ-173 would have given the Intruder air-to-air capacity with provision for the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Two additional wing pylons were added for a total of seven stations.

Although five development aircraft were built, the U.S. Navy ultimately chose not to proceed with the A-6F, preferring to concentrate on the A-12 Avenger II. This would leave the service in a tight bind when the A-12 was also canceled in 1991. Grumman proposed a cheaper alternative in the A-6G, which had most of the A-6F's advanced electronics but retained the existing engines. This proposal would be canceled as well.

A total of five full-scale development A-6Fs were ordered. These aircraft were diverted from a batch of A-6Es (BuNos 162183-162187) and were known as "Intruder II." They were fitted with Grumman metal wings since Boeing's composite wings were not ready yet. BuNo 163183 was the aerodynamic and propulsion test vehicle and flew for the first time on August 26th, 1987, with Harry Hentx and Dave Goulette at the controls. BuNo 162184 followed on November 23rd. This aircraft, BuNo 162185, was the Digital Systems Development aircraft and was used as the testbed for the AN/APQ-173 radar and other advanced avionics systems. It flew for the first time on August 22nd, 1988. However, by this time, the A-6F project had already been canceled, and the last two A-6Fs had been mothballed from the fleet without having a chance to leave the ground.

It’s a piece about fighting for what you want and need and the obstacles you have to go through

Daily photographic challenge set by my Flickr friend Warphobblerkaz

Lavinia is a small municipality in the state of São Paulo. It is located at latitude 21º10'06" south and longitude 51º02'23" west, at an altitude of 458 meters. Its estimated population in 2022 will be 12,000 inhabitants. It has an area of 538.5 km². The municipality is formed by the headquarters and the district of Tabajara. Its current mayor is Salvador Matsunaka. Lavínia is located on SP-300, Rodovia Marechal Rondon, 632 km from the capital of São Paulo.

Lavinia was born with the penetration of the Estrada de Ferro Noroeste do Brasil and with the evolution of coffee growing. It was founded in 1933 by Colonel Joaquim Franco de Mello. It received this name (State Law nº. 9775) in honor of his wife, Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

Lavínia é um pequeno município do estado de São Paulo. Localiza-se a uma latitude 21º10'06" sul e a uma longitude 51º02'23" oeste, estando a uma altitude de 458 metros. Sua população estimada em 2022 em 12,000 habitantes.Possui uma área de 538,5 km². O município é formado pela sede e pelo distrito de Tabajara. Seu atual prefeito é Salvador Matsunaka. Lavínia fica na SP-300, Rodovia Marechal Rondon, a 632 Km da capital paulista.

Lavínia nasceu com a penetração da Estrada de Ferro Noroeste do Brasil e com a evolução da cafeicultura.

Foi fundada em 1933, pelo Coronel Joaquim Franco de Mello. Recebeu este nome (Lei Estadual nº. 9775) em homenagem a sua esposa, Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

Lavinia es un pequeño municipio del estado de São Paulo. Se encuentra a 21º10'06" de latitud sur y 51º02'23" de longitud oeste, a una altitud de 458 metros. Su población estimada en 2022 será de 12.000 habitantes Tiene una superficie de 538,5 km². El municipio está formado por la sede y el distrito de Tabajara. Su alcalde actual es Salvador Matsunaka. Lavínia está ubicada en la SP-300, Rodovia Marechal Rondon, a 632 km de la capital paulista.

Lavinia nació con la penetración del Ferrocarril del Noroeste de Brasil y con la evolución de la caficultura.

Fue fundado en 1933 por el coronel Joaquim Franco de Mello. Recibió este nombre (Ley Estatal nº 9775) en honor a su esposa, Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

Lavinia est une petite municipalité de l'État de São Paulo. Il est situé à 21º10'06" de latitude sud et 51º02'23" de longitude ouest, à une altitude de 458 mètres. Sa population estimée en 2022 sera de 12 000 habitants pour une superficie de 538,5 km². La municipalité est formée par le siège et le district de Tabajara. Son maire actuel est Salvador Matsunaka. Lavínia est située sur la SP-300, Rodovie Marechal Rondon, à 632 km de la capitale de São Paulo.

Lavinia est née avec la pénétration du chemin de fer du nord-ouest du Brésil et avec l'évolution de la culture du café.

Elle a été fondée en 1933 par le colonel Joaquim Franco de Mello. Il a reçu ce nom (Loi de l'État nº. 9775) en l'honneur de son épouse, Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

Lavinia è un piccolo comune nello stato di San Paolo. Si trova a latitudine 21º10'06" sud e longitudine 51º02'23" ovest, ad un'altitudine di 458 metri. La sua popolazione stimata nel 2022 sarà di 12.000 abitanti e ha una superficie di 538,5 km². Il comune è formato dalla sede e dal distretto di Tabajara. Il suo attuale sindaco è Salvador Matsunaka. Lavínia si trova sulla SP-300, Rodovia Marechal Rondon, a 632 km dalla capitale San Paolo.

Lavinia nasce con la penetrazione della Northwest Railroad del Brasile e con l'evoluzione della coltivazione del caffè.

Fu fondata nel 1933 dal colonnello Joaquim Franco de Mello. Ha ricevuto questo nome (Legge statale nº. 9775) in onore di sua moglie, Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

Lavinia is een kleine gemeente in de staat São Paulo. Het is gelegen op 21º10'06" zuiderbreedte en 51º02'23" westerlengte, op een hoogte van 458 meter. De geschatte bevolking in 2022 zal 12.000 inwoners zijn en heeft een oppervlakte van 538,5 km². De gemeente wordt gevormd door het hoofdkantoor en het district Tabajara. De huidige burgemeester is Salvador Matsunaka. Lavínia ligt aan de SP-300, Rodovia Marechal Rondon, 632 km van de hoofdstad São Paulo.

Lavinia werd geboren met de penetratie van de Northwest Railroad van Brazilië en met de evolutie van de koffieteelt.

Het werd in 1933 opgericht door kolonel Joaquim Franco de Mello. Het kreeg deze naam (staatswet nr. 9775) ter ere van zijn vrouw, Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

Lavinia ist eine kleine Gemeinde im Bundesstaat São Paulo. Es befindet sich auf 21º10'06" südlicher Breite und 51º02'23" westlicher Länge auf einer Höhe von 458 Metern. Seine geschätzte Bevölkerung im Jahr 2022 beträgt 12.000 Einwohner und hat eine Fläche von 538,5 km². Die Gemeinde besteht aus dem Hauptsitz und dem Bezirk Tabajara. Sein derzeitiger Bürgermeister ist Salvador Matsunaka. Lavínia liegt an der SP-300, Rodovia Marechal Rondon, 632 km von der Hauptstadt São Paulo entfernt.

Lavinia wurde mit dem Eindringen der Northwest Railroad of Brazil und mit der Entwicklung des Kaffeeanbaus geboren.

Es wurde 1933 von Oberst Joaquim Franco de Mello gegründet. Es erhielt diesen Namen (Staatsgesetz Nr. 9775) zu Ehren seiner Frau Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

ラビニアはサンパウロ州の小さな自治体です。 南緯21º10'06 "、西経51º02'23"、標高458メートルに位置しています。 2022年の推定人口は12,000人で、面積は538.5km²です。 市町村は本部と田畑地区で構成されています。 現在の市長は松中サルバドールです。 Lavíniaは、サンパウロの首都から632 kmのSP-300、Rodovia MarechalRondonにあります。

Laviniaは、ブラジルの北西鉄道の浸透とコーヒー生産の進化とともに生まれました。

1933年にJoaquimFranco deMello大佐によって設立されました。 それは彼の妻、Lavinia Dauntre Salles de Melloに敬意を表してこの名前（州法nº.9775）を受け取りました。

Η Λαβίνια είναι ένας μικρός δήμος στην πολιτεία του Σάο Πάολο. Βρίσκεται σε γεωγραφικό πλάτος 21º10'06" νότια και γεωγραφικό μήκος 51º02'23" δυτικά, σε υψόμετρο 458 μέτρων. Ο εκτιμώμενος πληθυσμός της το 2022 θα είναι 12.000 κάτοικοι.Έχει έκταση 538,5 km². Ο δήμος σχηματίζεται από την έδρα και την περιφέρεια Tabajara. Ο σημερινός δήμαρχος της είναι ο Σαλβαδόρ Ματσουνάκα. Το Lavínia βρίσκεται στο SP-300, Rodovia Marechal Rondon, 632χλμ. από την πρωτεύουσα του Σάο Πάολο.

Η Lavinia γεννήθηκε με τη διείσδυση του Northwest Railroad της Βραζιλίας και με την εξέλιξη της καλλιέργειας του καφέ.

Ιδρύθηκε το 1933 από τον συνταγματάρχη Joaquim Franco de Mello. Έλαβε αυτό το όνομα (Κρατικός Νόμος nº. 9775) προς τιμήν της συζύγου του, Lavínia Dauntre Salles de Mello.

لافينيا هي بلدية صغيرة في ولاية ساو باولو. وهي تقع على خط عرض 21-10'06 "جنوبًا وخط طول 51º02'23" غربًا ، على ارتفاع 458 مترًا. يقدر عدد سكانها في عام 2022 بحوالي 12000 نسمة وتبلغ مساحتها 538.5 كيلومتر مربع. تتكون البلدية من المقر الرئيسي ومنطقة طباجارا. رئيس البلدية الحالي هو سلفادور ماتسوناكا. يقع Lavínia في SP-300 ، رودوفيا ماريشال روندون ، على بعد 632 كم من عاصمة ساو باولو.

ولدت لافينيا مع اختراق السكك الحديدية الشمالية الغربية في البرازيل وتطور زراعة البن.

تأسست في عام 1933 من قبل العقيد جواكيم فرانكو دي ميلو. حصل على هذا الاسم (قانون الولاية رقم 9775) تكريما لزوجته ، لافينيا دونتر ساليس دي ميلو.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

Some background:

The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic jet fighter which primarily served the United States Air Force (USAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft as a long-range bomber escort (known as a penetration fighter) for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Voodoo was instead developed as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber for the Tactical Air Command (TAC) and later evolved into an all-weather interceptor as well as into a reconnaissance platform.

USAF F-101B interceptors were, as more modern and effective interceptors became available (esp. the F-4 Phantom II), handed off to the Air National Guard, where they served in the fighter role until 1982. Canadian CF-101B interceptors remained in service until 1984 and were replaced by the CF-18 Hornet. The last operational Canadian Voodoo, a single EF-101B (nicknamed the “Electric Voodoo”, a CF-101B outfitted with the jamming system of the EB-57E Canberra and painted all-black) was returned to the United States on 7 April 1987. However, the RF-101Js served with the Texas ANG until 1988, effectively being the last operational Voodoos in the world. They were replaced with RF-4Cs.

General characteristics:

Crew: Two

Length: 67 ft 5 in (20.55 m)

Wingspan: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)

Height: 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)

Wing area: 368 ft² (34.20 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A007 mod root, 65A006 mod tip

Empty weight: 28,495 lb (12,925 kg)

Loaded weight: 45,665 lb (20,715 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 52,400 lb (23,770 kg)

Powerplant:

2× Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 afterburning turbojets

with 11,990 lbf (53.3 kN) dry thrust and 16,900 lbf (75.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: Mach 1.72, 1,134 mph (1,825 km/h) at 35,000 ft (10,500 m)

Range: 1,520 mi (2,450 km)

Service ceiling: 54,800 ft (17,800 m)

Rate of climb: 36,500 ft/min (185 m/s)

Wing loading: 124 lb/ft² (607 kg/m²)

Thrust/weight: 0.74

Armament:

None, but two 450 US gal (370 imp gal; 1,700 l) drop-tanks were frequently carried on ventral

hardpoints; alternatively, a central hardpoint could take single, large loads like the HIAC-1 LOROP

camera pod.

A pair of retrofitted underwing hardpoints could carry light loads like ECM jammer pods,

flare/chaff dispensers or photoflash ejectors

The kit and its assembly:

This is another project that I had on my agenda for a long while. It originally started with pictures of an RF-101H gate guard in Louisville at Standiford Field International from around 1987-1991:

imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/6/2/9/1351926.jpg?...

www.aerialvisuals.ca/Airframe/Gallery/0/41/0000041339.jpg

This preserved machine wore a rather unusual (for a Voodoo) ‘Hill’ low-viz scheme with toned-down markings, quite similar to the late USAF F-4 Phantom IIs of the early Eighties. The big aircraft looked quite good in this simple livery, and I kept the idea of a Hill scheme Voodoo in the back of my mind for some years until I recently had the opportunity to buy a cheap Matchbox Voodoo w/o box and decals. With its optional (and unique) RF-101B parts I decided to take the Hill Voodoo idea to the hardware stage and create another submission to the “Reconnaissance and Surveillance” group build at whatifmodellers.com around July 2021: an ANG recce conversion of a former two-seat interceptor, using the RF-101B as benchmark but with a different suite of sensors.

However, the Matchbox Voodoo kit is rather mediocre, and in a rather ambitious mood I decided to “upgrade” the project with a Revell F-101B as the model’s basis. This kit is from 1991 and a MUCH better and finely detailed model than the rather simple Matchbox kit from the early Eighties. In fact, the Revell F-101B is actually a scaled-down version of Monogram’s 1:48 F-101B model kit from 1985, with many delicate details. But while this downscaling practice has produced some very nice 1:72 models like the F-105D or the F-4D, the scaling effect caused IMHO in this case a couple of problems. Revell's assembly instructions for the 1:72 kit are not good, either. While the step-by-step documentation is basically good, some sketches are so cluttered that you cannot tell where parts in the cockpit or on the landing gear are actually intended to be placed and how. This is made worse by the fact that there are no suitable markings on the parts – you are left to guessing.

Worse, there is a massive construction error: the way the wings section is to be assembled and mounted to the hull is impossible! The upper wing halves have locator pins for the fuselage, but they are supposed to be glued to the lower wing half (which also encompasses the aircraft's belly) and the mounted to the hull. The locator pins make this impossible, unless you bend the lower wing section to a point where it might warp or break, or you just cut the pins off - and live with some instability. Technically the upper wing halves have to be mounted to the fuselage before you glue the lower wing section to them, but I am not certain if this would work well because you also have to assemble the air intakes at the same time “from behind”, which is only feasible when the wings have already been completed but still left away from the fuselage. It’s a nonsense construction! I cannot remember when I came across a kit the last time with such an inherent design flaw?

Except for the transplanted RF-101B nose section, which did not fit well because the Matchbox Voodoo apparently has a more slender nose, the Revell kit was built mostly OOB. However, this is already a challenge in itself because of the kit’s inherent flaws (see above), its complex construction and an unorthodox assembly sequence, due to many separate internal modules including the cockpit tub, a separate (fully detailed) front landing gear well, a rotating weapon bay, air intakes with complete ducts, and the wing section. A fiddly affair.

Only a few further changes beyond the characteristic camera fairing under the radome were made. The rotating weapon bay was faired-over with the original weapon pallet, just fixing it into place and using putty to blend it into the belly. The small underwing pylons (an upgrade that actually happened to some late Voodoos) were taken from a vintage Revell F-16. The SLAR antenna fairings along the cockpit flanks were created with 0.5mm styrene sheet and some PSR. They are a little too obvious/protruding, but for a retrofitted solution I find the result acceptable. The drop tanks came from the Revell kit, the underwing ordnance consists of an ALQ-119 ECM pod from a Hasegawa aftermarket set and a SUU-42 dispenser, scratched from a Starfighter ventral drop tank, bomb fins and the back of a Soviet unguided missile launcher.

Painting and markings:

Very simple and basic. While I originally wanted to adopt the simple two-tone ‘Hill’ scheme from the gate guard for my fictional Voodoo, I eventually settled for the very similar but slightly more sophisticated ‘Egypt One’ scheme that was introduced with the first F-16s – it just works better on the F-101’s surfaces. This scheme uses three grey tones: FS 36118 (Gunship Gray, ModelMaster 1723) for the upper wing surfaces, the “saddle” on the fuselage and the canopy area with an anti-glare panel, FS 36270 (Medium Grey, Humbrol 126) on the fin and the fuselage area in front of the wing roots, and FS 36375 (Light Ghost Grey, Humbrol 127) for all lower surfaces, all blended into each other with straight but slightly blurred edges (created with a soft, flat brush). The radome and the conformal antennae on the flanks became Revell 47 for a consistent grey-in-grey look, but with a slightly different shade. The model received an overall black ink washing and some post panel shading, so that the large grey areas would not look too uniform.

As an updated USAF aircraft I changed the color of the landing gear wells’ interior from green zinc chromate primer to more modern, uniform white, even though the red inside of the covers was retained. The interior of the flaps (a nice OOB option of Revell’s kit) and the air brakes became bright red, too.

The cockpit retained its standard medium grey (Humbrol 140, Dark Gull Grey) interior and I used the instrument decals from the kit – even though these did not fit well onto the 3D dashboards and side consoles. WTF? Decal softener came to the rescue. The exhaust area was painted with Revell 91 (Iron) and Humbrol’s Steel Metallizer (27003), later treated with graphite for a dirty, metallic shine.

Markings/decals primarily come from a 1:72 Hi-Decal F-4D sheet that contains (among others) several Texas ANG Phantoms from the mid-Eighties. Some stencils were taken over from the original Voodoo sheet, the yellow formation lights had to be procured from a Hasegawa F-4E/J sheet (the Matchbox sheet was lost and the Revell sheet lacks them completely!). The characteristic deep yellow canopy sealant stripes came from a CF-101 sheet from Winter Valley Decals (today part of Canuck Models as CAD 72008). I was lucky to have them left over from another what-if build MANY moons ago, my fictional CF-151 kitbashing.

Everything went on smoothly, but the walkway markings above the air intakes became a problem. I initially used those from the Revell sheet, which are only the outlines so that the camouflage would still be visible. But the decal film, which is an open square, turned out to be so thin that it wrinkled on the curved surface whatever I tried, and what looked like a crisp black outline on the white decal paper turned out to be a translucent dark blue with blurry edges on the kit. I scrapped them while still wet… Enter plan B: Next came the walkway markings from the aforementioned Winter Valley sheet, which were MUCH better, sharper and opaque, but they included the grey walking areas. While the tone looked O.K. on the sheet it turned out to be much too light for the all-grey Voodoo, standing out and totally ruining the low-viz look. With a bleeding heart I eventually ripped them off of the model with the help of adhesive tape, what left light grey residues. Instead of messing even more with the model I finally decided to embrace this accident and manually added a new black frame to the walkway areas with generic 2mm decal stripe material from TL Modellbau The area now looks rather worn, as if the camouflage had peeled off and light grey primer shows through. An unintentional result, but it looks quite “natural”.

The “Rhino Express” nose art was created with Corel Draw and produced with a simple inkjet printer on clear decal sheet. It was inspired by the “toenail” decoration on the main landing gear covers, a subtle detail I saw IIRC on a late CF-101B and painted onto the model by hand. With its all-grey livery, the rhino theme appeared so appropriate, and the tag on the nose appeared like a natural addition. It’s all not obvious but adds a personal touch to the aircraft.

Finally, after some more exhaust stains had been added to various air outlets around the hull, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, position lights were added with clear paint and the camera windows, which had been created with black decal material, received glossy covers. The IRST sensor was painted with translucent black over a gold base.

Well, while the all-grey USAF livery in itself is quite dull and boring, but I must say that it suits the huge and slender Voodoo well. It emphasizes the aircraft's sleek lines and the Texas ANG fin flash as a colorful counterpoint, as well as the many red interior sections that only show from certain angles, nicely break the adapted low-viz Egypt One livery up. The whole thing looks surprisingly convincing, and the subtle rhino markings add a certain tongue-in-cheek touch.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

Some background:

The Panther tank, officially Panzerkampfwagen V Panther (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 171, was a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to the end of the war. The Panther was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 medium tank and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Nevertheless, it served alongside the Panzer IV and the heavier Tiger I until the end of the war. It is considered one of the best tanks of World War II for its excellent firepower, protection, and mobility although its reliability in early times were less impressive.

The Panther was a compromise. While having essentially the same Maybach V12 petrol (700 hp) engine as the Tiger I, it had better gun penetration, was lighter and faster, and could traverse rough terrain better than the Tiger I. The trade-off was weaker side armor, which made it vulnerable to flanking fire. The Panther proved to be effective in open country and long-range engagements.

Between 1964-1973 the USSR rebuilt the entire Syrian military from the ground up, reorganizing it along Warsaw Pact lines and equipping it with gear strictly of Soviet origin. There was no place for ex-Wehrmacht tanks and in any case, Czechoslovakia had ended spares & ammo support for the Panzer IV and the Panthers, so the types had no future. The surviving tanks were scrapped in Syria, except for a single Panzer IV survivor sold to a collector in Jordan.

Specifications:

Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)

Weight: 50 tonnes (55.1 long tons; 45.5 short tons)

Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in) hull only

7.52 m (24 ft 7¾ in) overall with gun facing forward

Width: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) hull only

3,70 m (12 ft 1¾ in) with retrofitted side skirts

Height: 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in)’

Ground clearance: 56 cm (22 in)

Suspension: Double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels

Fuel capacity: 720 liters (160 imp gal; 190 US gal),

some Syrian Panthers carried two additional external 200 l fuel drums

Armor:

15–80 mm (0.6 – 3.93 in)

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)

Operational range: 250 km (160 mi) on roads; 450 km (280 mi)with auxiliary fuel tanks

100 km (62 mi) cross-country

Power/weight: 14 PS (10.1 kW)/tonne (12.7 hp/ton)

Engine & transmission:

Maybach HL230 V-12 gasoline engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)

ZF AK 7-200 gearbox with 7 forward 1 reverse gear

Armament:

1× 7,5 cm KwK 40 (L/48) with 87 rounds

2× 7.92 mm MG 34 or 42, or similar machine guns;

one co-axial with the main gun, another in the front glacis plate

with a total of 5.100 rounds (not always mounted)

Provision for a 12.7 mm DShK or Breda anti-aircraft machine gun on the commander cupola

The kit and its assembly:

A rather exotic what-if model, even though it’s almost built OOB. Inspiration came when I stumbled upon the weird Syrian Panzer IVs that were operated against Israel during the Six Day War – vehicles you would not expect there, and after more than 20 years after WWII. But when I did some more research, I was surprised about the numbers and the variety of former German tanks that Syria had gathered from various European countries, and it made me wonder if the Panther could not have been among this shaggy fleet, too?

I had a surplus Dragon Panther Spähpanzer in The Stash™, to be correct a “PzBeobWg V Ausf. G”, an observation and artillery fire guidance conversion that actually existed in small numbers, and I decided to use it as basis for this odd project. The Dragon kit has some peculiarities, though: its hull is made from primed white metal and consists of an upper and lower half that are held together by small screws! An ambiguous design, because the parts do not fit as good as IP parts, so that the model has a slightly die-cast-ish aura. PSR is necessary at the seams, but due to the metal it’s not easy to do. Furthermore, you have to use superglue everywhere, just as on a resin kit. On the other side, surface details are finely molded and crisp, even though many bits have to be added manually. However, the molded metal pins that hold the wheels are very robust and relatively thin – a feature I exploited for a modified running gear (see below).

For the modified Panther in my mind I had to retrograde the turret back to a late standard turret with mantlet parts left over from a Hasegawa kit – they fitted perfectly! The PzBeobWg V only comes with a stubby gun barrel dummy. But I changed the armament, anyway, and implanted an aftermarket white metal and brass KwK 40 L48, the weapon carried by all Syrian Panzer IVs, the Jagdpanzer IVs as well as the StuG IIIs. This standardization would IMHO make sense, even if it meant a performance downgrade from the original, longer KwK 42 L70.

For a Syrian touch, inspired by installations on the Panzer IVs, I added a mount for a heavy DShK machine gun on the commander’s cupola, which is a resin aftermarket kit from Armory Models Group (a kit that consists of no less than five fiddly parts for just a tiny machine gun!).

To change and modernize the Panther’s look further, I gave it side skirts, leftover from a ModelCollect T-72 kit, which had to be modified only slightly to fit onto the molded side skirt consoles on the Panther’s metal hull. A further late addition were the fuel barrels from a Trumpeter T-54 kit that I stumbled upon when I looked for the skirts among my pile of tank donor parts. Even though they look like foreign matter on the Panther’s tail, their high position is plausible and similar to the original arrangement on many Soviet post-WWII tanks. The whip antennae on turret and hull were created with heated black sprue material.

As a modern feature and to change the Panther’s overall look even more, I replaced its original solid “dish” road wheels with T-54/55 “starfish” wheels, which were frequently retrofitted to T-34-85s during the Fifties. These very fine aftermarket resin parts (all real-world openings are actually open, and there’s only little flash!) came from OKB Grigorovich from Bulgaria. The selling point behind this idea is/was that the Panther and T-54/55 wheels have almost the same diameter: in real life it’s 860 vs. 830 mm, so that the difference in 1:72 is negligible. Beneficially, the aftermarket wheels came in two halves, and these were thin enough to replace the Panther’s interleaved wheels without major depth problems.

Adapting the parts to the totally different wheel arrangement was tricky, though, especially due to the Dragon kit’s one-piece white metal chassis that makes any mods difficult. My solution: I retained the inner solid wheels from the Panther (since they are hardly visible in the “3rd row”), plus four pairs of T-54/55 wheels for the outer, more rows of interleaved wheels. The “inner” T-54/55 wheel halves were turned around, received holes to fit onto the metal suspension pins and scratched hub covers. The “outside” halves were taken as is but received 2 mm spacer sleeves on their back sides (styrene tube) for proper depth and simply to improve their hold on the small and rounded metal pin tips. This stunt worked better than expected and looks really good, too!

Painting and markings:

Basically very simple, and I used pictures of real Syrian Panzer IVs as benchmark. I settled for the common green livery variant, and though simple and uniform, I tried to add some “excitement” to it and attempted to make old paint shine through. The hull’s lower surface areas were first primed with RAL 7008 (Khakigrau, a rather brownish tone), then the upper surfaces were sprayed with a lighter sand brown tone, both applied from rattle cans.

On top of that, a streaky mix of Revell 45 and 46 – a guesstimate for the typical Syrian greyish, rather pale olive drab tone - was thinly applied with a soft, flat brush, so that the brownish tones underneath would shine through occasionally. Once dry, the layered/weathered effect was further emphasized through careful vertical wet-sanding and rubbing on all surfaces with a soft cotton cloth.

The rubber side skirts were painted with an anthracite base and the dry-brushed with light grey and beige.

The model then received an overall washing with a highly thinned mix of grey and dark brown acrylic artist paint. The vinyl tracks (as well as the IP spare track links on the hull) were painted, too, with a mix of grey, red brown and iron, all acrylic paints, too, that do not interact chemically with the soft vinyl.

The decals/markings are minimal; the Arabian scribble on the turret (must be a name?), using the picture of a Syrian Panzer IV as benchmark, was painted in white by hand, as well as the white circle on the turret roof. The orange ID triangles are a nice contrast, even though I was not able to come up with real-life visual evidence for them. I just found a color picture of a burned T-34-85 wreck with them, suggesting that the color was a dull orange red and not florescent orange, as claimed in some sources. I also found illustrations of the triangles as part of 1:35 decal sets for contemporary Syrian T-34-85s from FC Model Trend and Star Models, where they appear light red. For the model, they were eventually cut out from decal sheet material (TL-Modellbau, in a shade called “Rotorange”, what appears to be a good compromise).

Dry-brushing with light grey and beige to further emphasize edges and details followed. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic vanish overall, and some additional very light extra dry-brushing with silver was done to simulate flaked paint. Dirt and rust residues were added here and there with watercolors. After final assembly, the lower areas of the model were furthermore powdered with mineral pigments to simulate dust.

The idea of a modernized WWII Panther: a simple idea that turned into a major conversion. With the resin DShK machine gun and T-54/55 wheel set the costs of this project escalated a little, but in hindsight I find that the different look and the mix of vintage German and modern Soviet elements provide this Panther with that odd touch that sets it apart from a simple paint/marking variation? I really like the outcome, and I think that the effort was worthwhile - this fictional Panther shoehorns well into its intended historical framework. :-D

Campaign: Federal Penetration up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers (1862)

Date(s): February 11-16, 1862

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Flag-Officer A.H. Foote [US]; Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd, Brig. Gen. Gideon Pillow, and Brig. Gen. Simon B. Buckner [CS]

Forces Engaged: Army in the Field [US]; Fort Donelson Garrison [CS]

Description: After capturing Fort Henry on February 6, 1862, Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant advanced cross-country to invest Fort Donelson. On February 16, 1862, after the failure of their all-out attack aimed at breaking through Grant’s investment lines, the fort’s 12,000-man garrison surrendered unconditionally. This was a major victory for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and a catastrophe for the South. It ensured that Kentucky would stay in the Union and opened up Tennessee for a Northern advance along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Grant received a promotion to major general for his victory and attained stature in the Western Theater, earning the nom de guerre “Unconditional Surrender.”

Result: Union victory

+++ 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 Sondergerät SG104 "Münchhausen" was a German airborne recoillless 355.6 mm (14-inch) caliber gun, intended to engage even the roughest enemy battleships, primarily those of the Royal Navy. The design of this unusual and massive weapon began in 1939. The rationale behind it was that a battleship’s most vulnerable part was the deck – a flat surface, with relatively thin armor (as typical hits were expected on the flanks) and ideally with vital targets underneath, so that a single, good hit would cripple of even destroy a ship. The purpose of such a high angle of attack was likely to allow the projectile to penetrate the target ship's deck, where the ship's armor, if there was any, would have been much thinner than the armor on its sidesHowever, hitting the deck properly with another ship’s main gun was not easy, since it could only be affected through indirect hits and the typical angle of the attack from aballistic shot would not necessarily be ideal for deep penetration, esp. at long range.

The solution to this problem: ensure that the heavy projectile would hit its target directly from above, ideally at a very steep angle. To achieve this, the gun with battleship caliber was “relocated” from a carrier ship or a coastal battery onto an aircraft – specifically to a type that was capable of dive-bombing, a feature that almost any German bomber model of the time offered.

With the Allied invasion of France and a worsening war condition, the SG 104 program was stopped in August 1944 and the idea of an airborne anti-ship gun axed in favor of more flexible guided weapons like the Hs 293 missile and the Fritz-X glide bomb. Plans for a further developed weapon with a three-round drum magazine were immediately stopped, also because there was no carrier aircraft in sight that could carry and deploy this complex 6.5 tons weapon. However, work on the SG 104 and the experience gained from EKdo 104's field tests were not in vain. The knowledge gathered from the Münchhausen program was directly used for the design of a wide range of other, smaller recoilless aircraft weapons, including the magnetically-triggered SG 113 "Förstersonde" anti-tank weapon or the lightweight SG 118 "Rohrblock" unguided air-to-air missile battery for the Heinkel He 162 "Volksjäger".

General characteristics:

Crew: 3 (pilot, navigator, radio operator/gunner)

Length: 20,73 m (67 ft 11 in) overall

18,93 m (62 ft 3/4 in) hull only

Wingspan: 19 m (62 ft 4 in)

Height: 4.97 m (16 ft 4 in)

Wing area: 57 m² (610 sq ft)

Empty weight: 9,065 kg (19,985 lb)

Empty equipped weight:10,950 kg (24,140 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 16,700 kg (36,817 lb)

Fuel capacity: 2,960 l (780 US gal; 650 imp gal) in fuselage tank and four wing tanks

Powerplant:

2× BMW 801D-2 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, delivering

1,300 kW (1,700 hp) each for take-off and 1,070 kW (1,440 hp) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft),

driving 3-bladed VDM constant-speed propellers

Performance:

Maximum speed: 475 km/h (295 mph, 256 kn) at sea level

560 km/h (350 mph; 300 kn) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft)

Cruise speed: 400 km/h (250 mph, 220 kn) with loaded Gerät 104 at optimum altitude

Range: 2,180 km (1,350 mi, 1,180 nmi) with maximum internal fuel

Ferry range: 2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi); unarmed, with auxiliary fuel tanks

Service ceiling: 7,370 m (24,180 ft) with loaded Gerät 104,

9,500 m (31,200 ft) after firing

Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)

Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 4 minutes 10 seconds

2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 8 minutes 20 seconds

6,100 m (20,000 ft) in 24 minutes 40 seconds

Armament:

1x 355.6 mm (14-inch) Sondergerät 104 recoilless gun with a single round in ventral position

1x 15 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 machine cannon with 200 rounds, fixed in the nose

1x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine gun with 500 rounds, movable in dorsal position

Two underwing hardpoints for a 900 l drop tank each, but only used during unarmed ferry flights

The kit and its assembly:

This was another submission to the "Gunships" group build at whatifmodellers.com in late 2021, and inspiration struck when I realized that I had two Italeri Do 217 in The Stash - a bomber and a night fighter - that could be combined into a suitable (fictional) carrier for a Sondergerät 104. This mighty weapon actually existed and even reached the hardware/test stage - but it was never integrated into an airframe and tested in flight. But that's what this model is supposed to depict.

On the Do 217, the Sg 104 would have been carried externally under the fuselage, even though there had been plans to integrate this recoilless rifle into airframes, esp. into the Ju 288. Since the latter never made it into production, the Do 217 would have been the most logical alternative, also because it had the highest payload of all German bombers during WWII and probably the only aircraft capable of carrying and deploying the Münchhausen device, as the SG 104 was also known.

The fictional Do 217 F-0 is a kitbashing, using a Do 217 N fuselage, combined with the wings from a Do 217 K bomber, plus some modifications. What initially sounded like a simple plan soon turned into a improvisation mess: it took some time to realize that I had already donated the Do 217 K's BMW 801 engines to another project, an upgraded He 115... I did not want to use the nightfighter's more powerful DB 603s, and I was lucky to have an Italeri Ju 188 kit at hand which comes with optional BMW 801s and Jumo 211s. Transplanting these engines onto the Do 217's wings took some tailoring of the adapter plates, but was feasible. However, the BMW 801s from the Ju 188 kit have a flaw: they lack the engine's characteristic cooling fans... Another lucky find: I found two such parts in the scrap box, even though from different kits - one left over from another Italeri Do 217 K, the other one from what I assume is/was an Italeri 1:72 Fw 190 A/F. To make matters worse, one propeller from the Ju 188 kit was missing, so that I had to find a(nother) replacement. :-/

I eventually used something that looked like an 1:72 F6F Hellcat propeller, but I an not certain about this because I have never built this model...? With some trimming on the blades' trailing edges and other mods, the donor's overall look could be adapted to the Ju 188 benchmark. Both propellers were mounted on metal axis' so that they could also carry the cooling fans. Lots of work, but the result looks quite good.

The Do 217 N's hull lost the lower rear gunner position and its ventral gondola, which was faired over with a piece of styrene sheet. The pilot was taken OOB, the gunner in the rear position was replaced by a more blob-like crew member from the scrap box. The plan to add a navigator in the seat to the lower right of the pilot did not work out due to space shortage, but this figure would probably have been invisble, anyway.

All gun openings in the nose were filled and PSRed away, and a fairing for a bomb aiming device and a single gun (the barrel is a hollow steel needle) were added.

The SG 104 was scratched. Starting point was a white metal replacement barrel for an 1:35 ISU-152 SPG with a brass muzzle brake. However, after dry-fitting the barrel under the hull the barrel turned out to be much too wide, so that only the muzzal brake survived and the rest of the weapon was created from a buddy refueling pod (from an Italeri 1:72 Luftwaffe Tornado, because of its two conical ends) and protective plastic caps from medical canulas. To attach this creation to the hull I abused a conformal belly tank from a Matchbox Gloster Meteor night fighter and tailored it into a streamlined fairing. While this quite a Frankenstein creation, the overall dimensions match the real SG 104 prototype and its look well.

Other cosmetic modifications include a pair of underwing dive brakes, translanted from an Italeri 1:72 Ju 88 A-4 kit, an extended (scratched) tail "stinger" which resembles the real dive brake arrangement that was installed on some Do 217 E bombers, and I added blast deflector vanes and a dorsal stabilizer fin.

In order to provide the aircraft with enough ground clearance, the tail wheel was slightly extended. Thanks to the long tail stinger, this is not blatantly obvious.

Painting and markings:

This was not an easy choice, but as a kind of prototype I decided that the paint scheme should be rather conservative. However, German aircraft operating over the Atlantic tended to carry rather pale schemes, so that the standard pattern of RLM 70/71/65 (Dunkelgrün, Schwarzgrün and Hellblau) with a low waterline - typical for experimental types - would hardly be appropriate.

I eventually found a compromise on a He 177 bomber (coded 6N+BN) from 1944 that was operated by KG 100: this particular aircraft had a lightened upper camouflage - still a standard splinter scheme but consisting of RLM 71 and 02 (Dunkelgrün and Grau; I used Modelmaster 2081 and Humbrol 240), a combination that had been used on German fighters during the Battle of Britain when the standard colors turned out to be too dark for operations over the Channel. The aircraft also carried standard RLM 65 (or maybe the new RLM76) underneath (Humbrol 65) and on the fin, but with a very high and slightly wavy waterline. As a rather unusual feature, no typical camouflage mottles were carried on the flanks or the fin, giving the aircraft a very bleak and simple look.

Despite my fears that this might look rather boring I adapted this scheme for the Do 217 F-0, and once basic painting was completed I was rather pleased by the aircraft's look! As an aircraft operated at the Western front, no additional markings like fuselage bands were carried.

To set the SG 104 apart from the airframe, I painted the weapon's visible parts in RLM 66 (Schwarzgrau, Humbrol 67), because this tone was frequently used for machinery (including the interior surfaces of aircraft towards 1945).

RLM 02 was also used for the interior surfaces and the landing gear, even though I used a slightly different, lighter shade in form of Revell 45 (Helloliv).

A light black ink washing was applied and post-shading to emphasize panel lines. Most markings/decals came from a Begemot 1:72 He 11 sheet, including the unusual green tactical code - it belongs to a staff unit, a suitable marking for such an experimental aircraft. The green (Humbrol 2) was carried over to the tips of the propeller spinners. The unit's code "1A" is fictional, AFAIK this combination had never been used by the Luftwaffe.

The small unit badge was alucky find: it actually depicts the fictional Baron von Münchhausen riding on a cannonball, and it comes from an Academy 1:72 Me 163 kit and its respective sheet. The mission markings underneath, depicting two anti-ship missions plus a successful sinking, came from a TL Modellbau 1:72 scale sheet with generic German WWII victory markings.

After some soot stains around the engine exhaust and weapon muzzles had been added with graphite, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and final details like position lights and wire antennae (from heated black plastic sprue material) were added.

Well, what started as a combination of two kits of the same kind with a simple huge pipe underneath turned out to be more demanding than expected. The (incomplete) replacement engines were quite a challenge, and body work on the hull (tail stinger, fairing for the SG 104 as well as the weapon itself) turned out to be more complex and extensive than initially thought of. The result looks quite convincing, also supported by the rather simple paint scheme which IMHO just "looks right" and very convincing. And the whole thing is probably the most direct representation of the inspiring "Gunship" theme!

Part of the Elemental series.

www.LidorWyssocky.com

A sloping penetration in the west wall. It doesn't appear to have been for shooting through and was therefore probably a drain or garderobe chute. (Also note that the corner of the wall has been built without using quoin stones, they have just used small 'pinnings' to get the shape they wanted.)

'Caisteal Bhuirgh' was the property of Macdonalds of Clanranald, one of the pre-eminent west highland clans, the chiefs ("Captains") of which were descendants of the 12th century figure, Somerled 'King of the Isles'. Somerled is known to have had at least 5 sons and a daughter, but the ones that influenced history were Dugall, progenitor of the Clan MacDougal, Ranald ('Raghnall'), progenitor of the Lords of the Isles and Clan Donald, and Angus.

Following the death of Somerled and his eldest son GilleBride at the Battle of Renfrew in 1165, the kingdom that Somerled had built for himself was broken up between his 3 surviving sons. In 1192, Angus defeated and killed his brother Ranald, however in 1210, Ranald's sons defeated Angus (who must have been fairly ancient by then) and killed all his sons.

Olympus XZ-1

Best on Black (press L) www.fluidr.com/photos/bw3200/8742071085/in/photostream

Thanks for your comments, faves, and views. Much appreciated!

www.garryvelletri.com

Jupiter appears in pastel colors in this photo because this Hubble Space Telescope observation was taken in near-infrared light. The photo shows sunlight reflected from Jupiter's clouds. In the near infrared, methane gas in Jupiter's atmosphere limits the penetration of sunlight, which causes clouds to appear in different colors depending on their altitude.

Studying clouds in near-infrared light is very useful for scientists studying the layers of clouds that make up Jupiter's atmosphere. Yellow colors indicate high clouds, red colors lower clouds, and blue colors even lower clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere. The green color near the poles comes from a thin haze very high in the atmosphere.

The black circles are cast by three of Jupiter's largest moons: Io, Ganymede, and Callisto. Io's shadow is located just above center and to the left, Ganymede's on the planet's left edge, and Callisto's near the right edge.

The blue color of Ganymede (upper right) comes from the absorption of water ice on the moon's surface at longer wavelengths. The white color of Io (center) is from light reflected off bright sulfur compounds on that moon's surface. Callisto is out of the image and to the right.

Seeing three shadows on Jupiter happens only about once or twice a decade. Why is this triple eclipse so unique? Io, Ganymede, and Callisto orbit Jupiter at different rates. Their shadows likewise cross Jupiter's face at different rates. For example, the outermost moon Callisto orbits the slowest of the three moons. Callisto's shadow moves across the planet once for every 20 shadow crossings of Io. Add the crossing rate of Ganymede's shadow and the possibility of a triple eclipse becomes even more rare. Viewing the triple shadows in this 2004 observation was even more special, because two of the moons were crossing Jupiter's face at the same time as the three shadows.

For more information, visit: hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2004-30

Credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Karkoschka (University of Arizona)

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