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Happy Earth Day, ya'll
Reuse more, waste less.
Keep them bushes tidy
and above all don't litter!
Every little bit helps :)
These are the last pics from a couple of days ago.
Due to me actually starting gainful employment this week; I anticipate a greatly reduced service for my followers for the foreseeable future.
And before you ask, no I will not be going to work wearing a dress!
Thanks to all for your continued support.
KT xXx
BR 204hp 0-6-0DM diesel shunters 03152 and 03120 at Llanelli, both modified with reduced height cabs (to enable use on the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Line) - c.1976.
Both locomotives were built at Swindon Works, 03120 in 1959 and 03152 in 1960.
Please do not share or post elsewhere without permission of the copyright holder(s).
© 2025 - 53A Models of Hull Collection. Scanned from the original 35mm colour transparency; photographed by the late D M Harrison.
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Quelle für Prozess: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanotypie#Urspr%C3%BCngliches_Verf...
Cyanotype, 2-Bad-Verfahren.
Beschichten des Papiers: Das Papier wird mit einer lichtempfindlichen Lösung aus Ammoniumeisen(III)-citrat beschichtet.
Belichtung: Blaues oder violettes Licht regt ein Elektron des Citrat-Ions an, wodurch Eisen(III)-Ionen zu Eisen(II)-Ionen reduziert werden.
Entwicklung: Die Eisen(II)-Ionen reagieren mit Kaliumhexacyanidoferrat(II) (rotes Blutlaugensalz) und bilden zunächst wasserunlösliches Berliner Weiss, das dann durch Luftsauerstoff oder Wasserstoffperoxid in unlösliches Berliner Blau umgewandelt wird
Cyanotype, a 2-bath process.
Paper coating: The paper is coated with a light-sensitive solution of ammonium iron(III) citrate.
Exposure: Blue or violet light excites the electron of the citrate ion, which reduces iron(III) ions to iron(II) ions.
Development: Iron(II) ions react with potassium hexacyanidoferrate(II) (red blood salt) to first form water insoluble Prussian white, which is then converted to insoluble Prussian blue by the action of atmospheric oxygen or hydrogen peroxide.
Источник для процесса: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanotypie#Urspr%C3%BCngliches_Verf...
Цианотипия, процесс в 2 ванны.
Покрытие бумаги: бумага покрывается светочувствительным раствором цитрата железа аммония(III).
Экспозиция: Синий или фиолетовый свет возбуждает электрон цитрат-иона, который восстанавливает ионы железа(III) до ионов железа(II).
Развитие: Ионы железа(II) реагируют с гексацианидоферратом(II) калия (красная кровяная соль) и сначала образуют нерастворимый в воде берлинский белый, который затем превращается в нерастворимую берлинскую лазурь под действием атмосферного кислорода или перекиси водорода.
►►► Explore the world of HDR with me at farbspiel-photo.com - View. Learn. Connect.
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About | HDR Cookbook | Before-and-After | Making-of | Pics to play with
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(Hit 'f' to fave this image)
The story of this photo:
Tunis was the first stop on our cruise through the Mediterranean Sea. The tour took us to the Bardo National Museum were this was shot. This place was originally a 13th century Hafsid palace. Today, it contains a major collection of Roman mosaics (which you can see all over the walls in this shot) and other antiquities of interest from Ancient Greece, Tunisia, and from the Arab period. [Wikipedia]
I was fascinated by the ceiling in this room. However, it was stuffed with tourists all the time. I came back multiple times (trying not to loose sight of our group). On my last visit, I found the room empty except for that one guy. Obviously his task was to make sure that nobody stole the ceiling. So I took the chance and took a series of 4x3 autobracketed shots.
Stitching the vertorama lead to the usual warping effect. But this did not seem to bother that guy. He kept calm and continued reading his book. ;-)
Enjoy!
Take a look at my "HDR Cookbook"! It contains some more information on my techniques.
How it was shot:
> Taken handheld [details]
> 4x3 autobracketed shots (three exposures each with 0, -2, +2 ev)
> Camera: Nikon D90
> Lens: Sigma 10-20mm F3,5 EX DC HSM
> Details can be found here
How it was stitched and tonemapped:
> Preparation: developed the raw files with ACR mainly in order to reduce the CA [details]
> Created 4 HDRs (32 bit) using Photomatix version 3.1
> Stitched the 4 HDRs using Photoshop saved in OpenEXR format
> Tonemapped resulting panorama HDR using Photomatix version 3.1 (Detail Enhancer)
> Saved as 16bit TIF
> Take a look here for a more detailed description.
How it was post-processed:
> Post-processing was done in Photoshop
> Topaz Adjust on the entire image to get back the colors and the details [details]
> Topaz Denoise [details]
> Saturation layer on the white walls to desaturate them a bit
> Saturation layer on the floor (increased master)
> Saturation layer on the greens in the ceiling (increased yellows)
> Saturation layer in the yellows in the ceiling (increased yellows)
> Levels layer on the guy with the book (increased gamma to brighten)
> Global vibrance layer to even out the saturation
> Global saturation layer to fine-tune the saturation
> Global levels layer to fine-tune the contrast and brightness
> Sharpening using the high-pass filter [details]
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Learn these techniques at farbspiel-photo.com - View. Learn. Connect.
- Thanks for viewing!
T45 Leyland Roadtrain B429APP- Showing a few battle scars but otherwise ready for work around the yard.
Tradewinds Motel
2844 Auburn Blvd
Sacramento, California
It took an extra month due to asbestos abatement, but this motel was finally taken down. Now only the sign, front garden, and pool remain. The Maita auto dealership group bought this property and the adjacent Welcome Inn. Reportedly the Subaru dealership further down the street will be moving here.
Stoat (Mustela Erminea)
A member of the weasel family (Mustelids), stoats are found throughout mainland Britain in a variety of habitats. Their appearance is similar to the weasel, although the stoat is considerably larger and has a distinctive black tip to its tail. In the north their winter coat is white. Stoats are very agile, they can climb well and may take young birds in the nest. They are also strong swimmers, capable of crossing large rivers.
Their primary food source is the rabbit, despite being many times its own weight, supplemented with small rodents and birds. The number of stoats in the wild is usually linked to the rabbit population but in recent years their numbers have declined.
Like the weasel, they are still heavily persecuted by gamekeepers protecting their game birds, but the numbers shot in recent years have also reduced, so it is more likely that they are being affected through eating poisoned rats or mice.
Monster High Venus McFlytrap didn't have to use her pollen persuasion to convince these ghouls to reduce, reuse, recycle.
I like Venus a lot, but she hasn't been much of a muse to me yet for pictures. Luckily, I got the Barbie Recycling Time accessory pack with I ordered the Create-A-Monster torsos from Mattel Shop online, and that inspired this pic. :)
Mildread (Skeleton), Meriel (Sea Monster), Andromeda (Three-Eyed), Falkora (Dragon), and Beetina (Bee) are all decked out with their new torsos, Monster High fashions, and Liv wigs. So happy to have them complete! :D
RENFE: at reduced speed to enter the link tracks of Barcelona, the 250 602 tows the long composition of the Talgo Camas from Zürich HB and Milano Centrale. (Image scanned from an original paper).
RENFE: a velocidad reducida para entrar en las vías de los enlaces de Barcelona, la 250 602 remolca la larga composición de los Talgo Camas procedentes de Zürich HB y Milano Centrale. (Foto escaneada de un original de papel).
One of the ever dwindling number of Stagecoach East London TA's 17858 LX03 NFC from NS garage is seen departing from Stratford bus station on the 86. Friday 22nd February 2019. DSCN48310.
Their numbers are set to be further reduced from Saturday 2nd March when West Ham's route 158 transfers to Arriva London North.
TransBus Trident-TransBus ALX400 10.5m.
We are really trying to do our part to reduce plastic use. I got these bags for the grocery store and Anna bought some bags for lunches so we can phase out our Ziploc use.
Multicolor bromoil on liquid emulsion from Foma.
Gandolfi with 4x5 reducing back, Kodak Portrait Lens 305 mm, f 8.
Ilford HP5 in DD-X.
INSTRUCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO BUILD THIS MODEL
June 24th, 2021.
The 296 GTB, the latest evolution of Maranello’s mid-rear-engined two-seater berlinetta, was premiered today during an online event broadcast on Ferrari’s social media and web channels.
The 296 GTB ushers in an authentic revolution for Ferrari as it introduces a new engine type to flank the marque’s multi-award-winning 8- and 12-cylinder power units: a new 663 cv 120° V6 coupled with an electric motor capable of delivering a further 122 kW (167 cv). This is the first 6-cylinder engine installed on a road car sporting the Prancing Horse badge; it unleashes its massive 830 cv total power output to deliver previously unthinkable performance levels and an innovative, exhilarating and unique soundtrack.
The car’s name, which combines its total displacement (2992 l) and number of cylinders was chosen, with the addition of the GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) acronym in finest Ferrari tradition, to underscore this new engine’s epoch-changing importance to Maranello. It is not simply the living, beating heart of the 296 GTB, but it also ushers in a new V6 era that has its roots deep in Ferrari’s unparalleled 70-year-plus experience in motor sports.
POWERTRAIN
The 296 GTB is the first Ferrari road car to sport a V6 turbo with a vee with an angle of 120° between the cylinder banks, coupled with a plug-in electric motor. This new V6 has been designed and engineered from a clean sheet by Ferrari’s engineers specifically for this installation and is the first Ferrari to feature the turbos installed inside the vee. Aside from bringing significant advantages in terms of packaging, lowering the centre of gravity and reducing engine mass, this particular architecture helps deliver extremely high levels of power. The result is that the new Ferrari V6 has set a new specific power output record for a production car of 221 cv/l.
corporate.ferrari.com/en/296-gtb-defining-fun-drive
Instructions for base Ferrari 296 GTB:
rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-80705/lego911/ferrari-296-gtb-20...
Instructions for F163 UCS V6 Turbo PHEV Engine:
rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-80806/lego911/ferrari-f163-ucs-2...
Instructions for Ferrari 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano coming soon
These are the last pics from a couple of days ago.
Due to me actually starting gainful employment this week; I anticipate a greatly reduced service for my followers for the foreseeable future.
And before you ask, no I will not be going to work wearing a dress!
Thanks to all for your continued support.
KT xXx
These are the last pics from a couple of days ago.
Due to me actually starting gainful employment this week; I anticipate a greatly reduced service for my followers for the foreseeable future.
And before you ask, no I will not be going to work wearing a dress!
Thanks to all for your continued support.
KT xXx
London Coliseum. Frank Matcham's masterpiece, the London Coliseum, opened on Xmas Eve 1904 as a vast Music Hall for Stoll Theatres. Initially it had a capacity of 3,389, now reduced to a more comfortable 2,360, split over four levels. The style is Roman and is unusually lavish throughout, above the side boxes on either side of the stage is a large statue of a Charioteer drawn by three lions. The theatre was the first in Europe to have lifts to every floor, and also, together with Selfridges, the first place in London to sell Coca-Cola. From 1961 to 1968 it became a cinema with a vast Cinerama screen installed. It reverted to live shows when Sadlers Wells Opera (later English National Opera) took over in 1968. Between 2000 and 2004 it was meticulously restored. It is an outstandingly important theatre in London and is grade 2* listed.
City of Westminster, West End, London, England - London Coliseum Theatre, St Martin's Lane
May 2025
Generally heard before they are seen, kaka are large, forest-dwelling parrots that are found on all three main islands of New Zealand and on several offshore islands. Much reduced in range and abundance in the North and South islands due to forest clearance and predation by introduced mammals.
Reposted to show you the topmost reflection of the arch that was cut off in a previous post over a year ago. I reduced the yellows & darken this image a bit. Hope you like it.
By the way, do you guys like the new Flickr layout? Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Here's the pictures for my 75218 X-Wing MOD.
It's 843 parts.
I optimized the build to reduce the number of part you would need to buy.
It's not the definitive edition, the space between the opening system and the only rubber band create a torque that slightly bend the wings when in the attack position. I'm building the same MOD for 75102 Poe's X-Wing and I will try to resolve this issue, if it work I will update this one and release the files and instructions for free.
The front part is surprizingly sturdy. But it use illegal technique in the way that some part are stressed. I used tolerance and deformation of parts to achieve this build.
Unfortunetly in Stud.io there isn't the new helmet, so I made my design with the old one (I prefer this one anyway) and when it come to build it I realize the new helmet was too big and prevents to close the windscreen, my bad.
1107 is seen on Princes Street on day 7 of the Coronavirus lockdown and the second day of Lothian’s emergency timetable introduced on 29 March 2020. New timetables had already been due to come in over the network that day but the effects of the Coronavirus lockdown changed all that. Instead of coping with the Leith Walk tram works diversions (postponed as tram work ceased) , it has had to cut back on routes and frequencies in view of the massive fall in passenger numbers. The eastern end of route 44 has been cut back temporarily from Wallyford to Princes Street leaving buses on the route serving only the western section to and from Balerno. Off peak daytime frequency has also been reduced from every 10 minutes to every 30 minutes. Fleet number 1107 - new in 2019 - is seen against a background of Jenners and the Mercure (formerly Mount Royal) Hotel.
Braine-L'Alleud - Belgium
Winter 2012.
HDR from 3 shots and post-processing (highpass sharpening on branches, reduced noise on water, improuve saturation around the sun)
(Alcedo atthis)
European kingfisher
Martín pescador
Arroyo La Gitana
Córdoba. Spain
16 October 2019
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!MUCHAS GRACIAS POR VER LA FOTO!
THANKS FOR WATCHING!
Photo story:
I´m really kind of surprised by this photo series of the king because of the good resolution on the bird being at 185mm focal length. I am in the try to catch it in flight now so I was waiting for it at a medium zoom. And when it (she, in this case) appeared started to shoot at her quickly and then I extended the zoom while shooting (a technique I´m not used to). And the fact is that I didn´t go to the end don´t know why, really thought I reached 300mm. :D but then pics showed 210mm only at the longest one. And I´m surprised because have been shooting at the same conditions (place, lighting/hour, etc) for some days now all the time at 300mm, and when I´ve seen the resolution at 185mm is really much higher even after cropping. (sure, I knew it, but didn´t expect that much after one year with the D500 and around 6 with the lens). It´s too early in the morning and is a dark place, so I can´t rise aperture value for higher resolution. The image is slightly cropped and used 0,0 sharpening value.
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Image: © RMG Wheels & Spokes Lab. *
Forbidden use without prior authorization
(DSC_4052)
My images are just a humild try to transport Nature and my Love to it to people. I don´t feel them as treasures of mine and show them here to get favs and views like a competition.
NATURE IS GREAT.
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I am the owner of RMG Wheels & Spokes Lab., a company specialized in the Bicycle Wheels world with a solid ENVIRONMENTAL COMPROMISE.
(Use a computer for a better website concept experience)
Our Flickr gallery:
www.flickr.com/photos/142233937@N03/albums
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We are living in a Climate Emergency situation.
Stop talking, START ACTING.
(I´m reducing photos size and resolution here in order to reduce their storage in the servers)
-Reduce Energy demand
-Reduce Water demand
-Reduce Matter demand
-Reuse
-Separate trash
-Recycle
-Use your bike, feet, public transportaion
-Plant autochthonous trees/seeds
-Consume Local products/food
-Learn about Science (Ecology i.e.)
-Think Locally, act Globally.
Enjoy Nature, but remember, IT DOESN´T BELONG TO US.
RESPECT LIFE ON EARTH
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Climate Change is Real.
It´s happening NOW.
Global Warming is Real
Planet Temperature Anomaly:
climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#t2anom
RMG commitment:
rmgwheels.com/compromiso-mediambiental/
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*El uso de la imagen con fines comerciales sin la autorización expresa del autor queda totalmente prohibido. Puede ser vinculada en redes sociales con fines divulgativos/educativos , pero nunca comerciales. Gracias.
*Unauthorized use of the image for commercial purposes without copyright owner permission is totally forbidden. It can be used on the internet social media as an informative/educative message but in any case for a profitable use. Thanks.
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On June 22, 2024 DANIEL ADAMSON had been scheduled to operate a cruise from Liverpool Canning Half Tide Dock to Acton Bridge on the Weaver Navigation via the Manchester Ship Canal.
Unfortunately the damper, located in the funnel failed shortly after the DANIEL ADAMSON had started to head south on the River Mersey towards Eastham Locks.
With the inablity to control combustion, steam was lost the ship ran at reduced speed to Eastham with the crew trying to remedy the problem.
Unfortunately, it ddidn't prove to be repairable; by the time the DANIEL ADAMSON reached Eastham Lock steam had run out.
Fortunately, Bolouda Towing VB ELBE had been at Easham assisting the ECO ROYALTY into the lock.
VB ELBE took the DANIEL ADAMSON into Eastham Lock secure from the vagaries of the tidal Mersey.
After a while Carmet Marine Services MSC VOLANT which had been working with sister tug MSC VICEROY at Stanlow assited the DANIEL ADAMSON to the vessels usual berth at Ellesmere Port were passengers were able to disembark and return to Liverpool by coach.
The trip was somewhat curtailed but it was a different experience in particular being towed along the Manchester Ship Canal by tug!
For more photographs of the DANIEL ADAMSON "Damper Cruise" please click here: www.jhluxton.com/Shipping/Historic-Ships/ST-Daniel-Adamso...
Having reduced the haul from 1400 to 700 pictures (deleted 18Gb worth of pictures!!), the first one through Lightroom is the rather splendid Pakistani herc basking in the early morning sun.
Fairford 15/7/18
The inaugural flight Vega-C launcher integration process began with the P120 solid rocket stage being delivered to the Vega Launch Zone (Zone de Lancement Vega) ZLV at Europe's Space Port in Kourou, French Guiana on 15 April 2022.
On the wave of Vega’s success, Member States at the ESA Ministerial meeting in December 2014 agreed to develop the more powerful Vega-C to respond to an evolving market and to long-term institutional needs.
Vega-C increases performance from Vega’s current 1.5 t to about 2.2 t in a reference 700 km polar orbit, covering identified European institutional users’ mission needs, with no increase in launch service and operating costs.
The participating states in this development are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Vega-C will also accommodate the flight-proven Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) dispenser, which further reduces cost-to-orbit by enabling rideshare missions, with or without a large, primary payload.
Credits: ESA - M. Pedoussaut
The Ruhr Rocks ...
The Ruhr was at the center of the German economic miracle of the 1950s and 1960s, as very rapid economic growth (9% a year) created a heavy demand for coal and steel.
After 1973, Germany was hit hard by a worldwide economic crisis, soaring oil prices, and increasing unemployment, which jumped from 300,000 in 1973 to 1.1 million in 1975. The Ruhr region was hardest hit, as the easy-to-reach coal mines became exhausted, and German coal was no longer competitive.
Likewise the Ruhr steel industry went into sharp decline, as its prices were undercut by lower-cost suppliers such as Japan.
The welfare system provided a safety net for the large number of unemployed workers, and many factories reduced their labor force and began to concentrate on high-profit specialty items.
As demand for coal decreased after 1958, the area went through phases of structural crisis (see steel crisis) and industrial diversification, first developing traditional heavy industry, then moving into service industries and high technology.
The air and water pollution of the area are largely a thing of the past although some issues take a long time to solve. In 2005, Essen was the official candidate for nomination as European Capital of Culture for 2010.
"hand-crafted" panorama ...
_MG_5780_pa2
Morning fog rolls over the Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800's stored on Taxiway Golf, Adelaide Airport, South Australia.
Fortunately the Hike Inn had power after the tornados hit, Nancy Hoch said, if she didn’t have power she wouldn’t have been able to accommodate me there.
Her husband Jeff was out of town. Sadly, I would have loved to talk with him about his extraordinary first people collection of arrowheads and spear tip points and other Native artifacts. They had no internet there and all I could do was upload my photos and videos to my laptop from my camera. The processing of a video to my laptop takes a while; I just splice the segments together in chronological order, that’s it. No editing. I shoot; I talk and try to keep it interesting, and speak correctly about all the facts and science in my head.
I have no script to follow. I just shoot from the hip, sort of speaking.
It was sunny and warm, enabling me to dry out all my gear. After resupplying in Robbinsville I was given a ride back to the Fontana Dam Marina. My next resupply point was over 100 miles away, past the Smokey Mountains to Hot Springs North Carolina, where I mailed my laptop to the Bluff Mountain Outfitter. This will be my longest leg of my journey so far. If I get jammed-up, there are points along the way I can stop, like Gatlinburg Tennessee.
The Fontana Lodge had a restaurant, so at the dam I called for a pickup to have one last good meal, while I still smelled nice, then off to the Smokey Mountains.
I hiked to Birch Spring Gap, the only tent site with no shelter in the Smokey’s.
In the great Smokey mountain National Park you can‘t setup a tent anywhere you want to, and I knew I would have to start sleeping in the crowded shelters soon, so I stopped at Birch Spring to be alone after my resupply. The Appalachian Trail in the Smokey Mountains is very heavily visited, so to reduce the impact on the natural surroundings, it’s pretty mandatory, that you stay in the shelters.
Birch Spring was a beautiful camp site, the best water I ever had came from the Smokey’s, and this spot was no exception. I carried the SteriPEN….Adventure to purify my water, I highly recommend it. But to tell you the truth, when the water from a spring came right out of the side of a mountain, I just drank it. Up from the blue blaze trail they had a hitching post for horses; the Smokey’s is the only place where people with horses share the Appalachian Trail. Many hikers have mixed feelings about sharing the trail with them. I do not. . I love horses so much; they have such a beautiful power. I love to touch them and hold them in my arms and really feel them.
That night I heard my first bear in the middle of the night going down the hill very close to my tent, it was big and noisy, obviously not very worried about being heard.
My plan was to hike to Spence Field Shelter for the night, I was excited to camp up on a grassy bald and take in some grand views. I fell short of my goals many times during my hike, but I wasn’t going to let that get me down, I just want to go with the flow of the cosmos, wherever it lead me was fine too.
It took me longer than I expected to hike through the Smokey’s, the shelter weren’t spaced right for my speed. I found much later, when I could hike much faster, that I didn’t like to go faster than 16 miles a day. The reason was, when I went faster than that I noticed, I would’nt take many photos, shoot many videos, I just wasn’t observing nature like I wanted to.
Up the trail just before Mollies Ridge Shelter I ran into some guys that said Mollies Ridge was dry, and I should take water down a side trail, that was poorly marked and I did just that. Coming up on Mollies Ridge Shelter it started to get real dark again, I could hear the thunder for the last two hours and although it was early for a lunch I thought, I would eat and wait the incoming storm that will be here at any moment. I went around to the front of the shelter to see someone’s gear, an old mid 1980’s Jan-sport external frame backpack and in the lower left corner a sleeping bag opened.
I called out and with no reply I went back to the side where the built-in table was, to have lunch and then came the rain. After a light snack I propped my pack up and laid down against it for some rest. After a short while and the rain was coming down, I could feel something, like someone was watching me, my hair rose up on my neck.
I looked over my left shoulder at a guy, wearing a ski-mask, was coming up behind me with one hand behind his back. Swiftly I jumped up and cut him off with the angle of the table. Instinctively my left hand went into my pocket, holding my knife with my thumb on the bolt that would quickly open my blade. If he would have came up with a weapon behind his back I would have cut his throat and he would have bleed-out dead before his corpse hit the ground.
Kitea, off to the side in the brush, was watching the whole thing go down from the very start. She saw him sneaking up on his blind side, with her body stretched out and on the tips of her paws, her tail straight and the tip whipping with fast short strokes back and forth ready to pounce. „What is this crazy bastard doing with a ski-mask in this heat?“
She felt much better, when Puma saw him and jumped for cover, with the posture of his hand in his pocket she assumed he had a weapon, and said „I got your back, big boy…“
His senses are very in-tuned she said, he has developed his 6th sense very well, very intuitive, it must have been all that Marine Corps training, he is so hot…. A Natural Borne Killer….
I remember several nights ago, when I was sleeping next to his tent, he talked to me in his sleep. He said, “I make the sound of the deer well, I grunt softly and they come to me...I’m a killer and I feel my prey like a ghost walking among them…”
The guy held out his other hand and in it was a very old leather glove, cheaply made, worn out and only one. He was saying something….. „wouwoouwo“… with his ski- mask it was hard to understand him and I said to him with a loud voice….. “I cant hear a damn word you are saying…. WITH YOUR SKI-MASK ON”…
Then he said it again….. it was something like…… he found this glove and was it mine. His speech was distorted and I could tell he had mental health issues….
Still crazy or not he had his other hand hidden behind his back and I’m on guard…
I told him one more time I cant hear him with his ski-mask on. It is not my glove and I don’t care, and for him to go away from me, I lunged at him just to give him a bit of a scare and yelled …..GO…OOOOOO ……
My heart was pounding, and I said to myself as soon as the rain lets up I’m so freaking out of here. Two days later I ran into a work party at Derrick Knob Shelter and a young man in charge had a radio and called it in, two days after that, I ran into a Ridge runner, and he said, they went up and got him out and that he was removed a few weeks before that too. They had to counsel with lawyers, to find out what to do with a homeless person, living in the shelters.
The rain let up and I was gone, but that was just the first band of the storm. The events, that occurred after that, were incredible, this will be the third biggest storm I was in during my hike, it sure was a season for storms and tornados. The winds, heavy rain, hail and thunder once again, unbelievable. Trees were being uprooted, snapping into and falling everywhere. I had to step off trail, the water ran down the trail like a river and I shot a video of it for my youtube channel.
When I got to the Russell Field Shelter, it was still early, two men from Atlanta Georgia where settling down there for the day. They were out for the weekend and this will be their last night out. We talked for a while, they were very nice, I like them very much so. They loved to hear my stories of my hike, the storms, the crazy’s…. hikers where coming by from the north, talking about the guy with the ski-mask, they had heard from other hikers north bound, I thought it was funny, the hikers, that told me about the water, never mentioned him.
The traffic south bound talked about a backpacking guide from REI, that would tell all the hikers, that stayed in “Her Shelter” for the night up the trail what to do, where to cook, where to sleep and where to hang there packs, she was even giving my dear sweet friend Susan a hard time about where she can cook. Susan argued with her, that she came from Springer Mountain, and that she has been backpacking for many years, and she will not tell her what to do. It hurt me to hear such things, its always about power and control, humans trying to force their will on others.
She was some kind of “Hiker Nazi”, cutting all the dangly bits of rope that people hung their packs on, really, they were in every shelter, I have seen during my entire hike. I wanted to hike on, it was still early and I could have made it to Spence Field Shelter like I had planned. The news was, that the REI guide was there with her party and my new friends begged me to stay with them. Why put yourself through the stress of having her around me like that. Relax here with us, we love to hear your stories…. Oh yes, I was a story teller my whole life, since childhood I could spin a good yarn….. it’s a gift.
Although it was probably a good call, I did stay, but I had no idea that it was a Saturday and the shelter was filling up fast. I took a spot on the upper left side with my back to the wall.
That night I woke up, packed close with so many people. I couldn’t breathe, I was having a panic attack. I sat up for a bit and then went for a walk. It always took me some time to put weight on my feet when I first get up, my feet where chronically sore the whole time I was on trail, and I had to move my feet a bit every morning so I could walk, hiker hobble they call it.
I’m sure the people, that were awake, when I had my episode during the night, were shocked; I knew I would have trouble sleeping in the packed shelters here in the Smokey’s.
The next day I was up and out early, said my goodbyes to my new friends, who were going down to their car and back home. They gave me some of their extra food, some fancy backpacking meals. I hiked to Derrick Knob Shelter, where a group of volunteers were camped, doing trail maintenance.
I tell you, if they didn’t maintain the trail like they do, nature would claim it back in a year or two, that’s it….
It was fun sitting with all the young people, talking about Religion and Politics, two of my favorite subjects. There was a photo-journalist there writing a story about trail maintenance.
It was love at first sight…… he was in the Navy and loved to call me Jar-head, affectionately of course…… and I referred to him as Squidly…….
They all stayed in their tents and with the weekend over it wasn’t too crowded.
I loved their youthful energy, they had a fire going all the time, cutting and splitting wood, gave me a chance to dry my boots or make them not as wet. Most of the kids were taking a break from their studies in the universities. The young women were quite attractive and it was fun watching them all jockeying for position, guided by their hormones running wild.
In the evening we sat around the fire and talked, I’m sure it was me, that started the conversation about religion and politics and how closely they are related. It’s all about power and control, I said.
Separatism is the major flaw in human development, we are so busy discounting everyone’s believes, that we are missing the big picture. Religion has killed more people than all the plagues; I think religion caused some of the plagues. Then the social class system of the rich and poor, money is the cause of all evil the in world. We should do away with it, its all a big lie anyway. Our monetary system is flawed by corruption; they have juggled the numbers for so long, it was just a matter of time when it would all come crashing down like a house of cards. We went back and forth through the night in interesting debate.
Before the emergence of the big three monotheistic religions Judaism, Islam and Christianity, there was no “Gender Assignment” for a god, in fact men and women were equally represented with gods and goddesses and a balance of power was achieved, men and women were equal.
What if, way after the death of Jesus and Christianity became legal and rose to power in Europe, with The Church” in their struggle for power made an allegiance with the monarchy to control and rule over the people. What a head trip to say “ you better be good for goodness sake” or you will spend eternity burning in hell. Anyone, who has ever had a bad burn, knows, its an endless pain to be burned, many hours and days even after the burn it still feels like your burning. What a brilliant physiological torture to impose on the masses to keep them in line.
What if, they could cut half of the population right out, by making women second class citizens with no say so what so ever. If Eve, beguiled by the serpent, went against god and ate from the tree of wisdom, ruining mans great life in paradise, then she was maid to serve man as a punishment. It sounds like a lie to enslave half of the population.
Who ever said, god was a he anyway, I bet it was a man. I bet a man wrote the book of genesis too, just that in itself needs to be addressed, the serpent was a pagan goddess deity, how coincidental is that. I think, if Jesus was alive in the here and now, he would be very upset how his good work has been tarnished for the sake of power and control.
Women have been victimized and still are all over the world in places like China, Japan, Africa.
In China they have a astrological calander and the Chinese Zodiac here women born under the sign “Fire horse Women“ In Japan it’s called Hinoeuma
Fire Horse women are called dangerous, headstrong, and are seen as deadly to men. This may sound quaint to western ears, but the 1906 Japanese women were subjected to poverty and starvation because they could not marry. According to the Chinese Zodiac, girls who were born in the year of the horse were said to be stubborn and short tempered.
Fire Horses are seen as outgoing, people-loving, ambitious, rebellious, and independent. They are supposedly freedom-loving and impossible to contain.
While ambition and independence are prized as ingredients for success nowadays, they were never seen as ideal female qualities. The proper woman was seen as submissive, quiet, and dependent, not rebellious and strong. This prejudice against fire horse women kept the 1906 women wracked by poverty in Japan, since no one would risk marrying a woman with these qualities. Now over 90 years old, many of the surviving hinoeuma women are poor and homeless.
Out spoken women in Europe were taken care of by saying they were witches in league with the devil and simply murdered in the name of Christ. Thousands of women were hiked this way, in the New World too.
It wasn’t long ago, when women couldn’t vote in this great country. Women in Europe and in America around the middle to late 1800’s started to protest, woman like writer and poet Renee Vivien from Paris France will always be rememberd as one of the “First Wave Feminist” and many others too,
Separatism….. we have to stop the insanity of this odious behavior, inherent in all of us, if we wish to evolve into better human beings, after all we are from the same “Human Family”
We have lived in tyranny long enough and people will rise up around the world and say we will not take this anymore.
Everyone stood and cheered, I love young people, they are willing to see things in a different light not afraid of change, unlike us old folks, well that’s a different story. The passion of my thoughts exhausted me and I said good night.
Kitea, thinking of all that was said, lay in the woods, unable to sleep all night. She said, his great burden never was about his pack weight, it’s what’s in his head. He sees the world as one, united in a common good for the entire world to share equally. The end of separatism and equality for all…..how great life could be for all…
Feeling quite well and rested, my boots and socks were the driest they have been in a few days I hit the trail. Silers Bald was covered in fog, hiking the trail reminded of being in a rain forest all morning the fog and mist would rise to the heavens, in the afternoon it would come down again as rain everyday after day….
As I got close to the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail Clingmans Dome, I got lost again. The trail got tight along a ridge, then widened but started to go down, it didn’t feel right but I followed for a little bit then turned around. I went back to where a sign was and saw a white blaze up on a rock cliff, it was a bit of a scramble then the trail leveled out on a beautiful ridge. I loved to hike the ridges, you could see very well where you were going… you could see for miles and miles, it truly my favorite hiking. The bad part was, if you were up on a ridge when a storm came in the lightning was very dangerous
You were so exposed; I was caught up on a ridge twice and hiked very fast to drop down for shelter. The trail got tricky close to the Dome and I slowed not to miss the trail.
Getting low on water but not wanting to go off trail to the Dome I pressed on not sure where I would find water. It was getting quite late when I arrived at the Mt. Collins Shelter and water. Two guys both named Dave and heading in opposite directions had a fire going when I approached the shelter. The north bound Dave and I talked a bit in the morning; I had hiked 13 miles the day before, climbed the highest peak on the AT and was so tired when I made it to camp the night before. Every night my feet were so sore and I was so tired, having to setup camp and make supper, gathering wet wood for my Zip-stove I took my time in the mornings enjoying my coffee rested and could really relax and take it all in.
South bound Dave was up a gone early, while north bound Dave was on his final day.
He was getting off trail at Newfound Gap heading down to Gatlinburg and home to Florida his journey ended. We hiked together for a bit, the smells in the conifer forest were incredible, very sweet and spicy like cinnamon, gorgeous and the shades of green with all the moss covered rocks and fallen trees were on of my fondest memories.
Dave talked about the town below and I decided to go down to Gatlinburg for pizza and cheeseburgers.
Kitea following closely as she always had since she found Puma thought what a great opportunity she had to go home and see her Grandmother Capote. Puma didn’t plan to stop in Gatlinburg and it wasn’t a thought for her but now she was excited to talk to grandmother about him and read the smoke and her dreams.
Newfound Gap was right in-between Gatlinburg and Cherokee town and Reservation.
She figured it’s only 30 miles away, Puma will probably stay for two days, she could catch-up with him on the trail by picking up his scent.
When I got close to the Gap I could hear the traffic first, then I got to the road and could see it was an overlook across the road. Tired, wet, hungry for a proper meal, I smelt like a wild animal I thought as I crossed the highway to the parking lot full of people. They had all pulled over to rest and take photos of the mountain views. When some people saw me coming I was swarmed by them, like I was some kind of celebrity or something. A man came up to me by the restrooms asking about my hike, then asked if we could pray.
I said sure, I love all good people and respect everyone’s right to worship in there own way. He asked Jesus to watch over me, protect me while on my journey as we held hands
and tears fell from my eyes it was so beautiful. A man asked if I would like some granola bars I said sure. People came up to me so curious and full of love, wanting to have their photo taken with me.
Four beautifully stout southern black women came up to me in their Sunday dresses and hats with very colorful flower prints. They just dazzled me, they were so beautiful and smelt so nice, touching me, hugging me and kissing me on my cheeks. I went to apologized, for I smelt so badly, one of the women whispered in my ear you don’t smell so bad. I did change my shirt to my camp shirt to get ready to hitch hike a ride to town.
Their husbands where taking photos of the spectacle or I think one was making a video,
when one of the women asked if she could go and hike with me. I said to her,
baby I will cook for you every night……. If you will carry my backpack.
Her husband looked away from the viewfinder of his camera and at me winking and smiling at me, it was truly a beautiful experience. Newfound Gap was like a melting pot of tourist, it was like the whole world was being represented.
Even the bikers, both the men and the women looked my way in appreciation.
Bikers and I are very similar in a way, we are a bit standoffish, loners and rebels, if you ever met me in person I have a look
about me that is somewhat threatening and somewhat loving, people can feel me and I can feel them without ever saying a word….it’s a gift
Perhaps because I’m so sensitive….
Or maybe when I was electrocuted by 5,000 volts at work one day…
Or when I was shot….
Or when I was stabbed…..
Or when I was bitten by a rattlesnake as a child…..
Or maybe when I was struck by lightning….
I feel much differently since I was hit by lightning, it scrambled my brain
Sometimes things get so mixed-up in my head and random thoughts
bounce around like electrons, neutrons and protons in a pattern like a spider web
all connecting, yet random like the cosmos.
Whatever it is……
People can feel me when I write too…..
I write with my soul…..
Rapsons L592RST, was, if I recall rightly, the first Premiere 350 bought new by the company, for their extending National Express commitments following SBG privatisation, (when those fleets were consolidating their position and withdrawing or reducing their express coach contributions).
Plaxton and Nat. Ex had launched the Expressliner concept a few years previously on Paramount 3500 bodied B10Ms. the concept was a standard interior layout and appearance across their contractor's fleets. With the cessation of the Paramount and launch of the Premiere the Expressliner II was launched. There was a relaxing of specifications in that Van Hools (on Volvo, DAF or Scania chassis) and Bovas could also be specified, but the interior layout and appearance was consistent. 49 seats, rear floor mounted toilet (ie not sunken), 46 seats if it was Rapide coach with a galley.
L592RST, although badged as an Expressliner, wasn't really one. You can just see it has the beige poles and a brown interior that many Premieres of this age had (rather than the standard Expressliner NE moquette featuring the double N logo), and the destination screen is smaller than Expressliner standard. it was to the right interior config. however. Several that followed this into the Rapsons fleet however, were to the full spec.
It is seen here in Hamilton bus station in 1994 on an Inverness-London working.
PLEASE DO NOT COPY, SHARE OR POST MY PICTURES ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Although the performance increases of jet-powered aircraft introduced towards the end of World War II over their piston-powered ancestors were breathtaking, there were those at the time who believed that much more was possible. As far back as 1943, the British Ministry of Aircraft Production had issued a specification designated "E.24/43" for a supersonic experimental jet aircraft that would be able to achieve 1,600 KPH (1,000 MPH).
Beginning in 1946, a design team at English Electric (EE) under W.E.W. "Teddy" Petter began design studies for a supersonic fighter, leading to award of a Ministry of Supply (MoS) contract in 1947 under specification "ER.103" for a design study on an experimental aircraft that could achieve Mach 1.2.
The MoS liked the EE concepts, and in early 1949 awarded the company a contract under specification "F.23/49" for two flying prototypes and one ground-test prototype of the "P.1".
The P.1 was defined as a supersonic research aircraft, though the design had provisions for armament and a radar gunsight. It incorporate advanced and unusual design features, such as twin turbojet engines mounted one above the other to reduce aircraft frontal area; and strongly swept wings, with the wingtip edges at a right angle to the fuselage, giving a wing configuration like that of a delta wing with the rear inner corners cut out. The aircraft featured an elliptical intake in the nose.
The P.1's performance was so outstanding that the decision was quickly made to proceed on an operational version that would be capable of Mach 2. In fact, the second P.1 prototype featured items such as a bulged belly tank and fit of twin Aden Mark 4 30 millimeter revolver-type cannon, bringing it closer to operational specification.
Orders were placed for three "P.1B" prototypes for a production interceptor and the original P.1 was retroactively designated "P.1A". The P.1B featured twin Rolls-Royce Avon afterburning engines and a larger tailfin. An airborne intercept (AI) radar was carried in the air intake shock cone, which was changed from elliptical to circular. The cockpit was raised for a better field of view and the P.1B was armed with two Aden cannon in the upper nose, plus a pack under the cockpit that could either support two De Havilland Blue Jay (later Firestreak) heat-seeking AAMs or 44 Microcell 5 centimeter (2 inch) unguided rockets.
The initial P.1B prototype performed its first flight on 4 April 1957 and the type entered RAF service as EE Lightning F.1. RAF Number 74 Squadron at Coltishall was the first full service unit, with the pilots acquiring familiarization with the type during late 1960 and the squadron declared operational in 1961.
However, while the Lightning was developed further into more and more advanced versions. Its concept was also the basis for another research aircraft that would also be developed into a high performance interceptor: the P.6/1, which later became the “Levin” fighter.
P.6 encompassed a total of four different layouts for a Mach 2+ research aircraft, tendering to ER.134T from 1952. P.6/1 was the most conservative design and it relied heavily on existing (and already proven) P.1 Lightning components, primarily the aerodynamic surfaces. The most obvious difference was a new fuselage of circular diameter, housing a single Rolls Royce RB.106 engine.
The RB.106 was a two-shaft design with two axial flow compressors each driven by its own single stage turbine and reheat. It was of similar size to the Rolls-Royce Avon, but it produced about twice the thrust at 21,750 lbf (96.7 kN) in the initial version. The two-shaft layout was relatively advanced for the era; the single-shaft de Havilland Gyron matched it in power terms, while the two-spool Bristol Olympus was much less powerful at the then-current state of development. Apart from being expected to power other British aircraft such as those competing for Operational Requirement F.155, it was also selected to be the powerplant for the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow and led to the Orenda Iroquois engine, which even reach 30.000 lbf (130 kN).
The P.6/1 was eventually chosen by the MoS for further development because it was regarded as the least risky and costly alternative. Beyond its test bed role for the RB.106 the P.6/1 was also seen as a potential basis for a supersonic strategic air-to-ground missile (similar to the massive Soviet AS-3 ‘Kangaroo’ cruise missile) and the starting point for an operational interceptor that would be less complex than the Lightning, but with a comparable if not improved performance but a better range.
In 1955 English Electric received a go ahead for two P.6/1 research aircraft prototypes. Despite a superficial similarity to the Lightning, the P.6/1’s internal structure was very different. The air duct, for instance, was bifurcated and led around on both sides of the cockpit tub and the front wheel well instead of below it. Further down, the duct ran below the wing main spar and directly fed the RB.106.
The rear fuselage was area-ruled, the main landing gear retracted, just like the Lightning’s, outwards into the wings, while the front wheel retracted backwards into a well that was placed further aft than on the Lightning. The upper fuselage behind the main wings spar carried fuel tanks, more fuel was carried in wing tanks.
Both research machines were ready in 1958 and immediately started with aerodynamic and material tests for the MoS, reaching top speeds of Mach 2.5 and altitudes of 60.000 ft. and more.
In parallel, work on the fighter version, now called “Levin”, had started. The airframe was basically the same as the P.6/1’s. Biggest visible changes were a wider air intake with a bigger central shock cone (primarily for a radar dish), a shorter afterburner section and an enlarged fin with area increased by 15% that had become necessary in order to compensate instability through the new nose layout and the potential carriage of external ordnance, esp. under the fuselage. This bigger fin was taken over to the Lightning F.3 that also initially suffered from longitudal instability due to the new Red Top missiles.
The Levin carried armament and avionics similar to the Lightning, including the Ferranti-developed AI.23 monopulse radar. The aircraft was to be fully integrated into a new automatic intercept system developed by Ferranti, Elliot, and BAC. It would have turned the fighters into something like a "manned missile" and greatly simplified intercepts.
Anyway, the Levin’s weapon arrangement was slightly different from the Lightning: the Levin’s armament comprised theoretically a mix of up to four 30mm Aden cannons and/or up to four of the new Red Top AAMs, or alternatively the older Firestreak. The guns were mounted in the upper nose flanks (similar to the early Lightning arrangement, but set further back), right under the cockpit hatch, while a pair of AAMs was carried on wing tip launch rails. Two more AAMs could be carried on pylons under the lower front fuselage, similar to the Lightning’s standard configuration, even though there was no interchangeable module. Since this four-missile arrangement would not allow any cannon to be carried anymore and caused excessive drag, the typical payload was limited to two Aden cannons and the single pair of wing-tip missiles.
Despite its proven Lightning ancestry, the development of the Levin went through various troubles. While the RB.106 worked fine in the research P.6/1, it took until 1962 that a fully reliable variant for the interceptor could be cleared for service. Meanwhile the Lightning had already evolved into the F.3 variant and political discussions circled around the end of manned military aircraft. To make matters even worse, the RAF refused to buy the completely automatic intercept system, despite the fact that it had been fully engineered at a cost of 1.4 million pounds and trialed in one of the P.1Bs.
Eventually, the Levin F.1 finally entered service in 1964, together with the Lightning F.3. While the Lightning was rather seen as a point defense interceptor, due to the type’s limited range: If a Lightning F.3 missed its target on its first pass, it almost never had enough fuel to make a second attempt without topping off from a tanker, which would give an intruder plenty of time to get to its target and then depart… The Lightning’s flight endurance was less than 2 hours (in the F.2A, other variants even less), and it was hoped that the Levin had more potential through a longer range. Anyway, in service, the Levin’s range in clean configuration was only about 8% better than the Lightning’s. The Levin F.1’s flight endurance was about 2 ½ hours – an improvement, but not as substantial as expected.
In order to improve the range on both fighters, English Electric developed a new, stiffened wing for the carriage of a pair of jettisonable overwing ferry tanks with a capacity of 1,182 liters (312 US gallons / 260 Imperial gallons, so-called “Overburgers”). The new wing also featured a kinked leading edge, providing better low-speed handling. From mid 1965 onwards, all Levins were directly produced in this F.2 standard, and during regular overhauls the simpler F.1 machines were successively updated. The Lightning introduced the kinked wing with the F.3A variant and it was later introduced with the F.2A and F.6A variants.
Levin production comprised 21 original F.1 airframes, plus 34 F.2 fighters, and production was stopped in 1967. A trainer version was not produced, the Lightning trainers were deemed sufficient for conversion since the Levin and the Lightning shared similar handling characteristics.
The Levin served only with RAF 29 and 65 Squadron, the latter re-instated in 1970 as a dedicated fighter squadron. When in November 1984 the Tornado squadrons began to form, the Levin was gradually phased out and replaced until April 1987 by the Tornado F.3.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length w/o pitot: 51 ft 5 in (15,70 m), 55 ft 8 in (16.99 m) overall
Wingspan incl. wingtip launch rails: 34 ft 9 in (10.54 m)
Height: 19 ft 7 in (5.97 m)
Wing area: 474.5 ft² (44.08 m²)
Empty weight: 8937 kg (lb)
Loaded weight: 13,570 kg (29,915)
Max. takeoff weight: 15,210 kg (33,530 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Rolls-Royce RB.106-10S afterburning turbojet,
rated at 20,000 lbf (89 kN) dry and 26,000 lbf (116 kN) with afterburning
Performance:
Maximum speed:
- 1,150 km/h (620 kn, 715 mph, Mach 0.94) at sea level
- 2,230 km/h (1.202 kn, 1,386 mph, Mach 2.1;), clean with 2× Red Top AAMs at high altitude
- Mach 2.4 absolute top speed in clean configuration at 50.000 ft.
Range: 1,650 km (890 nmi, 1,025 mi) on internal fuel
Combat radius: 500 km (312 mi); clean, with a pair of wing tip Red Top AAMs
Ferry range: 1,270 mi (1.100 NM/ 2.040 km) with overwing tanks
Service ceiling: 16,760 m (55,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 136.7 m/s (27,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 76 lb/ft² (370 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.78
Takeoff roll: 950 m (3,120 ft)
Landing roll: 700 m (2,300 ft)
Armament:
2× 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannons with 120 RPG in the upper front fuselage
2× wing tip hardpoints for mounting air-to-air missiles (2 Red Top of Firestreak AAMs)
2× overwing pylon stations for 260 gal ferry tanks
Optional, but rarely used: 2× hardpoints under the front fuselage for mounting air-to-air missiles
(2 Red Top of Firestreak AAMs)
The kit and its assembly:
Another contribution to the Cold War GB at whatifmodelers.com, and the realization of a project I had on the agenda for long. The EE P.6/1 was a real project for a Mach 2+ research aircraft, as described above, but it never went off the drawing board. Its engine, the RB.106, also never saw the light of day, even though its later career as the Canadian Orenda Iroquois for the stillborn CF-105.
Building this aircraft as a model appears simple, because it’s a classic Lightning (actually a F.1 with the un-kinked wing and the small fin), just with a single engine and a rather tubular fuselage. But creating this is not easy at all…
I did not want to replicate the original P.6/1, but rather a service aircraft based on the research aircraft. Therefore I used parts from a Lightning F.6 (a vintage NOVO/Frog kit). For the fuselage I settled for a Su-17, from a MasterCraft kit. The kit’s selling point was its small price tag and the fuselage construction: the VG mechanism is hidden under a separate spine piece, and I wanted to transplant the Lightning’s spine and cockpit frame, so I thought that this would make things easier.
Nope.
Putting the parts from the VERY different kits/aircraft together was a major surgery feat, with several multiple PSR sessions on the fuselage, the air intake section (opened and fitted with both an internal splitter and a bulkhead to the cockpit section), the wings, the stabilizers, the fin… This model deserves the title “kitbash” like no other, because no major sections had ever been intended to be glued together, and in the intended position!
The landing gear was more or less taken OOB, but the main struts had to be elongated by 2mm – somehow the model turned out to be a low-riding tail sitter! The cockpit interior was improvised, too, consisting of a Su-17 cockpit tub, a scratched dashboard and a Martin Baker ejection seat from an Italeri Bae Hawk trainer.
Since most of the fuselage surface consists of various materials (styrene and two kinds of putty), I did not dare to engrave panel lines – after all the PSR work almost any surface detail was gone. I rather went for a graphic solution (see below). Some antennae and air scoops were added, though.
The overwing tanks come OOB from the NOVO kit, as well as the Red Top missiles, which ended up on improvised wing tip launch rails, based on design sketches for Lightning derivatives with this layout.
Colors and markings:
There are several “classic” RAF options, but I settled for a low-viz Eighties livery taken from BAC Lightnings. There’s a surprising variety of styles, and my version is a mix of several real world aircraft.
I settled for Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces (Modelmaster Authentic) with a high waterline, a fuselage completely in Medium Sea Grey (Humbrol 165 – had to be applied twice because the first tin I used was obviously old and the paint ended up in a tone not unlike PRU Blue!) and Light aircraft Grey underwing surfaces (Humbrol 166). The leading edges under the wings are Dark Sea Grey, too.
The cockpit interior was painted in dark grey (Humbrol 32 with some dry-brushing), while the landing gear is Aluminum (Humbrol 56).
Once the basic painting was done I had to deal with the missing panel lines on the fuselage and those raised lines that were sanded away during the building process. I decided to simulate these with a soft pencil, after the whole kit was buffed with a soft cotton cloth and some grinded graphite. This way, the remaining raised panel lines were emphasized, and from these the rest was drawn up. A ruler and masking tape were used as guidance for straight lines, and this worked better than expected, with good results.
As a next step, the newly created panels were highlighted with dry-brushed lighter tones of the basic paints (FS 36492 and WWII Italian Blue Grey from Modelmaster, and Humbrol 126), more for a dramatic than a weathered effect. The gun ports and the exhaust section were painted with Modelmaster Metallizer (Titanium and Magnesium).
The decals come from several Xtradecal aftermarket sheets, including a dedicated Lightning stencils sheet, another Lightning sheet with various squadron markings and a sheet for RAF Tornado ADVs.
The code number “XS970” was earmarked to a TSR.2, AFAIK, but since it was never used on a service aircraft it would be a good option for the Levin.
The kit received a coat of matt acrylic varnish from the rattle can – jn this case the finish was intended to bear a slight shine.
This was a project with LOTS of effort, but you hardly recognize it – it’s a single engine Lightning, so what? But welding the Lightning and Su-17 parts together for something that comes close to the P.6/1 necessitated LOTS of body work and improvisation, carving it from wood would probably have been the next complicated option. Except for the surprisingly long tail I am very happy with the result, despite the model’s shaggy origins, and the low-viz livery suits the sleek aircraft IMHO very well.