This guy's been my friend for almost two decades. He's as reliable as friends get.

Random Casual DJI M3P Drone Testing 360x360° Selfie Indoors Saturday Night With GSDs- IMRAN™

DJI is a strange company. They have really been the Apple Inc. of the drone industry for consumers in terms of leading in design and product capabilities. But, even as they innovate with their products, the reliability of manufacturing and quality of customer experience is very poor.

EVERY single drone I have bought from DJI has had to go back for factory repair or replacement almost immediately after purchase. It has been very frustrating to buy products worth about $1500-2000 in total with batteries etc. and then finding out that the camera does not work from Day 1.

Then having to waste time and energy of getting an RMA, then driving to ship it off, then waiting for a repair to be done. It is also annoying not knowing if I will get my brand-new drone back or someone else's refurbished unit.

Waiting for the drone to be sent back, excitedly opening it, and THEN finding out that the repair was done but they pulled an internal cable off the frame. So, it had to be sent back a second time.

When it came back the second time, I did a test flight on a perfectly still, zero wind day on Tampa Bay. I found that it was now stitching terrible 360x360 panoramas. The horizon, various structures, and other elements were poorly aligned all over the image.

Their customer service people have been very helpful. However, the reliability of the product is terrible. They told me to do all kinds of resets and calibrations on the drone, and to reset everything, and format the SD card etc. So, I did all that.

To test the panorama stitching with absolutely zero wind, I had it take off inside the drawing room last night. As I said, zero wind, zero fan, zero AC, zero fireplace, zero sunlight, zero moonlight, zero movement in the room. And yet it did such a terrible job that I am sure I have to send it back to them a THIRD time. That is just atrocious customer experience, IMHO.

In the meantime, I decided to clean up the poor stitching enough to share this casual weekend late night scene with you all. My dogs did not even move but got chopped. You can see how I tried to clean up that poor stitching if you look closely at some of the things I did not bother with, e.g. the curtains, parts of the ceiling, etc.

DJI may be frustrating, but I am so grateful for everything else. Thanks for reading the story and letting me share a moment of my gratitude-filled and blessed life.

© 2024 IMRAN™

Great Rocks signal box houses one of the Tyer type of electric token machines for the single line to Buxton.

Fascinating Victorian pieces of kit that just keep going and going with few reliability problems.

Replica body built by Rod Jolley (1990s ?)

Chassis n° 12178/G10

Zoute Sale - Bonhams

Estimated : € 200.000 - 250.000

Sold for € 195.000

Zoute Grand Prix 2021

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2021

Having established its reputation by winning the Moscow - St Petersburg Reliability Trial of 1910 with a 30hp six, Lagonda concentrated mainly on the production of light cars before reverting to sporting and luxury models in the mid-1920s with the introduction of the 14/60. This four-cylinder, 2-litre model was joined in 1929 by the first of Lagonda's own sixes - the 3-Litre - but by the mid-1930s the Meadows-engined cars were seen as the way forward. Introduced at the 1933 Olympia Show and based on the preceding ZM 3-Litre model, the M45 deployed Meadows' 4½-litre, twin-plug six to good effect, saloons being capable of reaching 90mph and tourers the 'ton' under favourable conditions.

Shortly after the M45's introduction, The Autocar got its hands on one. "A short run on one of the first of the 4½-Litre Lagonda models, with an open four-seater body, left a vivid impression not only of brilliant acceleration and sheer performance, but of a car delightfully silent and easy running in a way that can be achieved to the fullest extent only by a big-engined machine working well inside its limits."

A team of three specially prepared short-chassis cars (effectively the soon-to-be-announced M45 Rapide) prepared by Lagonda main agents Fox & Nicholls performed creditably at the 1934 RAC Tourist Trophy at Ards, and the following year one of these TT cars driven by John Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes won the Le Mans 24-Hour endurance classic outright.

Under W O Bentley's technical direction the big Lagonda became more refined: the M45's successor - the LG45 - gaining synchromesh gears, flexible engine mounts and centralised chassis lubrication among many other improvements. Endowed with such an impeccable pedigree, the 4½-Litre Lagonda quickly established itself as a favourite among the wealthy sporting motorists of its day.

In its road test published on 10th April 1936, The Autocar declared: "The 4½-Litre has always given a fine performance; in its latest form it provides all the performance that anyone can reasonably require, and at the same time has been silenced, smoothed out and made a much more comfortable car, so that in comparison with the earlier versions it is hardly recognisable on first driving it. It can only be said that the appeal of the car has been considerably widened, for the people who today set great store by noise and a harsh suspension are greatly outnumbered by those to whom refinement in a fast car is far more desirable."

One of only 278 LG45s produced during 1936/37, this example was originally fitted with a Saloon de Ville body. According to information supplied by the Lagonda Owner's Club the car's first owner was a Mr Jennings in Truro, Cornwall. The car subsequently passed through two further Cornish owners before being discovered in 1994 by Ivan Forshaw as restoration project. A faithful replica of the famed Rapide body was commissioned from noted restorer Rod Jolley who produced a beautiful and accurate reproduction. The car is fitted with an M45 engine from early 1934. Chassis 12178 has belonged to the current vendor since July 2006 and comes with an old-style UK V5C Registration Certificate for the registration number 'DLP 936'. During his ownership the car has been maintained by renowned Lagonda specialists LMB Racing in Belgium and regularly serviced by a local specialist in Cagnes. The car has completed rallies and tours across France, Portugal, and Sicily. The Lagonda is currently registered in France and has a valid French Contrôle Technique.

A helicopter threads a lead line to a monopole that will eventually carry new transmission lines.

+++ 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 Helwan Aircraft HA-410 (Arabic: حلوان ٤‎٠٠‎) was an indigenous supersonic jet fighter aircraft developed in Egypt during the late 1960s. Its design took place in the wake of the less successful lightweight HA-300 interceptor, designed by famous German aircraft engineer Willy Messerschmitt. Like its smaller stable mate, the HA-410 was an ambitious project for Egypt, at the time seeking to expand both its aerial civilian and defence industry.

The last examples were withdrawn from service in 1988 and consequently scrapped, being replaced by Su-20/22 and F-16.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length (fuselage only): 50 ft. 8 in (15.48m),

Length incl. pitot: 57 ft 8½ in (17.57 m)

Wingspan: 28 ft 7¼ in (8.71 m)

Wing area: 394 ft² (36.6 m²)

Wing loading: 77.4 lb/ft² (379 kg/m²)

Height: 16 ft 9 in (5.11 m)

Empty weight: 21,000 lb (9,500 kg)

Loaded weight: 28,847 lb (13,085 kg)

Powerplant:

1× Lyulka AL-7F-1 turbojet with 66.6 kN (14,980 lbs) of dry thrust of and 94.1 kN (22,150 lbs) with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1.025 mph (895 knots/1.650 km/h/Mach 1.52) at 36,000 ft (11,000 m)

Cruise speed: 570 mph (495 knots/915 km/h)

Service ceiling: 59.000 ft (18.000 m)

Range: 1.580 km (981 miles)

Ferry range: 3.200 km (2.000 mi) with drop tanks

Rate of climb: 31,950 ft/min (162.3 m/s)

Armament:

2× 30 mm Nudelmann-Richter NR-30 cannons (120 rounds per gun) in the lower front fuselage.

Seven hardpoints (3× under-fuselage, 4× under-wing, outer pair “wet” for drop tanks) for a total of 7,040 lbs (3,190 kg) of ordnance, including drop tanks, unguided missiles, iron bombs, napalm tanks and K-13 AAMs.

The kit and its assembly

If you recognize what’s behind the fictional HA-410, you are well-informed about aircraft history indeed! Believe it or not, this model was derived from a real-life, Cold War era cruise missile! Sick idea? Maybe, but a nice challenge!

The HA-410 is actually a Raduga/OKB MiG Kh-20M (AS-3 “Kangaroo”) nuclear warhead missile, which had been developed from the unsuccessful MiG I-7 jet fighter from the late 50ies. The mighty Kh-20 had exclusively been carried by Tu-95K (“Bear B”) bombers until the late 70ies. The basis for this model is A Model’s 1:72 scale Kh-20M kit, which includes the massive ground handling trolley for this huge weapon - the kit is about 21cm long!

I had hoped that just changing the vertical fin would be enough, but all wing areas are much too small for a plane that actually takes off of the ground by its own power. At first I considered wings from an A-7 and the tail fin of an F-16, but when I recently was given a Su-15 from PM Models from a friend – a rather crude and basic kit – I just found what I needed to create a complete aircraft.

Bashing both kits was an efficient solution, since the Su-15 not only provided wings and stabilizer parts, but also a complete landing gear with wells, as well as a clear canopy that would fit well onto the bare Kh-20M. As a side note, I decided to attribute this plane to Helwan Aircraft as a kind of tribute - calling it a MiG or Suchoj design would have been too obvious, and using Egypt as part of the whif game made the contsruction of the background easier.

But back to the subject: Biggest challenge was to outfit the bulgy missile with anything an operational, manned aircraft would need: a cockpit plus canopy, a complete landing gear including their respective wells, and accessories like weapon hardpoints.

Any such “extras” were collected from the scrap box:

● All tail areas come from the PM Model Su-15

● Wings and lower fuselage also come from the Su-15, but had to be modified (see below)

● Main landing gear struts and wheels were taken 100% from the PM Su-15, too

● The double front wheel was also taken from the Su-15, the well is from an Italeri IAI Kfir

● Cockpit canopy comes from the Su-15

● Cockpit tub is also a part of an Italeri Kfir, with some extensions

● The dashboard comes from a Heller Alpha Jet

● Not certain where the seat comes from, the pilot figure is from a vintage Matchbox kit

● All weapon hardpoints come from the scrap box

● Ordnance is a collection of spare parts:

- Drop tanks come from a KP Su-25 kit

- Bombs are modified Matchbox 1.000 lbs bombs, with clipped fins and an added balistic rings

Lots of work, despite the plane’s rather simple look. Especially the integration of the lower fuselage was a tough job, since it is one piece with the wings. Not only the part's width had to be trimmed, stability also had to be guaranteed, and fitting this part with a square diameter into the circular Kh-20M's body was not a simple task! had to fit a basically square part into the round Kh-20 fuselage… But the result looks IMHO good.

Many surface details like air scoops, antennae, the two guns and weapon stations were added, and the Su-15 canopy needed a matching fairing on the Kh-20's hull, which was built with polystyrene strips.

Painting

I settled for an indigenous Egyptian camouflage paint scheme for the HA-410, which is called "Nile" or “Nile Valley”. This scheme has been used by the EAF on various planes like MiG-17 and -21, as well as Su-7, -17/20 and even Tu-16 bombers. With its wavy lines and strong color contrast, "nile Valley" is very unique and attractive, IMHO, and even authentic for the model’s era. There seems to be no defined pattern or even color paradigm, just that sand is involved, a dark contrast color which ranges from dark brown to drak grey, and a demarkation line between these colors which ranges from light green through slate grey to blue-grey. AFAIK, any available paint was used in Egypt, even car paint, so choice of color is a true 'free for all'.

The basic colours I chose are Humbrol 74 (Linen), 78 (Cockpit Green) and 98 (Chocolate), but that was only the beginning. Some layers of dry painting with lighter shades like Humbrol 103 (Cream), 121 (Light Sand) and 71 (Beige), RLM 02 on the green areas and a mix of 98 and 64 as well as pure 168 (Hemp) on the brown areas, lightened everything up. Lower sides were painted in Humbrol 65, a light blue with a greenish hue, and treated with FS 36320. Overall, the kit received a light black ink wash and a weathering touch with dry-brushed light grey (Humbrol 64) and Hemp (Humbrol 168).

EAF markings come from a vintage Matchbox MiG-21MF (PK-41). The arabic number comes from a Su-24 aftermarket decal sheets. Stencils and warning signs come from the vast OOB decal sheet for the Kh-20M.

Overall, the fictious HA-410 looks either like a fat MiG-21 or a short Su-7, but features details uncommon to both! Very Soviet, but unlike anything that rolled off of Cold War fabrication lines. Really subtle... o.-

Canon RP + Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH

Making the difference - Reliability. volvotrucksbrandstories.com

Maserati Merak. I'm not sure what's up with that mirror.

Cars and Coffee Irvine | 7/20/13

Operating the 1A87 Paignton to London Paddington 'Torbay Express' is Great Western Railway Class 43's, 43171 and 43177.

The Western Region was the first of the British Rail regions to introduce the Class 43 HST, and had also been the testing ground of the original Class 41 prototype back in the early 1970's. The first HST operations on the Western Region was carried out on the 4th October, 1976, but 125mph speeds could only be carried out on certain sections of the line, although by 1980 as many sections of 125mph running had been introduced as possible. Initially, services only ran between London Paddington, Oxford, Swindon, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff and Swansea, although in 1979 a full service was provided to the South West of England including Exeter, Paignton, Plymouth, Newquay and Penzance.

The introduction of the HST services absolutely revolutionised the route, with the fastest morning services from Plymouth to London taking just under 3 hours instead of the previous 5 to 6. Additionally, the HST's saw off many of the loco-hauled operations on this route, including the much-loved Class 52 'Western' diesel hydraulic locomotives. Class 50's from the West Coast Mainline began to take over on many loco-hauled services, but these were slowly pensioned off to other routes, and very soon services out of London Paddington were exclusively operated by HST's, although Class 47's soldiered on until about 2004.

The Western Region was also known for its large amounts of developments to the HST fleet. Originally, the Class 43's and their HST sets were powered by Paxman Valenta V12 engines that were also used in the Upholder/Victoria class submarines. These engines had 2,250hp at their disposal and could whisk the Class 43 powercars to their record breaking top speed of 148mph, although in routine operation these trains never went above 125mph. However, by the late 1980's it was apparent that the Valenta engines were starting to look their age, and a variety of alternatives were analysed.

For a period of 9 years, 43167 to 43170 were trialled with Mirrlees Blackstone MB190 engines, but proved an unsuccessful replacement for the Valenta's. In 1987, Paxman began development of an updated version of the Valenta dubbed the VP185. Trials began in 1991, and an agreement to commence installing these engines to members of the fleet was signed in 1993. A qualifying requirement for the trial was that the engine should undergo a British Rail Type Test which was carried out between December 1993 and February 1994. The test involved completion of 3,000 cycles, each of 10 minutes duration, with four minutes at the maximum power of 3,500hp and six minutes at idle, simulating the typical 'on-off' nature of IC125 duty. The successful results of the test cleared the way for installation of a VP185 in Power Car 43170 at Plymouth Laira Depot for in-service trials in the summer of 1994. Power car 43170 entered service on 22 September 1994, being named 'Edward Paxman' to commemorate the event.

During the late 1990's 25 HST power cars were re-engined with Paxman 12VP185L engines in order to improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions, but these engines have proved less reliable in service than hoped. However, the 12VP185L was introduced fleet-wide within the Australian XPT series, a small fleet of HST sets built for the CountryLink services of Australia.

The very last VP185 engine to be manufactured at Paxman's Colchester Works was despatched from the factory on 15th September, 2003, for duty with Midland Mainline. At the time Midland Mainline operated 18 of these powercars, whilst First Great Western operated 4.

On the 4th February, 1996, the Western Region became the first private franchise to operate following the privatisation of British Rail in 1994, this being under management of Great Western Trains, a subsidiary of the bus company Badgerline. HST powercars were outshopped in a very pleasing and striking Green and Ivory livery, which took us folks here in the South West by total surprise and admiration.

However, dark clouds arose with privatisation, the first being on the 19th September, 1997, at Southall, when a Bristol to London service hauled by 43173 smashed into a freight train after its defective Advanced Warning System (AWS) failed to register two amber and a red signal, with the result of 7 deaths and 139 injuries.

In March 1998, Badgerline was taken completely under the ownership of First Group, who promptly rebranded the franchise as of December the same year as First Great Western, revising the livery with a golden band that made the HST's look something like a Golden Virginia cigarette packet, being affectionately dubbed 'Fag Packet' livery. FGW's new ownership however was mired in yet another devastating crash, this time on October 5th, 1999, when a Thames Trains Class 165 overshot a red signal on its way out of London Paddington and smashed into the front of an approaching HST hauled by 43011 at Ladbroke Grove, resulting in the leading trailer of the 165 exploding and setting fire to the First Class carriages, with the result of 31 deaths and 523 injuries.

The most recent fatal crash of a First Great Western HST was on the 4th November, 2004, at Ufton Nervet, where 43018 operating an evening train to Paignton struck a car that had been deliberately parked on a Level Crossing caused by Brian Drysdale, a chef at the nearby Wokefield Park Hotel, committing suicide. Upon striking the car at 125mph, the HST essentially took-off and smashed down a few hundred yards down the line, killing 7 and injuring 71.

In 2005, First Great Western, in cooperation with leasing company Angel Trains and MTU of Germany, set about replacing the original Paxman Valenta engines of the 1970's with brand new MTU 16V 4000 engines, intending to extend the life of the HST's by another 20 years. Engine changes began with 43009 and 43004, together with a new livery that is currently worn today. Over the next two years, the Class 43's engines were replaced, the last three powercars, 43002, 43003 and 43034, making their final journeys under their original engines in December 2007.

Today the HST reliability and efficiency has been increased massively thanks to the new MTU engines, and First Great Western continues to carry out widespread operation of these plucky and powerful trains. The company has increased capacity with different Buffet cars, being reduced to Bar/Bistro's, and the conversion of many First Class trailers to Standard Class. In addition, as of September 21st, 2015, First Great Western underwent a major rebrand, taking a leaf from bygone days to change their entire image to the classic Great Western Railway prior to 1948's nationalisation. Sets are now being painted into Brunswick Green, interiors are being refreshed, and the First brand is being dropped from the name, replaced by what is now the new reimagining of the Great Western Railway.

However, time may be running short for HST's on the Great Western, as the new Class 800 Bi-Mode InterCity Express Programme intends to see these 39 year old trains retired by 2025. In the mean time, these services continue to be an integral part of the InterCity network to the South and West of London.

You know you can always rely on them...

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2016 Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf reliability

2016 Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf reliability – The business has stated it will not make...

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The inscription reads as follows:

President of the Royal Society

Chancellor of the University of Glasgow

following 53 years of service in the

chair of natural Philosophy

Pre-eminent in Elucidating

the laws of nature and in applying them

to the service of man

William Thomson Kelvin (26 June 1824 – 17 December 1907) was a mathematical physicist and engineer who was born in Belfast in 1824. At the University of Glasgow he did important work in the mathematical analysis of electricity and formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and did much to unify the emerging discipline of physics in its modern form. He worked closely with mathematics professor Hugh Blackburn in his work. He also had a career as an electric telegraph engineer and inventor, which propelled him into the public eye and ensured his wealth, fame and honour. For his work on the transatlantic telegraph project he was knighted in 1866 by Queen Victoria, becoming Sir William Thomson. He had extensive maritime interests and was most noted for his work on the mariner's compass, which previously had limited reliability.

Absolute temperatures are stated in units of kelvin in his honour. While the existence of a lower limit to temperature (absolute zero) was known prior to his work, Lord Kelvin is known for determining its correct value as approximately −273.15 degree Celsius or −459.67 degree Fahrenheit.

He was ennobled in 1892 in recognition of his achievements in thermodynamics, and of his opposition to Irish Home Rule, becoming Baron Kelvin, of Largs in the County of Ayr. He was the first British scientist to be elevated to the House of Lords. The title refers to the River Kelvin, which flows near his laboratory at the University of Glasgow. His home was the red sandstone mansion Netherhall, in Largs. Despite offers of elevated posts from several world-renowned universities, Kelvin refused to leave Glasgow, remaining professor of Natural Philosophy for over 50 years, until his eventual retirement from that post. The Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow has a permanent exhibition on the work of Lord Kelvin including many of his original papers, instruments, and other artifacts, such as his smoking pipe.

A helicopter pilot carefully threads a lead line through the middle of an H frame structure.

Well Used Doc Marten Boots - Taken March 2009

Making the difference - Reliability. volvotrucksbrandstories.com

“Pipe: a primary masculine symbol with authoritarian overtones but also indicative of reliability and contentment.”

-The Dictionary of Visual Language, 1980

A helicopter pilot carefully guides a lead line onto a pulley as one of the first steps in the transmission cable pulling process.

Reliability goes against the very fabric of the universe.

A helicopter pilot threads a lead line to a monopole that will eventually carry new transmission lines.

Two very early 20th Century British bicycle manufacturers are showcased here through the Elswick Cycles and Hopper Cycles badges. Both date to the 1920s and are wonderful examples of the 'signature' brand genre that was commonplace during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century period (my photostream exemplifies this through, for example, the Velocette, National Teas, Ford, Riley, Coca Cola, Castrol, Marconi and Pepsi Cola badges).

Stylistically, the cursive hand-written names on both badges subliminally reflect traits such as reliability, honesty and service- qualities that customers valued highly. The visual balance between the Elswick 'E' and Cycles 'C' is harmoniously rendered and additional embelishments from the 'k' and the underscoring of 'Cycles' gives the design an excellent sense of cohesiveness and style. Similarly, the descender strokes within the double 'p' of Hopper and the intersecting underscoring stroke creates a very neat and subtle 'H' for Hopper.

Elswick debuted in the 1890s as a bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer and showcased their product offerings at the Antwerp Exhibition as Elswick Cycle Co. of Newcastle. Between 1903 and 1913, Elswick focused more on motorcycle manufacturing and their earliest endeavours featured a bespoke bicycle frame that could accommodate a small, attachable engine in either 2hp or or 4hp V-twin engine formats. However, just before the outbreak of WW1 Elswick encountered financial difficulties, resulting in Frank Hopper & Co taking over the bankrupt business.

This gave way to the formation of the Elswick Hopper Cycle & Motor Co (1914) with a key decision taken to manufacture and market Elswick and Hopper under separate brands, using different dealerships to maximise market breadth and penetration. The badges shown here exemplify this marketing strategy as it highlights the Elswick and Hopper brand of cycles within the Elswick Hopper Company. Elswick & Hopper bicycles flourished during the 1920s and 1930s , building up a loyal customer base. The 'Hopper Cycle' was promoted as 'The Reliability Cycle' and early advertising focused on quality of materials and manufacture e.g. bearings were made from best quality Sheffield steel and characterised by high class plating and non-rusting enamel. Hopper Cycles also came with Dunlop tyres, large saddles, Bluemels reflectors and inflators. Elswick Cycles were promoted with the copy line 'Famous for Finish' and both marques became well known within the British and Commwealth cycling fraternities.

The Hopper story, like Elswick's began in the 19th Century through its founder Frank Hopper with his bicycle repair business based in Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire (1880). It wasn't long before F. Hopper & Co Ltd started to make bicycles with a workforce of 400 employees and by 1910, bicycle exports, particularly to the former British Empire, as well as the home market, were buoyant.

In the 1970s, Elswick Hopper plc began a period of expansion by acquiring both Wearwell Cycles and Falcon Cycles. By the 1980s, the company reorganised under its new name Elswick plc and the bicycle division was renamed as Falcon Cycles after its best selling sports model.

During the 1980s/90s the few remaining, well known British bicycle brands suffered as a result of cheaper imports from the Far East. Elswick plc was no exception to this trend and was sold to Ferguson International in 2000.

Photography, layout and design: Argy58

(This image also exists as a high resolution jpeg and tiff - ideal for a

variety of print sizes e.g. A4, A3, A2 and A1. The current uploaded

format is for screen based viewing only: 72pi)

2016 Nissan Navara NP300 reliability

2016 Nissan Navara NP300 reliability-Each of the 5 trim levels features a wealth of conventional devices, beginning with practical Visia trim, that includes 16in steel wheels,...

autobestcar.com/2016/03/2016-nissan-navara-np300-reliabil...

A helicopter works with transmission linemen in a bucket to install a new transmission line.

Making the difference - Reliability. volvotrucksbrandstories.com

A helicopter pilot works with transmission linemen in a bucket to install a new transmission line.

To help enhance service reliability for customers, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) is continuing construction work this summer and throughout the remainder of 2016 on distribution and transmission infrastructure projects totaling approximately $387 million in its northern and central New Jersey service areas.

"Any system that depends on reliability is unreliable"

-Anonymous

Robust, fast and reliable: Trakker is the ideal vehicle to work on any terrain. Learn more about its features on Iveco.

+++ 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 Messerschmitt Me 362 was a derivative of the jet-powered Me 262 Schwalbe or Sturmvogel (English: "Swallow"/ "Storm Bird") fighter aircraft that was to bridge the gap between advanced aerodynamics and the lack of sufficient production jet engines as well as their poor reliability and performance.

Pilots who were accustimed to the Me 262 found the Me 362 easier to handle, even though its delicate balance and poor ground clearance called for constant attention. Nevertheless, in the hands of experienced pilots the Me 362 proved to be a very effective interceptor that could outrun and -dive any Allied escort fighter that protected the bomber groups over Germany. But the little nimber of aircraft and the few skilled pilots that could man these machines had only little impact.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length overall: 10.33 m (34 ft 1/2 in)

Wingspan: 12.60 m (41 ft 6 in)

Height: 3.85 m (12 ft 7 1/2 in)

Wing area: 21.7 m² (234 ft²)

Empty weight: 3,250 kg (7,165 lb)

Loaded weight: 4,150 kg (9,149 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 4,413 kg (9,730 lb)

Aspect ratio: 7.32

Powerplant:

1× Daimler Benz DB 603G liquid-cooled, inverted V12 engine, rated at 1900 PS (1874 hp, 1397 kW) max. power at 2700 rpm at sea level and 1560 PS (1539 hp, 1147 kW) combat power at 2700 rpm at sea level

Performance:

Maximum speed: 765 km/h (474 mph)

Cruising speed: 665 km/h (413 mph; 359 kn)

Rate of climb: 3,180 ft/min (16.15 m/s)

Range: 1,100 km (684 mi; 594 nmi)

Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)

Armament:

4x 30mm MK108 cannon in the nose section with 80 RPG,

2x hardpoints under the forward fuselage, each able to carry up to 250kg (550lb), including bombs or 300l drop tanks (rarely used)

2x underwing hardpoints for two pairs of Bordrakete 21 unguided missiles or racks with a total of 24× 55 mm (2.2 in) R4M rockets

The kit and its assembly:

This fictional aircraft was inspired by the simple idea to retrograde the Me 262 jet fighter into a piston-engined 'Behelfsjäger' alternative. While considering options like wing-mounted nacelles I wondered if the triangular fuselage diameter could not be of use, and so the concept of a pusher aircraft was born - certainly inspired by the Do 335 and its tail construction.

Anyway, what sound simple took a lot of detail work and subsequent conversions:

#1 - Engine bay

While I wanted to implant a coupled engine like the DB606 I found it too big and heavy for a fighter, so a simple Daimler Benz V12 would have to suffice. But just sticking it behind the cockpit would not work - the center of gravity would move backwards considerably. Therefore I decided to move the cockpit forward, replacing the front tank behind the weapons bay, and then place the engine above the OOB main landing gear.

The fuselage was sliced up accoringly and the cockpit opening moved forward by ~0.5". Inside, a cockpit tub from a Revell Me 262 was inserted, as well as a new seat, a dashboard and other details, together with a pilot figure. The OOB canopy could be kept this way, and openings for the exhausts were cut into the fuselage flanks, with flare blockers.

Since the model was built with its wheels down, any space in the fuselage nose was crammed with lead - and the model barely keeps its stance with the nose down...

#2 - Clean wings

The wings were taken OOB, but the engine nacelles left away and the respective gaps filled with 2C putty.

#3 - New tail

This included a scrathed propeller, its mounting inside of the fuselage and a cruziform tail.

The original fin and rudder were cut away, shortening the fuselage. From a drop tank of appropriate size, a pointed spinner was made as well as a round 'adapter ring' of apporoproate diameter for the fuselage's end section. Inside, a styrene tube holds a metal axis with the spinner, so that it can run freely.

For the propeller blades I used four clipped, swept resin blades from a C-130J conversion kit. That appears futuristic, but such designs were actually on the drawing board (e. g. at Dornier) for heavy pusher aircraft with a top speed of 800km/h and more.

With the help of the adapter ring the tail section/shape was re-sculpted with putty. The four fins all belong to Me 262 kits: the horizontal stabilizers come from the Matchbox kit, while the vertical stabilizers were leftover pieces from a Revell kit.

#4 - Radiator

Since a liquid-cooled engine, especially when buried in the fuselage, needs a radiator I went for the ventral tunnel option. At first I considered a P-51 piece, but I found a different and more massive part, that perfectly matched the Me 262 outlines: an piece of an underwater ship hull (IIRC from a German mine sweeper model from Heller, built maybe 30 years ago)!

Wide and shallow, the opening (separated with styrene blades into three sections) is wide enough to house two radiator intakes as well as the carburetor scoop in the middle that would have had otherwise to be stuck onto the fuselage flank, breaking up the clean lines.

The ship hull was long enough to be extended up to the lower fin, so that the Me 262's profile and proportions changed considerably.

#5 - Landing gear

With the lower fin as propeller guard the OOB landing gear was too short, so I had to scratch/improvise a new one. Actually, the only things left from the Matchbox kit are the covers and the front wheel. The main landing gear wells were lengthened and the track widened in order to accomodate the longer struts.

The bomb pylons under the Matchbox kit's front fuselage were covered, but as an alternative extra armament I scratched two twin starters for 'BR21' unguided air-to-air missiles from styrene profiles and placed then under the outer wings.

Painting and markings:

This aircraft was to appear hastily camouflaged after delivery from factory in an overall RLM 76 finish, and I found a late war Fw 190 D-9 as design benchmark. This machine was even partly left in bare metal or grey primer and carried only RLM 83 (Dunkelgrün) on the wings' upper surfaces, with some additional RLM 82 (Hellgrün) on the fuselage only. Furthermore, the typical speckles on the fuselage flanks and the fin(s) was very light only on this aircraft, so that it appeared very light and 'clean'.

I tried to transplant this basic concept onto the Me 362, and I also incorporated the very light paint coat seen on many Me 262s that let the bare metal as well as the filler on the panel seams below shine through, due to the lack of paint and haste of production.

In order to simulate this, the kit received a primer coat with acrylic aluminum, on which the seams were highlighted with dark grey.

On top of that, a coat of thinned camouflage (Humbrol enamels 247, 252 + 253) was added. With the same thinned colors the few camouflage spots were created. Once the paint had dried, I wet-sanded the surface so that the lower aluminum/filler and RLM 76 coat could shine through here and there.

All rudders were painted with a slightly different blue-grey (FS 36320), and here and there some paint repair spots with different tones (RLM 02, 75 and even some Sky) added.

The cockpit interior became very dark grey (RLM 66), as well as the wheel discs, while the landing gear and the respective wells became RLM 02. The propeller blades were painted in RLM 70 (Schwarzgrün) while the spinner carries the Stab flight's color code, bright green (RLM 25, maybe?).

A light black ink wash emphasized panel lines and toned the light RLM 76 down a bit. Decals and markings were puzzled together, and as a typical Stab aircraft it received chevron symbols instead of a colored tactical code number. Most decals come from TL Modellbau aftermarket sheets, most stencils come from a Revell Me 262's sheet.

Some soot and oil stains were added, light, dry-brushed silver on the leading edges and around the canopy simulates chipped and worn paint. Finally, everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.

What looks like a simple 'Me 262 with a tail prop' took more effort than one might think - one thing led to another, but the result is IMHO pretty plausible - and the layout is not too far-fetched: there were similar designs on the drawing boards of Dornier and Focke Wulf, with swept wings, pusher props and even two engines or with auxiliary jet engines in wing nacelles, but these were much bigger and heavier aircraft, though. Mounting a V12 engine in a Me 262 would certainly not have been easy, so this whiffy model remains pure fiction.

The reliability and luxurious design of the C4 earned the Spyker the accolade in England of ‘Rolls-Royce of the Continent’.

This Spyker C4 is upholstered in simulated snakeskin. The luggage rack has a jagged edge to discourage mischievous little boys from hitching a ride on the back. The car is powered by a 5.7-litre, six-cylinder engine by the German zeppelin and motorcar manufacturer Maybach. The engine has an additional two-speed cooling fan. This car was fitted with four-wheel brakes, which was a novelty at the time. Note that there are four spare wheels on the running boards, and a wing mirror, which was also unusual. The number plate shows a G-registration for the Dutch province of Noord-Holland.

Selwyn Francis Edge, who set the 24-hour speed record at Brooklands in 1907 with a Napier which is also on display in the museum, returned to Brooklands in 1922, but this time with a Spyker C4 for the ‘Double Twelve’. It was no longer possible to race at Brooklands at night because the track was situated in a residential area, so the record attempt was held in two stints of 12 hours each. Edge set a new speed record with the Spyker, covering a total distance of 2,860 kilometres at an average speed of nearly 120 km/h.

5,7 Liter

6 in-line

70 hp

Louwman Museum

Den Haag - The Hague

Nederland - Netherlands

March 2013

A helicopter pilot carefully guides a lead line onto a pulley as one of the first steps in the transmission cable pulling process.

1990 Ferrari 348 TS & 1999 Land Rover Discovery 2

Power and reliability are the key to winning any stage. Learn more about Iveco Powerstar.

Having been the most reliable Class 92 in the fleet for several months with nigh-on 100% availability, GB Railfreight's Class 92, 92 033 had a bit of a wobble recently and had a three week spell on the sidelines at Wembley.

However, with everything seemingly back in order, 92033 has returned to Sleeper duties, seen here working the Caledonian Sleeper Highlander service (1S25) north through Hartford.

The massive Parliament Square statue, The Churchill, erected in 1973 by Ivor Roberts-Jones, depicts a brooding Winston Churchill. The 12-foot bronze statue atop an 8-foot plinth looks east towards Big Ben. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (1874 – 1965) was best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the WWII.

The Clock Tower is a turret clock structure at the north-eastern end of the Houses of Parliament building. It is colloquially known as Big Ben, however this name actually belongs to the clock's main bell. The tower was raised as a part of Charles Barry's design of a new palace, after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire on October 16, 1834.

The tower is designed in the Victorian Gothic style, and is 96.3m (316') high. The first 61m (200') of the structure is the clock tower, consisting of brickwork with stone cladding; the remainder is a framed spire of cast iron. The tower is founded on a 15m x 15m (49' x 49') raft, made of 3m (9') thick concrete, at a depth of 7m (23') below ground level. The tower has an estimated weight of 8,667 tonnes (9,553 tons). Due to ground conditions, the actually tower leans slightly to the north-west, by roughly 220mm (8.66").

The four clock faces are 55m (180') above ground. They were once large enough to allow the Clock Tower to be the largest four-faced clock in the world, but has since been outdone by the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Great Clock of Westminster still holds the title of the "World's largest four-faced chiming clock", though. The hour hand is 9' long and the minute hand is 14' long. The clock faces and dials were designed by Augustus Pugin. The faces are set in an iron framework 7m (21') in diameter supporting 576 pieces of opal glass. The surround of the dials is heavily gilded. At the base of each clock face in gilt letters is the Latin inscription 'DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM' meaning 'Lord save our Queen Victoria I'. The clock mechanism itself was completed by 1854, but the tower was not fully constructed until four years later in 1858. The clock became operational on September 7, 1859.

Big Ben, officially known as the Great Bell of Westminster, is the largest bell in the tower. Cast in 1856 in Stockton-on-Tees by George Meers, it cracked under the striking hammer while mounted in New Palace Yard. It was recast at Whitechapel Bell Foundry as the the 12.5 tonne (13.8 ton) bell which is in use today. Installed into the clock tower in 1908, another crack formed. To prevent further damage to the bell it was rotated and the main hammer was reduced in weight. The origin of the name 'Big Ben' has remained a popular mystery, leading to speculation it was named after heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt. A more populate alternate theory says it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was the Parliamentary Commissioner of Works. The BBC first broadcast the "E" note chimes on December 31, 1923.

Along with the main bell, the belfry houses four quarter bells which play the Westminster Quarters on the quarter hours. The four quarter bells are G sharp, F sharp, E, and B. They play a 20 chime sequence, 1-4 at quarter past, 5-12 at half past, 13-20,1-4 at quarter to, and 5-20 on the hour. Because the low bell (B) is struck twice in quick succession, there is not enough time to pull a hammer back, and it is supplied with two hammers on opposite sides.

The clock is famous for its reliability, due in large part to the experimentation by designer, lawyer and amateur horologist Edmund Beckett Denison, later Lord Grimthorpe. As the clock mechanism, created to Denison's specification by clockmaker Edward John Dent, was completed before the tower itself, Denison ditched the original deadbeat escapement and remontoire, and invented the double three-legged gravity escapement. This provides the best separation between pendulum and clock mechanism. Together with an enclosed, wind-proof box sunk beneath the clockroom, the Great Clock's pendulum is well isolated from external factors like snow, ice and pigeons on the clock hands, and keeps remarkably accurate time.

Despite heavy bombing the clock ran accurately throughout the Blitz. It slowed down on New Year's Eve 1962 due to heavy snow, causing it to chime in the new year 10 minutes late. The clock had its first and only major breakdown in 1976 when the chiming mechanism broke due to metal fatigue, and was reactivated again on in 1977. In May 2005 it stalled ticking for two separate 90 minute stints.

50038 Formidable waits time at Exeter St David's on the Sundays only 1M36 1320 Plymouth to Liverpool on 22nd November 1981.

1M36 was a very good bet for a 50, and it didn't disappoint on this day. I recall we were returning north after a Party Travel trip to Plymouth, having set off on the 0030 Liverpool - Euston early the previous day.

Exeter Middle Signal Box can just be seen on the right of the photo with the old NCL parcels depot behind the train.