Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 03-Oct-21 (DeNoise AI).

 

This aircraft was delivered to Australian Airlines as VH-TJA in Dec-88. Australian Airlines was merged into QANTAS Airways in Oct-93.

 

It continued in service and was briefly leased to Polynesian Airlines between late Jan/Mar-99. The aircraft was leased to Jet Connect (New Zealand) as ZK-JNN In Oct-04.

 

It returned to QANTAS in Sep-09 and was sold to an aircraft part-out company in the USA as N295AG. It was ferried to Tucson, AZ, USA in Sep-09 and permanently retired. The registration was cancelled in Nov-09.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 02-Sep-22.

 

A 'one airline' aircraft!

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWAX, this aircraft was due for delivery to Monarch Airlines as G-MONT but that registration wasn't used and it was delivered to Monarch as G-MAJS in Apr-91.

 

The aircraft served with Monarch for 23 years and was permanently retired at Tupelo, MS, USA in Feb-14. It was last noted stored at Tupelo without engines in Apr-14. The registration was cancelled in Jul-14.

The magnetic motor will be cheaper than a standard motor to make, as the rotor and stator assemblies can be set into plastic housings, due to the fact that the system creates very little heat. Further, with the motor's energy efficiency, it will be well suited for any application where a motor has limited energy to drive it. While development is still focused on replacing existing devices, Minato says that his motor has sufficient torque to power a vehicle. With the help of magnetic propulsion, it is feasible to attach a generator to the motor and produce more electric power than was put into the device. Minato says that average efficiency on his motors is about 330 percent.

 

Mention of Over Unity devices in many scientific circles will draw icy skepticism. But if you can accept the idea that Minato's device is able to create motion and torque through its unique, sustainable permanent magnet propulsion system, then it makes sense that he is able to get more out of the unit than he puts in in terms of elctrical power. Indeed, if the device can produce a surplus of power for longer periods, every household in the land will want one.

 

"I am not in this for the money," Minato says. "I have done well in my musical career, but I want to make a contribution to society -- helping the backstreet manufacturers here in Japan and elsewhere. I want to reverse the trends caused by major multinationals. There is a place for corporations. But as the oil industry has taught us, energy is one area where a breakthrough invention like this cannot be trusted to large companies."

 

Minato was once close to making a deal with Enron. But today, he is firmly on a mission to support the small and the independent -- and to go worldwide with them and his amazing machine. "Our plan is to rally smaller companies and pool their talent, and to one day produce the technology across a wide range of fields."

 

When we first got the call from an excited colleague that he'd just seen the most amazing invention -- a magnetic motor that consumed almost no electricity -- we were so skeptical that we declined an invitation to go see it. If the technology was so good, we thought, how come they didn't have any customers yet?

We forgot about the invitation and the company until several months later, when our friend called again. "OK," he said. "They've just sold 40,000 units to a major convenience store chain. Now will you see it?" In Japan, no one pays for 40,000 convenience store cooling fans without being reasonably sure that they are going to work.

 

The Maestro ~

 

The streets of east Shinjuku are littered with the tailings of the many small factories and workshops still located there -- hardly one's image of the headquarters of a world-class technology company. But this is where we are first greeted outside Kohei Minato's workshop by Nobue Minato, the wife of the inventor and co-director of the family firm. The workshop itself is like a Hollywood set of an inventor's garage. Electrical machines, wires, measuring instruments and batteries are strewn everywhere. Along the diagram-covered walls are drill presses, racks of spare coils, Perspex plating and other paraphernalia. And seated in the back, head bowed in thought, is the 58-year-old techno maestro himself. Minato is no newcomer to the limelight. In fact, he has been an entertainer for most of his life, making music and producing his daughter's singing career in the US. He posseses an oversized presence, with a booming voice and a long ponytail. In short, you can easily imagine him onstage or in a convertible cruising down the coast of California -- not hunched over a mass of wires and coils in Tokyo's cramped backstreets. Joining us are a middle-aged banker and his entourage from Osaka and accounting and finance consultant Yukio Funai. The banker is doing a quick review for an investment, while the rest of us just want to see if Minato's magnetic motors really work. A prototype car air conditioner cooler sitting on a bench looks like it would fit into a Toyota Corolla and quickly catches our attention. Seeing is Believing ~

Nobue then takes us through the functions and operations of each of the machines, starting off with a simple explanation of the laws of magnetism and repulsion. She demonstrates the "Minato Wheel" by kicking a magnet-lined rotor into action with a magnetic wand. Looking carefully at the rotor, we see that it has over 16 magnets embedded on a slant -- apparently to make Minato's machines work, the positioning and angle of the magnets is critical. After she kicks the wheel into life, it keeps spinning, proving at least that the design doesn't suffer from magnetic lockup. She then moves us to the next device, a weighty machine connected to a tiny battery. Apparently the load on the machine is a 35kg rotor, which could easily be used in a washing machine. After she flicks the switch, the huge rotor spins at over 1,500 rpms effortlessly and silently. Meters show the power in and power out. Suddenly, a power source of 16 watt or so is driving a device that should be drawing at least 200 to 300 watts. Nobue explains to us that this and all the other devices only use electrical power for the two electromagnetic stators at either side of each rotor, which are used to kick the rotor past its lockup point then on to the next arc of magnets. Apparently the angle and spacing of the magnets is such that once the rotor is moving, repulsion between the stators and the rotor poles keeps the rotor moving smoothly in a counterclockwise direction. Either way, it's impressive. Next we move to a unit with its motor connected to a generator. What we see is striking. The meters showed an input to the stator electromagnets of approximately 1.8 volts and 150mA input, and from the generator, 9.144 volts and 192mA output. 1.8 x 0.15 x 2 = 540mW input and 9.144 x 0.192 = 1.755W out. But according to the laws of physics, you can't get more out of a device than you put into it. We mention this to Kohei Minato while looking under the workbench to make sure there aren't any hidden wires. Minato assures us that he hasn't transcended the laws of physics. The force supplying the unexplained extra power out is generated by the magnetic strength of the permanent magnets embedded in the rotor. "I'm simply harnessing one of the four fundamental forces of nature," he says. Although we learned in school that magnets were always bipolar and so magnetically induced motion would always end in a locked state of equilibrium, Minato explains that he has fine-tuned the positioning of the magnets and the timing of pulses to the stators to the point where the repulsion between the rotor and the stator (the fixed outer magnetic ring) is transitory. This creates further motion -- rather than a lockup. (See the sidebar on page 41 for a full explanation). Real Products ~ Nobue Minato leads us to the two devices that might convince a potential investor that this is all for real. First, she shows us the cooling fan prototype that is being manufactured for a convenience store chain's 14,000 outlets (3 fans per outlet). The unit looks almost identical to a Mitsubishi-manufactured fan unit next to it, which is the unit currently in wide use. In a test, the airflow from both units is about the same. The other unit is the car air conditioning prototype that caught our eye as we came in. It's a prototype for Nippon Denso, Japan's largest manufacturer of car air conditioners. The unit is remarkably compact and has the same contours and size as a conventional unit. Minato's manufacturing skills are clearly improving.

The Banker and his Investment ~

Minato has good reason to complain about Japan's social and cultural uniformity. For years, people thought of him as an oddball for playing the piano for a living, and bankers and investors have avoided him because of his habit of claiming that he'd discovered a breakthrough technology all by himself -- without any formal training. However, the Osaka banker stands up after the lecture and announces that before he goes, he will commit \100 million to the investment pool. Minato turns to us and smiles. We brought him good luck, and this was his third investor in as many weeks to confirm an interest. Bringing the Tech to the Table ~ With the audience gone, we ask Minato what he plans to do to commercialize the technology. His game plan is simple and clear, he says. He wants to retain control, and he wants to commercialize the technology in Japan first -- where he feels he can ensure that things get done right. Why doesn't he go directly to the US or China? His experiences in both countries, he suggests, have been less than successful. "The first stage is critical in terms of creating good products and refining the technology. I don't want to be busy with legal challenges and IP theft while doing that." Still, the export and licensing of the technology are on his agenda, and Minato is talking to a variety of potential partners in other countries. Whereas another inventor might be tempted to outsource everything to a larger corporation, part of what drives Minato is his vision of social justice and responsibility. The 40,000 motors for the convenience store chain are being produced by a group of small manufacturers in Ohta-ku and Bunkyo-ku, in the inner north of Tokyo -- which is becoming a regional rust belt. Minato is seized with the vision of reinvigorating these small workshops that until the 80s were the bedrock of Japan's manufacturing and economic miracle. Their level of expertise will ensure that the quality of the motors will be as good as those from any major company. International Prep " Despite his plan to do things domestically first, Minato is well prepared for the international markets. He is armed with both six years of living and doing business in Los Angeles in the early 90s -- and with patent protection for over 48 countries. His is hardly a provincial perspective. His US experience came after playing the piano for a living for 15 years. He began tinkering with his invention in the mid-70s. The idea for his magnetic motor design came from a burst of inspiration while playing the piano. But Minato decided to drop everything in 1990 to help his daughter Hiroko, who at the age of 20 decided that she wanted to be a rhythm and blues star in the US. Minato is a strong believer in family: If Hiroko was going to find fame and fortune in the US, Dad had better be there to help manage her. He suceeded in helping Hiroko to achieve a UK dance chart number one hit in 1995. In 1996 Minato returned to Japan and his magnetic motor project. The following year he displayed his prototypes to national power companies, government officials and others at a five-day conference in Mexico City. Interest was palpable, and Minato realized that his invention might meet a global need for energy-saving devices.

Subsequent previews and speeches in Korea and Singapore further consolidated his commitment to bringing the invention to fruition, and he was able to bring in several early-stage investors.

During the late 90s, Minato continued to refine his prototypes. He also stayed in constant contact with his lawyer, registering patents in major countries around the world. Through his experiences in the US he realized that legal protection was critical, even if it meant delaying release of the technology by a couple of years. Ironically, by the time he'd won patents in 47 countries, the Japanese patent office turned him down on the grounds that "[the invention] couldn' t possibly work" and that somehow he was fabricating the claims. But a few months later they were forced to recant their decision after the US patent office recognized his invention and gave him the first of two patents. As Minato notes: "How typical of Japan's small-minded bureaucrats that they needed the leadership of the US to accept that my invention was genuine." By 2001, the Minatos had refined their motors and met enough potential investors to enter into a major international relationship, initially with a Saudi company, to be followed thereafter by companies in the US and elsewhere. However, fate dealt the investors and Minato's business a serious blow when the World Trade Center was attacked in New York. The Saudis retreated, and Minato's plans fell back to square one. Now Minato is once again ready to move. With the first order in the works and more orders pending successful prototypes, he has decided that investors don't have to be primary partners. He is actively accepting inquiries from corporate investors who can bring strategic advantages and corporate credibility with them. His company, Japan Magnetic Fan, will make a series of investment tie-up announcements in the first and second quarters of 2004. Implications ~ Minato's motors consume just 20 percent or less of the power of conventional motors with the same torque and horse power. They run cool to the touch and produce almost no acoustic or electrical noise. They are significantly safer and cheaper (in terms of power consumed), and they are sounder environmentally. The implications are enormous. In the US alone, almost 55 percent of the nation's electricity is consumed by electric motors. While most factory operators buy the cheapest motors possible, they are steadily being educated by bodies like NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) that the costs of running a motor over a typical 20-year lifespan comprise a purchase price of just 3 percent of the total, and electricity costs of 97 percent. It is not unusual for a $2,000 motor to consume $80,000 of electricity (at a price of .06 cents per kilowatt hour). Since 1992, when efficiency legislation was put into place at the US federal level, motor efficiency has been a high priority -- and motors saving 20 percent or so on electrical bills are considered highly efficient. Minato is about to introduce a motor which saves 80 percent, putting it into an entirely new class: The $80,000 running cost will drop to just $16,000. This is a significant savings when multiplied by the millions of motors used throughout the USA and Japan -- and eventually, throughout the world. The Devices ; Minato's invention and its ability to use remarkably less power and run without heat or noise make it perfect for home appliances, personal computers, cellphones (a miniature generator is in the works) and other consumer products.

  

Content provided by J@pan Inc. Magazine -- www.japaninc.com

  

US Patent # 4,751,486

(Cl. 335/272)

 

Magnetic Rotation Apparatus

 

(June 14. 1998)

 

Kohei Minato

 

Abstract --- The magnetic rotation apparatus of the present invention has first and second rotors rotatably supported and juxtaposed. The first and second rotors are connected so as to be rotatable in opposite directions in a cooperating manner. A number of permanent magnets are arranged on a circumferential portion of the first rotor at regular intervals, and just as many permanent magnets are arranged on a circumferential portion of the second rotor at regular intervals. Each permanent magnet has one magnetic polarity located radially outward from the rotors, and has the other magnetic polarity located radially inward toward the rotors. The polarity of each permanent magnet, which is located radially outward from the rotors, is identical. When the first and second rotors are rotated in a cooperating manner, the phase of rotation of the permanent magnets of one rotor is slightly advanced from that of the permanent magnets of the other rotor. One of the permanent magnets of one rotor is replaced with the electromagnet. The radially outward polarity of the electromagnet can be changed by reversing the direction in which a current is supplied to the electromagnet.

  

TECHNICAL FIELD

 

The present invention relates to a magnetic rotation apparatus in which a pair of rotors are rotated by utilizing a magnetic force.

 

BACKGROUND ART

 

An electromotor is well known as a rotation apparatus utilizing a magnetic force. For example, an AC electromotor comprises a rotor having a coil, a stator surrounding the rotor, and a plurality of electromagnets, disposed on the stator, for generating a rotating magnetic field. An electric power must be constantly supplied to the electromagnets in order to generate the rotating magnetic field and keep the rotor rotating, i.e., an external energy, or electric energy, is indispensable for the rotation of the rotor. Under the circumstances, a magnetic rotation apparatus, which employs permanent magnets in lieu of electromagnets and can rotate a rotor only by a magnetic force of the permanent magnets, is highly desirable. The present application proposes a magnetic rotation apparatus which comprises a pair of rotors rotatable in opposite directions in a cooperating manner, and a plurality of permanent magnets stationarily arranged at regular intervals on the peripheral portion of each rotor. One end portion of each permanent magnet of both rotors, which has the same polarity, is located radially outward of the rotors. When the two rotors are rotated in a cooperating fashion, a permanent magnet on one rotor and a corresponding permanent magnet on the other, which form a pair, approach and move away from each other periodically. In this case, the phase of rotation of the magnet on one rotor advances a little from that of the corresponding magnet on the other rotor. When the paired permanent magnets approach each other, magnetic repulsion causes one rotor to rotate. The rotation of one rotor is transmitted to the other rotor to rotate the same. In this manner, other pairs of magnets on both rotors sequentially approach each other, and magnetic repulsion occurs incessantly. As a result, the rotors continue to rotate. In the above apparatus, in order to stop the rotation of the rotors, a brake device is required. If an ordinary brake device is mounted on the magnetic rotation apparatus, the entire structure of the apparatus becomes complex, and a driving source for the brake device must be provided separately. The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a magnetic rotation apparatus including a brake device for suitably stopping the rotation of rotors.,DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The magnetic rotation apparatus of the present invention is provided with magnetic force conversion means which is substituted for at least one pair of permanent magnets of the paired rotors. In a normal state, the magnetic force conversion means causes a magnetic repulsion, as in the other pairs of permanent magnets. When it is intended for the rotors to stop, the magnetic force conversion means causes a magnetic attraction force. Since a magnetic attraction force can be produced between the rotors at any time, the magnetic attraction force serves to stop the rotors. The brake device constituted by the magnetic force conversion means differs from an ordinary brake device which forcibly stops a pair or rotors by using a frictional force. In the brake device of this invention, by converting a magnetic repulsion force to a magnetic attraction force, the rotors can be braked in the state that the movement of the rotors is reduced. Thus, the rotors can be stopped effectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a magnetic rotation apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the relationship between the first and second rotors; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a permanent magnet; FIG. 4 shows an electromagnet, a permanent magnet cooperating with the electromagnet, and a driving circuit the electromagnet; and FIG. 5 is a view for explaining how a pair of rotors rotate. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION FIG. 1 shows a magnetic rotation apparatus embodying the present invention. The magnetic rotation apparatus has frame 1. Frame 1 is provided with a pair of rotation shafts 2 which extend vertically and in parallel to each other. Shafts 2 are located at a predetermined distance from each other. Upper and lower ends of each shaft 2 are rotationally supported on frame 1 via bearing 3. First rotor 4a is mounted on one of rotation shafts 2, second rotor 4b is mounted on the other rotation shaft 2. First and second rotors 4a and 4b are arranged on the same level. Rotors 4a and 4b have similar structures. For example, each rotor 4a (4b) comprises two ring-shaped plates 5 which are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 2. Gears 6a and 6b made of synthetic resin are, as cooperating means, attached to lower surfaces of first and second rotors 4a and 4b. The diameters of gears 6a and 6b are identical but larger than those of rotors 4a and 4b. Gears 6a and 6b mesh with each other. First and second rotors 4a and 4b are thus rotatable in opposite directions in a cooperating manner. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 7 indicates support arms for supporting first and second rotors 4a and 4b.

For example, 16 magnets are arranged at regular intervals on a peripheral portion of first rotor 4a. These magnets are secured between two ring-shaped plates 5. In this embodiment, among the 16 magnets, one is electromagnet 9a (see FIG. 2), and the others are permanent magnets 8a. FIG. 2 shows only some of permanent magnets 8a. As shown in FIG. 3, permanent magnet 8a comprises case 10, and a plurality of rod-like ferromagnetic members 11 housed in case 10. Ferromagnetic member 11 is, for example, a ferrite magnet. Ferromagnetic members 11 of each permanent magnet 8a are arranged such that ferromagnetic members 11 have the same polarity at one end. In first rotor 4a, for example, an N-polarity end portion of each permanent magnet 8a faces radially outward, and an S-polarity end portion of magnet 8a faces radially inward. As shown in FIG. 2, when each permanent magnet 8a is located between two shafts 2, angle C formed by longitudinal axis A of magnet 8a and imaginary line B connecting two shafts 2 is, for example, set to 30.degree. C. On the other hand, electromagnet 9a is, as shown in FIG. 4, constituted by U-shaped iron core 12, and coil 13 wound around core 12. Electromagnet 9a is arranged such that both N- and S-polarity end portions face radially outward of first rotor 4a, and the above-mentioned angle C is formed, similarly to the case of permanent magnet 8a. The same number of permanent magnets (8b,9b) as the total number of all permanent magnets and electromagnet (8a,9a) of first rotor 4a are secured on a peripheral portion of second rotor 4b at regular intervals. In FIG. 2, when first and second rotors 4a and 4b are rotated in opposite directions, each permanent magnet of second rotor 4b periodically moves toward and away from the corresponding one of the magnets (8a,9a) of first rotor 4a. The permanent magnets (8b,9b) of second rotor 4b will now be described in greater detail. Permanent magnets 8b of second rotor 4b, which periodically move toward and away from permanent magnets 8a of first rotor 4a in accordance with the rotation of rotors 4a and 4b, have a structure similar to that of permanent magnets 8a of first rotor 4a. The polarity of that end portion of each permanent magnet 8b which is located radially outward from second rotor 4b, is identical with that of the end portion of each permanent magnet 8a of first rotor 4a. That is, the radially outward portion of each permanent magnet 8b has an N-polarity. Permanent magnet 9b of second rotor 4b, which periodically moves toward and away from electromagnet 9a of first rotor 4a, has a structure shown in FIG. 4. Permanent magnet 9b has a structure similar to that of permanent magnets 8a. Both polarities of electromagnet 9a face radially outward from first rotor 4a. Permanent magnet 9b has two different polarities which face radially outward from second rotor 4b and correspond to both polarities of electromagnet 9a. As shown in FIG. 2, when each permanent magnet 8b,9b is located between two rotation shafts 2, angle E formed by longitudinal axis D of the magnet (8b,9b) and imaginary line B connecting two shafts 2 is, for example, set to 56.degree. C. In addition, when rotors 4a and 4b are rotated in opposite directions, as shown by arrows, the magnets (8a,9a) of first rotor 4a move a little ahead of the corresponding permanent magnets (8b,9b) of second rotor 4b, in a region in which both magnets (8a,9a; 8b,9b) approach one another. In other words, the phase of rotation of the magnets (8a,9a) of first rotor 4a advances by a predetermined angle in relation to the permanent magnets (8b,9b) of second rotor 4b. As shown in FIG. 4, electromagnet 9a of first rotor 4a is electrically connected to drive circuit 14. Drive circuit 14 includes a power source for supplying an electric current to coil 13 of electromagnet 9a. While rotors 4a and 4b rotate, drive circuit turns on electromagnet 9a upon receiving a signal from first sensor 15 only when electromagnet 9a and permanent magnet 9b are in a first region in which they periodically approach each other. First sensor 15 is an optical sensor comprising a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. As shown in FIG. 1, first sensor 15 is attached to a portion of frame 1 above first rotor 4a. First sensor 15 emits light in a downward direction. The light is reflected by reflection plate 16 projecting radially inward from the inner edge of first rotor 4a. First sensor 15 receives the reflected light, and feeds a signal to drive circuit 14. Thus, drive circuit 14 turns on electromagnet 9a. The circumferential length of reflection plate 16 is equal to that of the above-mentioned first region. When magnets 9a and 9b enter the first region, first sensor 15 is turned on, and when they leave the first region, first sensor 15 is turned off. When drive circuit 14 receives a signal from first sensor 15, it excites electromagnet 9a such that both polarities of electromagnet 9a correspond to those of permanent magnet 9b of second rotor 4b. Drive circuit 14 is electrically connected to switching circuit 17. When brake switch 18 is operated, switching circuit 17 reverses the direction in which an electric current is supplied to electromagnet 9a. When the current supplying direction of drive circuit 14 is reversed, drive circuit 14 excites electromagnet 9a only in a time period in which drive circuit 14 receives a signal from second sensor 19. Second sensor 19 has a structure similar to that of first sensor 15, and is attached to frame 1 so as to be located closer to the center of rotor 4a than first sensor 15. Reflection plate 20, which corresponds to the position of second sensor 19, is formed integral to an inner edge portion of reflection plate 16. As shown in FIG. 2, compared to reflection plate 16, reflection plate 20 extends in rotational direction of first rotor 4a, indicated by the arrow. The operation of the above-described magnetic rotation apparatus will now be explained with reference to FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, rotation shaft 2 of first rotor 4a is denoted by 01, and rotation shaft 2 of second rotor 4b is denoted by 02. Only the radially outward polarity, that is, N-polarity, of the magnets of rotors 4a and 4b is shown, for the sake of convenience. Although electromagnet 9a and permanent magnet 9b have both polarities located radially outward, only the N-polarity thereof is shown. When first and second rotors 4a and 4b are put in a position shown in FIG. 5, magnetic pole Nb1 of one permanent magnet of second rotor 4b is located in a line connecting shafts 01 and 02. In this case, polarity Na1 of first rotor 4a, which is paired with polarity Nb1, is a little advanced from polarity Nb1 in the rotational direction of first rotor 4a. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, magnetic pole Na1 is advanced from polarity Nb1 by an angle of X.degree.. Polarities Na1 and Nb1 exert repulsion force F1 upon each other along line L. Supposing that an angle, formed by line M, which is drawn from shaft 01 perpendicularly to line L, and the line connecting shafts 01 and 02 is represented by Y, and that the length of line K is represented by R, torques Ta1 and Tb1 caused by repulsion force F1 to rotate first and second rotors 4a and 4b can be given by: Ta1=F1.multidot.R.multidot.cos (Y-X)

Tb1=F1.multidot.R.multidot.cos Y Since cos (Y-X)>cos Y, Ta1>Tb1.

As shown in FIG. 5, since magnetic pole Na1 is advanced from magnetic pole Nb1 by angle X.degree., first rotor 4a receives a greater torque than second rotor 4b. Thus, first rotor 4a forwardly rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5. Mention is now made of paired magnets of rotors 4a and 4b in the vicinity of magnetic poles Na1 and Nb1. Magnetic poles Nan and Nan-1 of first rotor 4a are advanced ahead of magnetic pole Nal in the rotational direction. Magnetic poles Nan and Nan-1 receive a torque produced by a repulsion force acting between magnetic poles Nan and Nan-1 and corresponding magnetic poles Nbn and Nbn-1. In FIG. 5, magnetic poles Nan and Nan-1 receive a smaller torque, as they rotate farther from the location of magnetic pole Na1. It is well known that a torque of first rotor 4a, which is caused by a repulsion force acting on magnetic poles Nan and Nan-1, is decreased in inverse proportion to the square of the distance between paired magnetic poles Na and Nb.

Magnetic poles Na2 and Na3, behind magnetic pole Na1, receive a torque which tends to rotate rotor 4a in the reverse direction. This torque is considered to be counterbalanced with the torque acting on magnetic poles Nan and Nan-1. In FIG. 5, attention should be paid to the region of magnetic poles Na1 and Na2. As first rotor 4a forwardly rotates, the direction in which a torque applies to magnetic pole Na2, is changed from the reverse direction to the forward direction, before magnetic pole Na2 reaches the position of magnetic pole Na1. The torque for forwardly rotating rotor 4a is larger than that for reversely rotating rotor 4a. Therefore, first rotor 4a is easily rotated in the direction shown in FIG. 2. Second rotor 4b is considered to receive a torque in a direction reverse to the direction shown in FIG. 2, as seen from the description of first rotor 4a. It is obvious that second rotor 4b receives a maximum torque at the position of magnetic pole Nb1. As seen from the above formula, torque Tb1 applied to second rotor 4b in a direction reverse to that denoted by the arrow is smaller than torque Ta1 applied to first rotor 4a in the forward direction. The rotation of first rotor 4a is transmitted to second rotor 4b through gears 6a and 6b. By determining the relationship between the strengths of torques Ta1 and Tb1, second rotor 4b is thus rotated in a direction reverse to the rotational direction of first rotor 4a, against the torque applied to second rotor in the direction. As a result, first and second rotors 4a and 4b are kept rotating, since a torque for rotating rotors 4a and 4b in a cooperating manner is produced each time magnetic poles Na of first rotor 4a pass across the line connecting shafts 01 and 02. In a diagram shown in the right part of FIG. 5, a solid line indicates a torque applied to first rotor 4a, and a broken line indicates a torque applied to second rotor 4b. The ordinate indicates a distance between each magnetic pole and the line connecting shafts 01 and 02 of rotors 4a and 4b. The first region in which electromagnet 9a of first rotor 4a is turned on is set in a range of Z during which a torque is applied to first rotor 4a in the forward direction. In order to stop the cooperative rotation of rotors 4a and 4b, brake switch is turned on to operate switching circuit 17. Thus, the direction in which drive circuit 14 supplies a current to electromagnet 9a is reversed. The polarities of electromagnet 9a are reversed. The torque applied to electromagnet 9a in the forward direction is stopped. When electromagnet 9a approaches permanent magnet 9b, a magnetic attract:on force is produced. As a result, the rotation of rotors 4a and 4b is effectively slowed down and stopped. Since the second region, in which electromagnet 9a is excited, is larger than the first region, a large braking force can be obtained from a magnetic attraction force. In the above embodiment, since electromagnet 9a is excited only in a specific region, a large electric power is not required. In addition, since electromagnet 9a rotates and brakes rotors 4a and 4b, a braking mechanism for a magnetic rotation apparatus can be obtained without having to make the entire structure of the apparatus complex. The present invention is not restricted to the above embodiment. With the exception of the paired electromagnet and permanent magnet, all permanent magnets of the rotors are arranged such that their end portions of the same polarity face radially outward from the rotors. However, it is possible that the polarities of the radially outward end portions of the permanent magnets are alternately changed. Namely, it should suffice if the polarities of the radially outward end portions of the first rotor are identical to those of the corresponding radially outward end portions of the second rotor. The magnets may have different magnetic forces. Furthermore, an electric power for exciting the electromagnet can be derived from the rotation of the rotors or from the revolving magnetic field of the permanent magnet.

Angles C and E are not restricted to 30.degree. and 56.degree.. They may be freely determined in consideration of the strength of the magnetic force of the permanent magnet, a minimum distance between adjacent magnets, angle x, and the like. The number of magnets of the rotor is also freely chosen.

Industrial Applicability ~ As described above, the magnetic rotation apparatus of the present invention can be used as a driving source in place of an electric motor, and as an electric generator. US Patent # 5,594,289 (Cl. 310/152) Magnetic Rotating Apparatus (January 14, 1997) Kohei Minato Abstract --- On a rotor which is fixed to a rotatable rotating shaft, a plurality of permanent magnets are disposed along the direction of rotation such that the same magnetic pole type thereof face outward. In the same way, balancers are disposed on the rotor for balancing the rotation of this rotor. Each of the permanent magnets is obliquely arranged with respect to the radial direction line of the rotor. At the outer periphery of the rotor, an electromagnet is disposed facing this rotor, with this electromagnet intermittently energized based on the rotation of the rotor. According to the magnetic rotating apparatus of the present invention, rotational energy can be efficiently obtained from permanent magnets. This is made possible by minimizing as much as possible current supplied to the electromagnets, so that only a required amount of electrical energy is supplied to the electromagnets. Claims --- [ Claims not included here ] Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic rotating apparatus, and more particularly, to a magnetic rotating apparatus which utilizes repulsive forces produced between a permanent magnet and an electromagnet.

2. Description of the Prior Art In a conventional electric motor, an armature as a rotor consists of turns of wires, and electric field as a stator consists of a permanent magnet. In such the conventional electric motor, however, current must be usually supplied to windings of the armature which is rotated. When the current is supplied, heat is generated, which gives rise to the problem that not much driving force is efficiently generated. This, in turn, gives wise to the problem that the magnetic forces cannot be efficiently obtained from the permanent magnet. In addition, in the conventional electric motor, since the armature is so constructed as consisting of the windings, the moment of inertia cannot be made very high, so that enough torque cannot be obtained. To overcome the above-described problems of such the conventional electric motor, the inventor proposed, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61868/1993 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,486) a magnetic rotating apparatus in which a plurality of the permanent magnets are disposed along the two rotors, respectively, at a predetermined angle, and in which an electromagnet is disposed at one of the rotors. In a generally constructed conventional electric motor, there is a limit as to how much the efficiency of energy conversion can be increased. In addition, the torque of the electric motor cannot be made high enough. For the above reasons, hitherto, various improvements have been made on existing electric motors, without any success in producing an electric motor so constructed has providing satisfactory characteristics. In the magnetic rotating apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6868/1993 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,486) a pair of rotors is rotated. Therefore, it is necessary for each of the rotors to have high precision, and in addition, measures must be taken for easier rotation control. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-described problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic rotating apparatus in which rotational energy can be efficiently obtained from the permanent magnet with a minimum amount of electrical energy, and in which rotation control can be carried out relatively easily. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic rotating apparatus comprising a rotating shaft; a rotor which is fixed to the rotating shaft and which has disposed thereon permanent magnet means and means for balancing rotation, the permanent magnet means being disposed such that a plurality of magnetic poles of one (or first) polarity type is arranged along an outer peripheral surface in the direction of rotation, and a plurality of magnetic poles of the other (or second) polarity type arranged along an inner peripheral surface, with each pair of corresponding magnetic poles of one and the other polarities obliquely arranged with respect to a radial line; electromagnet means, which is disposed facing this rotor, for developing a magnetic field which faces the magnetic field of the permanent magnet means of the rotor and detecting means for detecting rotating position of the rotor to allow the electromagnet means to be energized. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic rotating apparatus comprising a rotating shaft a rotor which is fixed to the rotating shaft and which has disposed thereon a plurality of permanent magnets and balancers for balancing rotation, the permanent magnets being disposed such that one magnetic polarity type is arranged along an outer peripheral surface in the direction of rotation and the other magnetic polarity type arranged along an inner peripheral surface, with each pair of corresponding magnetic poles of one and the other polarities obliquely arranged with respect to a radial line; an electromagnet, which is disposed facing this rotor, for developing a magnetic field which produces the other magnetic polarity type on the facing surface; and energizing means for intermittently energizing the electromagnet means from where the leading permanent magnet, based on the rotation of the rotor, passes the facing surface of the electromagnet in the direction of rotation. According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided magnetic rotating apparatus comprising a rotating shaft; a first rotor which is fixed to the rotating shaft and which has disposed thereon permanent magnet means and means for balancing rotation, the permanent magnet means being disposed such that a plurality of magnetic poles of the second polarity type is arranged along an outer peripheral surface in the direction of rotation, and a plurality of magnetic poles of the first pole type arranged along an inner peripheral surface, with each pair of corresponding magnetic poles of one and the other polarities obliquely arranged with respect to a radial line; a second rotor which rotates along with the first rotor and is fixed to the rotating shaft, having disposed thereon a plurality of permanent magnets and balancers for balancing rotation, the permanent magnets being disposed such that one magnetic polarity type is arranged along an outer peripheral surface in the direction of rotation and the other magnetic polarity type arranged along an inner peripheral surface, with each pair of corresponding magnetic poles of one and the other polarities obliquely arranged with respect to a radial line a first and a second electromagnet means, which are magnetically connected and disposed facing the first and second rotors, respectively, for developing a magnetic field which faces the magnetic field of the permanent magnet means of the first and second rotors; and detecting means for detecting rotating position of the rotors to allow the electromagnet means to be energized. The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a magnetic rating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention FIG. 2 is a side view of the magnetic rotating apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a plan view of a rotor of the magnetic rotating apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a circuit in the magnetic rotating apparatus shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a magnetic field distribution formed between the rotor and the electromagnet of the magnetic rotating apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view illustrating a torque which causes rotation of the rotor of the magnetic rotating apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The magnetic field developed by an electromagnet means and that of a permanent magnet means of a rotor repel each other. In addition, the magnetic field of the permanent magnet means is flattened by the magnetic fields of other nearby permanent magnets and electromagnet means. Therefore, a torque is produced therebetween to efficiently rotate the rotor. Since the rotor has a high inertial force, when the rotor starts rotating, its speed increases by the inertial force and the turning force. A magnetic rotating apparatus related to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of a magnetic rotating apparatus related to one embodiment of the present invention. In the specification, the term "magnetic rotating apparatus" will include an electric motor, and from its general meaning of obtaining turning force from the magnetic forces of permanent magnets, it will refer to a rotating apparatus utilizing the magnetic forces. As shown in FIG. 1, in the magnetic rotating apparatus related to one embodiment of the present invention, a rotating shaft 4 is rotatably fixed to a frame 2 with bearings 5. To the rotating shaft 4, there are fixed a first magnet rotor 6 and a second magnet rotor 8, both of which produce turning forces and a rotated body 10, which has mounted therealong a plurality of rod-shaped magnets 9 for obtaining the turning forces as energy. They are fixed in such a manner as to be rotatable with the rotating shaft 4. At the first and second magnet rotors 6 and 8, there are provided, as will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first electromagnet 12 and a second electromagnet 14 respectively are energized in synchronism with rotations of the first and second magnet rotors 6 and 8, both of which face each other and are each disposed in a magnetic gap. The first and second electromagnets 12 and 14 are respectively mounted to a yoke 16, which forms a magnetic path. As shown in FIG. 3, the first and second magnet rotors 6 and 8 each have disposed on its disk-shaped surface a plurality of tabular magnets 22A through 22H for developing a magnetic field for generating the turning forces and balancers 20A through 20H, made of non-magnetic substances, for balancing the magnet rotors 6 and 8. In the embodiments, the first and second magnet rotors 6 and 8 each have disposed along the disk-shaped surface 24 at equal intervals the eight tabular magnets 22A through 22H along half of the outer peripheral area and +the eight balancers 20A through 20H along the other half of the outer peripheral area.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the tabular magnets 22A through 22H are disposed so that its longitudinal axis 1 makes an angle D with respect to a radial axis line 11 of the disk-shaped surface 24. In the embodiment, an angle of 30 degrees and 56 degrees have been confirmed for the angle D. An appropriate angle, however, can be set depending on the radius of the disk-shaped surface 24 and the number of tabular magnets 22A through 22H to be disposed on the disk-shaped surface 24. As illustrated in FIG. 2, from the viewpoint of effective use of the magnetic field, it is preferable that the tabular magnets 22A through 22H on the first magnet rotor 6 are positioned so that their N-poles point outward, while the tabular magnets 22A through 22H on the second magnet rotor 8 are positioned so that their S-poles point outward. Exterior to the first and second magnet rotors 6 and 8, the first and second electromagnets 12 and 14 are disposed facing the first and second magnet rotors 6 and 8 respectively in the magnetic gap. When the first and second electromagnets 12 and 14 are energized, they develop a magnetic field identical in polarity to the their respective tabular magnets 22A through 22H so that they repel one anther. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, since the tabular magnets 22A through 22H on the first magnet rotor 6 have their N-poles facing outwards, the first electromagnet 12 is energized so that the side facing the first magnet rotor 6 develops an N-polarity. In a similar way, since the tabular magnets 22A through 22H on the second magnet rotor 8 have their S-poles facing outwards, the second electromagnet 14 is energized so that the side facing the tabular magnets 22A through 22H develops a S-polarity. The first and second electromagnets 12 and 14, which are magnetically connected by the yoke 16, are magnetized so that the sides facing their respective magnet rotors 6 and 8 are opposite in polarity with respect to each other. This means that the magnetic fields of the electromagnets 12 and 14 can be used efficiently. A detector 30, such as microswitch, is provided to either one of the first magnet rotor 6 or second magnet rotor 8 to detect the rotating position of the magnet rotors 6 and 8. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, in a rotational direction 32 of the tabular magnets 22A through 22H, the first and the second magnet rotors 6 and 8 are respectively energized when the leading tabular 22A has passed. In other words, in the rotational direction 32, the electromagnet 12 or 14 is energized when starting point So, located between the leading tabular magnet 22A and the following tabular magnet 22B coincides with the center point Ro of either the electromagnet 12 or 14. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 3, in the rotational direction 32 of the tabular magnets 22A through 22H, the first and the second magnet rotors 6 and 8 are de-energized when the last tabular magnet 22A has passed. In the embodiment, an end point Eo is set symmetrical to the starting point So on the rotating disk-shaped surface 24. When the end point Eo coincides with the center point Ro of either the electromagnet 12 or 14, the electromagnet 12 or 14 is de-energized, respectively. As will be described later, with the center point Ro of the electromagnet 12 or 14 arbitrarily set between the starting point So and the end point Eo, the magnet rotors 6 and 8 start to rotate when the electromagnets 12 and 14 and their tabular magnets 22A through 22H face one another. When a microswitch is used as the detector 30 for detecting the rotating position, the contact point of the microswitch is allowed to slide along the surface of the rotating disk-shaped surface 24. A step is provided for the starting point So and the end point Eo so that the contact of the microswitch closes between the starting point So and the end point Eo. The area along the periphery therebetween protrudes beyond the other peripheral areas of the rotating disk-shaped surface 24. It is apparent that a photo sensor or the like may be used instead of the microswitch as the detector 30 for detecting the rotating position. As shown in FIG. 4, the windings of the electromagnets 12 and 14 are connected to a DC power source 42 through a movable contact of a relay 40, which is connected in series with the windings. A series circuit containing the relay 40 (solenoid) and the detector 30 or microswitch is connected to the DC power source 42. In addition, from the viewpoint of energy conservation, a charger 44 such as a solar cell is connected to the DC power source 42. It is preferable that the DC power source 42 is constantly chargeable using solar energy or the like. In the magnetic rotating apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a magnetic field distribution shown in FIG. 5 is formed between the tabular magnets 22A through 22H, disposed on each of the magnet rotors 6 and 8, and the electromagnets 12 and 14 which face them, respectively. When the electromagnet 12 or 14 is energized, a magnetic field of a tabular magnet of the tabular magnets 22A through 22H, adjacent to the electromagnet 12 or 14, is distorted in the longitudinal direction in correspondence with the rotational direction. This results in the generation of a repulsive force therebetween. As is apparent from the distortion of the magnetic field, the repulsive force has a larger component in the longitudinal or perpendicular direction, and produces a torque, as shown by an arrow 32. Similarly, a magnetic field of a tabular magnet of the tabular magnets 22A through 22H, which next enters the magnetic field of the electromagnet 12 or 14, is distorted. the repulsive force produced between the tabular magnets of the tabular magnets 22A through 22H, which have already entered the magnetic field of the electromagnets, a repulsive force operates between both of the poles M and M' of the tabular magnet at the rotating side and the electromagnet at the stationary side, respectively. Therefore, from the relationship illustrated in FIG. 6, an angular torque T is generated based on the formula: T=F. a.cos (.alpha.-.beta.), where in a is a constant. The angular torque starts the rotation of the rotating disk-shaped surface 24. After the rotating disk-shaped surface 24 has started rotating, its rotating speed gradually increases due to an inertial moment thereof, which allows a large turning driving force to be produced. After a stable rotation of the rotating disk-shaped surface 24 has been produced, when a necessary electromotive force can be developed in an electromagnetic coil (not illustrated) by externally bringing it near a rotated body 10 to be rotated along with the rotating disk-shaped surface 24. This electric power can be used for other applications. This rotating principle is based on the rotating principle of the magnetic rotating apparatus already disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61868/1993 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,486) by the inventor. That is, even if an electromagnet, provided for one of the rotors of the magnetic rotating apparatus disclosed in the same Patent Application, is fixed, it is rotated in accordance with the rotating principle disclosed therein. For details, refer to the above Japanese Patent Publication No. 61868/1993 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,486).

The number of tabular magnets 22A through 22H is not limited to "8" as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Any number of magnets may be used. In the above-described embodiment, although the tabular magnets 22A through 22H are disposed along half of the peripheral area of the disk-shaped surface 24, and the balancers 20A through 20H are disposed along the other half of the peripheral area, the tabular magnets may further be disposed along other areas of the disk-shaped surface 24. It is preferable that balancers, in addition to magnets, are provided along a portion of the peripheral area on the disk-shaped surface. The counter weights, which do not need to be formed into separate blocks, may be formed into one sheet of plate which extends on the outer peripheral area of the disk-shaped surface. In addition, in the above-described embodiments, while the construction is such as to allow the electromagnets to be energized for a predetermined period of time for every rotation of the rotating disk-shaped surface, the circuit may be so constructed as to allow, upon increased number of rotations, energization of the electromagnets for every rotation of the rotating disk-shaped surface, starting from its second rotation onwards. Further, in the above-described embodiment, a tabular magnet has been used for the permanent magnet, but other types of permanent magnets may also be used. In effect, any type of magnet may be used as the permanent magnet means as long as a plurality of magnetic poles of one type is disposed along the outer surface of the inner periphery and a plurality of magnetic poles of the other type are disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the disk-shaped surface, so that a pair of corresponding magnetic poles of one and the other polarities is obliquely arranged, with respect to the radial line 11, as shown in FIG. 3. Although the tabular magnets 22A through 22H are mounted on the magnet rotors 6 and 8 in the above embodiment, they may be electromagnets. In this case, the electromagnets 12 and 14 may be the alternative of electromagnets or permanent magnets.

According to the magnetic rotating apparatus of the present invention, rotational energy can be efficiently obtained from permanent magnets. This is made possible by minimizing as much as possible current supplied to the electromagnets, so that only a required amount of electrical energy is supplied to the electromagnets. It should be understood that many modifications and adaptations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art and it is intended to encompass such obvious modifications and changes in the scope of the claims appended hereto. KeelyNet: BBS Posting from Henry Curtis (11-18-1997)

Korean Magnetic Perpetual Motion Wheel I must apologize for not having all the details of this interesting device but will update the file when I get more info from the source. In email communications with John Schnurer, I happened to mention it and he's been on me since then to send him a diagram, yet I felt like it would simply be confusing because its operation is not clear or readily apparent from the information I had.The information that I have comes directly from long time friend Henry Curtis of Colorado. We both attended the 1997 ISNE conference in Denver and Henry was telling about this interesting machine he had seen while on a trip to the Phillipines. He said there was a free energy conference held there and he noticed a spinning bicycle wheel that was attached to a stand that sat on a table.The wheel was running when he first saw it, yet there did not appear to be any driving force such as a motor, belts, gears, etc..Henry said he watched it for quite awhile and it never stopped running. On expressing curiosity about the wheel, he was invited to stop it and start it up without any outside assistance.Henry reports the wheel was brought to a complete stop, then he gave it a spin with his hand and it began moving on its own. I am uncertain if it followed the tendency of other such devices to establish its own speed. Some devices like this can be spun up to high speed from an outside source, then will slow to a speed which is determined by the geometry and strength of the repelling or attracting forces that operate it.Henry swears it was the neatest thing he'd ever seen and drew a crude diagram of the arrangement on my notepad. Unfortunately, we were a bit rushed and I did not achieve a complete understanding of how it operated. That is why I did not want to blow smoke about it until more detail had been received, god knows, we don't need any more of that.However, perhaps someone can figure it out from the limited information I do have. The following drawing shows the wheel arrangement, one half was weighted, the other half had slanted magnets. I do not know whether they are all repelling, attracting or a mix of these forces. As you can imagine, the weight of the magnets must equal the weight of the other half of the wheel to balance out. Apparently the force of the magnetic repulsion or attaction provides the actual imbalance.Henry also said there was a patent on this device that is dated January 14, 1997. The inventor is a Japanese man named Minatu. The spelling of this name is uncertain. I did a search on the IBM server but found nothing even remote. Henry specifically said this was a United States patent. So, here it is. Perhaps Henry can come up with some more detail which can be used to update this file in future. Good luck.... KeelyNet: Update and Corrections from Henry Curtis (Wed, 19 Nov 1997) ~

From: Henry Curtis ~ To: Jerry Decker Subject: Bicycle wheel correction and update Jerry, Again we see that communication is difficult and memories are fallable. Obviously I am remiss in not having sent this to you months ago as I intended to, but as a sage of old observed "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is slow." During the first weekend of May, 1997, a group in Soeul, Korea headed up by Mr. Chi San Park, held The First International New Energy Conference in Seoul, Korea. I attended this conference and gave a talk on various approcahes to free energy. It was at this conference in Seoul, Korea that I saw the bicycle wheel and had the opportunity to work with it unattended by anyone else.The inventor is Kohei Minato, a Japanese rock musician, who reports that he has spent a million dollars out of his own pocket developing magnetic motors, because the world needs a better source of energy. He has several patents in various countries. His latest patent that I am aware of is United States Patent # 5,594,289. His development efforts have gone in the general direction of the Adams motor which the above patent is similar to. He had a working prototype of this design at the conference and reported that it used 150 watts power input and produced 450 watts output on a sustained basis. About a year ago CNN (in the US) had a 10 minute segment about him and his motors. In this video he is shown demonstrating two of his magnetic motors. I have a copy of this film clip that he gave to me. I will make a copy and send it to you. Unfortunately, the editors were not attuned to technical details and the pictures of the running machines show little useful detail. The Phillipine connection that you mention is completely erroneous. It was in Korea. The drawing on the web site is essentially correct with the following exceptions. The counter weight is a single curved piece of aluminum covering 180 degrees. Each of the several individual magnets on the other half of the wheel are slightly asymmetric, crescent shaped and nested. They are magnetised end to end with the N poles out. The motor is actuated by moving the N pole of a large permanet magnet (the drive magnet) toward the wheel. As this magnet is moved toward the wheel, the wheel starts to spin. As the magnet is moved closer to the wheel it spins faster. The acceleration of the wheel is rapid. So rapid in fact, as to be startling. To put it another way I was very impressed. The motor works. And it works very well. In the film clip a slight pumping action of Minato's hand holding the magnet is apparent. When I braced my hand so that there was no pumping action, the motor still ran. In fact it seemed to run better. Pumping action by the hand held magnet is not the power that drives the motor. When the drive magnet is moved away from the wheel it coasts rather quickly to a stop and comes to rest in a manner typical of any spinning bicycle wheel. Again when the wheel is at rest and a large magnet is moved up to the wheel it starts to spin. At no time is it necessary to touch the wheel to get it to rotate. Simply bring the N pole of a large magnet several inches from the wheel. The particular orientation of the wheel when it is at rest seems to have no effect on how well it starts to turn. Irrespective of how the wheel and the magnets on it are sitting; move the drive magnet near, it starts to spin. Move the magnet closer it spins faster. Move the magnet further away it slows up. The wheel was mounted on a stand made of aluminum angle pieces bolted together similar to the diagram in the above mentioned patent. The axle of the wheel was mounted parellel to the surface of the planet. I have attached a rough diagram of the wheel. Apparently the geometry of the magnets on the wheel is very important and subtle. I have built several small models none of which have shown the free energy effects of Minato's machine. The conference in Seoul was attended by several hundred people, most appeared to be under 40 and evenly divided between men and women. Presenters were from Korea, US, Japan, and China. Simultaneous translation was provided for all talks in the 3 day conference. Jerry, I hope this information is useful. I may be contacted by e-mail at mailto:hcurtis@mindspring.com or by phone at 303.344.1458.

KeelyNet: Email from Gene Mallove at Infinite Energy ~ I spoke to Bob Vermillion of Tri-Cosmos Development (Los Angeles, CA 310-284-3250 or fax 310-284-3260) today, just before he left for the three-day demonstrations of the Minato magnetic motor being held in Mexico City, Mexico on July 8, 9, 10th.Three (3) Minato Motors (MM), covered by US Patents # 5,594,289 (Jan 14, 1997) and # 4,751,486 (June 14, 1988), have been brought over from Japan. One was allegedly tested last evening by Grupo Bufete Industrial (supposedly one of the largest power generation construction companies in Mexico and South America). The company engineers were said (by Vermillion) to have measured an output /input ratio of 4.3 / 1. The printed literature, which I received in a Fedex packet from Vermillion states that the device can put out 500 watts (maximum) with an input of 34 watts.For those of you who wonder why the device is not self-sustaining -- oral info from Vermillion is that Minato *will* in the course of one of the demonstrations *remove the battery power supply* and let the device self-run -- presumably with a load. The press release makes no bones about the physics-busting character of the MM: "As rotations per minute (rpm's) increase, the electromagnetic consumption of the stator decreases. This phenomenon is in direct conflict with accepted laws of physics and is achieved through the repelling magnetic fields. It operates without heat, noise, or pollution of any kind. It can be produced in size from ultra-small to very large." It is said in the press release that applications from cell phones to laptop computers are under development. Vermillion told me of other parties who were planning to attend the demonstrations, which will be conducted both in public displays and with private party measurements. These include: ENRON, Bechtel, Tejas (a division of Shell Oil Corporation), Fluor Daniels, Kellogg Corp. .He told me that Hal Fox of New Energy News and the Fusion Information Center will be there (I confirmed with Hal that he will be there and will give us a full report.) I considered going myself (I was invited), but I trust Hal Fox to provide a full report --

www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=1302

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_magnet_motor

Replacing a photo taken 08-May-11 with a better version 28-Jun-16.

 

Left side with additional '22kg Baggage allowance' and 'Allocated seats' titles

 

First flown with the Boeing test registration N5573K, this aircraft was delivered to China Southern Airlines as B-2803 in Nov-87. It was retired and stored at Guangzhou, China in Sep-06. In Nov-06 it was sold to The Dart Group Plc as G-LSAI and leased to Jet2.com. The aircraft suffered a serious tail-strike on landing at Alicante, Spain on 10-Apr-17. It was temporarily repaired and ferried back to Manchester, UK on 06-May-17. The aircraft was then 30 years old and I thought it may have been too expensive to repair. However I was forgetting that it was Jet2 and it returned to service at the end of May-17. Now 32.25 years old, it continues in service. Current, updated (Feb-20).

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 05-Mar-25.

 

Another 'lessor-owned' aircraft with a long and mostly sad history. It was first flown in Mar-93 with the Airbus test registration F-WWIE.

 

Originally ordered by 'GPA Airbus A320', they cancelled the order and the aircraft was delivered to GATX/CL Air Leasing and leased to LACSA Costa Rica as N486GX in Jun-93. But not for long.

 

It was returned to the lessor in Jan-94 and transferred to GATX/CL Air NV as PH-GCX in Feb-94. It was leased to Air Inter (France) as F-GJVX the same day. Air Inter was renamed Air Inter Europe in Jan-96 and the aircraft was returned to the lessor in May-97.

 

It was leased to a new Spanish company, BCM Airlines in Jun-97, retaining it's French registration. BCM ceased operations in Oct-97 (see note below), the aircraft returned to the lessor and was stored.

 

In Apr-98 it was leased to Volare Airlines (Italy), still with it's French registration. They ceased operations in Nov-04. The aircraft returned to the lessor and was stored at Bordeaux, France.

 

It was leased to Thomas Cook Airlines - Belgium as OO-TCM in Apr-05 and returned to the lessor in Feb-08. It was immediately leased to Aerolineas Argentinas as LV-BNZ and delivered to Buenos Aries-EZE.

 

However, it never entered service and was stored until it was returned to the lessor as N420BV in Dec-08 and stored at Goodyear, AZ, USA. It changed lessors twice white it was stored and was eventually leased to Strategic Airlines Europe (a small Australian company with big ideas and very little finance!) as F-GSTS in Aug-09.

 

Their French AOC was withdrawn in Oct-10, they ceased operations, the aircraft was returned to the lessor and stored at Brussels, Belgium. Strategic Airlines Europe started up again in Apr-11, this time in Luxembourg. They leased the aircraft again, now registered LX-STC.

 

They were no more successful the second time than they had been previously and ceased operations in Oct-12. The aircraft was returned to AeroTurbine Inc and re-registered N271AT in Nov-12. It was permanently retired at Goodyear, AZ, USA and the registration was cancelled in Mar-13.

 

Note: BCM Airlines was named after the initials of it's owner 'Bartolome Cursach Mas'. The airline only lasted for the summer of 1997 and ceased operations in Oct-97. Two of their four ex A320's formed the basis of Iberworld.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 01-Sep-15.

 

A little bit of 'glare' along the top of the 'cheat-line'. The tail on the right is Wardair's B727 CF-FUN.

 

Eagle Airways was renamed Cunard Eagle Airways in Mar-60 after a 60% investment by the Cunard Steamship Company.

 

This aircraft was delivered to Cunard Eagle Airways in Feb-62. It was originally due to be registered G-ARWD but that wasn't taken up and instead it was registered to Cunard Eagle Airways Bermuda as VR-BBW.

 

In Sep-62 after much double dealing, Cunard formed a new company with BOAC. The aircraft was re-registered G-ARWD and was transferred to BOAC Cunard. The Cunard part didn't last and in Oct-66 the aircraft became part of BOAC's mainline fleet.

 

It was leased to BEA Airtours in Jan-73 and in Apr-74 it was renamed British Airtours. In Apr-79 the aircraft was wet leased to Air Mauritius for 2 years, returning to British Airtours in Apr-81.

 

The following month it was returned to British Airways and sold to Boeing in part exchange for new Boeing 747's. It was stored at Kingman, AZ, USA, in May-81 and subsequently broken up there in 1986.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 20-Nov-20, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 05-Apr-23.

 

Martinair only kept their A320's for just over 4 years.

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWDE, this aircraft was delivered to SALE Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise and leased to Martinair as PH-MPE in Mar-03 and returned to the lessor in Nov-07.

 

It was leased to Etihad Airways as A6-EIB in Dec-07. The aircraft was sub-leased to Air Seychelles as S7-SIL in Jul-15 and returned to Etihad in Aug-19 when it was stored at Abu Dhabi. It was moved to Hyderabad, India in Dec-19 for continued storage and returned to the lessor in Aug-20.

 

It was leased to SmartLynx Airlines - Malta as 9H-SLB two weeks later and, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, it was stored at Malta on delivery. The aircraft was ferried to St. Athan, Wales, UK in Sep-20.

 

It never entered service and was permanently retired at St. Athan, Wales, UK. It was broken up there in Mar-23.

Waverley is named after Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley novels. She was built to replace the 1899 Waverley which was sunk by enemy action on May 29, 1940 at Dunkirk.

 

Waverley’s keel was laid on December 27, 1945 but due to material shortages after the war, she was not ready for launch until October 2, 1946. It wasn’t until the following year on January 20, 1947 that she was towed to Greenock for the installation of her boiler and engines. Her maiden voyage was on June 16, 1947.

 

Waverley was built for the route up Loch Goil and Loch Long from Craigendoran & Arrochar in West Scotland. She now visits several areas of the UK offering regular trips on the Clyde, The Western Isles, the Thames, South Coast of England and the Bristol Channel with calls at Liverpool & Llandudno.

 

Waverley is the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer. In 1974, at the end of her working life, she was famously gifted for £1 to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society. Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., a charity registered in Scotland, was set up to own and operate the ship. Waverley then began a second career as one of the country’s best-loved tourist attractions. Since she has been in operational preservation, she has been awarded four stars by Visit Scotland, an engineering heritage award, and has carried over 6 million passengers from over 60 ports around the UK.

 

2003 saw the completion of a £7m Heritage Rebuild which returned Waverley to the original 1940s style in which she was built. This was made possible with major grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS). Contributions also came from Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, the European Regional Development Fund and local authorities.

 

2017 marked 70 years since Waverley’s maiden voyage on June 16, 1947. In May 2019 she was withdrawn from service and a capital appeal was launched to raise £2.3 million to allow her boilers to be replaced and re-commission Waverley for further service. In December 2019 it was announced that the appeal target had been reached.

 

Despite delays to the boiler refit due to the COVID-19 pandemic Waverley returned to service in August 2020 and operated a short season on the Firth of Clyde. After a successful season on the Clyde the following year, Waverley will be returning to other sailing areas in 2022.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 17-Sep-19.

 

Rolled out in Sep-16 and stored at Toulouse, this aircraft was first flown in Jan-17 with the Airbus test registration F-WZGT. It was delivered to Qatar Airways as A7-ALN in Feb-17. Current, updated (Jun-20).

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 12-Jul-16, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 01-Sep-24.

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWIF, this aircraft was leased to ACES Colombia as VP-BVB in Nov-97. ACES ceased operations in Aug-03, the aircraft was repossessed and stored at Nimes, France.

 

It stayed at Nimes for 18 months until It was re-registered with the temporary French registration F-WQUO in Feb-05 and then leased to Valuair (Singapore) as 9V-VLD later the same month.

 

It returned to the lessor in May-06 and was immediately leased to Lotus Airlines (Egypt) as SU-LBG. Lotus Airlines ceased operations in May-11 and the aircraft was repossessed again, re-registered N416AC and stored at Dublin, Ireland.

 

It was leased to Zest Airways (Philippines) as RP-C8994 in Nov-11. Zest was renamed Philippines Air Asia in Jan-16. The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Jul-18 and permanently retired at Kemble, UK. It was broken up at Kemble in Nov-18.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 24-Aug-25.

 

'Star Alliance' livery, still with the faded '10 years 1997 - 2007' logo!

 

Named: "Jarlabanke Viking"

 

This aircraft was delivered to Scandinavian Airlines as SE-DYT in Dec-03. It was transferred to the Norwegian register as LN-RRL in Dec-04. It was sold to a lessor the following day and leased back to SAS.

 

Braathens, Norway was merged into SAS Norway as SAS/Braathens in at the end of Dec-04 and renamed SAS Scandinavian Airlines Norge Jun-07. The aircraft was retro-fitted with blended winglets in Aug-08.

 

It was returned to the lessor and sold to Aero Capital Solutions as VP-CGD in Feb-22 and converted to freighter configuration with a main deck cargo door at Miami in Aug-22. It ferried to East Midlands, UK for painting.

 

The aircraft was leased to Bluebird Nordic Cargo, Iceland as TF-BBU in Nov-22. It was returned to World Star Aviation in Jul-24 and leased to AirExplore Cargo, Slovak Republic as OM-EDD 10 days later. It was withdrawn from service and stored at Forli, Italy in Apr-25. Stored, updated 24-Aug-25.

no disponible!

With Halton Transport having met its demise, various operators have filled the gaps. Arriva have replaced many service runs, including parts of servcies 14A, 61, 62 and 200, Warrington's Own Buses have taken on parts of service 62 and some college work, Stagecoach have taken on some schools work and Ashcroft Travel have taken on services 26/27.

 

Among a dozen Alexander Dennis Enviro 200s drafted in at Warrington's Own Buses are three dual door ex London examples. 229 (YX10BFL) is seen at Green Oaks in Widnes.

Here is Arriva Buses Wales DAF DB250 East Lancs Lowlander Y704 XJF 4189 is seen at Bangor bus station as it's about to replace Wrightbus VDL SB200 Pulsar CX14 BYM 3174 to do the route 5 to Llandudno to collect more passangers. 28/01/17

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 23-Oct-14.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 21-Mar-00.

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration D-AVWG, this aircraft was delivered to ILFC International Lease Finance Corporation and leased to bmi british midland as G-DBCE in Mar-05. bmi was merged into British Airways in Jun-12.

 

In Mar-20, as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the aircraft was stored at Glasgow. It returned to service in Jul-20 but was briefly stored again, at London-Gatwick, in Nov / Dec-20. Finally, it was stored at Glasgow again in Nov-21 and returned to service in mid Jan-21. Current, 26-Nov-22.

Replacing the originally advertised 'Tornado', LNER class A4 no. 4464 'Bittern' approaches the site of the former Copmanthorpe station, 3 1/4 miles south of York, with a Steam Dreams' charter 'The Cathedrals Express' from Kings Cross on 19th December 2013, nearing the end of it's journey.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 14-Oct-19.

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWKT in Jun-04, this aircraft was originally an A330-203 but was modified to A330-202 standard before delivery. It was delivered to GECAS General Electric Capital Aircraft Services and leased to Qatar Airways as A7-AFM in Sep-04.

 

It was returned to the lessor in Sep-16 and returned to Airbus A330-203 standard. It was re-registered D-AXGF in Oct-16 and leased to Sun Express Airlines Germany for operation on behalf of Eurowings. The aircraft was temporarily stored at Frankfurt, Germany in Mar-20 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

Sun Express Germany was closed down by joint owners Lufthansa & Turkish Airlines in late Jun-20 and the aircraft was moved to Dusseldorf for further storage. It was transferred to Lufthansa Technik in Jul-20 and moved back to Frankfurt for storage.

 

In Jul-21 it was transferred to Eurowings Discover and operates long-haul leisure services on previous Lufthansa routes to the Caribbean, Central America and East Africa, as well as some long-haul services for Lufthansa (such as Frankfurt / Atlanta and Frankfurt to destinations in Canada). Current, updated 07-Dec-22.

*Replaced the first one, had a few things I wanted different*

First time I've done something like this... I really love these kinds of photos and really want to learn more about processing them...

Remember: this was my first time making something like this, so be nice! ;)

 

water photo

 

Tweet Tweet!

 

196/365

 

Wansink Photography © All Rights Reserved. 2010. Do not use, copy or edit any of my photographs without written permission.

edit: replaced by the one i originally had in the comments

 

sooc, except for a little straightening. i don't think i could take a straight picture to save my life.

 

i miss spring break. this was a sort of window ledge/seat thingie in my room in the place we stayed, it was big enough to sit in. (which i did often.) and of course, it had the best view. ;)

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 29-Nov-19.

 

'15th Asian Games, Doha 2006' logojet.

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWYD, this aircraft was delivered to Qatar Airways as A7-AED in Aug-05 and painted into the '15th Asian Games Doha 2006' logojet livery. It was repainted in standard livery in May-09.

 

The aircraft was withdrawn from service in Mar-20 and stored at Doha, Qatar due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It returned to service briefly, for two weeks in Jan-21, and returned to storage until it returned to service in Jul-21. Current, updated 26-Feb-24.

Pseudemys nelsoni (CARR 1938), Florida Redbelly Cooter is common in Central Florida and is a Federally threatened species.

 

PS I wasn't happy with the first@ edit, so redid it and replaced this shot and moved it up.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 02-Jan-22 (DeNoise AI).

 

The final Airtours/MyTravel hybrid colour scheme for G-BYDA. The Airtours International DC-10's weren't repainted in the full new MyTravel Airways livery as they were about to be retired.

 

This aircraft was delivered to Singapore Airlines as 9V-SDA in Oct-78. Singapore didn't keep their DC-10's for very long and it was sold to Wardair Canada as C-GFHX in Sep-81.

 

It was sold to a lessor in Apr-88 and leased to Canadi>n Airlines in May-88 (Wardair was merged into Canadi>n in Dec-89). The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Mar-89 and leased to Minerve (France) as F-GGMZ later that month.

 

Minerve merged with AOM Air Outre Mer in Apr-92 to form AOM French Airlines. It was sub-leased to Air Guadeloupe/Air Martinique in May-92, returning to AOM French Airlines in Sep-93.

 

The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Nov-94 and was stored until it was leased to Taesa (Mexico) as XA-SYE in Jun-95. Taesa immediately sub-leased it to Dominicana for a year. It returned to Taesa in Jun-96 and was returned to the lessor in May-97.

 

It was leased to Premiair (Denmark) as OY-CNO a few days later. It was stored at Copenhagen in Feb-98. The lease was transferred to Airtours International Airways in Sep-98 and it was initially operated as OY-CNO with Danish Flight Deck Crew.

 

The aircraft was re-registered G-BYDA in Mar-99. Airtours International was renamed MyTravel Airways in Feb-02. It continued to operate until, after 27 years in service, it was returned to the lessor in Apr-05 and stored at Kemble, UK. It was broken up at Kemble in Jul-05. Updated 13-Nov-21.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 25-Feb-25.

 

Named: "Sunkissed Girl".

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration D-AVZD, this aircraft was delivered to GECAS, leased to Virgin Atlantic Airways and sub-leased to Virgin Sun Airlines as G-VKIS in May-00.

 

It was returned to the lessor in Oct-01 and stored at Bristol-Filton, UK (now closed). It was ferried to Dublin in Apr-02 and repainted white. The aircraft remained stored at Dublin until Jan-03 when it was leased to LTE International Airlines (Spain) as EC-ILG.

 

It was operated as Volar in Jun-03 until Mar-05 when it became LTE International again. It was returned to the lessor three months later, in Jun-05 and leased to Turkish Airlines as TC-JMF in Jul-05.

 

The aircraft was returned to GECAS in Jan-12 and was due to be leased to Air Berlin as D-ABCJ, however the lease wasn't taken up. It was transferred to AMCK Aviation as M-ABEE (Isle of Man) in Feb-12 and leased to Nordwind Airlines (Russia) as VQ-BOD in Mar-12. It was ferried to Istanbul-ISL in Dec-21 and returned to the lessor.

 

It was stored at Istanbul-ISL and was leased to a new Turkish Airline, Southwind Airlines as TC-GRC in Jun-23. Ironically, Southwind was formed to operate holiday flights between... you've guessed it, Turkiye and Russia. More recently it has operated flights within Turkiye and currently is operating Haj Pilgrimage flights between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. Updated 25-Feb-25. (see notes below!).

 

Note 1: The aircraft was involved in an incident at Moscow-Sheremetyevo on 02-May-19 when a truck ran into the port main landing gear. The aircraft was parked remote and there was no-one on board, apparently the truck driver 'fell asleep'! It was repaired & returned to service on 16-Jun-19.

 

Note 2: Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb-22 and sanctions were placed on the country by the west, this meant that aircraft registered outside Russia were uninsured. The aircraft were taken over by the Russian State and were to be re-registered. This one was allocated RA-73327 but Nordwind had returned the aircraft three months earlier!

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

Hollywood Studios - Orlando, FL USA

 

*[We flew the fastest ship in the galaxy

while hurtling through hyperspace! LOL]

 

*[The quite-amazing new STAR WARS exhibit opened just ten days

prior (to above) on December 5th, 2019. Since we were in Orlando

for a company holiday-party we checked it out. As expected, it was jammed in the daytime with a 90+ minute wait for the ride. We went back in the evening (with a 35 minute wait) and it was very cool! With everything all lit-up at night it was fantastic and we truly felt

as if we were on the Galaxy's Edge! A must for the Star Wars fan!]

 

*[Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is set within the Star Wars universe, at the Black Spire Outpost village on the remote frontier planet of Batuu. Attractions include Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a dark ride that places guests in a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance; and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, a flying simulator attraction that allows guests to pilot the Millenium Falcon through a customized secret mission on behalf of Hondo Ohnaka and Chewbacca. Restaurants and shops include Oga's Cantina, Savi's Workshop, and the Droid Depot. The land opened in 2019, replacing the park's Streets of America section. The 14-acre area cost an estimated $1 billion. - Probably why a park-ticket is $125.]

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney%27s_Hollywood_Studios

The Brickell Avenue Bridge is a bascule bridge in Downtown Miami, Florida, that carries U.S. Route 1 (US 1; Brickell Avenue) over the Miami River.

 

The original Brickell Avenue Bridge was built in 1929 and replaced in 1995. The Brickell Avenue Bridge was widened by one additional northbound lane in 2006 to reduce the traffic bottleneck through downtown. Before this, there were three southbound but only two northbound lanes. Currently, there are three lanes in each direction as well as a pedestrian walkway on both sides. Still, the bridge causes frequent traffic delays on the busy Brickell Avenue when it opens. According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the bridge opened 4,990 times in 2010.

 

The statue is a 53-foot bronze monument commissioned by the Florida Department of Transportation and created by Cuban Master Sculptor Manuel Carbonell in 1995. The "Pillar of History" consists of a 36-foot high carved bas-relief column that graphically narrates the lives of the Tequesta Indians, Miami's first inhabitants, and features 158 figures. At the top stands a 17-foot bronze sculpture, "Tequesta Family" portraying a Tequesta Indian warrior aiming an arrow to the sky, looking for space in eternity, with his wife and child by his side, while the son covers his face in expectation of their extinction.

 

Carbonell also created four bas reliefs, measuring 4-feet by 8-feet, which were installed in niches on the bridge's supporting piers. Each relief honors Miami's early founders and pioneers - William and Mary Brickell, Henry Flagler, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and Julia Tuttle.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brickell_Avenue_Bridge

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Replacing the usual A350-900!

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 11-May-16, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 20-Mar-25 (it was a very 'yellowed' negative!).

 

The charter division of SABENA Belgian World Airlines.

 

Delivered new to Air France as F-GHGK in Mar-94 this aircraft was only in service for less than two years before being sold to a leasing company and stored in Dec-95.

 

In Jun-96 it was leased to Sobelair as OO-STF. It was returned to the lessor in Mar-01 and leased to Asiana Airlines in May-01 as HL7200. Returning to the lessor in Jan-06 it was immediately sold to RAM Royal Air Maroc as CN-ROG.

 

RAM sold it to Cargo Aircraft Management as N365CM in Feb-12 when it was stored at Jacksonville-Cecil Field, FL, USA. The aircraft was ferried to Tel Aviv, Israel around May-13 and converted to freight configuration with a main deck cargo door.

 

The conversion was completed in Jul-13 and the aircraft was leased to ABX Air in Aug-13. It appears to have been returned to Cargo Aircraft Management around Feb-14 and was noted stored at Wilmington, Ohio in Mar-14, still in basic Royal Air Maroc livery.

 

It remained stored until it was eventually leased to Cargojet Airways, Canada, in Mar-15 as C-GVIJ. Cargojet bought it in Oct-18. It was wet-leased to DHL Aviation in Apr-22 and operates in full DHL livery. Current, updated 20-Mar-26.

 

replaced with a cropped version. i kept looking at the thumbnail of the original like, "wait...i think this actually looks better."

LeicesterSquare

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 26-Feb-22 (DeNoise AI).

 

Named: "City of Ziarat", later "City of Hydrabad" (neither name shown with this livery).

 

First flown in Mar-91 with the Airbus test registration F-WWCH, this aircraft was delivered to PIA Pakistan International Airlines as AP-BDZ in Jun-91.

 

It spent it whole operational life with PIA and was permanently retired at Karachi, Pakistan in May-14. Updated 26-Feb-22.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 07-Feb-22 (DeNoise AI). Unfortunately, many of my old negatives are suffering from this 'yellow plague'.

 

Named: "Pella".

 

This aircraft was delivered to Olympic Airways as SX-BKG in Jun-93. All Olympic Airways debts disappeared in Dec-03 when the airline was renamed Olympic Airlines.

 

The same thing happened again when Olympic Airlines was closed down at the end of Sep-09. It became Olympic Air the following day. However, this aircraft wasn't transferred to the new company and was stored at Athens in Oct-09.

 

It remained stored until it was sold by the Olympic Airlines liquidator to AerSale Inc (USA) as N148AS in Dec-10. It was ferried to Istanbul-SAW in Jan-11 for post storage maintenance before being stored at Bucharest-Baneasa (Romania) in Feb-11.

 

The aircraft was leased to Moscovia Airlines (Russia) as VQ-BNX in Nov-12 and returned to the lessor in May-14 when it was stored at Roswell, NM, USA. It was re-registered N148AS again in Jul-14.

 

It was briefly leased to SkyKing Inc for a couple of weeks in Sep/Oct-14 before being leased to Xtra Airways (USA) in mid Oct-14. It was re-registered N149XA in Jun-16. It was returned to AerSale Inc in Feb-18 and sold to Swift Air (USA) the following month.

 

Swift Air had reserved the registration N809TJ in Jun-18 but it wasn't taken up and the aircraft remained as N149XA. On 01-Jan-20 Swift Air was renamed iAero Airways. It was withdrawn from service and stored at Dothan, AL, USA in Sep-23. Updated 04-Feb-24.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 10-Feb-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 17-Jun-23. A bit blurred!

 

With additional 'On Charter to C.A.A.C' (Central African Airlines Corporation) stickers.

 

This was parked outside the British Eagle hangars at London-Heathrow being serviced with British Eagle equipment. As the rest of the BOAC DC-7C fleet had been disposed of by spring 1964, I think Eagle had a maintenance contract for the remaining 2 freighters which were in service until spring 1965. As the stickers say, it was being 'Operated for C.A.A.C.' (Central African Airways Corporation).

 

This aircraft was delivered new to BOAC in Apr-57 and was in passenger service for just three and a half years before it was converted into a freighter with 2 main-deck cargo doors by the Douglas Aircraft Company at their Santa Monica, CA, plant in Dec-60.

 

It continued in service with BOAC Cargo until it was sold to Universal Trading Corp (USA) in May-65. It was transferred to FB Ayer & Associates the same month as N16465. It was leased to Airlift International in Jan-66, returning to FB Ayer in Sep-66.

 

The following month it was leased to International Aerodyne and sub-leased back to Airlift International. It was returned to FB Ayer in Sep-67. In Feb-68 it was leased to Air Caribbean Transport as 6Y-JFK and returned to FB Ayer in Apr-70, again as N16465 and was stored at Tucson, AZ, USA.

 

It was sold to Onyx Aviation in Mar-78 and sold again in Nov-78 to ComTran Inc and sold again to La mancha Aire Inc in Dec-81. Finally, it was sold to Paterson Aircraft Corp in Sep-83. It was later stored again at Miami and broken up there in Dec-92.

{replaced another photo}

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 23-Nov-20, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 25-Nov-23 (unfortunately there is some yellowing of the negative).

 

Named: "City of Karachi".

 

First flown with the Boeing test registration N6018N, this aircraft was delivered to Cathay Pacific Airways as VR-HOL in Feb-87. It was re-registered B-HOL in Jul-97 when Hong Kong became an autonomous region of China.

 

The aircraft was sold to PIA Pakistan International Airlines as AP-BFX in May-99. It was withdrawn from use and stored at Sialkot, Pakistan in Feb-08. The aircraft was later moved to Karachi, Pakistan and broken up there in Feb/Mar-11.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 01-Jan-22 (DeNoise AI)

 

HMY Airways was later renamed Harmony Airways.

 

Fleet No: "801".

 

This aircraft was delivered to EL Al Israel Airlines as 4X-EBL in Nov-87. It was sold to Boeing Capital in May-00 and leased back to El Al. It was returned to Boeing Capital as N789BA in Jan-01 and stored at Marana, AZ, USA.

 

The aircraft was leased to HMY Airways as C-GMYC in Nov-02. HMY Airways was renamed Harmony Airways in May-04. The airline ceased operations in Apr-07 and the aircraft was returned to the Boeing Aircraft Holding Company in Jun-07.

 

It was stored at Greenwood, MS, USA. By now it was 20 years old and was permanently retired. The aircraft was last noted still at Greenwood in Nov-08 in basic Harmony livery with many parts missing, it was broken up at Greenwood in 2009. Updated 01-Jan-21.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 13-Mar-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 13-Mar-26.

 

The original 'Shorts Shed'...

 

Seen with the original Astazou engines which sounded like 2 wasps in a can!

 

G-ASCO was the 2nd prototype SC-7 Skyvan which first flew 29-Oct-65. It was used in the development programme and as a demonstrator and flew in many different liveries of prospective customers.

 

It didn't stay around for long though, it was stored at Short's factory airfield at Sydenham, Belfast (now Belfast Harbour Airport) in May-68 and was broken up in early 1972.

(July 2009: original low res print scan replaced with scanned uncropped negative) Best Viewed Large On Black see rest of this horiffic event in the Racist Attack set.

 

See www.cfye.com for the full story and more detail

  

I was walking down Moore Street Dublin on a Sunday 27/07/08 when I was passed by a family of Romany Gypsies and then I heard behind me a bunch of Irish teenage girls shouting abuse at them and thinking they were very funny.

They then picked up old fruit from the stalls and were throwing this at the Romany Gypsies, this escalated as the Gypsies responded verbally. Then further as one teenage girl found old stallholders plastic chair and ran after the Gypsies hitting the woman pictured from behind. The woman tries to protect her baby wrapped in her arm in blankets. Luckily the situation soon diffused after this point.

Taken with Nikon F75: 50mm f/1.4D lens: Y44 Filter. Fomapan 200 film: Developed in Xtol Stock @21C for 6'30'' at 5'' Agitation/30''

 

Scan from 8''X10’’ Print on Ilford MGIV Pearl

 

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 30-May-24.

 

Operated on behalf of British Airways by CityFlyer Express in this hybrid 'Chatham Historic Dockyard' livery (without the blue lower fuselage and engines).

 

Originally ordered by TAT Transport Aerien Transregional (previously Touraine Air Transport) as F-GKNF. The order was cancelled before completion.

 

The aircraft was first flown as F-WWLP in Oct-92 and was stored at Toulouse until it was delivered to the GPA Group Ltd and leased to CityFlyer Express as G-BVEF in Mar-94. It was operated on behalf of British Airways Express.

 

It was returned to the lessor in Mar-01 and stored at Exeter UK. The aircraft was leased to Coast Air (Norway) in Feb-02 and re-registered LN-FAI in Nov-02. It returned to Nordic Aviation Capital A/S in Mar-04 and was immediately leased to Air Wales as G-CDFF.

 

Air Wales ceased operations in Apr-06 and the aircraft was returned to the lessor and stored at Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK. In Nov-06 it was leased to Aurigny Air Services and operated in association with Flightline.

 

It was briefly sub-leased to EuroManx in Sep-07. It was returned to operation by Aurigny from May-08 and was wet-leased to Aer Arann between May/Jul-08. It was returned to Nordic Aviation Capital in Sep-08 and stored at Billund (Denmark).

 

The aircraft was sold to First Air (Bradley Air Services) as C-GKLB in Feb-09. First Air consolidated their services with Canadian North in Nov-19. The aircraft was removed from service in Jan-21 and stored at Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada.

 

Canadian North took over the operation of the aircraft in May-21 and it returned to service in Jul-21. It's now 33 years old and continues in service. Updated 15-May-25.

replaced my clutch liner

Replacing an earlier scanned 6"x4" print with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 25-Oct-25.

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWCV, this aircraft was originally ordered by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as PH-AGL but the order was cancelled before completion.

 

It was sold to Emirates Airline as A6-EKB in Jul-87. The aircraft was traded in to Airbus for A330's in Nov-00 and immediately sold to Iran Air as EP-IBL. It was withdrawn from service and stored at Tehran-IKA in Apr-18. Presumed permanently retired.

Caernarfon Castle is a medieval fortress in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, north-west Wales cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service. It was a motte-and-bailey castle from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began to replace it with the current stone structure. The Edwardian town and castle acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past, and the Roman fort of Segontium is nearby.

 

While the castle was under construction, town walls were built around Caernarfon. The work cost between £20,000 and £25,000 from the start until the work ended in 1330. Although the castle appears mostly complete from the outside, the interior buildings no longer survive and many of the building plans were never finished. The town and castle were sacked in 1294 when Madog ap Llywelyn led a rebellion against the English. Caernarfon was recaptured the following year. During the Glyndŵr Rising of 1400–1415, the castle was besieged. When the Tudor dynasty ascended to the English throne in 1485, tensions between the Welsh and English began to diminish and castles were considered less important. As a result, Caernarfon Castle was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. Despite its dilapidated condition, during the English Civil War Caernarfon Castle was held by Royalists, and was besieged three times by Parliamentarian forces. This was the last time the castle was used in war. The castle was neglected until the 19th century when the state funded repairs. The castle was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1911 and again in 1969. It is part of the World Heritage Site "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd".

 

The first fortifications at Caernarfon were built by the Romans. Their fort, which they named Segontium, is on the outskirts of the modern town. The fort sat near the bank of the River Seiont; the fort was probably built here due to the sheltered position and because it could be resupplied via the river Seiont. Caernarfon derives its name from the Roman fortifications. In Welsh, the place was called y gaer (lenition of caer) yn Arfon, meaning "the stronghold in the land over against Môn"; Môn is the Welsh name for Anglesey. Little is known about the fate of Segontium and its associated civilian settlement after the Romans departed from Britain in the early 5th century.

 

Following the Norman Conquest of England, William the Conqueror turned his attention to Wales. According to the Domesday Survey of 1086, the Norman Robert of Rhuddlan was nominally in command of the whole of northern Wales. He was killed by the Welsh in 1088. His cousin Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester, reasserted Norman control of north Wales by building three castles: one at an unknown location somewhere in Meirionnydd, one at Aberlleiniog on Anglesey, and another at Caernarfon. This early castle was built on a peninsula, bounded by the River Seiont and the Menai Strait; it would have been a motte and bailey, defended by a timber palisade and earthworks. The motte, or mound, was integrated into the later Edwardian castle, but the location of the original bailey is uncertain, although it may have been to the north-east of the motte. Excavations on top of the motte in 1969 revealed no traces of medieval occupation, suggesting any evidence had been removed. It is likely that the motte was surmounted by a wooden tower known as a keep. The Welsh recaptured Gwynedd in 1115, and Caernarfon Castle came into the possession of the Welsh princes. From contemporary documents written at the castle, it is known that Llywelyn the Great and later Llywelyn ap Gruffudd occasionally stayed at Caernarfon.

 

War broke out again between England and Wales on 22 March 1282. The Welsh leader, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, died later that year on 11 December. His brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd continued to fight against the English, but in 1283 Edward I was victorious. Edward marched through northern Wales, capturing castles such as that at Dolwyddelan, and establishing his own at Conwy. War finally drew to a close in May 1283 when Dolbadarn Castle, Dafydd ap Gruffudd's last castle, was captured. Shortly afterwards, Edward began building castles at Harlech and Caernarfon. The castles of Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech were the most impressive of their time in Wales, and their construction—along with other Edwardian castles in the country—helped establish English rule. The master mason responsible for the design and construction of the castle was probably James of Saint George, an experienced architect and military engineer who played an important role in building the Edwardian castles in Wales. According to the Flores Historiarum, during the construction of the castle and planned town, the body of the Roman emperor Magnus Maximus was discovered, and Edward I ordered its reburial in a local church.

 

The construction of the new stone castle was part of a programme of building which transformed Caernarfon; town walls were added, connected to the castle, and a new quay was built. The earliest reference to building at Caernarfon dates from 24 June 1283, when a ditch had been dug separating the site of the castle from the town to the north. A bretagium, a type of stockade, was created around the site to protect it while the permanent defences were under construction. Timber was shipped from as far away as Liverpool. Stone was quarried from nearby places, such as from Anglesey and around the town. A force of hundreds worked on the excavation of the moat and digging the foundations for the castle. As the site expanded, it began to encroach on the town; houses were cleared to allow the construction. Residents were not paid compensation until three years later. While the foundations for the stone walls were being created, timber-framed apartments were built for Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, his queen. They arrived at Caernarfon on either 11 or 12 July 1283 and stayed for over a month.

 

Construction at Caernarfon Castle continued over the winter of 1283–84. The extent of completion is uncertain, although architectural historian Arnold Taylor speculated that when Edward and Eleanor visited again in Easter 1284 the Eagle Tower may have been complete. The Statute of Rhuddlan, enacted on 3 March 1284, made Caernarfon a borough and the administrative centre of the county of Gwynedd.[Gwynedd was not a county.] According to tradition, Edward II was born at Caernarfon on 25 April 1284. Edward was created Prince of Wales in 1301, with control over Wales and its incomes. Since then the title has traditionally been held by the eldest son of the monarch. According to a famous legend, the king had promised the Welsh that he would name "a prince born in Wales, who did not speak a word of English" and then produced his infant son to their surprise; but the story may well be apocryphal, as it can only be traced to the 16th century. In 1284, Caernarfon was defended by a garrison of forty men, more than the thirty-strong garrisons at Conwy and Harlech. Even in peace time, when most castles would have a guard of only a few men, Caernarfon was defended by between twenty and forty people due to its importance.

 

By 1285, Caernarfon's town walls were mostly complete. At the same time work continued on the castle. Spending on construction was negligible from 1289 and accounts end in 1292. Edward I's campaign of castle-building in Wales cost £80,000 between 1277 and 1304, and £95,000 between 1277 and 1329; by 1292 £12,000 had been spent on the construction of Caernarfon's castle—of which the southern façade was furthest along—and town walls. As the southern wall and town walls completed a defensive circuit around Caernarfon, the plan was to build the castle's northern façade last.

 

In 1294, Wales broke out in rebellion led by Madog ap Llywelyn, Prince of Wales. As Caernarfon was the centre of administration in Gwynedd and a symbol of English power, it was targeted by the Welsh. Madog's forces captured the town in September, and in the process heavily damaged the town walls. The castle was defended by just a ditch and a temporary barricade. It was quickly taken and anything flammable was set alight. Fire raged across Caernarfon, leaving destruction in its wake. In the summer of 1295, the English moved to retake Caernarfon. By November the same year, the English began refortifying the town. Rebuilding the town walls was a high priority, and £1,195 (nearly half the sum initially spent on the walls) was spent on completing the job two months ahead of schedule. Attention then shifted to the castle and on finishing the work that had halted in 1292. Once the rebellion was put down, Edward began building Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesey. The work was overseen by James of Saint George; as a result, Walter of Hereford took over as master mason for the new phase of construction. By the end of 1301, a further £4,500 had been spent on the work; the focus of the work was on the northern wall and towers. The accounts between November 1301 and September 1304 are missing, possibly because there was a hiatus in work while labour moved north to help out with England's war against Scotland. Records show that Walter of Hereford had left Caernarfon and was in Carlisle in October 1300; he remained occupied with the Scottish wars until the autumn of 1304 when building at Caernarfon resumed. Walter died in 1309 and his immediate subordinate, Henry of Ellerton, took over the position of master mason. Construction continued at a steady rate until 1330.

 

From 1284 to 1330, when accounts end, between £20,000 and £25,000 was spent on Caernarfon's castle and town walls. Such a sum was enormous and dwarfed the spending on castles such as Dover and Château Gaillard, which were amongst the most expensive and impressive fortifications of the later 12th and early 13th centuries. Subsequent additions to Caernarfon were not major, and what remains of the castle is substantially from the Edwardian period. Despite the expense, much of what was planned for the castle was never carried out. The rears of the King's Gate (the entrance from the town) and the Queen's Gate (the entrance from the south-east) were left unfinished, and foundations in the castle's interior mark where buildings would have stood had work continued.

 

For around two centuries after the conquest of Wales, the arrangements established by Edward I for the governance of the country remained in place. During this time the castle was constantly garrisoned, and Caernarfon was effectively the capital of north Wales.[30] There was a degree of discrimination, with the most important administrative jobs in Wales usually closed to Welsh people. Tension between the Welsh and their English conquerors spilled over at the start of the 15th century with the outbreak of the Glyndŵr Rising (1400–1415). During the revolt, Caernarfon was one of the targets of Owain Glyndŵr's army. The town and castle were besieged in 1401, and in November that year the Battle of Tuthill was fought nearby between Caernarfon's defenders and the besieging force. In 1403 and 1404, Caernarfon was besieged by Welsh troops with support from French forces;[30] the garrison at the time was around thirty. The accession of the Tudor dynasty to the English throne in 1485 heralded a change in the way Wales was administered. The Tudors were Welsh in origin, and their rule eased hostilities between the Welsh and English. As a result, castles such as Caernarfon, which provided secure centres from which the country could be administered, became less important. They were neglected, and in 1538 it was reported that many castles in Wales were "moche ruynous and ferre in decaye for lakke of tymely reparations".

 

In Caernarfon's case the walls of the town and castle remained in good condition, while features which required maintenance—such as roofs—were in a state of decay and much timber was rotten. Conditions were so poor that of the castle's seven towers and two gatehouses, only the Eagle Tower and the King's Gate had roofs by 1620. The domestic buildings inside the castle had been stripped of anything valuable, such as glass and iron. Despite the disrepair of the domestic buildings, the castle's defences were in a good enough state that during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century it was garrisoned by Royalists. Caernarfon Castle was besieged three times during the war. The constable was John Byron, 1st Baron Byron, who surrendered Caernarfon to Parliamentarian forces in 1646. It was the last time Caernarfon Castle saw fighting. Although it was ordered in 1660 that the castle and town walls should be dismantled, the work was aborted early on and may never have started.

 

Despite avoiding slighting, the castle was neglected until the late 19th century. From the 1870s onwards, the government funded repairs to Caernarfon Castle. The deputy-constable Llewellyn Turner oversaw the work, in many cases controversially restoring and rebuilding the castle, rather than simply conserving the existing stonework. Steps, battlements, and roofs were repaired, and the moat to the north of the castle was cleared of post-medieval buildings that were considered to spoil the view, despite the protest of locals. Under the auspices of the Office of Works and its successors since 1908, the castle was preserved due to its historic significance. In 1911, Caernarfon was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales for the first time for Prince Edward (later Edward VIII), eldest son of the newly crowned King George V; the ceremony was held there at the insistence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George, a Welshman raised in Caernarfonshire. In 1969, the precedent was repeated with the investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales. Although Caernarfon Castle has been the property of the Crown since it was built, it is currently cared for by Cadw (English: to keep), the Welsh Government's historic environment division, responsible for the maintenance and care of Wales' historic buildings. In 1986, Caernarfon was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites as part of the "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd" in recognition of its global importance and to help conserve and protect the site. The castle houses the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum. During 2015 a new "entrance pavilion" was built, designed by architects Donald Insall Associates.

 

Caernarfon Castle is now a major tourist attraction, with over 205,000 people visiting the attraction in 2018.

 

Caernarfon is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the island of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is 8.6 miles (13.8 km) to the north-east, while Snowdonia (Eryri) fringes Caernarfon to the east and south-east.

 

Abundant natural resources in and around the Menai Strait enabled human habitation in prehistoric Britain. The Ordovices, a Celtic tribe, lived in the region during the period known as Roman Britain. The Roman fort Segontium was established around AD 80 to subjugate the Ordovices during the Roman conquest of Britain. The Romans occupied the region until the end of Roman rule in Britain in 382, after which Caernarfon became part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. In the late 11th century, William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a motte-and-bailey castle at Caernarfon as part of the Norman invasion of Wales. He was unsuccessful, and Wales remained independent until around 1283.

 

In the 13th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, ruler of Gwynedd, refused to pay homage to Edward I of England, prompting the English conquest of Gwynedd. This was followed by the construction of Caernarfon Castle, one of the largest and most imposing fortifications built by the English in Wales. In 1284, the English-style county of Caernarfonshire was established by the Statute of Rhuddlan; the same year, Caernarfon was made a borough, a county and market town, and the seat of English government in north Wales.

 

The ascent of the House of Tudor to the throne of England eased hostilities with the English and resulted in Caernarfon Castle falling into a state of disrepair. The town has flourished,[when?] leading to its status as a major tourist centre and seat of Gwynedd Council, with a thriving harbour and marina. Caernarfon has expanded beyond its medieval walls and experienced heavy suburbanisation. The community of Caernarfon's population includes the highest percentage of Welsh-speaking citizens anywhere in Wales. The status of Royal Borough was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963 and amended to Royal Town in 1974. The castle and town walls are part of a World Heritage Site described as the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.

 

The town's name consists of three elements: caer , yn, and arfon. "Caer' means 'fortress", in this case either the Roman fort of Segontium, which lies on the outskirts of the modern town, or the Norman castle erected near the mouth of the Afon Seiont. "Arfon" means "opposite Môn (Anglesey)", and the full name therefore means "the fortress in the land opposite Anglesey".

 

The earlier British and Romano-British settlement at Segontium was named Cair Segeint ("Fort Seiont") after the river. It was also known as Cair Custoient ("Fortress of Constantine"), after a belief that it was the capital of Gwynedd under Constantine, a supposed son of Saint Elen and the Emperor Magnus Maximus. Both names appear in the Historia Brittonum traditionally ascribed to Nennius. A medieval romance about Maximus and Elen, Macsen's Dream, calls her home Caer Aber Sein ("Fort Seiontmouth" or "the fortress at the mouth of the Seiont") and other pre-conquest poets such as Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd used the name Caer Gystennin. A 1221 charter by Llywelyn the Great to the canons of Penmon priory on Anglesey mentions Kaerinarfon, and the Welsh chronicle Brut y Tywysogion mentions both Kaerenarvon and Caerenarvon.

 

The town and the county named after it were officially spelled "Carnarvon" until 1926. At a meeting on 10 November 1925 the borough council resolved to ask the county council to change the spelling to "Caernarvon". The county council gave permission for the change of spelling for the name of the borough with effect from 14 January 1926, and at the same time decided to ask the government to also change the spelling of the county's name to Caernarvon. The government confirmed the change in the spelling of the county's name with effect from 1 July 1926.

 

The municipal borough was designated a royal borough in 1963. When the borough was abolished in 1974 the status of "royal town" was granted to the new community which succeeded it. The spelling of both borough and county remained "Caernarvon" until they were abolished in 1974. The spelling of the community's name was changed from "Caernarvon" to "Caernarfon" with effect from 2 June 1975 by order of Arfon Borough Council.

 

Caernarfon contains a Roman fort, Segontium, and a Norman motte-and-bailey castle was built at the mouth of the River Seiont.

 

In 1283, King Edward I completed his conquest of Wales which he secured by a chain of castles and walled towns. The construction of a new stone Caernarfon Castle seems to have started as soon as the campaign had finished. Edward's architect, James of St. George, may well have modelled the castle on the walls of Constantinople, possibly being aware of the town's legendary associations. Edward's fourth son, Edward of Caernarfon, later Edward II of England, was born at the castle in April 1284 and made Prince of Wales in 1301. A story recorded in the 16th century suggests that the new prince was offered to the native Welsh on the premise "that [he] was borne in Wales and could speake never a word of English", however, there is no contemporary evidence to support this.

 

Caernarfon was constituted a borough in 1284 by a charter of Edward I. The charter, which was confirmed on a number of occasions, appointed the mayor of the borough Constable of the Castle ex officio.

 

On 2 November 1401, 'Y Ddraig Aur' (The golden dragon) of Owain Glyndŵr was attested to have been flown during the Battle of Tuthill at Caernarfon, it is also likely that it was also flown throughout the Welsh independence campaign.

In 1911, David Lloyd George, then Member of Parliament (MP) for Caernarfon boroughs, which included various towns from Llŷn to Conwy, agreed to the British Royal Family's idea of holding the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. The ceremony took place on 13 July, with the royal family visiting Wales, and the future Edward VIII was duly invested.

 

In 1955, Caernarfon was in the running for the title of Capital of Wales on historical grounds but the town's campaign was heavily defeated in a ballot of Welsh local authorities, with 11 votes compared to Cardiff's 136. Cardiff therefore became the Welsh capital.

 

On 1 July 1969, the investiture ceremony for Charles, Prince of Wales was again held at Caernarfon Castle. The ceremony went ahead without incident despite terrorist threats and protests, which culminated in the death of two members of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Welsh Defence Movement), Alwyn Jones and George Taylor, who were killed when their bomb – intended for the railway line at Abergele in order to stop the British Royal Train – exploded prematurely. The bombing campaign (one in Abergele, two in Caernarfon and finally one on Llandudno Pier) was organised by the movement's leader, John Jenkins. He was later arrested after a tip-off and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.

 

In July 2019, Caernarfon hosted a rally for Welsh independence. The event, organised by AUOB (All Under One Banner) Cymru, included a march through the town centre. Organisers estimated that roughly 8,000 people joined the march on the town square; local authorities confirmed at least 5,000 attendees. The event featured a number of speakers including Hardeep Singh Kohli, Evra Rose, Dafydd Iwan, Lleuwen Steffan, Siôn Jobbins, Beth Angell, Gwion Hallam, Meleri Davies and Elfed Wyn Jones. Talks covered criticism of Brexit and Westminster with advocating Welsh Independence.

 

The history of Caernarfon, as an example where the rise and fall of different civilizations can be seen from one hilltop, is discussed in John Michael Greer's book The Long Descent. He writes of Caernarfon:

Spread out below us in an unexpected glory of sunlight was the whole recorded history of that little corner of the world. The ground beneath us still rippled with earthworks from the Celtic hill fort that guarded the Menai Strait more than two and a half millennia ago. The Roman fort that replaced it was now the dim brown mark of an old archaeological site on low hills off to the left. Edward I’s great grey castle rose up in the middle foreground, and the high contrails of RAF jets on a training exercise out over the Irish Sea showed that the town’s current overlords still maintained the old watch. Houses and shops from more than half a dozen centuries spread eastward as they rose through the waters of time, from the cramped medieval buildings of the old castle town straight ahead to the gaudy sign and sprawling parking lot of the supermarket back behind us.

 

Caernarfon is situated on the southern bank of the Menai Strait facing the Isle of Anglesey. It is situated 8.6 miles (13.8 km) south-west of Bangor, 19.4 miles (31.2 km) north of Porthmadog and approximately 8.0 miles (12.9 km) west of Llanberis and Snowdonia National Park. The mouth of the River Seiont is in the town, creating a natural harbour where it flows into the Menai Strait. Caernarfon Castle stands at the mouth of the river. The A487 passes directly through Caernarfon, with Bangor to the north and Porthmadog to the south.

 

As the crow flies, the summit of Snowdon lies a little over 9.6 miles (15.4 km) to the southeast of the town centre.

 

Caernarfon's historical prominence and landmarks have made it a major tourist centre. As a result, many of the local businesses cater for the tourist trade. Caernarfon has numerous guest houses, inns and pubs, hotels, restaurants and shops. The majority of shops in the town are located either in the centre of town around Pool Street and Castle Square (Y Maes), on Doc Fictoria (Victoria Dock) or in Cei Llechi (Slate Quay). A number of shops are also located within the Town Walls.

 

The majority of the retail and residential section of Doc Fictoria was opened in 2008. The retail and residential section of Doc Fictoria is built directly beside a Blue Flag beach marina. It contains numerous homes, bars and bistros, cafés and restaurants, an award-winning arts centre, a maritime museum and a range of shops and stores.

 

Pool Street and Castle Square contain a number of large, national retail shops and smaller independent stores. Pool Street is pedestrianised and serves as the town's main shopping street. Castle Square, commonly referred to as the 'Maes' by both Welsh and English speakers, is the market square of the town. A market is held every Saturday throughout the year and also on Mondays in the summer. The square was revamped at a cost of £2.4 million in 2009. However, since its revamp the square has caused controversy due to traffic and parking difficulties. During the revamp, it was decided to remove barriers between traffic and pedestrians creating a 'shared space', to force drivers to be more considerate of pedestrians and other vehicles. This is the first use of this kind of arrangement in Wales, but it has been described by councillor Bob Anderson as being 'too ambiguous' for road users. Another controversy caused by the revamp of the Maes was that a historic old oak tree was taken down from outside the HSBC bank. When the Maes was re-opened in July 2009 by the local politician and Heritage Minister of Wales, Alun Ffred Jones AM, he said, "the use of beautiful local slate is very prominent in the new Maes."

 

There are many old public houses serving the town, including The Four Alls, The Anglesey Arms Hotel, The Castle Hotel, The Crown, Morgan Lloyd, Pen Deitch and The Twthill Vaults. The oldest public house in Caernarfon is the Black Boy Inn, which remained in the same family for over 40 years until sold in 2003 to a local independent family business. The pub has stood inside Caernarfon's Town Walls since the 16th century, and many people claim to have seen ghosts within the building.

 

In and around the Town Walls are numerous restaurants, public houses and inns, and guest houses and hostels.

 

Gwynedd Council's head offices are situated in the town. The Caernarfon parliamentary constituency was a former electoral area centred on Caernarfon. Caernarfon is now part of the Arfon constituency for both the UK Parliament and the Senedd. The town is twinned with Landerneau in Brittany. Caernarfon was the county town of the historic county of Caernarfonshire.

 

At the local level, Caernarfon Royal Town Council consists of 17 town councillors, elected from the wards of Cadnant (3), Canol Tref Caernarfon (3), Hendre (3), Menai (4) and Peblig (4). The current Mayor is Councillor Maria Veronica Sarnacki.

 

The population in 1841 was 8,001.

 

The population of Caernarfon Community Parish in 2001 was 9,611. Caernarfon residents are known colloquially as "Cofis". The word "Cofi" /ˈkɒvi/ is also used locally in Caernarfon to describe the local Welsh dialect, notable for a number of words, not in use elsewhere.

 

Within Wales, Gwynedd has the highest proportion of speakers of the Welsh language. The greatest concentration of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd is found in and around Caernarfon.

 

According to the 2011 census, 85.8% of residents were born in Wales, one of the highest proportions in Gwynedd, and 77.0% reported a 'Welsh only' national identity.

 

The present castle building was constructed between 1283 and 1330 by the order of King Edward I. The banded stonework and polygonal towers are thought to have been in imitation of the Walls of Constantinople. The impressive curtain wall with nine towers and two gatehouses survive largely intact. Caernarfon Castle is now under the care of Cadw and is open to the public. The castle includes the regimental museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

 

The medieval town walls, including eight towers and two twin-towered gateways, form a complete circuit of 800 yards (730 m) around the old town and were built between 1283 and 1285. The walls are in the care of Cadw but only a small section is accessible to the public. The town walls and castle at Caernarfon were declared part of a World Heritage Site in 1986. According to UNESCO, the castle and walls together with other royal castles in Gwynedd "are the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe".

 

Dedicated to Saint Peblig, the son of Saint Elen and Macsen Wledig (Magnus Maximus), the church is built on an important early Christian site, itself built on a Roman Mithraeum or temple of Mithras, close to the Segontium Roman Fort (200m away, in the care of Cadw). A Roman altar was found in one of the walls during 19th-century restoration work. The present church dates mainly from the 14th century and is a Grade I listed building.

 

The statue in Castle Square was sculpted by W. Goscombe John and was erected in 1921 when Lloyd George was Prime Minister. David Lloyd George was the Member of Parliament for the area from 1890 to 1945.

 

The Old Market Hall in Hole-in-the-Wall Street and Crown Street was built in 1832, but the interior and roof were rebuilt later in that century. It is a Grade II listed building. It now acts as a pub and music venue.

 

A small Victorian urban park, Morfa was laid out in 1888. It stands to the south of the town, bordered by the 'Ysbyty Eryri' hospital [see below] at its southern edge. It is listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

 

The old County Hall, which went on to become a courthouse, is situated inside the castle walls, next door to the Anglesey Arms Hotel. The old courthouse was built in the Neo-classical style. The courthouse was replaced by the new Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre on the former Segontium School site in Llanberis Road in 2009. The old courthouse adjoins what used to be Caernarfon Gaol, which has been closed since the early 20th century and was subsequently converted into council offices.

 

There is a small hospital in the town, 'Ysbyty Eryri' (i.e. "Snowdonia Hospital"). The nearest large regional hospital is Ysbyty Gwynedd, in Bangor.

 

Caernarfon Barracks was commissioned by John Lloyd, County Surveyor of Caernarfonshire, as a military headquarters and completed in 1855.

 

Caernarfon was at one time an important port, exporting slate from the Dyffryn Nantlle quarries. This traffic was facilitated from 1828 by the Nantlle Railway which predated far more widely known ventures such as the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway.

 

Five passenger stations have served the town. Caernarvon railway station opened in 1852 as the western terminus of the Bangor and Carnarvon Railway. This connected the town with the North Wales coast and the expanding national network. Carnarvon Castle railway station opened in 1856 as the northern passenger terminus of the 3ft 6in narrow gauge Nantlle Railway. This service ended in 1865 when the line being built from the south by the standard gauge Carnarvonshire Railway took over most of its trackbed. The Carnarvonshire Railway's temporary northern terminus was at Pant to the south of the town. Pant station opened in 1867. At the same time, the Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway built its line from Llanberis to Caernarfon. Its temporary western terminus was called Carnarvon (Morfa). It opened in 1869 near the modern road bridges over the Afon Seiont. For a short period, therefore, Caernarfon had three terminating stations on its edges. Records are contradictory, but this ended in either 1870 or 1871 when they were connected by a line through the town using the tunnel which survives, having been converted in 1995 for road traffic. When the through route was opened Pant and Morfa stations closed and the original station became the town's only station. The London and North Western Railway also took over all the lines mentioned leaving one station and one service provider by 1871.

 

The services to Llanberis and south to Afon Wen closed progressively from the 1930s, with tracks being lifted in the mid-1960s, but Caernarvon station survived until 1970, with Bangor to Caernarvon one of the last passenger services to be closed under the Beeching Axe; it is now the site of a Morrisons supermarket. In November 2020 the Welsh Government stated 'further consideration' should be given to reopening the line. The fifth station was opened in 1997 on the old trackbed in St. Helen's Road. It is the northern terminus of the 2ft narrow gauge Rheilffordd Eryri / Welsh Highland Railway. Work began on a permanent station for the town in February 2017. The new station opened to passengers in the Spring of 2019. Heritage steam services provide links to Porthmadog, where passengers can change for services on the Ffestiniog Railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

 

Bus services in the town are provided by Arriva Buses Wales, and a number of smaller, local operators. Longer distance, cross-country services are operated by Lloyds Coaches, and connect the town with Bangor to the north, and Aberystwyth via Porthmadog, Dolgellau and Machynlleth to the south. These services are part of the Welsh Government funded TrawsCymru network.

 

The A487 trunk road bisects the town, providing access to major urban areas along the North Wales coast and the Port of Holyhead, via the A55 expressway. Llanberis at the foot of Snowdon can be reached via the A4086, which heads east out of the town towards Capel Curig.

 

Heading north out of the town is the Lôn Las Menai cycle path to nearby Y Felinheli. Heading south out of the town is the Lôn Eifion cycle path, which leads to Bryncir, near Criccieth. The route provides views into the Snowdonia mountains, down along the Llŷn Peninsula and across to the Isle of Anglesey.

 

Caernarfon Airport is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to the southwest, and offers pleasure flights and an aviation museum.

 

The Aber Swing Bridge is a pedestrian swing bridge that crosses over the Afon Seiont to connect pedestrians from the foreshore to the Watergate entrance in the centre of Caernarfon by the Caernarfon Castle.

 

There are four primary schools in Caernarfon, Ysgol yr Hendre being the largest. The others are Ysgol y Gelli, Ysgol Santes Helen and Ysgol Maesincla. Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen is the single secondary school serving Caernarfon and the surrounding areas and currently has between 900 and 1000 pupils from ages 11 to 18. Ysgol Pendalar is a school for children with special needs. Coleg Menai is a further education college for adult learners.

 

Notable people

Lewis Jones, 1898

Saint Elen, late 4th-century founder of churches in Wales.

Edward II of England (1284–1327), King of England from 1307 to 1327.

Morris Williams (1809–1874), clergyman and writer, known by his bardic name Nicander

William Henry Preece (1834–1913), an electrical engineer and inventor.

Lewis Jones (1837-1904), one of the founders of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia.

David Lloyd George (1863–1945), Prime Minister of the UK from 1916 to 1922.

Gwilym Edwards (1881–1963), Presbyterian minister, writer and academic

Lionel Rees (1884–1955), aviator, flying ace and recipient of the Victoria Cross

Maureen Peters (1935–2008), an historical novelist

Dafydd Wigley (born 1943), politician, MP for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001

Sian Eleri, BBC Radio 1 presenter

Sport

Bryan Orritt (1937–2014), a professional footballer with over 370 club caps

Barry Hughes (1937–2019), a professional footballer and manager, active primarily in the Netherlands

Wyn Davies (born 1942), a footballer with 611 club caps and 34 for Wales

Tom Walley (born 1945) footballer with over 410 club caps

Catrin Thomas (born 1964), ski mountaineer and mountain climber.

Waynne Phillips (born 1970), a professional footballer with over 470 club caps

Nathan Craig (born 1991), a professional footballer.

Osian Dwyfor Jones Wales Commonwealth Hammer Thrower

 

Caernarfon Town F.C. (Welsh: Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon) is a Welsh football club based in the town, which currently plays in the Cymru Premier, the top level for football in Wales. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip. Caernarfon Town plays at The Oval which has a capacity of 3000 people and 250 seated people.

 

Caernarfon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1862, 1894, 1906, 1921, 1935, 1959 and 1979. Unofficial National Eisteddfod events were also held there in 1877 and 1880. Caernarfon also hosted the 30th annual Celtic Media Festival in March 2009. Cultural destinations include Galeri and Oriel Pendeitsh. Galeri is a creative enterprise centre that houses a gallery, a concert hall, a cinema, a number of companies, and a range of other creative and cultural spaces. Oriel Pendeitsh is a ground-floor exhibition space adjoining the Tourist Information Centre opposite Caernarfon Castle. The gallery has a varied and changing programme of exhibitions throughout the year.

 

The Caernarfon Food Festival takes place in the town's streets including The Slate Quay (Cei Llechi) and Castle Square (the Maes), which is pedestrianised for the event. Stalls are also located along the promenade next to the Menai Strait towards the marina and Doc Fictoria.

 

The festival was formed in 2015 as a result of public consultation within the town. The first festival was held in 2016. It is organised by the Caernarfon Food Festival Group which is made up of local volunteers who hold regular meetings to plan each festival. The festival has a number of support groups, including a content group, sponsorship group, technical group, communication group and volunteer group. These groups feed into the main group's monthly meetings. The festival logo was inspired by contributions from pupils at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen and designed by Iestyn Lloyd of Cwmni Da. The festival has been supported by Welsh Government through the Food Festival Grant Scheme and was highly commended by Food Awards Wales in 2019, Car parking is provided at the Slate Quay (Cei Llechi) and at other car parks around the town while the Welsh Highland Railway provides transport from Porthmadog. Cycle access is by the cycle tracks along the disused railway lines which include Lôn Las Eifion, which runs from Porthmadog, by-passing Penygroes and on to Caernarfon, Lôn Las Menai from Y Felinheli to Caernarfon and Lôn Las Peris from Llanberis to Caernarfon.

 

Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.

 

Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.

 

The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).

 

The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.

 

In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.

 

Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.

 

The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.

 

The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.

 

The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.

 

A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.

 

The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.

 

There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.

 

The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.

 

Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.

 

The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.

 

Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.

 

The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

 

The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.

Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.

 

It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.

 

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.

 

The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.

 

Notable people

Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth

Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon

Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd

Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle

Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University

Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.

Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd

John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog

Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia

T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog

David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy

Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd

Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas

Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion

Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.

Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI

Replacing and earlier scanned photo with a better version 31-Oct-18 (DeNoise AI 09-Sep-22).

 

First flown with the Fokker test registration PH-EZX, this aircraft was delivered to BMA British Midland Airways as G-BVTE in Apr-95. It was sold to a lessor on delivery and leased back to BMA.

 

It was returned to the lessor in Mar-02 and leased to KLM cityhopper as PH-KZO the same day. The aircraft operated for KLM cityhopper for 14 years before being returned to the lessor in Jan-16. It was sold to Air Niugini as P2-ANU in Feb-16. Current, updated 09-Sep-22.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 10-Feb-24.

 

A bit short on orders at that time with only Condor, Icelandair and Arkia tails on the fuselage (Icelandair & Arkia only ordered one each. Northwest and Continental ordered some later). Also has 'Boeing 757-300 World Tour' titles. Markings were on the left side only.

 

First flown in Jan-00 in full Condor Flugdienst livery with the Boeing test registration N1002R, this aircraft became a Boeing Demonstrator for a 'Round-the-World' tour in Feb-00. It was delivered to Condor Flugdienst as D-ABOI in Mar-00.

 

Condor was merged into the Thomas Cook Group in Jun-02 and became Thomas Cook Airlines Germany. The problem was that Condor was well known in Germany but Thomas Cook wasn't! So in Jun-04, Thomas Cook Germany reverted to Condor Flugdienst.

 

The aircraft was fitted with blended winglets in Dec-09. In May-17 it was due to be leased to Thomas Cook Airlines UK as G-JMOI, however the registration wasn't used and the aircraft was wet-leased to Thomas Cook UK, still with it's German registration and Condor titles. It was returned to Condor in Oct-17.

 

On the 23-Sep-19, The Thomas Cook Group UK ceased operations and took Thomas Cook Airlines UK with it. It almost took Condor with it too. They were saved by a bridging loan from the German Government and kept operating at a reduced capacity.

 

In 2020 it was due to be taken over the Polish Airline Group, LOT, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic that was cancelled. In May-21 a British Investment Consortium acquired a majority stake in the airline. Now 25 years old, D-ABOI continues in service. Updated 27-Jun-25.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 01-Oct-16.

 

Leased from/operated by Falcon Air Express on behalf of Aeromar Líneas Aéreas Dominicanas.

 

Named: "Lillian II".

 

Quite a late build Boeing 727, this aircraft was delivered to Avianca Colombia in Dec-80. It was originally to have been registered HK-2474 but that wasn't taken up and it was delivered as N203AV (the registration it kept all it's life).

 

It was sold to International Air Leases Inc in Jul-91 and leased back to Avianca. It was returned to the lessor in Apr-93. In Jul-93 it was leased to AvAtlantic. They sub-leased it to APA International Air between May/Jun-96 and it was returned to the lessor in May-97.

 

The aircraft was leased to Nations Air Express in Jul-97 and returned to the lessor in Sep-98. In Jan-99 it was leased to Falcon Air Express and sub-leased to Aeromar Líneas Aéreas Dominicanas the same day.

 

It was returned to Falcon Air Express in mid 1999 and continued in operation until it was retired and stored at Tucson, AZ, USA in Jul-02. It was sold to Pegasus Aviation in Feb-03. According to the US FAA Register, the registration wasn't cancelled until May-15 but the aircraft had been broken up well before that.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 08-Oct-20.

 

Fleet No: "7AA".

 

This aircraft was delivered to American Airlines as N770AN in Jan-99. It was withdrawn from service and stored at Mobile - Downtown (BFM), AL, USA in Mar-20 as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It was moved to Roswell, NM, USA in Aug-20 (I'm not sure if that's a permanent retirement as Roswell is normally where American's aircraft go at the end their lives...). Stored, updated (Oct-20).

Off peaks 2 or 3 are parked at this northern terminus ôrkelljunga outstation

Also recently replaced has been the old Leyland 6x4 whale bodied water bowser. She has been replaced with this very neat looking 4x2 DAF LF based water bowser SY09AWZ seen to the rear of Inverness Fire Station

24091 has just replaced 40024 on this eastbound parcels train duty at Chester, 12th April 1977.

 

Locomotive History

Originally D5091 it was delivered from Crewe Works during June 1960, initially allocated to March, but quickly transferred onto the London Midland Region as part of a larger transfer which included D5082 - D5093 and spent it early years in the London area being allocated to Cricklewood, Kentish Town and Willesden. Its final transfer was to the Stoke Division (Crewe) in 1967 where it would remain until withdrawal in November 1977. It was broken up at Doncaster works in June 1978.

 

Praktica LTL, High Speed Ektachrome