Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 11-Dec-22.

 

Additional '50 years' sticker.

 

This was the second prototype B757-300, first flown in Sep-98 with the Boeing test registration N6067B. It took part in the B757-300 test programme and did crosswind/tailwind landing testing at Glasgow, UK in Dec-98 in full Condor livery.

 

It was delivered to Condor Flugdienst as D-ABOB in May-99. Condor was taken over by the Thomas Cook Group in Jun-02 and renamed Thomas Cook Airlines Germany, with additional 'Powered by Condor' titles.

 

Unfortunately, the German travelling public had no idea who or what Thomas Cook was and the company was renamed Condor Flugdienst again just two years later, in Jun-04.

 

The aircraft was fitted with blended winglets in Feb-10. In Sep-19 The Thomas Cook Group (UK) ceased trading, taking Thomas Cook Airlines UK with it. Condor kept going with a bridging loan from the German Government.

 

In Nov-20 the aircraft was stored at Frankfurt-Hahn due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It returned to service in Jun-21. Current, updated 11-Dec-22.

Replaced a Blue Bird / Chevy Micro Bird

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 14-Apr-20.

 

With additional 'Well connected with SAS' titles.

 

First flown with the Boeing test registration N1786B, this aircraft was delivered to Pembroke Capital Aircraft Ltd and leased to Air France as F-GJNS in Dec-98 (it was originally allocated the registration F-GJNP but that wasn't used).

 

It was returned to the lessor in Dec-03 as EI-DDT and stored. In Jun-04 it was leased to Air Baltic (Estonia) as YL-BBE. The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Oct-19 and stored at Tallin, Estonia. It was leased to Azman Air (Nigeria) as 5N-HFY in early Mar-20.

 

The aircraft was ferried Tallin / Rzeszow (Poland) on 02-Mar-20 on delivery, for repainting. It was stored at Rzeszow, possibly due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, as far as I know, it's still stored at Rzeszow and never entered service. Updated 25-Sep-22.

replaced the old one with a "frame" like it a lot better

Completed in late 2026 far ahead of schedule, the Kutuzov Class ironically were deployed ahead of the Type-52s they were intended to replace. Focused primarily around anit-infantry warfare, the class fills the role of a heavy dragoon unit, helping to provide a secure platform for close fire-support.

Route 235 was only introduced in 1996. It replaced the western section of route 237, which was withdrawn between Hounslow Heath and Lower Sunbury. The route was initially operated using M class MCW Metrobuses from London United's Hounslow Garage. It ran from Sunbury Village to Brentford County Court via Feltham, Hounslow and Isleworth.

 

It was converted to single deck operation in January 1998 when Tellings Golden Miller took over the contract - London United did continue to operate a couple of school day journeys using double decks between Sunbury St.Paul's School and Hounslow. The bus seen here, a Caetano Nimbus bodied Dennis Dart SLF numbered 8464, was bought by Tellings Golden Miller and has been inherited by Abellio London as the company has been passed on via Travel London ownership in between.

 

In 2013 the route was extended the short way to Great West Quarter in Brentford and that is how it remains.

 

The school journeys were re-numbered route 635 in 2004 by which time those journeys were operated by Armchair (now Metroline). The 635 still exists but it is back in the hands of London United from Hounslow Heath Garage.

 

These buses are not likely to be around for too much longer and the contract for the route expires in January - I think the tender result is awaited and should be out soon.

Replaced to add back the EXIF data that Picasa dropped.

This sign was replaced in 2015

This is the motel Chic - Twiggy waits for Elwood Blues - Dan Aykroyd. Used briefly as a location in The Blues Brothers movie 1980.

I drive by this sign often but it isn't an easy place to pull over. Determined I finally got the shot of the sign. When I looked up the motel I found it was a filming location for the movie Blues Brothers. I saw the Blues Brothers perform at the Concord Pavilion - Concord, Ca. (17th July 1980).

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 24-Mar-25. I was trying out the new Kodak 800ASA film. Results weren't good, extremely grainy. I soon went back to 100ASA.

 

Fleet No: "801".

 

First flown as N801DE in Nov-91, the aircraft was stored at Long Beach, CA, USA before delivery to Delta Air Lines in Mar-92. It was sold to a lessor five days later and leased back to Delta.

 

The aircraft was withdrawn from service and stored at Montreal-Mirabel in Jan-04. It was ferried to Goodyear, AZ, USA in Nov-04 and sub-leased to World Airways in Dec-04.

 

In Sep-05 the aircraft was returned to the lessor by Delta and leased direct to World Airways. In May-06 it was sold to UPS/United Parcel Service while the lease to World Airways continued.

 

In Jun-06 it was wet-leased to Ethiopian Airlines and returned to World Airways in late Aug-06. The aircraft was returned to UPS in Jan-08 and ferried to Singapore-Paya Lebar for freighter conversion.

 

Conversion to a full freighter with a main deck cargo door was completed in Apr-08 and the aircraft was re-registered N294UP prior to service entry with UPS. After 33 years in service, the aircraft was permanently retired at Roswell, NM. USA in Mar-25.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 11-Nov-19 + DeNoise AI 29-Oct-22.

 

With Additional 'Bayer Leverkusen' titles & logo (German football/soccer team).

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWBQ, this aircraft was delivered to GECAS and leased to LTU International Airways as D-ALTC in Apr-01. It was painted in the 'Bayer Leverkusen' livery in Sep-03.

 

LTU International was taken over by Air Berlin in Apr-07 but they continued to operate separately. The aircraft was repainted in Air Berlin livery in Jan-08 and the take-over was completed in May-09.

 

It was returned to the lessor in Feb-11 and leased to Brussels Airlines as OO-SNA a few days later. The aircraft was painted in the full 'Belgian Red Devils' special livery in Mar/Apr-16. After 21.5 years in service it was ferried to St. Athan, Wales, UK in Oct-22 and permanently retired. Updated 29-Oct-22.

This gold stater of the British iron age ruler Tincomarus is light years beyond the coins just preceding it. It shows the clear influence of Roman styles and images, using Roman lettering and a realistically depicted horse.

 

TINC is short for Tincomarus, the ruler of the Atrebates tribe in southern Britain. In 57 BCE, they were part of a Belgic military alliance in response to Julius Caesar's conquests elsewhere in Gaul, contributing 15,000 men. That failed after which the Atrebates joined with the Nervii and Viromandui and attacked Caesar at the battle of the Sabis, but were there defeated. After conquering the Atrebates, Caesar appointed one of their countrymen, Commius, as their king.

 

Tincomarus was the son and heir of Commius and succeeded his father around 25-20 BCE. Based on coin distribution it is possible that Tincomarus ruled in collaboration with his father for the last few years of Commius's life. The technical advance in his coins indicate that he used Roman die-cutters, the beginning of wider industrial assistance from the Roman Empire, beginning the process of achieving client kingdom status with Rome.Tincomarus's capital was Calleva Atrebatum, today known as Silchester, and it is likely that the Atrebatic king had established trading and diplomatic links with Augustus.

 

Tincomarus was expelled by his subjects for unknown reasons around 8 CE and fled to Rome as a refugee and supplicant. He was replaced by his brother Eppillus whom Augustus chose to recognise as rex rather than depose and reinstate Tincomarus. Augustus may have planned to use his ally's ejection as an excuse to invade Britain but other, more pressing foreign policy matters probably persuaded him to postpone the move.

 

Kingdom of the Atrebates under Tincomarus, Britain, ca. 20-10 BCE. Gold. Found at Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England.

 

British Museum, London (1935,1117.109, and 1864,1019.1)

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

 

Air France by Brit Air. Original 'Brit Air' name style and logo on the engines.

 

First flown in Aug-97 with the Bombardier test registration C-GBFF, this aircraft was delivered to Brit Air, France as F-GRJJ at the end of Oct-97. It was sold to a lessor on delivery and leased back to Brit Air (Brittany Air International).

 

The aircraft was operated on behalf of Air France. It was returned to Brit Air and stored (where?) in Jul-12. At the end of Mar-13, all three of Air France's domestic subsidiary's, Brit Air, Region Air and Airlinair were merged into a new company, 'HOP! for Air France'

 

This aircraft was eventually broken up but I have no information as to where or when. The registration was cancelled in Jul-15.

Replacing the usual Airbus A330-300.

[FR-ECR] ECR JT42CWR 66212 en cours de manœuvre par son mécanicien pour être replacée en tête d'un céréalier @La Ville Aux Dames 16/01/2016

Woordfoto: fietsen

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 29-Nov-23.

 

This photo was taken by a friend, Ted Marsland, and is reproduced here with his full permission.

 

I liked the Trans Canada livery & at the time I thought it was a great shame when it became Air Canada.

 

Fleet No: "913".

 

Delivered to TCA Trans Canada Airlines as CF-TKM in Apr-61, TCA became Air Canada in Jun-64. It only operated for 10 years and was stored at Montreal-Dorval in 1971.

 

It was sold to Compania Inter-Americana SA (Panama) in Aug-73 and was broken up for spares at Montreal the same month by Invicta International Airlines of the UK.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 15-May-20 (DeNoise AI 04-Aug-22).

 

ATP's always had a tail-down angle while on the ground, even more pronounced when it had a full load...

 

First flown with the British Aerospace test registration G-11-032, this aircraft was transferred to British Aerospace Inc as N856AW in Dec-90 and leased to Air Wisconsin in Jan-91. It was operated on behalf of United Express.

 

It was sub-leased to United Feeder Service in Sep-93 while the operation for United Express continued. The aircraft was stored at Kingman, AZ, USA in Feb-00. It was returned to EDS Financial Corporation in Dec-02 and was repossessed from them by Wachovia Bank of Delaware in Aug-03.

 

It was sold to Emerald Airways, UK in Dec-03. Emerald's AOC was revoked by the UK Civil Aviation Authority in May-06 and the aircraft was stored at the Isle of Man. It was moved to Blackpool, UK in Nov-06 and then to Coventry, UK in Mar-09. It was finally broken up at Coventry in Jun-15. Updated 05-Aug-22

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 16-Mar-15, plus DeNoise AI 07-Jan-23.

 

"The aircraft now arriving at Gate 2.... " Cambrian Airways taxiing accident. Training will out! The first thing the ground crew did was straighten the props ( as they would on a normal turnround). Having demolished a couple of sets of British Eagle steps and a baggage truck, the two on the other wing needed a bit more attention! The aircraft demolished the wall at Gate 2 and you can see the broken nosewheel resting on it.

 

G-AMOE was a very early Viscount, delivered to BEA British European Airways in Jul-53. It was sold to Channel Airways in Mar-64 and leased to British Eagle International Airlines the same month. It returned to Channel Airways in Dec-64 and was sold to Cambrian Airways in Jan-65.

 

It survived its argument with Gate 2, the nose was rebuilt (as was Gate 2!) and it continued to operate with Cambrian until it was transferred to Northeast Airlines (formerly BKS) in Jan-72 for spares use. It was withdrawn from use at Newcastle, UK, in Jan-72 and used as a cabin crew trainer until Apr-77 when it was transferred to Lampton Pleasure Park, 'preserved'. It was finally broken up in Mar-93.

 

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 08-Sep-23.

 

This aircraft was ordered by Libyan Arab Airlines as a 'Combi' passenger/freighter with a side cargo door (SCD). It was due to be registered 5A-DIK but the order was cancelled prior to delivery.

 

The aircraft first flew in Mar-80 and was stored at Seattle-Everett, WA, USA until it was delivered to VARIG Brasil as PP-VNB in Feb-81. In Dec-82 VARIG sold it to Orient Leasing and leased it back.

 

It was returned to Orient Leasing in Dec-94 and was stored at Rio de Janeiro-Galeao, Brazil. In Feb-96 it was sold to Cathay Pacific Airways as VR-HME. The aircraft was converted to a full freighter configuration by Apr-96 and leased to Cathay's subsidiary, Air Hong Kong.

 

In Oct-97 it was re-registered B-HME when Hong Kong became an autonomous region of China. The aircraft was returned to Cathay Pacific Airways Cargo in Jul-02 and continued in operation until it was retired in Sep-08 and stored at Victorville, CA, USA. It was last noted still at Victorville in May-15.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 08-Aug-21 (DeNoiseAI).

 

"Signatures/Spirit of Canadi>n" special livery.

 

Delivered to Alitalia as I-DYND in May-75, this aircraft was sold to PIA Pakistan International Airlines as AP-BBL in May-83.

 

It was one of 4 PIA DC-10's which were exchanged for 4 of CP's B747-200's and was delivered to CP Air as C-FCRE in Dec-85.

 

CP Air was renamed Canadian Pacific Airlines again in Jan-86 and was renamed Canadian Airlines International in Apr-87. The aircraft was sold to a lessor in May-91 as N42783 and leased to VASP Brasil as PP-SON the following month.

 

It returned to the lessor as N42783 in Nov-92 and was stored at Marana, AZ, USA. In Aug-93 it was leased to Canadian Airlines again, still registered N42783 until it was re-registered C-FCRE again in Mar-95.

 

The aircraft was retired and stored at Abbottsford, BC, Canada in Nov-99 and returned to the lessor in Dec-99. It was ferried to Marana at the end of Jun-00 for further storage and re-registered N305FV the following month.

 

At some point it was due to be leased to Dairo Air Services (DAS Air Cargo), Uganda but that didn't happen and it was finally broken up at Marana in Feb/Mar-04.

Opened in 1992 replacing Cherryland Mall as the mall for Traverse City.

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

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration D-AVZG, this aircraft was delivered to SABENA Belgian World Airlines as OO-SUB in Apr-99. SABENA ceased trading in Nov-01 and the aircraft was stored at Brussels, Belgium.

 

It was stored at Brussels for more than 4 years until it was sold to Nouvelair Tunisie as TS-IQB in Mar-05. In Apr-14 the aircraft was sold to a lessor and was originally due to be leased to Onur Air as TC-OEB, however the lease wasn't taken up and it was leased to Germania as D-ASTV later that month.

 

It was painted in an Alltours (German Tour Operator) logojet livery in May-14 and repainted into Germania's standard livery in Mar-15. Germania ceased operations in Feb-19, the aircraft was returned to the lessor and initially stored at Dusseldorf before being flown to Castellon de la Plana - Costa Azahar, Spain in Mar-19 for further storage.

 

It was re-registered OE-IDK in May-19 and permanently retired. It was broken up at Castellon de la Plana in Jan-20

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

  

Some background:

Following good performance from the pioneering diesel-hydraulic locomotive the DB Class V 80, the Deutsche Bundesbahn planned in 1953 to build several types of new diesel locomotive, primarily to replace steam powered locomotives.These were: V 60, and V 65, both shunters, the V 65.2, also for shunting as well as light freight trains, the heavy DB Class V 200, for express passenger trains, and the universal V 160 for both freight and passenger work on the main network.

 

The new V 160 class was a central piece in this line-up, because it would replace important steam-powered engines such as the BR 03, BR 23, BR 38.10 (former Prussian P 8 class), BR 39 (ex P 10), BR 50, BR 57 (ex G 10) and BR 78 (ex T 18). Steam heating for passenger coaches was necessary, and a top speed of 120 km/h was specified. Initially, a 1,600 hp powerplant, consisting of two engines of the same type as in the light V 80 was planned, the first newly developed diesel locomotive built for main line service by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (but only built in 10 examples). This dual engine arrangement had already been successfully introduced in the heavy V 200, which was initially powered by two 1,000 hp diesel engines. However, it was soon realized, that, if a single, high-powered engine could be used, weight, complexity and therefore maintenance and other costs would be considerably reduced. The V 160’s design was modified accordingly and a single MTU V16 four-stroke diesel engine was chosen. Both two-axle bogies were powered via drive shafts from a two speed hydraulic drive from Voith, which offered a compromise between the requested high speed for light passenger trains and the alternative reduced second gear with lower top speed, but much higher torque, for freight train service. Gears could only be switched when the locomotive was standing still, though.

 

In the spring of 1956, V 160 development began at Krupp. Welded steel components along with other lightweight materials were used to keep the axle load well below 20t, so that the V 160 could be safely operated on secondary lines. However, in the main production series of locomotives, some of the lighter weight welded construction was abandoned in favor of less expensively produced components - leading to an increase in axle weight from ~18.5 to ~20t, which was still acceptable but lowered overall production costs. This was furthermore not regarded as a major problem since the DB perspectively started to abandon branch lines, switching to more economical diesel multiple units or giving them up altogether towards the Seventies.

 

The first V 160 unit was delivered on 6 August 1960, with eight more following by 1962 from both Krupp and Henschel. These prototype units, due to their rounded, “busty” front end, were later to become unusual amongst the entire V 160 family and earned them the nickname “Lollo” (in allusion to Gina Lollobrigida). A final prototype V 160 010, the tenth, was manufactured by Henschel in 1963 and the first to feature the serial locomotives’ angled front end, which was inspired by the design of the super-heavy V 320 Henschel prototype.

 

Despite the single main engine, the V 160 was still a complex locomotive. In addition to the main engine, the V 160 featured a small, independent auxiliary diesel engine, driving a generator providing the 110 V electrical supply for lighting as well as driving an electric air compressor for the brakes. The steam heating apparatus, sourced from Hagenuk and powered by fuel oil, took up one end of the locomotive, between the engine and drivers cabin. It had the capacity to satisfactorily heat 10 coaches when the outside temperature was -10°C. For passenger train service, most V 160 locomotives were also equipped for push-pull operation, as well as for multiple working, controlled via a 36 pin control cable and respective sockets on the locomotives front ends.

 

The prototypes performed well, and volume production began, numbers V 160 011 to V 160 224 being built between 1964 and 1968 by Krupp, Henschel, KHD, Krauss-Maffei and MaK. The first V 160/216 locomotives entered service on the Hamburg to Lübeck line, working push-pull double decked passenger trains, replacing the BR 38.10 and BR 78 steam engines. The engines were also used on freight workings as well. On push-pull passenger working, the locomotives were sometimes found in the middle of the train - which facilitated easier separation of carriages en route.

 

By the time the 156th example was under completion, the Deutsche Bundesbahn changed its numbering system. From then on, the V 160 class were re-designated as Class (Baureihe = BR) 216, with the individual unit numbering continuing as before. Over the next decade, because of changing requirements – mostly in terms of increased power, speed as well as the requirement for electrical passenger heating – a number of related classes sprang up, the BR 210, 215, 217, 218 and 219. Although some were a little longer and carried additional components (e.g. an auxiliary jet engine), all of them were essentially based on the original V 160 and more than 800 machines of all types were eventually built.

 

Since the 1990s, the Bundesbahn’s BR 216 locomotives scope of work started to shift more on freight than on passenger trains because of the lack of steam-heated passenger stock. From 2000 onwards, the Deutsche Bahn AG’s BR 216 fleet was phased out, with the last locomotive being decommissioned in 2004.

Several locomotives were sold to private operators like rail construction companies and remained in frequent use, and some retired BR 216s were re-built and offered for sale, too. The first in the series of rebuilt Class 216s was called type “DH 1504” and created in 1998 by the firm 'On Rail'. Despite only little external changes, the result was an almost completely new locomotive, only the transmission, bogies and frame were saved from the original locomotive. The original V16 diesel engine with 1,370 kW (1.900 hp), was replaced with a lighter but more powerful 1500 kW (2,085 hp) V12 four-stroke diesel engine, also from MTU. On customer demand, a new electric Webasto heating system could be installed instead of the original steam heating system, making the DH 1504 capable of operating modern passenger trains, and for this purpose the units were also fitted for multiple working as well as for remote control operation (e.g. for shunting). Another option was additional ballast, so that the axle load could be kept at 20 tons for better traction. Otherwise, 18 t axle load was standard for the revamped DH 1504.

 

Since 1998, 6 of these locomotives were re-built for private operators in Germany. By late 2019, three DH 1504 locomotives were in the use of the Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen (OHE), two work for the Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe (NIAG) and one for the Mindener Kreisbahnen (MKB). However, the biggest sales success for OnRail’s modernized BR 216 was the export to Poland, where the PKP (Polskie Koleje Państwowe, Polish State Railways). After its privatization in 2001, the PKP was looking for a low-cost replacement for its last ST-43 Class diesel electric freight locomotives of Romanian origin, which dated back to the 1960ies. Twenty DH 1504 locomotives for mixed duties were built by OnRail between 2001 and 2005 and entered PKP service as Class SU-29 (spalinowa uniwersalna = mixed-traffic diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission and multiple-unit control). Their initial primary field of duty was the cross-border freight traffic on the east-west relation on the PKP “Polskie line Kolejowe”, the so-called “Niederschlesische Gütermagistrale”. Since 2005, this route had been expanded, electrified and became double-railed, so that the SU-29s gradually took over more and more passenger train duties on non-electrified major lines. The SU-29 machines are expected to remain in PKP service beyond 2030.

  

General characteristics:

Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) standard gauge

UIC axle arrangement: B´B´

Overall length: 16,800 mm (52 ft 57⁄8 in)

Pivot distance: 8,600 mm

Bogie distance: 2,800 mm

Wheel diameter (when new): 1000 mm

Fuel supply: 3,800 l

Service weight: 80 t

 

Engine:

MTU 4000R20 V12diesel engine with 1500 kW (2,085 hp) at 1,800 RPM

 

Gearbox:

Voith L821rs 2-speed gearbox

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph) or 80 km/h (50 mph)

Torque: 235,2 kN

 

The kit and its assembly:

Well, this is a rather unusual what-if “build”, since this not a model kit as such but rather the conversion of a readymade H0 gauge model railway locomotive for the “Back into service” group build at whatifmodelers.com in late 2019.

 

The inspiration was not original, though: some time ago I stumbled across a gift set from the former East-German manufacturer Piko, apparently for the Polish market. It contained a set of double deck passenger wagons, and a (highly simplified, toy-like) German BR 216 in PKP markings. It was called SU-29 and carried a very crude and garish green livery with yellow front ends – inspired by real world PKP diesel locomotives, but… wrong. I found this so bizarre that it stuck in my mind. When I dug a little further, my surprise even grew when I found out that there were other national adaptations of this simple Piko BR 216 (e .g. for Denmark) and that Piko’s competitor Roco offered a similar BR 215 in PKP colors, too! This time, the fictional locomotive was designated SU-47 (which cannot be since this would indicate a locomotive with electric power transmission – poor job!), and it also wore a bright green livery with yellow front markings. Bizarre… And the PKP does NOT operate any BR 216 at all?!

 

However, with the GB topic in mind, I decided to create my own interpretation of this interesting topic – apparently, there’s a market for whiffy model locomotives? The basis became a 2nd hand Märklin 3075 (a BR 216 in the original red DB livery), not a big investment since this is a very common item.

In order to easy painting, the locomotive was disassembled into its major sections and the body stripped of any paint in a one-week bath in oven cleaner foam, a very mild and effective method.

 

The heavy metal chassis was not modified, it just received a visual update (see below).

 

The upper body underwent some cosmetic surgery, though, but nothing dramatic or structural, since the DH 1504 described above only differs in minor external details from the original BR 216. I decided to modify the front ends, especially the lights: Locomotives in PKP service tend to have VERY large lamps, and I tried to incorporate this characteristic feature through masks that were added over the original light conductors, scratched from styrene tube material.

In the course of this facial surgery, the molded handles at the lower front corners were lost. They were later replaced with three-dimensional silver wire, mounted into small holes that were drilled into the hull at the appropriate positions. Fiddly stuff, but I think the effort was worth it.

 

The original vent grills between the lower lamps were sanded away and covers for the multiple working cable adapters on the front ends added – scratched with small styrene profile bits.

For a cleaner, modern look, I removed the original decorative aluminum profile frame around the upper row of cooling louvers. The roof was modified, too: beyond the bigger headlight fairing, the exhaust for the auxiliary diesel engine was removed, as well as the chimney for the old steam heating system. The diesel engine’s exhaust pipes were lengthened (inspired by similar devices carried by DB BR 218), so that the fumes would be deviated away from the locomotive’s hull and the following wagons. Horns and a blade antenna for each driver’s cabin were added, too.

  

Painting and markings:

Both Piko and Roco V 160s in PKP markings look garish – righteously, though, since PKP locomotives used to carry for many years very striking colors, primarily a dark green body with a light green/teal contrast area on the flanks and yellow quick recognition front markings. However, I did not find any of the two model designs convincing, since they rather looked like a simple toy (Piko) or just wrong (Roco, with a surreal grass green contrast tone instead of the pale teal).

 

I rather went for something inspired by real world locomotives, like the PKP’s SU- and SP-45s. The basic design is an upper body with a dark green base (Humbrol 76, Uniform Green) and a pale green-grey area around the upper row of louvres (an individual mix of Humbrol 96 and 78). The kink under the front windows was used for waterline reference, the front section under the windows (in the dark green base) was painted in bright yellow (Humbrol 69) as a high-viz contrast, a typical feature of PKP locomotives. The chassis received a grey-green frame (somewhat visually stretching the locomotive) with bright red (Humbrol 19) headstocks, a nice color contrast to the green body and the yellow bib.

Silver 1.5mm decal stripes (TL Modellbau) were used to create a thin cheatline along and around the whole lower section. At some time I considered another cheatline between the light and dark green, but eventually ignored this idea because it would have looked too retro. The locomotive’s roof became medium grey (Revell 47).

 

The running gear and the tanks between the bogies were painted in very dark grey (Humbrol 67, similar to the original DB livery in RAL 7021) and weathered with a light black ink wash, some thinned Burnt Umbra (simulating dust and rust) plus some light dry-brushing with dark grey that emphasized the surface details. This used look was also taken to the upper body of the locomotive with watercolours (Grey, Black and some Sienna and Burnt Umbra) for a more natural look of daily service – rather subtle, and I emphasized the louvres, esp. on the light background, where they tended to disappear.

 

Individual markings consist of single decal letters in silver and white in various sizes (also TL Modellbau) for the locomotive’s registration code as well as of H0 scale catenary warnings from Nothaft Hobbybedarf, plus some generic stencils from various model decal sheets (incl. Cyrillic stencils from an 1:72 MiG-21 decal sheet…).

 

For a uniform finish I gave the locomotive an overall coat of matt acrylic varnish from the rattle can – it still has a slightly sheen finish and matches well the look of Märklin’s standard rolling stock.

  

A different kind of what-if project, but this has not been my first H0 scale locomotive conversion. The fictional PKP SU-29 looks a bit weird, with the garish paint scheme and the oversized headlights, but this strangeness makes this model IMHO quite convincing. The model is fully functional, even the light works well in the enlarged headlight fairings. Maybe I’ll sell it, since I do not have the appropriate model railway set at hand to effectively use it (which is also the reason for the rather limited scope of pictures of the finished item). And I am curious what people might be willing to pay for such a unique, fictional item?

 

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 06-Sep-22 (DeNoise AI).

 

Leased from / operated by Titan Airways.

 

First flown in Sep-90 with the British Aerospace test registration G-PRCS, this aircraft was converted to a -200QC (Quick Change) with the addition of a main cabin cargo door in Mar-91. It had been ordered by Princess Air (UK), however, they ceased operations in Feb-91.

 

The aircraft was leased to National Jet Systems (Australia) as VH-NJQ in Jul-91. It was returned to BAe Asset Management as G-BWLG in Jan-96. The aircraft was sold to Sterope Leasing and leased to Air Jet (France) as F-GMMP in Apr-96. It was operated on behalf of Air France between Jan/Jul-00 before being returned to Asset Management and to BAe Systems in Aug-00.

 

In Sep-00 the aircraft was leased to Titan Airways as G-ZAPO. It was wet-leased to Go Fly ('Just Go / Go Today') in May-01 and returned to Titan Airways in Sep-01. It was wet-leased to Aurigny Airlines (Guernsey CI, UK) between Aug-03/Feb-04, then to Scot Airways (Scotland, UK) between May/Jul-05.

 

The aircraft continued in operation for Titan until it was withdrawn from service and stored at Kemble, UK in May-11. It was returned to BAe Systems Asset Management five days later. BAe Systems returned it to Falco Regional Aircraft in Jul-11 when it was permanently retired. It was broken up at Kemble in Jul-16. Updated 06-Sep-22.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 17-Jan-15.

 

Aer Lingus operated their Carvairs into Liverpool and initially the 'hi-lo' drivers had problems positioning correctly to load the cars. The simple answer was a few bit's of 2 x 4 nailed together and used as a 'chock' under the nosewheel (it was essentially a 'T' bar with two side bracing pieces and little chocks where the 'hi-lo wheels went). When the 'hi-lo' hit the buffers (so to speak), it was in the right place!

 

Named: "Iarfhlaith / St Jarlath".

 

Built as a Douglas C-54B, this aircraft was delivered to the USAAF United States Army Air Force in Nov-44 serialled 42-72343. The USAAF was renamed the USAF United States Air Force in Sep-47.

 

The aircraft was 'demobbed' in 1950 and sold to North American Airlines as N88819. It was bought by Resort Airlines in 1955. They leased it to World Airways in Jul-60 and it was returned to Resort Airlines in Jun-61.

 

Slick Airways bought it in early 1962 and they sold it to Aviation Traders (Engineering) Ltd in Oct-62, still as N88819. It was converted into an ATL.98 Carvair and sold to Aer Lingus in Apr-63 as EI-AMR. In May-68 it was sold to Eastern Provincial Airways, Canada, as CF-EPV.

 

It was sold to British Air Ferries in Sep-63 and stored at Southend, UK. At the end of May-74 the registration officially changed to C-FEPV when the Canadian Government introduced the C-Gxxx registration series, although it remained as CF-EPV on the stored aircraft.

 

Two attempts were made to buy it by a new Norwegian airline. Norwegian Overseas Airways, once as LN-NAB and once as LN-MDA. Both failed!

 

(Note: While researching Norwegian Overseas, I found that they tried to buy seven aircraft at different times, 2 Carvair's, 4 C-54's and a C-47. They only managed to acquire two, a Carvair and a C-54E and they had gone out of business by 1976!).

 

C-FEPV was sold to a 'J Jorgensen' in Sep-74 but it remained stored at Southend until it was broken up in Sep-78. The nose section was preserved at the '100th Bomb Group Museum' at Thorpe Abbots, UK. However, it now resides at Halesworth Airfield Museum, Suffolk, UK, (Updated Jan-17).

Replace the 2x4 white slopes with 2x2.

 

I shortened the tanker to 28 long. It needs alot more work on the top, but

this is mainly just a sketch.

Replacing an earlier scanned print with a better version 25-Nov-18 (also the date of the final British Airways Boeing 767 service).

 

In an hybrid livery, halfway between the old 'Landor' livery and the 'World Tails' livery.

 

First flown with the Boeing test registration N6005C, this aircraft was delivered to British Airways as G-BNWH in Oct-90. After 24 years in service the aircraft was permanently retired at Victorville, CA, USA in Aug-14.

Replacing an earlier scanned 6"x4" photo with a better version 17-Mar-22 (DeNoise AI).

 

This aircraft was delivered to ILFC International Lease Finance Corporation and leased to Britannia Airways as G-BYAF in Jan-93. It was wet-leased to Freedom Air International in Dec-95 for the winter season, returning to Britannia in Apr-96.

 

Britannia Airways was renamed Thomson.co.uk in Nov-04. The aircraft was returned to the lessor in May-08 and immediately sold to FedEx Federal Express as N923FD.

 

It was initially stored at Victorville, CA, USA until it was converted to freighter configuration at Singapore-Paya Lebar in Mar-09. Current, updated 17-Mar-22.

replaces the previous shot...Okanagan Lake BC Canada

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 21-Jan-18, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 02-Nov-23.

 

Fleet No: '630'.

 

This aircraft was delivered to Delta Air Lines as N630DL in Nov-87. It was in service with Delta for 25 years before being retired and stored at Marana, AZ, USA in Jul-12. The registration was finally cancelled in May-17.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 27-Jul-16, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 01-Jan-23.

 

First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWKM, this aircraft was delivered to LTU International Airways as D-AERS in Apr-97. It was sold to a lessor in Jun-00 and leased back to LTU until it was returned to the lessor in May-01.

 

The aircraft was leased to Skyservice Canada as C-FRAV the following month. Skyservice had a problem with licensing and the aircraft was wet-leased to new Algerian airline Khalifa Airways later in Jun-01 for a joint service with Air Algerie from Paris-Orly / Oran. It was sub-leased to Air Algerie in Jul-02.

 

In Feb-03 Khalifa ceased trading and the aircraft was repossessed by Skyservice. It was stored at Zurich, Switzerland in Mar-03 and returned to the lessor in Jun-03 when it was leased to Corsair as F-GJSV.

 

In Apr-04 it was returned to the lessor and leased to Skyservice Airlines, again as C-FRAV. The aircraft was wet-leased to MyTravel Airways (UK) in Nov-04 for the winter season, returning to Skyservice in Mar-05 when it was wet-leased to LTU International.

 

In May-05 Skyservice returned the aircraft to the lessor. The lease was transferred direct to LTU and the aircraft was re-registered D-AERS again. LTU was taken over by Air Berlin in Mar-07 although the two airlines operated independently until LTU was fully integrated into Air Berlin in Feb-08.

 

The aircraft continued in service with Air Berlin until it was returned to the lessor in Oct-11 and stored at Abu Dhabi (UAE). In Dec-11 it was re-registered EI-ETI and ferried to Chateauroux, France for repaint into I-Fly livery.

 

It was stored at Chateauroux until it was delivered to I-Fly Airlines (Russia) in Apr-12. It was withdrawn from service in Nov-15 and stored at Perpignan (France). At the end of Feb-16 it ferried to St. Athan (Wales, UK) and was permanently retired. The registration was cancelled in Mar-11. Updated 01-Jan-23.

North Adelaide Hotel established 1850.

The current two storey hotel structure dates from 1881 when an earlier 1850 building was replaced using a design by architects Bayer & Withall. It retains its symmetrical front elevation and simple parapet, and the two level verandah with upper balcony and a decorative gable at the lower western end.

 

This hotel changed its name to the Daniel O'Connell Hotel in the late 1990s. Its former names were the Commercial Hotel and the North Adelaide Hotel. It was first licensed on 18 December 1850 as the Commercial Hotel.

 

Morris remained owner and publican until January 1852 when he sold the pub and grounds for £300 to J W Probyn. In 1862 German migrant, Frantz Heinrich Wilhelm Iben, together with his wife Margaret became the publicans and two years later in August 1864 were able to buy it. The Iben's association with the hotel lasted forty years. Indeed, following Wilhelm Iben's death in 1877, his wife rebuilt the hotel in 1881 and still continued as its publican until 1891.

 

In 1904 the hotel was sold to the South Australian Brewing Company who owned it for about ninety years.

Ref: Heritage of the City of Adelaide, ACC.

 

*The North Adelaide Hotel at Tynte Street, North Adelaide, is under new management.

 

Mr Eric Parsons who is well known in the liquor industry has taken over the hotel from Mr Frank Linegor.

 

Mr Parsons comes from a family of hoteliers and has been in the business all his working life.

 

Prior to taking over the "North Adelaide" he was in business at Victor Harbour.

 

With his wife and four children he is settling into his new surroundings at North Adelaide and talking enthusiastically of improvements to the premises.

 

If you are a football fan you'll have much in common with Eric who seldom misses a match. He is also a keen golf fan. "I am confident that North Adelaide is the logical area for further commercial development in S A" said Eric Parsons at the conclusion of the interview.

Ref: Standard (Port Adelaide SA) Wednesday 11 July 1962.

 

Currently being replaced by brand new examples, the older ones are gradually going through repaint before re-allocation. 36145 rests at Onthank terminus.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 09-Sep-21 (DeNoise AI)

 

This aircraft was ordered by ILFC International Lease Finance Corporation for Canadian Airlines International as C-FBCA, however the order was cancelled before completion (C-FBCA was later used on a different frame in Apr-92).

 

It first flew with the Boeing test registration N6009F and was delivered to ILFC and leased to VARIG Brasil as PP-VPI in May-91. It was returned to ILFC in Aug-94 as N891LF and was stored.

 

The aircraft was due to be leased to Air New Zealand as ZK-ILF, however that registration wasn't used and it was delivered as ZK-SUH in Nov-94. With the worldwide downturn in passenger traffic after the 9/11 terrorist atrocity in Sep-01, the aircraft was returned to the lessor in Feb-02 and was stored at Auckland, New Zealand.

 

Air New Zealand renewed the lease again in Aug-02. The aircraft continued in service until it was permanently retired in Jul-14. It was stored at Victorville, CA, USA and was last noted still at Victorville in Oct-16.

HIRSCH Performance Paul

 

この純正ラバーバンド( flic.kr/p/vXfxxh )をオーストリアのHIRSCHってメーカーのレザーバンドに交換。

これ、裏が格子状に溝が入った天然ゴムでなんと300m防水。表はちゃんとしたレザーバンドなんだけど、汗や水に強い優れもの。

日本法人の人と話す機会があったんだけど、「裏が汚れたら古い歯ブラシ使って洗っちゃってくださいw」て言うほどw

The 1987 Cobras are a real bunch of misfits!

 

As a kid, I thought they were really scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas with this bunch of guys!

 

I mean, look at them! You've got a pirate, a fortune teller, a boxer, a falconer (!?) and a guy who is a crocodile handler! It's like the Village People exploded and a new universe of Village People formed in the vacuum to replace them.

 

Then there is the battle armored Cobra Commander, which has always seemed a little too much like a Darth Vader knock off to me (due to the shape of his helmet), although the idea of the enemy leader wearing state of the art armor makes perfect sense to me. I must say I was suprised to see a new Cobra Commander figure a year after he was deposed as Cobra leader and the same year he was (hilariously) turned into a snake in the cartoon (" I wassss once a man... a maaaaaan!").

 

Of these characters, the only ones I thought didn't totally suck as a kid was Zanzibar, but that is because he has a cool name (it's an island off the coast of Africa if you didn't know) and is a Dreadnok, upholding their proud 'nok tradition of wearing belly shirts - REPRESENT!

 

I liked the idea of Big Boa, it makes sense that Cobra would have some sort of a drill sergeant type responsible for whipping recruits into shape, but I thought the name was a little silly, and I didn't like his design (what is with that helmet?). Ditto for Croc Master, I thought he kinda looked cool, but did we really need an action figure of the dude who stocks Cobra Island with pits of crocs? I thought he was the GI Joe equivalent of the Rancor Keeeper figure, nice to have, but hardly very necessary or interesting.

 

Then there is Crystal Ball and Raptor.

 

Don't know which one I hated more as a kid. Probably Raptor, because he seems so silly. A falconer may've almost made sense in the middle ages when it was a popular sport amongst knights, but nowadays - no, sorry completely silly. Especially since Cobra has a serpentine theme going on and birds of prey are natural predators of snakes so this seems an odd choice for a Cobra character. Even in the comics he was often mocked by other characters. His backstory actually did make him seem sort of plausible, his real specialty was shifty accounting if I recall correctly! He actually is a pretty cool looking figure, especially for the era he came out in. I do find it odd that this year the Cobras got a falconer, and the Joes got a guy named "Falcon". Somebody clearly had falcons on the brain! Raptor is an awesome name for a character, by the way. Rarely has such an awesome name been given to such an undeserving character!

 

Crystal Ball is another oddball. His filecard mentions him using hypnosis to interrogate prisoners, but Dr. Mindbender who came out just the year prior was listed as being Cobra's chief interrogator, so this seemed like a weird overlap - why did they need 2 interrogators? The whole angle with having psychic powers also seemed too fantasy based for my liking. One of the persistent legends about this character that I have always wondered if has ever been confirmed is that he was created by Stephen King, or maybe it was his son? It might not be as kooky as it sounds. I read a book about King in the 80's that said he was a GI Joe fan and had a few figures posed around his word processor. He has also made a few scattered references to specific GI Joe characters or obvious anaologues of them in a few of his novels. We also know he has a fascination with characters with psi powers (Carrie, the Shining, Firestarter, the Dead Zone, yadda yadda). Is it any coincidence that Crystal Ball's card artwork looks just like a young Vincent Price? Anyhoo, C.B. was such a goofy character that Larry Hama wouldn't touch him with a 10-foot pole. His sole appearance in the classic Marvel comics comes in an issue of Special Missions not written by Hama. I must say though that the character has actually been used to very good and suprisingly spooky and effective use in the more recent comic book series by both Devil's Due and IDW.

 

The TechnoViper is a sharp looking figure with a great miltiary specialty. I wish I had 10 of them! As a kid though, I think the purple in their uniforms turned me off, but it seems positively subdued compared to what we were to get in the 90's, and as an adult troubles me not in the least.

  

As much as I hated most of the '87 Cobras, I love them now as can be evidenced by the fact that I basically own all of them except for a few of the vehicle drivers from this year and of course, Cobra-La. In my doddering old age of 39 I can finally appreciate these guys for their campy coolness.

 

But what is up with those airhoses? Cobra Commander, Big Boa, and Croc Master (mine is sadly missing) all have prominent air hoses as part of their masks! it makes sense for CC, whose costume is supposed to enable him to breath in harsh environments, and Croc Master , who spends a lot of time in the water - but why Big Boa - so his visor doesn't fog up?

 

Also notice how much more buff and ripped the guys are this year, even the dorky accountant who likes to dress up like Big Bird has a six pack that would make Ahnold green with envy!

 

1987 was truly the pinnacle of Cobra weirdness

St Mary's Old Church is a roofless ruin in the hamlet of Kilmuir, just outside Dunvegan. The church was built in 1694 -- the date is inscribed on a stone over the north door -- to replace an older medieval church that served as the parish church for the Duirinish region of northern Skye.

 

The original building was a simple rectangle, but a north burial aisle was added in 1839. A 1735 burial enclosure with fine Renaissance carving stands against the west gable.

 

The church stands within a stone-walled burial ground enclosure. Within the burial ground are three medieval grave slabs carved with traditional claymore and foliage symbols. The largest of these stones measures 6'5" long and 20 inches across, tapering to 16.5" at the foot.

 

Interestingly, several chiefs of Clan Macleod are buried here, though the church at Rodel on the Isle of Harris was the principal burial place for clan chiefs. Also buried here are several generations of MacCrimmons, who served as hereditary pipers for Clan Macleod.

 

THE DUNVEGAN

TWO CHURCHES WALK

If you’re planning to explore the local area, Dunvegan village and perhaps the Giant MacAskill museum, then this walk will start you off on the right foot. As it’s only minutes from our doorstep, there’s plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast before you set off. Then head out along the road towards Dunvegan Castle to find the starting point.

 

Take a Hike

The relatively easy walk from the Duirinish Church of Scotland is 2 miles (3 km). It passes through woodland and open moor and can take between 45 minutes – 1 hour depending on how long you stop along the way.

 

The walk starts through the gate to the left of the church and there is an information board giving details of the route.

 

If you’re walking this woodland route in spring or summer then you will be treated to a display of wildflowers. You may miss them, however, if you are distracted by glimpses of Loch Dunvegan through the trees.

 

The walk will take you up to the Millennium Stone, a prominent viewpoint over Dunvegan village. From here there are views across Loch Dunvegan to Macleod’s Tables and The Cuillin Ridge in the distance. Then head downhill to the ruins of St Mary’s Church below.

 

More information about this walk can be found on the Walkhighlands website.

 

The Millennium Stone

This 15-foot (5 metre) high stone was brought up from south Skye. It was erected by the people of the Dunvegan community on 24th June 2000 (Midsummer’s Day) to commemorate the new millennium. This was an impressive feat, using only hand power and rope-techniques. A process that would have been used to build stone circles thousands of years ago.

 

The stone stands proudly on top of a low crag overlooking the village of Dunvegan.

 

St Mary’s Church & Burial Ground

The remains of this post-reformation parish church and burial ground are situated in Kilmuir on the outskirts of Dunvegan village. They have been recognised as a monument of national importance by Historic Environment Scotland.

 

The site has been the focus of religious worship over centuries and there are indications that the church was a medieval foundation. This is seen in the East-West alignment of the church and the existence of three medieval carved grave slabs. Although the parish itself dates to the post-reformation period. The north entrance shows a date of 1694 and the burial enclosure with its balustrade walls dates from 1735.

 

Once the parish church for Duirinish, it was the burial site for a number of the Chiefs of the Clan MacLeod. The most recent was John MacLeod of MacLeod in February 2007. In addition, generations of the MacCrimmons, hereditary pipers to the Clan, are at rest in the graveyard.

 

An early 18th-century ashlar obelisk memorial to Lord Thomas Frazer (father of 11th Lord Lovat, who was executed on Towerhill in 1747), dominates the graveyard. There are also two medieval grave slabs with claymore and leaf design and a third that is extremely worn with only the border visible.

 

Dunvegan is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan is within the parish of Duirinish, and Duirinish Parish Church is at Dunvegan. In 2011 it had a population of 386.

 

In The Norse Influence on Gaelic Scotland (1910), George Henderson suggests that the name Dùn Bheagain derives from Old Gaelic Dùn Bheccáin ([the] fort of Beccán), Beccán being a Gaelic personal name. Dùn Bheagain would not mean 'little fort' as this would be Dùn Beag in Gaelic.

 

Dunvegan sits on the shores of the large Loch Dunvegan, and the Old School Restaurant in the village is noted for its fish, caught freshly from the loch itself. Dunvegan is situated at the junction of the A850, and the A863. The B884 road also has a junction with the A863, at the eastern end of Dunvegan.

 

Dunvegan's permanent population is declining. However, numbers staying in the area during holidays have increased dramatically over the years since 2001.

 

Tourist information used to be situated in the parade of shops at Lochside, but is now available on a seasonal basis at Dunvegan Castle's St Kilda Shop. The Giant MacAskill Museum, which celebrates the life of Angus Mòr MacAskill was established in 1989 and is managed by Peter MacAskill, father of the street trials cycle rider Danny MacAskill.

 

The Isle of Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the country. Although Sgitheanach has been suggested to describe a winged shape, no definitive agreement exists as to the name's origins.

 

The island has been occupied since the Mesolithic period, and over its history has been occupied at various times by Celtic tribes including the Picts and the Gaels, Scandinavian Vikings, and most notably the powerful integrated Norse-Gaels clans of MacLeod and MacDonald. The island was considered to be under Norwegian suzerainty until the 1266 Treaty of Perth, which transferred control over to Scotland. The 18th-century Jacobite risings led to the breaking-up of the clan system and later clearances that replaced entire communities with sheep farms, some of which involved forced emigrations to distant lands. Resident numbers declined from over 20,000 in the early 19th century to just under 9,000 by the closing decade of the 20th century. Skye's population increased by 4% between 1991 and 2001. About a third of the residents were Gaelic speakers in 2001, and although their numbers are in decline, this aspect of island culture remains important.

 

The main industries are tourism, agriculture, fishing, and forestry. Skye is part of the Highland Council local government area. The island's largest settlement is Portree, which is also its capital, known for its picturesque harbour. Links to various nearby islands by ferry are available, and since 1995, to the mainland by a road bridge. The climate is mild, wet, and windy. The abundant wildlife includes the golden eagle, red deer, and Atlantic salmon. The local flora is dominated by heather moor, and nationally important invertebrate populations live on the surrounding sea bed. Skye has provided the locations for various novels and feature films, and is celebrated in poetry and song.

 

A Mesolithic hunter-gatherer site dating to the seventh millennium BC at An Corran in Staffin is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Scotland. Its occupation is probably linked to that of the rock shelter at Sand, Applecross, on the mainland coast of Wester Ross, where tools made of a mudstone from An Corran have been found. Surveys of the area between the two shores of the Inner Sound and Sound of Raasay have revealed 33 sites with potentially Mesolithic deposits. Finds of bloodstone microliths on the foreshore at Orbost on the west coast of the island near Dunvegan also suggest Mesolithic occupation. These tools probably originated from the nearby island of Rùm. Similarly, bloodstone from Rum, and baked mudstone, from the Staffin area, were found at the Mesolithic site of Camas Daraich, also from the seventh millennium BC, on the Point of Sleat, which has led archaeologists to believe that Mesolithic people on Skye would travel fairly significant distances, at least 70 km, both by land and sea.

 

Rubha an Dùnain, an uninhabited peninsula to the south of the Cuillin, has a variety of archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic onwards. A second- or third-millennium BC chambered cairn, an Iron Age promontory fort, and the remains of another prehistoric settlement dating from the Bronze Age are nearby. Loch na h-Airde on the peninsula is linked to the sea by an artificial "Viking" canal that may date from the later period of Norse settlement. Dun Ringill is a ruined Iron Age hill fort on the Strathaird Peninsula, which was further fortified in the Middle Ages and may have become the seat of Clan MacKinnon.

 

The late Iron Age inhabitants of the northern and western Hebrides were probably Pictish, although the historical record is sparse. Three Pictish symbol stones have been found on Skye and a fourth on Raasay. More is known of the kingdom of Dál Riata to the south; Adomnán's life of Columba, written shortly before 697, portrays the saint visiting Skye (where he baptised a pagan leader using an interpreter) and Adomnán himself is thought to have been familiar with the island. The Irish annals record a number of events on Skye in the later seventh and early eighth centuries – mainly concerning the struggles between rival dynasties that formed the background to the Old Irish language romance Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin.

 

Legendary hero Cú Chulainn is said to have trained on the Isle of Skye with warrior woman Scáthach.

 

The Norse held sway throughout the Hebrides from the 9th century until after the Treaty of Perth in 1266. However, apart from placenames, little remains of their presence on Skye in the written or archaeological record. Apart from the name "Skye" itself, all pre-Norse placenames seem to have been obliterated by the Scandinavian settlers. Viking heritage, with Celtic heritage is claimed by Clan MacLeod. Norse tradition is celebrated in the winter fire festival at Dunvegan, during which a replica Viking long boat is set alight.

 

The most powerful clans on Skye in the post–Norse period were Clan MacLeod, originally based in Trotternish, and Clan Macdonald of Sleat. The isle was held by Donald Macdonald, Lord of the Isles’ half-brother, Godfrey, from 1389 until 1401, at which time Skye was declared part of Ross. When the Donald Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, re-gained Ross after the battle of Harlaw in 1411, they added "Earl of Ross" to their lords' titles. Skye came with Ross.

 

Following the disintegration of the Lordship of the Isles, Clan Mackinnon also emerged as an independent clan, whose substantial landholdings in Skye were centred on Strathaird. Clan MacNeacail also have a long association with Trotternish, and in the 16th century many of the MacInnes clan moved to Sleat. The MacDonalds of South Uist were bitter rivals of the MacLeods, and an attempt by the former to murder church-goers at Trumpan in retaliation for a previous massacre on Eigg, resulted in the Battle of the Spoiling Dyke of 1578.

 

After the failure of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, Flora MacDonald became famous for rescuing Prince Charles Edward Stuart from the Hanoverian troops. Although she was born on South Uist, her story is strongly associated with their escape via Skye, and she is buried at Kilmuir in Trotternish. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell's visit to Skye in 1773 and their meeting with Flora MacDonald in Kilmuir is recorded in Boswell's The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides. Boswell wrote, "To see Dr Samuel Johnson, the great champion of the English Tories, salute Miss Flora MacDonald in the isle of Sky, was a striking sight; for though somewhat congenial in their notions, it was very improbable they should meet here". Johnson's words that Flora MacDonald was "A name that will be mentioned in history, and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour" are written on her gravestone. After this rebellion, the clan system was broken up and Skye became a series of landed estates.

 

Of the island in general, Johnson observed:

 

I never was in any house of the islands, where I did not find books in more languages than one, if I staid long enough to want them, except one from which the family was removed. Literature is not neglected by the higher rank of the Hebrideans. It need not, I suppose, be mentioned, that in countries so little frequented as the islands, there are no houses where travellers are entertained for money. He that wanders about these wilds, either procures recommendations to those whose habitations lie near his way, or, when night and weariness come upon him, takes the chance of general hospitality. If he finds only a cottage he can expect little more than shelter; for the cottagers have little more for themselves but if his good fortune brings him to the residence of a gentleman, he will be glad of a storm to prolong his stay. There is, however, one inn by the sea-side at Sconsor, in Sky, where the post-office is kept.

 

— Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland.

 

Skye has a rich heritage of ancient monuments from this period. Dunvegan Castle has been the seat of Clan MacLeod since the 13th century. It contains the Fairy Flag and is reputed to have been inhabited by a single family for longer than any other house in Scotland. The 18th-century Armadale Castle, once home of Clan Donald of Sleat, was abandoned as a residence in 1925, but now hosts the Clan Donald Centre. Nearby are the ruins of two more MacDonald strongholds, Knock Castle, and Dunscaith Castle (called "Fortress of Shadows"), the legendary home of warrior woman, martial arts instructor (and, according to some sources, Queen) Scáthach. Caisteal Maol, a fortress built in the late 15th century near Kyleakin and once a seat of Clan MacKinnon, is another ruin.

 

In the late 18th century the harvesting of kelp became a significant activity, but from 1822 onward cheap imports led to a collapse of this industry throughout the Hebrides. During the 19th century, the inhabitants of Skye were also devastated by famine and Clearances. Thirty thousand people were evicted between 1840 and 1880 alone, many of them forced to emigrate to the New World. The "Battle of the Braes" involved a demonstration against a lack of access to land and the serving of eviction notices. The incident involved numerous crofters and about 50 police officers. This event was instrumental in the creation of the Napier Commission, which reported in 1884 on the situation in the Highlands. Disturbances continued until the passing of the 1886 Crofters' Act and on one occasion 400 marines were deployed on Skye to maintain order. The ruins of cleared villages can still be seen at Lorgill, Boreraig and Suisnish in Strath Swordale, and Tusdale on Minginish.

 

As with many Scottish islands, Skye's population peaked in the 19th century and then declined under the impact of the Clearances and the military losses in the First World War. From the 19th century until 1975 Skye was part of the county of Inverness-shire, but the crofting economy languished and according to Slesser, "Generations of UK governments have treated the island people contemptuously" --a charge that has been levelled at both Labour and Conservative administrations' policies in the Highlands and Islands. By 1971 the population was less than a third of its peak recorded figure in 1841. However, the number of residents then grew by over 28 percent in the thirty years to 2001. The changing relationship between the residents and the land is evidenced by Robert Carruthers's remark c. 1852, "There is now a village in Portree containing three hundred inhabitants." Even if this estimate is inexact the population of the island's largest settlement has probably increased sixfold or more since then. During the period the total number of island residents has declined by 50 percent or more. The island-wide population increase of 4 percent between 1991 and 2001 occurred against the background of an overall reduction in Scottish island populations of 3 percent for the same period. By 2011 the population had risen a further 8.4% to 10,008 with Scottish island populations as a whole growing by 4% to 103,702.

 

Historically, Skye was overwhelmingly Gaelic-speaking, but this changed between 1921 and 2001. In both the 1901 and 1921 censuses, all Skye parishes were more than 75 percent Gaelic-speaking. By 1971, only Kilmuir parish had more than three-quarters of Gaelic speakers while the rest of Skye ranged between 50 and 74 percent. At that time, Kilmuir was the only area outside the Western Isles that had such a high proportion of Gaelic speakers. In the 2001 census Kilmuir had just under half Gaelic speakers, and overall, Skye had 31 percent, distributed unevenly. The strongest Gaelic areas were in the north and southwest of the island, including Staffin at 61 percent. The weakest areas were in the west and east (e.g. Luib 23 percent and Kylerhea 19 percent). Other areas on Skye ranged between 48 percent and 25 percent.

 

In terms of local government, from 1975 to 1996, Skye, along with the neighbouring mainland area of Lochalsh, constituted a local government district within the Highland administrative area. In 1996 the district was included in the unitary Highland Council, (Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd) based in Inverness and formed one of the new council's area committees. Following the 2007 elections, Skye now forms a four-member ward called Eilean a' Cheò; it is currently represented by two independents, one Scottish National Party, and one Liberal Democrat councillor.

 

Skye is in the Highlands and Islands electoral region and comprises a part of the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency of the Scottish Parliament, which elects one member under the first past the post basis to represent it. Kate Forbes is the current MSP for the SNP. In addition, Skye forms part of the wider Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency, which elects one member to the House of Commons in Westminster. The present MP Member of Parliament is Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party, who took office after the SNP's sweep in the General Election of 2015. Before this, Charles Kennedy, a Liberal Democrat, had represented the area since the 1983 general election.

 

The ruins of an old building sit on top of a prominent hillock that overlooks a pier attended by fishing boats.

Caisteal Maol and fishing boats in Kyleakin harbour

The largest employer on the island and its environs is the public sector, which accounts for about a third of the total workforce, principally in administration, education, and health. The second-largest employer in the area is the distribution, hotels, and restaurants sector, highlighting the importance of tourism. Key attractions include Dunvegan Castle, the Clan Donald Visitor Centre, and The Aros Experience arts and exhibition centre in Portree. There are about a dozen large landowners on Skye, the largest being the public sector, with the Scottish Government owning most of the northern part of the island. Glendale is a community-owned estate in Duirinish, and the Sleat Community Trust, the local development trust, is active in various regeneration projects.

 

Small firms dominate employment in the private sector. The Talisker Distillery, which produces a single malt whisky, is beside Loch Harport on the west coast of the island. Torabhaig distillery located in Teangue opened in 2017 and also produces whisky. Three other whiskies—Mac na Mara ("son of the sea"), Tè Bheag nan Eilean ("wee dram of the isles") and Poit Dhubh ("black pot")—are produced by blender Pràban na Linne ("smugglers den by the Sound of Sleat"), based at Eilean Iarmain. These are marketed using predominantly Gaelic-language labels. The blended whisky branded as "Isle of Skye" is produced not on the island but by the Glengoyne Distillery at Killearn north of Glasgow, though the website of the owners, Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd., boasts a "high proportion of Island malts" and contains advertisements for tourist businesses in the island. There is also an established software presence on Skye, with Portree-based Sitekit having expanded in recent years.

 

Some of the places important to the economy of Skye

Crofting is still important, but although there are about 2,000 crofts on Skye only 100 or so are large enough to enable a crofter to earn a livelihood entirely from the land. In recent years, families have complained about the increasing prices for land that make it difficult for young people to start their own crofts.

 

Cod and herring stocks have declined but commercial fishing remains important, especially fish farming of salmon and crustaceans such as scampi. The west coast of Scotland has a considerable renewable energy potential and the Isle of Skye Renewables Co-op has recently bought a stake in the Ben Aketil wind farm near Dunvegan. There is a thriving arts and crafts sector.

 

The unemployment rate in the area tends to be higher than in the Highlands as a whole, and is seasonal, in part due to the impact of tourism. The population is growing and in common with many other scenic rural areas in Scotland, significant increases are expected in the percentage of the population aged 45 to 64 years.

 

The restrictions required by the worldwide pandemic increased unemployment in the Highlands and Islands in the summer of 2020 to 5.7%; which was significantly higher than the 2.4 percent in 2019. The rates were said to be highest in "Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross and Argyll and the Islands". A December 2020 report stated that between March (just before the effects of pandemic were noted) and December, the unemployment rate in the region increased by "more than 97%" and suggested that the outlook was even worse for spring 2021.

 

A report published in mid-2020 indicated that visitors to Skye added £211 million in 2019 to the island's economy before travel restrictions were imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report added that "Skye and Raasay attracted 650,000 visitors [in 2018] and supported 2,850 jobs". The government estimated that tourism in Scotland would decline by over 50% as a result of the pandemic. "Skye is highly vulnerable to the downturn in international visitors that will continue for much of 2020 and beyond", Professor John Lennon of Glasgow Caledonian University told a reporter in July 2020.

 

Tourism in the Highlands and Islands was negatively impacted by the pandemic, the effects of which continued into 2021. A September 2020 report stated that the region "has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to date when compared to Scotland and the UK as a whole". The industry required short-term support for "business survival and recovery" and that was expected to continue as the sector was "severely impacted for as long as physical distancing and travel restrictions". A scheme called Island Equivalent was introduced by the Scottish government in early 2021 to financially assist hospitality and retail businesses "affected by Level 3 coronavirus restrictions". Previous schemes in 2020 included the Strategic Framework Business Fund and the Coronavirus Business Support Fund.

 

Before the pandemic, during the summer of 2017, islanders complained about an excessive number of tourists, which was causing overcrowding in popular locations such as Glen Brittle, the Neist Point lighthouse, the Quiraing, and the Old Man of Storr. "Skye is buckling under the weight of increased tourism this year", said the operator of a self-catering cottage; the problem was most significant at "the key iconic destinations, like the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing", he added. Chris Taylor of VisitScotland sympathised with the concerns and said that the agency was working on a long-term solution. "But the benefits to Skye of bringing in international visitors and increased spending are huge," he added.

 

An article published in 2020 confirmed that (before the pandemic), the Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle were still overcrowded in peak periods; other areas where parking was a problem due to large crowds included "the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, the Quiraing, the Fairy Pools, and Neist Point. This source also stated that Portree was "the busiest place on the island" during peak periods and suggested that some tourists might prefer accommodations in quieter areas such as "Dunvegan, Kyleakin and the Broadford and Breakish area".

 

Skye is linked to the mainland by the Skye Bridge, while ferries sail from Armadale on the island to Mallaig, and from Kylerhea to Glenelg, crossing the Kyle Rhea strait on the MV Glenachulish, the last turntable ferry in the world. Turntable ferries had been common on the west coast of Scotland because they do not require much infrastructure to operate, a boat ramp will suffice. Ferries also run from Uig to Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist, and from Sconser to Raasay.

 

The Skye Bridge opened in 1995 under a private finance initiative and the high tolls charged (£5.70 each way for summer visitors) met with widespread opposition, spearheaded by the pressure group SKAT (Skye and Kyle Against Tolls). On 21 December 2004, it was announced that the Scottish Executive had purchased the bridge from its owners and the tolls were immediately removed.

 

Bus services run to Inverness and Glasgow, and there are local services on the island, mainly starting from Portree or Broadford. Train services run from Kyle of Lochalsh at the mainland end of the Skye Bridge to Inverness, as well as from Glasgow to Mallaig from where the ferry can be caught to Armadale.

 

The island's airfield at Ashaig, near Broadford, is used by private aircraft and occasionally by NHS Highland and the Scottish Ambulance Service for transferring patients to hospitals on the mainland.

 

The A87 trunk road traverses the island from the Skye Bridge to Uig, linking most of the major settlements. Many of the island's roads have been widened in the past forty years although there are still substantial sections of single-track road.

 

A modern 3 story building with a prominent frontage of numerous windows and constructed from a white material curves gently away from a green lawn in the foreground. In the background there is a tall white tower of a similar construction.

 

Students of Scottish Gaelic travel from all over the world to attend Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Scottish Gaelic college based near Kilmore in Sleat. In addition to members of the Church of Scotland and a smaller number of Roman Catholics, many residents of Skye belong to the Free Church of Scotland, known for its strict observance of the Sabbath.

 

Skye has a strong folk music tradition, although in recent years dance and rock music have been growing in popularity on the island. Gaelic folk rock band Runrig started in Skye and former singer Donnie Munro still works on the island. Runrig's second single and a concert staple is entitled Skye, the lyrics being partly in English and partly in Gaelic and they have released other songs such as "Nightfall on Marsco" that were inspired by the island. Ex-Runrig member Blair Douglas, a highly regarded accordionist, and composer in his own right was born on the island and is still based there to this day. Celtic fusion band the Peatbog Faeries are based on Skye. Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson owned an estate at Strathaird on Skye at one time. Several Tull songs are written about Skye, including Dun Ringil, Broadford Bazaar, and Acres Wild (which contains the lines "Come with me to the Winged Isle, / Northern father's western child..." about the island itself). The Isle of Skye Music Festival featured sets from The Fun Lovin' Criminals and Sparks, but collapsed in 2007. Electronic musician Mylo was born on Skye.

 

The poet Sorley MacLean, a native of the Isle of Raasay, which lies off the island's east coast, lived much of his life on Skye. The island has been immortalised in the traditional song "The Skye Boat Song" and is the notional setting for the novel To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, although the Skye of the novel bears little relation to the real island. John Buchan's descriptions of Skye, as featured in his Richard Hannay novel Mr Standfast, are more true to life. I Diari di Rubha Hunis is a 2004 Italian language work of non-fiction by Davide Sapienza [it]. The international bestseller, The Ice Twins, by S K Tremayne, published around the world in 2015–2016, is set in southern Skye, especially around the settlement and islands of Isleornsay.

 

Skye has been used as a location for several feature films. The Ashaig aerodrome was used for the opening scenes of the 1980 film Flash Gordon. Stardust, released in 2007 and starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer, featured scenes near Uig, Loch Coruisk and the Quiraing. Another 2007 film, Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle, was shot almost entirely in various locations on the island. The Justin Kurzel adaption of Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender was also filmed on the Island. Some of the opening scenes in Ridley Scott's 2012 feature film Prometheus were shot and set at the Old Man of Storr. In 1973 The Highlands and Islands - a Royal Tour, a documentary about Prince Charles's visit to the Highlands and Islands, directed by Oscar Marzaroli, was shot partly on Skye. Scenes from the Scottish Gaelic-language BBC Alba television series Bannan were filmed on the island.

 

The West Highland Free Press is published at Broadford. This weekly newspaper takes as its motto An Tìr, an Cànan 's na Daoine ("The Land, the Language, and the People"), which reflects its radical, campaigning priorities. The Free Press was founded in 1972 and circulates in Skye, Wester Ross, and the Outer Hebrides. Shinty is a popular sport played throughout the island and Portree-based Skye Camanachd won the Camanachd Cup in 1990. The local radio station Radio Skye is a community based station that broadcast local news and entertainment to the Isle Of Skye and Loch Alsh on 106.2 FM and 102.7 FM.

 

Whilst Skye had unofficial flags in the past, including the popular "Bratach nan Daoine" (Flag of the People) design which represented the Cuillins in sky blue against a white sky symbolising the Gaelic language, land struggle, and the fairy flag of Dunvegan, the Island received its first official flag "Bratach an Eilein" (The Skye Flag) approved by the Lord Lyon after a public vote in August 2020. The design by Calum Alasdair Munro reflects the Island's Gaelic heritage, the Viking heritage, and the history of Flora MacDonald. The flag has a birlinn in the canton, and there are five oars representing the five areas of Skye, Trotternish, Waternish, Duirinish, Minginish, and Sleat. Yellow represents the MacLeods, and Blue the MacDonalds or the MacKinnons.

 

The Hebrides generally lack the biodiversity of mainland Britain, but like most of the larger islands, Skye still has a wide variety of species. Observing the abundance of game birds Martin wrote:

 

There is plenty of land and water fowl in this isle—as hawks, eagles of two kinds (the one grey and of a larger size, the other much less and black, but more destructive to young cattle), black cock, heath-hen, plovers, pigeons, wild geese, ptarmigan, and cranes. Of this latter sort I have seen sixty on the shore in a flock together. The sea fowls are malls of all kinds—coulterneb, guillemot, sea cormorant, &c. The natives observe that the latter, if perfectly black, makes no good broth, nor is its flesh worth eating; but that a cormorant, which hath any white feathers or down, makes good broth, and the flesh of it is good food; and the broth is usually drunk by nurses to increase their milk.

 

— Martin Martin, A Description of The Western Islands of Scotland.

 

Similarly, Samuel Johnson noted that:

 

At the tables where a stranger is received, neither plenty nor delicacy is wanting. A tract of land so thinly inhabited must have much wild-fowl; and I scarcely remember to have seen a dinner without them. The moor-game is every where to be had. That the sea abounds with fish, needs not be told, for it supplies a great part of Europe. The Isle of Sky has stags and roebucks, but no hares. They sell very numerous droves of oxen yearly to England, and therefore cannot be supposed to want beef at home. Sheep and goats are in great numbers, and they have the common domestic fowls."

 

— Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland.

A black sea bird with a black beak, red feet and a prominent white flash on its wing sits on a shaped stone. The stone is partially covered with moss and grass and there is an indistinct outline of a grey stone wall and water body in the background.

 

In the modern era avian life includes the corncrake, red-throated diver, kittiwake, tystie, Atlantic puffin, goldeneye and golden eagle. The eggs of the last breeding pair of white-tailed sea eagle in the UK were taken by an egg collector on Skye in 1916 but the species has recently been re-introduced. The chough last bred on the island in 1900. Mountain hare (apparently absent in the 18th century) and rabbit are now abundant and preyed upon by wild cat and pine marten. The rich fresh water streams contain brown trout, Atlantic salmon and water shrew. Offshore the edible crab and edible oyster are also found, the latter especially in the Sound of Scalpay. There are nationally important horse mussel and brittlestar beds in the sea lochs and in 2012 a bed of 100 million flame shells was found during a survey of Loch Alsh. Grey Seals can be seen off the Southern coast.

 

Heather moor containing ling, bell heather, cross-leaved heath, bog myrtle and fescues is everywhere abundant. The high Black Cuillins weather too slowly to produce soil that sustains a rich plant life, but each of the main peninsulas has an individual flora. The basalt underpinnings of Trotternish produce a diversity of Arctic and alpine plants including alpine pearlwort and mossy cyphal. The low-lying fields of Waternish contain corn marigold and corn spurry. The sea cliffs of Duirinish boast mountain avens and fir clubmoss. Minginish produces fairy flax, cats-ear, and black bog rush. There is a fine example of Brachypodium-rich ash woodland at Tokavaig in Sleat incorporating silver birch, hazel, bird cherry, and hawthorn.

 

The local Biodiversity Action Plan recommends land management measures to control the spread of ragwort and bracken and identifies four non-native, invasive species as threatening native biodiversity: Japanese knotweed, rhododendron, New Zealand flatworm and mink. It also identifies problems of over-grazing resulting in the impoverishment of moorland and upland habitats and a loss of native woodland, caused by the large numbers of red deer and sheep.

 

In 2020 Clan MacLeod chief Hugh MacLeod announced a plan to reintroduce 370,000 native trees along with beaver and red squirrel populations to the clan estates on Skye, to restore a "wet desert" landscape which had depleted from years of overgrazing.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 08-Jun-22.

 

This aircraft was delivered to Swedish Air Lease and leased to Spanair (Spain) with the temporary registration EC-150 in Jul-88, becoming EC-EJQ in Aug-88.

 

It was sold to another lessor in Jun-93 while the lease to Spanair continued. Due to Spanish regulations at the time, a new owner meant a new registration, and the aircraft was re-registered EC-487. It became EC-FTU in Oct-93.

 

The aircraft was returned to the lessor as EI-CNO in Feb-97. The following month it was leased to Nouvelair Tunisie (Tunisia), retaining it's Irish registration. It was returned to the lessor in Dec-04 and parked at Paris-deGaulle.

 

In Jan-05 the aircraft was leased to Blue Air (France) as F-GMLK. Blue Air ceased operations in Oct-10 and the aircraft was returned to the lessor and stored at Marana, AZ, USA.

 

The aircraft was sold to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest as N565MS in Dec-10 and moved to Tucson, AZ, USA for continued storage. It was sold to Falcon Air Express in Jun-11 and was permanently retired. It was used as a spares source. It was last noted at Tucson in May-12 and eventually broken up. Updated 08-Jun-22.

Picture Of Car 14 For The City Of White Plains New York Police Department - 2013 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor - Car 14 (438) Now Without License Plate Readers. It Was Put Into Service During June 2013. It Will Probably Be Replaced WIth A New 2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor In The Next Two Weeks. Photo Taken Monday October 19, 2015.

  

IMG9165

 

iPhone 5s

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 26-Nov-18.

 

Built in 1972, ex CCCP-11526 Aeroflot, RA-11526, D2-FDB, LZ-VED Vega Airlines, UP-AN211, now 46 years old and still in service with Cavok Air as UR-CKM. Current (Nov-18).

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 30-Aug-22 (DeNoise AI).

 

JAL's 50th Anniversary Pink 'Dream Express' logojet, 'Friends'. Right Side.

 

The Boeing 747-400D was built for the Japanese Domestic market and had no winglets. They didn't do anything for fuel efficiency on short sectors and omitting them saved weight. Only 19 were built for Japan Air Lines and All Nippon Airways, they had a maximum passenger capacity of 660.

 

This aircraft was delivered to JAL Japan Air Lines as JA8904 in Nov-92. When JAS Japan Air System was merged into JAL in Apr-04, they created two divisions, Domestic and International. This aircraft was part of Japan Airlines - Domestic until the Domestic Division was merged into International in Oct-06.

 

It was retired in Jun-10 after almost 18 years in service and sold to AerSale Inc (USA) as N894DB and permanently retired at Roswell, NM, USA. The registration was cancelled in May-15. Updated 30-Aug-22.

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 15-May-26.

 

Operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic on behalf of Caledonian Airways.

 

If aircraft could talk, what a story this one could tell... This aircraft was delivered to General Electric Capital Corporation (later GECAS) and leased to TWA Trans World Airlines as N31033 in Dec-81.

 

It was returned to GECAS in Nov-92. The aircraft was leased to Time Air Sweden as SE-DPP in Jan-93 but was repossessed the following month. It was leased to Air Atlanta Icelandic as TF-ABM in May-93.

 

In May-94 it was wet-leased to Tunis Air, returning to Air Atlanta in Apr-95. It was returned to the lessor in May-95 as N357AT and leased to Royal Airlines (Canada) as C-GRYU the following month. Royal Airlines was renamed Royal Aviation in Dec-95. The aircraft returned to the lessor in May-96 and was leased to Air Atlanta Icelandic again the following month, this time as TF-ABD.

 

At the end of the summer season, in Nov-96, Air Atlanta returned it to the lessor for storage and leased it again in Oct-97. It was wet leased to Britannia Airways in Jul-98 and returned to Air Atlanta in April-99 when it was immediately wet leased to Caledonian Airways (the British Airways Caledonian, not the earlier one that became B.Cal).

 

The aircraft was returned to Air Atlanta in Oct-99 and was stored at Manston, UK in Dec-99. It was wet leased to Sabre Airways in May-00 for the summer season and returned to Air Atlanta and the lessor in Nov-00. It was retired and stored at Marana, AZ, USA the same month.

 

In Feb-01 the aircraft was sold to Kampuchea Airlines as XU-122. It was leased to Star Air Jordan in Jan-03 and registered in Sierra Leone as 9L-LDN! It was stored at Sharjah, UAE in Apr-04.

 

The aircraft appeared at Salzburg, Austria in May-05 where the Star Air titles were changed to BFS - Business Flight Services. It was to be placed on the Austrian Civil Register but the application was refused due to allegations of money laundering.

 

In mid Jul-05 the aircraft was 'sold' to Star Air as EX-089 (Kyrgyzstan) and the aircraft suddenly departed for Abu Dhabi, UAE the following day. It was stored at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in Oct-05. In Sep-07 it was sold to Air Charter Express (Ghana) as 9G-BSM and re-registered almost immediately in Kyrgyzstan (again!) as EX-35000.

 

In Dec-08 it was sold to SAM Intercontinental and registered in Mali as TZ-MHI... It was believed stored at Ras Al Kaimah, UAE (permanently retired?) in Aug-09 but turned up in Iran the following month. It was next seen 'parked' at Nairobi, Kenya in Nov-09 and was noted still at Nairobi in derelict condition in Mar-16.

 

Note: The registration TF-ABM was used twice on Tristars by Air Atlanta Icelandic. First on this aircraft and then on c/n 1072 between May-96/Sep-00. Oddly, c/n 1072 also carried the registration SE-DPP with Air Ops between Jun-94/Apr-96.

 

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version on 17-Sep-21 (DeNoise AI).

 

The B747 SR was the 'short range' version of the B747-200 built especially for Japanese domestic services.

 

First flown in Sep-81 with the Boeing test registration N5573B, this aircraft was delivered to ANA All Nippon Airways as JA8156 in Dec-81.

 

It served with ANA for 23 years until it was 'traded in' to Boeing in Jul-04 and stored at Goodyear, AZ, USA as N233BA. It never flew again and was sold to Cargo Aircraft LLC for spares at the end that month. It was broken up at Goodyear in Jan/Feb-05.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

  

Some background:

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

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

 

The Panther was far cheaper to produce than the heavy Tiger I. Key elements of the Panther design, such as its armor, transmission, and final drive, were simplifications made to improve production rates and address raw material shortages. Despite this the overall design remain described by some as "overengineered". The Panther was rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943 despite numerous unresolved technical problems, leading to high losses due to mechanical failure. Most design flaws were rectified by late 1943 and early 1944, though the bombing of production plants, increasing shortages of high-quality alloys for critical components, shortage of fuel and training space, and the declining quality of crews all impacted the tank's effectiveness.

 

Though officially classified as a medium tank, at 44.8 metric tons the Panther was closer to a heavy tank weight and the same category as the American M26 Pershing (41.7 tons), British Churchill (40.7 tons) and the Soviet IS-2 (46 tons) heavy tanks. The Panther's weight caused logistical problems, such as an inability to cross certain bridges, otherwise the tank had a very high power-to-weight ratio which made it highly mobile.

 

The Panther was only used marginally outside of Germany, mostly captured or recovered vehicles, some even after the war. Japan already received in 1943 a specimen for evaluation. During March–April 1945, Bulgaria received 15 Panthers of various makes (D, A, and G variants) from captured and overhauled Soviet stocks; they only saw limited (training) service use. In May 1946, Romania received 13 Panther tanks from the USSR, too.

After the war, France was able to recover enough operable vehicles and components to equip its army and offer vehicles for sale. The French Army's 503e Régiment de Chars de Combat was equipped with a force of 50 Panthers from 1944 to 1947, in the 501st and 503rd Tank Regiments. These remained in service until they were replaced by French-built ARL 44 heavy tanks.

In 1946, Sweden sent a delegation to France to examine surviving specimens of German military vehicles. During their visit, the delegates found a few surviving Panthers and had one shipped to Sweden for further testing and evaluation, which continued until 1961.

 

However, this was not the Panther’s end of service. The last appearance by WWII German tanks on the world’s battlefields came in 1967, when Syria’s panzer force faced off against modern Israeli armor. Quite improbably, Syria had assembled a surprisingly wide collection of ex-Wehrmacht vehicles from a half-dozen sources over a decade and a half timeframe. This fleet consisted primarily of late production Panzer V, StuGIII and Jagdpanzer IVs, plus some Hummel SPAAGs and a handful Panthers. The tanks were procured from France, Spain, and Czechoslovakia, partly revamped before delivery.

 

All of the Panthers Syria came from Czechoslovakia. Immediately after Germany’s collapse in May 1945, the Soviet army established a staging area for surrendered German tanks at a former Wehrmacht barracks at Milovice, about 24 miles north of Prague, Czechoslovakia. By January 1946, a total of roughly 200 operational Panzer IVs and Panthers of varying versions were at this facility. Joining them was a huge cache of spare parts found at a former German tank repair depot in Teplice, along with ammunition collected from all over Czechoslovakia and the southern extremity of the Soviet occupation zone in Germany. Throughout 1946, the Czechoslovak government’s clean-up of WWII battlefields recovered more than one hundred further tank wrecks, of which 80 were pieced back together to operational status and handed over to the Czechoslovakian Army,

 

In early 1948, the now-nationalized CKD Works began a limited upkeep of the tanks, many of which had not had depot-level overhauls since the war. A few were rebuilt with a Czechoslovak-designed steering system, but this effort was halted due to cost. These tanks remained operational in the Czechoslovak army until the end of 1954, when sufficient T-34s were available to phase them out.

 

A Syrian military delegation visited Prague from 8 April – 22 April 1955. An agreement was struck for the sale, amongst other items, of 45 Panzer IVs and 15 Panthers. Despite their obsolescence the Czechoslovaks were not about to just give the tanks away and demanded payment in a ‘hard’ western currency, namely British pounds. The cost was £4,500 each (£86,000 or $112,850 in 2016 money), far above what they were probably worth militarily, especially considering the limited amount of foreign currency reserves available to the Damascus government. The deal included refurbishment, a full ammunition loadout for each, and a limited number of spare parts. Nonetheless, the deal was closed, and the tanks’ delivery started in early November 1955.

 

The Syrians were by that time already having dire problems keeping their French-sourced panzers operational, and in 1958, a second contract was signed with CKD Works for 15 additional Panzer IVs and 10 more Panthers, these being in lesser condition or non-operational, for use as spare parts hulks. An additional 16 refurbished Maybach engines for both types were also included in this contract, as well as more ammunition.

 

The refurbished Panthers for Syria had their original 7.5 cm KwK 42 L70 replaced with the less powerful Rheinmetall 7.5 cm KwK 40 L48 gun – dictated by the fact that this gun was already installed in almost all other Syrian tanks of German origin and rounds for the KwK 42 L70 were not available anymore. and the Panther’s full ammo load was 87 rounds. The KwK 40 L48 fired a standard APCBC shell at 750 m/s and could penetrate 109 mm (4.3 in) hardened steel at 1.000 m range. This was enough to take out an M4 Sherman at this range from any angle under ideal circumstances. With an APCR shell the gun was even able to penetrate 130 mm (5.1 in) of hardened steel at the same distance.

 

Outwardly, the gun switch was only recognizable through the shorter barrel with a muzzle brake, the German WWII-era TZF.5f gunsight was retained by the Syrians. Additionally, there were two secondary machine guns, either MG-34s or MG-42s, one coaxial with the main gun and a flexible one in a ball mount in the tank’s front glacis plate.

A few incomplete Panther hulls without turret were also outfitted with surplus Panzer IV turrets that carried the same weapon, but the exact share of them among the Syrian tanks is unknown – most probably less than five, and they were among the batch delivered in the course of the second contract from 1958.

 

As they had been lumped all together in Czechoslovak army service, the Syrians received a mixed bag of Panzer IV and Panther versions, many of them “half-breeds” or “Frankensteins”. Many had the bow machine gun removed, either already upon delivery or as a later field modification, and in some cases the machine gun in the turret was omitted as well.

An obvious modification of the refurbished Czech export Panthers for Syria was the installation of new, lighter road wheels. These were in fact adapted T-54 wheels from Czechoslovakian license production that had just started in 1957 - instead of revamping the Panthers’ original solid steel wheels, especially their rubberized tread surfaces, it was easier to replace them altogether, what also made spare parts logistics easier. The new wheels had almost the same diameter as the original German road wheels from WWII, and they were simply adapted to the Panther’s attachment points of the torsion bar suspension’s swing arms. Together with the lighter main gun and some other simplifications, the Syrian Panthers’ empty weight was reduced by more than 3 tonnes.

 

The Czechoslovaks furthermore delivered an adapter kit to mount a Soviet-made AA DShK 12.7mm machine gun to the commander cupola. This AA mount had originally been developed after WWII for the T-34 tank, and these kits were fitted to all initial tanks of the 1955 order. Enough were delivered that some could be installed on a few of the Spanish- / French-sourced tanks, too.

 

It doesn’t appear that the Czechoslovaks updated the radio fit on any of the ex-German tanks, and it’s unclear if the Syrians installed modern Soviet radios. The WWII German Fu 5 radio required a dedicated operator (who also manned the bow machine gun); if a more modern system was installed not requiring a dedicated operator, this crew position could be eliminated altogether, what favored the deletion of the bow machine gun on many ex-German Syrian tanks. However, due to their more spacious hull and turret, many Panthers were apparently outfitted with a second radio set and used as command tanks – visible through a second whip antenna on the hull.

 

A frequent domestic Panther upgrade were side skirts to suppress dust clouds while moving and to prevent dust ingestion into the engines and clogged dust filters. There was no standardized solution, though, and solutions ranged from simple makeshift rubber skirts bolted to the tanks’ flanks to wholesale transplants from other vehicles, primarily Soviet tanks. Some Panthers also had external auxiliary fuel tanks added to their rear, in the form of two 200 l barrels on metal racks of Soviet origin. These barrels were not directly connected with the Panther’s fuel system, though, but a pump-and-hose kit was available to re-fuel the internal tanks from this on-board source in the field. When empty or in an emergency - the barrels were placed on top of the engine bay and leaking fuel quite hazardous - the barrels/tanks could be jettisoned by the crew from the inside.

 

Inclusive of the cannibalization hulks, Syria received a total of roughly 80 former German tanks from Czechoslovakia. However, at no time were all simultaneously operational and by 1960, usually only two or three dozen were combat-ready.

Before the Six Day War, the Syrian army was surprisingly unorganized, considering the amount of money being pumped into it. There was no unit larger than a brigade, and the whole Syrian army had a sort of “hub & spokes” system originating in Damascus, with every individual formation answering directly to the GHQ rather than a chain of command. The Panthers, Panzer IVs and StuG IIIs were in three independent tank battalions, grossly understrength, supporting the normal tank battalions of three infantry brigades (the 8th, 11th, and 19th) in the Golan Heights. The Jagdpanzer IVs were in a separate independent platoon attached to a tank battalion operating T-34s and SU-100s. How the Hummel SPGs were assigned is unknown.

 

The first active participation of ex-German tanks in Syrian service was the so-called “Water War”. This was not really a war but rather a series of skirmishes between Israel and Syria during the mid-1960s. With increasing frequency starting in 1964, Syria emplaced tanks on the western slope of the Golan Heights, almost directly on the border, to fire down on Israeli irrigation workers and farmers in the Galilee region. Surprisingly (considering the small number available) Syria chose the Panzer IV for this task. It had no feature making it better or worse than any other tank; most likely the Syrians felt they were the most expendable tanks in their inventory as Israeli counterfire was expected. The panzers were in defilade (dug in) and not easy to shoot back at; due to their altitude advantage.

 

In 1964, Syria announced plans to divert 35% of the Jordan River’s flow away from Israel, to deprive the country of drinking water. The Israelis responded that they would consider this an act of war and, true to their word, engaged the project’s workers with artillery and sniper fire. Things escalated quickly; in 1965, Israeli M4 Shermans on Israeli soil exchanged fire with the Syrian Panzer IVs above inconclusively. A United Nations peacekeeping team ordered both sides to disengage from the border for a set period of time to “cool off”, but the UN “Blue Berets” were detested and considered useless by both the Israelis and Syrians, and both sides used the lull to prepare their next move. When the cooling-off period ended, the Syrians moved Panzer IVs and now some Panthers, too, back into position. However, the IDF had now Centurion tanks waiting for them, with their fire arcs pre-planned out. The Cold War-era Centurion had heavy armor, a high-velocity 105mm gun, and modern British-made optics. It outclassed the WWII panzers in any imaginable way and almost immediately, two Syrian Panzer IVs and a Panther were destroyed. Others were abandoned by their crews and that was the end of the situation.

 

Syria’s participation in the Six Say War that soon followed in 1967 war was sloppy and ultimately disastrous. Israel initially intended the conflict to be limited to a preemptive strike against Egypt to forestall an imminent attack by that country, with the possibility of having to fight Syria and Jordan defensively if they responded to the operations against Egypt. The war against Egypt started on 5 June 1967. Because of the poor organization of the Syrian army, news passed down from Damascus on the fighting in the Sinai was scarce and usually outdated by the time it reached the brigade level. Many Syrian units (including the GHQ) were using civilian shortwave radios to monitor Radio Cairo which was spouting off outlandish claims of imaginary Egyptian victories, even as Israeli divisions were steamrolling towards the Suez Canal.

 

Syrian vehicles of German origin during the Six Day War were either painted overall in beige or in a dark olive drab green. Almost all had, instead of tactical number codes, the name of a Syrian soldier killed in a previous war painted on the turret in white. During the Six Day War, no national roundel was typically carried, even though the Syrian flag was sometimes painted to the turret flanks. However just as the conflict was starting, white circles were often painted onto the top sides of tanks as quick ID markings for aircraft, and some tanks had red recognition triangles added to the side areas: Syrian soldiers were notoriously trigger-happy, and the decreased camouflage effect was likely cancelled out by the reduced odds of being blasted by a comrade!

 

During the evening of 5 June, Syrian generals in Damascus urged the government to take advantage of the situation and mount an immediate invasion of Israel. Planning and preparation were literally limited to a few hours after midnight, and shortly after daybreak on 6 June, Syrian commanders woke up with orders to invade Israel. The three infantry brigades in the Golan, backed up by several independent battalions, were to spearhead the attack as the rest of the Syrian army mobilized.

There was no cohesion at all: Separate battalions began their advance whenever they happened to be ready to go, and brigades went forward, missing subunits that lagged behind. A platoon attempting a southern outflank maneuver tried to ford the Jordan River in the wrong spot and was washed away. According to a KGB report, at least one Syrian unit “exhibited cowardice” and ignored its orders altogether.

 

On 7 June, 24 hours into their attack, Syrian forces had only advanced 2 miles into Israel. On 8 June, the IDF pushed the Syrians back to the prewar border and that afternoon, Israeli units eliminated the last Egyptian forces in the Sinai and began a fast redeployment of units back into Israel. Now the Syrians were facing serious problems.

On 9 June, Israeli forces crossed into the Golan Heights. They came by the route the Syrians least expected, an arc hugging the Lebanese border. Now for the first time, Syria’s panzers (considered too slow and fragile for the attack) were encountered. The next day, 10 June 1967, was an absolute rout as the Syrians were being attacked from behind by IDF units arcing southwards from the initial advance, plus Israel’s second wave coming from the west. It was later estimated that Syria lost between 20-25% of its total military vehicle inventory in a 15-hour span on 10 June, including eight Panthers. A ceasefire was announced at midnight, ending Syria’s misadventure. Syria permanently lost the Golan Heights to Israel.

 

By best estimate, Syria had just five Panthers and twenty-five Panzer IVs fully operational on 6 June 1967, with maybe another ten or so tanks partially operational or at least functional enough to take into combat. Most – if not all – of the ex-French tanks were probably already out of service by 1967, conversely the entire ex-Spanish lot was in use, along with some of the ex-Czechoslovak vehicles. The conflict’s last kill was on 10 June 1967 when a Panzer IV was destroyed by an Israeli M50 Super Sherman (an M4 Sherman hull fitted with a new American engine, and a modified turret housing Israeli electronics and a high-velocity French-made 75mm gun firing HEAT rounds). Like the Centurion, the Super Sherman outclassed the Panzer IV, and the Panther only fared marginally better.

 

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

  

Specifications:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Height: 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in)’

Ground clearance: 56 cm (22 in)

Suspension: Double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels

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

some Syrian Panthers carried two additional external 200 l fuel drums

 

Armor:

15–80 mm (0.6 – 3.93 in)

 

Performance:

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

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

100 km (62 mi) cross-country

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

 

Engine & transmission:

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

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

 

Armament:

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

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

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

with a total of 5.100 rounds (not always mounted)

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

  

The kit and its assembly:

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

  

Painting and markings:

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

  

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

 

I replaced the previous video with this 720 rez, let's see if it works. Flickr is spotty today

Today 14 wild horses came galloping down our dirt road and made a beeline to our stock tank. OMG, they drank it dry in minutes. So, I got the hose out while talking sweet to them and started filling it back up. They watched intently and then started drinking from the hose gentle spray. Then they made another beeline to the tall grasses near our septic tank field.

I love nature!!!

Replacing an earlier photo with a better version 23-Oct-25.

 

First flown in Jan-91 as F-GKND, this aircraft was delivered to a lessor and leased to TAT Transport Aerien Transregional, France in Mar-91. TAT was renamed TAT European Airlines in Dec-95 and they were merged into Air Liberte in Oct-97.

 

The aircraft was sub-leased to Air Atlantique, France in Oct-98 and returned to Air Liberte in Jul-99. It as leased to Air Open Sky, France in Dec-99 and returned to Air Liberte in Nov-00. It was returned to Gie Prop Bail No:1 in Aug-01 and stored at Dinard, France.

 

In Oct-01 it was leased to Airlinair, France and sub-leased to Air Atlantique in Mar-03. It was returned to Airlinair and the lessor in Mar-04. The aircraft was immediately sold to Swift Air as EC-IVP and converted to freighter configuration by May-04 (cabin conversion only). Current, updated 13-Jun-25.

Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 30-Mar-20.

 

'Silver Bullet' livery.

 

First flown as a passenger aircraft with the Boeing test registration N5573B, this aircraft was delivered to Cathay Pacific Airways as VR-HIH in Apr-84.

 

It was converted into freighter configuration with a main deck side cargo door (SCD) in Jun-94 and transferred to Cathay Pacific Airways Cargo.

 

The aircraft was re-registered B-HIH in Jul-97 when Hong Kong became an autonomous region of China. After 25 years in service it was initially stored at Hong Kong in Jun-09.

 

It was sold to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest as N2868R in Aug-09 and ferried to Kemble, UK in Sep-09 where it was permanently retired and broken up in Feb-10.

Replaced roof cap taken from a low-headroom BB

Transferred from Somers

1997

I have rescanned some of my Tribeca/downtown negatives to replace the poorly scanned shots I had in my "Old New York" album from a few years ago.

Have some more to do and will delete the old ones and add as I go.