+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

  

Some background:

With Scotland’s independence from Great Britain in late 2017, “Caledonian International Airlines” (or just “Caledonian” or “CI”) quickly emerged as a privately-owned national flag carrier. The airline followed in the footsteps of Caledonian Airways, an independent Scottish charter airline formed in April 1961, which evolved into British Caledonian Airlines (a.k.a. “BCal”). During the 1970s and '80s, British Caledonian became the UK's largest independent, international scheduled airline, with an extensive global route network serving over 40 destinations in around 25 countries on five continents. However, a series of major financial setbacks during the mid-1980s combined with the airline's inability to grow sufficiently to reach a viable size put the airline at serious risk of collapse. BCal began looking for a merger partner to improve its competitive position, and, in December 1987, British Airways (BA) gained control of the airline. In April 1988 BCal was officially dissolved and the brand disappeared.

 

Caledonian International Airlines was a completely new company, though, and received its Air Operator's Certificate on December 31, 2017. Caledonian had, except for the name and the use of the Scottish “Lion Rampant” emblem (the Royal Standard of the King or Queen of Scots), no connections with BCal, and also not to British Airways. In the second quarter of 2018, CI leased two Airbus A319s from Lessors Avolon and Apollo and started deploying to several national destinations from its home base Glasgow, taking over domestic flight slots to Scottish destinations (primarily Glasgow and Edinburgh) from British Airways. In 2019, the airline added a third A319 for connections to Continental Europe as well as a single Airbus A318 and an A330 for transatlantic destinations and charter flights, respectively.

 

CI’s A318-100 (SC-ABG) was primarily scheduled for the direct Glasgow/Edinburgh – New York (3210 ml/5170 km) routes. The Airbus A318 was the smallest airliner in the Airbus A320 family, carrying 107 to 132 passengers with a maximum range of 5,700 km (3,100 nmi). Overall, the A318 was over six meters shorter and around 3 t (6,600 lb) lighter than the A320, and to compensate for the reduced moment arm, it had a larger vertical stabilizer. While initial concepts depicted the aircraft with a Boeing 737-300-style dorsal fin extension, the final design incorporated a fin tip extension, making it 75 centimeters (30 in) taller than the other A320 variants and easily identifiable. Pilots who were trained on the other variants might fly the A318 with no further certification, since it featured a common flight deck and the same type rating as its sister aircraft.

 

The A318 was available with a variety of different maximum take-off weights (MTOW) ranging from a 59-tonnes (58 long tons; 65 short tons), 2,750 kilometres (1,480 nmi) base model to a 68-tonnes (67 long tons; 75 short tons), 6,000 kilometres (3,200 nmi) version. The lower MTOW enabled it to operate regional routes economically while sacrificing range and the higher MTOW allowed it to complement other members of the A320 family on marginal routes. On the other side, the lighter weight of the A318 gave it an operating range 10% greater than the A320, allowing it to serve some routes that the A320 would be unable to, e. g, London – New York, Perth–Auckland and Singapore–Tokyo, for instance. Its main use for airlines, however, were on short, low-density hops between medium-sized cities.

 

The airline also ordered two long-haul wide-body Airbus A330-900neos in November 2019 at the Dubai Air Show. The first plane is scheduled to arrive in January 2022 after a delivery flight from Toulouse and will operate on routes to Asia, e. g. Hong Kong and Tokyo, and to intercontinental destinations in North America and Brazil. A further order for six EMBRAER ERJ-190s was placed at the same time – these will replace the leased A320s on regional and domestic routes, and with these additional aircraft Caledonian International Airlines follows a slow but steady expansion strategy.

  

General characteristics:

Cockpit crew: Two

Length: 31.44 m (103 ft 2 in)

Wingspan:34.10 m (111 ft 11 in)

Wing area: 122.4 m² (1,318 sq ft)

Wing sweepback: 25°

Tail height: 12.56 m (41 ft 2 in)

Cabin width: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)

Fuselage width: 3.95 m (13 ft 0 in)

Operating empty weight: 39,500 kg (87,100 lb)

Maximum zero-fuel weight (MZFW): 54,500 kg (120,200 lb)

Maximum landing weight (MLW):57,500 kg (126,800 lb)

Maximum take-off weight (MTOW): 68,000 kg (150,000 lb)

 

Capacity:

Exit Limit:136

1-class max. seating: 132 at 29–30 in (74–76 cm) pitch

1-class, typical: 117 at 32 in (81 cm) pitch

2-class, typical: 107 (8F @ 38 in, 99Y @ 32 in)

Cargo capacity: 21.2 m³ (750 cu ft)

Fuel capacity: 24,210 L (5,330 imp gal; 6,400 US gal)

 

Performance:

Cruising speed: Mach 0.78 (829 km/h; 515 mph)

Maximum speed: Mach 0.82 (871 km/h; 541 mph)

Range (typical payload): 5,740 km (3,100 nmi)

ACJ range:4,200 nmi (7,800 km)

Takeoff (MTOW, SL, ISA): 1,780 m (5,840 ft)

Landing (MLW, SL, ISA): 1,230 m (4,040 ft)

Ceiling: 39,100–41,000 ft (11,900–12,500 m)

 

Engines:

2xCFM56-5B9/P turbofans with 23,300 lbf (100 kN) thrust each

  

The kit and its assembly:

I have been pondering the idea of an independent Scotland for some time and already built some what-if models with this background. But then arose the question: what could a national carrier airline be or look like?

 

This turned out to be a more complex question than initially ever thought of and led to more than a dozen potential design layouts, with the plan to avoid the much-too-obvious blue from the Scottish flag and rather incorporate the Scottish coat-of-arms (with a standing red lion on a yellow shield/background) but also based on limited decal resources. The small Airbus 318 was chosen because it would be a rather small airline, and the type’s extended range vs. it bigger brethren (making flight to America possible) made it a good choice for trans-Atlantic flights.

 

I settled for the Eastern Express A318 kit, which is BTW the only option for this airliner in 1:144. Upon an initial glance the kit looked quite O.K. – very simple and straightforward, and somewhat looking like a clone of the Revell A319/320 model (but it isn't). However, closer inspection confirmed the impression of a rather poor copy quality level. Most surface details (engraved) are there, but they are soft and somewhat blurred, and any fine details like pitots or blade antennae are missing or just hinted at. The material is also dubious, a very waxy and soft styrene. It can be glued together easily, but it is very sensitive to scratches or cuts.

 

However, things turned really ugly when I tried to build it! NOTHING of the major elements fits together, the worst flaws became apparent when I tried to glue the fuselage halves together, which turned out to be wavy along the seams and heavily dented, esp. along the spine. Massive PSR was necessary to fill the worst gaps, and even then, the result is barely acceptable.

 

Another disaster area is the wing/fuselage intersection. Unlike the Revell A320, the Eastern Express kit comes with separate, asymmtretical lower wing halves, which carry a part of the lower fuselage. Raised surface details and air scoops justify this construction, but the poor fit of everything involved in this area left me with a ventral 2mm(!!!) gap and further misalignments that called for even more PSR. Horrible.

 

The final major problem zone was the fin – in consists of a base, which is molded into the fuselage halves, and the extended fin tip as well as the rudder are a separate part. This could work, if the fin’s base halves were not about 1mm too thick when assembled, resulting in a crippled fin that called for more PSR to create even surfaces on both sides (and fill gap’s at the rudder’s base)…

 

Beyond that, there were some sinkholes on the wings and the (otherwise pretty clear) cockpit glazing did not fit at all, being much too narrow and leaving considerable gaps at its base. Since I had decals for the complete cockpit glazing at hand I short-handedly blended the clear part into the hull with some more PSR. No, this kit is NOT recommended – I guess that cutting an A319/320 from another manufacturer and scratching the longer fin leads to better results than the Eastern Express A318 kit!

  

Painting and markings:

I wanted to develop a personal livery for Scotland’s potential flag carrier, and this took a while. The process was inspired and also limited by decal options, and I wanted to avoid the obvious color blue. I rather took inspiration from the Scottish coat of arms, which shows a standing red lion on a deep yellow background. For potential layouts I took the burden to create profile drawings, which soon revealed that yellow and red would make the airliner look like a Spanish charter carrier, so more and more black crept into the design, eventually fully replacing the yellow, together with white as basic color for the fuselage and a little red from the lion as contrast. After more than a dozen layouts the one I chose reminds of the late BEA scheme (with the black fin and trim) or Air Canada. However, I wanted to avoid a contemporary livery with a uniform/featureless fuselage, so I incorporated a black window cheatline that visually stretches the fuselage. The design has a certain retro appeal, even though this was not intended.

 

The fuselage was prepared with grey primer and received a coat with pure white paint from the rattle can. The wings were painted with Humbrol 40 (Gloss Light Gull Grey) and 126 (FS 26270) for the Corroguard areas. Fin and engine nacelles were painted black (Humbrol 21). The small winglets were painted in red (Humbrol 19), as small color highlights. Black ink was used to emphasize the panel lines (esp. of the flaps and rudders) on the wings, the white fuselage remained clean, though, in order to avoid a dirty or worn look.

 

The cheatlines and the windows come from a TwoSix Decals sheet for a retro British Airways A319 with a BEA red square livery, the decals had to be tailored to the A318’s shorter fuselage. The black nose section was retained, because it reminds of the elegant livery of British Caledonian Airlines. The red “Caledonian” letterings and the smaller sublines come from a TwoSix Decals sheet for a Sixties’ Caledonian Airways DC-6B. I had hoped to use the sheet’s large red lions for the Airbus’ fin, but they were only printed on clear carrier film and lacked opacity, so that I had to improvise. I found a suitable alternative in a MicroScale H0 scale sheet for Cape Brenton & Nova Scotia Diesel locomotives.

The stencils are a mix from the (very nice) Eastern Express and the TwoSix Airbus sheet, and I printed the registration code with the Scottish flag as well as the “independence” tag on the nose myself.

 

Finally, the model was sealed with an overall coat of glossy acrylic varnish.

 

Some background:

The Nakajima A6M2-N (Navy Type 2 Interceptor/Fighter-Bomber) was a single-crew floatplane. The Allied reporting name for the aircraft was 'Rufe'.

 

The A6M2-N floatplane was developed mainly to support amphibious operations and defend remote bases. It was based on the Mitsubishi A6M-2 Model 11 fuselage, with a modified tail and added floats. Despite the large central float and wing pontoons, the A6M2-N was aerodynamically a very clean aircraft: compared with its land-based A6M2 cousin, its performance degraded only by about 20%, and for a contemporary single engine floatplane its performance was outstanding.

 

The aircraft was deployed in 1942, referred to as the "Suisen 2" ("Hydro fighter type 2"), and intended for interceptor, fighter-bomber, and short reconnaissance support for amphibious landings, among other uses. However, when confronted with the first generation of Allied fighters, the A6M2-N was no match in aerial combat and rather employed in supportive roles.

 

Effectively, the A6M2-N was mostly utilized in defensive actions in the Aleutians and Solomon Islands operations. They were used with good efficiency against Allied positions: marking patrol elements, aiding warship guns, engaging convoys, and reconnoitering areas over-the-horizon.

The A6M2-Ns were also effective in harassing American PT boats at night, and they could drop flares to illuminate the PTs which were vulnerable to destroyer gunfire, and depended on cover of darkness. However, when Allied fighter coverage became more numerous and effective, the value of the A6M2-N dwindled and losses began to naturally mount.

 

In the Aleutian Campaign this fighter engaged with RCAF Curtiss P-40, Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, but the A6M2-N inventory suffered a severe setback when, on August 7th, 1942, a seaplane base was destroyed by Allied fighter-bombers, taking with it most of the available A6M2-Ns stationed there.

 

The seaplane also served in defense of fueling depots in Balikpapan and Avon Bases (Dutch East Indies) and reinforced the Shumushu base (North Kuriles) in the same period.

Beyond their use from dispersed and improvised bases, A6M2-N fighters also served aboard seaplane carriers Kamikawa Maru in the Solomons and Kuriles areas and aboard Japanese raiders Hokoku Maru and Aikoku Maru in Indian Ocean raids.

Later in the conflict the Otsu Air Group utilized the A6M2-N as an interceptor alongside Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu ('Rex') aircraft based in Biwa lake in the Honshū area, defending the Japanese home land against Allied raids.

 

A total of 327 were built, including the original prototype, before being halted in September 1943.

The last A6M2-N in military service was a single example recovered by the French forces in Indochina after the end of World War II. It crashed shortly after being overhauled, though.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1 (Pilot)

Length: 10.10 m (33ft 1⅝ in)

Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4⅜ in)

Height: 4.30 m (14ft 1⅜ in)

Wing area: 22.44 m² (251.4 sq ft)

Empty weight: 1,912 kg (4,235 lb)

Loaded weight: 2,460 kg (5,423 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 2,880 kg (6,349 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Nakajima NK1C Sakae 12 air cooled 14 cylinder radial engine,

delivering 950 hp (709 kW) at 4,200 m (13,800 ft)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 436 km/h (235 knots, 270.5 mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

Cruise speed: 296 km/h (160 knots, 184 mph)

Range: 1,782 km (963 nmi, 1,107 mi)

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)

Climb rate: 6 min 43 s to 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

 

Armament:

2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns in forward fuselage

2 ×20 mm Type 99 cannons in outer wings

Underwing hardpoints for 2× 60 kg (132 lb) bombs

  

The kit and its assembly:

This is a real world model, despite the weird looks (see below), and an entry for the Arawasi blog's "Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 005 - Japanese Seaplanes & Flying Boats" contest in summer 2017. Even though whifs were allowed to enter, I used the opportunity to build a kit I had originally bought for a few bucks and stashed away in the donor bank: a vintage LS Model Nakajima A6M2-N.

 

The mould dates back to 1963(!), and the kit was re-issued several times, also under the ARII label. You get a tiny box, with only two sprues moulded in a pale baby blue, and the number of parts is minimal. It's truly vintage and pretty toylike at first sight. Consequently, you have to face some real old-school issues, e. g. moulded markings for the roundels on the wings, general mediocre fit of anything and lots of sinkholes and flash. Then there are toylike solutions like the single-piece propeller or separate, moveable ailerons with bulging joints.

 

The cockpit interior is non-existent, too: there's just a blank place for a dashboard (to be cut out from the printed BW instructions!), and a spindly pilot figure which is held in mid air by some pins. Furthermore, the kit was designed to take a small electric motor in the nose (sold separately) to drive the propeller. Wires, as well as respective internal ducts, and an AA battery holder are included.

 

Sounds scary? Well, maybe, if you just build it OOB. But all these flaws should not keep the ambitious modeler away because the LS Model kit is (still) a sound basis to start from, even though and by today's standards, it is certainly not a match-winner for a rivet counter-esque competition.

 

For its age and the typical solutions of its time, it is actually surprisingly good: you get very fine engraved surface details (more delicate than many contemporary moulds!), a pretty thin, three-piece clear (yet blurry) canopy and, as a bonus to the elevons, separate flaps – a unique detail I have never come across before! Proportions are IMHO good, even though the cowling looks a bit fishy and the engravings are rather soft and shallow. Anyway, on the exterior, there’s anything you can ask for to be found, and as another bonus the kit comes with a beaching trolley, which makes display and diorama fitting easier.

 

Thanks to the kit's simplicity, the build in itself was pretty straightforward and simple. Cleaning the parts and checking fit was the biggest issue. Upon gluing the old styrene showed signs of serious reaction to the dissolving effect of modern glue: it took ages for the material to cure and become hard again for further work!? Weird…

 

The many sinkholes and overall displacements were corrected with some NC putty/PSR, the protruding elevon/flap joints sanded away as good as possible, and due to the wobbly nature of the kit’s styrene I added blobs of 2C putty inside of the wing halves as stabilizers.

 

Some mods and improvements were made, though. After cleaning the OOB propeller from tons of flash the piece turned out to be pretty usable, and it was put on a metal axis. A styrene tube adapter was added behind the relatively flat engine dummy, so that the prop can spin freely – for the later beauty pics, because no CG effect beats IMHO the real thing.

 

A cockpit interior was created from scratch and donor parts, using the new Airfix A6M model's cockpit as benchmark. It’s not an exact replica, because not much would later be visible, but I wanted, as a minimum, “something” inside. A better pilot figure was used, too, and strapped to the new seat with thin strips of adhesive masking tape as seatbelts.

 

Under the wings, the hardpoints were simulated with some bits of styrene and wire as shackles, but left empty Under the stabilizer fin I added a lug(?), made from thin wire, too.

 

The elevons were fixed in place, the seams to the wings filled with white glue in order to conceal the gaps as good as possible. The movable flaps remained, though, adding life to the model. The dolly was also taken more or less OOB, since it fits well. I just improved it with some sinkhole fillings and some other details, including cushions on the float stabilizers, made from paper tissue soaked with thinned white glue, and a towing bar.

  

Painting and markings:

The reason why I settled for an A6M2-N is mostly the weird paint scheme which can be applied, while still being a real world model: a lilac livery!

 

As far as I could find out, the A6M2-Ns initially carried an all-over IJN Grey livery, which was later, in late 1942, modified with dark green upper sides for a better concealment on the ground, and the Hinomaru received white edges for better contrast.

Anyway, during the Aleutian campaign and more or less in between these two major standards, several aircraft must have received a special camouflage with lilac upper surfaces, and this model depicts such a machine, based on various profiles but no color picture as reliable reference.

 

The sources I consulted, as well as pictures of finished A6M2-N models, show a wide variety of shades and paint scheme layouts, though. Upper colors range from pale pink through more or less bright shades of purple to a pale, rusty-reddish brown (maybe primer?), while the undersides show a wide range of greys or even light blue. Some depictions of Aleutian A6M2-Ns as profile or model even show a uniform wraparound scheme! Choice is yours, obviously...

 

Because of the corny information basis, I did my personal interpretation of the subject. I based my livery more or less on a profile by Michele Marsan, published in Aerei Modelismo Anno XII (March 1991). The unit information was taken from there, too – the only source that would provide such a reference.

 

My idea behind the livery and the eventual finish was that the machine once was fully painted in IJN Grey. Then, the violet upper color was added in the field (for whatever reason?), resulting in a slightly shaggy look and with the light grey shining through here and there in areas of higher wear, e. g. at the leading edges, cockpit area and some seams.

 

Painting started with an initial coat of aluminum under the floats, around the cockpit and on the leading edges. Then the undersides and some areas of the upper surfaces were painted with IJN grey. The latter is an individual mix of Humbrol 90 (Beige Green/RAF Sky) and a bit of 155 (Olive Drab, FS 34087). On top of that I added a thin primer layer of mauve (mix of ModelMaster’s Napoleonic Violet and Neutral Grey, Humbrol 176) on the still vacant upper surfaces – both as a preparation for the later weathering treatments (see below).

 

The following, basic lilac tone comes from Humbrol’s long-gone "Authentics" enamel line. The tin is probably 30 years old, but the content is still alive (and still has a distinctive, sour stench…)! I cannot identify the tone anymore with certainty, but I guess that it is 'HJ 4: Mauve N 9', one of the line’s Japanese WWII tones which was later not carried over to the standard tones, still available today.

 

Anyway, the color is a dull, rather greyish violet, relatively dark (a bit like RAF Ocean Grey), and it fits well as a camouflage tone on this specific model. Since there’s no better alternative I could think of except for an individual mix or garish, off-the-rack pop art tones, I went with it.

 

After overall basic painting was done and thoroughly cured, weathering started with a careful wet sand paper treatment, removing the salt grain masks and revealing some of the lower IJN Grey and aluminum layers. While this appears messy, I found that the result looks more realistic than artificial weathering applied as paint effects on top of the basic paint.

 

The engine cowling was painted separately, with a mix of black and a little dark blue. The propeller received an aluminum spinner (Humbrol’s Matt Aluminum Metallizer), while the blades received aluminum front sides (Revell acrylics), and red brown (Humbrol 160) back sides. Two thin, red stripes decorate the propeller tips (Decals, left over from an AZ Model Ki-78, IIRC).

 

As a standard procedure, the kit received a light wash with thinned black ink, revealing the engraved panel lines, plus some post-shading in order to emphasize panels and add visual contrast and ‘drama’.

 

Decals and markings were improvised and come from the spares box, since I did not trust the vintage OOB decals - even though they are in so far nice that the sheet contains any major marking as well as a full set of letter so that an individual tail code could be created. Anyway, the model's real world benchmark did not carry any numeric or letter code, just Hinomaru in standard positions and a horizontal, white-and-red stripe on the fin.

 

The roundels actually belong to a JSDAF F-4EJ, some stencils come from a leftover Hobby Boss A6M sheet. The fin decoration was created with generic decal sheet material (TL Modellbau). Similar stuff was also used for the markings on the central float, as well as for the yellow ID markings on the inner wings' leading edges. I am just not certain whether the real aircraft carried them at all? But they were introduced with the new green upper surfaces in late 1942, so that they appear at least plausible. Another argument in this marking‘s favor is that it simply adds even more color to the model!

 

The cockpit interior was painted in a light khaki tone (a mix of Humbrol 159 and 94), while the flaps' interior was painted with Aodake Iro (an individual mix of acrylic aluminum and translucent teal paint). Lacking good reference material, the beaching trolley became IJA Green, with some good weathering with dry-brushed silver on the edges and traces of rust here and there (the latter created with artist acrylics.

 

Close to the (literal) finish line, some soot and oil stains were added with graphite and Tamiya's 'Smoke', and the kit finally received a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri); to the varnish on the engine cover a bit of gloss varnish was added, for a sheen finish.

  

In the end, quite a challenging build. Not a winner, but …different. Concerning the LS Model kit as such, I must say that - despite its age of more than 50 years now - the A6M2-N model is still a worthwhile offer, if you invest some effort. Sure, there are certainly better 1:72 options available (e. g. the Hasegawa kit, its mould was created in 1995 and should be light years ahead concerning detail and fit. Not certain about the Revell/Frog and Jo-Han alternatives, though), but tackling this simple, vintage kit was fun in itself. And, based on what you get out of the little box, the result is not bad at all!

 

Beyond the technical aspects, I am also pleased with the visual result of the build. At first glance, this antiquity looks pretty convincing. And the disputable, strange lilac tone really makes this A6M2-N model …outstanding. Even though I still wonder what might have been the rationale behind this tone? The only thing I could imagine is a dedicated scheme for missions at dusk/dawn, similar to the pink RAF recce Spitfires in early WWII? It would be plausible, though, since the A6M2-Ns were tasked with nocturnal reconnoitre and ground attack missions.

ITM1692074

 

At a crossroads – Needing to make an important decision

When you are at a crossroads, you are at a point in your life where you need to make a decision. The implication is that the decision you make will have big, life-altering consequences.

Bad apple – Bad person

You can use this idiom to describe someone who is not nice and maybe even criminal.

Barking up the wrong tree – Pursuing the wrong course

When you “bark up the wrong tree” you are pursuing the wrong solution to your problems.

Be closefisted – Stingy

If you are being “closefisted”, you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

Be cold-hearted – Uncaring

If you decide to be “cold-hearted”, you are making a deliberate decision not to care about someone or something.

Be on solid ground – Confident

When you are “on solid ground”, you are confident in your position or feel that you are safe.

Beat around the bush – Avoid saying

When you do this, you are taking a long time to say what you really need to say. You may be doing this because the “truth” is embarrassing or your unsure about how the listener will take it.

Behind you – Supportive

When you are “behind” someone, you are saying that they have your support.

Between a rock and a hard place – Facing difficulties

When you have to choose between two options, neither of which are ideal or “good”.

Blow off steam – Try to relax

When you are stressed or upset about something, sometimes you need to do something to keep you from thinking about it.

Born with a silver spoon in their mouth – Born wealthy

This idiomatic expression is used to describe someone who was born into a wealthy family.

Break the bank – Spend a lot

When you “break the bank”, you spend a lot of money on something. If something will “break the bank”, then it’s expensive.

Bright spark – Smart

A “bright spark” is someone who is smart and valuable to an organization.

Build a case – Argue your point

When you “build a case” for something, you are preparing to argue a point or convince someone that your opinion is the right one.

Build castles in the sky – Daydream

When you fantasize about something you hope to have or achieve.

Burn your bridges – End a relationship

When you “burn your bridges” you end a relationship permanently.

Butter up – Flatter

When you “butter” someone up, you are telling them nice things about themselves.

Bought a lemon – Bad bargain

If something you bought is a “lemon” it is a bad product. In a sense, you wasted your money on it.

Break the ice – Start a conversation

When you start a conversation strangers with the end goal of making new friends.

Calm before the storm – Peaceful

When you use this to describe your state of being or mind, you’re talking about a quiet period before anticipated trouble comes your way.

Chasing rainbows – Pursuing dreams

When you try to follow your dreams. The implication here, however, is that you might be better off forgetting your dreams.

Clear as mud – Hard to understand

When you are confused about something or a situation.

Cool as a cucumber – Calm

This idiomatic expression is meant to describe someone who is calm and relaxed.

Couch potato – Lazy

A couch potato is a lazy person. Specifically, someone who sprawls on their couch watching TV almost all day.

Cross that bridge when we get to it – Think about it later

When you say this, you are telling someone that you will think about something later. The implication is that it’s a problem or a decision that can be put off for now.

Chew it over – Think had about something

This idiom implies that you need to make an important decision and can’t afford to be hasty about it.

Come to light – Be revealed

When something “comes to light” something that was originally concealed from you is revealed.

Cut back on – Reduce

When you use this idiom, you are reducing something.

Cut to the chase – Speak concisely

When you tell someone to “cut to the chase”, you are expressing impatience. This is usually used when someone feels someone else is taking to long to deliver important news.

Crystal clear – Easy to understand

When you say that something is “crystal clear”, you are saying that it is understood.

Dead-end job – No more opportunities

When you are stuck in a “dead-end job”, you are in a career situation where there is no more room for advancement.

Dig deep – Strive

When you “dig deep” you put a lot of effort into a task.

Digging into – Looking closer

When you “dig into” something, you are looking for more information.

Don’t run before you can walk – Don’t assume something is easy

This is a descriptive idiom, it’s meant to make you think about how a baby needs to learn how to walk before they can run. It’s supposed to caution you about assuming you can just do something without learning the basics.

Down to earth – Practical

This describes someone who is known for being sensible and practical.

Eat like a bird – Small appetite

This is used to describe someone who doesn’t eat a lot.

Eat like a horse – Eat a lot

If you eat like a horse, you are eating a lot. You can “eat like a bird” most of the time but “eat like a horse” at a specific time because you are either very hungry or you really like the food.

Eat your words – Admit you were wrong

When you “eat your words” you are admitting that something you said earlier turned out to be wrong.

Every cloud has a silver lining – Things will get better

When you say this, you are telling yourself or someone else that you will get through your troubles.

Face the music – Face the consequences

When you “face the music”, you are owning up to a mistake and trying to make amends.

Find your feet – Adapt

When you are “finding your feet” you are learning how to adapt to a new situation, like a new job.

Follow in their footsteps – Imitate

This idiom is often used between children and their parents, but it can also refer to a mentor or someone you admire. If you “follow in someone’s footsteps”, you do the same thing that they did.

Food for thought – Something to think about

If you are given “food for thought” you have been given something to think about.

A frosty reception – To be unwelcome

If you received a “frosty reception”, you are not welcome.

Fly off the handle – Rages

You can use this idiom to describe someone who is visibly angry over a situation. Often this means that someone is shouting and maybe gesturing violently and even causing damage to property. It also implies that the angry reaction is disproportionate to the situation.

Get on with your life – Continue on after a setback

This is something you can say and should do after going through some problems.

Give them a run for their money – Compete

If you are competing with someone, you are giving them a “run for their money.”

Go Dutch – Split the bill

You can use this idiomatic expression when dining out with friends.

Go with the flow – Relax and get along

When you “go with the flow” you keep calm and just go along with whatever is happening around you.

Got off scot-free – Escaped

When you “get off scot-free”, you managed to escape any consequences for your actions.

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Hard to swallow – Unbelievable

If someone told you something that you just can’t believe, they told you something that is “hard to swallow”.

Have your whole life in front of you – Young

Someone who has their whole life in front of them is young and full of promise.

Hold out an olive branch – Apologize

When you do this, you try to make amends or peace with someone you’ve hurt or angered.

In hot water – In trouble

This idiomatic expression can be used to say that you are in a less than ideal situation.

Inching forward - Making slow progress

When you say this, you’re saying things are proceeding slowly.

Keep on the straight and narrow – Keep out of trouble

When you say this, you are implying that you are going to live in a morally correct way.

Keep your chin up – Stay positive

Even if you’re going through a hard time, you should keep thinking positive.

Kicked the bucket – Died

This is an irreverent phrase to say that someone has died. Be careful how you use it.

Let the cat out of the bag – Spoiled the secret

You “let the cat out of the bag” when you accidentally let someone in on a secret that they weren’t meant to know.

Look up to – Respect

When you “look up to” someone you are acknowledging that you respect them and value their opinion.

Loaded – Rich

When you call someone “loaded” you are saying that they are rich.

Lost at sea – Confused

If a situation is making you feel confused or lost, this is the idiom to use.

Making ends meet – Careful budgeting

If you. don’t have much money, you need to “make ends meet”. This means you carefully budget what you do have to meet your needs.

Make a mountain out of a molehill –Exaggerate

This idiom is used to say that someone is being over-dramatic with their complaints or concerns.

Make waves – Change things

When you “make waves”, you change a situation dramatically. This can also mean that you caused trouble.

Nip in the bud – Stop

When you do this, you take action to keep a situation from getting worse.

No sweat – Easy

When you say “no sweat” you are saying that a task was easy

Not your cup of tea – Not something you like

If you say that something is “not your cup of tea” you are saying it’s not something you particularly like or enjoy.

Once in a blue moon – Rare

This implies something that either won’t happen or rarely happens.

Out in the open – Public knowledge

When something is “out in the open”, it is a matter of public knowledge.

Over the moon – Very happy

You can use this to describe the feeling of getting something you’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

On cloud nine – Very happy

Similar to being over the moon.

Packed like sardines – Crowded

If people are “packed like sardines” in a venue, they are standing very close together in a small space.

Piece of cake –Easy

If you say something is a “piece of cake” you are saying that it is easy.

Pitch in - Contribute

When you “pitch-in”, you work with a group of people to reach a common goal.

Point of view – An opinion

Your “point of view” is what you think about someone or a situation.

Pony up – Pay

If you are paying back a debt, you are “ponying up” the money.

Pour oil on troubled waters – Calm things down

This basically means that you played peacemaker and kept an argument from developing into a physical fight.

Put your head in the sand – Deny something unpleasant

When you have your “head in the sand”, you are deliberately ignoring a bad situation.

Rags to riches – Became rich

Someone who went from “rags to riches” was born poor or underprivileged, but is now in a better social position.

Rain or shine – No matter what

This idiomatic expression is used to express the idea that nothing will stop you.

Reap the rewards – Received the benefits

When you “reap the rewards”, you are getting the benefits of your good work.

Rings a bell – Sounds familiar

When you think that you’ve heard a piece of information before but are not so sure.

Rule of thumb – General practice

A “rule of thumb” is an unwritten rule that is followed by the majority.

Separate the wheat from the chaff – Decide what is valuable

This picturesque idiom refers to how, when you harvest wheat, you need to separate it from the stalks and leaves. So, it means that you pick out or choose what is valuable to keep.

Shell out money – Pay

When you “shell out money”, you pay for an item.

Sitting on the fence – Neutral

When you “sit on the fence” you are avoiding making a decision. Often, this is a decision between two people with different opinions.

Smart cookie – Smart person

You can use this idiom to describe someone intelligent.

Spice things up – Make things interesting

When you “spice things up” you do something to break out of your normal routine.

Spill the beans – Tell

When you do this, you tell someone something they didn’t know. It may or not have been a secret previously.

Sticky fingers – Thief

If you accuse someone of having “sticky fingers” you are basically calling them a thief.

Take a side – Choose who to support

When you “take a side” in an argument, you are agreeing with one of those arguing.

Throw light on – Explain something

When you “throw light on” a situation, you help make sure that it is understood.

To move at a snail’s pace – Move slowly

This is another idiomatic phrase that’s meant to paint a picture. A snail moves slowly, so to move at its pace means things are going slowly.

Tread carefully – Be cautious

This implies that a situation is fraught and it might be easy to offend those involved.

Under the table – Secretive

When you do something “under the table”, you are trying to do something so that only a small amount of people are aware of it. It’s commonly used to describe something that is possibly unscrupulous. For example, bribes are given “under the table”.

Undermine your position – Act unconvincingly

When you behave in a way that makes you and your opinion seem untrustworthy.

Up in the air – Uncertain

When you say something is “up in the air”, you are saying that you are not sure that an event is happening.

Weather the storm – Survive

When you “weather the storm”, you endure a bad situation.

When it rains, it pours – Trouble comes

This refers to the fact that sometimes, many bad things happen to people at one time.

So there you have it, 10 idiomatic expressions and their meanings. These idioms are used by native English language speakers to add some color to their daily speech.

 

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At a crossroads – Needing to make an important decision

When you are at a crossroads, you are at a point in your life where you need to make a decision. The implication is that the decision you make will have big, life-altering consequences.

Bad apple – Bad person

You can use this idiom to describe someone who is not nice and maybe even criminal.

Barking up the wrong tree – Pursuing the wrong course

When you “bark up the wrong tree” you are pursuing the wrong solution to your problems.

Be closefisted – Stingy

If you are being “closefisted”, you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

Be cold-hearted – Uncaring

If you decide to be “cold-hearted”, you are making a deliberate decision not to care about someone or something.

Be on solid ground – Confident

When you are “on solid ground”, you are confident in your position or feel that you are safe.

Beat around the bush – Avoid saying

When you do this, you are taking a long time to say what you really need to say. You may be doing this because the “truth” is embarrassing or your unsure about how the listener will take it.

Behind you – Supportive

When you are “behind” someone, you are saying that they have your support.

Between a rock and a hard place – Facing difficulties

When you have to choose between two options, neither of which are ideal or “good”.

Blow off steam – Try to relax

When you are stressed or upset about something, sometimes you need to do something to keep you from thinking about it.

Born with a silver spoon in their mouth – Born wealthy

This idiomatic expression is used to describe someone who was born into a wealthy family.

Break the bank – Spend a lot

When you “break the bank”, you spend a lot of money on something. If something will “break the bank”, then it’s expensive.

Bright spark – Smart

A “bright spark” is someone who is smart and valuable to an organization.

Build a case – Argue your point

When you “build a case” for something, you are preparing to argue a point or convince someone that your opinion is the right one.

Build castles in the sky – Daydream

When you fantasize about something you hope to have or achieve.

Burn your bridges – End a relationship

When you “burn your bridges” you end a relationship permanently.

Butter up – Flatter

When you “butter” someone up, you are telling them nice things about themselves.

Bought a lemon – Bad bargain

If something you bought is a “lemon” it is a bad product. In a sense, you wasted your money on it.

Break the ice – Start a conversation

When you start a conversation strangers with the end goal of making new friends.

Calm before the storm – Peaceful

When you use this to describe your state of being or mind, you’re talking about a quiet period before anticipated trouble comes your way.

Chasing rainbows – Pursuing dreams

When you try to follow your dreams. The implication here, however, is that you might be better off forgetting your dreams.

Clear as mud – Hard to understand

When you are confused about something or a situation.

Cool as a cucumber – Calm

This idiomatic expression is meant to describe someone who is calm and relaxed.

Couch potato – Lazy

A couch potato is a lazy person. Specifically, someone who sprawls on their couch watching TV almost all day.

Cross that bridge when we get to it – Think about it later

When you say this, you are telling someone that you will think about something later. The implication is that it’s a problem or a decision that can be put off for now.

Chew it over – Think had about something

This idiom implies that you need to make an important decision and can’t afford to be hasty about it.

Come to light – Be revealed

When something “comes to light” something that was originally concealed from you is revealed.

Cut back on – Reduce

When you use this idiom, you are reducing something.

Cut to the chase – Speak concisely

When you tell someone to “cut to the chase”, you are expressing impatience. This is usually used when someone feels someone else is taking to long to deliver important news.

Crystal clear – Easy to understand

When you say that something is “crystal clear”, you are saying that it is understood.

Dead-end job – No more opportunities

When you are stuck in a “dead-end job”, you are in a career situation where there is no more room for advancement.

Dig deep – Strive

When you “dig deep” you put a lot of effort into a task.

Digging into – Looking closer

When you “dig into” something, you are looking for more information.

Don’t run before you can walk – Don’t assume something is easy

This is a descriptive idiom, it’s meant to make you think about how a baby needs to learn how to walk before they can run. It’s supposed to caution you about assuming you can just do something without learning the basics.

Down to earth – Practical

This describes someone who is known for being sensible and practical.

Eat like a bird – Small appetite

This is used to describe someone who doesn’t eat a lot.

Eat like a horse – Eat a lot

If you eat like a horse, you are eating a lot. You can “eat like a bird” most of the time but “eat like a horse” at a specific time because you are either very hungry or you really like the food.

Eat your words – Admit you were wrong

When you “eat your words” you are admitting that something you said earlier turned out to be wrong.

Every cloud has a silver lining – Things will get better

When you say this, you are telling yourself or someone else that you will get through your troubles.

Face the music – Face the consequences

When you “face the music”, you are owning up to a mistake and trying to make amends.

Find your feet – Adapt

When you are “finding your feet” you are learning how to adapt to a new situation, like a new job.

Follow in their footsteps – Imitate

This idiom is often used between children and their parents, but it can also refer to a mentor or someone you admire. If you “follow in someone’s footsteps”, you do the same thing that they did.

Food for thought – Something to think about

If you are given “food for thought” you have been given something to think about.

A frosty reception – To be unwelcome

If you received a “frosty reception”, you are not welcome.

Fly off the handle – Rages

You can use this idiom to describe someone who is visibly angry over a situation. Often this means that someone is shouting and maybe gesturing violently and even causing damage to property. It also implies that the angry reaction is disproportionate to the situation.

Get on with your life – Continue on after a setback

This is something you can say and should do after going through some problems.

Give them a run for their money – Compete

If you are competing with someone, you are giving them a “run for their money.”

Go Dutch – Split the bill

You can use this idiomatic expression when dining out with friends.

Go with the flow – Relax and get along

When you “go with the flow” you keep calm and just go along with whatever is happening around you.

Got off scot-free – Escaped

When you “get off scot-free”, you managed to escape any consequences for your actions.

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Hard to swallow – Unbelievable

If someone told you something that you just can’t believe, they told you something that is “hard to swallow”.

Have your whole life in front of you – Young

Someone who has their whole life in front of them is young and full of promise.

Hold out an olive branch – Apologize

When you do this, you try to make amends or peace with someone you’ve hurt or angered.

In hot water – In trouble

This idiomatic expression can be used to say that you are in a less than ideal situation.

Inching forward - Making slow progress

When you say this, you’re saying things are proceeding slowly.

Keep on the straight and narrow – Keep out of trouble

When you say this, you are implying that you are going to live in a morally correct way.

Keep your chin up – Stay positive

Even if you’re going through a hard time, you should keep thinking positive.

Kicked the bucket – Died

This is an irreverent phrase to say that someone has died. Be careful how you use it.

Let the cat out of the bag – Spoiled the secret

You “let the cat out of the bag” when you accidentally let someone in on a secret that they weren’t meant to know.

Look up to – Respect

When you “look up to” someone you are acknowledging that you respect them and value their opinion.

Loaded – Rich

When you call someone “loaded” you are saying that they are rich.

Lost at sea – Confused

If a situation is making you feel confused or lost, this is the idiom to use.

Making ends meet – Careful budgeting

If you. don’t have much money, you need to “make ends meet”. This means you carefully budget what you do have to meet your needs.

Make a mountain out of a molehill –Exaggerate

This idiom is used to say that someone is being over-dramatic with their complaints or concerns.

Make waves – Change things

When you “make waves”, you change a situation dramatically. This can also mean that you caused trouble.

Nip in the bud – Stop

When you do this, you take action to keep a situation from getting worse.

No sweat – Easy

When you say “no sweat” you are saying that a task was easy

Not your cup of tea – Not something you like

If you say that something is “not your cup of tea” you are saying it’s not something you particularly like or enjoy.

Once in a blue moon – Rare

This implies something that either won’t happen or rarely happens.

Out in the open – Public knowledge

When something is “out in the open”, it is a matter of public knowledge.

Over the moon – Very happy

You can use this to describe the feeling of getting something you’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

On cloud nine – Very happy

Similar to being over the moon.

Packed like sardines – Crowded

If people are “packed like sardines” in a venue, they are standing very close together in a small space.

Piece of cake –Easy

If you say something is a “piece of cake” you are saying that it is easy.

Pitch in - Contribute

When you “pitch-in”, you work with a group of people to reach a common goal.

Point of view – An opinion

Your “point of view” is what you think about someone or a situation.

Pony up – Pay

If you are paying back a debt, you are “ponying up” the money.

Pour oil on troubled waters – Calm things down

This basically means that you played peacemaker and kept an argument from developing into a physical fight.

Put your head in the sand – Deny something unpleasant

When you have your “head in the sand”, you are deliberately ignoring a bad situation.

Rags to riches – Became rich

Someone who went from “rags to riches” was born poor or underprivileged, but is now in a better social position.

Rain or shine – No matter what

This idiomatic expression is used to express the idea that nothing will stop you.

Reap the rewards – Received the benefits

When you “reap the rewards”, you are getting the benefits of your good work.

Rings a bell – Sounds familiar

When you think that you’ve heard a piece of information before but are not so sure.

Rule of thumb – General practice

A “rule of thumb” is an unwritten rule that is followed by the majority.

Separate the wheat from the chaff – Decide what is valuable

This picturesque idiom refers to how, when you harvest wheat, you need to separate it from the stalks and leaves. So, it means that you pick out or choose what is valuable to keep.

Shell out money – Pay

When you “shell out money”, you pay for an item.

Sitting on the fence – Neutral

When you “sit on the fence” you are avoiding making a decision. Often, this is a decision between two people with different opinions.

Smart cookie – Smart person

You can use this idiom to describe someone intelligent.

Spice things up – Make things interesting

When you “spice things up” you do something to break out of your normal routine.

Spill the beans – Tell

When you do this, you tell someone something they didn’t know. It may or not have been a secret previously.

Sticky fingers – Thief

If you accuse someone of having “sticky fingers” you are basically calling them a thief.

Take a side – Choose who to support

When you “take a side” in an argument, you are agreeing with one of those arguing.

Throw light on – Explain something

When you “throw light on” a situation, you help make sure that it is understood.

To move at a snail’s pace – Move slowly

This is another idiomatic phrase that’s meant to paint a picture. A snail moves slowly, so to move at its pace means things are going slowly.

Tread carefully – Be cautious

This implies that a situation is fraught and it might be easy to offend those involved.

Under the table – Secretive

When you do something “under the table”, you are trying to do something so that only a small amount of people are aware of it. It’s commonly used to describe something that is possibly unscrupulous. For example, bribes are given “under the table”.

Undermine your position – Act unconvincingly

When you behave in a way that makes you and your opinion seem untrustworthy.

Up in the air – Uncertain

When you say something is “up in the air”, you are saying that you are not sure that an event is happening.

Weather the storm – Survive

When you “weather the storm”, you endure a bad situation.

When it rains, it pours – Trouble comes

This refers to the fact that sometimes, many bad things happen to people at one time.

So there you have it, 10 idiomatic expressions and their meanings. These idioms are used by native English language speakers to add some color to their daily speech.

 

Google is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence,[9] and consumer electronics. It has been referred to as "the most powerful company in the world"[10] and one of the world's most valuable brands due to its market dominance, data collection, and technological advantages in the area of artificial intelligence.[11][12][13] Its parent company Alphabet is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft.

Google was founded on September 4, 1998, by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were PhD students at Stanford University in California. Together they own about 14% of its publicly listed shares and control 56% of the stockholder voting power through super-voting stock. The company went public via an initial public offering (IPO) in 2004. In 2015, Google was reorganized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Google is Alphabet's largest subsidiary and is a holding company for Alphabet's Internet properties and interests. Sundar Pichai was appointed CEO of Google on October 24, 2015, replacing Larry Page, who became the CEO of Alphabet. On December 3, 2019, Pichai also became the CEO of Alphabet.[14]

The company has since rapidly grown to offer a multitude of products and services beyond Google Search, many of which hold dominant market positions. These products address a wide range of use cases, including email (Gmail), navigation (Waze & Maps), cloud computing (Cloud), web browsing (Chrome), video sharing (YouTube), productivity (Workspace), operating systems (Android), cloud storage (Drive), language translation (Translate), photo storage (Photos), video calling (Meet), smart home (Nest), smartphones (Pixel), wearable technology (Pixel Watch & Fitbit), music streaming (YouTube Music), video on demand (YouTube TV), artificial intelligence (Google Assistant), machine learning APIs (TensorFlow), AI chips (TPU), and more. Discontinued Google products include gaming (Stadia), Glass,[citation needed] Google+, Reader, Play Music, Nexus, Hangouts, and Inbox by Gmail.[15][16]

Google's other ventures outside of Internet services and consumer electronics include quantum computing (Sycamore), self-driving cars (Waymo, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project), smart cities (Sidewalk Labs), and transformer models (Google Brain).[17]

Google and YouTube are the two most visited websites worldwide followed by Facebook and Twitter. Google is also the largest search engine, mapping and navigation application, email provider, office suite, video sharing platform, photo and cloud storage provider, mobile operating system, web browser, ML framework, and AI virtual assistant provider in the world as measured by market share. On the list of most valuable brands, Google is ranked second by Forbes[18] and fourth by Interbrand.[19] It has received significant criticism involving issues such as privacy concerns, tax avoidance, censorship, search neutrality, antitrust and abuse of its monopoly position.

In March 1999, the company moved its offices to Palo Alto, California,[52] which is home to several prominent Silicon Valley technology start-ups.[53] The next year, Google began selling advertisements associated with search keywords against Page and Brin's initial opposition toward an advertising-funded search engine.[54][22] To maintain an uncluttered page design, advertisements were solely text-based.[55] In June 2000, it was announced that Google would become the default search engine provider for Yahoo!, one of the most popular websites at the time, replacing Inktomi.

 

In 2003, after outgrowing two other locations, the company leased an office complex from Silicon Graphics, at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California.[59] The complex became known as the Googleplex, a play on the word googolplex, the number one followed by a googol zeroes. Three years later, Google bought the property from SGI for $319 million.[60] By that time, the name "Google" had found its way into everyday language, causing the verb "google" to be added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary, denoted as: "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet".[61][62] The first use of the verb on television appeared in an October 2002 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[63]

Additionally, in 2001 Google's investors felt the need to have a strong internal management, and they agreed to hire Eric Schmidt as the chairman and CEO of Google.[49] Eric was proposed by John Doerr from Kleiner Perkins. He had been trying to find a CEO that Sergey and Larry would accept for several months, but they rejected several candidates because they wanted to retain control over the company. Michael Moritz from Sequoia Capital at one point even menaced requesting Google to immediately pay back Sequoia's $12.5m investment if they did not fulfill their promise to hire a chief executive office, which had been made verbally during investment negotiations. Eric

327 miles for the month, and 6207 for the YTD. Some setbacks during the prime riding season put me over 1000 miles behind last year (my default goal is to try to match the previous year). This is what passes for a “little red shed” photo since my old backdrop got towed away from the road.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

  

Some background:

With Scotland’s independence from Great Britain in late 2017, “Caledonian International Airlines” (or just “Caledonian” or “CI”) quickly emerged as a privately-owned national flag carrier. The airline followed in the footsteps of Caledonian Airways, an independent Scottish charter airline formed in April 1961, which evolved into British Caledonian Airlines (a.k.a. “BCal”). During the 1970s and '80s, British Caledonian became the UK's largest independent, international scheduled airline, with an extensive global route network serving over 40 destinations in around 25 countries on five continents. However, a series of major financial setbacks during the mid-1980s combined with the airline's inability to grow sufficiently to reach a viable size put the airline at serious risk of collapse. BCal began looking for a merger partner to improve its competitive position, and, in December 1987, British Airways (BA) gained control of the airline. In April 1988 BCal was officially dissolved and the brand disappeared.

 

Caledonian International Airlines was a completely new company, though, and received its Air Operator's Certificate on December 31, 2017. Caledonian had, except for the name and the use of the Scottish “Lion Rampant” emblem (the Royal Standard of the King or Queen of Scots), no connections with BCal, and also not to British Airways. In the second quarter of 2018, CI leased two Airbus A319s from Lessors Avolon and Apollo and started deploying to several national destinations from its home base Glasgow, taking over domestic flight slots to Scottish destinations (primarily Glasgow and Edinburgh) from British Airways. In 2019, the airline added a third A319 for connections to Continental Europe as well as a single Airbus A318 and an A330 for transatlantic destinations and charter flights, respectively.

 

CI’s A318-100 (SC-ABG) was primarily scheduled for the direct Glasgow/Edinburgh – New York (3210 ml/5170 km) routes. The Airbus A318 was the smallest airliner in the Airbus A320 family, carrying 107 to 132 passengers with a maximum range of 5,700 km (3,100 nmi). Overall, the A318 was over six meters shorter and around 3 t (6,600 lb) lighter than the A320, and to compensate for the reduced moment arm, it had a larger vertical stabilizer. While initial concepts depicted the aircraft with a Boeing 737-300-style dorsal fin extension, the final design incorporated a fin tip extension, making it 75 centimeters (30 in) taller than the other A320 variants and easily identifiable. Pilots who were trained on the other variants might fly the A318 with no further certification, since it featured a common flight deck and the same type rating as its sister aircraft.

 

The A318 was available with a variety of different maximum take-off weights (MTOW) ranging from a 59-tonnes (58 long tons; 65 short tons), 2,750 kilometres (1,480 nmi) base model to a 68-tonnes (67 long tons; 75 short tons), 6,000 kilometres (3,200 nmi) version. The lower MTOW enabled it to operate regional routes economically while sacrificing range and the higher MTOW allowed it to complement other members of the A320 family on marginal routes. On the other side, the lighter weight of the A318 gave it an operating range 10% greater than the A320, allowing it to serve some routes that the A320 would be unable to, e. g, London – New York, Perth–Auckland and Singapore–Tokyo, for instance. Its main use for airlines, however, were on short, low-density hops between medium-sized cities.

 

The airline also ordered two long-haul wide-body Airbus A330-900neos in November 2019 at the Dubai Air Show. The first plane is scheduled to arrive in January 2022 after a delivery flight from Toulouse and will operate on routes to Asia, e. g. Hong Kong and Tokyo, and to intercontinental destinations in North America and Brazil. A further order for six EMBRAER ERJ-190s was placed at the same time – these will replace the leased A320s on regional and domestic routes, and with these additional aircraft Caledonian International Airlines follows a slow but steady expansion strategy.

  

General characteristics:

Cockpit crew: Two

Length: 31.44 m (103 ft 2 in)

Wingspan:34.10 m (111 ft 11 in)

Wing area: 122.4 m² (1,318 sq ft)

Wing sweepback: 25°

Tail height: 12.56 m (41 ft 2 in)

Cabin width: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)

Fuselage width: 3.95 m (13 ft 0 in)

Operating empty weight: 39,500 kg (87,100 lb)

Maximum zero-fuel weight (MZFW): 54,500 kg (120,200 lb)

Maximum landing weight (MLW):57,500 kg (126,800 lb)

Maximum take-off weight (MTOW): 68,000 kg (150,000 lb)

 

Capacity:

Exit Limit:136

1-class max. seating: 132 at 29–30 in (74–76 cm) pitch

1-class, typical: 117 at 32 in (81 cm) pitch

2-class, typical: 107 (8F @ 38 in, 99Y @ 32 in)

Cargo capacity: 21.2 m³ (750 cu ft)

Fuel capacity: 24,210 L (5,330 imp gal; 6,400 US gal)

 

Performance:

Cruising speed: Mach 0.78 (829 km/h; 515 mph)

Maximum speed: Mach 0.82 (871 km/h; 541 mph)

Range (typical payload): 5,740 km (3,100 nmi)

ACJ range:4,200 nmi (7,800 km)

Takeoff (MTOW, SL, ISA): 1,780 m (5,840 ft)

Landing (MLW, SL, ISA): 1,230 m (4,040 ft)

Ceiling: 39,100–41,000 ft (11,900–12,500 m)

 

Engines:

2xCFM56-5B9/P turbofans with 23,300 lbf (100 kN) thrust each

  

The kit and its assembly:

I have been pondering the idea of an independent Scotland for some time and already built some what-if models with this background. But then arose the question: what could a national carrier airline be or look like?

 

This turned out to be a more complex question than initially ever thought of and led to more than a dozen potential design layouts, with the plan to avoid the much-too-obvious blue from the Scottish flag and rather incorporate the Scottish coat-of-arms (with a standing red lion on a yellow shield/background) but also based on limited decal resources. The small Airbus 318 was chosen because it would be a rather small airline, and the type’s extended range vs. it bigger brethren (making flight to America possible) made it a good choice for trans-Atlantic flights.

 

I settled for the Eastern Express A318 kit, which is BTW the only option for this airliner in 1:144. Upon an initial glance the kit looked quite O.K. – very simple and straightforward, and somewhat looking like a clone of the Revell A319/320 model (but it isn't). However, closer inspection confirmed the impression of a rather poor copy quality level. Most surface details (engraved) are there, but they are soft and somewhat blurred, and any fine details like pitots or blade antennae are missing or just hinted at. The material is also dubious, a very waxy and soft styrene. It can be glued together easily, but it is very sensitive to scratches or cuts.

 

However, things turned really ugly when I tried to build it! NOTHING of the major elements fits together, the worst flaws became apparent when I tried to glue the fuselage halves together, which turned out to be wavy along the seams and heavily dented, esp. along the spine. Massive PSR was necessary to fill the worst gaps, and even then, the result is barely acceptable.

 

Another disaster area is the wing/fuselage intersection. Unlike the Revell A320, the Eastern Express kit comes with separate, asymmtretical lower wing halves, which carry a part of the lower fuselage. Raised surface details and air scoops justify this construction, but the poor fit of everything involved in this area left me with a ventral 2mm(!!!) gap and further misalignments that called for even more PSR. Horrible.

 

The final major problem zone was the fin – in consists of a base, which is molded into the fuselage halves, and the extended fin tip as well as the rudder are a separate part. This could work, if the fin’s base halves were not about 1mm too thick when assembled, resulting in a crippled fin that called for more PSR to create even surfaces on both sides (and fill gap’s at the rudder’s base)…

 

Beyond that, there were some sinkholes on the wings and the (otherwise pretty clear) cockpit glazing did not fit at all, being much too narrow and leaving considerable gaps at its base. Since I had decals for the complete cockpit glazing at hand I short-handedly blended the clear part into the hull with some more PSR. No, this kit is NOT recommended – I guess that cutting an A319/320 from another manufacturer and scratching the longer fin leads to better results than the Eastern Express A318 kit!

  

Painting and markings:

I wanted to develop a personal livery for Scotland’s potential flag carrier, and this took a while. The process was inspired and also limited by decal options, and I wanted to avoid the obvious color blue. I rather took inspiration from the Scottish coat of arms, which shows a standing red lion on a deep yellow background. For potential layouts I took the burden to create profile drawings, which soon revealed that yellow and red would make the airliner look like a Spanish charter carrier, so more and more black crept into the design, eventually fully replacing the yellow, together with white as basic color for the fuselage and a little red from the lion as contrast. After more than a dozen layouts the one I chose reminds of the late BEA scheme (with the black fin and trim) or Air Canada. However, I wanted to avoid a contemporary livery with a uniform/featureless fuselage, so I incorporated a black window cheatline that visually stretches the fuselage. The design has a certain retro appeal, even though this was not intended.

 

The fuselage was prepared with grey primer and received a coat with pure white paint from the rattle can. The wings were painted with Humbrol 40 (Gloss Light Gull Grey) and 126 (FS 26270) for the Corroguard areas. Fin and engine nacelles were painted black (Humbrol 21). The small winglets were painted in red (Humbrol 19), as small color highlights. Black ink was used to emphasize the panel lines (esp. of the flaps and rudders) on the wings, the white fuselage remained clean, though, in order to avoid a dirty or worn look.

 

The cheatlines and the windows come from a TwoSix Decals sheet for a retro British Airways A319 with a BEA red square livery, the decals had to be tailored to the A318’s shorter fuselage. The black nose section was retained, because it reminds of the elegant livery of British Caledonian Airlines. The red “Caledonian” letterings and the smaller sublines come from a TwoSix Decals sheet for a Sixties’ Caledonian Airways DC-6B. I had hoped to use the sheet’s large red lions for the Airbus’ fin, but they were only printed on clear carrier film and lacked opacity, so that I had to improvise. I found a suitable alternative in a MicroScale H0 scale sheet for Cape Brenton & Nova Scotia Diesel locomotives.

The stencils are a mix from the (very nice) Eastern Express and the TwoSix Airbus sheet, and I printed the registration code with the Scottish flag as well as the “independence” tag on the nose myself.

 

Finally, the model was sealed with an overall coat of glossy acrylic varnish.

 

Yashica Electro 35GSN, Fujicolor 200

 

Copyright 2011 © sundeepkullu.com All rights reserved.

 

The Stock samples of SDBWP SunDeep Bhardwaj World Photography in flickr Photostream cannot be Copied,Distributed,Published or Used in any form,full or in part,or in any kind of media without prior permission from Sundeep Bhardwaj the owner of these images.Utilization in other websites,intenet media,pages,blogs etc without written consent is PROHIBITED.

 

The images are also available for licence through GETTY IMAGES or directly by contacting Sundeep Bhardwaj Kullu Himachal Around the World to more than 50+Countries & 200+Major Destinations across 6 Continents.

 

Sundeep Bhardwaj Kullu

sundeepkullu.com

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sb@sundeepkullu.com

+91 9816499629

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These are reduced sized pictures.Orignal pictures shot in 5,616 × 3,744 (21.1 megapixels) using Canon EOS 5D Mark II FULL FRAME DSLR CAMERA or 3872 x 2592 (10.2 million effective pixels) using NIKON D60 DSLR or 4,288 × 2,848 (12.3 effective megapixels) USING NIKON D90 DSLR's.

 

Disneyland Magn'Hom Paris

 

Disneyland Paris comprises two theme parks, a retail, dining and entertainment district, and seven Disney-owned hotels. Operating since 12 April 1992, it was the second Disney resort to open outside the United States (following Tokyo Disney Resort) and the first to be owned and operated by Disney.

 

Disneyland Paris is owned and operated by French company Euro Disney S.C.A., a public company of which 39.78 percent of its stock is held by The Walt Disney Company, 10 percent by the Saudi Prince Alwaleed and 50.22 percent by other shareholders. The senior leader at the resort is chairman and CEO Philippe Gas.

 

The complex was a subject of controversy during the periods of negotiation and construction in the late 1980s and early '90s, when a number of prominent French figures voiced their opposition and protests were held by French labour unions and others. A further setback followed the opening of the resort as park attendance, hotel occupancy and revenues fell below projections. The complex was renamed from Euro Disney Resort to Disneyland Paris in 1994. In July 1995, the company saw its first quarterly profit.

 

A second theme park, Walt Disney Studios Park, opened to the public 16 March 2002.

 

With 15,405,000 combined visitors to the resort's Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park in the fiscal year of 2009, it is France's and Europe's most visited tourist site.[2]

 

Background and development

 

Following the success of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, plans to build a similar theme park in Europe emerged in 1972. Upon the leadership of E. Cardon Walker, Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983 in Japan with instant success, forming a catalyst for international expansion. In late 1984 the heads of Disney's theme park division, Dick Nunis and Jim Cora, presented a list of approximately 1,200 possible European locations for the park.[3]

 

By March 1985, the number of possible locations for the park had been reduced to four; two in France and two in Spain.[4] Both of these nations saw the potential economic advantages of a Disney theme park and competed by offering financing deals to Disney.[5]

 

Both Spanish sites were located near the Mediterranean Sea and offered a subtropical climate similar to Disney's parks in California and Florida. Disney had also shown interest in a site near Toulon in southern France, not far from Marseille. The pleasing landscape of that region, as well as its climate, made the location a top competitor for what would be called Euro Disneyland. However, thick layers of bedrock were discovered beneath the site, which would render construction too difficult. Finally, a site in the rural town of Marne-la-Vallée was chosen because of its proximity to Paris and its central location in Western Europe. This location was estimated to be no more than a four-hour drive for 68 million people and no more than a two-hour flight for a further 300 million.

 

Michael Eisner, Disney's CEO at the time, signed the first letter of agreement with the French government for the 20-square-kilometre (4,940-acre) site on 18 December 1985, and the first financial contracts were drawn up during the following spring. The final contract was signed by the leaders of the Walt Disney Company and the French government and territorial collectivities on 24 march 1987. Construction began in August 1988, and in December 1990, an information centre named "Espace Euro Disney" was opened to show the public what was being constructed. Plans for a theme park next to Euro Disneyland based on the entertainment industry, Disney-MGM Studios Europe, quickly went into development, scheduled to open in 1996 with a construction budget of US$2.3 billion.[6] The construction manager was Bovis.[7]

 

[edit]Hotels, recreation and restaurants

In order to control a maximum of the hotel business, it was decided that 5,200 Disney-owned hotel rooms would be built within the complex. In March 1988, Disney and a council of architects (Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Robert A.M. Stern, Stanley Tigerman and Robert Venturi) decided on an exclusively American theme in which each hotel would depict a region of the United States. At the time of the opening in April 1992, seven hotels collectively housing 5,800[8] rooms had been built.

 

By the year 2017, Euro Disney, under the terms specified in its contract with the French government, will be required to finish constructing a total of 18,200 hotel rooms at varying distances from the resort.[9] An entertainment, shopping and dining complex based on Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney was designed by Frank Gehry.

 

With its towers of oxidised silver and bronze-coloured stainless steel under a canopy of lights, it opened as Festival Disney.[10]

 

For a projected daily attendance of 55,000, Euro Disney planned to serve an estimated 14,000 people per hour inside the Euro Disneyland park. In order to accomplish this, 29 restaurants were built inside the park (with a further 11 restaurants built at the Euro Disney resort hotels and five at Festival Disney). Menus and prices were varied with an American flavour predominant and Disney's precedent of not serving alcoholic beverages was continued in the park.

 

2,300 patio seats (30% of park seating) were installed to satisfy Europeans' expected preference of eating outdoors in good weather. In test kitchens at Walt Disney World, recipes were adapted for European tastes. Walter Meyer, executive chef for menu development at Euro Disney and executive chef of food projects development at Walt Disney World noted, "A few things we did need to change, but most of the time people kept telling us, 'Do your own thing. Do what’s American'."[11]

 

[edit]Recruitment

Unlike Disney's American theme parks, Euro Disney aimed for permanent employees (an estimated requirement of 12,000 for the theme park itself), as opposed to seasonal and temporary part-time employees. Casting centres were set up in Paris, London, Amsterdam. However, it was understood by the French government and Disney that "a concentrated effort would be made to tap into the local French labour market".[5] Disney sought workers with sufficient communication skills, who spoke two European languages (French and one other), and were socially outgoing. Following precedent, Euro Disney set up its own Disney University to train workers. 24,000 people had applied by November 1991.[5]

 

[edit]Controversies

The prospect of a Disney park in France was a subject of debate and controversy. Critics, who included prominent French intellectuals, denounced what they considered to be the cultural imperialism, or ‘neoprovincialism’ of Euro Disney and felt it would encourage in France an unhealthy American type of consumerism. For others, Euro Disney became a symbol of America within France. On 28 June 1992 a group of French farmers blockaded Euro Disney in protest of farm policies the United States supported at the time.

 

A journalist in the French newspaper Le Figaro wrote, “I wish with all my heart that the rebels would set fire to [Euro] Disneyland."[12] Ariane Mnouchkine, a Parisian stage director, named the concept a “cultural Chernobyl;”[13] a phrase which would be echoed in the media and grow synonymous with Euro Disney's initial years.

 

In response, French philosopher Michel Serres noted, "It is not America that is invading us. It is we who adore it, who adopt its fashions and above all, its words." Euro Disney S.C.A.'s then-chairman Robert Fitzpatrick responded, "We didn’t come in and say O.K., we’re going to put a beret and a baguette on Mickey Mouse. We are who we are."[5] It also came to light that Walt Disney’s surname originates from a village in Normandy called Isigny-sur-Mer. Originally d’Isigny ("of Isigny"), it was later Americanized into Disney.

 

Topics of controversy further included Disney's American managers requiring English to be spoken at all meetings and Disney's appearance code for members of staff, which listed regulations and limitations for the use of make up, facial hair, tattoos, jewellery and more.

 

French labour unions mounted protests against the appearance code, which they saw as “an attack on individual liberty.” Others criticised Disney as being insensitive to French culture, individualism, and privacy, because restrictions on individual or collective liberties were illegal under French law, unless it could be demonstrated that the restrictions are requisite to the job and do not exceed what is necessary.

 

Disney countered by saying that a ruling that barred them from imposing such an employment standard could threaten the image and long-term success of the park. "For us, the appearance code has a great effect from a product identification standpoint," said Thor Degelmann, Euro Disney’s personnel director. "Without it we couldn't be presenting the Disney product that people would be expecting."[14]

 

[edit]Opening day

On 12 April 1992, Euro Disney Resort and its theme park, Euro Disneyland, officially opened. Visitors were warned of chaos on the roads and a government survey indicated that half a million people carried by 90,000 cars might attempt to enter the complex. French radio warned traffic to avoid the area. By midday, the car park was approximately half full, suggesting an attendance level below 25,000. Speculative explanations ranged from people heeding the advice to stay away to the one-day strike that cut the direct RER railway connection to Euro Disney from the centre of Paris.[12]

 

[edit]Financial, attendance and employment status

 

In May 1992, entertainment magazine The Hollywood Reporter reported that about 25% of Euro Disney's workforce — approximately 3,000 men and women — had resigned their jobs because of unacceptable working conditions. It also reported that the park's attendance was far behind expectations. However, the disappointing attendance can be at least partly explained by the recession and increased unemployment which was affecting France and indeed most of the rest of the developed world at this time; when construction of the resort began, the economy was still on an upswing.[15]

 

Euro Disney S.C.A. responded in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, in which Robert Fitzpatrick claimed only 1,000 people had left their jobs. In response to the financial situation, Fitzpatrick ordered that the Disney-MGM Studios Europe project would be put on hiatus until a further decision could be made. Prices at the hotels were reduced.

 

Despite these efforts, in May 1992, daily park attendance was around 25,000 (some reports give a figure of 30,000) instead of the predicted 60,000. The Euro Disney Company stock price spiralled downwards and on 23 July 1992, Euro Disney announced an expected net loss in its first year of operation of approximately 300 million French francs. During Euro Disney's first winter, hotel occupancy was such that it was decided to close the Newport Bay Club hotel during the season.

 

Initial hopes were that each visitor would spend around US$33 per day, but near the end of 1992, analysts reckoned spending to be around 12% lower.[16] Efforts to improve attendance included serving alcoholic beverages with meals inside the Euro Disneyland park, in response to a presumed European demand, which began 12 June 1993.[17]

 

In January 1994, Sanford Litvack, an attorney from New York City and former U.S. Assistant Attorney General, was assigned to be Disney's lead negotiator regarding Euro Disney's future. On 28 February Litvack made an offer (without the consent of Eisner or Frank Wells)[citation needed] to split the debts between Euro Disney's creditors and Disney. After the banks showed interest, Litvack informed Eisner and Wells.[citation needed] On 14 March, the day before the annual shareholders meeting, the banks capitulated to Disney's demands.

 

The creditor banks bought US$500 million worth of Euro Disney shares, forgave 18 months of interest and deferred interest payments for three years. Disney invested US$750 million into Euro Disney and granted a five-year suspension of royalty payments. In June that same year, Saudi Arabian Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud cut a deal whereby the Walt Disney Company bought 51% of a new US$1.1 billion share issue, the rest being offered to existing shareholders at below-market rates, with the Prince buying any that were not taken up by existing shareholders (up to a 24.5% holding).

 

[edit]1995 turnaround

On 31 May 1995, a new attraction opened at the theme park. Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune had been planned since the inception of Euro Disneyland under the name Discovery Mountain, but was reserved for a revival of public interest. With a redesign of the attraction (which had premiered as Space Mountain at the Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom in 1975) including a "cannon launch" system, inversions, and an on-ride soundtrack, the US$100 million attraction was dedicated in a ceremony attended by celebrities such as Elton John, Claudia Schiffer and Buzz Aldrin.

 

On 25 July 1995, Euro Disney S.C.A. reported its first ever quarterly profit of US$35.3 million. On 15 November, the results for the fiscal year ending 30 September were released; in one year the theme park's attendance had climbed from 8.8 million to 10.7 million — an increase of 21%. Hotel occupancy had also climbed from 60 to 68.5%. After debt payments, Disneyland Paris ended the year with a net profit of US$22.8 million.

 

[edit]2000 onwards

In 2002, Euro Disney S.C.A. and the Walt Disney Company announced another annual profit for Disneyland Paris. However, it then incurred a net loss in the three years following. In 2005, the Walt Disney Company agreed to write off all debt to the Walt Disney Company made by Euro Disney S.C.A.. As of 2007 the park was approximately US$2 billion in debt. In August 2008, Disneyland Paris was the most visited attraction in Europe, receiving more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower combined.[18]

 

Source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland_Paris

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Source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenschwangau_Castle

 

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WORLD IS MY STUDIO sundeepkullu.com

 

In 1964, the very young cable TV industry (called "Subscription TV" or "Pay TV") met with a setback in California in the from of public backlash.

 

This 35mm animated campaign ad, run in theaters, was an anti-pay tv spot urging you to vote Yes on proposition 15, a bill that would outlaw Pay TV. This is a very funny ad, with great music and graphics. I love how the evil Pay TV character is portrayed.

 

Proposition 15 passed, by a 2 to 1 margin. Soon after, the pay TV industry appealed the vote, and won. Proposition 15 was overturned, and Pay TV was allowed to "spread".

 

The color has faded on this 46 year old film to the pinkish tint you see.

Some background:

The Nakajima A6M2-N (Navy Type 2 Interceptor/Fighter-Bomber) was a single-crew floatplane. The Allied reporting name for the aircraft was 'Rufe'.

 

The A6M2-N floatplane was developed mainly to support amphibious operations and defend remote bases. It was based on the Mitsubishi A6M-2 Model 11 fuselage, with a modified tail and added floats. Despite the large central float and wing pontoons, the A6M2-N was aerodynamically a very clean aircraft: compared with its land-based A6M2 cousin, its performance degraded only by about 20%, and for a contemporary single engine floatplane its performance was outstanding.

 

The aircraft was deployed in 1942, referred to as the "Suisen 2" ("Hydro fighter type 2"), and intended for interceptor, fighter-bomber, and short reconnaissance support for amphibious landings, among other uses. However, when confronted with the first generation of Allied fighters, the A6M2-N was no match in aerial combat and rather employed in supportive roles.

 

Effectively, the A6M2-N was mostly utilized in defensive actions in the Aleutians and Solomon Islands operations. They were used with good efficiency against Allied positions: marking patrol elements, aiding warship guns, engaging convoys, and reconnoitering areas over-the-horizon.

The A6M2-Ns were also effective in harassing American PT boats at night, and they could drop flares to illuminate the PTs which were vulnerable to destroyer gunfire, and depended on cover of darkness. However, when Allied fighter coverage became more numerous and effective, the value of the A6M2-N dwindled and losses began to naturally mount.

 

In the Aleutian Campaign this fighter engaged with RCAF Curtiss P-40, Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, but the A6M2-N inventory suffered a severe setback when, on August 7th, 1942, a seaplane base was destroyed by Allied fighter-bombers, taking with it most of the available A6M2-Ns stationed there.

 

The seaplane also served in defense of fueling depots in Balikpapan and Avon Bases (Dutch East Indies) and reinforced the Shumushu base (North Kuriles) in the same period.

Beyond their use from dispersed and improvised bases, A6M2-N fighters also served aboard seaplane carriers Kamikawa Maru in the Solomons and Kuriles areas and aboard Japanese raiders Hokoku Maru and Aikoku Maru in Indian Ocean raids.

Later in the conflict the Otsu Air Group utilized the A6M2-N as an interceptor alongside Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu ('Rex') aircraft based in Biwa lake in the Honshū area, defending the Japanese home land against Allied raids.

 

A total of 327 were built, including the original prototype, before being halted in September 1943.

The last A6M2-N in military service was a single example recovered by the French forces in Indochina after the end of World War II. It crashed shortly after being overhauled, though.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1 (Pilot)

Length: 10.10 m (33ft 1⅝ in)

Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4⅜ in)

Height: 4.30 m (14ft 1⅜ in)

Wing area: 22.44 m² (251.4 sq ft)

Empty weight: 1,912 kg (4,235 lb)

Loaded weight: 2,460 kg (5,423 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 2,880 kg (6,349 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Nakajima NK1C Sakae 12 air cooled 14 cylinder radial engine,

delivering 950 hp (709 kW) at 4,200 m (13,800 ft)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 436 km/h (235 knots, 270.5 mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

Cruise speed: 296 km/h (160 knots, 184 mph)

Range: 1,782 km (963 nmi, 1,107 mi)

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)

Climb rate: 6 min 43 s to 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

 

Armament:

2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns in forward fuselage

2 ×20 mm Type 99 cannons in outer wings

Underwing hardpoints for 2× 60 kg (132 lb) bombs

  

The kit and its assembly:

This is a real world model, despite the weird looks (see below), and an entry for the Arawasi blog's "Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 005 - Japanese Seaplanes & Flying Boats" contest in summer 2017. Even though whifs were allowed to enter, I used the opportunity to build a kit I had originally bought for a few bucks and stashed away in the donor bank: a vintage LS Model Nakajima A6M2-N.

 

The mould dates back to 1963(!), and the kit was re-issued several times, also under the ARII label. You get a tiny box, with only two sprues moulded in a pale baby blue, and the number of parts is minimal. It's truly vintage and pretty toylike at first sight. Consequently, you have to face some real old-school issues, e. g. moulded markings for the roundels on the wings, general mediocre fit of anything and lots of sinkholes and flash. Then there are toylike solutions like the single-piece propeller or separate, moveable ailerons with bulging joints.

 

The cockpit interior is non-existent, too: there's just a blank place for a dashboard (to be cut out from the printed BW instructions!), and a spindly pilot figure which is held in mid air by some pins. Furthermore, the kit was designed to take a small electric motor in the nose (sold separately) to drive the propeller. Wires, as well as respective internal ducts, and an AA battery holder are included.

 

Sounds scary? Well, maybe, if you just build it OOB. But all these flaws should not keep the ambitious modeler away because the LS Model kit is (still) a sound basis to start from, even though and by today's standards, it is certainly not a match-winner for a rivet counter-esque competition.

 

For its age and the typical solutions of its time, it is actually surprisingly good: you get very fine engraved surface details (more delicate than many contemporary moulds!), a pretty thin, three-piece clear (yet blurry) canopy and, as a bonus to the elevons, separate flaps – a unique detail I have never come across before! Proportions are IMHO good, even though the cowling looks a bit fishy and the engravings are rather soft and shallow. Anyway, on the exterior, there’s anything you can ask for to be found, and as another bonus the kit comes with a beaching trolley, which makes display and diorama fitting easier.

 

Thanks to the kit's simplicity, the build in itself was pretty straightforward and simple. Cleaning the parts and checking fit was the biggest issue. Upon gluing the old styrene showed signs of serious reaction to the dissolving effect of modern glue: it took ages for the material to cure and become hard again for further work!? Weird…

 

The many sinkholes and overall displacements were corrected with some NC putty/PSR, the protruding elevon/flap joints sanded away as good as possible, and due to the wobbly nature of the kit’s styrene I added blobs of 2C putty inside of the wing halves as stabilizers.

 

Some mods and improvements were made, though. After cleaning the OOB propeller from tons of flash the piece turned out to be pretty usable, and it was put on a metal axis. A styrene tube adapter was added behind the relatively flat engine dummy, so that the prop can spin freely – for the later beauty pics, because no CG effect beats IMHO the real thing.

 

A cockpit interior was created from scratch and donor parts, using the new Airfix A6M model's cockpit as benchmark. It’s not an exact replica, because not much would later be visible, but I wanted, as a minimum, “something” inside. A better pilot figure was used, too, and strapped to the new seat with thin strips of adhesive masking tape as seatbelts.

 

Under the wings, the hardpoints were simulated with some bits of styrene and wire as shackles, but left empty Under the stabilizer fin I added a lug(?), made from thin wire, too.

 

The elevons were fixed in place, the seams to the wings filled with white glue in order to conceal the gaps as good as possible. The movable flaps remained, though, adding life to the model. The dolly was also taken more or less OOB, since it fits well. I just improved it with some sinkhole fillings and some other details, including cushions on the float stabilizers, made from paper tissue soaked with thinned white glue, and a towing bar.

  

Painting and markings:

The reason why I settled for an A6M2-N is mostly the weird paint scheme which can be applied, while still being a real world model: a lilac livery!

 

As far as I could find out, the A6M2-Ns initially carried an all-over IJN Grey livery, which was later, in late 1942, modified with dark green upper sides for a better concealment on the ground, and the Hinomaru received white edges for better contrast.

Anyway, during the Aleutian campaign and more or less in between these two major standards, several aircraft must have received a special camouflage with lilac upper surfaces, and this model depicts such a machine, based on various profiles but no color picture as reliable reference.

 

The sources I consulted, as well as pictures of finished A6M2-N models, show a wide variety of shades and paint scheme layouts, though. Upper colors range from pale pink through more or less bright shades of purple to a pale, rusty-reddish brown (maybe primer?), while the undersides show a wide range of greys or even light blue. Some depictions of Aleutian A6M2-Ns as profile or model even show a uniform wraparound scheme! Choice is yours, obviously...

 

Because of the corny information basis, I did my personal interpretation of the subject. I based my livery more or less on a profile by Michele Marsan, published in Aerei Modelismo Anno XII (March 1991). The unit information was taken from there, too – the only source that would provide such a reference.

 

My idea behind the livery and the eventual finish was that the machine once was fully painted in IJN Grey. Then, the violet upper color was added in the field (for whatever reason?), resulting in a slightly shaggy look and with the light grey shining through here and there in areas of higher wear, e. g. at the leading edges, cockpit area and some seams.

 

Painting started with an initial coat of aluminum under the floats, around the cockpit and on the leading edges. Then the undersides and some areas of the upper surfaces were painted with IJN grey. The latter is an individual mix of Humbrol 90 (Beige Green/RAF Sky) and a bit of 155 (Olive Drab, FS 34087). On top of that I added a thin primer layer of mauve (mix of ModelMaster’s Napoleonic Violet and Neutral Grey, Humbrol 176) on the still vacant upper surfaces – both as a preparation for the later weathering treatments (see below).

 

The following, basic lilac tone comes from Humbrol’s long-gone "Authentics" enamel line. The tin is probably 30 years old, but the content is still alive (and still has a distinctive, sour stench…)! I cannot identify the tone anymore with certainty, but I guess that it is 'HJ 4: Mauve N 9', one of the line’s Japanese WWII tones which was later not carried over to the standard tones, still available today.

 

Anyway, the color is a dull, rather greyish violet, relatively dark (a bit like RAF Ocean Grey), and it fits well as a camouflage tone on this specific model. Since there’s no better alternative I could think of except for an individual mix or garish, off-the-rack pop art tones, I went with it.

 

After overall basic painting was done and thoroughly cured, weathering started with a careful wet sand paper treatment, removing the salt grain masks and revealing some of the lower IJN Grey and aluminum layers. While this appears messy, I found that the result looks more realistic than artificial weathering applied as paint effects on top of the basic paint.

 

The engine cowling was painted separately, with a mix of black and a little dark blue. The propeller received an aluminum spinner (Humbrol’s Matt Aluminum Metallizer), while the blades received aluminum front sides (Revell acrylics), and red brown (Humbrol 160) back sides. Two thin, red stripes decorate the propeller tips (Decals, left over from an AZ Model Ki-78, IIRC).

 

As a standard procedure, the kit received a light wash with thinned black ink, revealing the engraved panel lines, plus some post-shading in order to emphasize panels and add visual contrast and ‘drama’.

 

Decals and markings were improvised and come from the spares box, since I did not trust the vintage OOB decals - even though they are in so far nice that the sheet contains any major marking as well as a full set of letter so that an individual tail code could be created. Anyway, the model's real world benchmark did not carry any numeric or letter code, just Hinomaru in standard positions and a horizontal, white-and-red stripe on the fin.

 

The roundels actually belong to a JSDAF F-4EJ, some stencils come from a leftover Hobby Boss A6M sheet. The fin decoration was created with generic decal sheet material (TL Modellbau). Similar stuff was also used for the markings on the central float, as well as for the yellow ID markings on the inner wings' leading edges. I am just not certain whether the real aircraft carried them at all? But they were introduced with the new green upper surfaces in late 1942, so that they appear at least plausible. Another argument in this marking‘s favor is that it simply adds even more color to the model!

 

The cockpit interior was painted in a light khaki tone (a mix of Humbrol 159 and 94), while the flaps' interior was painted with Aodake Iro (an individual mix of acrylic aluminum and translucent teal paint). Lacking good reference material, the beaching trolley became IJA Green, with some good weathering with dry-brushed silver on the edges and traces of rust here and there (the latter created with artist acrylics.

 

Close to the (literal) finish line, some soot and oil stains were added with graphite and Tamiya's 'Smoke', and the kit finally received a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri); to the varnish on the engine cover a bit of gloss varnish was added, for a sheen finish.

  

In the end, quite a challenging build. Not a winner, but …different. Concerning the LS Model kit as such, I must say that - despite its age of more than 50 years now - the A6M2-N model is still a worthwhile offer, if you invest some effort. Sure, there are certainly better 1:72 options available (e. g. the Hasegawa kit, its mould was created in 1995 and should be light years ahead concerning detail and fit. Not certain about the Revell/Frog and Jo-Han alternatives, though), but tackling this simple, vintage kit was fun in itself. And, based on what you get out of the little box, the result is not bad at all!

 

Beyond the technical aspects, I am also pleased with the visual result of the build. At first glance, this antiquity looks pretty convincing. And the disputable, strange lilac tone really makes this A6M2-N model …outstanding. Even though I still wonder what might have been the rationale behind this tone? The only thing I could imagine is a dedicated scheme for missions at dusk/dawn, similar to the pink RAF recce Spitfires in early WWII? It would be plausible, though, since the A6M2-Ns were tasked with nocturnal reconnoitre and ground attack missions.

Made in the USSR

 

PERTH: Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Tuesday suffered an Australian Open setback when she was ruled out of the season-opening Hopman Cup with a foot injury, reports BSS.

The Czech star had been due to line up alongside countryman Adam Pavlasek at the mixed teams event in Perth...

 

thebangladeshtoday.com/2016/12/injured-kvitova-hopman-cup/

If there is a typical Village block, Morton Street between Hudson Street and Bedford Street may be it. IT bends, has a private court with its own, out of whack numbers, is full of surprising changes of scale, setbacks and façade treatments. Morton Street was named for General Jacob Morton, longtime commandant of the New York militia who died in 1836. When Trinity Church ceded the land for the street to the city in 1808, it stipulated that it be named for the general.

MARRABEL August 31

 

The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Loyal Marrabel Lodge Hall No 62, IOOF, Manchester Unity, was performed yesterday by the PGM of the Kapunda district, Brother G E Davis jun.

 

A large and representative gathering assembled. Brother Albert Stief called upon the Secretary (Brother G E Davis) to read the historical report of the lodge. The latter dealt extensively with the progress of it since its formation on September 1, 1864. Of the 13 foundation members, only one survives—Brother James Howlett—who was present at the ceremony.

 

The late PPGM Brother Joseph Downing, one of the recent directors of the order in South Australia, together with the late Brother Augustus Stief and Brother W Polkinghorne, assisted in forming the first committee, and initiated the 13 foundation members. During the 17 years of the lodge many difficulties and setbacks have occurred, but were surmounted with the aid of good officers, particularly the late secretary (Brother W. Polkinghorne), who filled that position for 39 years continuously, and the late Brother A Stief, who was always a ready and willing worker.

 

Mr S March presented Brother G E Davis with a trowel on behalf of the members of the Loyal Marrabel Lodge. PGM Brother G E Davis thanked the brethren for the honour conferred upon him and for their presentation. He congratulated the trustees on their management of affairs, which had led up to the erection of such a fine hall, and remarked that Mr W Cairns, of Riverton, was the architect, and Mr S March, of Kapunda, the contractor. He expressed the opinion that the hall would be a credit to them, an ornament to the town, and a monument to the Order of Oddfellows in South Australia. Mr Davis proceeded with the ceremony of laying the stone, and deposited documents, a daily paper, and some coins of the realm thereunder. He declared the stone well and truly laid.

 

Brothers J J Helleur, J T Matthews, J Windebank, and others congratulated the lodge on its progressive state…invited the assembly to adjourn to the hotel, where the toast, "Success to the hall” was honoured. [Ref: Observer Saturday 9-9-1911]

 

MARRABEL April 4

 

The Marrabel Oddfellows’ Hall was opened yesterday. The weather was fine, and residents and visitors from neighbouring towns assembled in strong force to participate in the celebrations.

 

A long programme was conducted to a successful issue. A procession of more than 100 Oddfellows marched from the old lodgeroom to the new hall. PPGM Brother A E Stief presided, and handed to Grand Master Brother F A Holmes, who performed the opening ceremony, a silver presentation key.

 

Grand Master Brother F A Holmes congratulated the Marrabel Lodge on its financial position, which enabled it to build such a fine hall.

 

PGM Brother G E Davis jun (Secretary) in presenting the report, stated that sick pay to the amount of £1,791: death benefits £960: surgeons' fees £2,250: and management expense, £1,518 had been paid out since the inauguration of the lodge. Thus through the agency of the Marrabel branch a total of £6,519 had been distributed.

 

The hall was erected and furnished at a cost of £1,700 and was opened free of debt.

 

A banquet was tendered to visiting Oddfellows, and various toasts were honoured

 

The public were entertained with various musical items in the main hall while the banquet was in progress in the lodgeroom.

 

In the evening the Olympic Star Picture Company showed to a packed house.

 

A ball terminated the proceedings. Brother H Traeger made an efficient MC. [Ref: Register Monday 8-4-1912]

 

*April 29 The Marrabel Quadrille Class

 

The Marrabel Quadrille Class opened their 1912 season on Saturday night with a very successful dance held in the Oddfellows' Hall. There were 29 couples present. Mr H C Traeger officiated as MC very efficiently, and Mr W Disher supplied the music. [Ref: Daily Herald 1-5-1912]

 

*Marrabel March 19

 

The Ceremony of opening the new bridge over the River Light was held this afternoon. The bridge, just completed, overcomes the previous frequent impassabilitv of the river, but the southern embankment is considered to have been limited a little in its construction.

 

Mr Young said that in the construction of this bridge a most awkward thing had to be considered, and that was the turn of the river just below the bridge. This turn had the effect of sending flood waters out across the road at one end of the bridge embankment. This matter required watching, and if in time it grew to be anything serious, the department would remedy it, probably by building the road a few feet higher for the distance necessary to throw the water back along the course of the river.

 

He particularly wanted to thank Mr H Wurst for allowing the Department to take earth from his property for the earthworks at the bridge, which fact in itself was a considerable saving to the Department owing to its easy accessibility to the job. He had much pleasure in asking Mrs O'Brien to perform the opening ceremony, and name the bridge, which was done amid cheers from the people assembled.

 

The assemblage then adjourned to the Oddfellows’ hall, where the function was continued in the form of a banquet. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 27-3-1914]

 

*The residents of Marrabel and the surrounding districts made a splendid response on Australia Day. The efforts of the general committee met with great success and exceeded all expectations. A thorough canvass of the district was made by a collecting committee, and more than £300 was collected previous to Australia Day. Friday's proceedings began with a combined procession of Marrabel, Hamilton, and Friedrichswalde school children, who marched from the Oddfellows' Hall to the public school, where they saluted the Union Jack.

 

A programme of sports was then carried out, old and young joining in, the festivities.

 

A public tea followed in the banqueting room of the hall and was well patronised. A social was held in the main hall in the evening.

 

A sale of the goods presented to the funds realized a substantial sum. A Commonwealth flag was sold on the Bugler system, and materially added to the funds.

 

The proceeds totalled £376, which is considered highly satisfactory for a small community. [Ref: Register 5-8-1915]

 

*A farewell social was tendered to Sgt Lloyd, and Privates C C Rowett and J Wilson in the Marrabel Oddfellows' Hall, on Saturday evening: Mr G E Davis ju., presided over a large gathering. A number of toasts were honoured. A wristlet watch was presented by Mr Kitchen to each of the soldiers. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 28-4-1916]

 

*On Wednesday evening, the 20th inst a public welcome was given in the Oddfellows' Hall to Pte J W Hildebrandt, who has returned from the front after nearly three years of active service abroad. The returned soldier was met at the Riverton station by his father (Mr August Hildebrandt), and sisters and brothers.

 

Pte Hildebrandt was one of the first men from this district to offer his services, and is the first to return. He has fought at Gallipoli, Egypt, and has been in the thick of the fighting in France, where he received a bullet wound in the knee, which put him out of action.

 

Pte Hildebrandt was welcomed home by Messrs F P Kitchen and W A Duncan, and was presented with a purse of money (24 guineas) by Mr A E Stief from the residents of Marrabel and district. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 1-3-1918]

 

*The first of a series of dances promoted by the Cheer Up Society was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening of last week. There was a large gathering present. Admission was by gift of not less than 2/6 in value for trench comforts, and resulted in sufficient goods being collected to pack 16 7-lb parcels to the boys at the front, containing cakes, cigarettes, sweets, &c, and two large boxes of cake have been forwarded to the Cheer-Up Hut.

 

The supper was provided by the ladies. It is the intention of the society to hold dances once a month during the winter. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 10-5-1918]

 

*January 28

A large gathering assembled at the Oddfellow’ Hall on Monday evening when a farewell social was tendered the Rev Father Maher, who is being transferred to Gawler after a residence here extending over sixteen years.

 

Mr W A Duncan presided, Dr R McM Glynn, of Riverton, presented Father Maher with a purse of money from the residents of the district, also Miss Glynn (Father Maher’s housekeeper) with a Morris chair, and Mr Jack Little, who is in Father Maher's employ, with an envelope containing money. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 31-1-1919]

 

* November 1 — A welcome home social was tendered to Sister Amy Dorrington and Cpl Ben and Pte Leonard Girke, in the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening. There was a large gathering.

 

A guard of honour was formed by the school children, and the guests were welcomed home in an eloquent address by Mr F P Kitchen. Mr J G Wurst (Chairman of the Hamilton District Council) presented the returned sister and soldiers with a framed certificate from the District Council of Hamilton. The Rev Allen Webb, of Riverton, presented Sister Dorrington with a gold wristlet watch from her Marrabel friends. Sister Dorrington and Cpl and Pte Girke responded. [Ref: Register 4-11-1919]

 

* November 16

The English brides of Cpl Ben Girke and Pte Cecil Rowett were welcomed in the Oddfellows Hall last Tuesday afternoon by the residents of Marrabel and district.

 

A guard of honour was formed by the ladies, and the "Wedding march" and the National Anthem were played by Miss Rehder. The brides were greeted by the Rev Allan Webb, on behalf of the residents of the town and district. Afternoon tea was served in the main hall, and the tables were tastefully decorated. Wine and a wedding cake were presented by Mrs. Thomas Marlow. The toasts were proposed by Mr Webb, who was supported by Mr Robert Gill.

 

The bridegrooms, Cpl Girke and Pte Rowett responded for the brides, and Messrs J D Rowett and E Girke, senrs thanked the gathering for the cordial welcome tendered to their sons and wives. [Ref: Observer 29-11-1919]

 

*On Saturday last, in the presence of one of the largest crowds ever seen in Marrabel, the Soldiers' Memorial was unveiled by the "Soldiers Chum ", Mr Sammy Lunn, M.B.E.

 

In 1920 the Hamilton District Council appointed a committee, with Mr J G Wurst as chairman, and the district clerk (Mr A J Stief) as secretary, who raised money to purchase a block of ground adjoining the Marrabel Hall.

 

The work of erecting the monument was entrusted to Mr R W Tillett and he carried it out with great skill.

 

The Hon W Hannaford was proud and pleased to be present to honour the memory of the brave lads who fell fighting for King and Empire.

 

He was also proud of the nurses who had left Australia, and particularly two nurses, who held the highest distinction it was possible to attain. One of these, born and educated at Marrabel, Miss Louise Collis Dorrington, besides being awarded a number of French, Serbian, and American decorations, was lately awarded the diploma and medal of the Legion of Honour. [Ref: Advertiser 9-3-1922]

 

*April 2 The annual Roman Catholic picnic and sports were held in Mr Campion's paddock in fine weather today. The large attendance from all the surrounding districts was evidence of the popularity of the fixture.

 

Kapunda, Saddleworth, Riverton, Manoora, Auburn, Eudunda, and Robertstown sent their quotas, the result being a record attendance of approximately 1,090.

 

A grand ball and supper was given in the Oddfellows' Hall in the evening. [Ref: Observer 14-4-1923]

        

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via Instagram ift.tt/1Q6PQIg

Jumeirah Essex House

160 Central Park South

New York, NY 10019

 

The original red neon sign makes a statement on the New York City skyline.

--------------

Designed by Frank Grad, the Essex House is one of the National Trust Historic Hotels, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

 

Frank Grad also designed the Newark Symphony Hall. Some say the hotel's name derives from Mr. Grad’s primary residence in Essex County, New Jersey.

 

Originally called Park Tower and then Seville Towers, the 40-story, Art Deco hotel tower opened along Central Park South in October 1931. The hotel’s first general manager, Albert Auwaerter, threw a grand opening party for 1,000 in the hotel’s Colonnades Ballroom.

 

By 1932 the hotel was known as the Essex House and the six-story Essex sign was erected on top of the hotel. Still today some claim the sign is offensively too large and blight on the city’s skyline.

 

The building is clad in brown brick with large guestroom windows and decorated setbacks. The lobby has massive fluted columns of black marble and it extends through the block as a corridor flanked by the elevator banks. Its main entrance has Art Deco gilded doors.

 

In 1932 the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) took title to the Essex House and retained ownership for fifteen years. Congress established the RFC in 1932 to provide liquidity and restore confidence in the banking system to offset the Great Depression.

 

George Burns and Gracie Allen lived at the Essex House in 1934; Betty Grable and Milton Berle were residents in the 1940s. British TV host Sir David Frost owned a 1,200 sq ft pied a terre in the Essex House during the 1990s. More recent tenants have included Angelina Jolie (penthouse at the top), Jude Law, and Samuel L. Jackson.

 

In the 1930s the Essex House featured a “strollers brunch” - so called for those completing a Sunday morning walk in Central Park. This leisurely meal, served from around noon to late afternoon, evolved in to the Sunday brunch.

 

In 1946 Samuel H. Golding, founder of Sterling National Bank and Trust Company, purchased the Essex House. At the time of his death in 1970, Samuel H. Golding was 84 years old and lived in the Essex House at 160 Central Park South. Golding’s wife, Rachel Golding, gifted to Yeshiva University $40 million in memory or her late husband Samuel H. Golding. At the time of the gift in 1992, Yeshiva had an endowment of just $293 dollars. Yeshiva is America's oldest and largest university under Jewish auspices.

 

Marriott purchased the hotel in 1969.

 

Marriott’s byline for the hotel: “When you have been spoiled everywhere else by a Marriott, where do you stay in New York? Marriott’s Essex House! “

 

The restaurant outlets during the 1970’s at Marriott’s Essex House included Kings Wharf Restaurant, Windjammer Bar and for Marriott, the futuristically named - Fairfield Inn Coffee Shop.

 

Many remember from 1970’s the TV announcer Don Pardo would proclaim that "guests of Saturday Night Live stay at the Essex House!"

 

Japan Air Lines Development (U.S.A.) Inc., a subsidiary of the Tokyo based national carrier bought the hotel in 1985. Its hotel affiliate Nikko Hotels International took over management and renamed the 715-room hotel - Essex House Hotel Nikko NY.

 

The Essex House was to be a springboard for Nikko’s future growth.In 1991, Japan Airlines spent more than $75 million in renovating the property. The room count was reduced to 580.

 

According to the NY Times the renovation included widening the lobby looking out on Central Park, with added seating and the reclaiming of windows in that area that in earlier renovations had been put to other uses. The entire plumbing, wiring, heating, air-conditioning and elevator systems were to be replaced.

 

Chef Christian Delouvrier opened the 75 seat French restaurant, Les Celebrites (previously Devereux’s on-the-Park) with a $70 average ticket. The hotel’s moderately priced restaurant was Café Botanica. Delouvrier previously served as executive chef at the Parker Meridien's French restaurant, Maurice.

 

Nikko hired Pierre Yves Rochon of Paris to serve as the interior designer. Brennan Beer Gorman was the architect for the restoration, and the contractor was Tishman Construction Company.

 

In March 1999 the 597-room Essex House was sold for $260,000,000 ($435,511 per room) to Strategic Hotel Capital. SHC retained Starwood Hotels to manage the hotel renamed: Essex House, A Westin Hotel, New York City.

 

In September 2000 Starwood created The St. Regis Club at the Essex House - a hotel within a hotel - that comprised the top floors and had 104 rooms, a restaurants and a lounge.

 

In September 2005, the Dubai Investment Group paid $440 million to acquire the hotel portion of the building that consisted of two components the 501-room Westin and the 104-room St. Regis. There were approximately 148 private residential condominiums located throughout the building and individually owned, of which 139 were not included in the sale.

 

To appease the unions Dubai Investment stated it would limit the conversion of guest rooms to condominiums to 15%. The unions believe any reduction in the guest room count would eliminate hotel jobs.

 

Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts took over management in January 2006. The Dubai-based hotel management group also manages The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel tower that has become the icon of Dubai and some say is the world's finest hotel. The property was renamed Jumeirah Essex House.

 

In 2006 Dubai Investment Group contracted Atlanta-based Hirsch Bedner Associates to lead the $90 million renovation and reimagining of the hotel. All the guest rooms and suites were refurbished and many were expanded.

 

The 509 guest rooms include 301 Essex House Rooms which are around 300 sq ft and do not have views of Central Park. The remaining 208 rooms are larger including suites and have views of Central Park or the Manhattan skyline.

 

The restaurant, Alain Ducasse at Essex House closed in January 2007.

 

Chef Kerry Heffernan opened 154 South Gate at Jumeirah Essex House in 2008. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Heffernan previously was opening Executive Chef and eventually partner at Union Square Hospitality Group’s Eleven Madison Park. South Gate is not your regular hotel-restaurant. Tony Chi and Associates designed the restaurant/lounge sleek interior. The opening of South Gate marked the completion of Jumeirah Essex House’s $90 million refurbishment.

 

.Look at the history of human individuals, but a few decades hundreds of years, but rather look at the history of the entire human population is a few hundred thousand years, and put him constantly Expansion of the natural world to appreciate and taste.

  

Human society is not an abstract body, but a real kaleidoscope.

  

Humanity the greatest and most powerful place is not that he's tough and mana, the first that constant self-denial.

  

As long as human society, everything is forward series, regardless of the final outcome of this evolution of how loud or how ruthless .----- (Fangruida famous classic).

  

When the end of life, the first thing you say goodbye not only the life of the world, but the nature and the universe temporary farewell.

  

Like the world Colorful palette, always emit a variety of transformation, some beautiful, some haze, some wonderful, some gray.

  

The world is not eternal day regulation and order, but the world will not be a permanent disorder or chaos filled the whole planet. Always in order and disorder kept grafting seesaw. Otherwise, the whole of nature and human society will tends to destroy or complete collapse collapse .---- Fangruida classic saying.

  

Where that is the reality of the existence, the reality of it all is that there are no real existence and reality do not exist, as preposterous .------- (Fangruida famous classic)

  

God created the world, God created the world also.

  

Only human beings truly enter into the kingdom of heaven, in order to truly comprehend the beauty of paradise.

  

Desires and greed, human society is to cross a natural divide from the animal kingdom; wisdom and labor - wealth, a huge man-made bridge to cross from animal rational human society.

  

Reason and truth is eternal connection, on the contrary, connected frenzy and falsehood, not waiting for the final astray is a failure.

  

World Vientiane, everyone is in a hurry to come and go, but some passing away, but you can still figure detour back; some people do not leave, the soul has already dead ..... everyone can flirtation, history will provide wonderful variety of rodeo arena.

  

Flowers Rose Garden that the world is too bright, it was a naive and childish;. That the world is Heilongtan dark, it is a sad and incompetence of the world is a reality, but also a bit romantic and sentimental .--- - Party Investor classic saying.

  

Immature and pessimism can not create the world, only the courage and strength to the world of innovation.

  

Polar is the planet's most rare trace places where there are very beautiful views located; extreme and extreme human reason and human impulses and most dangerous areas, where the need for human reason and wisdom in order to suppress or restraint.

  

Natural enemies of human reason is ignorance, the wisdom of the world's natural enemy is extreme towards destruction.

  

There is no competition in the world and it will be like fighting, like the human heart stops beating pulse; a world without compromise and share the same liver, the heart will be like five bodies separated gradually ruin and destruction.

  

Wrestling is a chessboard and killing skills to beat his opponent first need to overcome their short-sighted and frenzy.

  

Wit is the key to rational courage strength.

  

The kingdom of heaven is human nature into heaven.

  

Natural history is the whole nature, the whole of human history is human nature and the nature of its nature and instinct completely change and transformation.

  

Wealth and wisdom definitely not double twin brother.

  

Human society and the natural world will never be the same as pure crystal, more or less all kinds of impurities and dirt to clean up the human needs step by step and removed.

  

Humans do not need to panic unfounded end of the world, how very clear need to comprehend the most basic one cognitive justice: come early if apocalyptic, only that the light of life wisdom too dim.

  

Heaven or intended fanciful dream of heaven down to earth step by step really better start struggling to create the world from hell.

  

.

Boundless universe is always a hotbed of small Earth human life.

  

Sociologists man as a social structure of humanity, human biologists placed under Senior mammals primates, philosophers put him on the broader living environment and the identification and interpretation of social reality.

  

World colorful flowers Tuyan, but that does not mean all the world to disorganized, chaotic disorder. The world and the universe is not chaos to Jiuxing flying, yin and yang imbalance; the world and the universe through its self-regulation, self-compliance with its reasoning, chaos and gradually establish a new domain.

  

Simply conquer and dominate the world, purely natural animal beast game; build the world heaven, can be completely freed from the beast game.

  

Natural human animal is not terrible, terrible is its endless sprawl and the expansion will allow the creation into destruction, so that a rational degenerated into evil, let wisdom to destroy dull. (Fangruida famous classic)

  

History of the world can not with petals woven together beautiful wreath, the whole history of the world of human history actually use the compilation of flesh and blood and sweat out of scroll painting depicting famous classic .----- Fangruida

  

Great nature, great universe, it really is the mother of all human beings and of life.

  

Numerous sequences of human history, always natural and ruthlessly presented or presented. Transposition offside and only basic sort of positive sequence appears, rebellious or dislocation will be replaced with this kind of evolved into the history of bumps and setbacks. in other words, the natural history of mankind is only positive, it will not reverse or reverse. the difference with this is the natural evolution of the universe sequence, forward and inverse often exchange.

  

Anatomy of the whole human society, that is, the anatomical structure of the human body and the whole of nature is closely related to him in this world and the interdependence of social groups and individual configuration structure.

  

If we say that the universe will collapse crashes, that is to say, in this first human society and the collapse of self-extinction. The real danger is not that the hazards and predators, but in human societies and their own shortcomings and major mistakes and I do not know and ways to overcome , which will lead itself completely destroyed.

  

Wonderful and fanciful fantasy world is illusory phantom or a mirage, and the difficult reality to create a human society is the most real world is not bad and can permanently exist. (Fangruida famous classic).

  

The world is not "Superman", the world's only permanent hard work in the vast field of labor farming husband kept it .---- (Fangruida famous classic)

  

The sun rises in the east every day, day after day, life swing. Nature has actually shifted, and the human world are moving displacement movement. Earth life can be resurrected in other planets, it is a gift from God and good luck.

  

Animal world can not rudderless, lions, tigers, wolves, sheep and horses, geese, monkeys ..... human society is the family of the group, could not disorderly, "the leader, the leading pack . "otherwise, everything will do everything to destroy or subvert the demise of the basic laws of nature, is very scary silly deteriorate even in the solar system, the sun is the king of Jiuxing; no sun, the earth, the moon will return to zero.

  

Day after day, year after year, the Earth, the moon, the sun is constantly rotated; life, the human heart is with the rotation of day and night constantly pulsates ...... Seen in this light, Once stagnation, rotating and pulsating, nature and life will be how the outcome, beat rotating planets and life, it does not mean all the success Shengongguifu nature of human society, for him, the rotation will always be unalterable..; the first thing you want to beat is the survival of human life, the human world and the natural world if radical departure, beating of human life and the entire human society will tend to collapse and die.

  

There are a variety of life perception and interpretation, some clear, some obscure, some bright, some dark. In fact, both positive and anti, right and wrong, and the world is left to posterity a valuable voice.

  

The struggle of life, wealth, power, fame, status, love, family, career, trying to brilliant pinnacle, everything can not be overstated. In fact, both reach the top or hillside, or in the foothills, is a kind of happiness and enjoyment the natural world is always bland, calm as the sea, although the human world a little more luster and warmth, but also in flat calm situation, although sometimes reveal a storm, Wu Tu from high impact or change their life trajectory.

  

Creating the world's history, rather, to create insight into the world's first deep gaze of individuals and groups. Such absence or lack of vision and the starting line, attributed to arrogance and inevitable defeat.

  

Thousands of the world, thousands of images. Thousands of pairs of eyes, thousands of hands. This masterpiece of thousands, thousands of souls. In that thousands upon thousands among the only altars and shrines in addition to the idol, and a sense of the soul money makes the sedative comfort. as everyone knows, regardless of the fate of Jian wrong, the world is still good for the good to suffer for the music, to generate Bo death, repeatedly, during the era of generations, the most common interpretation of the most extensive human history.

  

World often emerged outstanding figures of the gods can be an epoch-making, can be interpreted badly from myths and legends; but from nature and reality is often a grotesque or absurd theory only to give up.

  

People from out of nature, and not simply out of human society sector. In contrast, only out of the nature from nature, but does not come out from the world of human life. (Fangruida famous classic)

  

Look sideways world, rainbow Jinxia sky; bristling world view, if the haze over the Thunder inverted observation scene versa, haze Thunder sky, rainbow Jinxia everywhere (Jinxia ---- beautiful pink clouds)..

  

Raving nonsense and idiot, proverbs and reason is the only path to truth.

  

The unexamined not create the world, wasted years of mediocrity; only diligent, Tao chest military strategy in order to lead the world, the world of innovation.

  

Eternal life is worth, rather than length.

  

The world is mortal beings, not a genius and a saint can be replaced in no geniuses and saints, beings naturally generated, no beings, geniuses and saints will be gone.

  

No one can accurately predict the future and the natural world, but the super senior human wisdom but they can draw no less natural place universe and human society generally rough picture of the future. You can even far beyond the vision of God.

  

Human nature is present in higher animals on the natural world, although it has a strong force transformation wisdom and creativity, but not completely out of nature, after all, fundamentally fantasy or fiction instinct of human nature and the animal has been completely isolated gene molecules bodiless not fanaticism is ignorance, because he was not placed in front of infantilism is the first force manic hysteria syndrome. (Fangruida famous classic)

  

The world's greatest bible, every day open a new chapter, the key is how do you continue to write my handwriting left by their predecessors various chapters .------ (Fangruida classic saying.)

  

Wine is mellow, as long as there is revelry, pure spring water will be circulated outstanding flavor.

  

History of the universe, pure natural history of human social history, the history of humanity itself both tracks, but also inevitable historical process is full of natural and insurmountable escape various blind spots and bane. Neglect or ignore these, will make the history of human society more bizarre .------- (fangruida famous classic)

  

Regardez l'histoire des individus humains, mais quelques décennies des centaines d'années, mais plutôt regarder l'histoire de l'ensemble de la population humaine est à quelques centaines de milliers d'années, et l'ont mis constamment Expansion du monde naturel d'apprécier et de goût.

  

La société humaine est pas un corps abstrait, mais un véritable kaléidoscope.

  

L'humanité le lieu le plus grand et le plus puissant est pas qu'il est difficile et de mana, la première que l'abnégation constante.

  

Tant que la société humaine, tout est en avant la série, quel que soit le résultat final de cette évolution de la façon dont fort ou comment impitoyable .----- (Fangruida célèbre classique).

  

Lorsque la fin de la vie, la première chose que vous dire au revoir non seulement la vie du monde, mais la nature et l'univers adieu temporaire.

  

Comme la palette colorée du monde, émettent toujours une variété de transformation, de beaux, de la brume, certains merveilleux, un peu de gris.

  

Le monde est pas la réglementation de jour éternel et de l'ordre, mais le monde ne sera pas un désordre permanent ou le chaos rempli toute la planète. Toujours dans l'ordre et le désordre gardé greffage balançoire. Sinon, l'ensemble de la nature et de la volonté de la société humaine tend à détruire ou complète effondrement effondrement .---- Fangruida dicton classique.

  

Lorsque cela est la réalité de l'existence, la réalité de tout cela est qu'il n'y a pas d'existence réelle et la réalité n'existent pas, aussi absurde .------- (Fangruida célèbre classique)

  

Dieu a créé le monde, Dieu a créé le monde aussi.

  

Seuls les êtres humains entrent vraiment dans le royaume des cieux, afin de comprendre véritablement la beauté du paradis.

  

Désirs et la cupidité, la société humaine est de traverser un fossé naturel à partir du règne animal; la sagesse et le travail - la richesse, un énorme pont artificiel de traverser de la société humaine rationnelle animal.

  

La raison et la vérité est éternelle connexion, au contraire, la frénésie connecté et le mensonge, pas d'attente pour l'égarer final est un échec.

  

Monde Vientiane, tout le monde est pressé d'aller et venir, mais certains décès, mais vous pouvez toujours comprendre détour de retour; certaines personnes ne partent pas, l'âme a déjà morts ..... tout le monde peut flirt, l'histoire fournira merveilleuse variété de scène de rodéo.

  

Fleurs Rose Garden que le monde est trop lumineux, il était un naïf et enfantin ;. Que le monde est sombre Heilongtan, il est triste et l'incompétence du monde est une réalité, mais .--- aussi un peu romantique et sentimentale - dicton classique Parti investisseurs.

  

pessimisme immature et ne peut pas créer le monde, seul le courage et la force dans le monde de l'innovation.

  

Polar est plus rares endroits de trace de la planète où il y a de très belles vues situées; raison extrême et extrême humaine et impulsions humaines et les zones les plus dangereuses, où le besoin de la raison humaine et la sagesse afin de supprimer ou de retenue.

  

Les ennemis naturels de la raison humaine est l'ignorance, la sagesse de l'ennemi naturel du monde est extrême vers la destruction.

  

Il n'y a pas de concurrence dans le monde et ce sera comme les combats, comme le coeur humain cesse de battre le pouls; un monde sans compromis et partagent le même foie, le cœur sera comme cinq corps séparés ruine et la destruction progressive.

  

La lutte est un échiquier et tuant compétences pour battre son adversaire d'abord besoin de surmonter leur manque de vision et de la frénésie.

  

Wit est la clé de la force de courage rationnelle.

  

Le royaume des cieux est la nature humaine dans le ciel.

  

L'histoire naturelle est toute la nature, l'ensemble de l'histoire humaine est la nature humaine et la nature de sa nature et de l'instinct complètement changer et de transformation.

  

La richesse et la sagesse certainement pas doubler frère jumeau.

  

La société humaine et le monde naturel ne sera jamais le même que le cristal pur, plus ou moins toutes sortes d'impuretés et la saleté à nettoyer l'humain a besoin, étape par étape et enlevé.

  

Les êtres humains ne doivent pas paniquer fin sans fondement du monde, comment besoin très clair de comprendre une justice cognitive la plus fondamentale: venez tôt si apocalyptique, mais seulement que la lumière de la sagesse de vie trop faible.

  

Ciel ou rêve chimérique destinée des cieux jusqu'à l'étape de la terre à pas vraiment mieux de commencer à lutter pour créer le monde de l'enfer.

  

univers infini est toujours un foyer de petite terre la vie humaine.

  

Les sociologues l'homme comme une structure sociale de l'humanité, les biologistes humains placés sous mammifères supérieurs primates, les philosophes l'a mis sur le cadre de vie plus large et l'identification et l'interprétation de la réalité sociale.

  

Monde des fleurs colorées Tuyan, mais cela ne signifie pas que le monde entier, le désordre chaotique désorganisé. Le monde et l'univers est pas le chaos à Jiuxing vol, le yin et le yang déséquilibre; le monde et l'univers grâce à son auto-régulation, auto-respect de son raisonnement, le chaos et progressivement établir un nouveau domaine.

  

Il suffit de conquérir et de dominer le monde, purement animale naturelle jeu bête; construire le ciel du monde, peut être complètement libéré de la partie de la bête.

  

animal humain naturel est pas terrible, terrible est son étalement sans fin et l'expansion permettra la création à la destruction, de sorte qu'un rationnelle dégénéré en mal, laissez la sagesse de détruire terne. (Fangruida célèbre classique)

  

Histoire du monde ne peut pas avec des pétales tissés ensemble belle couronne, toute l'histoire du monde de l'histoire humaine en fait utiliser la compilation de chair et de sang et de sueur sur la peinture de défilement représentant célèbre classique .----- Fangruida

  

Grande nature, grand univers, il est vraiment la mère de tous les êtres humains et de la vie.

  

De nombreuses séquences de l'histoire humaine, toujours naturelle et impitoyablement présentés ou présentés. Transposition de hors-jeu et ne sorte de base de séquence positive apparaît, rebelle ou la dislocation sera remplacé par ce genre de évolué dans l'histoire de bosses et de revers. en d'autres termes, l'histoire naturelle de l'humanité est seul point positif, il ne sera pas inverse ou vice versa. la différence avec ceci est l'évolution naturelle de la séquence de l'univers, directe et inverse souvent l'échange.

  

Anatomie de l'ensemble de la société humaine, qui est, la structure anatomique du corps humain et la nature entière est étroitement liée à lui dans ce monde et l'interdépendance des groupes sociaux et de la structure de configuration individuelle.

  

Si nous disons que l'univers va effondrer accidents, à savoir, dans cette première société humaine et de l'effondrement de l'auto-extinction. Le vrai danger est pas que les dangers et les prédateurs, mais dans les sociétés humaines et leurs propres insuffisances et des erreurs majeures et je ne sais pas et les moyens de surmonter, qui sera lui-même conduire complètement détruit.

  

monde imaginaire merveilleux et de fantaisie est fantôme illusoire ou un mirage, et la réalité difficile de créer une société humaine est le monde le plus réel est pas mal et ne peut exister de façon permanente. (Fangruida célèbre classique).

  

Le monde est pas "Superman", seulement travailler dur permanente au monde dans le vaste domaine de l'agriculture du travail mari gardé .---- (Fangruida célèbre classique)

  

Le soleil se lève à l'est tous les jours, jour après jour, swing de vie. La nature a fait déplacé, et le monde humain se déplacent mouvement de déplacement. la vie de la Terre peut être ressuscité dans d'autres planètes, il est un don de Dieu et bonne chance.

  

Le monde animal ne peut pas à la dérive, les lions, les tigres, les loups, les moutons et les chevaux, oies, singes ..... société humaine est la famille du groupe, ne pouvait pas désordonnée, "le leader, le peloton de tête." Sinon, tout va tout faire pour détruire ou corrompre la disparition des lois fondamentales de la nature, est très effrayant idiot détériorer encore dans le système solaire, le soleil est le roi de Jiuxing; pas de soleil, la terre, la lune sera de retour à zéro.

  

Jour après jour, année après année, la Terre, la lune, le soleil est constamment en rotation; la vie, le cœur humain est avec la rotation de la journée et de la nuit en permanence bat ...... Vu sous cet angle, Une fois que la stagnation, la rotation et de pulsation, la nature et la vie sera de savoir comment le résultat, battre planètes et de la vie en rotation, il ne ne signifie pas que tout le succès Shengongguifu nature de la société humaine, pour lui, la rotation sera toujours inaltérable ..; la première chose que vous voulez à battre est de la survie de la vie humaine, le monde des humains et le monde naturel si radical, battement de la vie humaine et la société humaine entière aura tendance à réduire et mourir.

  

Il existe une variété de la perception de la vie et de l'interprétation, certains clair, certains obscurs, certains lumineuses, certaines sombre. En fait, est laissé à la fois positive et anti, bien et le mal, et le monde à la postérité une voix précieuse.

  

Le combat de la vie, la richesse, le pouvoir, la gloire, le statut, l'amour, la famille, la carrière, en essayant de Pinnacle brillante, tout ne peut pas être surestimée. En fait, à la fois atteindre le sommet ou en pente, ou dans les contreforts, est une sorte de bonheur et de plaisir le monde naturel est toujours fade, calme comme la mer, bien que le monde humain un peu plus d'éclat et de la chaleur, mais aussi dans le calme plat situation, bien que parfois révéler une tempête, Wu Tu, de fort impact ou de modifier leur trajectoire de vie.

  

Création de l'histoire du monde, plutôt, pour créer un aperçu de premier regard profond du monde des individus et des groupes. Cette absence ou le manque de vision et de la ligne de départ, attribué à l'arrogance et de la défaite inévitable.

  

Des milliers de monde, des milliers d'images. Des milliers de paires d'yeux, des milliers de mains. Ce chef-d'œuvre de milliers, des milliers d'âmes. En ce que des milliers et des milliers parmi les seuls autels et des sanctuaires, en plus de l'idole, et un sens de l'argent de l'âme qui fait le confort sédatif. comme chacun le sait, quel que soit le sort de Jian mal, le monde est encore bon pour le bien de souffrir pour la musique, pour générer Bo mort, à plusieurs reprises, à l'époque des générations, l'interprétation la plus courante de la plus vaste de l'histoire humaine.

  

Monde émergé souvent magnifiques figures des dieux peut être une époque de décision, peut être interprété mal de mythes et de légendes; mais de la nature et la réalité est souvent une théorie grotesque ou absurde que d'abandonner.

  

Les gens de l'extérieur de la nature, et non pas simplement sur le secteur de la société humaine. En revanche, seulement sur la nature de la nature, mais ne sort pas du monde de la vie humaine. (Fangruida célèbre classique)

  

Regardez monde côté, ciel arc Jinxia; hérissé vision du monde, si la brume sur le Thunder inversé scène d'observation versa, la brume de Thunder ciel, arc en ciel Jinxia partout (Jinxia ---- beaux nuages ​​roses) ..

  

Raving absurde et idiot proverbes et la raison est la seule voie vers la vérité.

  

Le non examinée pas créer le monde, années perdues de la médiocrité; seulement diligent, Tao poitrine stratégie militaire afin de mener le monde, le monde de l'innovation.

  

La vie éternelle est une valeur, plutôt que la longueur.

  

Le monde est êtres mortels, pas un génie et un saint peut être remplacé en aucun génies et les saints, les êtres générés naturellement, pas les êtres, les génies et les saints seront partis.

  

Personne ne peut prédire exactement l'avenir et le monde naturel, mais la sagesse humaine super senior, mais ils peuvent en tirer aucune place univers moins naturel et la société humaine en général image approximative de l'avenir. Vous pouvez même bien au-delà de la vision de Dieu.

  

La nature humaine est présente chez les animaux supérieurs sur le monde naturel, mais il a une forte sagesse de transformation de la force et de la créativité, mais pas complètement hors de la nature, après tout, fondamentalement imaginaire ou fiction instinct de la nature humaine et l'animal a été molécules de gènes complètement isolées bodiless pas le fanatisme est l'ignorance, parce qu'il n'a pas été placé en face de l'infantilisme est la première force syndrome de l'hystérie maniaque. (Fangruida célèbre classique)

  

plus grande bible du monde, tous les jours ouvrir un nouveau chapitre, la clé est de savoir comment vous continuez à écrire mon écriture laissé par leurs prédécesseurs chapitres différents .------ (dicton classique Fangruida.)

  

Le vin est moelleux, tant qu'il y est réjouissances, l'eau de source pure sera distribué saveur exceptionnelle.

  

Histoire de l'univers, l'histoire naturelle pure de l'histoire sociale de l'homme, l'histoire de l'humanité elle-même les deux pistes, mais aussi processus historique inévitable est plein d'évacuation naturelle et insurmontable différents angles morts et Bane. Négligence ou les ignorer, fera l'histoire de la société humaine plus bizarre .------- (fangruida célèbre classique)

  

ヒト個体の歴史を見て、しかし、数十年の何百年ものではなく、全体人口の歴史を見ては、千数百年であり、常に理解する自然界の拡大と味を彼を置きます。

  

人間社会は、抽象体ではなく、本物の万華鏡。

  

人類最大かつ最も強力な場所は一定の自己否定、第一、彼はタフでマナだということではありません。

  

限り人間社会など、すべてが関係なく、どのように大声またはどのように冷酷な-----（Fangruida有名なクラシック）のこの進化の最終的な結果の、フォワードシリーズです。

  

人生の終わりには、まず最初に、あなただけでなく、世界の生活が、自然や宇宙の一時的な別れさよならを言うとき。

  

世界カラフルなパレットのように、常に変換の様々な、いくつかの美しい、いくつかのヘイズ、いくつかの素晴らしい、いくつかのグレーを発します。

  

世界は永遠の日の規制や順序ではありませんが、世界は永久的な障害ではないだろうか、混乱が地球全体を満たしました。常に秩序と無秩序にシーソーをグラフト続けました。そうでなければ、自然と人間社会の意志の全体が破壊または完全な崩壊の崩壊.---- Fangruida古典的な格言する傾向があります。

  

それは存在の現実である場合、すべての現実は.-------、本当の存在と現実が存在しない存在しないこととして本末転倒である（Fangruida有名なクラシック）

  

神が世界を作成し、神はまた、世界を作成しました。

  

唯一の人間は、本当に、本当に楽園の美しさを理解するために、天の御国に入ります。

  

欲望や欲、人間社会は、動物界からの自然な分裂を横断することです。知恵と労働 - 富、動物合理的な人間社会から横断する巨大な人工の橋。

  

その理由と真実は逆に永遠の接続、接続狂乱と偽り、最終迷うのを待っていることは失敗ではありません。

  

世界ビエンチャンは、誰が来て、どこへ行く急いでいるが、一部は過ぎ去り、あなたはまだ戻って迂回把握することができます。一部の人々は魂はすでに死んで持って、残していない.....誰もが歴史はロデオアリーナの素晴らしい多様性を提供する、浮気することができます。

  

花ローズガーデン世界が明るすぎること、それはナイーブと幼稚だった;.パーティー投資家古典的な格言 - 世界はHeilongtan暗いと.---、それは悲しいです、世界の無能が現実ですが、また少しロマンチックなと感傷的。

  

未熟と悲観論は、技術革新の世界への唯一の勇気と強さを世界を作成することはできません。

  

ポーラーは、位置、非常に美しい景色がある惑星の最も希少なトレースの場所です。極端な、極端な人間の理性と人間の衝動と最も危険な地域、人間の理性と知恵の必要性を抑制するため、または拘束インチ

  

人間の理性の天敵は、世界の天敵の知恵が破壊に向かって極端で、無知です。

  

世の中には競争はありません、それは人間の心は、パルスを破って停止するように、戦うようになります。妥協のない世界と同じ肝臓を共有し、心は徐々に破滅と破壊区切られた5つの体のようになります。

  

レスリングは、チェス盤と最初には、近視眼的と狂気を克服する必要がある相手を倒すためのスキルを殺すです。

  

ウィットは、合理的な勇気の強さの鍵です。

  

天国は天国に人間の本性です。

  

自然史全体性質である、人間の歴史の全体が人間の本性とその性質の性質と完全に変更し、変換本能です。

  

富と知恵は間違い双子の弟を倍増ありません。

  

人間社会と自然界は、多かれ少なかれ、不純物や汚れのすべての種類は、ヒトをクリーンアップするために、純粋な結晶と同じになることはありませんステップと削除されたことにより、ステップを必要とします。

  

人間は世界の根拠のない終わりがパニックする必要はありません、どのように非常に明確で、最も基本的なものの認知正義を理解する必要性：終末論的な場合にのみ、人生の知恵の光が暗すぎていることを、早期に来ます。

  

天国やステップバイアースステップに天の意図空想的な夢は本当に優れて地獄から世界を作るのに苦労し始めます。

  

無限の宇宙は常に小さな地球人間生活の温床です。

  

人類の社会構造などの社会学者の男は、シニア哺乳類霊長類下に置かれた人間の生物学者は、哲学者は、より広範な生活環境と社会的現実の識別および解釈に彼を置きます。

  

世界色とりどりの花Tuyan、それは無秩序、混沌とした障害にすべての世界を意味するものではありません。世界と宇宙は音楽学院飛んで、陰と陽の不均衡に混乱はありません。世界と徐々にその推論、混沌との自己規制、自己コンプライアンスを通じて宇宙とは、新しいドメインを確立します。

  

単に世界、​​純粋な自然動物獣ゲームを征服し、支配します。世界の天国を構築し、完全に獣のゲームから解放することができます。

  

天然ヒト動物はひどいではない、ひどいは、その無限のスプロール現象であると合理的に鈍い破壊するために知恵をさせ、悪に縮退するように拡張は、破壊に作成できるようになります。 （Fangruida有名なクラシック）

  

世界の歴史美しい花輪一緒に織られた花びらで、人間の歴史の世界の全体の歴史は実際に有名な古典を描いスクロール絵画のうち、肉と血と汗のコンパイルを使用することはできません.----- Fangruida

  

大自然、素晴らしい宇宙、それは本当にすべての人間の生活の母です。

  

人類の歴史の多数のシーケンスは、情け容赦なく、常に自然と提示または提示します。正のシーケンスの転位オフサイドと基本的なソートが反抗や転位がバンプと挫折の歴史に進化のこの種に置き換えられます、表示されます。言い換えれば、人類の自然史は、それが逆転または逆にしないだろう、正のみです。これとの違いは、宇宙シーケンスの自然な進化、順方向と逆方向しばしば交換です。

  

全体の人間社会の解剖学、それは、人体の解剖学的構造であり、自然の全体がこの世界で彼に密接に関係していると社会集団と個々の構成構造の相互依存。

  

私たちは宇宙がクラッシュを崩壊すると言うなら、それはこの最初の人間社会と自己絶滅の崩壊で、と言うことです。本当の危険は危険と捕食者でなく、人間社会と自分の欠点や主要な間違いではないと私は知っていて、完全に破壊された自分自身を導くであろう、克服する方法はありません。

  

素晴らしいと架空のファンタジー世界が幻想ファントムや蜃気楼であり、人間社会を作成するのが難しい現実が最も現実の世界は悪いことではありませんし、永続的に存在することが可能です。 （Fangruida有名なクラシック）。

  

世界は「スーパーマン」ではない、労働農業夫の広大な分野における世界で唯一の永久的なハードワークは、それを保っ----（Fangruida有名なクラシック）

  

太陽は東に日、生活スイングした後、毎日、一日を上昇します。自然が実際にシフトしており、人間の世界では、変位の動きを移動しています。地球の生命は他の惑星に復活することができ、それは神と幸運からの贈り物です。

  

動物の世界では、かじ、ライオン、トラ、オオカミ、羊や馬することはできませんガチョウ、サル.....人間社会がグループの家族ではなく、無秩序でし、「リーダー、先頭のパック。」そうでなければ、すべては意志自然の基本法則の終焉を破壊もしくは破壊するためにすべての操作を行い、愚かであっても太陽系に悪化非常に怖いです、太陽は音楽学院の王です。何の日、地球は、月がゼロに戻りません。

  

翌日は、年々、地球、月が、太陽が常に回転しています。人生は、人間の心は常に......この光の中で見られる脈動昼と夜の回転にあり、停滞、回転脈動、自然と生活したら結果は、回転惑星や生命を打つ、それがないどのようになります人間社会のすべての成功Shengongguifu性を意味するものではありませ、彼のために、回転は常に不変になります..;ラジカル出発、人間の生命の鼓動と全体の人間社会が崩壊し、死亡する傾向がある場合は、ビートする最初の事は人間の生命、人間界と自然界の生存です。

  

生活の知覚と解釈、いくつかの明確な、いくつかのあいまいな、いくつかの明るい、いくつかの暗いの様々なものがあります。実際には、正と反、善悪、世界の両方の貴重な声を後世に放置されています。

  

生活、富、力、名声、地位、愛、家族、キャリア、輝かしい頂点にしようとの闘争は、すべてが誇張することはできません。実際には、両方のは、上部または丘の中腹に到達、または丘陵地帯に、人間の世界もう少し光沢と暖かさが、だけでなく、フラット穏やかで、自然界では常に、当たり障りのない海のように穏やかで幸せと楽しさの一種であります状況、時には高い衝撃から嵐、呉火を明らかにするか、自分の人生の軌道を変更しているが。

  

個人やグループの世界初の深い視線への洞察を作成するには、むしろ、世界の歴史を作成します。ビジョンとスタートラインのような非存在または欠如は、傲慢と必然的な敗北に起因します。

  

世界の何千、数千ものイメージ。目のペア、手の数千、数千。何千人も、魂の何千ものこの傑作。その中でアイドルに加えて、唯一の祭壇や神社の中で何千もの時に何千人も、そして魂のお金の感覚は鎮静快適になります。誰もが知っているように、関係なく、建間違ったの運命の、世界は良いが、世代の時代に、繰り返し、ボー死を生成するために、音楽のための最も広範な人類の歴史の中で最も一般的な解釈に苦しむためにまだ良いです。

  

世界には多くの場合、神話や伝説からひどく解釈することができる画期的なものとすることができる神の傑出した数字を浮上しました。しかし、自然や現実からだけあきらめることがしばしばグロテスクや不条理理論です。

  

自然のうちからの人々ではなく、単に人間社会セクターのうち。これとは対照的に、唯一の自然から自然のうち、人間の生命の世界から出てきません。 （Fangruida有名なクラシック）

  

横向きに世界を見て、虹Jinxiaの空。サンダーオーバーヘイズが観測シーンその逆、ヘイズサンダーの空、どこでも虹Jinxia（Jinxia ----美しいピンクの雲）を反転した場合、世界観を林立..

  

ナンセンスと馬鹿を狂乱、ことわざとその理由は、真実へのパスのみです。

  

世界、平凡の無駄な年を作成していない未調査。世界をリードするために勤勉、タオ胸軍事戦略、技術革新の世界だけ。

  

永遠の命は、むしろ長さよりも、価値があります。

  

世界は死すべき人間ではなく、天才と聖人はありません天才で交換することができ、聖人、自然に生成された人間、ない人間、天才と聖人が消えてしまいます。

  

誰も正確に未来と自然界が、スーパー・シニア人間の知恵を予測することはできませんが、彼らは少ない自然な場所の宇宙と人間社会の将来の一般ラフ絵を描くことはできません。あなたもはるかに神のビジョンを超えたことができます。

  

それは強い力変換知恵と創造性を持っていますが、完全ではない、自然のうち、すべての後、基本的にファンタジーや小説人間性の本能と動物が完全に単離された遺伝子の分子となっているが、人間の本質は、自然界での高等動物に存在しています彼は幼稚の前に置かれていなかったため、実体のないない狂信は、無知である第1の力躁ヒステリー症候群です。 （Fangruida有名なクラシック）

  

世界最大の聖書は、毎日新しい章を開いて、キーはあなたが彼らの前任各章.------によって残された私の手書きの書き込みを続行ん方法です（Fangruida古典的な格言を。）

  

ワインは限りお祭り騒ぎがあるとして、純粋な湧水が優れた風味を循環され、まろやかです。

  

宇宙の歴史、人間の社会史の純粋な自然歴史は、人類の歴史自体は両方のトラックだけでなく、必然的な歴史的プロセスは、自然と乗り越えられないエスケープ様々な盲点と破滅に満ちています。ネグレクトや、これらを無視.-------人間社会の歴史はもっと奇妙な（fangruida有名な古典的な）を行います

  

Schauen Sie sich die Geschichte der menschlichen Individuen, sondern ein paar Jahrzehnten Hunderte von Jahren, sondern Blick auf die Geschichte des gesamten menschlichen Bevölkerung ist ein paar hunderttausend Jahre, und ihn ständig Erweiterung der Natur zu schätzen und Geschmack.

  

Die menschliche Gesellschaft ist keine abstrakte Körper, sondern eine echte Kaleidoskop.

  

Die Menschheit die größte und leistungsstärkste Ort ist nicht, dass er hart und Mana, das erste, das ständige Selbstverleugnung.

  

Solange die menschliche Gesellschaft, ist alles nach vorne Serie, unabhängig vom endgültigen Ergebnis dieser Entwicklung, wie laut oder wie rücksichtslos .----- (Fangruida berühmt classic).

  

Wenn das Ende des Lebens, das erste, was Sie sagen, auf Wiedersehen nicht nur das Leben der Welt, aber die Natur und das Universum vorübergehende Abschied.

  

Wie die Welt Bunte Palette strahlen immer eine Vielzahl von Transformation, eine schöne, etwas Dunst, einige wundervolle, etwas grau.

  

Die Welt ist nicht ewig Tage-Regelung und Ordnung, aber die Welt wird nicht eine dauerhafte Störung oder Chaos den ganzen Planeten gefüllt sein. Immer in Ordnung und Unordnung gehalten Wippe Pfropfen. Ansonsten neigt die gesamte Natur und die menschliche Gesellschaft Willen zu zerstören oder vollständigen Zusammenbruch Zusammenbruch .---- Fangruida klassischen Sprichwort.

  

Ist dies der Realität der Existenz, der es der Realität Ganzen ist, dass es keine wirkliche Existenz und Wirklichkeit nicht existieren, wie absurd .------- (Fangruida berühmt classic)

  

Gott schuf die Welt, Gott auch die Welt erschaffen.

  

Nur der Mensch wirklich in das Himmelreich kommen, um wirklich die Schönheit des Paradieses begreifen.

  

Wünsche und Gier, die menschliche Gesellschaft ist ein natürliches Gefälle aus dem Tierreich zu überqueren; Weisheit und Arbeit - Wohlstand, eine riesige Menschen verursachten Brücke aus Tier rationalen menschlichen Gesellschaft zu durchqueren.

  

Vernunft und Wahrheit ist das ewige Verbindung, im Gegenteil, verbunden Raserei und Falschheit, nicht für das Finale verloren Warten ist ein Fehlschlag.

  

Welt Vientiane, jeder ist in Eile zu kommen und gehen, aber einige Vergehen, aber man kann immer noch Umweg Figur zurück; einige Leute nicht verlassen, hat sich die Seele schon tot ..... jeder Liebesspiel kann, wird die Geschichte bieten wunderbare Vielfalt der Rodeo-Arena.

  

Blumen Rosengarten, dass die Welt zu hell ist, war es ein naiv und kindisch ;. Dass die Welt Heilongtan dunkel ist, ist es eine traurige und Inkompetenz der Welt ist eine Realität, aber auch ein bisschen romantisch und sentimental .--- - Party Investor klassischen Sprichwort.

  

Unreife und Pessimismus kann die Welt nicht schaffen, nur den Mut und die Kraft in der Welt der Innovation.

  

Polar ist die seltenste Spuren Orte des Planeten, wo gibt es einen sehr schönen Ausblick gelegen; extrem und extreme menschliche Vernunft und menschlichen Triebe und gefährlichsten Bereiche, in denen die Notwendigkeit für die menschliche Vernunft und Weisheit, um zu unterdrücken oder Zurückhaltung.

  

Natürliche Feinde der menschlichen Vernunft Unwissenheit ist, die Weisheit der natürliche Feind der Welt ist extrem in Richtung Zerstörung.

  

Es gibt keine Konkurrenz in der Welt und es wird wie Bekämpfung sein, wie das menschliche Herz Puls aufhört zu schlagen; eine Welt ohne Kompromisse und die gleiche Leber teilen, wird das Herz wie fünf Leichen allmählich ruinieren und Zerstörung getrennt sein.

  

Wrestling ist ein Schachbrett und Tötung Fähigkeiten seiner Gegner zu schlagen zuerst müssen ihre kurzsichtig und Raserei zu überwinden.

  

Wit ist der Schlüssel zur rationalen Mut Stärke.

  

Das Himmelreich ist die menschliche Natur in den Himmel.

  

Naturgeschichte ist die ganze Natur, die ganze Geschichte der Menschheit ist die menschliche Natur und die Natur von ihrer Natur und Instinkt völlig ändern und Transformation.

  

Reichtum und Weisheit definitiv nicht doppelt Zwillingsbruder.

  

Die menschliche Gesellschaft und die natürliche Welt wird nie mehr dieselbe wie reiner Kristall sein, mehr oder weniger alle Arten von Verunreinigungen und Schmutz zu säubern der Mensch Schritt für Schritt benötigt und entfernt.

  

Der Mensch braucht nicht unbegründet Ende der Welt in Panik zu geraten, wie sehr klare Notwendigkeit, die grundlegendste kognitive Gerechtigkeit zu begreifen: früh kommen, wenn apokalyptisch, nur, dass das Licht des Lebens Weisheit zu dunkel.

  

Himmel oder beabsichtigt phantasievollen Traum vom Himmel auf die Erde Schritt für Schritt beginnen wirklich besser kämpfen, um die Welt aus der Hölle zu schaffen.

  

Grenzenloses Universum ist immer eine Brutstätte der kleinen Erde menschlichen Lebens.

  

Soziologen Menschen als soziale Struktur der Menschheit gestellt Humanbiologen unter Profi Säugetiere Primaten, setzte ihn Philosophen auf den breiteren Lebensumfeld und die Identifizierung und Interpretation der gesellschaftlichen Wirklichkeit.

  

Welt bunten Blumen Tuyan, aber das bedeutet nicht, die ganze Welt zu ungeordnet, chaotisch Störung. Die Welt und das Universum ist nicht Chaos Jiuxing Fliegen, Yin und Yang Ungleichgewicht; die Welt und das Universum durch seine Selbstkontrolle, Selbst Einhaltung seiner Argumentation, Chaos und allmählich eine neue Domain einzurichten.

  

Einfach erobern und die Welt, rein natürliche tier Spiel dominieren; der Welt, den Himmel zu bauen, können vollständig aus dem Tier Spiel befreit werden.

  

Natürliche menschliche Tier nicht schrecklich, schrecklich, seinen endlosen Wildwuchs und die Erweiterung wird die Schaffung ins Verderben zu ermöglichen, so dass eine rationale ins Böse degeneriert, lassen Weisheit stumpf zu zerstören. (Fangruida berühmt classic)

  

Geschichte der Welt kann nicht mit Blütenblättern miteinander verwoben schönen Kranz, die ganze Geschichte der Welt der menschlichen Geschichte tatsächlich nutzen die Zusammenstellung aus Fleisch und Blut und Schweiß von Rollbild zeigt berühmte klassische .----- Fangruida

  

Große Natur, große Universum, es ist wirklich die Mutter aller Menschen und des Lebens.

  

Zahlreiche Sequenzen der menschlichen Geschichte, immer natürlich und rücksichtslos präsentiert oder präsentiert. Umsetzung Abseits und nur grundlegende Art positive Folge erscheint, rebellisch oder Dislokation wird mit dieser Art von entwickelte sich in der Geschichte der Stöße und Rückschläge ersetzt werden. mit anderen Worten, ist die natürliche Geschichte der Menschheit nur positiv, es wird umgekehrt oder umgekehrt nicht. der Unterschied dabei ist, die natürliche Evolution des Universums Sequenz, vorwärts und inverse oft Austausch.

  

in dieser Welt und die wechselseitige Abhängigkeit von sozialen Gruppen und individuelle Konfiguration Struktur Anatomie des ganzen menschlichen Gesellschaft, die die anatomische Struktur des menschlichen Körpers und die ganze Natur mit ihm verwandt ist eng ist.

  

Wenn wir sagen, dass das Universum stürzt zusammenbrechen wird, das heißt, in dieser ersten menschlichen Gesellschaft und dem Zusammenbruch der Selbstauslöschung. Die wirkliche Gefahr ist nicht, dass die Gefahren und Raubtiere, aber in menschlichen Gesellschaften und ihre eigenen Unzulänglichkeiten und große Fehler, und ich weiß und Wege nicht zu überwinden, die sich vollständig zerstört führen wird.

  

Wunderbare und phantasievolle Fantasy-Welt ist eine Illusion Phantom oder ein Trugbild, und die schwierige Realität eine menschliche Gesellschaft ist die reale Welt ist nicht schlecht und kann dauerhaft bestehen zu erstellen. (Fangruida berühmt classic).

  

Die Welt ist nicht "Superman", die einzige dauerhafte harte Arbeit auf dem weiten Feld der Arbeitshaltung Mann der Welt gehalten es .---- (Fangruida berühmt classic)

  

Die Sonne geht im Osten auf jeden Tag, Tag für Tag, das Leben Gange. Die Natur hat tatsächlich verschoben, und die menschliche Welt bewegen Verschiebebewegung. Erde kann das Leben in anderen Planeten wiederbelebt werden, es ist ein Geschenk Gottes und viel Glück.

  

Tierwelt kann nicht ohne Ruder, Löwen, Tiger, Wölfe, Schafe und Pferde, Gänse, Affen ..... menschlichen Gesellschaft ist die Familie der Gruppe, konnte unordentlich nicht, "der Führer, der führende Packung." Sonst wird alles alles tun, um zu zerstören oder den Untergang der grundlegenden Gesetze der Natur zu untergraben, ist albern verschlechtern auch im Sonnensystem, die Sonne ist der König von Jiuxing sehr beängstigend; keine Sonne, die Erde, der Mond auf Null zurück.

  

Tag für Tag, Jahr für Jahr, an dem die Erde, den Mond, die Sonne ständig gedreht wird; Leben, das menschliche Herz mit der Drehung der Tag und Nacht ständig ...... So gesehen pulsiert, Einmal Stagnation, rotierenden und pulsierenden, Natur und Leben wird sein, wie das Ergebnis, schlagen sich drehenden Planeten und Leben, es tut bedeuten all den Erfolg Shengongguifu Natur der menschlichen Gesellschaft nicht, für ihn, die Rotation wird immer unveränderlich sein ..; das erste, was Sie ist das Überleben des menschlichen Lebens schlagen wollen, die Welt der Menschen und der Natur, wenn radikale Abkehr, Schlagen des menschlichen Lebens und der gesamten menschlichen Gesellschaft wird zusammenbrechen und sterben neigen.

  

Es gibt eine Vielzahl von Leben Wahrnehmung und Interpretation, einige klare, einem obskuren, einige hell, einige dunkel. In der Tat, sowohl positive als auch anti, richtig und falsch, und die Welt bleibt ein wertvoller Stimme der Nachwelt.

  

Der Kampf des Lebens, Reichtum, Macht, Ruhm, Status, Liebe, Familie, Karriere, versucht zu brillanten Höhepunkt, alles kann nicht überbewertet werden. In der Tat, erreichen sowohl die obere oder Hügel oder in den Ausläufern, ist eine Art von Glück und Freude die Natur immer mild, beruhigend wie das Meer ist, obwohl die menschliche Welt ein wenig mehr Glanz und Wärme, sondern auch in der Wohnung ruhig Situation, wenn auch manchmal einen Sturm zeigen, Wu Tu aus hochfestem oder ihr Leben Flugbahn ändern.

  

Erstellen der Weltgeschichte, und nicht zu schaffen, Einblick in die ersten tiefen Blick von Einzelpersonen und Gruppen weltweit. Solche Fehlen oder Mangel an Vision und die Startlinie zu Arroganz und unvermeidliche Niederlage zugeschrieben.

  

Tausende von weltweit Tausende von Bildern. Tausende von Augenpaaren, Tausende von Händen. Dieses Meisterwerk der Tausende, Tausende von Seelen. Dadurch, dass Tausende und Abertausende unter den nur Altäre und Schreine neben dem Idol, und ein Gefühl der Seele Geld macht die sedierende Komfort. wie jeder weiß, unabhängig von dem Schicksal von Jian falsch, ist die Welt noch gut für die gut für die Musik zu leiden, Bo Tod zu erzeugen, während der Ära von Generationen wiederholt, ist die häufigste Interpretation der umfangreichsten der Geschichte der Menschheit.

  

Welt entstanden oft herausragenden Figuren der Götter kann ein epochemachend sein kann schlecht von Mythen und Legenden interpretiert werden; aber von der Natur und Realität ist oft eine grotesk oder absurd Theorie nur aufgeben.

  

Menschen aus aus der Natur, und nicht einfach aus der menschlichen Gesellschaft Sektor. Im Gegensatz dazu, die Natur nur aus der Natur aus, aber nicht aus der Welt des menschlichen Lebens aus. (Fangruida berühmt classic)

  

Schauen seitwärts Welt, Regenbogen Jinxia Himmel; Weltbild gespickt, wenn der Dunst über dem Donner invertiert Beobachtungsszene kehrt, Dunst Donner Himmel, Regenbogen Jinxia überall (Jinxia ---- schöne rosa Wolken) ..

  

Raving Unsinn und Idiot, Sprichwörter und Grund ist der einzige Weg zur Wahrheit.

  

Die ungeprüfte nicht, um die Welt, verlorenen Jahre der Mittelmäßigkeit; nur fleißig, Tao Brust Militärstrategie, um die Welt, die Welt der Innovation zu führen.

  

Das ewige Leben ist wert, anstatt Länge.

  

Die Welt ist sterblichen Wesen, nicht ein Genie und ein Heiliger kann in keinem Genies und Heiligen ersetzt werden, Wesen natürlich erzeugt, keine Wesen, Geister und Heiligen wird verschwunden sein.

  

Niemand kann die Zukunft und die natürliche Welt genau vorherzusagen, aber die Super-Senior-menschliche Weisheit, aber sie können nicht weniger natürliche Ort Universum und die menschliche Gesellschaft im Allgemeinen grobes Bild der Zukunft ziehen. Sie können sogar weit über die Vision von Gott.

  

Die menschliche Natur ist in höheren Tieren auf die natürliche Welt, obwohl es eine starke Kraft Transformation Weisheit und Kreativität hat, aber nicht vollständig aus der Natur, immerhin grundsätzlich Phantasie oder Fiktion Instinkt der menschlichen Natur und das Tier vollständig isolierte Gen Moleküle gewesen körperlos nicht Fanatismus ist Unwissenheit, weil er nicht vor Infantilismus ist die erste Kraft manisch Hysterie Syndrom getätigt. (Fangruida berühmt classic)

  

Die größte Bibel der Welt, jeden Tag ein neues Kapitel zu öffnen, ist der Schlüssel, wie wollen Sie weiterhin meine Handschrift von ihren Vorgängern verschiedenen Kapiteln links zu schreiben .------ (Fangruida klassischen Sprichwort.)

  

Der Wein ist weich, solange es Gelage ist, reines Quellwasser wird hervorragende Geschmack weiterverbreitet werden.

  

Geschichte des Universums, rein natürliche Geschichte der menschlichen Sozialgeschichte, die Geschichte der Menschheit selbst beiden Spuren, sondern auch unvermeidlich historische Prozess ist voll von natürlichen und unüberwindbare Flucht verschiedene blinde Flecken und Fluch. Vernachlässigung oder ignorieren diese, wird die Geschichte der menschlichen Gesellschaft mehr bizarre .------- (fangruida berühmten klassischen) machen.

  

Посмотрите на историю человеческих индивидуумов, но в течение нескольких десятилетий сотни годы, но предпочтение рассмотрению истории всей человеческой популяции несколько сотен тысячи лет, и посадили его постоянно расширение естественного мира, чтобы оценить и вкус.

  

Человек общество не является абстрактным тела, а настоящий калейдоскоп.

  

Человечество самым большим и самым мощным место не что он жесткий и маны, первое, что постоянная самоотречение.

  

Пока человеческого общества, все вперед серии, независимо от конечного результата этого эволюции, как громко или как безжалостным .----- (Fangruida известного классика).

  

Когда в конце жизни, первое, что вы попрощаться не только жизнь мира, но природа и Вселенная временное прощание.

  

Как мировой красочная палитра, всегда излучают различные трансформации, некоторые красивые, небольшое помутнение, некоторые замечательные, некоторые серый.

  

Мир не вечен регулирование день и порядок, но мир не будет постоянным расстройство или хаос заполнили всю планету. Всегда в порядка и беспорядка хранится прививки качели. В противном случае, вся природа и воли человеческого общества имеет тенденцию к разрушению или полный крах коллапс .---- Fangruida классический высказывание.

  

Где это реальность существования, реальность всего этого является то, что нет никакой реальной существование и реальность не существует, так как нелепо .------- (Fangruida известный классический)

  

Бог создал мир, Бог создал мир также.

  

Только люди действительно войти в Царствие Небесное, чтобы по-настоящему понять красоту рая.

  

Желания и жадность, человеческое общество, чтобы пересечь естественную разрыва от животного; мудрость и труд - богатство, огромный искусственный мост, чтобы пересечь из животного рационального человеческого общества.

  

Причина и истина вечна соединение, напротив, связан безумие и ложь, не дожидаясь окончательного Astray сбой.

  

Всемирный Вьентьян, все в спешке приходить и уходить, но некоторые кончиной, но вы по-прежнему можете выяснить объезд обратно; некоторые люди не уходят, душа уже мертвого ..... каждый может флирта, история даст замечательное разнообразие родео арене.

  

Цветы Rose Garden, что мир слишком яркий, он был наивным и детским ;. То, что мир Heilongtan темно, это грустно и некомпетентность мире является реальностью, но и немного романтичным и сентиментальным .--- - партия Инвестор классический высказывание.

  

Незрелые и пессимизм не можете создать мир, только мужество и силу в мир инноваций.

  

Полярный наиболее редкие микроэлементы места планеты, где есть очень красивые виды, расположенные; экстремальный и экстремальный человеческий разум и человеческие порывы и наиболее опасные районы, где потребность в человеческий разум и мудрость для того, чтобы подавить или ограничением.

  

Естественные враги человеческого разума является невежество, мудрость естественным врагом мировым крайняя к разрушению.

  

Там нет конкуренции в мире, и это будет как боевых, как человеческое сердце перестает биться пульс; мир без компромисса и одни и те же печень, сердце будет как пять тел, разделенных постепенно разрушить и разрушение.

  

Борьба это шахматная доска и убивая навыки бить своего противника в первую очередь необходимо преодолеть близоруким и безумие.

  

Вит является ключом к рациональному силы мужества.

  

Царство Небесное человеческая природа на небо.

  

Естественная история является вся природа, вся человеческая история человеческая природа и характер своей природе и инстинкт полностью изменить и трансформация.

  

Богатство и мудрость, безусловно, не в два раза брат-близнец.

  

Человек общество и мир природы никогда не будет таким же, как чистый кристалл, более или менее всех видов примесей и грязи, чтобы убирать человек нуждается шаг за шагом и удалены.

  

Люди не нужно паниковать необоснованное конец света, как очень явная потребность осмыслить самую основную один когнитивный справедливость: пришел рано, если апокалиптический, только что свет жизненной мудрости слишком тусклым.

  

Рай или предназначены причудливые мечта небес на этапе земной за шагом действительно лучше начать борьбу, чтобы создать мир из ада.

  

Бесконечной вселенной всегда очагом небольшой человеческой жизни Земли.

  

Социологи человек как социальной структуры человечества, человека биологи, помещенные под Старший млекопитающих приматов, философы поставить его на более широком среды обитания и идентификации и интерпретации социальной реальности.

  

Мировые красочные цветы Tuyan, но это не значит, весь мир, чтобы неорганизованной, хаотическом беспорядке. Мир и Вселенная не хаосу Jiuxing полета, инь и ян дисбаланс; мир и Вселенная через саморегулирования, самоуправления соответствии с его мотивировочной, хаоса и постепенно создать новый домен.

  

Просто победить и доминировать в мире, чисто зверь игру естественного животного; построить мировую небо, может быть полностью освобождена от зверя игре.

  

Природный человек животное не ужасно, ужасно является его бесконечные разрастание и расширение позволит создать в погибель, так что рациональный выродилась зла, пусть мудрость, чтобы уничтожить скучно. (Fangruida известный классический)

  

История мира не может с лепестками сплетены красивый венок, вся история мира человеческой истории на самом деле использовать компиляцию из плоти и крови и пота из прокрутки живописи, изображающие известных классических .----- Fangruida

  

Большой природа, большой вселенной, на самом деле это мать всех человеческих существ и жизни.

  

Многочисленные последовательности человеческой истории, всегда естественным и безжалостно представлены или представлены. Перенос офсайда и только Основной род положительной последовательности появляется, мятежный или вывих будет заменен с такой превратилась в истории ударов и неудач. Другими словами, естественная история человечества только положительный, то не будет уменьшаться или наоборот. разница с этим является естественным развитием последовательности вселенной, прямого и обратного часто обмен.

  

Анатомия всего человеческого общества, то есть анатомическое строение человеческого тела и всей природы тесно связано с ним в этом мире и взаимозависимости социальных групп и индивидуальной структуры конфигурации.

  

Если мы говорим, что Вселенная рухнет аварий, то есть, в этом первом человеческом обществе и распада самоуничтожения. Реальная опасность не в том, что опасностей и хищников, но в человеческих обществах и их собственные недостатки и крупных ошибок, и я не

The Four Seasons Hotel, New York

57 East 57th Street

New York, New York, U.S.A. 10022

 

The 54-story Four Seasons setback massing on its narrow through-block site is finely proportioned and highlighted with handsome lanterns.

 

The building critic Carter Horsley states at night, the lanterns are extremely effective and give the illusion of a rocket adjusting its small thrusters as it soars aloft.

---------------------

In 1987 William Zeckendorf Jr. assembled land on 57th Street between Park and Madison Avenue, consisting of four empty 5-floor buildings on the north side of 57th and an adjoining 58th Street site. Zeckendorf determined the best use for the site was a luxury hotel and began discussions with hotel operators.

 

One of the parcels at 50 East 58th - is the site of the former 200-room Blackstone Hotel and its restaurant Lottie's Dogwood Room.

 

Zeckendorf sought I.M. Pei (whose firm designed the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center) to design the luxury hotel. Zeckendorf Jr's father William Zeckendorf Sr. provided Pei with his first design job in 1946.

 

During the same time Harunori Takahashi, who some called the king of resort development projects in the South Pacific, admired Robert H Burns the founder of Regent Hotels International (a Hong Kong hotel company owned by an American!). Burns' first globally recognized luxury hotel, The Regent Hong Kong, opened in 1980. (It is an InterContinental now and not quite its former self).

 

Takahashi had just bought from Robert Burn's company the The Regent Sydney and was looking for more hotels to buy through the company he controlled - EIE International Corp. (Electronic & International Enterprises got its start in the 1940s importing from the US magnetic disc tapes). Takahashi also bought 30% of Regent Hotels from Robert Burns who retained 65%. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation owns 5 percent.

 

Burns knew William Zeckendorf Jr. and he knew Takahashi wanted to own an extraordinary hotel in New York City. The concept of a tall limestone luxury hotel on the 25,000 square foot lot was ready to move forward.

 

The hotel was announced in January 1989. It was expected to be the grandest hotel built in New York since the Waldorf=Astoria. The original plan was for 400 rooms and a main tower of 46-stories. A consortium of six Japanese banks led by Long-Term Credit Bank (LTCB) secured construction financing. The hotel was named Regent New York Hotel and to be managed by Regent International Hotels of Hong Kong. William Zeckendorf, Jr. acted as development consultant. Architects were I.M. Pei and Frank Williams, and Tishman Construction was the construction manager. (Frank Williams designed the 55-story W hotel in Times Square)

 

The interiors were to be designed by John F. Saladino, who was replaced by Hong Kong based Chhada, Siembieda & Associates, which was founded by Chandu Chhada and Don Siembieda in 1980.

 

Total costs for the 372-room project were estimated at $370 million - a million per room. By completion time the cost had swelled to $477 million, or $1.3 million a room.

 

A contemporary-modern approach was taken for the Regent, not a classical motif. The hotel's 52-story tower required a series of cascading set backs to comply with strict zoning requirements. Custom designed 12-foot decorative lanterns grace the upper levels. Honey-colored French Mangy limestone from France clad the facade.

 

The standard guest rooms are 610 sq ft with 10'4" ceilings. Fiddleback English Sycamore was used for all cabinetwork, doors and furniture.

 

Robert Burns was a stickler for detail especially on how to build a bathroom. Burns is quoted saying "I just feel that nobody should sit in a tub where somebody stood." The Regent New York baths are built with a glass enclosed shower stall and separate soaking tub.

 

Just after the hotel's topping off event in 1990 the Japanese real estate market imploded. EIE and Regent Hotels was forced to sell the Regent hotel chain and hotels under development at that time were in New York City, Bali, Milan, and Istanbul - all were subsequently opened as Four Seasons.

 

One of the major figures during Japan's bubble economy years was EIE's Harunori Takahashi, who bought up Hyatt and Regent hotels with $6 billion borrowed from the credit unions that were run by his friends. He was also president of a credit union which lent his own businesses over $1.26 billion. Takahashi died in 2005 a convicted felon.

 

The opening of the Regent New York closely coincided with the chains loss of the Mayfair Regent, which was a Regent hotel from 1978 to 1991. That affiliation ended when Heitman Financial of Chicago, a longtime Mayfair owner, took on a new partner, Cogeta Hotels of Italy and rebranded the hotel to the Mayfair Baglioni.

 

In March 1992 Four Seasons Hotels Inc. paid $102 million for the Regent International Hotels group, providing the North American hotel operator an Asian foothold. Ownership of the under-construction Regent remained with Japan's Long-Term Credit Bank (LTCB).

 

LTCB, later renamed Shinsei, epitomized Japan’s banking problems. It is a story of greed, corruption and at time madness. LTCB was once the world’s 9th biggest bank. It collapsed in 1998 with $50 billion of bad loans.

 

The opening general manager was Wilfried N. Wagner.

 

According to the NY Times in August 1996 The Four Seasons Hotel was sold to a group of Hong Kong investors led by the Lai Sun Group (which also bought the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif., in February 1996). The seller was the Japanese bank LTCB. The sale price was estimated between $190 million, well below the $450 million it cost to build. Four Seasons Hotels Ltd. of Toronto, with a minority interest in the hotel, continued to operate it.

 

In February 1999 57 BB Property LLC (BB stands for Beanie Babies) otherwise known as Ty Warner acquired the Four Seasons Hotel from Lai Sun Group for $275 million or $743,243 per room.

 

The Michelin star restaurant L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon took its place in the hotel lobby.

 

With renowned restaurants in Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas, Joël Robuchon focuses on the highest-quality ingredients, prepared with precision and creativity. With just 20 seats at the pearwood counter – considered the most desirable, with their view of the kitchen – and only 26 more at individual tables, L’Atelier offers an atmosphere that is both intimate and dynamic.

 

Covering the entire top floor of the Hotel, the nine-room Ty Warner Penthouse, accessed by its own private elevator, is reported to be the most expensive hotel suite in the U.S. at $35,000 per night.

 

Ty Warner, collaborated with designer Peter Marino and architect I.M. Pei, who came out of retirement to design the 4,300 square foot suite - which creates the sense of living within a multilayered work of art. Amenities include TVs programmed for every channel worldwide, unlimited global telephone calling, a personal butler, a personal trainer/therapist, and a chauffeured Rolls Royce Phantom.

 

Warner has diversified beyond toys with significant investments in hotels, property and golf courses. Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts include the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, the Sandpiper golf course, the Four Seasons Resort in Santa Barbara, California, the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, the Kona Village resort in Hawaii purchased in July 2004, the Montecito Country Club and the Las Ventanas al Paraiso Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico which was acquired in September 2004. In 2005, Warner also bought the beachfront Miramar resort and Rancho San Marcos golf course.

 

In 2009 Ty Warner held discussions of a sale of the 368-room luxury hotel. He is holding firm on pricing expectations of $644,000.000 million or a whopping $1,750.000 per room - according to Real Estate Alert.

 

The property's occupancy rate averaged 58% in the 12 months ending June 30, 2009 down from 72% in calendar year 2008, according to Realpoint. The average room rate dipped slightly, to $1,086 from $1,112, but revenue per available room fell to $635 from $798.

 

The Four Seasons Hotel New York is not heavily leveraged. The property has $185.6 million of mortgage debt - well below the price being sought by Warner.

Copyright 2013 BOTHAM | DESIGN

www.bothamdesign.com

All Rights Reserved

Prints available upon request

  

Sony A65V; SAL1118

f/7.1, 1/400s, ISO 100, 11mm

Some background:

The Nakajima A6M2-N (Navy Type 2 Interceptor/Fighter-Bomber) was a single-crew floatplane. The Allied reporting name for the aircraft was 'Rufe'.

 

The A6M2-N floatplane was developed mainly to support amphibious operations and defend remote bases. It was based on the Mitsubishi A6M-2 Model 11 fuselage, with a modified tail and added floats. Despite the large central float and wing pontoons, the A6M2-N was aerodynamically a very clean aircraft: compared with its land-based A6M2 cousin, its performance degraded only by about 20%, and for a contemporary single engine floatplane its performance was outstanding.

 

The aircraft was deployed in 1942, referred to as the "Suisen 2" ("Hydro fighter type 2"), and intended for interceptor, fighter-bomber, and short reconnaissance support for amphibious landings, among other uses. However, when confronted with the first generation of Allied fighters, the A6M2-N was no match in aerial combat and rather employed in supportive roles.

 

Effectively, the A6M2-N was mostly utilized in defensive actions in the Aleutians and Solomon Islands operations. They were used with good efficiency against Allied positions: marking patrol elements, aiding warship guns, engaging convoys, and reconnoitering areas over-the-horizon.

The A6M2-Ns were also effective in harassing American PT boats at night, and they could drop flares to illuminate the PTs which were vulnerable to destroyer gunfire, and depended on cover of darkness. However, when Allied fighter coverage became more numerous and effective, the value of the A6M2-N dwindled and losses began to naturally mount.

 

In the Aleutian Campaign this fighter engaged with RCAF Curtiss P-40, Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, but the A6M2-N inventory suffered a severe setback when, on August 7th, 1942, a seaplane base was destroyed by Allied fighter-bombers, taking with it most of the available A6M2-Ns stationed there.

 

The seaplane also served in defense of fueling depots in Balikpapan and Avon Bases (Dutch East Indies) and reinforced the Shumushu base (North Kuriles) in the same period.

Beyond their use from dispersed and improvised bases, A6M2-N fighters also served aboard seaplane carriers Kamikawa Maru in the Solomons and Kuriles areas and aboard Japanese raiders Hokoku Maru and Aikoku Maru in Indian Ocean raids.

Later in the conflict the Otsu Air Group utilized the A6M2-N as an interceptor alongside Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu ('Rex') aircraft based in Biwa lake in the Honshū area, defending the Japanese home land against Allied raids.

 

A total of 327 were built, including the original prototype, before being halted in September 1943.

The last A6M2-N in military service was a single example recovered by the French forces in Indochina after the end of World War II. It crashed shortly after being overhauled, though.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1 (Pilot)

Length: 10.10 m (33ft 1⅝ in)

Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4⅜ in)

Height: 4.30 m (14ft 1⅜ in)

Wing area: 22.44 m² (251.4 sq ft)

Empty weight: 1,912 kg (4,235 lb)

Loaded weight: 2,460 kg (5,423 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 2,880 kg (6,349 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Nakajima NK1C Sakae 12 air cooled 14 cylinder radial engine,

delivering 950 hp (709 kW) at 4,200 m (13,800 ft)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 436 km/h (235 knots, 270.5 mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

Cruise speed: 296 km/h (160 knots, 184 mph)

Range: 1,782 km (963 nmi, 1,107 mi)

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)

Climb rate: 6 min 43 s to 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

 

Armament:

2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns in forward fuselage

2 ×20 mm Type 99 cannons in outer wings

Underwing hardpoints for 2× 60 kg (132 lb) bombs

  

The kit and its assembly:

This is a real world model, despite the weird looks (see below), and an entry for the Arawasi blog's "Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 005 - Japanese Seaplanes & Flying Boats" contest in summer 2017. Even though whifs were allowed to enter, I used the opportunity to build a kit I had originally bought for a few bucks and stashed away in the donor bank: a vintage LS Model Nakajima A6M2-N.

 

The mould dates back to 1963(!), and the kit was re-issued several times, also under the ARII label. You get a tiny box, with only two sprues moulded in a pale baby blue, and the number of parts is minimal. It's truly vintage and pretty toylike at first sight. Consequently, you have to face some real old-school issues, e. g. moulded markings for the roundels on the wings, general mediocre fit of anything and lots of sinkholes and flash. Then there are toylike solutions like the single-piece propeller or separate, moveable ailerons with bulging joints.

 

The cockpit interior is non-existent, too: there's just a blank place for a dashboard (to be cut out from the printed BW instructions!), and a spindly pilot figure which is held in mid air by some pins. Furthermore, the kit was designed to take a small electric motor in the nose (sold separately) to drive the propeller. Wires, as well as respective internal ducts, and an AA battery holder are included.

 

Sounds scary? Well, maybe, if you just build it OOB. But all these flaws should not keep the ambitious modeler away because the LS Model kit is (still) a sound basis to start from, even though and by today's standards, it is certainly not a match-winner for a rivet counter-esque competition.

 

For its age and the typical solutions of its time, it is actually surprisingly good: you get very fine engraved surface details (more delicate than many contemporary moulds!), a pretty thin, three-piece clear (yet blurry) canopy and, as a bonus to the elevons, separate flaps – a unique detail I have never come across before! Proportions are IMHO good, even though the cowling looks a bit fishy and the engravings are rather soft and shallow. Anyway, on the exterior, there’s anything you can ask for to be found, and as another bonus the kit comes with a beaching trolley, which makes display and diorama fitting easier.

 

Thanks to the kit's simplicity, the build in itself was pretty straightforward and simple. Cleaning the parts and checking fit was the biggest issue. Upon gluing the old styrene showed signs of serious reaction to the dissolving effect of modern glue: it took ages for the material to cure and become hard again for further work!? Weird…

 

The many sinkholes and overall displacements were corrected with some NC putty/PSR, the protruding elevon/flap joints sanded away as good as possible, and due to the wobbly nature of the kit’s styrene I added blobs of 2C putty inside of the wing halves as stabilizers.

 

Some mods and improvements were made, though. After cleaning the OOB propeller from tons of flash the piece turned out to be pretty usable, and it was put on a metal axis. A styrene tube adapter was added behind the relatively flat engine dummy, so that the prop can spin freely – for the later beauty pics, because no CG effect beats IMHO the real thing.

 

A cockpit interior was created from scratch and donor parts, using the new Airfix A6M model's cockpit as benchmark. It’s not an exact replica, because not much would later be visible, but I wanted, as a minimum, “something” inside. A better pilot figure was used, too, and strapped to the new seat with thin strips of adhesive masking tape as seatbelts.

 

Under the wings, the hardpoints were simulated with some bits of styrene and wire as shackles, but left empty Under the stabilizer fin I added a lug(?), made from thin wire, too.

 

The elevons were fixed in place, the seams to the wings filled with white glue in order to conceal the gaps as good as possible. The movable flaps remained, though, adding life to the model. The dolly was also taken more or less OOB, since it fits well. I just improved it with some sinkhole fillings and some other details, including cushions on the float stabilizers, made from paper tissue soaked with thinned white glue, and a towing bar.

  

Painting and markings:

The reason why I settled for an A6M2-N is mostly the weird paint scheme which can be applied, while still being a real world model: a lilac livery!

 

As far as I could find out, the A6M2-Ns initially carried an all-over IJN Grey livery, which was later, in late 1942, modified with dark green upper sides for a better concealment on the ground, and the Hinomaru received white edges for better contrast.

Anyway, during the Aleutian campaign and more or less in between these two major standards, several aircraft must have received a special camouflage with lilac upper surfaces, and this model depicts such a machine, based on various profiles but no color picture as reliable reference.

 

The sources I consulted, as well as pictures of finished A6M2-N models, show a wide variety of shades and paint scheme layouts, though. Upper colors range from pale pink through more or less bright shades of purple to a pale, rusty-reddish brown (maybe primer?), while the undersides show a wide range of greys or even light blue. Some depictions of Aleutian A6M2-Ns as profile or model even show a uniform wraparound scheme! Choice is yours, obviously...

 

Because of the corny information basis, I did my personal interpretation of the subject. I based my livery more or less on a profile by Michele Marsan, published in Aerei Modelismo Anno XII (March 1991). The unit information was taken from there, too – the only source that would provide such a reference.

 

My idea behind the livery and the eventual finish was that the machine once was fully painted in IJN Grey. Then, the violet upper color was added in the field (for whatever reason?), resulting in a slightly shaggy look and with the light grey shining through here and there in areas of higher wear, e. g. at the leading edges, cockpit area and some seams.

 

Painting started with an initial coat of aluminum under the floats, around the cockpit and on the leading edges. Then the undersides and some areas of the upper surfaces were painted with IJN grey. The latter is an individual mix of Humbrol 90 (Beige Green/RAF Sky) and a bit of 155 (Olive Drab, FS 34087). On top of that I added a thin primer layer of mauve (mix of ModelMaster’s Napoleonic Violet and Neutral Grey, Humbrol 176) on the still vacant upper surfaces – both as a preparation for the later weathering treatments (see below).

 

The following, basic lilac tone comes from Humbrol’s long-gone "Authentics" enamel line. The tin is probably 30 years old, but the content is still alive (and still has a distinctive, sour stench…)! I cannot identify the tone anymore with certainty, but I guess that it is 'HJ 4: Mauve N 9', one of the line’s Japanese WWII tones which was later not carried over to the standard tones, still available today.

 

Anyway, the color is a dull, rather greyish violet, relatively dark (a bit like RAF Ocean Grey), and it fits well as a camouflage tone on this specific model. Since there’s no better alternative I could think of except for an individual mix or garish, off-the-rack pop art tones, I went with it.

 

After overall basic painting was done and thoroughly cured, weathering started with a careful wet sand paper treatment, removing the salt grain masks and revealing some of the lower IJN Grey and aluminum layers. While this appears messy, I found that the result looks more realistic than artificial weathering applied as paint effects on top of the basic paint.

 

The engine cowling was painted separately, with a mix of black and a little dark blue. The propeller received an aluminum spinner (Humbrol’s Matt Aluminum Metallizer), while the blades received aluminum front sides (Revell acrylics), and red brown (Humbrol 160) back sides. Two thin, red stripes decorate the propeller tips (Decals, left over from an AZ Model Ki-78, IIRC).

 

As a standard procedure, the kit received a light wash with thinned black ink, revealing the engraved panel lines, plus some post-shading in order to emphasize panels and add visual contrast and ‘drama’.

 

Decals and markings were improvised and come from the spares box, since I did not trust the vintage OOB decals - even though they are in so far nice that the sheet contains any major marking as well as a full set of letter so that an individual tail code could be created. Anyway, the model's real world benchmark did not carry any numeric or letter code, just Hinomaru in standard positions and a horizontal, white-and-red stripe on the fin.

 

The roundels actually belong to a JSDAF F-4EJ, some stencils come from a leftover Hobby Boss A6M sheet. The fin decoration was created with generic decal sheet material (TL Modellbau). Similar stuff was also used for the markings on the central float, as well as for the yellow ID markings on the inner wings' leading edges. I am just not certain whether the real aircraft carried them at all? But they were introduced with the new green upper surfaces in late 1942, so that they appear at least plausible. Another argument in this marking‘s favor is that it simply adds even more color to the model!

 

The cockpit interior was painted in a light khaki tone (a mix of Humbrol 159 and 94), while the flaps' interior was painted with Aodake Iro (an individual mix of acrylic aluminum and translucent teal paint). Lacking good reference material, the beaching trolley became IJA Green, with some good weathering with dry-brushed silver on the edges and traces of rust here and there (the latter created with artist acrylics.

 

Close to the (literal) finish line, some soot and oil stains were added with graphite and Tamiya's 'Smoke', and the kit finally received a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri); to the varnish on the engine cover a bit of gloss varnish was added, for a sheen finish.

  

In the end, quite a challenging build. Not a winner, but …different. Concerning the LS Model kit as such, I must say that - despite its age of more than 50 years now - the A6M2-N model is still a worthwhile offer, if you invest some effort. Sure, there are certainly better 1:72 options available (e. g. the Hasegawa kit, its mould was created in 1995 and should be light years ahead concerning detail and fit. Not certain about the Revell/Frog and Jo-Han alternatives, though), but tackling this simple, vintage kit was fun in itself. And, based on what you get out of the little box, the result is not bad at all!

 

Beyond the technical aspects, I am also pleased with the visual result of the build. At first glance, this antiquity looks pretty convincing. And the disputable, strange lilac tone really makes this A6M2-N model …outstanding. Even though I still wonder what might have been the rationale behind this tone? The only thing I could imagine is a dedicated scheme for missions at dusk/dawn, similar to the pink RAF recce Spitfires in early WWII? It would be plausible, though, since the A6M2-Ns were tasked with nocturnal reconnoitre and ground attack missions.

Our plan, to drive from Mefjordbotn to Mefjord Brygge, suffered a small setback when the road was closed and we instead had to circumnavigate Senja (via Sorli). We were rewarded with some beautiful scenery.

A closer look at the major block shows a wide range of subtle setbacks. A new method for me in this design is the use of studs-up plates which adhere to the one-plate offset of the vertical grill tiles throughout the model. It is probably for the better that I was forced to wait so long to make this model as this method utilizes every variation of 1x2 brackets, many of which reveal themselves on the exterior in small moments throughout the model.

Ten Park Avenue, 34th Street

Kinesis TK3 frameset, tapered carbon fork, clears 28mm tyres with mudguards / fenders.

 

Rubbed back and sprayed matte black and then splattered with artist's acrylic, matte Krylon clear to finish.

 

2x10 ultegra drivetrain, 48/34 compact, 11-28.

 

SKS Chromoplastic guards, matte blacked, fitted with Problem Solvers Sheldon nuts, brackets drilled out and riveted on the outside. Mudflaps added (HDPE)

 

Brisbane Outdoor Gear saddlebag / FSA SL220 setback post / Romin saddle

 

Topeak Master Blaster Road frame pump, painted to match

 

Cinelli Caleido tape

The top-seeded Army West Point Women’s Basketball team won its third Patriot League title with a 69-51 victory over No. 3 Loyola on Saturday evening at Christl Arena. Army secures the Patriot League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will make its third appearance in the dance, following trips in 2006 and 2014.

 

Army extends its winning streak to 19 games and improves to 29-2. The Black Knights’ 29 win tie the 2009-10 Lehigh squad for the most total wins in Patriot League history. Loyola finishes the year 16-16 after the setback.

 

Senior Kelsey Minato earned Patriot League Tournament MVP honors for the second time in her career after scoring 25 points and shooting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Classmate Aimee Oertner and sophomore Janae McNeal joined Minato on the league’s all-tournament team, as Oertner posted a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, to go along with four blocks, and McNeal totaled 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

 

Sophomore Destinee Morris netted eight points off the bench, while classmate Aliyah Murray and freshman Madison Hovren each contributed four points.

 

Diana Logan led Loyola with 15 points, while Colleen Marshall and Bri Betz-White also scored in double figures, with 12 points and 11 points, respectively.

 

Minato knocked in a three-pointer 2:28 into the contest to give Army a 5-2 advantage before sinking all three free-throws after being fouled on a long-range attempt with 5:03 to play in the first quarter. Her three foul shots made the score 10-4.

 

Oertner registered three blocks in the first 2:19 of the evening to limit Loyola’s offense early, as the Greyhounds were held to nine points in the opening frame.

 

McNeal converted lay-ups on consecutive possessions to cap a 9-0 Army run and extend the margin to 10 points, 14-4, with 3:41 remaining in the first period. The Black Knights went on to outscore the Greyhounds, 13-5, over the final 6:48 of the opening frame, as the hosts led, 20-9, at the end of one.

 

Logan scored the first seven points of the second quarter to begin a 9-0 run that brought Loyola back to within two, 20-18, with 6:45 left until halftime. Logan buried her second triple of the half to extend the scoring run to 12-0 and give the Greyhounds their first lead of the game, 21-20, with 6:12 remaining in the second period.

 

Army answered back with 10 straight points of its own, including three-pointers from Minato and Morris, to build the advantage to nine points, 30-21, by the 2:39 mark. Morris drained her second three-pointer of the quarter with 19 seconds remaining in the half to make the score 33-23 heading into the break.

 

The Black Knights maintained a 10-point advantage until building the lead to 14 after a pair of free-throws from Minato and a bucket from Oertner that came with 4:04 on the clock in the third quarter.

 

McNeal added lay-ins 22 seconds apart to build the hosts’ lead to 17, 47-30, before seven unanswered points from Loyola brought the Greyhounds back to within 10, 47-37, entering the fourth period.

 

Oertner netted four quick points to begin the fourth quarter and Minato hit a triple at the 7:59 mark to bring the score to 54-41. Loyola didn’t come any closer than 11 for the last 7:59 of the contest.

 

“This team has never ceased to amaze me this year,” said head coach Dave Magarity. “It’s mind blowing that we are 29-2 and the way we got here, the teams we beat and we thought we put together a pretty tough schedule with Albany, the conference champion in the America East, Quinnipiac won the MAAC regular season and they were huge wins for us and put us in position to get the one-seed as things worked out for us with the tiebreaker over a great Bucknell team.

 

“This group of young ladies has just accomplished so much with 99 wins over four years at this level is incredible and they just continue to do what it takes. You don’t want it to turn into a cliché with being a team of destiny, but we put together the right pieces. Janae McNeal and the junior class with Aliyah Murray and the Morris twins, as well, and I consider my coaching staff the best in America. It’s the best coaching staff I’ve ever had and I’ve had some pretty good coaches."

 

Story by Harrison Antognioni/Army Athletic Communications. Photos by Eric S. Bartelt/Pointer View and John Pellino/DPTMS VID

 

MARRABEL August 31

The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Loyal Marrabel Lodge Hall No 62, IOOF, Manchester Unity, was performed yesterday by the PGM of the Kapunda district, Brother G E Davis jun.

 

A large and representative gathering assembled. Brother Albert Stief called upon the Secretary (Brother G E Davis) to read the historical report of the lodge. The latter dealt extensively with the progress of it since its formation on September 1, 1864. Of the 13 foundation members, only one survives—Brother James Howlett—who was present at the ceremony.

 

The late PPGM Brother Joseph Downing, one of the recent directors of the order in South Australia, together with the late Brother Augustus Stief and Brother W Polkinghorne, assisted in forming the first committee, and initiated the 13 foundation members. During the 17 years of the lodge many difficulties and setbacks have occurred, but were surmounted with the aid of good officers, particularly the late secretary (Brother W. Polkinghorne), who filled that position for 39 years continuously, and the late Brother A Stief, who was always a ready and willing worker.

 

Mr S March presented Brother G E Davis with a trowel on behalf of the members of the Loyal Marrabel Lodge. PGM Brother G E Davis thanked the brethren for the honour conferred upon him and for their presentation. He congratulated the trustees on their management of affairs, which had led up to the erection of such a fine hall, and remarked that Mr W Cairns, of Riverton, was the architect, and Mr S March, of Kapunda, the contractor. He expressed the opinion that the hall would be a credit to them, an ornament to the town, and a monument to the Order of Oddfellows in South Australia. Mr Davis proceeded with the ceremony of laying the stone, and deposited documents, a daily paper, and some coins of the realm thereunder. He declared the stone well and truly laid.

 

Brothers J J Helleur, J T Matthews, J Windebank, and others congratulated the lodge on its progressive state…invited the assembly to adjourn to the hotel, where the toast, "Success to the hall” was honoured. [Ref: Observer Saturday 9-9-1911]

 

MARRABEL April 4

The Marrabel Oddfellows’ Hall was opened yesterday. The weather was fine, and residents and visitors from neighbouring towns assembled in strong force to participate in the celebrations.

A long programme was conducted to a successful issue. A procession of more than 100 Oddfellows marched from the old lodgeroom to the new hall. PPGM Brother A E Stief presided, and handed to Grand Master Brother F A Holmes, who performed the opening ceremony, a silver presentation key.

 

Grand Master Brother F A Holmes congratulated the Marrabel Lodge on its financial position, which enabled it to build such a fine hall.

 

PGM Brother G E Davis jun (Secretary) in presenting the report, stated that sick pay to the amount of £1,791: death benefits £960: surgeons' fees £2,250: and management expense, £1,518 had been paid out since the inauguration of the lodge. Thus through the agency of the Marrabel branch a total of £6,519 had been distributed.

The hall was erected and furnished at a cost of £1,700 and was opened free of debt.

 

A banquet was tendered to visiting Oddfellows, and various toasts were honoured

The public were entertained with various musical items in the main hall while the banquet was in progress in the lodgeroom.

In the evening the Olympic Star Picture Company showed to a packed house.

A ball terminated the proceedings. Brother H Traeger made an efficient MC. [Ref: Register Monday 8-4-1912]

 

*April 29 The Marrabel Quadrille Class

The Marrabel Quadrille Class opened their 1912 season on Saturday night with a very successful dance held in the Oddfellows' Hall. There were 29 couples present. Mr H C Traeger officiated as MC very efficiently, and Mr W Disher supplied the music. [Ref: Daily Herald 1-5-1912]

 

*Marrabel March 19

The Ceremony of opening the new bridge over the River Light was held this afternoon. The bridge, just completed, overcomes the previous frequent impassabilitv of the river, but the southern embankment is considered to have been limited a little in its construction.

 

Mr Young said that in the construction of this bridge a most awkward thing had to be considered, and that was the turn of the river just below the bridge. This turn had the effect of sending flood waters out across the road at one end of the bridge embankment. This matter required watching, and if in time it grew to be anything serious, the department would remedy it, probably by building the road a few feet higher for the distance necessary to throw the water back along the course of the river.

 

He particularly wanted to thank Mr H Wurst for allowing the Department to take earth from his property for the earthworks at the bridge, which fact in itself was a considerable saving to the Department owing to its easy accessibility to the job. He had much pleasure in asking Mrs O'Brien to perform the opening ceremony, and name the bridge, which was done amid cheers from the people assembled.

 

The assemblage then adjourned to the Oddfellows’ hall, where the function was continued in the form of a banquet. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 27-3-1914]

 

*The residents of Marrabel and the surrounding districts made a splendid response on Australia Day. The efforts of the general committee met with great success and exceeded all expectations. A thorough canvass of the district was made by a collecting committee, and more than £300 was collected previous to Australia Day. Friday's proceedings began with a combined procession of Marrabel, Hamilton, and Friedrichswalde school children, who marched from the Oddfellows' Hall to the public school, where they saluted the Union Jack.

 

A programme of sports was then carried out, old and young joining in, the festivities.

A public tea followed in the banqueting room of the hall and was well patronised. A social was held in the main hall in the evening.

 

A sale of the goods presented to the funds realized a substantial sum. A Commonwealth flag was sold on the Bugler system, and materially added to the funds.

The proceeds totalled £376, which is considered highly satisfactory for a small community. [Ref: Register 5-8-1915]

 

*A farewell social was tendered to Sgt Lloyd, and Privates C C Rowett and J Wilson in the Marrabel Oddfellows' Hall, on Saturday evening: Mr G E Davis ju., presided over a large gathering. A number of toasts were honoured. A wristlet watch was presented by Mr Kitchen to each of the soldiers. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 28-4-1916]

 

*On Wednesday evening, the 20th inst a public welcome was given in the Oddfellows' Hall to Pte J W Hildebrandt, who has returned from the front after nearly three years of active service abroad. The returned soldier was met at the Riverton station by his father (Mr August Hildebrandt), and sisters and brothers.

Pte Hildebrandt was one of the first men from this district to offer his services, and is the first to return. He has fought at Gallipoli, Egypt, and has been in the thick of the fighting in France, where he received a bullet wound in the knee, which put him out of action.

 

Pte Hildebrandt was welcomed home by Messrs F P Kitchen and W A Duncan, and was presented with a purse of money (24 guineas) by Mr A E Stief from the residents of Marrabel and district. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 1-3-1918]

 

*The first of a series of dances promoted by the Cheer Up Society was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening of last week. There was a large gathering present. Admission was by gift of not less than 2/6 in value for trench comforts, and resulted in sufficient goods being collected to pack 16 7-lb parcels to the boys at the front, containing cakes, cigarettes, sweets, &c, and two large boxes of cake have been forwarded to the Cheer-Up Hut.

The supper was provided by the ladies. It is the intention of the society to hold dances once a month during the winter. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 10-5-1918]

 

*January 28

A large gathering assembled at the Oddfellow’ Hall on Monday evening when a farewell social was tendered the Rev Father Maher, who is being transferred to Gawler after a residence here extending over sixteen years.

 

Mr W A Duncan presided, Dr R McM Glynn, of Riverton, presented Father Maher with a purse of money from the residents of the district, also Miss Glynn (Father Maher’s housekeeper) with a Morris chair, and Mr Jack Little, who is in Father Maher's employ, with an envelope containing money. [Ref: Kapunda Herald 31-1-1919]

 

* November 1 — A welcome home social was tendered to Sister Amy Dorrington and Cpl Ben and Pte Leonard Girke, in the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening. There was a large gathering.

 

A guard of honour was formed by the school children, and the guests were welcomed home in an eloquent address by Mr F P Kitchen. Mr J G Wurst (Chairman of the Hamilton District Council) presented the returned sister and soldiers with a framed certificate from the District Council of Hamilton. The Rev Allen Webb, of Riverton, presented Sister Dorrington with a gold wristlet watch from her Marrabel friends. Sister Dorrington and Cpl and Pte Girke responded. [Ref: Register 4-11-1919]

 

* November 16

The English brides of Cpl Ben Girke and Pte Cecil Rowett were welcomed in the Oddfellows Hall last Tuesday afternoon by the residents of Marrabel and district.

 

A guard of honour was formed by the ladies, and the "Wedding march" and the National Anthem were played by Miss Rehder. The brides were greeted by the Rev Allan Webb, on behalf of the residents of the town and district. Afternoon tea was served in the main hall, and the tables were tastefully decorated. Wine and a wedding cake were presented by Mrs. Thomas Marlow. The toasts were proposed by Mr Webb, who was supported by Mr Robert Gill.

The bridegrooms, Cpl Girke and Pte Rowett responded for the brides, and Messrs J D Rowett and E Girke, senrs thanked the gathering for the cordial welcome tendered to their sons and wives. [Ref: Observer 29-11-1919]

 

*On Saturday last, in the presence of one of the largest crowds ever seen in Marrabel, the Soldiers' Memorial was unveiled by the "Soldiers Chum ", Mr Sammy Lunn, M.B.E.

 

In 1920 the Hamilton District Council appointed a committee, with Mr J G Wurst as chairman, and the district clerk (Mr A J Stief) as secretary, who raised money to purchase a block of ground adjoining the Marrabel Hall.

The work of erecting the monument was entrusted to Mr R W Tillett and he carried it out with great skill.

The Hon W Hannaford was proud and pleased to be present to honour the memory of the brave lads who fell fighting for King and Empire.

He was also proud of the nurses who had left Australia, and particularly two nurses, who held the highest distinction it was possible to attain. One of these, born and educated at Marrabel, Miss Louise Collis Dorrington, besides being awarded a number of French, Serbian, and American decorations, was lately awarded the diploma and medal of the Legion of Honour. [Ref: Advertiser 9-3-1922]

 

*April 2 The annual Roman Catholic picnic and sports were held in Mr Campion's paddock in fine weather today. The large attendance from all the surrounding districts was evidence of the popularity of the fixture.

Kapunda, Saddleworth, Riverton, Manoora, Auburn, Eudunda, and Robertstown sent their quotas, the result being a record attendance of approximately 1,090.

A grand ball and supper was given in the Oddfellows' Hall in the evening. [Ref: Observer 14-4-1923]

   

Maker: Joseph John Elliott (1835 – 1903) and Clarence Edmund Fry (1840 – 1897).

Born: UK

Active: UK

Medium: albumen print CDV

Size: 3 7/8 in x 2 1/2 in

Location:

 

Object No. 2016.769

Shelf: E-20-E

 

Publication:

 

Other Collections:

 

Notes: JOHN EVERETT MILLAIS (1829 - 1896). “English painter and book illustrator. A child prodigy who was hard-working as well as naturally gifted, he became the youngest ever student at the Royal Academy Schools when he was 11, and although he suffered some temporary setbacks in his twenties, his career was essentially one of the great Victorian success stories. In 1848, with Rossetti and Holman Hunt, he founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and had his share of the abuse heaped against the members until Ruskin stepped in as their champion.” (source: The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists)

 

Elliott & Fry was a Victorian photography studio founded in 1863 by Joseph John Elliott (14 October 1835 – 30 March 1903) and Clarence Edmund Fry (1840 – 12 April 1897). For a century the firm's core business was taking and publishing photographs of the Victorian public and social, artistic, scientific and political luminaries. In the 1880s the company operated three studios and four large storage facilities for negatives, with a printing works at Barnet. The firm's first address was 55 & 56 Baker Street in London, premises they occupied until 1919. The studio employed a number of photographers, including Francis Henry Hart and Alfred James Philpott in the Edwardian era, Herbert Lambert and Walter Benington in the 1920s and 1930s and subsequently William Flowers. During World War II the studio was bombed and most of the early negatives were lost, the National Portrait Gallery holding all the surviving negatives. With the firm's centenary in 1963 it was taken over by Bassano & Vandyk.

 

To view our archive organized by themes and subjects, visit: OUR COLLECTIONS

 

For information about reproducing this image, visit: THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHIVE

This is what I'm aiming for. I might have to manipulate a lug or two by a degree or two but I'll be able to get these angles.

 

Reach, saddle height and setback were determined at www.bikedynamics.co.uk sat on my Dolan and this position will put my hands feet and bottom in the same position as they are now. I know I'm comfortable doing big distances in this position so I have no problems building a bike to fit. To the uninitiated it looks any road bike like my Dolan but I've designed it to be different in subtle ways. Mainly because I'm curious to see if the differences are noticeable and see if I like them. I probably should change one thing at a time but hey. These are the things I "designed". Ooooh designer. (That reminds me I saw a designer tanning salon the other day. WTF. I'll have the Gok Wan please.)

 

Wheelbase. It's longer which I think may make it seem more stable front to back. I notice I occasionally feel like I'm pitched forward by bumps when I'm sat down. May be that will be less so with a longer wheelbase. I suppose longer could be slower to manoeuvre too.

 

Chainstays. These are 432mm which will allow heel room for carrying a pannier and may make the back a little springier or whippy, as in side to side whippy. It obviously contributes to the longer wheelbase too.

 

Front Centre. 595mm should give me toe clearance to make all trackstands and walking pace manoeuvres easier. I have got used to dodging my pedals but toe clearance is nice. Again this contributes to the longer wheelbase.

 

Low bottom bracket of 250mm or 90mm drop. Because I have stumpy legs I'm limited with the height of my top tube. For a traditional style bike with a horizontal toptube that limits the length of your head tube and forces you to have a big stack of spacers or a nice quill stem. I don't have a threaded steerer for a quill stem (I'd quite like one) so I'll be using spacers to lift the stem. Having the bottom bracket 20mm lower than is usual buys me 20mm of imaginary headtube, a bit more space in the frame for big bottles and a frame pump, and it lowers the centre of gravity which may improve handling. Wins all round with the only down side being pedal clearance. I'll be running shorter than average 165mm cranks for my stumpy legs so that will help, and I don't tend to pedal though hard corners either, so I don't think it will be a problem.

 

66mm of trail. I really want to see what a long trail bike is like. I have a feeling I might know but I don't know what 66mm feels like. It affects how floppy and light the steering is and how easy the bike is to turn at speed. My Dolan has 57mm and I like how it rides. Perhaps I shouldn't change it if I like it but I do want to try more trail. It's sort of connected with longer front centres and shorter reach since when you change one the other tends to go in that direction.

 

57mm drop brakes. I definitely want 57mm drop brakes. I think it's just daft that the common brake is anything less but sales are driven by racing and competition so I guess that's why. 57mm drop will allow me to get a 28mm tyre and mudguard on with enough room for a bit of mud to squeeze in there too. Ready for winter and all the cow crossing I have to negotiate. btw I've just noticed I drew 55mm when I did this earlier in the year, and when I chopped my fork blades today they ended up at 55mm too! even though I wanted 57mm. There's something subconcious going on there...

Frame :*CRUST BIKES* evasion lite frame

Rims :*VELOCITY* aileron rim

Stem :*THOMSON* elite X4

Handlebar :*NITTO* m137 dirt drop bar

Saddle :*SELLE ITALIA* flite 1990 saddle

Seat post:*THOMSON* elite setback

Seat Clamp :*THOMSON*

Bar Tape :*GREPP* gripper handlebar tape

To dream that you are walking up a flight of stairs indicate that you are achieving a higher level of understanding. You are making progress into your spiritual, emotional or material journey. The dream is also analogous to material and thoughts that are coming to the surface. To dream that you are walking down a flight of stairs represents your repressed thoughts. You are regressing back into your subconscious. It also refers to the setbacks that you are experiencing in your life. If you are afraid of going down the stairs, then it means that you are afraid to confront your repressed emotions and thoughts. Is there something from your past that you are not acknowledging?

To dream that you slip or trip on the stairs signify your lack of self confidence or conviction in the pursuit of some endeavor. If you slip going up the stairs, then it means that you are moving too fast toward attaining your goals. If you slip going down the stairs, then it suggests that you are moving too quickly in delving into your subconscious. You may not be quite ready to confront your subconscious or repressed thoughts.

To see spiral or winding stairs signify growth and/or rebirth. View Dream Bank: "Up The Staircase" Symbolically, a staircase often holds significant meaning. In dream analysis, staircases often suggest a journey. If one ascends the stairs that journey is probably positive, hopeful, or purposeful; however, if one descends the stairs that journey might be negative, confusing, or depressing. Moreover, the type of staircase is also important to its symbolic meaning. A traditional staircase is straightforward and suggests an uncomplicated route. Conversely, a spiral, twisted staircase may suggest mystery and disorientation. Lastly, staircases can also be looked at as a link. Literally, a staircase connects two floors. Figuratively, and more vaguely, a staircase is simply a passageway which can unite any two things, places, ideas, or states of being.Staircases are a frequently used symbol in art, specifically cinema. Narrative film has used the symbolic staircase from its birth, and some of the most famous film scenes are set around or on a set of stairs. Gone with the Wind, for example, captures an iconic movie moment on a staircase, when Rhett Butler restrains Scarlet O’Hara and carries her up Tara’s grand staircase. Alfred Hitchcock frequently used staircases in his films, Vertigo in particular, to build tension and add complication. More overtly, Robert Soidmak’s memorable The Spiral Staircase, starring Dorothy McGuire, is centered on a richly symbolic set of twisted stairs. Even contemporary films, like James Cameron’s Titanic, set significant cinematic moments on or around staircases to enhance a scene’s meaning with this widely used and easily usable symbol.The Rise of a Handsome young Lion to the heights of his Art, with stand-by before entrance. Just calling-back for answering from the king of materials world...

Peter Tabori and Ken Adie of Camden Architects' Department, built 1972-78. Reminiscent of the Alexandra Road estate, although these linear maisonettes and flats are built of concrete block and prefabricated panels. London Borough of Camden.

Well, I finally finished it. It took a while, but no big setbacks. Sure there are a few things I would change, but over all I like it. The roof come off and the back swings open so you can get in there, if you have really small hands, which I don’t, that made things difficult. It consists of an indoor work area, an indoor show room, and covered outdoor garage/chop shop. There are three hotrods, and parts for more. Any ideas are more than welcome, as I feel it is still a little...mundane.

Statue of General Sikorski, Portland Place, London

 

Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (20 May 1881 – 4 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader.

 

Prior to the First World War, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause of the independence of Poland from the Russian Empire. He fought with distinction in the Polish Legions during the First World War, and later in the newly created Polish Army during the Polish–Soviet War of 1919 to 1921. In that war he played a prominent role in the decisive Battle of Warsaw (1920). In the early years of the Second Polish Republic, Sikorski held government posts, including serving as Prime Minister (1922 to 1923) and as Minister of Military Affairs (1923 to 1924). Following Józef Piłsudski's May Coup of 1926 and the installation of the Sanacja government, he fell out of favor with the new régime.

 

During the Second World War, Sikorski became Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile, Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces, and a vigorous advocate of the Polish cause in the diplomatic sphere. He supported the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and the Soviet Union, which had been severed after the Soviet pact with Germany and the 1939 invasion of Poland — however, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin broke off Soviet-Polish diplomatic relations in April 1943 following Sikorski's request that the International Red Cross investigate the Katyń Forest massacre.

 

In July 1943, a plane carrying Sikorski plunged into the sea immediately after takeoff from Gibraltar, killing all on board except the pilot. The exact circumstances of Sikorski's death have been disputed and have given rise to a number of different theories surrounding the crash and his death. Sikorski had been the most prestigious leader of the Polish exiles, and his death was a severe setback for the Polish cause.

 

Sikorski was born in Tuszów Narodowy, Galicia, at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was the third child in his family; his father was Tomasz Sikorski, a school teacher; his mother was Emilia Habrowska. His grandfather, Tomasz Kopaszyna Sikorski, had fought and been wounded at the Battle of Olszynka Grochowska in the November Uprising, during which he received the Virtuti Militari medal.

 

Sikorski attended the gimnazjum in Rzeszów (now Konarski's High School in Rzeszów) from 1893 to 1897, then transferred for a year to a Rzeszów teachers' college. In 1899 he attended the Lwów Franciszek Józef Gymnasium, and in 1902 he passed his final high school exam there. Starting that year, young Sikorski studied engineering at the Lwów Polytechnic, specializing in road and bridge construction, and graduated in 1908 with a diploma in hydraulic engineering. In 1906 Sikorski volunteered for a year's service in the Austro-Hungarian army and attended the Austrian Military School, obtaining an officer's diploma and becoming an army reserve second lieutenant (podporucznik rezerwy). In 1909 he married Helena Zubczewska, whom he met while at the high school in Lwów. In 1912 they had a daughter, Zofia. After graduation he lived in Leżajsk and worked for the Galician administration's hydraulic engineering department, working on the regulation of the San river, and later was involved in private enterprises related to construction, real estate and petroleum trade.

 

During his studies at the Polytechnic, Sikorski became involved in the People's School Association (Towarzystwo Szkoły Ludowej), an organization dedicated to spreading literacy among the rural populace. Around 1904–1905 he was briefly involved with the endecja Association of the Polish Youth "Zet", and then drifted towards paramilitary socialist organizations related to the Polish Socialist Party, which was intent on securing Polish independence. He made contact with the socialist movement around 1905–1906 through the Union for the Resurrection of the Polish Nation (Związek Odrodzenia Narodu Polskiego). In 1908, in Lwów, Sikorski—together with Józef Piłsudski, Marian Kukiel, Walery Sławek, Kazimierz Sosnkowski, Witold Jodko-Narkiewicz and Henryk Minkiewicz—organized the secret Union for Active Struggle (Związek Walki Czynnej), with the aim of bringing about an uprising against the Russian Empire, one of Poland's three partitioners. In 1910, likewise in Lwów, Sikorski helped to organize a Riflemen's Association (the Związek Strzelecki), became the president of its Lwów chapter, and became responsible for the military arm within the Commission of Confederated Independence Parties (Komisja Skonfederowanych Stronnictwo Niepodległościowych, KSSN). Having a military education, he lectured other activists on military tactics.

 

Upon the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914, Sikorski was mobilized, but through KSSN influence he was allowed to participate in the organizing of the Polish military units, rather than being delegated to other duties by the Austro-Hungarian military command. In the first few weeks of the war he became the chief of the Military Department in the Supreme National Committee (Naczelny Komitet Narodowy, NKN) and remained in this post until 1916. He was a commissioner in charge of the recruitment to the Polish Legions in Kraków, choosing this role over the opportunity to serve in the Legions as a frontline commander. On 30 September 1914 he was promoted to podpułkownik (lieutenant colonel), and soon after that he became the commander of a Legions officer school (Szkoła Podchorążych). The Legions - the army created by Józef Piłsudski to liberate Poland from Russian and, ultimately, Austro-Hungarian and German rule - initially fought in alliance with Austria-Hungary against Russia. From August 1915 there was growing tension between Sikorski, who advocated cooperation with Austria-Hungary, and Piłsudski, who felt that Austria-Hungary and Germany had betrayed the trust of the Polish people. In 1916 Piłsudski actively campaigned to have the Military Department of NKN disbanded. In July that year, Sikorski was promoted to pułkownik (colonel). Following the Act of 5th November (1916), Sikorski became involved with the Legions' alternatives, the Polish Auxiliary Corps and Polnische Wehrmacht. In June 1917 Piłsudski refused Austro-Hungarian orders to swear loyalty to the Habsburg Emperor (the "oath crisis") and was interned at the fortress of Magdeburg, while Sikorski abandoned Polnische Wehrmacht and returned to the Austro-Hungarian Army. In 1918, however, following the February Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and the battle of Rarańcza, Sikorski chose belatedly to side with Piłsudski, announcing solidarity with his actions, protesting against planned separation of Chełm Land from the planned Polish state, and thus soon joined Piłsudski in internment (he would be held in Dulfalva (Dulovo)). Nonetheless, this was not enough to smooth the differences between him and Piłsudski, and these two major Polish leaders would drift farther apart in the continuing years.

 

Polish–Ukrainian war

In 1918 the Russian, Austro-Hungarian and German empires collapsed, and Poland once again became independent, but the borders of the Second Polish Republic were not fully determined and unstable. In the east they would be formed in the escalating conflicts among Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Soviet forces in what culminated in the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921). Winston Churchill commented: "The war of giants has ended, the wars of the pygmies began." Bolshevik leaders saw Poland as a bridge that the communist revolution will have to force to bring communism to the West, and Poland's very existence would soon be at stake.

 

Polish–Soviet war

After his release from internment, from 1 May 1918 Sikorski worked for the Regency Council, organizing the new Polish Army. He was soon at the frontlines again, this time in the Polish–Ukrainian War, where troops under his command secured and defended Przemyśl in October–November 1918.

 

Polish independence came in November 1918 with the formation of the Second Republic of Poland. In the course of the Polish–Ukrainian War, and in the opening phase of the Polish–Soviet War, Sikorski, now a high-ranking officer of the Polish Army was involved in further operations in the Galicia region. In January 1919 he commanded troops defending Gródek Jagielloński; in March that year he commanded an infantry division, advancing to Stawczany and Zbrucz. From 1 August 1918 Sikorski commanded the Polesie Group, and the Polish 9th Infantry Division. In order to curtail excesses of the forces under his command, he oversaw trials of 36 officers. His forces took Mozyr and Kalenkowicze in March 1920, and he would command the Polesie Group during Poland's Kiev offensive in April 1920, advancing to Dniepr river and Chernobyl region. On April 1 that year he was promoted to brigade general.

 

As the Polish–Soviet War grew in intensity, in late April 1920 the Red Army of Russia's new Soviet regime pushed back Polish forces and invaded Poland. Subsequently Sikorski successfully defended Mozyr and Kalenkowicze until 29 June, but later failed to hold the Brest fortress, although he defended it long enough to allow the Polish forces in the region to retreat in an orderly manner. On 6 August he was named the commander of the newly formed Polish 5th Army, which was tasked with holding the front to the north of Modlin, between Narew and Wkra rivers. He distinguished himself commanding the 5th Army on the Lower Vistula front during the Battle of Warsaw. At that time Soviet forces, expecting an easy final victory, were surprised and crippled by the Polish counter-attack. During that battle (sometimes referred to as "the Miracle at the Vistula") Sikorski stopped the Bolshevik advance north of Warsaw and gave Piłsudski, the Polish commander-in-chief, the time he needed for his counter-offensive; beginning with the 15 August his forces successfully engaged the Soviet 5th and 15th Armies. After the Battle of Warsaw, from 30 August, Sikorski commanded the 3rd Army. His forces took Pińsk, and fought during the latter stages of the Battle of Lwów and the Battle of Zamość, and then after Battle of Niemen advanced with his forces toward Latvia and deep into Belarus. The Poles defeated the Soviets, and the Polish–Soviet Treaty of Riga (March 1921) gave Poland substantial areas of Belarus and Ukraine's (Kresy). Sikorski's fame was enhanced as he became known to the Polish public as one of the heroes of the Polish–Soviet War. He also kept publishing military science articles during the war itself. For his valorous achievements Sikorski was promoted to divisional general on 28 February 1921, and was awarded Poland's highest military decoration, the order of Virtuti Militari, on 15 March that year.

 

Despite their differences, Piłsudski praised Sikorski in his reports, recommending him for Chief of the General Staff and Minister of War positions; only generals Kazimierz Sosnkowski and Edward Rydz-Śmigły received better evaluations from him. Sikorski was popular among many soldiers, and in politics, particularly appealing to Polish conservatives and liberals. On 1 April 1921 Sikorski replaced general Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski as the chief of the Polish General Staff. Between 1922 and 1925 he held a number of high government offices. Based on his analysis, the Polish Council of Ministers adopted new foreign policy that would remain roughly unchanged until the late 1930s (preserving the status quo in Europe, and treating Germany and Russia as equal sources of potential threat). On 12 December 1922 he issued a general order, stressing the need for the military to stay out of politics. After the assassination of President of Poland Gabriel Narutowicz on 16 December 1922, the Marshal of the Sejm (Sejm being the Polish parliament), Maciej Rataj, appointed Sikorski prime minister. From December 18, 1922, to May 26, 1923, Sikorski served as Prime Minister and also as Minister of Internal Affairs, and was even considered as possible President. During his brief tenure as prime minister, he became popular with the Polish public and carried out essential reforms in addition to guiding the country's foreign policy in a direction that gained the approval and cooperation of the League of Nations and tightened Polish-French cooperation. He obtained recognition of Poland's eastern frontiers from the UK, France and the United States during the Conference of Ambassadors on 15 March 1923 He aided Treasury Minister Władysław Grabski's reforms aiming at curtailing inflation and reforming the currency, and supported ethnic minorities. His government nonetheless lost support in the Sejm and resigned on 26 May 1923.

 

From 30 September 1923 to 1924 he held the post of Chief Inspector of Infantry (Generalny Inspektor Piechoty). From 17 February 1924 to 1925, under Prime Minister Grabski, he was Minister of Military Affairs and guided the modernization of the Polish military; he also created the Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza. He worked actively to promote the cause of the Polish-French military alliance. His proposal to increase the powers of the Minister of Military Affairs while reducing those of the Chief Inspector of the Armed Forces met with sharp disapproval from Piłsudski, who at that time was gathering many opponents of the current government. From 1925 to 1928 Sikorski commanded Military Corps District (Okręg Korpusu) VI in Lwów.

 

A democrat and supporter of the Sejm, Sikorski declared his opposition to Józef Piłsudski's May coup d'état in 1926; however he remained in Lwów, refused to dispatch his forces, and played no significant role in the short struggle surrounding the coup. In 1928 he was relieved by Piłsudski of his command, and while he remained on active service, he received no other posting. That year also saw the publication of his book on the Polish–Soviet War, Nad Wisłą i Wkrą. Studium do polsko–radzieckiej wojny 1920 roku (At the Vistula and the Wkra Rivers: a Contribution to the Study of the Polish–Soviet War of 1920). He would spend the following years studying military theory, publishing works on military theory, history and foreign policy. His most famous work was his 1934 book Przyszła wojna – jej możliwości i charakter oraz związane z nimi zagadnienia obrony kraju (lit. War in the Future: Its Capacities and Character and Associated He wrote several other books and many articles, foreseeing, among other things, the rapid militarization of Germany.

 

In due course, soon after he was relieved of his command, and as a semi-dictatorial Sanacja regime was established, Sikorski joined the anti-Piłsudski opposition. Sikorski largely withdrew from politics, spending much of his time in Paris, France, and working with the French Ecole Superieure de Guerre (war college). Even after the death of Piłsudski in 1935, he was still marginalized, politically and militarily, by Piłsudski's successors. In February next year, together with several prominent Polish politicians (Wincenty Witos, Ignacy Paderewski, and General Józef Haller) he joined the Front Morges, an anti-Sanacja political grouping.

 

In the days before Poland was invaded by Germany in September 1939, and during the invasion itself, Sikorski's request for a military command continued to be denied by the Polish Commander in Chief, Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły. Sikorski escaped through Romania to Paris, where on 28 September he joined Władysław Raczkiewicz and Stanisław Mikołajczyk in a Polish government-in-exile, taking command of the newly formed Polish Armed Forces in France. Two days later, on September 30, president Raczkiewicz called him to serve as the first Polish prime minister in exile. On 7 November he became Commander in Chief and General Inspector of the Armed Forces (Naczelny Wódz i Generalny Inspektor Sił Zbrojnych), following Rydz-Śmigły's resignation. Sikorski would also hold the position of the Polish Minister of Military Affairs, thus uniting in his person all control over the Polish military in war time.

 

During his years as prime minister in exile, Sikorski personified the hopes and dreams of millions of Poles, as reflected in the saying, "When the sun is higher, Sikorski is nearer" (Polish: "Gdy słoneczko wyżej, to Sikorski bliżej"). At the same time, from early on he had to work to reconcile the pro- and anti-Piłsudski's factions.

 

His government was recognized by the western Allies. Nonetheless Sikorski's government struggled to get its point of view heard by France and the United Kingdom. The western Allies refused to recognize the Soviet Union as an aggressor, despite the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939. Furthermore, he struggled to secure resources needed to recreate the Polish Army in exile.

 

Poland, even with its territories occupied, still commanded substantial armed forces: the Polish Navy had sailed to Britain, and many thousands of Polish troops had escaped via Romania and Hungary or across the Baltic Sea. Those routes would be used until the end of the war by both interned soldiers and volunteers from Poland, who jocularly called themselves "Sikorski's tourists" and embarked on their dangerous journeys, braving death or imprisonment in concentration camps if caught by the Germans or their allies. With the steady flow of recruits, the new Polish Army was soon reassembled in France and in French-mandated Syria. In addition to that, Poland had a large resistance movement, and Sikorski's policies included founding of the Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Union of Armed Struggle), later transformed into Armia Krajowa (Home Army), and creation of the Government Delegation for Poland position, to supervise the Polish Underground State in occupied Poland.

 

In 1940 the Polish Highland Brigade took part in the Battle of Narvik (Norway), and two Polish divisions participated in the defense of France, while a Polish motorized brigade and two infantry divisions were in process of forming. A Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade was created in French-mandated Syria. The Polish Air Force in France had 86 aircraft with one and a half of the squadrons fully operational, and the remaining two and a half in various stages of training. Although many Polish personnel had died in the fighting or had been interned in Switzerland following the fall of France, General Sikorski refused French Marshal Philippe Pétain's proposal of a Polish capitulation to Germany. On June 19, 1940, Sikorski met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and promised that Polish forces would fight alongside the British until final victory. Sikorski and his government moved to London and were able to evacuate many Polish troops to Britain. After the signing of a Polish-British Military Agreement on August 5, 1940, they proceeded to build up and train the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Experienced Polish pilots took part in the Battle of Britain, where the Polish 303 Fighter Squadron achieved the highest number of kills of any Allied squadron. Sikorski's Polish forces would form one of the most significant Allied contingents.

 

Władysław Anders and Sikorski with Joseph Stalin (1941)

The Fall of France weakened Sikorski's position, and his proposal to consider building a new Polish army in the Soviet-occupied territories led to much criticism from within the Polish community in exile. On 19 July Raczkiewicz dismissed him from his position as the Prime Minister, replacing him with August Zaleski, however within days pressure from Sikorski's sympathizers, including the British government, made Raczkiewicz reconsider his decision, and Sikorski was reinstated as the Prime Minister on 25 July.

 

One of Sikorski's political goals was the creation of a Central and Eastern European federation, starting with the Polish-Czechoslovakian confederation. He saw such an organization as necessary if smaller states were to stand up to traditional German and Russian imperialism. That concept, although ultimately futile, gained some traction around that time, as Sikorski and Edvard Beneš from the Czechoslovak government-in-exile, signed an agreement declaring the intent to pursue closer cooperation on 10 November that year. On 24 December 1940 Sikorski was promoted to generał broni. In March 1941 he visited the United States; he would visit USA again in March and December 1942.

 

Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union ("Operation Barbarossa") in June 1941, Sikorski opened negotiations with the Soviet ambassador to London, Ivan Maisky, to re-establish diplomatic relations between Poland and the Soviet Union, which had been broken off after the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939. In December that year, Sikorski went to Moscow with a diplomatic mission. The Polish Government reached an agreement with the Soviet Union (the Sikorski-Maisky Pact of 17 August 1941), confirmed by Joseph Stalin in December of that year. Stalin agreed to invalidate the September 1939 Soviet-German partition of Poland, declare the Russo-German Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939 null and void, and release tens of thousands of Polish prisoners-of-war held in Soviet camps. Pursuant to an agreement between the Polish government-in-exile and Stalin, the Soviets granted "amnesty" to many Polish citizens, from whom a new army (the Polish II Corps) was formed under General Władysław Anders and later evacuated to the Middle East, where Britain faced a dire shortage of military forces. The whereabouts of thousands more Polish officers, however, would remain unknown for two more years, and this would weigh heavily on both Polish–Soviet relations and on Sikorski's fate.

 

Initially, Sikorski supported the Polish–Soviet rapprochement, which reignited criticism of his person from some Polish factions. Nonetheless, Sikorski soon realized that the Soviet Union had plans for Polish territories, which would be unacceptable to Polish public. The Soviets began their diplomatic offensive after their first major military victory in the Battle of Moscow, and intensified this policy after the battle of Stalingrad, showing less and less regard for their deals with Poland. In January 1942 British diplomat Stafford Cripps informed General Sikorski that while Stalin planned to extend Polish borders to the west, by giving Poland Germany's East Prussia, he also wanted to considerably push Poland's eastern frontier westwards, along the lines of the Versailles concept of the Curzon Line, and acquire Lwów and Wilno, if not both. Sikorksi's stance on eastern borders was not inflexible; he noted in some documents that some concessions might be acceptable, however, giving up both Lwów and Wilno was not.

 

In 1943 the fragile relations between the Soviet Union and the Polish government-in-exile finally reached their breaking point when, on April 13, the Germans announced via the Katyn Commission the discovery of the bodies of 20,000 Polish officers who had been murdered by the Soviets and buried in Katyn Forest, near Smolensk, Russia. Stalin claimed that the atrocity had been carried out by the Germans, while Nazi propaganda orchestrated by Joseph Goebbels successfully exploited the Katyn massacre to drive a wedge between Poland, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, and subsequently Russia, did not acknowledge responsibility for this and similar massacres of Polish officers until the 1990s.

 

When Sikorski refused to accept the Soviet explanation and requested an investigation by the International Red Cross on April 16, the Soviets accused the government-in-exile of cooperating with Nazi Germany and broke off diplomatic relations on April 25.

 

Beginning in late May 1943, Sikorski began visiting Polish forces stationed in the Middle East. In addition to inspecting the forces and raising morale, Sikorski was also occupied with political matters; around that time, a conflict was growing between him and General Władysław Anders, as Sikorski was still open to some normalization of Polish–Soviet relations, to which Anders was vehemently opposed. On 4 July 1943, while Sikorski was returning from an inspection of Polish forces deployed in the Middle East, he was killed, together with his daughter, his Chief of Staff, Tadeusz Klimecki, and seven others, when his plane, a Liberator II, serial AL523, crashed into the sea 16 seconds after takeoff from Gibraltar Airport at 23:07 hours. The crash was attributed to cargo on the plane shifting to the back upon takeoff. Only the pilot, Eduard Prchal (1911–1984), survived the crash. Sikorski was subsequently buried in a brick-lined grave at the Polish War Cemetery in Newark-on-Trent, England on 16 July that year. Winston Churchill delivered a eulogy at his funeral. On 14 September 1993, his remains were exhumed and transferred via Polish Air Force TU-154M, and escorted by RAF 56 Sqn Tornado F3 jets, to the royal crypts at Wawel Castle in Kraków, Poland.

 

Immediately after the crash, a Polish officer who had witnessed the event from the airstrip began sobbing quietly and repeating: "This is the end of Poland. This is the end of Poland." ("To Polska stracona!") General Sikorski's death marked a turning point for Polish influence amongst the Anglo-American allies. No Pole after him would have much sway with the Allied politicians. Sikorski had been the most prestigious leader of the Polish exiles and his death was a severe setback for the Polish cause. After the Soviets had broken off diplomatic relations with Sikorski's government in April 1943, in May and June Stalin had recalled several Soviet ambassadors for "consultations": Maxim Litvinov from Washington, Fyodor Gusev from Montreal, and Ivan Maisky from London. While Churchill had been publicly supportive of Sikorski's government, reminding Stalin of his pact with Nazi Germany in 1939 and their joint attack on Poland, in secret consultations with Roosevelt he admitted that some concessions would have to be made by Poland to appease the powerful Soviets. The Polish–Soviet crisis was beginning to threaten cooperation between the western Allies and the Soviet Union at a time when the Poles' importance to the western Allies, essential in the first years of the war, was beginning to fade with the entry into the conflict of the military and industrial giants, the Soviet Union and the United States.

 

The Allies had no intention of allowing Sikorski's successor, Stanisław Mikołajczyk, to threaten the alliance with the Soviets. No representative of the Polish government was invited to the Tehran Conference (28 November – 1 December 1943) or the Yalta Conference (4–11 February 1945), the two crucial events in which the Western Allies and the Soviet Union discussed the shape of the post-war world and decided on the fate of Poland. Only four months after Sikorski's death, in November 1943, at Tehran, Churchill and Roosevelt agreed with Stalin that the whole of Poland east of the Curzon Line would be ceded to the Soviets. In Teheran, neither Churchill nor Roosevelt objected to Stalin's suggestion that the Polish government in exile in London was not representing Polish interests; as historian Anita Prażmowska noted, "this spelled the end of that government's tenuous influence and raison d'être." After the Teheran Conference, Stalin decided to create his own puppet government for Poland, and a Committee of National Liberation (PKWN) was proclaimed in the summer of 1944. The Committee was recognized by the Soviet Government as the only legitimate authority in Poland, while Mikołajczyk's Government in London, was termed by the Soviets an "illegal and self-styled authority." Mikołajczyk would serve in the Prime Minister's role until 24 November 1944, when, realizing the increasing powerlessness of the government in exile, he resigned and was succeeded by Tomasz Arciszewski, "whose obscurity", in the words of historian Mieczysław B. Biskupski, "signaled the arrival of the government in exile at total inconsequentiality." Stalin soon began a campaign for recognition by the Western Allies of a Soviet-backed Polish government led by Wanda Wasilewska, a dedicated communist with a seat in the Supreme Soviet, with General Zygmunt Berling, commander of the 1st Polish Army in Russia, as commander-in-chief of all Polish armed forces. By the time of the Potsdam conference in 1945, Poland has been relegated to the Soviet sphere of influence; an abandonment of the Polish government in exile that has led to the rise of the Western betrayal concept.

 

A number of poems dedicated to Sikorski have been written by Polish authors during the war. In its aftermath, in the People's Republic of Poland, Sikorski's historic role, like that of all the adherents of the London government, would be minimized and distorted by propaganda, and those loyal to the government-in-exile would be liable to imprisonment and even execution. In time, restrictions on discussing Sikorski began to ease; on a centennial anniversary of his birth in 1981, commemorative events were held on the Rzeszów Voivodeship, including an academic conference, and revealing of plaques in Nisko and Leżajsk. Ryszard Zieliński published a novel on him, Wejście w mrok (1971), and in 1983 a movie, Katastrofa w Gibraltarze by Bohdan Poręba, was made. The Polish government-in-exile, of which Sikorski was the first Prime Minister, would continue in existence until the end of communist rule in Poland in 1990, when Lech Wałęsa became the first post-communist President of Poland. On 17 September 1993 a statue of Sikorski, sculpted by Wiesław Bielak, was revealed in Rzeszów. In 1995, Sikorski became the patron of the newly formed Polish 9th Mechanized Brigade. In 2003, the Polish parliament (Sejm) declared the year (60th anniversary of Sikorski's death) to be the "Year of General Sikorski". A number of streets and schools in Poland bear Sikorski's name.

 

Memory of General Sikorski was also preserved both in Poland and abroad, by organizations like the Sikorski Institute in London. In the UK, Sikorski received honoris causa degrees from the University of Liverpool and University of St Andrews. In 1981, a commemorative plaque was revealed at Hotel Rubens in London, where during the war Polish Military Headquarters, including Sikorski's office, were located. He is commemorated in London's Portland Place, near the Embassy of Poland, with a larger than life statue, unveiled in 2000. A propeller from the plane in which he died is the centrepiece of a new memorial to Sikorski at Europa Point, Gibraltar.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Sikorski

   

For many years, the Penobscot was Detroit's tallest building. Its setbacks and Art Deco styling make it one of the city's most distinguished architecturally.

Some background:

The Nakajima A6M2-N (Navy Type 2 Interceptor/Fighter-Bomber) was a single-crew floatplane. The Allied reporting name for the aircraft was 'Rufe'.

 

The A6M2-N floatplane was developed mainly to support amphibious operations and defend remote bases. It was based on the Mitsubishi A6M-2 Model 11 fuselage, with a modified tail and added floats. Despite the large central float and wing pontoons, the A6M2-N was aerodynamically a very clean aircraft: compared with its land-based A6M2 cousin, its performance degraded only by about 20%, and for a contemporary single engine floatplane its performance was outstanding.

 

The aircraft was deployed in 1942, referred to as the "Suisen 2" ("Hydro fighter type 2"), and intended for interceptor, fighter-bomber, and short reconnaissance support for amphibious landings, among other uses. However, when confronted with the first generation of Allied fighters, the A6M2-N was no match in aerial combat and rather employed in supportive roles.

 

Effectively, the A6M2-N was mostly utilized in defensive actions in the Aleutians and Solomon Islands operations. They were used with good efficiency against Allied positions: marking patrol elements, aiding warship guns, engaging convoys, and reconnoitering areas over-the-horizon.

The A6M2-Ns were also effective in harassing American PT boats at night, and they could drop flares to illuminate the PTs which were vulnerable to destroyer gunfire, and depended on cover of darkness. However, when Allied fighter coverage became more numerous and effective, the value of the A6M2-N dwindled and losses began to naturally mount.

 

In the Aleutian Campaign this fighter engaged with RCAF Curtiss P-40, Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, but the A6M2-N inventory suffered a severe setback when, on August 7th, 1942, a seaplane base was destroyed by Allied fighter-bombers, taking with it most of the available A6M2-Ns stationed there.

 

The seaplane also served in defense of fueling depots in Balikpapan and Avon Bases (Dutch East Indies) and reinforced the Shumushu base (North Kuriles) in the same period.

Beyond their use from dispersed and improvised bases, A6M2-N fighters also served aboard seaplane carriers Kamikawa Maru in the Solomons and Kuriles areas and aboard Japanese raiders Hokoku Maru and Aikoku Maru in Indian Ocean raids.

Later in the conflict the Otsu Air Group utilized the A6M2-N as an interceptor alongside Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu ('Rex') aircraft based in Biwa lake in the Honshū area, defending the Japanese home land against Allied raids.

 

A total of 327 were built, including the original prototype, before being halted in September 1943.

The last A6M2-N in military service was a single example recovered by the French forces in Indochina after the end of World War II. It crashed shortly after being overhauled, though.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1 (Pilot)

Length: 10.10 m (33ft 1⅝ in)

Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4⅜ in)

Height: 4.30 m (14ft 1⅜ in)

Wing area: 22.44 m² (251.4 sq ft)

Empty weight: 1,912 kg (4,235 lb)

Loaded weight: 2,460 kg (5,423 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 2,880 kg (6,349 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Nakajima NK1C Sakae 12 air cooled 14 cylinder radial engine,

delivering 950 hp (709 kW) at 4,200 m (13,800 ft)

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 436 km/h (235 knots, 270.5 mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

Cruise speed: 296 km/h (160 knots, 184 mph)

Range: 1,782 km (963 nmi, 1,107 mi)

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)

Climb rate: 6 min 43 s to 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

 

Armament:

2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns in forward fuselage

2 ×20 mm Type 99 cannons in outer wings

Underwing hardpoints for 2× 60 kg (132 lb) bombs

  

The kit and its assembly:

This is a real world model, despite the weird looks (see below), and an entry for the Arawasi blog's "Japanese Aircraft Online Model Contest 005 - Japanese Seaplanes & Flying Boats" contest in summer 2017. Even though whifs were allowed to enter, I used the opportunity to build a kit I had originally bought for a few bucks and stashed away in the donor bank: a vintage LS Model Nakajima A6M2-N.

 

The mould dates back to 1963(!), and the kit was re-issued several times, also under the ARII label. You get a tiny box, with only two sprues moulded in a pale baby blue, and the number of parts is minimal. It's truly vintage and pretty toylike at first sight. Consequently, you have to face some real old-school issues, e. g. moulded markings for the roundels on the wings, general mediocre fit of anything and lots of sinkholes and flash. Then there are toylike solutions like the single-piece propeller or separate, moveable ailerons with bulging joints.

 

The cockpit interior is non-existent, too: there's just a blank place for a dashboard (to be cut out from the printed BW instructions!), and a spindly pilot figure which is held in mid air by some pins. Furthermore, the kit was designed to take a small electric motor in the nose (sold separately) to drive the propeller. Wires, as well as respective internal ducts, and an AA battery holder are included.

 

Sounds scary? Well, maybe, if you just build it OOB. But all these flaws should not keep the ambitious modeler away because the LS Model kit is (still) a sound basis to start from, even though and by today's standards, it is certainly not a match-winner for a rivet counter-esque competition.

 

For its age and the typical solutions of its time, it is actually surprisingly good: you get very fine engraved surface details (more delicate than many contemporary moulds!), a pretty thin, three-piece clear (yet blurry) canopy and, as a bonus to the elevons, separate flaps – a unique detail I have never come across before! Proportions are IMHO good, even though the cowling looks a bit fishy and the engravings are rather soft and shallow. Anyway, on the exterior, there’s anything you can ask for to be found, and as another bonus the kit comes with a beaching trolley, which makes display and diorama fitting easier.

 

Thanks to the kit's simplicity, the build in itself was pretty straightforward and simple. Cleaning the parts and checking fit was the biggest issue. Upon gluing the old styrene showed signs of serious reaction to the dissolving effect of modern glue: it took ages for the material to cure and become hard again for further work!? Weird…

 

The many sinkholes and overall displacements were corrected with some NC putty/PSR, the protruding elevon/flap joints sanded away as good as possible, and due to the wobbly nature of the kit’s styrene I added blobs of 2C putty inside of the wing halves as stabilizers.

 

Some mods and improvements were made, though. After cleaning the OOB propeller from tons of flash the piece turned out to be pretty usable, and it was put on a metal axis. A styrene tube adapter was added behind the relatively flat engine dummy, so that the prop can spin freely – for the later beauty pics, because no CG effect beats IMHO the real thing.

 

A cockpit interior was created from scratch and donor parts, using the new Airfix A6M model's cockpit as benchmark. It’s not an exact replica, because not much would later be visible, but I wanted, as a minimum, “something” inside. A better pilot figure was used, too, and strapped to the new seat with thin strips of adhesive masking tape as seatbelts.

 

Under the wings, the hardpoints were simulated with some bits of styrene and wire as shackles, but left empty Under the stabilizer fin I added a lug(?), made from thin wire, too.

 

The elevons were fixed in place, the seams to the wings filled with white glue in order to conceal the gaps as good as possible. The movable flaps remained, though, adding life to the model. The dolly was also taken more or less OOB, since it fits well. I just improved it with some sinkhole fillings and some other details, including cushions on the float stabilizers, made from paper tissue soaked with thinned white glue, and a towing bar.

  

Painting and markings:

The reason why I settled for an A6M2-N is mostly the weird paint scheme which can be applied, while still being a real world model: a lilac livery!

 

As far as I could find out, the A6M2-Ns initially carried an all-over IJN Grey livery, which was later, in late 1942, modified with dark green upper sides for a better concealment on the ground, and the Hinomaru received white edges for better contrast.

Anyway, during the Aleutian campaign and more or less in between these two major standards, several aircraft must have received a special camouflage with lilac upper surfaces, and this model depicts such a machine, based on various profiles but no color picture as reliable reference.

 

The sources I consulted, as well as pictures of finished A6M2-N models, show a wide variety of shades and paint scheme layouts, though. Upper colors range from pale pink through more or less bright shades of purple to a pale, rusty-reddish brown (maybe primer?), while the undersides show a wide range of greys or even light blue. Some depictions of Aleutian A6M2-Ns as profile or model even show a uniform wraparound scheme! Choice is yours, obviously...

 

Because of the corny information basis, I did my personal interpretation of the subject. I based my livery more or less on a profile by Michele Marsan, published in Aerei Modelismo Anno XII (March 1991). The unit information was taken from there, too – the only source that would provide such a reference.

 

My idea behind the livery and the eventual finish was that the machine once was fully painted in IJN Grey. Then, the violet upper color was added in the field (for whatever reason?), resulting in a slightly shaggy look and with the light grey shining through here and there in areas of higher wear, e. g. at the leading edges, cockpit area and some seams.

 

Painting started with an initial coat of aluminum under the floats, around the cockpit and on the leading edges. Then the undersides and some areas of the upper surfaces were painted with IJN grey. The latter is an individual mix of Humbrol 90 (Beige Green/RAF Sky) and a bit of 155 (Olive Drab, FS 34087). On top of that I added a thin primer layer of mauve (mix of ModelMaster’s Napoleonic Violet and Neutral Grey, Humbrol 176) on the still vacant upper surfaces – both as a preparation for the later weathering treatments (see below).

 

The following, basic lilac tone comes from Humbrol’s long-gone "Authentics" enamel line. The tin is probably 30 years old, but the content is still alive (and still has a distinctive, sour stench…)! I cannot identify the tone anymore with certainty, but I guess that it is 'HJ 4: Mauve N 9', one of the line’s Japanese WWII tones which was later not carried over to the standard tones, still available today.

 

Anyway, the color is a dull, rather greyish violet, relatively dark (a bit like RAF Ocean Grey), and it fits well as a camouflage tone on this specific model. Since there’s no better alternative I could think of except for an individual mix or garish, off-the-rack pop art tones, I went with it.

 

After overall basic painting was done and thoroughly cured, weathering started with a careful wet sand paper treatment, removing the salt grain masks and revealing some of the lower IJN Grey and aluminum layers. While this appears messy, I found that the result looks more realistic than artificial weathering applied as paint effects on top of the basic paint.

 

The engine cowling was painted separately, with a mix of black and a little dark blue. The propeller received an aluminum spinner (Humbrol’s Matt Aluminum Metallizer), while the blades received aluminum front sides (Revell acrylics), and red brown (Humbrol 160) back sides. Two thin, red stripes decorate the propeller tips (Decals, left over from an AZ Model Ki-78, IIRC).

 

As a standard procedure, the kit received a light wash with thinned black ink, revealing the engraved panel lines, plus some post-shading in order to emphasize panels and add visual contrast and ‘drama’.

 

Decals and markings were improvised and come from the spares box, since I did not trust the vintage OOB decals - even though they are in so far nice that the sheet contains any major marking as well as a full set of letter so that an individual tail code could be created. Anyway, the model's real world benchmark did not carry any numeric or letter code, just Hinomaru in standard positions and a horizontal, white-and-red stripe on the fin.

 

The roundels actually belong to a JSDAF F-4EJ, some stencils come from a leftover Hobby Boss A6M sheet. The fin decoration was created with generic decal sheet material (TL Modellbau). Similar stuff was also used for the markings on the central float, as well as for the yellow ID markings on the inner wings' leading edges. I am just not certain whether the real aircraft carried them at all? But they were introduced with the new green upper surfaces in late 1942, so that they appear at least plausible. Another argument in this marking‘s favor is that it simply adds even more color to the model!

 

The cockpit interior was painted in a light khaki tone (a mix of Humbrol 159 and 94), while the flaps' interior was painted with Aodake Iro (an individual mix of acrylic aluminum and translucent teal paint). Lacking good reference material, the beaching trolley became IJA Green, with some good weathering with dry-brushed silver on the edges and traces of rust here and there (the latter created with artist acrylics.

 

Close to the (literal) finish line, some soot and oil stains were added with graphite and Tamiya's 'Smoke', and the kit finally received a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri); to the varnish on the engine cover a bit of gloss varnish was added, for a sheen finish.

  

In the end, quite a challenging build. Not a winner, but …different. Concerning the LS Model kit as such, I must say that - despite its age of more than 50 years now - the A6M2-N model is still a worthwhile offer, if you invest some effort. Sure, there are certainly better 1:72 options available (e. g. the Hasegawa kit, its mould was created in 1995 and should be light years ahead concerning detail and fit. Not certain about the Revell/Frog and Jo-Han alternatives, though), but tackling this simple, vintage kit was fun in itself. And, based on what you get out of the little box, the result is not bad at all!

 

Beyond the technical aspects, I am also pleased with the visual result of the build. At first glance, this antiquity looks pretty convincing. And the disputable, strange lilac tone really makes this A6M2-N model …outstanding. Even though I still wonder what might have been the rationale behind this tone? The only thing I could imagine is a dedicated scheme for missions at dusk/dawn, similar to the pink RAF recce Spitfires in early WWII? It would be plausible, though, since the A6M2-Ns were tasked with nocturnal reconnoitre and ground attack missions.

The William and Mary men’s basketball team suffered an 80-66 setback to Drexel on Senior Day at Kaplan Arena. The Dragons used a 17-1 run to end the first half and 11 3-pointers to outdistance the Tribe. Prior to the game, W&M (18-11, 12-6 CAA) honored its four-member senior class of manager Brian Gelston, Tyler Johnson, Tom Schalk and Marcus Thornton. Despite the loss to the Dragons (11-18, 9-9 CAA), the Tribe still claimed a share of the CAA regular season championship.

 

Thornton led the way for the Tribe in his final game at Kaplan Arena, scoring 19 points and dishing

out six assists. He knocked down a trio of 3-pointers and in the process moved into the fifth on the CAA’s all-time 3-point field goals list. Terry Tarpey added his ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Daniel Dixon returned to action after missing five games and added 14 points, including a 4-of-7 effort from 3-point range.

 

After a slow start by both teams, W&M opened up a nine-point advantage thanks to an 11-0 run. Trailing 4-2, Tarpey scored on a fast-break lay-up off a dish from Omar Prewitt to knot things and start the run. Dixon knocked down a triple and Thornton drilled one of his own to give the home side a 13-4 lead with 11:20 remaining in the opening half.

 

Drexel responded with a 13-2 run to move back in front, highlighted by the play of Freddie Wilson. The Dragon senior drilled a trio of 3-pointers during the stretch as Drexel hit four straight shots. Wilson's third trifecta of the night at the eight-minute mark gave the visitors a 17-15 lead.

 

W&M pulled even at 20 on a Dixon 3-pointer at the 6:19 mark, but the remainder of the first half belonged to the Dragons. Drexel closed the opening 20 minutes on a 17-1 run to take a 16-point cushion to the locker room. Tavon Allen scored 11 of the Dragon’s final 20 points of the first half. He hit three straight 3-poitners during a stretch and connected on a pair of free throws with less than 30 seconds remaining for the final half-time margin to 37-21. It total, Drexel connected on 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.

 

W&M scored eight of the second half’s first 11 points to cut the gap to 40-29 on a Schalk lay-up off a feed from Thornton at the 16:47 mark. Drexel though responded with two straight 3-pointers to extend the margin to 17.

 

The Dragon’s advantage was 15, 54-39, with 10:23 left following two Tyshawn Myles free throws. A Thornton 3-pointer and two Tarpey free throws narrowed the gap to 10 with 9:34 remaining, but Wilson knocked down a big 3-pointer on the ensuing Drexel possession to stem the Tribe’s momentum.

 

W&M cut the gap to nine points on three occasions, but each time Drexel had an answer. Thornton’s patented step-back jumper at the 4:27 mark closed the Tribe within 64-55. The Dragons responded with six straight points, including the final four from the free throw line, to extend its lead back to 15, 70-55, and put the game out of reach.

 

Drexel finished shooting 49 percent (24-of-49) from the field, including an 11-of-21 effort (52.4) from 3-point range. The Dragons also did a number at the free throw line and on the glass. Drexel shot 80.8 percent (21-of-26) from the free throw line, including 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) in the second half.

 

Wilson and Allen turned in iron-man efforts, playing all 40 minutes and scoring 24 and 22 points, respectively. Wilson was 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-9 from 3-point range, while Allen hit on 5-of-10 from long range. Rodney Williams just missed a double-double for Drexel with 18 points and nine rebounds.

 

The Tribe finished the game at 45.1 percent (23-of-51) from the field, including a 55.6-percent (15-of-27) clip in the second half. W&M hit 10 3-pointers for the 13th time this season, shooting 35.7 percent (10-of-28) from distance. The Green and Gold dished out 16 assists on 23 made field goals and only turned it over four times, which is tied for the third lowest total in school history.

 

Thanks to Elon's victory over UNCW on Saturday, W&M is the regular season champion and will be the No. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament, March 6-9, in Baltimore, for the first time in school history. The Tribe will face the winner of No. 8 Elon and No. 9 Towson at noon on Saturday, March 7.

 

Red Weasel Media RWM was there to capture the fast pace, back and forth action.

 

The Four Seasons Hotel, New York

57 East 57th Street

New York, New York, U.S.A. 10022

 

Exterior design elements include the large oculus and handsome 12-foot lanterns on its setbacks.

---------------

In 1987 William Zeckendorf Jr. assembled land on 57th Street between Park and Madison Avenue, consisting of four empty 5-floor buildings on the north side of 57th and an adjoining 58th Street site. Zeckendorf determined the best use for the site was a luxury hotel and began discussions with hotel operators.

 

One of the parcels at 50 East 58th - is the site of the former 200-room Blackstone Hotel and its restaurant Lottie's Dogwood Room.

 

Zeckendorf sought I.M. Pei (whose firm designed the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center) to design the luxury hotel. Zeckendorf Jr's father William Zeckendorf Sr. provided Pei with his first design job in 1946.

 

During the same time Harunori Takahashi, who some called the king of resort development projects in the South Pacific, admired Robert H Burns the founder of Regent Hotels International (a Hong Kong hotel company owned by an American!). Burns' first globally recognized luxury hotel, The Regent Hong Kong, opened in 1980. (It is an InterContinental now and not quite its former self).

 

Takahashi had just bought from Robert Burn's company the The Regent Sydney and was looking for more hotels to buy through the company he controlled - EIE International Corp. (Electronic & International Enterprises got its start in the 1940s importing from the US magnetic disc tapes). Takahashi also bought 30% of Regent Hotels from Robert Burns who retained 65%. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation owns 5 percent.

 

Burns knew William Zeckendorf Jr. and he knew Takahashi wanted to own an extraordinary hotel in New York City. The concept of a tall limestone luxury hotel on the 25,000 square foot lot was ready to move forward.

 

The hotel was announced in January 1989. It was expected to be the grandest hotel built in New York since the Waldorf=Astoria. The original plan was for 400 rooms and a main tower of 46-stories. A consortium of six Japanese banks led by Long-Term Credit Bank (LTCB) secured construction financing. The hotel was named Regent New York Hotel and to be managed by Regent International Hotels of Hong Kong. William Zeckendorf, Jr. acted as development consultant. Architects were I.M. Pei and Frank Williams, and Tishman Construction was the construction manager. (Frank Williams designed the 55-story W hotel in Times Square)

 

The interiors were to be designed by John F. Saladino, who was replaced by Hong Kong based Chhada, Siembieda & Associates, which was founded by Chandu Chhada and Don Siembieda in 1980.

 

Total costs for the 372-room project were estimated at $370 million - a million per room. By completion time the cost had swelled to $477 million, or $1.3 million a room.

 

A contemporary-modern approach was taken for the Regent, not a classical motif. The hotel's 52-story tower required a series of cascading set backs to comply with strict zoning requirements. Custom designed 12-foot decorative lanterns grace the upper levels. Honey-colored French Mangy limestone from France clad the facade.

 

The standard guest rooms are 610 sq ft with 10'4" ceilings. Fiddleback English Sycamore was used for all cabinetwork, doors and furniture.

 

Robert Burns was a stickler for detail especially on how to build a bathroom. Burns is quoted saying "I just feel that nobody should sit in a tub where somebody stood." The Regent New York baths are built with a glass enclosed shower stall and separate soaking tub.

 

Just after the hotel's topping off event in 1990 the Japanese real estate market imploded. EIE and Regent Hotels was forced to sell the Regent hotel chain and hotels under development at that time were in New York City, Bali, Milan, and Istanbul - all were subsequently opened as Four Seasons.

 

One of the major figures during Japan's bubble economy years was EIE's Harunori Takahashi, who bought up Hyatt and Regent hotels with $6 billion borrowed from the credit unions that were run by his friends. He was also president of a credit union which lent his own businesses over $1.26 billion. Takahashi died in 2005 a convicted felon.

 

The opening of the Regent New York closely coincided with the chains loss of the Mayfair Regent, which was a Regent hotel from 1978 to 1991. That affiliation ended when Heitman Financial of Chicago, a longtime Mayfair owner, took on a new partner, Cogeta Hotels of Italy and rebranded the hotel to the Mayfair Baglioni.

 

In March 1992 Four Seasons Hotels Inc. paid $102 million for the Regent International Hotels group, providing the North American hotel operator an Asian foothold. Ownership of the under-construction Regent remained with Japan's Long-Term Credit Bank (LTCB).

 

LTCB, later renamed Shinsei, epitomized Japan’s banking problems. It is a story of greed, corruption and at time madness. LTCB was once the world’s 9th biggest bank. It collapsed in 1998 with $50 billion of bad loans.

 

The opening general manager was Wilfried N. Wagner.

 

According to the NY Times in August 1996 The Four Seasons Hotel was sold to a group of Hong Kong investors led by the Lai Sun Group (which also bought the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif., in February 1996). The seller was the Japanese bank LTCB. The sale price was estimated between $190 million, well below the $450 million it cost to build. Four Seasons Hotels Ltd. of Toronto, with a minority interest in the hotel, continued to operate it.

 

In February 1999 57 BB Property LLC (BB stands for Beanie Babies) otherwise known as Ty Warner acquired the Four Seasons Hotel from Lai Sun Group for $275 million or $743,243 per room.

 

The Michelin star restaurant L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon took its place in the hotel lobby.

 

With renowned restaurants in Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas, Joël Robuchon focuses on the highest-quality ingredients, prepared with precision and creativity. With just 20 seats at the pearwood counter – considered the most desirable, with their view of the kitchen – and only 26 more at individual tables, L’Atelier offers an atmosphere that is both intimate and dynamic.

 

Covering the entire top floor of the Hotel, the nine-room Ty Warner Penthouse, accessed by its own private elevator, is reported to be the most expensive hotel suite in the U.S. at $35,000 per night.

 

Ty Warner, collaborated with designer Peter Marino and architect I.M. Pei, who came out of retirement to design the 4,300 square foot suite - which creates the sense of living within a multilayered work of art. Amenities include TVs programmed for every channel worldwide, unlimited global telephone calling, a personal butler, a personal trainer/therapist, and a chauffeured Rolls Royce Phantom.

 

Warner has diversified beyond toys with significant investments in hotels, property and golf courses. Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts include the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, the Sandpiper golf course, the Four Seasons Resort in Santa Barbara, California, the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, the Kona Village resort in Hawaii purchased in July 2004, the Montecito Country Club and the Las Ventanas al Paraiso Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico which was acquired in September 2004. In 2005, Warner also bought the beachfront Miramar resort and Rancho San Marcos golf course.

 

In 2009 Ty Warner held discussions of a sale of the 368-room luxury hotel. He is holding firm on pricing expectations of $644,000.000 million or a whopping $1,750.000 per room - according to Real Estate Alert.

 

The property's occupancy rate averaged 58% in the 12 months ending June 30, 2009 down from 72% in calendar year 2008, according to Realpoint. The average room rate dipped slightly, to $1,086 from $1,112, but revenue per available room fell to $635 from $798.

 

The Four Seasons Hotel New York is not heavily leveraged. The property has $185.6 million of mortgage debt - well below the price being sought by Warner.

Lillian Disney (Family)

Inducted 2003

 

While Lillian Disney, wife of Company founder Walt Disney, worked behind the scenes in many ways to support the Company's growth, her most celebrated contribution is the naming of a certain animated character.

 

In 1928, as he rode a train from New York bound for Los Angeles, Walt devised a new character to turn around a serious business setback, "Mortimer Mouse."

 

"Not Mortimer," Lillian replied when he told her his idea. "It's too formal. How about Mickey." The rest, as they say, is history.

 

Born in Spalding, Idaho, Lillian grew up in Lapwai, Idaho, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, where her father worked as a blacksmith and federal marshal.

 

She moved to Los Angeles in 1923, and won a job at the fledgling Walt Disney Studio as a secretary and "inker" of animated cels. Lillian met the boss, who sometimes asked her not to cash her $15-a-week paycheck. Soon, the boss met her family and on July 13, 1925, they married in Lewiston, Idaho.

 

"I think my dad fell in love with her almost immediately ... she was an independent little lady," says daughter Diane Disney Miller.

 

Lillian traveled with her husband on many of his business trips, including the government-sponsored Good Will tour of South America in 1941, which resulted in the production of such animated features as "Saludos Amigos" and "The Three Caballeros".

 

While raising their two daughters, Lillian served as a sounding board for her husband as he created films and the theme park that made him and his company known internationally. Lillian was a conservative balance to Walt's daring, and yet was indulgent, too, allowing him to dig a tunnel under her prized flower garden for his backyard railroad at their Holmby Hills estate.

 

As her nephew Vice Chairman of The Walt Disney Company Roy E. Disney recalls, Lillian was "always prepared to speak the truth, tough and warm and loving at the same time. She was a very special person. You couldn't help loving her and you'd never forget her ... or her hearty laugh."

 

The publicity-shy Lillian ventured into the public arena after Walt's death in 1966 to lend support to the fulfillment of his dreams. In October 1971, she attended the dedication of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, along with Company co-founder and Walt's loyal brother Roy O. Disney.

 

"I think Walt would have approved," she said to Roy and those who helped realize her husband's dream. Eleven years later, she returned to Florida to attend the 1982 dedication of EPCOT Center.

 

Lillian also lent support to Walt's venture into education, the multi-disciplinary California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), which opened in 1971 in Valencia. Among her gifts to the school were funds to remodel a campus theater and rename it the Walt Disney Modular Theater in 1993.

 

On May 12, 1987, Lillian announced a gift of $50 million to build a new symphony hall designed by architect Frank Gehry in Los Angeles. A long-time patron of the arts, this was her ultimate gift to the community and to the love of her life. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, debuted in October 2003.

 

Lillian Disney suffered a stroke on December 15, 1997, 31 years to the day after the death of her husband, and died the following day.

 

The bio comes from the Official Disney Legends Home Page - legends.disney.go.com/legends/index

Jumeirah Essex House

160 Central Park South

New York, NY 10019

 

Dramatic crystal chandeliers

 

------------

Designed by Frank Grad, the Essex House is one of the National Trust Historic Hotels, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

 

Frank Grad also designed the Newark Symphony Hall.

 

Originally called Park Tower and then Seville Towers, the 40-story, Art Deco hotel tower opened along Central Park South in October 1931. The hotel’s first general manager, Albert Auwaerter, threw a grand opening party for 1,000 in the hotel’s Colonnades Ballroom.

 

By 1932 the hotel was known as the Essex House and the six-story Essex sign was erected on top of the hotel. Still today some claim the sign is offensively too large and blight on the city’s skyline.

 

The building is clad in brown brick with large guestroom windows and decorated setbacks. The lobby has massive fluted columns of black marble and it extends through the block as a corridor flanked by the elevator banks. Its main entrance has Art Deco gilded doors.

 

In 1932 the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) took title to the Essex House and retained ownership for fifteen years. Congress established the RFC in 1932 to provide liquidity and restore confidence in the banking system to offset the Great Depression.

 

George Burns and Gracie Allen lived at the Essex House in 1934; Betty Grable and Milton Berle were residents in the 1940s. British TV host Sir David Frost owned a 1,200 sq ft pied a terre in the Essex House during the 1990s. More recent tenants have included Angelina Jolie (penthouse at the top), Jude Law, and Samuel L. Jackson.

 

In the 1930s the Essex House featured a “strollers brunch” - so called for those completing a Sunday morning walk in Central Park. This leisurely meal, served from around noon to late afternoon, evolved in to the Sunday brunch.

 

In 1946 Samuel H. Golding, founder of Sterling National Bank and Trust Company, purchased the Essex House. At the time of his death in 1970, Samuel H. Golding was 84 years old and lived in the Essex House at 160 Central Park South. Golding’s wife, Rachel Golding, gifted to Yeshiva University $40 million in memory or her late husband Samuel H. Golding. At the time of the gift in 1992, Yeshiva had an endowment of just $293 dollars. Yeshiva is America's oldest and largest university under Jewish auspices.

 

Marriott purchased the hotel in 1969.

 

Marriott’s byline for the hotel: “When you have been spoiled everywhere else by a Marriott, where do you stay in New York? Marriott’s Essex House! “

 

The restaurant outlets during the 1970’s at Marriott’s Essex House included Kings Wharf Restaurant, Windjammer Bar and for Marriott, the futuristically named - Fairfield Inn Coffee Shop.

 

Many remember from 1970’s the TV announcer Don Pardo would proclaim that "guests of Saturday Night Live stay at the Essex House!"

 

Japan Air Lines Development (U.S.A.) Inc., a subsidiary of the Tokyo based national carrier bought the hotel in 1985. Its hotel affiliate Nikko Hotels International took over management and renamed the 715-room hotel - Essex House Hotel Nikko NY.

 

The Essex House was to be a springboard for Nikko’s future growth.In 1991, Japan Airlines spent more than $75 million in renovating the property. The room count was reduced to 580.

 

According to the NY Times the renovation included widening the lobby looking out on Central Park, with added seating and the reclaiming of windows in that area that in earlier renovations had been put to other uses. The entire plumbing, wiring, heating, air-conditioning and elevator systems were to be replaced.

 

Chef Christian Delouvrier opened the 75 seat French restaurant, Les Celebrites (previously Devereux’s on-the-Park) with a $70 average ticket. The hotel’s moderately priced restaurant was Café Botanica. Delouvrier previously served as executive chef at the Parker Meridien's French restaurant, Maurice.

 

Nikko hired Pierre Yves Rochon of Paris to serve as the interior designer. Brennan Beer Gorman was the architect for the restoration, and the contractor was Tishman Construction Company.

 

In March 1999 the 597-room Essex House was sold for $260,000,000 ($435,511 per room) to Strategic Hotel Capital. SHC retained Starwood Hotels to manage the hotel renamed: Essex House, A Westin Hotel, New York City.

 

In September 2000 Starwood created The St. Regis Club at the Essex House - a hotel within a hotel - that comprised the top floors and had 104 rooms, a restaurants and a lounge.

 

In September 2005, the Dubai Investment Group paid $440 million to acquire the hotel portion of the building that consisted of two components the 501-room Westin and the 104-room St. Regis. There were approximately 148 private residential condominiums located throughout the building and individually owned, of which 139 were not included in the sale.

 

To appease the unions Dubai Investment stated it would limit the conversion of guest rooms to condominiums to 15%. The unions believe any reduction in the guest room count would eliminate hotel jobs.

 

Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts took over management in January 2006. The Dubai-based hotel management group also manages The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel tower that has become the icon of Dubai and some say is the world's finest hotel. The property was renamed Jumeirah Essex House.

 

In 2006 Dubai Investment Group contracted Atlanta-based Hirsch Bedner Associates to lead the $90 million renovation and reimagining of the hotel. All the guest rooms and suites were refurbished and many were expanded.

 

The 509 guest rooms include 301 Essex House Rooms which are around 300 sq ft and do not have views of Central Park. The remaining 208 rooms are larger including suites and have views of Central Park or the Manhattan skyline.

 

The restaurant, Alain Ducasse at Essex House closed in January 2007.

 

Chef Kerry Heffernan opened 154 South Gate at Jumeirah Essex House in 2008. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Heffernan previously was opening Executive Chef and eventually partner at Union Square Hospitality Group’s Eleven Madison Park. South Gate is not your regular hotel-restaurant. Tony Chi and Associates designed the restaurant/lounge sleek interior. The opening of South Gate marked the completion of Jumeirah Essex House’s $90 million refurbishment.

Frame:*surly* straggler Painted by COOK PAINT WORKS

Headset:*chris king* nothreadset

Rim:*velocity* blunt ss

Tire:*fairweather* cruise

Handle:*whisky* no.7 24f aluminum drop

Stem:*thomson* elite x4

Bartape:*brooks* cambium rubber

Saddle:*brooks* b17s standard

Seatpost:*thomson* elite setback

Seat clamp:*DKG*

Pedal:*mks* bm-7

Lasalle, Qc

Antony Gormley’s Event Horizon

Madison Square Park, NYC

 

by navema

www.navemastudios.com

 

From March 26 – August 15, 2010, 31 life-size figures appeared on rooftops, setbacks, and sidewalks around Manhattan’s Madison Square Park in the Flatiron District, a landmark public art exhibition. Standing tall above the unique urban landscape of New York City, the figures were the work of celebrated British artist Antony Gormley as part of Event Horizon New York, Gormley’s long-awaited United States public art debut — a milestone for an artist whose work has garnered worldwide acclaim over the past 25 years.

 

The life-size body forms of the artist were cast in iron and fiberglass.

 

Antony Gormley originally created Event Horizon for London’s Hayward Gallery as part of the Blind Light exhibition in 2007. The sculptures were installed on bridges, rooftops and streets along the South Bank of London’s Thames River. In this New York incarnation, Antony Gormley has adapted this exciting project to Manhattan’s unique and awe-inspiring skyline.

 

Antony Gormley on Event Horizon:

 

“I’m thrilled to be working with New York: people and place,” says artist Antony Gormley. “I don’t know what is going to happen, what it will look and feel like, but I want to play with the city and people’s perceptions. My intention is to get the sculptures as close to the edge of the buildings as possible. The field of the installation should have no defining boundary. The gaze is the principle dynamic of the work; the idea of looking and finding, or looking and seeking, and in the process perhaps re-assessing your own position in the world. So in encountering these peripheral things, perhaps one becomes aware of one’s status of embedment.”

 

“In an age in which over 50% of the human population of the planet lives in cities, this installation in New York (the original and prime example of urban high-rise living) questions how this built world relates to an inherited earth.”

 

“Isolated against the sky these dark figures look out into space at large asking: where does the humanity fit in the scheme of things?”

 

“The ambition is to make people visually aware of their own surroundings and the skyline above their heads.”

 

“In observing the works dispersed over the city viewers will discover that they are the centre of a concentrated field of silent witnesses; they are surrounded by art that is looking out at space and perhaps also at them. In that time the flow of daily life is momentarily stilled.”

 

“Within the condensed environment of Manhattan’s topography the level of tension between the palpable, the perceivable and the imaginable is heightened because of the density and scale of the buildings.”

 

”In London I took great enjoyment from the encounter with individuals or groups of people pointing at the horizon in the manner of a classical sculptural group. This transfer of the stillness of sculpture to the stillness of an observer is exciting to me: reflexivity becoming shared.”

 

”There will be a strong secondary point of view from high windows around Madison Square Park, so more than in any other installation of Event Horizon, the occupants of the buildings will be aware of these three dimensional shadows at the edge of their field.”

 

“The level of visibility and the idea of the gaze, is the principle dynamic of the work; the idea of looking and finding, or looking and seeking, and in the process perhaps re-assessing your own position in the world.”

 

“One of the implications of Event Horizon is that people will have to entertain an uncertainty about the work’s scope: the spread and number of figures. Beyond those that you can actually see, how many more remain out of sight?”

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

 

For more than 25 years Antony Gormley has revitalized the human image in sculpture through a radical investigation of the body as a place of memory and transformation, using his own body as subject, tool, and material. Since 1990 he has expanded his concern with the human condition to explore the collective body and the relationship between self and other in large-scale installations such as Allotment, Another Place, Critical Mass, Domain Field, and Inside Australia. His work increasingly engages with energy systems, fields and vectors, rather than mass and defined volume, as evident in Another Singularity, Blind Light, Clearing, and Firmament. Gormley’s most recently acclaimed live artwork One and Other saw 2,400 participants representing every region of the UK each spend an hour on an empty plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square for 100 consecutive days.

 

Antony Gormley’s work has been exhibited extensively throughout the UK, with solo shows in venues such as the Whitechapel, Tate, and the Hayward Galleries, the British Museum and internationally at museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Louisiana Museum in Humlebaek, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, Malmö Konsthall, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria and Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City. He has also participated in group shows at the Venice Biennale and the Kassel Documenta 8. Antony Gormley is represented by Sean Kelly Gallery, New York and White Cube, London.

 

Born in 1950, Antony Gormley was awarded the Turner Prize in 1994, the South Bank Prize for Visual Art in 1999 and was made an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997. More recently, he was awarded the Bernhard Heiliger Award for Sculpture in 2007. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Trinity College, Cambridge and Jesus College, Cambridge, and has been a Royal Academician since 2003.

 

Visit www.antonygormley.com for more information.

 

For more info about Event Horizon, visit: eventhorizonnewyork.org

The only Jaguar XJ220 in the world that lived up to its name, being fitted with a stunning V12 engine and making it the world's fastest production car. However, costs, setbacks, a recession or two and a myriad of other problems resulted in the dream becoming a nightmare, and the match of styling and power made in heaven being turned quickly into a BDSM session in hell!

 

The proposal for the Jaguar XJ220 seemed to come right out of nowhere. In 1986 the company was sold to Ford after ownership under British Leyland, and was producing a selection of strange luxury motors including the XJS and the XJ, which, although were very good and highly luxury machines, weren't exactly setting the world on fire.

 

But racing had been put forward to the company before, and racing team owner Tom Walkinshaw encouraged Jaguar to put one of their XJS's into the 1981 European Touring Car Championship, in which they succeeded in winning the competition in 1984. Jaguar had started to provide factory support to racing team Group 44 Racing, who were using the Jaguar-engined XJR-5 in the IMSA GT Championship, supplying V12 engines from 1983 onwards and supporting a Le Mans entry in 1984. Tom Walkinshaw and Jaguar agreed to entering the FIA Group C World Sportscar Championship and developed the XJR-6, which was powered by the Jaguar V12 engine; the car was launched during the 1985 season.

 

TWR took over the IMSA GT Championship operation in 1988 and one model – Jaguar XJR-9 – was launched to compete in both series. The XJR-9, which retained the Jaguar V12 engine, went on to win the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Sportscar Championship in the same year. The poor fuel consumption of the Jaguar V12 combined with new rules restricting refuelling during races forced the replacement of the V12 engine in the XJR-9s successors, the XJR-10 and XJR-11. The normally-aspirated Austin Rover V64V engine, designed for the MG Metro 6R4 had recently been made redundant thanks to the Group B rally ban in 1987, and the design rights were for sale. The compact, lightweight and fuel efficient nature of the small-displacement, turbocharged engine was investigated by TWR, who considered it an ideal basis for a new engine to power the XJR-10 and purchased the design rights from Austin Rover Group.

 

Jaguar and their Director of Engineering, Jim Randle, felt these racing cars were too far removed from the product available to the general public, especially with the rule changes that mandated the replacement of the Jaguar V12 engine in the forthcoming XJR-10 and XJR-11 racing cars. Therefore a project was initiated to design and build a car capable of winning Le Mans "in house", just as the Jaguar C-Type and D-Type had done. The groundwork for the project was undertaken by Randle over Christmas 1987, when he produced a 1:4 scale cardboard model of a potential Group B racing car.

 

The cardboard model was taken into the Jaguar styling studio and two mock-ups were produced. One was said to be reminiscent of the Porsche 956, the other took elements of the then current Jaguar XJ41 project and Malcolm Sayer's work on the stillborn Jaguar XJ13 racing car.

 

The project still had no official support, leaving Randle no option but to put together a team of volunteers to work evenings and weekends in their own time. The team came to be known as "The Saturday Club", and consisted of twelve volunteers. To justify the resources consumed by the project, the XJ220 needed to provide meaningful data to the engineers on handling, aerodynamics, particularly at high speeds, and aluminium structures. These requirements, together with FIA racing regulations and various government regulations governing car design and safety influenced the overall design and engineering direction of the car.

 

The FIA Group B regulations steered the concept towards a mid-engine, four-wheel drive layout, with a Jaguar V12 engine as the power source. The concept car was designed and built at very little cost to Jaguar, as Randle called in favours from component suppliers and engineering companies he and Jaguar had worked with in the past. In return he offered public recognition for their assistance and dangled the possibility of future contracts from Jaguar.

 

The name XJ220 was chosen as a continuation of the naming of the Jaguar XK120, which referred to the top speed of the model in miles per hour. The concept car had a targeted top speed of 220 mph so became the XJ220. The XK120, like the XJ220, was an aluminium-bodied sports car, and when launched was the fastest production car in the world.

 

Jaguar and engine designer Walter Hassan had previously created a 48-valve variant of their V12 engine specifically for motorsport use. It featured a double overhead camshaft layout with four valves per cylinder, compared with the single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder of the production engine, which was used in the Jaguar XJ and Jaguar XJS models at the time.

 

TWR and Cosworth had manufactured a number of these racing V12 engines during the 1980s and they had been raced competitively, with a 7-litre version of this engine featuring in the Le Mans winning Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9. Five of these engines still existed, all of which were fitted with dry sump lubrication. These engines were chosen and considered to be especially useful as the dry sump would lower the vehicle's centre of gravity. The displacement of the V12 was set at 6.2L for the XJ220.

 

Jaguar had little experience with four-wheel drive systems at the time, having previously only produced rear-wheel drive cars. Randle approached Tony Rolt's company, FF Developments to design the transmission and four-wheel drive system for the XJ220, with Rolt's son Stuart running the project. Tony Rolt was the Technical Director of Ferguson Research, where he was heavily involved in the design of the four-wheel drive system used in the Jensen FF, the first sports car to be fitted with such a transmission. Tony Rolt also had a long involvement with Jaguar, winning the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans with the factory works team driving the Jaguar C-Type.

 

The mid-engine complicated the design of the four-wheel drive system, and an innovative solution was needed to get drive from the rear of the engine to the front wheels. The chosen design took the front-wheel drive from the central differential on the rear transaxle and sent it through the V in the centre of the engine using a quill drive, before joining an inverted differential. The clutch was a twin-plate unit designed by AP Racing.

 

The design brief for the exterior restricted the use of aerodynamic aids, and aimed for a stylish yet functional body similar to the Jaguar D-Type. Drag and lift were limited at the envisioned ground clearance for road use, but the design allowed for additional downforce when the car was set up for racing; the body produced around 3,000 lb of downforce at 200 mph. The design was also intended to have a variable rear wing that folded into the bodywork at lower speeds. Aerodynamic work was undertaken at the Motor Industry Research Association wind tunnel using a 1:4 scale model, as the project was unable to budget for a full-scale mock-up.

 

The bodywork for the concept car displayed in 1988 was hand built from aluminium by Park Sheet Metal, a specialist automotive engineering company that manufactures concept cars and low-volume, niche models for various manufacturers, including Bentley. QCR Coatings undertook final painting of the bodyshell in silver. The concept also featured electrically operated scissor doors and a transparent engine cover to show off the V12 engine.

 

The concept car had a Connolly Leather-trimmed interior produced by Callow & Maddox, and was fitted with front and rear heated windscreens, electric windows, air conditioning, heated electrically adjustable seats with an Alpine Electronics CD player. The dashboard was supplied by Veglia.

 

The concept car was completed in the early hours of 18 October 1988, the day it was due to be unveiled at the British International Motor Show, being held at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

 

Jaguar's marketing department had allocated space on their stand at the motor show for the XJ220, but had not seen the vehicle until its arrival. Jaguar chairman John Egan and Roger Putnam, who was in charge of Jaguar's racing activities, were shown the vehicle the week before the motor show and signed off on the concept, allowing its unveiling. The car received an overwhelmingly positive reception by public and press, and a number of wealthy Jaguar enthusiasts handed over blank cheques to secure a purchase option should the XJ220 concept go into production. Ferrari displayed their F40 model at the same event; an estimated 90,000 additional visitors came to see the Jaguar and Ferrari cars.

 

The XJ220 was not initially intended to be a production car, but, following the reception of the concept and financial interest from serious buyers, a feasibility study was carried out by teams from TWR and Jaguar. Its conclusion was that such a car would be technically feasible, and that it would be financially viable. The announcement of a limited production run of 220 to 350 cars came on 20 December 1989. The list price on 1 January 1990 was £290,000 exclusive of value added tax, options and delivery charges, but by 1992 that had increased considerably owing to indexation of contracts. The offer was four times oversubscribed, and deposits of £50,000 exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) were taken from around 1400 customers; first deliveries were planned for mid-1992.

 

What Jaguar didn't reckon on was that the 1990's were going to get off to a very bad start, with a good old fashioned recession to usher in the new decade. This, combined with the various downgrades that would have to follow to make the car road legal, would result in the Jaguar XJ220 giving the company and the customers headaches in more ways than one.

 

In 1991, the company constructed a new £4 million factory at Wykham Mill, Bloxham, for the single purpose of building the XJ220, the plant being opened by the late Princess Diana. But, in order to comply with a variety of road legislation, engineering requirements resulted in significant changes to the specification of the XJ220, most notably replacement of the Jaguar V12 engine by a turbocharged V6 engine.This downgraded engine made that desirable rocket car more run-of-the-mill, and many pulled back their deposits.

 

At the same time the economy collapsed and when the first production cars left the factory in 1992, many of the original potential buyers who had put down their hefty deposits found that they couldn't afford it, and wanted their money back. Many of them cited the fact that the four wheel drive, V12 had been downgraded to a two wheel drive, V6, and thus they weren't getting what they paid for. The result was that Jaguar went so far as to take their customers to court, and forced them to buy a car they no longer wanted, the problem being exacerbated by the fact that in 1993, the McLaren F1 took the title of world's fastest production car, was available with the V12 and all things it promised, and was much smaller and more manageable than the bulky XJ220.

 

A total of just 275 cars were produced by the time production ended, 22 of their LHD models never being sold, each with a retail price of £470,000 in 1992, probably one of the biggest automotive flops in motoring history, right up there with the DeLorean and the Edsel. But this would later be advantageous for many, as this pedigree 'worlds-fastest-car' machine would go in later years for a much lower price. £150,000 mind you, but it's a lot better buying the one's that weren't sold at this reduced price, than at the initial asking price back in 1992. Therefore buyers were able to procure themselves a first-hand XJ220, for half the price, a representative saving of nearly £250,000.

 

Today the XJ220's are rare beasts indeed, rarely coming out to play due largely to their expensive upkeep, heavy fuel consumption and sheer size. But keep your eyes open in some of the more affluent neighbourhoods, be they Dubai, Beverley Hills, or the South of France, and chances are you'll be able to find one.

The cpu exit pipe has a setback before it goes to the cpu block to be able to fit an noctua A12x15 in front of the motherboard. that way the chipset fan barely operates and sits at a dead silent 2800 rpm when it does.

Frame :*SURLY* straggler

Headset :*WHITE INDUSTRIES* external headset

Tires :*WTB* horizon road+ tire 650B

Crankset :*WHITE INDUSTRIES* MR30 crank set

BB :*WHITE INDUSTRIES* BSA bottom brackets

Stem :*THOMSON* elite

Saddle :*WTB* pure V

Seat Post :*THOMSON* elite setback seatpost

Grip:*ODI* vans waffle lock-on grip

Pedal :*MKS* allways pedal

The beginning of 2024 has not been a good start to The Boeing Company after suffering a major setback following the accident involving an Alaska Airlines Being 737 MAX 9 on 5th January 2024, which saw the aircraft suffering a rapid decompression when the aft door plug blew out on climb out from Portland, Oregon. The resulting accident saw the US FAA issue an emergency airworthiness directive which were also implemented by other aviation agencies, and the eventual grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9s featuring the plugged doors.

Whilst the Boeing 737 MAX 9s were grounded as the plug doors were inspected, somewhat surprisingly the previous generation Boeing 737-900ERs which also featured similar plugged doors were not part of the directive and continued to fly without incident.

Very recently, the US FAA extended the directives to the plug door-fitted Boeing 737-900ERs, with Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines within the United States, with Turkish Airlines being the main airline being outside the United States affected and would also see their plug doors being inspected for any defects.

At the time of writing, the US FAA has given the go-ahead for the Boeing 737 MAX 9 to return back to the skies with Boeing issuing guidance on inspecting and making corrections to the plug doors. The first Boeing 737 MAX 9s have already returned back into service since their reinstatement back into service.

Currently, United Airlines operates 489 Boeing 737s, which includes 40 Boeing 737-700s, 141 Boeing 737-800s, 10 Boeing 737-900s, 136 Boeing 737-900ERs, 81 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9s. United Airlines have 387 Boeing 737 MAX 8-10s on-order.

November Seven Five Four Three Three is one of 136 Boeing 737-900ERs operated by United Airlines, delivered new to Continental Airlines on 20th March 2009, transferring over to United Airlines on 1st October 2010 following their merger and she is powered by 2 CFM International CFM56-7B26 engines.

Boeing 737-924/ER(WL) N75433 powers out from Runway 25R at Los Angeles (LAX), California on UA1278 to Cancún (CUN).

Update link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPWutyl9jU4&feature=c4-overvi...

 

------------------------------------

Minor Notes:

__________

• Certain MOCs Have Been and Can Still Possibly Be Postponed Until BBTB (2014) / Possible Bricks Cascade 2014 Due To Financial Mishaps and Setbacks

• Some MOCs, Such as Yavin IV, Will Be Modified For Every Convention The MOC (s) Attend.

• Will Attempt To Have Sponsor

-------------------------------

Yavin IV MOC Progress: 96%

__________________

• Entire Layout For Primary Scene Before Battle Has Been Finished

• Final Battle Version Of MOC Will Be Completed Soon After Last LEGO 41st Elite Scout Arrives

• All Droids Currently Back In MOC Setup (Still Missing 2 Regular LEGO Droidekas

• Size Of Clone Infiltration Garrison Has Been Downsized (LEGO Phase II Clones Replaced CAC Concepted Ones Due To Mishaps)

• Due To The Clone Adjustment, MOC Storyline Has Somewhat Changed, Actually Fits Better Than The Original Storyline

• MOC is Still Mildly Republic Customs Sponsored

• LEGO 41st Elite Squad & Commander Gree Now Here (Only Waiting On Jeff For Customization)

• Only Able To Use LEGO Weapons For Now (CAC Weapons Will Hopefully Be Affordable Next Year & We Can Switch Out For 2014)

-------------------------------

Battle Of Umbara: March On The Capital MOC Progress: 34.2%

__________________

• Basic Ground Structure Of MOC Has Already Been Laid Out

• Supply Package From Investor Arrived And Additional Funds Coming In Very Soon

• MOC BL Orders Organization Tabs (Mostly For Custom Umbarans)

• Over Roughly 10 - 15 BL / Supplier Orders Till Completed

• Full Minifigs4U & X-39 Customs Sponsored MOC

• Going with New 2013 501st Umbara Line for MOC

• Only Able To Use LEGO Weapons For Now (CAC Weapons Will Hopefully Be Affordable Next Year & We Can Switch Out For 2014)

• Have All LEGO 501st Troopers We Need, May Decide To Eventualy Add Army Builder Clones

-------------------------------

Recon Extraction On Chandrilla MOC Progress: 100%

__________________

• Replacing The Zombie MOC This Year

• Recently Added More Water Splash Detail

• Every Grass Detail Aspect Of The MOC Is Finished

• All Official Minifigures In The MOC Are Officially Staying In The MOC

• Will Only Be Appearing @ BBTB 2013

-------------------------------

Warhammer 40k: Winter Apoc MOC Progress: 49.6%

_________________

• Will Actually Be Based Off The Board Game Version

• Post-Apocalyptic Battle Scenery

• Will Have A Lot Of Backup Member help (Knowledge Purposes)

• Battle Will Be Between The White Scar Space Marines vs. Miscellaneous Necron Factions

• Official White Scar Space Marine Design Completed

• Will Take Over 30 Possible BL Orders (2/3 Going Towards The Space Marines & Necrons)

-------------------------------

Operation: Brick Freedom Collaboration MOC Progress: 25%

_________________

• Originally A Collab w/ $DeltaForceGuy$, We Have Now Taken Over The Collab For

• Possibly Might Postpone Until BBTB 2014 (One More Week Till A Decision Is Made)

• Battle Synopsis Planned Out, Refs Used Off Flickr

• Using 4 Grey Baseplates Layout

• Possibly Using little-legends Desert Soldiers & Brickmania Tank Kits

• Would Be Doing A Defiance MOC, But Will Preserve For Next Year Since It Is A Bit To Late

-------------------------------

Custom Minifig Display Stand (Minifigs4U) Progress: 65%

__________________

• RC Display Stand Has Been Moved Into Next Year's BBTB / Bricks Cascade Showcase

• Any Non-Star Wars Customs Will Be Included From Now On (Galaxy Troopers, Iron Man Figs, Super Heroes, etc.)

• Stand Has Been Downsized To Show Customs I Already Have (New BL Orders Already Planned However, May Not Place New)

• No New Minifigs4U SCPCs In Yet

• Will Have Most Of Latest Clones From Newest SCPC Line

• Stand Will Have All New "Army Builders" Series Clones

• Stand Back Still Hasn't Been Extended Yet For Vendor Labels

• Don't Have YouTube & Flickr Labels Or Business Cards For Minifigs4U Yet

-------------------------------

WC Brick Convention Team: 100%

_________________

• Official Team Members:

Jeff W., Ben S., & Justine L.

• Ben and I Are Already Registered For Con (Not All MOCs Are Registered Yet Though)

• Jeff & Justine Not Attending Private Convention Days (But May Possibly Attend Public Day)

• Officially @ 4 Backup Members [Mainly Construction] (Including Frosty)

• Still Currently Planning Team Schedule (Schedule Planned Weekly / Monthly)

• Company Gear & Attire Currently Being Ordered & MOC Transport Is Being Organized

• Private Day Agenda Is Sort of Planned Out

------------------------------------

Update link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPWutyl9jU4&feature=c4-overvi...

 

------------------------------------

Minor Notes:

__________

• Certain MOCs Have Been and Can Still Possibly Be Postponed Until BBTB (2014) / Possible Bricks Cascade 2014 Due To Financial Mishaps and Setbacks

• Some MOCs, Such as Yavin IV, Will Be Modified For Every Convention The MOC (s) Attend.

• Will Attempt To Have Sponsor

-------------------------------

Yavin IV MOC Progress: 96%

__________________

• Entire Layout For Primary Scene Before Battle Has Been Finished

• Final Battle Version Of MOC Will Be Completed Soon After Last LEGO 41st Elite Scout Arrives

• All Droids Currently Back In MOC Setup (Still Missing 2 Regular LEGO Droidekas

• Size Of Clone Infiltration Garrison Has Been Downsized (LEGO Phase II Clones Replaced CAC Concepted Ones Due To Mishaps)

• Due To The Clone Adjustment, MOC Storyline Has Somewhat Changed, Actually Fits Better Than The Original Storyline

• MOC is Still Mildly Republic Customs Sponsored

• LEGO 41st Elite Squad & Commander Gree Now Here (Only Waiting On Jeff For Customization)

• Only Able To Use LEGO Weapons For Now (CAC Weapons Will Hopefully Be Affordable Next Year & We Can Switch Out For 2014)

-------------------------------

Battle Of Umbara: March On The Capital MOC Progress: 34.2%

__________________

• Basic Ground Structure Of MOC Has Already Been Laid Out

• Supply Package From Investor Arrived And Additional Funds Coming In Very Soon

• MOC BL Orders Organization Tabs (Mostly For Custom Umbarans)

• Over Roughly 10 - 15 BL / Supplier Orders Till Completed

• Full Minifigs4U & X-39 Customs Sponsored MOC

• Going with New 2013 501st Umbara Line for MOC

• Only Able To Use LEGO Weapons For Now (CAC Weapons Will Hopefully Be Affordable Next Year & We Can Switch Out For 2014)

• Have All LEGO 501st Troopers We Need, May Decide To Eventualy Add Army Builder Clones

-------------------------------

Recon Extraction On Chandrilla MOC Progress: 100%

__________________

• Replacing The Zombie MOC This Year

• Recently Added More Water Splash Detail

• Every Grass Detail Aspect Of The MOC Is Finished

• All Official Minifigures In The MOC Are Officially Staying In The MOC

• Will Only Be Appearing @ BBTB 2013

-------------------------------

Warhammer 40k: Winter Apoc MOC Progress: 49.6%

_________________

• Will Actually Be Based Off The Board Game Version

• Post-Apocalyptic Battle Scenery

• Will Have A Lot Of Backup Member help (Knowledge Purposes)

• Battle Will Be Between The White Scar Space Marines vs. Miscellaneous Necron Factions

• Official White Scar Space Marine Design Completed

• Will Take Over 30 Possible BL Orders (2/3 Going Towards The Space Marines & Necrons)

-------------------------------

Operation: Brick Freedom Collaboration MOC Progress: 25%

_________________

• Originally A Collab w/ $DeltaForceGuy$, We Have Now Taken Over The Collab For

• Possibly Might Postpone Until BBTB 2014 (One More Week Till A Decision Is Made)

• Battle Synopsis Planned Out, Refs Used Off Flickr

• Using 4 Grey Baseplates Layout

• Possibly Using little-legends Desert Soldiers & Brickmania Tank Kits

• Would Be Doing A Defiance MOC, But Will Preserve For Next Year Since It Is A Bit To Late

-------------------------------

Custom Minifig Display Stand (Minifigs4U) Progress: 65%

__________________

• RC Display Stand Has Been Moved Into Next Year's BBTB / Bricks Cascade Showcase

• Any Non-Star Wars Customs Will Be Included From Now On (Galaxy Troopers, Iron Man Figs, Super Heroes, etc.)

• Stand Has Been Downsized To Show Customs I Already Have (New BL Orders Already Planned However, May Not Place New)

• No New Minifigs4U SCPCs In Yet

• Will Have Most Of Latest Clones From Newest SCPC Line

• Stand Will Have All New "Army Builders" Series Clones

• Stand Back Still Hasn't Been Extended Yet For Vendor Labels

• Don't Have YouTube & Flickr Labels Or Business Cards For Minifigs4U Yet

-------------------------------

WC Brick Convention Team: 100%

_________________

• Official Team Members:

Jeff W., Ben S., & Justine L.

• Ben and I Are Already Registered For Con (Not All MOCs Are Registered Yet Though)

• Jeff & Justine Not Attending Private Convention Days (But May Possibly Attend Public Day)

• Officially @ 4 Backup Members [Mainly Construction] (Including Frosty)

• Still Currently Planning Team Schedule (Schedule Planned Weekly / Monthly)

• Company Gear & Attire Currently Being Ordered & MOC Transport Is Being Organized

• Private Day Agenda Is Sort of Planned Out

------------------------------------