#Undercarriage Base Frame

[yashlasertek]

High-Quality Undercarriage Base Frame Manufacturing

Learn about our professional Undercarriage Base Frame Manufacturing services. We offer precisely designed solutions for heavy machinery and equipment that are long-lasting and high-performing. Get in touch with us for dependable and effective production.

[randofics]

Being able to reach where the bots can't

The men on base couldn't pull something out of Optimus's engine block. It was deep inside, wedged in the cables and framework. Without thinking, you offered to try removing it. They stepped aside, and you slipped underneath Optimus's bumper. The men watched incredulously as your body disappeared inside the engine space. You wriggled between the frame and the giant engine with a small light clenched in your teeth.

Your body pressed into the warm metal around you as you searched. When you spotted the offending piece of debris. You ever so gently twisted and coaxed it out of where it had been wedged. You felt him shake around you when it popped free. Dropping it to the concrete below with a clang, you wriggled your way out. Your clothes and hands had stripes of smudged grease and other remnants of vehicle fluids all over.

You popped your back after you slid out from under him and patted his hood. "Good to go, Optimus."

He'd never admit it, but having you pressed against the inside of his engine space felt... well, it made him feel things, to say the least. He thanked you, of course. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, but the thoughts running through his processor would've made him blush if he were able to.

-------

Crosshairs could feel that something was off as he moved. Almost like when humans get a stitch or muscle cramp. You noticed him moving to try and free whatever may be stuck or out of place. "Hey, Cross you, alright?" He looked up as he was feeling under his chest panels. "Something feels off, but I can't tell what or where it is."

"Can you transform? Maybe I can find it." He did as asked, transforming. "Where can you feel it in this form?"

"My engine space as far as I can tell." He pops his hood, and with a small flashlight, you look over parts of his engine block that are visible but can't see anything out of place. You lean over the side, looking between the frame and block. Something blue catches your eye, and you bend over, slipping your hand into the small gap. You feel Something wet and remove your arm to look at your fingers. Drops of blue enerjon color your skin and you hiss. "Looks like something cut one of your cables. Not all the way through, but you are leaking some enerjon. I can help stop the bleeding with some electrical tape if you want?"

"Please do. It can take a while for cables to seal on their own." You grabbed the electrical tape and practically climbed into his engine to reach the cable deep inside. Your chest and face were pressed into his engine so you could reach. As gently as you could, you wrapped up the leaking cable. Pushing up into a sitting position on your knees, you breathed a sigh of relief. "Just come get me when it feels like it's sealed up."

You closed his hood and walked back to do whatever you'd been doing beforehand. He watched your hips sway as you left. The feeling of your hands on his cables and block lingered long after you left, and he couldn't help the shiver that ran down his back strut.

-------

Bumblebee could've sworn he felt something in his undercarriage as he was driving with you to run an errand. When he ran over a bump, it stuck him like a thorn. He spoke his concerns over the radio, and you offered to take a look when you got back to base.

Later, you had him drive up onto a pair of car ramps. With his undercarriage exposed, you slid underneath him to search for anything that could be problematic. Nothing in his front half stuck out to you, so you slid further back, and almost at his rear axel, you spotted something shiny and out of place. It was lodged in the crack around his gas tank. "Bee, I found it! I'll try to pull it free, but you can't move, ok?" A beep and wirr was all you got in response, so you took it as an ok.

Lightly, you touch the underside of his tank, and he shakes at the contact. Your other hand grips the edge of the metal object and gives it a light tug. It shifts a bit but doesn't pop free. With more force, you tug and wiggle the piece, and it pops free. Bee jumps an inch but stays on the ramps, and you slide out from under him. A deep male voice from an old show speaks over his radio. "Thank you, love, you're a life saver!"

You give him a pat on the hood and examine the metal in your hand. "Looks like a piece of tin roofing. Good thing it didn't cut any cables or your tires."

The feeling of your hands on his undercarriage stayed for a while after you left. He wondered what it would be like to have you wash him by hand rather than going through the wash station at the base.

-------

Ratchet lost an important piece of the machine he was working on in a crack just small enough that his didgets couldn't slip through. He would've had Arcee help him, but she was still out on patrol. He looked over to you, sleeping on the couch. You were the only human on base at the moment, and he really needed that piece. Reluctantly, he walked over to the raised platform and called your name a few times.

You stirred and turned over to sleepily look at him. "Mmh, I'm up. What is it?" You stretch and yawn while still laying down. "I apologize for waking you, but I need your assistance with something." Standing you rub your eyes to clear them. He takes you in his servos and places you on the floor before the gap in the wall. Looking up at him questioningly, he finally tells you what's going on.

With him shining a light into the gap, you slip through all the way till your wide hips stop you from going further. The piece is thankfully within reach, and you just have to angle yourself to grab it. Your rear stuck out in full view, and he tried looking away, but his gaze kept slipping back to you as you reached for the object.

When you stood up holding the object in hand, he picked you up and placed you on the platform again. He thanked you but couldn't look you in the eye. You smiled up at him, none the wiser of the thoughts running through his processor.

[tinydefector]

SEEKER TRINE VENTS

The Seeker trine x human (separate)

Word count: 2.6k

Warnings: swearing, injury

Skywarp masterlist

Starscream masterlist

Thundercracker masterlist

_____________

Based on this photo

Starscream 

Small noises of displeasure fell from their lips as they scrub grime off of Starscream, the mech had been rather vocal about how much he hated earth and the muck that would get itself stuck in his vents, ledges and creases of his armour.

 "How do you get so much stuff wedged in here?" They ask in annoyance. Starscream vented heavily as they scrubbed at his plating, not bothering to conceal his distaste for the task. As one such pesky piece of debris came loose, he huffed derisively.  

"You organic creatures are so primitive, dragging all manner of filth into our ship. Your flimsy exteriors offer no protection from this planet's foul substances." 

The human scowled up at him, unamused by his answer. He continued more dourly, "The intricate grooves and seams of Cybertronian plating are evidently well-suited for trapping debris, as I've discovered to my irritation. “Your "muck", as you call it, works its way deep within joints and transformation seams, which it then proves vexing to dislodge." His brow ridge drew down in a scowl.

He remained still while the human tended to him, but he dared not harm them and risk angering Megatron. For now, he bit back any further complaints.

"Oh yes, the primitive who somehow can keep themself cleaner than you. Stop being such a pissbaby " They shoot back as they scrub the soapy water across his wings.

 "You'd think highly advanced Cybernetic aliens would have a way to deal with this" they tease. The soapy sponge scrubbing against the insignia.

Starscream scoffed haughtily at the human's insolence.

 "And yet here you are, assigned the menial task of removing such filth from my plating." He vented in irritation as the sponge scrubbed over a particularly caked-on patch of grime, the insignia proudly displayed upon his wings now slowly becoming visible once more. 

"Make no mistake, human, had I been leader of the Decepticons we would not be on this wretched planet to begin with." His plating gave an involuntary shiver as a transformation seam was ruthlessly scoured.

If Starscream had been bipedal at that moment he would be looking down at them with a fixed and pointed glare. "Now cease your prattling and get on with the task, unless you wish to spend the remainder of the day at it!" he Snarled, he felt humiliated having someone else clean him, but some of The areas he just couldn't reach himself.   

"Mimimi" they make the whiny little nose at Starscream as they use his wing to drop down onto the floor as they begin checking the underside of his wing, scrubbing more groves. Starscream's wings twitched in irritation as the human scampered down to scrub at his undercarriage. 

 before they move towards the Jets vents. "Fucking hell you have that many leaves wedged in here!." They state. "Be careful! many of those plates are far more sensitive than exterior armour." He snarled sharply as they crawled up into the vent grabbing leaves and debris slowly dislodging them from hidden seams and vents.

 "Seeker frames such as mine offer countless nooks and crannies for debris to work itself deep within." A particularly stubborn clump came free, causing his vents to shudder involuntarily. They roll their eyes at him. "You can just say thank you, no need to be a prick Stars" their voice somewhat echoes and reverberates off his plating as they grab even more handfuls of leaves, throwing them out while they begin scrubbing the more sensitive plating.

Starscream shutters as his voice hitched as the human's hands scraped roughly against his more delicate vent internals. "Mind your hands, I'm not your toy!" he snapped, wings twitching in irritation. "Do not manhandle so crudely.” He cries out before going quietly, he feels defiled. 

Despite his complaints, he had to admit some relief as handfuls of debris were cleared away. "Can you not work quicker?" he groused. "Your primitive fingers pale in comparison to a proper Cybertronian sanitation cycle. And lingering here invites further filth and dirt with every moment." His plating flared, venting a burst of hot air to dislodge any remaining flecks. It puffs a collection of dust and dirt at the human who begins coughing and cursing him out. “ fuck you Starscream, trying to kill me!” After they finish having a choking fit they shoot him a glare. 

"Oh I'm so sorry that you can't clean your own vents" they remark in a snarky tone the soapy water seeps in and begins dislodging the other dirt and grim. Their eyes linger realising that his vents were much more spacious than they had expected. They scoot further in. They run their hand across a large 'scar' that is on the inside of the vent, fingers ever soft again the large grove. "Who did this to you?" They ask softly, their anger from before fading almost non existent. Starscream vented sharply as their hand lingers over an old wound. 

"A battlefield skirmish on Cybertron, an Autobot believed shoving a blade into my vent would end me " he replied tersely. "Such scars often remain, embedded in our armour's self-regenerating molecular structure. They serve as reminders of battles won and lost." 

His voice hitched as delicate sensor nodes were brushed. "Remove your hands, you have completed your task," Starscream stated curtly. While thorough cleansing was necessary to dislodge filth, he had limits to how much manhandling by fleshy human digits he would tolerate. 

 His plating rippled in a not so subtle threat, but he never let anyone touch his scars. The sooner this indignity was over, the better. They let out a soft huff and slowly slide themselves back out of the vents, moving towards the other buckets of water. Grabbing it and throwing the icy cold water across the soapy areas.

Starscream gasped sharply as the human doused him with the frigid rinse water, his armour plating clamping down tightly in response to the uncomfortable temperature differential. 

"Primus, have you no care for My paint?!" he snapped irritably. "That was Cold!” He cries out again. Nonetheless, it washed away the remaining suds caught in seams and joints. His plating gave a few experimental flutters to normalise to the temperature. 

That let out a laugh as they fill the bucket from the water punnet and proceeding with the next wing. "It's not my fault the water is so cold, don't you like a little cold water?" They call out teasing him again as they rinse the soap and grime off of starscream, even flushing out his vents to make sure they were clean.

Starscream flinched as frigid rinse water splashed over his plating once more, droplets seeping into seams and joints. "Primus, have mercy. Must you freeze my circuits,?!" he Shout irritably. "How anyone stands your planet's wretched temperatures is beyond me” 

He snapped his intake shut tightly, vents expelling a sharp burst of hot air to fully purge any remaining moisture. Though loath to rely on such crude organic methods, Starscream's newly cleaned plating shone as triumphant as ever. The human had proven. sufficient, if barely, for their demeaning chore. 

They squeal as Starscream transforms, grabbing them and lifting them up optic level. They laugh more, and for once Starscream finds it almost delightful how their voice echoes of the different frequencies. Even if they were a pest at the best of times. "Well look at you, all freshened up you don't look half bad." They state proudly.

"Your a pest," he conceded grudgingly. His optics flickered, scanning the organic clutched close. Gingerly, Starscream lowered them back to the ground. "It seems your crude manual methods have...sufficed, Now run along." His engine rumbled, a not-so-subtle dismissal. But for once, no sting of wrath laced the Seeker's words. "begone, before your nasty touch soils me further." His grumbled with an audible click. 

Skywarp 

Skywarp felt the human shudder against his frame. He vented softly, knowing he lacked the energy reserves to maintain his internal heating to run the heater in the cockpit for long in this condition. After being shot down, they had barely managed to make it to this cave and he could feel his systems needing to shut down to conserve power to heal.   

"Easy little one, try to stay awake. My self-repairs are attempting to reroute what power I can, but it may not be enough to keep you warm." His plating rattled shakily as tried to patch what gaps they could. A fall of temperatures that would do little to him but could snuff out their fragile form or make them sick. "Remain still and try to breathe slowly. I've tried contacting the others, but the rock is interfering with transmissions."

They pull their jackets closer. "How's the damage?" They ask through a shaky voice. Their breath is visible in the air but they still so more worry for him than their own situation. 

Skywarp ran another self-diagnostic scan. The damage was severe. his systems were barely functioning above stasis lock but he was fighting against it, for their sake. 

"My systems are heavily damaged from the crash and stasis is trying to set in," he said as evenly as possible his voice is static-laced and shaking. "But my self-repair functions are attempting to stabilise the worst systems so I can last until help comes. If the Autobots don't find us first" 

He focused what remaining power he had into his communications beacon, hoping his location ping would finally break through the rocky interference.

Skywarp knew they were likely frightened, putting on a brave face for him due to how injured he was. being trapped in a dark cave with a half-disabled mech wasn't what either of them had planned on their night flight . But he had to keep them alive and try not to panic himself. For now, all he could offer was what protection and warmth his tired frame could provide. 

" I may have a plan to keep you warm," he said gently. "My vents are internally heated and large enough that you could climb inside. Being so close to my engine and spark should keep you warm. It is not an ideal situation, but may better allow me to shield you with what power I have left and even in stasis it will keep you warm." 

"Ok" they state softly as they slowly move carefully climbing up into the vent. As they move back further into the vent they lay down against the warm metal letting out a sigh of relief. The sound of the heavy rain outside makes them peak their head back out just enough to watch it. 

"Thank you" they call out, eyes slowly fluttering closed as they bask in the heat that radiates off Skywarp. He emitted a soft rumble in acknowledgement. As they settle back further inside against his internal metal walls, he vents a sigh of relief. 

"You are most welcome, little one," Skywarp replied gently. "How do you feel?" he asked. “tried, I'm just glad you're alright, try and recover. I'm warm here, you won't be losing me tonight” they state bravely. 

 Skywarp did his best to calm his systems. "Try to rest if you are able." His systems begin shutting down into recharge. The sound of heavy rain echo's into the cave. 

when they wake up they are wrapped in multiple blankets held close to skywarps chassis, As the Seeker recharges. As memory of the cave ordeal was still fuzzy, confusion gave way to relief as warmth and safety registered. Beneath the layers of thermal blankets, nestled securely against Skywarp's recharging chest plates. His steady spark pulse and low internal hum soothed any remaining unease.  

Reaching out tentatively, they trailed gentle fingers across his armoured plating, Drawing nearer to his spark's glow, they let out a sigh of contentment and relief as they snuggled closer to him. 

Thundercracker 

 the small human wanders around his form checking for any damage from the Scraplet which had gotten into his vent. Small hands slowly weld the damage closed so that his systems could finish the job of mending.

 “Thank you for your assistance, Starscream has me on tight patrols lately, as you've noticed."  He waits patiently for them to finish, not wanting to jostle them as they work. "They don't know I'm here do they?" They asked softly, they knew Thundercracker had a soft spot for them, but they also hoped the con wasn't going against orders just for their company.

Thundercracker pauses  "No, they don't know. I try to visit when I can get away without them noticing." 

"Starscream has been keeping me flying patrol nearly nonstop lately, so it's been harder to slip away. But I couldn't leave without checking on you." He starts "Just a few more checks, don't want you trying to take off if you're still hurt or if there's another scraplet in your vents " they state while moving towards the large jet vents. Peeking inside. "It looks like you got more than you bargained for" they remark as they try to reach for the piece of shrapnel inside the vent. They grumble before climbing up into the vent, to try and remove the metal.

Thundercracker lets out a soft chuckle as the human climbs into his vents to remove the small chuckles of what was left of the dead creature. He remains as still as possible so as not to endanger them.  

"Indeed, that scraplet got the drop on me during my last patrol. Barely managed to get it out of my vent before it did any critical damage to my fans and engine. Thank you for your help removing it, my servos are far too large to fit in there. Just please be careful, I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt."

 

A laugh echoes from them inside the vent, "fuck they did a number on you" they call out as the dislodging more metal and throw the peices out of the vent. Thundercracker lets out a soft chuckle at the human's crass language, not bothered in the slightest.  "Indeed they did, the fragging scraplets really know how to leave a mess behind."

 They turn their torch on checking the rest of the vent. Crawling through it into a small gap before through into the other side. "What would you do without me?" They tease while making sure there isn't any other damage or scraplets hiding waiting to cause more damage. "As for what I'd do without you, I'd likely be running far less efficiently with pieces of shrapnel still lodged in my vents."  

He says in a gently teasing tone.  "Between you and my self-repair systems, I'll be as good as new before long. Almost feels like getting a tune up from my old mechanic back on Cybertron. Thank you for your help" 

"Anytime Thunder, I've got to keep my favourite jet in working order " they hum while climbing their way back out of the vent. They lean up and press a soft kiss to the side of metal.

 "Perhaps someday, I could return the favour and aid you in your repairs."

 Thundercracker hums softly in response, feeling a warmth in his spark at the gesture of affection from them. “oh Thundercracker you sweetheart but I'd leave medical stuff to the medics” the tease which makes him chuckle as he transforms. 

 They slowly begin wiping their hands off as they watch the Seeker. "You best get going before the others come looking and find that you have been keeping pets" they tease. Thundercracker smiles softly in amusement at the human's teasing words.  "Indeed, it would not do for Megatron or Starscream to discover I've been keeping a human 'pet'. Primus only knows what those two would do." He leans down and presses a soft kiss to their forehead. “Stay out of trouble my little mechanic” he mumbles to them. 

__________________

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[punjabfoamwash]

Top professional car wash and vacuum services at Samrala

Keeping your car clean isn't just about looking good on the road—it's also about maintaining your vehicle's value and ensuring it runs smoothly. If you're in Punjab, you have an excellent option for car care: Punjab Foam Wash. Let's dive into why this service stands out and what you can expect.

What is Punjab Foam Wash?

Punjab Foam Wash is a car wash service that uses a special foam to clean your vehicle. This foam is designed to remove dirt, grime, and road salt more effectively than traditional car washing methods. It’s gentle on your car’s paint and helps to avoid scratches that can occur with regular washing.

Why Choose Punjab Foam Wash?

Thorough Cleaning: The foam penetrates deep into hard-to-reach places, ensuring that every part of your car is cleaned thoroughly.

Protects Your Car: The foam is gentle and reduces the risk of scratches and damage to your car’s paint.

Environmentally Friendly: Foam washes use less water than traditional methods, making them a more eco-friendly option.

Professional Service: Trained staff use the best techniques and equipment to ensure your car gets the care it deserves.

The Process

Pre-Wash Rinse: Your car is first rinsed with water to remove loose dirt and debris.

Foam Application: A layer of foam is applied to the entire vehicle. This foam clings to the dirt and grime, breaking it down.

Scrubbing: Using soft brushes or sponges, the foam is worked into the surface of the car, ensuring a deep clean.

Rinse and Dry: After the foam has done its job, your car is rinsed off and dried, leaving a spotless finish.

Hydraulic Jack Services: Raising the Bar:

Key points highlighting the significance and advantages of hydraulic jack services in a car wash

Hydraulic jack services elevate vehicles to an ideal height, providing technicians with easy access to all areas of the vehicle, including the undercarriage, wheel wells, and lower body panels.

By lifting the vehicle off the ground, hydraulic jacks enable thorough cleaning of hard-to-reach areas that are typically inaccessible during conventional car washes. This ensures a more comprehensive and effective cleaning process.

Hydraulic jacks streamline the car washing process by reducing the need for manual labor and increasing the efficiency of service delivery. Technicians can work more quickly and effectively, resulting in shorter wait times for customers.

Elevating the vehicle with hydraulic jacks minimizes the risk of damage to the vehicle's body, frame, and components during the cleaning process. This helps preserve the integrity of the vehicle and reduces the likelihood of scratches or dents.

Hydraulic jack services enhance safety for both technicians and vehicles by providing a stable and secure platform for working underneath the vehicle. This reduces the risk of accidents or injuries associated with manual lifting or support methods.

Hydraulic jacks offer adjustable height settings, allowing technicians to customize the lifting position based on the size and shape of the vehicle. This ensures optimal accessibility and cleaning performance for vehicles of varying dimensions.

Hydraulic jacks can be used not only for car washing but also for other maintenance tasks, such as tire rotations, brake inspections, and oil changes. This versatility adds value to the service offering and enhances the overall customer experience.

Additional Car Wash Services

1. Vacuum Cleaning

Description: Vacuum cleaning involves using powerful vacuum cleaners to remove dust, dirt, and debris from the car's interior.

Benefits:

Removes Dust and Dirt: Keeps seats, carpets, and floor mats free from dust and debris.

Improves Air Quality: Reduces allergens and improves the air quality inside the car.

Enhances Appearance: Gives the interior a tidy and well-maintained look.

Ideal For: Regular maintenance to keep the car’s interior clean and free from buildup of dirt and debris.

2. Interior Detailing

Description: Interior detailing is a deep-cleaning service that focuses on every part of the car’s interior, including seats, carpets, dashboard, and other surfaces.

Benefits:

Deep Clean: Removes stains, spills, and dirt from all surfaces.

Restores Appearance: Makes the interior look and feel like new.

Protects Surfaces: Often includes conditioning treatments for leather and plastic surfaces to protect against wear and tear.

Ideal For: Cars that have not been cleaned for a while or require a thorough refresh.

3. Exterior Detailing

Description: Exterior detailing involves thorough cleaning, polishing, and protecting the car’s exterior surfaces, including the paint, windows, and tires.

Benefits:

Restores Shine: Polishing removes minor scratches and restores the car’s original shine.

Protects Paint: Waxing and sealing protect the paint from environmental damage.

Enhances Appearance: Makes the car look as good as new, improving its overall aesthetic appeal.

Ideal For: Cars that need a deep clean and protection, especially before or after harsh weather conditions.

4. Lamination

Description: Car lamination involves applying a protective film over the car’s paint to guard against scratches, UV rays, and other environmental factors.

Benefits:

Protects Paint: Provides a durable layer of protection against scratches and fading.

Maintains Shine: Keeps the car looking glossy and new.

Easy Maintenance: Makes it easier to clean the car and maintain its appearance.

Ideal For: New cars or cars with a recent paint job that need long-term protection.

5. Odor Removal

Description: Odor removal services use specialized treatments to eliminate unpleasant smells from the car’s interior.

Benefits:

Freshens Air: Removes odors caused by food, pets, smoke, and other sources.

Improves Comfort: Makes the car’s interior more pleasant and comfortable.

Healthier Environment: Reduces the presence of bacteria and allergens that can cause odors.

Ideal For: Cars with persistent bad smells that aren’t removed by regular cleaning.

6. Deep Cleaning

Description: Deep cleaning is an intensive service that involves thorough cleaning of both the interior and exterior of the car, targeting all areas that standard cleaning might miss.

Benefits:

Comprehensive Clean: Addresses every part of the car, including engine bay, undercarriage, and hard-to-reach areas.

Restores Condition: Brings the car back to a near-new condition.

Long-Term Maintenance: Ideal for preparing the car for long-term storage or major events.

Ideal For: Cars that require an all-encompassing clean, such as before selling or after prolonged use without cleaning.

Waxing and Polishing:

Description: Applying wax or polish to the car’s exterior to protect the paint and give it a shiny finish.

Benefits: Adds a protective layer, enhances shine, and can help remove minor scratches.

Ideal For: People who want to protect their car’s paint and keep it looking new.

Benefits of Regular Car Washes

Maintains Paint: Regular washing helps to protect the paintwork from damage caused by dirt, bird droppings, and road salt.

Improves Resale Value: A well-maintained car is worth more when it’s time to sell.

Better Fuel Efficiency: A clean car has less drag, which can improve fuel efficiency.

Safety: Clean windows and mirrors ensure better visibility, making driving safer.

Customer Experience

Customers of Punjab Foam Wash often praise the friendly and efficient service. Many highlight the thoroughness of the clean and the professionalism of the staff. Plus, the convenience of a quick wash means you can get back on the road without a long wait.

Conclusion

Punjab Foam Wash offers a superior cleaning method that is both effective and gentle on your vehicle. With professional service and eco-friendly practices, it’s a top choice for car owners in Punjab. Regularly washing your car not only keeps it looking great but also helps maintain its value and performance. Next time your car needs a wash, consider the benefits of choosing Punjab Foam Wash for a sparkling clean car every time.

[mavdrones]

Must-Have Drone Accessories for Every Pilot

Here are some must-have drone accessories for every pilot, categorized based on their function:

Essential for Flight

1. Extra Batteries: Flying a drone is all about capturing the perfect shot or footage. However, nothing is more frustrating than having your flight cut short due to a drained battery. Extra batteries ensure you can extend your flight time and make the most out of every session.

2. Spare Propellers: Propellers are the most vulnerable part of a drone. Even a small collision or a bump into an obstacle can damage them. Having spare propellers on hand ensures that minor accidents don’t ground you for too long, keeping you in the air and capturing footage without interruption.

3. High-Speed Memory Cards: Drones are capable of capturing high-resolution photos and videos, which require ample storage space. High-speed memory cards not only provide sufficient storage capacity but also ensure that your drone can write data quickly, preventing any delays or disruptions in recording during flight.

Safety and Maintenance

1. Propeller Guards: Especially useful for beginner pilots, propeller guards not only protect your propellers from damage during collisions but also mitigate the risk of injuries to bystanders or damage to property in case of accidents.

2. Landing Pad: A landing pad provides a stable and safe surface for takeoff and landing. It helps prevent debris from being kicked up by the drone’s propellers, avoids damage to the drone’s undercarriage, and ensures a clean landing area, particularly in outdoor environments with uneven terrain.

3. Carrying Case: Transporting and storing your drone safely is crucial for its longevity. A sturdy carrying case designed specifically for your drone model protects it from impacts, scratches, and other damage during transit, ensuring that your investment remains intact and ready for action.

Enhancing Your Footage

1. ND Filters: ND filters are indispensable for capturing professional-quality footage, especially in bright sunlight. By reducing the amount of light entering the camera sensor, ND filters allow you to maintain optimal shutter speeds and aperture settings, resulting in smoother, more cinematic-looking shots with balanced exposure.

2. Lens Cleaning Kit: A clean lens is essential for achieving sharp and clear aerial footage. Dust, fingerprints, and smudges can degrade the quality of your images and videos. A lens cleaning kit provides the necessary tools to maintain your drone’s camera lens, ensuring that it remains free from contaminants and capable of producing pristine imagery.

3. Sunshade for Remote Controller: When piloting a drone outdoors, glare from the sun can make it difficult to see the screen on your remote controller, affecting your ability to navigate and frame shots accurately. A sunshade attaches to your remote controller, shielding the screen from direct sunlight and improving visibility, thus allowing you to maintain better control over your drone even in bright conditions.

By investing in these essential accessories, drone pilots can enhance their flying experience, ensure the safety and longevity of their equipment, and capture breathtaking aerial footage with ease and confidence.

[autospoke]

Second hand car dealer in Mumbai- Used Car Inspection Checklist:

A Used Car Inspection Checklist is a wise option when you want value for money. To avoid the risk of ending up with a used car that’s going to leave you stranded, we suggest inspecting it well - on your own and/or asking for a professional used car inspection. Follow these 9 steps to ensure you cover all your bases and find a vehicle that’s worth your hard-earned money.

Steps to Check a Car

1. Check Mileage

13,000 miles per year is the average most people drive a car according to available data. Any more than that is going to start putting the vehicle at above average mileage for its model year and should warrant a discount to its less-driven peers. Edmunds and KBB are the sources you can use to your advantage when determining the market value of a used vehicle.

2. Check the vehicles’ history report

Investigate the Car’s History - to see if there has been any previous damage. The seller might have the history report ready to view. If not, you can buy and download it online or ask an inspection company to provide it.

A CARFAX report is a good starting point, but they only include information that was reported. Previous owners may not have reported their maintenance or certain claims/damages made to the car. Here at CarDr.com, we have additional methods of learning about the car's current condition through our vehicle inspection process.

3. Examine for Rust and Paint discoloration

A close look at the paint job can reveal history. Compare panels for color and quality uniformity. If the color or condition of the panels don’t match, the vehicle was probably in an accident and had some panels replaced.

Rust - if you find rust on the bodywork of the vehicle, it may just be an aesthetic problem, but it might also indicate deeper issues that are costly to repair. Frame rust, for example, could impact the integrity of the vehicle and poses a threat to the car's longevity. If you see rust on the body of the vehicle, check under the hood and the undercarriage for further signs.

4. Tire Inspection – examine for wear

Coin tread depth test  is a quick way to check a tires tread. Insert a coin in the tread to and examine it – repeat for every tire. Please don’t forget the spare. If the grip is worn down, the tires may need to be replaced soon at extra cost to you. There may also be an alignment issue if the wear on the tires are uneven.

5. Undercarriage & leaks on the ground

Check the ground and undercarriage for any signs of leakage while you're examining the tires. Leak repairs – can be costly and could offer a offer a price break.

6. Open the Hood

Check oil levels. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Push the dipstick in again and then withdraw it. A light oil color usually means a recent service, if dark or muddy - it hasn't been changed in a while. Add the service cost to the price.

Look for signs of rust or corrosion under the hood. These signs are a good indication of the car’s past treatment, current condition, and life expectancy.

Inspect belts for signs of wear. If any of the belts are frayed or torn, they may need to be replaced soon.

Check transmission fluid. Ensure that levels are high. The fluid should be a clear reddish color

Brake fluid. You can predict how worn your brakes are based on how much fluid is left in your reservoir. Low brake fluid levels mean the brakes need some repairs.

Check antifreeze. Make sure there’s no oil contamination and that the color is clear.

Check the battery. Look for leaks, damaged cables, poor contacts or corrosion.

7. Lights: Headlight, Taillights and Signal Lights

Ensure brake lights, turn signals, headlights, and taillights are all in working order. Also, check for all interior lights are working too.

8. Driving Test

Listen for any strange sounds, vibrations. When you start the engine does it sound normal?  Do any Warning /Check Engine lights (indicating DTC Error Codes) light up? Check the performance when you press the throttle. Does the steering wheel vibrate or turn to one side? Check how the vehicle handles on different road surfaces. Brakes can give you a good feel for the their wear or if they pull to one side. Don’t forget to check the parking break. If it’s a manual shift – feel the gear's shift to see if it’s smooth.

Car diagnostic scanners for used are important to read DTC error codes – If you have the more expensive ones – they can tell you if the error codes have been recently reset. To mask problems short term.

9. Professional Inspection

If you’re not feeling comfortable performing items on this inspection checklist, ask a knowledgeable friend. It’s also a good idea to take it to a mechanic to get it checked out. Any problems the mechanic identifies can be used as points of negotiation if you decide to make an offer. The professional inspection fee is a small price to pay compared to buying a problem-ridden vehicle. When selecting a service check for the comprehensiveness, OBD scan tool and peer comparison.

Autospoke When you choose to buy a used car at AUTOSPOKE you can expect quality, and reliability in our processes. You don’t need to worry about transparency and other factors that would have questioned you from purchasing a pre-owned car.

Visit Us-  https://autospoke.com/PreOwnedCars/

[gadgetsaudit]

Top 3 Most Demanding Pet Stroller For your Pet.

How to choose a pet stroller

Pet strollers, like baby strollers, are safer than pet carriers for moving pets.

Get a high-quality stroller with a weight limit that fits your dog, cat, opossum, etc.

When choosing a pet stroller, consider a few things to make walking your pet easy.

Safety features

Safety features will help you find the ideal stroller, whether you’re worried about an escape artist cat, dogs that overheat, or just want to cover all your bases.

With specifically constructed zippers and locks, certain pet strollers let you go out without worrying about their escape attempts. Not all pairings work for you. Certain solutions may be harder for dexterity-challenged people. A leash clip helps in these situations, and each pet should have one.

If your pet is prone to overheating, try a pet stroller with all-around mesh and a cover.

Pet strollers contain parking brakes like children’s strollers to prevent you from running after your pet if their stroller rolls away on a little slope.

Vivo Three Wheel Pet Stroller

Similar to previous versions, the three-wheeled Vivo has three zippered entry places for putting your pet in and taking them out of the stroller. When you’re out and about, you can gaze down at them via a top mesh window on the canopy, and mesh on the front offers ventilation and visibility for your pet (although there isn’t mesh around the sides).

While people will like the undercarriage for storing extra stuff, animals will adore the soft foam bottom. Talk about feature-friendly—there are even twin cup holders and a central tray! The Vivo collapses with the touch of a button, making storage simple.

However, the maximum weight capacity of the Vivo is just 30 pounds, and the manufacturer expressly advises against transporting more than one pet at once. Even so, we like the functionality and advantages for people with tiny dogs.

Pros

Several storage spaces viewing window in the top

Cons

restricted access to a lower weight limit

HPZ Pet Rover XL

The HPZ Pet Rover XL is your best option if you’re searching for a twin pet stroller or one with a high weight capability for large pets. This opulent pet stroller can be extended by up to 35 inches and can hold up to 75 pounds of pets (or many dogs).

It goes without saying that it is firmly supported by a sturdy, rust-free metal frame, weatherproof fabric, and tyres made of automotive-grade rubber. A three-year replacement warranty is also included.

Although the stroller is entirely zip-free and uses quick-release latches and locks instead of zippers, the back doorway has a sizable zippered opening. Humans will like the added features of a reversible handlebar, three accessory pockets, a drink holder, and a wide undercarriage for storage. Three-stop canopy levels provide a variety of sight for dogs.

Is it pricey? Sure. Nonetheless, it would be difficult to locate any stroller on the market that can carry the weight of a Golden Retriever in its adult form.

Pros

Holds a maximum combined weight of 75 lbs Expandable

Drawbacks

Nothing that we could locate

Paws & Pals 3-Wheel Stroller

Pets up to 35 pounds may ride comfortably in this lightweight, three-wheeled stroller, which weighs less than 15 pounds. The front entry is aided by a footboard step, and the mesh zipper cover is said to be escape-proof while yet allowing for breathability. The back door’s zipper may even be utilised to quickly unload your pet.

At the stroke of a button, this stroller folds up into a little package for simple storage and features a leash clip to keep animals safe even while the canopy is down. The stroller’s parking brake on the back wheels prevents it from accidentally rolling away in addition to the leash clip. This stroller is especially useful if you’re doing errands or just enjoy the option of having more room because it has an undercarriage for storing extra stuff.

This stroller is reasonably priced, comes in four colours, and is best used for short strolls on level ground since, according to reviews, it isn’t sturdy enough for longer, more strenuous outings.

Pros

Affordable, Lightweight, Attractive.

Cons

Not the best for physical activity or tough terrain

Read More: Top Most Demanding Pet Stroller for Your.

[freewayinsurance]

Dealing with Car Rust on a Budget

You’re looking at your car that has served you well for several – or more – years and thinking it looks pretty good for its age. You’re happy with your car insurance costs since your ride is paid for and affordable. But wait, what is that spot near the bumper on the left side? You go closer, run your fingers over it and realize it’s a rust spot!  

Before you get frantic, understand that all items made from iron, such as the steel body panels on your prized possession, are eventually going to go through this process. Catching it early means you can likely fix it yourself before it spreads and causes more problems.

What is Rust?

It is a chemical reaction that happens when iron interacts with oxygen and converts into iron oxide. Iron oxide looks like a red, flaky substance and it will spread. Since we cannot get away from oxygen, and most vehicles today are built with a combination of iron and carbon, which forms steel, this is a common byproduct.  

You’ll find steel in about 65 percent of your vehicle, including parts of the steering, suspension, body, wheels, chassis and frame. That’s a lot of places where iron oxide can form. Luckily, we’ve come a long way since the 1970s, when automakers used a cheaper version of steel. As a result, automobiles began exhibiting telltale signs of iron oxide almost as soon as they became available to buy.

Today’s automakers are constantly tinkering with new combinations of components to make it less likely that your car will dissolve in front of your eyes. Adding aluminum, magnesium, nickel and chromium to the iron base can slow the natural degradation process down. Today’s steel comes from the plant with a coating designed to slow down the effects of degradation. Modern vehicles are also given a bath in anti-corrosion agents before painting.

However, if you are the type of owner who likes to keep their vehicle for many years, you need to be vigilant with your maintenance. Nothing is foolproof against this natural process.

Factors that Cause Rust Damage on a Car

As we mentioned, the mere interaction with oxygen can cause it to begin forming on steel and other iron byproducts. But there are some things that can hasten the process, as well as steps people can take to slow the process down.  

In some parts of the United States, the normal environment may have a lot to do with it. Even sunny and dry areas of the country will eventually see a breakdown in the protective coating after prolonged exposure to UV rays.

But salt and cold can really hasten it. In the north, salt is used extensively on the roads to help make traveling safer during winter months. People who live near saltwater, such as the beach or on the coast, deal with salt air corrosion.

Salt in the Environment

When the road salts begin to dissolve as temps climb, it becomes an electrolyte. Electrolytes are known to speed up chemical processes, which enables damage to happen faster. Seawater salt is just insidious. It’s always present in the environment and can become a corrosive force even as far as 50 miles inland.  

Whether you live in the north or on the coast, you can help slow this process down by rinsing your vehicle often. Northerners drive through a slushy mix of dissolved salt and other particles that can get trapped within the parts of the auto. People who enjoy those saltwater breezes also need to wash and rinse everything they own that is composed of steel and other metals to slow down the process.

How to Avoid It

You can do a lot to avoid the issue by just washing and rinsing your vehicle on a regular basis and maybe more frequently in the winter. In fact, many of today’s car washes have special tools for cleaning the undercarriage, which is just as important as the visible areas when dealing with corrosion.

If you are buying a used car, be sure and check everywhere for tell-tale signs of corrosive damage.

How to Fix Rust on a Car

As we mentioned, being vigilant – especially if your ride is “of a certain age” – is key. There are three stages experts use to describe the process: Surface, scale and penetrating. You’ll want to catch it early for the cheapest DIY fix, as well as to prevent further damage.

Surface Rust Damage on Your Vehicle

This is the easiest to fix and may first be spotted in places where the paint has been scratched or in cracks. Here are the steps to fix the issue.

Remove the paint and corrosion on the affected area with sandpaper (or an abrasive tool or sanding block if you have one) until you see clean metal. Wipe the area with warm soapy water and dry.  

Apply a rust repair inhibitor, which helps to convert iron oxide into a more stable and resistant compound.

With protective gloves, apply a rust repair converter in a thin layer. Pour your converter into a disposable container rather than double-dipping from the bottle (accidentally getting rust in the bottle will ruin the contents). Wait 15-30 minutes for it to dry before adding a second layer and giving it a good 30 minutes to dry.

Apply primer and allow to dry for 24 hours.

Paint and clear coat, then buff. If the spot is not in a visible area, you can skip this step.

Scale Rust

At this point, you may be dealing with damage that can compromise the metal strength, so it’s imperative that you take steps to repair the surface. This type of iron oxide leads to an exposure of the base metal, which is then vulnerable to corrosion.

Use a wire brush to get through the damage, then a grinding wheel and sandpaper to get to bare metal in the repair area. Make sure the area is rough so your sealant will stick. If your spot is in a non-visible place, you can seal it up with a converter and be done.

If your spot is in a visible place, you may want to smooth it out in the next step with a body filler, such as Bondo. Keep in mind, body filler hardens quickly, so you’ll want to only mix as much as you think you will use within 10 minutes. Spread it on with a utensil and leave a little on the top for sanding. Let your filler fully dry for 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.

Smooth out the top and add an inhibitor (make sure it is compatible with your filler) and seal with primer. Paint and clear coat, the buff.

Pro Tip: You can find the paint code for your auto at a site such as Automotive Touchup. Purchase both the base coat and clear coat in small, touch up paint quantities. Unless you are a pro with a paint gun, use an aerosol spray or let a professional help you with the paint job.

Penetrating Rust

When the problem reaches this stage, you’ll see actual holes in the metal and it becomes brittle. If left untreated, it could lead to a dangerous situation, such as a weakened frame. This actually is not an easy, cheap DIY fix, unfortunately.  

You shouldn’t attempt to fill these holes with body filler. You can replace the entire part or panel or you can cut the affected parts out and weld patches into place.

Neither one of these options should be done by an amateur. In fact, you should probably let the skilled professionals at a body shop do the work. Keep in mind that when you’ve got this issue, you may have a compromised automobile – and that’s a serious safety hazard. Let the pros handle it.  

What Does it Cost to Fix Rust on a Car?

If you catch it early enough, you’ll be out a little bit of money for some supplies, plus your time. It’s definitely worth it to fix the damage while in the early stages. If you don’t and it moves into the later stages, it may not be worth the cost to fix it, depending on the age and value of your ride.

Stay on Top of Important Auto Maintenance with Affordable Insurance

Although your auto insurance policy won’t cover damage caused by negligence or the environment, you still need to have an affordable plan to drive legally. Freeway can help with that. Get a fast and free online quote, call us at (800) 777-5620 or stop in one of our convenient locations today.

[airconditioner18]

Highlights to Search For While Purchasing a Climate control system - A How to Guide

Forced air systems have changed much throughout the long term and some do significantly something other than cool the air as some might naturally suspect! Here is a fast rundown that isolates the high priority highlights from the gimmicky fancy odds and ends. There are a ton of choices to be made while purchasing a forced air system. This article is Section 1 of 2 on Climate control system Highlights and How to Purchase and Climate control system

Frame Type - Assuming you're hoping to purchase a room unit, you ought to know without skipping a beat that there are fixed and slide-out undercarriage types:

Fixed chasses are the most famous and are commonly lighter and are introduced and taken out occasionally. They are your thought process of when you consider a regular window climate control system. A slide-out suspension is generally found on through-the-wall units and work through a wall sleeve, in spite of the fact that they, as well, can be some of the time utilized in window applications. With a slide out-skeleton is that proprietor is to perform support or substitution of their window forced air system all the more without any problem. BTU Result - This is an air conditioner's cooling limit. Choosing the appropriate measure of BTU yield for your space is vital to guarantee a climate control system's max execution potential is met. Too strong a unit will not dehumidify as expected and an underpowered unit will battle to play out its work. Most units will let you know out and out how much area they can deal with, yet these generally gather together a 1,000 - 2,000 BTUs in light of a legitimate concern for guaranteeing benefits and ensuring an organization brand isn't humiliated by appearing 'underpowered.' A many individuals ask through and through "What size climate control system do I really want?" To be sure, there are a ton of interesting points here, which are nitty gritty To some extent 2 of this series. Energy Star Rating - AC units should be no less than 10% more energy productive than the base central government principles to fit the bill for this affirmation. While at more modest cooling limits (5,000 to 6,000 BTUs), this doesn't actually have an immense effect in the forthright exceptional paid versus the continuous working expenses, it sets aside you cash at bigger cooling limits.

Guarantee - This is one most essential priority climate control system highlights. Essential rationale here is that on the off chance that a producer won't remain behind their item, for what reason would it be a good idea for you? Basically, purchase no climate control system that has a dull guarantee joined to it. Irrefutably the no frills least you ought to search for is a 1 year full unit guarantee including parts a work.

Movable or Wavering Louvers - These can assist with coordinating the air where you believe it should go or effectively disseminate the air all the more uniformly all through the room. It is critical to take note of that practically all window climate control systems are better at guiding air aside than the other. Remember this while considering the position of the unit in your home before you make your buy.

Variable Speed Fan - Search for a climate control system that has something like 3 settings. Customizable fans assist with controlling commotion levels and framework efficiencies.

Electronic Controls and Computerized Show - Gives you more noteworthy accuracy in finding your usual range of familiarity inside a 1 degree range. On the off chance that you have electronic controls, you ought to likewise search for a Controller, which is an extraordinary forced air system highlight for units set in bigger rooms.

24 hour Clock - A few units just have a 12 hour clock, which is crazy. Having the option to set a forced air system to run naturally will assist it with working at its pinnacle efficiencies and work just when you are home. Over the long haul this is a major cash and cerebral pain saver.

Channels and Air Purifiers - Don't waste time with units that have channels that are difficult to eliminate and clean since you will not make it happen. A spotless channel is fundamental for legitimate and proficient activity. Search for launderable channels rather than replaceable ones. Click here now ways to track down best air conditioner

A few units can go about as air purifiers and even brag ionic cleaning components. Ionizing the air can support the presentation of your channel (considering that it's perfect) however remember that assuming that you have a unit that utilizes this air purifier innovation, you ought to vacuum or residue your space consistently to guarantee ideal tidiness. Calm Mode - The commotion level of an air conditioner is perhaps of the biggest variable customers consider prior to purchasing. Units with this setting work at an overall murmur and give more solace than simply cooling. Dehumidifier Usefulness - Some air conditioner's can work as exclusively a dehumidifier. During the pre-summer and late-summer months while keeping your home cool isn't as needs be, this component will certainly give delayed solace.

Heat Siphon Mode - A few units can be run backward, successfully changing over it into an intensity siphon. A decent component, while isn't exactly important, it is good to have in the event that you live in a space with gentle winters. This is commonly accessible on units with bigger BTU yields.

[earthstellar]

Rewatching Transformers G1 S2: Episode 1: Autobot Spike

Yes, this is where the Surprised Ratchet meme image comes from:

This episode has a lot going on including near-death of a human character on screen, body horror/a Frankenstein plot, and some genuinely unsettling scenes mostly made creepy due to the combination of some interesting dialogue/voice acting and typical G1 Quality. 

And Spike shoots Starscream in the ass mid-flight, which is fantastic. 

He also shoots his dad, which is less fantastic. 

Being a horror nerd, I love this episode, so here we go! 

Gonna put this below a cut because I’m taking a lot of screenshots here:

You can watch the whole episode on YouTube here in 4 parts, if you want to watch along! 

Alright, so it opens with Sparkplug trying to create “Autobot X”, which is straight up just a Frankenstein’s Monster of autobot parts. It’s weirdly creepy, and vaguely reminiscent of the infamous Ratchet-Megatron fusion in the Marvel comics.

I want to point out that Sparkplug says “I wanna see what I can do with a lotta spare Autobot parts and some human ingenuity” before the reveal shot above, and that’s horrific if you think about it for more than like, three seconds. 

It also may have been the origins of the MECH plot line in TFP, actually! Very similar body horror type thing going on. Anyway.

It works briefly, but it flips out and has to get shut down. 

Ironhide fires a laser, problem solved, nobody’s worried. They put Autobot X in storage, because surely a rampantly aggressive seemingly sentient pastiche of random Autobot parts is nothing to worry about. It’s fine. 

Wheeljack is like, hell yeah, I’ll help you work on it later. Which is when we get the Surprised Ratchet image, because yeah, I bet Ratchet’s freaked out a little since this thing is made of SPARE AUTOBOT PARTS. 

Then we’re swept immediately into a fight with Megatron, as many Seekers as you can fit in frame at one time, and Soundwave. 

For whatever reason, Bumblebee shows up driving through a bunch of partially blown up missile/rocket components, with Spike in the driver’s seat. Even Spike is like, dude, why are we here? And Bumblebee is just like, I mean, we couldn’t NOT show up. lmao

Unsurprisingly, Bumblebee gets shot-- In alt-mode, with Spike inside. Uh oh. 

Megatron leaves, because Frank Welker can only voice so many characters at once, and our attention is turned to the carnage. 

Ratchet is like, sure, I can fix Bumblebee right up! Meanwhile, Ironhide is like oh god, oh my god, is this how you hold a human??? Is it dead??? Optimus is gonna be pissed. 

So Optimus rolls up like, listen, take him to the hospital, come on. Ratchet lets him in the back of his ambulance mode, and Prowl goes with him so that he can throw his emergency lights on to give the illusion of a police escort, ensuring the drive is even quicker. 

(I miss the days when Prowl wasn’t a total asshole.) 

It cuts pretty quickly to Spike in an operating theatre; Apparently getting shot by alien space lasers isn’t conducive to human health: 

It cuts again to the attending physician standing at Spike’s beside, presumably in ICU although they appear to be in a private room, with Sparkplug on the other side of the bed. 

The doctor says “Hmm, if only there were a way of separating Spike’s mind from his body while we work...” Which, uh, what? What surgeon says that? You can sort of already do that in actual human medicine, it’s called an induced coma. 

But sure, we need exposition here, I get it. The screenplay here is tight. Sparkplug says he has an idea...

Back at the Autobot hangout, things seem fairly chill, considering. 

Ratchet is welding Bumblebee’s ass in alt-mode, while Bumblebee complains about how long it’s taking. lol 

Meanwhile, Wheeljack and Sparkplug somehow have Spike hooked up to a Ghostbusters colander helmet, which will hopefully transfer his mind into the malfunctioning/in stasis Autobot X frame. Yikes. 

It works! Spike is now also Autobot X. We will call him Spike X for short. 

And for some reason, Spike saying “D-Da-ad?” with this faceplate expression is incredibly funny to me, while also being really weird and creepy: 

However, this is only cool for like two seconds, at which point Spike X truly starts to lose his shit. 

It gets real creepy here, with Spike X saying in a very oddly flat inflection “Why? Why did you do this to me? Why?” and it’s pretty wild. There’s even a mild strobe effect for a few frames. 

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker try to help calm him down, but Spike X throws them both across the room. 

Optimus is like, oh shit, we made a giant metal teenager. Stop him, but use low power, because if the Autobot X frame is damaged too much, then Spike’s consciousness may not be able to be returned to his actual human body. 

Note that Optimus says this in a pretty relaxed way, then levels a shoulder mounted cannon straight at Spike X, which is incredibly funny. 

It quickly gets deeply weird and creepy again when Spike X is temporarily able to talk with his dad, and states that “it’s hard to think, like something is telling me to do... bad.... things!” Yiiiiiikes. 

He gets it under control again, apologises to his dad for the outburst (I think it’s OK, Spike), and Optimus says that he’s cool to stay at the base and he’ll be taken care of while his human body heals up. 

However, oh shit, the Decepticons have found out that Spike now has an Autobot frame-- And they know he’s unstable. 

Starscream tries to roast him, but Megatron’s like, shut up nerd, we’re gonna make Spike X turn against the Autobots! It’s a good plan, I’m serious! 

Back at the Autobot base, Ratchet is still welding Bumblebee’s ass, and Bumblebee is still complaining. Wheeljack hooks up Spike X with some network television, and he’s watching... Frankenstein. Because the six year old kids who are the intended audience of G1 may not be familiar with the source material for this episode’s plot, I guess, which is fair. (Frank Welker nails it here as Dr. Frankenstein, but that’s unsurprising, because he always nails it. I think he’s also voicing Frankenstein’s Monster, but I haven’t checked the credits.)

Obviously, this isn’t a great thing for Spike X to be watching at this particular moment, so he freaks out again. 

Wheeljack and Sparkplug come running, and somehow Sparkplug is covering ground faster than Wheeljack. It’s fine, don’t worry about it. 

Ratchet’s progress on welding Bumblebee’s ass is interrupted by Spike X breaking through the wall and seemingly flying away. lmao 

They just sort of stand there, like, well, we lost him, I guess. 

Bumblebee is like, alright, gonna go get my boy. 

So he drives out of this massive crater, and Ratchet is like, wait! Your radio transmitter still doesn’t work. (Apparently their radio transmitters are located in their asses. Fascinating.) 

Spike X sits on a cliff and says “what a drag”, which, yeah. Being a Frankenstein space robot would be cool if not for the immense psychological damage this is absolutely causing. 

However, he also calls himself a “walking garbage can” in a completely genuine put-out tone of voice, which absolutely sells that this is a teenager in a giant robot body and I laughed, I won’t lie. 

Some of Megatron’s cronies locate him and hold his position. 

At the same time, Bumblebee shows up and tries to talk Spike X down from a random destructive rampage. 

He throws Bumblebee off the cliff! And Megatron’s squad is rolling up. (Well, flying up, anyway.) Uh oh! 

Spike X is like, hell yeah, bring it. More ass to kick. And it turns out his arm mounted cannon works, because he shoots Starscream directly in the undercarriage and says “YEAH, MAN!” and it’s so genuine. 

This is the perfect reaction to being a teenager in a giant robot body and just suddenly being able to shoot lasers and kick ass. Look at how happy he is, that he just shot Starscream in the butt mid-air. It’s awesome.

Unfortunately, the Seekers do actually beat him up, although Spike X puts up a good fight. 

Megatron then takes advantage of his further weakened state, and swoops in to pitch a classic “Join Us” speech. Spike X calls him “Megacrumb”, which is probably acceptable because he’s absolutely concussed by this point. 

Megatron is willing to overlook this for the sake of teaming up. 

Bumblebee eavesdrops, and drives away-- But Spike X gives Megatron a handshake, and agrees to “make them pay”. Oh shit! 

For some reason, Optimus and Ironhide are back at the rocket facility to watch a launch. Because I guess whatever, this whole situation is chill, let’s go watch rockets? IDK 

But either way, Optimus roasts the inferior quality of human technology, while Bumblebee just drives up on site despite Military Police levelling sniper rifles at him in order to report that Megatron is taking advantage of Spike X’s inability to think clearly. 

Optimus says “I feared something like this might happen”, which, if that were the case, why not take actions to prevent it, maybe? Not the strongest Optimus episode. 

To be fair though, Ironhide transforms and is already driving off before Optimus even gives the order to roll out, so I guess Ironhide either really wants to kick some ass or cares slightly more about Spike X’s wellbeing. He has no dialogue here, so we can only guess. 

They get there, with even more Autobots who showed up at some point in the rapid scene cuts here, and Spike X is super unhinged-- Charging his weapons, he starts speaking in a more strained and angry way, and engages the Autobots! 

He hits Optimus with what appears to be a chest laser? It’s hard to see. But it’s super effective: 

Optimus pleads with Spike X to calm down, but Spike X straight up pulls MEGATRON IN GUN MODE out of his sub-space and shoots Optimus directly in the faceplate. Damn! 

The Seekers and Soundwave drop in, and start rapid firing on all the Autobots present. 

We get some great shots of Megatron in his gun alt-mode as he tries to convince Spike X to keep attacking. Optimus and Bumblebee hide behind cover, attempting to bring Spike X to his senses long enough to disarm him. 

Suddenly, Wheeljack and Sparkplug roll up; Sparkplug attempts to talk some sense into Spike, too. 

Optimus and Bumblebee are at a loss; If they take out Spike X, the damage might take him out for good. 

However, Sparkplug fails in his efforts to talk to Spike X; He SHOOTS HIS DAD AND KNOCKS HIM OFF THE CLIFF. 

Can you imagine if they put an ad break here? lmao 

Luckily, he has like, a claw machine arm, and he catches his dad before he becomes a human smoothie. 

This shocks Spike X badly enough that while he still has Megatron in gun mode, he takes a few pot shots at the Seekers and the Decepticons decide it’s time to bounce, so Megatron bails too. 

He apologises for almost killing his dad, his dad is like hey no beef man, and it cuts to them in the hospital: 

Sparkplug takes his son’s body back to the Autobot base (that sounds worse than it is), and they prepare to transfer him back into his body. 

What’s extra funny here is that he nervously laughs and says “Hope you fixed this thing up good, Ratchet!” And Ratchet says absolutely nothing. Not a word. 

It’s a success! Dad and son hug, totally not even addressing anything that happened this whole episode, because that’s a job for a therapist. 

Ratchet, who continues to not really care about any of this, tells Wheeljack “You know, I could probably repair that mess, but I think it’s best that I don’t.” (This is a play on what Wheeljack said earlier in the episode when he offered to help Sparkplug fix up Autobot X to begin with.) 

I love how tired Wheeljack looks. LOL

Spike, now recovered, leaves us with a great question to close out the episode: “I wonder what it’d be like for a robot mind to be transferred... to a human!” 

Depending on what kind of kid you were, his question was either imagination fuel for fun humanformer ideas, or was a blatantly bad question indicating he learned nothing and providing nightmare fuel trying to imagine one of the Autobots losing their shit in a human body the same way Spike lost his shit while inhabiting Autobot X. 

Anyway, great episode! 10/10 Scary, funny, creepy, Starscream got shot in the ass by a teenager. 

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

Savoia Marchetti SM-79 Sparrow

The SM.79 project began in 1934 and was conceived as a fast, eight-passenger transport capable of being used in air-racing (the London-Melbourne airrace).

Piloted by Adriano Bacula, the prototype flew for the first time on 28 September 1934. Originally planned to use the 800 hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI Ri as its powerplant, the aircraft reverted to the less powerful 590 hp Piaggio P.IX RC.40 Stella, a license-produced Bristol Jupiter on which many Piaggio engines were based.

The engines were subsequently replaced by Alfa Romeo 125 RC.35s

(license-produced Bristol Pegasus).

The prototype (registration I-MAGO) was completed too late to enter the London-Melbourne race, but flew from Milan to Rome in just one hour and 10 minutes, at an average speed of 260 mph.

Soon after on 2 August 1935, the prototype set a record by flying from Rome to Massaua, in Italian Eritrea, in 12 flying hours (with a refuelling stop at Cairo).

The SM.79 was by far the most important Italian offensive warplane of World War II, and one of the very few Italian aircraft to be produced in substantial quantities.

Production started in October 1936 and continued until June 1943, totalling 1217 machines.

Some were constructed by Aeronautica Umbra of Foligno, makers of the AUT.18.

The SM.79 was a cantilever low wing monoplane trimotor, with a retractable taildragger undercarriage.

The fuselage was made of a welded tubular steel frame and covered with duralumin in the forward section, duralumin and plywood on the upper fuselage surface, and fabric on all other surfaces.

The wings were of all wood construction, with trailing edge flaps and leading edge slats (Handley-Page type) to offset its relatively small size.

The internal structure was made of three spars, linked with cantilevers and a skin of plywood.

The wing had a dihedral of 2° 15'.

Ailerons were capable of rotating through +13/-26°, and were used together with the flaps in lowspeed flight and in takeoff.

Its capabilities were significantly greater than its predecessor, the SM.75, with over 2300 hp available and a high wing loading that gave it characteristics not dissimilar to a large fighter.

The engines fitted to the main bomber version were three 780 hp Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 radials, equipped with variable-pitch, all-metal three-bladed propellers.

Speeds attained were around 270 mph at 13940 ft, with a relatively low practical ceiling of 21 330 ft.

Cruising speed was 232 mph at 16 400 ft), but the best cruising speed was 161 mph (at 60% power).

The landing was characterized by a 120 mph final approach with the slats extended, slowing to 90 mph with extension of flaps, and finally the run over the field with only 656 ft needed to land.

With full power available and flaps set for takeoff, the SM.79 could be airborne within 980 ft.

The bomber version had 10 fuel tanks.

Endurance at full load averaging 220 mph was 4 hours 30 minutes.

The maximum ferry range, at best cruise speed, was unconfirmed; in order to reach Addis Ababa with nonstop flights from Libya, aircraft specially modified to carry more fuel were able to fly over 1243 miles.

The range (not endurance) with 2200 lb payload was around 500–560 miles.

It had a crew of five, or six in the bomber version, with cockpit accommodation for two pilots, sitting side by side.

Instrumentation in the central panel included oil and fuel gauges, altimeters for low and high altitude, clock, airspeed and vertical speed indicator, gyroscope, compass, artificial horizon, turn and bank indicator, rev counters and throttles.

The SM.79 was a good performer,its wooden structure being light enough to allow it to stay afloat for up to half an hour in case of water landing, giving the crew ample time to escape, and the front engine giving some protection against anti aircraft fire.

It was also capable of a relatively quick climb, had a good turn-of-speed for its time, and its rugged structure and responsiveness allowed the aircraft be to looped (with care).

Effective torpedo bombing range was between 1640 and 3280 ft from the target.

SM.79s often flew at low level above the ships before the aerial torpedo was launched,

and so were targeted by every weapon available, from infantry small arms to heavy artillery.

The Sparviero had several advantages compared to British torpedo bombers, including a higher top speed and greater range.

Neither the Blackburn Skua nor Gloster Gladiator presented a real threat to the Sparviero, being 60 and 6 mph slower respectively.

Soon however, the Sparviero faced the Hawker Hurricane and the Fairey Fulmar, which was faster but still quite slow in relation to other escort fighters.

Beaufighters were fast and well armed, and as well as being effective longrange day fighters, were successful night interceptors and late in the war often chased Sparvieros in night missions.

Eventually, P-40s, P-38s, Martlets and Spitfires made their début in the Mediterranean, preventing Sparviero operations during the day.

The SM.79's defensive armament consisted of four and later five Breda SAFAT machine guns.

Three were 12.7 mm guns, two of which were in the dorsal "hump", with the forward one (with 300 rounds) fixed at an elevation of 15°, and the other manoeuvrable with 60° pivotal movement in the horizontal, and 0–70° in the vertical plane with the third 12.7 mm machine gun located ventrally.

Each gun except for the forward one was equipped with 500 rounds.

There was also a 7.7 mm Lewis Gun in one of a pair of "waist" mounts, not unlike what the Flying Fortress possessed, on a mount that allowed rapid change of side for the weapons use.

This Lewis gun was later replaced by two 7.7 mm Bredas in the waist mounts, which were more reliable and faster firing (900 rounds/min instead of 500), even though there was only sufficient room in the fuselage for one man to operate them.

Despite the low overall "hitting power", it was heavily armed by 1930s standards, the armament being more than a match for the fighter aircraft of the time, not usually fitted with any armour.

By World War II, however, the Sparviero's vulnerability to newer fighters was significant, and it lost its reputation of "invulnerability" which it earlier gained operating over Spain.

No turrets were ever fitted to SM.79s, giving its guns a limited range of fire.

Of all its weapons, the dorsal one was the most important: with the shift to low-level attacks, the Sparviero was attacked almost exclusively from the rear and above.

The cramped layout of the ventral gondola, with the bomb-aiming instruments located in front and the weapon in the rear, made it impossible to perform both bomb aiming and rear defence simultaneously, so its usefulness was compromised.

Because of this, in the later versions which were used exclusively for torpedo bombing tasks has the ventral weapon and nacelle removed.

The fixed forward Breda, more suited to offensive tasks and aimed by the first pilot, was seldom used defensively, and was often removed or replaced with a smaller calibre gun or mock-up, with an associated gain in speed and range due to the reduction in weight.

The rear ventral gondola on the Sparviero was somewhat similar to the almost identically located Bola emplacement on the Heinkel 111 medium bomber, which was only used as a ventral defensive armament mount on the German aircraft.

Defensive weapons in the rear gondola and the rear hump were protected by aerodynamic shields and only opened in case of attack, however, an incoming aircraft could attack the Sparviero unseen, so the defensive positions were usually left open even though this reduced maximum effective airspeeds.

The bomb bay was configured to carry bombs vertically, preventing large bombs from being accommodated internally.

The aircraft could hold 2 x 1100 lb or 5 x 550 lb or 12 x 220 lb or 110 lb bombs,

or hundreds of bomblets.

The bombardier, with an 85° forward field of view, had a "Jozza-2" aiming system and a series of bomb-release mechanisms.

The machine gun to the rear of the gondola prevented the bombardier from lying in a prone position, and as a result, the bombardier was provided with retractable structures to support his legs while being seated.

From 1939 onwards, torpedoes were carried externally, as were larger bombs, when two hardpoints were fitted under the inner wing.

Theoretically, two torpedoes could be carried, but the performance and the manoeuvrability of the aircraft were so reduced that usually only one was carried.

The SM.79's overall payload of 8380 lb precluded carrying 3530–4100 lb of bombs without a noticeable reduction of the fuel load.

The standard torpedo, a 1938 Whitehead design, had a weight of 1931 lb, length of 17.9 ft and a 380 lb HE warhead.

It had a 1.86 mile range at 40 knots, and could be launched from a wide range of speeds and altitudes.

It took over 10 years to develop effective torpedo bombing techniques; consequently, with the failure of the SM.84 (its intended successor) and the lack of power of the Ca.314,

only the SM.79 continued to serve as a torpedo bomber until 1944, despite trials with many types of aircraft, including the Fiat G.55S.

Despite Italy's failure to win the Schneider Trophy, support for aeronautical feats continued as part of Benito Mussolini's propaganda campaign to promote fascist Italy, and following two initial successes, further Sparvieros were modified to set speed records.

The SM.79 prototype I-MAGO was modified to carry 13 448 lbs of bombs internally, enabling it to attempt records while carrying a payload and on 23 September 1935 it flew for 1240 miles with a 4410 lb load at an average speed of 242.09 mph, breaking six world records.

Like on the prototype, the "hump" was not fitted to some of the first production aircraft, being transformed into performance aircraft known as the SM.79CS.

One of them set further records in 1937: with three Piaggio P.XI RC.40 engines (for a total of 3000 hp) it averaged 263.22 mph over 620 miles with a 4410 lb payload.

The record then improved to 275.96 mph), while another SM.79 achieved 266.13 mph in the 1240 mile 4410 lb category.

Unofficially, a speed of 293 mph was later achieved in the same category.

Five SM.79CSs went on to enter the Paris-Damascus–Istres race, where I-CUPA, I-FILU and I-BIMU took the first three positions, while the other two were placed sixth and seventh. The latter was heavily damaged in Damascus.

Two Fiat BR.20s also competed, but achieved only a joint sixth (with a SM.79) and an eighth place.

Three of the SM.79CSs were modified to cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach Brazil.

They took off on 24 January 1938 and landed in Dakar 11 hours later, then headed for

Rio de Janeiro arriving at 2245 local time on 25 January.

One faulty aircraft, however, landed at Natal, where it remained and was later donated to the Brazilian Air Force.

The SM.79 saw action for the first time when serving with the Aviazione Legionaria, an Italian unit sent to assist Franco's Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War.

The Sparviero started its operational service at the end of 1936 when 8° Stormo B.T. (Bombardamento Tattico), with Gruppi XXVII° and XXVIII°, under the command of Tenente Colonnello Riccardo Seidl.

Deployed to the Balearic Islands, the unit was nicknamed "Falchi delle Baleari" (Balearic Falcons) and operated over Catalonia and the main cities of western Spain, attacking the Second Spanish Republic.

During the three years of the civil conflict, over 100 SM.79s served as bombers and only four were lost.

Due to the experience gained in Spain the SM.79 Mk II, introduced in October 1939, went on to form the backbone of the Italian bomber corps during World War II.

Favourable reports of reliability and performance during the Spanish Civil War led to the 1938 Kingdom of Yugoslavia's order of 45 aircraft generally similar to the SM.79 Mk I variant, designated the SM.79K.

They were delivered to Yugoslavia in 1939, but most were destroyed during the 1941 Axis invasion by their crews or by advancing Axis forces.

During several sorties against German and Italian forces they managed some success in Kačanik Gorge.

Some of these aircraft escaped to Greece, carrying King Peter Karadjordjevic and his entourage.

A few survived, one to be pressed into service with the pro Axis forces of the NDH, and four which became AX702 to AX705 later in the RAF.

In 1937, the Bucharest government ordered 24 twin-engined SM.79B bombers fitted with 1000 hp Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major 14K radial engines.

These aircraft, however, proved to be underpowered.

Consequently in February 1940 Romania ordered from Italy eight machines equipped with two Junkers Jumo 211 inline engines of 1200 hp each.

These aircraft were designated JIS 79 (J for Jumo, I for Italy and S for Savoia) and were delivered in 1941-42.

A further 72 SM.79s were built under licence by the Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR) and designated JRS 79B (J for Jumo, R for Romania, S for Savoia).

Another version was the JRS 79B1 which was armed with a 20 mm Ikaria cannon and with an enlarged cockpit for a fifth crew member.

Due to its role in low level attacks it also suffered heavy losses.

Twin engined versions were also sold to Brazil (three with 930 hp Alfa Romeo 128 RC.18 engines) and Iraq (four with 1030 hp Fiat A.80 RC.14 engines).

Almost 600 SM.79 Mk I and Mk II aircraft were in service when Italy entered World War II,

and these aircraft were deployed in every theatre of war in which the Italians fought.

The 12° Stormo (Wing) was the first to be equipped with the SM.79, starting in early 1936. 12 Wing was involved in the initial evaluation of the bomber, which continued throughout 1936.

The Wing went operational on 1 May 1936 with the SM.79 successfully completing torpedo launches from a target distance of 3.1 miles in August 1936.

The torpedo bomber variant was much more unstable and harder to control than the civilian version (and much less precise than its successor the SM.81).

Its capabilities were still being explored when the Spanish Civil War broke out, and a number of SM.79s were dispatched to support the Nationalists.

By 4 November 1936, there were only six SM.79s with enough crew to fly them operating in Spain.

At the beginning of 1937, there were 15 SM.79s in total, and they went on to be used in Spain throughout the conflict, with very few losses.

Around 19 of the total sent there were lost.

Deliveries to 12 Wing and other units involved numbered at least 99 aircraft.

The first recorded interception of an SM.79 formation took place on 11 October 1937 when three aircraft were attacked by 12 Polikarpov I-16s.

One of the SM.79s was damaged but its defensive armament prevented closeup attacks.

All bombers returned to base, although one had been hit by 27 bullets, many hitting the fuel tanks.

Other interceptions occurred in the conflict without any SM.79s being lost.

Combat experience revealed some deficiencies in the SM.79: the lack of oxygen masks for high altitude operation, instability, vibrations experienced at speeds over 250 mph and other problems were encountered and sometimes solved.

General Valle, in an attempt to answer some of the criticisms about the ability of the aircraft to operate at night, took off from Guidonia and bombed Barcelona, a journey of six hours and 15 minutes.

On this occasion the aircraft proved it had a useful range (around 620 miles with eight 220 lb bombs, for a total gross weight of around 2200 lbs.

SM.79s operated from the Balearic Islands and later from mainland Spain.

Hundreds of missions were performed in a wide range of roles against Republican targets. No Fiat CR.32s were needed to escort the SM.79s, partly because the biplane fighters were too slow.

After serving in the Spanish Civil War, the Sparviero came into use with 111° and 8° Wing.

By the end of 1939, there were 388 Sparvieros in service, with 11 wings partially or totally made up of this aircraft.

They also participated in the occupation of Albania in autumn 1939.

By the beginning of World War II 612 aircraft had been delivered, making the Sparviero the most numerous bomber in the whole of the Regia Aereonautica, assigned to a total of 14 wings (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 41 and 46).

Not all of these wings had Gruppi (groups) entirely equipped with the SM.79.

Every squadron had around nine to 10 aircraft, but this included second line aircraft, so the force of each squadron consisted on average of around seven to eight bombers, and every wing had around 30 bombers.

Among these units; 8, 9, 11, 12, 30, 32, 36, 41 and 46 Stormi (Wings) were based in Italy, and participated in the Battle of France.

They were equipped with a total of around 350 SM.79s, including those used in training squadrons.

It was on the fortress island at the centre of the Mediterranean in June 1940 that the SM.79s started to lose their reputation of invulnerability, when Gloster Gladiators and Hawker Hurricanes were encountered.

The first of many Sparvieros shot down over Malta fell on 22 June 1940.

That day on a reconnaissance mission Sparviero M.M.22068 of 216a Squadriglia piloted by Tenente Francesco Solimene took off at 1815 to check on the eventual targets on the island for a future raid.

Two Gladiators were scrambled, one piloted by Flt Lt George Burges.

Over Sliema and Valletta Burges attacked the Sparviero from superior height, shooting out the port engine.

The SM.79 caught fire and crashed into the sea off Kalafrana.

The pilot, Solimene, and1° Aviere Armiere Torrisi, were rescued from the sea, but the other four crew members were killed.

A "Sparviero" was the first plane to fall on Maltese soil in World War II:

on 10 July 1940, an estimated twenty SM.79s without escort arrived to bomb the dockyard, Manoel Island, Tarxien and Żabbar.

But they were attacked by Gloster Gladiators and the bomber piloted by Sottotenente Felice Filippi from 195a Squadriglia, 90° Gruppo, 30° Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre, came down in flames just behind the Knight's watchtower east of Fort San Leonardo.

The air victory was credited to Flying Officer Frederick Taylor.

At least one Italian bailed out with his parachute on fire but did not survive the jump.

A small number also operated in Ethiopia.

On the western side of Italian East Africa was 44° Gruppo, based at Diredawa, consisting of the 6a and 7a Squadriglie, with 12 Savoia SM.79s.

Four SM.79s were part of the reserve forces while two were under repair.

The Sparviero was the only type present that had not participated in the Second

Italo-Abyssinian War.

The SM.79s of Italian East Africa first saw action on 13 June 1940.

That day, nine Savoia Marchetti of 44° Gruppo based on Diredawa took off to attack Aden.

The SM.79 flown by Sottotenente Ruffini was hit by anti-aircraft fire from a British warship and crashed.

Then, two Gloster Gladiators intercepted the remaining bombers.

Pilot Officer Stephenson's Gladiator attacked the "Sparviero" of Capitano Serafini, damaged by anti-aircraft fire, but the Gladiator was hit by the SM.79's dorsal gunner, forcing it to crash-land.

Serafini managed to land at Assab, but his aircraft was written-off.

Another Savoia Marchetti was damaged, but landed at the same base. [24]

These few aircraft were later reinforced by others which were modified to fly at an economical speed over the Sudan for the hazardous ferry flight of over 1240 miles.

They could not, however, do much to help Italian forces in Ethiopia, which were forced to surrender in the spring of 1941.

The same period saw the five Iraqi SM.79Bs and the 45 SM.79Ks in Yugoslavian service unable to mount a successful defence in both Iraq and Yugoslavia.

During the North African campaign, around 100 SM.79s served in 10, 14, 15 and 30 Wings, bombing mainly non strategic targets in the desert.

The British and Commonwealth offensive in December hit the Regia Aeronautica hard and many wings (a total of nine until May 1941) were phased out because of losses.

The losses caused by Hurricanes and ground fire increased, so at the beginning of 1941 only around 40 SM.79s were still present in Libya and by the end of 1941 only one operational squadron remained.

In the Second Battle of El Alamein many Sparvieros were used for defensive tasks, such as countering SAS/LRDG teams in the desert and in antiship role.

From autumn 1940, SM.79s were used against the Kingdom of Greece, then Yugoslavia.

They continued to be hampered in their operations by the Royal Air Force, but also by poor weather conditions.

Over the Mediterranean, the Sparvieros were used in reconnaissance missions and

antiship attacks.

Via Flickr

[greatworldwar2]

• PZL.23 Karaś Light Bomber

The PZL.23 Karaś (crucian carp) was a Polish light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft designed in the early 1930s by PZL in Warsaw. It was the primary Polish reconnaissance bomber in use during the invasion of Poland.

As a result of wartime experiences acquired by the Polish armed forces during the 1919-1921 Polish–Soviet War, during the 1920s and 1930s ( the interwar period), a great emphasis was placed upon the role of armed aerial reconnaissance aircraft. According to aviation historian J. B. Cynk, the role was recognised by the Polish High Command as being, aside from the basic fighter aircraft, the most important type of aerial unit in their doctrine. As such, considerable resources and effort was placed upon the creation of sizable army cooperation escadrilles, which were initially principally equipped with foreign-built biplanes such as the French Breguet 19 and Potez 25. During the late 1920s, it had become increasingly obvious that the existing types used for the aerial reconnaissance role would need to be replaced, which led to the Ministry of War's Aviation Department defining a set of a broad performance requirements desired in an aircraft to fulfil the role. Around the same time, at the Polish aviation company PZL, the aircraft designer Stanisław Prauss had been studying options for a new fast single-engine airliner, to be designated the PZL.13.

Accordingly, PZL were keen to embark upon a replacement project in the place of the PZL.13 venture. Following a series of consultations between the company and the Aviation Department, it was decided to embark upon the design of a three-man armed reconnaissance-bomber, using the abortive PZL.13 passenger transport airliner as a starting point for the new aircraft. The resulting design, designated the PZL.23, was only one of several proposals to be produced; alternatives included the PWS.19, a high-wing monoplane, and the Lublin R.XVII, a clean twin-seat biplane with a retractable undercarriage. By 1931 the Aviation Department opted for the PZL submission. During early 1932, PZL were authorised to formally proceed with preliminary design work on what would become the PZL.23. An early key design decision was the selection of the British Bristol Pegasus radial engine to power the type, which was domestically produced by Skoda in their Warsaw plant. The emerging design was for a modern combat aircraft, integrating features such as an all-metal body and unconventional wing construction, being built around light closed profiles instead of spars. During the spring of 1932, the preliminary design was approved in principal by the Aviation Department, however, in accordance with the department's expressed preferences, the ventral gun turret was redesigned for increased field of fire, as well as to accommodate more capable bomb-aiming equipment. During late 1932, authorisation to proceed with the construction of a batch of three prototypes along with one static-test airframe. However, development would not prove to be a straightforward venture.

The diverse requirements of the PZL.23 imposed considerable hurdles in the design phase; in order to produce a relative fast aircraft, a heavy airframe was practically necessitated, however, it was also important for the type to be able to operate from constrained austere airstrips rapidly established on the front lines of warzones; producing a suitable compromise was not easy. The venture has been considered to be pioneering in some aspects of its design, which contributed to its design complications. Static testing by the Institute of Aviation Technical Research (ITBL) was both protracted and determined some components to process insufficient strength; these were not completed until 1933. The name Karaś was selected for the type around this time. On April 1st, 1934, the P.23/I first prototype conducted its maiden flight; it was quickly followed by the second P.23/II prototype. Early flight testing revealed several issues that needed to be resolved, including tail flutter and vibration in the rear fuselage area; another difficulty identified even prior to the first flight was the inadequate visibility from the cockpit for both the pilot and observer. During the following year, the third P.23/III prototype was completed; on this aircraft, various further refinements were included, such as the pilot's seat having been raised into a new fully glazed canopy arrangement and the engine being positioned lowered down, giving the aircraft a characteristic hump-nose, as to improve the pilot's external field of vision. The fuselage bomb bay of the earlier prototype was eliminated; instead, the entire payload was carried externally on racks fixed onto the underside of the wing's center-section. Various other alterations were made to the wings, including the adoption of more effective slotted ailerons, improved flaps and center-section slots, the latter feature served to smooth the airflow over the tail when flown at high angles.

During mid-1935, the second prototype was lost in a crash shortly after a take-off conducted at the maximum loading weight, killing the crew on board. The remaining airworthiness tests and service acceptance trials were completed successfully using the third prototype. Further refinements had been incorporated into the third prototype during the test programme to eventually conform with the standards of subsequent production-standard aircraft. As a consequence of its favourable flight test programme, the aircraft was approved to enter full-scale production during the second half of 1935. The first series, which was given the designation of PZL.23A, was fitted with a single Bristol Pegasus IIM2 engine, which possessed an upper thrust capability of 670 hp (500 kW) thrust. However, since this engine proved to be unreliable during testing, the final variant, which was designated PZL.23B, was fitted with the newer Pegasus VIII model, which was capable of generating a maximum of 720 hp (537 kW) of thrust. The Bristol engines were licensed for use in Poland only, so for export purposes the Gnome-Rhône 14K was used in a variety of PZL designs. In this case, the 14K-powered PZL.23, which featured some changes to the airframe, became the PZL.43 Karaś. During 1936, 40 PZL.23As were produced. Between late 1936 and February 1938, 210 PZL.23Bs were produced with the new engines. They were also known as Karaś A and B or Karaś I and II. All PZL.23s had military numbers from 44.1 to 44.250.Sometimes the aircraft is called the "PZL P.23", but despite an abbreviation P.23 painted on a tail fin, the letter "P" was generally reserved for fighters of Pulawski's design (like PZL P.11). In November 1936, one aircraft was shown at the Paris Air Show, where it was met with interest. During this period, PZL developed the PZL.46 Sum, a new light bomber, which was partly based on the PZL.23 design. However, only a pair of prototypes were completed during 1938.

The PZL.23 Karaś was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, featuring all-metal, metal-covered construction. The crew of three consisted of a pilot, a bombardier, and a rear gunner. The bombardier's combat station was situated in a gondola underneath the hull, where he could also operate an underbelly machine gun. The pilot was positioned within a fully enclosed air-conditioned and heated cockpit, while the observer was seated directly behind him and could descend into the ventral gondola during applicable parts of a given mission. The aircraft were equipped with one of the following engines: Bristol Pegasus IIM2 normal: 570 hp (425 kW), maximum: 670 hp (500 kW) - PZL.23A; Pegasus VIII normal: 650 hp (485 kW), maximum: 720 (537 kW) - PZL.23B. Early Polish-built engines had encountered several common issues, including crankshaft fractures and reduction gears jamming; the original engine manufacturer, Bristol, had not amended the drawings and specifications provided to Poland to incorporate their latest improvements to the Pegasus, which addressed these issues. One of the more unusual features of the PZL.23 was the design of its three-piece low-mounted wing.[9] In order to produce a wing that was both light and strong, Prauss had opted to use a relatively new wing structure which had been recently designed by Polish engineer Fraciszek Misztal. This wing combined a revolutionary heavy-gauge corrugated duralumin center box and a multi-cellular trailing edge, along with a partially stressed exterior skin composed of duralumin. The fuselage of the PZL.23 had an oval-section structure, composed of a mixture of duralumin frames and stringers, which were strengthened via several struts on the middle section. The aircraft's offensive payload consisted of bombs. These were carried underneath the wings using racks; the maximum load was 700 kg (1,500 lb) (6 x 100 kg and 2 x 50 kg). While plans to incorporate the Swiatecki bomb-release gear had been mooted, however, they were eliminated from the design during the prototype stage due to disagreements between the Aviation Department and the inventor regarding the manufacturing arrangements. The PZL.23 was also armed with several machine guns, including a defensive ventral gun turret; additional positions, such as a twin-gun mounting on the upper fuselage were considered but never pursued. A typical gun armament included either one or a pair of 7.7 mm fixed guns, along with two single 7.7 mm movable guns.

During late 1936, a batch of 40 PZL.23As were delivered to the Polish Air Force. Due to engine faults, these aircraft were initially flown with a limited service ceiling and they were used exclusively in the training role, being fitted with dual controls to fit this usage. From 1937, a total of 210 PZL.23Bs were delivered to the Air Force. Around this time, the time became the main armament of Polish bomber and reconnaissance "line squadrons", having replaced the majority of Breguet 19, Potez 25 and Potez 27 biplanes. By August 1939, there had been 23 reported crashes involving the type, which was deemed to have been an average safety result. However, due to rapid advances in the field of aviation during the late 1930s, by 1939 the aircraft was considered to be approaching obsolescence. There were increasing questions over the validity of prior air doctrine, leading to a major reorganisation of the PZL.23 squadrons during 1938-1939. The main deficiency of the PZL.23 was its relatively low speed compared to newer aircraft that were then entering service with neighbouring nations. Other issues with the aircraft included a lack of manoeuvrability and unfavourable characteristics when flown at high speeds. However, at the outbreak of the Second World War on September 1st, 1939, with the invasion of Poland, it remained Poland's primary light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

During late August 1939, in anticipation of imminent hostilities with Nazi Germany, all Polish combat units were relocated from their peacetime bases to secret combat airfields, so they avoided destruction on the ground. Some PZL.23s were also used in wartime improvised units with 114 PZL.23Bs deployed in combat units (a further 75 PZL.23B and 35 PZL.23A were in air schools, held in reserve or under repair). In total, the PZL.23B were operational with five bomber escadrilles (Eskadra Bombowa) of the Bomber Brigade and seven Army reconnaissance escadrilles, each of which equipped with ten aircraft. In Bomber Brigade there existed also bigger units (Dywizjon Bombowy), consisting of two escadrilles each, and traditionally translated as squadron (two other squadrons of the Bomber Brigade were equipped with the PZL.37 Łoś bomber). On September 2nd,1939, a single PZL.23B of the 21st Escadrille was responsible for the bombing of a factory in Ohlau, inside Germany, the first bombing raid to be conducted against a target within the Third Reich. Over the following days, the PZL.23 bomber squadrons commenced attacks upon several advancing German armoured columns, which were responsible for knocking out as many as thirty per cent of the German ground vehicles. One such high-profile engagement occurred on September 3rd, 1939. Despite this offensive use of the type, the main task of the Army escadrilles was to perform reconnaissance missions. The five escadrilles of the Bomber Brigade delivered about 52-60 tons of bombs during the campaign, while the Army escadrilles were responsible for the deployment of roughly another dozen tons.

Due to the plane's low speed, light armour and, perhaps most importantly, a lack of supporting protection from friendly fighter aircraft, the PZL.23 suffered heavy combat losses. Many were shot down by German fighter aircraft, but they were also able to fight back and were responsible for shooting down several in return. Despite the lack of protective armour, Polish aircrews often conducted attacks upon German columns while flying at low altitudes, which made their aircraft particularly vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. During 1939, around 120 PZL.23s (86 per cent of the Polish Air Force's inventory) were destroyed. However, only 67 of these had been due to direct enemy action. Additionally, only a small number of PZL.23s were destroyed on the ground at various airfields. During late 1939, at least 21 PZL.23s were evacuated to Romania, of which at least 19 were subsequently used by the Romanian Air Force against the Soviet Union (USSR) during Operation Barbarossa, the costly Axis invasion of the USSR. In addition to Romania's use of the type, a total of 50 PZL.43s and PZL.43As (one pair were delivered by the Germans) were used in Bulgaria for training purposes; the type, which was known by the Bulgarians as the "Chaika", were used in this role until 1946. There are no known PZL.23s survivors of the war.

[airmanisr]

Bristol Belvedere HC.1 ‘XG452 / G-BRMB’ by Alan Wilson Via Flickr: c/n 13347 Built in 1960 as the 5th Prototype. Used for trials by the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscombe Down and also by Rolls Royce. Joined the RAF in 1967 but almost immediately allocated the maintenance serial 7997M and used for ground instruction by No.2 School of Technical Training at RAF Cosford. Moved to RAF Ternhill in 1972 for fire practice but luckily survived and was purchased privately in 1973. She arrived here in November 1974 and was allocated the civil registration G-BRMB in 1978. She remains in a long-term restoration. The Helicopter Museum Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, UK 2nd October 2020 The following information is from The Helicopter Museum website:- “Built 1960 at Weston-super-Mare, constructor's number 13347, heavy transport twin- rotor helicopter, powered by two Napier Gazelle 100 turboshaft engines of 1,650shp each. The Belvedere tandem-rotor helicopter was the culmination of ten years work by the former Bristol Helicopter Company on this type of rotorcraft lay-out. Originally designed to meet a Royal Navy of requirement for a carrier-borne search and strike helicopter (hence the legacy of an almost window-less cabin, a high front undercarriage, and the ship-dictated dimensions), the Belvedere was eventually ordered for the Royal Air Force, and served with distinction during the Indonesian confrontation of the mid-sixties. Only 26 were built, all at Weston-super- Mare, and XG452 is one of only three remaining examples. XG452 was originally the 5th prototype, first flown at Weston Airport on 26th February 1960. After trials at A&AEE, Boscombe Down, it was flown to Gatwick Airport in June 1960, for a series of record-breaking flights to Libya. Leaving Gatwick at 4.30 a.m. on 14th June XG452 reached Rome in 8 hours 13 minutes, Malta in 12 hours 6 minutes, and Idris in 13 hours 57 minutes. After trials in Libya and the French Alps, XG452 returned to England for the 1960 Farnborough Air Show and then flew back to Weston-super-Mare, where it was based as an experimental aircraft until 1967. It was then refurbished for delivery to the RAF but was declared surplus to operational requirements soon after re-flying in August 1967. XG452 was eventually delivered by road to RAF Cosford for use as a training air-frame and in 1972 was moved to RAF Ternhill for fire practice. In 1973 it was purchased privately by Elfan ap Rees for preservation and on November 5th, 1974, was delivered by road to Weston-super-Mare where a specially formed Westland Belvedere Preservation Group had undertaken to restore the aircraft at Weston-super-Mare's Oldmixon factory. Initial restoration work concentrated on refurbishing the cockpit and cabin area and recovering missing components including engines, rotorheads, rotorblades and other parts from a variety of sources, including Singapore, where most of the Belvedere fleet was scrapped in 1969. In June 1978 XG452 was registered G-BRMB and transferred to The Helicopter Museum for further restoration. Brand new rotorheads, a spare new nose section, engine, and other parts are currently held in storage. Total flying hours: 487.”

[scribbling-stiks]

AAR - XXIV - Rabid

Russia snuggles against America's chest and smiles. He breaths in deeply and relaxes. He puts special attention to ignore how the car was being driven so he doesn't backseat drive. He knew if he paid it too much attention, he might panic at how inept Kentucky is at driving in the winter weather. He carefully squeezes his fingers together, and sits up a little, curling up against America. America squirms.

"Hey," America whines, "that tickles."

Russia hums.

"You are ridiculous," America mutters, leaning back.

They sit quietly and America begins petting the top of Russia's head, and Russia closes his eyes. Russia lets his mind wander, feeling relaxed, but not tired enough to fall asleep.

'Love warm magic man...'

'Love -my- warm magic man...'

Russia smiles at the thoughts. His chest fills with fluttery feelings. He pushes up on the seat and into America. America laughs quietly.

"You're like a god d*** cat," America comments, kissing Russia's forehead.

Russia grins and tucks his face into America's collar. He relaxes.

The car ride is calm.

Too calm.

'Something is going to go wrong.'

The thought swirls around Russia's head, but he does his best to shake it off.

Russia pokes his head up and pecks America's cheek, trying his best to repress his shivers. America brushed Russia's hair off his forehead and smiles at him.

"How are you feeling?" America asks, affection in his tone.

"Better," Russia mutters, tucking his face into America's chest.

America playfully pokes the side of his face and Russia scrunches his nose. America giggles.

"Come on. You got to get dressed now that you're feeling better."

"Nooo... it's too cold," Russia whines, his voice muffled.

"Nope. If we are gonna be around my kids, you are wearing a shirt in front of them."

Russia groans but gives in, reluctantly pulling away and sitting up in his own seat. America picks up his clothes that had been shoved to the floor in front of the heaters and shakes off the crumbs it had accumulated on them.

"Seems dry enough," America comments, handing to Russia. Arizona purposefully looks outside to the white blanket outside.

Russia pulls it back over his head. It still has some cold spots but doesn't feel wet anymore. As soon as he has it situated, America hands him his pants.

Russia smirks at America.

"What?" America says, a strange look on his face.

Russia's smirk just widens a little and slowly takes his clothes, staring America in the eyes.

America's face suddenly goes bright red and he averts his eyes. Russia's concentration broke and he can't help but begin laughing almost hysterically, covering his mouth in a vain attempt to quiet himself.

"Hurry up and put them on," America says, averting his eyes and puffing his cheeks out.

Russia struggles for a second because of the laughter shaking his frame. He manages to pull them on and giggles. Russia's head falls against America's shoulder, trying to muffle his laughter behind his hands. He pulls the blankets back around his shoulders, wrapping himself up and buckling the seat. He leans against America, and throws the blanket's ends over America, tucking them around America's back.

'I love messing with you. Making your face red is my new favorite hobby.'

"You are such an a**hole," America mutters.

Russia smiles.

After some time riding with his head on America's shoulder, Russia stares outside at the falling snow. He tenses with every car passing in the opposite direction, but none of them stop or turn around, so Russia doesn't think any more of them.

Soon, they pull off the road and pulls into a gas station. America grabs Russia's jacket from the hook it had been hung on and wrinkles his nose.  

"It's still wet," America complains.

Russia groans. America untangles himself and hops out of the car. Russia shivers as cold wind blasts into the car until America closes the door. Russia tightens his hold on his blankets and shivers violently as the heat is turned off.

He stays in the car while America accompanies the first group of teens inside with some cash. Kentucky is outside waiting to pump gas, bundled up so much he looks like a giant marshmallow.

Normally, Russia would've laughed, but right now, he wished he had those kinds of winter clothes. Russia pulls on the still damp boots and hat.

America returns soon after, with the first group, something clutched in his hands. America approaches the car and pulls open the door. He leans in and hands Russia a cheap jacket. California swaps places with Kentucky and Texas takes New Hampshire's place to finished pumping gas.

Kentucky and New Hampshire walk inside side by side.

"It's cheap, but it'll work for now," America says, "come on."

Russia shrugs off the blankets and pulls on the jacket and picks up the scarf Arizona had given him. The jacket is thin and the material is cheap, but the scarf is snug and warm. He promises himself to always take good care of it.

America reaches out a hand and helps Russia out. Russia stumbles a little when his feet hit the ground. America catches Russia and Russia's face goes flush.

They walk inside and Russia stays close. Kentucky and New Hampshire walk back out together. He breathes a sigh of relief knowing that all the kids had gotten back into the cars safely. They disappear behind the bathroom door.

America looks up with a smirk and gives a questioning tilt of the head. Russia smiles in consent.

America wraps his hands around the back of Russia's neck. America stares up into Russia's eyes. Russia feels an uncomfortable pang at seeing America's eye, but the loving look on America's face steals Russia's attention. Russia smiles softly.

America pulls Russia down into a deep kiss. Russia's eyes widen for a moment before he lets them fall shut and he puts his hands under America's shirt. America shivers and smiles against Russia's lips.

America slips his tongue into Russia's mouth, exploring. Russia returns the favor, and he gets lost in the sensations. His hands drop to America's waist. He grabs America and pulls him in by the hips. America tugs Russia's hair lightly. Russia pulls America as close as he could manage, kissing America deeply.

America pushes back with the same passion and Russia loses himself completely in the make-out session.

He feels around America's body until America pulls away. Russia looks on with half lid eyes and America smiles up at him. America kisses his nose before pulling out of the embrace.

"I've been waiting for that," America says with a giggle, tracing his thumb on Russia's cheek, "but we have to get going soon. I'm going to go buy some snacks for the road. Find me when you're done in here, okay?"

Russia nods, watching America leave. America turns around at the door and blows Russia a kiss with a wink. Russia blushes and rubs the back of his neck.

Russia shakes his head and listlessly goes about his business, lost in thoughts about America's smile.

Russia shakes the water off his hands and walks out. He hears America shout from behind the shelves. He rushes over and sees America wrestling on the floor with a thrashing casher.

"*What happened?*" Russia asks, helping restrain the casher.

"*I don't know! I was just trying to pay for the snacks!*"

Russia leans his weight on the cashier's back as the man thrashes and spits, frothing at the mouth.

"*Grab the food. I will be behind you.*"

America nods and gathers everything into bags he snatches from behind the counter. America stares up at the racks of cigarettes for a moment before shaking his head and rushing to the door. The second America pushes the door open, Russia jumps up and scrambles away.

The cashier grabs his ankle and tries to bite him, gnawing on his boot. Russia kicks him off in a panic, stomping hard on the cashier's wrist, breaking it with an audible snap. Russia stumbles forward as soon as he was released, and the two run to the truck. Russia hops into the driver's seat and America flies into the passenger seat. Russia starts the car and locks the door.

"Lock the doors," Russia demands into the radio.

"Roger. Also, Ham-" Philippines says.

A muffled call of "don't call me that" rings out in the background.

"-says she isn't driving anymore today."

"I will drive in front. Who is driving your car?"

"New Mexico."

"Okay, follow us," Russia says before handing the radio to America to hook-up back onto the radio set.

Russia quickly pulls out of the spot and waits for New Mexico to get behind him. The cashier shambles out of the doors, his eyes rolled back.

"Does everyone see the zombie?" Philippines asks through the radio.

"Yes, we see it. We're leaving," America replies.

Russia pulls out onto the salted road. Luckily, the snowfall is much lighter than it had been. The tires plow through the slush on the roads, throwing it up onto the undercarriage of the truck. Russia sighs, trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

"Are you okay?" America asks.

"Yes. Are you?" Russia replies.

"Yeah. I was able to push him off before he could hurt me. Thanks for the help by the way."

"No need."

America sighs. America reaches over and takes hold of Russia's hand, playing with his fingers.

"Honestly, I would've expected you to try to stop me," America mutters, looking away.

"Why would I?"

"I don't know," America mumbles, "most people just think stuff like that is my fault. Thought you would've thought the same."

Russia sighs.

"Your fault or not, I support you," Russia says.

America holds  Russia's hand tightly.

"I care about you and support you," Russia says quietly, avoiding America's gaze.

"I love you," America says quietly.

America picks up Russia's hand and presses it on his cheek. Russia glances over and sees America smiling softly, wiping tears off his face with his free hand.

"I love you too," Russia says quietly, moving and rubbing America's arm.

America chuckles and leans in. Russia smiles.

"Where are we headed?" Russia asks.

"We're going home," America says.

"Home?"

"Sorry, back to base with Dixie and them," America says.

Russia nods and America begins navigating him back to Utah.

~

Next

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Table of Contents

[ramblinganthropologist]

Writober 2020 - 12 (Vibration)

Commander Shepard keeps WHAT in his toolbox? Well, whatever... it works I guess? Hope he’s not using it for personal use afterwards...

(ME1, in which Al is adjusting.)

---

“Hope you brought your tools with you, Shepard.”

“When do I never, Garrus?”

The turian moved to the side to allow Alistair access... to his own ship. Most commanding officers probably would've had a thorn in their side about that, but not him. Garrus had been there first anyway, so it was only natural he was taking up space.

Space being the undercarriage of the Mako, of course.

“Sorry to have to call you down like this, nobody else could reach it.” Garrus was eyeing his small frame in that way people always did when they sized him up. “I think you'll fit.”

Alistair felt his cheeks heat up briefly as he set his toolbox down. Unlike most of the things he owned, it was red and some of the paint was chipping off.  The N7 magnet on the lid was new, though – he had gotten that a few months after he'd gone into space.

“Yeah, I think I'll be able to reach it. You just hand me what I need.”

Even for him, it was a tight squeeze. Had he been a little more muscular, he probably would've gotten stuck. Hooray for being lean muscle, or so he kept to himself as he started to feel around for what was causing the problem.

“Could you hand me that screwdriver with the red handle?”

Garrus had it in his waiting right hand within seconds. “The box doesn't look Alliance issue, by the way.”

“It was my mom's.” Alistair turned back to monkey with the problem, grunting as he tried to unscrew the bolt holding the casing together. “Don't see a need to replace it, it's almost 40 years old now.”

If he closed his eyes, sometimes he could still see her holding it. But memories from before the age of 5 were hard to hold onto, especially with all the hits to the head he risked. Just having it with him was enough of a memory boost.

With one more click, the casing slid off. “There we go, that should let me have a little more access. Can't really see anything wrong, though.”

Garrus was reading off a datapad now. “We're in the right area, the scan picked up some weakness about where your left hand is. It's not showing up?”

The Spectre turned the flashlight on his omni-tool to full blast and rotate it so he could see where his hand was going. It all looked pretty solid to him, though a little on the dirty side. Their last mission had seen them through a pretty dusty planet. Once this was all done, he was going to need to give it a good wipe down. Hell if any of those tiny rocks got stuck in something when they were dropping down planet side.

Just another thing to add to his to-do list. He probably could've gotten someone else to do it, given it was his ship and he was kind of CO, but Alistair liked doing this sort of thing himself. It helped ground him as the universe went to hell left, right, and center.

“Nope, just seeing rocks.” He frowned, grabbing for his flashlight once again. “Hey, can you hand me that small, round-ended tool in there? I think I need to check with a vibration instead, something might have gotten knocked loose.”

He removed his omni-tool hand from the fix and held it out in expectation. Behind him, he could hear Garrus rummaging around in the box, muttering to himself in tones too low for the translator to pick up. Luckily, Alistair spoke a little turian – he definitely heard 'where the fuck is it' and 'why is this such a spirits damned mess' before 'this better be it, I'm not going back in there' as his helper pulled something out of the box.

Then again, translation was always key on seeing the mandibles flap. He had probably been a lot nicer about it.

“This it?” Garrus switched back to common as he place something small, smooth, and round into Alistair's hand. Instinct took him to the base, where the button was. As soon as he pushed it, it started to vibrate in his hand.

Much to the amusement of everyone in the cargo hold.

Alistair felt his face heat up as he pulled his hand away to hide the contents inside the housing. He didn't even need to look at it to know what it was – that pattern of vibration was... rather familiar to him to say the least. He clicked it off, wanting nothing more than to disappear altogether. After all, it wasn't every day a ship's commanding officer accidentally left his vibrator in with his tool kit.

Man, there were going to be jokes about that... only a tech would do that.

“Everything ok in there, Shepard?” From Garrus' tone, it was clear the turian hadn't realized what he was picking up. “Did I grab the wrong thing?”

Yes.

Still, Alistair sighed to let some of his embarrassment go. In the end, it was his fault. “You could say that. Look for something a little bigger with black duck tape on the handle. It has a head you can move around.”

Garrus found him the right tool without much issue. The Spectre shifted, placing his... other tool... to the side. He flicked the proper equipment on, but then frowned. Even with the head being able to move, there was no way he was going to be able to get it where he wanted without making the rocks bounce around like a child's playpen. Scowling, he turned it off.

“Damn it, it's too big.”

His eyes went to the side, where his vibrator was sitting. It... was pretty small, now that he was looking at it. Everything in him was screaming this was dumb, but he didn't feel like fighting with the proper equipment much longer. So he let that one drop as he picked up his improvised tool. Within seconds, it was vibrating against the pipe as he felt along it.

“So I picked up the right tool after all?” Garrus sounded hopeful. It was kind of cute, but Alistair was too focused on feeling. Halfway along the length, he felt the vibration ping against something. There was a loose pipe section that needed welding back into place.

Well, maybe not at first... but he realized this one was definitely going to be staying in the tool box. Mother, forgive him... but it did the job way better than his actual one, and it was smaller too. Better yet, the damn thing recharged.

Maybe he could test the pulse pattern out next time, that should  be useful in finding different problems...

“Oh, yeah. The big one was too bulky for this job.” Alistair put both at his feet. “I found, by the way. Guess we knocked something loose when we were planet-side.”

“We?” There was a tone to Garrus' voice that made his face heat up. “Last I checked, Shepard, you were the one driving.”

And he did so very well for never having a license, thank you very much.

“Alright, fine, I knocked it loose so I'm fixing it. Just hand me the thing and we can finish this up...”

It was an easy fix after that. Guided by the light of his omni-tool, everything was put back where it belonged and reinforced so it wouldn't happen again. Then the case went back on, and on top it the Mako's armor. It was free to crush some Geth another day.

Alistair wiped off his hands on a rag as he started to put his tools back in the box. The last one to go in was his newest – out of habit he wiped that down too before putting it back and closing the lid. Then he stood up, knees aching from the position he had been in for so long.

At least it was fixed.

“Thanks, Shepard.” Garrus was also wiping off his talons as they left some snickering techs – who knew better than to say anything when he was around, thank you very much – behind to return to the CIC on the Normandy. “I doubt I would've been able to fit in there without you.”

He smiled briefly, reaching out to push the button the elevator so he could put his toolbox away. “Small hands, they're good for something.”

“A lot of small things are. I don't think I've ever seen a tool like the one you used. Where'd you get it from anyway, it didn't look Alliance issued.”

Oh... just a shop on the Normandy that was a little too close to the consort's place for his liking.

Alistair felt the blood rush to his face as he wished the door would open. “It's not. I modified it from something else because I needed something smaller.”

“Mind showing me how to do it some time then?”

Yeah, step 1 – order a small, rechargeable vibrator. Step 2 – forget you left it in your tool box in front of half your crew. Step 3 – realize it's actually pretty good for small jobs and tight areas. Step 4 was the most difficult part of the modification – get over the embarrassment of it all.

He was still working on that one, but it was coming along nicely.

“Yeah, next time we're on the Citadel. I need to pick up another one anyway.”

The doors finally slid open, and Alistair stepped in and sighed in relief as they shut behind him. His omni-tool had started to blare a familiar message pattern. From the sounds of things, his XO was trying to contact him.

Please don't be about -

“Do you seriously keep a vibrator in your toolbox?”

Fuck.

Alistair groaned as he slapped a hand to his forehead. “Well NOW I do, the damn thing is a miracle worker in tight corners.”

“That's what he said.”

Bo was laughing on the other end – she was enjoying this. All Alistair could do was glare at his omni-tool in the hopes hers would malfunction and end the call. Given it was mostly made up of his aftermarket fixes, maybe it should've had a little more respect for him.

But he had fixed it too well for it to just malfunction, so it kept going.

“Please tell me Vakarian knew what he was doing.”

Alistair sighed and ran a hand over the short hairs on the back of his neck. “I'm going to say doubtful, unless turians get off on embarrassing people.”

“Knowing them, they probably do. But hey, you got a new tool out of it.”

Yeah, but he lost his favorite vibrator. Talk about a shitty transfer.

“I liked that one.” He kept his tone short as the door opened up. It was just a short walk to stow his toolbox, then it was back to work. “I'll talk to you later, it looks like Pressly wants me for something.”

Sighing, he ended the call and made a beeline for his office to get rid of the evidence. Then it was back to work as the Normandy's Commanding Officer. Maybe if he was lucky, the whole 'Commander Shepard keeps a vibrator in his tool box' thing wouldn't spread further than the ship.

Oh, who was he kidding. It was probably bouncing around the extranet now. Great. So much for respect for being humanity's first Spectre.

…

Well, at least he got a new tool out of it. He HAD been pretty unhappy with that last one... silver lining, maybe?

[optimusphillip]

OptimusPhillip Reviews 26: Studio Series 59 Shatter

Fourth and final week of Studio Series Shatter and Dropkick. We had a bit of an awkward start, but car mode Dropkick turned out quite well. Today, we will be reviewing jet mode Shatter. Does she keep this new hot streak going, or was Dropkick just a fluke? Well, the fandom seems to love her, so let’s take a look and try to end this subseries on a high note.

Jet Mode

In the movie, Shatter transformed into a McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II. Unlike most Studio Series figures, however, this figure is not actually licensed by Boeing, so it’s not a perfect match for the real vehicle. Most notably, the wing shape is slightly different with under-slung blasters instead of drop tanks and missiles, and there are added fins on the intakes. Still, it looks close enough to the real thing that it looks right for the character. Though like Dropkick, it’s hard to find a clear shot of her in jet mode in the film itself to compare it to, so I can’t tell if the red and black stripes on the fuselage are accurate or not.

What most certainly is not accurate is the exposed legs on the rear undercarriage. Unfortunately, the legs are too heavily detailed for the robot mode to effectively hide in jet mode, so you’re left with a mess of gears, pistons, and armor plates instead of a realistic tail section. On the plus side, though, they do match the curve of the jet decently well, so it all still flows relatively nicely.

This figure also has a rather surprising undocumented feature. The most famous feature of the Harrier jet family is that it possesses vertical take-off and land (VTOL) functionality, and this toy actually features this as well. There’s a panel behind the cockpit, that you can flip open to reveal a pair of VTOL engines, which are also sculpted into the underside. Not only that, but the rockets on the rear of the jet (which, by the way, are compatible with the blast effects from War for Cybertron) can also fold down... even though the real Harrier jet doesn’t have adjustable rockets on the tail. Also, if we want to get technical, the top panel should open double-door style, but it’s still a really cool feature.

Conversion

Shatter has probably the most fun transformation of all four figures. The first time I transformed her, I was practically squealing with how clever the engineering was. The legs transform about the way you would expect: flip down and split the tail, rotate the shins and flip up the feet, though the rear fins do fold up rather nicely. After that, however, is where things get interesting. First, the wings and turbines come apart and fold out on double hinges, then the entire front of the plane folds down to reveal the folded up torso. After that, the arms split apart, the torso rotates, and the head comes up, pretty basic again. But then you return to the backpack and this is my favorite part, to the point where I actually want to give a spoiler warning, because this is truly best experienced blind. If you don’t want to be spoiled on this beautiful piece of engineering, skip ahead to the robot mode section.

You open the VTOL panel and flip the wing-turbine assembly around. Then you take the tip of the nose and fold it up, revealing a slot. That slot connects to a tab on the VTOL panel, which props the entire wing assembly up on her back. I. Love. This! It’s a great way to incorporate what would’ve just been a piece of kibble into the design of the figure and give it an actual purpose. After this, rotate the turbines until they tab into place and bring them down as far as they’ll go. Flip the side panels of the jet up until they’re hidden behind the wings, then rotate the wings down until the swivels for the side panels find their resting spot under the turbine. And now for the coolest part: the front landing gear tabs into the back of her waist, bringing the robot mode together nice and solidly. I repeat: the landing gear is an essential part of the transformation. Is it legal for me to marry an action figure? I think I might be in love. Anyway, once the landing gear is tabbed into place, that’s it: the robot mode is complete.

Robot Mode

This figure is probably the most screen-accurate out of the four I’ve covered so far. The only inaccuracies I can spot are some missing paint apps, the panels on her forearms, and the tail fins on her calves. Aside from that, every detail on this figure is lifted directly from the movie. The turbines and wings on her back, the shape of her shoulder guards, the car parts on her chest, the vents on her kneecaps, even the little nubs on her shins are all just like the film model, and that’s not getting into all of the mechanical detailing on her torso and arms. It legitimately feels like I’m playing with a miniaturized version of the robot from the movie.

This extends into the head sculpt. Unlike the car mode figure, which features her briefly used battle mask, this figure depicts Shatter’s full face, with every individual moving part sculpted in to recreate the movie as close as possible. And aside from some missing silver on her antenna and helmet, everything I can see in the CGI model is present.

Posability-wise, she has a ball-jointed neck, but it can only rotate and look up. Her shoulders are on ball-joints, only limited by her turbines. Bicep swivels and 90 degree elbows on soft ratchets. Ball-jointed hips, with really nice outward range, thigh swivels, and 90 degree knees. For the feet, not only do you get a transformation joint that allows them to move upward, but remember the adjustable rockets in jet mode? Those end up attached to her feet, so you can flip them down to give her rocket boots. Honestly, posability is probably the only spot where she doesn’t wow me, but that’s only because every other figure so far has had good posability... except for her car mode figure.

Finally moving onto accessories, she comes with two guns designed after the forearm cannons she used in the movie. They fit nicely into her hands and give a good illusion of her arms transforming. While they lack any red paint apps, they are a very close match to the shape of the gun in the movie. Plus, the little nubs at the end are just the right size to fit War for Cybertron blast effects. This seems less intentional, though, because they aren’t perfectly round, but it’s still a thing you can do if you want to do it.

Just like the Dropkicks, both Shatter figures are equally tall at the head, so any figure that scales well with one scales well with the other. 

Backdrop

Shatter’s backdrop is dubbed “Sector 7 Deception” on the back of the box, and depicts the inside of Sector Seven Headquarters as seen in the movie Bumblebee. Like most Studio Series backdrops, it’s not a frame perfect recreation of any particular shot, but it bears a close enough resemblance to the set from the movie for me to be happy with it. It helps that the monitor readouts are very nicely detailed, not only with map readouts showing energon surges and a trace on B-127′s location, but lots of little lines of text that are too small to read, but appear to be actual text. If that text is just an illusion, it’s a really good one.

Now is the point where I talk about how the figure fits onto the stand, and... I’m sorry to admit it, but this figure isn’t perfect. Due to the large backpack, the figure cannot stand up straight on the platform without her toes hanging off the edge slightly. You can turn the thighs slightly to fix this, but her backpack still bumps against the backdrop and gets in the way of a lot of poses. And due to her wingspan, she can’t fit on the base in jet mode at all. So despite coming with a display base, you’d probably be better off displaying her on her own.

Final Thoughts

Shatter is a phenomenal figure. For the life of me, I can’t come up with a serious flaw. The jet mode is clean with an fun, unobtrusive feature, the conversion is a marvel of toy engineering, and the robot mode is a perfect representation of the character from the movie. Sure, she has a backpack, but there was no way around that with what the film gave us. This is definitely my favorite figure of either Bumblebee villain, and I would highly recommend her.