#prototype MODEL H

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Citroën Type Holidays Concept, 2023. A SpaceTourer styled to resemble the historic Citroën Type H van and outfitted as a pop-top camper has been presented at the Düsseldorf Caravan Show. The prototype previews a Holidays package that will become available across the Citroën network. Italian coachbuilder Caselani create the retro-style bodykits for Citroën models.

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Scorpion

Introduced and built by the Terran Hegemony in 2570 before the technological renaissance that saw a more open view of quadruped 'Mechs, the Scorpion is an example of an idea that was ahead of its time. The Scorpion was the dreamchild of Dr. David Harrison. The 'Mech was originally intended as a stable weapons platform, but as the model came into service it was relegated to an infantry support role. The design itself was shunned by most MechWarriors due to the rough ride of the four-legged gait, but if the design is looked at through an objective standpoint the Scorpion is a very capable 'Mech for its intended role.

At some point there had been an attempt to create a LAM version of the Scorpion, an unworkable project that was abandoned and quite literally buried in a bunker on Hesperus II. The long-forgotten blueprints and prototype remains were found by chance in 3065. Although the Scorpion LAM project as such had been unsuccessful, it had succeeded in streamlining components and redesigning the leg suspension, and applying these modifications alleviated the famously bumpy ride on the -12S and all subsequent variants.

The quadruped Scorpion is built on a Brigadier 800F chassis and powered by a VOX 330 fusion engine, allowing it to move at a top speed of 97.2 km/h, which lets the 'Mech reach good firing positions quickly if pilots can endure the bumpy ride. Protection is provided by seven tons of 4/Star Slab standard armor, and heat is managed by 10 single heat sinks.

The Scorpion carries a very basic, though dangerous, weapons payload. Its primary weapon is an Anderson Armaments PPC which, when combined with the Scorpion's highly stable chassis, makes the 'Mech ideal for close support. For close range combat, the Scorpion carries a Marvel Six-Load SRM-6 which allows the Scorpion to capitalize on any breaches in the enemy's armor. The Scorpion has another, smaller swivel-mount looking tube beneath the cockpit, perhaps intended for a flamer, machine gun, or small laser, but this mount does not actually work and is purely cosmetic; speculation is that it was dropped after the frame was completed and removing it would have slowed down production.

[autotopic]

1989 Mercedes-Sauber C9

After a 30-year break from endurance racing following the tragic 1955 Le Mans disaster, Mercedes-Benz decided that enough time had passed to make a triumphant return. In 1989, drivers Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens secured an overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their Sauber-Mercedes C9.

It was a memorable day for both Mercedes-Benz and Sauber, as the winning #63 car finished ahead of its sister car, driven by Mauro Baldi, Kenny Acheson, and Gianfranco Brancatelli. Two laps behind them, the third-place Joest Racing Porsche 962C, a car that had previously won Le Mans six times, completed the podium.

The Sauber C9, a Group C prototype, made its debut in the 1987 season. Developed by Peter Sauber, the car was built on an all-aluminum monocoque chassis with a rear steel subframe to house the Mercedes-Benz engine.

Due to the fuel restrictions of that era, the engine had to be highly efficient. Swiss engineer Heini Mader developed a production-based block that delivered a peak power of 720 bhp, though it was capped at around 650 bhp to save fuel.

During its initial 1987 season, the C9s were fielded by Kouros Racing with limited success. However, when Mercedes-Benz made it an official factory team in 1988, the car secured five victories, even under intense competition from the Silk Cut Jaguar team.

In 1989, the C9 was refined to its ultimate form, featuring a new DOHC-head M119 V8 engine. That year, the C9s dominated the racing circuit, winning every event but one. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the car set a record of 247 mph (398 km/h) on the Mulsanne Straight.

Following their remarkable run, including winning the 1989 World Sports Car Championship, the Sauber-Mercedes C9 was named Racing Car of the Year by Autosport. The team then moved on to the next chapter, introducing the C11 model for the 1990 season.

[frillyfacefins]

Solving Engineering Problems Fizzarolli-Style! (Ozzie/Fizzarolli)

Fandom: Helluva Boss Rating: Explicit Pairing: Ozzie/Fizzarolli Tags: Fisting, Weird genitals, Ozzie Receiving, Office Sex, using robot limbs for recreational purposes, post season 2 ep 7 Word Count: 2623

Also on AO3

Summary:

Ozzie has been working on a new kind of toy for ages and it Just. Won't. Work. Fizz might not know much about theoretical robotic engineering, but he knows that having an orgasm or two has never been a bad solution to any problem.

The problem hadn't been with the actuator, that much Ozzie had figured out by now. But that didn't really get him anywhere with this issue — he just kept ruling out any cause he came up with. If neither the actuator, the servo control nor the manipulator were working any different than he had modeled during the conception phase, then why didn't the joints retract in the way his original calculations had predicted?

He had no idea how long he had been working. When the door of his office suddenly opened, he could have sworn that he had only just sat down to redo his calculations with the new variables from the last prototype test cycle.

Fizz sprang at him like the little jack-in-the-box he was, landing on the edge of his desk with an acrobat's precision. "Heey, boss-man," he said, tilting his head in a way that made the small, silver bells on his hat jiggle. He was already in his PJs, so it had to be at least midnight, but he wasn't wearing the matching hat yet. He recognized the jingly hat as one Fizz had designed a while ago. With as many different kinds of artisans as Ozzie employed, both in the sex toy company and at the club, there was never a shortage of people who could turn any fashion idea Fizzy had into reality within a day or two.

If it would only be as easy to get this blasted prototype to work...

"Hey Froggy," he said with a sigh. He suddenly felt exhausted. He really had been here a whole while, hadn't he... But he couldn't imagine that he was going to be able to sleep before he had solved this issue.

Fizz let out a little imp purr and nuzzled Ozzie's arm, making the bells on it rub against his feathers and jingle gently. Ozzie sighed and put down the stylus he was using to work on his tablet, then he plucked Fizz off the edge of his desk and put him on his shoulder. Fizz chuckled and immediately nuzzled his goat head. "Hey there, big daddy..." he cooed. "Are you still working on that magic fist of yours?"

Ozzie turned his head so he could nuzzle his beak against Fizzarolli's belly. His nightshirt hadn't been washed in a while; he'd likely switch to a fresh one tomorrow, but Ozzie found the scent extremely comforting. It reminded him of waking up with his Fizzy by his side — the few times he managed to actually wake up before the alarm clock made Fizz jump out of bed as if somebody had lit his tail on fire and then come down from that jump with his latest annoying noise-maker. Those mornings were precious, not only because they were rare, and right now he wanted nothing more than to go to his bedroom with his Fizzy-frog and nuzzle against his warm, tiny body until he fell asleep...

But he knew himself too well to believe he could just leave his work undone until tomorrow.

"It works perfectly well during the first two sequences," he muttered against Fizzy's nightshirt. "It goes in without issues, the probing works fine, but when all five fingers are in and it's supposed to make a fist for the final part, the joints don't engage properly and then I've got a half-closed fist pistonning in and out of the model... At one point it even ripped part of the rubber column, which..." He made a face. "Not ideal for anybody who can theoretically die.”

Fizz held his own hand out and made a few variations on a fist, maybe to better imagine what Ozzie was talking about. Ozzie reached out to adjust his fingers in the exact position that gave him issues — knuckle joints properly bent, but the second joint only bending halfway, and the last one not at all. Fizz stared at his hand for a moment, then he started to move it up and down very fast, before he finally grinned. "Yeah, I can see that that wouldn't increase your customer retention rates."

He looked down at the diagrams and readouts in front of Ozzie. "How long have you been working on this now?"

Ozzie shrugged. "What time is it?"

Fizz nodded to the two uneaten trays of food standing on the sideboard below their couple portrait. Ozzie didn't need to eat and often didn't, but he still liked the regularity of having his meals at the same time every day. Usually his servants brought enough for two people, so Ozzie could eat with Fizz if his little lover had enough time on his robotic hands to have lunch or dinner together.

Fizzarolli had been occupying himself today, since he knew that Ozzie was working on a dicey problem, so Ozzie had just completely ignored both supper around late afternoon and dinner in the later evening. He must have come to his office around mid-afternoon, after trial round thirty-seven still hadn't shown any improvement, though he couldn't really remember exactly.

"The first shifts at the clubs are already over, so I decided to get in my jammies. You know how it is with Wednesdays."

Wednesdays were generally pretty slow, which didn't make a lot of sense since there was no such thing as a 'weekend' in hell.

After the whole dust-up with Mammon, Fizz had asked to take over more responsibility in Ozzie's businesses. He was a great MC, he'd done a general manager's tasks at Ozzie's before, and he was an extremely competent personal assistant, so Ozzie was happy to let him manage the rest of the clubs and bars Ozzie owned, both officially and unofficially. Of course Fizz was also still rep'ing Ozzie's Factory products, which meant a lot of photo shoots and media stuff, but that didn't seem to be quite enough for his energetic little energizer bunny. He had tried to "take it easy" for a little while after the contest, but he had quickly become restless. And hey, with how competent Fizz was in pretty much everything he put his mind to, Ozzie felt like he could trust him with taking over more responsibilities as his business partner.

Ozzie put one hand on Fizz' back so he could push him forward a little, giving him better access to nuzzle against his belly. "I wish I could come and cuddle up with you," he sighed, "but I really need to get this fucking thing to work..."

Fizz gave his head a little pat, then he let out a little humming noise. "You know... Maybe I could help you jog your noggin'..."

One of his hands started to travel down Ozzie's side, his arm stretching as it made its way to his thigh.

Ozzie sighed, though he did lean back a little and spread his thighs to give Fizz ready access. "Your robotics don't work the same way as this toy, babe. They're connected to your nervous system, after all."

He could feel Fizz shrug. "I could still take your mind off the problem, right?" His metallic, but warm fingers slipped under Ozzie's skirt and ran over the slip that kept his cock hidden. He mostly didn't give much thought to what shape he gave his genitals when he wasn't actively about to fuck somebody, but the whole retractable-penis thing some of Levi's people had going on was honestly more convenient than a pussy, especially since he didn't really care for underwear that didn't have the explicit purpose of being seen. When he was doing this kind of work, he usually just put on whatever was most comfortable, which was mostly a shirt, a skirt, and some nice stockings.

"I mean, I'm not going to say no," he said. The day he'd stop his little impy darling from giving him pleasure just because he needed to do paperwork would be the day he'd have to give up his role as the Sin of Lust, as far as he was concerned. He let out a deep sigh at the expert way Fizz fingered his slit open and then slowly coaxed his cock out. This kind of dick was softer than what he usually preferred, but it was also far more mobile. He let the nearly tentacle-like appendix curl around Fizz' fingers, using just a little bit of magic to make the smooth skin ooze with wetness.

Fizz chuckled. He had slung one arm around Ozzie's mane and was skillfully opening the buttons of his shirt with that hand, while his other one scooped up copious amounts of slick and moved them farther down to the second opening Ozzie's body had in this shape. The shape and physiology of this entrance was pretty close to a succubus' anus, more sensitive than that of an imp, but also somewhat more resilient and easier to stretch. Ozzie leaned back farther and then put one of his hooves on the table in front of him, so Fizz had easier access. Fizz fingered more and more slick into his hole, teasing the rim and finger-fucking him every once in a while before he went back to his oozing cock and slit to get more lube.

Taking all of Fizz' fist was not really a big deal for Ozzie, of course, but he still enjoyed getting fisted quite a lot. Depending on his own physical size, Fizzarolli's fist could be pleasantly filling or fun like a magic bullet. His hands did have a few special features that Ozzie had added to later models on Fizz' request, and while they wouldn't wreck havoc inside of him, he could at least count on a pretty intense orgasm.

Also, he just loved it when his little imp lover took the lead. He sighed with the pleasure that flowed from Fizz into him, feeding on his desire while he closed his eyes and just gave himself over to those clever robotic hands.

After a minute or two, Fizzarolli apparently judged his hole to be wet enough to continue. He nuzzled the side of his main head, purring softly as he pushed two fingers into Ozzie and scissored him open, which went pretty easily with all the slick helping him along and the second- and first-hand desire making Ozzie's body wonderfully relaxed.

"Have I ever told you how much I love the way you feel around my fingers, Ozz?" Fizzarolli whispered. "I love that you gave me those fingers, and that you went to the trouble to make them feel as much as they do... I love feeling the movement of your muscles run up my arm and how easy my fingers slide inside of you..."

He rubbed his head against Ozzie's while another two fingers found its way into Ozzie's open, inviting hole. Ozzie sighed, leaning back just a little farther and arranging both of his hooves on the desk. "You're so clever with those fingers, too," he rumbled. "Couldn't have asked for a better user... You're so creative with everything you do, nobody could use those limbs as well as you..."

Fizzarolli chucked and playfully pushed his thumb in between his other fingers. "Lifetime as a circus performer... I'm glad I get to use my flexibility for your pleasure, daddy~"

His knuckles were right at the entrance now, and Ozzie was finally feeling the pleasant stretch that he usually only got to enjoy when they were playing with toys. Ozzie closed his eyes with a sigh and gave himself over to the sensations around him, the thick, savory perfume of Fizzarolli's lust, the fine fragrance of Fizzarolli's sweat and the stronger scent of his own slick, the weight of Fizz on his shoulder and the hardness of his metal hand between his legs...

Fizz' free hand was rubbing through his slit, teasing the base of his cock, which kept trying to wrap around that playful hand. His other hand was now completely breaching Ozzie's entrance, his hand moving upward in the last position his fisting toy could do without issue. He could feel Fizz spreading his hand inside of him, rubbing over his inner walls. Ozzie started breathing harder, feeling his own body twitching every time Fizz found an especially nice spot.

"Hmm... You're squeezing me so tight," Fizz whispered. "I wonder if you could break a flesh hand with your cunt... Finger bones are such a delicate thing, aren't they?" He moved his hand to let the palm face Ozzie's front wall, his finger tips rubbing over Ozzie's sensitive nerves like a dream. He could feel himself becoming hotter and hotter — becoming more and more himself, without the complications of physical space.

He could feel Fizz grin against the spot he was nuzzling by the side of his head, and a millisecond later his fingers started to vibrate.

Ozzie thrust his hips upwards so hard that he would likely have dislodged Fizz if his little lover wasn't literally stuck inside of him. Fuck, that felt good... He had been resistant to add this feature, which was standard for the Robo-Fizzes, to Fizzarolli's own robot hands, since he had been afraid Fizz would feel like a toy for Ozzie. But Fizz had insisted, telling him that it wasn't just to make Ozzie feel good, but also to add to his own fun when they were playing, so he had finally relented.

And yeah, that had been a very, very good decision on his part.

He felt himself melt into pleasure with every up-and-down motion of Fizz' hand. When Fizz finally smacked his lips, whispered: "And now the grand finale" in his ear and then folded his hand into a fist, Ozzie let out a shout like a raging bull. Fizz had to clasp Ozzie's thigh with his free hand to keep his position despite his bucking, especially when he started to make his hand piston up and down Ozzie's hole like a jackhammer.

Ozzie came with a gush of liquid spilling out of his slid and his entire body glowing with pleasure. His shout had to be loud enough for the succubi in the offices far below this level of the tower to hear. He came in several waves, drenching the floor under his desk as well as a good portion of his chair.

Just when the last wave of his orgasm hit, the clouds in front of his eyes suddenly parted. Out of nowhere, he realized what the problem with his fisting toy was.

His eyes were open in a flash, and before Fizzarolli even had a chance to pull out of him, he put his hooves back on the ground, grabbed one of the blueprints and a pen and started to write like a man possessed.

"Ozzie... Hey, Ozzie!"

It took him several minutes to realize that Fizz was trying to get his attention. It was painful to stop writing, but he forced himself to and looked over at the imp on his shoulder.

"Yeah?" he asked, somewhat dazed.

Fizzarolli grinned. "Can I have my hand back?"

Ozzie looked down — sure enough, with his legs closed again, getting his hand out would be pretty difficult for Fizz.

But also he couldn't waste a second right now, or his idea would be gone before he had put it to paper.

"Would you mind just staying like this for a little while?" he asked. "I just had a breakthrough and I really need to write this down."

Fizz looked at him with surprise for a moment, then he let out a laugh and finally nodded. He arranged his free arm, which he had retracted by now, around Ozzie's mane, letting his bullhead lick off the sticky, cooling slick. "Sure, big daddy. After all, I couldn't imagine a more luxurious hand warmer."

[whencyclopedia]

Junkers Ju 87

The Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' was a two-seater dive-bomber plane used by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) in various theatres of the Second World War (1939-45). The Stuka, with its distinctive angled wings, excelled when combined with armoured divisions in Germany's blitzkrieg ('lightning war') tactics in the early years of the war, but its inferior speed and manoeuvrability compared to single-seat fighters meant that it was ultimately restricted to hitting static targets where the Luftwaffe enjoyed air superiority.

Design & Development

In 1934, the German aircraft company Junkers was commissioned by the Nazi regime to design a prototype dive bomber. The idea was that a dive-bomber aircraft would be capable of delivering bombs at a lower altitude and with more accuracy than traditional high-altitude bombers, which dropped their loads vertically. Three prototypes were produced with design adjustments made to ensure the wings of the aircraft could withstand the force of diving from altitude. The best Junkers design, which included a Junkers Jump 210A engine, impressed against competition from rival manufacturers Arado, Hamburger, and Heinkel. Both Junkers and Heinkel were commissioned to produce 10 aircraft each. Several Ju 87s, as they were now classified, were tested in real combat conditions in the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) where they were flown by Germany's Condor Legion.

The Junkers Ju 87 had two seats, one for the pilot and one immediately behind for the rear gunner/radio operator. The aircraft gained the nickname 'Stuka', short for Stürzkampfflugzeug, meaning 'dive-bomber' in German, although the Germans themselves nicknamed the plane 'Berta'. The Stuka's bomb load mechanism "swung the weapon clear of the fuselage and propeller arc before it was released" (Saunders, 30). This feature, combined with the aircraft's ability to dive at a steep 80-degree angle (helped by a special dive-braking system), meant that it could strike a target with a much higher degree of accuracy compared to other types of bombers. Hitting a moving or small target remained a challenge and so, given that there was a mere 1.5-second window in which to release the bomb load at the bottom of a dive, only the most skilled Stuka pilots could regularly hit the objective of their extensive training: a 10-metre radius circle. Nevertheless, dive-bombing "proved four times more accurate than normal horizontal bombing from altitude" (Dear, 115).

By 1938, the main Stuka production plant was the Weser plant at Berlin-Tempelhof. Further design tweaks were made to the fuselage and distinctive fixed landing gears with their 'trouser' covers. The angled, 'gull' wings of the Stuka also set it apart from other aircraft of the period. Over the course of several new production models, a much more powerful engine was installed, the most powerful being capable of an impressive 410 km/h (255 mph), although this was significantly less than the best Allied or Axis single-seat fighters of the period, which could fly well over 480 km/h (300 mph). As the Nazi regime geared up for a war of conquest in Europe, Junkers was required to step up Stuka production to 60 models a month. By the start of WWII, which began with Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Luftwaffe had 336 Stukas, a figure which soon increased to 557. These aircraft were divided into nine Luftwaffe Stukagruppen. The aircraft was also flown by the Italian air force and by the air forces of other Axis allies such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, and Romania.

Stuka Dive-bombers in Poland, 1939.

Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1987-1210-502 / Hoffmann, Heinrich (CC BY-SA)

Continue reading...

[f1mike28]

Maybach Exelero „The Dark Knight“.

The Maybach Exelero high performance show car was unveiled to the world for the first time in the Tempodrom in Berlin.

The 700hp two-seater with a Mercedes-AMG V12 biturbo engine is a unique custom model produced for Fulda Reifenwerke, which were using the Maybach Exelero as a reference vehicle for a newly developed generation of wide tyres.

The German manufacturer of luxury cars built the unique model as a modern interpretation of its legendary streamlined sports car from the 1930s, thereby forging a link with the historical predecessor, which at that time was likewise based on a powerful Maybach automobile (SW38) and used by Fulda for tyre tests.

The Exelero embodies the highest expression to date of the Maybach individualisation strategy of offering specific custom solutions on request. In initial tests on the high-speed track in Nardo (Italy), the unique vehicle reached a top speed of 351.45 km/h.

Developers at Maybach designed the custom model with the participation of students from Pforzheim College. The Exelero was built by the prototype specialists at Stola in Turin.

Maybach Exelero powered by the incredible Mercedes-AMG M285 V12 biturbo engine 6.0L 700HP and 1020Nm of Torque. Handcrafted by Michael Kübler @f1mike28 in Germany Affalterbach.

Driving Performance is our Passion! Mercedes-AMG the Performance and Sports Car Brand from Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-AMG the Home of Driving Performance in Germany Affalterbach. Mercedes-AMG Handcrafted by Racers.

[spikyspinachstreet]

old pic ft. Some dolls of many sizes

This Lineup includes!!!-

Dorothy Snow

Agnes Dear

Pip Locket

Fenwick Finnegan

Archibald Faust

Medora Mai

Extra fun facts:

each doll is based off of a certain aesthetic or time period

Medora is the youngest, Agnes is the oldest

asfhgfsafsfdsws

Fenwick is straight up the only doll of his kind, his skeletal structure is different and he’s missing the overlay that gives dolls their Signature shiny look.. he’s sorta like a prototype for Archibald’s type of model

help I accidentally made him look too youthful………..

All of the dolls in this image have either been destroyed or gone missing :(

h

Medora is currently resisting the urge to kick Archibald in the ankles

[lonestarflight]

Concept art of the original Martin XA-45 design, which evolved into the XB-51 trijet ground attack aircraft.

"In February 1946, the United States Army Air Force (AAF) sought design proposals for an attack aircraft to replace the Douglas A-26 Invader. The Glenn L. Martin Company (Martin) responded with its Model 234, a straight-wing aircraft of a rather conventional layout, except that the engine nacelle on each wing housed a turboprop and a turbojet engine. The Model 234 had a crew of six and was forecasted to carry 8,000 lb (3,629 kg) of ordinance over 800 miles (1,287 km).

Martin was awarded a contract to develop the Model 234 on 23 May 1946, and the aircraft was designated XA-45. A few weeks later, the AAF decided to discard the “Attack” category, and the XA-45 was subsequently redesignated XB-51. The AAF then requested new requirements for the XB-51 with an emphasis on speed. The AAF’s new desired specifications for the A-26 replacement was a top speed of 640 mph (1,030 km/h) and the ability to carry 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) of ordinance over 600 miles (966 km). The new requirements necessitated a complete redesign of the XB-51, which Martin completed and submitted to the AAF in February 1947. After slight modifications, the design was somewhat finalized by July 1947. The AAF ordered two prototypes, which were assigned serial numbers 46-685 and 46-686."

source, source

[deke-rivers-1957]

Scott's World of Tomorrow

It was February 1956, a young Scott Heyward had just turned 16 years old. His father, Duster Heyward of Heyward Oil is about to spoil him.

"Well son taday's yer birthday. What do ya wanna do?"

"Can we go to Disneyland Pa? They have a whole section called Tomorrowland and a race car track called Autopia."

Mr. Heyward smiles as he claps Scott's shoulder.

"Tha's mah boy. Disneyland's gonna be a great client ta have. Can't be runnin no rides without oil."

"Yeah and maybe if they have real cars there I can take some notes for the research department."

Mr. Heyward chuckles as he goes to the phone.

"Ah'll just let yer tutor know yer goin on a field trip. That oughta make 'em happy yer doin yer science project."

"Ok, Pa."

Time Skip

"Alright then son. Ah'm gonna be talk with some a Disney's people. They said some fella named Bob Gurr's gonna be walkin ya through Autopia."

"Wow. Thanks Pa!"

Scott sits down on a bench with his camera and notepad. A young man his 20s approaches him.

"Are you Scott Heyward?"

"Yes. Are you Mr. Gurr?"

"That I am. Just call me Bob today. It's really an honor to have you and father come to the park today."

The two shake hands and start to walk to Tomorrowland.

"Now as you can see, the Moonliner was designed by one of my colleagues, John Hench and of course sponsored by Howard Hughes of Trans World Airlines."

Scott takes some pictures as they walk through the attraction. They get to the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry.

"Are you familiar with Monsanto, Scott?"

"Oh yes. I was only 7 when they had that explosion down in Texas City. Pa sent a crew to bring oil down to the site. He managed to get a deal where we can have a couple ships down at the port."

Bob nods. Eventually they make it to Autopia.

"Now this is what I helped design. I used what I learned from working with Ford."

"You worked with Ford? What did you do?"

"Well I helped design the Lincoln Continental. I published a few books on automotive design and that's what brought Mr. Disney's attention over to me. He wanted me to analyze the chassis for these cars. Originally designed by Hartmann Engineering, they were having issues regarding the ability to be mass produced. Too noisy and smokey with a lot of vibration. Eventually the company dropped out so I was brought on permanently to come up with a different design."

Scott's writing all of this down the best he can. Mr. Gurr's slowly turning into an idol.

"So where did you get the design for the cars? They don't look like anything I've ever seen."

"Take a closer look. If you're familiar with Porsche, I took the idea of their 54 550 Spyder and combined it with the recent custom made Italian Ferraris. Of course the Chevrolet Corvette also served as inspiration."

"Wow."

Bob continues telling his story. Scott listens to every word including everything about engineering he has yet to learn.

"What make are these cars now?"

"Currently these are the Mark II's. I had to fix the chassis so they can accommodate a sturdier, smoother-running engine. We've been getting a lot of youngsters so it was necessary to add booster seats and extensions on the peddles. I just finished a prototype for the Mark III and already started work on the Mark IVs"

"Why? What's wrong with these models?"

"Longevity and ease of repair. With how popular this attraction is getting it's only a matter of time before these cars will need repairing. Every month we're learning something new about what people like and don't like about the car. Just goes to show that even when a product is a success, there's still a lot that needs to be done to perfect it."

Scott writes this down as Bob finishes talking.

"Would you like to ride in one of these, Scott?"

"Yes! I'd love to."

Bob chuckles as they wait in line to ride in one of the cars.

Time Skip

"How was yer trip son?"

"I loved it Pa. Mr. Gurr let me take so many pictures and showed me all of Tomorrowland."

Mr. Heyward smiles as they make their way back to Texas. Scott would recite his notes and Bob's story. His father could only nod along as he never really got into the science side of business.

"Well Ah bet yer science project'll turn out real good."

"Oh yeah Pa. Until science finds a better way, everything needs oil. Even the rockets."

"Thatta boy. Yer gonna be takin Heyward Oil inta space."

Scott smiles and sits back in his seat. He starts to fantasize about making his own world of tomorrow.

AN: Shoutout to @xanatenshi for requesting this story.

Tagging: @mercsandmonsters, @georgefairbrother, @imaginationlast, @hooked-on-elvis, @arrolyn1114,

@teamnefarious​, @blighted-star, @ab4eva, @thetaoofzoe, @vintagepresley,

@myradiaz, @jaqueline19997, @kiankiwi, @ahundredlifetime, @mydarlingelvis,

@tupelomiss, @elvispresleywife, @karel-in-wonderland, @tacozebra051, @sillybookmarks,

@dusintv, @velvetelvis, @livelaughelvis, @slayingjd, @anamiad00msday,

@mistyspresley, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @yoooooooh, @southcarolinawoman, @peaceloveelvis,

@squaggleson, and @idk583838.

[grievedifferent]

CHRIS 4 JOSH? let's talk about it ... and let's be honest.

read more for length only, it's all pretty sfw and non-triggering content.

speaking with otter first and foremost, here are her thoughts on the matter:

for context, she has a degree in video game art & design, so she knows the entire pipeline for how video games were and are made currently. she actually graduated like right around when UD came out, so this is perfect because she also helped me understand some of the modeling and why the original game is just honestly more fluid in mechanics versus the remake, so i've been giving the remake a pass in a lot of big ways and just sort of accepting everything else as is in conjunction with the original game (and in our case, the 2013 prototype).

basically, she said it originally looked like this is what likely happened: a texture artist was given permission to do a heart, someone else or that same artist put in CHRIS + JOSH and basically whoever was in charge of them (i have no names for this) likely said "you absolutely cannot confirm a fan ship, it's not happening" which is why it became CHRIS 4 JOSH. otter was explaining how the 4 looks a little off like it wasn't there originally but more of something to replace what was underneath. like a 4 covering a +.

still likely meant to be a joke, maybe it could go so far as to that texture artist shipping it, but either way, it was never going to make it into the official game as a way to be interpreted as josh and chris are canon. i know the app contradicts one major thing for chris and ash because the game itself literally confirms they both like each other in various scenes and context clues and all of that content we get in-game for them.

based on my own time being in school for video games, this makes a lot of sense. i might not have finished, but i did learn this lol. so, what she's saying is pretty on point. that's how companies are, even if it's "supermassive" ... they are working under sony.

so, does it mean anything? not really. i know this was probably huge for the other side of the UD fandom (i see it being two sides: rpc and non-rpc, which can be similar but are generally very different ... in-between those spaces are typically the fanfic writers and then the sub-genre of reader insert fanfic writers if that makes sense? anyways). but it really means nothing.

it's just a little easter egg. if we want to look into it at all? it was likely done by chris (otherwise it would say josh 4 chris if it was from josh), and also ... i know this sounds probably so lame, but that's just how guys are. they act like that, especially if you're super comfortable with a long-term friend. people have probably wondered about it based on how close and jokey they can act, they don't seem like the type to "shy away" from any sort of intimacy, especially for a joke, and idk, they're just like that? that's pretty normal.

HOWEVER ... where this gets even more interesting for me is this part: bringing in the 2011-2013 prototype, the game that was being pumped out for demos and such before supermassive did an entire rehaul of the original 2010 game (so, this is not london studio's project anymore, it hasn't been for a while, and their original iteration actually had hannah and josh as a couple named hannah and clayton).

why is this interesting? i've mentioned before several things about that prototype specifically: a) mike and chris never changed from design to actor, they were always solid (so it's weird to not even consider using their old voice banks for new content for the 2024 remake but okay??), b) this had originally intended (all the way back to london studio) to really be a "couples game" that "couples play together", giving the controller back and forth, and c) the fact that sam clearly liked josh in the original iteration, josh did not feel the same, but he had basically the same relationship with chris, who seemed to still like ash and vice versa, but josh also had a pretty high energy by comparison both in general to rami's josh and also to specifically chris in comparison to (that verison of) sam.

let's dig into 'c' a bit more. the sam and josh problem. it's not really a "problem" but i think there's somewhat of a general misunderstanding as to what their relationship is realistically like based on their connections and affiliations over what is sort of "expected of them".

here's what we know for facts:

sam and josh know each other, we can maybe assume from childhood or middle school era, but long enough for sam to be considered hannah's best friend.

which brings me to my next point: sam is hannah's best friend, not josh's. not even "hannah and beth's best friend". she is hannah's best friend. this is josh's little sister's best friend. i have to reiterate this because i see this huge sort of blackhole when it comes to this fact about sam and hannah. this is literally sam's entire tagline! even the game sort of forgets that sometimes? sam actually somewhat harshly criticizes hannah in her bedroom, something that is only open to sam and no one else. i'm not sure where this idea that sam is there for josh when she should be there for hannah. you can also tell sam and josh weren't that close over that year because she needs chris to confirm that a) this entire getting back together is a good idea and b) if josh is doing okay. if they were close, wouldn't she know? also, josh wasn't that close to anyone besides seemingly chris? which sort of makes sense but even he only lets chris see certain sides of himself. so, they aren't as close as people i think mistake them to be.

they were supposed to have something one-sided in the prototype before the finalized release. in the protoype, sam likes josh, but josh seems to not reciprocate. it's heavily hinted at when she flirts with him in the scene at the lodge door, which is very different but also somewhat the same as the version we get.

the finalized verison of sam (ie "hayden-sam") doesn't seem to have a crush on josh ("rami-josh") ... at least, from what i can tell. i think she actually feels somewhat uncomfortable around him, if we're being honest. maybe not before the prank, we can see they are comfortable together briefly in the new snapshots on the camera, but after? definitely so. this makes sense. they are somewhat avoiding each other. why would she go back there? both hannah and beth are dead, leaving josh.

finally: josh is hannah's older brother, thus acts as an older brother to the group ... sam included. this is literally in josh's characterization.

so, delving into probably headcanon territory here, and i'm not even going into my own sam headcanons ... basically, i think sam sees josh as an older brother and josh sees sam as a little sister figure. ik ik it's boring.

hear me out here: i think this was done simply because there are so many couples in the game already, which is so funny because it was supposed to be a couple's game but then got changed to a sort of "play alone or pass the controller".

now? UD is meant to be played either on your own or between multiple people, you can assign one person to each person you're playing with or just split the cast up the way otter and i do. it's more liberal and intentional to be that way versus its original intention. think about it: when you really start actually playing, there are two for sure couples, one maybe "will they won't they", and then two that aren't dating. that does feel more realistic just in general in a friend group, doesn't it? people date each other, break up, bring new members in, etc, but not everyone always dates everyone all the time.

also, i think just blanketed, supermassive wasn't even considering that likely at least one of those characters is probably gay or bisexual. until dawn is only so deep because it can only go so deep, and if they were going to go deep? it was going down the mental illness rabbit hole along with the background story they were trying to flesh together coupled with the mo-cap technology they were working with.

also, not to be that person, but life is strange came out in 2013 and kind of nailed it, right? they had their own set of issues they tackled incredibly well, whereas it doesn't really fit into UD. UD is about being a true "classic horror" story with the heavy use of intentional character tropes. so, give UD some grace here, i'd say.

cause let's get real for a second: there were so many last-minute changes while holding onto the threads of what they wanted. some stuff from the prototype for example is pretty shot-for-shot or word-for-word and some is super different. like ... im sorry, but the wolves aren't in the prototype (just as an example), so you can see how fast they decided to put those in because those wolves are literally broken animals.

back to sam and josh: taking my own headcanons aside, i don't think it's impossible to headcanon sam having a crush on josh at any point in her life that she knew him pre-UD. it's not uncommon, of course. he's classic older brother, he's fun, he's cute, he's friendly, and he's always around. again, while i think at least narratively they took that aspect of sam's character out when they cast hayden (she gives a much different, honestly better vibe for sam from the original actress, whereas ashley is like the same ngl), there is something to be said about not saying anything, i suppose. i just don't see it as something that was meant to be noticed, if that makes sense. not that it's not fitting? i guess?

but it's how josh feels, more the position he's in, that i sort of get caught up in why i'm sometimes hesitant with outright sam/josh with no plotting beforehand (as if it's canon). josh is the older brother. for him, there's sort of some lines he feels he isn't supposed to cross, trust he isn't supposed to break, and just sort of general boundaries? like, age isn't necessarily his factor here, it's literally how they met and how they know each other. it would be likely hurtful to hannah, probably awkward? i imagine?

so, is josh willing to cross his sister's comfort like that? yes, he lies to her ... about his mental health. it's never implied anywhere else that josh lies to hannah or beth about anything else. also, we can argue it's the parents hiding it from his sister's, wanting them to have a certain view of their brother.

then, post-death, we know there's a huge change in their relationship. josh and sam become distant, as i've discussed above.

with a lot of plotting and specifics, i could do it. just blanketed? or like ... how i see these characters without anyone else's interpretations in consideration? like just playing the game as is without even considering rpc? i don't see it.

so, what about josh and chris then? i'm not going to lie, i've only even recently come around to the idea, and even that comes off to me as still one-sided if it were ever even considered. likely? it would have been chris like ash, ash like chris, josh maybe likes chris? but that's so pushing it to assume supermassive would imply, though it's actually more sound for inferences in the prototype.

the chemistry josh and chris have is very natural. we can give that partially to the actors, of course, and partially to the writing. they have known each other a long time, and i've talked about it above how that's just how these types of guys are sometimes. they're just comfortable with each other.

so, even i'm just writing general headcanons without taking anyone else's specific interpretation in mind? i see it like this:

josh and chris? best friends from childhood.

chris and ash? the intended "will they / won't they" of the game.

josh and sam? older brother figure to younger sister figure (ie the friendship that can form with this type of bond, but likely nothing else).

but josh flirts with sam, remember? he infers he'd help her with the bath. he also calls mike and jess pornstars, says he wants to get friendly with ashley in the snow (and calls her a sleeper hit), etc. he's pretty mouthy about that sort of thing. it's just how he is. i guarantee if that were jessica in the bath, he'd say the same thing, and might even be more persistent about it (given that jessica is more playful than sam in that regard). however, were that emily in the bath? not a chance, he probably wouldn't have said anything tbh. i also write sam as a lesbian.

okay, so this is all "canon and great" and everything ... but what about me? what are my personal ships?

i can see so many with josh. i think that he's probably more gay than straight. he sees himself as open-minded.

does he lean more towards men or women? privately: sexually and romantically speaking, men. socially: women.

i have it that he chooses the "women make me uncomfortable" option when i play. i think this makes sense for josh.

why do women make him uncomfortable, but he socially pursues them? is he actually attracted to women? what is his sexuality for real? so, why women: it's socially understandable and acceptable. it's what he's relied on since puberty / actively encouraged to pursue since dating was on the table. he's with such a "bro" crowd — and so bro-coded both in being written that way narratively speaking while also just self-imposing that sort of role to himself ... while also naturally filling that role. his sexuality with labels: bisexual with a heavier male leaning preference, would be considered more demisexual when it comes to women. he is attracted to men romantically and sexually, and he is attracted to women, but there has to be a relationship fostered for it to be more romantic than sexual. i think he's fooled around with girls, but never had penetrative sex with them. he's likely never been with a guy, as he's very closeted, despite this being his active preference. women intimidate josh and make him uncomfortable.

further on him being more closeted despite being in the industry: josh has his family's reputation to consider. the world doesn't always agree that being bisexual is natural and non-offensive. he would be outright just called and labeled gay (which isn't entirely inaccurate but is not accurate). it could hurt his family. this isn't 2024, this is the 2010s, and yes it was getting "big" in the way we see acceptance now, but it wasn't so seen. people were (and still are) hiding. think of it like this: if josh has to hide his mental illness the way he does, he's likely having to hide his sexuality.

i think that's why the traits we do see in josh are so exacerbated because he has to stifle so much of himself down that the parts he's allowed to express become the loudest to hear.

all of that to get us here: my ships for josh.

personally? again, no other interpretations are considered necessarily, just ships i like based on various things from simply aesthetics to actual connections i can see them having.

what about chris/josh? honestly? i never even considered it until recently, and now that i have, it seems more obviously (if anything) one-sided by josh (the giver) to chris (the receiver). i don't think chris has ever consciously thought about it. josh (probably) has. as a default, however, i write them as bros. i do genuinely love their friendship. that being said, i do like it as a ship. i don't write my main plotlines with that in mind, though.

quickly: if anything, i think chris is the most compatible for josh (and vice versa). there is a lot of game evidence to support this, but that's for its own post.

josh/ashley -> this had always been my previous top ship for josh, but as more context becomes available via the remake and data mining the game, my opinions have swayed a bit, but i will always love joshley. it's a demi thing with them, i think. i also think josh is kind of jealous of ashley's relationship with chris (chapter 2 is called jealousy, and yes, that refers to the matt-mike-em-jess stuff but could be inferred to the trio), yet actively supports his bro, so doesn't really "get in the way". in fact, he encourages it.

josh/ashley/chris -> i see this as mostly ashley dating both chris and josh, maybe josh having some feelings for chris? from there, it's open-ended, but it's mostly "ashley has two boyfriends", and i am here for that. i love her.

additionally, i do ship chris/ashley. i like that josh is actively trying to get them together, and i think while it's for "nefarious reasons" or whatever you want to say when we see it in-game, josh is acting as a direct reflection to how he always has been ... so we can assume he's always been trying to get chris to make the move on ash.

josh/jess -> this is primarily aesthetically speaking, i think they just would look good together? opposites attract? pre-prank of hannah, it's definitely that ... opposites attract. he's not really her type, lbr, but she's probably his type in the way she's pretty ... but she is also intimidating to him. it's funny because, ultimately, that sort of confession to mike that jess gives about her insecurities would be very understood by josh (and actually matt, who i see as insecure), and i like all three of those boys with jess. yes, i hold jess accountable for the prank, but just character traits and such? i can see some vibes here. also! a lot of my fondness for this ship probably comes from post!verse stuff, like retribution, etc. honestly, i just like these two together not even romantically? i just want to see more of them interacting idk josh and jess are very contrasting characters that could go really well or horribly wrong together. also, i just have to say that i feel like there was some genuine interest when jess suggested that josh might be flirting with her and mike (jokingly) asked to basically have a threesome together, like she was kind of into it ngl.

why none of the other UD boys with josh? like mike and matt? we don't really see too much matt and josh unfortunately. i'm also a huge matt/jess shipper idk but i just don't see matt and josh being compatible, and i also write matt ... and i also write matt as straight, so. there's that aspect. but generally? i don't see it.

so, no em and josh? i literally do not have enough canonically to go by to even say what their default dynamic is like! they never talk!! like ever. so ... once i can establish with an emily writer what that is, i'd be more down to clown.

i can't with mike, either. i love mike btw, literally no shade to him, i don't think josh is the right fit for mike either by any means. mike is great at "handling" josh at his worst in a crisis (kind of? idk it depends sort of on the choices you make, but i get his vibe, i do get it) to get him from points a to b, but that's about it. mike also just comes off as very straight (to me).

all of that to say this: i generally write things as they are from the game unless there's a pretty good clue, inference, or some sort of thread i can unravel to make something make sense. it has to make sense for me, i'm just that type of person.

but ... with the right chemistry, plotting, and a bit of time? anything can happen. just because i default see something one way doesn't mean that i cannot be convinced otherwise ... or still hold that belief for the game itself but write enough development that i love something else in an rp sense. i'm a very "this is game, this is rp" and then from there, i take from the game to make the rp experience more game-like. does that make sense? did any of this make sense?

[hirocimacruiser]

The target for this car is a quarter mile time of 9 seconds based on a front-wheel drive vehicle.

We brought together HKS drag technology to accomplish that goal.

HKS FF DRAG CELICA

DRIVER: MASAO SAITO

BEST TIME: 9"727sec. (1998. 10/31 in SENDAI highland)

GOAL-POINT SPEED: 239.72km/h

MAX. POWER: 560PS/8,000r.p.m.

MAX. TORQUE : 60kg・m/5,500r.p.m.

◆BASE ENGINE MODEL: 3S-GE

● ENGINE DISPLACEMENT: 1,998cc

COMPRESSION:9.3

PISTON: HKS FORGED 86mm

CONNECTING ROD: HKS ORIGINAL

CRANKSHAFT: NORMAL

METAL: NORMAL

CAMSHAFT: HKS 272°IN/272° EX

●VALVE : NORMAL

COMPUTER : F-CON V PROTOTYPE

TURBINE: GT3240

BOOST CONTROLLER: HKS EVC Pro

WASTEGATE: HKS SPECIAL RACING

BOOST: 1.7kg/cm²

INTERCOOLER:HKS GT INTERCOOLER

CLUTCH: ap 5.5inch TRIPLE

MISSION X TRACK

DAMPER: HKS HIPER DAMPER DRAG Ver.

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Bentley Camargue, 1985, by Pininfarina. Dating from a time when Bentley was a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce. For much of the time the two companies were tied together Bentleys were simply badge-engineered versions of Rolls-Royce models. The Camargue, designed by Paolo Martin at Pininfarina, was an exception, only being marketed as a Rolls-Royce. The factory built one Bentley-badged Camargue prototype in 1977 but the fate of that car is unknown. Then is 1985, near the end of the Camargue's model life, the factory made this one-off, it's serial number reveals the car was a Bentley from the moment it was built, rather than a "conversion." Decoding SCBYJ000XFCH10150 relays the following information: SC = Manufacturer Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Bentley Motors (1931) Limited B = Branding Bentley YJ = Model Camargue 00 = Engine Type 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst exhaust system 0 = Restraint Type other than USA prior to 1987 X = Checksum Digit F = Year 1985 C = Factory Location Crewe H = Steering Location Home market, Right hand drive 10150 = Chassis Serial Number

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Orion

“A poor man's Atlas”

The Orion was built in 2456 as the first true heavy BattleMech. Originally designed for the Terran Hegemony to maintain its dominance and built on Hesperus II, the Orion is a dependable workhorse design that can handle almost any combat role, thanks to its mix of long and short-range weaponry and its respectable armoring. After the K model was introduced in 2525, the 'Mech first saw combat during the Reunification War and continued to serve the Star League and its Member States for the next few centuries. Perhaps its most famous role was as the personal 'Mech of Aleksandr Kerensky during the Amaris Civil War, and it was while piloting his Orion that the General kicked down the palace doors to take the Usurper prisoner.

The inspiration for the Orion's beginnings is said to be a direct result of Operation PROMETHEUS when the Terran Hegemony realized they would no longer be the sole user of BattleMechs. Work began shortly after with the Hegemony Armed Forces requesting machines suited for various combat roles, and the Hegemony's military leadership were soon accepting proposals for competing designs almost simultaneously. With other designs already underway, it would be General Mechanics winning a contract for a proposal that would ultimately become the Hegemony's premier heavy attack BattleMech: the Orion. Ironically, GM had actually unveiled a prototype as early as 2453, but the HAF, while interested at the time, were dismissive as it did not meet the High Command's requirements for speed and armor, and its armament was considered too lackluster for a front-line war machine. GM had returned to the drawing board in the following years, further refining their design by settling for a smaller, less powerful engine to free up weight for additional weaponry. It would not be until GM's third prototype—the ON1-H, which mounted a newly developed class-10 heavy autocannon—that the HAF would finally approve the design one year following Operation PROMETHEUS in 2456. Following the successful introduction of the prototype, the HAF immediately pushed General Mechanics to produce as many Orions as possible. The armed forces of the Hegemony quickly assigned them to BattleMech regiments in whole companies at a time, adding to their growing ranks of Mackies, Banshees, and later Archers and Griffins.

After the fall of the Star League, Kali Yama Weapons Industries took over production of the Orion, building new models from their factories on Kalidasa. This left the Free Worlds League as the only producer of new Orions during the Succession Wars, although the other Successor States were capable of building spare parts to repair their 'Mechs, and meant the Free Worlds League Military was the largest Orion user. When Kali Yama merged to create the Kali Yama - Alphard Trading Corporation, Orion production was started up on Kendall as well. The League's dominance in new Orions began to change during the Clan Invasion when the Successor States met on Outreach and agreed to work together to combat the Clans. Kali Yama/ATC was among those companies which agreed to sell war matériel, including the Orion, to the other States undergoing Clan attacks. In spite of the design's age it still finds itself utilized extensively on the modern battlefield and new variants continue to be produced.

The Orion has a varied weapons mix. The 'Mech's primary long-range weapon is a KaliYama Death Bloom LRM-15 launcher mounted in the left torso along with two tons of reloads. While an accurate weapon useful against both land and air targets the system's control cables travel through a narrow area in the shoulder. This area is potentially subject to excessive heat, which can cause either the weapon or actuator to shut down. For intermediate ranges, the Orion carries a KaliYama Class 10 Autocannon/10 in its right torso with two tons of ammo. For centuries the ammunition feed to the cannon suffered regular jamming unless pilots loaded nineteen salvos instead of the full twenty in the ammunition magazine. This defect was eventually solved in the 3030s by Norse-Storm BattleMechs, although the fact that the weapon's placement limits right-arm movement and can be knocked out of alignment if accidentally struck couldn't be helped. Finally, for close-range combat, the Orion has an Irian Weapons Works Class 4 SRM-4 launcher in the left torso fed by a one-ton bin of ammo and two Irian Weapons Works medium lasers; one in each arm.

Carrying fourteen and a half tons of armor gives the Orion superior protection to most other heavy 'Mechs, with its chest and rear torso being the most and least protected respectively. Combined with an average cruising speed of 43.2 km/h the 'Mech is a challenging opponent. Only ten heat sinks mounted in the engine leaves the Orion vulnerable to overheating but experienced pilots know to avoid this issue by alternating weapon firings. Technicians love the Orion, because its spacious interior makes performing repairs and maintenance far easier than many other 'Mechs; this is also the reason for the design's longevity.

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 41, 2024

Exploration, exploitation, and development: Developmental shifts in decision‐making. Blanco, N. J., & Sloutsky, V. M. (2024). Child Development, 95(4), 1287–1298.

A drift diffusion model analysis of age-related impact on multisensory decision-making processes. Bolam, J., Diaz, J. A., Andrews, M., Coats, R. O., Philiastides, M. G., Astill, S. L., & Delis, I. (2024). Scientific Reports, 14, 14895.

Hippocampus and striatum show distinct contributions to longitudinal changes in value-based learning in middle childhood. Falck, J., Zhang, L., Raffington, L., Mohn, J. J., Triesch, J., Heim, C., & Shing, Y. L. (2024). eLife, 12, e89483.3.

Acquisition of non-olfactory encoding improves odour discrimination in olfactory cortex. Federman, N., Romano, S. A., Amigo-Duran, M., Salomon, L., & Marin-Burgin, A. (2024). Nature Communications, 15, 5572.

Neurofeedback training can modulate task-relevant memory replay rate in rats. Gillespie, A. K., Astudillo Maya, D., Denovellis, E. L., Desse, S., & Frank, L. M. (2024). eLife, 12, e90944.3.

GABAergic synaptic scaling is triggered by changes in spiking activity rather than AMPA receptor activation. Gonzalez-Islas, C., Sabra, Z., Fong, M., Yilmam, P., Au Yong, N., Engisch, K., & Wenner, P. (2024). eLife, 12, e87753.3.

Shifts in attention drive context-dependent subspace encoding in anterior cingulate cortex in mice during decision making. Hajnal, M. A., Tran, D., Szabó, Z., Albert, A., Safaryan, K., Einstein, M., … Orbán, G. (2024). Nature Communications, 15, 5559.

A computational account of transsaccadic attentional allocation based on visual gain fields. Harrison, W. J., Stead, I., Wallis, T. S. A., Bex, P. J., & Mattingley, J. B. (2024). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(27), e2316608121.

Perirhinal cortex learns a predictive map of the task environment. Lee, D. G., McLachlan, C. A., Nogueira, R., Kwon, O., Carey, A. E., House, G., … Chen, J. L. (2024). Nature Communications, 15, 5544.

The neuron as a direct data-driven controller. Moore, J. J., Genkin, A., Tournoy, M., Pughe-Sanford, J. L., de Ruyter van Steveninck, R. R., & Chklovskii, D. B. (2024). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(27), e2311893121.

Bats integrate multiple echolocation and flight tactics to track prey. Nishiumi, N., Fujioka, E., & Hiryu, S. (2024). Current Biology, 34(13), 2948-2956.e6.

Limb-related sensory prediction errors and task-related performance errors facilitate human sensorimotor learning through separate mechanisms. Oza, A., Kumar, A., Sharma, A., & Mutha, P. K. (2024). PLOS Biology, 22(7), e3002703.

Systemic pharmacological suppression of neural activity reverses learning impairment in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome. Shakhawat, A. M., Foltz, J. G., Nance, A. B., Bhateja, J., & Raymond, J. L. (2024). eLife, 12, e92543.3.

Prefrontal cortical ripples mediate top-down suppression of hippocampal reactivation during sleep memory consolidation. Shin, J. D., & Jadhav, S. P. (2024). Current Biology, 34(13), 2801-2811.e9.

Preferences reveal dissociable encoding across prefrontal-limbic circuits. Stoll, F. M., & Rudebeck, P. H. (2024). Neuron, 112(13), 2241-2256.e8.

Atypical local and global biological motion perception in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Tian, J., Yang, F., Wang, Y., Wang, L., Wang, N., Jiang, Y., & Yang, L. (2024). eLife, 12, e90313.5.

Temporal information in the anterior cingulate cortex relates to accumulated experiences. Wirt, R. A., Soluoku, T. K., Ricci, R. M., Seamans, J. K., & Hyman, J. M. (2024). Current Biology, 34(13), 2921-2931.e3.

Complexity Matters: Normalization to Prototypical Viewpoint Induces Memory Distortion along the Vertical Axis of Scenes. Wu 吴奕忱, Y., & Li 李晟, S. (2024). Journal of Neuroscience, 44(27), e1175232024.

Co-existence of synaptic plasticity and metastable dynamics in a spiking model of cortical circuits. Yang, X., & La Camera, G. (2024). PLOS Computational Biology, 20(7), e1012220.

Perceptual error based on Bayesian cue combination drives implicit motor adaptation. Zhang, Z., Wang, H., Zhang, T., Nie, Z., & Wei, K. (2024). eLife, 13, e94608.3.

[usafphantom2]

With a Variety of Ways to Sting, the F-89 Scorpion Was the First Line of Defense

From cannons to rockets to nuclear-armed ordinance, the F-89 seemed a formidably armed interceptor, protecting North America in the early years of the Cold War from Soviet bomber fleets coming over the polar region.

Darrick Leiker

F-89

U.S. Air Force Northrop F-89D Scorpion interceptors of the 59th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Goose Bay Air Base, Labrador, Canada. Aircraft operating over ice and snow covered areas often had areas painted red or orange to facilitate visual location in the event an aircraft might become downed. (Image Credit: United States Air Force)

In the years following World War 2 the United States faced a new enemy, a power with a large military and continued large scale testing and development of nuclear weapons. That enemy was the Soviet Union. They tested their first atomic bomb in 1949. It was the beginning of the Cold War.

A Northrop P-61B Black Widow of the 68th Fighter-All Weather Squadron flying over Japan, 1949. (Image Credit: United States Air Force)

The age of the jet was also in its infancy, and the United States was caught with a holdover from World War 2 for air defense interceptor duties against enemy bombers. The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was a large, heavily armed, twin boom, twin engine prop plane. P-61’s served in both Europe and Asia with distinction as night fighters. Rugged and reliable as it was, speed and range would challenge the plane in the role of intercepting high altitude bombers coming across the North Pole.

The USAAF (United States Army Air Force), soon to be in 1947 USAF (United States Air Force), needed a new all-weather interceptor that was jet powered. After considering offerings from Curtis, Northrop, and Douglas, Northrop’s design was chosen. The two-seat plane was dubbed the “Scorpion” by Northrop employees due to the aircraft’s highly swept tail creating a stance similar to the arachnid. Designated the XF-89, the prototype first flew Aug. 16, 1948. A total of six variants would serve as all-weather interceptors from Alaska to Iceland.

A Northrop F-89B. Note the external vibration dampeners on the horizontal stabilizer. This distinguishing characteristic of A and B models was modified to an internal dampening system starting with the C model. The 20 mm cannons in the nose are clearly visible as well. (Image Credit: United States Air Force)

The F-89A and F-89B

Powered by two J35-A-21 engines and armed with six 20 mm cannon in the nose, the F-89A was the first version of the Scorpion to see service. It had underwing mounts for bombs and rockets and wingtip fuel tanks extending range. 48 of the A models were ordered but only 18 actually built, the remaining 30 were converted to the improved B model configuration. Most of the existing F-89A models were eventually brought up to the B configuration as well. The F-89B was essentially the same aircraft as the F-89A, the differences being new avionics were installed and eventually the planes received the more powerful J35-A-33 engines.

The F89C

A total of 164 of the F-89C version were delivered to the USAF. The C model had increased engine thrust over previous versions. Several F-89C’s disintegrated in mid-air causing the grounding of the entire fleet in 1952. A major structural redesign of the wing was initiated to solve the problems, and all F-89 aircraft went through a modification program. The F-89C had a top speed of 650 mph (1046 km/h) and a maximum range of 905 miles (1456 km).

An F-89D of the South Dakota Air National Guard with the frontal area of the wingtip pod removed, revealing the 52 rockets it contains. The size of the aircraft is evident in this photo. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The F89D

The F-89D model had a new Hughes E-6 radar fire control system, guiding the aircraft toward the predicted position of the target automatically. However, this version carried no guns. Instead it was armed with 104 unguided 2.75 in (69 mm) “Mighty Mouse” rockets. Pods on each of the wingtips carried 52 rockets each in the frontal area, and aircraft fuel behind the ordinance. The rockets could be fired several different ways with the most potent being a salvo of all 104 rockets being released in under four-tenths of a second. Usually flying in pairs, the idea was to fly to the formations of enemy bombers and fire salvos into them, one rocket had enough explosive power to bring down a bomber. The F-89D was the most produced version of the Scorpion with 862 built. It had a maximum speed of 636 mph (1024 km/h), maximum range of 1,367 miles (2200 km), and a service ceiling of 49,200 ft.

The F-89H clearly showing the GAR-1 guided missiles attached to the wingtip pods. The missiles were retracted into the pods and had aerodynamic doors that covered them. 21 unguided 2.75 in rockets were also housed in frontal area of each pod. The rear area of the pods carried fuel. (Image Credit: United States Air Force)

The F89H and F-89J

A solitary YF-89E was produced for engine testing. The F-89F and F-89G models were planned but never became a reality. Instead the F-89H was developed, carrying the newer Hughes E-9 fire control system. Armament changed again with the addition of three GAR-1 (Guided Aircraft Rocket) guided air-to-air missiles attached around the outer areas of each of the wingtip pods in retractable mechanisms. There were provisions to carry 21 of the 2.75 in unguided rockets in the pods as well. This Scorpion could also carry the new deadly unguided MB-1 Genie nuclear armed rocket. Two of these could be mounted to the aircraft, one under each wing. Close to 350 F-89D aircraft were upgraded with these armaments and re-designated the F-89J. This would be the final variant of the F-89.

F-89H on static display along with an inert Genie rocket at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. (Image credit: United States Air Force)

The Genie

Developed out of the fear of large armadas of Soviet bombers raining bombs on targets in the United States and throughout North America, the Genie was the first nuclear armed air-to-air rocket. The warhead was 1.5 kilotons and the range was 6 miles (9.6 km). The fireball upon detonation would be ¼ mile (0.8 km) wide. The rocket was over 9 ft (2.74 m) long and weighed 822 lb (373 kg). It flew at a maximum speed of Mach 3.3. The MB-1 designation was changed to AIR-2 (Air Intercept Rocket) in 1963. 3,150 Genies were produced, garnering the nickname “Ding Dong” by service personnel. Only the United States and Canada had the rocket in their inventories, and it was removed from service in 1988.

Photo of the nuclear warhead test over the Yucca Flats Nuclear Test Site, Nevada on 19 July, 1957. The Genie rocket was fired from a Northrop F-89J Scorpion fighter. (Image Credit: United States Air Force)

On July 19, 1957, during “Operation Plumbbob”, a nuclear armed Genie was fired from an F-89J Scorpion. From an altitude of approximately 18,000 ft, it was detonated over Yucca Flats, Nevada. With no protective gear, a group of five USAF officers and one photographer stood on the ground at ground zero to demonstrate how safe the weapon was for use over populated areas. This was the only live test ever conducted of this weapon.

The tactical plan for use of the Genie in time of war was for the F-89 to operate in tandem, upon interception of the enemy bomber formation the Genie rocket was fired from one aircraft and that plane would immediately turn away and dive to theoretically avoid the nuclear blast. The second plane would then converge on any enemy aircraft not destroyed in the explosion, but damaged or disabled from the electromagnetic pulse, and fire unguided rockets into them to finish them off.

Caption: Photo of a F6F-5K radio controlled drone aircraft painted bright red. (Image Credit: United States Navy)

Battle Tested . . . Sort of

The F-89 Scorpion never fired any weapons in anger at an enemy, but it was involved in one peculiar incident known as “The Battle of Palmdale”.

After World War 2 had ended, the United States found itself with a surplus of obsolete aircraft. Some of these aircraft were converted to radio controlled drones for research use and as targets. One such aircraft was the Grumman F6F Hellcat.

The Hellcat had served with distinction in the U.S. Navy during the war but was no longer fit for frontline service. Converted to un-manned radio controlled drones and painted bright red or orange; they were flown off aircraft carriers and launched from air bases to be used for target practice. The bright paint jobs made them easy to spot and distinguished them as targets.

On Aug. 16, 1956, one such Hellcat drone took off from Point Mugu Naval Air Station, California. The plan was to fly the drone out over the ocean away from populated areas and test the new AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile on it. However that is not what happened.

Soon after launching the drone, radio control was lost. This was not a huge issue of concern as the plane would just fly out to sea, run out of fuel, and crash. But the plane did not continue out to sea, instead turning and heading directly for Los Angeles. The Navy now had a problem, the plane might crash into a population center, and they had no fighters available to scramble to bring it down before it reached Los Angeles. A call went out to the USAF.

Two F-89D Scorpions were dispatched from nearby Oxnard Air Force Base. The two aircraft had 208 unguided 2.75 in rockets between them, and the latest electronic guidance system installed. Chasing down an unmanned propeller driven target drone and destroying it should have been a simple task. Again that is not what happened.

The two F-89’s caught up with the drone in a wide circling pattern around the city and waited for it to move away from populated areas as not to rain down debris and wreckage upon the citizens of California. When the Hellcat did move over mostly uninhabited area, one Scorpion moved in for the kill. The pilot pressed the fire button and nothing happened. Moving out of the way and allowing his wingman the opportunity, the second F-89 moved in position. Again the pilot pushed the fire button and nothing happened. The electronic fire control system had failed on both aircraft. Having the automated system and lacking guns, no manual gun sights were installed on the interceptors. The pilots would have to point their planes and fire at the drone, overriding the automated system and using the manual fire process.

The first F-89 fired a salvo of 42 rockets as the drone began to turn back towards Los Angeles. Not a single rocket hit the target. The second Scorpion fired another 42 rockets, with a couple bouncing off the Hellcat but not exploding. As the drone was approaching the town of Newhall, each interceptor made another pass firing 32 rockets each again with no hits. Now approaching Palmdale, the pilots of the Scorpions each fired the last remaining 30 rockets to no avail. Now out of ammo and low on fuel, there was nothing more the F-89 pilots could do.

The Hellcat was also low on fuel and flew on, finally crashing in a remote area taking out a few power lines but not causing much more damage than that. However, the rockets launched by the Scorpions ignited several brush fires, damaged several homes and vehicles in Palmdale, and even scored a direct hit on a parked utility truck who’s occupants had just disembarked to sit under a tree. Oil fields burned and over 1,000 acres of land was consumed, taking firefighters two days to contain the blazes. One report has a rocket shooting through a resident’s living-room window and a total of fifteen undetonated rockets were eventually found on the ground. Fortunately there were no fatalities that day.

Retirement from Service and Lessons Learned

The Northrop F-89 was retired from active service by the USAF in 1960. However, the aircraft continued duties with the ANG (Air National Guard) until 1969. The plane had stood in the gap defending the North American continent during a time of constant fear of nuclear war, filling that void until faster and more advanced aircraft came into service. The Genie rocket continued on, finding a new home in the F-106 Delta Dart and the F-101 Voodoo. The GAR-1 would be re-designated the AIM-4 (Air Interceptor Missile) in 1962.

While it may seem questionable in modern times to launch unguided nuclear rockets at enemy bombers, one must take into account the times, when almost anything seemed reasonable to protect the populace and ease their concerns. Citizens built bomb shelters in their backyards and children practiced “duck and cover” drills under their school desks. The United States Navy was developing nuclear-armed torpedoes, the Army atomic artillery and tactical missiles, and the Air Force had the Bomarc (Boeing Michigan Research Center) surface-to-air missile that could also be armed with a nuclear warhead and used against incoming bombers.

The later versions of the Scorpion were some of the first production interceptor/fighter aircraft built for the United States military without guns. The lessons of the Battle of Palmdale seemed ignored for a time, and it would take the skies over a place called Vietnam to make the American military realize the importance of arming a fighter with guns.

About Darrick Leiker

Darrick Leiker is based out of Goodland, Kansas and is a contributor to TheAviationist. Coming from a military/law enforcement background in the United States Air Force, he graduated Electronics Technology at Northwest Kansas Technical College, is an amateur astronomer, avid scale modeler, and also collects classic automobiles. Darrick has experience in the world of Cryptocurrency, cybersecurity research/intelligence, and also built and managed his own business. An avid reader and history buff, Darrick’s passion is to insure those who went before us and those currently serving are not forgotten. Darrick curates a small private museum of scale models, artifacts, and memorabilia, while working in the wine and spirits industry.

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Heinkel He 111

The Heinkel He 111 was a medium two-engined bomber plane used by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) during the Second World War (1939-45). Heinkel He 111s contributed significantly to such campaigns as the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain, and the London Blitz, but were increasingly replaced from 1941 by the more modern and faster Junkers Ju 88.

Early Designs

The He 111 was first imagined as a civil airliner for Lufthansa, but when the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, production turned more openly towards machines of war. The Treaty of Versailles after the First World War (1914-18) had strictly forbidden Germany from possessing a military air force, but the German leader Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) went ahead and formed several secret squadrons anyway. Another way around the restriction was to build civilian craft that could easily be converted into bombers; the He 111 fell into this latter category.

Designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter and based on their earlier He 70 model, the He 111 bomber was manufactured by Heinkel, an aviation company founded and run by Ernest Heinkel (1888-1958). Heinkel had extensive experience with military aircraft, having built planes for the German Navy and the Austro-Hungarian army in the First World War. After much debate between the German high command and Hitler, the Luftwaffe bomber command (Kampfwaffe) was obliged to adopt the position that bombers should primarily be used strategically to assist ground troops. This meant that unlike, say, the British Royal Air Force, the Luftwaffe concentrated not on heavy bombers but building squadrons of more versatile medium bombers. The He 111 was the result of this thinking, that is, an aircraft with multiple tactical uses, but one not capable of carrying very heavy bomb loads that could deliver a significant blow to ground targets. The He 111 was hampered, too, by its short range as the theatre of war expanded and Germany sought to bomb Britain.

The first He 111 prototype model was flown in February 1935 at the Heinkel works at Rostock-Marienehe (now Rostock). Design tweaks included shortening the wings and improving stability. At this stage, the aircraft were powered by BMW engines. By 1936, Lufthansa was flying a number of He 111s as airliners and transport planes. The aircraft achieved the title of 'the world's fastest passenger plane' when a top speed of 250 mph (402 km/h) was recorded.

Meanwhile, military versions were being built, which had a slightly longer nose and machine-gun armaments. The bomber version was not powerful enough for requirements, though, and the BMW engines were replaced with Daimler-Benz engines (later models replaced these again, this time with Junkers Jumos). By 1937, and thanks to a large ministerial order, Heinkel built a dedicated factory for He 111s at Oranienburg close to Berlin. Further developments followed such as increasing the fuel capacity and making the tanks self-sealing, increasing the armour protection, making a straighter wing so that factory production was more efficient, moving the forward gunner a little to the side to give the pilot better visibility, and giving more transparency to the cockpit area and nose section, a distinctive feature of the He 111.

Heinkel He 111s were first used in action by German forces participating in the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) in the Legion Condor units and then throughout the Second World War by the Luftwaffe. Other air forces which used He 111s included the Chinese, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian, Spanish, and Turkish.

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