#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]

Archer

The origins of the Archer date back to 2458 when Earthwerks Incorporated debuted a prototype known as the ARC-1A Archer. The design was created at the request of the Terran Hegemony's HAF for a new "heavy fire support BattleMech" and took nearly nine years to finalize. This was in part due to the design team; a combination of former HAF MechWarriors, field technicians, and general officer consultants and the company's engineer team led by Supervising Engineer Linn Tommi squabbling over theoretical and practical issues. The complex engineering proposal brought before the HAF included complicated, hard-to-repair stabilization equipment and advanced, computer-slaved sensors, meant to make the Archer the most accurate BattleMech in existence. However, the final prototype abandoned these requirements in favor of a sturdier, blockier, and more heavily armored frame still familiar today. It was so successful that it remained the Hegemony standard for more than a decade and a half until advances in technology allowed Earthwerks to produce a more efficient model.

Introduced in 2474, the ARC-2R Archer became one of the best-known and most widely used BattleMechs available. A contemporary of 'Mechs such as the Thunderbolt and the Banshee, the Archer's primary role was fire support, though early in its combat career it was considered a heavy 'Mech capable of long-range brawling, and it was used in a variety of other roles. More than 100,000 Archers were produced between its introduction and the start of the First Succession War, with tens of thousands of its variant models produced over the centuries. Though many were destroyed or dismantled for spare parts, they remained a common sight in the Great House armies, with six different factories producing new Archers throughout the Succession Wars.

The recovery of the Helm Memory Core had a profound effect on the development of the Archer. New variants were produced which utilized rediscovered lostech, giving the venerable 'Mech a few new tricks to surprise its opponents. By the time of the Clan Invasion, most of the major manufacturers had switched over to building these new variants for the Free Worlds League, Federated Commonwealth, Free Rasalhague Republic, and Wolf's Dragoons; only Vandenberg Mechanized Industries continued to build original ARC-2R Archers for the Taurian Concordat. Newer, more advanced variants of the Archer continued to be developed as technology progressed in the years since, with uninterrupted production of the ubiqitious heavy 'Mech continuing into the Dark Age and ilClan eras.

The Archer is primarily armed with a pair of Doombud LRM-20 missile launchers with four tons of ammunition, enough for two minutes of continuous fire. The ammo was split between the side torsos. When the design was still relatively unknown, some Archer drivers were known to keep their missile bay doors closed in order to fool the enemy, but this trick has since lost its effect. For close combat situations, the Archer carries four Diverse Optics Type 18 medium lasers. Each arm is equipped with a laser, with the other two mounted on a centrally located turret above the cockpit, giving them a clear field of fire to attack targets behind the 'Mech. Though not a particularly adept hand-to-hand combatant, the Archer's oversized battlefists serve it well in close combat and allow it to easily pilfer supplies when taking part in a raid.

The Archer was well protected by thirteen tons of armor and had a cruising speed of 44.1 km/h. However, it suffered from a poor heat management system, with just ten heat sinks to remove waste heat; an Archer firing both LRM launchers and its lasers would quickly start to overheat. The Archer also suffered in part for being so common; most enemy pilots were very familiar with the design's capabilities, and how to exploit that to their advantage. The most unique feature of the Archer compared to other humanoid 'Mechs was its cockpit placement, located beneath the central torso. Although giving the MechWarrior a unique battlefield perspective, this placement didn't provide any additional protection as it sat below the torso armor belt, which shielded the Gyro and engine from enemy fire.

[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.

[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...

[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.

[00belle00lovely00]

*+_THEATER AND OG DAYCARE AU!_+* (PART 1)

(OK. THINGS FIRST, DO FORGIVE ME IF YOU SEE SUDEN STRANGE CHANGES IN THE ART STYLE, I swear to my mama I made all of these, just that I've been drawing this concept idea for the past 2 years and I somehow completely changed from my own art style for these sillies towards the cardboard cutouts that the game has us to offer. So if there's any confusion, the first image up there is the latest from a few weeks.)

So I had this concept AU idea where I wanted to explain WHY the Sun and Moon can be completely separate while Eclipse is just cast away from the whole 'brotherhood' the fandom has created. And BECAUSE I haven't seen anyone do this back when I had this idea, I decided to make it my own!

AU LORE:

Eclipse in this AU appeared way back when the pizzaplex was being built. Small variations of iconic attractions such as a smaller version of the atrium, a half-cut area of Rockstar Row and Bonnie Bowl which was, at the time, the biggest attraction at the in-construction were all located within the upcoming glamrocks with their beta versions. Back at that time, Eclipse was somewhat of a prototype for the present-day daycare attendant we all know and love. They began to work around a smaller version of the daycare, being introduced to the children with both daytime and naptime protocols to ensure their safety and fun in Superstar Daycare.

Eventually, though, the pizzaplex began to grow bigger and bigger, to the point where more clients of all ages started to watch the early performances of the beta Glamrocks. Due to funds increasing and higher-ups becoming much more daring, a new attraction was set up near the daycare, this being known as the present-day Theater where Sundrop and Moondrop were introduced as its performers. Working as entertainers and jesters for comedic acts, especially for the adults who dropped off their kids and went off for a bag of popcorn and a soda to watch the sillies on their performances.

Sun and Moon as Jesters:

Sun back at the time was his usual joyful and happy self, yet one full of ego and quite self-centered if you must say. As Sun was given the role of the main character in the majority of his performances, he kept the idea that everything must be according to what was planned. Perfect, clean and nicely done, he thinks that the smallest mistake could ruin his "character arc" and much rather be scrapped on set in front of all his fans than admit that sometimes you just have to get off your fantasies and set yourself in real life.

Moon on the other hand, oh boy, that guy wasn't any less good. As the antagonist of the majority of the performances, he grew a 'villainous wanna-be' personality. Where he tries to prank you, trick you, and make pathetic yet silly obstacles before laughing away in an 'evil' laugh. I mean... what would you honestly expect? This is Moon who we are talking about you guys, there's no way this guy can be a calming presence to be around, not even before the virus situation.

FAMILY BONDING:

At first, Eclipse seemed a bit shocked and wary about how there were suddenly two completely identical modelled animatronics that resembled a lot of him living just near his daycare. At some point, they didn't want to be involved in whatever these two jesters were.

But as time went by, admittedly Eclipse grew attached to the twins. Having an older sibling bonded with them as they were the ones making sure those two imbeciles wouldn't go at each other's necks for dumb reasons like a scrip, a mistake in their performance on stage or even just a simple argument. Which they had. Multiple times.

Things were always a ruckus with the jesters. They hung out on their after-hours, helped each other with their usual routines for the day, and even there were rare occasions when Sun and Moon were invited into the daycare. That, of course, was where Sun learned how to adore arts and crafts. Seeing the beauty of art from his own viewpoint. As for the Moon jester? Well, he learned about disciplinarity, the need for perpetual rest and most wholesomely, he grew to like naptime due to Eclipse's soft lullaby that they would spread to every kid alike. Although too proud to admit, he is slightly jealous of Eclipse's calming nature. In a good way.

ANYWAY, ILL UPDATE ALL WITH THE 2ND PART SOON BYE-

[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.

[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.

[diabolus1exmachina]

Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 (Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este) 

In Greek mythology, Asterion is a second name for the Minotaur, a hybrid creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull. The name chosen was especially successful.

The Asterion defines a solution to significantly reducing CO2 emissions through innovative technologies. It features a high performance hybrid system with a V10 5.2 litre longitudinally-placed, naturally aspirated mid-engine which, in combination with three electro motors, provides a maximum power output of 669 kW (910 hp). Asterion accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.0 seconds, with a top speed of 320 km/h. The Asterion LPI 910-4 guarantees unique Lamborghini driving feel with a smooth and reactive driveability and superior power. The vehicle doesn't allow only an exceptionally low CO2 emission of only 98g/km, but more importantly for city driving, the Asterion has a pure electric range of 50 km.

Conceived and developed entirely in-house by Lamborghini, the Asterion LPI 910-4 takes the design and cutting-edge engineering expertise found in the current Lamborghini product range, adding innovative hybrid technology, and thus creating a Lamborghini that is clearly different – with a new, unexpected and sensual design, in line with the technical characteristics of the car – but yet still unmistakably a Lamborghini. 

In the aesthetic section, there was no doubt that it was a Lamborghini prototype, although the designer Filippo Perini, creator of the Aventador, the Urus and the Veneno, resorted to a 'neo-retro' style, quite original and attractive, under my opinion Unfortunately, this project did not spawn a production model. Also in 2014 the Urus concept car was presented and it is unnecessary to explain which vehicle focused all the efforts on the part of the Bolognese company...

[silly-tanks-and-other-things]

This is the Ford Model 1918 3-Ton tank.

Designed in 1918 by the Ford Motor Company, it was one of the first American tanks ever produced.

The M1918 weighed only 3 tons, as the full name suggests. It was an incredibly small tank, measuring 4.3 metres (14 ft) long, 1.8 metres (6 ft) wide, and 1.8 metres tall, and having just two crew members (one driver, one gunner) in its extremely cramped hull.

Despite its engines having been pulled right out of a Ford Model T and getting discribed as anemic, the M1918 had a fairly quick top speed for the time at 12.8 km/h (8 miles/h)

Those silly arms on the back of the tank help it avoid getting stuck in ditches!

Despite being intended as a light tank, the first two prototypes didn't even have a gun. They were effectively just lightly armoured boxes that you could sit a person in.

The idea behind the M1918 was that it would be used to safely transport soldiers and weaponry onto a battlefield, though it didn't end up being very good at that.

This thing was a death box :D

It was based off of the French Renault FT-17, but is worse in almost every way possible.

When the final design of the M1918 eventually got to have a machine gun, it would still be incredibly limited in its use due to an extremely small range of motion. And although the tank does have angled armoured plating unlike SOME early tanks (looking at you, Sturmpanzerwagen A7V), the armour thickness was only a maximum of half an inch thick, leaving it vulnerable to anti-tank weaponry and concentrated machine gun fire.

On both the FT-17 and the M1918, the engines are located directly behind the crew compartment. The FT-17 has a metal divider between the engines and crew to give them time to escape in case of an engine fire.

The M1918 doesn't!

If you are operating this tank and the engines catch fire, you are dead!

Isn't that wonderful? :D

The US Army had a contract with Ford to produce 15 thousand M1918s, though testing proved the use of the tank to be quite limited compared to the readily available FT-17s. Production was halted after WW1 ended, with only 15 tanks being fully complete, and not one of them ever saw combat.

The two surviving M1918s are located in the National Armor and Cavalry Museum in Fort Benning, Georgia and the Ordnance Collection in Fort Lee, Virginia.

Sources: X , X

[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

[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?

[cherrylng]

RHYTHM & DRUMS MAGAZINE - DOM HOWARD (MARCH 2013)

Live Gear Dominic's favorite instrument used for recording his new album! Dom's DW Collector's Maple Kit

Following the interview, let's check out the drum kit that Dominic used during his tour in Japan! Unfortunately, he could not arrange for the latest kit that he started using on this tour, but instead he brought his favorite instrument, DW Collector's Maple, which he also used for recording "The 2nd Law"!

(A) Dominic's live equipment has a strong impression of acrylic shells that look good on stage, but since 2009, when he signed an endorsement deal with DW, he has changed to wooden shells. The shell used for the show in Japan was a Collector's Maple with a unique patterned damask finish. The sizes are 22"x20" BD, 12"x10" TT, 14"x14" FT, and 16′′×16′′ FT. The bass drum is equipped with Remo's PowerStroke 3 Clear and the toms and floor toms with Pinstripe. Incidentally, they are using the new Jazz Series kit for the Europe tour (sizes are 22"x20" BD, 12"x10" TT, 15"x13" FT, 16"x16" FT).

(B)&(C)&(D) Cymbals are all Zildjian. From the right side, 14" K Custom Dark Hi-Hat, 11" FX Oriental Splash, 8" EFX #1 Splash, EFX (prototype/size unknown), 22" K Custom Dark Ride, 18" EFX, 18" FX Oriental China. LP tambourines and Treeworks wind chimes are located on the floor tom side.

The (E) snare drum is a collector's metal steel shell measuring 14"x 6.5". The shell has a fine jagged knurled finish. The striking head is Remo CS coated with a thinly cut moon gel. Strikes are concentrated in the center.

(F)&(G) The suspension is unified with the DW9000 series. Inside the shell is a mute with a thinly rolled towel applied to the hitting head and a cushion-type mute.

(H) Rhythm Tech ribbon crasher set on the left hand side of the toms. This is Dominic's favorite live item that he has been using for many years.

(I) 16" floor toms and Roland electronic pads on the right hand side. He used to set gong toms in this position, but for this tour, he has placed single-headed floor toms. The electronic pad is assigned processed drum sounds, and Dominic himself plays the beat part of "Madness" by hitting the pad.

Dominic's favorite stick… Pro-Mark Hickory 101 Dom Howard Wood Tip!

Dominic's favorite stick is his signature stick from Pro-Mark (not available in Japan). It is a model with his signature printed in the center, measures 406mm x 14mm, is made of hickory, and has a long taper. The tip is an acorn type, as requested by Dominic, who wanted a darker tone. It is said to be similar to the TX720W among the models available in Japan. The photo shows the model that Dominic actually used at the concert in Japan, and the dents are concentrated on the shoulder where the hi-hat is carved and the center where the open rim shot is played.

[whencyclopedia]

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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Colt experimental prototype .45 ACP

Colt experimental prototype .45 ACP caliber, double-action offensive pistol, stainless steel construction, 10-round capacity, serial number “X29148”. This tool room prototype gun was manufactured for the trials in 1983 for Navy SEALS and competed with H&K model 23