discussion Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Exercise Immediate Response.

The crew of the Russian Antonov An124-100 aircraft loaded up a stack of trailers in support of the 492nd Fighter Squadron's deployment to Bulgaria on Tuesday at RAF Lakenheath, England. The squadron will work with their Bulgarian counterparts during Exercise Immediate Response, a two-week training event kicking off July 19.

An Antonov AN-124-100 aircraft dominated the flight line onTuesday, while crewmembers and airmen loaded it with equipment in support of the 492nd Fighter Squadron's deployment to Bulgaria.

About 150 airmen from the 492nd deployed to the Balkan country early Tuesday morning to take part in a two-week training event, dubbed Exercise Immediate Response, which will give the American airmen a chance to work alongside their Bulgarian counterparts.

Troops from the 1st Armored Division, U.S. European Command and the Romanian military will also take part in the tri-lateral exercise.

Roughly 800 military and civilian personnel are to be involved in the exercise, which will incorporate a variety of ground vehicles and aircraft,ten F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets from the 492nd are slated to fly to Bulgaria later this week for the exercise, which kicks off July 19.

Lt. Col. Troy Stone, commander of the squadron's deployed forces, said he looks forward to training with the Bulgarians.

Most of our aircrews haven't seen or flown with a MiG-29 or MiG-21, so it's a good opportunity for the young aircrews to actually see the aircraft we typically train against.

The squadron plans to test-fire laser-guided and general-purpose weapons at a Bulgarian range, as well as conduct air-to-air training with the Bulgarian MiG-29 and -21 aircraft.

The 492nd aircrews are currently awaiting permission on whether they will be allowed to pilot a MiG aircraft as part of the exercise.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-More field trips to get information.

Another trip to catch up with the latest imports at Wellesbourne.

G-PERZ a very smart looking Jet Ranger at Wellesbourne 15-07-2006,the device just above the cockpit is a cable cutter,should the helicopter fly into cables then the knife edge does its work,there have been scores of accidents to helicopters that have flown into various types of cable,the blade stops the rotors getting tangled from unseen cable strikes.

The algae forms on the cable and turns them green thus blending in with the background,many cables are also strung across water and through trees thus presenting a real hazard.

MC Airs Diamond Twin Star DA.42 which appears to live at Wellesbourne,seen here on 15-07-2006,this design has taken twin engined training by a storm,many flying schools now equipping with this carbon fibre machine,they sound great in flight.

W.N.Dores G-OWND R.44 at Wellesbourne on 15-07-2006

G-EGGY R.22 on maintenance at Wellesbourne 15-07-2006

G-KTOL R.44 Clipper with its rather odd looking pontoons at Wellesbourne 15-07-2006

G-OLFO R.44 at Wellesbourne on 15-07-2006

G-GGRH R.44 with taped on registration at Wellesbourne 15-07-2006,the two new Irish Robinson R.44's are just behind.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-More field trips to get information-Part 2

G-GOUP R.22 on overhaul at Wellesbourne 15-07-2006

G-FUNY R.44 which made a trip to a private site near Mallory Park from Wellesbourne on 15-07-2006

G-PIDG R.44 appears to live at a site at Bromsgrove,she is seen here on 15-07-2006 at Wellesbourne

EI-DRN Serial 1606 at Wellesbourne 15-07-2006

EI-RON Serial 1607 at Wellesbourne 15-07-2006

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Ode to that elusive missing part.

Us modellers are the rarest beings,

And worthy of the most hilarious scenes,

Like Magpies seeking things to steal,

They never can find that dam spare wheel!

Regardless of hords of parts in a big box,

Some can be just as sly as a fox,

Dear Sir, your kit is very shortcoming,

And to the post office it sent me a running,

No canopy,No decals,what are you doing ?

This kit is far away from any glueing.

Please send me replacements by return,

As your kits are causing me some concern.

Clear the bench for the next project,

But make sure that you can see each and every object !

Nothing worse than parts that go zing,now where exactly is the thing ?

Down on your knees to look at the mosaic coloured carpet,

With magnyfying glass purchased from the market,

Quick check upon the building chart,

Just to confirm that this was the part ?

Set aside the kit in question,while wifey makes a wise suggestion,

Put pen to paper on finest bond paper,

My word this has turned into quite a caper !

Forget that model for some weeks,

Meanwhile why not start a squadron of Zekes ?

If only parts were not so fine and springy,

Then we need not take these steps to request the thingy !

Wonwing.

 

[Guest]

You are indeed a bard sir!!

Nice one Barry, a story we can all relate to.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The 'Wings' TV series Albatross C.1

ALBATROSS C.1

Made for the TV series 'Wings' one of a fleet of such machines.

Safely stored in the dry,a retired film star.

When I purchased the model at Old Warden she had a damaged starboard lower wing and had apparently struck a tree at Stoneleigh,another story relates to filming damage,anyway I set about and jigged up the wing carefully repaing it to the original specification,then the repair was covered in nylon,the green is slightly darker than the original but that is exactly how they did repairs in WW1.

A view of the Albatross C.1 sharing space with a retired Austin Whippet,everything is there,struts,wires and all flying surfaces,perhaps one day she will go into a museum ?.

Messrs Himel and Fritz in the cockpit,the finish was added to by the producer of the TV series,it is said that he sprayed hairspray onto the model as it looked just too clean,it certainly looks realistic.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-I can but dream-this sounds great.

All 34 of the FAA-Certified Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) have been invited to converge on the Sky Bryce Airport (VG-18) for a 2-day Air Show on Sept 16-17, 2006. The "Mid-Atlantic Light Sport Aircraft Show", sponsored by the Bryce Mountain Resort and Mid-Atlantic Sport Planes, will include individual performance fly-by's of each participating SLSA as well as a massive group fly-by twice per day. You will get a chance to see all of these aircraft inoperation and also up close. You'll be able to get demo flights in those that perk your interest the most. What better way to comparison shop for the Light Sport Aircraft of your dreams?

The Sky Bryce Airport setting is perfect for this event because thisbeautiful airport is centrally located in the middle of an established vacation resort called Bryce Mountain Resort. All recreational amenities, lodging and restaurants are an easy walk from the airport, so there is no need for a car to get around. Sky Bryce is located in a beautiful Shenandoah County Valley, in the town of Basye, Virginia, a quick 2 hour ride from Washington, DC.

At this time of year, the Fall Foliage is magnificent at Sky Bryce.

In addition to a bevy of aviation events, if you are looking for reasonably priced Fly-In Real Estate in a resort setting, then Sky Bryce is the place to be. Local real estate agents will take you on guided tours of a wide range of fly-in real estate offerings

including lots that start at under $5000 (included with each lot for free are electric, central sewer and central water), and stand-alone houses that sell for as little as $150,000 or as much as $1 million.

Bring along your clubs for a round of golf at the 18 hole golfcourse, again just a short walk from the airport and the lodging facilities. Or a game of tennis at our tennis complex.

Rental condominiums (between $100-130 per night) are ideally situated about 800 feet from the airport. We'll even shuttle your luggage from your aircraft to the Aspen East Condominium Complex for

free in golf carts.

Dignitaries from the FAA, AOPA and EAA have been invited to participate in this event and provide presentations on the new Light Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot Rules.

This is planned to be the premier event of the year in the Mid-Atlantic region for Light Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilots. Don't miss it!!!! For more information, maps and pictures go to:

www.MASPL.com/Airshow.htm

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-F-111 Crash lands in Australia.

A Royal Australian Air Force jet bomber has safely crash-landed trailing sparks and smoke at an airbase in south-east Queensland following an in-flight emergency.

The aircraft successfully completed a belly landing about 2.10pm at RAAF Amberley near Ipswich.

It raised a shower of sparks as it touched down but did not catch fire.

Emergency vehicles immediately surrounded the aircraft as it slid along the runway.

Within seconds of it stopping its two crew members got out as fire engines sprayed it and the runway with foam.

The RAAF set up catch ropes on the airstrip but they were not needed.

It was an excellent result from what was potentially a very dangerous situation,Local media reports said the F-111 aircraft had lost one of two nosewheels, but a Defence spokeswoman would not confirm what had caused the emergency.

The aircraft reportedly got into trouble about 11.30am.

It is holding in airspace near the airbase while the crew and maintenance staff assess the situation, a Defence spokeswoman said earlier.

There is no immediate threat to the crew or public at this stage, but emergency response crews are attending as a precaution.

The crew had dumped fuel over Moreton Bay as a precautionary measure prior to attempting to land, a Defence spokesman said.

At least eight F-111 crashed since they began operating in Australia since the 1970's killing a total of ten crew.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Ode to the prolific modeller.

'Many years ago I brought a kit',

To share time with my wife who does knit,

As models were built in much profusion,

This did lead to a little confusion,

Models sat in the workroom in the beginning,

But soon alarm bells were a ringing !

On top of wardrobes,on window ledge,

I had broken my original pledge,

That models must be confined,To nether regions that were un-defined.

And so my little squadrons grew to great numbers,

To peoples amazement and great wonders.

Scale-models came to the rescue to confirm that I was not alone,

As my shelves gradually began to groan.

The weight on my mind that I did find,was of some help of a kind.

Bigger and better models did emerge,

O'Dear was I really on the verge ?

But have no fear there was some help in hand,as I found such an happy band.

Within the realms of Scale-models members,sure saved my models from the fiery embers.

Within the roost was a chap called Nigel,with Focke Wulf 190's in a line,my word they did look like mine ?

So fear not people who like to model,

You are no different from people who Yodel.

From around the world in workshops a plenty,their shelves are very rarely empty,

With axis powers from yesteryear,

YOU are those modellers from here to there !

Wonwing.

 

[Guest]

Excellent stuff Barry. I never know what you are going to come up with next.

 

[Guest]

Barry Awwwhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!! (big warm enveloping feeling) Showed Ingrid !! you have given me at least another 4sq feet of space so a big big hug for you

 

[wonwinglo]

***Well they say variety is the spice of life,so I like to keep things fresh for you all.

Excellent stuff Barry. I never know what you are going to come up with next.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Wither E-bay ? Auction Guild warnings.

The Auction Guild (TAG) predicted that ebaY would announce an increase US store fees in July,well, our prediction was a month too early.Effective 22 Aug,ebaY is increasing store listings insertion fees drastically, and jumping final value fees. In light of the increase in ebaY store fees in Australia, including doubling the final value fee, adding a fee schedule more like the auction insertion schedule (10 to 50 cents) and adding other fees, sellers should note that ebaY frequently uses the AU and other non US sites as a testing ground for what ebaY is planning to next implement in the US, so this US fee increase might just be the first taste.

ebaY stock has taken a heavy hit since their last stock split. An undiluted (taking out all the splits) share of ebaY stock (if you bought one share at IPO or before the first split, you would now have 24 shares of ebaY stock) is worth $622.32, heading back down to where it was in 2003. Needless to say, ebaY needs to do something to convince potential stock buyers that their stock still has the potential to increase in price (ebaY has never paid a dividend, so buying low and selling high is the only way stockholders can make money on their stock) .They also need to keep institutional sellers from dumping their stock, which could send ebaY's stock into a tailspin.Other than selling stock, ebaY only has one way to generate revenue, and that is out of the seller's pockets, particularly in the US and Germany. ebaY's listings have been flat for several years, so raising prices on auction and fixed price listings would probably be self defeating. Stores fee increases are the only option at this time.

It appears that ebaY's attempts in Asia have been a failure. Yahoo defeated ebay in Japan, and Alibaba's Taobao auction site (partnered with Yahoo), has the edge in China, and between them they have probably put the final nail in ebaY's very expensive Asian expansion moves. Things must not be going well in ebaY UK, evidenced by the almost constant promotions to attract listings, with ebaY Canada

showing a similar pattern. ebaY India appears to be the biggest online auction site in India, but it is still a small site, with about 2% of the listings as compared to the US. Add an overpriced purchase of Skype,ebaY's near perfect record of losing all the value out of almost every company they have purchased or partnered with, and where ebaY is heading, becomes very questionable.

Fraud remains a big issue, real or perceived, limiting the numbers of buyers ebaY can attract. Buyers receive second chance offers on items for which they did not have the winning bid, that turn out to be scams, with ebaY's non existent security allowing the scammers access to bidders email addresses. ebaY and PayPal's so called insurance programs take forever to provide restitution to buyers, when the

fine print does not catch the buyer, preventing them from receiving anything. The information on the site that would help users to avoid fraud remains so well hidden, only a pro can find it.

Sellers are endlessly disillusioned by ebaY's lack of customer support, unfair unjust and unequal policies regarding policing their site for ebaY illegal items, and ebaY's failure to remove scam listings. After all these years, ebaY still has no procedure for dealing with suspended sellers, just slams the door in the seller's face, informs all the seller's buyers and bidders that deals should not be completed, and makes the seller look like a scammer. In cases where ebaY has made a mistake, and restores the seller, nothing is done as restitution to the seller, nor to restore their listings or inform their bidders that ebaY had made a mistake.Now ebaY wants sellers to provide phone contact support through Skype, to potential buyers, but ebaY wont do the same for their customers,the seller.

Rumors of ebaY looking for a buyer are appearing more frequently, and Meg Whitman has stated that she feels she has fulfilled all her commitments to ebaY, so we will soon hear of her moving on. Some of the rats have already abandoned the ship, Jeff Jordan comes to mind, and Rajiv Dutta (remember Rajiv? He is the one who thinks sellers are trash who "clutter up" the site) has been assigned to replace

him. None of this adds up to anything good.

So what should sellers do? What we have been suggesting they do for years.

Develop your own website.Use that website as the hub for all your online selling.

Remember that search engines are the name of the game, and if you just think of ebaY as another search engine, another way of advertising your site, you can use it to expand your customer base. You have to remain within the lines of ebaY's written and unwritten rules, but a smart seller can do that and still use ebaY to grow their own site.List on other sites.Most are free or only charge a final value fee

when something sells. Get indexed on Froogle.The more you appear on the net, the more frequently you will turn up in search engines.Do not use ebaY as your primary method of selling.They are an unreliable and capricious partner,who does not care if someone sells on their site or not,and if they destroy a seller's business,care even less.

Already other sites are starting to appear offering the small seller a chance to sell their goods proportionate to what it costs to sell them,for example Ibootsale offers free listings,a free pitch for a few months and they are gathering new sellers and buyers daily,there are alternatives,so why not use them ?

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Ode to the materials of the modeller.

'Some make models in things like wood,

Some make models in things like plastic,

Well you would make in wood if you could,

Whilst others build in plastic because it is fantastic !

Then we have models built in humble card,

Which currently are appearing by the yard.

No matter what you build from,whether it be paper,wood or flotsom,

I bet that someone here as got some !

Cut,carve,whittle or shape,

The fun is in the mess that we make,

Dust,shavings and all of that sprue,

Just may not be the thing for you ?

So why not foam,wire or metal,

Surely they are easier to fettle ?

We even have constructors supreme,

Who build from Lego,Meccano to make models from a boyhood dream,

Whatever is your thing to do,

Enjoy them always through and through,

Finally remember models are what they are,from balsa airplane to metal car'.

 

[Guest]

Hi Barry

Do you have any auctoin site addresses to hand

cheers

Martin

 

[wonwinglo]

***Take a look at this one Martin which is fast gaining momentum-

http://www.ibootsale.co.uk/main/index.php

It is free,you can sign up and have your own pitch of 25 items,then apply for an extension to 50 at no extra cost.

The idea eventually when it is established is to say charge £12 per year for your pitch,as you sell items you just replace them with others at no extra cost,also there are no final value fees etc to worry about,the biggest problem with E-bay is that advertising small items is no longer viable and cost effective,the online car boot is the way forward.

E-bay have already got wind of it and banned links to the site and removed the members who did it,petty lot.

Hi BarryDo you have any auctoin site addresses to hand

cheers

Martin

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Miniature Model ships.

IDENTIFICATION.

Thank you for all of your messages and pm's about the ship models that I posted yesterday,in view of the interest I have decided to make a small feature of them as Bunkerbarge has suggested with two main views,so here is the first picture,they will appear as and when time permits,so can you put a name to this one please ? dont forget these are old and a bit rough around the edges but that all adds to the charm I think you will agree ?

Thank you.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Vintage Diecast Ship models.

#2 Any ideas on this little group ?

Dinky Toy Cunard White Star Queen Mary.

Brass rollers mounted onto a tinplate insert,note the splayed rivets which hold the deck in place.

 

[Guest]

Couldn't you pick any easy ones to start with!!

I have checked the first one against a few silouettes and I can't match it up. It looks more like a Nelson/Rodney configuration but they didn't have the aft turret.

I wonder if these may be a mix of accurate ship recognition models and toys with a certain degree of poetic licence thrown in!

I have searched and searched the web but cannot find any pages of ship recognition silouettes (if anyone knows of any please let me have the link) so I think it may be worth getting hold of a ship recognition book, of which there seems to be an abundance.

You have certainly got me going with this Barry so I will be getting hold of some sort of ship recognition book, maybe even over here.

Now where is my Amazon link?

 

[wonwinglo]

Richard no problems,I just knew that you would enjoy sorting these out,I do suspect that there has been some artists licence with some of them,the models came my way over the years in my search for Dinky Aeroplanes,when I used to purchase complete collections to get say one aeroplane,although the cars were sold off to defray the costs I rather liked the ship subjects and just put them together in the shirt box,someone has already offered me a lot of money for them since placing the original picture here,but I have declined because they mean more to me as a collection and have sentimental value.

It is going to be fun trying to identify them,really appreciated.

Do you remember the 'Eaglewall' waterline ship series ? I think that some were taken over by Airfix and sold two in a box.