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Other / Re: Just some cool photos...nothing more, nothing less...
« Last post by The Big Gimper on Today at 12:23:22 AM »
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Other / Re: Just some cool photos...nothing more, nothing less...
« Last post by The Big Gimper on Today at 12:22:54 AM »
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Aero-space / Re: FW-189A-2 - (Heeres)/31 - ICM 1:72
« Last post by Frank3k on Yesterday at 11:20:30 PM »
Wow! that's fantastic! The faded winter camo looks perfect. A far cry from the old Airfix kit...
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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: 1/35 Waldschlepper RS 1500
« Last post by Frank3k on Yesterday at 11:18:56 PM »
Thanks, guys. It was a long but fairly easy project.

@Frank.  That "winch" at the rear is much more than just a winch.  It would also be used to power accessories by a belt drive.  Things like a saw mill for example.  A couple of my uncles back in northern Minnesota had tractors with similar rigs attached and I remember seeing them in operation with a large belt attached to the tractor and the machine that it was to provide power to through the belt drive.  Back in the day before OSHA and other agencies there were a lot of farm accidents caused by those belt drives and people getting snatched up in the belt or the belt breaking and flaying anyone in the vicinity. 

I couldn't figure out what the two attachments were for, especially the lower one (I printed both). I guess that the upper one (that looks like a car wheel rim) is for a belt drive and the lower one one is used for pulling? Both definitely look like the had the potential for free field amputations.
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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares
« Last post by Jonesthetank on Yesterday at 10:42:30 PM »
And finally the implausible, but a lot more fun ones.

The Aqua Bus
No  backstory for this one, other than an internet “factoid” I read somewhere that the USMC refer to the LVTP-7/AAV-7AI as the School Bus (which could well be a total lie, it’s from the internet after all!).  Whether true or not, I thought “LVTP-7 as a school bus?  Hmmm”, and a profile was born.


Special Delivery
As part of the government sale of former military equipment, the Greendale Post Office purchased one Harrier T2.  The aircraft became the fast despatch vehicle for Greendale’s dynamic postie, Pat Clifton, who was often to be seen flying over the hills and dales round Greendale with is black & white cat, Jess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postman_Pat

I was a bit too old for Postman Pat when he first hit the screen in the UK, but the show was required viewing when I was university (don’t ask why, I honestly can’t remember!)


The Mystery Machine Mk2
After their last adventure, where Old Mr Peterson had tried to get rid of those “pesky kids” using an IED and a barrage of RPG-7s, the gang had decided that the Mystery Machine didn’t offer a lot of protection. Luckily Scooby was able to get in touch with an old pal, Duke, a former US Army War Dog. Through Duke’s contacts the gang were able to get hold of a new van, which they immediately named as “The Mystery Machine Mk2”.  The new van offered all the protection they needed, but still had more than enough space to carry loads of Scooby Snacks.  Fully equipped and loaded, the gang were off on their next adventure........

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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares
« Last post by Jonesthetank on Yesterday at 10:38:23 PM »
Border Patrol

As part of his commitment to keep American safe from the hordes illegal immigrants surging over the US/Mexican border, President Trump ordered the transfer of 16 AH-64D Apaches from US Army stocks to the US Customs and Border Patrol service.  The aircraft were disarmed, but retained their rotor mounted radar system, as well as the sophisticated Arrowhead system in the nose. In place of the 30mm belly gun, a high power Nite Sun lamp was fitted, slaved to the nose sight.

Issued to units in Texas and New Mexico, the Apaches proved to be desperately over equipped for the intended role and were only used for 7 months before they were quietly returned to army control and the CBP returned to using its already successful fleet of smaller helicopters.
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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares
« Last post by Jonesthetank on Yesterday at 10:13:23 PM »
Stop Me and Buy One
No real reason for this one but prompted by a very old episode of the Mark Thomas Comedy Product.  Mark is a fantastic political satirist comedian.  In 1996 he drove a Saladin Armoured Car with a couple of ice cream cones attached round London to various government departments asking for a licence to export his “ice cream van” to Iraq. Brilliant episode  ;D


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Q-0-M0xPQ&t=480s
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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares
« Last post by Jonesthetank on Yesterday at 10:10:54 PM »
FedEx heavy lifter
As the USAF began to retire its C-141 fleet, some of the aircraft were made available to commercial operators. In the end only one customer was found, Federal Express.  FedEx purchased 8 C-141s for its long range bulk cargo operation, transporting outsized objects and cargos too difficult to fit aboard its standard freighter fleet.
Although well used, the C-141 fleet was expensive to operate and spares were difficult to obtain, leading to a decision to retire the fleet in 2017 and replace them with newly built C-17s instead.
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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares
« Last post by Jonesthetank on Yesterday at 10:09:44 PM »
Greater Manchester Police
James Anderton was a controversial Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police (GMP).  His hardline approach to policing made him a favourite of Margaret Thatcher and ensured that the GMP was more likely to receive special equipment, compared to other forces. 

In response to the Moss Side riots in 1981, Anderton requested riot control vehicles for the force.  None were immediately available, but the Thatcher government were willing to provide 6 Saxon APCs from army stock for use by the police. 

Fitted with a simple barricade remover and given a suitable paint job, including the then standard “jam sandwich” orange and blue side flashes, the Saxons were deployed to Manchester in late 1981.  In the event, they were not needed, as subsequent protests were far smaller and easily handled by the regular GMP units. 

The Saxons were returned to army control in 1983, but for many the image of a British police commissioner, posing in front of an armoured vehicle, was one that would be etched into their memories.

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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares
« Last post by Jonesthetank on Yesterday at 10:08:44 PM »
Warsaw-Okęcie Airport
The post war expansion of Warsaw- Okęcie Airport saw the arrival of larger capacity aircraft.  A number of crashes at the airport in the 1960s, proved that the airport fire department required better equipment, especially if the incident involved a large jet aircraft. 

The idea of a protected fire tender was discussed by the airport management, with suggestions that surplus T-34 chassis could be used.  However, this was turned down, as most of the vehicles on offer were already worn out by years of service with the Polish armed forces. 

As an alternative the army had 10 Su-122-54s in storage. These had been given to the army by the Soviets, but after testing were declared surplus.  Virtually unused and built on brand new T-54  components, they were ripe for conversion.

The new vehicles were designed by collaboration between the army engineering workshops and the airport fire department.  The main armament was removed and, in its place, a high pressure fire foam gun was mounted instead.  The tank for the foam was carried in place of the original ammunition storage, while additional tanks were mounted on the rear of the engine deck.  A BTU-55 dozer blade could be mounted at the front of the vehicle, to be used for clearing debris in case of fire.  The commander’s position was equipped with a hand directed water jet (as mounted on most Soviet pattern fire tenders at the time).  To assist the driver, a large glass dome was mounted over the driver’s hatch, and the vehicle was fitted with numerous lights and driving mirrors.

The converted vehicles entered service in 1965, with 3 stationed at Warsaw- Okęcie, the other scattered round the other large airports of Poland.
In their new role the vehicles excelled, providing high levels of protection to their crews, while being able to help extinguish fires of high intensity.  They remained in role into the late 1990s, having been carefully maintained over the years.  They were finally retired in 1998, replaced by new Jelcz fire tenders.  All three of Warsaw’s vehicles were preserved and are now on display at various museums in Poland.

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