Author Topic: Apophenia's Offerings  (Read 905517 times)

Offline Kerick

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1225 on: February 02, 2016, 10:38:19 AM »
That looks wild and yet believable!

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1226 on: February 02, 2016, 10:49:04 AM »
Thanks kerick!
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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1227 on: February 03, 2016, 02:45:16 AM »
 :)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Tophe

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1228 on: February 03, 2016, 03:02:17 AM »
Your Basalisk drawing is beautiful, thanks! :-*
This name sounds as the French basilic (basilisk) aromatic herb, has it a meaning?

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1229 on: February 03, 2016, 03:05:48 AM »
has it a meaning?

Not quite the same as the French basilic...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Tophe

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1230 on: February 03, 2016, 01:43:18 PM »
Thanks for this unexepected discovery, bringing another interest in Apophenia's drawing/name ;)

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1231 on: February 04, 2016, 01:14:48 PM »
has it a meaning?
Not quite the same as the French basilic...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk

Thanks Greg. There is a double entendre in a basalisk bomber, as well ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk_%28cannon%29
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1232 on: February 11, 2016, 07:09:40 AM »

Full disclosure ... I am not a big fan of the stacked-engined English Electric Lightning. So, when I found out that English Electric had developed a single-engined Lightning for ER.134T, [1] I had to whif it :)

English Electric put forward at least P.6 variations for ER.134T - the stacked-engined P.6/2 (in swept and delta-winged variations), two mid-wing engined twins (the straight-winged P.6B and the trapasoid-winged P.6D). [2] And then there is the single-engined P.6/1 :

So, in my whif, the English Electric P.6/1 is chosen for ER.134T in place of Bristol 188 (whose stainless steel construction, the Air Ministry was concerned might delay the research program). The prototype P.6/1 research aircraft, WG760, is powered by a Rolls-Royce RB.106 producing 19,500 lb.st in full reheat. On 25 November 1958, the P.6/1 became the first British aircraft to exceed Mach 2.

English Electric had never intended the P.6/1 to be a pure research platform. For the outset, the aircraft had been designed to be suitable as an operational fighter. The Lightning was powered by a Rolls-Royce RB.106 Tamar two-shaft turboshaft generating 21,750 lb.st. Lightning interceptors served the RAF from the F.1A of early 1960 to the longer-range F.6 which finally retired in 1988.
__________________________

ER.134T = Experimental Research, Tender, a research programme for Mach 2 flight.
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Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline finsrin

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1233 on: February 11, 2016, 08:45:24 AM »
Like looks of single engine versions.

Offline Tophe

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1234 on: February 11, 2016, 11:34:41 PM »
Interesting variants.
Would you someday complete the family by a 2-engined version without nose air intake (but lateral ones)?

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1235 on: February 12, 2016, 03:08:08 AM »
I like
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1236 on: February 13, 2016, 04:30:45 AM »

Full disclosure ... I am not a big fan of the stacked-engined English Electric Lightning. So, when I found out that English Electric had developed a single-engined Lightning for ER.134T, [1] I had to whif it :)

English Electric put forward at least P.6 variations for ER.134T - the stacked-engined P.6/2 (in swept and delta-winged variations), two mid-wing engined twins (the straight-winged P.6B and the trapasoid-winged P.6D). [2] And then there is the single-engined P.6/1 :

So, in my whif, the English Electric P.6/1 is chosen for ER.134T in place of Bristol 188 (whose stainless steel construction, the Air Ministry was concerned might delay the research program). The prototype P.6/1 research aircraft, WG760, is powered by a Rolls-Royce RB.106 producing 19,500 lb.st in full reheat. On 25 November 1958, the P.6/1 became the first British aircraft to exceed Mach 2.

English Electric had never intended the P.6/1 to be a pure research platform. For the outset, the aircraft had been designed to be suitable as an operational fighter. The Lightning was powered by a Rolls-Royce RB.106 Tamar two-shaft turboshaft generating 21,750 lb.st. Lightning interceptors served the RAF from the F.1A of early 1960 to the longer-range F.6 which finally retired in 1988.
__________________________

ER.134T = Experimental Research, Tender, a research programme for Mach 2 flight.
__________________________

Ive had the idea of putting an F-15 fin on a Mig-21 w Lightning wings forever as a single engine lightning, just havn't gotten around to it yet :icon_crap:

Nice work here  :)
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1237 on: February 13, 2016, 09:55:34 AM »
Thanks folks!

Tophe: Pass! There was a Real World proposal for a side-intakes Lightning. And it was truly hideous :o

Ive had the idea of putting an F-15 fin on a Mig-21 w Lightning wings forever as a single engine lightning, just havn't gotten around to it yet :icon_crap:

taiidan': Good approach  :)  Once you've scaled down that nose intake, the Lightning  really does take on a MiG-21 appearance.
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1238 on: February 20, 2016, 06:16:35 AM »
Rather bizarrely, the Free Syrian Army has captured 5,000-odd WW2-era MP44 automatic rifles. This already sounds like a whif ... but we can go further. What if CIA trainers organized updates for the captured Sturmgewehr?

[Top] A local Syrian MP44 upgrade with CIA-supplied Magpul Khukov replacement forward stock. This MP44 (and its polymer magazine) have been given a thorough spraying with Krylon Ultra-Flat Camo paints.

[Bottom] Syrian MP44 upgrade with Magpul Khukov polymer fore and butt stocks. This rifle has been captured by the al-Nustra Front. From the flag wrapping the barrel, the MP44's new owner appears to be a Saudi.
_______________________
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1239 on: February 20, 2016, 06:18:12 AM »

Local armourers could not keep pace with demand for MP44 rifles for Free Syrian Army use. CIA advisors found willing arms factories in neighbouring countries to perform MP44 upgrades. Bulgarian MP44 upgrades were done by Arcus Co in Lyaskovets. Two Turkish firms performed similar work - TiSAS at Trabzon and MKEK at Kirikkale.

The Arcus AR-MP44 rifles were fitted with an Alpha BattleRail from Troy Industries and a Magpul butt stock with cheek riser. AR-MP44s were originally shipped with 30-round polymer magazines but these were later replaced with 75-round drum magazine similar to those issued for AK-47s.

Turkey's TiSAS lightly refurbished Syrian MP44s before installing CIA-supplied furniture - KV-14 forward stock/rails and adjustable butt stocks from Krebs Custom. The resulting Trabzon-44 was highly popular with FSA fighters.

[Top] A Bulgarian Arcus AR-MP44 upgrade fitted with an American Beta C-Mag 100-round twin-drum magazine in place of the expected 75-rd drum. Beta C-Mag and Bulgarian drum magazines proved to be the solution to both tactical and supply issues with MP44 magazine - original and polymer replacements.

[Bottom] A Turkish TiSAS Trabzon-44 MP44 update with Krebs Custom KV-14 forward handgrip/rail and adjustable butt stock. These Krebs conversions were performed at TISAS in Trabzon. Two original MP44 magazines are clipped together with a Magpul coupler.

_______________________
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1240 on: February 20, 2016, 06:19:35 AM »

Only one 7.92x33mm rifle was specifically designed for the Syrian conflict. This was the Handl SCAR44 - itself, a re-designed lower receiver for the FN SCAR. Issued only to US advisors to the FSA, the Handl SCAR44 provided a 7.92x33mm rifle with SCAR-H, Mk 17 'muscle memory' for former USSOCOM personnel.

One of the Turkish MP44 updates was done by MKEK at Kirikkale. MKEK MP44 refurbishments were similar to the TiSAS Trabzon-44 but more extensively refurbished. The result was the best of the MP44 upgrades ... but at a price. Cost overruns were such that only 150 MKEK MP44/16s were delivered before the contract was cancelled. The 'Mek' was highly sought after but its 20-round box magazines were often abandoned.

[Top] Handl Defense SCAR44 fitted with an HD MK17 Advanced Fore-Rail and coloured metal mag.

[Bottom] Turkish MKEK MP44/16 with the distinctive sights and polymer furniture adopted from the Turk's domestic MPT-76 automatic rifle. Note the 20-rd metal magazine with stamped 'MKE' logo.
_______________________
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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1241 on: February 20, 2016, 01:14:15 PM »
Rather bizarrely, the Free Syrian Army has captured 5,000-odd WW2-era MP44 automatic rifles.

Was anyone ever able to provide an explanation as to how they got there in the first place?
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1242 on: February 21, 2016, 04:10:14 AM »
Was anyone ever able to provide an explanation as to how they got there in the first place?

I've seen two stories...

One was that the FSA captured the armoury where the MP44s had been stored since the '50s.

The second story - a bit more plausible, IMHO - is that the Sturmgewehr had been dug out of storage by the Assad regime with the idea of selling them off to Western collectors. The MP44s were stuffed into ISO containers for shipment out of Syria but UN regulations hung them up until the FSA arrived on the scene.

The only problem with story #2 is trying to imagine Assad's export efforts being thwarted by UN regs. Other international laws haven't slowed him down at all ... nor the FSA, come to that  :P
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline ysi_maniac

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1243 on: February 21, 2016, 06:14:51 AM »
HI, I love your camoufled MP-44. ;)

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1244 on: February 21, 2016, 02:01:46 PM »
I am not sure if this has any relevance to the discussion but I do recall something about the EOKA group in Cyprus using Stg 44s to some degree.

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1245 on: February 22, 2016, 03:37:15 AM »
Was anyone ever able to provide an explanation as to how they got there in the first place?

I've seen two stories...

One was that the FSA captured the armoury where the MP44s had been stored since the '50s.

The second story - a bit more plausible, IMHO - is that the Sturmgewehr had been dug out of storage by the Assad regime with the idea of selling them off to Western collectors. The MP44s were stuffed into ISO containers for shipment out of Syria but UN regulations hung them up until the FSA arrived on the scene.

The only problem with story #2 is trying to imagine Assad's export efforts being thwarted by UN regs. Other international laws haven't slowed him down at all ... nor the FSA, come to that  :P

You missed my point:  how/when did the MP44s get into Syria in the first place? Not how did they come to light now.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1246 on: February 22, 2016, 04:11:37 AM »

I did indeed... According to this site, the Syrian MP44s are most likely "reworked DDR stuff".

http://claus.espeholt.dk/mp44.htm

So, probably ex-Volkspolizei weapons. Other possible candidate sources are ex-Czechoslovak Samopal or Yugoslav (although, according to Claus Espeholt, the 40,000 Yugoslav MP44s went to Libya).

Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1247 on: February 22, 2016, 10:04:20 AM »
There were Stugs and Panzer IV spplied to Syria post war and a few MG42 etc turning up in Iraq in the 2000s.  I wonder if a large amount of ex German gear was exported from eastern Europe in the 50s and 60s.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1248 on: February 22, 2016, 10:15:05 AM »
Later too. Apparently, the Yugoslav MP44s were in service until the mid '80s.
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #1249 on: February 25, 2016, 06:47:34 AM »

My take on M.A.D.'s revamped Qantas Ilyushin IL-76CFM:
http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=6108.msg103614 ...

In my scenario, the three Qantas IL-76CFM conversions are VH-ILQ 'Scotty Allan', VH-ILM 'Norman Brearley', and VH-ILN 'Lores Bonney'. Although not assigned to any particular airframe, the MAFFS III firefighting systems were also name - 'Black Saturday', 'Ash Wednesday', and 'Black Tuesday'.

[Top/Inset] IL-76CFM VH-ILQ shortly after arrival. As delivered, the Qantas IL-76CFMs had an overall white scheme with red vertical tail markings and pale grey cowlings.

Note that this aircraft is missings its Qantas cowling markings. Nor has the name 'Scotty Allan' been applied to the nose (where standard Ilyushin Ил-76ТД/IL-76TD markings remain).

VH-ILQ was delivered with its original Russian suite - RLS-N weather radar and an under-nose RLS-P Koopol/Duran-B navigation set. These Russian radar sets were replaced soon after arrival.

[Below] IL-76CFM VH-IMQ in its final configuration. The Russian radar sets have been replaced by a Northrop Grumman APN-241 radar - for its terrain-following capabilties and commonality with RAAF C-130J and C-27J transports). The superfluous lower radome has been replaced with a fairing for a UV line scanner (forward) and a semi-retractable Wescam MX-20 E/O turret (aft).

VH-IMQ is shown here in near-full Qantas livery. The lower fuselage has been stripped (to lessen the maintenance burden of repairing chipped paintwork) and the forward anti-glare panel has been painted over. The aircraft's name 'Norman Brearley' has been applied to the nose and Qantas logos to the rear of each engine cowling. Eventually, (likely during the first engine major overhaul) the cowlings will be resprayed in 'fuselage white'.

_________________________________
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."