IainMackayDall

This explosion has raised fears from a the nearby town of Newcastle, where Orica has a stockpile of ammonium nitrate that is four times the size of the one that exploded in Beirut https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/mining/how-chemical-stockpile-could-wipe-out-newcastle/news-story/fc4d3a747bb7a64dfa799dde961d4c97

Sone shocking details from this NY Times online article https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/video/beirut-explosion-footage.html

I came across this image of a Hellenic Air force A7-E. Great extreme example of weathering!! You can find other similar images online too

As we look forward to getting through this COVID-19 2020 Pandemic, looking back on the history following that 1918/19 Pandemic, I never realised just how it could have altered history is such a way. It seems now to have set up the seeds for a future aggressive Germany. (explained in the podcast below ) Plus, I never realises just how many of subcontinent India's pandemic victims there were, and all ignored by later reporting and history, that and how if affected Mahatma Gandhi actions. That old 1918/19 Pandemic is still with us virally, but it seems our COVID-19 is a new beast. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/dispatches-1918

Surely we should be pushing for a 1/32 ( or 1/35 corrected ) scale model! has anyone a 3d printer ready to take on this?

Ever wondered what pilots were doing when they did a walk around on the tarmac before each flight? Here is a 747 walk around done just before she went to the desert for retirement.

My thoughts would be to defend those big planes, but only if we all still has such a rosy and growing tourist industry, especially the one that I knew between Europe and Asia. But yes, smaller or mid sized twin efficient by pass turbine craft are much more flexible, and probably the future, as in our new dreamliner route from Perth to London. As for Greta, please don't dismiss her. If you know anything of our past geology and climate, and the fact we have added more carbon into the atmosphere between the 1980's and today than of all the past Industrial revolution. Then we are on track to some change. Covid is just a trial run to get us used to a new normal.

Well it looks like all 12 Qantas A380's will be stored in the Mojave desert. The 4th QF A380 is already there, or on its way. I flew on one of the first Australia bound A380's back to SYD from London, thinking that this was such a huge quiet and wonderful craft. Actually I flew up to London to get this flight, on an Emirates A380. I had a very Aussie comparison on both craft back then, the Emirates craft had a lot of gold trim and overt opulence compared to the more starker Qantas cabin decor, it was rather like the Holden (GM) model equivalent of the Commodore range. Emirates was the Calais model, whereas the Qantas was the Executive, or barely the Berlina model. But, Qantas had better menu changes, plus copious wine etc Emirates however, it seemed kept on the same menu forever. But Emirates had a business class rare stand up bar, which Qantas had not thought to install. That back bar, whilst flying, was a very social and lively place, and caused many an Aussie flyer to stray. I was also involved in a recent Qantas future survey, "Project Sunrise", where they were going to reconfigure their 12 A380's interiors to loose all freight cargo carrying to concentrate on range, as in, non stop Sydney to London with passengers, probably on a full 19-20hr flight ( I had done 17hrs on a A380 from Sydney to Dallas, so no big deal for any Aussie flyers ) This proposed configurations was surveying flyers as to their thoughts. sounding out proposals like no cabin crew aisle trolly service, with meals being self service, in a galley below, created from the freed up freight hold, that and or having concepts for exercise areas, child creche, sleeping berths for booking etc.. it was a bit lite those early 747 top deck concepts before economics came to play. - we already have/had a Perth Qantas Dreamliner nonstop to London, but the fact that a non stop to London was a possibility from Sydney and Melbourne was almost on the horizon.

Love the Flag detailing

I'm fated to have to use up my Tamiya 1/32 spitfire to build a version of this LVC Spitfire, like this grand 1/48 version from Serge Dompierre http://www.hsgalleries.com/gallery04/spitfirevbsd_1.htm I've just been sent copy of "Gone is the Angel" by the Deputy Commanding Officer, 151 Chadburn Sqn, Ontario

I hope someone picks up the the team behind that WNW Lancaster and their moulds.. I was all her bent on that HKM version, even putting down a deposit that took 2 years to get to the point, when I decided to let the model shop refund so I could wait longer foe that WNW version, and in an ideal world, there was to be a Stephen Fry screenplay for the Peter Jackson Dambuster remake. But it seems worlds change rather too quickly.

Do any Aussies out there ( or Brits come to speak of them ) know why the Australian Army chose to replace their British built 1952 Centurion battle tanks with the Leopard 1s back in 1977. It always seemed odd, that iI could never find this fully explained as to why. Also, but wind back to 1963. Was it a related "political" decision, to opt for French Mirage 111 jets for the RAAF? https://www.raafa.org.au/mirage Ps: I am a Brit, but I do feel free to criticise the old country, especially after living in Australia for so many years and on reading as much local history, well as much as I can get my hands on, be it mostly on post ww2 related nuclear bomb tests here on Australian territories.

Great source of information form all your replies !! Thanks I also note that there is a crossover with flying equipment with this 1/35 scale Viper http://hyperscale.com/2020/features/ah1z48sp_1.htm So is it taboo to mix 1/32 scale craft with 1/35 scale ground equipment.. what about all those dioramas with Lancasters and Mossies with refuelling trucks?

I've always been bothered as to why 1/32 scale was applied the standard for large scale aircraft models but 1/35 was only used for military vehicles. Why the slight difference?