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The last day of the festival has dawned and preparations have begun for another, special but again equally important day. Saturday, September 5th, marked the culmination of a year-long work on a demanding but extremely successful project, Star Film Fest.
The organizers gathered in the morning with the usual elaboration of protocols for the coming day. Then the tasks were distributed and each member of the team tried to do their best to ensure that the preparations for the location and live broadcast went according to plan. After the end of the last competition screenings online, a short lunch break followed through the official Star Film Fest website. Shortly afterwards, hard-working volunteers gathered at the location of Theater 21. Then the technical service made an effort to delight all online followers of Star Film Fest, as well as the gathered organizers and volunteers, with another Acoustic jam session. While the jam was playing, Theater 21 was also visited by festival associates from the French Alliance, director Ida Erceg and Jasenka Butić, with whom Star Film Fest successfully coordinated the project of the First Shortest Francophone Film in February. After the relaxed moments, there was a workshop and lecture “Both in Heaven and at the Star Film Fest” led by Srđan Nogić, which was followed by the audience at Theater 21, but also the online audience via live broadcast.
As the day turned into evening, guests and the audience began to gather on the red carpet in front of Theater 21. The response of the audience at the final evening of the Star Film Fest gave the organizers a sense of satisfaction because the festival, despite the circumstances, recorded more than significant attendance. The deckchairs in front of the canvas, at the foot of the starry Sisak sky, were filled in compliance with the safety gap and the recommendations of the epidemiological services.
This was followed by the long-awaited announcement of the winners, and all the winners joined the program via video messages of thanks and enthusiasm for the success achieved. The award for the best feature film was won by the film “Southern Fruit”, the best documentary is “Why does mom always cry?”, The best animated film selected by the expert jury is “A Perfect Turn” .Film “Sedra” won the award for best editing. The next prize was awarded for the best regional film taken by “Sherbet”. The selectors Anja Kavić and Martina Mladenović presented their award – the award of the selectors to the film “Traces” and the audience chose the film “Quarantine alone or with milk?” As their favorite. The jury also named the best special award for the film “Sedra” and a special award for the film “Outside the Oranges Are Blooming”.
The director of the festival, Matija Holjevac, also addressed the audience, expressing his satisfaction with all the achievements. “The general sponsor of Star Film Fest is INA, there are also our sponsors, the Croatian Audiovisual Center, the Society of Croatian Film Directors, the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Sisak-Moslavina County. Also, Star Film Fest is held under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović. ” – Matija Holjevac had expressed his gratitude.
The screening of Svebor Mihael Jelić‘s film “Zagreb Equinox” attracted and delighted the audience. The actor from the film, Patrik Gregurec, who had the honor of announcing the film to his fellow citizens, also addressed the audience in front of the Star Film Fest screen.
Star Film Fest, again this year, aroused the enthusiasm of all visitors, pushed the boundaries of the film festival and surpassed the financial framework thanks to the enthusiasm of young film lovers. The parallel holding of the festival at the location of Theater 21, in compliance with all recommended measures of epidemiological services and the holding of the festival online via live broadcast, is more than commendable. Not even some of the more resounding festival names have embarked on such a challenge, while Star Film Fest has proven that the love for film overcomes every obstacle.


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Film Journalist, Film Critic
Date of birth
Wilfred Okiche is one of the most influential critics working in the Nigerian culture space. He has attended critic programs and reported from film festivals in Berlin, Rotterdam, Locarno, Durban and Lagos. He is a member of FIPRESCI.
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domain: artistic


text:
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
megan fox now
Who the hell cares – Megan Fox is now
Megan Fox | Now Magazine | Celebrity Gossip
This has to be proof that Megan Fox is officially crazy (and I'm mostly
Above compares Megan Fox now (2008) with Megan Fox then (2004).
Reports today say Megan Fox is now single! Finally!
Megan Fox Aborts Black Baby: Hot Megan Fox Revealed Insecurities and Self
MEGAN Fox has not been shy of confessing her past sexual history with a
Feel Free to Approach Megan Fox Now
Megan Fox married Brian Austin Greene. That's right, Megan Fox is now a
Megan Fox is now Mrs Brian Austin:
"Transformers" actress Megan Fox, 22, and "90210" actor Brian Austin Green,
It's official: Megan Fox is now Mrs. Brian Austin Green, says rep
Megan Fox's Linea Pelle black bag is sold out everywhere.
one girl who I would say is anywhere near as gorgeous now as Megan Fox
Transformer actress Megan Fox. Paramount forced to suspend $450m financing
Megan Fox is now Mrs Brian Austin
we will be presenting here now. After Megan Fox
More Megan Fox in Transformers: Revenge
Megan Fox recently claimed that she is “struggling” with her recent
Megan Fox Daydreaming About Megan Fox Naked | The Onion - America's Finest

domain: entertainment


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Donna Vallario has been a tireless advocate for the elderly for her entire professional career, having served in the capacities of Director of Adult Day Care and Memory Care Director with prominent adult-care organizations such as the Atria, Briarcliff Manor, New York, and Wartburg, Mt. Vernon, New York.
As a six-year member of the Alzheimer’s Association Advisory Committee, Donna is no stranger to the very unique population of people, who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias.
Donna’s program creativity skills have been put to good use during her career with the development of various programs designed specifically for optimum care of people with dementia. One of her creations was the development of a Multi-Sensory Room to stimulate or soothe the senses of memory-impaired participants.
Donna is a seasoned educator having filled this role often by training staff in a myriad of best-care strategies in caring for people with dementia.
In addition to her professional work, Donna is very active in community outreach. Aware of the tremendous stress that most caregivers experience, she developed a Caregiver Support Group & Bereavement Counseling service.
For six years Donna was Executive Director of Just Like Home, Inc., a social model adult care center, which she co-founded and managed long before adult day care achieved the popularity it has today.
During her entrepreneurial stint with Just Like Home, Donna received an award from the county’s Office for the Aging for her formation of an inter-generational program, which provided a daily opportunity for interaction between elders and children.
Donna’s life passion is evident – helping people, especially the elderly and more specifically, those afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. Her goal is to effect change in the manner that care is delivered to the memory-impaired community at large.
While Donna’s hot button is advancing the cause for effective care of people with dementia, she has also proven herself in the areas of budget management, administration, government compliance, marketing, and strategic planning.
In whatever role Donna finds herself, her genuine care and devotion towards people with dementia, in addition to her well-honed skill set in meeting the needs of this community, breeds success in terms of resident occupancy and program participation. Her drive and enthusiasm inspires those around her to meet the stringent status she demands in care management.
In a departure from her usual staff positions, Donna recently joined the staff of Engaging Alzheimer’s LLC as a Dementia Coach. In this role, she is better positioned to achieve her life’s goal of creating positive change in the way people with dementia are cared for and perceived by society.
As a Dementia Coach, Donna is able to have a wider impact on dementia awareness issues as well as being able to train and encourage a broader spectrum of healthcare professionals to adopt the standard of care this population deserves and requires.
Donna is a graduate of Long Island University with a M.S. in Education Guidance and Counseling. She also holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY.

domain: medical


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‘Il Duce Donald’ flirts with fascism
Thu., March 10, 2016
So it has come to this: the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, at a campaign rally Saturday in Orlando, leading supporters in what looked very much like a fascist salute.
“Can I have a pledge? A swearing?” Trump asked, raising his right hand and directing his followers to do the same. He then led them in pledging allegiance – not to the flag but to Trump, for which they stand and for whom they vowed to vote.
Trump supporters raised their arms en masse – unfortunately evoking the sort of scene associated with grainy newsreels from Italy and Germany.
Among those not engaging in such ominous imagery were the demonstrators, who, by my colleague Jenna Johnson’s account, interrupted Trump’s event more than a dozen times. The candidate watched a supporter grab and attempt to tackle protesters, at least one of them black, near the stage. “You know, we have a divided country, folks,” Trump said. “We have a terrible president who happens to be African-American.”
Loaded imagery, violence against dissenters and a racial attack on the president: It’s all in a day’s work for Trump.
In the preceding days, he had asserted (and later retracted) his confidence that if he were president the military would obey his orders to do illegal things: torture detainees and target noncombatant kin of terrorists for death. He said House Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Republican, would “pay a big price” for defying him, and he said Sen. John McCain, who criticized Trump, needs to “be very careful.” Trump explained his initial hesitance to disavow support from the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists by saying such groups could have included “the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies” – prompting the head of the Anti-Defamation League to call his words “obscene.”
And some still deny Il Duce Donald’s autocratic tendencies?
Abe Foxman, a Holocaust survivor and the retired longtime head of the ADL, said that Trump leading thousands in “what looks like the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute is about as offensive, obnoxious and disgusting as anything I thought I would ever witness in the United States.”
I’ve perhaps never agreed with Glenn Beck before, but the right-wing radio personality was right to hold up a Nazi ballot on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday morning. “We should look at Adolf Hitler in 1929,” said Beck, who usually saves his Nazi analogies for liberals. Beck added, “Donald Trump is a dangerous man with the things that he has been saying.”
The Germans, too, find him dangerous – and they should know. Der Spiegel, the German newsmagazine, last month called Trump “the world’s most dangerous man” and leader of a “hate-filled authoritarian movement” who “inflames tensions against ethnic minorities … while ignoring democratic conventions.”
I wish I could enjoy Trump, who at last week’s debate defended the size of his penis. But this isn’t a conventional debate between Democrats and Republicans or insiders and outsiders. Trump is on the wrong side of a struggle between decency and bigotry, between democracy and something else.
Yet, incredibly, the other candidates in the race – Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich – all said they’d support Trump if he wins the nomination. The morning after Trump’s salute, the morally neutral Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairman, told CBS’ John Dickerson that his “role is to basically be 100 percent behind” the eventual nominee.
A braver man, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sent a letter Friday to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff asking whether he would heed orders to torture detainees or to target noncombatant relatives of terrorists. Trump, who in reply said Graham “should respect me” and bragged that he “destroyed” Graham’s presidential candidacy, has retreated slightly, saying he’d change laws to allow things such as waterboarding. Without that, he said, “we’re weak.”
As some Republican officeholders and donors belatedly try to unify the anti-Trump movement, more are seeing Trump’s words and deeds foreshadowing darker things. On Monday, Jane Eisner, editor of the Jewish media outlet Forward, quoted Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt: “Some people didn’t approve of Hitler’s anti-Semitism, but they went along with it because he was going to make Germany great again.”
And comedian Louis C.K., who says he would like to see a conservative president, wrote to his fans about Trump last weekend, saying that “we are being Germany in the 30s. Do you think they saw the … coming? Hitler was just some hilarious and refreshing dude with a weird combover who would say anything at all.”
Where does Trump’s flirtation with fascism end? Nobody knows.
But don’t say you didn’t see it coming.
Dana Milbank is a columnist for the Washington Post Writers Group.
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domain: news


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The lobbying is off and running is super-high gear to stop the Fed from raising rates once again. Governments all over the world have a very myopic view and focused only on the next quarter, or the next election. The Reserve Bank of India also fears that the US Fed’s impending interest rise would affect the external value of the rupee. Again the IMF behind the curtain is on its needs. Any depreciation of the rupee as a result of capital outflows would only worsen the balance of payments for India and expose the insane policies of Modi who did not even consult the RBI before demonetizing the currency.
Anyone with half a brain in economics knows that the worst thin you can do to create a depression is cause the velocity of money to decline. If people hoard and do not spend, the economy implodes. Modi is trying to end the cash economy, but he has ensured unemployment will now soar because small businesses cannot pay their people.Expect at least another 400,000 people to lose their jobs and people are forced to use rice as money.
Additionally, a rate hike in USA will send the rupee down and that will be feeding inflation due to rise in prices of imported commodities. Inflationary expectations are real keeping food prices high posing a threat to domestic price stability and external value of rupee. The RBI declined to lower rates looking at the prospects that the USA may raise rates so high rates are necessary to try to stem the outflow of capital.

domain: politics


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Chinese Smartphone Manufacturer, Xiaomi has recently announced its special edition Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X Hatsune Miku release on Valentine’s Day. Alongside Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X Regular Variant will be going on sale from tomorrow onwards i.e. February 14th Valentine’s Day. Redmi Note 4X variant launched in China was the successor of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 launched earlier. The only difference in Note 4X is, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC and rest of the specs remains the same. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X is priced CNY 999 (Approx. Rs. 9,800), Whereas Hatsune Miku Edition is priced CNY 1,299 (Approx. Rs. 12, 700).
Here come the key specs of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X:
|Name||Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X|
|Display||5.5-inch IPD Display with 2.5 D Curved Glass, 403 PPi and 16 M Colors|
|Performance||2.0 GHz Octa-Core Qual-Comm Snapdragon 625 CPU|
|RAM||3 GB RAM|
|Storage Space||32 GB ROM extended up to 128 GB via Micro SD Card Slot|
|OS||Android Marshmallows 6.0 OS with MIUI 8 on Top|
|Camera||13 MP Rear Camera and 5 MP Front Camera|
|Battery||4100 mAh Li-Ion Battery|
|Network||3G, 4G LTE and 4G Volte|
|Dimension and Weight||8.45 mm Thick and 165 Grams|
|Connectivity||Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.2 V, GPS, A-GPS, FM Radio, Infra-Red, 3.5 mm Audio Jack, Micro-USB 2.0 and USB-OTG|
|Sensors||Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Gyroscope and Proximity Sensor|
|Colors||Cherry powder, Champagne Gold, Platinum Silver, Grey, Matte Black and Hatsune Miku Green Color|
|Price||CNY 9,99 Approx. Rs. 9,800|
|Availability||From February 14|
Redmi Note 4X sports a uni-metal body with 5.5-inch IPS Display (1920 *1080 p)with 2.5 D Curved Glass, 403 PPi and 16 M Colors. It is powered by 2 GHz Octa-Core Qual-Comm Snapdragon 625 CPU coupled with 3 GB RAM. The storage space 32 GB ROM can be extended up to 128 GB via Micro SD Card Slot. Device runs Android Marshmallows 6.0 OS with EMUI 8 on top. Dual Sim Smartphone supports 4G Volte.
It is backed up with its 4100 mAh Battery li-ion non-removable battery. On the camera front it has 13 MP Rear Camera with Dual LED Flash, F/2.0 Aperture, PDAF and 77-degree wide angle lens and 5 MP Front Camera for selfies and video calls with CMOS Sensor and 85-degree wide angle lens. This handset offers 3G, 4G LTE, FM Radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.2 V, GPS, A-GPS, FM Radio, 3.5 mm Audio Jack, Infra-Red, USB-OTG and Micro-USB 2.0.


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Northampton, MA --- In a battle of one-loss teams, Smith came away the victor in a tight competition with the WPI women's basketball team on Wednesday night. The Pioneers eked out a 56-53 victory over the Engineers, handing WPI its first conference loss of the season.
Smith is now 11-1 overall and 2-0 in NEWMAC play, while the Engineers slip to 12-2 on the season and 1-1 in conference action. Both teams are receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com top 25.
An Alex Scariati (Scotch Plains, NJ) layup made it a 55-53 ballgame with 2:41 to go in the fourth quarter and forced Smith into a miss with the clock winding down on the ensuing possession. The Engineers had a pair of looks at a 3-pointer in their next possession, but couldn't get it to fall.
With just over 30 seconds left, missed its own three try, and the Engineers had a look, but were called for a charge. WPI ultimately had to foul Smith multiple times in the final seconds and the hosts added a point to its total for the 56-53 victory.
The two teams were back and forth all game in a contest that featured 16 ties and 16 lead changes. The evenly matched contest saw 21 made field goals from the Engineers and 22 from Smith. The Engineers knocked down six treys to Smith's five. The Pioneers outrebounded the Engineers 30-25 and out-assisted WPI 16-8. Smith also netted 32 points in the paint to WPI's 26.
The Engineers were led by a game-high 17-point effort from Melanie Presseau (Manchester, NH) who also added two assists and two steals on the night. Scariati added 10 points and seven rebounds while Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, CT) added nine points and four rebounds off the bench for WPI.
Smith had four double-digit scorers, paced by Amelia Clairmont's (Laconia, NH) 15-point, five rebound effort. Morgan Morrison (Detroit, MI) chipped in 11 points and a pair of steals off the bench while Katelyn Pickunka (Westhampton, MA) and Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, CA) added 10 points apiece. Pickunka had the near double-double adding nine rebounds, while Ruffner finished with six boards and five assists.
The Engineers look to rebound on Saturday afternoon at 2pm when they head out for another road contest at Mount Holyoke. Smith will also return to action Saturday at 2 when it plays host to Clark.


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The first day of Google's I/O developer powwow revealed some serious hardware ambitions. Hardware is quite fashionable at Google, but analysts warn that there are significant operational risks and matching Apple is going to be much harder than it looks.
Day one of Google I/O featured Google Glass---and perhaps the best stunt demo ever---Nexus Q, a home entertainment orb, and Nexus 7, a tablet to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire. Google is manufacturing the Nexus Q, prototyping Google Glass and partnering with Asustek on the Nexus 7. And don't forget Google also manufactures cable set-top boxes and smartphones via Motorola Mobility.
Rest assured we're going to hear a lot more about hardware from Google. Robots, cars, Chromebooks and other goodies will abound at Google I/O. There will also be a healthy dose---and a track---for Google TV.
Given this hardware fetish is relatively new at Google it pays to hang back and watch. There's no need for big pronouncements. Just because a company thinks hardware is the new black doesn't mean it can wear it well.
Wells Fargo analyst Jason Maynard said:
While the company made a number of new product announcements, our overall investment thesis remains unchanged. We were impressed by the coolness of Glasses (the skydiving demo was perhaps the greatest ever in tech). On the other hand, the Nexus 7 is nice but it doesn’t change the game versus Apple or Amazon, in our view. We continue to think the hardware business is going to be harder to manage then the consensus believes. Motorola Mobility could bring both margin compression and dilution if Google gets aggressive in pricing devices, as with the $199 Nexus 7.
Om Malik noted that Google is basically competing with everyone now. History shows us that multifront wars are really tough to win.
And how does Google fare when everyone is a hardware vendor too?
Google's challenge is how to navigate through an increasingly complex competitive landscape. In our view, many of today’s announcements make it clear that Google is entering established markets which carry lower margins and many tough competitors. Of today's announcements, most represent direct challenges to Apple, Amazon and/or Facebook. These include Android’s improved voice activated typing (vs. Apple’s Siri); the Nexus 7 tablet (vs. iPad/Kindle Fire); the Nexus Q (vs. Apple TV/Sonos); partnerships for improved media content available for rent or purchase (vs. iTunes/Amazon Prime) and the launch of Google Events (vs. Facebook). While these challenges may be strategically necessary, in our opinion, we think they may also prove expensive and challenging for Google to win.
Some analysts such as Anthony DiClemente at Barclays Capital have argued that Google's foray into low-end tablets with the Nexus 7 could lower traffic acquisition costs if the search giant gets market share. "If the Nexus 7 can take share of the broader tablet market, it could help Google to reclaim some of the traffic acquisition costs (TAC) that it is paying on an increasing amount of search traffic coming through tablets, particularly the iPad," said DiClemente.
DiClemente's theory is sound, but the jury is way out on whether the Nexus 7 will be a hit. Google lacks the distribution of Amazon, which can plug the Kindle Fire on its store at will.
Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu noted:
With the acquisition of Motorola Mobility and more direct entrance into the tablet market, we see Google becoming more of a more vertically integrated platform play where it is combining hardware, software, and services, similar to Apple and IBM. However, it remains to be seen if Google can deliver the same level (or higher) of quality and seamless integration.
Google's third quarter report in July will shed light on its great hardware experiment. Analysts are already adjusting estimates on the lower profit hardware margins Motorola Mobility brings to the table.


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* The Allison-powered Mustangs were good aircraft, and would have an honorable place in the books even if the design had gone no further. However, mated with the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the Mustang became a great aircraft.
* The poor high-altitude performance of Allison Mustang was a concern from the start, but nobody was sure what to do about it. The Allison was about all that was available to NAA for the first production batches of the Mustang. NAA engineers considered moving to a turbocharged version of the Allison, which was used successfully on the Lockheed P-38 Lightning twin-engined fighter, but decided against it.
The American engine manufacturer Packard had come to an agreement with Rolls-Royce in October 1942 to build the Rolls-Royce "Merlin XX" engine, which was used in the Supermarine Spitfire V. The name "Merlin", by the way, was not in honor of the magician, but was the English name for a species of hawk. Like the Allison, the Merlin was a 12-cylinder liquid-cooled inline vee engine, but had a better power-to-weight ratio.
By 1942, Packard was producing Merlin XX engines in quantity as the Packard V-1650-1, but supplies were limited, and there were valid doubts that the Merlin XX was a big enough improvement over the Allison to make converting to the new engine worthwhile. The Merlin didn't offer much more power and only had a two-speed supercharger; in fact, the P-40 would be converted from Allison to Merlin power, to show no great improvement in performance.
Rolls-Royce had been continuously improving the Merlin, so much so that the company began to regard further work on the engine as yielding diminishing returns, with the future lying in the more formidable next-generation "Griffon" engine. Despite that, in mid-1941 the RAF issued a requirement for a high-altitude bomber, the "Wellington VI", and so Rolls-Royce began work on a Merlin variant optimized for high-altitude operation.
Rolls-Royce engineers rejected a turbocharger as too big and bulky -- that was the main problem in fitting a turbocharged Allison to the Mustang -- and experimented with a two-stage supercharger scheme, with the two superchargers mounted on a common shaft and driven off the engine crankshaft. The compressed inlet air was heated to such a degree that the engine required an intermediate intercooler system to cool it off. The Wellington VI was never built in large quantity or saw wide service, but the new Merlin engine showed obvious promise for the Spitfire, and was developed for that aircraft as the "Merlin 61".
A new Spitfire variant, the "Spitfire Mark VIII", was designed for the two-stage engine. However, the RAF was confronted with rising numbers of Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw 190s that outclassed the current Spitfire V, and needed a better Spitfire in a hurry. As an interim measure, Supermarine quickly modified the Spitfire V to accept the Merlin 61, resulting in the "Spitfire IX". The Spitfire IX would prove so successful that it would be produced in greater numbers than the Spitfire VIII.
* In April 1942, Rolls-Royce test pilot Ronald Harker visited the RAF Air Fighting Development Unit field at Duxford, and was invited to try out a Mustang. He flew the aircraft for a half-hour and was extremely impressed with it, until he ran into its poor high-altitude performance. He realized that a two-stage Merlin engine was exactly what was needed, and consulted with the Rolls-Royce chief engineer to see what the British engine would do for the American fighter. Studies for a Mustang with a Merlin engine suggested a top speed of 710 KPH (440 MPH) at an altitude of 7.8 kilometers (26,000 feet), well in excess of the capabilities of an Allison Mustang, and possibly even superior to the Spitfire IX in some respects.
Harker pressed his case through the air establishment, and within days Rolls-Royce's facility at Hucknall began conversion of three Mustangs to two-stage Merlin power, with two more conversions put in the queue later. These aircraft were fitted with the Merlin 65 engine subvariant and a four-bladed propeller. The Merlin 65 was optimized for better performance at lower altitude, though unlike the Allison its performance did not drastically fall off at high altitude.
The Merlin conversion was very promising, but the director of the Hucknall establishment, Ray Dorey, had an even more ambitious idea. He wanted to mate the Mustang to a Griffon engine, mounted behind the pilot as was the Allison in the Bell P-39 Airacobra. Rolls-Royce engineers believed this aircraft would be capable of a top speed of 800 KPH (500 MPH), but it never progressed beyond the mock-up stage.
* Back in California, while these events were taking place in England, NAA engineers were working along a similar path. They had known about the two-stage Merlin engine since late 1941, and had been considering how to use it with the Mustang.
Packard had negotiated with Rolls-Royce to build a licensed version of a two-stage Merlins, and was moving into production of the Packard V-1650-3, equivalent to the Merlin 68 sub-variant. The first V-1650-3 engines were to roll off Packard production lines in mid-December 1942, with production ramping up to full volume in the following months. If NAA engineers wanted to use Merlin power, the engines would be available when they were needed.
NAA didn't start work on the concept in earnest until late July 1942, when the company received the two cannon-armed NA-91s reserved for experimental purposes by the USAAF, mentioned earlier, and Merlin 65 engines sent from England. This step-up in activity appears to have been partly the work of Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Hitchcock, the US Assistant Military Attache at the American embassy in London. He had flown the Mustang, knew about the Rolls-Royce effort at Hucknall, and was enthusiastically promoting the idea through American channels. NAA engineers threw themselves into the project with the same energy that they had shown in rolling out the initial NA-73X. The new variant was given the company designation of "NA-101" and military designation of "XP-78". By the summer of 1942, work on the Merlin Mustang was in full swing on both sides of the Atlantic.
The two groups were aware of each other's activities, and the spirit was competitive but friendly. The Rolls-Royce group had a head start and got into the air first with their "Mustang X", as the conversions were known, with the initial aircraft flying on 13 October 1942. The next day, Packard officials sent a letter to Rolls-Royce congratulating them on "beaten us to it on the flight of the [Merlin] Mustang. Hope performance is up to expectations."
The Rolls-Royce conversions were experimental improvisations. The conversions featured a deep chin scoop underneath the prop spinner that was faintly reminiscent of late-model P-40s, and gave them a unique appearance among the Mustang family. The first Mustang X was originally fitted with a standard Rotol (Rolls-Bristol) four-bladed propeller, as used by the Spitfire IX. This was later upgraded to a custom-built propeller, though it proved to have little influence on performance.
The performance was nonetheless very satisfactory. The Merlin 65 could provide more horsepower at altitude than the Allison V-1710 did at takeoff, and the initial Mustang X conversion achieved 700 KPH (433 MPH) at an altitude of 6.7 kilometers (22,000 feet). The aircraft could reach an altitude of 6.1 kilometers (20,000 feet) in 6.3 minutes, about two-thirds the time required by an Allison Mustang. Greater power and torque resulted in a degree of lateral instability in the Mustang X. Various fixes for this problem were considered during the evaluation, including a bigger tailfin, but the problem would get worse before it got better.
The second Mustang X flew on 13 November 1942, and the third flew a month later. Rolls-Royce kept NAA informed of the results of the tests while NAA refined their own conversion, which had been redesignated "XP-51B" in the meantime. The first XP-51B flew on 30 November 1942. As with the Mustang X, performance of the XP-51B demonstrated that faith in the Merlin conversion was justified. NAA test pilot Bob Chilton achieved a level speed of 710 KPH (441 MPH) at an altitude of 9 kilometers (29,800 feet), and the XP-51B could climb almost twice as fast as an Allison Mustang.
This first XP-51B was roughly an "80% conversion", but the second, which flew soon afterward, was close to a production design. The Merlin 65 had a similar physical "envelope" to the Allison V-1710, but weighed about 136 kilograms (300 pounds) more, and required fitting the intercooler someplace in the fuselage.
The Merlin Xs had the intercooler under the nose, but that arrangement was cluttered, and after a six-week bout of headaches NAA engineers managed to accommodate it in the radiator system under the cockpit. They also managed to obtain a small amount of thrust out of the radiator exhaust. In any case, the modification resulted in the belly airscoop hanging a bit lower than in the Allison Mustang. This was a slight visible change, as was the slightly fatter nose; more noticeable was the switch of the carburetor intake from above to below the prop spinner, giving the new Mustang version sleeker looks than its predecessor. The new design also featured a four-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller with a span of 3.4 meters (11 feet 2 inches), replacing the 3-bladed propeller used on the Allison Mustangs.
Back in Britain, the two final Mustang Xs would be flown in early 1943 and evaluated by the USAAF, but by that time they were of no critical importance. Even before the first Merlin Mustangs flew, back in August 1942, the USAAF had ordered 400 P-51Bs, gambling that they would prove everything that was hoped for them. Rolls-Royce wanted to convert 500 RAF Allison Mustangs to Merlin power, but the resources were simply not available. The Americans were not under such constraints, and so in early 1943 the RAF ordered 1,000 P-51Bs with the designation of "Mustang III".BACK_TO_TOP
* Moving from test to production of the P-51B was a massive job, involving a big expansion of NAA's Inglewood plant. Another huge plant that NAA had recently established in Forth Worth, Texas, to manufacture trainers was scaled up to build even more Merlin Mustangs. Fort Worth aircraft were to be designated "P-51Cs", though they were essentially identical to P-51Bs. Following comments about the P-51B apply to the P-51C, unless otherwise noted. Note that in some documents, Mustang designations may have a "-NA" suffix, indicating that the aircraft was built in Inglewood, or a "-NT" suffix, indicating that it was built in Forth Worth.
The first production P-51B flew on 5 May 1943, with the first production P-51C flying on 5 August 1943. Production P-51Bs were reinforced and could handle a 450-kilogram (1,000-pound) bomb on each wing rack, or equivalent stores such as drop tanks or triple-tube M-8 rocket launchers. There were minor aerodynamic improvements relative to the XP-51B prototypes as well.
Gun armament on most production P-51Bs was four 12.7-millimeter (0.50-caliber) Browning machine guns, with two guns in each wing. The ammunition box for each inboard gun had a capacity of 350 rounds of ammunition, while the box for each outboard gun had a capacity of 280 rounds. The Merlin redesign had crowded out the two nose guns fitted in some versions of the Allison Mustang, and the Mustang would never carry them again.
Initial production of the P-51B used the Packard V-1650-3 engine, with 1,045 kW (1,400 HP) for take-off, while later production was uprated to the V-1650-7 engine, with 1,080 kW (1,450 HP) for take-off. These Merlins used carburetors instead of fuel injection, and of course had a two-stage supercharger. The supercharger operated at two speeds and engaged automatically at high altitude. The engine was limited from redlining with a safety wire, but in an emergency a pilot could push the throttle past the stop, breaking the wire. The engine could be redlined for five minutes without damage.
NORTH AMERICAN P-51B (MUSTANG III): _____________________ _________________ _______________________ spec metric english _____________________ _________________ _______________________ wingspan 11.28 meters 37 feet wing area 21.65 sq_meters 233 sq_feet length 9.83 meters 32 feet 3 inches height 4.16 meters 13 feet 8 inches empty weight 3,380 kilograms 7,450 pounds max loaded weight 5,080 kilograms 11,200 pounds maximum speed 708 KPH 440 MPH / 380 KT service ceiling 12,770 meters 41,900 feet range with drop tanks 2,575 KM 1,600 MI / 1,390 NMI _____________________ _________________ _______________________
* P-51Bs finally reached squadron service in October 1943, when the USAAF 354th Fighter Group in England was equipped with the variant. This assignment was something of a "snafu", however, since the 354th was part of the Ninth Air Force, which was focused on ground attack. Apparently the brass failed to get the word that the Merlin Mustangs were a different breed from the ground-attack Allison Mustangs. The USAAF Eighth Air Force had begun daylight raids into Germany in early 1943, but by the fall of that year had been forced by murderous combat losses to give up such missions until long-range escort fighters became available. The Eighth desperately needed the new Mustangs, and so the 354th was immediately ordered to operate in support of Eighth Air Force long-range bomber missions, even though the group remained in the Ninth's chain of command.
P-51Bs began flying fighter sweeps over Europe in early December 1943, and were escorting bombers on raids by the middle of the month. On 13 December, Lieutenant Glenn Eagleston drew first blood with the P-51B, damaging a Messerschmitt Bf 110 during a raid on Kiel. Eagleston would eventually become the top ace of the Ninth Air Force, claiming a total of 10.5 victories.
On 16 December, Lieutenant Charles Gumm claimed the P-51B's first actual kill, knocking a Messerschmitt Bf 110 out of the sky over Bremen. The door was being closed on the days of the Luftwaffe savaging unescorted bomber formations. That same month, the RAF formally received its first Mustang III, flying with RAF Number 65 Squadron, and would quickly equip other RAF squadrons with the new aircraft. RAF Mustang IIIs would be in principle dedicated to ground attack, but they participated in escort duties while the USAAF built up strength in the new fighter.
On 11 January 1944, Major James H. Howard of the 354th was on an escort mission over Germany in his P-51B, named "Ding Hao". Howard was a mild-mannered but highly experienced pilot who had scored 6.5 victories against the Japanese with the American Volunteer Group in China. Howard had become separated from his flight when he saw a group of German fighters attacking a formation of B-17s. Although he was alone, Howard apparently regarded this as a "target-rich environment" instead of a threat, and dived into the fight without hesitation. He quickly shot down three German fighters, and then for the following half hour engaged in duels with the remaining Luftwaffe pilots. By the time the fight was over all his guns had jammed but one. With these kills, he became the first Mustang ace, and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
By early 1944, other USAAF fighter groups were forming up in England. Two Ninth AF fighter groups, the 357th and 363rd, were equipped with the type, though the 357th FG was traded to the Eighth AF in exchange for the 358th FG, which flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. This exchange was apparently mutually satisfactory, since the Eighth AF needed P-51Bs for long-range fighter escorts, while the Ninth AF could make good use of the big, tough, and more heavily armed P-47 for ground attack.
Eighth AF fighter groups were also receiving new P-51Bs directly, beginning with the elite 4th FG. The 4th was the oldest and most experienced fighter group in the Eighth AF, having been formed out of three RAF "Eagle" squadrons, composed of American pilots in British service. The commander of 4th FG, Colonel Donald J.M. Blakeslee, had been leading 354th FG P-51Bs since their arrival. On his return to his own group, he promised his superiors that his pilots would be operational with the new fighter within 24 hours. They were all flying with the type by the next day, 25 February 1944.
The new Mustang quickly began to appear on other fronts. In February 1944, P-51Bs began flowing into USAAF 14th Air Force units in Burma, and in April, P-51Bs and Mustang IIIs began to arrive at USAAF and RAF squadrons in Italy.
* As P-51Bs flew into combat, the deficiencies of the type were identified and gradually dealt with. There were engine problems, of course. The Merlin 61-series engines were pushing limits and had been pressed into combat as quickly as possible, as had the Mustang itself. Even when the engine worked fine, it took some getting used to for pilots who had flown Allison Mustangs, since the Merlin ran louder and rougher than the Allison, and in particular produced an unnerving THUMP! when the supercharger cut in or out. Working out the bugs and learning the right ways to fly with and maintain the engine took time.
One significant problem was the tendency of the 12.7-millimeter guns to jam. As in earlier Mustangs, the wing machine guns in the P-51B were canted onto their sides, and the sharp angle at which the ammunition fed into the guns could lead to jamming under high-gee maneuvers. This problem would require rethinking the armament scheme.
A particularly alarming problem, to say the least, was the occasional tendency of the wings to fall off during a high-speed dive. Ironically, Tommy Hitchcock, who had done much to promote the Merlin Mustang, was killed over England in a P-51B in this way in April 1944. These structural failures proved to be due to the tendency of wing ammunition doors or the main landing gear to open under high-gee conditions, producing excessive forces on the wing. These problems were eventually resolved.
One long-standing annoyance was the canopy scheme, which gave a poor view to the rear; prevented the pilot from getting a clear view ahead over the long nose in takeoff; could not be opened in normal flight; and was difficult to get out of in an emergency. The RAF came up with their own solution by replacing the three NAA canopy panels with a one-piece bubble "hood", similar to that used on the Spitfire, that slid back to the rear. The new canopy design was implemented by the British firm of R. Malcolm Limited, and consisted of one-piece blown Perspex bubble that could be easily refitted to the Mustang by field maintenance personnel. The "Malcolm hood" was refitted to most RAF Mustang IIIs, and was apparently fitted to some USAAF P-51Bs and even some of the old Allison Mustangs.
Another problem was that, even with drop tanks, the Mustang still didn't have enough range to escort Eighth AF bombers all the way to Berlin and back. The USAAF had been testing a potential long-range fighter, the Fisher XP-75, that had proven unsatisfactory, and needed something immediately that could do the job. USAAF Colonel Mark Bradley, who had been in charge of testing the XP-75, told NAA's Dutch Kindelberger that there was some empty space in the rear fuselage of the Mustang, and that another fuel tank should to be put there.
NAA engineers devised a 322-liter (85 US gallon) tank that fit between the pilot's seat and the radio. The new tank gave the Mustang the necessary range, solving one problem, if at the expense of creating another. The new fuel tank was added without concern for its effect on the Mustang's center of gravity. With a full fuel load, getting the fighter off the runway was downright dangerous, and the aircraft was only marginally controllable for the first hour or so that it took to drain the tank.
That had to do, there was a war on and something was needed right away, so the third tank was fitted to late-production P-51Bs. The British also made their own contribution to the range problem in the form of a new drop tank that accommodated 409 liters (108 US gallons) and which was made of plastic-impregnated paper. That sounds a little crazy, particularly since the fuel would rot the tank if left in it for more than eight hours. However, the paper drop tanks were perfectly effective, and were lighter and cheaper than metal drop tanks. Dropping them over German territory also did not provide the enemy with aluminum they could scavenge for their own war effort. Production rates of the paper drop tanks eventually reached 24,000 a month.
A 416-liter (110 US gallon) drop tank was also built, plus a 568-liter (150 US gallon) ferry tank. Information on these tanks is sketchy, but the ferry tank looked like a tub whose upper rim fit up against the wing, and so it appears it could not be dropped in flight.
The problems with misidentification with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 continued. White stripes were painted on the nose, wings, and tail, but with only limited effectiveness. On 10 February 1944, for example, Glenn Eagleston was shot up by a P-47 over Germany and only barely managed to make it back to England to bail out. Before the year was out, the problem would be reduced by the simple measure of delivering Mustangs to England in natural metal finish. The USAAF wanted to take on the Luftwaffe, not hide from them, and eliminating the paint actually reduced aircraft weight and slightly improved performance. RAF Mustangs would continue to be painted in camouflage until near the end of the war.
* While the bugs were worked out of the P-51B and its range extended, the USAAF and RAF built up new squadrons with the aircraft and put them to use. Using the new third fuel tank and drop tanks, on 6 March 1944, P-51Bs escorted Eighth AF B-17 Flying Fortresses all the way to Berlin for the first time.
This is a somewhat simple-minded description of the action that gives the impression that the Mustangs joined the bomber formations after takeoff from England and stayed with them through the entire raid. In fact, for escort missions, a number of fighter formations were sent to staged rendezvous points to join the bombers at specific intervals, with shorter-range aircraft like P-47s providing escort cover at relatively short ranges and the long-range P-51Bs handling the most remote legs of the mission.
On the 6 March Berlin raid, the P-51Bs got into a massed dogfight that a Fortress pilot called "one of the damnedest dogfights of the war. It was off to the right of us as we headed east and several thousand feet higher -- about one and a half miles away. It looked like a giant swarm of bees -- P-51s, Bf 109s, Fw 190s." This mission was not a complete success, since B-17 losses were heavy, but the USAAF would be back and would learn. Early on, bomber crews sometimes accused the fighter jocks of wanting to dogfight for the glory instead of protecting the bombers, and it took time for the bombers and fighters to learn to work in better coordination.
The logistics of long-range escort missions were difficult in any case. Getting a Mustang with drop tanks and a full fuselage tank off the runway was fearsome, particularly since the fighter groups didn't have the luxury of waiting for one aircraft to clear the runway before sending another out. The result was sometimes a hideous fireball on the runway, followed by an even more disastrous pile-up that incinerated men and machines. Once airborne, P-51B pilots had to perform a tricky exercise in fuel management before they entered combat. Initially, USAAF procedure was to drain the fuselage tank before switching to the drop tanks, but this led to Mustang pilots discarding full drop tanks when they were forced to combat prematurely. The USAAF then reversed the procedure, instructing pilots to drain the drop tanks first. That was not entirely satisfactory either, since the Mustang was very hard to fly with a loaded fuselage tank, and ultimately to get out of this dilemma, the USAAF was forced to limit the amount of fuel pumped into the fuselage tank to 246 liters (65 US gallons).
Despite these problems, the P-51B was proving extremely effective in air combat. One of the early stars was Don S. Gentile (pronounced "Jentilly") of the 4th FG's 336 Fighter Squadron. Flying his P-51B, "Shangri-La", Gentile was able to claim a total of 16 victories in March and early April 1944, all but one of them against Luftwaffe single-engine fighters. On 11 April 1944, Gentile was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by General Dwight D. Eisenhower for his actions. Two days later, Gentile flew his Mustang into the ground while buzzing his home base. Gentile walked away unharmed, but "Shangri-La" was a total loss.
The RAF continued to use their new Mustang IIIs in the close-support role. Racks for eight RPs were evaluated again, and while they once more imposed a performance penalty, the Merlin Mustang's higher performance made it more tolerable. Such rocket-firing Mustang IIIs were used in Italy.
* By late spring 1944, NAA was moving P-51 production to the next variant, the "P-51D", which would become the most heavily produced and best known of all the Mustangs. It was still the P-51B that actually led the USAAF challenge the Luftwaffe on its home ground. The P-51B was the most numerous Mustang in service well after D-Day, and by VE day was still fighting in large numbers. Some pilots who flew the P-51B regarded it as the best of the Mustangs.
A total of 3,738 P-51Bs and P-51Cs was built. The RAF received 910 Mustang IIIs under Lend-Lease. 91 of the USAAF total were fitted as reconnaissance aircraft, with two cameras installed, one ahead of the tailwheel and the other staring out the left side of the aircraft. This variant was designated "F-6C". The F-6C retained the four machine guns of the standard P-51B and often engaged in air combat. One USAAF F-6 pilot, Captain Clyde East, would become an ace, with 15 confirmed kills.
Some war-weary P-51Bs were converted by ground crews into two-seaters, for use as trainers or "hacks". These conversions could be extremely clean, with a second "razorback" canopy inserted into the rear fuselage immediately behind the first.BACK_TO_TOP
* NAA was quick to recognize the deficiencies of the P-51B and come up with a new version to fix most of them.
Although the RAF remedied the poor rear view of the razorback Mustang with the excellent Malcolm hood, NAA decided on a different approach, though it was derived from British work as well. Colonel Mark Bradley had visited England in early 1943, and had seen the "bubble" canopies that the British had developed for the Spitfire and Typhoon.
The bubble canopies gave a pilot unobstructed all-round vision. Bradley returned to the US and pushed to get bubble canopies fitted onto American fighters. Republic quickly put one on a P-47, and Bradley flew the modified Thunderbolt to California to show it to NAA's Dutch Kindelberger. NAA very quickly came up with a plan to cut back the rear fuselage of the Mustang and mount a large bubble canopy over the cockpit. The canopy would slide open back over the rear fuselage. Two P-51Bs were pulled from the assembly line as proof-of-concept demonstrators, and the first bubble-top "XP-51D" (company designation "NA-106") took to the air on 17 November 1943.
The four-gun armament of the P-51B was also unsatisfactory -- not merely because of its light firepower, but because of the previously-mentioned tendency to jam due to the guns' installation at an angle. NAA engineers took a good look at the problem, and came up with a much better solution for the P-51D. The new armament fit provided three 12.7-millimeter machine guns in each wing, and allowed them to stand upright. The two outer machine guns were mounted side by side. The ammunition boxes for these two weapons were stacked in the wing outboard of the weapons, with the box for the outer gun on the bottom and the box for the middle gun on the top. The ammunition feed for the middle gun arched over the outer gun. Each of these boxes could store 270 rounds of ammunition.
The inner machine gun was set back of the two other guns, and was fed from an ammunition box stowed directly behind the boxes for the outboard guns. This box could store 400 rounds of ammunition. The middle gun could be removed to allow the ammunition store for the outer gun to be increased to 400 rounds. This new armament fit helped greatly reduce jamming. Eventually, production P-51Ds would also be fitted with an ammunition belt power feed system that reduced the incidence of jamming still further.
Another improvement did much to increase the P-51D's lethality. Once again British engineering made a considerable contribution to the Mustang, this time in the form of the British Ferranti "GGS Mark IID" computing gyro sight, replacing the relatively simple Bell & Howell gunsights used to this time. The Ferranti sight, manufactured under license in the US as the "K-14", allowed the pilot to dial in the target wingspan and target range, and then told the pilot when he had a good shot at the target. The K-14 was regarded as a marvel of technology and greatly increased the pilot's accuracy in deflection shots. Later P-51D production would also feature AN/APS-13 tail warning radar, with rod antennas sprouting from the tailfin, to give warning of attack from the rear.
Traditionally, Mustangs had two pylons for bombs or drop tanks, but late production P-51Ds also had streamlined stubs for potent 12.7-centimeter (5-inch) "High Velocity Air Rockets (HVAR)". These rocket-firing Mustangs could carry ten HVARs, or six HVARs plus two bombs or two drop tanks.
Initial production P-51Ds used the Packard V-1650-3 engine, but late production would be uprated to the improved V-1650-7 engine. The P-51D used a four-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller, with some variation in propeller design in the course of production.
NORTH AMERICAN P-51D (MUSTANG IV): _____________________ _________________ _______________________ spec metric english _____________________ _________________ _______________________ wingspan 11.28 meters 37 feet wing area 21.65 sq_meters 233 sq_feet length 9.83 meters 32 feet 3 inches height 4.16 meters 13 feet 8 inches empty weight 3,466 kilograms 7,635 pounds max loaded weight 5,493 kilograms 12,100 pounds maximum speed 700 KPH 435 MPH / 380 KT service ceiling 12,770 meters 41,900 feet range with drop tanks 2,655 KM 1,650 MI / 1,435 NMI _____________________ _________________ _______________________
Other changes included a wing with slightly greater chord at the root, plus stronger main gear to handle the aircraft's increased weight. One significant change was the addition of a dorsal fin fillet to the tailfin, added after initial P-51D production. The fillet compensated for yaw instability problems that had become increasingly troublesome with the introduction of the Merlin engine, the addition of the fuselage fuel tank, and the cut-back of the rear fuselage.
By May 1944, P-51Ds were flowing from the production line in Inglewood to combat units in England, starting with the 4th FG. NAA's Fort Worth plant was also producing the version in quantity, though that production also included a variant named the "P-51K" whose only significant difference from the P-51D was a slightly smaller Aeroproducts propeller. This change was stipulated by the USAAF, which was concerned about the supply of the Hamilton Standard propeller. The Aeroproducts propeller was also lighter, but apparently was not completely satisfactory and production reverted to the Hamilton Standard propeller. Unless otherwise noted, all following comments about the P-51D also apply to the P-51K.
The P-51D and P-51K were provided to the RAF, which named them the "Mustang IV" and "Mustang IVA" respectively. However, the RAF had no desperate need for the new Mustang and didn't begin to put it into service until September 1944. The USAAF also flew reconnaissance versions of the P-51D and P-51K, named "F-6D" and "F-6K" respectively. The reconnaissance versions featured a camera fit much like that used in the F-6A, with two cameras just ahead of the tailwheel, and retained armament. Some P-51Ds would be converted to the reconnaissance configuration, and were known as "FP-51Ds".
* The P-51D still had its problems. In fact, as its increased armament and other changes made it somewhat heavier than the P-51B, it had slightly inferior climb performance relative to the P-51B and was slightly slower as well -- which is likely why some pilots thought the P-51B was the better aircraft. Like the P-51B, the P-51D was difficult to handle with a full fuselage tank, and it had high stick forces under combat maneuvers. Worst of all, under such maneuvers it gave no warning of stall and could fly abruptly and wildly out of control. It was also difficult to bail out of, since air pressure tended to trap the pilot in his seat, and Mustang pilots had to learn the Luftwaffe trick of turning the aircraft over and falling out. However, the aircraft's virtues were such that these vices were forgiveable, though not forgettable.
With a better field of view, greater firepower, and an improved gunsight the P-51D was a match for the Luftwaffe's piston-engined fighters. USAAF pilots were also assisted in air combat by another innovation, the "G-suit", which guarded against pilot "blackout" during high-speed turns. The G-suit worked by applying pressure when needed to the pilot's abdomen and legs, preventing blood from pooling in the lower body. The British developed a hydraulic G-suit, known as the "Frank", but the Americans preferred their own, less cumbersome pneumatic G-suit, known as the "Berger". The Berger G-suit was available in quantity by June 1944, and put to good use by Mustang pilots.
* With the P-51D, the USAAF achieved the decisive air superiority over the Reich that the P-51B had promised. Pressured by a war on two fronts and harassed from the air, Luftwaffe resistance began to crumble, and the USAAF cruised through the sky against fading opposition. Mustangs escorted the bombers to their targets and then strafed airfields on the way home, coming in at high speed just above the grass and in single line abreast to take the defenders by surprise.
Many USAAF pilots became "aces in a day" in the P-51D. On 12 October 1944, Lieutenant "Chuck" Yeager, at the start of a famous career, shot down five Messerschmitt Bf 109s on a single mission. Similarly, Captain Bill Wisner destroyed six Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on an escort mission on 21 November 1944, while Lieutenant Claude Crenshaw shot down five Fw 190s during the same escort mission. On 30 August 1944, Major George Preddy was leading his flight to escort a bomber raid over Berlin when he shot down six Bf 109s. Preddy would become the highest-scoring Mustang ace, with a total of 24 victories. He was killed by "friendly" anti-aircraft fire on Christmas Day, 1944.
The Germans were running out of fuel, aircraft, and experienced pilots. Even the new jet fighters like the Messerschmitt Me 262 did them little good, since Allied fighters like the Mustang seemed to be everywhere all the time. While the Me 262 could outpace the Mustang in high-altitude combat, the Mustang could out-turn the jet easily, making it no disastrous threat to an alert pilot, and could outlast the Messerschmitt, which had limited endurance. When an Me 262 came in for a landing, it was often bounced by lurking Mustangs. On 7 October 1944, USAAF Lieutenant Urban Drew dived on two indistinct German fighters and shot them both down before he realized he had taken on a pair of Me 262s. On 4 November 1944, Walter Nowotny, the fifth-ranking German ace, with 258 kills, was attacked by P-51Ds as he approached the runway, and flew into the ground while taking evasive action. Mustangs destroyed three other Me 262s that day.
* In the meantime, the RAF had been using their Mustang IVs to combat a different type of jet aircraft, the German V-1 "flying bomb", or "Doodlebug". After the V-1 attacks began in early summer, the RAF set up patrols of fast aircraft like the Typhoon, Spitfire, and Mustang to intercept them. These fighters would circle near the coast and were directed to a V-1 by a radar ground-control station. Intercepting the Doodlebug bombs could be tricky, since they were small and fast. Mustangs still accounted for hundreds of these weapons before the missile launch sites were overrun by the Allies in the early fall of 1944.
* The P-51Ds saw extensive service outside of Northern Europe as well. The Fifteenth Air Force in Italy featured several fighter groups flying the Mustang, in particular the 332nd FG. This fighter group consisted entirely of black American pilots, known as the "Tuskegee Airmen", or "Red-Tails" for the paint job on their fighters.
Fighter groups of the Fourteenth Air Force in the CBI had been flying P-51Bs but upgraded in part to P-51Ds in 1945. CBI P-51Ds were often field-modified for unusual stores configurations, such as two drop tanks and six 45-kilogram (100-pound) bombs; or four drop tanks; or 45-kilogram bombs and 36 small fragmentation bombs. They were also usually fitted with direction-finding loop antennas ahead of the tailfin for navigation on long missions.
Fifth Air Force Mustangs began to operate out of the Philippines in December 1944. One of the Fifth's pilots, Major William A. Shomo, was flying an F-6D over northern Luzon on 11 January 1945, when he ran into a swarm of Japanese fighters, including the Ki-61 "Tony" and formidable Ki-44 "Tojo". Shomo shot down seven of them, to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for this feat.
The Seventh Air Force began to obtain P-51Ds on Iwo Jima beginning in March 1944, to be used to fly escort for Boeing B-29 Superfortress raids over Japan. The Mustangs flew their first mission over Japan on 1 April 1945. These missions were very difficult, with a round-trip distance of 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) over trackless ocean. A B-29 was assigned to each fighter group to provide navigation.
Iwo Jima's airstrips were very dusty and caused engine failures that could be deadly. Tropical storms were also very violent and hazardous. On 1 June 1945, a group of 148 Mustangs left Iwo Jima to rendezvous with B-29s for a raid on Honshu. The fighters ran into a weather front and lost 27 of their number in mid-air collisions and other accidents. 22 pilots died.BACK_TO_TOP
* 7,956 P-51Ds and 1,500 P-51Ks were built by North American, more than all other models of Mustangs combined. Of these aircraft, 875 ended up as RAF Mustang IVs and Mustang IVAs. The USAAF would credit about 5,000 air combat kills to Merlin Mustangs operating in Europe, a little less than half the total claimed, and these aircraft were also credited with destroying over 4,000 enemy aircraft on the ground, a little more than half the total claimed.
As with the P-51B, there were a number of field-modified two-seat conversions. The second seat was installed under the bubble canopy in place of normal radio gear. North American also designed a "formal" two-seat conversion with dual controls, and this variant was known as the "TP-51D". One such two-seater was used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower as a fast observation aircraft to allow him to personally inspect the Normandy beachhead in June 1944. In the 1950s, the Temco company would also convert 15 F-51Ds (as the P-51D was designated by that time) to a two-seat trainer configuration designated the "TF-51D", featuring twin tandem cockpits.
Of course, given the great numbers and wide use of the P-51D, there were a few oddball variants. One was fitted with an arresting-hook "stinger" and used for carrier trials on the USS SHANGRI-LA in November and December 1944, with Navy Lieutenant Robert Elder at the controls. This aircraft was designated the "ETF-51D". The US Navy was very interested in a long-range carrier-based fighter, but although the trials went well, the capture of Iwo Jima and American air superiority over the Pacific eliminated the need for a naval Mustang.
There was actually a jet-powered version of the P-51D, sort of. After the war a P-51D was modified as a ramjet test platform, with one Marquardt ramjet attached to each wingtip. The piston engine was retained, of course, since a ramjet has to be moving at relatively high speed before it can be started. The ramjet-boosted Mustang flew extensive tests until August 1948, when one of the ramjets flamed out. The test pilot tried to relight it, and ramjet exploded in a fireball; the pilot managed to turn the aircraft over and bail out, leaving the Mustang to fall to earth.BACK_TO_TOP
* The P-51 was a relatively heavy aircraft for its size, mostly due to the fact that it had been designed in a hurry, and with an emphasis on ease of manufacture instead of airframe optimization. Edgar Schmued had traveled to England to inspect Supermarine's factories and study captured Luftwaffe aircraft, and felt that much could be done to reduce the Mustang's weight.
In early 1943 NAA began a project to develop a "lightweight" Mustang, with the company designation "NA-105". The new Mustang that resulted had few parts in common with earlier versions, featuring an even more streamlined wing, a redesigned cooling system, a longer but more aerodynamically efficient bubble canopy, plus extensive minor changes to cockpit layout, control surfaces, landing gear, and so on. The troublesome fuselage fuel tank was deleted. In compensation, the integral wing tanks were increased to a capacity of 386 liters (102 US gallons) each. Machine-gun armament was reduced from three to two 12.7-millimeter Browning guns in each wing, with each gun provided with 440 rounds of ammunition. Interestingly, the lightweight design reverted to a three-bladed propeller.
Two lightweights were initially built as "XP-51Fs", followed by a third produced in RAF colors and shipped to Britain as a "Mustang V". Bob Chilton made the first flight in an XP-51F on 14 February 1944. The aircraft was very fast, with a top speed of 750 KPH (466 MPH) at altitude, but its handling left something to be desired.
Two more lightweights were built using the experimental Rolls-Royce Merlin 145M engine, driving a five-bladed Rotol propeller. These two were known as "XP-51Gs", and the first one flew in early August 1944. The five-bladed propeller was apparently unsatisfactory, since it was immediately replaced with an Aeroproducts four-bladed propeller. One of the XP-51Gs achieved a top speed of 796 KPH (495 MPH) some months later, making it the fastest of all the Mustangs. An XP-51G was provided to the RAF for flight tests. It was not produced due to limited availability of the Merlin 145M.
NAA also developed a lightweight Mustang named the "XP-51J" that featured (for comparative studies) an Allison V-1710-119 engine, which had a two-stage supercharger to improve high altitude performance and a water-injection system for boost power. This aircraft had the carburetor intake moved under the fuselage to draw air from the belly airscoop, and as a result the XP-51J had a cleanly streamlined nose, unbroken by any significant openings. It gave the aircraft the look of a custom-built air racer. Two XP-51Js were built, but only one actually flew, in April 1945. Performance did not meet expectations due to engine problems, and so the second aircraft was shipped to Allison, where the engine was scavenged for parts for engineering studies.
Interestingly, one of the lightweights, an XP-51G, has survived to the present. It is unlikely that it will ever fly, since many of its parts are unique and unavailable.
* Although the various NA-105 lightweights were not regarded as entirely practical for field use, the ideas incorporated in them were used to enhance the P-51D design, leading to the final production version of the Mustang, the "P-51H".
This aircraft was powered by an uprated V-1650-9 engine, featuring water-methanol injection for power boost and driving a four-bladed propeller. It had a lengthened fuselage similar to that of the XP-51F, a taller tailfin to deal with lateral stability problems, and a cockpit that was slightly raised to provide a better forward field of view. The P-51H reverted to six wing guns. The fuselage fuel tank made a comeback as well, though it was sensibly smaller than that of the P-51B and P-51D, with a capacity of 191 liters (5O US gallons).
The P-51H was one of the fastest piston fighters ever to reach full operational service, with a level speed of 784 KPH (487 MPH). Thousands of P-51Hs were ordered, with the company designation "NA-126", but the end of the war and the rise of the jet fighter reduced the actual quantity produced to 555.
The NAA plant in Fort Worth was to produce the P-51H with a different model number, "P-51M" (or "NA-124"), though only one such aircraft was actually built. A minor variation of the P-51H designated "P-51L" (or "NA-129") was considered, which was to feature an improved V-1650-11 engine with fuel injection, but none were actually built.
NORTH AMERICAN P-51H: _____________________ _________________ _______________________ spec metric english _____________________ _________________ _______________________ wingspan 11.28 meters 37 feet wing area 21.65 sq_meters 233 sq_feet length 10.16 meters 33 feet 4 inches height 3.37 meters 11 feet 1 inch empty weight 3,193 kilograms 7,040 pounds max loaded weight 5,221 kilograms 11,500 pounds maximum speed 785 KPH 485 MPH / 425 KT service ceiling 12,770 meters 41,900 feet range with drop tanks 1,866 KM 1,160 MI / 1,010 NMI _____________________ _________________ _______________________
The P-51H saw little or no combat. It was quickly replaced by the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star in the air superiority role. In the years immediately following WW II, the USAAF standardized on the P-51D for close support, since the P-51H was not regarded as being as robust.
* A total of about 15,600 Mustangs of all types was built by North American, not including the aircraft built in Australia by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and discussed in the next chapter. Almost two-thirds of these were P-51Ds, and that type survives today as the most common Mustang.
A P-51 cost about $51,000 USD in WW II dollars. Even allowing for inflation of about a factor of ten to the present day, it is an indication of the evolution to greater sophistication and expense of modern fighter aircraft that a half-million dollars wouldn't even buy a light attack aircraft, much less a first line fighter.BACK_TO_TOP

domain: history


Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg speaks at today’s event marking the launch of Select Bus Service on 125th Street. Behind the podium are City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Mark Levine, Carmen Bianco of New York City Transit, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, and City Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez. Photo: Stephen Miller
On Sunday, Select Bus Service launched on a route that stretches from 125th Street in Harlem to LaGuardia Airport. Public officials marked the occasion — the first SBS route to debut during the de Blasio era — at a Harlem press conference today. With off-board fare collection and dedicated bus lanes (on part of the route), the upgrades will speed cross-town trips for 33,000 bus riders daily, on both the M60 SBS route and local routes that will benefit from the bus lanes only.
Not that long ago, it seemed like SBS on 125th Street might never happen. The bus lanes were originally planned to extend between Second and Morningside Avenues, but after State Senator Bill Perkins led objections to the planning process, the plan was scaled back, calling for bus lanes between Second Avenue and Lenox. The entire project appeared dead soon after, then was revived in October after closed-door meetings with Perkins and other erstwhile opponents.
At today’s press conference, elected officials made the case for extending the bus lanes west to Morningside.
“While it’s a fabulous day for East Harlem, it’s a slightly less wonderful day for Central and West Harlem, because a key feature of this route, which is the bus-only lane you see right here, stops — comes to an abrupt halt — at Lenox Avenue,” said Council Member Mark Levine. “That’s simply not fair to residents in the western part of this wonderful street.”
Levine, whose call for extending the bus lane was echoed by State Senator Adriano Espaillat, said he hoped that it could be implemented as soon as this fall.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito thinks success on the initial segment will lead to westward expansion. “Once people start using this and really seeing the benefits, you’re going to start getting the support of people asking and clamoring for more,” she said. “Some of us, we thought this wouldn’t move forward.”


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WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Department of Theatre and Dance is pleased to announce their 2018-19 production schedule. From comedy to tragedy, to modern and contemporary, to a traditional musical and classical ballet, this season has selections from the past and present for all to enjoy.
“Proof” by David Auburn
Sept. 26-30, 2018, Performance Center Studio Theatre, Winona
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award, “Proof” is the smart, funny, and compassionate story of 25-year-old Catherine on the weekend of her birthday, following the death of her mathematician father. The plans of her estranged sister and a burgeoning romance lead to a mysterious notebook with the most difficult problem of all: Has she inherited her father’s genius or madness? Directed by Jimmy Bickerstaff, M.F.A., Ph.D.
“A Piece of My Heart” by Shirley Lauro
Oct. 17-20, 2018, New Wimbledon Studio Theatre, London
“A Piece of My Heart” is a powerful, true drama of six women who went to Vietnam: three nurses, a Red Cross worker, an Army Intelligence officer, and a country singer booked by an unscrupulous agent to entertain the troops. The play portrays each young woman before, during, and after her tour in the war-torn jungle and ends as each leaves a personal token at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Directed by Gary Diomandes, Ph.D.
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
Nov. 1-4, 2018, Performance Center Page Theatre, Winona
Shakespeare’s classic tale of two star-crossed lovers whose feuding families are united over their tragic deaths. Directed by Walter Elder, M.F.A.
Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 2018, Page Theatre, Winona
The holiday classic and family favorite includes performers of all ages in association with the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts. Directed by Tammy Schmidt, M.F.A.
“The Lady from the Sea” by Henrik Ibsen
Feb. 13-17, 2019, Performance Center Studio Theatre, Winona
Landlocked beyond the walls of her fjord home where her husband offers love, security, and family, the mysterious Ellida is persistently drawn to the sea where a powerful past love returns promising the ecstasy of the unknown. Where will she find her true freedom? Directed by Jimmy Bickerstaff, M.F.A., Ph.D.
“She Loves Me” by Joe Masteroff (book); Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (music, lyrics)
March 21-24, 2019, Performance Center Page Theatre, Winona
Set in a European perfumery, shop clerks Amalia and Georg respond to a lonely hearts newspaper advertisement without the other knowing. They now live for the love letters they exchange, while wondering who their admirers could be. Directed by Judy Myers, M.F.A.
Dance Repertory Company Concert
April 11-13, 2019, Performance Center Page Theatre, Winona
A new program of choreography and dance performed by our talented faculty and students. Directed by Tammy Schmidt, M.F.A.
Questions can be directed to:
Judy Myers, M.F.A., professor, co-chair (musical theatre), firstname.lastname@example.org
Jimmy Bickerstaff, M.F.A., Ph.D., associate professor, co-chair (history/theory), email@example.com
Gary Diomandes, Ph.D., professor emeritus, London program director, firstname.lastname@example.org
Walter Elder, M.F.A., assistant professor, (acting/directing), email@example.com
Niffer Pflager, M.F.A., assistant professor (design/technology), firstname.lastname@example.org
Tammy Schmidt, M.F.A., assistant professor, director of dance, email@example.com
Anastasia Goodwin, M.F.A. (costume design), firstname.lastname@example.org
Suzanne Deranek, director of admission, email@example.com


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A potentially contentious parade which passed off peacefully in Belfast on Saturday should be used as a model for the rest of the marching season, a PUP spokesman has said.
Around 150 nationalist protestors stood along the Springfield Road as officers from No 9 district marched through Workman Avenue onto the road from the Shankill.
Ten unionist protestors had been permitted by the Parades Commission to stand on the road as part of a counter-protest to demonstrate their claim that loyalists are not welcome on the Springfield Road.
While there were fears violence could erupt, the parade and both protests passed peacefully and PUP spokesman Winston Irvine said all involved should be commended for their dignified behaviour.
He acknowledged the amount of work which had gone into preparing for the day, and praised those who helped to keep the peace in the area.
“There was a lot of hard work had gone on behind the scenes to make sure the event passed off peacefully,” said Mr Irvine.
“The Orange Order and bands should be commended for the way they conducted themselves. And I have to say that the nationalist protest was also respectful.
“And after today I would ask why can this particular model not be replicated elsewhere?”
Mr Irvine referred specifically to the parade in Ardoyne where trouble has flared in recent years.
“If republicans can show respect in this instance with a peaceful and dignified protest, we see no reason why this cannot happen at the Ardoyne shop fronts.”

domain: sociology


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without Internet Explorer,
in 1280 x 960 resolution
Who would’ve thought that Entombed would turn into a death n roll outfit, particularly after their first two albums Left Hand Path and Clandestine (which both kick ass)? Hard to believe, but that is the path they chose, and we have to either deal with it or move on. Their 1993 EP Hollowman already shows Entombed in their death n roll era, and they are not about to change, as we know.
Now, I’ve heard very little Entombed beyond this point, so I can only go by what I hear here. As per the genre name, it’s quite rocky, which, in turn, is very catchy. You can’t help but start tapping your foot to the beats and use of the wah pedal on the guitar. I wouldn’t recommend other bands use it as much as Entombed do here, but here, it just tends to work. The solo on “Serpent Speech” has a very high wah usage, yet I quite like it. If that was used in, say, Incantation, then listeners would be in a state of “wtf” for a while. It won’t work there. It works here.
The drumming is more thrashed up than what it was on their first two albums. Again, it fits the death n roll style they’ve adopted, and keeps the songs plodding along. There’s nothing really outstanding with them…there’s no intricate fills, or catchy breaks from the drums. They are seemingly there to keep the songs afloat and nothing more. I will admit that the songs would’ve been that much more interesting had the drums taken a more dominant role.
The vocals still sound similar to what they did before, except he’s now using more of a harsh yell than a growl. It’s not a huge difference, but I’ve noticed it. It again fits the death n roll genre, and I like it.
As a whole, the EP isn’t too bad. The twelve seconds of silence between every song pisses me off, and the lack of normal vocals in “Wolverine Blues” leaves a little to be desired, but overall, it’s a solid EP that is overlooked by their earlier works. If you can find this EP, I would recommend getting it. Sure, it’s death n roll, and we like Entombed as a death metal band, but Hollowman is still a good release and should probably garner more attention than it currently gets.


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We found 30 providers named 'Alison Ko' nationally.
Dr. Alison Kole specializes in adult critical care, sleep medicine, and adult pulmonology. Dr. Kole's areas of expertise include shortness of breath (dyspnea), cystic fibrosis (CF), and sleep apnea. She takes Medicare insurance. She studied medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Kole's medical residency was performed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She is affiliated with Summit Medical Group. She has an open panel.
Clinical interests: Restless Leg Syndrome, Wheezing, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Sleep Problems, Bronchitis, ... (Read more)
Dr. Alison Koehler's area of specialization is pathology. She is in-network for Medicare insurance. Dr. Koehler obtained her medical school training at SUNY, University at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and performed her residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Cincinnati. She has received professional recognition including the following: Chief Resident, Pathology, University of Cincinnati Medical School. Dr. Koehler is professionally affiliated with Lake Norman Regional Medical Center.


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Among its many cultural attractions, the University of California Berkeley is home to the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, an 8,000-seat venue that hosts speeches, musical performances, plays and symposiums. Located on Gayley Road, the Greek Theatre is in close proximity to about half a dozen hotels, four of which are located within three miles of the venue.
Hotel Shattuck Plaza
Two miles from Berkeley's Greek Theatre, the Hotel Shattuck Plaza (hotelshattuckplaza.com) stands as the closest lodging to the venue. This historic luxury hotel -- first established in 1910 -- features a full-service bar, concierge and turn-down services, a fitness center, in-room dining and a 24-hour business center. Because the hotel is in the midst of downtown Berkeley's theater district, guests can easily walk to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the Aurora Theatre Company and the Berkeley Community Theatre. On-site, the Five restaurant serves gourmet cuisine accented by a wine line of more than 100 local labels.
Blue Sky Hotel
The Blue Sky Hotel (beausky.com), just a little less than three miles east of the Greek Theatre, is a historic boutique-style hotel in downtown Berkeley. The Blue Sky bills itself as an "eclectic" lodging within walking distance of the "best bookstores in the world." Amenities include massage services, airport transportation, gym access and room service. When not at the theater, guests can hit up the People's Park or the Habitot Children's Museum, both within a mile of the hotel. Walking-distance dining options include brats at the Top Dog, Indian dishes at Naan N Curry and Italian food at Gypsy's Trattoria.
Spanish Mediterranean style and a boutique atmosphere define the Hotel Durant (jdvhotels.com), located three miles east of the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre. This hotel has 143 rooms featuring custom decor, pillow-top mattresses, BluRay library access, iPod stations and eco-friendly toiletries. Within a mile, travelers can catch a live show at the Julia Morgan Theater or a current flick at the Landmark California. Henry's gastropub serves seasonal food as well as beer, wine and cocktails on-site.
Also three miles east of UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre, the Bancroft Hotel (bancrofthotel.com) dubs itself a "unique Berkeley experience," featuring distinctive Bay Area architecture and sweeping city views. This lodging offers a complimentary continental breakfast, two large conference rooms and catering service. The Tilden Park Golf Course is only two miles away, and the UC Berkeley Art Museum and the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology are within walking distance. Also a short walk away, Adagia serves Mediterranean fusion food, and North Beach Pizza offers casual dining.
Dan Ketchum has been a professional writer since 2003, with work appearing online and offline in Word Riot, Bazooka Magazine, Anemone Sidecar, Trails and more. Dan's diverse professional background spans from costume design and screenwriting to mixology, manual labor and video game industry publicity.

domain: travel


Armament Research Services (ARES) is very pleased to announce the release of our latest Research Report, Desktop Firearms:
Emergent Small Arms Craft Production Technologies. The report examines the range of emergent technologies which are influencing the craft-production of small arms by individuals, and the effects these are having on the types of weapons that can be produced, and the viability of those outputs. Some paraphrased excerpts from the report follow:
On 5 May 2013, Defense Distributed—a self-described “…private defense contractor in service of the general public”—released the data for an almost entirely 3D-printed firearm , christened the ‘Liberator’. From that point onwards, 3D printing of firearms and firearm components began to proliferate. Today’s designs, however, have advanced a long way from their progenitor of less than a decade earlier. The barriers to entry have been dramatically lowered, and emergent technologies such as electrochemical machining (ECM) and desktop/micro-CNC have paved the way for the average person to craft-produce, with a little perseverance, capable self-loading hybrid firearms such as the FGC-9. Individuals can increasingly obtain firearms without having to access criminal networks or legally controlled firearms distribution channels, maintaining anonymity and independence.
It is highly likely that the FGC-9 is simply the first of a new wave of cheap, nearly-entirely-homemade 3D-printable firearm designs which solve material limitations by incorporating readily available metal components and unregulated firearms parts. This new breed of design offers adopters a cheap and effective firearm that is very difficult to trace, and may have the potential to rival or outstrip previous trends in the acquisition of illegal firearms modified from replica and deactivated firearms—themselves subject to increasing legislation. There are very limited control options for restricting access to the materials or design files used in craft-producing such weapons, and progressively more affordable machines and tools—as well as ongoing refinement of techniques—are likely to make their continued development and acquisition increasingly commonplace. As technical hurdles are raidly overcome, rifle-calibre firearms requiring strong locking actions—previously the preserve of factories—may soon be produced in the same low-tech manner as the FGC-9.
Whilst the research suggests that emergent craft-produced firearms are primarily designed and built by enthusiasts, small numbers have been used in violent incidents. 3D-printed firearms have been stockpiled by criminal elements. The perpetrator of the recent Halle attacks in Germany, for example, included a crude hybrid 3D-printed firearm in his arsenal.
To read the full publication, click here.
For more publications from ARES, see our Publications page.


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Visitor numbers at the country’s national museums have reached a record high ten years after the beginning of the landmark policy of providing free access to national museums.
Eight of the top ten UK visitor attractions are free DCMS-sponsored national museums and about 18 million visits are made every year to museums and galleries that used to charge an entrance fee.
“We have the finest museums and galleries in the world, but unlike other major capital cities, they are free to visit in this country,” Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. “The range of items on display is breathtaking, from world famous paintings to amazing discoveries from the natural world. All of this, free of charge, for anyone to visit as often as they like.
“Our free museums and galleries ensure that culture is for everyone, not just the lucky few. I am particularly proud that we have secured the future of free museums despite the current financial climate.”
Free entry to the permanent galleries at all DCMS-sponsored national museums began on 1 December 2001. Since then, visits to those in London that previously charged have increased by 151 per cent and visits to those outside London have risen by 148 per cent.
Museums in many other major cities around the world charge for entry, including the Musee du Louvre in Paris, which costs up to €10 per person, and MoMA in New York, which costs $25.
Research by VisitBritain suggests the UK’s free museums and galleries are a key motivator for many international visitors and earn the country £1 billion a year in revenue from overseas tourists.
How well do you know the UK’s free museums and galleries? Head to our Facebook page to test your knowledge in our photo competition or join the conversation on Twitter by following #freemuseums10.


Energy poverty in WA: A comparative assessment of drivers and effects
This BCEC funded project sought to characterise energy poverty in Australia by income bracket, housing type and household constitution and explore the impact that rising energy prices is having on households and individuals.
Through a mixture of firsthand elicitation of householders’ experiences, a survey of households in three states and an examination of Australia-wide economic data, the project was able to build a picture of what it means to suffer energy vulnerability.
The results draw attention to the dual issue facing poor households in rented accommodation that have access neither to energy saving measures nor low carbon home generation. The research will inform debate and support decision-making on policy and market structuring both in WA and nationally.


Back Thanks to MIke and Maureen Matusewic for this sighting and pictures.
Department of Natural Resources
Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation
Thank you for your responses to past Email inquiries, your responses are appreciated although disappointing.
Do to the fact that another wood turtle has been sighted, photographed (with the date on a current newspaper under the turtle, please let me know if Gtac has applied for an Incidental Take Permit?
Also I am interested in learning how many “Incidental Take Permits” are issued by your office yearly and to whom they are issued. How may I locate this information?
If you do not have a “certified reviewer” record of wood turtles, it is very hard for many of us to accept your statement: “I can assure you though, that the department takes the health of its endangered and threatened species seriously, and that potential impacts will be considered throughout the process” as factual due to the way the wood turtle is being treated? So the question is when does this process begin?
Is it possible to for a certified reviewer to enter the area as the forest is under the 600-foot control of Gtac?
It seems your position is you and your office will do nothing because wood turtles don’t really deserve consideration in today’s DNR?
You stated in your previous correspondence that “under usual procdures” ER reviews are not released to the public. The mine proposal is certainly not “usual” so how can we go about getting the ER reports released?
Frank K. Koehn


A total of 476 horsepower is just a few clicks away.
Polestar has just announced a new over-the-air update for its Polestar 2 that gives the electric vehicle an additional 68 horsepower for a new total output of 476 hp.
However, this OTA upgrade, which is a one-time $1,195 expense, is only for the Long Range Dual Motor variant. Polestar says this is the first time it's utilized its software upgrade capabilities for tuning purposes.
Along with the horsepower bump, participating owners also receive an extra 15 lb-ft of torque, now rated at 487 lb-ft. Performance is also enhanced with a new 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds. According to the carmaker's testing, the additional horsepower and torque can be felt at speeds between 44 and 80 mph. Accelerating from 50 to 75 mph now happens in only 2.2 seconds.
"This upgrade highlights how connected technologies can transform the relationship a car company has with its customers," said Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. "The driving experience in Polestar 2 is something we are really proud of. It is such a fun car to drive already, but with this upgrade, we can offer even more to our customers who might be after a little extra excitement."
Like an OTA download, this one can be done from just about anywhere, assuming there's a strong enough connection. There's no need for owners to visit a Polestar service center.
Although Polestar states this upgrade is for North American customers, it was already made available to European owners, specifically in the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Germany, and Austria, a year ago for €1,000 (roughly the same in US dollars).
Earlier this month, we reported that it's possibly illegal in Europe for automakers to charge a subscription fee to unlock an EV's full performance capabilities. In that case, Mercedes wanted to charge an extra $100 per month, or $1,200 annually, for EQS owners to unlock extra power and acceleration.
This so-called Acceleration Increase subscription is now being put on hold until Mercedes sorts out what it called "legal matters." Expect Polestar to face the same problem if it hasn't already. Still, Polestar's saving grace might be that it's only a one-time charge.
In the US, some states are also unhappy about automakers forcing owners to pony up more money to be able to use the hardware their cars were sold with. New Jersey, for example, wants in-car subscriptions to become illegal. But for now, Polestar 2 owners with the Dual Motor Long Range version can already download the acceleration and power upgrades.


GERMANY: Infrastructure manager DB Netz has awarded Stadler a contract to retrofit up to 80 maintenance vehicles with its Guardia ETCS Baseline 3.6.0 onboard equipment.
There is a firm order for installation on an initial eight 711.1 and 741.X vehicles for use in Germany and Switzerland from 2024, with an option for up to 72 more vehicles.
A pilot project saw Guardia installed on two Class 185.2 locomotives and the Class 605 DB Advanced Train Lab trainset that was exhibited at the InnoTrans 2022, but this will be the first large scale deployment by DB’s maintenance sector.
Marc Trippel, Head of Stadler’s Signalling Division, said the order announced on January 13 reflects the trust in Guardia that was built during the pilot project, and would make ‘an important contribution to digitalising the German rail network’.
DB Netz said installation would increase reliability and safety, with Baseline 3.6.0 offering additional functions over older variants which would save times and allow the vehicles to be used more efficiently.
Guardia ETCS is approved in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and the Netherlands, with the latest Baseline 3.6.0 approved for Germany and the Netherlands.


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The experience of feeling fat for women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa
Nel, Pieter W
The experience of feeling fat is common among both genders regardless of weight or shape. However, its intensity and frequency appear to be exacerbated for people with an eating disorder diagnosis (Fairburn, 2008). Research has indicated that feeling fat varies across time and situations (Roth & Armstrong, 1993), which suggests that feeling fat is not only about one’s body size, shape or levels of body satisfaction (Simlett, 2004). Feeling fat is comprised of cognitive (Striegel-Moore et al., 1986; Fairburn, 2008), affective (McFarlane et al. 2011), behavioural (Striegel-Moore et al., 1986) and situational components (Roth & Armstrong, 1993). However, the majority of these studies have used sub-clinical samples, and the subjective experience of feeling fat for individuals with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is not well understood (Cooper et al., 2007).