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Cool China Frequent Plastic Mold Manufacturer pictures

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC, with Northrop P-61C Black Widow, B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay”, and SR-71 Blackbird in the background
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Image by Chris Devers
See a lot more photographs of this, and the Wikipedia write-up.

Particulars, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy | Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC:

Hawker Chief Designer Sydney Camm’s Hurricane ranks with the most crucial aircraft styles in military aviation history. Designed in the late 1930s, when monoplanes had been regarded as unstable and too radical to be productive, the Hurricane was the very first British monoplane fighter and the very first British fighter to exceed 483 kilometers (300 miles) per hour in level flight. Hurricane pilots fought the Luftwaffe and helped win the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940.

This Mark IIC was built at the Langley factory, close to what is now Heathrow Airport, early in 1944. It served as a coaching aircraft in the course of the Planet War II in the Royal Air Force’s 41 OTU.

Donated by the Royal Air Force Museum

Manufacturer:
Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

Date:
1944

Nation of Origin:
United Kingdom

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 12.2 m (40 ft)
Length: 9.eight m (32 ft three in)
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Weight, empty: two,624 kg (five,785 lb)
Weight, gross: 3,951 kg (eight,710 lb)
Top speed:538 km/h (334 mph)
Engine:Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, liquid-cooled in-line V, 1,300 hp
Armament:4 20 mm Hispano cannons
Ordnance:two 250-lb or two 500-lb bombs or eight three-in rockets

Materials:
Fuselage: Steel tube with aircraft spruce types and fabric, aluminum cowling
Wings: Stressed Skin Aluminum
Horizontal Stablizer: Pressure Skin aluminum
Rudder: fabric covered aluminum
Control Surfaces: fabric covered aluminum

Physical Description:
Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC single seat, low wing monoplane ground attack fighter enclosed cockpit steel tube fuselage with aircraft spruce types and fabric, aluminum cowling, stressed skin aluminum wings and horizontal stablizer, fabric covered aluminum rudder and manage surfaces grey green camoflage prime surface paint scheme with dove grey underside red and blue national roundel on upper wing surface and red, white, and blue roundel decrease wing surface red, white, blue, and yellow roundel fuselage sides red, white and blue tail flash Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, liquid cooled V-12, 1,280 horsepower engine Armament, 4: 20mm Hispano cannons.

• • • • •

See more images of this, and the Wikipedia article.

Details, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy | Northrop P-61C Black Widow:

The P-61 Black Widow was the very first U.S. aircraft designed to find and destroy enemy aircraft at evening and in undesirable weather, a feat made attainable by the use of on-board radar. The prototype very first flew in 1942. P-61 combat operations began just right after D-Day, June six, 1944, when Black Widows flew deep into German airspace, bombing and strafing trains and road targeted traffic. Operations in the Pacific began at about the exact same time. By the end of Planet War II, Black Widows had seen combat in every theater and had destroyed 127 enemy aircraft and 18 German V-1 buzz bombs.

The Museum’s Black Widow, a P-61C-1-NO, was delivered to the Army Air Forces in July 1945. It participated in cold-weather tests, higher-altitude drop tests, and in the National Thunderstorm Project, for which the top turret was removed to make area for thunderstorm monitoring equipment.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Northrop Aircraft Inc.

Date:
1943

Nation of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
General: 450 x 1500cm, 10637kg, 2000cm (14ft 9 three/16in. x 49ft 2 9/16in., 23450.3lb., 65ft 7 3/8in.)

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing B-29 Superfortress &quotEnola Gay&quot:

Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of Planet War II and the 1st bomber to residence its crew in pressurized compartments. Although developed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 discovered its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: traditional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons.

On August 6, 1945, this Martin-constructed B-29-45-MO dropped the first atomic weapon utilised in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. 3 days later, Bockscar (on show at the U.S. Air Force Museum close to Dayton, Ohio) dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. A third B-29, The Wonderful Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on both missions.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Boeing Aircraft Co.
Martin Co., Omaha, Nebr.

Date:
1945

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
General: 900 x 3020cm, 32580kg, 4300cm (29ft 6 five/16in. x 99ft 1in., 71825.9lb., 141ft 15/16in.)

Components:
Polished general aluminum finish

Physical Description:
Four-engine heavy bomber with semi-monoqoque fuselage and high-aspect ratio wings. Polished aluminum finish all round, regular late-Globe War II Army Air Forces insignia on wings and aft fuselage and serial quantity on vertical fin 509th Composite Group markings painted in black &quotEnola Gay&quot in black, block letters on reduced left nose.

• • • • •

See far more photographs of this, and the Wikipedia article.

Specifics, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird:

No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated globally in a lot more hostile airspace or with such total impunity than the SR-71, the world’s quickest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird’s performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments for the duration of the Cold War.

This Blackbird accrued about 2,800 hours of flight time for the duration of 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 3,418 kilometers (two,124 miles) per hour. At the flight’s conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane more than to the Smithsonian.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Designer:
Clarence L. &quotKelly&quot Johnson

Date:
1964

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Overall: 18ft five 15/16in. x 55ft 7in. x 107ft 5in., 169998.5lb. (5.638m x 16.942m x 32.741m, 77110.8kg)
Other: 18ft five 15/16in. x 107ft 5in. x 55ft 7in. (five.638m x 32.741m x 16.942m)

Materials:
Titanium

Physical Description:
Twin-engine, two-seat, supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft airframe constructed largley of titanium and its alloys vertical tail fins are constructed of a composite (laminated plastic-type material) to decrease radar cross-section Pratt and Whitney J58 (JT11D-20B) turbojet engines feature massive inlet shock cones.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Boeing B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay”, with Lockheed P-38J-10-LO Lightning
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Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed P-38J-10-LO Lightning :

In the P-38 Lockheed engineer Clarence &quotKelly&quot Johnson and his team of designers produced one of the most profitable twin-engine fighters ever flown by any nation. From 1942 to 1945, U. S. Army Air Forces pilots flew P-38s over Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific, and from the frozen Aleutian Islands to the sun-baked deserts of North Africa. Lightning pilots in the Pacific theater downed a lot more Japanese aircraft than pilots flying any other Allied warplane.

Maj. Richard I. Bong, America’s top fighter ace, flew this P-38J-ten-LO on April 16, 1945, at Wright Field, Ohio, to evaluate an experimental strategy of interconnecting the movement of the throttle and propeller manage levers. Even so, his correct engine exploded in flight ahead of he could conduct the experiment.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Lockheed Aircraft Business

Date:
1943

Nation of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
All round: 390 x 1170cm, 6345kg, 1580cm (12ft 9 9/16in. x 38ft four 5/8in., 13988.2lb., 51ft 10 1/16in.)

Supplies:
All-metal

Physical Description:
Twin-tail boom and twin-engine fighter tricycle landing gear.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing B-29 Superfortress &quotEnola Gay&quot:

Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II and the first bomber to property its crew in pressurized compartments. Although developed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 discovered its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a selection of aerial weapons: standard bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons.

On August 6, 1945, this Martin-built B-29-45-MO dropped the initial atomic weapon utilized in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. 3 days later, Bockscar (on show at the U.S. Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio) dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. A third B-29, The Fantastic Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on both missions.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Boeing Aircraft Co.
Martin Co., Omaha, Nebr.

Date:
1945

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
General: 900 x 3020cm, 32580kg, 4300cm (29ft 6 5/16in. x 99ft 1in., 71825.9lb., 141ft 15/16in.)

Components:
Polished general aluminum finish

Physical Description:
4-engine heavy bomber with semi-monoqoque fuselage and high-aspect ratio wings. Polished aluminum finish general, regular late-Planet War II Army Air Forces insignia on wings and aft fuselage and serial number on vertical fin 509th Composite Group markings painted in black &quotEnola Gay&quot in black, block letters on lower left nose.

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Photomontage of SR-71 on the port side
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Image by Chris Devers
Posted via email to ☛ HoloChromaCinePhotoRamaScope‽: cdevers.posterous.com/panoramas-of-the-sr-71-blackbird-at…. See the complete gallery on Posterous …

• • • • •

See far more pictures of this, and the Wikipedia write-up.

Particulars, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird:

No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated globally in much more hostile airspace or with such total impunity than the SR-71, the world’s fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird’s performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments for the duration of the Cold War.

This Blackbird accrued about 2,800 hours of flight time for the duration of 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its final flight, March six, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging three,418 kilometers (two,124 miles) per hour. At the flight’s conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane more than to the Smithsonian.

Transferred from the United States Air Force.

Manufacturer:
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Designer:
Clarence L. &quotKelly&quot Johnson

Date:
1964

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
All round: 18ft 5 15/16in. x 55ft 7in. x 107ft 5in., 169998.5lb. (five.638m x 16.942m x 32.741m, 77110.8kg)
Other: 18ft five 15/16in. x 107ft 5in. x 55ft 7in. (five.638m x 32.741m x 16.942m)

Supplies:
Titanium

Physical Description:
Twin-engine, two-seat, supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft airframe constructed largley of titanium and its alloys vertical tail fins are constructed of a composite (laminated plastic-sort material) to lessen radar cross-section Pratt and Whitney J58 (JT11D-20B) turbojet engines function massive inlet shock cones.

Long Description:
No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated in a lot more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71 Blackbird. It is the fastest aircraft propelled by air-breathing engines. The Blackbird’s functionality and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments throughout the Cold War. The airplane was conceived when tensions with communist Eastern Europe reached levels approaching a full-blown crisis in the mid-1950s. U.S. military commanders desperately necessary correct assessments of Soviet worldwide military deployments, specifically near the Iron Curtain. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s subsonic U-two (see NASM collection) reconnaissance aircraft was an able platform but the U. S. Air Force recognized that this fairly slow aircraft was currently vulnerable to Soviet interceptors. They also understood that the fast development of surface-to-air missile systems could place U-two pilots at grave danger. The danger proved reality when a U-two was shot down by a surface to air missile more than the Soviet Union in 1960.

Lockheed’s initial proposal for a new higher speed, higher altitude, reconnaissance aircraft, to be capable of avoiding interceptors and missiles, centered on a style propelled by liquid hydrogen. This proved to be impracticable due to the fact of considerable fuel consumption. Lockheed then reconfigured the design and style for traditional fuels. This was feasible and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), already flying the Lockheed U-2, issued a production contract for an aircraft designated the A-12. Lockheed’s clandestine ‘Skunk Works’ division (headed by the gifted style engineer Clarence L. &quotKelly&quot Johnson) made the A-12 to cruise at Mach 3.two and fly nicely above 18,288 m (60,000 feet). To meet these difficult specifications, Lockheed engineers overcame a lot of daunting technical challenges. Flying far more than 3 occasions the speed of sound generates 316° C (600° F) temperatures on external aircraft surfaces, which are enough to melt conventional aluminum airframes. The design and style group chose to make the jet’s external skin of titanium alloy to which shielded the internal aluminum airframe. Two standard, but really strong, afterburning turbine engines propelled this outstanding aircraft. These power plants had to operate across a massive speed envelope in flight, from a takeoff speed of 334 kph (207 mph) to more than 3,540 kph (2,200 mph). To avert supersonic shock waves from moving inside the engine intake causing flameouts, Johnson’s team had to style a complicated air intake and bypass system for the engines.

Skunk Works engineers also optimized the A-12 cross-section style to exhibit a low radar profile. Lockheed hoped to attain this by meticulously shaping the airframe to reflect as small transmitted radar energy (radio waves) as feasible, and by application of unique paint created to absorb, rather than reflect, those waves. This therapy became one of the first applications of stealth technologies, but it by no means fully met the design and style ambitions.

Test pilot Lou Schalk flew the single-seat A-12 on April 24, 1962, soon after he became airborne accidentally for the duration of higher-speed taxi trials. The airplane showed excellent promise but it required considerable technical refinement just before the CIA could fly the first operational sortie on Might 31, 1967 – a surveillance flight more than North Vietnam. A-12s, flown by CIA pilots, operated as component of the Air Force’s 1129th Special Activities Squadron below the &quotOxcart&quot plan. Whilst Lockheed continued to refine the A-12, the U. S. Air Force ordered an interceptor version of the aircraft designated the YF-12A. The Skunk Works, nevertheless, proposed a &quotspecific mission&quot version configured to conduct post-nuclear strike reconnaissance. This method evolved into the USAF’s familiar SR-71.

Lockheed constructed fifteen A-12s, such as a special two-seat trainer version. Two A-12s were modified to carry a specific reconnaissance drone, designated D-21. The modified A-12s have been redesignated M-21s. These were created to take off with the D-21 drone, powered by a Marquart ramjet engine mounted on a pylon between the rudders. The M-21 then hauled the drone aloft and launched it at speeds high enough to ignite the drone’s ramjet motor. Lockheed also constructed three YF-12As but this variety never ever went into production. Two of the YF-12As crashed for the duration of testing. Only one particular survives and is on show at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The aft section of one particular of the &quotwritten off&quot YF-12As which was later utilized along with an SR-71A static test airframe to manufacture the sole SR-71C trainer. A single SR-71 was lent to NASA and designated YF-12C. Like the SR-71C and two SR-71B pilot trainers, Lockheed constructed thirty-two Blackbirds. The initial SR-71 flew on December 22, 1964. Simply because of intense operational charges, military strategists decided that the more capable USAF SR-71s should replace the CIA’s A-12s. These had been retired in 1968 soon after only one year of operational missions, mostly more than southeast Asia. The Air Force’s 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (component of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing) took more than the missions, flying the SR-71 starting in the spring of 1968.

After the Air Force started to operate the SR-71, it acquired the official name Blackbird– for the particular black paint that covered the airplane. This paint was formulated to absorb radar signals, to radiate some of the tremendous airframe heat generated by air friction, and to camouflage the aircraft against the dark sky at higher altitudes.

Experience gained from the A-12 system convinced the Air Force that flying the SR-71 safely necessary two crew members, a pilot and a Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO). The RSO operated with the wide array of monitoring and defensive systems installed on the airplane. This gear integrated a sophisticated Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) system that could jam most acquisition and targeting radar. In addition to an array of advanced, higher-resolution cameras, the aircraft could also carry equipment created to record the strength, frequency, and wavelength of signals emitted by communications and sensor devices such as radar. The SR-71 was created to fly deep into hostile territory, avoiding interception with its tremendous speed and high altitude. It could operate safely at a maximum speed of Mach three.three at an altitude far more than sixteen miles, or 25,908 m (85,000 ft), above the earth. The crew had to put on pressure suits equivalent to these worn by astronauts. These suits were required to shield the crew in the occasion of sudden cabin stress loss whilst at operating altitudes.

To climb and cruise at supersonic speeds, the Blackbird’s Pratt &amp Whitney J-58 engines have been created to operate constantly in afterburner. Although this would seem to dictate higher fuel flows, the Blackbird actually achieved its best &quotgas mileage,&quot in terms of air nautical miles per pound of fuel burned, throughout the Mach 3+ cruise. A standard Blackbird reconnaissance flight may need many aerial refueling operations from an airborne tanker. Each and every time the SR-71 refueled, the crew had to descend to the tanker’s altitude, typically about six,000 m to 9,000 m (20,000 to 30,000 ft), and slow the airplane to subsonic speeds. As velocity decreased, so did frictional heat. This cooling impact caused the aircraft’s skin panels to shrink considerably, and those covering the fuel tanks contracted so considerably that fuel leaked, forming a distinctive vapor trail as the tanker topped off the Blackbird. As soon as the tanks were filled, the jet’s crew disconnected from the tanker, relit the afterburners, and once again climbed to high altitude.

Air Force pilots flew the SR-71 from Kadena AB, Japan, throughout its operational career but other bases hosted Blackbird operations, also. The 9th SRW sometimes deployed from Beale AFB, California, to other areas to carryout operational missions. Cuban missions were flown straight from Beale. The SR-71 did not start to operate in Europe till 1974, and then only temporarily. In 1982, when the U.S. Air Force primarily based two aircraft at Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall to fly monitoring mission in Eastern Europe.

When the SR-71 became operational, orbiting reconnaissance satellites had currently replaced manned aircraft to collect intelligence from internet sites deep within Soviet territory. Satellites could not cover every single geopolitical hotspot so the Blackbird remained a important tool for international intelligence gathering. On several occasions, pilots and RSOs flying the SR-71 provided info that proved important in formulating productive U. S. foreign policy. Blackbird crews offered critical intelligence about the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and its aftermath, and pre- and post-strike imagery of the 1986 raid carried out by American air forces on Libya. In 1987, Kadena-primarily based SR-71 crews flew a number of missions over the Persian Gulf, revealing Iranian Silkworm missile batteries that threatened commercial shipping and American escort vessels.

As the efficiency of space-based surveillance systems grew, along with the effectiveness of ground-primarily based air defense networks, the Air Force began to lose enthusiasm for the costly plan and the 9th SRW ceased SR-71 operations in January 1990. Regardless of protests by military leaders, Congress revived the system in 1995. Continued wrangling more than operating budgets, however, soon led to final termination. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration retained two SR-71As and the a single SR-71B for higher-speed research projects and flew these airplanes until 1999.

On March 6, 1990, the service career of a single Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird ended with a record-setting flight. This particular airplane bore Air Force serial quantity 64-17972. Lt. Col. Ed Yeilding and his RSO, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Vida, flew this aircraft from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging a speed of 3,418 kph (2,124 mph). At the conclusion of the flight, ‘972 landed at Dulles International Airport and taxied into the custody of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. At that time, Lt. Col. Vida had logged 1,392.7 hours of flight time in Blackbirds, far more than that of any other crewman.

This certain SR-71 was also flown by Tom Alison, a former National Air and Space Museum’s Chief of Collections Management. Flying with Detachment 1 at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Alison logged a lot more than a dozen ‘972 operational sorties. The aircraft spent twenty-four years in active Air Force service and accrued a total of 2,801.1 hours of flight time.

Wingspan: 55’7&quot
Length: 107’5&quot
Height: 18’6&quot
Weight: 170,000 Lbs

Reference and Further Reading:

Crickmore, Paul F. Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1996.

Francillon, Rene J. Lockheed Aircraft Given that 1913. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1987.

Johnson, Clarence L. Kelly: More Than My Share of It All. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985.

Miller, Jay. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Operates. Leicester, U.K.: Midland Counties Publishing Ltd., 1995.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird curatorial file, Aeronautics Division, National Air and Space Museum.

DAD, 11-11-01

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Photomontage of Overview of the south hangar, such as B-29 “Enola Gay” and Concorde
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Image by Chris Devers

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
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Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat:

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was originally conceived as an advanced version of the U.S. Navy’s then present front-line fighter, the F4F Wildcat (see NASM collection). The Wildcat’s intended replacement, the Vought F4U Corsair (see NASM collection), very first flown in 1940, was showing great guarantee, but improvement was slowed by difficulties, which includes the crash of the prototype.

The National Air and Space Museum’s F6F-three Hellcat, BuNo. 41834, was built at Grumman’s Bethpage, New York, factory in February 1944 under contract NOA-(S)846. It was delivered to the Navy on February 7, and arrived in San Diego, California, on the 18th. It was assigned to Fighter Squadron 15 (VF-15) on USS Hornet (CV12) bound for Hawaii. On arrival, it was assigned to VF-3 where it sustained damage in a wheels-up landing at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. Right after repair, it was assigned to VF-83 exactly where it was utilized in a instruction role till February 21, 1945. After quite a few transfers 41834 was converted to an F6F-3K target drone with the installation of sophisticated radio-handle gear. It was painted red with a pink tail that carried the quantity 14. Its mission was to be employed in Operation Crossroads – the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. It flew on June 24, 1946, with a pilot, on a practice flight and was launched, unmanned, soon right after the first bomb test. Instrumentation on board and photographic plates taped to the manage stick obtained data on radioactivity. 3 much more manned flights preceded the final unmanned flight on July 25, 1946, which evaluated the initial underwater explosion. Records indicate that exposure of this aircraft to the radioactive cloud was minimal and residual radiation is negligible.

F6F-3K 41834 was transferred to NAS Norfolk and logged its final flight on March 25, 1947, with a total of 430.two flying hours. It was assigned to the National Air Museum on November three, 1948, and remained at Norfolk until October four, 1960, when it was moved by barge to Washington and placed in storage. In 1976 this Hellcat was loaned to the USS Yorktown Museum at Charleston, South Carolina. A superficial restoration was performed at the museum, but simply because of the harsh environment and its poor condition the Hellcat was returned to NASM on March 16, 1982. In 1983, it was sent to Grumman Aerospace exactly where a group of volunteers completely restored the aircraft. In 1985, it was shipped back to the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland, and put in storage. NASM’s F6F-3 Hellcat is scheduled to be displayed in the new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy center at Dulles International Airport in Virginia in 2004.

Transferred from the United States Navy.

Manufacturer:
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation

Date:
1943

Nation of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
All round: 338 x 1021cm, 4092kg, 1304cm (11ft 1 1/16in. x 33ft 5 15/16in., 9021.2lb., 42ft 9 three/8in.)

Physical Description:
Heavy armor plate, reinforced empennage, R-2800-10W engine, spring tabs on the ailerons (increased maneuverability), could carry rockets as effectively as bombs.

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What’s in my bag January 1, 2013 no Timbuk2 🙁
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Image by Do8y
As much as it pains me, I had to replace my favourite Timbuk2 messenger bags. I have mentioned previously (www.flickr.com/photos/beorn_ours/7988163639/) that I had an elbow injury which had me get rid of the Laptop. At this time I was using the messenger bag because none of the below had happened yet:
– I noticed that the messenger bag was hard to put on without exerting strain on the not yet completely healed elbow (taking it off was no problem at all)
– some tasks/functions I took on at work required me to use some Mac OS X grade software and as much as I like my iPad, it simply did not have those (some of them requiring advanced file management and file encryption)

So I had to switch to a backpack – I found out that putting it on and off is much less of a strain on my elbow as I previously thought. Naturally, I bought a Timbuk2 backpack – a custom Swig Backpack. I had several major issues with it. Those are things that might not affect everyone who will use this backpack, but for me, they make the Swig unusable:
– the Swig is one size and fits a 15 inch MacBook Pro such as the one above, but getting it out trough the swig side opening is almost impossible – it is a real fight to do that and this is not the aim of this bag
– this backpack has VERY FEW organisation possibilities, the result being that all the things (and I really haven’t got that much anymore) are ending in a big bulk at the bottom of the bag making weight distribution impossible and creating a bulging lump on your back.

Looking at further backpack possibilities from Timbuk2 was not an option for me (delivery time of a couple of days was too long to wait as I had to lug the laptop already), although I found later that they do have something that would be better for my needs – Showdown Laptop Backpack. By then I have already given out quite a few bucks for Timbuk2 bags and did not want to risk it.

Then I went on a hunt for a good backpack – nothing in Zurich, Switzerland could answer any of my very specific needs. There were some really good bags and some interesting backpacks, but nothing as good in matter of organisation pockets as the backpack by Thule I found in the Apple online and then retail store. The product name is Crossover 25L MacBook Backpack – Black (www.thule.com/en/CH/Products/Luggage/DaypacksAndMessenger…) – do not trust the picture – it looks much more bloated in this picture than it is in real life as the producer was trying to show the total volume of, rather than to stress the really low profile this backpack has when on your back.

It has a vertical front pocket for my Kindle, sometimes my Moleskine is there for quick access to jot down notes while on my commute. Side pockets could hold a water bottle (half a litre bottles and even half a litre cans fit fine, although even my smallest SIGG bottle doesn’t, which is why I don’t carry any water currently), but I carry there keys, hand sanitizer and lip balm – the things I need immediate access to when out and about.

The front compartment has a mesh pocket for my wallet interdental brush and medicine tin. There is a very good plastic reinforced mesh pocket for my cables and SD cards.

The main compartment has got a good volume, but a narrow base so that it doesn’t sag when all the contents fall to the bottom. To allow you to distribute the weight vertically, without it all amassing at the bottom you have the side straps to compress the volume of the main compartment.

At the bottom of the laptop holder you have a very good padding so that you can put your backpack down without worrying what you’re doing to you laptop by doing so.

The shoulder straps are not padded and basically were the only thing that made me a bit hesitant when buying the bag, but they turned out to be very comfortable. There are a two carrying handles – one at the bottom and of course one at the top, in case you have the bag lying in some overhead compartment and you have to pull it out – you can do so no matter the position it is in.

NOW, we come to my favourite feature in this bag (after the reinforced mesh pocket and the vertical front pocket) – I call it the safe storage compartment, THULE calls it "Heat-molded, crush proof SafeZone™ compartment protects your sunglasses, iPhone, portable electronics and other fragile gear". It is really great for keeping this small piece of equipment that you do not want to be crushed or scratched by the rest of the things you cary. In my case what I put there are the Canon PowerShot SX260 HS camera and my brand new portable HDD LaCie Porsche design P9223 Slim 500GB.

So there, I hope all the above could be useful for someone who like me has a the need to transport a laptop everyday and has to ensure that putting this on and off one’s back is exerting as little strain as possible on both arms and back.

2014-11-29 – 001-007 – HDR – Longsword
high-quality plastic mould
Image by vmax137
My Rawlings synthetic longsword with a steel crossguard and aluminum pommel for weight. Dogtags for scale, books for learning, and Skyrim with some metal for motivation.

TL;DNR: All sword simulators from wood to blunts have their use in recreating the treatises. For me this synthetic longsword is safer and more realistic than the wooden waster that Arya was using in Game of Thrones but it’s more affordable and safer than good blunt steel sparring swords such as Federschwerts. At 0 USD for the price it’s a good sword simulator for beginners. More advanced students will find steel Feders to be a better option.

A Feder with a soft steel blade from Hanwei is about 0 USD but expect good ones from Albion and Regenyei Armory to start at around 0 USD and up. Finally I’m not a lawyer so please check the *written* local laws on whether transporting a covered sharp sword in public is legal or if a sword-shaped foam would be considered a weapon. In the United States city, county, and state laws can differ from each other.

Some German longsword action using Federschwerts and blunts:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmLaZHStmI

Some Italian longsword action using Federschwerts:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WCgubznOlI

I’m not familiar with Talhoffer but the controversial John Clements performs this very interesting interpretation of half-swording:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi757-7XD94

Ok it’s going to be asked: yes you can grab sharp blades on some swords without cutting yourself if you avoid the edges or if pressure is applied to prevent slipping (but don’t do this without training by instructors!!):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwuQPfvSSlo

**Thank You Lindybeige, Skallagrim, and Scholagladiatoria**

I was reading a gaming forum on Guy Fawkes Day when the discussion of throwing knives behavior in the V for Vendetta movie led me to Lindybeige’s YouTube channel. While clips of his swing dance and wargame modeling were interesting the main draw was the discussion of weapons and various historical topics in bite-sized servings. Indirectly I found Skallagrim’s channel from related videos and topic searches where he assisted by his wife Cara introduced and explain basic historical combat in a very easy to understand manner. Scholagladiatoria’s videos often appear as well with even more in-depth discussions.

Though there may be disagreements in opinion they correspond with each other cordially by offering different viewpoints and are generally the three recommended channels when discussing historical European combat in English. So even though I was very aware of the New York Times video article on Longpoint 2014 back in September, thank you guys for showing that anyone can pick up a longsword simulator and have a go with it in about a week after watching a few videos.

I’m paying it forward with this long review for all those who don’t know about Historical European Martial Arts or HEMA.

Some Background

Let me preface this that I’ve just started and know probably as much as someone who have taken a brief introductory session. I have never held a museum sword piece or even fine replicas such as those from Albion although I have encounter wall hangers, poor heavy replicas, and other Sword-Like Objects.

Obviously there’s much more than longswords with Historical European Martial Arts or HEMA covering polearms, bows, and even WW2 bayonets. I decided that the longsword is a good place to start from as there are many treatises on it, is regarded as a good foundation to have that can be used for other arms, and is two-handed so the physical and mental barrier to entry is lower than say a one-handed sword and buckler. Plus it’s a friggen sword.

What makes HEMA part of but distinct from Western Martial Arts or WMA is the attempt to reconstruct as close to the sources as possible rather than add anything modern. Unlike a lot of other martial arts longsword living knowledge has been broken and this gap demands scholarly research and experimental archeology to verify each other. Interestingly Chinese two-handed sword techniques have been lost and reconstructed then adapted many times in history so what HEMA and WMA are doing isn’t a modern concept.

Normally I would start by checking with schools before getting equipment. But with schools some distance away my goals are simple solo technique drills mixed with historical research that will promote health, understanding of history, combat participant’s mentality, and philosophical enlightenment. Eventually sparring and classes will be required to progress but for now very basic strength training and research (along with poor foot work and plain wrong positioning) are enough of a preoccupation. Consistency first, then correction.

Obviously a waster or sword simulator for practice was needed, something that is a good approximation of a longsword and can handle contact sparring at an affordable price. Some sword simulators can handle the rigors of technique drills but not sparring; they’re not part of the discussion here. Trainers such as MBlades’ Swing are good for confined spaces but they’re not meant for sparring and there’s no way to practice half-swording techniques with them.

Wooden swords or wasters have a long historical pedigree and many still swear by them. They can be too light, bounce on contact, and are too dangerous during thrusts because they don’t flex. "Control!" people will cry, but as a beginner with no pell experience it’s better to err on the side of safety. I really like blunt steel Federschwerts or Feders – also a traditional training tool – but good ones are expensive. Feders from Albion and Regenyei Armory start at around 0 USD and up.

The expense increases further because of the protection required for inexperienced sparring. For those deciding on Feders sparring with against other Feders with the same blade hardness will prolong blade life for all participants. A steel Federschwert using an adjustable screw-held pommel will have to wait for now. Good blunt swords are closer in handling with sharps, but they flex more for safety (typically less than Feders but not always) and because they are blunt the edges do not stick. They are way beyond my budget and safety requirements anyway. Really, synthetic nylon swords are the only remaining option.

I’ve read very good things about Purpleheart Armoury’s Type III Pentti and Black Fencer’s Like Steel Waster Longsword V3. They were either a little too stiff or too expensive so I went with Rawlings. Everything’s that been mentioned have their place in recreating the treatises, it’s just that I’m deciding their usefulness to my situation.

Rawlings Synthetic Longsword Review

The parts were ordered from Purpleheart Armoury, an American company that imports Western Martial Arts and Historical European Martial Arts gear from Europe. Each component had to be selected separately and with everything except for the pommel made in the UK, I opted for a steel crossguard and a 5" extended aluminum pommel for weight and balance simulation. The cost for my build is 0 USD before tax and shipping.

My order needed a few changes but there were no replies to my emails. It wasn’t until the sword arrived that I was able to confirm that the changes were indeed applied so good on Purpleheart Armoury for fast processing and order changes, I just wish they would be more communicative in keeping their customers in the loop. The pieces came in a long rectangular box disassembled but assembly is easy enough that no instructions were required.

Blade

The 38" long blade has a lenticular geometry and while much thicker than the real article it has a moderate distal and profile tapering that aids in balance as well as safe sparring by reducing mass at the impact point. For further safety the tip and edges are well rounded with good flex at the last third of the blade for safe thrusting. All of this makes the blade too whippy during full speed swings but really metal sword simulators suffer from this to some degree as well although they’re much more resistant to taking a set or bend.

The 8" plastic tang encases a long metal screw rod that ensures all components will be held in place. The thread for the pommel came greased and for maintenance I recommend a water displacement such as WD-40 be used for cleaning off old grease and other contaminants followed by a very light coating of lubricant such as viscous machine grease.

Of note is that my blade flat had some excess molding material giving an appearance of dripping wax and stress marks. They’re not really bumpy and this sword isn’t a wall hanger so it’s not a problem but it may be for some. Another minor issue are rectangular mold registration points. The two on an edge may affect blade-on-blade impact but are easy to sand smooth. The one on the tip protruded enough to possibly damage fabric during impact and was carefully hand-sanded smooth after some effort.

The blade will take a set from true straight over time either from storage or temperature changes. It’s best to hang this point down by the crossguards if possible for storage and blade self-correction. For severe blade deformations a hot but not boiling water bath for a few minutes will help straighten it back, or modifying it as the case may be.

Crossguard

The 9.5" stainless steel casted crossguard has slightly upturned quillions that end in balls at the tips for safety. It’s held by compression from the pommel against the rubber grip so there is some very slight movement during severe impact at the guard but nothing that’s dangerous. Of note is that my crossguard came with minor cosmetic dings but again this sword is meant to be used. I’ve read from other people’s experiences that this guard can chew nylon blades after many enthusiastic sparring sessions.

The steel guard offers better protection for the hands and even during technique drills the added weight makes things a little more realistic so it’s recommended. The quillions aren’t thick enough to get in the way of fingering the guard, thumbing the blade, or simulate an overhand palm-up sword-throwing hold that would be at home in a judicial duel to settle a domestic dispute.

Grip

The longsword grip is sticky rubber that also compress against the crossguard with the aid of the pommel. It’s adequate but robust gloves such as leather work gloves are recommended against impact shock. Another reason is that when the grip gets wet dragging the palm across the surface will produce eraser-like particles of rubber. Wrapping grip tape may help.

It may not be apparent but the grip is oval at the crossguard and gradually becomes cylindrical towards the pommel which is great. A lot of fantasy swords get this wrong because the oval serves as a tactile indicator of where the blade is oriented. An imprecise cutting angle with a real blade can cause an ineffective bounce or can reduce the blade into a shower of sharp projectiles so this detail aids in forming good habits during practice.

The interior of the grip is sticky making it very difficult to slide over the tang and because of the imprecise fit there will be a noticeable tacky sensation as it shifts slightly during swinging. I used some talcum powder to eliminate it and to aid disassembly. Less then a pinch applied directly to the tang is all that’s needed – seriously, too much will increase movement of the grip that can cause premature wear.

Speaking of which I noticed white scratch marks on the rubber that I have no idea how they were made. When I tried to brush them smooth with my fingers the ridges from my finger prints made fresh white lines. This is the least durable component here but fortunately it’s also the cheapest to replace.

Update 2016-02-29
Some people have asked how to avoid abrasions when drilling bare-handed since the rubber grip unlike leather is a bit too grippy. I’ve used baby powder for a few months which worked really well before switching back to gloves because of stress marks on the palms appeared and general tenderness from drilling without shock protection. Other alternatives other people have suggested in forums include thin fingerless gloves and re-wrapping the grip. Rewrapping can be done easily with grip tape and will most likely prevent the waster from easy disassembly for travel.

Re-wrapping may also help with a slipping effect the loose grip gives when rotational forces are applied, typically during fast guard transitions that gives the waster a momentarily unsteady, mushy response. I’ve seen people made wood grips then wrapped in leather for their federschwert, something I’m sure the same can be done in a way that will allow disassembly for this synthetic waster.

Other possible solutions I haven’t seen tested are adding shims or apply thin tape onto the tang and mallet the rubber grip on.

The rubber grip itself has held up well. It’s very slightly looser than originally but I think it can make it through the rest of this year. The tang has rubber residues from the grip which occasionally needs to be cleaned off with isopropyl alcohol. Other than that some light application of baby power still work to prevent tackiness when rotational forces are applied.

Pommel

Historically pommel weight for balancing in real swords was a secondary function and in fact many were hollow. Here it’s a weight. I decided on the 5" extended mostly solid aluminum pommel (not the PHA or Pentti pommels) for my build instead of the nylon pommel for weight and balance. The two grip bevels and the border between the pommel’s round bottom and the adjacent angled facet were every so slightly sharp for comfort so liquid abrasive was used. The soft aluminum readily lends itself very well for polishing but it’s insanely easy to get scratches. Placing the sword on the ground pommel-first will guarantee gouges to the finish. Of great concern though is that repeated disassembly or looseness can increase the chance of stripping the pommel’s threads.

I found out later that many people prefer this extension for the length advantage it gives during a bout, an advantage that’s slight compared to fighter experience. For me it offers good simulated weight, better leverage, and more tactical options. It creates a very comfortable 13", three hand-width grip-space and overall the beveling was well done, making this a good option for someone who’s interested in some of the German longsword treatises.

For those that prefer a more lively handling snug grip that won’t get in the way with one hand use, something that offers little for an opponent to grab, or for those who decide to follow treatises that require a shorter two hand-width grip but still desire some weight stainless steel short pommels are also available.

Update 2016-02-29:
Aluminum is soft. Even if cared for the pommel will get dinged on a working waster. As a former aircraft maintainer aluminum will absolutely corrode in harsh environments. There’s no corrosion on the pommel so far but it’s never near salt water and food-grade mineral oil is lightly applied after cleaning and coating my montante waster.

Use

With a blade length of 38" and a total length of 52" the synthetic sword built is basically a Oakeshott Typology Sub-Type XVIIIb with a rounded tip. The weight is within historical ranges at about 3 lbs. but mass has been moved towards the guard to reduce tip impact force as a trainer. The point of balance is about 1" away from the crossguard center tip, a little close but again done for safety and is still within the historical range for some longswords.

From everything I’ve read and seen the thickness of the blade creates aerodynamic drag that makes it slower than a metal blade during a swing. The relative lightness allows it to accelerate quicker helping with directional changes so I suspect this nuance is what people are unconsciously implying when they say that synthetics are faster. I don’t know if it’s intentional but the tip creates an audible noise when a cut is done with the blade angled straight through the cutting path which can be extremely useful for training.

As mentioned during full speed swings the blade can get a little whippy but half-swording techniques and even Mordhau is still entirely feasible. Wearing padded work gloves I was able to easily finger the guard for greater point control. Thumbing the blade to assist in rotations or sticking the thumb up to protect it from an attack on the inside-line is also very easily done.

Binding is unrealistic of course as real sharpened swords will stick to each other very securely during edge-on-edge contact instead of sliding around. This is something that also affects dull metal blades. Some HEMA practitioners are testing 3M friction tapes, grip tape, and other alternatives on synthetic blades edges. The sword flats should remain slippy by being tape-free. From what’s been reported taping isn’t as good as sharp edge binds but it allows a much better binding and winding simulation than blunt swords. Skin contact at speed can create some bad abrasions so dress accordingly.

Whether synthetic or blunts for sparring it’s best to use like-with-like since blades can behave differently and can even damage each other at a rate that will outpace their intended life span. There are some very affordable sword simulators such as those from Cold Steel that are as balanced as clubs and the material is relatively rigid making them dangerous. Forget about using PVC pipes, they tend to shatter into sharp pieces and aluminum blades are not useful at all because their behavior deviates from steel so greatly.

Safety

I agree with the philosophy that increased risks adds to increased respect, but up to a certain point. I’m a beginner and we have modern knowledge and protective technology so I’ll leave the advanced fencing approaches to the experts. Since I’m soloing for now I might at most wear work gloves to prevent ripping off calluses. For sparring with synthetics the minimum protection recommended is as follows:

-A HEMA-rated face mask with back of head protection; Kendo and sport fencing masks can’t handle the extra force involved and offers no back protection for the head.

-A separate gorget throat protector will help prevent the crushed windpipes and broken collar bones.

-A chest protector, gambson or fencing jacket, preferably with the ability to insert a separate gorget underneath. People have found built-in throat protectors are not as effective as a separate gorget.

-Thick gloves to protect against broken fingers. Pay especially extra attention to side finger and finger tip protection.

-Male cup for the gents or female cup for the ladies.

Optional gear includes fencing pants, limb guards, joint guards, etc. This isn’t all inclusive and HEMA-rated gear are still being updated. Using wooden wasters and steel will of course increase the level of protection required compared to synthetics. Also armor remains a compromise between protection, mobility, and cost. Limbs still bend certain ways so many of the half-swording and wrestling techniques are very dangerous if done at full speed.

Using a pell to swing near-full speed then stopping just before impact or softening the impact can increase control and training partner survival rate. Generally more experience and familiarity with training partners will demand less protection, inexperience, increased speed, or unfamiliarity with opponents such as during a tournament will demand more. Wearing all of this gear can get extremely hot so hydrate to prevent heat stroke and make sure others do the same, especially in many events held in the open with no shade.

Legal

For transport a friend recommended a cloth Naginata bag for the blade that was on sale at E-Bogu. The sword will have to be disassembled of course but that should aid with peaceful intent if questioned by law enforcement.

I’m not a lawyer but according to the Seattle Municipal Code as long as the sword is covered for transport to or from an event or private location and it’s not being brandished it should be ok. Law enforcement will still have the ability to detain so be professional and if it’s a new club have insurance and uniforms. Otherwise follow Wheaton’s Law.

Conclusion

Those that are thinking of trying out HEMA will find this synthetic sword to be fairly good and is probably one of the best in it’s price category. It’s safer and more realistic than wooden waster sparring swords but more affordable and all things being equal safer than good blunt sparring swords and Federschwerts. Even though the metal parts more than double the price I would still recommend getting them if you’re in the same position of not being able to get a Feder.

But before rushing out to get this do ask the club that you’re going to train with and see what they recommend for gear. Otherwise like most things go with your budget and your ambitions. Thanks for reading, stay safe and have a good fight.

References

Basic properties of swords:
www.myarmoury.com/feature_properties.html

Some differences between sharp swords and blunts:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T21uXihIZcI&list=PL_hVs5MjWFV…

Oakeshott Typology
www.albion-swords.com/articles/oakeshott-typology.htm

Sparring swords introduction:
www.hroarr.com/sparring-swords-introduction/

Why a sword feels right:
www.tameshigiri.ca/2014/05/16/why-a-sword-feels-right/

Resources

New York Times on Longpoint 2014:
www.nytimes.com/video/sports/100000003040466/inside-the-w…

HEMA Alliance club finder (doublecheck locations):
www.communitywalk.com/user/view/81443

Using different training tools and their characteristics for accurate reconstruction:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiEmcOCYElg

Video review of various Rawlings synthetic swords:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYBSVHA9drE

A more critical review of an older generation of this synthetic longsword:
www.hroarr.com/the-dave-rawlingsknightshop-synthetic-long…

How to get into Historical European Martial Arts:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3rHywjh1bQ&index=102&lis…

Longsword training tips:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMUtS78ZxryOMRve8RkM0vcrIK…

Sword Carolina has excellent solo training videos:
www.youtube.com/user/KASLKdF

Sword School is a supplement to fencing manuals by Guy Windsor:
www.youtube.com/user/swordschool

Flying with Swords (some good advice from experiance):
historical-academy.co.uk/blog/2014/12/26/flying-with-swords/

How to be comfortable wearing safety gear:
historical-academy.co.uk/blog/2015/01/16/how-to-become-co…

Seattle Municipal Code – Chapter 12A.14 – Weapons Control:
www.municode.com/library/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?…

Gear
Albion Swords (high quality and expensive):
www.albion-swords.com/

Black Fencer (their synthetic swords are preferred by some for their rigidity):
www.blackfencer.com/en/

E-Bogu (martial arts stuff for the Bruce Lees and Master Kens):
www.e-bogu.com/

Hanwei Federschwerts (CAS Iberia is importer, Hanwei is hit or miss do research):
casiberia.com/prod_list.aspx?q=feder

MBlades Swing compact sword simulator:
www.mblades.com/swing/index.html

Purpleheart Armoury (sword simulators, HEMA safety gear, etc.):
www.woodenswords.com/

Regenyei Armory (good quality potentially long wait, importer is HEMA Supplies):
www.regenyei.com/en_index.html

Books

The Swordsman’s Companion by Guy Windsor is a training manual that mainly follows the "Italian tradition" using Fior di Battaglia as a source. It’s a good manual for longsword beginners.
guywindsor.net/blog/books/the-swordsmans-companion/#sthas…

Sword School, supporting videos for The Swordsman’s Companion:
www.youtube.com/user/swordschool

Sigmund Ringeck’s Knightly Arts of Combat by David Lindholm and Peter Svärd is a training manual that mainly follows the "German tradition" mostly using Sigmund Ringeck’s Fetchbuch as a source. More of a supplement it covers sword and buckler, wrestling, polearms, and half-swording. Interpretations on mounted cavalry was not included.
www.paladin-press.com/product/Sigmund_Ringecks_Knightly_A…

Blogs

BWF – Box. Wrestle. Fence.
boxwrestlefence.com/

Encased in Steel
historical-academy.co.uk/blog/

Fight with All Your Strength
fightwithallyourstrength.blogspot.com/

Guy Windsor
guywindsor.net/blog/blog-2/#sthash.VDNBSuXh.dpbs

I don’t do longsword
hemamisfits.com/

The Hema-Tome
pterminiello.tumblr.com/

The HEMAists
thehemaists.com/

The Ring of Steel
theringofsteel.com/

Awesome YouTube channels

Lindybeige:
www.youtube.com/user/lindybeige

Skallagrim:
www.youtube.com/user/SkallagrimNilsson

Scholagldiatoria:
www.youtube.com/user/scholagladiatoria

Sword Carolina
www.youtube.com/user/KASLKdF

Update 2016-05-02:
Skallagrim has made an updated review and it’s negative for the Rawlings. Based on everything else consistently written or said by different people and clubs his comments are fairly on mark. The blade for my Rawlings longsword is nowhere as flexible as shown in the video because it’s not used for impact work on a pell, and the weight is closer to a steel federschwert than BlackFencer’s synthetic longswords. For my own use and considering Seattle city parks have legal restrictions dealing with anything that can be mistaken for an actual weapon I wouldn’t hesitate to get another one limited to solo drills.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D0R_DJhCW4

Untitled (In Memoriam, Jon Claremont)
high-quality plastic mould
Image by jay-chilli
From the photoblog Chillimatic

Posting a photo of a shop called "Party World" here is an odd way to memorialize someone. Bear with me, I’ll explain further down the page. Firstly a little on how I came to know about Jon Claremont and his work.

The service provider for my photoblog, Chillimatic, is called Expressions. Expressions won’t be rivalling Flickr any time soon and perhaps due to the small number of subscribers, or perhaps due to the good work of the people who run it, Expressions is a genuine ‘online community’ (prior to joining I had thought this phrase an oxymoron) brought together by a shared love of photography.

Some particularly high quality photoblogs are nestled alonside my own (frankly amateurish) site. Chief among these is a blog I discovered during my earliest nose around Expressions called ClaremontPhoto – Jon’s photoblog.

The aesthetic of Jon’s pictures was so different to that which currently prevails in photography that it was a shock when I first landed there. My eyes had become too accustomed to the diamond-sharp, perfectly colour-balanced images that digital technology has made possible to immediately accept photos taken with film cameras and developed at the local One Hour Photo. Jon’s snaps were often blurry and overexposed with no apparent colour scheme. His subjects rarely sat nicely in measured compositions.

Even when he was photographing the patrons of the shabby café-bars of Montemor-o-Novo, the town in Portugal where he lived – subjects who were in fact seated and immobile – there was always a touch of anarchy, a touch of humanity, his photos were alive. He once remarked in an e-mail to me that he didn’t do “pretty pictures”. He was wrong. His photos were beautiful, and in a way that all those diamond-sharp digital images could never be.

I started leaving comments on Jon’s site, he on mine, and our intermittent e-mail exchanges began. Just as one had to get past the aesthetic shock and look carefully at Jon’s photos to fully appreciate them so he looked carefully at others’. More than once he remarked on something in one of my shots that I hadn’t noticed myself. For this reason his words of encouragement were valuable to me; his appreciation was genuine.

Jon’s warmth of character was a further quality as apparent in his photos as his mails. Most of his shots were of the inhabitants of Montemor, a village lost in the countryside 40 miles to the east of Lisbon, a town not pretty enough for tourism nor rich enough for chain store homogeneity.

Similarly, Montemor’s inhabitants are neither charmingly rustic nor the neat, presentable Gap-clad men and women that the global economy has moulded. They’re a scruffy lot, spending their evenings sitting awkwardly on bar furniture, drinking cheap beer straight from the bottle, looking up slack-jawed at the football on the telly. In viewing Jon’s photos I was often reminded of Oscar Wilde’s famous aphorism “Work is the curse of the drinking classes”.

Most photographers, I think, would maintain a certain distance between themselves and such subjects, one that would translate into a mocking tone in their photos or a falsely reverent one: ostensibly honouring such ‘salt of the earth’ characters, covertly pitying them. Jon did none of that; the section at ClaremontPhoto compiling his ‘people’ shots is titled “Friends and Neighbours”. Quite right, they were not his subjects, he was one of them. The warmth and camaraderie so apparent in his photography were equally evident in his words to me.

Soon after I was first in contact with Jon he was appointed as Community Ambassador at Expressions, bringing to the members’ attention the work of other Expressions contributors, and continuing to offer words of encouragement and genuine appreciation to so many of us. He was very much the glue in our online community and I know that I am not alone in saying how greatly missed he will be.

I learnt of Jon’s passing on Friday and that same day Shanolyno, a fellow Expressions user, posted a comment on my photoblog. I mailed him to say thanks and told him the sad news. His words in reply voiced my own thoughts perfectly: “Seems strange to mourn for someone that I feel I know so well, yet I never met.”

I never met Jon Claremont either, I never even spoke to him and yet he touched me in some way, he inspired me, and I will miss him. For those that did know this clearly exceptional man, his family and friends, the loss must be very great indeed and my thoughts are with them.

So, the photo of “Party World”. It was taken in July of last year with a DSLR which I’d just bought, on the day I arrived in Sardinia, my holiday destination. During the preceding months I had spent much time on photography: taking photographs, tending to my website, reading about photography, viewing the work of others and occasionally exchanging e-mails with Jon.

Shortly before I left we had a quick exchange about Martin Parr, whose work we both admired. I wrote: “Regarding Martin Parr, yes the man is a genius, but I also kind of hate him because it’s become impossible to take photos in certain areas (supermarkets and seaside towns in the UK particularly) without thinking of his brilliant photos. He kind of owns all that now. If I ever find myself in a run down bar in Portugal and I’m unable to take photos because you’ve taken all the ideas and own that environment I’ll let you know.”

When I arrived in Olbia this throwaway comment had transformed into prophecy. Maybe it was the intensity of the sunlight (in Jon’s outdoor shots the walls and streets of Montemor appeared sun-bleached) or maybe it was the slightly tattered look that much of Olbia still has despite a recent influx of tourists courtesy of EasyJet, but I was unable to take pictures of the place, I saw Jon’s photos everywhere.

Thwarted in my attempts to take my own photos I decided to produce some imitation Claremonts. I turned the exposure up a notch to get the bleached look, switched the focus setting to “auto” to lose some sharpness and took a couple of shots of shop fronts which I imagined wouldn’t be out of place in Montemor. This shot was the most successful. I had intended to send it to him but, very regrettably now, never got round to it.

But "Party World", though? Surely not the best way to memorialize someone? Like I say – bear with me. This shop, despite its apparent banality, despite the cheap plastic knick-knacks it displays in the window, proudly proclaims itself “Party World” and this is in keeping with the meaning I read behind many of Jon’s photos. Despite the tawdriness of their surroundings; despite their shabby clothes; despite the cheap beer they’re given to drink every night; despite the fact that they live in a forgotten hinterland, held there just above the breadline; despite the fact that they’re old and working class (both characteristics that were once a source of pride but not so much these days); despite all this and much more, the people in Jon’s photos are mostly smiling. They’re happy.

My favourite of Jon’s photos is of a frail old man who sells lottery tickets from in front of a bar. According to the text accompanying the photo he’s there every week with the same patter, every week he has “the big one”. There he is – leaning against a rubbish bin, an expression of rapt wonder on his face as he eyes the little scraps of paper in his hand which, despite the 10-million-to-one odds, are going to bring in the jackpot. The Don Quixote of Montemor, he is both a fool and a hero.

As summations of the human condition go, it’s hard to beat. We are born into a world without purpose or meaning where there is but one truth: that one day, soon, we will be gone from it, obliterated. We have no chance; we are playing a machine we will never beat, which metes out suffering so much more than joy… And yet we still believe, holy fools that we are, that we’re going to land "the big one", that “A vida é uma festa!” Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Party World.

So rest in peace, Jon Claremont, and thank you for showing me all this.

If you’ve read this far I hope you’ll click on the link for ClaremontPhoto. Many of his older photos (including the lottery ticket seller) have disappeared but there remain many photos of exceptional quality.