James D Kightly

Further, Stearmen suffered a generally high accident rate as they were often bent by trainees, then later as cropdusters a fair number of dings. Now they're more valued, better cared for. All the Stearmen out there are mostly original, with 'new old stock' replacement parts, some new built bits.

I know a lot of pilots who REALLY enjoy formation flying, as it's endlessly challenging and rewarding (as @astrokatie.com's found!). Do a 'formation clinic' or other training, an absolute baseline req. though.

(I'm not a pilot, but had a number of formations. The relative movement's fascinating.)

Good Q! Depends on the individual aircraft. All of the (metal w wood bits) airframe of a Steaman can be original, or orig replacement parts. Original era engine, serviced a dozen or more times. The fabric covering will NOT be original; the original covering was organic, but modern is synthetic.

Day four of #DrawingAugust & #DrawingAugust2025. This feels familiar: bashing down a quick sketch to get something, daily, at the day’s end. Not ideal, but does.

Impression of this weekend’s model railway show - floating around in my head. The figures turned out to be vital.

Another to return to?

So much to love about this as a creative object!

H/T for the shares by @idlewild5.bsky.social & @nuclearanthro.bsky.social‬

Thame WWII hero awarded blue plaque to mark legacy John Henry Smythe is being remembered as a heroic WWII resident after being given a blue plaque.

Wizard news! We interviewed Johnny's son, Eddy for the IBCC Digital Archive in 2017, and he recently spoke about his father at the centre. @ibccdigitalarchive.bsky.social #History

Art Scholl in his Super Chipmunk with his dog 'Aeleron'. Image kurtsj00 . https://www.flickr.com/photos/kurtsj00/4018714427

It's tragic that online references to the accident, aside from period news, tech reporting, is mostly rage rags and lad mags, and an aviation account mentions 'failure to eject'. This despite the screeds written about Top Gun, film flying, and Art's remarkable career. www.imdb.com/name/nm07745...

Great commemoration. The black British Commonwealth stepped up to fight for Britain, despite systematic racism and effectively erasure in the 'Boys Own' colonial version of the world wars. A small, yet significant correction. Smythe was no ordinary man by any measure.

[H/T @curatorian.bsky.social]

A screenshot from the end of the Top Gun film, reading: "This film is dedicated to the memory of Art Scholl'.

I see some discussion of the original top Gun move going past.

Whether or not you're discussing the fictitious flat spin in the film, or anything else about it, one fact must not be forgotten or overlooked. The film cost the life of exceptional 'Professor' Art Scholl.

check-six.com/lib/Famous_M...

Good! A robust defence of Trans Women rights in Aus. and people who discriminate against them are, as shown around this case, enabling hate and crimes against one of the most marginal groups in society.

The acid test 'is it discrimination against the less powerful?' stands, correcting TERF noise.

Great idea! Two thoughts. There's a LOT online and published on turrets, and while the cupola glazing varied, the turret interiors didn't change as much, so type:subtype are often structure:glazing.

Don't get too carried away, while you can see some of it, you don't look at built turrets much.

As a professional editor, i.e. someone who know when to pedant and (this is the bit most people don't realise) NOT pedant, I like this image...

Good attitude!

Re- turrets, if a coupla broom handles was enough for Doolittle... (Joke).

It's funny, I did some apples in a similar way (and personal reaction!) for a previous #DrawingAugust, and I think they're harder than we initially believe...

But they look good, and appreciating the process is a big part of the theme, I feel.

Indeed! That's certainly a thing that happens, and why the manufacturers need quality control.

It's a red flag that the very clear short-shot wasn't spotted and replaced, for certain. Different moulding issue, but symptomatic of problems with moulding and poor quality control.

Textile artist featuring three small black and white birds with long forked tails in flight, flying right against a swirling blue green sky

'A swoop of swallows' by UK textile artist Rachel Wright, machine embroidered on calico with various fabrics #UnravellingWomensArt

Feeling no pressure! Ha!

Seriously though, I really enjoyed the previous ones, and a very convivial, supportive atmosphere.

Anyone wondering about joining #HeaviesGB with @jaaaagirr.bsky.social's lead, come on in, the water's lovely (and you'll reduce the focus on me)! #histscalemodels

No, Simon Patterson changed the names on the Tube Map thematically. There wasn't an anti-patriarchy message.

But you missed it, twice.

Screenshot showing the DuckDuckGo search engine settings highlighting 'Hide AI Generated images'.

Insta switch and enable. No AI.

Now we need to knock back the offer of AI responses.

Had forgotten about #drawingaugust until I saw stuff online today, so did this quick sketch

A photo taken through the window of a train. The name of the station "Newton for Hyde" can be seen on a sign. Inside the train a piece of paper is held up to the window with a sketch of a bewigged gentleman holding up a sign saying "Leibnitz for Jekyll"

Nerdy joke warning. 😁 I've been planning this since I first saw the Newton for Hyde sign.

Oo, only just seen this #HeaviesGB from @jaaaagirr.bsky.social and I’m in! I’ve a LOT of ‘next’ projects, but a recent purchase fits great. I always thought the airliner Focke Wulf Fw 200 was a very elegant machine with an underrated story. LONG time since I managed a bigger kit… #histscalemodels

The same scene as before, but with the sun visible and the aggressive backlighting overlaid by lines of glare from the sun. Inspirational? Maybe.

A PS. What the scene looked like without the sun shaded by my hand. Lotsa glare, but maybe you could do something with the radiant lines? Maybe.

Final version. A drawing of a row of trees making a hedge, with some buildings to the right. They are crudely blocked in to show they’re backlit.

Photo of the drawing and scene together, with the notebook held up in front of the scene. Yesterday’s drawing is visible in the book.

The scene as drawn, but in full glorious real life and colour!

Day three of #DrawingAugust & #DrawingAugust2025! A lightning sketch as I waited for Bev to catch up as we walked back to the car. I was intrigued by the hedge’s tree shapes from a different angle, but just stopped and drew on the spot.

A revision in the evening. May do a new ink drawing later!

Well the original issue I built was a big step up from the first Lanc and Halifax that came before it. And as far as I recall fit was def better than average for the era. First to have ‘extras’ with the bomb trolley and tractor which WERE good too. Maybe time hasn’t been kind to the mould?

Seeing an older version of one of my current bugbears ‘airforce’ instead of the correct ‘air force’ is annoying, if useful in tracking the error back in time…

a little girl is making a funny face while sitting at a table with potted plants . Alt: A little girl with a bob haircut says ‘why not both?’ in Spanish, and is then carried in a cheering crowd for the brilliance of her suggestion.

Is it bad I can’t do a quick #drawingaugust because we’re heading off for pub lunch?

(Packs drawing kit anyway.)

the classic painting "American Gothic" with two Native Americans painted over the two white people in the painting

This reminds me of one of my favorite paintings by my best friend Reinier Gamboa called "Native American Gothic." I just love this idea of decolonizing and reclaiming American institutions and culture and Americana as a political statement.

Ah, the other ‘thing’. Lovejoy was understandably, and probably sensibly sanitised for TV. (We love the TV show, have been rewatching on DVD, and lots of later-famous actors too.) The original books by Johnathan Gash are great, but his original Lovejoy is a LOT more dangerous… Have a read up online.

Aww. Appreciate the likes and the repost! Thanks everyone.