RE: Scanner test

Have you tried the sharpening filters in your photo editing software? All scans require some sort of sharpening afterwards (the sharpening function in the scan software is usually not sufficient!). I can recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements, which often comes free with the scanner, otherwise it is not that expensive. Use the “Unsharp Maskening” function. Be careful with too heavy compression of the picture size as it can result in jagged lines.

RE: Airline names, what they really mean

>SAS – in Danish and by Danes only (the Norwegians haven’t
>noticed 🙂 ): Svensk Alt Sammen (=Swedish all of it)

SABENA – Such A Bloody Experience Never Again

>
>Another related abbreviation:
>
>ETOPS – Engines Turn Or Passengers Swim

RE: Flying classics

These nice pics are from my part of the world, Munich Airport (was there on Sunday in fact!) and they form part of a quite elaborate visitors center with a spectators hill, restaurant, souvenir shop and playground. Data for the a/c are as follows:

Swissair “HB-IRN” Douglas C-53/DC-3 (c/n 4828), ex OY-DCA (SAS), OY-KLE, OH-VKA, N65371, “N569R”. Never served with Swissair.

Lufhansa “D-ANOY” CASA 352L (c/n 54), ex N88927, D-CIAS. Was previously displayed at Frankfurt Airport and recently beautifully restored. Accessible for a fee of €1,-.

Lufthansa “D-ALEP” Lockheed L-1049G Constellation (c/n 4671), ex F-BHML (Air France), “D-ADAM”, “D-ALAP”. Never flew with Lufthansa and also originated from the Air Klassik (Kurfiss) Collection in Frankfurt. Restoration and repaint completed by volunteers last year, whereupon much of the glazing and the cockpit furnishings were smashed up by vandals. Also accesible.

The airport (a.k.a. Franz-Josef-Strauss Airport) opened in 1992 in these aircraft arrived one by one over the following years. The visitors park is well worth a visit; it’s 1200m walk from Terminal A or one stop by S-Bahn (“Besucherpark”)

RE: Does anyone know anything about quality of Medion computers?

Here in Germany we have two Medion computers and are very, very satisfied with them. In terms of value for money they are unbeatable and have never posed any problems. We have two Medion monitors as well, one of them broke down and was replaced under warranty (took them a month to send me a new one, but no quibbling or other problems on their part).

RE: Some pics for the weekend

Great pictures, especially the close-up. I visited the Willy-Messerschmitt-Stiftung, the owner of the Saeta in Germany, in Manching a month ago, and overheard a mechanic say that it is no longer airworthy and will eventually go to the Deutsches Museum in Oberschleissheim. I have also heard from another source (info dated July 2002) that an AD has recently grounded all civilian-operated Turboméca Marboré engines (which in the Saeta) which are more than 20 years old; there might be a relationship here.

RE: What are your most favourite aviation museums?

For “atmosphere”: Hendon (was also my first big a/c museum.. at only 9 years of age)
For location: IWM Duxford
For sheer size: USAF Museum (almost too big)
For rarities and oddities: (1) Swedish Air Force Museum in Linköping, (2) Musée de l’air, Paris
Most overlooked museum: Danish Collection of Vintage Aircraft in Stauning, Denmark (has an example of each(!) type built by Skandinavisk Aero Industri (Kramme & Zeuthen) on show (10 types), all airworthy except for two, and much more)
Most endangered collection: Luftwaffe Museum, Berlin (most post-WW2 aircraft are outside and it shows…)
Award for lack of concept: Deutsches Museum, Oberschleissheim

RE: Not in the spirit of FlyPast

On the subject of sense of humour let me relate the following spotters anecdote I picked up on the German forum http://www.flugzeugforum.de :

At a photoday in the Netherlands a group of spotters were all at the ready with a plethora of cameras etc. to photograph a US jet of some sort as it approached its stand, whereby such a photo may not give the impression of being taken at an airshow/photoday (i.e. no fences, people or other clutter). Much to their chagrin, as the canopy opened the 2nd crewmember immediately stood up and pointed a video camera at them!! Later that day two of them got into a (physical) fight over photo locations..