Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.10, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # wittwer.nl The website of Tobias Wittwer ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.wittwer.nl/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [28mm Vietnam miniatures](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2569) - Updated for 2026 I'm once again in the planning stages of a Vietnam wargaming project. After previous attempts in 10mm and 20mm, I've now decided to go for 28mm. There's just so much more detail on the miniatures that for Skirmish games, I now consider 28mm the way to go. It's thus time to take - [Empress Vietnam USMC painted](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3689) - After procrastinating for years (literally), I've finally managed to finish 12 Empress Vietnam-era USMC miniatures. The paint recipe is described here. The Empress miniatures are very nice with realistic proportions, and go together well with the few Gringo 40s miniatures that I have finished earlier. This means that I'm once again in the planning stages - [Clan Wolf Star painted](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3686) - As I had already hinted at in my post about Clan Mech availability, I wanted to build and paint a typical Clan Wolf Star and ended up with two Timber Wolfs, one Stormcrow, one Mad Dog, and an Ice Ferret, to use the Clan names. One Timber Wolf is the new IWM A-config miniature, the - [Jagged Alliance 3: Second Playthrough](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3652) - Caution, lots of spoilers ahead! After a first playthrough with Buns/Grunty/Raven/Hitman/Shadow/IMP, which resulted in a rather poor end result due to skipping almost all side quests, I decided on having a second go at it. I chose for the lowest difficulty level as my goal was to have the full story experience. The starting squad - [Pokémon Let's Go vs. Sword & Shield](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2812) - My son and I have finished playing through both Let's Go Pikachu and Sword & Shield on the Nintendo Switch, so here's a short comparison. Setting As Let's Go is a remake of Pokémon Yellow, one of the first Pokémon games, it is set in the Kanto region, and the story mimics the Indigo League - [How to have fun at Fortnite](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3292) - I have long ignored the phenomenon that is Fortnite. I tried it briefly on the Nintendo Switch a couple of years ago but didn't like it. It wasn't until my son reached gaming age that I was forced to take a second look. Now behind the PC (as he occupies the switch) I have become - [The phases of a Fortnite game](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3393) - If you're struggling at Fortnite, it can help to have a better understanding of the structure of a game. A game of Battle Royale (in my case always Zero Build) can be divided into three distinct phases. The initial drop As you start with only a pickaxe and no shields, the goal of this first - [A look at Fortnite Blitz Royale](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3401) - Epic has recently released a new game mode for Fortnite, called Blitz Royale. There has been no shortage of new game modes, like OG and Reload, but Blitz Royale compresses a Zero Build game into a much quicker experience. You start with 50 shields and a few weapons so you're ready to fight immediately, almost - [Review: Jagged Alliance 3](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3646) - I'm a big fan of Jagged Alliance 2. It's one of a few video games that I bought on release day as I liked the demo so much. For many years I started a new game every two years or so. I didn't finish all of them, as the final part where you face a - [Battle of Hoth: a wargamer's review](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3643) - I'm mostly a miniatures wargamer. My main games have been Battletech, X-Wing, Infinity, and Star Wars Legion. I've also played most other Star Wars miniatures games: the West End Games Star Wars Miniatures Battles, Imperial Assault, and Armada. I also have my share of experience with traditional hex-and-counter boardwargames. Battle of Hoth is my first - [An introduction to Gunpla](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3576) - Gundam is a long-running Japanese anime franchise featuring large combat walkers (Mecha). The hobby of building plastic model kits of these Mecha is known as Gunpla, and to my knowledge the most popular form of plastic kit in Japan, with many new models being released each year. Availability in Europe is quite good, too. There - [3025 Battlemech production and availability](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3632) - The 4th Succession War remains one of the most popular eras for Battletech gamers. It was the "original" era of Battletech and is fleshed out in much more detail than earlier conflicts. The grand story is described in Michael Stackpole's legendary Warrior trilogy. More detail is given in FASA's various products from the time, and - [Clan Omni 'Mech usage](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3626) - For the Clan invasion, FASA originally provided the Clans with 16 Battlemechs from 20 to 100 tons. All of these are Omni 'Mechs, meaning that their loadout can be reconfigured easily. Other 'Mechs, such as the IIC variants of Inner Sphere designs and other Clan-designed 'Mechs, were only added later. Similarly to how certain Inner Sphere houses - [Porsche 997 interior colors](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3226) - The 997 model of the Porsche 911 was available with a number of different interior colors. These were divided into standard colors, special colors, and natural leather. Custom colors were available, too. The standard interior featured partial leather seats plus leather on most surfaces that are touched regularly, i.e. steering wheel, handbrake lever, door grips, - [Battletech online resources](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1248) - This is a listing of useful websites for the Battletech board game. General Official site - includes universe information and free downloads. Official forum. Master unit list - lists availability, factions, in which book to find them, and Alpha Strike cards for all Battletech units. Lords of the Battlefield - fan-based forum, but appears to - [Green 'Mech paint tutorial](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3607) - After trying various paint schemes throughout the last 3 decades, I've now settled on a straightforward green scheme for most of my Inner Sphere 'Mechs. Green is suitable for at least the following units: SLDF and hence Eridani Light Horse Lyran Regularss Davion Crucis Lancers ComStar in battle, as the well-known white is a parade - [Battletech maps](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3597) - While Battletech can be played on 3D terrain with range rulers for measuring distance, it is most commonly (and most conveniently) played using maps with hexagonal divisions. This makes it easy to move your units and measure distances, and is what the game was designed for. In that sense Battletech is closer to a traditional - [A closer look at the PRS model range](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3036) - I've taken a brief look at the PRS guitar range in the post about my CE 24, but here's a closer look at the various models. The PRS model range is divided into four ranges: SE are the entry-level models built in Indonesia, including hardware and pickups built there. Non-locking tuners. The top has a - [Squier Sonic Precision Bass review](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3580) - I've played the (electric) guitar for more than 15 years now, and never really considered trying another instrument. Drumming would be good for my lacking sense of timing, but I have no room for a drum kit. I bought a keyboard last year so my kids could practice for school, and I've dabbled with it - [My car history](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2000) - VW Golf II I bought my first car at the end of my military service, in April 1999. It was a dark blue two-door 1990 Golf Madison (VW had many special models at the time to push the aging Golf II) with the 70 HP 1.6L electronic carburetor engine, that already had run 188,000km. This - [Oldtimer Grand Prix 2025](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3573) - Here are some pictures taken at the 52nd Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Equipment used was a Nikon D300 with Nikkor AF-S 70-300VR. I was lazy so I shot straight to JPEG with auto exposure and white balance. The only post-processing was some cropping in Darktable. - [Building a DIY Guitar FX pedal](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2433) - There's a multitude of guitar FX pedals out there, but many of them are quite expensive. For those with some technical skill and a soldering iron, there's an alternative: building your own pedals from a kit. A large selection of kits is sold by Musikding, and I recently ordered the Katana (Keeley Katana-style boost) and - [Review: Marshall Origin 50C](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2507) - How I arrived at this amp is described here. When Marshall introduced the Origin at the 2018 winter NAMM show, there was much rejoicing: Marshall seemed to finally deliver what many people had been waiting for: an affordable Plexi-style amp. When the specifications became known and the first videos turned up, there was more than - [Fender American Ultra Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2511) - Usually, new product announcements are made around either the Summer or Winter NAMM show, but Fender chose early November to release the Ultra range of guitars. The Ultra replaces the Elite as top-of-the-line regular (i.e. non-Custom Shop) range. Models available are the Stratocaster (SSS and HSS), Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Precision, and Jazz Bass. The specifications are - [Playing chords on three strings](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2555) - Beginners usually start learning chords with open strings, i.e. at the first couple of frets, and covering all strings. Most important of these are the E and A chord forms, as they can be played as barré chords and thus moved up the neck to get other chords. The first barré chord taught is usually - [Fender American Professional II Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2661) - In late 2020, Fender introduced the American Professional II Stratocaster as successor to the American Professional, the mid-range US model. As usual, the changes are evolutionary. There are new pickups (V-Mod II), a new cold-rolled steel vibrato block, and a sculpted neck heel (like the Deluxe/Elite/Ultra). Also new is the addition of roasted pine as - [Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2666) - How many guitars does a guitarist need? The common joke among guitarists is n+1, with n being the number of guitars currently owned. I'd say four: Maple and rosewood fretboard Stratocasters, a Telecaster, and a Les Paul. But the minimum is certainly two: one with single coils and one with humbuckers. Hence, when my wife - [Creating leadsheets with Musescore](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2681) - The number one online source for Guitar Tabs and Chords is Ultimate Guitar, but I often prefer leadsheets, as they offer a single-page overview of songs. You could create a simple leadsheet with e.g. PowerPoint or Excel, but I also like having the ability to add music notation and tablature, e.g. for licks and solos. - [Review: Fender Mustang Micro](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2754) - Nothing beats the sound of a tube amplifier, but the truth is that, even at bedroom level, they can be too loud - for example when the children have just gone to bed, or someone is watching tv next door. I was considering the Boss Waza Craft headphones when Fender announced the Mustang Micro. This - [Sharp Looper, a C# program for slowing down and looping music](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2836) - When learning new songs, especially solos, it is very useful when you can slow down playback and repeatedly loop certain parts of a song. YouTube can slow down playback, but has no looping feature. There are commercial programs available that can do this, but they cost money. In the past I have used a program - [Fender 2022 Stratocaster lineup](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2886) - US-made ("MIA") US-made Stratocasters are built in Fender's factory in Corona, California. The finish is generally polyurethane, except on the Originals, which are finished in nitrocellulose lacquer. With the exception of the American Performer, they all come with cases. American Performer The American Performer Stratocaster is Fender's entry-level US-made Stratocaster, replacing the American Special in - [Blue Stratocasters](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2893) - Blue is my favorite color, the Stratocaster my favorite guitar, so it's time to take a look at blue Stratocasters. The original custom colors Upon the Stratocaster's introduction, the standard color was what is now known as Two-Tone Sunburst (black and yellow). In 1959, this was changed to three-tone sunburst with the addition of red. - [Fender American Vintage II Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2961) - Fender has just announced the American Vintage II series, including of course Stratocaster models. The American Vintage was Fender's vintage-spec range from the 1980s until early 2018, when it was replaced by the American Original range - a somewhat controversial move, as the American Originals eschewed strict vintage specs, going with flatter fretboard radii instead. - [State of the Superstrat](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2967) - Lately I've been learning and playing several songs that use high gain and the vibrato - not ideal for single coils and blocked vibratos. This has gotten me interested in Superstrats. While there's no formal definition of what a Superstrat is, I'd consider the following points to be pretty much mandatory: two humbuckers A dual-cutaway - [It's all about the Neck](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2986) - To me, the neck is the most important thing about a guitar. It's the part that's always in your hand and governs how a guitar feels to play. A neck that is warped or bent will make a guitar unusable. Neck shapes In the early days of guitar building, the necks where shaped by hand - [Superstrat Shopping](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2991) - I recently got to visit Guitarking in Boekel, the store where I got my Les Paul. It's a really nice guitar store with a good assortment of higher-priced gear. As I've developed an interest in Superstrats, that's what I wanted to try. I started out with an Ibanez AZ 2402 Prestige (from the Japanese-made range). - [Guitar Straps](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2995) - Looking for a guitar strap? There's a huge selection out there, here are some manufacturers with a decent amount of options. There are in fact so many options that it's almost impossible to view them all, and it shouldn't be too difficult to find something you like. Fender If you play a Fender, you might - [Fender 2025 Stratocaster lineup](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3372) - It's been three years since I've done one of these, time for an update. As usual, I'll try to list them from least to most expensive. Only regular production, no Custom Shop. I've omitted the Japanese models, as their availability outside of Japan is somewhat inconsistent. US-made ("MIA") These are made in the Fender factory - [Guitar tools](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3404) - Unless you are a rock star with a guitar tech stringing your guitars for you, chances are you'll want to do some work on your guitar from time to time - whether it's just changing strings, fiddling with the setup, or doing bigger modifications. This also means that you need some tools. Sure, a multi-tool - [BMW and Mercedes coupés](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3350) - Rare as they are nowadays, the two-door coupé to me is still the perfect car design if style is more important than practicality. Those long doors just make the difference. Add a front engine and rear-wheel drive and you get something that can take many forms, from a hardcore sports car to a luxurious and - [Four chairs that define Mid-Century Modern furniture](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3325) - While Mid-Century Modern is a style that encompasses architecture and product design, it is maybe most clearly defined through furniture, as in architecture it overlaps very much with the International Style or Modernism. I also think that in regard to furniture, it has had the more lasting impact, maybe because Mid-Century Modern furniture had its - [The Eames Aluminum Group chairs](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3336) - When Charles & Ray Eames were asked to design outdoor furniture, they departed from their previous shell models and went with an aluminum frame with fabric/leather stretched over it instead. Funnily, these new Aluminum Group chairs were not successful as outdoor furniture, but became iconic office chairs instead. There are three distinct families of chairs. - [The position of Mid-Century Modern in 20th Century design](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3309) - No century has seen more changes than the 20th Century. Not least two World Wars brought about major changes in society, culture, and technology. This naturally had an impact on design and architecture. One could consider 20th Century design being centered around Mid-Century Modern, an era ranging from approx. 1930 to 1970. It is difficult - [Four houses that define Mid-Century Modern architecture](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3315) - It can be somewhat difficult to define what exactly Mid-Century Modern architecture is. It not only covers a time range of more than 40 years, it also overlaps with other styles such as Bauhaus and the International Style. I have previously tried to position Mid-Century Modern within 20th Century design. To me, Mid-Century Modern can - [Building a Camel Trophy TRX-4M, part IV: 3D printing](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3111) - While there's a huge aftermarket for TRX-4M parts, some things aren't available, or it's just easier and cheaper to 3D print them. I bought a Prusa Mk. 2S six years ago, and while I don't use it daily, this project once again showed me why I wouldn't want to be without one. The main sources - [Painting 28mm Vietnam Marines](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2603) - I've finally found a paint recipe for 28mm US Vietnam troops that I like. Most period photographs show the uniforms to be pretty green, whereas many paint recipes that I've found are too dark or too much on the brownish side. I also struggled with highlighting. I've used Vallejo Olive Green before (for my 15mm - [Porsche 997 options](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3276) - This post takes a look at some of the options that were available for the non-GT/non-turbo 997.1 models. Exterior colors, interior colors, wheels, interior trim, and leather options are covered in separate posts. You could choose between coupé, convertible, and targa. Four-wheel drive was optional on the coupé and convertible and mandatory on the targa. - [Getting started with Infinity I: Online resources](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2082) - After having it on my "maybe in the future" list for years, I finally gut sucked into playing Infinity and really enjoy it. Here are a couple of online resources that can help you when starting out, but also later on. Official Infinity website Infinity download page: Includes the rules, army and weapon lists, the - [Porsche 911 (997) colors](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3045) - This compilation of Porsche 997 colors is based on price lists that I have found on the Internet. I've only looked at the Carrera colors, there might have been other color choices for other models. Interior The early 997.1 could be had with five different standard interior colors: Black, Stone Grey, Sand Beige, Palm Green, - [Porsche 911 (997) buying advice](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3210) - The sixth-generation 911 with the internal code 997 was an evolutionary update of its predecessor, the 996. This means that much of the buying advice for the 996 also applies to the 997, especially the 997.1 (pre-facelift) model. The 997.1 differs from the 996 mostly in terms of sheet metal (including the return to round - [Porsche 997 leather options](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3259) - I've covered interior colors in another post, this post covers the various optional leather packages. The information given here is based on a German Carrera price list for the 2006 model year. Standard leather All 997s came with partial leather consisting of the front seats, steering wheel rim, door handle, door armrest/storage compartment lid, center - [Porsche 997 interior trim options](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3242) - The default trim option for the 997 was most surfaces in the interior color (either plastic, leather, or soft-touch paint), with some parts, such as ventilation vents, steering wheel trim, PCM surround, and door openers, in flat Vulcan Grey or galvanized silver paint. In case of the 997.2, the PCM surround is black. There were - [Porsche 997 online resources](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3216) - Forums Rennlist - the premier English-language forum 6speedonline - another popular English-language forum porscheforum.nl - Dutch Porsche forum PFF - German Porsche forum Repair manual The repair manual can be downloaded from this Google Drive location. Pelican Parts have a lot of useful DIY articles on their website. Parts catalogue Unlike some other brands, Porsche - [Porsche 911 (997) OEM wheels](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3193) - Like for the 996, Porsche offered several wheel styles for the 997 Carrera models. 997.1 The standard wheel for the Carrera was the Carrera III wheel in 18". This is somewhat similar to the 996's Carrera wheel, being a five-spoke design. The standard wheel for the Carrera S was the - wait for it - - [Defining conflicts in the history of the Battletech universe](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3185) - Battletech is about war. "In the future there's only war" paraphrases a quote about the Warhammer 40K universe, but it is equally applicable to the Battletech universe. Here's an overview of the most important conflicts and how they lend themselves to gaming. 4th Succession War, 3028-3030 This is the most famous of the Succession Wars - [Buying a Mercedes-Benz W211 E-Class](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3140) - Why? I'm a pretty devoted BMW driver and I love the E39 530i that I've driven for almost four years. But at 21 years old and 340,000km on the odometer, it was developing some minor if annoying issues like doors and windows not opening and closing properly. Given that I also would probably need new - [Mercedes W211 OEM wheels](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3154) - Default wheels The W211 E-class came in three trim levels: Classic, Elegance, and Avantgarde. All came from the factory with alloy wheels of different styles, which were changed with the facelift. 16" was standard. Pre-facelift: Classic : 7-hole design Elegance: 13-hole design, a reinterpretation of the classic "manhole cover" wheels Avantgarde: 5-spoke design Facelift: Classic: - [How to make a TRX-4M charging cable](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3126) - The Traxxas TRX-4M comes with a proprietary connector for its battery that plugs directly into the receiver/ESC and the supplied USB charger. This means that you cannot simply use another charger that you might already have. While the USB charger is certainly usable (much more so than the 12B charger Traxxas provides with other models), - [Building a Camel Trophy TRX-4M, part V: decals, tires, wheels, and accessories](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3116) - The final steps in my Camel Trophy build are applying the decals, mounting new tires and wheels and the accessories. My decal sheet is from an eBay seller called screenprintdigital. Unfortunately the largest Camel Trophy logos, suitable for the doors, also had the Team Germany text below them. I careful got rid of that with - [Building a Camel Trophy TRX-4M, part III: Painting and building the body](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3107) - I used a spray can of Tamiya TS-34 "Camel Yellow" to paint the unpainted white Traxxas Defender body. I first cleaned the body with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). When using spray paint it's important to use multiple thin coats, instead of trying to get good coverage in one go - this can lead to runners. Under - [Building a Camel Trophy TRX-4M, part II: Parts](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3089) - Body Getting a suitable body is easy - Traxxas sell not only painted bodies, but also a white body, including all accessory parts. This includes the roof rack, mirrors, fender flares, and even the jerry cans and jack that are mounted to the rear. The part number is 9712. You can of course also disassemble - [Building a Camel Trophy TRX-4M, part I: Research](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3091) - One of the most enjoyable parts of a new project is to me the associated research. There's nothing wrong with slapping some Camel Yellow paint on a Defender body and adding some stickers, but I wanted to be a bit closer to the look of cars that were actually used during the Camel Trophy. The - [Free RC flight simulators](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1080) - ]Before buying and flying your first RC plane, I strongly recommend practicing with a computer simulator. A simulator will teach you the basic flight controls and getting used to the left/right inversion when the plane is flying towards you. Judging distances and where the plane is with regard to the runway is quite difficult in - [Review: Traxxas TRX-4M Defender](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3082) - Ever since my return to radio-controlled cars with the Slash, I knew that I wanted to have a crawler at some point. The issue here was that most of my RC driving takes place on vacation, with luggage space always at a premium, so a 1/10 scale crawler didn't seem ideal, plus the €500+ price - [Porsche 911 (997)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=3040) - History Porsche's introduction of the second-generation water-cooled 911 with model 997 in 2004 marked a return to the familiar round headlights - not unsurprising given all the hate that the 996 received for its "fried egg" headlights. Underneath though the changes were small. The engine, while carrying a new code (M97 instead of M96) is - [A look at the landscape of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2911) - If you take a look at the current digital camera market, it's clear that DSLRs (digital single-lens reflex) cameras are on their way out. Modern sensors that allow continuous readout at high frame rates and on-sensor phase detect auto-focus have eliminated the need for the mechanically complex and large mirror assemblies of DSLRs. In their - [Wildlands Emmen May 2022](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2937) - Some pictures taken during a visit to Wildlands Emmen, the Netherlands' newest zoo. It is divided into three areas (jungle, savannah, and arctic), with all of them having been given a nice thematic look and feel. I still feel that it struggles a bit with wanting to be both an amusement park and a zoo. - [Painting Tau infantry](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2867) - The Tau (or T'au, as they are written now) are my favorite Warhammer 40K faction - as a matter of fact, they are the only faction that interest me both from a lore and a visual standpoint. I've long resisted the urge to start a Tau army (I even own a 4th edition codex that - [Buying a BMW E39 5-series](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2455) - When I bought my E46 compact two and a half years ago, the reasoning behind the choice was that I wanted a low mileage car, two doors were sufficient, and it had to be manual transmission for eventual track use. Since then, the requirements have changed. Not only does my son demand "his own door", - [Airbrush essentials](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2859) - I've got a bit of a love/hate relationship with airbrushing for painting models and miniatures. You can get great results, but you need quite some time for preparation and especially cleaning afterwards, so you probably want to plan an hour or so for an airbrush session. There's also a learning curve, not only in actually - [Review: AK Interactive weathering pencils](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2855) - I recently stumbled upon AK Interactive's weathering pencils. They look like normals pencils, but are made of a waxy substance that is water-soluble. To get this ouf of the way: The ads make it sound like they might be The Best Thing Ever, but they are certainly not magic. Getting good results requires practice and - [Tau paint schemes and markings](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2843) - Paint schemes According to the fluff, the Tau use appropriate camouflage for the environment they are fighting in. This means that you could use pretty much any paint scheme that you want, as long as you come up with a backstory for why this serves to blend into the environment. There are however several schemes - [Star Wars Legion online resources](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2839) - After a two-year hiatus due to Covid, l'm finally getting back into Star Wars Legion. I've started painting miniatures again and I'm making plans for more terrain. I've got enough terrain for a Mos Eisley-style table and an Urban table (with terrain that I also use for Infinity), but I also want to compile terrain - [Star Wars Legion has arrived](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2178) - Fantasy Flight Games made us wait a little longer than we first hoped, but Star Wars Legion has finally arrived. Below are a couple of pictures of our first game, at 800 points. Most terrain is 3D printed. - [Review: Traxxas 1/16 Slash](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2825) - It's been 30 years since I last owned a radio-controlled car, but now that the kids are old enough, I decided to buy one once again. While doing some research I quickly decided to buy a decent hobby-quality car (with good spare part availability) instead of a toy-grade car. My choice fell upon the 1/16 - [Porsche 911 (996) colors](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2721) - Interior The 996 could be had with five interior colors: Black, Graffiti Grey (a light grey), Metropole Blue, Savannah Beige, and Space Grey (which is a bit darker than Graffiti Grey). Space Grey was later replaced by Nephrite Green. For the early cars, Nephrite Green and Boxster Red were available as special colors - for - [Getting started with the Pokémon TCG](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2805) - Pokémon is the only franchise that has achieved the holy quaternity for a media franchise: A long-running TV series Successful video games A mainstream board or card game Lots of merchandising While Star Wars is close, it has always been predominantly a movie franchise, with the TV series being less important. Star Wars has also - [Operation Kaldstrom](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2800) - I've finally finished painting my Operation Kaldstrom PanOceania miniatures. Since these are WinterForce troops, I wanted to reflect this in in the basing. I used some Ziterdes White Frost tufts along with Games Workshop's Valhallan Blizzard snow effect. Valhallan Blizzard is quite easy to work with, but dries a bit too matte for my tastes. - [Free aeronautical charts for flight simulators](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2787) - I've recently started using MSFS 2020 (review here), and while VFR roaming the beautiful scenery is fun, my true love is instrument flying and following official procedures. Here both the realism and the understanding of real procedures can be greatly improved by using real aviation charts. Here are some free information sources that I have - [Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 review](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2784) - I'm a long-time Microsoft Flight Simulator user. I started with 4.0. Back then scenery was extremely limited, so you were mostly limited to instrument flying - which I learned to love, to the point that when we had to give a presentation at school, my talk was about aircraft navigation. 5.0/5.1 was a major step - [Mijn favoriete strips deel 2](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1571) - Deel 1 was over Amerikaanse strips, in deel 2 gaat het over mijn favoriete franco-Belgische strips. Het mooie hieraan is dat deze allemaal makkelijk verkrijgbaar zijn, in de stripwinkel of de betere boekenzaak. Asterix Van Albert Uderzo & René Goscinny Als je het over mainstream hebt (vooral in mijn geboorteland Duitsland), dan staat Asterix helemaal - [Porsche 911 (996) buying advice](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2761) - Porsche's fifth-generation 911, the 996, was a milestone - it was the first water-cooled 911, and, together with the 986-model Boxster, lead to the growth and prosperity of Porsche as we know it today. There was also much criticism leveled at the 996: besides the outcries of the air-cooled lovers, the "fried egg" headlights (as - [Porsche 911 (996) OEM wheels](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2706) - The default wheel size for the Porsche 996 Carrera 2 was 7x17 up front and 9x17 in the rear. For the pre-facelift model, the default wheel appears to have been the M396 turbo-look wheel. For the facelift 996.2 model, this was the 10-spoke Carrera II wheel. The Carrera 4 used a different five-spoke design. I'm - [Porsche 911 (996)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2514) - History The introduction of the 996-model Porsche 911 in 1997 was not universally seen as a good thing. Not only did 911 lovers have to live without an air-cooled engine, but also have to accept the "fried egg" headlights that Porsche carried over from the Boxster as a cost-cutting measure. Moving to a liquid-cooled engine - [My BMW 318ti compact](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2006) - More about my car history and how I found this car, and why i bought it can be found here. By BMW 318ti compact (E46 model) was built in early 2002. It is equipped with the 2.0L N42B20 Valvetronic engine which develops 143 HP and 200 Nm of torque, and the five-speed manual gearbox. The - [Dension Gateway installation](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2015) - My BMW 318ti compact has the original BMW Navigation Business radio/tape player. For looks and value, I wanted to retain this system instead of getting a new radio, but I also wanted the possibility to listen to podcasts from my phone (I always listen to X-Wing podcasts when traveling alone), maybe listen to music from - [The BMW family tree](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2025) - To me, modern BMW car history begins with the introduction of the Neue Klasse in 1962. This modern sedan, with its newly developed front-mounted engine (the famous M10) and rear-wheel drive, was a turning point for the then-struggling car and motorcycle manufacturer. Most modern BMW cars can trace their lineage back to the Neue Klasse. - [BMW E46 dual use track tool considerations](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2279) - Lately I've been putting some thought into building a dual use road/track car. Something that would be possible to do my commute to work with, but also have fun with on a track during trackdays. Inspiration came from HeelandToe.Blog's 328i and the two Throttle House cars. Grassroots Motorsports also is a good resource. If you - [BMW E46 blower failure and filter replacement](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2293) - Recently, the blower fan of my E46 318ti compact stopped working. A search on the internet revealed a number of possible causes: Dashboard control unit Blower resistor (also known as FSR, final stage resistor) The blower motor itself A cable somewhere in between I could quickly rule out 1. When hooking up the car to - [BMW E39 OEM wheels](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2460) - The E39 is a bit special in regard to wheels, as it has a hub diameter of 74.1mm where most BMWs have a hub diameter of 72.6mm. This means that there is less choice than with other BMW types. Nevertheless, BMW has sold quite a number of different wheel styles. This is an attempt to - [The 530i: Status Quo](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2457) - Buying a car in the Netherlands is so easy. Whereas in Germany you need to go to a Landratsamt (district office) and might need new license plates, here buyer and seller go to the postal office, the seller shows a nine-digit code and the car's license card (which is then cut in two by the - [The 530i: Fixing the sunscreen](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2482) - My 530i is equipped with roll-up sunscreens, consisting of an electric sunscreen for the rear window and manual sunscreens for the rear door windows. These consist of two parts, a vertically moving part for the main window and a horizontally moving part for the small triangular window. The latter wouldn't roll up on the left - [The 530i: Parts are in](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2492) - The first parts deliveries are in. My local BMW dealer supplied the missing baggage straps and the cracked footrest. Filters and a new fog light were ordered online. Someone devised this fancy contraption for replacing the original screw for the tool kit, even though the parts (screw and thread insert) are just a couple of - [The 530i: i-bus interface](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2498) - My E39 530 came with an Xtrons PX5 Android radio installed. While I'm all about originality (and thus got the original head unit, too), I actually enjoy the features that this radio provides: Bluetooth audio streaming, hands-free kit, and a reversing camera. The downsides are that, by default, there's no offline navigation possibility (only Google - [Four BMWs that you should buy now](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2533) - Unlike some other brands (looking at you, Porsche), most older BMWs are still relatively affordable and haven't seen crazy price increases in the last years. Notable exceptions are the rare and wanted models: 507, M1, and Z8. Nevertheless, there are a few models were prices have bottomed out or have been rising for a time. - [Three BMWs that can wait a little longer](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2535) - These are a couple of BMWs with prices that are still falling, so if you want to get one of these, you can consider waiting a bit longer. E39 5 series BMW's fourth-generation 5 series has not only been called BMW's best car, but also the best sedan ever. After owning a 530i for a - [Two BMWs that you might be too late for](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2540) - BMW CS Coupé (E9) After the success of the Neue Klasse, BMW branched out by adding two more upmarket models, the E3 sedan (which would father the 7 series), and the E9 coupé. Production of the latter started late in 1968, at Karmann, most famous for the VW Beetle based Karmann Ghia. All engine offerings - [The five ages of BMW](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2610) - Beginnings (1918-1961) BMW started out as engine builder, hence the name Bayerische Motorenwerke. Automobile production didn't start until the acquisition of the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, which built the Dixi, a licensed version of the Austin Seven. The pre-war focus was on sports cars, culminating in the Mille Miglia-winning BMW 328. Production numbers were low. The early - [BMW 3 series (E46)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2033) - History The E46 3 series was introduced in 1998 as successor to the E36 model. It can be considered an evolutionary upgrade of the E36, as the initial engines are revised versions of the engines offered in the E36 (M43, M52), and the interior (instrument cluster, front seats, steering wheel, etc.) are similar or even - [Porsche 911 (early model, 1963-1973)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2047) - History The Porsche 911 was presented in 1963, originally as 901, as successor to the Porsche 356. It was powered by a 2.0l flat-six engine that developed 130 HP. The 160 HP 911S was added in 1967, with the Targa model (removable roof panel) following in the same year. 1967 also saw the addition of - [BMW 3 series (E9x)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2104) - History The fifth-generation 3-series was introduced in 2005, as successor to the successful E46. Each model now received its own code: E90 sedan, E91 touring, E92 coupé, E93 convertible. After the controversial E65 7-series and E60 5-series, BMW decided to play it safe with the E90’s styling, resulting in a somewhat bland car, especially regarding - [BMW 3 series (E30)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2120) - History The second generation of BMW's 3 series was introduced in late 1982. Where the predecessor E21 had only been available as two-door sedan (not counting the partial convertibles by Baur), the E30 was sold in a total of four body styles. The four-door sedan, convertible, and station wagon (Touring in BMW language) were introduced - [BMW 3 series (E36)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2123) - History The third-generation 3 series, introduced in 1991, was a radical step forward from the E30. The design was completely new, with much improved aerodynamics. Gone was the open grille that still adorned the contemporary E34 5-series. The six-cylinder engines (M50) were all new, employing four valves per cylinder. Top engine was the 325i with - [Porsche 911 G-model (1973-1989)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2157) - History For the 1974 model revision, the Porsche 911 received a major overhaul that distinguish the new G-model from the earlier models. New bumpers were required by US law, the vents below the headlights disappeared (with the turn signals being moved into the bumper), and the whole body was slightly redesigned and appears more muscular. - [BMW M3 (all models)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2160) - I have decided to treat the M3 separately from other 3-series models. The M3 models differ quite a bit in price, engine, and sometimes design from the regular models. History The first M3, based on the E30, was introduced in 1985 as homologation model for motorsports. It has little in common with the regular two-door - [BMW Neue Klasse](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2213) - History BMW was in a difficult situation in the late 1950s. It still felt the effects of the second World War, such as the loss of the car factory in Eisenach and the bomb damage to the Munich factory. Motorcycles weren't selling as well as they used to, money was lost on the large 501/502 - [BMW 5 series (E39)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2231) - History The fourth generation of BMW's 5 series was introduced in December 1995 as successor to the E34. The design was clearly a continuation of the E34, while introducing features introduced with the E36 3 series (e.g. the glass-covered headlights), whereas the more rounded look and horizontal crease line would later be featured in the - [BMW 1 series (E81/82/87/88)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2359) - History The BMW 1 series was introduced in 2004 as new entry model. Although initially only available as four-door hatchback, it quickly replaced the unpopular E46 compact. A two-door hatchback and a coupé followed in 2007 (along with a facelift for the four-door hatch), the convertible in 2008. Coupé and convertible received a facelift in - [BMW 02](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2559) - History The success of the Neue Klasse saved BMW, but after the production stop of the now outdated BMW 700, BMW lacked an entry-level model. BMW hence developed a slightly smaller two-door version, which was introduced in 1966 as BMW 1600-2. The styling is very similar to the Neue Klasse, but with distinctive round tail - [Alfa Romeo Giulia/GT](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2593) - History The Giulia (type 105) was introduced in 1962 as successor to the Giulietta. The initial engine offering was a 1.6l, with a 1.3l added in 1964. Technically, the four-door Giulia was ahead of its competitors. It featured twin-cam engines, disc brakes on all four wheels, a five-speed manual transmission (on the 1.6l), and a - [Essential ingredients of skirmish wargaming rules](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2587) - After playing many different rules and games, and reading about infantry warfare, here are several mechanics that I consider to be essential if a game is to approximate real combat. I will also take a look at how these are treated by a number of skirmish rule sets that I'm familiar with. Interesting activation system - [Review: Group A](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2675) - While my motorsports exploits (when I was young) were limited to autocross and regularity competitions on the Hockenheimring and Nürburgring, and my current Sim Racing hobby is centred on circuit racing, too, my first and true love when it comes to motorsports is rally. My formative years in this regard were the late '80s and - [Review: How to Build a Car](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2670) - Most racing-related (auto)biographies focus on the drivers. But there are other interesting stories to tell about racing in general and Formula One in particular. Adrian Newey's autobiography offers a unique insight into the world of Formula One. Newey knew from an early age that he wanted to design race cars. He made the smart choice - [MG B/C](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2415) - History If you could name only one British roadster, chances are it would be the MG B. It was presented in 1962 as successor to the MG A. Power came from a 95 hp 1.8l four-cylinder engine. The coupé (actually hatchback) GT was added in 1965. From 1967 to 1969, it was sold as MG - [Mini](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2542) - I almost let the 60th anniversary of the Mini pass without writing an article about it. Crisis averted! History The Mini was presented in 1959 as Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor. It was designed by Alex Issigonis as compact, affordable car, something that could compete with other small cars such as the Fiat 500. - [A brief history of the current Formula 1 teams](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2649) - One does not simply start a new Formula 1 team these days. It's too complex for that, and there's a limited number of places on the grid. Hence, "new" teams have in the last decades usually been new names after the takeover of a team by a new owner. Here's a brief overview of the - [Review: Märklin My World Fire Department Starter Set](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2639) - When my four-year-old son announced that he wanted a model train set, I initially considered a regular digital starter set by e.g. Roco, but my wife convinced me that this was unsuitable. So we instead bought a Märklin My World set, the Fire Department starter, and a couple of extra accessories. The starter consists of - [Driving a '66 Mustang](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2620) - For my 42nd birthday my wife surprised me with a day of driving a 1966 Ford Mustang rented from Nostalgico. The car was a Nightmist Blue C-code coupé with power steering and automatic transmission. We took the car on a 90km trip through the forests of the Northern Veluwe in the central region of the - [Ford Mustang (first generation, 1964-1973)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2060) - History The Ford Mustang was introduced on April 17th, 1964. It was based on the compact Ford Falcon and aimed at the post-war baby-boomer generation. Designed as sporty-looking and very customizable car, it was an instant success that sold in huge numbers and laid foundation to the "Pony Car" segment. The cars built from 1964 - [Four classic cars with all parts available](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2613) - When choosing a classic car to buy, drive, and work on, an important consideration to make is the availability of spare parts. Working on a car can be very frustrating when it is difficult or even impossible to find spare parts. Rare parts also tend to be expensive. Here are four car models with a - [Mazda MX-5 Miata](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2566) - History The Mazda MX-5 (known as Miata in the United States) can be credited with starting the rebirth of the classic small two-seat roadster. By the time of its introduction in 1989, the British roadsters by brands such as MG and Triumph were no longer in production. The Mercedes-Benz R129 was introduced at about the - [The other Shelby Mustang](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2606) - The most famous version of the first Mustang iteration (1964 1/2 to 1966) is undoubtedly the Shelby GT350R, built for SCCA sports car racing, and its GT350H Hertz rent a racer brethren. But when the SCCA announced the Trans-Am sedan championship for the 1966 season, Ford faced a dilemma: the GT350R, which used the fastback - [28mm buildings for Hué](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2574) - Most Vietnam wargaming focuses on fighting in the countryside, usually jungle or rice paddies. This means that there is a very limited number of buildings for sale that is suitable for Hué. But what is a suitable building? Many buildings, especially in the part south of the Perfume river, where the initial fighting by the - [Changing wheels](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2517) - With the coming of the E39 530i, it's the first time in more than 10 years that I have owned separate winter and summer sets of tyres and wheels for a car. Not wanting to deal with the hassle of driving to a workshop to have them change the wheels, something that I can easily - [Leather seat restoration](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2465) - My compact's driver's seat shows typical signs of wear, as one would expect of a 17 year old car. Luckily, it has leather seats. Textile fabrics will simply rip at some point, requiring complete recovering. Leather is much more robust, and the wear is often a superficial discolouring. I ordered a restoration set from Colour - [Review: Setting up a Home Car Workshop](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2430) - I stumbled upon this book by Julian Edgar through a book tip in a German classic car magazine. Since having a home workshop one day is a dream of mine, I ordered it. As the name implies, it covers the important aspects of setting up your own smallish car workshop: tool selection (hand, powered, fixed), - [Guitar FX manufacturers you should know](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2397) - Guitar FX pedals are booming. Despite digital/modelling amplifiers getting better and better, low-wattage tube amplifiers for home and mic'ed stage use are more popular than ever. FX pedals provide flexibility for these often simple and straightforward amps, to the point that pedal platform amps, which only provide a base clean sound that is then shaped - [Overdrive pedals you should know](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2391) - There's an innumerable amount of Overdrive pedals these days - but this can't hide the fact that many of them are based off a limited number of "reference" pedals. This is (most likely incomplete) list of such reference pedals, in no particular order. Tubescreamer Quite likely the most famous overdrive pedal. It is known for - [Amp shopping](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2404) - I've been playing through a Peavey Valveking Royal 8 for many years now, but despite a number of mods, I've never been really satisfied with the sounds I get out of it. I think it's the combination of 8" speaker and cheap output transformer. The sound is quite boxy and mid-rangey, and the cleans are - [Citroen DS](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2419) - History At the 1955 Paris Motor Show, Citroen presented a revolutionary successor to the Traction Avant that had been in production for more than 20 years: the DS. Both the styling and the technology (hydropneumatic suspension, power steering, semi-automatic transmission) were a major step ahead - so much, indeed, that the DS stayed in production - [Austin Healey 3000](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2164) - History The "Big Healey" was introduced in 1953, with a four-cylinder engine. In 1956, the six-cylinder 100-6 replaced it. In 1959, the 3000 with a larger 3-liter engine was introduced. The "Big Healey" moniker differentiates these cars from the much smaller Austin Healey Sprite. The 3000 Mk II was introduced in 1961, The even more - [USAF F-4 Phantom II paint schemes](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=992) - In its 30+ year career with the US Air Force, the F-4 Phantom II wore several distinctive paint schemes, unlike its Navy brothers. They started out in the same scheme, though - Gull gray and white: This scheme was still in use during the first months of the Vietnam War, but quickly replaced by the - [Review: Colours of Speed](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2406) - Porsche has always been about racing. In the 1960s, it often appeared as if racing came first and street car production second. New race cars were introduced almost every year, but due to the focus on lightweight low-displacement cars, the ultimate goal, the overall victory at Le Mans, remained elusive. When the rules were changed - [Fender 2019 Stratocaster lineup](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2142) - US-made ("MIA") US-made Stratocasters are built in Fender's factory in Corona, California. The finish is generally polyurethane, except on the Originals, which are finished in nitrocellulose lacquer. With the exception of the American Special, they all come with cases. American Performer The American Performer Stratocaster is Fender's entry-level US-made Stratocaster, replacing the American Special in - [Review: Fender FE620 gig bag](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2316) - My American Original '60s Stratocaster came with a very nice vintage-style case, but I prefer a gig bag for walking the 500m to guitar class. There are several brands out there, but Fender also sell gig bags with a nice set of features at a decent price. My choice fell on the FE620 model, which - [Touristenfahrten Nordschleife 1-5-2019](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2362) - Pictures taken at Brünnchen on a sunny, warm, and very busy May 1st. Three days later, all events for the day were cancelled due to snow. - [Why Group A is the best](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2322) - Ask motorsports fans about the greatest era in racing and rallying, and you´ll get a number of answers. A rally fan will likely name the epic (and eventually deadly) Group B battles of 1983 to 1986. A Formula 1 fan might consider the turbo area of the 1980s or the early days without wings the - [3D printed pedal board](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2338) - Any (electric) guitarist knows the problem - as soon as you've got more than one effects pedal, your cables become a tangled mess and moving the pedals to practise or a gig is a nuisance. The solution is, of course, a pedal board, and there are many commercially available solutions out there, usually involving some - [Fender American Original '60s Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2314) - Ten years after surprising me with my first Stratocaster, my wife surprised me with a trip to Belgium's biggest music store, KeyMusic in Sint-Niklaas, for my 40th birthday. Waiting there for me to be tested was a Fender American Original '60s Stratocaster in Candy Apple Red, which based on the specs and looks was my - [Review: The Complete Book of Classic Ford and Mercury Muscle Cars](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2311) - The Complete Book of Classic Ford and Mercury Muscle Cars by Donald Farr is a new book about about the Muscle Cars of Ford and its sister division Mercury, in the classic era from 1961 to 1973. It covers the entire spectrum, from the beginnings with high-powered full-size cars to the intermediates and pony cars, - [VW Polo GTI (all models)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2299) - History The first Polo (type 86), a rebadged Audi 50, was produced from 1975 to 1981. No performance model was sold by the factory That didn't keep people from tuning the car, I know a guy who had 165 hp in his Polo built for rallye use. The Polo II (86C) followed in 1981. The - [Visiting the Nürburgring](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2251) - Not long after visiting Spa - Francorchamps, I finally got the chance to get back to the Nürburgring. My last visit and lap dated from 2005. The Nürburgring and then especially the Nordschleife are famous for being the longest and most challenging permanent race track in the World, and of course the fact that you - [Visiting Spa - Francorchamps](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2200) - I recently had the chance to visit the famous Spa - Francorchamps racetrack. It is one of the oldest and certainly the most interesting track remaining in the Formula 1 calendar, and has a reputation that is surpassed only by the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Being situated in a depression, and not very close to major towns - [VW Golf GTI (all models)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2240) - History The first Golf GTI was introduced in 1976, with a 1.6l 110hp engine. Thus was born the hot hatch, a car that is both sensible and fun to drive. For the last production year, the engine displacement was raised to 1.8l. It was followed by the Golf II GTI introduced in 1984. Engine displacement - [Mercedes-Benz 190 (W201)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2236) - History In December 1982, Mercedes-Benz introduced the all-new 190 model, aiming at a share of the market that was previously not covered. It may be difficult to imagine in a time where the A-class is one of the examples of a huge and very varied range, but the "Baby-Benz" led to a small outcry among - [Mercedes-Benz W 110](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2168) - History The W 110, part of Mercedes's second-generation post-war lineup, was introduced in 1961 as successor to the W 120/W 121 Ponton model. The W 110 is mostly identical technically and optically to the W 111, but with a shortened front (being designed for four-cylinder engines) and single round headlights instead of the vertical headlights - [Mercedes-Benz W 114/W 115](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2171) - History In 1968, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W 114 (six-cylinder) / W 115 (four/five-cylinder) as successor to the W 110. It is known as Strich 8 (Dash 8) in Germany. Its design is marked by restraint - completely devoid of unnecessary things, except for the chrome side strip. It definitely looks more austere than its tail-finned - [The Solitude racetrack](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2209) - The most famous racetrack in Germany is of course the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Not everybody knows that, until 1965, Germany had a second racetrack embedded into nature. In a situation similar to Spa - Francorchamps, it was a relatively long (11.4 km) and fast racetrack entirely on public roads. It was used mostly for motorcycle races, - [PanOceania miniatures](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2187) - These are the PanOceania miniatures I have finished so far. I started out with the Operation Icestorm and Beyond Icestorm sets, and then added more miniatures. I decided to stick to the "official" paint scheme, as blue is my favourite color! I have plenty more waiting to be painted, next up will probably be some - [VW Golf II](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2109) - History The Golf II followed up the groundbreaking Golf I in 1983. A bit bigger, heavier and more rounded, it sold very well. I bought a 1990 model as my first car in 1999, and two of my friends had one, too – at the time, they could still be seen everywhere due to being - [Getting started with Infinity III: List building](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2088) - Point limits and SWC Infinity games are usually played with between 150 and 300 points. 150 is good for unexperienced players, while 200 and 250 are popular for games that allow players to play most aspects of the game while being a bit quicker to play (and requiring less miniatures) than a full 300 points - [Jaguar Mk 2](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2115) - History The Jaguar Mk 2 was introduced in late 1959 as successor to the Mk 1. It was the medium-sized saloon/sedan in Jaguar's lineup, positioned below the larger Mk IX and Mk X. It was powered by various versions of the XK engine, being available with the 2.4l, 3.4l, and 3.8l versions of this engine. - [Getting started with Infinity IV: Your first games](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2092) - Start out simple Infinity is a complex game, but the complexity comes in layers. For your first games, all you need is a basic understanding of the order/ARO mechanism and how dice rolling in fire combat works. Save things like hackers and lots of objectives for later games. Start out with a 150 point list - [VW Golf I GTI](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2052) - History The first Volkswagen Golf was introduced in 1974 as the successor to the Beetle. It was a radical departure from the previous Volkswagen approach of air-cooled rear engines. While the Golf surely wasn't the first front-wheel drive car (the Mini used the concept much earlier) or car with rear hatch (likewise for the Renault - [Getting started with Infinity II: Picking a faction](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=2085) - So you've decided to get started with Infinity and want to pick a faction to play. This can be a daunting task, as there a seven factions with a large variety of models to choose from. This is by no means an "if this, then pick this army" guide, but might offer some useful advice. - [My Bundeswehr army (2016)](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1912) - I have made slow but steady progress on my Bundeswehr army since my last summary post. This is the current order of battle: I consider the three combat platoons complete at this point. There are a couple of possible additions to the support units that I will pursue at low priority: VW Ilits (S&S Models) - [Naturwildpark Freisen](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1263) - [Helicopters of the Vietnam War](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=269) - While helicopters were used during the Korean War, it wasn't until the Vietnam War that their full potential was used. Observation, transport, and attack duties were fulfilled by many different models. This post tries to list the most important choppers. The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, better known as Huey, is the most iconic helicopter of the - [Aircraft of the Vietnam War](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=25) - This post provides an overview of the most important fixed-wing aircraft used during the Vietnam War, aimed at the wargamer. These are the aircraft likely to be employed during games. US Navy The US Navy used two fighters during the war. The missile-carrying McDonnell F-4 Phantom II was the most important. Besides scoring 40 kills - [Peavey Valveking Royal 8 mods](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1964) - It's been a long time since I wrote about guitars on this site. After a hiatus of almost four years, I started taking lessons again half a year ago and play almost every day. This also meant dusting off my amp, a Peavy Valveking Royal 8, a 5W all-tube amp with 8" speaker. I had - [Blake & Mortimer: Het testament van William S.](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1975) - Blake & Mortimer: De Da Vinci Code. Zo zou je het nieuwste Blake & Mortimer album kort kunnen omschrijven. Een oude professor en een jonge dame moeten, door een aantal raadsels op te lossen, een geheim zien te ontrafelen. De professor is Mortimer, de jonge dame is de dochter van een oude liefde van hem - [Review: Catalyst, a Rogue One story](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1972) - Catalyst, by James Luceno, is the companion novel to Rogue One, the first standalone movie in the Star Wars franchise. Lucasfilm/Disney seem to have settled on providing more background by the means of novels. It has been done for The Force Awakens and the Rebels TV show before. Catalyst tells the story of how Galen - [US aircraft carriers in the Vietnam War](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=242) - This is an overview of US aircraft carriers serving in the Vietnam war. Carriers were assigned to the western Pacific, and during each cruise spent several periods on "Yankee station" in the gulf of Tonkin. Short periods of rest were in Japan, Hong Kong, or the Philippines. While all carriers are listed as "CV", they - [Stoomtreindagen 2016](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1950) - Een paar foto's van de Stoomtreindagen 2016 bij de Stoomstichting Nederland. Onderdeel van het bezoek was een rit naar Gouda en terug achter 01 1075, Nederlands snelste stoomlocomotief. Dit is een van oorsprong Duitse 01.10 (de driecilinder versie van de bekende Baureihe 01 sneltreinlocomotief) met een maximum snelheid van 140 km/u. Daarnaast was het voorlopig - [X-Wing opslag & vervoer | X-Wing Lagerung & Transport | X-Wing storage & transport](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1366) - [lang_nl]Update 2016: Ik gebruik deze en soortgelijke dozen nog steeds voor dials etc., maar voor het vervoer van de schepen heb ik inmiddels een aantal foam trays van Feldherr gekocht. Een uitdaging met X-Wing is het opslaan en vervoeren van alle benodigde spullen. Niet alleen de schepen moet veilig opgeborgen worden, er zijn ook een - [Regionals 2016, part 2: game day](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1904) - Part 1 about preparation and list building can be found here. The Regional I attended was held at Wyvern's Keep in Delft, which is the newest game store in the The Hague/Rotterdam area. It was the first time I went to a tournament there. It was the first Regional announced, but I expected it to - [Regionals 2016, part 1: preparation](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1900) - Like last year, I knew that I would be able to attend only one X-Wing regional. Naturally, I wanted to get the most out of that experience. I did not play in a Store Championship, since our son was born in Store Championship season, the tournament kit was unattractive to me (I managed to get - [Armada online resources](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1799) - Just like X-Wing, Armada has quickly gained a considerable following, with plenty of information scattered over the Internet. This is a collection of useful sites. Information Official product site with rules, tournament rules, and FAQ. Armada wiki, all expansions and cards on one site. On-line fleet builders Star Wars Armada Fleet tool. Fab's Fleet generator. - [CEC on the Raspberry Pi](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1884) - My Raspberry Pi is hooked up to my AV Receiver using the HDMI port. My AV Receiver sits behind a cabinet door, so it cannot be controlled directly using the remote unless I open the door. This is not an issue when watching TV, as TV and AVR communicate using the HDMI-CEC protocol, allowing me - [Black Ops](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1837) - Black Ops is an interesting addition to the Osprey Wargames series. It aims at wargaming, as the name implies, "Black Operations". At its base is a simple D6-driven system. Character abilities (essentially attack, close combat, morale, defense) are target numbers for D6 rolls, with a few simple modifiers to the target number for things like - [X-Wing online resources](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1151) - Fantasy Flight Games' X-Wing miniatures game has attracted a large following within a short time. This has, of course, led to plenty of coverage on the world wide web, too. This post lists sites and forums I have stumbled across. Information Official product site with rules (including tournament rules) and FAQ. Team Covenant, number one - [Betaalbaar Audio/Video systeem deel 1 - TV](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1849) - Na 9 jaar werd het weleens tijd onze televisie te vervangen. In de oude woning was 32" prima, maar in de huidige woonkamer met een grotere kijkafstand toch een beetje klein. Ook was het nog een HD Ready model (720p dus), geen 1920 x 1080 Full HD. Op zoek dus naar iets nieuws. Vrij snel - [Betaalbaar Audio/Video systeem deel 2 - Receiver](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1854) - Moderne TVs zien er prachtig uit met hun smalle omlijsting, maar dit eist zijn tol - voor speakers is er alleen nog maar ruimte aan de achterkant, het resulterende geluid is blikkerig en de bas is ver te zoeken. Externe speaker zijn dus een must. Hiervoor waren er bij ons verschillende opties: Aansluiten op de - [Betaalbaar Audio/Video systeem deel 3 - Streaming](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1868) - CDs en andere fysieke media zijn niet meer de belangrijkste bron van muziek. Alles draait tegenwoordig, ook in de Hi-Fi wereld, om streaming: Internetradio, Spotify, het afspelen van muziek van netwerkschijven. Ook de traditionele Hi-Fi merken hebben dit begrepen en spelen in op deze trend door streaming-spelers of door deze functionaliteit in hun receivers in - [Playlists in Pi Musicbox](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1865) - Pi Musicbox has no built-in functionality for creating playlists for local music files that are located on the SD card or a USB drive. Playlists (m3u files) need to be located (by default at least, this can be changed in settings.ini) in /var/lib/mopidy/playlists. Filenames must be absolute of course. I started out by creating these - [Pi Musicbox - First steps](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1878) - After downloading Pi Musicbox from the website, follow one of the tutorials for writing the image to an SD card. If you want to change settings before first booting up, you can do so under Windows by editing settings.ini in the config folder. If you plan on running headless (i.e. without screen/keyboard connected), you should - [M113s!](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1843) - The last post about my Bundeswehr Cold War Army is 2 years old, but I've added some more stuff in the meantime: Panzerschnellbrücke Biber (Revell), Beobachtungspanzer M113 (Hobby Den), and a Panzermörser 120mm (Italeri conversion). Finally two M113 variants, few Cold War NATO armies can do without them. I'm currently busy with three MP2 (Uzi) - [Winter tournament report](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1829) - This is a report of the Winter kit tournament run by Subcultures in Utrecht on November 19th. It was a 16-player four-round tournament, with rounds limited to 60 minutes due to the time of day (the tournament started at 7pm, with people fighting evening rush hour to get there in time). It was announced beforehand - [Maak je eigen speelmat](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1821) - Gezien X-Wing en Armada spellen over gevechten in de ruimte zijn, is het wel zo leuk om op een sterrenachtergrond te spelen - iets anders dus dan de groene mat die menig miniaturenwargamer thuis heeft liggen. Er zijn een aantal bedrijven die deze maken, ook Fantasy Flight Games zelf heeft inmiddels een aantal in het - [X-Wing software tools part 2: tournament software & analysis](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1609) - This is a repost from xwingminiaturesgame.com. This is part 2 of a multi-part series about software tools for FFG's X-Wing miniatures game. Part 1 can be found here. Tournament software Running a tournament may sound like a simple thing to do, but computing standings and match-ups using the margin of victory (MOV) system FFG wants - [Rogues & Villains painted](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1809) - Finishing fourth (out of four...) at the Massing at Sullust tournament in Leiden, I was given the choice between the Raider and the Rogues & Villains expansion, and decided to go for the latter, as this expansion adds something for both Rebels and Empire, and looked like fun. I did have to paint them of - [X-Wing: A review after two years of playing](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1789) - When X-Wing first hit the shelves, I was hesitant to get started with it, despite being both a miniatures wargamer and a Star Wars fan. It was mostly the price tag that put me off. I eventually caved in when I had the chance to pick up a core set for € 24, somewhere around - [Mijn favoriete strips deel 1](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1533) - Deel 1 van een tweedelig artikel over mijn favoriete strips gaat over Amerikaanse Strips. De typisch Amerikaanse superhelden strips (Batman, Spiderman etc.) zijn trouwens een genre dat mij niet interesseert, dus deze zijn hier niet te vinden. Peanuts Van Charles M. Schulz Een 50 jaar lang lopende krantenstrip die wereldwijd bekend is. De personages zijn - [X-Wing software tools part 3: VASSAL](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1615) - This is a repost from xwingminiaturesgame.com. This is part 3 in a multi-part series about software tools for FFG's X-Wing miniatures game. Part 1 and 2 can be found here and here. VASSAL URL: http://www.vassalengine.org/ VASSAL was originally developed as tool for playing boardwargames (the hex-and-counter kind) via internet of even e-mail. The advantage being - [X-Wing software tools part 4: Apps](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1625) - This is a repost from xwingminiaturesgame.com. This is part 4 in a multi-part series about software tools for FFG's X-Wing miniatures game. Parts 1, 2, and 3 can be found here, here, and here. Android Android users can get several useful and free apps from Google's Play Store. I tested them on a tablet, so - [X-Wing software tools part 1: squad builders](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1602) - This is a repost from xwingminiaturesgame.com. The popularity of FFG's X-Wing game has lead to a large, worldwide community of players. In the Netherlands you can play in a store-run tournament almost every weekend. Given X-Wing's target audience (age 30+ Star Wars fans with disposable income, technology-minded and a little geeky), it's no surprise that - [Battletech goes green](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1593) - I finally managed to get a company of Battlemechs in a new green paint scheme finished. The base color is Vallejo Medium Olive, highlighted with Olive Green and Golden Olive. I plan on repainting most of my non-Kurita 'Mechs in this scheme, since the bright green looks much beter on small miniatures than my earlier - [My Bundeswehr army](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1301) - My 20mm (1/72) Bundeswehr Cold War army has reached an intermediate goal: I have finished a mixed company-sized armored force, consisting of the following: Panzerzug, 4x Leopard 2 A4 (Revell) Panzergrenadierzug, 3x Marder A2 (Revell, modified) with Elhiem infantry Panzeraufklärungszug, Leopard 1 A4 (ESCI) & Luchs (Revell) Unterstützungszug Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard (Altaya, repainted) Panzerpioniergruppenfahrzeug Fuchs (Revell) - [Der Fluch der dreissig Silberlinge](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=929) - Zum Glück wieder ein zweiteiliges Abenteuer – so schloss ich damals meine Rezension von “Das Heiligtum von Gondwana”. Wobei ich das heute relativieren muss, den beim zweiten Lesen ist auch dieses Album, wenn man den Weg als Ziel sieht, durchaus ein würdiger Blake & Mortimer Band. Aber weiter mit den zwei neuen Alben, die zuerst - [X-Wing repaints and modifications](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1394) - While the miniatures for Fantasy Flight Games' X-Wing game come prepainted (well), there's always room for improvement. I've painted engine glow where appropriate, to make it look like those engines are actually powered up. Some people even do LED modifications on the larger ships! As shown elsewhere, I converted my B-Wing to the sideways pose - [X-Wing Dutch Nationals Report](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1537) - This is a report of my personal experience. An overview and analysis of the lists played can be found here: http://www.xwingminiaturesgame.com/squad-list-rebels/nationals-review-the-netherlands/ Each tournament starts long before the first round with designing a list. I wanted a Rebel list that could deal with Falcons. That meant at least four ships. I also tried to build a - [Luchtmachtdagen 2014](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1524) - Pictures taken at the Dutch Air Force open days at Gilze-Rijen airbase. - [GaiaZoo Kerkrade](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1429) - Een leuke dierentuin in het zuidoosten van het land. De meeste dieren zijn direct of door glas goed te fotograferen. - [The 13th Valley](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1355) - Disclaimer: I read this book in the Dutch translation The 13th Valley by John Del Vecchio has been called the classic Vietnam novel. Other classic books (e.g. Dispatches by Michael Herr, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brian, Chickenhawk by Robert Mason) were first-hand accounts, although O'Brian often crosses the line between reality and fiction. - [The battle of Burgdorf](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1337) - I recently pitted my German forces against Rutger's Russians. The Russian forces consisted of a full company of T-72s, a couple of BMPs, a recce platoon with two T-80s and a BRDM-3, and air defense assets. My German forces were composed of a full platoon each of Leopard 2s and Marders and a Gepard for - [PAH-1](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1198) - No German Cold War army is complete without a Panzerabwehrhubschrauber 1 for some air support. While Revell had offerings in 1/32 and 1/48 scale, the only 1/72 kit of the MBB Bo 105 is by Airfix and long out of production. Luckily, I managed to find one on ebay, complete including the box, which still - [Zoo Parc Overloon](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1292) - Een kleinere, maar desalniettemin leuke dierentuin in het Zuidoosten van Nederland. De meeste dieren zijn zonder glas, tralies of gaas ertussen te zien, wat ideaal is voor dierenfotografie. Bij sommige dieren (o.a. kangoeroes en ringstaartmaki's) kun je zelf door het verblijf lopen. Foto's zoals altijd genomen met de Nikon D90 + Nikkor 70-300 lens. - [Burgers' Zoo september 2013](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1272) - [Flugausstellung Hermeskeil](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1267) - The Flugausstellung Hermeskeil in the Hunsrück mountains in western Germany has an interesting collection of mostly Cold War-era military aircraft. It consists of several indoor halls and a large outdoor area. German and British aircraft are well represented, while US Navy aircraft are absent. Among the largest aircraft are a VC-10, a Comet 4, and - [B-Wing modified](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1250) - The only must-have ship in wave 3 of FFG's X-Wing game was, to me, the B-Wing. I ordered one as soon as it was available, and it's a cool-looking miniature and a nice addition to my Rebel fleet. I didn't like the upright pose, though (the B-Wing is usually displayed flying sideways), so I immediately - [Star Wars: X-Wing](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1240) - Playing the X-Wing miniatures game has re-kindled my interest in Star Wars. I have not only started working on new miniatures and terrain for Star Wars Miniatures Battles, but also decided to read Michael Stackpole's Star Wars: X-Wing books. Of the nine original books, the first four (Rogue Squadron, Wedge's Gamble, The Krytos Trap, The - [Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1227) - Of all Mickey Mouse comic strip artists, Floyd Gottfredson is certainly the best-known and most influential. He drew the daily newspaper strip from 1930 to 1975. The early years are now being published by Fantagraphics Books (who are also busy with bringing us The Complete Peanuts and The Complete Carl Barks Library) at a rate - [Voorbeeldinformatie op Internet | Vorbildinformation im Internet | Prototype information on the Internet](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=164) - [lang_nl]Voor mij is het opzoeken van voorbeeldinformatie een interessant en leuk onderdeel van het ontwerpen en bouwen van een modelspoorbaan. Gelukkig is er op internet veel informatie te vinden - als je maar weet waar je moet zoeken. Foto's van locomotieven en wagens zijn belangrijk voor het detaileren en verweren. Als er een datum bijstaat - [Lost in the Andes](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1232) - Lost in the Andes is the first release in Fantagraphic Books' The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library, which will eventually consist of about 30 250-page volumes, published at the friendly pace of two a year. Unlike the Gottfredson Mickey Mouse, the volumes are not released in chronological order. Lost in the Andes was chosen as - [De eed van de vijf lords](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1169) - De eed van de vijf lords is het nieuwste Blake & Mortimer album, van het team Senté/Juillard. Het is een klassieke Whodunnit, een detectief-verhaal dus. Geen sci-fi, geen fantasy, geen exotische locaties, gewoon Oxford in de winter. Het verhaal kon mij niet echt pakken. Vrij snel wordt duidelijk welke kant het op gaat, suspense ontbreekt. - [Luchtmachtdagen 2013](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1160) - Foto's van de Luchtmachtdagen 2013 in Volkel. - [Strategic track planning](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=917) - Track planning and articles about track planning usually focus on what could be called the "tactical" aspects, which is mostly the placement of turnouts. In order to create a model railroad that is satisfying to operate, it is just as important to look at a couple of strategic aspects, which influence the track plan. As - [Hobbyzone Champ](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1101) - [lang_nl]Gedurende mijn zoektocht naar een modelvliegtuig om mee te beginnen kwam ik steeds de Hobbyzone Champ tegen. De Champ is een Ultra-Micro vliegtuig en weegt dus nog geen 40 gram, bij een spanwijdte van ong. 50cm. Hij vliegt zeer stabiel, goed getrimd vliegt 'ie stabiel rechtuit, als je de oriëntatie kwijt bent kun je gewoon - [Building a Battletech force](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=721) - We Dutch Battletech guys are playing a new campaign. Preparations included building our forces within the guidelines set by the campaign gamemaster. In my case, these were Arkab Legion, being able to use Draconis Combine and mercenary mechs Only Inner Sphere mechs Tech level: 3055 10,000 points of Battle Value 2, including pilot upgrades It - [Red Storm Rising at Crisis 2012](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1091) - At Crisis 2012 in Antwerp, Rutger and I ran a Cold War participation game called Red Storm Rising. A small American force, part of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, was tasked with stopping a larger Soviet force. We played with a modified version of Rapid Fire! Unfortunately, the Soviets won in both games. The background - [The Hot War is on!](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1047) - My Hot War project has made considerable progress. US forces now consist of four M1 Abrams, two M3 Bradley, an M60A3 TTS, and several fireteams of infantry. West German forces are two Leopard 2 A4, two Marder 1 A2, a Fuchs, a MAN 7t gl, and 24 infantrymen. Both forces have seen action, too. It - [Modelvliegen in de 21e eeuw | Modellflug im 21. Jahrhundert | RC Flying in the 21st century](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1067) - [lang_nl]Toen in in de jaren 90 voor het interesse had in modelvliegen betekende dit grote vliegtuigen van balsahout, brandstofmotoren en dure elektronica. Daardoor was het niet makkelijk of goedkoop om met deze hobby te beginnen en heb ik het uiteindelijk ook niet gedaan. Sindsdien zijn een aantal dingen veranderd: LiPo (Lithium Polymer) accu's hebben een - [Sony Reader PRS-T1 and Calibre](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1058) - I got a Sony Reader, the current PRS-T1 model, for my birthday. Reviews have shown that it's the e-reader with the best PDF support, very important for me. It also has Wi-Fi and a web browser. While e-ink displays are quite slow, the web browser works just fine for reading Wikipedia. Better yet, you can - [Landmachtdagen 2012](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1042) - [lang_nl]Foto's van de demonstraties gedurende de Landmachtdagen 2012 te Oirschot.[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Bilder von den Vorführungen während den Landmachtdagen 2012, dem Tag der Offenen Tür des Niederländischen Heeres.[/lang_de] [lang_en]Pictures taken during the demonstrations at the Landmachtdagen 2012, the Dutch Army Days.[/lang_en] - [Turning the Revell 1/72 Marder into the A2 version](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1036) - Revell makes a nice 1/72 scale kit of the Marder 1 A3. Cold War gamers, however, are left out in the cold - they need the A1 or A2 version, both of which are visually quite different. It is however possible to modify the A3 kit to make it look similar to the A2 version. - [Hot War Project | Hot War Projekt | Hot War Project](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=1028) - [lang_de]Hot War ist mein achtziger Jahre "heisser kalter Krieg" Projekt im 1:72 oder 20mm Maßstab, für die Force on Force Regeln von Osprey und Ambush Alley Games. Ich will Streitkräfte und Gelände für die "Fulda Gap" im Jahr 1986 aufbauen, aber alles wird allgemein genug sein um es auch für andere Schauplätze (z.B. Norddeutsche Tiefebene) - [Review: Ambush Valley and Cold War Gone Hot](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=953) - Ambush Valley and Cold War Gone Hot are the latest additions to the Ambush Alley Games/Osprey line of Force on Force wargaming rules. My wife bought both for me at Crisis 2011 in Antwerp. Ambush Valley is 180 pages in full color. It contains theater-specific rules and six scenarios, but most of the book is - [Review: The Phantom Story](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=974) - To me, the F-4 Phantom II is the greatest jet fighter, and possibly the greatest combat aircraft, ever. A development period of just a few years (compare that to current project such as the Eurofighter, F-22, or JSF) yielded an aircraft that, from its first flight in 1958, set new standards. It outperformed every other - [Wings at War](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=326) - I have previously mentioned aerial wargaming in 1/300 scale. I think that 1/300 is a great scale for air wargaming, as it offers plenty of detail at affordable prices. Still, amassing planes for larger engagements can be expensive, especially when using large jet fighters or bombers. Many rules sets are also built for smaller dogfights - [Air Warfare Gaming](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=73) - For a while I've been thinking about getting into air warfare/dogfighting gaming with miniatures. I have collected a number of useful sources for rules and miniatures. More recently, I have also touched on the subject of 1/600 air gaming. Rules Bag the Hun (Too Fat Lardies), WW II. They also have a WW I rules - [Review: Nikon AW100](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=985) - I work in the Geodesy/Surveying team of ARCADIS Netherlands. Many of the surveying projects we do require taking pictures, e.g. for inventarisation purposes. Knowing the location where pictures have been taken is a huge benefit, so I was very happy when Sony brought out the DSC-HX5V, with built-in GPS receiver and electronic compass. I like - [Review: Camera](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=989) - While things geared up in the 18th century, the 19th century was the century of profound changes and inventions. Trains, practical electricity, the telegraph and telephone, and, late in the 19th century, the car and airplane, form the base for our modern connected world. Another invention of the time, directly related to the acquisition and - [Spirou & Fantasio](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=962) - Wenn ich es über Spirou & Fantasio habe, bezieht sich das auf die durch Franquin gezeichneten Bände. Die späteren Abenteuer sind meiner Meinung nach weder zeichnerisch noch erzähltechnisch auf einer Höhe mit den Arbeiten von Franquin. Franquins Spirou-Werk lässt sich in mehrere Phasen einteilen. Anfänglich ähnelte sein Stil dem seiner Vorgänger, mit langen und steifen - [Tom Clancy's A Guided Tour Series](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=949) - Tom Clancy is of course best known for his Jack Ryan series of novels. He also published a number of non-fiction books describing US military units: Nuclear submarines, Air Force fighter wings, an Armored Cavalry Regiment, a Marine Expeditionary Force, an Airborne division, an aircraft carrier, and Special Forces. I have read the first six, - [Review: The Age of Airpower](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=941) - In The Age of Airpower, Martin van Creveld writes about the history and development of airpower. The book is divided into five parts: The beginnings, World War II, the Cold War, smaller wars from 1945 on, and what he calls “war amongst the people”, i.e. counterinsurgency warfare. As such, it provides a good historical overview - [Datierung der Blake & Mortimer Alben](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=93) - Im Carlsen-Forum kam mal eine Frage, die die Datierung der Blake & Mortimer Geschichten nötig machte. Ich habe versucht, die einzelnen Abenteuer zu datieren, was in erster Linie über die vorkommenden Autos und Flugzeuge möglich ist. Als zusätzliches Indiz dient das Datum der Erstveröffentlichung in der Zeitschrift Tintin, durchweg einige Jahre vor der Veröffentlichung als - [Best Practice](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=900) - [lang_nl]Bij het oefenen van gitaarliedjes, vooral solo's, is alleen naar het liedje luisteren vaak niet genoeg. Je zou waarschijnlijk ook het liedje langzamer willen afspelen, om beter mee te kunnen spelen of uit te kunnen vinden wat er gespeeld wordt; bepaalde delen die je aan het leren bent herhalen; het lied transponeren als je band - [Fender Stratocaster Modellen | Fender Stratocaster Modelle | Fender Stratocaster Models](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=35) - [lang_nl]Fender heeft inmiddels een enorm aantal verschillende Stratocaster modellen in zijn aanbod. Deze onderscheiden zich vaak alleen door kleine dingen zoals straal van de toets of de elementen. Dit is een poging om een overzicht van deze kenmerken te maken. Ik heb alleen modellen uit het standaard-gamma opgenomen, geen Custom Shop modellen. Ik bied geen - [Black & White vs. Color](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=895) - I photograph in both color and black & white. I do color photography digitally with a Nikon D90, and black & white with film and a Nikon F3. While I'm too lazy to actually develop film myself (and photograph too little on film to make it worthwhile), I do make prints in a darkroom. I - [Wings at War - Thud Ridge](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=383) - I have previously mentioned the Wings at War rules for air gaming. The free rules convinced me to order the Thud Ridge starter set from Tumbling Dice, plus a couple of extra aircraft. A mere five days later, my order arrived in the mailbox. The Vietnam rules are very similar to the free 1948/49 rules, - [Ana Popovic live](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=818) - [lang_nl]Foto's van Ana Popovic & Band, Bluesroute Scyedam (Schiedam), 29 mei 2010. Genomen met Nikon D90 & Tamron 17-50 2.8, grotendeels met het diafragma bijna helemaal open op ISO800. Opvallend was dat veel fotografen een telelens, zoals de 55-200 of de 70-300, op hun camera hadden. Ik was heel blij dat ik de standaardzoom bij me had - - [Going to the city mini campaign](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=873) - During the December Ducosim, we played a four-player mini campaign (two battles per player). One of the first battles and the second battle took place in a city. This was the first time we played on my modular 3D terrain, consisting of four styrofoam boards of 60x60cm. Most of the buildings were styrofoam, too, with - [Fender Blacktop Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=864) - Fender has introduced another Stratocaster model: The Blacktop. Based upon the Mexican Standard series (9.5" fretboard radius, six-screw vintage tremolo), it features two humbuckers instead of the three single coils. Three colors are available: Black, Candy Apple Red, and Sonic Blue. Both rosewood and maple fretboards are available. The Blacktop series also contains Telecaster, Jaguar, - [American Deluxe Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=796) - Fender introduces a revised version of its American Deluxe models. For the Stratocaster, Fender highlights four changes: Compound radius fretboard, 9.5" to 14" Staggered tuners New N3 noiseless pickups Reconfigured S1 switching The American Deluxe Stratocaster is also available as left-hand, HSS, V-Neck, and ash-bodied version. Color choices depend on the model. There are also - [Thrawn trilogy revisited](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=841) - The Star Wars universe was somewhat dormant in the early 1990s. It had been eight years since Return of the Jedi, with new material being mostly limited to the source books published by West End Games for the Star Wars roleplaying game. Then, in 1991, came Heir to the Empire, the first book of Timothy - [Street without Joy](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=835) - In Street without Joy, Bernard Fall describes and analyses France's failure in the First Indochina War, focusing on the second half (1950-1954). Based on his personal experiences and thorough research both in French and Vietnamese archives (he met and interviewed Ho Chi Minh during one of his visits to North Vietnam), he draws a clear - [Luchtmachtdagen 2010](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=832) - Foto's van de Luchtmachtdagen op 18 juni 2010 te Gilze-Rijen. Helaas was het weer niet zo geweldig, waardoor ook het fotograferen moeilijk was. Bijna alle foto's op ISO800 om ook bij f8 een korte sluitertijd mogelijk te maken. En je kunt nooit genoeg millimeters hebben... In dit geval Nikon D90 met Nikkor 70-300VR. De Apache - [Chickenhawk & Thud Ridge](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=816) - Chickenhawk, by Robert Mason, tells the story of a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. Mason had always wanted to fly and already held a private pilot's license when he volunteered for the Army to fly helicopters. His flight training is recounted in the book. He is then assigned to the 1st Air Cavalry Division - [Bergsche Plas](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=695) - Vanochtend ben ik met Senna naar de hondenplas bij de Bergsche Plas geweest. Hier een paar foto's, meer zijn bij Picasa te vinden. - [Mech painting tutorial](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=784) - This is a tutorial illustrating how I paint my mechs. The first step is cleaning flash and moldlines off the miniature and basing it. I use bases made from airdrying modelling clay (Faber Efaplast Classic). An alternative that needs baking in the oven is Fimo. Applying primer is the second step. I use diluted white - [Pseudo HDR in Lightroom](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=740) - An important limitation of digital cameras is their limited dynamic range - scenes with high contrast will either lead to lost detail in the highlights or in the shadows. This problem is made worse by the limited range offered by the JPG format. High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography tries to overcome these limitations by combining - [More Vietnam](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=771) - My 10mm Vietnam project is partly completed - all troops are painted. Terrain consists of a few hooches, some terrain features by TimeCast Models, and some home-made trees. Two test games using the Ambush Valley rules for Force on Force showed that 10mm works great for skirmish gaming. Future additions might be more trees, a - [American Special Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=733) - New year, new guitars: Fender introduces the American Special Stratocaster. Designed as low-cost American-built guitar, it complements the Highway One series. Changes with respect to the Highway One Stratocaster are small: Gloss instead of flat finish and the popular Texas Special pickups, also used on the Road Worn series, but featuring the same '70s styling - [Flight of the Intruder & The Intruders](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=711) - I have re-read two books by Stephen Coonts, Flight of the Intruder and The Intruders. They tell the story of Jake Grafton, a US Navy pilot flying the Grumman A-6 Intruder, during his second Vietnam war cruise in 1972 and a peacetime cruise in in 1972. Coonts was an Intruder pilot himself, and it shows - [German aircraft of WW II](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=366) - A large number of aircraft was used by all forces in World War II. I will try to assemble overviews of the most important aircraft used in WW II. Due to the large number of models used, I will only mention those that were produced in significant numbers and were of importance. Fighters The Messerschmitt - [British aircraft of WW II](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=380) - This is an overview of the most important British aircraft of WW II. Fighters The Hawker Hurricane was the most numerous British fighter at the start of the war. In total, 14,000 were built. During the Battle of Britain, it scored more kills than the Spitfire. The Mk I was armed with eight 7.7mm MGs. - [USAAF aircraft of World War II](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=420) - This is an overview of the most important aircraft of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) during World War II. Fighters The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was used throughout the USA's involvement in WWII. While it was used in the Mediterranean and Europe, even as fighter bomber, it was most successful in the Pacific theatre. - [US Navy aircraft of WW II](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=426) - This is an overview of the most important aircraft used by the US Navy during World War II. Fighters The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the Navy's main fighter early in the war. It was armed with six 12.7mm MGs. While outperformed by the Zero, it was much sturdier than it's Japanese opponent. The Wildcat was - [Het Heiligdom van Gondwana | Das Heiligtum von Gondwana | The Gondwana Shrine](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=109) - [lang_nl]Het heiligdom van Gondwana is de nieuwste Blake & Mortimer strip. Net als bij Het Voronov-complot en De sarcofagen van het 6e continent is het verhal van Yves Sente en de tekeningen van André Juillard. Daardoor sluit het verhaal aan bij De sarcofagen... en Nastasia uit het Voronov-complet doet er weer aan mee. De gebruikelijke - [US forces in Vietnam](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=492) - I have assembled some general information about the organisation of US forces in Vietnam. Please note that these varied greatly in the field, and companies were generally understrength, with 60 soldiers or less being no exception. US Army Rifle Company HQ (Captain, Lieutenant, 11 enlisted) 3 Rifle Platoons HQ (Lieutenant, Platoon Sergeant, RTO) 3 Rifle - [Japanese aircraft of World War II](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=647) - This is an overview of the most important aircraft used by Japan during World War II. Fighters The most famous Japanese fighter and airplane of WW II is the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero". They were used throughout the war by the Navy. Early on they clearly outperformed the opposition, especially in terms of turning performance and - [Soviet aircraft of World War II](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=652) - This is an overview of the most important Soviet aircraft of WW II. Fighters At the start of the war with Germany, the Polikarpov I-16 was the most numerous fighter. It was armed with two 7.62mm MGs and two 20mm cannons, at lower altitudes it performed equal to the Bf109E. The MiG-1 and MiG-3 were - [Een dag Schiphol | Ein Tag Schiphol | A day at Schiphol](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=555) - [lang_nl]Gisteren ben ik voor het eerst om te spotten naar Schiphol geweest. Van tevoren heb ik op Scramble veel nuttige informatie over spottersplaatsen gevonden. Door onderhoud aan de Aalsmeerderbaan (36R/18L) waren de Buitenveldertbaan (09/27), de Kaagbaan (06/24) en de Polderbaan (36L/18R) in gebruik. Plek 10, bij de McDonald's. Mooi voor landingen op de 27, vertrekkende - [Red Bull Air Race](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=51) - Een paar foto's van luchthaven Zestienhoven tijdens de Red Bull Air Race Rotterdam. Meer... Ein paar Fotos vom Flughafen Zestienhoven während des Red Bull Air Race Rotterdam. Mehr... A few pictures of Zestienhoven airport during the Red Bull Air Race Rotterdam. More... - [10mm Vietnam miniatures painted](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=620) - I'm done painting up my first batch of 10mm Vietnam miniatures. They consist of a platoon of US forces, a platoon (one might call it a company) of Viet Cong, including some heavy weapons, and a couple of civilians with water buffalos. The US platoon consists of: A four-man platoon HQ. The lieutenant carries a - [Stratocaster Links](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=34) - [lang_nl]Dit is een korte lijst van links naar pagina's met Stratocaster-informatie. Fender website. Fender op Youtube. Vintage Guitar Info, veel informatie over pre-CBS Strats. Xhefri's Guitars, informatie over de Strat Plus en andere modellen. My quest for the perfect strat, een test van zes actuele Stratocaster-modellen. Photoweborama, gitaar foto's en een verslag van een visite - [Mijn Stratocaster | Meine Stratocaster | My Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=36) - [lang_nl]Ik was zeer verrast toen mijn vriendin op mijn 30e verjaardag opeens met een cadeau voor me stond dat duidelijk de afmetingen van een gitarendoos had. In de jaren 90 had ik al een keer een (Squier) Stratocaster gehad, maar deze verkocht omdat ik er niet meer op speelde. Een tijdje geleden kreeg ik er - [Top Gear - Stratocaster & 300 SL](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=96) - [lang_nl]Het is een van mijn lievelingsfilmpjes uit Top Gear - James May viert de 50e verjaardag van twee iconen geboren in 1954: Mijn favoriete gitaar, de Fender Stratocaster, en mijn favoriete auto, de Mercedes 300 SL.[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Es ist einer meiner Lieblingsfilme aus Top Gear - James May feiert den 50. Geburtstag zweier 1954 geborenen Ikonen: - [Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=134) - [lang_nl]Gisteren had ik de kans bij True Tone Music in Delfgauw een Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus in Heritage Cherry Sunburst uit te proberen. Zelf ben ik meer een Stratocaster-man, maar een gitarist is eigenlijk pas compleet uitgerust als een Stratocaster, Telecaster en Les Paul thuis staan... Een "echte" Gibson Les Paul Standard is verre - [Casio PG-380](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=116) - [lang_nl]Dit artikel is er alleen in het Duits en in het Engels.[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Es war in den spätern 80ern oder frühen 90ern als mein Vater mit einer schwarzen Gitarre vom Gitarrenladen zurückkam. Wenn ich mich recht entsinne hat er damals 2000 Mark für diese Casio PG-380 bezahlt. Auf den ersten Blick ist es eine typische Superstrat - [Quattro Strationi](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=188) - [lang_nl]Klinkt als een pizza, maar is het niet: In een lange lunchpauze heb ik bij True Tone Music vier Stratocasters uitgeprobeerd: Classic Player '60s, Classic Player '50s, American Standard en Highway One. Ik heb daarbij over een Marshall JCM 800 combo gespeelt. Waarschuwing: Ik speel nog niet zo heel lang gitaar, dus ook het beoordelen - [2009 Standard Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=225) - [lang_nl]De Fender Standard Stratocaster (dus het mexicaanse instap-model) is voor 2009 licht gewijzigd. Pickguard en knoppen zijn nu in "Parchment" (een soort gebroken wit) in plaats van wit. De hals is getint, "Made in Mexico" en het serienummer zijn voortaan op de achterkant van de headstock te vinden. Op de voorkant vinden we nu niet - [Peavey Valveking Royal 8](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=246) - [lang_nl]Ik was al een tijdje op zoek naar een versterker. I heb erover nagedacht een 15W buizenversterk met 12 inch luidspreker te kopen, zoals de Peavey Windsor Studio. Toen drong het tot me door dat hij te veel lawaai zou maken als oefenversterker voor thuis, en te zwaar en te groot om op vakantie mee - [Fender Road Worn Stratocaster](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=262) - [lang_nl]Tot nu toe was een "versleten" uiterlijk, ook bekend als relic of distressed, bij Fender alleen op de dure Custom Shop modellen te verkrijgen. Andere fabrikanten, zoals Vintage, verkopen een soortgelijk uiterlijk al langer ook op goedkopere gitaren. Fender, nooit bang nog een model aan zijn toch al uitgebreide range toe te voegen, introduceert nu - [Meer nieuws van Fender | Noch mehr Neues von Fender | More news from Fender](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=341) - [lang_nl]Ik heb eerder al nieuwe gitaren van Fender voor 2009 voorgestelt: De Standard en de Road Worn reeks. Meer nieuws zijn drie nieuwe Artist modellen. De Dave Murray Stratocaster is gebaseerd op een '57 Strat. The wijzigingen zijn o.a. twee Humbuckers, toonregeling voor het brug-element en een 9,5" straal van de toets. De gitaar is - [Palm III als e-book Reader | Palm III als e-book reader | Palm III as e-book reader](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=66) - [lang_nl]Een e-book reader is duur. Voor het offline lezen van websites of tekstdocumenten is er gelukkig nog een andere mogelijkheid: Een oude Palm III, in mijn geval een Palm IIIx. Deze heeft maar een klein scherm en 4 MB geheugen, maar voor tekst zonder plaatjes is dit voldoende. Als leesprogramma is CSpotRun (ZIP, 41 kB) - [Foto's maken met een digitale camera | Bilder machen mit einer Digitalkamera | Taking pictures with a digital camera](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=27) - [lang_de]Es gibt fünf wichtige Einstellungen für das Fotografieren mit Digitalkameras. Fokus Der Fokus legt fest wo der Brennpunkt der Kamera liegt. Wenn der Fokus nicht korrekt auf das Objekt des Interesses eingestellt wird, wird dieses unscharf abgebildet. Kameras haben einen Autofokus. Die meisten Kameras besitzen mehrere Einstellungen die festlegen, welcher Bereich des Bildes scharfgestellt werden - [Milwaukee Road - Olympic Peninsula](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=31) - [lang_de] Vorbild Die Milwaukee Road (der gebräuchliche Name für die Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad) betrieb eine kurze, isolierte Bahnstrecke von 80km Länge auf der Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, zwischen Port Townsend und Port Angeles. Ans übrige Netz war die Linie mittels Fähren angebunden, die die Verbindung zwischen Seattle und Port Townsend - [Burlington Northern - Oroville Subdivision](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=32) - [lang_de] Vorbild 1893 wurde die transkontinentale Eisenbahnverbindung der Great Northern fertiggestellt. Dazu gab es eine Verbindung zwischen Spokane und Vancouver, British Columbia. Diese entlang der kanadischen Grenze verlaufende Vancouver, Victoria & Eastern Railway and Navigation Company (VV&E) wurde 1909 fertiggestellt. 1914 kam dazu die Verbindung von Great Northern's Hauptlinie zur VV&E, die Wenatchee-Oroville Nebenlinie. Diese - [Railmusea in Nederland | Eisenbahnmuseen in den Niederlanden | Rail museums in the Netherlands](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=8) - [lang_nl]Nederland heeft een aantal railmusea en museumsspoorlijnen. Een overzicht hiervan is op railmusea.nl te vinden. Een aanrader zijn de open dagen van de Stoom Stichting Nederland, met ritten tussen Rotterdam en Gouda. Het Spoorwegmuseum in Utrecht is helaas sterk op kinderen gericht, en er zijn eigenlijk vrij weinig treinen te zien.[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Die Niederlande haben eine - [Mosquitoes to Wolves](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=450) - The use of Forward Air Controllers is an interesting aspect of aerial and ground warfare. Mosquitoes to Wolves by G.R. Lester describes how airborne FACs matured during the Korean War. Flying the T-6, the "Mosquitoes" directed close air support strikes and interdiction near the front line. Sadly, lessons learned in Korea were all but forgotten - [LRRP](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=459) - [lang_nl]Ik heb nu ook de rest van mijn SHQ LRRP soldaten af. Als inspiratie voor de Tiger Stripe camo heb ik deze site gebruikt.[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Ich habe jetzt auch meine übrigen SHQ LRRP Soldaten fertig. Als Referenz für das Tiger Stripe Tarnschema habe ich diese Seite benützt.[/lang_de] [lang_en]I have completed my other SHQ LRRP soldiers. I - [Paarden op het land](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=526) - Zaterdag mochten de paarden voor het eerst dit jaar weer het land op. Er werdt dus veel gegaloppeerd en gek gedaan. De rest van de foto's is hier te zien. - [Meer van alles | Mehr von allem | More of everything](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=471) - [lang_nl]Ook dit keer heb ik weer een mengelmoes van verschillende miniaturen te presenteren: Warhammer, Thunderbolt en Archer voor de Arkab Legion Black Knight, Rommel/Patton en Striker in Hinterhalt camouflage Rommel/Patton en Striker in het groen Chameleon Heavy Gear Imperial Navy Troopers met Heavy Repeating Blaster Twee 1/6000 schepen: Essex class en Craven class, deze kwamen - [10mm Vietnam miniatures arrive](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=523) - I have received my first small order from Pendraken, five packs of Vietnam War miniatures: V4, Rifleman running, M16 bush hat. I ordered these to see what the Pendraken US infantry looks like. Although nice sculpts, the barrels are too short. These miniatures wear the butt-pack. I will modify them into LRRP soldiers with backpacks, - [10mm Vietnam project](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=519) - I have long been interested in the Vietnam War and gaming it, which has lead to a couple of 1/600 scale airplanes for Thud Ridge and 20mm miniatures. Space and money constraints however meant that I wasn't fully satisfied with 20mm as scale and decided to go smaller. While 15mm was an option, it's too - [Workshop natuurfotografie](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=515) - Zaterdag was de dag van mijn vrijgezellenfeest. Onze hoofdactiviteit was een workshop natuurfotografie bij Yvonne van der Mey. Met prachtig weer hebben we uren door een schitterend bos gelopen. Ondanks dat er geen dieren (behalve een paar mieren dan) te zien waren, waren er meer dan genoeg mogelijkheiden om natuur van dichtbij en verder weg - [Stormtroopers](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=19) - [lang_nl]Ik heb mijn eerste Star Wars miniaturen geschilderd, 15 Stormtroopers. Na enkele mislukte pogingen heb ik nu deze methode toegepast: Airbrush met wit als basiskleur. Vernis met de airbrush om de heel dunne basiskleur te beschermen. Zwarte delen met de penseel geverfd. Details op de helm met grijs geverfd. Heel dunne grijze wash op sommige - [Vliegtuigen! | Flugzeuge! | Aircraft!](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=429) - [lang_nl]Ik heb een aantal vliegtuigen voor Wings at War - Thud Ridge af. Het zijn F-4Cs van de 8th TFW, F-105 van de 355th TFW (allebei voor Rolling Thunder 1967), F-4J van VF-96, A-7E van VA-146 en VA-147 (CVW-9, USS Constellation, 1972) en MiGs. Voor de bases heb ik de goedkope aanpak gebruikt: Een houten - [Een beetje van alles | Von allem ein bißchen | A little bit of everything](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=446) - [lang_nl]Een paar foto's van miniaturen die ik de laatste weken geschilderd heb: Phantom Mech van de Clan Wolf Alpha Galaxy. Dit is misschien mijn laatste mech in deze kleurstelling. Ik heb nog een Marauder IIC staan, maar weet nog niet precies wat ik ermee wil doen. Long Fang Black Mamba. De enige Southern Gear die - [Paardencampagne Dierenbescherming](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=438) - [Ducosim 1/09](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=433) - Op 28 februari vond het eerste Ducosim van 2009 plaats. Wij hebben de afsluitende battle van onze campaign gespeeld. Helaas was er niet genoeg tijd om de gehele 10 beurten te spelen. Na de movement van beurt 9 stonden Sander en ik qua punten voor, dus een overwinning voor de Draconis Combine! Helaas was er - [Gaming aids for Thud Ridge](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=408) - I have created two gaming aids for Wings at War - Thud Ridge: A record sheet in Word and Open Document format. A listing of US units suitable for playing in Thud Ridge. This 1 MB PDF lists both Air Force and Navy units for the Rolling Thunder (focusing on 1967) and Linebacker campaigns. I - [Interessante oorlogen, regels en miniaturen | Interessante Kriege, Regeln und Miniaturen | Interesting wars, rules, and miniatures](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=20) - [lang_nl]Naast een lijst van interessante oorlogen in het algemeen heb ik ook een lijst verzameld van oorlogen die ik persoonlijk voor spellen heel interessant vind. Daarbij heb ik ook voorkeuren wat betreft de schaal en de regels opgeschreven.[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Neben einer allgemeinen Liste von interessanten Kriegen habe ich auch eine Liste von Kriegen die ich selber - [The coming of the Third Reich](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=210) - I have recently finished reading The coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans. The book is the first in a trilogy covering the rise and and fall of the Third Reich. This first book covers the period from 1871 (the beginning of the second German empire) to the summer of 1933, at which - [Aircraft for Wings at War - Thud Ridge](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=392) - This post lists the aircraft that can be used when playing with the Wings at War - Thud Ridge rules. I have separated the US listing for Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Linebacker. I also distinguish between US Air Force and US Navy. US Marine Corps aircraft are not listed, as those were mostly used - [Cessna O-1 Bird Dog](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=351) - [lang_nl]Ik heb een Cessna O-1 Bird Dog af. Deze werd door de USAF als Forward Air Controller (FAC) ingezet om doelen voor luchtaanvallen aan te wijzen. Vanaf 1967 werd deze rol geleidelijk door de Cessna O-2 Skymaster overgenomen. De Bird Dog was ook in gebruik bij de US Army (als artilleriespotter), Marines, en de ARVN. - [Oorlogen | Kriege | Wars](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=18) - [lang_nl]Deze pagina biedt een overzicht over interessante oorlogen voor historisch gaming. De overzicht is zeker niet compleet en gebaseerd op persoonlijke voorkeuren, zo staan er bijv. zeer weinig oorlogen in de middeleeuwen bij.[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Diese Seite bietet eine Übersicht über Kriege, die für historisches Gaming von Interesse sind. Die Liste erhebt keinen Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit und - [Meer mechs | Mehr Mechs | More mechs](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=218) - [lang_nl]Ik heb weer een paar mechs af. Hierbij heb ik de camouflage met de airbrush gedaan en voor het eerst jeweling en de GW washes toegepast. Twee van de mechs zijn voor mijn Arkab Legion, een Spider en een Trebuchet. Van mijn generic camo had ik genoeg, dus was het tijd voor iets nieuws. Ik - [Weer wat geschilderd | Wieder was bemalt | More painted stuff](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=122) - [Ducosim 4/08](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=233) - Op 13 december vond het Ducosim 4/08 plaats, voor het eerst in de nieuwe locatie Theater de Flint Amersfoort. Ik heb een potje Battletech tegen Bastiaan gespeelt, en voor de verandering lukte het de Arkab Legion dit keer een missie succesvol af te ronden en zonder verliesen te ontsnappen. Meer foto's zijn hier te vinden. - [Intelligence in War](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=179) - I have just finished reading Intelligence in War by John Keegan. The book covers the effect of intelligence on warfare from Napoleonic times to today. This is achieved by covering a number of campaigns that serve as an example: Nelson's pursuit of the French fleet in the Mediterranean Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign in the - [Ducosim 3/08](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=81) - Voor de derde keer dit jaar kwamen de nederlandse Battletech spelers bij elkaar op het Ducosim in Utrecht. Aan een tafel werd een Solaris VII gevecht gespeeld, daarnaast vonden twee campaign battles plaats: Sander tegen Bastiaan en Michiel tegen mij. Helaas was het een slechte dag voor de Draconis Combine: Niet alleen lukte het Bastiaan - [Sculpten | Sculpten | Sculpting](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=9) - [lang_nl]De traditionele methode voor het sculpten van miniaturen is het maken van een master in schaal 1:1, waarvan later een mal, bijv. van silicoon, gemaakt wordt. De masters worden heel vaak met tweecomponenten epoxy plamuur ("Green Stuff") gesculpt. Deze masters worden ook "greens" genoemd, vanwege de groene kleur. Bij het sculpten met Green Stuff is - [Barsoom](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=90) - I've recently finished reading the first three books of the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Barsoom books are early 20th century pulp science fiction stories. The first three books center around John Carter, a man from Virginia who one day miraculously awakes on Mars. The books are full of fast-paced action. Especially the - [The Secret History of Star Wars](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=33) - The Secret History of Star Wars is an e-book that analyzes the evolution of the Star Wars saga. George Lucas wants us to believe that the Star Wars saga as it is known today has been thought up by him in this very way from the very beginning. Using script drafts and interviews, Michael Kaminski, - [Bomen | Bäume | Trees](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=41) - [lang_nl]Dit is een korte en niet complete overzicht van bomen en hun namen in het Nederlands, Duits, Engels, en de wetenschappelijke naam. Coniferen[/lang_nl] [lang_de]Dies ist eine kleine und unvollständige Übersicht über Baumarten und ihre Namen auf Niederländisch, Deutsch, Englisch und dem wissenschaftlichen Namen. Nadelbäume[/lang_de] [lang_en]This is a short and incomplete overview of trees and their - [Mechs](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=5) - [lang_nl]In 2006 ben ik ermee begonnen mijn mechs opnieuw te schilderen. Ik gebruik hiervoor verf van Games Workshop (omdat deze makkelijk verkrijgbaar is, Vallejo is zeker ook een aanrader). De bases zijn van luchtdrogende klei gemaakt. Mijn mechs zijn vrijwel allemaal in een van drie kleurstellingen geschilderd: Generic Camo: Is geschikt voor veel verschillende facties, - [Meer Star Wars | Mehr Star Wars | More Star Wars](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=29) - [Star Wars Miniatures Battles](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=23) - [lang_nl]Star Wars Miniatures Battles was het Star Wars Tabletop spel van West End Games, toen de makers van het Star Wars Roleplaying Game. Het maakte gebruik van miniaturen in 25mm schaal. De figuren kwamen uit de drie oude films en de boeken van Timothy Zahn. Er zijn drie boeken voor SWMB verschenen: Star Wars Miniatures - [Schaal | Maßstab | Scale](https://www.wittwer.nl/?p=17) - [lang_nl]In de wereld der miniaturen zijn er twee manieren om de schaal aan te geven. Ten eerste de bekende fractie (bijv. 1/300), die ook in de modelbouw gebruikt wordt. Ten tweede de hoogte (bijv. 6mm), waarbij niet exact vastgelegd is waarvoor deze hoogte staat - meestal wordt de ooghoogte gebruikt. De conversiefactor is dus de ## Pages - [Past Gaming Projects](https://www.wittwer.nl/?page_id=1955) - I bought my first Star Wars miniatures (25mm West End Games, not the 28mm Wizards miniatures or FFG/AMG Legion miniatures) in the USA in 1996. The WEG rules are quite slow. Now that Star Wars Legion has been released, this project has ended and the miniatures have been sold. More information. Star Wars posts - [Gaming Projects](https://www.wittwer.nl/?page_id=477) - I've been playing Battletech since 1997. Through the years I've built a collection of almost 100 mechs which I started repainting some time ago. I prefer the 3025/3039 era. My long-term goal is to complete and paint my collection of 3025 mechs. After a long hiatus, I'm getting back into it, so more - [Project cars](https://www.wittwer.nl/?page_id=2451) - Porsche 911 Carrera (997) 2024 - Porsche 997 buying advice Porsche 997 OEM wheels Porsche 997 exterior colors Porsche 997 interior colors Porsche 997 interior trim options Porsche 997 leather options DIY posts on Toby's Garage Mercedes-Benz E280 (W211) 2023 - 2024 Buying a W211 E-class OEM wheels DIY posts on Toby's Garage BMW 530i - [Cars of Interest](https://www.wittwer.nl/?page_id=2035) - My interest in cars goes back to my earliest childhood. Initially, I was mostly interested in whatever car (brand) my others drove, but during the last 15 years my taste has developed more towards Youngtimers and Oldtimers. Modern cars, being close to perfection with all their driving aids, safety features, and comfort, are great for - [Leadsheets](https://www.wittwer.nl/?page_id=2694) - These are leadsheets I have created with MuseScore. I've posted a short tutorial here. I've also added, where available, links to Chords and/or tablature on Ultimate Guitar, and an instructional YouTube video. Artist Title Leadsheet Ultimate Guitar YouTube The Blues Brothers Sweet Home Chicago Download Chords Tab Marty Schwartz The Eagles Victim of Love - [Contact](https://www.wittwer.nl/?page_id=910) - Questions, wishes, remarks? Send an e-mail to webmaster@wittwer.nl! - [At the zoo](https://www.wittwer.nl/?page_id=853) - This is a selection of my Zoo pictures. The pictures are taken with the Nikon D50, D90 and D300, mostly using the 70-300VR lens. ## Categories - [Uncategorized](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=1) - [Gaming](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=3) - About Gaming - [Other stuff](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=63) - [Technology](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=78) - [Cars of Interest](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=89) - [1990s](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=90) - [1960s](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=91) - [1970s](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=92) - [2000s](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=94) - [1980s](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=95) - [1950s](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=96) - [Music](https://www.wittwer.nl/?cat=102) ## Tags - [Battletech](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=battletech) - [History](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=history) - [Star Wars](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=star-wars) - [Photography](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=photo) - [Miniatures](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=miniatures) - [Guitar](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=guitar) - [Books](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=books) - [Comic Strips](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=comics) - [Animals](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=animals) - [Vietnam](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=vietnam) - [Aviation](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=aviation) - [Cold War](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=coldwar) - [RC Hobby](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=rchobby) - [X-Wing](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=xwing) - [Trains](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=trains) - [Armada](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=armada) - [Raspberry Pi](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=raspberry-pi) - [Cars](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=cars) - [Infinity](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=infinity) - [Legion](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=legion) - [BMW](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=bmw) - [Porsche](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=porsche) - [Design](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=design) - [Video games](https://www.wittwer.nl/?tag=video-games)