The 47th Samurai

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In The 47th Samurai, Bob Lee Swagger, the gritty hero of Stephen Hunter's bestselling novels Point of Impact and Time to Hunt, returns in Hunter's most intense and exotic thriller to date...




Bob Lee Swagger and Philip Yano are bound together by a single moment at Iwo Jima, 1945, when their fathers, two brave fighters on opposite sides, met in the bloody and chaotic battle for the island. Only Earl Swagger survived.

More than sixty years later, Yano comes to America to honor the legacy of his heroic father by recovering the sword he used in the battle. His search has led him to Crazy Horse, Idaho, where Bob Lee, ex-marine and Vietnam veteran, has settled into a restless retirement and immediately pledges himself to Yano's quest.

Stephen Hunter (born March 25, 1946) is an American novelist, essayist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic. He currently resides in Columbia, Maryland.

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The Sunday Movie

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Vintage Military Watches

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Benrus - near mint stainless steel signed one piece case (40mm diameter, [sterile back]) with serial number, fixed bars, rotating outer bezel, correct plain screw down crown with dash, originally waterproof to 150 meters, [another view]. near mint unsigned black dial with luminous markers, luminous hands & sweep seconds, correct crystal. 17 jewel signed full rotor automatic [movement] correct caliber GS1 D2, Hack setting, Rare Benrus Type I "Sterile" Aka the "CIA watch" presumably for covert operations with no markings indicating the country of origin, lovely example.


Glycine - near mint stainless steel signed round screw case w/ lock down rotating 24 hour bezel (36mm diameter), correct cross hatch pattern winding crown & plain (correct) lock down crown, another. near mint signed black dial with luminous Arabic numerals (original), sweep seconds, aperture for date at 3 o'clock. 17 jewel full rotor automatic (A.S. 1700/01, true 24hr movement, still hacks through a small hole at 24:00), Vietnam era favorite, early production - Glycine "Airman" with true 24 hour movement, still hacking (most of the hacking mechanisms on these watches are trashed).


Tudor - near mint stainless steel signed round screw back case with 1982 Marine Nationale (39mm, reference 94010, serial #937,582), Rolex signed crown, another, no evidence of ever having had a bracelet (these were generally used on diving boards). mint signed original black dial with rounds and trangular luminous markers, sweep seconds, heavy leather strap and [French Navy decommission papers] matching that of case serial number. 25 jewel signed full rotor automatic, hack set, ETA 2776, Rare black dial 1982 MN, issued by the French Navy in 1982 with decommissioning papers indicating it was retired from service in Sept. 1999 with easily the most military provenance of any Rolex product.


Alpina Kreigsmarine Military Watches Alpina - very good+ chrome and stainless steel signed round case (31mm, diameter, chrome mostly worn off), solid lug bars, plain crown, another. excellent signed silver dial (original) with painted black Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds. 15 jewel signed manual wind, Scarce Alpina WWII "Kreigsmarine" German Navy service watch with original dial. Relatively few examples of these survive.

want to know more : classicwatch


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Nava Helmets

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Alongside Boeri, which in a few years became one of the most important brands on a worldwide scale, and which now has two production plants covering a total of 15,000 square metres, there are also other companies investing in the sector.




A case in point is Nava, a company from Verderio, near Milan, which was set up in 1947 for the processing of thermoplastic materials, and which in the early 1970s also began to produce protective helmets.




Boeri had begun with leather, while Nava, 20 years later, immediately started production using polycarbonate, a relatively cheap and extremely resistant plastic material. In a few years the Nava research centre was set up, dedicated entirely to the development of new technologies for polycarbonate processing and moulding.




The first computerised systems for design and process control were introduced and, in 1975, the company decided to take part in the great adventure of motorcycle racing. The first step in this new marketing strategy was the sponsoring of a motocross team, followed by the move onto grand Prix racing. The great champions of the time, from Agostini to Ferrari and Graziano Rossi (the father of Valentino), wore Nava helmets when racing.




This was the consecration of their success and the inspiration for new research and innovation, from the construction of the first wraparound helmets, to the perfection of aeration and rapid closing systems which contributed to the spread of Italian helmets on all the European and world markets.

All pictures courtesy of Oscar by Alpinestars


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Ton up boys

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Ton-Up Boys, a British biker subculture that started in the 1950s, were successors to the Teddy Boys in attitude, language and values. However, instead of mock-Edwardian clothing styles, they took their style from Marlon Brando's film The Wild One, and from Royal Air Force pilots of World War II.



They rode British motorcycles, traveled in packs and hung out in transport cafes. Ton-Up is a slang term coming from the cafe racer culture of 1950s England, referring to the 100 mph speed limit.



The subculture was heavily influenced by American rockabilly music. Musicians who were popular among Ton-Up boys included: Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Billy Fury, and Elvis Presley. In the 1960s, the Ton-Up Boys evolved into the Rockers.



Ton-Up Boys commonly wore: leather motorcycle jackets, Levi 501 jeans or leather trousers; and engineer boots, tall motorcycle boots or creeper shoes. Helmets, although not required at the beginning of the 1950s, later became compulsory. Ton-Up Boys usually wore jet helmets, often with aviator goggles for night riding. The look was accentuated with a silk scarf worn around the neck for protection against the elements, and long wool socks pulled over the top of the boots, both of these looks were borrowed from the RAF.



The main difference between Ton-Up Boys of the 1950s and the rockers of the 1960s were the heavily studded, patched and pinned leather jackets that rockers wore, whereas the Ton-Up Boys usually preferred their jackets clean or with painted motifs on the back, a look that was adopted from World War II pilots.
A film that accurately portrays the motorbikes and styles of the original subculture was the 1964 movie The Leather Boys, produced by Raymond Stross and directed by Sydney J. Furie.


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The Bonneville a legend

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Triumph Bonneville is the name given to three separate motorcycle models from this notable British motorcycle marque. It is named after the Bonneville Salt Flats in the state of Utah, USA, where Triumph and other motorcycle companies made attempts on the world motorcycle speed records. All share a parallel-twin four-stroke engine configuration. The current version, produced since 2001 by the modern successor of the original company, is a completely redesigned and re-engineered evolution of the original design.



Since the arrival of the current 'Hinckley Bonneville' (produced in Hinckley, England), the earlier T120 and T140 (produced in Meriden, England) have been referred to as 'Meriden Bonnevilles', to more easily distinguish between the versions.



The original Triumph Bonneville was popular (particularly in its early years) for its performance compared to other available bikes. Although its motor was later enlarged to 750 cc, in the late 1970s and early 1980s sales abroad greatly suffered in competition with more modern Japanese motorbikes from Honda and other manufacturers. Domestically, however, the T140 remained the best-selling 750cc motorcycle against more sophisticated Japanese and Italian opposition , picking up the prestigious Motor Cycle News Machine Of The Year award in 1979.


T120 Bonneville


The original Triumph Bonneville was a 650 cc parallel-twin (two-cylinder) motorcycle manufactured by Triumph Engineering Co Ltd and later by Norton Villiers Triumph between 1959 and 1974. It was based on the company's Triumph Tiger T110 and was fitted with the Tiger's optional twin 1 3/16 in Amal monobloc carburettors as standard, along with that model's high-performance inlet camshaft. Initially it was produced with a pre-unit construction engine which enabled the bike to comfortably achieve 115 mph without further modification, but later (in 1963) a unit construction model was introduced which was stiffer and more compact, including additional bracing at the steering head and swing arm. The steering angle was altered and improved forks were fitted a couple of years later, which, together with the increased stiffness enabled overall performance to match that of the Bonneville's rivals. Later T120 Bonnevilles used a new frame which contained the engine oil instead of using a separate tank; this became known as the oil in frame version. The T120 engine, both in standard configuration and especially when tuned for increased performance, was popular in café racers such as Tribsas and particularly Tritons.


T140 Bonneville


The early 650 cc capacity production T120 Bonneville, often known as the duplex frame model, was replaced in the early 1970s by the T140 Bonneville, the same basic machine but with a 750 cc engine. Refined from the later 'oil in frame' version of the T120, the first few T140s, designated T140V, featured a larger-capacity engine of 724 cc, a five-speed gearbox option and indicators, but still retaining drum brakes and kick-start. Shortly after, the engine was further bored out to 744 cc and front disc brakes were fitted (using single discs until 1982). In 1975, along with engine modifications, the gearchange lever was moved from right to left to comply with new regulations mandated for the American market and a rear disc brake fitted. Several T140 models followed featuring various modifications and refinements including electric starting from 1980 until production ceased with the closure of the Meriden works in 1983.

My Bonnie and I in 1988


Although this should have been the end of the Bonneville, as it turned out it was not. Triumph Motorcycles was acquired by businessman John Bloor, who licensed a company called Racing Spares in Devon, run by Les Harris to manufacture the T140 Bonneville. These continuation bikes are known as the 'Devon Bonnevilles', which did not reach the market until 1985, and were not sold in the U.S. Production ended in 1988.


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The Christina O

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Christina O is one of the world's longest private yachts at 325 feet 3 inches (99 m). She was originally a Canadian River class frigate called HMCS Stormont and was launched in 1943. She served as a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic and was present at the D-Day landings.



After the end of the Second World War she was one of many surplus naval vessels and Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis purchased her for just $34,000. He spent $4 million to convert her into a luxurious yacht and renamed her Christina after his daughter. Apart from Onassis's mistress Maria Callas and his wife Jackie Onassis other celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Eva Peron have sailed on her. She was one of the most famous society venues of the mid 20th century: John F Kennedy first met Winston Churchill on board in 1957.



When Aristotle Onassis died in 1975, he left the yacht to his daughter, who gave her to the government for use as a presidential yacht in 1978. She was rechristened the Argo but was allowed to decay and was put up for sale at $16 million in the early 1990s, but found no takers. In 1996 a sale to an American fell through (he was later convicted of wire fraud in relation to his attempt to purchase the yacht).



Finally in 1998 she was purchased by Greek shipowner John Paul Papanicolaou who had sailed on her as a child. He changed her name to Christina O and undertook a major refurbishment between January 1999 and April 2001. As of 2006 she is available to charter at between 45,000 and 65,000 Euro per day.



Christina O has a master suite, eighteen passenger staterooms, and numerous indoor and outdoor living areas, all connected by a spiral staircase. Compared to a typical 21st-century superyacht, her staterooms are small and Christina O lacks the indoor boat storage that is now standard; but on the other hand, the number of living areas is large, and the amount of outdoor deck space is very generous.
The aft main deck has an outdoor pool with a mosaic floor that rises at the push of a button to form a dance floor, and there is a helicopter platform on the promenade deck. In Ari's Bar, the barstools retain the original upholstery made from a very soft, fine leather made from the foreskin of a Minke Whale.

The rebirth of the Christina : The Christina O

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The Sunday Movie

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Ton-Up Boys, a British biker subculture that started in the 1950s, were successors to the Teddy Boys in attitude, language and values. However, instead of mock-Edwardian clothing styles, they took their style from Marlon Brando's film The Wild One, and from Royal Air Force pilots of World War II. They rode British motorcycles, traveled in packs and hung out in transport cafes. Ton-Up is a slang term coming from the cafe racer culture of 1950s England, referring to the 100 mph speed limit.

The subculture was heavily influenced by American rockabilly music. Musicians who were popular among Ton-Up boys included: Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Billy Fury, and Elvis Presley. In the 1960s, the Ton-Up Boys evolved into the Rockers.


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The Willy Neutkens Collection

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The Willy Neutkens Collection

Important BMW Motorcycles
To be sold at auction by Bonhams GmbH

Lot No: 2

1975 BMW 898cc R90S
Frame no. 4081920
Engine no. 4081920

With the introduction of the '/6' range in 1973, BMW joined the superbike league with a pair of 900cc flat-twins. The touring version was typed 'R90/6' and the gorgeous new sportster 'R90S'. With its twin front disc brakes, racing-style seat, megaphone-shaped silencers and cockpit fairing, the R90S looked like no BMW before it, and the air-brushed 'smoke' custom finish to tank, seat and fairing meant that no two examples left the factory exactly alike. With 67bhp on tap, the R90S was good for a maximum speed of more than 125mph. True, there were a handful of rivals that were faster, but none of them could match the BMW's capacity for sustained high-speed cruising. 'When it comes to comfort and capability for travelling at maximum speed with minimum fatigue, the R90S is second to none,' reckoned Bike magazine's tester back in 1975, going on to conclude: 'The truth is that many bikes do one thing superbly, but the BMW is the only bike I know that does everything very well.' This particular example of BMW's landmark first superbike displays a total of only 2,194 kilometres on the odometer. Sold new in Belgium, the machine comes with its original comes with its detached original VIN plate and Certificat de Conformite, and is offered with Belgian registration papers (issued May 1988).



Lot No: 50
1936 BMW 745cc R17
Frame no. To be advised
Engine no. 2382
Having broken fresh ground with the launch of the pressed-steel framed R11 in 1930, BMW followed that up with the introduction of an hydraulically-damped telescopic front fork on the R12 and R17 models, which were also notable as the first BMWs to have a four-speed gearbox. First seen at the Berlin Motor Show in February 1935, the newcomers were otherwise virtually unchanged from their R11 and R16 predecessors apart from a strengthened crankshaft. The sporting, twin-carburettor, overhead-valve R17 produced 33bhp at 5,000rpm and would be BMW's most powerful production roadster until the introduction of the R68 in 1952. It was priced at 2,040 Reichsmarks, making the R17 the most expensive German motorcycle of its day. Only 436 were produced between 1935 and 1937 and today this rare and exclusive model is one of the most sought after of pre-war BMW motorcycles. Purchased by Willy Neutkens approximately 20 years ago, this R17 is equipped with a Veigel-D-R-P 'Walzentacho' set into the headlamp and a rare Bosch mag-dyno with Bakelite distributor cap.

Saturday 28th November 2009, 2.30pm
BMW Museum, Am Olympiapark 2,
80809 Munich


www.bonhams.com
Copyright © 2002-2009 Bonhams 1793 Ltd.,

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Morbidelli

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Morbidelli, which is a woodworking machinery outfit, built a trio of 50cc GP bikes in 1969 for the Italian championship. In 1971 they built their first (and unique) 125cc GP machine, a twin patterned after the 1966 Suzuki GP. In 1972 and 1973, that machine won a few GPs but the death of driver Parlotti put the brakes on this. In 1974, Dutchman Joerg Moller was hired to design and build real winners, and he did. In the hands of Paolo Pileri and Pier-Paolo Bianchi, these 125cc twins won 3 world championship in succession, while a larger 250cc won the 1977 title in the hands of Mario Lega. In 1977, Jorg Moller was fired and joined MBA-Benelli Armi, now at political war with Morbidelli.



Morbidelli then built a 4-cylinder 500cc that raced until 1982, when Morbidelli quit racing due to economic pressure.



In the late 1990's, a V8 was conceived and built by an outside company with the blessing of Giancarlo Morbidelli, bearing his name. This was not followed by production and now resides in the Morbidelli museum in Pesaro along with hundreds of other italian racing machines.



An unrelated division of Benelli called Benelli Armi built Morbidelli 125cc Replicas under license for private racers to purchase. They were not called Morbidelli but "MBA".



Giancarlo Morbidelli is now retired while his son Gianni, who raced in 4 Formula One seasons with Ferrari, Arrows and other makes, now races sedans in Italian and other nations championships.



text via : cybermotorcycle


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Just Bultaco

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Air America

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Air America was an American passenger and cargo airline established in 1946 and covertly owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Special Activities Division from 1950 to 1976. It supplied and supported covert operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.



In 1951, the parent company of Air America's forerunner, Civil Air Transport (CAT), was reorganized. The owner, Claire Lee Chennault (of Flying Tigers fame), was approached by the CIA, who bought out the company through a holding company, the American Airdale Corporation. Under this agreement, CAT was allowed to keep its initials and the company was reorganized as Civil Air Transport, Inc. On 7 October 1957, American Airdale was reorganized to add another layer of obfuscation to its ownership. The new Pacific Corporation became a holding company for Air Asia Company (Air Asia (Taiwan)), Ltd; Air America, Inc; Civil Air Transport, Inc; Southern Air Transport; Intermountain Aviation; Bird and Sons (known as Bird Air); and Robinson Brothers. CAT attempted to change its name to Air America at the same time, but objections from Air France and American Airlines delayed the name change for two years.



Air America's slogan was "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime, Professionally". This was not an exaggeration, as Air America aircraft, including the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou and Fairchild C-123 Provider, flew many types of cargo to countries such as the Republic of Vietnam, the Kingdom of Laos, and Cambodia. It operated from bases in those countries and also from bases in Thailand and as far afield as Taiwan and Japan. It also on occasion flew top-secret missions into Burma and the People's Republic of China. Air America U-10D Helio Courier aircraft in Laos on a covert mountaintop landing strip (LS) "Lima site"Air America's headquarters moved several times during its existence, 808 17th St. NW, (1964), 801 World Center Bldg, (late 1964), 815 Connecticut Ave NW, (July 1968), and 1725 K Street NW, (1972), all in Washington, DC.



From 1959 to 1962 the airline provided direct and indirect support to CIA Operations "Ambidextrous", "Hotfoot", and "White Star", which trained the regular Royal Laotian armed forces. After 1962 a similar operation known as Project 404 fielded numerous U.S. Army Attachés (ARMA) and Air attachés (AIRA) to the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane.



From 1962 to 1975, Air America inserted and extracted U.S. personnel, provided logistical support to the Royal Lao Army, Hmong army under command of Royal Lao Army Major General Vang Pao, and combatant Thai "volunteer" forces, transported refugees, and flew photo reconnaissance missions that provided valuable intelligence on NLF activities. Its civilian-marked craft were frequently used, under the control of the Seventh/Thirteenth Air Force to launch search and rescue missions for U.S. pilots downed throughout Southeast Asia. Air America pilots were the only known private U.S. corporate employees to operate non-Federal Aviation Administration-certified military aircraft in a combat role, although many of them were actually military personnel who had been transferred to the airline.



By the summer of 1970, the airline had some two dozen twin-engine transport aircraft, another two dozen short-take off-and-landing aircraft, and 30 helicopters dedicated to operations in Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. There were more than 300 pilots, copilots, flight mechanics, and airfreight specialists based in Laos and Thailand. During 1970, Air America delivered 46 million pounds (21,000 metric tons) of food in Laos. Helicopter flight time reached more than 4,000 hours a month in the same year.



Air America flew civilians, diplomats, spies, refugees, commandos, sabotage teams, doctors, war casualties, drug enforcement officers, and even visiting VIPs like Richard Nixon all over Southeast Asia. Its non-human passengers were even more bizarre on occasion; part of the CIA's support operations in Laos, for instance, involved logistical support for local tribes fighting the North Vietnamese forces and the Pathet Lao, their local opponents. The war created a disruption in local food production, so thousands of tons of food had to be flown in, including live chickens, pigs, and cattle. On top of the food drops (known as 'rice drops') came the logistical demands for the war itself, and Air America pilots flew thousands of flights transporting and air-dropping ammunition and weapons (referred to as "hard rice") to friendly forces.



Flying for Air America was hazardous but the pay was better than for both normal civilian and military aviation. An Air America pilot could earn as much in a week as another pilot would in a month, and the pay combined with the promise of adventure attracted many pilots. But the work was dangerous; even without conflict, pilots had to deal with poorly charted mountainous terrain, few radio beacons for navigation, bad weather, and often overloaded planes.



Helicopter pilots had to deal with high altitude flights into mountains in tropical heat, which diminished the lift the rotors could give, and it took a great deal of unorthodox flying to accomplish their missions. The conflict itself created an even more dangerous environment, and AA pilots flew missions that few military pilots would dare, coming under fire almost on a daily basis. Many AA pilots were shot down, sometimes multiple times over the course of the war.




When North Vietnamese forces overran South Vietnam in 1975, Air America helicopters participated in evacuating both South Vietnamese and American civilians from Saigon. The iconic photograph depicting the final evacuation from the "U.S. Embassy" by Dutch photographer Hubert van Es was actually an Air America helicopter taking people off of the CIA station chief's apartment building.



According to The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia, a 1972 study by historian Alfred W. McCoy, Air America transported opium and heroin on behalf of Hmong leader Vang Pao. This allegation has been supported by former Laos CIA paramilitary Anthony Poshepny, former Air America pilots, and other people involved in the war. University of Georgia historian William M. Leary claims that this was done without the airline employees' direct knowledge and that the airline itself did not trade in drugs. The allegation of drug smuggling is disputed by many sources, including covert U.S. ground personnel who worked with the Hmong people. There are studies which refute the allegation, by Curtis Peebles and others. Peebles mentions two of the foundational sources for the allegations, McCoy's The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia (which accused Air America of drug smuggling), and Prof. William Leary's investigation and interview of 300 people (which concluded that there was no evidence of Air America's involvement in drug smuggling). The Hollywood film Air America focused its anti-war message largely on depicting and expanding upon the drug smuggling allegations.

Pictures courtesy of : Air America.org & Air America.net


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