title: Heat sink

text: Epoxy is more expensive than tape, but provides a greater mechanical bond between the heat sink and component, as well as improved thermal conductivity. The epoxy chosen must be formulated for this purpose. Most epoxies are two-part liquid formulations that must be thoroughly mixed before being applied to the heat sink, and before the heat sink is placed on the component. The epoxy is then cured for a specified time, which can vary from 2 hours to 48 hours. Faster cure time can be achieved at higher temperatures. The surfaces to which the epoxy is applied must be clean and free of any residue.


title: Heat sink

text: The epoxy bond between the heat sink and component is semi-permanent/permanent. This makes re-work very difficult and at times impossible. The most typical damage caused by rework is the separation of the component die heat spreader from its package.


title: Heat sink

text: More expensive than tape and epoxy, wire form z-clips attach heat sinks mechanically. To use the z-clips, the printed circuit board must have anchors. Anchors can be either soldered onto the board, or pushed through. Either type requires holes to be designed into the board. The use of RoHS solder must be allowed for because such solder is mechanically weaker than traditional Pb/Sn solder.


title: Heat sink

text: To assemble with a z-clip, attach one side of it to one of the anchors. Deflect the spring until the other side of the clip can be placed in the other anchor. The deflection develops a spring load on the component, which maintains very good contact. In addition to the mechanical attachment that the z-clip provides, it also permits using higher-performance thermal interface materials, such as phase change types.


title: Heat sink

text: Available for processors and ball grid array (BGA) components, clips allow the attachment of a BGA heat sink directly to the component. The clips make use of the gap created by the ball grid array (BGA) between the component underside and PCB top surface. The clips therefore require no holes in the PCB. They also allow for easy rework of components.


title: Heat sink

text: For larger heat sinks and higher preloads, push pins with compression springs are very effective. The push pins, typically made of brass or plastic, have a flexible barb at the end that engages with a hole in the PCB; once installed, the barb retains the pin. The compression spring holds the assembly together and maintains contact between the heat sink and component. Care is needed in selection of push pin size. Too great an insertion force can result in the die cracking and consequent component failure.


title: Heat sink

text: For very large heat sinks, there is no substitute for the threaded standoff and compression spring attachment method. A threaded standoff is essentially a hollow metal tube with internal threads. One end is secured with a screw through a hole in the PCB. The other end accepts a screw which compresses the spring, completing the assembly. A typical heat sink assembly uses two to four standoffs, which tends to make this the most costly heat sink attachment design. Another disadvantage is the need for holes in the PCB.


title: Heat sink

text: Thermal contact resistance occurs due to the voids created by surface roughness effects, defects and misalignment of the interface. The voids present in the interface are filled with air. Heat transfer is therefore due to conduction across the actual contact area and to conduction (or natural convection) and radiation across the gaps. If the contact area is small, as it is for rough surfaces, the major contribution to the resistance is made by the gaps. To decrease the thermal contact resistance, the surface roughness can be decreased while the interface pressure is increased. However, these improving methods are not always practical or possible for electronic equipment. Thermal interface materials (TIM) are a common way to overcome these limitations.


title: Heat sink

text: Properly applied thermal interface materials displace the air that is present in the gaps between the two objects with a material that has a much-higher thermal conductivity. Air has a thermal conductivity of 0.022 W/(m·K) while TIMs have conductivities of 0.3 W/(m·K) and higher.


title: Heat sink

text: When selecting a TIM, care must be taken with the values supplied by the manufacturer. Most manufacturers give a value for the thermal conductivity of a material. However, the thermal conductivity does not take into account the interface resistances. Therefore, if a TIM has a high thermal conductivity, it does not necessarily mean that the interface resistance will be low.


title: Heat sink

text: Selection of a TIM is based on three parameters: the interface gap which the TIM must fill, the contact pressure, and the electrical resistivity of the TIM. The contact pressure is the pressure applied to the interface between the two materials. The selection does not include the cost of the material. Electrical resistivity may be important depending upon electrical design details.


title: Heat sink

text: Light-emitting diode (LED) performance and lifetime are strong functions of their temperature. Effective cooling is therefore essential. A case study of a LED based downlighter shows an example of the calculations done in order to calculate the required heat sink necessary for the effective cooling of lighting system. The article also shows that in order to get confidence in the results, multiple independent solutions are required that give similar results. Specifically, results of the experimental, numerical and theoretical methods should all be within 10% of each other to give high confidence in the results.


title: Heat sink

text: Temporary heat sinks are sometimes used while soldering circuit boards, preventing excessive heat from damaging sensitive nearby electronics. In the simplest case, this means partially gripping a component using a heavy metal crocodile clip, hemostat, or similar clamp. Modern semiconductor devices, which are designed to be assembled by reflow soldering, can usually tolerate soldering temperatures without damage. On the other hand, electrical components such as magnetic reed switches can malfunction if exposed to hotter soldering irons, so this practice is still very much in use.


title: Heat sink

text: In general, a heat sink performance is a function of material thermal conductivity, dimensions, fin type, heat transfer coefficient, air flow rate, and duct size. To determine the thermal performance of a heat sink, a theoretical model can be made. Alternatively, the thermal performance can be measured experimentally. Due to the complex nature of the highly 3D flow in present applications, numerical methods or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can also be used. This section will discuss the aforementioned methods for the determination of the heat sink thermal performance.


title: Heat sink

text: One of the methods to determine the performance of a heat sink is to use heat transfer and fluid dynamics theory. One such method has been published by Jeggels, et al., though this work is limited to ducted flow. Ducted flow is where the air is forced to flow through a channel which fits tightly over the heat sink. This makes sure that all the air goes through the channels formed by the fins of the heat sink. When the air flow is not ducted, a certain percentage of air flow will bypass the heat sink. Flow bypass was found to increase with increasing fin density and clearance, while remaining relatively insensitive to inlet duct velocity.


title: Heat sink

text: The heat sink thermal resistance model consists of two resistances, namely the resistance in the heat sink base, formula_11, and the resistance in the fins, formula_12. The heat sink base thermal resistance, formula_11, can be written as follows if the source is a uniformly applied the heat sink base. If it is not, then the base resistance is primarily spreading resistance:


title: Heat sink

text: where formula_15 is the heat sink base thickness, formula_16 is the heat sink material thermal conductivity and formula_17 is the area of the heat sink base.


title: Heat sink

text: The thermal resistance from the base of the fins to the air, formula_12, can be calculated by the following formulas:


title: Heat sink

text: The flow rate can be determined by the intersection of the heat sink system curve and the fan curve. The heat sink system curve can be calculated by the flow resistance of the channels and inlet and outlet losses as done in standard fluid mechanics text books, such as Potter, et al. and White.


title: Heat sink

text: Once the heat sink base and fin resistances are known, then the heat sink thermal resistance, formula_28 can be calculated as:


title: Heat sink

text: Using the equations 5 to 13 and the dimensional data in, the thermal resistance for the fins was calculated for various air flow rates. The data for the thermal resistance and heat transfer coefficient are shown in the diagram, which shows that for an increasing air flow rate, the thermal resistance of the heat sink decreases.


title: Heat sink

text: Experimental tests are one of the more popular ways to determine the heat sink thermal performance. In order to determine the heat sink thermal resistance, the flow rate, input power, inlet air temperature and heat sink base temperature need to be known. Vendor-supplied data is commonly provided for ducted test results. However, the results are optimistic and can give misleading data when heat sinks are used in an unducted application. More details on heat sink testing methods and common oversights can be found in Azar, et al.


title: Heat sink

text: In industry, thermal analyses are often ignored in the design process or performed too late — when design changes are limited and become too costly. Of the three methods mentioned in this article, theoretical and numerical methods can be used to determine an estimate of the heat sink or component temperatures of products before a physical model has been made. A theoretical model is normally used as a first order estimate. Online heat sink calculators can provide a reasonable estimate of forced and natural convection heat sink performance based on a combination of theoretical and empirically derived correlations. Numerical methods or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provide a qualitative (and sometimes even quantitative) prediction of fluid flows. What this means is that it will give a visual or post-processed result of a simulation, like the images in figures 16 and 17, and the CFD animations in figure 18 and 19, but the quantitative or absolute accuracy of the result is sensitive to the inclusion and accuracy of the appropriate parameters.


title: Heat sink

text: CFD can give an insight into flow patterns that are difficult, expensive or impossible to study using experimental methods. Experiments can give a quantitative description of flow phenomena using measurements for one quantity at a time, at a limited number of points and time instances. If a full-scale model is not available or not practical, scale models or dummy models can be used. The experiments can have a limited range of problems and operating conditions. Simulations can give a prediction of flow phenomena using CFD software for all desired quantities, with high resolution in space and time and virtually any problem and realistic operating conditions. However, if critical, the results may need to be validated.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most notably Janet Jackson. They have written 31 top ten hits in the UK and 41 in the US. In 2022, the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: Jimmy Jam is the son of Cornbread Harris, a Minneapolis blues and jazz musician. Jimmy Jam met Lewis while he was a student at Washburn High School in Minneapolis. They did not meet in class, however, but while attending a TRIO Upward Bound program on the University of Minnesota campus.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: Later came Flyte Tyme, which evolved into the Time. In 1981, they were joined by Morris Day and toured with Prince as his opening act. As members of the Time, they played instruments on all but one of the group's five albums (Ice Cream Castle), including "Condensate" which the group recorded as the Original 7ven.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: In 1982, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were introduced to the music executive Dina R. Andrews, who was then an employee of Dick Griffey's SOLAR Records, where they would be mentored by record producer Leon Sylvers III. The pair asked Andrews to manage them, and through her relationships Andrews first introduced Jam and Lewis to Music Executive Clarence Avant. They produced their first masters for Avant for the S.O.S. Band. Andrews set-up Jam and Lewis's company Flyte Tyme Productions as a business entity, and continued shopping them to her other record executive colleagues. The producers went on to produce several other masters for Avant under Dina Andrews Management for the S.O.S. Band, Cherrelle, Alexander O'Neal and Change. Additionally, Andrews shopped the duo to many of the executives and artists who used their services, such as Klymaxx, Cheryl Lynn ("Encore"), and executives such as John McClain (Janet Jackson).


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: The pair were fired by Prince from a tour after a blizzard left them unable to rejoin during a short break to produce music for the S.O.S. Band. However, one of the tracks they were producing, "Just Be Good to Me", became a hit and sealed the duo's reputation, as well as that of the S.O.S. Band. The duo would rejoin the Time for two albums: 1990's "Pandemonium" and the 2011 album "Condensate" under the name the Original 7ven.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: The duo was noted for early use of the Roland TR-808 drum machine, which was used in most of its productions. After working with other artists such as Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal, Jam and Lewis were introduced to Janet Jackson and produced her breakthrough album "Control" in 1986, for which the duo won a Grammy Award. Their collaboration on her next album, 1989's "Rhythm Nation 1814", proved even more successful as the album became one of the top-selling albums in history with four "Billboard" Hot 100 No. 1 hits. Their collaboration continued and remained highly successful, especially on the "Billboard" 200 No.1 albums "janet.", "The Velvet Rope", "All For You" and "Unbreakable".


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: In 1991, they founded a record label, Perspective Records - an A&M Records distributed label that has since been closed and then reactivated. Later that year, their newly minted label experienced success with a Minneapolis-based gospel/R&B collective of artists known as Sounds of Blackness. Their debut single, "Optimistic", served as a groundbreaking anthem stressing positivity and encouragement. The song served as a summer and fall anthem and began propelling Jam and Lewis' new boutique label towards the top. Other successes followed with Blackness as well as music from labelmates Mint Condition, Lo-Key? and Solo. A highlight for Perspective was the opportunity to release the soundtrack for the 1992 motion picture "Mo Money", which starred Damon Wayans, Stacey Dash and Marlon Wayans. Executive produced by Jam and Lewis, the soundtrack featured cuts from Mint Condition, Ralph Tresvant and Caron Wheeler, as well as a duet by Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: In an illustrious career that has spanned more than three decades, Jam and Lewis have worked with artists such as Lionel Richie, Herb Alpert, TLC, Sounds of Blackness, Yolanda Adams, Jordan Knight, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, Usher, Johnny Gill, Patti LaBelle, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Mariah Carey, Prince, Mýa, Bryan Adams, Spice Girls, Vanessa Williams, George Michael, Melanie B, Rod Stewart, Kelly Price, Gwen Stefani, New Edition, Eric Benet, Pia Zadora, SOLO, and the Human League. In 1999, they produced the hit "Open My Heart" by Yolanda Adams which helped her popularity.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: Terry Lewis married R&B singer Karyn White, with whom he had a daughter, Ashley Nicole Lewis, in 1992. The pair has since divorced. He later married Indira Singh and had two children. Jimmy Jam served as chairman of the board of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He is currently listed as chairman Emeritus. Jimmy is married to Mexican-American businesswoman Lisa Padilla Harris.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: In 2005 Jam and Lewis opened their new recording studios in Santa Monica, California naming it Flyte Tyme West, later moving there full-time due to more opportunities for work and collaboration. In 2006, they won a Grammy for Yolanda Adams' song "Be Blessed", from her 2005 album "Day By Day". In 2007, Jam and Lewis produced the two-time Grammy Award-winning CD "Funk This" for Chaka Khan, which included the Award-winning R&B duet "Disrespectful", with Mary J. Blige.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: The production duo reunited with the Time at the 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008, in a medley that included the artist Rihanna, and featuring "Jungle Love". In June and July 2008, all of the original members of the Time (Morris Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Jesse Johnson, Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson, and Monte Moir) reunited once again for a series of shows at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: Jam and Lewis worked on Ruben Studdard's album, "Love Is" as well as Johnny Gill's 2011 album "Still Winning". Their most recent hits as producers were "Pure Gold" from Earth, Wind & Fire's 2005 album "Illumination" and "Higher Than This" from Ledisi's 2009 album "Turn Me Loose".


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: They are among a handful of producers to have No. 1 records in three consecutive decades, with number ones in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: Since forming their music company Flyte Tyme in 1982, Jam & Lewis have earned more than 100 gold, platinum, multi-platinum and diamond albums for their work with such artists as Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross, Yolanda Adams, Herb Alpert, New Edition, Human League, George Michael, Earth, Wind and Fire, TLC, Robert Palmer, Gwen Stefani and Kanye West. They have more than 100 ASCAP songwriting and publishing awards, including several Songwriter of the Year awards.


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: In 1993, Jam & Lewis were nominated with Janet Jackson for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Again", from the movie "Poetic Justice".


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: In 2020 Jam & Lewis were nominated with Sheila E. for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction for the TV special "Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince".


title: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

text: Jam & Lewis have won five Grammy Awards. They have received the most nominations for Producer of the Year, with 11 nominations. They won the award in 1987 at the 29th Grammy Awards, in the first year they were nominated.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952) is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden since 1982. Having played in small pub bands since 1966 from the age of 14, McBrain paid his bills after graduating from school with session work before he joined a variety of artists, such as Streetwalkers in 1975, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust. He joined Iron Maiden (replacing Clive Burr), in time to debut on their fourth album "Piece of Mind" (1983), and has remained with them since, contributing to a total of fourteen studio releases, as well as being the third-longest serving member of the band.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain was born in Hackney, London, and first wanted to learn the drums at a young age after watching Joe Morello performing with The Dave Brubeck Quartet on television. At the age of ten, he started to play drums with pots, pans and other kitchen utensils, before, to his parents' dismay, he began drumming on the gas cooker with a pair of knives and chipped off the paintwork. McBrain recalls that he was eleven or twelve before his father bought him his first drum kit, "which was basically one snare, one tom-tom, one cymbal, two drumsticks and a pair of brushes." He soon started playing Rolling Stones and Beatles covers with school bands, before he began regularly playing "pubs and weddings" by the age of 14.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: His first "proper" band was "The 18th Fairfield Walk", later known as "Peyton Bond", a small pub band, which he decided was "never gonna go anywhere" as they only performed Otis Redding, The Beatles and The Who covers. McBrain soon left to join "The Wells Street Blues Band", which renamed themselves "The Axe" in 1969, a group which played their own material. This band split up after an argument between the singer and the guitarist, and McBrain began playing with Billy Day, a singer and keyboardist, and Michael "Mickey" Lesley, a guitarist, in 1971. At that point, he was known as "Nicky", a nickname given to him by his parents after his teddy bear, Nicholas, until an intoxicated Billy Day introduced him to Dick Asher, head of CBS Records, as "Neeko", while they were recording at CBS Studios, Whitfield Street. McBrain liked the name, changing it to "Nicko" "so that it sounded more English", and decided to keep it even after leaving the group.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 1973, McBrain performed on a single by Cockerel Chorus, "Nice One Cyril", on the label Young Blood.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: Also in 1973, McBrain played on a self-titled album by guitarist Gordon Giltrap. This is notable not only as McBrain's album debut, but also because Giltrap in 1978 released an album called "Fear of the Dark" and used a font for his logo that is quite similar to the one used by Iron Maiden.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 1975, he began playing with Streetwalkers, before joining Pat Travers, singer Jenny Darren, McKitty and then the French band, Trust, with whom he met Iron Maiden for the first time, while touring together in 1981. In 1982, the band asked McBrain to replace Clive Burr, and as news of Burr's departure had not yet been announced, McBrain made his first appearance with Iron Maiden on German TV disguised as Eddie. He formed a close partnership with bassist Steve Harris, and completed what many critics consider the band's "definitive" line-up, releasing a series of gold and platinum selling albums throughout the 1980s.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: While the band's line-up went through several changes during the 1990s, McBrain remained in Iron Maiden, and since the return of Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson in 1999 the group has undergone a resurgence in popularity, and are now considered by some as "bigger than ever".


title: Nicko McBrain

text: When he's not recording and touring with Iron Maiden, McBrain often plays with side projects including a band called McBrain Damage which played Iron Maiden covers. In March 2017, he was a guest drummer with the 8G Band on Late Night with Seth Meyers.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain writes all the drum parts for Iron Maiden's songs. He received only one songwriting credit on an album, for "New Frontier", from 2003's "Dance of Death", which expresses his opposition to human cloning, arising from his religious beliefs. He had previously received two songwriting credits for non-album tracks: 1984's "Mission From 'Arry", which was actually a recording of a backstage argument with Steve Harris, and 1992's "Nodding Donkey Blues", which were B-sides of the singles "2 Minutes to Midnight" and "Be Quick or Be Dead", respectively.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain's drumming has been an important element of Iron Maiden's sound from 1983's "Piece of Mind" onwards, with guitarist Adrian Smith remarking that, "he always had the chops and the technique, but in Maiden he really exploded, to the point where a lot of stuff we did after he joined was then founded on his playing, all those busy patterns he does, displaying tremendous technique." As described in detail on the band's 2004 , "Piece of Mind" opening track, "Where Eagles Dare", famously displays McBrain's ability to use the single drum pedal very quickly, plus his rapid tom fills.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: He is often considered among the best and most influential heavy metal/hard rock drummers of all time. In the 2008 "Live After Death" DVD, Steve Gadd, McBrain's then drum technician, comments that, on the World Slavery Tour, some drummers would refer to McBrain as an 'octopus' after witnessing the way in which his stamina gives him the ability to use all of his large signature drum kit in concert.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain often employs the back end of his left hand drum stick to allow for more powerful "snare hits". He is known for not using a double bass pedal, with Bruce Dickinson commenting that he refused to use one on "Where Eagles Dare", considering them 'undrummerish'. He claims to have only ever used a double pedal once on "Face in the Sand", from "Dance of Death", preferring to use a DW 5000 Accelerator single pedal. Since switching to the DW pedal in 2000, McBrain plays barefoot, stating that it gives him "more freedom."


title: Nicko McBrain

text: Steve Harris remarks that "...he can play all kinds of music. Drummers from other bands sit round the back of him to see what he's doing, but he's got his kit set so he doesn't even look at what he's hitting half the time". After McBrain joined the band in 1982, Harris also noted how much easier playing with McBrain was for a songwriter, with Adrian Smith claiming that, "Steve loves playing with him. [They] used to work for hours going over these bass and drum patterns."


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 1988, McBrain collaborated with Andrew Chapman on a book entitled "Iron Maiden & Nicko McBrain's Rhythms of the Beast", which was published by Warner Bros. Music in 1990. The book featured complete transcriptions of McBrain's drum work on twelve classic Iron Maiden songs, including six live versions as recorded on the band's 1985 album "Live After Death". After selling internationally for several years, the book was taken out of print. Used copies are occasionally found for sale online.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 1991, McBrain released an instructional drum video, entitled "Rhythms of the Beast" (not related to the above book of the same name), which was re-released on DVD in 2010. The video features McBrain demonstrating his technique, and covers tuning, soloing and parts of the drum kit.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain is a long-time user of Paiste cymbals and currently plays British Drum Company drums, moving from Sonor Drums and having previously endorsed Premier. For "A Matter of Life and Death" he used his Ludwig metal shell LM 402 snare drum which was purchased in 1975, making it the oldest drum in his kit. He endorses his own signature line of drum sticks made by Vic Firth. As of 2016, McBrain also uses Remo drumheads, Sonor hardware, an LP cowbell and a DW 9000 single pedal.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain is married to Rebecca McBrain (née Dempsey) and has two sons: Nicholas (born 1983) and Justin (born 1992). He lives in Boca Raton, Florida.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain converted to Christianity in 1999 after an experience in the Spanish River Church, near his Boca Raton home. His wife, Rebecca, had been asking him to attend with her, and upon entering the church, McBrain soon found himself crying as he experienced a "calling". Recounting the tale, he said "I just sat there thinking, 'I didn't drink last night... why can't I stand?' I had this love affair with Jesus going on in my heart."


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 1988, McBrain appeared as a guest on "The Sooty Show", in which he played drums with Sooty and Sweep. In reference to his appearance on the show, McBrain's drum kit has since been decorated with a Sooty puppet, which is often dressed accordingly with the band's corresponding tours.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 2003, McBrain was arrested prior to an Iron Maiden show in Wantagh, New York. While pulling into the venue's VIP parking lot, an attendant asked for McBrain's credentials. Following a misunderstanding, McBrain threatened to drive into the attendant, and did so twice, injuring the attendant on the second attempt. McBrain was arrested and charged with third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment. He was released on an appearance ticket, allowing him to perform in the show.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 2009, he opened a restaurant called Rock 'N' Roll Ribs in Coral Springs, Florida. The restaurant received positive reviews on an episode of "Check, Please! South Florida" and was awarded "Best Ribs of 2012" by "New Times Broward-Palm Beach".


title: Nicko McBrain

text: McBrain is a fan of snooker and has attended the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: He also enjoys playing golf in his spare time, along with his bandmate Dave Murray, and is a friend of Swedish golfer and Florida resident Jesper Parnevik, whom he met at Ullna Golf Club in Sweden.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: Since he is a lifelong enthusiast of Jaguar Cars, the manufacturer built a custom XKR-S model to McBrain's specifications in 2012. In March 2018, "Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works" revealed a customized Jaguar XJ Series III for McBrain.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 2015, McBrain stopped drinking alcohol after seeing an interview in which he had had too much wine and has remained sober to this day.


title: Nicko McBrain

text: In 2018, he also launched a musical instrument store named Drum One in Manchester, England. The retailer specialises in drum kits and related merchandise. To promote the launch of the store, McBrain conducted an interview with Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: Sex Tape is a 2014 American sex comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It was written by Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller, and Kate Angelo and stars Segel, Cameron Diaz, Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper, and Rob Lowe. Its story follows a married couple who make a sex tape to spice up their relationship only to wake up the next morning to find that it has gone missing. This sparks a frantic search in an attempt to find it.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: The film was produced by Columbia Pictures and was released on July 18, 2014. It grossed $14.6 million in its opening weekend and $126.1 million worldwide, against a budget of $40 million. It received generally negative reviews.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: Jay and Annie Hargrove are a married couple, who, after having two kids, have sex at every opportunity. After he struggles to get an erection, she suggests making a sex tape. They film themselves having sex in every position listed in "The Joy of Sex".


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: When done, Annie asks Jay to delete the recording, which they hate, but he ends up instead inadvertently synchronizing the video to several iPads the couple had given away over time. After failing to get it out of the cloud, they set out to get back all of the gifted iPads, leading to a series of awkward encounters and close calls.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: After collecting the iPads and deleting the videos, their friend's son, Howard, threatens to upload a copy of their sex tape to YouPorn unless they give him $25,000. After failing to get the money, they break into the YouPorn headquarters and begin to destroy their web servers. Their plan is quickly thwarted when an alarm sounds. The owner and his guards confront them and threaten to call the police, but agree not to do so in exchange for $15,000 to cover the damage. He also removes their video and explains that all they had to do to have a video removed was send him an e-mail request for such removal.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: After they have deleted all videos, Howard comes over to the house and gives Jay the only existing copy of the video on a USB flash drive in exchange for being allowed to hang out with their son, Clive, since he is his only friend.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: As the film comes to a close, Jay and Annie decide to watch the video once themselves. Afterwards, they take the USB flash drive containing the video and go outside to smash it with a hammer, blend it, burn it with fire, and bury the remains.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: Sony Pictures acquired the script in June 2011, which was based on an original story created by Kate Angelo. Nicholas Stoller was in early talks to direct but eventually backed out with Jake Kasdan instead directing the picture. Before Diaz signed on, Reese Witherspoon, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Rose Byrne, and Jennifer Garner were all considered for the female lead.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: Principal photography began on September 12, 2013, in Newton, Massachusetts. Hank's house is situated in the western Greater Boston suburb of Weston.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: On March 17, 2014, the first poster and some photos from the film were released, followed by a red band trailer on April 2, 2014, and a green band trailer on April 24, 2014. On June 5, Sony UK released an international trailer of the film.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: On June 19, a final red band trailer was released, which was attached theatrically with the Melissa McCarthy comedy "Tammy".


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: The Examining Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in India rejected its first version of the film. After some changes, they accepted the film and it was released in the country on August 29, 2014.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: At the end of its box office run, "Sex Tape" earned a gross of $38.5 million in the US and Canada and $87.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $126.1 million against a budget of $40 million.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: The film was released in 2,457 theaters in North America and earned $1.1 million in its opening Thursday evening showings. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $14.6 million, finishing in fourth behind "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" ($36.2 million), as well as newcomers "" ($29.8 million) and "" ($17.5 million).


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: The film topped the UK box office in its opening weekend with a gross of £1.43 million. It dropped to number 4 in its second week grossing £673,478. The film opened at #1 in markets like Bulgaria, Netherlands, Slovenia in their respective opening weekend. The biggest market in other territories being Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, where the film earned a gross of $12.14 million, $7.14 million and $6.9 million respectively.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 16% of 157 surveyed reviews gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 4.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With neither the conviction to embrace its smutty premise nor enough laughs to function as a worthwhile rom-com, the flaccid "Sex Tape" suffers from cinematic impotence." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 36 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Sex Tape (film)

text: Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" called the film "a timely naughty-but-nice romcom with too few laughs", giving it 2/5 stars.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area is home to approximately 560,000 people. Wiesbaden is the second-largest city in Hesse after Frankfurt am Main.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The city, together with nearby Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt, and Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, a metropolitan area with a combined population of about 5.8 million people.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name translates to "meadow baths", a reference to its famed hot springs. It is also internationally famous for its architecture and climate—it is also called the "Nice of the North" in reference to the city in France. At one time, Wiesbaden had 26 hot springs. , fourteen of the springs are still flowing.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The city is considered the tenth richest in Germany (2014) boasting 110.3% of the national average gross domestic product in 2017. The average annual buying power per citizen is €24,783.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden is situated on the right (northern) bank of the Rhine, below the confluence of the Main, where the Rhine's main direction changes from north to west. The city is across the Rhine from Mainz, the capital of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Frankfurt am Main is located about east. To the north of the city are the Taunus Mountains, which trend in a northeasterly direction.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The city center, the "Stadtmitte", is located in the north-easternmost part of the Upper Rhine Valley at the spurs of the Taunus mountains, about from the Rhine. The landscape is formed by a wide lowland between the Taunus heights in the north, the Bierstadter Höhe and the Hainerberg in the east, the Mosbacher Mountain in the south, and the Schiersteiner Mountain in the west, an offshoot of the Taunus range.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The downtown is drained only by the narrow valley of the Salzbach, a tributary of the Rhine, on the eastern flanks of the Mosbacher Mountain. The city's main railway line and the Mainz road ("Mainzer Straße") follow this valley. Several other streams drain into the Salzbach within the city center: the Wellritzbach, the Kesselbach, the Schwarzbach, the Dambach, and the Tennelbach, as well as the outflow of many thermal and mineral springs in the "Kurhaus" (spa) district. Above the city center, the Salzbach is better known as the Rambach.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The highest point of the Wiesbaden municipality is located northwest of the city center near the summit of the Hohe Wurzel, with an elevation of above sea level. The lowest point is the harbour entrance of Schierstein at above sea level. The central square (the "Schlossplatz", or palace square) is at an elevation of .


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden covers an area of . It is from north to south and from west to east. In the north are vast forest areas, which cover 27.4% of the urban area. In the west and east are vineyards and agricultural land, which cover 31.1% of the area. Of the municipality's -long border, the Rhine makes up .


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden has a temperate-oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) with relatively cold winters and warm summers. Its average annual temperature is , with monthly mean temperatures ranging from in January to in July.


title: Wiesbaden

text: While evidence of settlement at present-day Wiesbaden dates back to the Neolithic era, historical records document continuous occupancy after the erection of a Roman fort in 6 AD which housed an auxiliary cavalry unit. The thermal springs of Wiesbaden are first mentioned in Pliny the Elder's "Naturalis Historia". They were famous for their recreation pools for Roman army horses and possibly as the source of a mineral used for red hair dye (which was very fashionable around the turn of BC/AD among women in Rome).


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Roman settlement is first mentioned using the name "Aquae Mattiacorum" (Latin for "Waters of the Mattiaci") in 121. The Mattiaci were a Germanic tribe, possibly a branch of the neighboring Chatti, who lived in the vicinity at that time. The town also appears as Mattiacum in Ptolemy's Geographia (2.10). The Roman Empire built the Limes Germanicus, which was a line of Roman frontier fortifications in the Taunus. Wiesbaden is just south of the Taunus.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The capital of the province of Germania Superior, Mogontiacum (present-day Mainz), base of 2 (at times 3) Roman legions, was just over the Rhine and connected by a bridge at the present-day borough of Mainz-Kastel (Roman ""castellum""), a strongly fortified bridgehead.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Alamanni, a coalition of Germanic tribes from beyond the "Limes", captured the fort around 260. Later, in the 370s, when the Romans and Alamanni were allied, the Alemanni gained control of the Wiesbaden area and were in charge of its defense against other Germanic tribes.


title: Wiesbaden

text: After the Franks under Clovis I defeated the Alamanni in the Battle of Tolbiac in 496, the Franks eventually displaced the Alamanni in the Wiesbaden area over the course of the 6th century. In the 8th century, Wiesbaden became the site of a royal palace of the Frankish kingdom. The first documented use of the name Wiesbaden is by Einhard, the biographer of Charlemagne, whose writings mention "Wisabada" sometime between 828 and 830.


title: Wiesbaden

text: When the Frankish Carolingian Empire broke up in 888, Wiesbaden was in the eastern half, called East Francia (which would evolve into the Holy Roman Empire). The town was part of Franconia, the heartland of East Francia. In the 1170s, the Count of Nassau, Walram I, received the area around Wiesbaden as a fiefdom. When Franconia fragmented in the early 13th century, Nassau emerged as an independent state as part of the Holy Roman Empire.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In 1232 Wiesbaden became a Reichsstadt, an imperial city, of the Holy Roman Empire. However, in 1242, during the war of Emperor Frederick II against the Pope, the Archbishop of Mainz, Siegfried III, ordered the city's destruction.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden returned to the control of the House of Nassau in 1270 under Count Walram II, Count of Nassau. However, Wiesbaden and the castle at Sonnenberg were again destroyed in 1283 in conflict with Eppstein.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Walram's son and successor Adolf would later become king of Germany from 1292 until 1298. In 1329, under Adolf's son Gerlach I of Nassau-Weilburg the House of Nassau and thereby, Wiesbaden, received the right of coinage from Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Bavarian.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In 1355, the County of Nassau-Weilburg was divided among the sons of Gerlach. The County of Nassau's holdings would be subdivided many times among heirs, with the parts being brought together again whenever a line died out. Wiesbaden became the seat of the County of Nassau-Wiesbaden under Count Adolf I (1307–1370), eldest son of Gerlach. It would eventually fell back to Nassau-Weilburg in 1605.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Due to its participation in the uprisings of the German Peasants' War of 1525, Wiesbaden lost all its privileges for over 40 years. During this time, Wiesbaden became Protestant with the nomination of Wolf Denthener as first Lutheran pastor on January 1, 1543. The same day, the first Latin school was opened, preparing pupils for the gymnasium in Idstein. In 1566, the privileges of the city were restored.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The oldest remaining building of Wiesbaden, the old city hall, was built in 1609 and 1610. No older buildings are preserved due to two fires in 1547 and 1561. In 1648, at the end of the devastating Thirty Years' War, chronicles tell that Wiesbaden had barely 40 residents left. In 1659, the County of Nassau-Weilburg was divided again. Wiesbaden became part of the County of Nassau-Usingen. In 1744, the seat of Nassau-Usingen was moved to Biebrich. In 1771, the Count of Nassau-Usingen granted a concession for gambling in Wiesbaden. In 1810, the Wiesbaden Casino (German: "Spielbank") was opened in the old Kurhaus. Gambling was later outlawed by Prussian authorities in 1872.


title: Wiesbaden

text: As a result of Napoleon's victory over Austria in the Battle of Austerlitz, the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1805. On July 12, 1806, 16 states in present-day Germany, including the remaining counties of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg, formally left the Holy Roman Empire and joined in the Confederation of the Rhine. Napoleon was its "protector". Under pressure from Napoleon, both counties merged to form the Duchy of Nassau on August 30, 1806.


title: Wiesbaden

text: At the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the Duchy of Nassau joined the German Confederation. The capital of Nassau was moved from Weilburg to Wiesbaden, and the city became the ducal residence. Building activity started to give the city a magnificent appearance. Most of the historical center of Wiesbaden dates back to this time.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In the Revolutions of 1848, 30,000 citizens of Nassau assembled in Wiesbaden on March 4. They demanded a constitution from the Duke, which they received.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Nassau took Austria's side. This decision led to the end of the duchy. After the Austrian defeat, Nassau was annexed by Prussia and became part of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau. The deposed duke Adolph of Nassau in 1890 became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (see House of Nassau). This turned out to be a fortunate change for the city, as it then became an international spa town. A rise in construction commenced after the aristocracy followed the lead of the Hohenzollern emperors, who began annual trips to Wiesbaden.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The period around the turn of the 20th century is regarded as the heyday of the city. Kaiser Wilhelm II visited the city regularly in summer, such that it became an unofficial "summer residence". The city was also popular among the Russian nobility. In the wake of the imperial court, numerous nobles, artists, and wealthy businessmen increasingly settled in the city. Many wealthy persons chose Wiesbaden as their retirement seat, as it offered leisure and medical treatment alike. In the latter part of the 19th century, Wiesbaden became the German city with the most millionaires.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In 1894, the present Hessian State Theater, designed by the Vienna architects Fellner and Helmer, was built on behalf of Kaiser Wilhelm II.


title: Wiesbaden

text: After World War I, Wiesbaden fell under the Allied occupation of the Rhineland and was occupied by the French army in 1918. In 1921, the Wiesbaden Agreement on German reparations to France was signed in the city. In 1925, Wiesbaden became the headquarters of the British Army of the Rhine until the withdrawal of occupying forces from the Rhineland in 1930.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In 1929, an airport was constructed in Erbenheim on the site of a horse-racing track. In 1936, Fighter Squadron 53 of the Luftwaffe was stationed here.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In the Kristallnacht pogrom on November 10, 1938, Wiesbaden's large synagogue on Michelsberg was destroyed. The synagogue had been designed by Phillip Hoffmann and built in 1869. Another synagogue in Wiesbaden-Bierstadt was also destroyed. When the Nazis came to power in Germany, there were 2,700 Jews living in Wiesbaden. By June 1942 nearly all of them had been deported to the Nazi death camps in German-occupied Poland.


title: Wiesbaden

text: General Ludwig Beck from Wiesbaden was one of the planners of the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler. Beck was designated by his fellow conspirators to be future Head of State (Regent) after elimination of Hitler. The plot failed, however, and Beck was forced to commit suicide. Today, the city annually awards the Ludwig Beck prize for civil courage in his honor.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Lutheran pastor and theologian Martin Niemöller, founder of the Confessing Church resistance movement against the Nazis, is an Honorary Citizen of Wiesbaden. He presented his last sermon before his arrest in Wiesbaden's Market Church.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In World War II, Wiesbaden was the headquarters for Germany's Wehrkreis XII. This military district included the Eifel, part of Hesse, the Palatinate, and the Saarland. After the Battle of France, this "Wehrkreis" was extended to include Lorraine, including Nancy, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The commander was "General der Infanterie" Walther Schroth.


title: Wiesbaden

text: "Wehrkreis" XII was made up of three subordinate regions: "Bereich Hauptsitze" Koblenz, Mannheim and Metz.


title: Wiesbaden

text: During the war, Wiesbaden was, between August 1940 and the end of 1942, bombed by the Royal Air Force and from 1943 through to March 1945, was attacked by both RAF and United States Air Force bombers on 66 days. In the attacks, about 18% of the city's homes were destroyed. During the war, more than 25% of the city's buildings were damaged or worse and 1,700 people were killed.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden was captured by U.S. Army forces on March 28, 1945. The U.S. 317th Infantry Regiment attacked in assault boats across the Rhine from Mainz while the 319th Infantry attacked across the river Main near Hochheim am Main. The attack started at 0100 and by early afternoon the two forces of the 80th U.S. Infantry Division had linked up with the loss of only three dead and three missing. The Americans captured 900 German soldiers and a warehouse full of 4,000 cases of champagne.


title: Wiesbaden

text: After the war's end, American rock artist Elvis Presley was stationed in Friedberg and often visited Wiesbaden.


title: Wiesbaden

text: After World War II, the state of Hesse was established (see Greater Hesse), and Wiesbaden became its capital, though nearby Frankfurt am Main is much larger and works as Hesse's economic and financial centre. Wiesbaden however suffered much less than Frankfurt from air bombing. There is a persistent rumour that the U.S. Army Air Force spared the town with the intention of turning it into a postwar HQ, but USAAF sources claim this to be a myth, arguing that Wiesbaden's economic and strategic importance simply did not justify more bombing. Wiesbaden was host to the Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces, Europe based at the former Lindsey Air Station from 1953 to 1973.


title: Wiesbaden

text: American armed forces have been present in Wiesbaden since World War II. The U.S. 1st Armored Division was headquartered at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, just off the Autobahn toward Frankfurt, until the Division completed relocation to Fort Bliss, Texas, in 2011. Wiesbaden is now home to the U.S. Army Europe Headquarters and Mission Command Center.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden has long been famous for its thermal springs and spa. Use of the thermal springs was first documented by the Romans. The business of spring bathing became important for Wiesbaden near the end of the Middle Ages. By 1370, 16 bath houses were in operation. By 1800, the city had 2,239 inhabitants and 23 bath houses.


title: Wiesbaden

text: By 1900, Wiesbaden, with a population of 86,100, hosted 126,000 visitors annually. Famous visitors to the springs included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, and Henrik Pontoppidan. In those years, more millionaires were living in Wiesbaden than in any other city in Germany.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Gambling followed bathing "en suite", and in the 19th century, Wiesbaden was famous for both. Its casino ("Spielbank") rivalled those of Bad Homburg, Baden-Baden, and Monaco. In 1872, the Prussian-dominated imperial government closed down all German gambling houses. The Wiesbaden casino was reopened in 1949.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The "Schloßplatz" ("palace square") is situated in the center of the city, surrounded by several outstanding buildings. The ducal palace was begun under William, Duke of Nassau. Its foundations were laid in 1837 and it was completed in November 1841 (two years after William's death). For the twenty-six remaining years of ducal authority it was the residence of the ruling family. It later served as a secondary residence for the King of Prussia 1866 to 1918. It was later used as a headquarters for French and British occupying forces after World War I, then as a museum.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Since 1945, the building has served as Landtag (parliamentary building) for the state of Hesse. The site of the palace had been that of a castle, probably from the early Middle Ages, around which the city had developed. While nothing is known of the former castle, remains of it were uncovered during excavations after World War II.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The new town hall was built in 1887. A tile mosaic in front of the town hall shows the heraldic eagle of the Kingdom of Prussia (of which Wiesbaden was a part at the time), the coat of arms of the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau, and the fleur-de-lis of Wiesbaden. The old town hall, built in 1610, is the oldest preserved building in the city center and now is used as a civil registry office.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Protestant "Marktkirche" ("market church") was built from 1852 to 1862 in a neo-Gothic style. Its western steeple is in height, making the church the highest building in the city.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The monumental Neo-Classical "Kurhaus" ("spa house") was built at the request of Kaiser Wilhelm II between 1904 and 1907. Its famous "Spielbank" (casino) is again in operation.


title: Wiesbaden

text: In front of the Kurhaus is a lawn known as the Bowling Green. To one side of the Bowling Green is the Kurhaus Kolonnade. Built in 1827, the 129 meter structure is the longest hall in Europe supported by pillars. To the other side is the Theater Kolonnade, built in 1839. It is adjacent to the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, built between 1892 and 1894.


title: Wiesbaden

text: St. Bonifatius, the first church for the Catholic community after the Reformation, was built from 1845 until 1849 by Philipp Hoffmann in Gothic Revival style and dedicated to Saint Boniface.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Elizabeth, called "Griechische Kapelle" (Greek chapel) locally, was built on the Neroberg from 1847 to 1855 by Duke Adolf of Nassau on the occasion of the early death of his wife Elizabeth Mikhailovna, who died in childbirth. The architect was again Philipp Hoffmann.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Another building from the regency of Duke Wilhelm is the Luisenplatz, a square named for the Duke's first wife. It is surrounded by Neoclassicist buildings, and in the middle of the square is the Waterloo Obelisk, commemorating the 683 Nassauers who died on 18 June 1815 near Hougoumont Farm in the respective battle against Napoleon. Apart from the palace in the center, the ducal family had a large palace on the banks of the Rhine, known as Schloss Biebrich. This baroque building was erected in the first half of the 18th century.


title: Wiesbaden

text: North of the city is the Neroberg. From the top of this hill it is possible to view a panorama of the city. The Nerobergbahn funicular railway connects the city with the hill. South of it, the Nerotalanlagen are a park along a creek, created in 1897/98 as an English landscape garden.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Other churches are the Bergkirche, completed in 1879 in Gothic Revival style, and the Lutherkirche, finished in 1910 in Jugendstil. The church Mariä Heimsuchung is a tall concrete landmark in the Kohlheck suburb.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Oriental Christianity is also represented with the St. Isaiah Syriac Orthodox Church on the Willi-Juppe-Straße in Dotzheim, built 2016 by Suryoye-Assyrians.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Warmer Damm park is a 4.5-hectare park on the east side of Wilhelmstrasse and south of the State theater and Kurhaus which features a lake, a fountain, various statues, and large grassy areas. The park was created in 1859–1860 and is named after the medieval fortifications around a pond into which the warm waters of the town's 26 warm springs flowed.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The city of Wiesbaden is divided into 26 boroughs: five in the central city and 21 suburban districts. The 21 suburban districts were incorporated in four phases from 1926 to 1977. The former Mainz suburbs on the right bank of river Rhine viz. Amöneburg, Kastel and Kostheim have belonged to Wiesbaden since 1945.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The current mayor of Wiesbaden is Gert-Uwe Mende of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), who was elected in 2019.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The most recent mayoral election was held on 26 May 2019, with a runoff held on 16 June, and the results were as follows:


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Wiesbaden city council ("Stadtverordnetenversammlung") governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 14 March 2021, and the results were as follows:


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden is well connected to the German motorway ("Autobahn") system. The Wiesbadener Kreuz is an Autobahn interchange east of the city where the Bundesautobahn 3 (A 3), Cologne to Würzburg, and the Bundesautobahn 66 (A 66), Rheingau to Fulda, meet. With approximately 210,000 cars daily it is one of the most heavily used interchange in Germany. The Bundesautobahn 66 (A 66) connects Wiesbaden with Frankfurt.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Bundesautobahn 643 (A 643) is mainly a commuter motorway which starts in the south of the city centre, runs through the southern part of Wiesbaden crosses the Rhine via the Schierstein Bridge and connect in the northwestern part of Mainz to the A60. The Bundesautobahn 671 (A 671) is a very short motorway in the southeastern part of Wiesbaden which primarily serves as a fast connection between the city centre and the Bundesautobahn 60 to serve the cities like Rüsselsheim, Darmstadt and the Rhine-Neckar region (Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg).


title: Wiesbaden

text: The downtown area is bordered on the north side by , which has once featured many antique stores. The east side is constrained by Wilhelmstrasse, created by Christian Zais. This 1,000 meter-long street is named after Duke William of Nassau (German Wilhelm), not Emperor Wilhelm II, as many mistakenly believe.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The streets of central Wiesbaden are regularly congested with cars during rush hour. Besides some areas, especially the Ringroad and not directly in the centre, and the southern arterial roads like the Mainzer Straße, Biebricher Allee and Schiersteiner Straße.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden's main railway station and several minor railway stops connect the town with Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Mainz, Limburg, and Koblenz via Rüdesheim. Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof is connected to the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line by a 13-kilometer branch line. Hamburg, München, Leipzig, Dresden, Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Hanover are connected directly to Wiesbaden via long-distance service of the Deutsche Bahn. More services to locations outside the immediate area connect through Mainz or Frankfurt Airport or Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. Regional trains and bus services are coordinated by the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden is connected to the Frankfurt S-Bahn network and served by three lines (S1, S8 and S9) which connect Wiesbaden with the densely populated Rhine Main Region. All routes have an at least 30 minute service during the day, in the rush hour partially every 15 minutes schedule. It provides access to nearby cities such as Mainz, Rüsselsheim, Frankfurt, Hanau, and Offenbach am Main, and smaller towns that are on the way.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The city's public transportation service ESWE Verkehr connects all city districts to downtown by 45 bus lines in the daytime and 9 bus lines in the night. Five more bus lines, operated by the public transportation service of the city of Mainz, connects Wiesbaden's districts Kastel and Kostheim to Mainz downtown.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The city can be accessed from around the world via Frankfurt Airport ("Flughafen Frankfurt am Main") which is located east of Wiesbaden. The airport has four runways and serves 265 non-stop destinations. Run by transport company Fraport it ranks among the world's 10 busiest airports by passenger traffic and is the second busiest airport by cargo traffic in Europe. The airport also serves as a hub for Condor and as the main hub for German flag carrier Lufthansa. Depending on whether total passengers or flights are used, it ranks second or third busiest in Europe alongside London Heathrow Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport in 2011 was 56.5 million.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Despite the name, Frankfurt Hahn Airport ("Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn") is not located anywhere near Frankfurt but is instead situated approximately from the city in Lautzenhausen (Rhineland-Palatinate). Hahn Airport was a major base for low-cost carrier Ryanair. This airport can be reached by car or bus. The nearest train station is in Traben-Trarbach, it is ca. from the airport, on foot. The roads are not lit.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Lucius D. Clay Kaserne (formerly Wiesbaden Army Airfield or WAAF) is located adjacent to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim and is home to the US Army in Europe (USAREUR) headquarters, the 2nd Signal Brigade and the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade. The airfield was one of the points of origin for flights to Berlin in support of Operation Vittles (the Berlin airlift) during the Soviet blockade of Berlin. General Clay, the commander of the US occupation zone in Germany, was the architect of the airlift.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The United States Army runs a garrison in Wiesbaden. The facilities for US soldiers and families are spread across various locations including: Aukamn, Hainerberg, Mainz-Kastel and the Wiesbaden Army-Airfield, where the names of the streets are named after servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives during the Berlin Airlift.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden hosts a number of international companies, which have their German or European headquarters there including Abbott Laboratories, DXC Technology, Ferrari, Federal-Mogul, Melbourne IT, Porsche, Norwegian Cruise Line, and SCA. Several German companies also have their headquarters in Wiesbaden, including SGL Carbon, Dyckerhoff, KION Group, DBV-Winterthur, and R + V Versicherung. Wiesbaden is also home to the "Industriepark Kalle-Albert", an industrial park in the southern quarter of Biebrich. It is one of the largest in Germany with over 80 companies from the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, including Agfa-Gevaert, Clariant, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and Shin-Etsu Chemical. The park was founded by chemical company Hoechst AG in 1997.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Statistical Office of Germany are both based in Wiesbaden, along with many Hessian ministries such as the Hessian State Criminal Police Office.


title: Wiesbaden

text: At approximately €77,500, Wiesbaden has the second largest gross domestic product per inhabitant in Hesse, after Frankfurt, making it one of the richest cities in Germany. The purchasing power per inhabitant is €22,500.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden's most important stage is the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. Concert halls include the Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal of the Kurhaus. Wiesbaden has a State Library and a conservatory, where Max Reger studied and taught as a young man. Choirs such as the Wiesbadener Knabenchor, Schiersteiner Kantorei and Chor von St. Bonifatius are known in the region and even internationally.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The International May Festival is an annual arts festival presented by the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden every May. Established in 1896, it is one of the most distinguished international theatre and music festivals in the world. The festival features performances of plays, musicals, operas, and ballets. Concerts from a wide array of music are featured, as are artistic circus acts and modern dance presentations. Lectures, recitals, cabaret performances, and readings are also featured.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The wines and sparkling wines of the close Rheingau are presented annually at the ten-day festival in August, "Rheingauer Weinwoche" (Rheingau Wine Week) around the Wiesbaden City Hall, on the Schlossplatz (Palace Square), the square "Dern’sches Gelände" and in the pedestrian area. At 118 booths, Rheingau and Wiesbaden vintners offer their wine and sparkling wine and invite to discover the already well known and favored, but also new vintages. Every year thousands of visitors use this opportunity to get acquainted with Rheingau Riesling wines and all their various facets and flavors. Regional specialities compatible with the wines are offered as well. A diversified musical program entertains the wine festival guests. Initiated more than 30 years ago by the Rheingau vintners, this wine festival has a long tradition.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden's Sternschnuppenmarkt is located at the central Schlossplatz and the neighbouring streets of the parliamentary building, old town hall, and market church. The Sternschnuppenmarkt takes place from the end of November until December 23 every year and is open from Monday until Thursday 10:30 – 9:00 pm, Friday and Saturday 10:30 – 9:30 pm, and Sunday 12:00 – 9:00 pm.


title: Wiesbaden

text: The market is related to the city arms of Wiesbaden: the colours blue and gold and the three lilies are characteristic. Four gates and an illuminated floral roof symbolizing Fleur-de-lis, consisting of twelve over ten metre high and twelve metre wide luminous lilies, emboss the Sternschnuppenmarkt.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Over 110 booths are decorated in oriental style, coloured blue and gold, offering Christmas style goods, arts and crafts as well as nostalgic carousels and a toy train. A Christmas tree more than tall is decorated with 1000 blue and golden ties, 2500 electric bulbs and 30 flash bulbs. The nativity scene displays life-sized wooden figures.


title: Wiesbaden

text: From the beginning in 1988 the Rheingau Musik Festival has staged summer concerts in the Marktkirche and in the concert hall of the Kurhaus now named Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Since 2007 Wiesbaden has been home to SV Wehen Wiesbaden, an association football team that formerly played in nearby Taunusstein. The club was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga in 2019, but relegated back to the 3. Liga in 2020.


title: Wiesbaden

text: Town twinning between Wiesbaden and other cities began with Klagenfurt in 1930, one of the first town-twinnings in Germany. Wiesbaden is twinned with:


title: Wiesbaden

text: Wiesbaden's coat of arms features three fleurs-de-lys, stylized representations of the city's heraldic symbol, the lily. The blazon is: "Azure, two and one fleurs-de-lys Or".


title: Wiesbaden

text: Mainz, on the opposite side of the Rhine, is Wiesbaden's archrival – the two cities are the capitals of their respective Bundesländer, and citizens of both cities jokingly refer to those on the other one as "living on the wrong side of the river".


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) that was published in 2009 by Paizo Publishing. The first edition extends and modifies the System Reference Document (SRD) based on the revised 3rd edition "Dungeons & Dragons" ("D&D") published by Wizards of the Coast under the Open Game License (OGL) and is intended to be backward-compatible with that edition.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: A new version of the game, "Pathfinder 2nd Edition", was released in August 2019. It continues to use the OGL and SRD, but significant revisions to the core rules make the new edition incompatible with content from either Pathfinder 1st Edition or any edition of D&D.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: "Pathfinder" is supported by the official "Pathfinder" periodicals and various third-party content created to be compatible with the game.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Beginning in 2002, Paizo took over publishing "Dragon" and "Dungeon" magazines, which were about the "Dungeons & Dragons" ("D&D") role-playing game, under contract to the game's publishers Wizards of the Coast. Wizards of the Coast chose not to renew the contract in early 2007 and Paizo began publishing the "Pathfinder" periodical line as a replacement. In August 2007, Wizards of the Coast announced the pending release of the 4th edition of "D&D", which replaced version 3.5. Many of the staff at Paizo were concerned about the more restrictive Game System License under which the 4th edition was being released.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Instead of continuing to support "D&D", Paizo released the stand-alone "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game" as a modified version of the version 3.5 game, under the Open Game License used by the older version. Announced in March 2008, "Pathfinder" was designed over the course of a year using an open playtest model, where players could try the system and post their feedback on Paizo's website.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Paizo announced a second edition of Pathfinder in 2018. Like the first edition, it made use of an open playtest to refine various mechanics of gameplay.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Informally nicknamed "D&D" version 3.75, the first edition of "Pathfinder" is a modification of version 3.5 of "Dungeons & Dragons" and is intended to be compatible with the older game. Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn felt that the basic classes of "D&D" version 3.5 were lackluster, as they did not provide incentive to stay with a single class for 20 levels of play. "Pathfinder" adds many options to the classes and boosts their abilities in their core roles.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: The game has also been modified compared to "D&D" version 3.5. Changes were made involving balance between different game elements. For example, less combat-oriented classes receive more hit points each level than their 3.5 counterparts. Additionally, several aspects of 3.5 have been changed in "Pathfinder", including several spells, the skill system and combat maneuvers such as tripping and grappling.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Paizo also introduced the "Pathfinder Society", an organized game play program. Players register their characters on Paizo's website, allowing players to use their characters in different play sessions and different groups while continuing to earn experience, money and prestige points. After a session has ended, the player will receive a chronicle sheet, listing what has been earned during the session. The player will use these chronicle sheets to log this information on the website.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: In May 2018, Paizo announced it was working on "Pathfinder Second Edition" to refine elements of the rule set to reflect feedback and clarification on the original system over the prior years. The preliminary ruleset was published in August 2018 as "Pathfinder Playtest" so that players could test out and provide feedback. The final rule set was released on August 1, 2019.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Among key changes in the second edition is a streamlined action economy. Each round, each character can perform up to three actions on their turn as well as one reaction on their own turn or another character's turn. Most basic moves, such as moving across the ground, drawing a weapon, or making an attack cost a single action, while more complicated maneuvers may require two or three actions. The rules around magic items have been changed to discourage players from hoarding too many items and instead encouraging them to seek out more powerful equipment. Critical hits have also been changed – a critical success now occurs any time a combatant rolls 10 more than the target's armor class. Combatants can also critically succeed when defending which usually results in no effect rather than the reduced effect a save would usually bring. Finally there has been a broad change to all number scaling of skills, armor class, attack rolls, saves, and difficulty classes. All these numbers now scale 1 to 1 with a character's level plus a stat plus a bonus between two and eight depending on their proficiency. This results in extremely bounded values when compared to the first edition. Stats have also had their range lowered when compared to the first edition.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: In October 2021, Paizo announced a partnership with Demiplane to provide Pathfinder Nexus; the online platform provides a digital rules and lore compendium for "Pathfinder Second Edition", character creation and management tools, matchmaking, and video chat functionality. An early access version of Pathfinder Nexus, titled Pathfinder Primer, was launched at the time of the announcement.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: The first edition has been supplemented by expansions and accessory books which contain expanded rules, new classes, spells, equipment, and other optional game features. The books in the "Bestiary" series contain statistics and descriptions of creatures that player characters may encounter. A related supplement, the "Monster Codex" (2014), offered a selection of more specialized monsters, such as a "goblin vulture rider". The "Advanced Player's Guide" (2010) allowed Paizo to expand the game beyond its d20 System roots by adding six new base classes, and added the concept of class "archetypes", themed variations of the core classes with alternate class features. The "Advanced Class Guide" (2014) expanded the options for character development further by adding ten more character classes, including the investigator, the swashbuckler, and the warpriest. "Pathfinder Unchained" (2015) offered a variety of optional rules to streamline or otherwise customize gameplay, including new rules for skills and magic items, and alternative versions of classes like the summoner. Further "Pathfinder" supplements include the "Advanced Race Guide" (2012), which extended the options for player character races; "Mythic Adventures" (2013), which provided options for "epic level" play beyond the core game's normal limits; and "Occult Adventures" (2016), which introduced six supernatural classes including the kineticist, medium, and psychic.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Paizo also produced the "Pathfinder Beginner Box", a basic version of the "Pathfinder" rules intended to introduce new gamers to the hobby.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: OtherWorld Creations (later renamed to Super Genius Games) published a series of "Genius Guide" books for "Pathfinder", beginning with "The Genius Guide to the Shaman" (2009), and added Owen K.C. Stephens as their "Pathfinder" line manager, publishing a new "Pathfinder" PDF weekly starting in November 2009. OtherWorld Creations was the most prolific licensee for "Pathfinder" at that time, and compiled their PDFs for print beginning with "Adventurer's Handbook: Genius Guide Volume 1" (2010), leading Paizo to significantly promote the company. The founders of Super Genius Games left the company in 2013, and formed the publisher Rogue Genius Games to take over publishing their "Pathfinder" releases.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Accessories produced include gridded maps, both specific to adventures and generic. "Pathfinder Pawns" is a line of boxed sets featuring cardboard illustrations of characters and monsters that can be used as gaming miniatures; "Pathfinder Battles", a line of plastic miniatures, is produced under license by WizKids.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: "Pathfinder" was the top-selling role-playing game in spring 2011, fall 2012, spring 2013, fall 2013, and summer 2014. During that four-year period, "Pathfinder" was at times able to outsell "Dungeons & Dragons" itself, which was the best-selling game through various editions between 1974 and 2010. Upon the release of "Dungeons & Dragons" 5th Edition, that game has regained the top spot since fall 2014, with "Pathfinder" consistently still ranking second to "D&D" in sales.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Paizo has won ENnie Awards at Gen Con in a variety of categories including Best Publisher and Best Game. The beta release of the first edition of the game won the 2008 Silver ENnie award for "Best Free Product or Web-Enhancement". The Pathfinder 2nd Edition "Core Rulebook" is a 2020 Origins Award nominee, and winner of the 2019 Techraptor Award (Readers' Choice as Tabletop RPG of the Year).


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: When reviewing the second edition in August 2019, Charlie Hall of "Polygon" said it "feels unified and complete, rather than a hodgepodge of errata and exceptions that had accumulated for its previous iteration. As an exercise in graphic design, the "Pathfinder Core Rulebook" itself is extraordinary. Details that would be relegated to a sidebar or a tiny, bespoke graphic in other game systems get entire pages with elaborate diagrams and drawings. That kind of attention to detail, coupled with the repetition within the text itself, makes it a true reference document".


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: A card game based on the role-playing game, the "Pathfinder Adventure Card Game", was released at Gen Con 2013. It was designed by Mike Selinker of Lone Shark Games. The initial set for the game, "Rise of the Runelords", was followed by the expansions "Skull and Shackles", "Wrath of the Righteous" and "Mummy's Mask". A second edition of the core game set introducing a story book element was released in May 2019.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: A "Pathfinder"-themed edition of the "Munchkin" card game was released by Steve Jackson Games in 2013.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Paizo published a line of novels, "Pathfinder Tales", based in the "Pathfinder" setting. The first book, "Prince of Wolves", was released in 2010 and was written by Dave Gross, former editor of "Dragon" magazine. Other titles in the series, which numbers over 30 books, include "City of the Fallen Sky" by Tim Pratt, "Winter Witch" by Elaine Cunningham, "The Wizard's Mask" by Ed Greenwood, and "Death's Heretic" by line editor James L. Sutter.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Dynamite Entertainment has produced a line of "Pathfinder" comic books, including a spin-off title, "Pathfinder: Goblins", as well as "Pathfinder: Worldscape", which also featured characters such as Red Sonja, Tarzan and John Carter.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: As a promotion for the 2nd edition of "Pathfinder", Paizo teamed up with Geek & Sundry to produce an actual play series called "Pathfinder: Knights of Everflame", which sees Jason Bulmahn run a game for five adventurers using this game system. As of November 2019, the series has finished its first 8-episode season, and is currently in the middle of its second season.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: Three video games based in the "Pathfinder" setting have been published. "Pathfinder Online", a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, was announced on November 27, 2012, by Paizo and Goblin Works and was successful in attracting crowdfunding on Kickstarter to finance its development. An official alpha test was announced in late June 2014. Early enrollment was announced on July 29, 2015. On September 2, 2015, Lisa Stevens, acting CEO of Goblin Works and CEO of Paizo announced layoffs at Goblin Works of most of the "Pathfinder Online" development team. The game has never left early enrollment.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: On May 17, 2017, another video game, "", was announced by Paizo and developer Owlcat Games. An accompanying Kickstarter campaign was launched in June 2017. The game was released on September 25, 2018. It is an isometric RPG similar to the Infinity Engine games, and adapts the "Kingmaker" adventure path using the "Pathfinder" first edition rules.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: In February 2020, Owlcat Games launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a sequel entitled "". It was set for alpha testing in April 2020 and was released on September 2, 2021. The game is an adaptation of Paizo's "Wrath of the Righteous" adventure path.


title: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

text: In November 2020, Paizo and Pinnacle Entertainment Group announced "Pathfinder for Savage Worlds", an adaptation of the setting of "Pathfinder" for use with Pinnacle's "Savage Worlds" RPG. The initial line launched on August 1, 2022, and includes "Pathfinder for Savage Worlds: Core Rules", "Pathfinder for Savage Worlds: Bestiary", and "Pathfinder for Savage Worlds: Companion". Boxed sets were also released at the same time, including "Pathfinder for Savage Worlds: Rise of the Runelords" and "Pathfinder for Savage Worlds: Ultimate Boxed Set". The "Savage Worlds" gameplay differs from that of "Pathfinder Second Edition" by having players create characters with edges and hinderances, or abilities and flaws, as well as seeing players roll different kinds of polyhedral dice depending on how competent their character is at performing the task at hand.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The Grumman F8F Bearcat is an American single-engine carrier-based fighter aircraft introduced in late World War II. It served during the mid-20th century in the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the air forces of other nations. It was Grumman Aircraft's last piston engined fighter aircraft.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Modified versions of the Bearcat have broken speed records for piston-engined aircraft. Today, the Bearcat is popular among warbird owners and air racers.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The Bearcat concept began during a meeting between Battle of Midway veteran F4F Wildcat pilots and Grumman Vice President Jake Swirbul at Pearl Harbor on 23 June 1942. At the meeting, Lieutenant Commander Jimmie Thach emphasized one of the most important requirements in a good fighter plane was "climb rate".


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Climb performance is strongly related to the power-to-weight ratio, and is maximized by wrapping the smallest and lightest possible airframe around the most powerful available engine. Another goal was that the G-58 (Grumman's design designation for the aircraft) should be able to operate from escort carriers, which were then limited to the obsolescent F4F Wildcat as the Grumman F6F Hellcat was too large and heavy. A small, lightweight aircraft would make this possible. After intensively analyzing carrier warfare in the Pacific Theater of Operations for a year and a half, Grumman began development of the G-58 Bearcat in late 1943.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: In 1943, Grumman was in the process of introducing the F6F Hellcat, powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine which provided . The R-2800 was the most powerful American engine available at that time, so it would be retained for the G-58. This meant that improved performance would have to come from a lighter airframe.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: To meet this goal, the Bearcat's fuselage was about shorter than the Hellcat, and was cut down vertically behind the cockpit area. This allowed the use of a bubble canopy, the first to be fitted to a US Navy fighter. The vertical stabilizer was the same height as the Hellcat's, but increased aspect ratio, giving it a thinner look. The wingspan was less than the Hellcat's. Structurally the fuselage used flush riveting as well as spot welding, with a heavy gauge 302W aluminum alloy skin suitable for carrier landings. Armor protection was provided for the pilot, engine and oil cooler.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The Hellcat used a three-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller. A slight reduction in size was made by moving to a Aeroproducts four-bladed propeller. Keeping the prop clear of the deck required long landing gear, which, combined with the shortened fuselage, gave the Bearcat a significant "nose-up" profile on land. The hydraulically operated undercarriage used an articulated trunnion which extended the length of the oleo legs when lowered; as the undercarriage retracted the legs were shortened, enabling them to fit into a wheel well which was entirely in the wing. An additional benefit of the inward retracting units was a wide track, which helped counter propeller torque on takeoff and gave the F8F good ground and carrier deck handling.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The design team had set the goal that the G-58 should weigh fully loaded. As development continued it became clear this was impossible to achieve as the structure of the new fighter had to be made strong enough for aircraft carrier landings. Ultimately much of the weight-saving measures included restricting the internal fuel capacity to (later ) and limiting the fixed armament to four .50 cal Browning M2/AN machine guns, two in each wing. The limited range due to the reduced fuel load would mean it would be useful in the interception role, but meant that the Hellcat would still be needed for longer range patrols. A later role was defending the fleet against airborne "kamikaze" attacks. Compared to the Hellcat, the Bearcat was 20% lighter, had a 30% better rate of climb and was faster.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Another weight-saving concept the designers came up with was detachable wingtips. The wings were designed to fold at a point about out along the span, reducing the space taken up on the carrier. Normally the hinge system would have to be built very strong in order to transmit loads from the outer portions of the wing to the main spar in the inner section, which adds considerable weight. Instead of building the entire wing to be able to withstand high-g loads, only the inner portion of the wing was able to do this. The outer portions were more lightly constructed, and designed to snap off at the hinge line if the g-force exceeded 7.5 g. In this case the aircraft would still be flyable and could be repaired after returning to the carrier. This saved of weight.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The design was completed in November 1943 and an order for two prototypes was placed on 27 November 1943 under the BuAir designation XF8F-1. The first prototype flew on 21 August 1944, only nine months after the design effort started. The initial flight test demonstrated a per minute climb rate and a top speed of . Compared to the Vought F4U Corsair, the Bearcat was marginally slower but more maneuverable and climbed more quickly.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Testing demonstrated a number of problems, notably a lack of horizontal stability, an underpowered trim system, landing gear that could be extended only at slow speeds, an unreliable airspeed indicator, and a cramped cockpit. The test pilots also requested that six guns be installed. The stability problem was addressed on the second prototype by adding a triangular fillet to the front of the vertical stabilizer. The extra guns could not be incorporated due to weight and balance considerations.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The Navy placed a production contract for 2,023 aircraft based on the second prototype on 6 October 1944. On 5 February 1945 they awarded another contract for 1,876 slightly modified aircraft from General Motors, given the designation F3M-1. These differed primarily in having the R-2800-34W engine and a small increase in fuel capacity.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Deliveries from Grumman began on 21 May 1945. The end of the war led to the Grumman order being reduced to 770 examples, and the GM contract being cancelled outright. An additional order was placed for 126 F8F-1B's replacing the .50 cal machine guns with the 20 mm M2 cannon, the US version of the widely used Hispano-Suiza HS.404. Fifteen of these were later modified as F8F-1N night fighters with an APS-19 radar mounted under the starboard wing.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: An unmodified production F8F-1 set a 1946 time-to-climb record (after a run of ) of in 94 seconds (). The Bearcat held this record for 10 years until it was broken by a jet fighter (which still could not match the Bearcat's short takeoff distance).


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: In 1948 Grumman introduced a number of improvements to produce the F8F-2. Among the changes were a modified cowling design, taller vertical fin, and the slightly more powerful R-2800-30W engine producing . A total of 293 F8F-2s were produced, along with 12 F8F-2N night fighters and 60 F8F-2P reconnaissance versions.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Production ended in 1949, and the first units began to convert off the type that year. The last Bearcats were withdrawn in 1952.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The F8F prototypes were ordered in November 1943 and first flew on 21 August 1944, a mere nine months later. The first production aircraft was delivered in February 1945 and the first squadron, Fighter Squadron 19 (VF-19), was operational by 21 May 1945, but World War II was over before the aircraft saw combat service.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: One problem that became evident in service was the snap-off wingtips not working as expected. While they worked well under carefully controlled conditions in flight and on the ground, in the field, where aircraft were repetitively stressed by landing on carriers and since the wings were slightly less carefully made in the factories, there was a possibility that only one wingtip would break away with the possibility of the aircraft crashing. This was replaced with an explosives system to blow the wingtips off together, which also worked well, but this ended when a ground technician died due to an accidental triggering. In the end, the wings were reinforced and the aircraft limited to 7.5 g.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Postwar, the F8F became a major U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps fighter, equipping 24 fighter squadrons in the Navy and a smaller number in the Marines. Often mentioned as one of the best-handling piston-engine fighters ever built, its performance was sufficient to outperform many early jets. Its capability for aerobatic performance is illustrated by its selection as the second demonstration aircraft for the navy's elite Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron in 1946, replacing the Grumman F6F Hellcat. The Blue Angels flew the Bearcat until the team was temporarily disbanded in 1950 during the Korean War and pressed into operational combat service. The F9F Panther and McDonnell F2H Banshee largely replaced the Bearcat as their performance and other advantages eclipsed piston-engine fighters.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: The first combat for the F8F Bearcat was during the French Indochina War (1946–1954) when nearly 200 Bearcats were delivered to the French forces in 1951. When the war ended in 1954, 28 surviving Bearcats were supplied to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force and entered service in 1956. The Vietnamese Bearcats were retired in 1960, replaced with Douglas A-1 Skyraiders and North American T-28 Trojans as the Vietnam War (1957–1975) continued. F8Fs were also supplied to Thailand during the same time period.


title: Grumman F8F Bearcat

text: Bearcats have long been popular in air racing. A stock Bearcat flown by Mira Slovak and sponsored by Bill Stead won the first Reno Air Race in 1964. "Rare Bear", a highly modified F8F owned by Lyle Shelton, went on to dominate the event for decades, often competing with Daryl Greenamyer, another famous racer with victories in his own Bearcat ("Conquest I", now at the Smithsonian's NASM) and holder of a piston-engined aircraft world speed record in it. "Rare Bear" also set many performance records, including the 3 km World Speed Record for piston-driven aircraft (), set in 1989, and a new time-to-climb record ( in 91.9 seconds (), set in 1972, breaking the 1946 record cited above).


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. The city of Cambridge is the county town. Following the Local Government Act 1972 restructuring, modern Cambridgeshire was formed in 1974 through the amalgamation of two administrative counties: Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, comprising the historic county of Cambridgeshire (including the Isle of Ely); and Huntingdon and Peterborough, comprising the historic county of Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough, historically part of Northamptonshire. Cambridgeshire contains most of the region known as Silicon Fen.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: The county is now divided between Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, which since 1998 has formed a separate unitary authority. In the non-metropolitan county there are five district councils, Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. However, since 2017 the county has been reunited by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Cambridgeshire is noted as the site of Flag Fen in Fengate, one of the earliest-known Neolithic permanent settlements in the United Kingdom, compared in importance to Balbridie in Aberdeen, Scotland. Must Farm quarry, at Whittlesey has been described as 'Britain's Pompeii due to its relatively good condition, including the 'best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found'. A great quantity of archaeological finds from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age were made in East Cambridgeshire. Most items were found in Isleham.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: The area was settled by the Anglo-Saxons starting in the fifth century. Genetic testing on seven skeletons found in Anglo-Saxon era graves in Hinxton and Oakington found that five were either migrants or descended from migrants from the continent, one was a native Briton, and one had both continental and native ancestry, suggesting intermarriage.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Cambridgeshire was recorded in the "Domesday Book" as "Grantbridgeshire" (or rather "Grentebrigescire") (related to the river Granta).


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Covering a large part of East Anglia, Cambridgeshire today is the result of several local government unifications. In 1888 when county councils were introduced, separate councils were set up, following the traditional division of Cambridgeshire, for


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Under the Local Government Act 1972 this merged with the county to the west, Huntingdon and Peterborough, which had been formed in 1965, by the merger of Huntingdonshire with the Soke of Peterborough (the latter previously a part of Northamptonshire with its own county council). The resulting county was called simply Cambridgeshire.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Since 1998, the City of Peterborough has been separately administered as a unitary authority area. It is associated with Cambridgeshire for ceremonial purposes such as Lieutenancy and joint functions such as policing and the fire service.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: In 2002, the conservation charity Plantlife unofficially designated Cambridgeshire's county flower as the Pasqueflower.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: The Cambridgeshire Regiment (nicknamed the Fen Tigers), the county-based army unit, fought in the Boer War in South Africa, the First World War and Second World War.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Due to the county's flat terrain and proximity to the continent, during the Second World War the military built many airfields here for RAF Bomber Command, RAF Fighter Command, and the allied USAAF. In recognition of this collaboration, the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Madingley. It is the only WWII burial ground in England for American servicemen who died during that event.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Most English counties have nicknames for their people, such as a "Tyke" from Yorkshire and a "Yellowbelly" from Lincolnshire. The historical nicknames for people from Cambridgeshire are "Cambridgeshire Camel" or "Cambridgeshire Crane", referring to the wildfowl that were once abundant in the Fens. The term "Fen Tigers" is sometimes used to describe the people who live and work in the Fens.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Original historical documents relating to Cambridgeshire are held by Cambridgeshire Archives. Cambridgeshire County Council Libraries maintains several Local Studies collections of printed and published materials, significantly at the Cambridgeshire Collection held in the Cambridge Central Library.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Cambridgeshire's county flag was made official on 1 February 2015, after the design was selected as an entry from design competition that ran during 2014. The design features three golden crowns, two on the top, one on the bottom that are separated by two wavy lines in the middle. The crowns are meant to represent East Anglia, and the two lines represent the River Cam and are in the University's colours.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: The coat of arms, officially adopted on 1 November 1976, features two Great bustard birds supporting the arms that contain five blue straight and wavy lines to represent the county's rivers, and the tip of a castle tower at the top. The motto at the bottom reads 'Corde uno sapientes simus' in Latin, and translates to 'Let us be wise with one heart'.


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Large areas of the county are extremely low-lying and Holme Fen is notable for being the UK's lowest physical point at 2.75 m (9 ft) below sea level. The highest point of the modern administrative county is in the village of Great Chishill at 146 m (480 ft) above sea level. However, this parish was historically a part of Essex, having been moved to Cambridgeshire in boundary changes in 1895. The historic county top is close to the village of Castle Camps where a point on the disused RAF airfield reaches a height of above sea level (grid reference TL 63282 41881).


title: Cambridgeshire

text: Other prominent hills are Little Trees Hill and Wandlebury Hill (both at ) in the Gog Magog Hills, Rivey Hill above Linton, Rowley's Hill and the Madingley Hills.