Tag Archives: Suez Canal

Canal Blockage

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We don’t often feature micro-scale creations here at TLCB, let alone whatever scale this is. Micro-micro-micro-scale?

This is the Ever Given container ship, here measuring just six studs in length, the life-size version of which is currently blocking the Suez Canal.

At 400m (1,300ft) long, the Ever Given is one of the largest ships in the world, able to carry over 20,000 shipping containers. These are all currently wedged between the banks of the Suez – blocking the hundreds of other ships that were transiting the canal at the time – and creating the world’s largest homage to Austin Powers in a baggage cart.

Whilst the Egyptian authorities attempt to clear their canal blockage you can check out this micro-micro-micro-scale version courtesy of yu chris‘ on Flickr, plus you can read a bit more about why the Suez Canal is so important here.

Skies over Suez

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We love a ’50s MiG. Sure they were a symbol of the oppression of millions, a regime seemingly intent on causing nuclear annihilation (not on their own we might add), and the terror of the Cold War, but they looked so cool!

In service from the early 1950s, almost 11,000 MiG-17s were built for use by a wide variety of scumbag dictatorships, and – somewhat unbelievably – three militaries still operate them today, some ’70 years after the design first flew.

This particular recreation of the Soviet fighter is an Egyptian Air Force unit, as built by John C. Lamarck, and it looks every bit as cool as the real thing. A removable tail-section reveals the jet engine inside, there’s working landing gear, accuarate Egyptian Air Force decals, and a range of exciting-looking weaponry that was used in Egypt’s defeat of the British, French and Israelis during the Suez Crisis in 1967.

What were we saying about the MiG-17 and scumbag dictatorships? Yeh, in this case TLCB’s home nation might not be able to hold the moral ground…

Head to John’s ‘MiG-17F’ album on Flickr via the link above to blow something British up in 1967.

French Fries

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Lego F4U-5 Corsair

Suez Crisis Fighter

This stripy fighter is an American F4U-5 Corsair, built by Sydag, and displayed in the livery used by the French Navy during the ’50s Suez Crisis. Egypt had nationalised the Suez Canal, royally annoying the British, French and Israelis who had trade interests in the area. Their response was to bomb Cairo, until pressure from the USSR, and USA of all people, forced the British and French to withdraw within the year. Israel continued alone for a while after this, and to some extent secured a degree of control over the trade route. Learn more in your local library : )