title: Air conditioning

text: As international development has increased wealth across countries, global use of air conditioners has increased. By 2018, an estimated 1.6 billion air conditioning units were installed worldwide, with the International Energy Agency expecting this number to grow to 5.6 billion units by 2050. Between 1995 and 2004, the proportion of urban households in China with air conditioners increased from 8% to 70%. As of 2015, nearly 100 million homes, or about 87% of US households, had air conditioning systems. In 2019, it was estimated that 90% of new single-family homes constructed in the USA included air conditioning (ranging from 99% in the South to 62% in the West).


title: Air conditioning

text: Ductless systems (often mini-split, though there are now ducted mini-split) typically supply conditioned and heated air to a single or a few rooms of a building, without ducts and in a decentralized manner. Multi-zone or multi-split systems are a common application of ductless systems and allow up to eight rooms (zones or locations) to be conditioned independently from each other, each with its own indoor unit and simultaneously from a single outdoor unit. The main problem with multi-split systems is the length of the refrigerant lines for connecting the external unit to the internal ones. Though the same challenge exists for central ACs.


title: Air conditioning

text: The first mini-split systems were sold in 1954–1968 by Mitsubishi Electric and Toshiba in Japan, where its development was motivated by the small size of homes. Multi-zone ductless systems were invented by Daikin in 1973, and variable refrigerant flow systems (which can be thought of as larger multi-split systems) were also invented by Daikin in 1982. Both were first sold in Japan. Variable refrigerant flow systems when compared with central plant cooling from an air handler, eliminate the need for large cool air ducts, air handlers, and chillers; instead cool refrigerant is transported through much smaller pipes to the indoor units in the spaces to be conditioned, thus allowing for less space above dropped ceilings and a lower structural impact, while also allowing for more individual and independent temperature control of spaces, and the outdoor and indoor units can be spread across the building. Variable refrigerant flow indoor units can also be turned off individually in unused spaces. The lower start-up power of VRF's DC inverter compressors and their inherent DC power requirements also allow VRF solar-powered heat pumps to be run using DC-providing solar panels.


title: Air conditioning

text: Split-system central air conditioners consist of two heat exchangers, an outside unit (the condenser) from which heat is rejected to the environment and an internal heat exchanger (the fan coil unit (FCU), air handling unit, or evaporator) with the piped refrigerant being circulated between the two. The FCU is then connected to the spaces to be cooled by ventilation ducts.


title: Air conditioning

text: Large central cooling plants may use intermediate coolant such as chilled water pumped into air handlers or fan coil units near or in the spaces to be cooled which then duct or deliver cold air into the spaces to be conditioned, rather than ducting cold air directly to these spaces from the plant, which is not done due to the low density and heat capacity of air which would require impractically large ducts. The chilled water is cooled by chillers in the plant, which uses a refrigeration cycle to cool water, often transferring its heat to the atmosphere even in liquid-cooled chillers through the use of cooling towers. Chillers may be air or liquid-cooled.


title: Air conditioning

text: A portable system has an indoor unit on wheels connected to an outdoor unit via flexible pipes, similar to a permanently fixed installed unit (such as a ductless split air conditioner).


title: Air conditioning

text: Hose systems, which can be "monoblock" or "air-to-air", are vented to the outside via air ducts. The "monoblock" type collects the water in a bucket or tray and stops when full. The "air-to-air" type re-evaporates the water and discharges it through the ducted hose and can run continuously. Such portable units draw indoor air and expel it outdoors through a single duct, which negatively impacts their overall cooling efficiency.


title: Air conditioning

text: The packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC), through-the-wall, and window air conditioners are similar. PTAC systems may be adapted to provide heating in cold weather, either directly by using an electric strip, gas, or other heaters, or by reversing the refrigerant flow to heat the interior and draw heat from the exterior air, converting the air conditioner into a heat pump. They may be installed in a wall opening with the help of a special sleeve on the wall and a custom grill that is flush with the wall and window air conditioners can also be installed in a window, but without a custom grill.


title: Air conditioning

text: Packaged air conditioners (also known as self-contained units) are central systems that integrate into a single housing all the components of a split central system, and deliver air, possibly through ducts, to the spaces to be cooled. Depending on their construction they may be outdoors or indoors, on roofs (rooftop units), draw the air to be conditioned from inside or outside a building and be water, refrigerant or air-cooled. Often, outdoor units are air-cooled while indoor units are liquid-cooled using a cooling tower.


title: Air conditioning

text: Cooling in traditional AC systems is accomplished using the vapor-compression cycle, which uses the forced circulation and phase change of a refrigerant between gas and liquid to transfer heat. The vapor-compression cycle can occur within a unitary, or packaged piece of equipment; or within a chiller that is connected to terminal cooling equipment (such as a fan coil unit in an air handler) on its evaporator side and heat rejection equipment such as a cooling tower on its condenser side. An air source heat pump shares many components with an air conditioning system, but includes a reversing valve which allows the unit to be used to heat as well as cool a space.


title: Air conditioning

text: Air conditioning equipment will reduce the absolute humidity of the air processed by the system if the surface of the evaporator coil is significantly cooler than the dew point of the surrounding air. An air conditioner designed for an occupied space will typically achieve a 30% to 60% relative humidity in the occupied space.


title: Air conditioning

text: Most modern air-conditioning systems feature a dehumidification cycle during which the compressor runs while the fan is slowed to reduce the evaporator temperature and therefore condense more water. A dehumidifier uses the same refrigeration cycle but incorporates both the evaporator and the condenser into the same air path; the air first passes over the evaporator coil where it is cooled and dehumidified before passes over the condenser coil where it is warmed again before being released back into the room again.


title: Air conditioning

text: Free cooling can sometimes be selected when the external air happens to be cooler than the internal air and therefore the compressor needs not be used, resulting in high cooling efficiencies for these times. This may also be combined with seasonal thermal energy storage.


title: Air conditioning

text: Some air conditioning systems have the option to reverse the refrigeration cycle and act as air source heat pump, therefore producing heating instead of cooling in the indoor environment. They are also commonly referred to as "reverse cycle air conditioners". The heat pump is significantly more energy-efficient than electric resistance heating, because it moves energy from air or groundwater to the heated space, as well as the heat from purchased electrical energy. When the heat pump is in heating mode, the indoor evaporator coil switches roles and becomes the condenser coil, producing heat. The outdoor condenser unit also switches roles to serve as the evaporator and discharges cold air (colder than the ambient outdoor air).


title: Air conditioning

text: Older generations of air source heat pumps become less efficient in outdoor temperatures lower than 4°C or 40°F; this is partly because ice forms on the outdoor unit's heat exchanger coil, which blocks air flow over the coil. To compensate for this, the heat pump system must temporarily switch back into the regular air conditioning mode to switch the outdoor evaporator coil "back" to being the condenser coil, so that it can heat up and defrost. Some heat pump systems will therefore have a form of electric resistance heating in the indoor air path that is activated only in this mode in order to compensate for the temporary indoor air cooling, which would otherwise be uncomfortable in the winter.


title: Air conditioning

text: Newer models have improved cold-weather performance, with efficient heating capacity down to . However there is always a chance that the humidity that condenses on the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit could freeze, even in models that have improved cold-weather performance, requiring a defrosting cycle to be performed.


title: Air conditioning

text: The icing problem becomes much more severe with lower outdoor temperatures, so heat pumps are sometimes installed in tandem with a more conventional form of heating, such as an electrical heater, a natural gas, heating oil, or wood-burning fireplace or central heating, which is used instead of or in addition to the heat pump during harsher winter temperatures. In this case, the heat pump is used efficiently during milder temperatures, and the system is switched to the conventional heat source when the outdoor temperature is lower.


title: Air conditioning

text: The coefficient of performance (COP) of an air conditioning system is a ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to work required. Higher COPs equate to lower operating costs. The COP usually exceeds 1; however, the exact value is highly dependent on operating conditions, especially absolute temperature and relative temperature between sink and system, and is often graphed or averaged against expected conditions. Air conditioner equipment power in the U.S. is often described in terms of "tons of refrigeration," with each approximately equal to the cooling power of one short ton ( of ice melting in a 24-hour period. The value is equal to 12,000 BTU per hour, or 3,517 watts. Residential central air systems are usually from 1 to 5 tons (3.5 to 18 kW) in capacity.


title: Air conditioning

text: The efficiency of air conditioners is often rated by the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) which is defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute in its 2008 standard AHRI 210/240, "Performance Rating of Unitary Air-Conditioning and Air-Source Heat Pump Equipment". A similar standard is the European seasonal energy efficiency ratio (ESEER).


title: Air conditioning

text: In hot weather, air conditioning can prevent heat stroke, dehydration from excessive perspiration, and other problems related to hyperthermia. Heat waves are the most lethal type of weather phenomenon in the United States. Air conditioning (including filtration, humidification, cooling and disinfection) can be used to provide a clean, safe, hypoallergenic atmosphere in hospital operating rooms and other environments where proper atmosphere is critical to patient safety and well-being. It is sometimes recommended for home use by people with allergies, especially mold.


title: Air conditioning

text: Poorly maintained water cooling towers can promote the growth and spread of microorganisms such as "Legionella pneumophila", the infectious agent responsible for Legionnaires' disease. As long as the cooling tower is kept clean (usually by means of a chlorine treatment), these health hazards can be avoided or reduced. The state of New York has codified requirements for registration, maintenance, and testing of cooling towers to protect against Legionella.


title: Air conditioning

text: Refrigerants have caused and continue to cause serious environmental issues, including ozone depletion and climate change, as several countries have not yet ratified the Kigali Amendment to reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons.


title: Air conditioning

text: Current air conditioning accounts for 20% of energy consumption in buildings globally, and the expected growth of the usage of air conditioning due to climate change and technology uptake will drive significant energy demand growth. Alternatives to continual air conditioning include passive cooling, passive solar cooling, natural ventilation, operating shades to reduce solar gain, using trees, architectural shades, windows (and using window coatings) to reduce solar gain.


title: Air conditioning

text: In 2018 the United Nations called for the technology to be made more sustainable to mitigate climate change.


title: Air conditioning

text: Air conditioning caused various shifts in demography, notably that of the United States starting from the 1970s:


title: Air conditioning

text: First designed to benefit targeted industries such as the press as well as large factories, the invention quickly spread to public agencies and administrations with studies with claims of increased productivity close to 24% in places equipped with air conditioning.


title: Air conditioning

text: Buildings designed with passive air conditioning are generally less expensive to construct and maintain than buildings with conventional HVAC systems with lower energy demands. While tens of air changes per hour, and cooling of tens of degrees, can be achieved with passive methods, site-specific microclimate must be taken into account, complicating building design.


title: Air conditioning

text: Many techniques can be used to increase comfort and reduce the temperature in buildings. These include evaporative cooling, selective shading, wind, thermal convection, and heat storage.


title: Air conditioning

text: Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) surfaces reflect incoming solar radiation and heat back into outer space through the infrared window for cooling during the daytime. Daytime radiative cooling became possible with the ability to suppress solar heating using photonic structures, which emerged through a study by Raman et al. (2014). PDRCs can come in a variety of forms, including paint coatings and films, that are designed to be high in solar reflectance and thermal emittance.


title: Air conditioning

text: PDRC applications on building roofs and envelopes have demonstrated significant decreases in energy consumption and costs. In suburban single-family residential areas, PDRC application on roofs can potentially lower energy costs by 26% to 46%. PDRCs are predicted to show a market size of ∼$27 billion for indoor space cooling by 2025 and have undergone a surge in research and development since the 2010s.


title: Air conditioning

text: Hand fans have existed since prehistory. Large human-powered fans built into buildings include the punkah.


title: Air conditioning

text: The 2nd-century Chinese inventor Ding Huan of the Han Dynasty invented a rotary fan for air conditioning, with seven wheels in diameter and manually powered by prisoners. In 747, Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712–762) of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) had the Cool Hall ("Liang Dian" ) built in the imperial palace, which the "Tang Yulin" describes as having water-powered fan wheels for air conditioning as well as rising jet streams of water from fountains. During the subsequent Song Dynasty (960–1279), written sources mentioned the air conditioning rotary fan as even more widely used.


title: Air conditioning

text: In areas that are cold at night or in winter, heat storage is used. Heat may be stored in earth or masonry; air is drawn past the masonry to heat or cool it.


title: Air conditioning

text: In areas which are below freezing at night in winter, snow and ice can be collected and stored in ice houses for later use in cooling. This technique is over 3,700 years old in the Middle East. Harvesting outdoor ice during winter and transporting and storing for use in summer was practiced by wealthy Europeans in the early 1600s, and became popular in Europe and the Americas towards the end of the 1600s. This practice was replaced by mechanical compression-cycle ice-making machines (see below).


title: Air conditioning

text: In dry, hot climates, the evaporative cooling effect may be used by placing water at the air intake, such that the draft draws air over water and then into the house. For this reason, it is sometimes said that the fountain, in the architecture of hot, arid climates, is like the fireplace in the architecture of cold climates. Evaporative cooling also makes the air more humid, which can be beneficial in a dry desert climate.


title: Air conditioning

text: Evaporative coolers tend to feel as if they are not working during times of high humidity, when there is not much dry air with which the coolers can work to make the air as cool as possible for dwelling occupants. Unlike other types of air conditioners, evaporative coolers rely on the outside air to be channeled through cooler pads that cool the air before it reaches the inside of a house through its air duct system; this cooled outside air must be allowed to push the warmer air within the house out through an exhaust opening such as an open door or window.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Loni Kaye Anderson (born August 5, 1945) is an American actress who played receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978–1982), which earned her three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Award nominations.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Anderson was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Klaydon Carl "Andy" Anderson, an environmental chemist, and Maxine Hazel (née Kallin), a model. She grew up in suburban Roseville, Minnesota. As a senior at Alexander Ramsey Senior High School in Roseville, she was voted Valentine Queen of the Valentine's Day Winter Formal of 1963. As she says in her autobiography, "My Life in High Heels", her father was originally going to name her Leiloni, but realized that when she got to her teen years, it was likely to be twisted into "Lay Loni"—so it was changed to simply Loni.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Her acting debut came with a bit part in the film "Nevada Smith" (1966), starring Steve McQueen. After that, she was virtually unemployed as an actress for nearly a decade, before she finally received guest roles on television series in the mid-1970s. She appeared in two episodes of "S.W.A.T.", then on the sitcom "Phyllis", and the detective series "Police Woman" and "Harry O".


title: Loni Anderson

text: She auditioned well for the role of Chrissy on the popular sitcom "Three's Company". She did not win the role, but in 1978 guest-starred as Susan Walters on a season two episode, an appearance that brought her to the attention of the ABC network.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Anderson's most famous acting role came as the sultry receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978–1982). She was offered the role when producers saw a poster of her in a red swimsuit—a pose similar to Farrah Fawcett's famous 1976 poster. The sitcom's creator, Hugh Wilson, later said Anderson got the role because her body resembled Jayne Mansfield's, and because she possessed the innocent sexuality of Marilyn Monroe.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Although the series suffered in the Nielsen ratings throughout most of its four-year run, it had a strong following among teens, young adults and disc jockeys. Owing to her rising popularity as the series' so-called "main attraction", Anderson walked out on the sitcom during the 1980 summer hiatus, requesting a substantial salary increase. While she was renegotiating her contract, she starred in the CBS made-for-television film "The Jayne Mansfield Story" (1980). When the network agreed to her requests, she returned to the series and remained until its cancellation in 1982. It has remained popular in syndication around the world.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Aside from her acting career, Anderson has become known for her colorful personal life, particularly her relationship and marriage to actor Burt Reynolds.


title: Loni Anderson

text: They starred in the comedy film "Stroker Ace" (1983), which was a critical and box office failure. She later appeared as herself in the romantic comedy "The Lonely Guy" (1984), starring Steve Martin. She voiced Flo, a collie in the animated classic film "All Dogs Go to Heaven" (1989).


title: Loni Anderson

text: In the mid-to-late 1980s, Anderson's acting career gradually declined. She was teamed with "Wonder Woman" actress Lynda Carter in the television series "Partners in Crime" in 1984. She appeared in television adaptations of classic Hollywood films, such as "A Letter to Three Wives" (1985) with Michele Lee, and "Sorry, Wrong Number" (1989) with Patrick Macnee and Hal Holbrook, both of which received little attention. After starring in "Coins in the Fountain" (1990), Anderson received considerable praise for her portrayal of comedian actress Thelma Todd in the television movie "" (1991). In the early 1990s, she attempted to co-star with her husband Burt Reynolds on his new CBS sitcom "Evening Shade", but the network was not fond of the idea, thus replacing Anderson with Marilu Henner. After Delta Burke was fired from the CBS sitcom "Designing Women" in 1991, producers offered Anderson a role as Burke's replacement, which never came to pass because the network refused to pay Anderson the salary she had requested. She agreed to return as Jennifer Marlowe on two episodes of "The New WKRP in Cincinnati", a sequel to the original series. In 1993, Anderson was added to the third season of the NBC sitcom "Nurses", playing hospital administrator Casey MacAffee. Although her entering the series was an attempt to boost the series' ratings, the series was canceled shortly thereafter. Anderson has since returned to guest-starring on several popular television series, such as playing the "witch-trash" cousin on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and as Vallery Irons' mother on "V.I.P." She also starred in the comedy film "A Night at the Roxbury" (1998).


title: Loni Anderson

text: In April 2018, Anderson was seen promoting the "WKRP in Cincinnati" television series and other classic television series on the MeTV television network.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Anderson has been married four times. Her first three husbands were Bruce Hasselberg (1964–1966), Ross Bickell (1973–1981), and actor Burt Reynolds (1988–1994). On May 17, 2008, she married musician Bob Flick, one of the founding members of the folk band The Brothers Four. They had originally met at a movie premiere in Minneapolis in 1963.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Anderson has two children: a daughter, Deidra (fathered by Hasselberg), and a son, Quinton (born in 1988), whom she and Reynolds adopted. She also has a sister, Andrea. Anderson's autobiography, "My Life in High Heels", was published in 1995.


title: Loni Anderson

text: Growing up with parents of the World War II generation, who both smoked, Anderson witnessed the effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease often caused by smoking. In 1999, she became a spokesperson for a COPD support organization named COPD Together.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Noah is a 2014 American epic biblical drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ari Handel. Inspired by the biblical story of Noah's Ark from the Book of Genesis and the Book of Enoch, it stars Russell Crowe as Noah, along with Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Anthony Hopkins.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The film was released in North American theaters on March 28, 2014, in 2D and IMAX, while a version converted to 3D and IMAX 3D was released in several other countries. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $362 million worldwide, making it Aronofsky's highest-grossing film to date.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Although it received praise for its direction and acting, the film also generated controversy for its perceived environmentalist political messages and extensive use of non-biblical sources for inspiration, such as the Book of Enoch. It was denied release in China for (according to an anonymous source) "religion-related reasons", and was banned in several Muslim countries for its depiction of prophets venerated in Islam.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: As a boy, Noah sees his father, Lamech, killed by a young king named Tubal-cain. As an adult, Noah lives with his wife, Naameh, and their sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. He witnesses a flower grow instantly from the ground and dreams of a great flood, so he takes his family to consult his grandfather, Methuselah. On the way, they come across a group of recently killed people and adopt the lone survivor, a girl named Ila. She is treated for an abdominal wound, but Naameh determines she will be unable to bear children. The group is chased by the murderers and escapes into the land of the Watchers, fallen angels that were left stranded on Earth as stone creatures after they descended from Heaven to help Adam and Eve when the pair was banished from the Garden of Eden.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Methuselah helps Noah understand his visions and gives him a seed from Eden, which he plants nearby. The Watchers arrive the next morning, and, while they debate whether to help Noah build his ark, water spouts from where Noah planted the seed and a mature forest pops up around them. The Watchers are convinced Noah is serving the Creator.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Years later, Tubal-cain notices a huge flock of birds flying to the almost-completed ark and leads his followers to confront Noah, who defies Tubal-cain and remarks that there is no escape for the line of Cain. When the Watchers form a defensive circle, Tubal-cain retreats and begins to build weapons to take the ark. More species of animals come to the ark and are sedated with incense.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: With Ila in love with Shem, Noah goes to a nearby settlement to find wives for Ham and Japheth, but, after witnessing the settlers' cruel and shameless behavior, he abandons his effort, as he now believes the Creator does not want humans to be part of the world once he and his family get the animals reestablished after the flood. Devastated by the idea of being alone his entire life, Ham runs into the forest. Naameh begs Noah to reconsider and, when he will not, goes to Methuselah for help. The old man cures Ila's infertility, while Ham befriends a refugee named Na'el.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: When the rain begins, Tubal-cain incites his followers to storm the ark. Noah finds Ham in the forest, but leaves Na'el, who is stuck in a foothold trap, to be trampled to death. His family enters the ark, except for Methuselah, who remains in the forest and is swept away by the rushing waters. The Watchers hold off Tubal-cain's army, sacrificing themselves and ascending back to heaven. Tubal-cain slips onto the ark and solicits help from Ham, playing on the boy's anger toward Noah.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Ila discovers she is pregnant and tells Noah. He pleads with God not to make him kill the child. The rains stop, indicating that God wants the child to die, so Noah tells his family that, if the baby is a girl, he will kill her to ensure the future will be uncorrupted by humans.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Nine months later, Ila goes into labor as she and Shem are about to leave the ark on a raft. Naameh begs Noah to spare the child so they will stay, but, instead, he burns the raft. Ham interrupts to tell Noah the beasts are awake and eating each other, which is a ruse so Tubal-cain can attack Noah. While they fight, Ila gives birth to female twins and the ark hits a mountaintop. Shem attacks his father and Tubal-cain is about to strike Noah with a rock, but Ham kills Tubal-cain with a dagger. With his dying breath, Tubal-cain tells Ham, "Now... You are a man". Noah finds Ila, intending to kill the babies, but spares them because he finds nothing but love in his heart when he sees his newborn granddaughters.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Upon exiting the ark, Noah, ashamed, thinking he has failed the Creator and deeming himself a monster, goes into isolation in a cave and makes wine to drown his sorrows. Ham, after witnessing his father's unseemly and naked drunkenness, leaves to travel alone. Reconciling with his remaining family at Ila's behest, Noah charges his progeny with caring for the world and tells them "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth," after which they witness intense waves of rainbows.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Aronofsky first became interested in the story of Noah in the seventh grade when, as part of a creative writing assignment, he submitted a poem about Noah entitled "The Dove". Years later, after finishing the film "Pi", Aronofsky was searching for ideas for his next film and thought a film about Noah would be a good idea. Work on the script began in 2000, but Aronofsky put the project on hold when he learned Hallmark was already working on a similar film. Work on the draft resumed sometime later, and a first draft was completed in 2003.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Aronofsky struggled with how to adapt the story as a feature-length film, since, in the Bible, it is only four chapters long. The biblical text does not include the name of Noah's wife, nor of his sons' wives, but it does mention Noah getting drunk after the flood and getting into an altercation with one of his sons, which gave Aronofsky and his team ideas for events that might have taken place on the ark.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: In April 2007, Aronofsky discussed "Noah" with "The Guardian", explaining that he saw Noah as "a dark, complicated character" who experiences "real survivor's guilt" after the flood. Aronofsky was working on early drafts of the script for "Noah" around the time his first attempt to make "The Fountain" fell through when actor Brad Pitt left the project.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Ari Handel, who had previously collaborated with Aronofsky on "The Fountain", "The Wrestler", and "Black Swan", helped Aronofsky develop the script. Before they found financial backing for "Noah", they collaborated with Canadian artist Niko Henrichon to adapt the script as a graphic novel. The first volume of the graphic novel was released in the French language by Belgian publisher Le Lombard in October 2011 under the title "Noé: Pour la cruauté des hommes" ("Noah: For the Cruelty of Men"). After the creation of the graphic novel, Aronofsky struck a deal with Paramount and New Regency to produce a feature film of "Noah" with a budget of $130 million. Screenwriter John Logan was asked to re-draft the script alongside Aronofsky, but is not credited for his contributions in the completed film.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: In October 2012, Emma Watson commented on the setting of the film: "I think what Darren's going for is a sense that it could be set in any time. It could be set sort of like a thousand years in the future or a thousand years in the past. ... You shouldn't be able to place it too much."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Commenting on God's mercy, Wesley Hill noted in "First Things" that "near the end of the film, Emma Watson's character, Ila ... says to Noah that perhaps God preserved him because God knew that he had a merciful heart" and that "the film ends up locating the rationale for God's mercy in some native spark of goodness in Noah that will, viewers hope, make the new, post-flood world more livable than the antediluvian one."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The president of the National Religious Broadcasters stated that the "Noah" film includes "major biblical themes", including "sin, judgment, righteousness, and God as Creator." According to some, the film also promotes the concept of evolutionary creation.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Aronofsky offered the role of Noah to Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender, both of whom were unable to take the part due to previous commitments (Bale went on to star as Moses in Ridley Scott's religious epic film ""). Dakota Fanning was originally cast in the role of Ila, but departed due to a scheduling conflict, and Julianne Moore was considered for the role of Naameh. Liam Neeson, Liev Schreiber, and Val Kilmer were considered for the part of Tubal-cain, for which Aronofsky reportedly wanted an actor "with the grit and size to be convincing as he goes head-to-head against Crowe's Noah character".


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Principal photography began in July 2012 in Dyrhólaey, Fossvogur, Reynisfjara, and other locations in southern Iceland.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Filming also took place in New York state. A set representing Noah's Ark was built at the Planting Fields Arboretum in Upper Brookville, New York. In September 2012, while on a break from filming at a location on Long Island, Russell Crowe and a friend, both of whom had been kayaking for several hours, were rescued by the Coast Guard near Cold Spring Harbor. When Hurricane Sandy subjected New York to heavy rain and flooding in late October 2012, production was put on hold for a time.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Post-production lasted over 14 months, with Aronofsky attempting some of the most complicated and extensive effects ever used in film. Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) said their work on the film represented "the most complicated rendering in the company's history." Regarding the film's extensive use of visual effects, Aronofsky said he and his crew "had to create an entire animal kingdom" using no real animals in the production, but instead creating "slightly tweaked" versions of real creatures. Besides the fictional land-based animals in the film, ILM was also responsible for the Watchers, the forest that sprouted from the seed, the deluge sequence during the battle between the Watchers and Tubal-cain and his army, and the two-minute-long sequence of the history of Earth's creation. To make the Watchers' movements realistic, VFX supervisor Ben Snow and Aronofsky studied footage of real ballet dancers from the director's Oscar-winning drama "Black Swan".


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The musical score for "Noah" was composed by Clint Mansell, who had scored all of Aronofsky's earlier feature films, and performed by Kronos Quartet. The film also features two original songs: "Father Song (Lullaby)" (written by Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye, and Russell Crowe), which is sung by both Russell Crowe's and Emma Watson's characters during the film, and "Mercy Is" (written by Smith and Kaye), which Smith, backed by the Kronos Quartet, sings over the end credits. A soundtrack album was released by Nonesuch Records on March 26, 2014.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: In mid-2013, Aronofsky and Paramount began sparring over final cut, with Paramount seeking to test unfinished, unscored, and alternate cuts of the film, despite Aronofsky's objections. Paramount proceeded to test-screen the film, prompting "worrisome" responses from largely religious audiences in October 2013. After much discussion and compromise, the studio announced on February 12, 2014, that Darren Aronofsky's version, not any of the studio's alternative versions, would be the final cut of "Noah". Aronofsky said: "They tried what they wanted to try, and eventually they came back. My version of the film hasn't been tested ... It's what we wrote and what was green-lighted."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Under pressure from Christian religious groups, Paramount Pictures added a disclaimer to marketing materials in February 2014, which read:


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: "Noah" had its world premiere in Mexico City on March 10, 2014. In North America, the film grossed a little over $43.7 million during its opening weekend—more than any of Aronofsky's previous films—and debuted in first place at the box office—a first for Aronofsky. The opening weekend was also the biggest ever for a film featuring Russell Crowe as the lead actor.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Internationally, the film's releases in Russia and Brazil were the largest ever for a non-sequel, and were the fourth-biggest openings of all time, with $17.2 million and $9.8 million, respectively. The opening in Russia was the largest ever for a Paramount film. In South Korea, the film grossed $1.1 million on its opening day, the highest in 2014 for the country.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The film grossed $101.2 million in North America and $261.4 million in other countries, making a worldwide gross of $359.2 million. The film was declared "an unmitigated hit ... by almost every measure."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: In connection with the release of the film in North America, Aronofsky commissioned artists to create original works inspired by the Biblical story of Noah, stating, "The Noah story belongs to all of us—every religion, every culture, every citizen of planet Earth." The collection, titled "Fountains of the Deep: Visions of Noah and Flood", was open to the public for the month of March 2014 in the Soho district of New York City. Contributing artists included Ugo Rondinone, Karen Kilimnik, Mike Nelson, Nan Goldin, Jim Lee, Robert Liefeld, Jim Woodring, Simon Bisley, graffiti duo FAILE, and James Jean.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: On the eve of the film's release in Reykjavik, Iceland, Aronofsky teamed up with Björk to host an environmental benefit concert in response to proposed anti-conservationist policy changes by the Icelandic government, with guest performances by Björk, Patti Smith, Lykke Li, Russell Crowe, and Of Monsters and Men.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: "Noah" was released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on July 29, 2014. In August 2014, a 3D Blu-ray edition was also released in Italy and Germany.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 76% approval rating, based on 259 reviews; the website's consensus reads: "With sweeping visuals grounded by strong performances in service of a timeless tale told on a human scale, Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" brings the Bible epic into the 21st century." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 68 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on a scale of A+ to F.


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" wrote of the film: "a film of grit, grace, and visual wonders that for all its tech-head modernity is built on a spiritual core ... In this flawed, fiercely relevant film, wonders never cease." Richard Corliss of "Time" said: "Darren Aronofsky brings out wild ambition and thrilling artistry to one of the Old Testament's best-known, most dramatic, least plausible stories — Noah and the Ark — with Russell Crowe infusing the role of God's first seaman and zookeeper with all his surly majesty." Kathleen Parker, writing in "The Washington Post", called the film "Noah's Arc of Triumph" and said: "If you like "Braveheart", "Gladiator", "Star Wars", "The Lord of the Rings", "Indiana Jones", or "Titanic", you will like "Noah". If you like two or more of the above, you will love "Noah"." Richard Roeper called the film "One of the most dazzling and unforgettable Biblical epics ever put on film."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The film also had its detractors. "IndieWire" claimed that "Aronofsky's worst movie is an epic misfire that, like the source material, offers plenty of lessons even if you don't buy the whole package." "The Wrap" called the film "Darren Aronofsky's Biblical "Waterworld"". "The New Yorker"s David Denby wrote: "Darren Aronofsky's "Noah"—an epic farrago of tumultuous water, digital battle, and environmentalist rage ... is the craziest big movie in years. "Noah" may not make much sense, but only an artist could have made it."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The film was challenged for its lack of non-white characters. Reverend Wil Gafney, associate professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, saw the film as a throwback to the Hollywood era of all-white casts and considered it worrisome in today's more multi-ethnic America. She went on to state, "The Bible is the most multicultural piece of literature that most people will ever read. So a film about the Bible should reflect that diversity."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Efrem Smith, of Los Angeles-based World Impact, critiqued the film as a throwback to the 1956 classic "The Ten Commandments", where an all-white cast played Moses and Pharaoh. Smith stated that "Noah" deals with the curse of Ham by "simply erasing people of color from the story."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Anthea Butler, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said the casting choices send a troubling message: "It's a world where only white people get saved ... this doesn't look like the world that God created."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: However, "fittingly for a Biblical story", two of the characters are played by Jewish actors (Jennifer Connelly and Logan Lerman). Co-writer Ari Handel addressed the concerns surrounding race in an interview, where he stated: "From the beginning, we were concerned about casting, the issue of race. What we realized is that this story is functioning at the level of myth, and as a mythical story, the race of the individuals doesn't matter."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: After the British premiere of the film, Russell Crowe traveled to Lambeth Palace to discuss "faith and spirituality" with Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and Welby subsequently called "Noah" "interesting and thought-provoking". In addition, several Christian organizations expressed support for the film, "including leaders from organizations like the American Bible Society, "National Catholic Register", King's College, Q Ideas, Hollywood Prayer Network, and Focus on the Family." Focus on the Family president Jim Daly stated: "["Noah"] is a creative interpretation of the scriptural account that allows us to imagine the deep struggles Noah may have wrestled with as he answered God's call on his life. This cinematic vision of Noah's story gives Christians a great opportunity to engage our culture with the biblical Noah, and to have conversations with friends and family about matters of eternal significance." Cultural commenter Bishop Robert Barron praised the film for its inclusion of "God, creation, providence, sin, obedience, salvation: not bad for a major Hollywood movie!" Darren Aronofsky later tweeted that Barron's "thoughts" were a "smart take".


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi leader and author, hailed "Noah" as "a valuable film, especially for our times." In order to create "a story that tries to explicate Noah's relationship with God and God's relationship with the world as it has become", Aronofsky stated that he was working in "the tradition of Jewish Midrash".


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: The film generated controversy among some Christians, who took issue with how the story was portrayed. This controversy primarily centered on the film's use of extra-biblical, non-canonical, and Jewish sources as inspiration for elements of the script, rather than just the book of Genesis (in particular, the film heavily incorporated elements of the Book of Enoch's version of the story of the flood, including, but not limited to, the presence of Nephilim). Some disliked the film because God is not mentioned by name, being referred to instead as "the Creator". Ken Ham and Ray Comfort, both young-Earth creationists, objected to the film, with the latter apologist creating his own documentary, "Noah and the Last Days", as a response. Jerry Johnson, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, did not like the director's depiction of Noah as the "first environmentalist", calling the film's "insertion of the extremist environmental agenda" a major concern. Aronofsky angered many in the religious community by stating that his version of "Noah" was the "least-biblical biblical film ever made".


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Producer Scott Franklin told "Entertainment Weekly" that ""Noah" is a very short section of the Bible with a lot of gaps, so we definitely had to take some creative expression in it. But I think we stayed very true to the story and didn't really deviate from the Bible, despite the six-armed angels." Kevin Hall, professor of biblical and theological studies and the Ida Elizabeth and J.W. Hollums chair of Bible at Oklahoma Baptist University, observed that "the story in Genesis is extremely concise, so some creativity with the tale—especially by Hollywood—is hardly a surprise."


title: Noah (2014 film)

text: Prior to its release, the film was banned in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Indonesia because it was seen by the governments of those countries as contradicting the teachings of Islam. A representative of Paramount Pictures stated: "Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries." The film was also disapproved of by the Al-Azhar University in Egypt, as it was seen as violating Islamic law and could "provoke the feelings of believers". Mohammad Zareef from Pakistan's Central Board of Film Censors said they tended to steer clear of films with a religious theme, adding: "We haven't seen it yet, but I don't think it can go to the cinemas in Pakistan." However, the DVD release was to be available in Pakistan.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The K2 Black Panther (Hangul: K2 '흑표'; Hanja: K2 '黑豹') is a South Korean main battle tank designed by the Agency for Defense Development and manufactured by Hyundai Rotem. The tank was designed to meet the strategic requirements of the Republic of Korea Army's reform for three-dimensional high-speed maneuver warfare based on use of network-centric warfare began in the 1990s.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: Mass production commenced in 2013 and the first K2s were deployed with the armed forces in July 2014.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: South Korea has been accumulating tank development and production technology to increase self-reliance in producing arms. In 1976, South Korea managed to increase tank production during the M48 Patton upgrade. In 1987, the K1 88-Tank, designed by General Dynamics Land Systems, was commissioned for service, which South Korea participated in the development and gained tank development capability. However, K1 was basically an American designed M1 Abrams derivative produced in South Korea, which will significantly limit South Korean rights for exports, logistics, and future enhancements per agreements.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: In the early 1990s, Korean engineers suggested producing a new domestically designed tank using the latest available technology, but the military refused for cost overruns. Instead, South Korea decided to upgrade the K1 and received a technical data package while limiting other involvement from GDLS to increase localization and gain experience by taking the responsibility of failure. South Korea developed turret design technology, fire control system, sights, and composite armor during the process. Later, the operational prototype of the new variant K1A1 was displayed in 1996, but the 1997 Asian financial crisis delayed its mass production. During the delay, South Korea worked on further localization and managed to either develop its own design or produce under license on most parts of the K1A1.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: While the K1A1 development was ongoing, South Korea planned a new domestic main battle tank as tank design and manufacturing capability matured. There were three main reasons for the development of the new tank. First of all, despite the increase in localization, K1A1 was still an American design that falls under the United States' export control to protect intellectual rights, which creates a burden when exporting. Secondly, the M48A3K and the M48A5K operated by the South Korean military needed to be replaced. Lastly, the Republic of Korea Army was undergoing the adaptation of new tactics called three-dimensional high-speed maneuver warfare and network-centric warfare was the main key to the tactics. When developers asked the Army what kind of performance the Army wants to see on the new tank, the Army replied that network warfare capability for command and control is the top priority, not firepower, defense, or mobility.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: There were oppositions to the development, because it seemed too early to adopt a new model and due to uncertainty about the project as it will be the first tank ever designed domestically. However, the consensus of the defense sector including politicians, the military, and developers, viewed the K1 tanks as a humiliation, because the tank would not exist if South Korea had sufficient technologies. It was a matter of national pride to have the ability to design and build a tank. Developers claimed that during times of war, military logistics and support could stop when geopolitics came into play, as witnessed in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, as well as criticizing many European nations for lacking investment on domestic technology while relying too much on partnership, which has its own advantage in terms of accounting but not benefitting national security. On the other hand, South Korea always maintained a policy of self-reliance on weapons, and thus began the program.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: From July 1995 to December 1997, system concept research was conducted including analysis of required operational capability (ROC), function, performance, operating, logistics, and necessary technology. The first step was to develop a modeling and simulation system for theoretical study and analysis. Then Korean developers invited experts from around world including Sven Berge (Stridsvagn 103), Philip Lett (M1 Abrams), Israel Tal (Merkava), Hayashi Iwao (Type 90), and Richard Ogorkiewicz for 40 hours seminar to confirm the assurance of main battle tank development. All presentations were recorded per agreement, and used for understanding system development of the tank. South Korea also sent 7 tank engineers to the United Kingdom for a one year course of education on tank development.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: From November 1998 to December 2002, private companies joined the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) during exploratory research, and developed core technologies and systems including tank gun, electrical gun and turret drive system (EGTDS), autoloader. Other key systems and tests include automatic target detection & tracking (ATDTS) and cognitive identification ability of the combat control system along with its simulator, semi-active in-arm suspension unit to dramatically increase mobility performance, and proximity fuse (within 7 meters) for multi-purpose HEAT munition to shoot down helicopters.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: In 2002, Hilmi Özkök, the commander of Turkish Land Forces, visited research center and witnessed capability of simulator and actual model of the combat control system. Afterward, Turkey continuously sent its dignitaries to closely monitor progress, and it eventually led to cooperation on developing Altay.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: From January 2003 to 2007, five vehicles were built to demonstrate technology and performance, named MTR (Mobility Test Rig), FTR (Firepower Test Rig), PV1, PV2, and PV3. MTR and FTR conducted mobility, fire control, combat control, and low temperature operating life tests, while PV1, PV2, and PV3 conducted endurance test, developer test, operator test, and integrated logistics support test. The last prototype was unveiled on 2 March 2007 at the proving ground in Changwon, and the development was officially completed after being declared fit for combat by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in September 2008. The XK-2 development project, which began in 1995 and ended in 2008, spent a total of 452.6 billion won over 14 years.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The third mass-produced K2, which began in 2022, included an improved Battlefield Management System (BMS) with the Korea Variable Message Format (KVMF), and the Korean Commander's Panoramic Sight (KCPS) and Korean Gunner's Primary Sight (KGPS) with improved resolution and automatic target tracking function.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The main gun and its munitions were developed simultaneously. In the early to mid 1990s, South Korea learned internal ballistics, external ballistics, and terminal ballistics for tank guns while license producing the KM256 main gun, and invented self-sharpening tungsten penetrator for 120 mm APFSDS munitions during the K1A1 program. Using the acquired technology, engineers decided to increase firepower with longer gun barrels and enhanced propellants that were NATO compatible. Compared to the 5.3 m long 44 caliber KM256, the new gun was 6.6 m in length and sent out projectiles at 12-13 MJ, which was a huge increase from 8-9 MJ. Since the projectile travels at hypersonic speed or at a muzzle velocity of 1,760 m/s (with K279), it was critical to develop heat resistance material and stabilization of the projectile. Early designs included an unmanned turret variant, which was scrapped in favor of a manned turret during initial exploratory development. Another plan was to equip Rheinmetall's experimental 140 mm smoothbore gun, but this plan was also scrapped due to issues regarding incomplete combustion of 140 mm munitions.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: South Korea originally planned to receive technology transfer of chrome plating on tank guns from Switzerland, which only a handful of nations had such technology. However, the plan was changed to domestic development after hearing the refusal from Swiss firm. Engineers first tried chrome plating on the KM256 tank gun used by K1A1, then coincidentally found a classified method while reworking on defect-plated guns.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The Black Panther is armed with a chrome plated CN08 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun developed by the ADD and WIA (now Hyundai WIA), and is capable of hitting a 30 cm size object at range greater than 1 km. This is complemented by a home-grown bustle-type autoloader, trending the characteristic of that of Leclerc, which allows the tank to fire up to 10 rounds per minute. The laser barcode identifier of the autoloader recognizes the classification of pre-barcoded ammunition and selects a type of munition for loading based on mission need. The ammunition is loaded in a 16-shell magazine for ready-to-use, and 24 rounds at frontal hull, carrying a total of 40 rounds for its main armament.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The K2's primary anti-tank munitions, developed by the ADD and Poongsan Corporation, are the K279 APFSDS-T, designed with self-sharpening technology for armored targets, and the K280 HEAT-MP-T, a multipurpose chemical energy round with a proximity fuse that explodes within 7 meters from the target, for all types of targets including low-flying helicopters.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The Korean Smart Top-Attack Munition (KSTAM) is a fire-and-forget, top-attack anti-tank munition with an effective operating range of , developed specifically for use with the K2. It is launched as a kinetic energy projectile, fired from the main gun in a high trajectory profile comparable to that of a mortar. Upon reaching its designated target area, a parachute deploys, giving on-board millimeter band radar, infrared and radiometer sensors time to seek and acquire stationary or moving targets. When a target is acquired, an explosively formed penetrator is fired from a top-down position, to exploit the weaker top armor of tanks. Target acquisition can also be directed manually by the tank crew via a remote link. These characteristics allow the launch vehicle to remain concealed behind cover while firing successive rounds towards the known location of an enemy, or provide effective indirect fire support against targets hidden behind obstacles and structures.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: Secondary weapons include a 12.7 mm K6 Heavy Machine Gun and a 7.62 mm M60E2-1 coaxial machine gun. The trigger pull of coaxial machine gun is modified from 4 kg to 3 kg for smoother function.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The fire control system (FCS) consists gunner's primary sight (GPS), commander's panoramic sight (CPS), ballistic calculator, electrical gun and turret drive system (EGTDS), and dynamic muzzle reference system (DMRS).


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The K2 is equipped with an advanced fire-control system linked to an Extremely High Frequency (EHF) L-band Pulsed Doppler Radar system deployed on the frontal arc of the turret, along with a raman laser rangefinder and crosswind sensor. The system is capable of a "lock-on" mode, which can acquire and track specific targets up to a range of using a thermographic camera. This allows the crew to fire accurately while moving as well as engage low-flying aircraft.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The fire-control system is also linked to an advanced gun stabilizer and trigger-delay mechanism to optimize accuracy while moving in uneven terrain. If the trigger on the main gun is pulled at the same time the tank encounters an irregularity in the terrain, oscillation of the gun barrel will cause temporary misalignment between a laser emitter at the top of the barrel and a sensor at the base. This will delay the fire-control system from activating until the beam is re-aligned, improving the chances of hitting the intended target.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The Korean Commander's Panoramic Sight (KCPS) and the Korean Gunner's Primary Sight (KGPS) are present in the Black Panther as in the original series of K1A1 tanks, albeit modified to utilize the more advanced sensors and armaments deployed on the K2. The K2's Korean Gunner's Primary Sight adopts a thermographic camera that is more advanced than K1A1, and the sight can zoom 15x using optical systems and up to 60x using digital image processors.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The commander of the tank has the ability to override the gunner's command, to take control of the turret and gun. Moreover, unconfirmed reports state that, in the event of an emergency, the vehicle can be operated by only two crew members, or even a single one. It is speculated that the fire-control system can automatically spot and track visible targets, compare them using the data link established with other friendly vehicles to prevent redundant target engagements, and fire its main gun without manual input.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The tank gun and turret are powered by an EGTDS developed by Hyundai Rotem and Dongmyeong Heavy Industries (now Mottrol). The EGTDS provides high efficiency and high precision drive control, and its performance is improved by 3-axis stabilization. It is also designed to minimize vibration and noise when the turret is driven. The turret achieved a rotating speed of 800 mil (45 degrees) per second at the prototype stage.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: K2 has an Automatic Target Detection and Tracking System (ATDTS) controlled by the Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm. When the target is identified as a foe by the IFF/SIF (Identification Friend or Foe/Selective Identification Feature) system, the tank automatically aims and performs laser distance measurements on the target even if the tank is maneuvering on irregular terrain while the target is moving. It can lead the target and fire automatically based on ballistic data calculated by the turret mounted laser rangefinder and crosswind sensor. This feature enhances the performance of inexperienced gunners significantly.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: Work is also under way to integrate the experimental autonomous vehicle, unmanned wheeled reconnaissance drone into the Black Panther's systems, giving the tank's crew the ability to scout without disclosing its location.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: Despite South Korea producing K1 tanks, GDLS strictly prohibited Koreans from accessing to Special Armor Package (SAP), which was identical to that of the M1 Abrams, in order to protect the United States' intellectual rights and national security. Armor for main battle tanks was commonly regarded as top secret and its technology was unlikely to be exported. Therefore, developing domestic armor was the only option in order to design a tank. The ADD and Oriental Industry (now Samyang Comtech) developed Korean Special Armor Plate (KSAP) for the K1A1 project, and South Korea also keeps most information in secret. In 1996, South Korea received 1,250 hp variant Russian domestic specification T-80Us along with Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor (ERA), and studied its composite armor and ERA technology, which contributed to development of domestic armors.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The K2 uses modular armor system in order to replace inner material much quicker when its damaged or whenever enhanced version is available. Its armor was redesigned based on K1A1's KSAP, and is made of POSCO MIL-12560H armor steel, Samyang Comtech silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic plates, and aluminum. The frontal armor has been claimed to be effective against the 120 mm APFSDS round fired from the L55 gun. Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks are also present, with the addition of ultra-high hardness and high-hardness armor package and Non-Explosive Reactive Armor (NERA) planned for the K2 Product Improvement Program (PIP) and export variant model.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: Inside the tank, a positive pressure and air conditioning system are installed to protect the tank crew from chemical weapon and biological weapon, an automatic fire suppression system is programmed to detect and put out any internal fires that may occur, and atmospheric sensors alert the crew if the tank enters a hazardous environment. In addition, the interior of the tank is installed with a neutron shielding liner made of polyethylene-boron moderator to protect the tank crew from neutron radiation from nuclear explosions.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The tank is equipped with Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Laser Warning Receiver (LWR), which detect homing radar or homing laser aimed at the tank and instantaneously turn the turret in the direction of threats as well as notifying friendly units via network system.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: If a missile is fired at the K2, the tank immediately warns crews and triangulate the projectile for activating SNT Dynamics SLS (Soft-kill Launcher System) that releases K419 Multispectral Screening Smoke Grenade (MSSG), manufactured by Samyang Chemical, in the direction of the incoming missile at the most effective time. The multispectral screening smoke grenades hide tank from visible, forward-looking infrared, and millimeter wave optics and radar thus disrupt accuracy of missile. The SLS is located at the rear center of the turret top, and is assisted by two Missile Warning Receiver (MWR) on the frontal turret using L-band pulsed doppler radar. Each system covers 90 degrees (total 180 degrees) and 60 degrees at a high angle, and is capable of detecting wire-guided missiles, which does not emit its own radar. The MWR will also be responsible for tracking and targeting incoming missiles for the hard-kill active protection system in future upgrades.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The tank also has a total of 12 (6 on each side of the turret) Samyang Chemical K415 Visible/IR Screening Smoke Grenade. The K415 blocks visible and infrared view of the K2 from the enemy.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The K2 can travel at speeds of up to on road surfaces, accelerate from within 7.47 seconds (MT883 Ka-500 engine) or 8.77 seconds (DV27K engine), and maintain speeds of up to in off-road conditions. It can also climb 60% slopes (31 degrees) and vertical obstacles 1.3 meters in height. Due to the relatively compact design of the engine, the designers were able to fit an additional Farymann & TZEN compact Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) into the remaining compartment space. This is capable of producing 8~10 kW, and intended to act as an auxiliary power unit with which the tank may power its on-board systems when its main engine is turned off. It will also allow the tank to conserve fuel when idling and minimize the vehicle's thermal and acoustic signatures.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The vehicle can cross rivers as deep as 4.1 meters using a snorkel system, which also serves as a conning tower for the tank commander. The system takes approximately 20–30 minutes to prepare. The turret becomes watertight while fording, but the chassis can take in of water to prevent excessive buoyancy from air inside the vehicle and keep the tracks planted firmly on the ground. Furthermore, the tank can enter combat-ready status as soon as it resurfaces. It is said that K2's predecessor, K1, can cross a river of 2 meter depth after 2 hours of preparation, which also requires assistance from military engineers. However, a K2 tank does not require outside assistance for river crossing.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The Black Panther fields an advanced semi-active suspension system, called the "in-arm suspension unit" (ISU), which allows for individual control of every bogie on the tracks. This posture control function can tilt the chassis or lower the overall height by . This allows the K2 to "sit", "stand" and "kneel", as well as "lean" towards one side or a corner. "Sitting" gives the tank a lower profile and offers superior handling over roads. "Standing" gives the vehicle higher ground clearance for maneuverability over rough terrain. "Kneeling" augments the angular range in which the tank's gun barrel can elevate and depress, allowing the vehicle to fire its main gun downhill as well as engage low-flying aircraft more effectively. Using the suspension system, K2 is able to elevate its main gun up to 24 degrees, which allows a curved trajectory attack at a hovering helicopter target away. The suspension unit also cushions the chassis from vibrations when travelling over uneven terrain, as the bogies can be adjusted individually on-the-fly. The K2 also has advanced track system called Dynamic Track Tension System (DTTS). Maintaining optimum tension through all maneuvers, it dramatically reduces the chance of throwing a track even in the most extreme situations.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: In March 2011, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that mass production of the K2, which the Army was expecting to deploy in 2012, would not happen due to problems concerning its engine and transmission. In the evaluation test conducted in March 2012, it was reported that the domestic powerpack did not meet the required operational capability (ROC) proposed by the Ministry of National Defense in three categories: cooling fan speed control, maximum power at low temperature, and acceleration performance. In April 2012, DAPA announced that due to ongoing issues with the reliability and durability of the domestically produced powerpack, the first 100 production K2s would use German-made Euro Powerpack and that service entry would be delayed until March 2014. The first 15 K2 Black Panther tanks were put into service in June 2014. Faulty domestic engines and transmissions previously halted production, but the lowering of required acceleration performance allowed it to enter service. Until domestic Doosan Infracore (now Hyundai Doosan Infracore) 1,500 hp engines were produced, the first mass production was employed with a German-made MTU powerpack, which was able to produce 100 vehicles by 2015.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: Hyundai Rotem signed a contract from the second batch of 106 K2 tanks in December 2014, but the vehicles continued to have powerpack issues due to the domestic SNT Dynamics transmission failing durability tests. After SNT Dynamics complained about the domestic powerpack test standards, the 107th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee held on November 29, 2017, gave it an opportunity to retest the durability of the transmission, but SNT Dynamics refused to retest the durability of the transmission. In February 2018, DAPA announced the second batch would have a "hybrid" powerpack consisting of the locally developed engine with the German RENK transmission system, allowing them to start entering service in 2019. An additional contract for the production of a third batch of about 110 K2s is to follow within the next several years.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 25 November 2020, the 131st Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee decided to produce tanks in a powerpack that combines domestic engines and German transmissions in the third batch because SNT Dynamics refused to retest the durability of the domestic transmission.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 6 December 2021, a senior SNT Dynamics official said it solved a technical problem with the transmission defect, and only the Ministry of National Defense's durability test remains in the first half of next year, and the fourth production of the K2 tank will include domestic transmission.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The K2 PIP is an improved version of the initial production model of the K2. Improvements will include:


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The Korean Active Protection System (KAPS) is an indigenously developed hard-kill active protection system designed to protect the K2 from anti-tank threats. It uses a three-dimensional detection and tracking radar and a thermal imager to detect incoming threats. Warheads can be detected out to 150 meters from the tank, and a defensive rocket is fired to destroy them at 10–15 meters away. The system can neutralize rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank guided missiles. It may be installed on other platforms in the future like warships, helicopters, and buildings. Unit price per system is ₩670 million ($600,000). Implementation of the KAPS was cancelled in 2014 due to budgetary issues along with the price of a K2 being at 8 billion won, with addition of the KAPS it would increase procurement costs by 1 billion won per unit.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: After competing against the Leclerc and Leopard 2, the K2 established its first export customer in Turkey. In June 2007, South Korea and Turkey successfully negotiated an arms deal contract worth ₩500 billion (approximately $540 million) licensing the tank design of the K2, as well as exporting 40 (+15) KT-1 trainer planes to Turkey. On 29 July 2008, a year after the first negotiations between the South Korean and Turkish governments ended, Hyundai Rotem and Otokar signed a design assistance and technology transfer contract for the Altay tank development project. The contract included design assistance and technology transfer for the systems, 120 mm tank guns and armor packages required for tank development.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: South Korean companies involved in the Altay tank development project transferred main parts production technologies and licenses to Otokar, a main developer of Altay tanks, and tank gun subcontractors Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) and armor package subcontractors Roketsan from January 2009 to 2014. Hyundai Rotem provided design assistance and technology transfer for Altay tank systems to Otokar, Hyundai WIA transferred tank gun production technology to MKE, and Samyang Comtech transferred Configuration design technology for armor plate, Material Processing Technology and Manufacturing & Maintenance Technology to Roketsan. In addition, ADD and South Korean ammunition manufacturer Poongsan Corporation provided ballistics testing equipment and technical advice to Turkey's National Ballistic Protection Center (now Roketsan Ballistic Protection Center), which was established in October 2010, and conducted Altay's bulletproof performance test with Samyang Comtech. Later, with design assistance from ADD and Hyundai Rotem, Altay's last prototype was developed in July 2015, and the development project was officially completed in 2016.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 10 March 2021, BMC, the main contractor responsible for the production of Altay tanks, decided to import engines and transmissions from South Korea to resolve the problem of production delays. On October 22, 2021, seven months after BMC decided to import Korean powerpacks, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the export of Hyundai Doosan Infracore DV27K engines and SNT Dynamics EST15K transmissions to Turkey. Since then, in August 2022, the durability test of the powerpack combined with the DV27K engine and EST15K transmission imported from South Korea is underway, and if the durability test succeeds, the first 250 Altay will be produced by integrating the Korean powerpack.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: In January 2020 Poland announced negotiations with Hyundai Rotem for license production of the K2 Black Panther for the Polish Army.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 13 June 2022 Polish Ministry of Defence announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase at least 180 K2 tanks for the Polish military. The 180 tanks will be produced by Hyundai Rotem in South Korea from 2022 and then supplied to the Polish Army.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 27 July 2022 Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and Hyundai Rotem signed a framework agreement to supply 180 K2s and 820 K2PLs. The contract includes rapid arms supply and extensive technology transfer from South Korea, and 180 K2s will be produced in South Korea and delivered to Poland from 2022, and 820 K2PLs will be produced in Poland under license from 2026.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 26 August 2022 the first executive agreement worth $3.37 billion was signed to procure 180 K2s in Morąg, northern Poland. The contract includes training programs, logistics packages, 120 mm and machine gun ammunition for the K2, and soldiers from the 16th Mechanised Division of the Polish Army will be sent to South Korea to participate in the training program in October 2022. The 180 K2 tanks, which will be delivered from 2022 to 2025, will be sequentially deployed to the 20th Mechanised Brigade, 15th Mechanised Brigade and 9th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, which are brigade-class units belonging to the 16th Mechanised Division.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 7 September 2022 PGZ and Hyundai Rotem signed a partnership agreement to develop and produce tanks, armored vehicles and ground unmanned systems. The contract includes joint cooperation in building production facilities in Poland for the production and maintenance of 1000 K2s and developing next-generation ground combat vehicles, including the K3. In addition, the production facility to be built in Poland will be used as a hub in Europe for the sale and maintenance of Hyundai Rotem's tanks and armored vehicles.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: On 5 December 2022 the first 10 K2s arrived at the port of Gdynia in Poland onboard the BBC Pearl and were delivered to the 20th Mechanised Brigade of the 16th Mechanised Division on 9 December 2022.


title: K2 Black Panther

text: The K2 Black Panther was recorded as the most expensive main battle tank in service by Guinness World Records with a price tag of per unit.


title: Polestar

text: Polestar is a Swedish automotive brand established in 1996 by Volvo Cars' partner Flash/Polestar Racing and acquired in 2015 by Volvo, which itself was acquired by Geely in 2010. It is headquartered in Torslanda outside Gothenburg, Sweden with vehicle production taking place in China.


title: Polestar

text: The Polestar name originates from the STCC Polestar racing team which spawned Polestar Performance AB, in turn acquired by Volvo Cars in July 2015. The racing team changed its name to Cyan Racing, while maintaining close ties to Volvo.


title: Polestar

text: In September 2021, Polestar announced an intention to go public through a business combination agreement with Gores Guggenheim, Inc., a special-purpose acquisition company. Polestar shares began trading on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol PSNY on 24 June 2022.


title: Polestar

text: The company origins can be traced back to the foundation of Flash Engineering in 1996, a Swedish racing team competing in Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC). The team was later sold and rebranded to Polestar Racing, starting to engineer their own racing Volvos in the late 2000s. In 2009 the brand became the official Volvo partner to modify existing models, under the brand "Polestar Performance". Volvo eventually bought the company and brand in July 2015, offering Polestar enhanced models directly from their resellers.


title: Polestar

text: Polestar has also produced prototype cars, with the first being the C30 Polestar Performance Concept Prototype (2010) with over and .


title: Polestar

text: The Volvo S60 Polestar Concept is the heir to the C30 Polestar, featuring 508 BHP from a modified T6 engine, launched in June 2012. The car sprints from in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of over . "Motor Trend" tested the car at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where it broke the lap record for four-door cars, matching the lap time of an Audi R8.


title: Polestar

text: In October 2017, Volvo Cars and Geely Holding announced that the Polestar would become a standalone brand focusing on electric cars.


title: Polestar

text: Polestar has produced two electric performance cars. The first was Polestar 1, a luxurious 2+2 coupé inspired by Volvo's Concept Coupé introduced in 2013, which includes influences from the Volvo P1800. The Polestar 1 was introduced on 17 October 2017, and was built between 2019 and 2021. The Polestar 1 was built in a new purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China, from 2019 at a rate of up to 500 per year. During its final year of production, a limited-production gold-painted version of Polestar 1 was released. Only 25 units were produced.


title: Polestar

text: In 2019, Polestar announced their second car, the Polestar 2 electric car. It was unveiled on 27 February 2019, in an online unveiling which was broadcast from the Polestar headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. Directly after, it had its public debut at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It is produced at Volvo Cars's existing plant in Taizhou, China.


title: Polestar

text: Under the label Polestar Engineered, Polestar offers enhancements for Volvo cars which deliver better performance. Examples are engine optimizations with retained warranty and unchanged fuel consumption and emissions. The engine optimization increases the power and torque output, varying depending on engine model. The response of the throttle can be modified and the character of the transmission is tweaked.


title: Polestar

text: In 2022, a special version of Polestar 2 was released as a Polestar Engineered product: the limited-production Polestar 2 BST edition 270, of which only 270 will exist.


title: Polestar

text: The marque has announced new models debuting starting in 2022. This entails the introduction of the Polestar 3, followed by the 4 and 5 in the following years. On 25 February 2020, Polestar unveiled the Precept concept car. It was expected to debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, however the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected to be launched in 2024 as the Polestar 5. In March 2022, Polestar launched a roadster concept named the Polestar O2, and later in August 2022, Polestar announced a sixth new roadster model dubbed Polestar 6 based on the O2 concept car, expected to enter production in 2026.


title: Polestar

text: Polestar created the Experimental Polestar 2 in 2021, first shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The one-off model was used to showcase a higher-performing, more dynamic version of Polestar 2. This later evolved into the limited-production Polestar 2 BST edition 270.


title: Polestar

text: In 2022, Polestar released a one-off winter rally-inspired version of Polestar 2, known as the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle. The car was modified for snow and ice driving as a showcase of the Swedish brand's expertise in chassis engineering.


title: Polestar

text: Polestar has been working with Volvo since 1996, starting with racing Volvo cars and being involved in the development of race cars for Cyan Racing. In 2014, Polestar was involved in the development of a V8 powered Volvo S60 that was raced by Garry Rogers Motorsport in the Australian V8 Supercars series. Robert Dahlgren was seconded to Australia in 2014 as part of this programme and pulled out in the end of 2016.


title: Polestar

text: The French Citroën company considered that the Polestar company logo – also formed of chevrons – is too close to those of its Citroën and DS Automobiles brands. In the absence of an amicable agreement, Citroën took to the Tribunal de grande instance in July 2019. The latter, in a decision dated 4 June 2020, found in favor of the French manufacturer, decision confirmed on appeal on 14 June 2020. December 2021. As a result, Polestar vehicles cannot be purchased in France. In September 2022, it was reported that Citroën and Polestar had settled their dispute.


title: Polestar

text: In August 2022, the company announced it would supply batteries to Candela for electric boats that would 'fly' on hydrofoils.


title: Ive (group)

text: Ive (; stylized as IVE) is a South Korean girl group formed by Starship Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz and Leeseo. They made their debut on December 1, 2021, with the single album "Eleven".


title: Ive (group)

text: The group's name, Ive, is a contraction for "I have". It alludes to the idea of showing what "I have" to the audience with confidence, where instead of telling the story of growth, the group tries to portray a "complete girl group" from the start.


title: Ive (group)

text: Wonyoung and Yujin participated in the reality competition series "Produce 48" in 2018. Wonyoung finished in first place and Yujin finished in fifth place, respectively, becoming members of the project girl group Iz*One. They promoted with the group until its disbandment on April 29, 2021.


title: Ive (group)

text: On November 2, Starship Entertainment announced that they would be debuting a new girl group, their first since WJSN in 2016. The members were revealed from November 3 to 8 (in order: Yujin, Gaeul, Wonyoung, Liz, Rei, and Leeseo). On November 8, Starship confirmed that the group would debut on December 1, followed two days later by the announcement of the title of the group's first single album as "Eleven". On December 1, the group released their debut single album, "Eleven", led by the single of the same name. The group made their broadcast debut on KBS2's "Music Bank" on December 3, performing "Eleven".


title: Ive (group)

text: On the "Billboard" charts dated the week of December 14, "Eleven" ranked at number nine on the World Digital Song Sales chart and charted on the "Billboard" Global 200 and "Billboard" Global Excl. US charts for fourteen consecutive weeks. The song also topped "Billboard"'s Hot Trending Songs chart, debuting atop the Top User Generated Songs chart of "Billboard" Japan, and entered the Japan Hot 100 chart. Meanwhile, Ive charted on the "Billboard" Artist 100 for the first time.


title: Ive (group)

text: On December 8, exactly one week after their debut, Ive earned their first music show win on MBC's "Show Champion", making them the fastest girl group to win first place since debut. "Eleven" went on to win on music shows 13 times, including a triple crown on KBS2's "Music Bank", MBC's "Music Core", and SBS "Inkigayo". In addition, "Eleven" recorded the most album sales in its first week of release for girl group debut albums. The music video for "Eleven" surpassed 100 million views on March 8, 2022.


title: Ive (group)

text: On April 5, Ive released their second single album, "Love Dive", led by the single of the same name. One week after release, the song went viral and reached 200M views for its TikTok challenge. The single also drew 28.9 million streams and sold 2,800 outside the U.S. in its first full tracking week. On the "Billboard" chart dated April 23, "Love Dive" ascended to number 10 on the Global Excl. US chart, becoming the group's first song to reach the top 10. The music video for "Love Dive" surpassed 100 million views on June 15.


title: Ive (group)

text: On July 18, Starship Entertainment announced that Ive would make a comeback in August with their third single album, "After Like". It was released alongside the lead single of the same name on August 22.


title: Ive (group)

text: On August 10, it was announced via Ive's official Japanese website that they will make their Japanese debut sometime in fall 2022. On September 8, it was announced that Ive would be releasing the Japanese version of "Eleven" on October 19.


title: Ive (group)

text: On November 16, Ive participated in Spotify's annual "Spotify Holiday Single", which consists of project songs presented by various artists directly selected by Spotify ahead of the year-end Christmas season. Ive is the first Korean group artist to participate in the annual Holiday Singles project, reinterpreting their third single title song "After Like", released in August, as a new holiday remix version and exclusively releasing it on Spotify worldwide.


title: Ive (group)

text: In January 2022, Ive was selected as the most anticipated K-pop artist of the year by 31 of the most popular music agency experts from different entertainment companies.


title: Ive (group)

text: In November 2022, as part of its 18th year of publication, JoyNews24 conducted a survey on 200 entertainment industry officials to determine the "Artist of the Year," for which Ive ranked first on the list. In the same month, Shibuya109 Lab, which is a youth marketing institute run by Shibuya109 Entertainment in Japan, conducted a survey with a report titled "Next Generation K-Pop Idols" for women age 15 to 24 years old. Ive took first place in the list, mentioning the attention for their song, fashion, and pose.


title: Ive (group)

text: In December 2022, Ive was selected as "Best Singer of the Year" and placed second for "Rookie of the Year" by executives of 33 pop music officials from various entertainment companies. In the same month, Zsouken Research Institute conducted a survey for the second half of 2022 on who are the most popular artists in Japan for Generation Z, in which Ive ranked at number five, the highest act outside Japan, garnering 12.3% of votes among 120,000 participants.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas the Tank Engine is an anthropomorphised fictional tank locomotive in the British "Railway Series" books by Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher, published from 1945. He became the most popular and famous character in the series, and is the titular protagonist in the accompanying television adaptation series "Thomas & Friends" and its reboot "".


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas is a blue steam engine and has a number 1 painted on his side. All of the vehicles in "The Railway Series" were based on prototypical engines; Thomas's basis is the LB&SCR E2 class. Thomas first appeared in 1946 in the second book in the series, "Thomas the Tank Engine", and was the focus of the four short stories contained within. In "The Railway Series" and early episodes of "Thomas & Friends", Thomas's best friends are Percy and Toby, though he is also close friends with Edward. Later episodes of "Thomas & Friends" have Thomas in a trio with James and Percy, and Percy is known as his best friend.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: In 1979, British writer and producer Britt Allcroft came across the books, and arranged a deal to bring the stories to life as the TV series "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" (later simplified to "Thomas & Friends"). The programme became an award-winning hit around the world, with a vast range of spin-off commercial products.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: When Awdry created Thomas, the engine existed only as a wooden toy made for his son Christopher. This engine looked rather different from the character in the books and television series, and carried the letters NW on its side tanks, which stood for "No Where" according to Awdry.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas wasn't originally based on a prototype; rather, the initial stories were an accompaniment to the toy made for Christopher. After Awdry's wife encouraged him to publish the stories, the publisher of the second book in "The Railway Series" ("Thomas the Tank Engine") hired an illustrator named Reginald Payne. Awdry selected a real locomotive for Payne to work from to create authenticity: a Billinton designed 0-6-0 E2 Class of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. This may have been chosen simply because Awdry had a photograph to hand.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas as portrayed by Hornby and the TV series is based on one of six E2 class locomotives fitted with an extension to the front of the water tanks. Awdry was unsatisfied with one detail of the illustration — the fact that the front end of his running board featured a downward slope, which meant that his front and back buffers were at different levels. This was an illustrator's mistake that was perpetuated in subsequent books. The accident, in "Thomas Comes to Breakfast" was partly devised as a means of correcting this. Thomas has always been shown with a curved running board in the television series.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Payne was not credited for his illustrations at the time, and it is only since the publication of Brian Sibley's "The Thomas the Tank Engine Man" that he has started to receive major recognition. It had often been erroneously assumed that C. Reginald Dalby created the character, as he was responsible for illustrating books 3–11 and repainting the illustrations of books 1 and 2.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Although Thomas locomotives are seen today on various heritage railways, the locomotives are either unpowered decoys or converted from other locomotives, as all of the prototype LB&SCR E2 class locomotives were scrapped between 1961 and 1963.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Despite becoming the most popular character in "The Railway Series", Thomas was not featured in the first book, "The Three Railway Engines".


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas was described in the opening to "Thomas and Gordon", the first story in book number two, "Thomas the Tank Engine", as:


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas arrived on Sodor shortly after he was built in 1915, when The Fat Controller bought the locomotive for a nominal sum to be a pilot engine at Vicarstown. Thomas was used initially as a station pilot engine in the first three stories in book 2, but longed for more important jobs such as pulling the express train like Gordon; his inexperience prevented this. In the fourth story, "Thomas and the Breakdown Train", Thomas rescues James and is rewarded with his own branch line.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas's on-screen appearances in the TV series were developed by Britt Allcroft. The first series of 26 stories premiered in October 1984 on the ITV Network in the UK, with former Beatles drummer/vocalist Ringo Starr as storyteller. The stories were featured as segments as part of "Shining Time Station" in the US beginning in 1989 with Starr as the show's Mr. Conductor character. From 1991 to 1993, George Carlin replaced Starr as both the storyteller and as Mr. Conductor for "Shining Time Station". Carlin also told the Thomas stories for "Shining Time Station" in 1995.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: In 1996, the Thomas stories were segments for "Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales", again featuring George Carlin. Alec Baldwin portrayed Mr. Conductor in the first theatrical film, "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" (2000), and narrated the series for the US from 1998 to 2003. Michael Angelis narrated the series from 1991 to 2012 in the UK, while Michael Brandon narrated the series from 2004 to 2012 in the US. From 2013 to 2017, the series was narrated by Mark Moraghan until the franchise's upgrade in 2018, when the episodes were told from Thomas's point of view.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas's personality was originally faithful to the character of the books. As the show branched away from the novels however, modifications were made. Thomas became noticeably less arrogant and self-absorbed, developing a more friendly, altruistic and happy go lucky (if still rather over-excitable) side. He also no longer appears to be limited to his branch line and seems to work all over Sodor. These changes in his personality and duties are a result of his "star" status. He is the most popular character in the series, and therefore he has the largest number of appearances, appearing in all of the DVD specials and the movie "Thomas and the Magic Railroad".


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: From "Hero of the Rails" until Series 18, Thomas was voiced by Martin Sherman (US) and Ben Small (UK). From 2015-2021, Thomas was voiced by John Hasler in the UK, and by Joseph May in the US. Both ended their sessions voicing Thomas once the last episode of the 24th and final series was produced, and the role was taken by child actors in "", a 2D-animated reboot of the original series; Meesha Contreras voices Thomas in the US version, while Aaron Barashi claims the role in the UK version.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: In "" which is a retelling of Thomas's early days on Sodor, he is a bluish-green colour when he first arrives on Sodor, his tanks are lettered "LBSC" (for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway) with the number 70 on his bunker. The 70 is a reference to 2015 being the 70th anniversary for "The Railway Series", while the LB&SCR E2 class were actually numbered from 100–109. The real life LBSC no. 70 is an A1 class.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: In late 2020, Mattel revealed that a new theatrical live-action/animated film is in development with Marc Forster directing and producing, it will be the second theatrical "Thomas & Friends" film in the franchise, after "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". It is unknown who will voice Thomas for this production.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas had his genesis in a wooden push-along toy from the early 1940s made by Wilbert Awdry out of a piece of broomstick for his son Christopher. This engine looked rather different from the character in the books and television series and was based on an LNER Class J50, which was going to be his originally intended basis, with smaller side tanks and splashers. He was painted blue with yellow lining and carried the letters NW on his side tanks. Christopher lost this model, although it was recreated for the 70th anniversary. However, Awdry was happy to endorse Payne's account that the locomotive was an LBSC E2, although the first Thomas on the Awdry's model railway, from Stuart Reidpath, lacked extended tanks. In the 1979 Thomas Annual, Awdry wrote:


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas Mk1 was retired with its coaches in 1979, Thomas Mk2 having been produced the year before using a Tri-ang 'Jinty' 3F 0-6-0T. After the British model railways manufacturing company Hornby produced the LBSC E2 tank, Awdry gladly adapted one in 1980 to take the role of Thomas Mk3 on his layout, the Ffarquhar branch.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Awdry's requested models, to which Lines Bros. subsidiary, Meccano Ltd, responded with Percy and wagons in 1967. Hornby Hobbies launched their 'The World of Thomas the Tank Engine' in the 1985. This was a 00 gauge range of model railway train sets and models which they made for the next 30 years. For Thomas they used their 1979 model of a LB&SCR model of a Class E2 tank engine which they suitably altered with a face and extended tanks to look like Thomas. Many of the characters in the 'Railway Series' books were thus modelled (with faces) by Hornby, including characters added for the television series. They also supplied suitable coaches, wagons and lineside buildings within the series.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas was the only fictional character included in "The Independent on Sunday's" 2009 "Happy List", recognised alongside 98 real-life adults and a therapy dog for making Britain a better and happier place. In 2011, Thomas the Tank Engine featured on a series of 1st class UK postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail to mark the centenary of the birth of its creator, Reverend Wilbert Awdry.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: Thomas has been referenced, featured and parodied in popular culture. In 1988, he was parodied on ITV's "Spitting Image" where he was portrayed as a drunk who went "completely off the rails." In 2009, he appeared in The Official BBC Children in Need Medley where he was voiced by Ringo Starr, who narrated the first two series of "Thomas and Friends". In the British comedy show "Bobby Davro's TV Weekly", a spoof was created titled "Thomas The Tanked Up Engine" involving Jeremy, the pink engine. Bobby Davro provided the narration by impersonating Ringo Starr.


title: Thomas the Tank Engine

text: In Cartoon Network's "MAD", Thomas the Tank Engine appears in "Thomas the Unstoppable Tank Engine," a crossover between "Thomas the Tank Engine" and "Unstoppable". A parody of Thomas the Tank Engine was in "Robot Chicken". The skit was called "Blow Some Steam." The narrator (Seth Green) spoke like Ringo Starr who was the first narrator for "Thomas and Friends". Thomas was voiced by Daniel Radcliffe.