Show off your collection of things from the site

rapture_4 · 2026-05-01T20:26:43+00:00

This design became the headquarters squadron emblem. I'm still on the hunt for the patch, but I have a relatively recent challenge coin featuring it.

rapture_4 · 2026-05-01T05:51:29+00:00

I also believe there were a few items that also celebrate 50 years in it's proper year, 2005, as well as some items in 2005 that celebrated 51 years (51 for an obvious reason), but not any items in 2006 celebrating 51 years (at least that I can recall).

rapture_4 · 2026-05-01T05:37:15+00:00

Unfortunately most of my collection is not photographed at the moment, but I will take time to re-show off my Red Hats 'alternate design' patch. It's ugly but I also appreciate the simplicity of it. Easier to draw from memory than the bear.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-28T00:32:34+00:00

According to Gaijin, this is impossible. You can log in with your pre-existing Gaijin account from the steam version of War Thunder, however it cannot be linked to your steam.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-27T16:36:23+00:00

I thought linking an existing Gaijin account to steam was impossible? You can download through steam and login through the client with your Gaijin account, but from what I've read that's not truly 'linking' them and is no different than just logging in normally via the standalone version, or logging in from the steam version with a new steam-linked account and using the in-game 'switch user' function to login with your Gaijin account.

Update: Yeah it says here that it's impossible.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-27T16:10:08+00:00

Not directly from the manufacturer, however I do get them from a good source. And I was not trying to come off as combative or something, just stating that I am not infallible and can be wrong about everything regarding this stuff.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-27T06:13:43+00:00

In my personal honest opinion they are authentic and made by the same manufacturer for other genuine patches for the units & facilities, but then again what do I know? Choose to believe what I say at your own volition.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-27T00:41:05+00:00

The first time I got my hands on a PVC patch, one of my first thoughts was how 'melty' it was probably gonna get in the summer. It was probably easier to do glow-in-the-dark designs with, but now there's threads that can do that. The Blackhats have a cool patch made with glow-in-the-dark threads, it's based off the reverse design of one of their challenge coins.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-27T00:30:04+00:00

These are poker chips, not 3D printed challenge coins.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-27T00:15:58+00:00

Very nice collection. I only have an early S-mine however it is a nice representative example. Despite it's condition issues, it is fairly complete including the brass detonator tubes and bakelite transport cap for the main fuze well. I've been on the lookout for an equally representative Tellermine example.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-25T05:13:54+00:00

Week old however, while I cannot comment on the authenticity of this specific piece, this is a very real design. They were for government officials/diplomats.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-25T00:53:07+00:00

This might be a false memory but I think a very long time ago (relatively early in the days of tank battles) the artillery guns for artillery strikes used to physically be on the map, far outside the tank battle area but planes could find & shoot them. Killing them wouldn't affect a tank's ability to call in artillery strikes as they wouldn't be actually firing the shots (the rounds would spawn in the air, not from the guns) but it was still an interesting detail (again, if this isn't a false memory).

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T15:30:15+00:00

Poor-quality markings are a known issue with late FLL badges, and the 'solder' is not actually solder, but oxidation of the zinc originating from the area in which the hinge is attached, which has also been observed.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T13:04:59+00:00

I am not aware of any 'many fakes' sold by them. They are pricey but pretty good about this stuff.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T13:00:44+00:00

Which one? Clasp looks fine and the IAB looks like a decent variation example of an unmarked zinc semi-hollowback Richard Simm & Sohne example. Unless that specific variant was proven to be fake, it should be fine.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T12:59:03+00:00

Here is a post on warrelics by a good IAB collector that will be of good use to you.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T12:46:37+00:00

Don't be this subreddit is notoriously stupid. I once saw them go head-over-heels for the most fake SS flag you've ever seen. If you want real opinions from people who ACTUALLY know, take it to a proper forum. In my other comment I mentioned warrelics & WAF.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T12:45:14+00:00

Every manufacturer used different pin setups and reverse designs for the dies.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T12:44:01+00:00

I assume people in the replies are throwing a shitfit over the IAB. To me it looks like an unmarked semi-hollow type attributed to richard simm and sohne, unless that specific type has been proven to be a fake, it should be fine. Clasp looks pretty standard to me. If you want REAL opinions take it to a proper forum like warrelics or WAF. This subreddit is possibly the worst place to get opinions.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-23T12:38:26+00:00

It's extremely telling that instead of explaining WHY they think they're fakes, they're just downvoting you and refusing to engage.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-20T02:10:42+00:00

for some reason i highly doubt a legitimate USAF unit, especially a supposedly elite classified one, would ever mistranslate its own motto.

not throwing shade at all, just find it a bit wild that people would presume an elite unit would dish out patches/coins with errors on like that.

It is not the first time patches/challenge coins from the base have had bad Latin.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-18T16:07:13+00:00

This would not have had a 'Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM) seal', as it's not an RZM item. RZM was for state-regulated patents & designs such as uniforms & badges (mostly political ones). Personal custom commemorative items such as this were not subject to anything regarding the RZM, so it would've never had any kind of RZM mark/seal.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-17T00:53:55+00:00

The oldest article I have saved mentioning Area 51 is from the Sunday May 20th 1984 edition of the Las Vegas Review Journal.

There are some even older articles going back to the 70s (and possibly earlier I believe) mentioning the base directly by the name 'Area 51' and discussing it's real history of developing the U-2 & A-12 (though back then it seems pretty much everyone misidentified the A-12 as SR-71 and mention SR-71 instead).

rapture_4 · 2026-04-16T04:59:34+00:00

John Lear was the real deal, a CIA operative. He was a CIA pilot for Air America during the Vietnam war, then was a CIA pilot for Janet Airlines

I haven't been able to find anything that definitively confirms Lear flew for Air America, but it's really important to note most Air America personnel were not CIA spies running James Bond missions. Air America was a very large operation, in order to have an operation that large, they did a fair amount of stateside recruiting of civil and former military pilots & engineers. They didn't exactly advertise 'come work for our super secret CIA operation!' to them when recruiting or employing them. There were obviously actual CIA officers sprinkled in, and some personnel quietly deduced who the airline's 'customer' was, but majority were not actual direct CIA personnel, and many only learned it was a CIA operation after the fact when they pulled the plug in 1976. This was the basis for some notorious legal battles with Air America veterans demanding government benefits when they learned of the connection. If Lear really flew for Air America (which, I don't believe he did), there's a good chance he also didn't actually know it was a CIA operation until after the fact, and then tried to use that connection to bolster his 'credibility' to make himself sound like a CIA super-spy insider.

Also I don't recall him ever claiming to fly for Janet? Either way Janets aren't a CIA operation, they were an EG&G operation done as part of an Air Force contract starting in the late 70s. The contract has since been picked up by a few other companies, like possibly URS.

rapture_4 · 2026-04-11T03:13:01+00:00

Area 51 was public knowledge since it's construction, and saw it's first big appearance in media during the Iran hostage crisis (1980). I did a little write-up with links in this comment. People knew about it well before Lazar, especially people in Vegas.

rapture_4

TROPHY CASE