I had a photograph of my own to illustrate this post, but it was a bit rubbish. I was inspired to write about helium when I discovered the wreckage of a mylar-foil helium balloon, like the one pictured above, tangled in a gorse bush on the slopes of Newtyle Hill. It’s the second foil balloon … Continue reading Helium
Hasegawa 1/48 SH-3H Sea King (Apollo Recovery SH-3D Conversion): Part 2
In my last post, I still had a few bits and pieces of scratch building to do—a stills camera tucked behind the starboard sponson, facing backwards, and some weapons mount points. I haven’t been able to find any good views of the stills camera beyond a couple of glimpses in Todd Douglas Miller’s Apollo 11 … Continue reading Hasegawa 1/48 SH-3H Sea King (Apollo Recovery SH-3D Conversion): Part 2
Richard A. Lupoff: The “Twin Planets” Novels
Anything is possible. Everything is possible. Somewhere in God’s infinite universe there may be a system of planets sharp-edged and square-faced as ice cubes. There may be a solar system where worlds are hollow and illuminated by tiny interior suns. There may even be a family of spherical planets as solid as baseballs! Who can … Continue reading Richard A. Lupoff: The “Twin Planets” Novels
(Be the first)
Impeachment
ɪmˈpiːtʃmənt impeachment: The accusation and prosecution of a person for treason or other high crime or misdemeanour before a competent tribunal; in Great Britain, the judicial process by which a person may be tried before the House of Lords at the instigation of the House of Commons; in the U.S.A., a similar process in which … Continue reading Impeachment
Leap Seconds
The year 2020, newly begun as this post is published, is a leap year. I’ve written before about leap years, and how the occasional leap day added to the end of February keeps our calendar year synchronized with the seasons. For more on that topic, see my posts about February 30th and the Equinox. But … Continue reading Leap Seconds
Manger
ˈmeɪndʒə(r) manger: A box or trough in a stable or byre, from which horses and cattle eat. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. Nineteenth-century … Continue reading Manger
The Coordinate Axes Of Apollo-Saturn: Part 2
In my previous post on this topic, I described how flight engineers working on the Apollo programme assigned XYZ coordinate axes to the Saturn V launch vehicle and to the two Apollo spacecraft, the Command/Service Module (CSM) and the Lunar Module (LM). This time, I’m going to talk about how these axes came into play … Continue reading The Coordinate Axes Of Apollo-Saturn: Part 2
Torridon
Climbers who know this great mountain will agree that it is the mightiest and most imposing in all Britain. On leaving Kinlochewe to drive down Glen Torridon, you first skirt the quartzite slopes of Beinn Eighe, but on reaching Loch Clair it suddenly burst upon the view across the moor, its eastern ramparts falling almost … Continue reading Torridon
Hasegawa 1/48 SH-3H Sea King (Apollo Recovery SH-3D Conversion): Part 1
After building Airfix’s old 1/72 scale Apollo recovery Sea King, I swore a mighty oath that I was never going to make another 1/72 helicopter. But I recently got hold of a set of Starfighter Decals’ 1/48 scale markings for the “Old 66” Apollo recovery Sea King, which inspired me to go around again on … Continue reading Hasegawa 1/48 SH-3H Sea King (Apollo Recovery SH-3D Conversion): Part 1
Robert Sheckley: The AAA Ace Stories
[Gregor] pushed the list aside, found a pack of tattered cards, and laid out a hopeless solitaire of his own devising. Minutes later, Arnold stepped jauntily in. Gregor looked at his partner with suspicion. When the little chemist walked with that peculiar bouncing step, his round face beaming happily, it usually mean trouble for AAA … Continue reading Robert Sheckley: The AAA Ace Stories