At the end of the war, Wallis returned to Vickers-Armstrongs as the Head of Research and Development. Under his leadership, the company was at the cutting edge of aeronautical engineering. In order to conduct his research, Wallis and his team constructed the Stratosphere Chamber which was the largest in the world at that time at almost 20,000 square feet in size. It was constructed near the famous Brooklands racetrack at Weybridge.
As the Cold War became the new challenge, the Chamber was used to simulate impacts on aircraft travelling at 70,000 feet which was the target altitude for Wallis’ planned new supersonic plane. By building a large refrigeration plant, the Stratosphere Chamber was able to supply extremely cold liquid methane at each of the four corners of the facility. It was an immense enough facility that even the largest fuselages and cockpits could be accommodated, and was sophisticated enough to test impacts at temperatures as low as -60C and at an air density one-twentieth of that which is found at ground level. With its extreme cold capacity, the Stratosphere Chamber was also able to experiment with naval guns operating in frigid conditions, as well as fishing vessels operating in blizzards in the North Sea.
www.barneswallisfoundation.co.uk
www.mgaylard.co.uk - Abstract and Out Of Context Detail
Made In The Shade
A Sky Full Of Umbrellas
Outdoor Lightbulbs
Kings X Ceiling
The new semi-circular departures concourse opened to the public in March 2012. Situated to the west of the station behind the Great Northern Hotel, it was designed by John McAslan and built by Taylor Woodrow Construction, part of Vinci. It caters for much-increased passenger flows and provides greater integration between the intercity, suburban and underground sections of the station. The architect claimed that the roof is the longest single-span station structure in Europe and the semi-circular structure has a radius of 59 yards (54 m) and more than 2,000 triangular roof panels, half of which are glass.
Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
Shopping Mall Skylight
Moo!
Jagged Trails
Dancin' On The Ceiling
You see all sorts of things here
Gargoyle with perfectly timed and placed aircraft vapour trails
Unicorn Gargoyle
Aviation Engine Turbine Blades
Aviation Engine Turbine Blades
Auburn 851 Speedster (1935)
I have looked at this car from just about every angle and have decided that it is the prettiest car I have ever seen. In fact, I think that it so good looking that I would be admiring its underside if it ran over me!
The Auburn Speedster was an American car, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company of Auburn, Indiana and manufactured in Union City, Indiana. A total of 887 cars were manufactured between 1928 and 1936, across 3 series (1928-1930 with "eight" and "big eight" engines, the V12 series from 1931 to 1934, and the dramatic, iconic 1935-36 Supercharged 8 ).
The "Speedster 851", which would be the final production model of the manufacturer, was introduced in 1934 with bodywork by Gordon Buehrig that was ingeniously constructed and cost-effectively built. With sandwiched front and rear fenders, backswept radiator, and external side-threaded exhaust pipes, the 851 Speedster is the iconic Auburn "Hollywood car." Its bespoke flat-head eight was powerful, reliable and of a strong and solid design.
The sweeping body lines concealed some innovative and advanced technical features such as the Columbia dual-ratio rear axle[1] that was achieved by interposing an epicyclic gear train between the axle and the crown wheel. When it was engaged, the final drive ratio became a "fast" 4.5:1. It was disengaged by moving a steering-wheel mounted lever and dipping the clutch, whereupon the ratio became a more leisurely 3:1. The three-speed synchromesh gearbox along with that dual ratio axle gave a six-speed transmission. In 1936 came the 852, identical to the earlier models with the exception of the "852" on its radiator grille. The final year of production was 1937 as Auburn ceased car production altogether in 1937. Only 143 of the 851SC boat tail speedsters were made.
en.wikipedia.org
Bear Bottoms
Hawker Harrier GR3 Rocket Launcher
Watch the Birdie
Sapphire Star Glass Sculpture By Chihuly
Etheral White Persian Pond Glass Sculpture by Chihuly
Reflections on nature is the perfect marriage of art, science, and nature, as the artist’s installations are presented amid the spectacular landscapes of one of London’s few UNESCO world heritage sites. The majority of artwork featured in the exhibition has never been seen before in the UK, including a specially designed sculpture for Kew’s iconic Temperate House. Highlights include Chihuly’s celestial Sapphire Star, along with selections from the artist’s body of work including Drawings, Venetians, Seaforms, Baskets, and Rotolo, among others..
www.chihuly.com
Admiral Nelson and Lieutenant Pigeon
Crown of Thorns
The white umbrellas strung across the square offer an attractive spot of shade in what can be strong sunlight and heat.