Author Archives: dr.hypercube

Mr. Big Stuff

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Air. I recently finished William Gibson’s latest: Spook Country. A bit part is played by the Hook, a Soviet-era heavy lift helicopter. I’ve long been a fan of the American CH-54/S-64 Skycrane – I built a plastic model of one years ago (you could run the winch line up and down by rotating the main rotor) and I find it’s minimalism appealing.

S-64 in firefighting mode – a shout-out to my friends on the West Coast.

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I have to confess total ignorance when it comes to big Soviet/Russian choppers, but not to worry – the Google can help! While nosing around for info on the Mi-6 Hook I found another great Soviet heavy lifter. Before we go there, though – the Mi-6 is big!

If you still doubt the size of this machine, consider this – the Mi-6 can carry twice as much as the largest American helicopter, the CH-64 Tarhe “Sky Crane” – in fact, it’s capable of lifting a Tarhe. The accompanying sign said that it had often lifted MiG-17s and MiG-21s; the Vietnamese would conceal their aircraft in servicing areas in the jungle and airlift them to a roughly prepared field for takeoff, then return them to the jungle afterwards. Most remarkable perhaps is the Hook’s ability to transport up to 120 people when it’s in its high-density seating configuration!*

Even larger and much more bizarre (therefore, cool in my book) is the Mi-12 Homer prototype. Two main rotors arranged transversely (left and right, rather than the front and back we’re used to) each powered by two engines. According to Wikipedia, the rotor/powerplant combo was lifted directly from the Mi-6 (get it? Mi-6 * 2 = Mi-12). Choppers start off as improbable objects – add in that Russian air thing (think ekranoplan) and you get:

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Land. I’ve been wanting to post on this bit of gorgeousity for a while. I’m very partial to the union (set-wise) of Africa and Garratt. Having grown up on a diet of Big Boys, Challengers and the like, Garratts are strange, alien and – you guessed it – way cool. How do I love this steam engine? Let me count the ways:

  • Beyer-Garratt 4-8-4 + 4-8-4 – the largest locomotive ever built for 50 lb (light!) rail. Meter-gauge!
  • May have crossed the bridge at Tsavo (in my mind, it certainly did)!
  • Shares a nickname with Walter Dalrymple Maitland Bell, who used a 7×57 (among other light calibers) on elephant.

The Kenya Uganda Railway No. 87 Karamoja:

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Beautiful model (be sure to click through and check out the 3-D view):

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Not Karamoja, but a Garratt at Tsavo:

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Sea. Via the Telstar Logistics blog, a pointer to John Konrad’s thoughts on the Pasha Bulker incident report. The Pasha Bulker ran aground June 8, 2007 on Nobby’s Beach, Newcastle, New South Wales (if you don’t know where New South Wales is – I’m not going to name the country – spend the rest of the day with an atlas, please). New vocab word for the day – hogged – and an incredible Flickrset. The gCaptain blog where Mr. Konrad’s post appears looks like something I’ll need to visit from time to time.

The title of the photo is “Correctly parked”.

Gaffs

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Curious Expeditions have posted a Flickrset taken at the Haus der Natur in Salzburg, Austria. Included are a bunch of wonderful gaffs – certainly worth a look.

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There’s also a nice group of Papuan skull pix – something that ties back (indirectly) to a project I’m working on.

I wish I could get back down to Brooklyn on November 2 for The Secret Science Club’s third annual Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest – looks like a ton of fun.You can see some work done by last year’s winner, Takeshi Yamada, here.

Mixed Media

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  • Book – peacay at Bibliodyssey recently announced The BibliOdyssey Book. I think I’m going to request one through my local bookstore – they’ll often order an extra for the shelves.
  • Radio – I heard a song for the first time the other day – The Smith’s Girlfriend in a Coma. Bwaaa-haa-haa-haa! I was never much of a Smith’s fan – it always seemed to me a bit unseemly to be that whiny self-pitying introspective without at least a half gallon of brown liquor in your belly. Girlfriend in a coma?!? Case closed.
  • DVD – 29 years worth of National Lampoon? I’m in. I’ll spare everyone the fogeyniscences – suffice it to say, I remember very clearly the moment I first clapped eyes on a NatLamp.
  • Paper – papercraft Japanese trout. Remember, “If the trout are lost, smash the state!” (Tom McGuane?) Aside – coming up on smash the state time anyhoo, methinks. Your tax dollars at work (the Higazy case).
  • Later – Newspaper illo – Dan Zettwock – amazingly good:

The Pratt Engine Room

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I traveled down to Brooklyn last weekend – it was Homecoming/Parent’s Weekend at Pratt Institute, a Certain Design Student’s base of operations. While there, he took me to see the Engine Room. What a place! It currently generates electricity in the winter – exhaust steam goes to the main heating system. It’s the most beautiful co-gen facility imaginable.

Some notes cribbed from the handout that details the Engine Room’s history along with some pictures:

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Three 75KW generators driven by one-cylinder steam engines. Installed in 1900, they replaced two steam engines driving three generators. Originally a third engine powered machine shops via the classic flywheel/belt arrangement.

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In 1927 the switchboard reached it’s current size.

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Sometime during the 1980’s the three steam machines passed the million hour running time mark. Planned obsolescence? Nay – back then, they built to last.

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Feline staff members are well taken care of. They have their own entrance, there is a wall of ribbons recognizing their achievements, and one has her own memorial.

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