Storms Over Northern France

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Our flight back to the UK from DC arrived early in the morning. I was sitting by the window and looking at the clouds. Nancy looked over and asked if they were storm clouds since they had a similar shape. Initially I thought they were too small, but the shape was right. It turns out, she was spot on. They were storm clouds and they were large – just a long way away. In fact, they were over northern France. As soon as we landed, I looked at the weather radar, and the image below shows just what the residents of that area were experiencing. Amazing to realise just how far you can see when flying.

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Details on Tiles and Insulation Blankets

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The previous post I created about the Space Shuttle, Discovery, had a number of shots of the whole orbiter. However, as I walked around, I found the lighting showed off the texture of the vehicle’s surface in a really interesting way. Not long before I went to Udvar-Hazy, I had seen a video that showed how the tiles had been made for the shuttle. That included a bit about the integrity that was required after which a hole was drilled in each tole for a moisture protection system. This hole created a hot spot which shows on all of the tiles on Discovery.

The tiles were used in the hottest areas of the airframe during reentry. Initially, the whole shuttle was covered in tiles but, over time, they changed to using a blanket type of insulation in the areas that were less stressed. The texture of these blankets looks rather rough for something that flies at such speeds. I guess it did the job nicely, though.

I also liked some of the details around the reaction control system nozzle and on the corners of some of the control surfaces. They look both tough but also quite delicate. An odd contradiction in my perceptions. To think that this was originally designed in the 1970s and then constantly improved up to the point when it was retired is quite something looking at it in 2026.

Triple Expansion Engine

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Steam engines revolutionised industry but, initially, they weren’t very efficient. The introduction of the triple expansion engine brought a massive increase in efficiency and boosted what could be done with steam power. The Twyford Waterworks used to use a steam engine to drive the pumps that pull water from underground. That process now uses electrical pumps, but the engine has been preserved.

They fire it up for visitor days but, because it isn’t actually doing much work, it doesn’t need to generate much power. Even so, with the boiler providing the steam, the mechanisms can be fully exercised. Because it isn’t in constant use, the mechanics supervising it have to put a lot more effort into ensuring that it is properly lubricated. The oils would stay well spread and up to temperature if it was on constant use, but sporadic usage means it needs to be nursed more.

The heavy steelwork of the three cylinders is beautifully crafted, and the various pipes and gauges look like works of art. As the whole thing works through its cycles, you get a small appreciation of the engineering that came out of the late Victorian era.

RAF Chedworth

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Flying over the Oxfordshire countryside, I saw a farm below that had clearly once been an airfield. Fortunately, I had a GPS track running so I could look up the location after the event. This was once RAF Chedworth. After it was no longer of use to the RAF, it was turned back to farming. The outlines of the runways are still clearly visible, even after years of growth. At ground level, I suspect they are hard to see but the aerial viewpoint can show what was once there for a very long time.

Dragonflies Laying Eggs

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There is a pond at Longstock called Dragonfly Pond and it isn’t misnamed. I spent a bit of time watching the dragonflies skimming across the surface and then one seemed to be busy laying eggs beneath the leaves on the water’s surface. I switched to video and got the following clip. Tons of dragonfly larvae will, no doubt, hatch out. How many of them will survive to become an adult like this?

Sally B

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The lighting was far from ideal at Cosford when B-17 Sally B did its display, but the display itself was a good one. After a couple of decades in the US, I have seen a variety of B-17s at air shows. Sally B will still be the first one I saw, though. She has been part of the UK display scene for as long as I have known about it and was one of the five that were used for the filming of Memphis Belle. Good to see her again and glad to know that they have continued to keep her active.

Thomas is Out and About

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While out on a bike ride one weekend, I rode from Bighton to Ropley which takes me over the Watercress Line. I wasn’t aware what they might have going on that weekend, but it turned out that they had their “Thomas” making runs. It came out of Ropley towards the bridge I was on, so the phone came out to grab a couple of shots before I continued on my ride.

Sikorsky X2

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A few manufacturers have been experimenting with high-speed rotor craft. Sikorsky put its efforts into a project called X2. This is a contra-rotating helicopter with a pusher propellor. The contra-rotation of the rotors offsets the retreating blade stall issues that high speeds on helicopters cause. The rear pusher propellor allows the higher speeds to be achieved.

When the programme was completed, the airframe was donated to the National Air a Space Museum which put it on display at the Udvar-Hazy Annex at Dulles. Seeing it in person made it quite clear just how small the vehicle is. Since it is a research airframe, there is no need for payloads to be carried. It is about proving the concepts. That means it can be smaller and smaller also can mean cheaper. Seeing it from the side was also matched by having a good view down on it from one of the stairways. It would have been cool to see it fly, I imagine.

Red Bull RB17

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The Red Bull RB17 was one of the cars at the Festival of Speed that was attracting the most attention. I watched as it was put back on its display stand after it had been out on a run. It really is an amazing vehicle with complexity of aerodynamic design that makes the heart of an ex-aerodynamicist sing.

They needed to move it onto the stand sideways, so it was put on dollies to move it into place. I was able to get a few shots of it but there were technicians everywhere taking care of it so there was always someone in the shot. The stand had the RB17 on the base and a Red Bull F1 car mounted inverted on the roof. I went to the front to get a head on view of this combination.

Busy Ramp at Brize

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I was at Brize Norton earlier this year. I had a brief chance to look at the ramp both as we taxied out and as we returned. A combination of A400Ms and Voyagers were about with some holding to depart as we came back and others awaiting their next mission. Here are a few shots of the residents.