Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Dinosaur ...Fear and Fancy

Bone Crunching Make Believe


                                                                Dragon

Is it OK to include dragons as dinosaurs?  This guy certainly looks the part and I don't smell kerosene on his breath.  The 1920 x 1080, 96 dpi image is from Dragon Wallpapers.


                                                              Triceratops

Here's the whole ornery crew gathered for a drink after work at the old watering hole.  Everyone's belly aching about the new crew chief, Rex.  This picture is big time 300 dpi, 1920 x 1080 and located at Real Dinosaur Pictures.


                                                                  T. Rex

There's no talking to him when he gets this way.  His wife isn't any better.  Tyrannosaurus Rex as you like him at 1920 x 1080 and from Wallpaper Network.


                                               Dinosaur and Super Crocodile

Real Dinosaur Pictures brings you this National Geographic 1024 x 768 image.  Real dinosaurs with real dinosaur issues.


                                                        Tyrannosaurus Rex

This Rex has an additional full row of teeth growing along the length of his spine.  Maybe now they will take him seriously.  Reddit posts this 100 dpi, 1600 x 1200 image.


                                                              Allosaurus

Surely you remember this guy.  He's the one with cooperative social behavior and hunted in packs during the movie Jurassic Park.  He's never stopped playing that part.  Wallpaper DJ posts this 1024 x 742 image.


                                                                     Rex

Last but certainly not least - our good buddy Rex.  Leave it to the brilliant minds of Pixar to turn a vicious, flesh eating tyrant into Woody Allen.  Simply Wallpapers has this 1600 x 1200 image for you.


                              P L A C E S     T O     B E                               

                                                                M O R E
                                                    COLD VALENTINE

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Places You'd Rather Be

Where would you hide out from the world?


                                                     Emerald water Paradise

Warm tropical breeze, billowing white clouds, sapphire sky, crystal clear water and no cell phone towers... your chance to become shipwrecked.  The 1920 x 1200 image is from Desktop Wallpaper HD.


                                     Eilean Donan Castle near Dornie, Scotland

Bed, breakfast and a great top floor view of sunset over the lake - did you say you were looking for an elevator?  The image is 1024 x 768 at 96 dpi from Scenic Reflections.  There were pop-up ads to deal with when accessing the picture.


                                             Have you considered meditation?

There's nothing like a large, towering rock to get your attention.  This 1920 x 1200, 300 dpi image is from WallpaperStop.


                                               Grand Tetons, Wyoming - USA

First word that comes to mind when viewing these mountains - majestic?  You'll want four-wheel drive for getting around and the nearest store is a good thirty minute trip.  The image from Netjunkz is 1600 x 1200.


                                                  Port, somewhere far away

Sleep when you want, eat as you please and mingle with people of intrigue.  They're all running from something just like you.  Kool Wallpapers provides this 1658 x 1043 image.


                                              Curme Island, Desolation Sound

The stillness of sunset over British Columbia.  The area is called Desolation Sound but trouble would find it difficult tracking you here.  This 1920 x 1200, 96 dpi image is from Sfondissimo.


                                                            Machu Picchu

Getting away from it all in the Lost City of the Incas, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.  Those nagging day to day problems loose their punch among these polished stones of ancient ruins.  At least it beats the tourist traps of Venice.  Scenic Reflections provides this 1024 x 768 image at 180 dpi.


                                                  Slot Canyon, Utah - USA

These richly colored, narrow crevices beneath the Earth's surface are an enchanting place to visit but definitely not for the claustrophobic.  Scenic Wallpapers provides this 1600 x 1200 photo.


                                                        Caribbean Island

Here's the fabled deserted island where romance begins between a couple brought together by fate.  That's the way I'd like to see it.  The chances are, though, that the only coconuts served up here are at the Tiki Room of the Beachcomber Inn directly behind the photographer snapping this picture.  Scenic Wallpapers provides this 1600 x 1200 storybook photo.


                                                      Beethoven's Getaway

Love on the rocks... absorbing the mood of an unsettling sea.  You're a special kind of tourist seeking this one out.  I'll not be dining out tonight.  I'm devouring my insides.  Bon appetite.  The image is 1600 x 1000 from reddit.


                                                            Zhangjiajie

Somewhere amidst the clouds trees cling to impossible pillars of stone burnished by the fading light.  Once here you realize rewards of this magnitude require a strenuous trek.  deshow offers this taste at 1600 x 1200.



                                                     Click here to see more
                                                         COLD VALENTINE

Monday, November 28, 2011

Russian Air Force

Historic Soviet Aircraft to modern day, cutting edge Avionics...


                                                                MiG 25

So there's snow.  So it's cold... and freezing wind.  The work continues.  This 1200 x 736 image at 300 dpi is by Ilya Stadnik and is posted at Russian Air Force.


                                                                MiG 27

After three decades of service the MiG 27 remains an operational interceptor.  These MiGs are of the Sri Lanka Air Force.  This 1024 x 705 photo is posted at Russian Air Force and was taken by Alexander Golz.


                                                                MiG 29

A highly respected fighter the USA bought 21 MiG 29s from Moldova to prevent them being purchased by Iran.  This is a 1200 x 800 photo displayed at Russian Air Force and photographed by Anton Pavlov.


                                                                 MiG 31

The MiG 31 replaced the MiG 25 as Russia's long-range interceptor.  It has a range of 720 kilometers / 447 miles fully armed and speeding over twice the speed of sound.  The photo by Sergey Zhiharev is 1200 x 822 and is posted at Russian Air Force.


                                                  An-124 with Su-27 escort

The Antonov An-124 is a strategic airlift cargo jet with a 25% greater payload capacity than the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.  It was photographed by Anton Pavlov and the 1200 x 871 image is displayed at Russian Air Force.


                                                                  Su-27

A sunset touchdown for the Su-27 as photographed by Nick Belyaev.  The 1200 x 800 image at 300 dpi is one of many that can be viewed at Russian Air Force with their extensive photo archives.


                                                                   T-50

Sukhoi is developing this stealth jet as the Russian Air Force replacement for the MiG-29 and Su-27.  The 1200 x 900 image is by Max Bryansky and is part of the Russian Air Force photographic archive.


                                                           Tu-95 and Il-78

An Il-78 provides midair refueling to a Cold War warrior, the Tupolev Tu-95.  This 1024 x 686, 300 dpi, photo is by Evgeniy Kazennov and is among the archive photos of Russian Air Force.



                                                     Click here to see more
                   COLD VALENTINE

Winter Lights

The days short, nights are long.  It is often cold and inhospitable for both body and spirit.  Is it any wonder our most colorful and family-oriented holidays are celebrated in winter?


                                                              Lighthouse

A friendly beacon in ragged winter chill the lighthouse burns bright with warmth.  The greeting is 1680 x 1050 at 300 dpi from Pulsar Wallpapers.


                                                         Cross Country Ski

Who is it that prefers the company of no one in times like these?  The image of cross country skiers is 1600 x 1200 at 300 dpi and is from Wallpaper Stop.


                                                              Winter sun

Life's marvel without us.  An isolated mountain top at midday is heavy with snow.  The image is 1680 x 1050 at 72 dpi from Wallpaper Catalog.


                                                           Holiday cabin

There are silver bells and then there is the sound of one bell ringing.  A mountain cabin turns on its lights.  The 1600 x 1200 image at 72 dpi is from reddit.


                                                        Season's Greeting

It's candy cane lights and Santa brings a Teddy.  It's home for Christmas.  The image is 1600 x 1131 at 72 dpi from reddit.


                                                       

                                                                 M O R E
                                                    COLD VALENTINE

Sunday, November 27, 2011

MiG 25

MiG 25 Foxbat

Mikoyan-Gurevich


                                              MiG 25 reveals air-to-air missiles

Wallpapers Only has this 1024 x 768 MiG 25 banking away image.


Crew:                    1

Power:                   2 - Tumansky R-31 turbojet engines
                                    11,000 kg / 24,250 lb afterburning thrust

Max. Speed:         2,975 kph / 1,848 mph
Ceiling:                 24,385 m / 80,000 ft
Range:                  1,125 km / 700 miles
Climb:                   15,240 m / 50,000 ft per minute

Weight -
Empty:                  20,000 kg / 44,090 lb
Max. Take Off:     36,200 kg / 79,800 lb

Size -
Wingspan:            13.95 m / 45 ft 9 in
Wing Area:           56.83 sq m / 611.7 sq ft
Length:                 23.82 m / 78 ft 1.75 in

Armament:
                           4 - air-to-air missiles on external pylons
                                AA-6 Acrid air-to-air missiles, 4 typical
                                or
                               2 - AA-7 Apex and 2 - AA-8 Aphid
                                    air-to-air missiles




                                                Air-to-Air missile arrangement

Alexandru Vlad has identified the above jet as a MiG 31 and not the MiG 25 as I previously believed.  See his comment below for his full explanation.  The 1200 x 800 image above is from Poder Aereo, a Brazilian site in Portuguese.  Your browser should provide translation.  The missile arrangement differs from that specified above.  Published specifications involving military aircraft are seldom rigid or exact.


                                                  Two cockpit training version

Wikipedia has this 1023 x 681 double cockpit MiG 25 image.  At 78 feet (almost 24 meters) even the single cockpit version is longer than an 18 wheeled U.S. commercial truck.


                                                                 Eject!

Guess what happened at work today?  Riding a rocket powered chair from a speeding aircraft is not short on thrills.  The 1024 x 768 image from Operator Chan is grainy but try finding another like this.  The MiG is in level flight and the pilot remains in place so what is the trainer thinking?  The picture provides only questions.


                                                           MiG 25 cockpit

There's no room for anything but business in one of these cockpits.  This 684 x 1036 image is from Photobucket.


                                                        Interceptor mode

Wai Le Model provides this 1024 x 738 illustrator's view of MiG 25s rising to intercept.


                                                        Parachute assist

It's physics.  Something this large, this fast is going to need help stopping before the runway ends.  This 1200 x 800 image is from the Russian Air Force which is a great resource for aviation photos.

Related Topics:

Su 27

Vulcan

B-52 Stratofortress

B-58 Hustler


                                                     Click here to see more
                                                    COLD VALENTINE

Saturday, November 26, 2011

F-86

F-86 Sabre

North American


                                                              F-86 Sabre

Oshkosh Air Show photo of F-86 at 2388 x 1468 as posted on Wikipedia.


Crew:                    1

Power:                   General Electric J47-GE-17B turbojet engine
                              3,402 kg / 7,500 lb afterburning thrust

Max. Speed:          1138 kph / 707 mph
Ceiling:                  16,640 m / 54,600 ft
Range:                   1,344 km / 835 miles
Climb:                    3,660 m / 12,000 ft per minute

Weight -
Empty:                  5,656 kg / 12,470 lb
Max. Take Off:     7,756 kg / 17,100 lb

Size -
Wingspan:            11.3 m / 37 ft 1 in
Wing Area:           26.76 sq m / 288 sq ft
Length:                 12.29 m / 40 ft 4 in
Height:                  4.57 m / 15 ft

Armament:
                           6 - 12.7 mm / 0.50 in M2 Browning Machine Guns (1,602 rounds total)
                           5,300 lb payload on 4 hardpoints -
                           often 2 - 1,000 lb bombs + 2 - 200 gallon Drop Tanks
                           or
                           24 - 70 mm / 2.75 in unguided Mighty Mouse high explosive rockets (F-86D)
                           in place of machine guns




                                                      F-86 versus MiG 15

Which of these Korean War legends is Better?  State your pick and take the POLL here!
                                                                * * * * *
A rare in flight side by side comparison of two legendary foes over MiG Alley during the Korean War taken by Richard Seaman and the 2006 Chino Air Show.  The image is 980 x 668.


                                                     MiG Alley adversaries

Richard Seaman posted this 826 x 705 MiG 15 and F-86 image on his 2006 Nellis Air Show page.  The photo is just about halfway down the page.


                                           Cockpit of Korean War vintage F-86

The 800 x 551 F-86 cockpit photo is posted at Military Factory.


                                             F-86 cockpit identification diagram

You'll find this 850 x 760 F-86 cockpit diagram at reddit.  It's interesting that the canopy-jettison and seat-ejection have separate levers.  It would be tragic to panic and fire the seat-ejection first.


                                                        F-86 ejection seat

The ejection seat diagram is 1452 x 2056 at 200 dpi.  It's located at Cybermodeler.  They also feature a different military photo each day and access to their DoD archives.


                                                   F-86 skin panels removed

Wikipedia has this 4272 x 2848, 240 dpi revealing image of the inner workings of an F-86.

Related Topics:

F-89 Scorpion

F7U Cutlass

MiG 15

Tu-95 Bear


                                                     Click here to see more
                                                   COLD VALENTINE