Te Ao Hou

A bilingual quarterly published by the Maori Affairs Department, 'to provide, interesting and informative reading for Maori homes'. (1952–1975) Link…

Spitfires in Russia

An interesting piece of history. On the shortcomings of the Spitfire on the Eastern front:

"In the first place, air war on the Eastern front by its nature differed significantly from the war in the Western theater of military operations, and many factors influenced its role in the East. Because aerial engagements in the East were conducted at low and medium altitudes, the engines of the “Russian” Spitfires did not develop the same horsepower as they provided on the Western front at higher, working altitudes, for which the aircraft and its engine were designed. As a consequence, the speed of the fighter was lower. In addition, in Russian conditions, the Spitfire had to function largely from primitive airfields. Its low chassis frequently did not withstand the unevenness of the airfields—the aircraft got stuck, went nose-over, and broke their wooden propellers, and therefore the pilots had to be extremely careful during taxi on the ground.

After flying our Soviet-manufactured aircraft [most of which had center-line weapons], our pilots were uncomfortable with the wing mounting of all the weapons—two cannons and four machine guns—of the Spitfire Mk. Vb. “The aircraft’s weapons are spread along the entire width of the aircraft, resulting in insufficient centralized fire” says one evaluation. Despite the fact that there was experience in the Soviet VVS of the employment of the I-16 with the ShVAK wing cannons, Soviet fighter pilots were more used to armaments located in the nose portion of the aircraft. In conditions of high-maneuver engagements, which were in the character of our fighters, such weapons gave superiority. The weight of a salvo was concentrated and directed to a specific portion of the enemy aircraft. In the case of the wing-mounted weapons of the Spitfire, it was necessary in the first place to become accustomed to the great dispersion of the weapons; and in the second place, to diligently shoot them, so that the tracers go to a single point. If gunnery skill is not developed, the shells and rounds may not hit the target.

However, most of all the technical personnel of the regiments were dissatisfied with the power plant of the British fighter—the Merlin 45 and 46 engines. In particular, the summaries say that the “engines function fully satisfactorily. The strong side of the Merlin engine is the fact that a PRD has been mounted on it, a regulator for the quality of the [fuel] mixture. ”The engine had another quality as important to technical personnel as simplicity of service—assembly and disassembly of the engine was simple; there were no particularly difficult approaches to it. The engine started easily, its RZ-5 spark plugs worked for up to 50–60 hours which, as the mechanics noted, was also a good indicator. However, these same spark plugs had a “very weak electrode.”

Adjustment of the engine itself, according to the testimony of specialists, was simple. The qualities that the pilots liked, and which were very important in aerial combat—transition to various regimes of power of the Merlin were smooth. The engine had good acceleration—it is obvious that this quality substantially assisted Spitfire pilots in combat with Messerschmitts, which thanks to the power of the Daimler-Benz engine had good speed dynamics.

A negative quality of the Merlin was the absence of a two-speed supercharger, which reduced the ceiling [altitude range] of the engine. The engine broke down after 50–60 hours of use, after which it was necessary to change out the piston rings, along with other assemblies: hydraulic systems, fuel pumps, and air compressor. The water pump was very complex in its design and, as a rule, broke during use. “There were cases in the process of use of breakage of piston rings, broken connecting rods, the consequences of the leak of coolant in places where the cylinder sleeves were press-fitted. There is no method for starting the engine from a wheeled vehicle”, says a summary of technicians of the 57th GIAP." Link…

Notes on New Zealand Fish

"Lophotes cepedianus Giorna. Plate IV, fig. 2.
Lophotes cepedianus Giorna, Mem. Accad. Torino, xvi, 1809, p. 19, pl. ii, fig. 1.
Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of the Dominion Museum, sent a specimen of Lophotes, upon which he asked me to report.
Parker appears to have been the first to record Lophotes from New Zealand, and, knowing only of L. cepedianus, assumed that his specimen was of the same species. The Dunedin record was followed by a notice by Clarke, who reported the stranding of a specimen on the Waiwakaiho Beach, Taranaki. Clarke did not see the fish, but identified it generically from verbal descriptions and drawings, one of which he reproduced.
We next find that Hutton, though giving the references to the papers of Parker and Clarke, enters the New Zealand species as L. fiski Gunther. He seems to have had no specimen for examination, and L. fiski is such a peculiar form that he was clearly wrong in identifying with it the specimens described by Parker and Clarke. Upon the authority of the “Index” L. fiski was entered in my “Basic List,” but the species should evidently be erased from the New Zealand fauna. When describing this fish in 1890 from a specimen stranded at the Cape, Günther mentioned that three nominal species had been then described—namely, L. cepedianus Giorna, L. capellei Schlegel, and L. cristatus Johnson—but remarked that all three were possibly of the same species. He had then overlooked the fact that Johnston had associated his own name with a Lophotes taken in Tasmanian waters: L. guntheri is described as having reticulate markings. More recently, Kershaw identified with L. cristatus a specimen taken in Victorian waters, but I have not seen his note. As my private library is packed for transport, I am unable to make further notes on the history of the fishes of this genus.
The subject of this note was obtained in the Wellington district, and a cast was made for exhibition in the Canterbury Museum. A photograph of this cast is reproduced herewith, and shows the general proportions of the fish, its peculiar flat shape rendering it tolerably free from the distortions to which a round fish is subject under the photographic lens. The first rays of the dorsal fin and the upper rays of the caudal were broken, otherwise the fish was quite perfect."


"Centrophorus plunketi Waite. Plate III.
Centrophorus plunketi Waite, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 42, 1910, p. 384, pl. xxxvii.
This species was first diagnosed four years ago from an example caught off Kaikoura, and in July last (1913) I received a second specimen from the same locality, by favour of Messrs. Nilsen Brothers.
This individual is slightly smaller than the previous one, being 1398 mm. in length. It also is a female, and is interesting from the fact that it was gravid, thirty-six young ones being obtained from the uteri. They are all of similar size, being 165 mm. in length, but had evidently not nearly reached their full foetal development, as the yolk-sac is large (66 mm. in diameter) and almost globular. At this stage the gills are still external, being apparent as red filaments, and, as usual, branchial filaments are also protruded through the spiracle. The predorsal spines do not at this stage show the protective knobs found in the foetus of Squalus, though they may be a later foetal development.
In its ball-like form and short thick peduncle, the yolk-sac of Centrophorus agrees with Squalus, and differs greatly from that of Galeus, which I have described as of peculiar shape, provided with a long umbilical cord, entering the sac towards the larger end.
The colour of the adult shark is uniform dark brown; it is interesting, therefore, to find that the foetal examples are white beneath, as with the majority of adult fishes and sharks, perhaps indicating that the uniform coloration of Centrophorus and Scymnorhinus is an acquired character."

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961. Link…

Porcelain Equipments

Ma Jun. Link…

Hairless

Gail Porter has it, as so does Matt Lucas. Cinder also has it. It's alopecia universalis. Link…

Heavy lidded

Great Hanuman. Thanks, IT WAG (Jammy Badger). Link…

Tsunami signs

I couldn't find any more signs after the 400m one.

Hanuman Jayanti

Birth day of Hanumanji. Today is Lord Hanuman's birthday.

Hanuman Book

A story from the Ramayana by Biman Mullick – out of print. Link…

LockWasher Design

Custom engineered found objects. Link… Cute. [more]

Benedikt Eppelsheim Wind Instruments

The Tubax B_b subcontrabass saxophone. The Jay C. Easton track has to be heard. Link…

The Land of Smiles

I'm off to Thailand for a short holiday. Whilst doing some research I came across the phenomenon of nicknames. More here. Here's a blog with a post about girls [slightly risque link] nicknames. I particularly liked this response after some off-colour posts: "Sorry Nick but your question is far too sensible. You are supposed to include at least one insult with every post. I think I can answer it anyway. I believe Thon-than means something that lasts a long time....enduring".
This is a Thai language resource. Link…

I like this Hanuman

This is a great statue. I do think that you should have waited until you had a clear shot without other people in the picture though. Never mind, thank you Mayank. Link…

The Digital Scriptorium

The Digital Scriptorium is an image database of medieval and renaissance manuscripts. An enhanced and expanded version was launched January 2007. The image above is a (greatly reduced in size), depiction of Christ. Link…

Phoenix

Some photographs, history and pictures of old Phoenix, Arizona from 1895 to 1970s. Link…

Stigmata

Stigmatic statistics:
1. None are known prior to the thirteenth century. The first mentioned is St. Francis of Assisi.
2. There are 321 stigmatics in whom there is every reason to believe in a Divine action.
3. There are 62 saints or blessed of both sexes.
4. There were 20 stigmatics in the nineteenth century. Link…
Padre Pio. Pray, Hope. Don't Worry. Link… Pictures. Link… [updated link 9th October, 2008]

Rosicrucians

• I speak not fiction, but what is certain and most true.
• What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is like that which is below for performing the miracle of one thing.
• And as all things were produced from one by the Meditation of one, so all things are produced from this one thing by adaptation.
• Its father is the Sun, its mother was the Moon. The wind carried it in its belly, its nurse is the earth.
• It is the cause of all perfection throughout the whole world.
• Its power is perfect if it be changed into the earth.
• Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, gently and with judgement.
• It ascends from earth to heaven and descends again to earth; thus you will possess the glory of the whole World, and all obscurity will fly away.
• This thing is the fortitude of all fortitude, because it overcomes all subtle things, and penetrates every solid thing.
• Thus were all things created.
• Thence proceeds wonderful adaptations which are produced in this way.
• Therefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus, possessing the three parts of the philosophy of the whole World.
• What I had to say concerning the operation of the Sun is complete.

The Smaragdine Table of Hermes Trismegistus. Link…

Anjaneya

Hey brother. Link…

Illuminated Manuscripts

The “Codices Electronici Sangallenses” (Digital Abbey Library of St. Gallen), has very high quality scans. Some of these books are the only existing copies. The text doesn't do much for me but the illustrations are wonderful. They are readily accessible by viewing the 'description' first and then clicking on the links. The four pictures here are just a small selection from an extensive collection. The first I chose because I find it bizarre that the illustrator chose to depict an accident at the site of the building of a chapel. Amongst others in this book there is also a great picture of a nun about to be set on by a hairy, horned, devil person as she tends to a bonfire of some sort. I love the expressions and the eye work in the Saints book (the second and last pictures here). I chose the Crusades picture just because it's totally dodgy. Link…

Japanese Dolls

The "Jap Doll" – Ningyô on the Western Toyshelf 1850-1940. A deceptively simple looking site that has great depth. Link…