B-36 Wheels

Large B-36 Wheel

The B-36 originally had large wheels as shown.  I believe it had one on a side.  The weight on the runway became a limiting factor in the airfields available so they went to four smaller wheels on a side to spread out the weight, see landing gear behind and shot below.

You may notice that I had some distortion caused by the lens for this shot.

B-36 Quad Landing Gear Wheels

This newer arrangement allowed the B-36 to use more air bases without rebuilding the runways.

B-36 Wheels

This shot may show the comparison of the sizes better than the two above.  I used the low camera position, I think, to good advantage on this shot.

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B-36 Addendum

Mark 17 Thermonuclear Bomb

I went to the National Museum of the United States Air Force thinking that I would try to improve on my shot of the F-111 but construction preempted my plan.

I had thought that I would try shooting the aircraft from a lower angle.  I have learned in the past that my ultra wide lens gets used a lot in these shoots.  It is all that I used this time.

The Mark-17 was the first H-bomb.  It somehow incorporated hydrogen to make the atomic explosion more powerful.  It weighed 41,000 lbs.  It was in service from 1954 to 1957.  Its metal casing walls were 3 1/2 inches thick.  A ribbon chute was attached to slow its fall to give the B-36 time to exit the proximity.  

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Smaller Big Camera

North American RF-86F Haymaker Sabre

This aircraft carried K-17 camera, see below, during the fifties.  It also carried the K-22, not shown.

K-17 Camera

I got the idea that this camera was carried in the center of the fuselage under the pilot and that the K-22's with long lenses were carried on both outsides.  The fuselage was modified to carry them.  Blisters were needed for the film magazines and the guns were removed to allow space.  The gun ports were painted on so that enemy fliers would not know it was unarmed.

They had some prints from the cameras showing what I thought was a lot of detail.  You can see the edge of one in the left of this image and the image at the top.

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Big Camera

Boston Camera

This is the enormous camera carried by the B-36 in the early fifties.  It was built in 1951, the year I started first grade.  Designed by Dr. James Baker, it was manufactured by Boston University.  It recorded its images on an 18x36 inch negative.  It had a 240 inch f/8 lens.  It weighed 3.25 tons.  It was the largest aerial camera ever built.

It was mounted in a C-97 during the Berlin Airlift but its effectiveness was limited by the restricted altitude of 10,000 ft.  It was most effective at 40,000 ft.

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Ray Orbweaver

Ray Orbweaver Spider

I initially thought this spider was something else.  A closer look, permitted by my photograph, made me aware that it was the Ray Orbweaver.

Their behavior is similar to the Long-jawed Orbweaver.   Their web looks a bit different but you need to look closely.

Ray Orbweaver Web

Their webs are placed next door the those of the Long-jawed Orbweaver.  They capture their prey the same.

Captured Insect

I think I said that the spiders run out onto the web when an insect is captured.  I have since observed that they don't necessarily always to that.

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Hobomok Skipper

Hobomok Skipper

The "little" butterflies have been more numerous by far than the larger ones.  This little fellow is one of them, though not as numerous as many.

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Long-jawed Orbweaver Addendum

Long-jawed Orbweaver

I find them by looking for the sun's reflection off their silky web.  They seldom are actually on the web.  They hide near where the web is anchored and run out onto it when an insect is trapped.  They have six very long legs in front as you can see.  I find it difficult to get the entire spider in the image because the legs stretch out so long when they hide.

Long-jawed Orbweaver

They used their long jaws to hold the insect and wrap it up.  I assume they also use them to pull the prey into their mouth.

Long-jawed Orbweaver

I understand that there are many species of these spiders.  The scientific name given in the ODNR ID guide is tetragnatha elongata.  I suppose that is the one in Ohio.

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