Slaty Skimmer at Gorman

Slaty Skimmer Teneral Male

According to Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio by Rosche, Semroc, and Gilbert, the Slaty Skimmer is rare.  I am finding it anything but at Gorman.  Maybe it is just me.

May 23rd I saw the one at the top.  Please note the exuvia to the right of its head.  I find it hard to believe that such a large creature could live in such a small shell.

Slaty Skimmer Teneral male

This is the first one I saw on May 22. 

Slaty Skimmer Teneral Male

I was trying to groom my scene, at the top, when the dragonfly took to the wing.  I followed and captured this image.

The activity, I believe, based on the weather has been reduced lately.  I hope that we are headed into more suitable weather soon.

Larry's Images



Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 

Feed 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

The Red Baron's Plane

Fokker Dr 1

This is a replica of the plane Manfred von Richthofen flew.
 It is not painted like his but rather like that of Lt. Arthur Rahn.

The Dr 1 was considered a very agile fighter.  Lt. Rahn scored six victories in it.  Von Richthofen scored 19 of his last 21 victories in it.

Fokker Dr 1

I think I became aware of this aircraft through Charles Shultz's comic strip.  I don't remember seeing a picture of one there but I heard the name "Red Baron."

Larry's Images 

 
Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 


Feed 

If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

First to Cross the English Channel

Bleriot Monoplane

This was the first aircraft to cross the English Channel.  Louis Bleriot flew it in 1909.  The display aircraft is a full size replica built from factory blueprints by Mr. Ernest C. Hall of Warren, Ohio.  It was donated to the museum in 1969.

It had a Anzani 3-cylinder, 20 hp engine and flew at 45 mph, maximum.

Larry's Images

Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 

Feed 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

The Beginnings of Flight

Wright 1909 Military Flier

I have been watching the Military Channel which has a program called "Warplane"  There are four in the serious and they cover the history of aviation from the beginning until the present.  I was surprised to learn that the 1903 flier, the first to fly, is not available.  I don't know what happened to it.  There is or was a group building a full sized replica using the technology the Wrights wrote down.  They have even created a replica of the 1901 wind tunnel.  I am amazed at the professional, scientific approach the Wrights used to invent the flying machine.  

There was another wind tunnel, the 1916 Wind Tunnel.  I saw both this one and the 1901 one in the Early Years Exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Air-force.  

My shots of the 1901 Wind Tunnel did not turn out and I could not find a satisfactory perspective for the 1916 one. 

McCook Field 1918 Wind Tunnel

The Wright Brothers impressed me with their research related to flight.  The successive wind tunnels were each capable of faster air speeds.  The McCook Field Wind Tunnel, 1918, pictured above, was capable of air speeds in the mid 400's.  Planes were not flying that fast at the end of WWI but they were during WWII.

I wanted, also, to mention that the Wrights built their own engine for the 1903 flier.  They could not find an engine with enough horse power that was light enough so they make their own.  They calculated that they needed at least 8 horsepower for the plane.  The engine they built put out 12 horsepower.  

Their propeller was correctly conceived as a rotating wing not a paddle.  Today's wooden propellers are 85% efficient.  Theirs was 81% efficient.  

 

Some think that their most important contribution was the invention of flying.  They designed control in all three major areas, pitch, yaw and roll.  The first plane they designed had all these controls. 

 

Larry's Images


Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 

Feed 

If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Bowl and Doily Spider

Bowl and Doily Spider

The B and D Spider has been around for at least a couple weeks now.  In case you are unfamiliar with it, you can read about it at Wikipedia.  Usually their webs are close to the ground and I don't comfortably get down there any more.  I found one spun at height that worked for me so I photographed it.

Bowl and Doily Spider

 I used my Sigma 105 mm macro lens on a 2x converter which yielded the view I wanted.   We had plenty of light but it was directional, lighting the abdominal end of the spider.  It contained lots of contrast.  I added light from a slave flash to light the head end.  I held the flash in my left hand.

Bowl and Doily Spider

I wanted to see the face of this tiny spider but did not find satisfaction with these images.

I made these shots the day before I went to Dayton and did not view them until after my return.  I will occasionally return to a web and shoot again but not in this case.  

Larry's Images


Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 

Feed 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Soccer Kids

Evie

 I get the schedule at the beginning of the soccer session.  I knew it was getting late and I had not been to any games.  They had three, actually four, games on Saturday.  I saw three plus ballet on Friday night.  It rained for Evie's game and got my new raincoat baptized.  Thankfully, boyscout that I am, I had a trash bag in my camera bag.  I made a rain cover for my camera equipment and kept right on shooting.  Evie did a good job.

Caleb

    These shots, a lot of them, took me a long time to process.  I became hopelessly behind until the weather gave me a break.  Caleb did well also.  I was proud of him.

Reed

Reed plays defense.  It will probably be called right full back later on.  He is good.  His dad, Andrew, in the sunglasses in the background is one of his coaches.

Reed's Scoring Kick

Reed's team was in a tournament on Sat. and Sun.  They played two games on each day.  I saw the second one on Saturday.  Reed did a corner kick which bounced off an opposing player and into the goal.  Winning score!  How exciting!  His team went on to win both games on Sunday and the championship.  

It was great to see everyone.

Larry's Images

Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 

Feed 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.