#pneumatic wheels

[kevinbradleysstuff]

With caster wheels, it becomes much easier to move any platform or cage, even when it's carrying heavy things. You just need to choose the right caster wheels to have the best and most convenient experience.

[bootdork]

share something interesting with the class

I unofficially hold the record for fastest untrained Formula 1 tyre change speed which I accomplished at the Ferrari Museum in Bologna at the age of 16 but it didn't count because they forgot to press "end" on the timer when I finished.

[forklifttire]

At the Forklift Tire Company, we understand the importance of having top-quality industrial wheels and tires for your forklifts. Our extensive selection of products includes everything from pneumatic tires to solid rubber options, each designed to meet the demands of today's industrial environments. Whether you need to replace worn-out tires or want to upgrade your equipment with cutting-edge technology, we have the products you need to get the job done right. Contact us today for expert advice and top-quality tires and wheels. For more details, visit: https://www.forklifttire.com/.

[inkskinned]

for the longest time my family used to host one of the biggest haunted houses on my block: elaborate, themed amateur haunts that pearled out along our lawn for one-night-only. spinning circus wheel-of-terrors and walkthrough alien crash-landings and spiders that arched over our driveway, leaking venom onto your feet.

we didn't have a lot of money; and honestly i don't know how we afforded what we did have. there were not going to be pneumatics or projectors or any supply over 20 dollars - and even 20 was a stretch. we were lucky, and we lived in a town that had a "swap shed", where people would drop off any banged-up-but-usable items that they wanted to get rid of. the whole year, my family would pick over someone else's discarded fans and lights and weird decorations, asking each other - what do you think? for halloween?

we would strip the motors out of rusted fans and spraypaint vases and saw broom handles in half and apply a very thick coat of cardboard and duct tape to everything. for our pirate year, i made the mistake of individually drawing woodgrain onto each strip of cardboard that made up the ship. i then gently painted and distressed the "boards" so they'd each have lichen and cracks and unusual patterns. i hid eyes in the knots and shaped skulls. you couldn't see any of it in the dark, even under our "spotlight" (someone's target-branded workshop flashlight).

i have a lot of very strange skills as a result. i know how to make a flying ghost appear both physically and in the mirror. i know how to make a witch's brew that stirs itself. i know how to burn and cut and paint until there is an iron throne you can sit on, or an alien brushing your ankles, or a hearse trundling along. i can't say we ever made it beyond our local newspapers, but we tried so hard that the town would regularly shut down our street.

i can't put any of these skills on a resume, and i haven't been able to put them to use for a while. i live in an apartment, there's no lawn for me to decorate. for years i've wanted to do an alice in wonderland theme, and have been collecting ideas like coins in a fountain. at other houses, i am transfixed by 12 foot skeletons and paper mache spooky lanterns; easily wooed by the knowledge of how much time people put in.

someone asked me once - so what was the point? and why didn't you guys charge anything to show up?

in truth, we probably needed the money. for years there, we were a 1-meal-a-day kind of a family. i was being polite earlier up in this essay: we furnished both our house and our halloweens using things left a recycling center. we live in new england and still didn't turn on the heat until the end of november, no matter how low the temperature.

every year we would collect donations for unicef and other charities. on an average year, we would collect enough to pay for our food for weeks. every year, without fail: we donated every penny.

this endeavor took months to plan and design and execute. we had to organize any volunteers and check safety and hope-for-the-best. it took at least 24 hours to set up, a week to take down. the motors and fans and lights all had to be packed tight. the cardboard would scatter, pangea in the rain and sleet. i remember picking up a plank from that pirate ship, the paint blown clear off, all my hard work completely erased. a new kind of driftwood.

if this was a poem, and not a memory, i could wrap this up prettily. i could say that these skills landed me a cool job in the haunting industry or that it taught me the value of friendship and responsibility. but i actually think it's something better, something very pretty: there wasn't ever a moral to it.

the night was a long one. yes, there were assholes, people who broke stuff. but mostly it was just kids like us in cardboard costumes, dressed as an incredibly niche kind of truck. good parents who were friendly and laughing. teenagers who slunk in at late hours, wide-eyed and secretly delighted; who asked us can i help next year? like, do y'all take volunteers, or whatever? every year more people came, and told their friends, and offered to pay. and every year we said maybe next year and meant absolutely never.

we did it because it was enough to love something, and to make that love visible. we did it because there is very rarely an excuse to have fun. i think maybe especially, for me - we did it because every year, there was one first "customer" somewhere around 3-4PM, while we were still putting on the final touches. the sun would still be up, and we were frazzled and always-running-late, and these kids saw our vision unfinished in the bright light of day.

something about their parents murmuring say thank you and telling my mom this setup is so sweet while this little kid would grin up at us, dazzled by our artistic mediocrity. the fall air and the chill and their coat-over-a-panda-princess-costume. that first phrase of the night awkwardly managed over a pair of overly-large vampire teeth: a beautiful and excited trick or treat!

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Subaru XT

Subaru XT Interior

Subaru XT

Subaru XT

This is quite the spectacular car: its the Subaru XT from 1985-91 and that pronounced wedge shape is properly odd. While its a Japanese car, it was actually conceived in the USA and was actually debuted there before being shown off in Japan.

A turbo charged 2.0 engine was available along with four wheel drive and the car had some very advanced features including height adjustable pneumatic suspension and a digital dashboard.

That interior is particularly strange. But being strange is good, especially when there are so many boring cars out there.

[cadavercowboy]

Hot Rod

Anonymous said: i need a eddie munson fic where reader is pretty bold. I had a dream where i texted him "i wanna blow you" and he just responded "hot." i need this so bad 😭 Hmmm. *cracks knuckles* Alright, allow me to extrapolate a bit here... Idk why Eddie is a mechanic, it just felt right. I believe he would find this ridiculously hot and would lose his silly little mind if his girl got all confident and cocky about giving him the schlurpy durp.

Pairing: Mechanic!Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: You send Eddie some dirty texts and he takes full advantage of the opportunity afforded to him.

Word Count: 2.1k+

Warnings: Explicit content (18+ only). Sexting. Oral sex (it's sloppy toppy, guys!). Slight degradation. Face-fucking. Cum swallowing.

A/N: Reposting this because I privated the original and tumblr decided to fucking eat it. :-)

He heard the ping of his phone between the high-pitched whirs of Wayne’s pneumatic drill, though he’d ignored it on account of the grimy layer of black grease coating his fingers. Another ping and then a third let him know who it was texting him. A sudden sense of urgency had him ducking out from under the hood of the latest vintage car his uncle had him helping to rebuild so he could reach for the red rag on the workbench to clean his hands just enough to check his messages. The sight of your nickname splashed across the screen had prompted a small smile, but the content of your messages had his jaw falling slack.

“Eddieee…”

“I wanna blow you.”

Short. Sweet. Straight to the point. Eddie had licked his lips, fighting back a groan as he re-read the texts.

“Miss the way you feel in my mouth…wish I could taste you right now.”

The bold statement had caught Eddie off guard. While you’re far from a prude, it wasn’t usual for you to so blatantly express your desires. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but he knew a simple text wouldn’t suffice; he needs to give you precisely what you’ve asked for. Still, he couldn’t leave you hanging so he tapped out a lackluster response, knowing he’d make up for it shortly. 

“Hot.”

Eddie had stopped giving a shit about his greasy fingers as he dragged a hand through his hair and tried to come up with an excuse to give Wayne so he could get home to you. Sure, he felt a little guilty about flaking on his uncle, but the constriction in his pants won out over the one which tightened his chest.

“Hey, Wayne?” Eddie called hesitantly.

His uncle popped up from his stooped position near the rear wheel of the cherry red Coupe, eyebrows raised expectantly.

“I’m pretty beat,” Eddie lied easily. “Think I’m gonna call it a day, man.”

Wayne nodded as he stood, tossing a rusted bolt into a coffee can already half-full of discarded hardware. He wiped his hands on the stained material of his navy jumpsuit, wondering why his nephew had suddenly decided to pack it up for the night as he checked the dirty face of his watch.

“Alright, kid. I’ll probably be outta here pretty soon, too.”

Relieved that Wayne hadn’t questioned him, Eddie returned his tools to the rack and cleaned up his workspace so as to avoid any reprimanding from his uncle. His phone chirped again and he snuck a quick peek as inconspicuously as possible. He wished he hadn’t.

“Come home and fuck my throat.”

“Jesus goddamn Christ,” Eddie muttered, nearly dropping the device.

Wayne eyed him wordlessly, studying his shaggy-haired nephew as he fumbled with his cellphone and shoved it in his pocket for the second time in the last few minutes. He suspected the jingling electronic had something to do with Eddie’s sudden desire to leave, though he said nothing.

“See you tomorrow, Ed,” Wayne grumbled. “Tell your girl I said hello.”

Eddie’s steps faltered, unsure if his uncle’s words were intentional or if he’s just paranoid. Wayne noticed the hesitation but pretended he didn’t, instead burying his head in the engine of his car to hide his sly smirk. 

And that’s how Eddie ended up racing home to you and making it there in record time.

Though he knew you’d kill him for it, he texted you on the drive; punching the keys haphazardly — volleying his eyes between the road and the screen — to let you know he was on his way. He had every intention of testing to see whether you have the balls to back up what you’ve said and he knows you know that even without him saying so. Still, you pretended not to see his text. You feign ignorance as his booted feet come clamoring through the door.

“Baby?” Eddie calls, his voice nearly as tight as his pants had been the entire ride here.

He rounds the corner and spots you. You’re lounging on the sofa and watching something mindless on the television. You look so pretty dressed in nothing but a tattered Tom Petty tee, your bare legs stretched out and your ankles propped up on the arm of the couch. He’d love to bound across the room and ravish you right there on the worn green cushions, but he’d much rather have you make good on the earlier declarations you had made so confidently.

“Oh, you’re home,” you note with a smile, though your expression immediately darkens as you swing your body off the couch and begin to advance on him. “Finally.”

Eddie doesn’t even have a chance to say hello before you’re falling to your knees in front of him. His mouth drops open in disbelief and his arms raise at his sides; he’s not quite sure what else to do with them as your fingers deftly undo his belt and wrench his zipper down. You shove impatiently at his grease and oil-stained pants, shifting them just enough to get to what you want. There’s something so hot about the fact that you seem unphased that Eddie has come straight from work and hasn’t had a shower yet; his dick stiffens in agreement.

The warmth of your hand surrounds his half-hard erection as you reach under the waistband of his underwear and Eddie groans in bliss. Your texts already have him so torqued up, he fears he won’t last very long. If the jolts of electricity shooting through his body at the mere caress of your fingers are anything to go by, he’ll be lucky if his dick even makes it to your mouth.

“Been wanting this all day,” you purr as your fist pumps Eddie’s length, coaxing him to harden further.

His legs waver when he sees how hungrily you stare at his dick, your desperation written all over your face. Your wide, wet eyes peering up at him makes his cock throb in your hand and you lick your lips. He barely hears what you say when you mutter something about needing to taste him because your comment is lost among the sound of his broken moan as your lips surround his sensitive tip.

“Oh, shit,” Eddie whispers, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. “That’s so…s’good.”

You suckle his swollen head, intermittently flicking your tongue across the weeping slit until Eddie’s knees nearly buckle. When you lean in to drag your soft lips further down his length, Eddie comes dangerously close to exploding. A muffled moan escapes you as you taste the heady flavor of Eddie’s skin mingling with his sweat. He sucks in air between his teeth, finally looking down at you again and delving his hands into your hair to guide your movements.

As much as you love when he takes control, you want to make Eddie feel good; specifically, you want him to relax and let you take care of him. Rather than heeding the pressure of his hands, you plunge your head forward and swallow as much of his cock as you comfortably can. 

Your throat constricts and your eyes begin to prickle with tears. The metal teeth of Eddie’s zipper drag along your chin when you widen your jaw to accommodate the size of him. Gently rocking your head side to side, you manage the last inch before Eddie is pulling away from you. He stops when your mouth is midway down his shaft, taking in the sight of your mouth stuffed full of him as his girth stretches your lips wide.

With your best puppy dog eyes and a dissatisfied whine, you silently plead with Eddie to allow you to proceed. You need to feel the weight of his cock on your tongue, need to bury your nose in the thatch of curls at his base until you’re gagging around him. You want it so badly. 

Eddie shudders when you swirl your tongue against the thick vein that runs along the underside of his cock. Saliva gathers in the corners of your mouth as Eddie sits hot and hard between your parted lips, the slickness beginning to trickle down your chin. Something in Eddie’s gaze shifts in a way that both frightens and thrills you.

“You really want my cock that bad, huh?” he taunts, a hand circling under your jaw to force you to meet his eyes.

You nod your head carefully, your lips sliding against his turgid flesh with the movement. Eddie grunts in response as his thumb brushes along the corner of your mouth to gather some of the spit that leaks out. 

“Why don’t you let me fuck your pretty little mouth then?” he adds. “Just like you said earlier. Bet you didn’t think I’d follow through.”

Eddie’s words are stern but teasing, challenging you to prove that you aren’t all talk. He doesn’t wait for an answer, instead shoves his pants and underwear lower, baring his cock and balls and the length of his pale thighs to you. He shifts his feet and brings his other hand to your face, each of his thumbs hooking in either side of your mouth as he pulls out. 

“Look at me,” he commands, waiting until you obey before he continues. “Stick your tongue out.”

The wet flesh brushes against Eddie’s cock when you do, the heaviness of the appendage making your thighs clench. Eddie shoves his digits further into your mouth, tucking them between your teeth so you couldn’t close your mouth even if you wanted to. Saliva dribbles from your gaping mouth and he pushes the solid head of his cock through the moisture before shoving the stiff member back between your lips. 

“You look like such a pretty little slut. Keep your eyes on me and breathe through your nose,” is all the warning Eddie growls before he thrusts his hips forward.

The first press of his hard cockhead against the back of your throat is alarming and you flinch and cough, but Eddie doesn’t relent. He thrusts with steady and smooth strokes, his hefty cock dragging over your tongue and bumping the sensitive spot that makes you gag until tears spill from your eyes. You gag and splutter and each noise only spurs him on, the pathetic sounds earning a grunt of pleasure with each slip and slide of Eddie’s slick cock. 

“Stay just like that,” he snarls behind gritted teeth, making the demand as if you have any choice but to remain in his steadfast hold as he fucks your throat. “Be a good girl and let me use you.”

Just as expected, Eddie can feel his balls tightening with his impending orgasm. Adjusting your position, you brace yourself against Eddie’s forceful thrusts; cupping your hands around the backs of his bare thighs and hugging your body close to his so he can continue to fuck your face with ease.

You’re a mess of tears and drool and damn if he doesn’t wish he could stay here forever. Spit falls in steady globs on your chest, soaking your shirt. The wet sound of his cock sliding through the abundant moisture is going to be ingrained in Eddie’s head for a long, long time. Not to mention the way you whimper as you struggle to take him. 

A buzzing in his ears signals the nearness of his release and Eddie holds his breath as he buries every inch of his pulsing cock in your mouth. The swollen head slips just past the tightness of your esophagus and when the muscles squeeze him, Eddie loses it. 

He begrudgingly pulls back, only for the satisfaction of coating your tongue with the creamy spurts. You sniffle and whine when the warm drops hit your taste buds and fill your mouth. Though you do your best to keep it all contained, Eddie just keeps cumming and the abundant seed overflows and begins to ooze over your lower lip and down your chin. 

“Fuck,” Eddie sighs, fisting his cock and giving it a final shake to dispel the few drops that still seep from the tip. 

Not bothering to fix his disheveled clothes, Eddie crouches in front of you. He studies your soaked face and your full mouth, his cock twitching appreciatively at the debauched sight you make.

“Show me,” he whispers hotly.

You widen your jaw and stick your tongue out, careful not to let a single drop of Eddie’s cum escape. He inhales deeply, satisfied with your obedience and directs you to swallow it all. A shiver courses through you at the heated tone of Eddie’s voice, but you do as he asks. Your tongue peeks out to sweep any remaining spend from your lips, though Eddie beats you to it. 

His large hand cups the back of your head, pulling you in so he can capture your lips in an open-mouthed kiss. The sweet taste of you mingles with his own saltiness and Eddie moans into the kiss, his tongue tangling with yours until you’re breathless. 

“What the hell got into you?” Eddie pants with amusement as he observes you with adoration and surprise.

Joseph Quinn Masterlist ✦ Writing Masterpost

[wheelie-sick]

Things to research before getting your first custom manual wheelchair

one of the biggest things I can recommend to anyone getting a new custom chair (but especially a first custom chair) is to understand all of the parts of a wheelchair and what they do. I decided to make a guide with wheelchair parts to research and places to look for information to make this process a little bit easier. additional link suggestions are welcome.

General resources:

Permobil - The Wheelchair Handbook

Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation: Before the Evaluation (Part 1)

Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation (Part 2)

1. Frame

Motion Composites - Folding vs Rigid Wheelchair Frames: How to Choose

Permobil - Manual wheelchairs: rigid and folding frames. How do you choose?

GTK - Oh what’s in a frame? Comparing Multiple Materials

Motion Composites - Wheelchairs: Carbon Fiber Versus Aluminum

2. Front frame angle

Motion Composites - Understanding the Impact of Rigid Wheelchair Front Frame Angle

Sunrise Medical - Rigid Frame Wheelchairs – Frame Angle and Inset

4. Seat dump

Permobil - Ergonomic Seating and Manual Wheelchairs

Spinlife - Wheelchair Back & Seat Angle

5. Caster size, style, and position

Motion Composites - Front Casters for Manual Wheelchairs Practical Guide

Sunrise Medical - Front Caster Position in Manual Wheelchairs

6. Caster forks

New Mobility - Caster Wheels and Forks

Sunrise Medical - Maneuverability in Manual Wheelchairs - What Fork to use?

New Mobility - Innovations: Emerging Trends in the Wheelchair Market (information about single sided forks)

7. Footplate

Motion Composites - Footrest Options to Support Function and Mobility

When Tania Talks - Active User Wheelchair Footplate Options

8. Calf strap

Spex Seating - Lower Leg Support Considerations in Wheelchair Seating

9. Seat pan

Permobil - Solid Seat Insert for Wheelchair: Taking a Closer Look at Cushion Components

10. Seat cushion

Permobil - What to Look for in Seating & Positioning Products

Permobil - How to Choose a Cushion in Long Term Care

Permobil - Cushion Geometry: Linear and Contoured

Freedom Mobility Center - Wheelchair Seat Cushions: 5 Tips for Choosing the Right One for You

Mobility Basics - Seat Cushion Rigidizer

Motion Composites - Selecting the Right Cushion for Your Wheelchair a Clinicians Guide

Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers

11. Seat belts

12. Clothing guards

Sherman Oaks Medical Equipment - Wheelchair Clothes Guards / Side Guards Guide

13. Arm rests

United Spinal Association - Wheelchair Armrests What Do They Really Do?

Spinlife - Wheelchair Arm Rest Choices

Motion Composites - Armrests: Getting the Support you Need

14. Back supports

Motion Composites - Solid vs Upholstery Backs

Mobility Management - How to Choose the Right Back Height for your Client

Freedom Mobility Center - Why a Solid Back is Preferred Over a Sling Back

Mobility Basics - Back Supports

Sunrise Medical - Tips for Selecting Prefabricated Wheelchair Backs

Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers

15. Head supports

16. Push handles

Motion Composites - Push Handles: Pushing Around

17. Wheels

Motion Composites - Rolling Along: The Importance of Rear Wheel Selection

Sunrise Medical - Comparing Wheelchair Wheel Spoke Options

Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels

18. Tires

New Mobility - Everything You Need to Know About Selecting the Right Wheelchair Tires

GTK - Solid versus Pneumatic Tyres

Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels

Motion Composites - Tire Selection: Balancing Performance and Maintenance

19. Brakes

Motion Composites - Wheel Locks: Unlocking Safety and Function

20. Push rims/Hand rims

Motion Composites - Getting a Grasp: Understanding the Impact of Hand Rims

DME Hub - Wheelchair Hand Rom Options and Factors to Consider

21. Anti-tip wheels

22. Camber

Motion Composites - Camber - Degrees of Performance

23. Center of Gravity

Motion Composites - Rear Wheel Position 101

[usafphantom2]

The prototype B-52s scrapped after First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s ‘beautification’ of the US Air Force Museum

The B-52 Stratofortress

For more than 60 years, B-52 Stratofortress bombers have been the backbone of the strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the US inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions. Updated with modern technology, the B-52 is capable of delivering the full complement of joint developed weapons and will continue into the 21st century as an important element of our nation’s defenses. The Air Force currently expects to operate B-52s through 2050.

The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the B model entered service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built, with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. The first of 102 B-52H’s was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961.

The prototype B-52s scrapped after First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s ‘beautification’ of the US Air Force Museum: The story of the XB-52 and YB-52

The winning design

As explained by Scott Lowther in his book Boeing B-47 Stratojet & B-52 Stratofortress Origins and Evolution, the winning design for the XB-52, Model 464-49, transitioned to Model 464-67. While largely the same, there were some notable differences, most obviously the extension of the forward fuselage. Where 464-49 had the rear of the cockpit canopy behind the leading edge of the wing roots, 464-67 put the cockpit well ahead of the wing. The relatively vast expanse of spoilers on the wings were scaled down and the engine nacelles were reshaped. With those changes and an Air Force ‘letter of intent’ for B-52 tooling in March 1951, Boeing was ready to begin constructing two Model 464-67s.

The prototype B-52s

These prototype B-52s were given the designations XB-52 and YB-52… X for ‘experimental’ and Y being the designation for ‘prototype.’ Typically an `experimental’ aircraft is built before a ‘prototype’, but in this case while the XB-52 (serial number 49- 230) rolled out on Nov. 29, 1951, and the YB-52 (serial number 49-231) followed on Mar. 15, 1952, the YB-52 flew first on Apr. 15, 1952. This was due to the XB-52 suffering damage during pneumatic system pressurization testing which required extensive repairs.

The prototype B-52s scrapped after First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s ‘beautification’ of the US Air Force Museum: The story of the XB-52 and YB-52

The XB-52 followed the prototype into the air on Oct. 2, 1952. The first flight of the YB-52 lasted two hours and was powered by prototype YJ57-P-3 engines. Despite the difference in designations, the XB-52 and the YB-52 were essentially identical.

The prototype B-52s were largely similar to the production aircraft in appearance. An immediately distinguishing feature of both aircraft, though, was the cockpit. A tandem fighter-style canopy somewhat similar to that used on the B-47 was employed; it was low-drag and gave the pilot excellent visibility.

Pioneering the landing gear layout

The prototypes pioneered the landing gear layout that the rest of the B-52 fleet would employ. Somewhat similar at first glance to the bicycle arrangement used by the B-47, the gear used by the B-52 was quite different. Four separate dual-wheel bogies were stored within the B-52 fuselage, but instead of deploying straight down they deployed out to the sides, twisting around so that the bogies stored fore-and-aft ended up side-by-side. This gave the B-52 not a bicycle arrangement, but a quadricycle. The B-52 would comfortably sit level on its main landing gear and not tip to one side or the other. It still employed smaller outrigger gear near the wingtips, but this was to keep the wingtips from striking the ground during heavily laden takeoffs or bumpy landings.

‘Crabbing’ into the wind

Additionally, the forward bogies could rotate up to 20° side to side, allowing the B-52 to do something unique: land while ‘crabbing’ into the wind, the fuselage of the aircraft pointed well off the axis of the groundpath of the flight. This would permit safe landings in high winds.

The prototype B-52s scrapped after First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s ‘beautification’ of the US Air Force Museum: The story of the XB-52 and YB-52

The prototypes had flapperons, ailerons and spoilers on the main wings. The ailerons were relatively small and located far from the wingtip; in fact, just outboard of the inboard engine pylon. A wingtip location for the ailerons would have given them more authority, but that would have put them in a much thinner section of the wing, a section much given to flexing. The inboard location was sufficient for the manoeuvring that the bomber was expected to perform.

Folding vertical fin

In any event, the spoilers were to take care of the bulk of the control needs of the aircraft, and the ailerons would eventually find themselves redundant. Unlike the production aircraft that followed, the prototypes did not have the capability for inflight refuelling. Neither did they, initially, have the external fuel tanks that generally graced the outer wings of production model B-52s, but such tanks were eventually added later in the testing phase.

B-52H print

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. B-52H Stratofortress 2nd BW, 20th BS, LA/60-0008 “Lucky Lady IV”.

The horizontal stabilizers were all-moving, but this was meant for trim stabilization. Actual control was via slim elevators along the trailing edge. The elevators had, through the B-52F, trim tabs. An important but rarely noted feature not only of the prototype B-52s but of all B-52s that followed was the folding vertical fin. The fin was, at least until the G-model, a vast structure; too tall by far to allow the B-52 to fit within standard hangars. So it could fold over 90-degrees, greatly reducing the effective height of the aircraft. Unlike naval aircraft with wings that fold to fit in the limited space on board aircraft carriers, the fielding fin is not a self-contained system — an external crane is needed to lay it over and raise it back up again.

Prototype B-52s were hand-made

The prototypes were essentially hand-made at the Boeing Seattle factory. Production methods were not used as the jigs were not finalized; the equipment and instruments employed were also often not what would become standard. Neither prototype was fitted with defensive weapons; the tail turrets were represented by static fairings, with the painted-on lines.

The YB-52 was donated to the US Air Force Museum on Jan. 27, 1958, having flown for 783 hours. It was on display for a time but due to a ‘beautification’ scheme orchestrated by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, both the XB-52 and YB-52 were scrapped sometime in the 1960s. Exactly how the official museum of the United States Air Force was ‘beautified’ by converting one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built into razor blades and soda cans is not adequately explained in the available literature.

Boeing B-47 Stratojet & B-52 Stratofortress Origins and Evolution is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force

B-52 Model

This model is available from AirModels – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS.

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

@kadonkey via X

[scotianostra]

Robert William Thomson was born on July 16th 1822 at Stonehaven.

The names of the great Scottish inventors roll easily off the tongue; John Logie Baird, Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Macintosh, and John Dunlop inventor of the pneumatic tyre, or should that read re-inventor of the pneumatic tyre?

Indeed it should read re-inventor; the pneumatic tyre was in fact patented by one of Scotland’s most prolific, but now largely forgotten, inventors, Robert William Thomson on 10 December 1845, some 43 years before John Dunlop’s re-invention. Thomson’s “Aerial Wheels” were subsequently demonstrated in Regents Park London in 1847 and proved to all present that they could both reduce noise and improve passenger comfort.

Robert was born in Stonehaven, the was the son of a local woollen mill owner and was the eleventh of twelve children. Originally destined for the ministry, he apparently had great difficulty coming to terms with Latin,so refused his family’s wishes.

Instead, at age 14, Thomson was shipped to an uncle in the United States, where he served an apprenticeship with a merchant. Upon his return to Scotland, Thomson immersed himself in science, learning all he could about chemistry, electricity and astronomy, and soon began improving the design of mechanical devices in the family’s household. After serving an engineering apprenticeship, Thomson found work as a civil engineer and soon after designed a method of detonating explosive charges via electricity, this saved thousands of lives in the coal mining industry alone.

On December 10, 1845, at the age of 23, Thomson was granted a British patent for the very first pneumatic tyre, a device he called the “Aerial Wheel.” Intended for use on carriages (because bicycles had not yet been popularized), the Aerial Wheel used a rubberized fabric tube filled with pressurized air and encased in a thick leather outer skin. This leather “tire” was bolted to the rim, and the tread section was then stitched to the tyre’s sidewalls. By period accounts, Aerial Wheels yielded a much improved ride compared to conventional solid wheels, and even proved durable enough to accumulate more than 1,200 miles before wearing out. The following year Thomson applied for and received a French patent for his pneumatic tyre, and in 1847 he was granted a U.S. patent for his design.

Though revolutionary, Thomson’s Aerial Wheels were never commercially successful. The cost of the rubber needed for construction of the wheel’s pneumatic bladder priced the product beyond the means of most, and the improvement in ride quality failed to justify the expense in the eyes of the public.

It wasn’t until 1888 that another Scottish inventor, veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop, improved on Thomson’s design to create a pneumatic tire for bicycles, as a means of preventing the headaches suffered by his son when riding his bicycle on bumpy roads. In 1888, Dunlop was given his own patent for the improved pneumatic tyre, but two years later, this was rescinded due to its conflict with Thomson’s Aerial Wheel. Undeterred, Dunlop continued his work on the pneumatic tyre, and by 1890 was mass-producing tyres for bicycles at a factory in Belfast.

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Today, on 8th February, 1976 - Queen Story!

New York, NY, USA, Beacon Theater

'A Night At The Opera Tour'

🔸Freddie Mercury was taking tea on the 47th floor of his New York hotel. In his suite. The Royal suite, of course. It was the morning after yet another triumph for Queen - that brilliant and highly original British rock band built around the outrageous ideas and stage presence of the exotic Mr.

Mercury. They had played their fourth concert in as many nights at the battered but fashionable Beacon Theatre, and wvith an album and a single in the American charts, they were riding high.

Warm tea was permitted to slide down Mr. Mercury's regal throat as he prodded gingerly at some nasty looking bruises on the side of his neck.

He explained, My very promising pop career nearly came to an untimely end last night. Two young girls outside the theatre decided to claim my scarf as a souvenir. They quite forgot that it was wrapped around my neck at the time, and they very nearly strangled me. I'm sure Her Majesty doesn't have to put up with this sort of thing. But then, she doesn't have anything in the charts at the moment does she?"

He is a wicked man, Mr. Mercury.

He is also everything that a rock idol is supposed to be, and New York has been quick to recognise this. Like Mick Jagger, Freddie has off-beat good looks. Jagger has those pneumatic lips, and Freddie has the most out- spoken set of teeth ever to have found their way on to a pop fan's wall. He also enjoys the lifestyle of a true superstar - he lives out our fantasies for us far more effectively than we could ever manage to do for our- selves. Even if we had his kind of money.

His dress sense is sensational. He seldom looks less than spectacular, and he is not the sort of chap who believes in going unnoticed. Satin is his favourite fabric, with silk coming a close second. And he loves those loose, floppy, Japanese-style jackets.

But as he is quick to point out, There is a quiet side to me too, you know.

My home life is very civilised, and I hardly ever dress up to watch the tele- vision. Unless I am watching a Royal occasion of course. Then, my dear, it's on with the tiara and the emine ..

the LOT!

But Freddie felt there were better things to do in the city of New York than sit around sipping tea and discussing sartorial matters. He in- vited photographer Terry 0ʻNeill and me to join him on a shopping expedition, and it seemed a reason- able idea. Freddie was his casual self in short fur coat, white satin slacks, white clogs and silver snake bracelet.

The problems we encountered were little ones. Like young girls sobbing softly outside the door of a shoe shop while Freddie sought some- thing for the regal feet inside. And then there was the confusion of the young lady in Bloomingdale's depart- ment store who began to give Freddie a free manicure, only to discover that the nails on his left hand were already painted with black lacquer.

Freddie said, I love America. But l cant imagine ever coming here to live.

Our music is successful over here because it is so distinctively English.

We must keep it that way. I have just bought a new house in London, and an enormous car that looks like a boat on wheels. I could never leave all that.

And I have far too much fun ever to worry about a silly little thing like tax.

I know l'm terribly extravagant.

I always have been. My life these days is one perpetual spending spree. So I suppose l am the sort of person who needs to find ways of reducing tax.

But it's all such a bore. Why don't you buy a pair of these beautiful glitter shoes? They 're outrageous. And they 're cheap. And they re much more interesting than tax, don't you think?

I did think so. But I decided against buying the lurid footwear. You have to be a star to wear shoes like that.

Somebody rather like Freddie Mercury, in fact.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

so jealous of (manual wheelchair) people who can use very low back rest and other minimal support stuff have friend with really low back rest and lighter pneumatic tire & no need armrest and her chair like 10 ish lb vs mine straight up 40 lb (yes ultra light weight frame!!) & basically same model & my high backrest alone that need bc can’t support body is like same weight s frame & a wheel is 7 lb (n that not even add headrest which trying get) n sit in her chair so easy push…….. 😢

so fucking jealous

[clatterbane]

The omelette did go a little browner than I wanted on one side, but it'll be fine.

That was fun. I was getting ready to make some of this:

Partly inspired by spam musubi, with the teriyaki glaze--only Swedified by using some falukorv instead of Spam, because it's SO MUCH cheaper and easier to get here. (Seriously, Spam-type canned meats ars not a standard grocery store item here. Which did slightly surprise me.)

I was also planning to try some sliced saltgurka pickles in one of them, because why not. The flavors ought to work fine together.

Anyway, my klutzy ass then naturally managed to elbow the bowl of seasoned rice I had ready straight into the floor.

It was a ceramic bowl too, which of course proceeded to break right around one of my big wheels--so that it was either plow forward straight through the rice, or call for some help clearing broken bowl pieces that I couldn't reach out from under the back of the (pneumatic) tire. 🫠 Most of rice was also in a pinch point of the kitchen, between me and the paper towels.

Mr. C took pity on my frazzled ass, and came right back with the broom and dustpan before even handing me the roll. Then proceeded to clean up all but a couple of bowl chunks before I could. Which was kind of him, but also kinda left me feeling like more of an asshole.

So yeah, slight change of plans for tonight!

I really had a taste for some kimbap sandwiches, so that plate in the pic is just getting covered and put in the fridge. Guess there will be less prep work required tomorrow, at least--assuming I successfully resist the urge to snack on teriyaki sausage in the meantime. Worst case, there is more falukorv and more sauce. Also plenty of eggs.

The ingredients are supposed to cool down before you assemble, so hey. Probably ought to bring that back up to at least room temperature before using it.

[bomberqueen17]

car etc update

I have driven so many cars. I'll witter on about them behind the cut but first I have to share a brief story of Reno the cat.

This morning Reno the cat was out by the greenhouse as I came in to stop at the house for breakfast. He was staring nobly off into the distance, no brain cell in his head whatsoever, just wind whistling between his ears.

A bit later, I'd had breakfast and was getting myself together to do some work today (which I promise I'm doing I'm just taking a Tumblr break, the first this week basically, so there), and I saw him sitting on the shelf at the porch window, staring in. Ah, I thought, he wants to come inside, because that is often how he signals that. So I went over to the door, and opened it.

He saw me and meowed excitedly, and clumsily made his way down off the shelf, which he doesn't know how to do gracefully. I stood waiting with the door open because this is the only thing one can really do, or Reno will get too confused to come in.

As he made it to the door, his sister Whiskey had clearly had enough; she also likes to go in and out the door and needs it held open a long time so she can stare through it and make her decision. The two of them share a brain cell and she usually has it. it's not a very bright brain cell. She shot out the door precisely as he was about to come in it.

This distracted him so much he turned around and followed her, which made her hiss at him and run away, and he could not help but chase her. I yelled his name and he stopped and then saw me and remembered he had wanted to come in the door. I called his name and he finally came in the door. I let go of the door, which has one of those pneumatic soft-closer thingies on it, so it mostly shut behind him but then bounced back open to hiss shut softer.

As it bounced back open, he turned and ran back out the door.

Cats.

[image description: the garden, through the large metal mesh of the deer fence, in a sea of dewy green grass and plants with some distant trees in the background, and in the foreground is a cinder block counterweighting the planting bench canopy to keep the wind from catching it, and a white cat litter bucket in the mid-ground (presumably with transplanting supplies in it); just beyond the legs of the planting bench, Reno the cat, who is gray and white, is sitting upright looking the other way, ears cocked forward as he gazes out over the garden.]

Anyway, cars--

I have now test-driven a Honda HR-V, a Subaru Forester, a Jeep Compass, a Jeep Renegade, a Nissan Kicks, a Volkswagen Taos, a Mazda CX-30 and a Mazda CX-5. And then I also drove a Subaru Outback, a 2020 Limited trim package that's now crossed the US several times and has had a young man intermittently living in it for some time, and said young man (who works here) was excited to tell me all about it and show me the Steering Assist which I can't deny would be pretty sweet if I was driving across the entire country.

Of those, the only interesting ones were the Subaru Forester and the Jeep Renegade. The Renegade is a Fiat really, made in Italy, and the thing I liked about it was super dumb-- it's so boxy and upright that the driver's seat is intensely vertical, your legs are really under you and you're sitting up high but with plenty of headspace, so it's sort of vaugely like a Wrangler only not quite so punishingly uncomfortable to handle, and it looks like a fucking Lego toy car but I tell you what I bet that four wheel drive is pretty sweet. Also 9.7 inches of ground clearance, hard to argue with.

The others were all fine, really, and the Mazda CX-5 downright pleasant-- good balance of cargo and headspace with reasonable fuel economy, good adjustability, friendly technology though a lot of that is probably just that Dude has been driving a Mazda since 2016 or so and as the passenger I've had to learn to navigate the technology. (M-L was excited that the star button might take you to space-- no, it's radio favorites-- and the paper airplane might be messages? no, it's navigation.)

I have a terrible feeling that for all my diligence and research I'm still going to wind up back in a fucking Subaru. I did get the scoop on the local dealership, a friend of M-Ls has a 4-year old Forester that she loves from that dealership which she hates despite it having almost the same last name as her. (One letter different. You'd think you could leverage that into them being nice to you. Guess not.)

I'm taking the Amtrak this weekend out to Rochester and it's going to be incredibly complicated to get back home. I looked at my schedule-- I'd been vaguely thinking I had two weeks off in a row coming up but i do not so either I'm going to take the Amtrak a whole lot over the next month and a half or I'd better just buy a fucking car. Blargh.

I haven't tried Kia or Hyundai and I missed Toyota because the Nissan guy wasted so much of my time (he was very clearly waiting for a specific car to come back from being test driven but not saying so, and finally M-L was like "genuinely we do not care what color" so he was like ok and went and got the one of the two other ones and then was like "there's no gas in this we gotta go get gas" arghhh anyway) that the Toyota dealership closed. I also have a dodge hornet on the list but they were all in the shop, which is weird. ("Naw there's some check engine light issue they all need a software reset over," said the guy, and i was like what does that mean and will that happen after i buy them, but he was like "don't worry about it" and we drove jeeps instead so okay?) And there's a couple of chevys and a ford and i'm really tired.

I've actually liked most of the sales people so that's been fun. We did genuinely shock the Mazda salesman when I admitted to being 44. "I was thinking you were young enough to be my daughter," he said, "but that's how old I am."

None of them have been able to figure out that M-L and I are sisters. M-L reports that occasionally I'll mention my partner having made me a spreadsheet, or that my partner drives a Mazda, and I often will use he pronouns for him, and she's like "I can feel them not looking at me because they'd all assumed I was the wife" which is hilarious. I mean for context we are very, very similar in appearance, similar coloring, similar size and shape, we really do resemble one another, but we have slightly different cheekbones/jaws/face shapes, so we're not identical or anything; we just have an obvious family resemblance. I guess it's not super normal to go car shopping with a sibling but I don't understand why it's so unexpected. As the like, bonus level, often we'll tell stories about Our Mom or Our Dad and we're clearly both telling the story? So I feel like it shouldn't be such a shock.

Anyway.

I'll be mildly annoyed if I wind up just buying the second goddamned car i test drove but on the other hand at least i'll know I bought it on purpose.

[curiouscalembour]

IF you don't mind questions about wheelchairs, what kind do you have? I just looked up the tilite brand, but there's so many models! I'm trying to figure out as much as I can before I go to my doc about getting a chair for myself

no worries!!! i have a Tilite Aero T, with pneumatic tires! this is my first good wheelchair, so i got started on this one, and I've had the tardis for a little over two years now! my tires mean i can go in grass and dirt and still move and not eat shit immediately!!! the handles pip off, the back rest folds down, the big wheels pop off, so it can get pretty compact! i also gave it a custom color-shift paintjob i did with some spraypaint from home depo!!! i got custom sized for mine, which is good because I'm short (~5'1) and fat and carry a lot of my weight in my thighs!!! i also have ergenomic pushrims, so my thumb has sonewhere to rest, and i have Grade Aid tires because i live in a hilly area!

[saucy-mesothelioma]

October 4th: The Exorcist

The Exorcist was released in 1973 and was directed by William Friedkin. The plot of this film follows the plight of single mother Chris MacNeil (played by Ellen Burstyn) as she struggles to help her daughter Regan (Linda Blair) who has begun to act strangely, completely changing her personality. When medical help fails them, Chris seeks out a local priest by the name of Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller). After visiting a quickly worsening Regan, Father Karrass agrees to perform an exorcism on the girl along with the help of expert exorcist Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The Exorcist is a wel-known and beloved horror movie, and was the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It won two awards for Best Screen Play Adaption and for Best Sound Mixing, and it is considered by many to be the scariest horror movie of all time. The film avoids typical horror tropes, focusing on the pain endured by Regan rather than relying on cheap jumpscares. It slowly builds its horror, allowing the audience to learn to care about Regan's character before forcing us to witness the waking nightmare she is forced to live through. Since Friedkin primarily directed documentaries and had never done a horror movie before, he opted for a "realistic" approach: sticking with something familiar to many people (the topic of religion, primarily Christianity/Catholicism) and using that familiarity to draw the audience in. It's thanks to this unique approach that The Exorcist managed to reshape aspects of the genre and continues to be considered one of the greatest and influential films to horror media today. I could not find any platforms where you can watch it for free. Content Warnings for the Film (may contain spoilers): strong religious themes, calling a German a Nazi, medical scene with prominent needles, child abuse/torture (via demon), child self-violating/mutilating with a crucifix, vomit

And as an added bonus, which I might continue for specific films, I'm going to go on a quick tangent on some of the practical effects in this movie because I'm obsessed with that kind of thing. Since the Steadicam hadn't been invented yet, for the scene where the camera follows people up the stairs a swing was actually built for the cameraman to sit on, where he was then pulled up the stairs by other crew members. For the final act of the film, which consists of the exorcism itself, it required three different bed rigs, eight pneumatic wheels to shake the entire set, and intense refrigeration so the actors' breath could be seen. To achieve the refrigeration, the walls of the bedroom set were insulated with 8 inches of fiberglass so four massive AC units could cool the room overnight to 40 degrees below 0. Due to the lighting rings heating up the room, that meant that they had to shoot those scenes in one hour increments over 60 days. For the iconic head-spinning 360 degrees, a full-scale animatronic in the likeness of actor Linda Blair. And finally, for the similarly iconic levitation scene, Blair was held up with wires that were hand painted with dotted lines, which allowed them to blend in with the lighting no matter how much it changed. Without Dick Smith's makeup and Marcel Vercoutere's special effects expertise, this movie wouldn't have been as incredible and influential as it is today. If you want to see more of the behind the scenes process, check out this great Behind the Scenes footage Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist, which includes some of the practical effects I mentioned here

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

In 1957, Cadillac didn’t merely lead the Motor City’s luxury class. It dominated and defined the category. 

As we page through Cadillac’s catalogs and advertising materials for 1957, we can’t help but notice the spirit of downright arrogance. Amid the images of millionaires in Homburgs and Stetsons and ladies in fur coats enjoying their Cadillacs, the headlines swagger: “Magnificent beyond all expectations,” and “A single glance tells the story.” One of the more modest lines, in fact, is “You will make motordom’s soundest investment.”

Boasting is never good form, or so they say, but here you can see how Cadillac felt entitled to crow a little. With calendar year sales of more than 150,000 cars in 1957, the General Motors premium brand didn’t just lead the Motor City’s luxury class. It towered over the category with 50 percent more volume than Packard, Lincoln, and Imperial combined. In sales at least, Cadillac owned the U.S. luxury car market in those days, leaving the other three brands to clean up the scraps.

Underneath, Cadillac in ’57 was the first GM division to employ the cruciform or X-style chassis frame, developed in partnership with the industry’s leading frame manufacturer, A.O. Smith, which allowed GM body engineers to drop the footwells and roofline several inches. The Eldorado Brougham (above) also used GM’s new pneumatic suspension on all four wheels, while the rest of the line got by with leaf springs at the rear that year.  Neither the air springs nor the X-frame ultimately proved out, however, and Cadillac adopted a conventional perimeter frame in 1965.

The brand’s all-new sheet metal for ’57 was crafted by veteran Cadillac studio chief Ed Glowacke and crew, blending elements from previous Motorama show cars. Cadillac’s semi-custom Eldorado models, the Brougham, Seville, and Biarritz, were treated to their own unique sheet metal as well. The Eldorado Brougham was the first GM production car to wear the industry’s new 5 3/4-inch quad headlamp system.

The base model Sixty-Two four-door hardtop was Cadillac’s biggest seller in MY 1957 with more than 32,000 vehicles delivered. At $4,713, it cost more than twice as much as a new Chevrolet Bel Air, and when we say “base model” we note that Hydra-Matic, power steering, and power brakes were all standard. The most expensive Cadillac for  ’57 was the limited-production Eldorado Brougham, which at $13,704 cost more than the average new home that year ($12,200). The well-dressed Fleetwood Sixty Special (above and below) was another big seller at 24,000 units—despite the steep list price of $5,539. But then it was motordom’s soundest investment.