Canadia

Landscapes of Scotland

Fairlytale Scandinavian Green Roofs

Scandinavians are serious about their green roofs. They’ve had them for a while now and it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere. They even have a competition every year to determine the best green roof project in Scandinavia by the Scandinavian Green Roof Association! But there is a reason why Scandinavians like these green roofs so much… They are not only a beautiful feature for a house, but they also offer numerous social, environmental and financial benefits. They absorb rainwater, reduce winter heating costs, reduce summer air-conditioning costs, provide insulation, and are long lasting - just to name a few.

JMSDF  Phalanx CIWS Man

Postosuchus in Pursuit

Among the ferns and conifers of a late Triassic forest, a hunter pauses to search for his prey. After a long chase, this thirteen foot long postosuchus - an ancient relative of modern crocodilians - has lost sight of the young hyperodapedon he perused. A pile of decaying conifer and tree fern logs shelters the young creature, who will someday grow into a stocky, four foot long pig-like reptile. For now, though, the young hyperodapedon is a small meal in the eyes of the Postosuchus, who may lose interest and move on to ambush bigger game. Then again, he may not tire, and there are only so many logs in which to hide…

A progress image of this painting can be seen in this previous post, along with some lovely photographs of my old studio. 

Northrop YB-49 jet-powered flying wing bomber prototype, cancelled in the early fifties in favor of the B-36 piston-powered bomber, as while heavily advanced, the design presented too many flaws not easily fixable by the technology available at the time. 

Nonetheless, its design and the lessons Northrop learned during its development helped shape the Northrop B-2 Spirit, the world’s first and so far only stealth bomber currently in service, some thirty years later. 

Here’s and interesting anecdote regarding the Spirit and Jack Northrop, founder of the company bearing his name, the most important pioneer of the flying wing concept, and the designer of the YB-49:

Northrop YB-35 experimental flying wing heavy bomber, which also featured “pusher” piston engines driving counter-rotating propellers, an all-around radical design, which sadly was hindered due to the sheer amount of innovations it featured.