Archive for December, 2010
End of December quick trip
Just back from an over night trip around the south tip of Vancouver Island. Starting point of the slideshow is the one overlooking a gravel pit, tiny dot in the ocean is an optimistic surfer. Left the paved road at China Beach day use area and then headed up northish towards San Juan ridge. The snow is old and hard, and icy underneath. Spent the night up there (48.47573 N 124.06610 W), the jury rigged platinum catalyst heater helped to keep van interior above zero. Next day, defrost inside of windscreen and then back down to paved road and on westward to Loss Creek. Up the road alongside the creek/river, getting more brush scratches on the van, found someone’s hunting camp and then 100 metres further the road is out. So back out to pavement, on past Port Renfrew and on to road heading to Cowichan Lake. I took a look up Granite main logging road as far as I could go, saw shotgun shells, got stuck in the snow, saw wolf tracks, and came back down to paved. Further along the road went up logging spur mentioned in the April trip report. The road too steep and slippery to be able to get to where we camped before, came across a pretty tough obstacle, lots of ice. Back then to the main road and on to Lake Cowichan then back down the island highway to home.
ATA – around the airport – Beaver edition
Posted by albell in around the airport on December 22, 2010
Dissimilar metal corrosion – 1.5 month update
The jar has been sitting undisturbed for over a month and a half now. During that time it was frozen solid for about 2 days (the barn is un-heated). The original set up and explanation can be found here.
The photos clearly show the amount of “fluffy” material formed. I have to guess its something like aluminium hydroxide. You can also see in the photo where the strip was wiped off, that there is a bit of erosion on one spot which corresponded to a location with the white deposit. Its funny how localised these areas are, open to conjecture.
The stainless steel sample was unchanged.
My next step is to make a series of metal pairs and immerse them in a range of liquids. I’ll do that after Christmas.
T-28
Posted by albell in aircraft, around the airport on December 17, 2010
East end of the airport (flying club, Viking Air, VIH etc) sits this T-28. There is an unpainted, bare aluminium beauty inside another hanger. I have heard rumours of 3, maybe 4 on the Island. Not a very good picture, there is a fence keeping me out.
Floatplanes
Posted by albell in aircraft, around the airport on December 16, 2010
This is becoming an aeroplane blog. I forget that I live in a spot with aircraft galore so I thought I’d take pictures like a tourist. Here are a couple of shots of the floatplane base down the road from the house (its beside the Institute of Ocean Sciences and Coast Guard base, that property was a big seaplane base during WWII). Notice the chopped fwd cars used as tugs.
I don’t know about you, but I think having an URL plastered on the side of your De Havilland Beaver is de trop.
Kamov KA32A11BC at YYJ
Posted by albell in aircraft, around the airport on December 15, 2010
Again, something you don’t see everyday
Posted by albell in around the airport on December 9, 2010