Archive for August, 2009
Quicktime VR of the Spruce Goose (H-4 Hercules)
by Pete on Aug.27, 2009, under All Postings, Quicktime VR
The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an aviation museum which displays a number of military and civilian aircraft and spacecraft, most notably, the Hughes H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”. The museum is located in McMinnville, Oregon, across the street from the headquarters of Evergreen International Aviation at the McMinnville Municipal Airport. This huge aircraft is quite a sight. It’s 319 foot wingspan is longer than the Boeing 747-8, and Airbus A380-800…and it’s made out of wood! Look down in this panoramic to click to another view of this aircraft. This second panoramic gives a better view of the size of this wooden beast.
The museum has another large, matching building, which is dedicated to space flight. The current center of this space flight exhibit is occupied by the SR-71 ‘Blackbird’, which originally rested under one wing of the Spruce Goose. The museum claims to be in the front running to obtain one of the Space Shuttles when they are retired in 2010 (they even show it on their museum maps as a future exhibit). It’s hard to imagine the Spruce Goose, a SR-71 Blackbird, a Titan II missile, and the Space Shuttle, all in a small town in rural Oregon…..
Quicktime VR at a Grant County Ranch House
by Pete on Aug.13, 2009, under Quicktime VR
We got the opportunity to stay at a fantastic ranch in Grant County, Washington just outside the town of Moses Lake. It’s a sprawling property with acres of both irrigated land, and natural eastern Washington landscape. In the foreground of this image is one of several irrigation circles on this property. This circle is irrigating an approximate 2000 foot diameter cattle grazing area, but is limited to a range of about 135 degrees due to the topography.
In this panoramic it is possible to make out some of the basalt bluffs and outcroppings on the property. Following the road into the distance, you can make out an outcropping where the basalt has form into pillar or column formations. Several basalt column pillars, which were quarried from another location on the property, were used in the construction of the house in this image. Each corner of this incredible house has a large basalt column. These pillars, along with the massive column in the center, carry the weight of the roof and allow the house to have a large amount of open space.
Be sure to look down in this panoramic to experience more of this property.
