Saturday, July 30, 2011

Between the Classes

USS Guam, 1944

Originated by a clever Japanese miscue, this unique warship class had the "size of a battleship but the capabilities of a cruiser"*. Of six planned, two were built (Alaska & Guam), three canceled and one (Hawaii) sold for scrap, unfinished.

* Richard Worth, Fleets of World War II

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Trimotor Flying Boat

Macchi M.C.100, 1939

Powered by three Alfa Romeo 126 RC 10 radial engines strut mounted above the wing; each driving a tractor propeller. Room for the three person crew was in a raised control cabin forward of the wing. A main cabin in the hull had accommodation for 26 passengers. The prototype first flew on the 7 January 1939. The prototype was followed by two more aircraft, and all three were in service by June 1940 with Ala Littoria operating between Rome-Algiers-Barcelona. With the start of World War II, the aircraft was used for liaison and communication duties and to maintain a daily Rome-Marsala-Tripoli service. (Source: Wikipedia)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Berliet VUDB Cavalry Armored Vehicle

2,736 cc inline-six water-cooled engine. All-wheel drive. 4-speed gearbox. Top speed: 53 km/h. Armament: two FM 24/29 7.5 mm machine guns.
62 built in 1929, 50 for the French Army, and 12 for the Belgian Police.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Friday, July 22, 2011

Battle-Damaged

Type 96 15-cm howitzer on display at Yushukan Museum, Tokyo, Japan

Photo by MJ/TR (´・ω・) @ Flickr

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Future Streamliner

Wooden framework of streamline car body designed by Paul Jaray

1923

Monday, July 18, 2011

The Great Race

Two main contenders easily recognizable: the red plane (and the winner) is de Havilland DH.88 Comet, followed by Douglas DC-2 Uiver (KLM)

By DecoEchoes @ DeviantArt

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Tbilisi, 1937

Observation terrace, Mtatsminda mountain
Photographer: Boris Ignatovich

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Bugatti Queen

"The list of lovers, aristocrat and otherwise, who became involved with Hellé Nice during the 1930's is almost as long as the list of races in which she took part... "

Read about Hellé Nice (Helene Delangles) @ Dieselpunks.org

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tempelhof Hangar at Night

Aircraft is Messerschmitt M20 D-2341 Harz (w/n 546), delivered in 1932. It was later re-registered as D-UKIP, then sold to VARIG as PP-VAK in 1937.

via 314clipper @ The Old Hangar forum

Friday, July 8, 2011

Belgian Red

H. Michel poster design for the Belgian International Exposition in Liège, focusing on big industry, sciences and applications, and classic Wallonian art.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Senate House, University of London

Drawing by R Myerscough Walker
Architect: Charles Holden
1936

Charles Holden has become popularly associated with London Transport - both the stations of the 1920s and '30s as well as the HQ building of 1929, 55 Broadway (now sadly under threat of sale). However his relationship with LT became strained during the 1930s when Holden's focus shifted to the new University of London buildings - only one phase of which was completed, Senate House. This fine sketch captures the building completely. R Myersclough Walker was an architect and architectural illustrator - there is a lovely story that he drew buildings he didn't like at night!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Director

Grigoriy Alexandrov filming The Bright Path at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, Moscow.
1939

Photographer: Mark Markov-Grinberg

Source: oldmos.ru