Great shots!
My first real attempt at a snowflake. Flake was sitting on top of my grill. This is a focus stack of about 10 images. Panasonic GX85, Olympus 60mm macro, 26mm extension tubes, Raynox 250, f3.5, ISO 500, 1/160sec handheld natural light.
In the January challenge, I took a picture of a sim that was leaving service (CRJ700). The Gulfstream 650 that is taking its place has arrived. Here it is. Over the next week or so it will be put on its motion system, visual dome and display system installed, and fairings will be added. Cabling will be run up to the computer room upstairs. Once completed, it will look similar to the sim of the right (minor differences, as this is a new series of simulator)
It’s up on its motion system. I guess we are getting mirror for the visuals, judging by the large metal A frames and metal ring around the bottom. Normally we use a fiberglass shell that is lined with Mylar and drawn into shape with a vacuum. The new glass mirror lined visual domes are much heavier, but we don’t have to rely on the one company (Rockwell Collins) that still do Mylar mirrors (we had the chance to buy the company, didn’t, so Rockwell snapped them up). Wait time for a new Mylar mirror is getting crazy.
On edit: a hemispherical back screen installed above the cockpit. Projector on top of the sim beam image onto the back screen, and the mirror reflects that image for the pilots to see.
In case you are wondering why they don’t just project onto the mirror- if you did this the projectors, alignment instruments, etc, would be reflected in the mirror. The back screen is opaque in one direction, so stuff behind it isn’t seen in the mirror.
On edit: or rather, it is only opaque in the area where picture is projected. The rest of the screen blocks the hardware.