Author: v3l0c1r

peashooter85:

The Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon,

Designed by the American born Benjamin Hotchkiss, who conducted business out of France, the Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon was a multibarrel cannon that was operated similarly to the Gatling Gun. While the Hotchkiss revolving cannon looks similar to the Gatling gun, the Hotchkiss utilized a different design which proved more reliable than the earlier gatling. Also unlike the Gatling Gun the Hotchkiss was not a machine gun, but a cannon which fired large 37mm explosive rounds with 16oz projectiles.  The gun used five revolving barrels and was top fed with ten round clips. If adequately operated by the loader and gunner, the Hotchkiss could maintain a rate of fire around 70-80 shots per minute.  They were also produced in 40 mm, 47mm, and 57mm.

The cannon performed admirably in testing around 1876-77, and was adopted many nations for naval service.  Originally it was mounted on warships as a defense against torpedo boats and other small, speedy craft.  However some nations, in particular the United States, saw the advantages of using such a weapon in land combat.  At the Battle of San Juan Hill during the Spanish American War a couple of Hotchkiss guns mounted on wagons provided suppression fire as US troops such as Teddy Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders” stormed the Spanish fortifications.  The most prolific user of the Hotchkiss revolving cannon was the French Navy, which purchased 10,000 guns with over 4 million rounds of ammunition. Other users included Britain, Denmark, Austria, Turkey, Russia, and Japan.

madgastronomer:

madgastronomer:

jutsu-goddess:

renamonkalou:

The family home of architect Sami Angawi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Holy shit….

Real life solarpunk.

I just read the links, and omg this is even better.

So I looked at it and knew it was using the open courtyard and the pools and fountains to do a lot of the work of cooling the house, but it’s also got drip irrigation for all of those plants (which adds more moisture to the air and also helps cool it in addition to being an effective and efficient way of watering the plants), it’s got a roof garden and other eco-conscious stuff. It combines modern construction techniques with classic Arabic art and architecture.

And his home is a cultural center.

He holds lectures, concerts and salons in his home, with guests and speakers from around the world. He’s founded multiple institutions to preserve Islamic history and architecture. He’s an activist against the extremist factions he says are trying to hijack Islam.

His home is going to be part of an international institute offering degrees in Islamic history and science, as his legacy, housing a collection of over one hundred thousands of his photos, drawings and writings about Islam and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

This is serious real-life Islamic solarpunk for real.

Tumblr likes the idea of solarpunk, even if there’s not a real body of work about it yet. Well, we’re missing that people are already doing this for real, and have been for a long time.

I am not generally an architecture fan. It’s nice and all, but it doesn’t do a lot for me, especially modern American stuff. But I am totally bowled over by this and must now go look at everything he’s ever designed.