MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Tripps]

A caterpillars' picnic ?

[Cathy]

Caterpillar’s mating

[Stanley]

I think it's one of his mineral specimens. Is it Mica under the microscope?

[Gloria]

Some sort of growth?

[Tizer]

When I said let your minds wander a bit I meant away from beyond living organisms so, no, not caterpillars - even though it really does look like them! Stanley's correct with mineral specimen though not mica and not one of mine (I wish it was!). Gloria is right with some sort of growth, though it's crystal growth rather than biological growth.

Clue: it's a rare form of the mineral for which Cornwall is famous. This specimen is unusual in that the mineral has grown within clear, colourless quartz.

[Stanley]

A rare form of Cassiterite?

[Tizer]

Yes, well done! Cassiterite is tin oxide, SnO₂, a major ore of tin. In museums there are wonderful big, lustrous, black crystals of the mineral but most of it is found disseminated through the rock surrounding the granite areas or, if you are lucky, tiny black to toffee-brown crystals on the surface of rocks. But there is a rare form known by the Cornish as wood tin because specimens have a ringed and radiating appearance resembling cut wood, and a lighter colour. The specimen in the photo is even more rare and perhaps a `one off'. Brown wood tin has formed within clear, colourless quartz and then produced fine yellow radiating crystals. It's a specimen within the collection of a Cornish man called Peter Trebilcock who lives in an old mining area - I've mentioned him on here before, his cottage and workshop lie above one of the old mineshafts and he's accumulated many artefacts of mining as well as minerals. This web page shows some of the more usual forms of wood tin: Mindat

NB. Cassiterite get its name from the `Cassiterides' and that has an interesting story: Wikipedia

[Stanley]

That was more by luck than knowledge.... Now I shall have to think of another one...

[Stanley]

This could be Winged Heroes as well. What is this?

[Wendyf]

Is it a Kittyhawk? Possibly like those my dad was protecting as a ground gunner in ww2 as they moved across the North African deserts.

[Tripps]

It looks like a Spitfire to me?

There seems to be some difference of opinion as to why it has what seems to be a French tricolor on it.

[Wendyf]

It looks like a Spitfire to me?

There seems to be some difference of opinion as to why it has what seems to be a French tricolor on it.

Ooh, I didn't notice that!

[Gloria]

I believe that some RAF aircraft were marked with a blue, white and red fin flash during their 1939–40 service in France before Dunkirk, but this was not the norm.

[Wendyf]

These Kittyhawks from Dad's 260 Squadron had a smaller flag on the tail.

Kittyhawks_III_260sqn_dec42_2.jpg

[Stanley]

Wendy is closest but not there yet.

[Wendyf]

French Air Force! Ex RAF Kittyhawk in French desert camouflage.

[Stanley]

I'm sure you are right Wendy. I have it down as a Curtiss P40 Warhawk but I am sure that technically you are right.

[Wendyf]

snapshot_www.raf-in-combat.com_1657177373459.png

The real thing.

[Tizer]

You're both right! The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk first flew in 1938, as a modification of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk. It was adopted by many air forces and underwent many modifications. The yanks kept on calling it the Warhawk, while Britain and Commonwealth countries (and the Soviets) called the early versions Tomahawk and later ones Kittyhawk. it was also used by the famous US Flying Tigers in China: LINK

[Stanley]

[Tizer]

Wendy, I guess you've seen there's a lot about the desert Kittyhawks on google searches. I saw this web site about one that had the same HS-B squadron code as the plane in the photo you posted. There's a lot about the remains of the plane and it seems to be an ongoing project. LINK

[Stanley]

Can you tell me what this is?

[Stanley]

No takers? I shan't let it hang about for long.....

[Gloria]

Is it for splitting rocks?

[Tizer]

It reminds me of Ken Dodd's Diddy Men!
I guess it could have been a giant `bung' that was fitted into a conical orifice and could be adjusted back and forth to control the flow of water.