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 1961 was really only in the dawn of the Space Age,
with the first successful communications satellites having been launched just a few years
earlier in 1957. The first suborbital rocket launch occurred in 1944 when the Germans sent
a V-2 rocket above the Kármán line (100 km, 62 mi) which separates Earth's atmosphere
from outer space. Technology was moving pretty quickly in the aerospace realm, both with airplanes
and with rockets. Model rockets were a big thing for boys (and a few girls) of the era, and
similar advances in materials and methods were being reported in the pages of American
Modeler and other magazines ...
 "Retired USAF Colonels Blake and Sandy Thomas met at
Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. On their first date Blake took Sandy on a ride
in a 1944 BT-13, a two-seat military trainer with a radial engine. 'It was love at first flight,'
Sandy said. In December 2017, they will celebrate their 23rd anniversary. Their shared love
of aviation led to flying offspring. Their first-born homebuilt was an RV-7, their third,
a Sopwith Schneider. This is the story of their middle offspring, a replica World War I fighter,
the 1917 Nieuport-28. The Plane Named 'Sandy,' the the
Nieuport-28 ..."
 "Geely, the parent company of Volvo, announced that
it has acquired the flying car company Terrafugia. The
Terrafugia
flying car, created a decade ago by a handful of MIT grads, just made another huge leap
toward becoming an actual product thanks to its new owner. The South China News reported that
Geely, the company that also owns Volvo, agreed to acquire Terrafugia. Reports indicate Geely
was particularly interested in the Terrafugia’s FAA approval last year allowing the transforming
car to be certified as a light sport ..."
 Carving a
solid scale model airplane,
ship, train, or automobile from a block of balsa or pine was a favorite pastime of many people
up until maybe the latter part of the last century. For some it was the preferred means of
crafting a replica of their favorite subject, and for others it a second-best option if building
and flying, sailing, etc., a working model was not possible. Lack of funds, time, skill, or
any combination thereof could have been the cause. Little known to the solid scale modelers
just prior to the publication date of this issue of Flying Aces was that their collective
skills would be ...
 "Engineers
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a drone capable of staying
aloft for
five days at a time. This technology could prove a huge boon in the
communications sector, particularly in regards to disaster situations. Unpiloted aerial vehicles
(UAVs) have long held the potential to be a valuable asset in the face of disasters. When
communications fail over a wide area, these UAVs can be used to travel into affected ..."
 Thanks to the Academy of Model Aeronautics for this!
"The FAA is providing the following updated information regarding the
Small
UAS Registration and Marking interim final rule as a result of a recent decision by the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding the small UAS registration
program. The court's decision invalidated the registration requirement as it applies to certain
model aircraft that ..."
 "Workhorse - the US-based transport company working
with UPS to make drone delivery a reality - has upscaled its airborne technology with the
'Surefly'
personal helicopter. 78 years since the first 'copter took to the sky,
workhorse has set out to reinvent the VTOL craft using its expertise in battery-powered electric
mobility. the drone-helicopter hybrid is designed to be easy to operate ..."
 Douglas Rolfe produced for Air Trails and
American Modeler many 2-page spreads of drawings depicting early model airplanes,
automobiles, and boats. This month's "Post-Pusher Parade" includes aeroplanes that came onto
the scene after the initial Wright-like biplanes that sported pusher propeller configurations.
The Curtiss JN-1 and the famous JN-4 Jenny biplanes, the bullet-nose Sturtevant S4 with its
gunner's 'sidecar,' and the triwing Martin TT trainer are amongst the 17 models shown. There
is a list at the bottom of the page with Mr. Rolfe's sketches ...
 "The casting of the secondary mirror blank for ESO's
Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) has been completed by SCHOTT at Mainz,
Germany. The completed mirror will be 4.2 metres in diameter and weigh 3.5 tonnes. It will
be the largest secondary mirror ever employed on a telescope and also the largest convex mirror
ever produced. ESO's 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will be the largest telescope
of its kind ever built when it achieves first light in 2024. A new milestone ..."
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 "Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
will soon navigate without using GPS or human assistance as demonstrated by several successful
test runs last month as part of the Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program. DARPA recently
announced the breakthrough, after four days of testing in central Florida. The test runs marked
progress toward development of small, quadcopter drones that are able to fly through obstacle-ridden
environments ..."
 "Join the Academy of Model Aeronautics Foundation in
celebrating model aviation for the fifth annual
National Model Aviation Day,
August 12, 2017. National Model Aviation Day was created to encourage clubs to celebrate
the hobby and share it with the public. Our chartered clubs have also been asked to conduct
a fundraiser to provide assistance to a worthy cause. For this year all clubs have been asked
to support the AMA Foundation. The AMA is devoted to inspiring the young and young-at-heart
to pursue a hobby that will inspire creativity and advanced learning through the use of hands-on
applications. The purposes ..."
 Here are three models in one with separate plans provided
for each of ½A, FAI (Class A), and Class B versions of Robert Sifleet's contest
winning Maximus
free flight bird. This piece from the June 1961 issue of American Modeler is half
of a pair of articles, one of which covers the model build and flight details, and the other
that provides a brief autobiography on Maximus designer
Robert
Sifleet.
 "MIT engineers have developed and built an unpiloted
aerial vehicle, or UAV, that is expected to provide temporary telecomms service to areas affected
by disasters and calamities. The UAV technology is considered inexpensive and is capable of
flying and providing service for several days. This is not the first time
UAV technology has been exploited for this purpose. Google has also developed
and tested a system that provides temporary telecomms coverage ..."
 "The future is electric, and we are one step closer
after
Eviation Aircraft released the first prototype of an all-electric airplane.
The futuristic machine has a range of 965 kilometers and the capacity to carry nine passengers
and two crew members. The plane was released at the 52nd International Paris Airshow. The
non-emission aircraft is a huge leap forward in electrical aircraft. Currently, aviation is
responsible for 2% of the world's total carbon ..."
 Here are another seven
hand-dandy tricks of
the aeromodelling trade. As with many of the tips and kinks offered by readers of the era,
some - if not most - involve materials and/or methods that have long been replaced by more
modern means. Still, you might find something useful in the extensive collection from vintage
American Modeler and Air Trails magazines ...
 In the 1960s, model aviation was still a fairly enticing
hobby to boys captivated by the sights, sounds, and smells of airplanes, helicopters, and
rockets. Indeed, that was the era that began my lifelong engagement in model building and
flying. The U.S. Navy sponsored the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) National Competition
(Nats)
for many years in hopes of providing a segue into naval aviation through aeromodelling. Somehow,
local television stations and newspapers never bothered to give the sport much air time or
print space, respectively. A quick search ...
 'Pandemonium Airlines' - LOL, is that funny or what?
Obviously, USAF Captain Keith Laumer had a great sense of humor to go along with a fine skill
as a model airplane and mechanical gadget craftsman. In the days before commercially available
retractable landing
gear and powerful servos were nonexistent, this sort of clockworks mechanism was commonly
found. 'Clockworks' is literal in that a key-driven wind-up arrangement, along with clock
gears is used. In fact, I have a book titled "How to Design and Build Flying Models," by Keith
Laumer, that describes just such a retractable ...
 "Naval Research Laboratory engineers want to improve
the ability of unmanned platforms to support a 24/7 information, surveillance, and reconnaissance
(ISR) mission. A new concept being tested consists of a photovoltaic array integrated into
the center wing panel of the
PV-SBXC aircraft as a drop-in replacement to the original wing. A power
management and distribution system converts the power from ..."
 "Paul Allen's monstrous
Stratolaunch airplane finally rolled out of its hangar in Mojave, Calif.,
Wednesday, showing off its complete twin-hulled majesty for the first time. It will now spend
many months on ground tests before a first flight. And it's not expected to be used to launch
a rocket into space -- a mission that some observers are skeptical will ever ..."
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 - Archives -
UK to Bring in Drone
Registration (U.S. just
eliminated registration)
Two Mustangs Have Issues at Duxford Air Show
General Aviation Unites Against ATC Privatization
Drone Rules That Never Became Law
So Much for Those New Drone Registration Rules
Elon Musk Explains Why He Thinks Flying Cars Are a Really Bad Idea
Cash Awards Offered
After Drones Disrupt Flights in China
Breakthrough in Battery Charging Technology
Canada Imposes Strict New Rules for Recreational Drone Use
 Sometime
in the early 2000s I began making a transition from
glow fuel power to electric power. There was
a general trend in that direction in the modeling world, and there were certainly advantages
in doing so. Lack of fuel mess, almost no noise, and simple, reliable operation were the primary
compelling reasons for adopting the new paradigm in power plants. After all, technical advances
in brushless motors, lithium polymer (Li-Po) batteries, and electronics speed controllers
(ESC) has reached - or nearly reached - parity with internal combustion ...
 "As air-launched munitions get smarter, the Air Force
is creating a new class of weapon—a combination of
drones and missiles. But can they be advanced enough to work, yet cheap
enough that it's okay to lose a few in battle? It has advanced radar, forward-looking infrared
cameras, and laser rangefinders—all used to help the 13-man crew direct a barrage of lethal
fire to the ground from 12,000 feet. But for all of this advanced technology, the vision ..."
 This
Dremel Model 370 Moto-Tool
is one of my longest-owned tools. It was bought sometime around 1976. After 40 years of use,
it began exhibiting erratic behavior due to the motor brushes finally having worn down to
where they were not making good contact with the commutator. You can see in the photos how
the original brushes did not wear evenly, although the contact surfaces were clean and not
pitted at all. I decided that given the Moto-Tool's age, it might be a good idea to disassemble
it and do a good cleaning and inspection ...
 "NASA managers have ruled out putting a crew on board
an
Orion capsule atop the agency's huge Space Launch System rocket for the
gargantuan booster's maiden flight in 2019, citing technical risks and higher costs, up to
as much as $900 million, agency officials said Friday. Earlier this year, the Trump administration
asked NASA to look into the possibility of either adding a crew to Exploration Mission 1 ..."
Could this be part of
Trump's 2-for-1 regulation reduction mandate?
 Having never been truly satisfied with the silence
of electric-powered model airplanes, I made a decision to start reverting back to glow fuel
models. Yes, electric power is clean, easy to set up, and consistent motor runs are the rule,
but I grew up with models I could hear flying as well as see flying. I've really missed the
sound and smell of glow fuel engines after a 15-year hiatus. I'm starting with .049 engines
mainly because of the high cost of fuel, but there's also a back-to-basics feel about them
since I, like most kids in the 1960s and 70s, learned to fly with the plastic Cox models.
As you might ...
 Thanks to the efforts of the Academy of Model Aviation
for its efforts! From the AMA website: "Friday, May 19, the federal appeals court struck
down the FAA's
registration requirement for recreational model aircraft. The Court ruling is
effective immediately. As such, if you have not registered with the FAA, you are no
longer required under the law to do so. For those of
you who have already registered with the FAA, you may be wondering what this means for you.
We are currently working to obtain answers from the FAA and will ..."
 Here are a half dozen more tips and ideas that might
make your aeromodelling hobby a little easier -especially if you ardently adhere to doing
things 'the old way.' Most of the homebrew schemes presented in this and the many other "Sketchbook" postings are
these days available in pre-made form, with higher reliability, made of inexpensive materials,
and low in cost. The converted hand drill-cum-rubber-winder is a good example. In 1954, most
workshops had such a drill, but now everyone has a battery-powered, variable speed drill that
would make the job much ...
 "Japanese
carmaker Toyota has announced its backing for a group of engineers who are developing a
flying car. It will
give 40 million yen (£274, 000) to the Cartivator group that operates outside Toyota city
in central Japan. The Nikkei Asian Review reports Toyota and its group companies have agreed
in principle to support the project. So far crowd funding has paid for development of the
so-called Skydrive car, which uses drone technology and has three wheels and four rotors ..."
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