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 TV Guide crossword puzzles
were always my mother's favorite Sunday evening pastime. It's not that she couldn't
handle the New York Times' notoriously challenging crossword, it's just that The
Evening Capital newspaper didn't have a Sunday edition so we didn't get
the puzzle. My father worked as the classified advertising manager at The Evening
Capital so we received a free subscription tot he paper. This particular crossword
puzzle appeared in the edition of TV Guide that featured the first-ever
airing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" which I bought on eBay, so I figured I might
as well scan and post it. Enjoy! Back in the day I was not an avid crossword puzzler,
but I am now a daily worker of crossword puzzles and once a week I even create a
custom crossword for visitors of my RF Cafe engineering website...
 Each
autumn I used to anxiously await the appearance of the newest edition of
The Old Farmer's Almanac on the store shelf, and such was the case with this
1981 issue. It is not that I was/am an avid farmer, just that I enjoy reading the
anecdotes, tales, and interesting historical tidbits included amongst the pages
along with tables of high and low tides, moon and sun rising and setting times,
astronomical events, and weather patterns expected for the year that lay ahead.
Most of all, I liked working the puzzles and riddles. Over the years the difficulty
levels gradually got lower and lower (aka dumbed down), to the point where for the
last decade or so I have not even bothered buying the OFA. Now it is full of numbnut
stuff...
 I
finally got around to scanning selected content from the 1986 issue of The Old
Farmer's Almanac. The "Old and New Mathematical Puzzles" feature was always my favorite,
so that's what is posted first. Difficulty levels are assigned as 1 for the easiest
to 5 for the hardest. Solutions are provided for levels 1 through 4, but level 5
(problems 12 through 15) problems were to be mailed in (no e-mail in the day) to
vie for a cash prize for providing the "best set of solutions," though I don't know
how one solution to these problems can be deemed "better" than another. Problem
#5 is interesting in that you must assign a value for the various numerical prefixes
and quantities. Sure, we all know what "atto" and "score" are, but what about "crore"
and "myriad?"
 "DARPA's LongShot program,
which is developing an air-launched unmanned air vehicle (UAV) with the ability
to employ multiple air-to-air weapons, has awarded contracts to General Atomics,
Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman for preliminary Phase I design work. The objective
is to develop a novel UAV that can significantly extend engagement ranges, increase
mission effectiveness, and reduce the risk to manned aircraft. Current air superiority
concepts rely on advanced manned fighter aircraft to provide a penetrating counter
air capability to effectively deliver weapons. It is envisioned that LongShot will
increase the survivability of manned platforms by allowing them to be at standoff
ranges far away from enemy threats, while an air-launched..."
 Each
autumn I used to anxiously await the appearance of the newest edition of The
Old Farmer's Almanac on the store shelf. It is not that I was/am an avid farmer,
just that I enjoy reading the anecdotes, tales, and interesting historical tidbits
included amongst the pages along with tables of high and low tides, moon and sun
rising and setting times, astronomical events, and weather patterns expected for
the year that lay ahead. Most of all, I liked working the
puzzles and riddles. Over the years the difficulty levels gradually got lower
and lower (aka dumbed down), to the point where for the last decade or so I have
not even bothered buying the OFA. Now it is full of numbnut stuff. Because
quite a few of the Mathematical Puzzles from the older editions are worthy of an
engineer's cerebration, contemplation, and deliberation, I am posting the ones I
own here on RF Cafe. Answers to numbers 1 through 11...
 Donald Keyhoe wrote a huge number of aviation
adventure articles for Flying Aces magazine in the 1930s. His flying ace
was Captain Philip Strange, a "G−2" agent with a unique sense of intuition that
allows him to practically (but not really) read people's minds. He is also a master
of disguises. Capt. Strange's era is World War I and his venue was the
front lines of Germany and France. After Philip Strange came Kerry Keen (aka "The
Griffon") during the World War II era, written by real-world ace pilot Arch
Whitehouse. You will likely be introduced to a new bunch of words that were particular
to the times, like "ack emma," referring to the signalman's phonetic pronunciation
of "A" and "M." In "The Ghost
from G−2," the reference is to "aircraft mechanics," but ack emma was more routinely
applied to "A.M." for morning, or ante meridian ("pip emma" was P.M., or post meridian).
"Ack-ack" was for...
 Mr. Ronnie Espolt, of the Kansas City
Free Flight club, is hosting a Postal Contest this weekend, April 24th and 25th,
2021, featuring the Guillow's Javelin and Lancer rubber-powered models. A "postal"
contest is where pilots fly their models at their home field, and then report results
to headquarters by email. Must be "built to the plan," no major modifications. Stock
prop diameter, with landing gear in place. Any covering-material is OK. Any size
rubber motor is OK. Deletion of those snappy-looking cheek cowls is allowed. We
urge anyone that has photos of their entry or entries into this year's
Sky Battle 2021 Postal Contest to submit
them so we can add them to the gallery below for everyone to enjoy.
 This is part two of an article that began
in the September 1974 American Aircraft Modeler magazine. The
Supersweep
was used to break the long-standing Indoor Hand Launched Glider (IHLG) record of
one minute and thirty seconds. In 2009, Stan Buddenbohm set a new record for 1:52.12
(see video below). Website visitor Ward B. recently wrote asking that I post
the second article on the Supersweep, so, here it is. Plans can be found in the
September 1974 edition of American Aircraft Modeler.
 "Monday,
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a
powered, controlled flight on another planet. The Ingenuity team at the agency's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California confirmed the flight succeeded
after receiving data from the helicopter via NASA's Perseverance Mars rover at 6:46
a.m. EDT. 'Ingenuity is the latest in a long and storied tradition of NASA projects
achieving a space exploration goal once thought impossible,' said acting NASA Administrator
Steve Jurczyk. 'The X-15 was a pathfinder for the space shuttle. Mars Pathfinder
and its Sojourner rover did the same for three generations of Mars rovers. We don’t
know exactly where Ingenuity will lead us, but today's results indicate the sky
– at least on Mars – may not be the limit'..."
 I
first saw this amazing photograph in the April 2012 issue of Astronomy
magazine. It is an
8-year-long image of the sun's path across the sky as recorded by by Fine Art
student Regina Valkenborgh from August 2012 through September 2020. She lined some
beer cans with photographic paper and punched a tiny hole in the can, mounted them
in locations around an observatory in the UK, then forgot about them. Most perished,
but this one survived and was found by a staffer. Ms. Valkenborgh now has the
honor of being responsible for the longest-ever photographic film time exposure.
Pinhole cameras have no lens, since light rays entering the container follow
a nearly singular path to the film surface. The smaller the hole, the sharper the
focus. Less light enters the camera, so a longer exposure time is required. Pointing
it at the sun provides an intense source of light, but it is still little enough
to not overwhelm the film over a period of 8 years.
 For
as long as I can remember, The Old Farmer's Almanac (OFA) has included a set of
Mathematical Puzzles in its annual publication. They range in
difficulty from 1 (very easy) to 5 (sometimes quite difficult). Having been a faithful
buyer and reader of the OFA for as long as I can remember, I have spent many hours
toiling with some of the more challenging examples. In fact, there were a lot which
I never did figure out and needed to look up the answers in the back (come to think
of it, I experienced the same dilemma with my college engineering textbooks). Because
quite a few of the Mathematical Puzzles are worthy of an engineer's cerebration,
contemplation, and deliberation, they will all be eventually posted here...
 Here is an ingenious method for mechanically
generating properly proportioned ribs for wings that are not rectangular - including
sing and double straight tapers and even elliptical planforms. Of course today you
can print out a perfectly dimensioned set of ribs to accommodate any planform and
root-to-tip thickness taper profile. In 1960 when this "'Simplex'
Airfoil Templates" article appeared in the 1960 Annual issue of Air Trails
magazine, such conveniences were in the purview of universities and government research
facilities. Even if you have no need of cutting ribs for tapered wings, it is worth
your time to read this brief article about the mathematical principle - logarithmic
(aka equiangular) spirals - behind the scheme. There are no formulas, so don't be
scared off ;-)
 "A second
B−21 bomber is now under construction at Northrop Grumman's facility in Palmdale,
California. The B−21 is expected to make its inaugural flight next year. Randall
Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, told Air Force Magazine
that while the fifth-generation stealth aircraft hasn't yet reached final assembly,
it is 'really starting to look like a bomber.' B−21 Number Two has a slightly different
purpose than the first. 'The second one is really more about structures, and the
overall structural capability,' Walden explained. 'We'll go in and bend it, we'll
test it to its limits, make sure that the design and the manufacturing and the production
line make sense.' Capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, the
Air Force expects the B-21 to enter service in 2026 or 2027. The Congressional Budget
Office estimates the cost of developing and buying the first 100 aircraft to be
$80 billion..."
 As
mentioned in an earlier post, a while back I bought a box full of vintage Old
Farmer's Almanacs (OFA) at a yard sale, figuring there would be a bunch of
good items to post here on RF Cafe and on my
Airplanes and Rockets
hobby website. Chief amongst the postworthy features is the Mathematical Puzzles
section. They are a fair challenge to an engineer's cerebration, contemplation,
and deliberation. These particular mathematical posers appeared in the 1974 issue
of OFA. #10, while rated a difficulty of 4 (where 5 is most difficult),
is really not even a mathematical challenge when you think about it (hint - it's
an old riddle you've probably seen before). Enjoy!
 The
Peppy
Trainer control line (C/L, or U−C) model airplane was designer with multiple
factors in mind - low cost, easy construction, easy to fly, ability to perform basic
stunts, light weight, and ruggedness for withstanding beginner's mistakes. Lower
cost was achieved by specifying only easily obtained, standard components - like
using sheet balsa parts for the wing leading and trailing edges rather than pre-formed
types. Its built-up 28" wingspan, flat−bottom airfoil, with a solid balsa fuselage
and tail surfaces is pulled along by a .09 engine. Construction and rigging is kept
simple by not using wing flaps. The author also suggests 17 commercially available
C/L trainer kits that are roughly the equivalent of the Peppy Trainer. Plans, a
complete parts list, and building and covering instructions are included in this
October 1950 issue of Air Trails magazine...
 "It's almost the end of the line for one
of the most famous names in business aviation, or in aerospace altogether, with
the news that manufacturer Bombardier is bringing production of the
Learjet to an end this year. It's a blow for the company's 1,500-strong Wichita-based
workforce, which will be cut back as a result, and it also brings the curtain down
on what's perhaps the world's most familiar bizjet. 'With more than 3,000 aircraft
delivered since its entry into service in 1963, the iconic Learjet aircraft has
had a remarkable and lasting impact on business aviation,' said Éric Martel, Bombardier's
president and chief executive officer, in a statement today. 'However, given the
increasingly challenging market dynamics, we have made this difficult decision to
end Learjet production..."
 1976
is the year I was emancipated (aka graduated) from high school, and this issue of
The Old Farmer's Almanac (OFA) happens to be from that year. For as long as I can
remember, the OFA has included a set of Mathematical Puzzles in its annual publication. They range in
difficulty from 1 (very easy) to 5 (sometimes quite difficult). Having been a faithful
buyer and reader of the OFA for as long as I can remember, I have spent many hours
toiling with some of the more challenging examples. In fact, there were a lot which
I never did figure out and needed to look up the answers in the back (come to think
of it, I experienced the same dilemma with my college engineering textbooks). Because
quite a few of the Mathematical Puzzles are worthy of an engineer's cerebration,
contemplation, and deliberation, all I have will be eventually posted here on RF
Cafe. Enjoy!
 This is the February 8, 1942, "Flyin'
Jenny" comic strip. The Baltimore Sun newspaper, published not far from where
I grew up near Annapolis, Maryland, carried "Flyin' Jenny" from the late 1930s until
the strip ended in the mid 1940s, so I saved a couple dozen from there. The first
one I downloaded has a publication date of December 7, 1941 - that date "which will
live in infamy," per President Roosevelt. Many Americans were receiving word over
the radio of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor while reading this comic at the
breakfast table. I expect that soon there will be World War II themes. "Flyin'
Jenny," whose real name was Virginia Dare (what's in a name?), was a test pilot
for Starcraft Aviation Factory who divided her time between wringing out new airplane
designs and chasing bad guys. She was the creation of artist and storyteller Russell
Keaton...
 "Joby Aviation has selected the Garmin G3000
integrated flight deck - which first debuted in 2009 - for its
eVTOL aircraft, bringing proven avionics into the program to develop commercial
operations - which it expects to launch by 2024. The G3000 avionics suite was selected
in part for its lightweight, adaptable architecture and high-resolution displays.
Garmin anticipates future development in the urban air mobility space, and the Joby
platform will allow the company to proceed with further work in creating communications,
navigation, and flight sensor solutions as UAM progresses into more advanced phases..."
 These are some really great action photos
from the
23rd Annual National Modelplane Championships held in Chicago. Considering it
was from a time when auto-focus, auto-exposure, auto-f-stop, auto-shutter-speed,
and other modern features were not available on cameras, photographer John W.
Schneider did an incredible job of obtaining shots with one one chance of getting
each instance. Most events were held at Chicago's Glenview Naval Air Station, compliments
of the U.S. Navy. Some free flight events were held at the Chicagoland Airport,
while indoor flying took place in Chicago's 132nd Infantry Armory. The quality of
construction and finishing is apparent, even in the grainy, black and white photos.
Coverage of the event appeared in the November 1954 issue of Air Trails magazine.
Do you recognize any of the names and/or faces here?
 "It's developing what it calls its Cassio
series of hybrid-powered four- to 10-seat aircraft, two of which are aimed at the
air taxi, charter, and utility markets.
Hybrid power systems make sense because they use both batteries and gasoline-burning
internal combustion engines (ICEs). This can provide benefits beyond system redundancy
and higher power ratings. Battery and ICE power can be teamed up for takeoffs, or
for high-speed cruising. When low-noise takeoffs and landings are priorities, battery
power alone can drive any electric motors. And after an electric-only takeoff, ICEs
can be fired up to both recharge batteries and boost en route speed and range. VoltAero's
concepts use sleek fuselages, forward canards, straight wings, and twin-boom tails
supporting wide-span horizontal stabilizers..."
 Flying in a contest with 35 mile per hour
winds is hard to imagine, but that was the case at the 1954 Nats FAI Free Flight
semi-finals. Fortunately, on the day of the actual event the winds had calmed down.
I would never consider flying even an radio-controlled model airplane in 35 mph
winds, much less a free flight. Howard Timlin was the designer, builder, and flyer
of this beautiful "Saturn,"
which appeared in the November 1954 issue of Air Trails magazine. It sports a wingspan
of about 60 inches with a Goldberg G-10 undercambered airfoil (same as the Carl
Goldberg Viking free flight model). Although not specified, I assume this is a Class
A model since the F1C class allows up to 0.15 cubic inches (2.5 cc). Howard
had another successful contest design - the 50" wingspan ½A "Solar"...
 Most
people familiar with the history of
radio control (R/C) airplanes credit twin brothers Walt and Bill Good for the
first truly successful R/C airplane, which they dubbed "Big Guff," in 1938. Interestingly,
this YouTube interview with the Good brothers mentions, as does Mr. Isberg
in his 1939 article in Radio News magazine article, the first sanctioned R/C contest
where the Good's model was the only one to fly. Ross Hull and Clinton DeSoto were
two other prominent early R/C'ers. Transmitter operators were licensed Hams who
designed and built their own equipment at 56 MHz, unlike modern turn-key R/C
systems operating in unlicensed ISM bands. Vacuum tubes were used in the transmitter
and the airborne receiver. Lead-acid batteries often provided power for the receiver
and control surface actuators (pseudo-servos) in the airplane, which unfortunately
would burst during a crash...
 "Astronomers have confirmed that a small
object temporarily captured by Earth's orbit is the
Centaur upper-stage rocket booster that helped lift NASA's ill-fated Surveyor
2 spacecraft toward the moon in 1966. The object, designated 2020 SO, was initially
detected by the Panoramic Survey Telescope And Rapid Response System, which monitors
near-Earth objects such as asteroids that might pose a threat to Earth. Upon closer
examination, scientists at the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) realized
that this was no ordinary asteroid. Typically, the orbit of an asteroid is more
elongated and tilted relative to Earth's orbit. However, before 2020 SO was captured
by this planet's gravity, it was orbiting around the sun in a near circle and in
an orbital plane that almost matched Earth's. Adding to the mystery..."
 When this article appeared in a 1949 issue
of Air Trails magazine, the
Jetex engine
line was relatively new to America. It had just been introduced in England in 1947
by Wilmot, Mansour & Company Ltd., of Southampton, consisting of Wilmot brothers,
Charles Mandeville Wilmot, John Wilmot, and Joseph Naimé Mansour. In 1950, American
Telasco became the U.S. importer and distributor of the Jetex line of motors, fuel,
and model airplane kits. Henry Struck's "Jetex Job" uses the Jetex 100 engine,
which was bigger and more powerful than the Jetex 50 model. Tailless airplanes
were popular because the lack of a vertical fin minimized the influence of wind
on flight since weathervaning was less pronounced. Jetex Job is a fairly large model
with a 21" wingspan, but you can see how lightweight the construction is. The fuselage
uses a formed 1/16" balsa tube in the rear engine area...
 How
come nobody told me about this? With all the articles I've read about the Perseverance
rover recently landed on Mars, none come to mind which mentioned a
message
on the underside of the parachute used to lower the atmospheric entry spacecraft
and its load to the point where retrorockets took over just above the surface. It
only took a moment to figure it all out - much simpler than Carl Sagan's team's
cryptic message on the Pioneer 10
and 11 interplanetary explorer, but a bit more tricky than "We come in peace for
all mankind" on Apollo 11's
Eagle lunar module. Très cool, IMHO.
 "Army researchers invented a hinge that improves
how quickly a
quadrotor the size of a king-sized mattress can ascend from the ground to the
rooftop of a two-story building, particularly with large payloads. The hinge is
located at the root of the quadrotor blade next to the hub so that the blade pitch
changes with rotor speed. As quadrotors and similar aircraft are scaled up, the
extra inertia of the rotor blade slows them down. With the new coupling, the thrust
becomes more sensitive to changes in rotation per minute (RPM). Large quadrotors
carrying these loads could climb roughly 25 feet in as little as two seconds with
the hinge, instead of three or four seconds..."
 There are not too many control line float
planes around for good reason. Unless you have an amphibious plane that can take
off and land on water or a hard surface, it is hard to find a place where you can
stand in the water far enough from shore to ensure a compete flight circumference
of water. In most cases the water would be pretty deep. Even waist depth water can
make turning difficult. A sandbar would be ideal, or maybe you are fortunate enough
to have access to a shallow pond (natural or manmade). This
Macchi-Castoldia Schneider Cup Racer C/L model fits the bill as an amphibious
plane if you build the wheeled dolly included on the plans by Paul Palanek. the
article and plans appeared in the Air Trails 1958 Annual edition...
  As part of my effort to collect the model airplanes
I had as a kid, I would like to get the Mark's Models Windward and Windfree gliders.
If you have one or both of these and would sell them, please contact me at
KirtAAR@aol.com. They appear on eBay occasionally,
but are a bit out of my price range there. Selling directly eliminates the eBay
listing cost, so hopefully would lower the price. Thank you.
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