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Mylar Trim for Models

Mylar Trim for Models article from the October 1972 edition of American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsAirplanes and Rockets website visitor Michael M. wrote to request that I post this article, along with the ones for the Satellite 1000 free-flight champion, and The Giants of Free Flight. His reason was that he wanted to get his flying team back together again in Bill Hunter, who passed away recently. This 1972 American Aircraft Modeler magazine article on covering with Mylar is very extensive and is another example of such efforts that were common in hobby magazines of decades ago - a large part of my motivation for making them available. It is rare...

Sikorsky's Helicopter

Set'er Down in Your Back Yard: Sikorsky Helicopter, April 1943 Popular Mechanics - Airplanes and Rockets1943, in the midst of World War II, was about the beginning of the time when all the fantastic predictions of flying cars, video phones, domestic robots, two-day work weeks, meals in pill form, self-driving lawn mowers, self-driving cars, moon and planet habitats, and other creations were being pitched by technical magazines like Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Science and Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, and others. Even the "women's" mags were full of promises of automated everything to make housework simpler. While many of the fundamental inventions has since been created, only a few have evolved to full maturity as envisioned. A flying machine in every garage is one which has not. Such a Jetsons...

Criterion RV-6 Telescope for Sale

Criterion RV-6 Dynascope Telescope Restoration Project - Airplanes and RocketsWe will be moving back to Erie, PA, where overcast skies dominate, and the city lights kill views, so I am going to try to sell this before leaving. I'd keep it as a museum piece for display if I was going to have room, but we might be going into an apartment. The entire system has been stripped down and refinished, with original components retained for authenticity. Included are telescope, mount, clock drive, finder scope, 9 mm and 18 mm eyepieces, 2x Barlow, dust covers. This is truly a unique opportunity. Please contact me via e-mail if you are interested in buying it. Local pick-up only, or I'll deliver for $50 within 100 miles of Greensboro, NC, with payment in advance...

A Simple Monokote Lettering Technique

Monokote Lettering Technique Using Computer and Printer - Airplanes and RocketsHere is a very simple technique for creating and applying custom lettering - or even complex graphics - using Monokote covering. It makes cutting out and positioning the individual pieces easy on flat surfaces or surfaces with a simple curve or bend. Complex surfaces like cowls and wheel pants can be more challenging, but at least the shapes can be created this way. Use any word processor or graphics program to create the exact size and text and/or graphic shapes, including spacing and alignment, italics, font face, etc., that you want on your printer. Print it out on regular printer paper (20# works fine). Tape the paper onto the Monokote and cut out each character with an x-Acto...

Sharpie Schooner by Midwest Products

Sharpie Schooner by Midwest Products - Airplanes and RocketsThis Midwest Products Sharpie Schooner is one of two static display models that I built for my dearest, Melanie (the other being a Midwest Products Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack). She actually bought them to build herself, but decided to let me build them instead. I used my woodworking, metalworking, and painting skills for the structure and accessories, and she used her sewing skills to make the sails. Applying all those tuft strings on the sails was quite time-consuming. Deft Gloss clear was sprayed on the entire structure and sanded between coats for a smooth surface. Then, Testors enamel paint was applied on the bottom of the hull. The effort paid off with a 1st Place ribbon at the 2004 Dixie Classic Fair, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...

Jetex-Powered Scale Russian & French Jet Models

Russian and French Scale Jet Planes, May 1956 Young Men • Hobbies • Aviation • Careers - Airplanes and RocketsThe Russian MiG-15 and French Mystère jet airplanes were prominent first in the Korean War and then into the Vietnam era. They were two of the earliest jet fighters in air warfare. Many of the American jet planes were being modeled around 1956, when this issue of Young Men magazine came out, but at least in domestic magazines, plans for foreign jobs were fairly rare. Here are plans for the two aforementioned Russian and French jets which use the Jetex 50 engine for propulsion. Construction is all balsa, consisting of a minimal framework covered with 1/32" balsa...

Snow Skis on Herr Engineering J-3 Cub

DuBro Park Flyer Snow Skis on a Herr Engineering J-3 Cub - Airplanes and RocketsSnow season arrived here in Erie, Pennsylvania, already (13" on November 10th), and I didn't want to miss the chance to do some flying off of snow skis. Last winter I mounted a pair of DuBro snow skis to my Herr Engineering J-3 Cub and flew a couple times with them, but they were the standard model that are too big and heavy for this 1/2A-sized model. DuBro's Park Flyer Snow Skis seemed like they might be a better choice for the J-3, so I ordered a pair. The size is just about right, but the vacuum-formed plastic was a bit too thin for me to confidently install them on the J-3. I decided that they would be perfectly useable with a little sturdying up. As can be seen in the photos, there are two stiffening slots...

Gemini VII Launch in December 4, 1965 TV Guide

Gemini VII Launch Announcement from December 4, 1965 TV Guide - Airplanes and RocketsWhile looking for the edition of TV Guide that published the first airing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," I noticed that the time period coincided with the launching of the Gemini VII spacecraft. In a stroke of good fortune, it indeed included an announcement that regularly scheduled programming would be preempted as necessary to provide live coverage of the launch, to give timely updates, and to coverage the splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. 2:30 Gemini Space Flight The 14-day Gemini VII space flight is scheduled for launching from Cape Kennedy's Pad 19 at 2:30 P.M. Astronauts Frank Borman and James A. Lovell will be making man's longest journey...

Skydweller Solar Plane Flies in Mississippi

Skydweller Solar Plane Flies in Missippippi - Airplanes and Rockets"An aviation company pushing the boundaries of solar-powered flight has successfully finished the first in a series of tests for its uncrewed airplane, taking off from Mississippi's Stennis International Airport for six flights high over the Gulf of Mexico. The company, Skydweller Aero Inc., says its aircraft - essentially a giant drone with a wingspan greater than a 747 - had one flight lasting 22.5 hours and another lasting 16 hours during the initial testing campaign. The company says it is developing technology to enable its airplanes to eventually spend months cruising at 40,000 feet, guided by a team of techs on the ground and using only the sun for fuel. The top of the plane is equipped with 17,000 solar cells..."

Air Trails Sketch Book

Sketch Book, February 1949 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsA scheme I have considered for control line models is one of the entries in the "Sketch Book" section of the February 1949 issue of Air Trails magazine. Mr. Joseph Johnson shows how he used a moveable rudder on his scale airplane to increase tension on the control lines when up elevator is commanded. A similar system could be devised for stunt models which increases right rudder (for CCW circles, left rudder for CW) as either up or down elevator is fed in. Another option I have never tried is to have a moveable rudder controlled by a spring connected to a sliding bellcrank platform that would increase outward rudder when line tension lessens, and decrease it when the lines get tight. Such a system would be most useful for compensating for wind gusts that slacken the control lines. Maybe some day I'll have the time to experiment with that. A handful of other ideas are included...

F-84G Thunderjet Article & Plans

F-84G Thunderjet Article & Plans, July 1970 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWebsite visitor Bob wrote to ask that I scan and post the construction article and plans for the F-84G Thunderjet control line model. It appeared in the July 1970 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine. The unique feature of this model is that the power is supplied by the pilot. A fishing pole and line is used to drag the airplane around the flying circle and a separate, standard two-line elevator control is used to maneuver the model. Construction is sheet balsa. Author Joe Wagner (well-known in the modeling world) claims that with a bit of practice just about any aerobatic maneuver can be accomplished except for the overhead routines like the figure eight...

Drones Perform Infrastructure Inspections

Drones Perform Infrastructure Inspections - Airplanes and Rockets"Drones will be deployed for long distance inspection of infrastructure as well as site security following new rule changes published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The aviation regulator's new rules will enable drones to fly beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of remote pilots in so-called 'atypical' operations through its new policy for atypical air environments (AAE). BVLOS flights have been taking place in the UK for several years, but these flights have occurred primarily in trials under strict restrictions..."

World Championships in Germany

World Championships in Germany, Model Annual 1956 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThe 1956 Air Trails magazine Annual Edition reported on the World Championships in Germany for the International Wakefield Cup, F.A.I Free Flight, and Nordic A/2 Glider events. The three '55 World Championships were held in September at the U.S. Air Force's Finthen Airfield, near Wiesbaden, Germany. Competition was fierce amongst European and American contenders. It is worthwhile to remember that 1955 was a mere eleven years after the end of World War II, and that former foes were gathered together for a sporting contest. There could easily have been men there who, without knowing it, were competing against military adversaries they met on the battlefield or in occupied towns a decade earlier...

Rocket (Jetex) Powered Dyna-Soar

Rocket (Jetex) Powered Dyna-Soar Article & Plans, July 1962 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThis rocket boost glider called the Dyna-Soar was powered by American Telasco's version of the Jetex 50 engine. Jetex rocket engines were quite popular with model airplane, boat, and car builders through the early 1970s, at which point the fuel supplies began to disappear. Most Internet sources posit that Imperial Chemicals Industries (ICI) ceased making the fuel pellets due to a combination of liability and regulation issues. ICI, based in Scotland, manufactured the Jetex fuel pellets* from a measured blend of guanidine nitrate, 2,4-dinitroresorcinol, potassium nitrate...

Windmill Planes

Windmill Planes, February 1939 Popular Science - Airplanes and RocketsLeonardo da Vinci is usually credited with producing the first illustration of a helicopter concept. It employed a rotating helical corkscrew device at the top in order to enable the craft and occupant to "screw his way aloft, in much the same manner as Archimedes designed his eponymous helical screw device to lift water from a lower level to a higher level. Water, being dense and cohesive with itself, was easily elevated, whilst air, not being dense or cohesive, did not yield to the same technique. In fact, if the "aerial screw" were able to spin rapidly enough and was of an efficient aerodynamic design, it would work. Here is a 4-screw drone to prove it. These "Windmill Planes" presented in the February 1939 issue of Popular Science magazine represent the state of the art at the time. Surprisingly omitted is an example of Igor Sikorsky's helicopter design, which he first flew successfully in September...

Top 50 NASA Photos

Top 50 NASA Photos - RF Cafe"On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which began its operations on October 1, 1958, we offer this list of the 50 most memorable images from NASA's history. We recognize that any such ranking is inherently subjective. The rationale for why any one image ranked two slots higher than any other combines several factors, including our attempt to balance the list between human spaceflight, satellite imaging, and planetary exploration. Many wonderful images did not make the final cut - we couldn't convince the editors to give us 20 pages instead of 10. The list omits significant events from space history that were not NASA achievements..."

Fan Forces Parachute to Ascend with Jumper

Fan Forces Parachute to Ascend with Jumper, August 1937 Popular Mechanics - Airplanes and RocketsThis sort of cutting edge technology used to be the domain of military operations, but nowadays it can be found in amusement parks and even at backyard parties. The parachute training facility which appeared in a 1937 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine was real whiz-bang stuff at the time. Although Russia's system is featured here, I have to believe other countries were doing the same sort of thing. Using a high power fan to boost the paratrooper trainee in a simulated parachute descent was an excellent method of introducing men to the sensations and reactions to control inputs via shroud lines. The story noes not mention whether the fan was forceful enough to simulate a free-fall experience. Just today a saw a news item showing such recreational free-fall machine companies called Urban Air and iFall...

Wee -38 Lightning Article & Plans

Wee -38 Lightning Article & Plans, December 1959 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsSince first starting with control line model sin the late 1960s, I always intended to build a multi-engine model of some sort, but didn't get around to it until around 2016 when I began construction on a Douglas DC-3 (maiden flight occurred in 2023). With the plethora of ready-to-fly (RTF) and almost RTF (ARF) models on the market today at very reasonable prices, there is no real good excuse for not doing it; so I'll have to stick with my bad excuses. But I digress. This simple twin "Wee-38" Lightning which appeared in the December 1959 issue of American Modeler magazine, uses a pair of Cox .020 or .049 engines and solid balsa components. You could electrify the model with equivalent brushless motors, ESCs, and a LiPo battery pack. It would be nice if a series of ESCs would be marketed for twin motors, since unlike with brushed...

The Space Race

Space Race (ChatGPT-generated content) - Airplanes and RocketsThe Space Race was one of the most significant geopolitical and scientific competitions of the 20th century, driven by the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It spanned from the late 1940s through the 1970s, with a focus on achieving superiority in space exploration, a domain viewed as critical not only for scientific advancement but also for military and strategic dominance. Rooted in rocket technology developed during World War II, the Space Race transformed the world's understanding of science and technology, culminating in the most dramatic achievement: the landing of humans on the Moon in 1969. This treatise explores the key milestones, the countries and key players involved, technological developments, the interplay between military...

Model Rocketry Takes off in Oregon

Model Rocketry Takes off in Oregon - Airplanes and RocketsThis article appeared in the November 2024 issue of Astronomy magazine - not sure why. "Brothers is a place that has somehow slipped outside the passage of time. Located in a sea of sagebrush in central Oregon, this former stagecoach stopover once serviced horse-drawn migrants bound for the Willamette Valley. Thanks to the nonprofit organization OregonRocketry, Brothers has outlasted the surrounding ghost towns to find new purpose as one of the preeminent high-power rocket launch sites in America. The group has purchased land and established a site out here in coyote country for the advancement of amateur rocketry and education of future aerospace engineers. They have a waiver from the FAA that currently allows them to blast the things nearly four miles into the air..."

HAPS Aircraft for Stratospheric Comms

SoftBank Trials HAPS Aircraft for Stratospheric Communications - RF Cafe"Japanese operator SoftBank announced that the Sunglaider, its large-scale solar-powered uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) designed for High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric telecommunications, was utilized in a field trial conducted by AeroVironment and the U.S. DoD in New Mexico, the U.S. During the trial, carried out in early August, Sunglider succeeded in achieving stratospheric flight, the Japanese operator said. With a wingspan of 78 meters and the capability to carry payloads weighing up to 75kg, the Sunglider is larger than other publicly announced HAPS UAS..."

Championship 336 Cessna Skymaster

Championship Winning 336 Cessna Skymaster Article & Plans, July/August 1964 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThe Cessna Skymaster (336/337) has always been my favorite twin-engined civilian lightplane. A military version of it is designated as the O-2 Skymaster. For as long as I can remember, I have threatened to build a control-line model of one. Well, that time has finally arrived, and I began by ordering these plans from the AMA Plans Service. It will be powered by a pair of 480-sized brushless motors, and throttle will be controlled by a hand-held car/boat format transmitter, the one I use on my control-line Douglas DC-3. I am modifying the fuselage construction to accommodate the motors, and am adding formers to simplify the building process. Mr. Welch's original omitted formers in the cabin area...

Fox 15x Engine

Fox 15x Engine, November 1961 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsFox model airplane engines had a reputation for ruggedness and contest-winning performance, but were also notoriously difficult to get started - at least without an electric starter. In 1961, when this full-page advertisement appeared in American Modeler magazine, electric starters were not in many modelers' field boxes, and particularly those owned by youngsters whose modeling budget came from meager allowances and paper routes. Born in 1958, I was 15 or 16 years old before being able to afford the luxury, and I remember relentlessly flipping the propellers on my Fox 15 and Fox 35 control line engines. Half the time when they...

Airnocker Article & Plans

Airnocker Article & Plans, March 1957 Model Airplane News - Airplanes and RocketsIf you have ever wanted to try your hand (thumbs, to be more specific) at a floatplane, then this 1/2A size Aeronca Champion which appeared in the March 1957 issue of Model Airplane News magazine, is just the ticket. Although designed by Walt Mooney as a free flight ROW (rise-off-water) model that easily converts between wheels and floats, modifications to 3 or 4 channel radio control would be a snap, especially since the plans show separate construction for the control surfaces along the hinge line. With about a 46" wingspan and lightweight but strong construction, this model could easily have been designed with modern electric power...

Rebinding Damaged Books

Rebinding Damaged Books, February 1965 Popular Mechanics - Airplanes and RocketsI did a quick Web search on how to repair damaged book bindings, and as is typical, most of what is out there is a rewritten regurgitation of other pages. Tape and glue are the order of the day per those instructions, but that is really insufficient to effect a good repair on books - particularly older volumes - which use string and fabric along the spine to form a very rugged and durable binding for standing up to repeated use. When you desire to restore a book to as close to its original condition as possible, the more extensive method described in this 1965 Popular Mechanics magazine article is needed. All the tools and materials required are described, as is instructions for assembling a book...

R&S Counter-UAS to Combat Autonomous Aerial Threats

Rohde & Schwarz Advances Counter-UAS Technology to Combat Autonomous Aerial Threats - RF Cafe"Rohde & Schwarz has been at the forefront of addressing the evolving threats posed by advanced drone technology to security, public safety, and critical infrastructure. As drones become more sophisticated and complex, malicious drones equipped with advanced capabilities present significant challenges. To counter these threats, Rohde & Schwarz has developed cutting-edge Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) designed to detect, neutralize, and mitigate emerging drone risks effectively. In a recent interview, Martin Woywod, Product Manager for Counter-UAS Systems at Rohde & Schwarz, explained the urgency of counter-drone technology in today's world..."

Wind Flying

Wind Flying - September 1972 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsAirplanes and Rockets website visitor Lars B. wrote from Sweden requesting that I scan this "Wind Flying" article from the September 1972 edition of American Aircraft Modeler magazine. It describes a method for replacing engines and motors with human power for preforming some pretty impressive C/L aerobatics on windy days. Basically, you drag the model airplane around on its control lines, which often required not just turning in a circle while standing in one place, but walking around a small circle in order to get more speed. If there is any wind, you need to put extra effort into the pulling when moving into the wind. I can remember doing this as a teenager, only I did it with the engine in place but not...

Aviation News Headlines <Archives>

• FCC Rules for 5 GHz Band Drone Operations

EAA Weighs in on MOSAIC

• Smithsonian Opens Hangar Doors to Pilots

Charlie's Cox Model Airplane Collection

Charlie's Cox Model Airplane Collection - Airplanes and RocketsAs the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. That being the case, here are 8,000 of some of the most amazing words that I've ever seen regarding Cox control line airplanes. These photos were sent to me by Airplanes and Rockets website visitor Charlie H. According to his e-mail, there are around 300 models in all, many of which are still in their original boxes. I see some pretty unique examples in the photos. If my understanding is correct, he is interested in selling his collection. It must be worth a small fortune. I will let you know how to contact him if he does want to sell part or all of the models...

Jonah's Plane

Jonah's Plane (November 1938 Boys' Life Article) - Airplanes and RocketsOld seafarers' superstitions wore on long past the days when sailors believed their ship might run over the edge of the Earth. They carried over into maritime services well into the 20th century, and probably to some extent into the 21st century. It was common to blame a long string of bad luck on one poor sap whose appearance on the scene just happened to coincide with the supposed curse. He was called a "Jonah," after the Biblical character whose presence on a fishing boat caused a constant run of bad weather until the crew finally tossed him overboard where the leviathan of the deep swallowed him. In this story from a 1938 edition of Boys' Life magazine, a particular seaplane suffered problem after problem, like water in the gas tank causing dead stick landings on rough seas, so the pilots and mechanics referred to it as "Jonah's plane." As with many stories of the era, this one centers around airplanes and ships...

My Red Ryder BB Gun

My Red Ryder BB Gun (as seen in A Christmas Story) - Airplanes and RocketsA Christmas Story has long been one of my favorite Christmas movies. A Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite animated movie, and It's a Wonderful Life gets the #1 spot for a film, but this runs a very close second. It first aired around Christmas of 1983, so I was 25 at the time - a bit old for Christmas movies you might say... but you'd be wrong. Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Melanie and I watch those three movies, plus Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and A Christmas Carol (the original with Alastair Sim). A Christmas Story was adopted from a story that Jean Shepherd read on his radio show on WOR, in New York, on December 25, 1972. A friend of mine who lived there at the time happened to record the original broadcast on his reel-to-reel tape deck, and a couple years ago he sent me a copy on CD. The movie, of course, expounds on the story, but in this case it adds a lot. Jean Shepard narrates in the background of the movie as Ralphie remembering his childhood...

Starting Control Line Flying Scale

Starting Control Line Flying Scale, Annual 1960 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThis "Starting Control Line Flying Scale" article in the 1960 Annual Edition of Air Trails magazine is still a good primer on how to go about getting into scale flying model competition. Some of the contest rules have changed over the decades since, but the basics are the same. The table of model sizes and engines might need to be adjusted for electric powered models, but in the scale world there are still many modelers who use internal combustion engines - especially in the large airplanes. A quietly humming motor does not give quite the same real-world affect as a screaming engine. Even with all the research going into full-scale electric aircraft, we're still many moons away from have a viable military fighter, transport, or commercial commuter. The drawing is by the famous Cal Smith (as is the cover image), but the text of the article is not attributed to any named author...

Adjusting the Power R/C Plane

Adjusting the Power R/C Plane, January 1955 Popular Electronics - Airplanes and RocketsIf you ever had any doubt whether Bill Winter was one of the model airplane hobby's earliest and most prolific contributors, check out this article that appeared in the January 1955 edition of Popular Electronics magazine (only the third issue since its inception). Radio control systems were just beginning to be commercialized and priced at a point where a lot of the public could afford it. Quirks and high unreliability that plagued early systems had become less of an issue so that airplane and power plant design efforts could take priority with aeromodelers. In this article, Bill addresses setting proper wing incidence and engine thrust angles for good, repeatable, stable flight...

Cockpit Details for the Scale Model

Cockpit Details for the Scale Model, Annual 1960 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsModern day scale models are amazingly detailed with functional miniature instruments, control yokes and joysticks moving in unison with stabilizer, rudder, ailerons, throttle, and others. Access to relatively inexpensive 3-D printing, laser printers, and laser cutters has greatly enabled scale modelers. The state of the art has advanced for far that competition is extremely stiff. Even so, in the 1960's when this "Cockpit Details for the Scale Model" article appeared in Air Trails magazine, the skill level was quite impressive given the resources available at the time. This particular subject is an instrument panel for a Piper J3 Cub, but photos from scale contents of the era showed highly detailed cockpits for civilian and military aircraft ranging from Cessna 180's to B-36 bombers and F−86 Saber jet fighters...

Sunbeam FP-11A Electric Frypan Thermostat Adjustment

Sunbeam FP-11A Electric Frypan Thermostat Adjustment - Airplanes and Rockets(add other photos) A nice vintage Sunbeam Model FP−11A electric frypan, like one we had decades ago, showed up at an estate sale. I plugged it in and it heated up quickly, so I paid the man $5 and brought it home. The magazine advertisement shown on the left is from 1956, so it's more than sixty years old! Melanie and I have been on a mission for many years to find Made in the USA products for use rather than support Red China. That goes for appliances, tools, electronics, clothing, household goods, and whatever else can be found. Before investing time into cleaning it up, I wanted to give it a good going over. A quick check with the thermocouple showed that the temperature was out of alignment with the dial. I removed the protective cover and found the adjustment screw provided for setting the temperature. After a few iterations of adjusting and measuring, I arrived at a place where the frypan would heat up to about 20° degrees above the set point, turn off, then turn back on about 20° degrees below...

Wings for the King

Wings for the King, December 1939 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsCrash Carringer was one of Arch Whitehouse's later ace pilot characters. Officially an aircraft salesman for Hale Aircraft Corporation on Long Island, New York. However, in his efforts to prove the superiority of his prized Hellion monoplane fighter with a twin tail boom configuration, he often ended up fighting and winning dogfights against evil worldwide crime organizations who were often in league with governments of notorious for desiring to rule the Earth. World War I had been over for nearly two decades and World War II was newly on the table following Hitler's and Hirohito's invasions in Europe and Asia, respectively. Accordingly, those two countries played prominently in the stories. As with most of these sorts of stories in Flying Aces magazine, they were quite long, filling eight to ten full pages...

Swedish Saab J 21 Fighter

Swedish Saab J 21 Fighter, February 1971 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsDon Berliner, who published many articles and even books on scale model and full-sized aircraft, provided this article on the SAAB J 21 fighter in a 1971 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine. Most people nowadays associate the company name SAAB with high quality automobiles, although Saab the car company went defunct in 2012. From the World War II era through to today, they produce(d) aircraft. Here is an excerpt from their current "About Us" webpage; "When Saab was founded in 1937, our primary aim was to provide military aircraft for Sweden. Today, we serve the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions from military defence to civil security. With operations on every continent, Saab continuously develops, adapts and improves new technology to meet customers' changing needs." The SAAB J 21 went through multiple design iterations as both a pusher-prop and a jet fighter aircraft...

½A Cub Controller Article & Plans

Cub Controller Article & Plans, September 1949 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsWalter A. Musciano is a name familiar to most people reading model airplane magazines anytime from the 1940s through about the 1970s. He was  prolific model designer and artist / draftsman. His detailed drawings of full scale aircraft are deemed to be amongst the best. This Cub Controller is a 1/2A job sporting a 19" wingspan. It uses both a built-up fuselage and wing, so building requires a tad more work than the typical profile fuselage and sheet wing often found on models of this size. The effort pays off, though, in a much nicer looking craft. Mr. Musciano intended the Cub Controller to be a beginner level project for building and flying, but having a model or two under your belt prior to this would definitely be an advantage. If anyone builds a Cub Controller today, he would probably use electric power rather than the glow fuel Cub .049 or Cox .049 engine. You just can't beat the scream of an old fashioned 1/2A engine, but the ease of operation and no messy oil to clean off afterward is definitely nice...

R/C Reliability

R/C Reliability, March 1955 Popular Electronics - Airplanes and RocketsThe topic of R/C system reliability rarely is mentioned in model airplane magazines these days. Many of the high-end, big dollar planes like jets (turbines), giant scale and giant 3D, do use redundant receivers and batteries because the pilots have thousands of dollars worth of equipment and hundreds of hours of personal time invested in them. Operating at 2.4 GHz with spread spectrum modulation, there is little to no chance of radio interference, which was a huge problem back when this article appeared in a 1955 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. William ("Bill") Winter, who would later serve as president of the Academy of Model aeronautics (AMA), was editor of Model Airplane News magazine at the time. Vacuum tube receivers and electromechanical escapements and relays were being used in model airplanes. The very nature of construction of those components made them extremely vulnerable to vibration and shock induced intermittent or total failures. The models themselves were necessarily large and often underpowered for carrying such heavy loads aloft. We owe the R/C pioneers a lot for taking the arrows of trial and error to ultimately give us the carefree systems we enjoy today...

Tone Modulator for Radio Control

Tone Modulator for Radio Control from April 1958 Radio-Electronics Magazine - RF CafeDeclaring any kind of straight LC tank circuit to be high stability is a bit of a stretch when compared to the Q available simply by adding a crystal, even in 1958. Tone modulation was an early method for achieving remote control of model airplanes, boats, and cars. The number of channels with these tone modulation systems is two times the number of modern proportional systems in that moving the rudder left took one channel and moving it right took another. Up and down elevator likewise took two channels. Therefore, this four channel system is only two channels by today's terminology. Technology evolved into fully proportional systems on crystal-controlled 27 MHz using pulse position modulation (PPM), then to 72 MHz, and today nearly every every R/C uses a combination of frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) and direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) in the 2.4 GHz ISM band...

How to Build George Harris' Radio Controlled Spitfire

How to Build George Harris' Radio Controlled Spitfire Article & Plans, February 1962 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWebsite visitor Wells S. just wrote asking for another article to be posted - this time it is a very nice scale radio controlled Spitfire IX. It appeared in the February 1962 issue of American Modeler magazine published by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). As was common in the era (1962), construction is very robust and therefore heavy (10 pounds with a 64" wingspan). A Super Tigre .56 powered the model in the article, and an Orbit radio with Bonner servos were used. My favorite line in the article is, "In flight the Spitfire is very stable but snaps through maneuvers and will tie knots in itself if you can operate transmitter switches fast enough." We've come a long way, baby...

Mini-ROD Article & Plans

Mini-ROD Article & Plans, February 1969 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWebsite visitor Bob G. wrote to request help with identifying a Cox .020-powered free flight model that he remembered seeing in an old edition of American Aircraft Modeler modeler magazine. He couldn't recall the name for sure, but gave a good enough description and a guess at the approximate timeframe that I was able to find it for him - the "Mini−ROD." His completed Mini−ROD is shown to the left. The finish has not yet been applied. You can see where the wing panels are joined temporarily with masking tape. The horizontal stabilizer is in its dethermalizer position. Wing and stabilizers are sheet balsa with airfoil-forming ribs underneath. A Cox .020 engine will power the Mini−Rod. Bob is planning on building a lot of the Tenderfoot series of models that appeared monthly back in the era...

All-Balsa Plane Model - The Minute Man

All-Balsa Plane Model ... The Minute Man - Airplanes and RocketsAs with most of the handyman's type of magazine of the era, Popular Science features a very broad array of topics, including full size and model aeroplanes. The May 1968 issue of Popular Mechanics had plans for a full-size homebuilt airplane made of spruce and plywood, using a modified Volkswagen engine. This June 1941 issue had plans for building a rubber powered free flight model dubbed the "Minute Man." It is a simple stick and tissue job that can be built for a few pennies worth (at the time) of balsa, glue, Jap tissue, and rubber (of course in today's hyperinflated Bidenomics world the price is measured in dollars). Old timers like myself are familiar with the designer, Frank Zaic. He was the founder of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) in 1936, an organization which still thrives today. He was also co-founder of Model Aviation magazine, which has undergone a myriad of name changes over the years, and is now back to it's original name. Frank's experience as a draftsman for the U.S. Patent Office is apparent in the quality of his plans...

A Day in the Life of a Hobby Dealer

A Day in the Life of a Hobby Dealer (November 1962 American Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsIt's a good bet that many modelers, myself included, have dreamed about owning a hobby shop. How nice it would be to spend our days amongst walls, shelves, and display cases filled with every type of modeling kit and accessory. Melanie and I actually looked into buying one when we lived in Colorado Springs in the early 1990s. It's a good thing we didn't in retrospect, given the way the local hobby shop (LHS) has suffered tremendously since Internet-based purchases have become so popular - especially being tax-free in most areas. There are still big hobby shops left, but they are few and far between. I'm as guilty as the next guy for not doing more to support my LHS, but usually it's for convenience sake more so than price and not paying sales tax. This article from the November 1962 edition of American Modeler magazine, a time when local hobby shops were still the rule rather than the exception, is a humorous "day in the life of a hobby dealer." You can just imagine how plausible the scenario might be...

Arden .099 Engine Advertisement

Arden .099 Engine Advertisement, November 1946 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsAlthough I have never owned or run one of the vintage ignition type model airplane engines, the articles telling of their operation makes me glad that glow engines were the powerplant du jour by the time I entered the modeling realm in the late 1960s. Just as the smaller A−size and smaller glow fuel engines are generally more finicky to start and adjust to run consistently, so were the similar sized ignition engines - like the Arden .099 probably was. Persistence and anticipation of the joy of hearing a model airplane engine fire up and scream - and of course the smell of the burning glow fuel - as you prepare to launch the craft skyward is what made all the hassle worth it. My friends and I spend untold amounts of time struggling to get our Cox .049s started and running well enough get a few turns around the control line circle before the carefully...

How to Make Scale-Model Planes for Government Use

How to Make Scale-Model Planes for Government Use, May 1942 Popular Science - Airplanes and RocketsWith the entry of the United States into World War II came the need for service members to be trained on many new technologies - among them being airplanes and the ability to identify them quickly. Electronics technicians and airframe and powerplant mechanics were in need, of course, but everyone had to be able to tell friend from foe when airplanes were approaching. In order to assist the war effort, a call went out to civilians to begin producing thousands of models at a 1:72 scale so that at 35 feet away they appeared in size to be that of a full-scale version at about half a mile. Detailed paint jobs were not required - only that the profile from all angles look exactly like the real thing. In fact, the models were painted flat black so as to look like a distant airplane against the background sky. Both Allied and Axis airplane models were needed so that soldiers and sailors could quickly spot a potential danger and decide whether to take cover and prepare to fight, or to continue with business as usual. This article appeared in the May 1942 edition of Popular Science, meaning that it was probably written sometime around February, only a few months after the Japanese attacked our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941...

First German Helicopter Championships

First German Helicopter Championships, March 1969 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and Rockets$25 R/C helicopters are available from Amazon that climb and turn on demand (kinda). For under $60 you get a fully controllable model with counter-rotating rotors that anyone can fly like a pro in after an hour or two of practice. Double that amount and a 3-D-capable, ready-to-fly helicopter is available to you, complete with a spread spectrum radio, gyro stabilization, a brushless motor, and Li-Poly batteries... with a computerized charger. Engineers have labored endlessly to bring this state of the art technology to all corners of the world. It was not that way all so long ago. To wit, take a look at this article from the March 1969 edition of American Aircraft Modeler magazine, that reported on Germany's first ever R/C helicopter competition that was held in the fall of 1968. There were no kits (let alone RFTs), no special heli engines, no gyroscopes, no carbon fiber blades, to "how-to" manuals, not even any reserved frequencies for the newly arrived proportional radio control systems. All helicopters there were designed and built from scratch, and no two looked alike; large number or unique color schemes were not necessary to keep track of a cookie-cutter production craft...

Carve the Italian Beretta 9mm Pistol

Carve the Italian Beretta 9mm Pistol, December 1954 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsFinding an article in a modern model airplane magazine like this "Carve the Italian Beretta 9mm Pistol" from a 1954 issue of Air Trails is highly unlikely. For that matters, seeing an advertisement like the Polk's Hobbies Antique Gun Reproductions on the same page has equally low odds. It's not that boys are no longer interested in guns, it's that publishers are afraid to promote them in any manner - even for historical education purposes. Our politicians promote policies that allow criminals to enter the country bringing drugs, weapons, and other contraband; judges set criminals free or lightly sentence them; schools teach kids that all guns by all people (including police and military) are bad, and then want to remove all guns from law-abiding citizens. As the old saying goes, then only the bad guys will have guns. The morons believe putting an orange cap at the end of the barrel on toys guns will save the day, when all a criminal needs to do...

American Modeler Comics of Yore

American Modeler Comics of Yore, Comics from 1950s through Mid 1970s Vintage American Modeler Magazines (page 10) - Airplanes and RocketsThese couple vintage model aviation comics appeared in the May 1957 issue of the Academy of Model Aeronautics' American Modeler magazine. The one on page 8 might need some explanation in order "get it." Back in the era, aviation of all sorts - both model and full-size - was still a novelty for most people. When either type of aircraft was seen close to the ground where people could get up-close looks, a crowd would often gather. In this comic, a huge group of people stopped to watch the model airplane fly, so the modeler decided it was his civic duty to provide a show for the onlookers. Many decades ago, comic strips had a very broad appeal with people. Daily newspapers and magazines often carried a large variety of single pane comics and strip comics...

Tethered R/C - A Solution to the FAA's Draconian sUAS Rules?

Tethered R/C - A Solution to the FAA's Draconian sUAS Rules? - Airplanes and RocketsFor a long time I have been kicking around the concept of tethered R/C, where the airplane would be completely under remote control, with its inboard wing being attached to a tether that is in turn anchored to a pivot point in the center of the circle. My first effort was to convert an electric-powered control line stunt model to have R/C control of the elevator and motor speed. After doing the conversion, I decided that it would be safer to start out with a slow-flying, inherently stable model, so since I was in the process of building an electric-powered, three channel Carl Goldberg ½A Skylane, it was used as the Guiney pig. The steerable nose gear was pegged in the center, and the rudder pushrod was secured with a screw in the servo mount so that it has permanent right rudder. A tether attachment point was epoxied into the left wingtip. It weights 25.3 ounces ready to fly. The wing chord was increased by about 0.5" over the plans outline in order to get a little more area and decrease the wing loading a tab bit...

How to Target AirplanesAndRockets.com for Your Google Ads

Google AdSense - it makes good sense - Airplanes and RocketsSome companies have expressed an interest in being able to target Airplanes and Rockets via the Google AdSense program. Yes, it is possible to do that. As you might expect, finding the exact information on the Google AdSense website is a bit difficult. This short video does a good job summarizing exactly how to implement the "Ad Targeting" option, then "Placements," and then add "Websites." Just enter   airplanesandrockets.com   . There are other settings to optimize your advertising campaign with keywords (both included and excluded), pricing, scheduling, statistical data collection and reporting, etc. If you are currently using Google AdSense, then please consider this method, and if you are not using AdSense, now would be a good time to look into it. I have had reports from some companies that experience great results using AdSense (not just on Airplanes and Rockets)...

Steve Wooley's Control Line Argus

Argus Article & Plans, August 1961 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWebsite visitor Mark Radcliff (yes, THE Mark Radcliff, of 75-77-79-81 USA F3a RC Aerobatic Team fame, and until recently, VP of that AMA's District III) wrote to request that I scan the article for Steve Wooley's control line Argus, which, appeared in the August 1961 American Modeler magazine. The Argus was the star of the 1960 world championships in Hungary. Note the unique wing construction where rather than using full ribs, upper and lower outlines are used that sit over and under the beefy solid wing spar. The entire article is very short...

With the Model Builders

With the Model Builders, February 1942 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsFebruary 1942 was just a couple months into the USA's official involvement in World War II. We had been informally assisting Europe against Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy, and China against Japan's Hirohito, a couple years prior to the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, upon which the U.S. declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. a couple days later. We were suddenly in the game big time. Only because Hitler and the Soviet Union's Stalin couldn't agree on how to share rule of a conquered Earth were we spared warring against what would have been an overwhelmingly formidable force. Flying Aces magazine provided a lot of coverage of the USAAF's efforts during the war, in large part to motivate young men to fight for God and country...

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