|
 Airplanes 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...
 1943, 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...
 We 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...
 Here 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...
 This
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...
 The 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 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...
 While 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...
 "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..."
 A 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...
 Website 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
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..."
 The 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...
 This
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...
 Leonardo 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...
 "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..."
 This 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...
 Since 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 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...
 This 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..."
 "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..."
 The
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 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...
 If 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...
 I 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...
 "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..."
 Airplanes 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...
• FCC Rules for
5 GHz Band Drone Operations
•
EAA Weighs in on MOSAIC
• Smithsonian
Opens Hangar Doors to Pilots
|
The Stuka
Stunt control line aerobatics model was designed and flown by Don Still. Don
was top placing (2066.6 points) member of the winning USA team, with his new version
Stuka Stunt, at the 1960 World Stunt Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The model
sports a 42" wingspan with a wing area of 391 sq. in., weight is 28-30 ounces. Construction
is standard balsa, plywood, and spruce. Plans for the original version Stuka Stunt
were featured in the April 1952 issue of Air Trails. The model won the
1952 and 1954 Nationals (Nats), the 1953 Internationals, and the 1951 Tangerine
Internationals. It took second place in the 1951 and 1960 Nationals. These plans
for Don's new Stuka Stunt appeared in the July 1961 issue of American Modeler
magazine.
 Website 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...
 It really is amazing how quickly aeronautics
evolved in the mere four decades between when the Wright brothers first flew their
Flyer until when this 1945 issue of Flying Age magazine printed a
history of development of propellers. The technology went from fixed pitch,
hand-carved wooden models to variable pitch, machine formed and finished high strength
metal alloy variants. Those c1945 props needed to withstand the incredible forces
of not just 1000-plus horsepower engines, but the centrifugal force and bending
moments imposed on them by high speed rotation and rapid changes in axial orientation
as the airplanes they were attached to performed high−G maneuvers. Research and
development from American, European, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese engineers and
scientists are to be primarily credited...
 "Red birds are much like our own." That
was written of a Ruskie publication reporting on a model rocketry contest in the
USSR. Of course, this story is from a 1963 edition of American Modeler.
Back then Communists (Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, etc.) were colloquially
referred to as "Reds". The main topic of the article, though , is the growing popularity
of rocket boost gliders. A few attempts have been made over the years to try rocket
boost R/C models, but without much success. Also covered is the obstacle being faced
by groups trying to recruit new rocketeers because of the "killer" reputation
homemade model rocket engines
had acquired from careless and/or ignorant handling of the explosive components.
Vernon Estes single-handedly changed the fate of the model rocket hobby by introducing
preloaded, solid propellant motors...
 As a kid living in Holly Hill Harbor, Maryland,
I managed to find many uses for those
thin plastic bags that protected garments returned from the dry cleaner. The
two most often were for parachutes and for filling with hot air to use as a balloon.
I'd tape my mother's sewing thread to a cut-out circle for a parachute, then tie
a small rock to the ends of the "shroud lines." Then, I'd fold it and wrap the lines
around it like with my Estes rockets, and chuck it as high into the air as possible.
Only when my arm got sore did the repetitions stop. The hot air balloon exercises
were not very impressive. Forming a two-dimensional piece of plastic into a three-dimensional
sphere(oid) resulted in a less than optimal enclosure, with excess material that
only added weight without adding volume for hot air. A hair dryer borrowed - usually
without permission - provided the hot (more like warm) air for buoyancy. The thin
plastic easily wrinkled if the end of the hair dyer touched it...
 Back when Melanie had more time (around 1984),
she made a lot of counted cross stitch pictures. This one remains her most ambitious
project ever - a large nautical map of the ancient world, fashioned after the works
of famed cartographer Gerard Mercator and titled with "Orbis Terrae
Compendiosa Descriptio," which is, loosely translated, Latin for "A Comprehensive
Description of the World." Melanie's work was done on 22-count fabric, and measures
approximately 13" by 8" (not including white border). Such a fine effort needed
a special frame, so I set about making a custom 23" by 17" frame out of teak wood
bought at World of Hardwoods in Baltimore. The fancy fluting was done on my Craftsman
radial arm saw with the molding head. It was a scary operation with the sharp teeth
flying while feeding that teak through it. Teak, as you might know, is used extensively
on boats because it weathers well. It is an oily type wood that starts out life
with a shiny golden patina, but turns to the familiar gray if left unprotected in
the sun...
 The Douglas DC−3 (C−47 was the military
version designation) has always been my favorite twin engined commercial airplane.
Its nickname of "Gooney Bird" amongst troops is undeserved IMHO. The DC−3 is credited
with launching the commercial airline industry, and its C−47 version was listed
by Dwight D. Eisenhower as being on the most important tools for winning World War II.
Edward F. Burton, Chief Engineer at Douglas Aircraft Company, runs through the evolution
of the DC−3 and it predecessors and descendants in this December 1945 issue of
Flying Age magazine. December of 1935 marked the maiden flight of the DC−2,
was was a direct follow-on the the DC−2. A single DC−4 (4 engines) was built and
delivered to Japan. Then a DC−5 was built (high-wing version of the DC−3) but never
went into production. The 4-engine DC−6 entered commercial service in 1946, followed
by the very popular DC−7. A coaxial, counter-rotating pusher prop model DC−8 (not
to be confused with the 4-engine commercial DC−8 jet) never made it off the drawing
board. The next iteration was the C−54, which...
 Melanie gave me a Peter Rake-designed
Sopwith Camel from Manzano Laser Works
short kit for Christmas 2008. The entire building process has been documented here.
The laser cut parts are very nice, as can be seen in these photos. There are a couple
places you can go to read construction articles on the Sopwith Camel, but they are
for radio control. My Camel was originally going to be built for control line, so
I figured it would be worth including some additional information here. I have since
then decided to use a 3−channel R/C setup. I planned at first to use the recommended
Graupner GR170323 motor/gearbox combination, but have since settled on an E−flite
Park 370 brushless outrunner motor to get the extra power. Either a 2−cell, 1500
mAh LiPo or a 3−cell, 1300 mAh LiPo battery will be used. Using an APC 10x4.7 e−propeller
and the 3−cell LiPo, the thrust-to-weight ratio on a full charge well exceeds 1:1.
The instructions and plans are very sparse, and leave a lot to the imagination regarding
the actual construction, so there are photos here that you will not find elsewhere...
 I was surprised when I saw the byline of
Douglas Rolfe for this "Renaissance
of the 'Home Built' Airplane" article in a 1961 issue of American Modeler magazine
in the table of contents. The title kind of implies it is an article discussing
the past and present of homebuilt airplanes, but actually it is a collection of
line drawings of various homebuilts, with a short narrative. The format fits with
Mr. Rolfe's usual contributions with his Auto Progress and Air Progress features.
One of the things he points out, which I didn't know, is that in the early 1930's
the CAA (predecessor to the FAA) regulated home builders out of the air by imposing
difficult to comply with rules. If history is any indicator, it was probably lobbyists
hired by aircraft manufacturers paying off politicians and bureaucrats to make life
hard on homebuilders. Fortunately, people like EAA founder Paul Poberenzny helped
reform the system to facilitate a rebirth of homebuilders...
 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"...
 This is the Sunday, January 16, 1944, "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...
 Wives poking fun at their hobby-obsessed
husbands is not a new thing. Good-natured articles contributed by wives have appeared
in all kinds of specialty magazines for decades. This one entitled "Why
Not Authentic, Prefabricated Husbands?" was written by the wife of a model airplane,
rocket, and boat builder. Her name is Laurie Cunningham, which makes me wonder if
she is the better half of Chuck Cunningham, who wrote the "Cunningham on R/C" column
for R/C Modeler magazine for many years. Mrs. Cunningham's experience is not
unlike my own wife's (Melanie) dilemma living with me going on four decades. Throughout
our house on display are Estes rocket models, plastic and balsa model airplanes
and boats, and even a helicopter or two. Most of them are ones I've never flown
or floated for fear of messing up the carefully applied finish. Fortunately, the
in-service models are now all electric so there is not a mess of glow fuel dripping
onto the floor - just an occasional tire mark on the wall. In exchange for her tolerance...
 I took the occasion of having to cover the
wingtips of my AAR-X1 electric control line model to make a short video of how I
cover a compound
surface (one that curves in two or three dimensions) with MonoKote. The only
"trick" involved is being daring enough to apply the amount of heat needed to exploit
MonoKote's extreme ability to shrink, while pulling on it to stretch it. By daring
I mean that it can take quite a bit of heat, even to the point of being dangerously
close to the melting point. It can also put the phalanges is peril while attempting
to stretch the MonoKote while heating it. In the case of these wingtips, there is
an open framework, but the method works equally well on solid compound surface.
I have smoothly covered carved sailplane nose blocks and curved wingtips using this
method...
 It's hard to believe 1961 was over half a
century ago (62 years to be more precise). That is when this "NARAM," the
National
Association of Rocketry Annual Meet, took place in Denver, Colorado. As with
the U.S. Navy's involvement in the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Nationals
(Nats), the U.S. Air Force, in July of 1961, officially encouraged model rocketry
as a hobby for USAF personnel, including the Civil Air Patrol (CAP, headquartered
at Ellington AFB, Texas, at the time). The USAF had a vested interest in encouraging
young men to develop an interest in rocket development, operation, and maintenance
in order to ensure an ample supply of enlisted and officer personnel for its missile
programs. The contest has held at the Hogback Rocket Range near Denver, which was
close to Lowry Air Force Base (now closed) and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado
Springs...
 Founded in 1943, in the midst of World War II,
Revell's staff of talented artists, sculptors, machinists, chemists, engineers,
researchers, instruction writers, and assembly line workers have tuned out multiple
millions of highly detailed scale plastic models of every mode of transportation
ever devised, from every country that devised said modes of transportation.
Revell also made scale scenery and people to compliment the models.
They even made model of things that never really existed, like star ships and submarines
that could explore 20,000 leagues under the sea. I use images from the box tops
of many Revell kits for the Airplanes and Rockets website daily logos. Monogram
(founded in 1945) and Revell merged in 1986...
 Some 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)...
 This
Sketchbook was
scanned from the March 1957 issue of American Modeler magazine, published
by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Most building tips are timeless. Even in this
era of ready-to-fly (RTF), almost-ready-to-fly (ARF), bind-and-fly (BAF), etc.,
there are still many modelers who build their own aircraft. Nearly all top tier
competition fliers build their own models, as do aficionados of vintage (aka old-timer)
models. Some guys just would rather build than buy a pre-build airplane, whether
from a kit or from plans. I like the idea of using a sharpened bullet cartridge
for boring lightening holes in ribs, tail surfaces, etc., rather than using a drill
bit. The tip about using a slot in the bellcrank for the flaps of a control line
stunt models seems a bit iffy, since it can permit oscillations (fluttering) during
normal flight...
 This expertly rendered 3-view drawing of
the
Luscombe Silvaire appeared in the June 1959 issue of American Modeler magazine.
Draftsman Jim Trigs provided many such detailed drawings for modeling and full-scale
aircraft publications. According to this 2012 Capital Journal newspaper piece on
Jim Riggs, he flew from 1953 through 2008, with 28 of those 52 years devoted to
United Airlines. Being a South Dakota native, he was inducted in to the South Dakota
Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012. Jim soloed in a Cessna 140 in 1953 when he was 16,
then went on to log nearly 22,000 hours of flight time over his career. He flew
helicopters in Vietnam, and spent decades in the Civil Air Patrol - a true aviation
enthusiast. Jim left us in 1995...
 Airplanes and Rockets website visitor Boyd
Steffen sent me this photo of the formers he made using a 3D printer. People are
building entire flyable model airplanes using 3D printing, including detailed scale
airplanes, aerobatic and super fast models, lightweight Park Flyers, and training
types. The science/art has come a long way in the last decade. A YouTube search
on
3D printed model airplane will have you amazed at what is being
done, if you aren't already aware. The guys designing and building them have a very
impressive knowledge of what is needed to maximizing strength and rigidity while
maintaining minimal weight - no doubt as a result of trial and error...
 Those of us fortunate (or unfortunate, depending
on your point of view) to have been in the model airplane realm back in the 1960s
and 1970s (and earlier) are very familiar with Maxey Hester and his award-winning
models. Mr. Hester designed many of the fine scale models sold (some still) by Sig
Manufacturing of Montezuma, Iowa. In fact, if you don't know, Maxey later married
Hazel Sigafoose after her first husband and company co-founder (Glen) died (during
an aerobatic performance). This
P−63
Kingcobra was designed for "multi" radio (what we refer today as 4 or 5 channels)
and a K&B .45 engine. The wingspan is about 64".
 Microfilm-covered indoor models is one (of
many) aspects of model airplane building and flying that I've always wanted to try,
but never found the opportunity. You might be tempted to think this is the exclusive
realm of white-haired old men, and admittedly it nearly is, but when you look at
contest coverage in the modeling magazines, it is heartening to see a good showing
of youngsters. For that matter, the same holds true for just about all forms of
model aircraft these days except for radio controlled airplanes and helicopters.
As recently as a couple decades ago, radio equipment was too expensive for many
younger modelers to buy, so those who aspired to hobbies involving airborne craft
had to settle for free flight and control line. Now, the department store shelves
hold no control line or free flight models, but a nice selection of miniature R/C
helis and airplanes. But I digress. This 1954 Model Airplanes News magazine
article by John Zaic is a very comprehensive set of instructions on how to cover
airframes with microfilm, a pyroxylin...
 General Electric (GE) produced a series
of informational technical publications in comic book format back in the 1950s.
One was entitled "Adventures in
Jet Power," released in 1950, 1955, and 1960. GE has been a major producer of
jet engines for commercial and military aircraft for many decades. After doing an
extensive search for full versions of the comics, I finally found this 1950 issue
posted on The Fabulous Fifties website. Other of the Adventure Series included "Adventures
in Electricity," "Adventures into the Past," Adventures Inside the Atom," and "Adventures
in Electronics." Here is a good list of all of the GE Adventure Series comics. Many
of these comic books can be bought on eBay...
 This
"R/C
Triplex: Three Channels on One Channel" article that appeared in a 1956 issue
of Popular Electronics magazine was written by a fellow who was well known in the
aeromodeling world at the time - Claude McCullough. Claude won many titles in precision
scale for both control line (C/L) and radio control (R/C). As was the case with
many R/C modelers of the era, he did a lot of experimentation with transmitters,
receivers, and electromechanical devices used to move control surfaces. Rubber-band-powered
escapements dominated the field, but some servomechanisms were being developed to
provide a means for proportional control and/or a more powerful means of multiposition
control. As can be seen in the video I produced showing how a typical escapement
worked, the output drove the airplane's rudder to either neutral, full left, or
full right deflections, with no position in-between. To actuate the control, the
R/C pilot pushed a button on the transmitter the number of times required to affect
the desired control movement. That made for somewhat jerky flights...
 Amazingly, the General Dynamics Corporation's
Groton, Connecticut, Electric Boat Division is still in operation after all the
years passed since this article appeared in Young Men magazine. According to the
company website, "Established in 1899, Electric Boat has established standards of
excellence in the design, construction and lifecycle support of submarines for the
U.S. Navy. Primary operations are the shipyard in Groton, CT, the automated hull-fabrication
and outfitting facility in Quonset Point, RI, and an engineering building in New
London, CT. The current workforce is more than 14,000 employees." Why "electric
boat?," you might ask? Submarines, whilst submersed, are typically driven by electric
motors powered by storage batteries. When on or near the ocean surface, a diesel
engine powers the craft while recharging the batteries. Nuclear powered subs can
run underwater nearly indefinitely since they do not require air for combustion.
Shown here are some of the many
models
of the world's submarines throughout their relatively short history. The library's
more than 1,200 books record of Alexander the Great having had himself sealed in
a glass barrel and lowered into the water in order to observe submarine phenomena.
For some reason the library's employees are not named. The man building the models
is in a business suit, but then it was still fairly common at the time for men to
wear a suit and tie even at home whilst performing domestic chores or participating
in a hobby...
 It was in this May 1975 issue of R/C
Modeler magazine that I first saw the
Airtronics Aquila
sailplane (way too graceful to refer to it as merely a glider). Airtronics had
not introduced a kit yet, but they were selling a canopy and hardware kit along
with plans, so I ordered them and scratch built my first Aquila. I was 17 years
old then. It was covered to look like the one in the photo above (which would become
the kit box label photo). Not having lite ply for the fuselage, I used hard balsa.
Somehow I eventually managed to destroy Aquila #1, but by that time a kit was available,
so I bought one and also the ABS plastic fuselage. A standard Hi-Start was used
for launching. A few years ago I built a 105% Aquila version simply because I wanted
another Aquila and had never built a sailplane with a wingspan greater than 99".
I am now in the process of building an 80% scale Aquila... |
