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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

• EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 July 22-28

• The Smallest Air Force One

Model Boats More Popular Than Ever

Model Boats More Popular Than Ever, Model Annual 1956 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsPost World War II was a big time for model building and operating. Veterans and their families helped relieve the stress and anxieties of the era with both scale and original design model boats, cars, trains, submarines, motorcycles helicopters, airplanes, tanks, even oddities like bicycles, farm equipment, carnival layouts, animals, and historic buildings (of which many of those appeared in model train layouts). The level of artistry and craftsmanship was impressive, particularly considering the sparsity of pre-made miniature accoutrements like hardware fittings, mechanisms for operating control surfaces and mechanisms, and even appropriate finishes. Radio control was in its infancy, being largely the realm of modelers with knowledge...

Square Hare from Delaware Article and Plans

Square Hare from Delaware Article and Plans, September 1962 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWebsite visitor Steve R. wrote requesting that I scan and post this "Square Hare" article from the September 1962 issue of American Modeler magazine. Says, Steve, "I built one of these back then on Galloping ghost and it went great till servo failed (modified mighty Midget motor). Later I built another for Class one Aerobatics fitted with OS 40 and Kraft Propo, this was very successful. Nostalgia strikes and I'd like to build another as a sport model." Square Hare from Delaware is a bit unique in that its wing has no spar and is constructed from diagonally arranged ribs sandwiched between 3/32" balsa sheeting. Looking at all the hardware required just for the elevator control really makes you appreciate modern radio gear with servos. Hopefully, Steve will grace us with a photo of his completed Square Hare.

Walter Ashe Radio Company

Walter Ashe Radio Company, July 1955 Radio & Television News - RF CafeThe Walter Ashe Radio Company, featured in this 1955 issue of Radio & Television News magazine, was a British radio manufacturer that operated from the 1920s to the 1950s. The company was founded by Walter Ashe, who was an engineer and inventor. In the early days, the company produced crystal radios, which were simple radios that used a piece of crystal to detect radio waves. However, the company quickly expanded its product range to include valve radios, which were more advanced and offered better sound quality. During World War II, the company produced radios for the British armed forces, including the famous "Gibson Girl" portable radio, which was used by soldiers in the field. After the war, the company continued to produce radios for the civilian market, including the popular "Waverley" series of radios. In the 1950s, the company began to face increasing competition from foreign manufacturers, and it struggled to keep up with the rapidly changing technology in the radio industry...

Mathematical Puzzles, 1986 Old Farmer's Almanac

Mathematical Puzzles, 1986 Old Farmer's Almanac - RF CafeI 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?"

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...

Ray Models "Ray-Jets"

Ray Models Advertisement, November 1946 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThis Ray-Jets advertisement appeared in the November 1946 issue of Air Trails magazine. The name is unfamiliar to me. The company claims to have the first jet-propelled models, which use their brand of "Rocket Units" that use "no fire," "no chemicals," and are "absolutely harmless." It was obviously not some form of the Jetex rocket engine since they did not enter the marketplace until 1958. According to the Model-Plans.co.uk.com website, which has good info on the Ray Models kits, the "Rocket Unit" was a CO2 cartridge that get punctured at launch. The Jetex.org website has a mention of the Ray Jet−Racer, describing the launch method, and another page on CO2-powered jet models. On rare occasion one of the Ray Models kits will appear on eBay...

Mad Modelers' Slot Racer

Mad Modelers' Slot Racer, from September/October 1963 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsSlot car racing used to be a big deal back before battery-powered radio control cars became inexpensive and readily available. Many hobby shops, including one I used to frequent in Laurel, Maryland, had slot car tracks set up for patrons to use. I think we paid something like a dollar for half an hour. You could either bring your own car, or rent one from the hobby shop. As with any activity, certain stereotypes are created and stick with slot car racers and their creations. This set of comics from the September/October 1963 edition of American Modeler magazine documents some of those things...

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...

The Gravity Plane

The Gravity Plane - Airplanes and RocketsHere is a unique concept called the "Gravity Plane" that theoretically can take off, climb to altitude, cruise, descend, and land using only stored helium and built-in air compressors. Conceived of by Robert D. Hunt of Hunt Aviation†, it purports to be entirely self-powered, but in reality we know that conservation of energy requires that 100% efficiency be realized in order for that to be so. Still, it is an interesting idea. There are currently automated, unmanned submarines that employ a similar principle for bobbing up and down through the oceans to collect research data. While there are lots of technical hurdles to overcome, it is an approach to "clean" flight that should be explored further, if for no other reason than to rule it out as a possibility. Maybe this would make a good radio controlled modeling project for someone. I'd do it, but just don't have the time. Come to think of it, there might be some stimulus money out there for funding such a green concept...

Short-Wave Radio Lands Army Plane

Short-Wave Radio Lands Army Plane Without Human Aid, December 1937 Radio-Craft - RF CafeWhat was considered in 1937 to be a breakthrough feat for a full-size airplane is today accomplished regularly in model airplanes. What took hundreds of pounds of generators, radio gear, sensors, and actuators to perform the first-ever fully automatic landing is now done with a few ounces of microminiaturized GPS receiver, processor, MEMS sensors, servos, and a LiPo battery. The HobbyZone Sportsman S+RTF (see video at bottom) is an example. Most modern commercial aircraft are capable of landing themselves in an emergency situation. Just today there was a news report of an American Airlines pilot that died in flight and the copilot took over to land the airplane; however, that Airbus A320 could have handled the job if necessary...

America's Top F.A.I. Free Flight "Saturn"

America's Top F.A.I. Free Flight "Saturn", Annual 1960 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsFlying 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"...

First of the Giants - Triple Tail DC-4

First of the Giants - Triple Tail DC-4, December 1961 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsThe Douglas Aircraft Company's DC−4 conducted its maiden flight on June 7, 1938. It was a hugely successful four-engined aircraft used for civilian and military passenger and cargo transportation. Military versions of the plane were designated C−54 and R5D. The DC−4 was designed to be the airline industry's "dream" airplane - "a Grand Hotel with wings", capable of cruise speeds of more than two hundred miles per hour and a range of 3,300 miles, making it capable of non-stop coast-to-coast flight. Although the DC−4 was the brainchild of United Airlines, a consortium of five companies - United, TWA, American, Eastern and Pan American - financed the endeavor to ensure success would not be hampered due to cost and competition concerns. The airplane's control systems were so complex that a new crew member position called "flight engineer" was created to monitor and tend to all the meters, dials, knobs, switches, and panel lights, while allowing the pilots to worry mostly about flying...

Round-the-Pole Circle Whirly: The Jumpin' Giro

Round-the-Pole Circle Whirly: The Jumpin' Giro, Annual 1958 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsHere is an unusual project for the control line enthusiast. Bob Tennenbaum's Jumpin' Giro is an autogyro craft that due to its potential for slow, helicopter-like flight, can be flown in a small area. That makes Jumpin' Giro a good subject for old-timers who don't suffer spinning in circles well anymore. It is designed for an .020 glow fuel engine, but a small electric setup can be easily substituted. The rotor span is only about 14-15 inches, and as designed there is no form of control; it simply flies in circles on its own. There is probably not enough centrifugal force on the tether line to provide positive control, but use of an R/C controlled electric motor would add to the fun. My guess is it should only be flown in no wind or very light wind conditions. That leaves out most days in my Erie, Pennsylvania locale...

AMA Nationals 1974 Lake Charles: CL Stunt

AMA Nationals 1974 Lake Charles: CL Stunt, November 1974 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsBack in the days when the cycle time between writing articles, proofing, laying out pages, shipping hard copies to printers, setting up presses, and preparing magazine for mailing was about a three or four month process, coverage of a July-August event would finally appear in November-December timeframe. Photos, of course, were all in black and white. Nowadays, with everything done digitally and involving almost no physical, hands-on steps in the process, we often see Nats event happenings as early as September. The November 1974 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine included extensive coverage of that year's Nats, which was held in Lake Charles, Louisiana. This is the control line stunt portion. If you were around during the era...

Handy-Mac 50-mc R/C Transmitter

Handy-Mac 50-mc R/C Transmitter (July/August 1963 American Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsWhen I wax nostalgic about old tube radio sets, it is not because I don't appreciate the performance and quality of modern electronics. It is just that a lot of the technology was still mainstream when I was young (born in 1958). I remember having it in my parents' house and seeing even older stuff in my grandparents' house. Some people's midlife crisis takes the form of wearing age-inappropriate clothing, gold jewelry, and chasing after strange women. The manifestation of my "crisis," if you want to call it that, has been collecting memorabilia from days of yore. There is a huge demand for it, so I make as much as I have time for posting available for others to enjoy. Articles like this one are from old editions I bought on eBay, a 1963 edition of American Modeler magazine in this instance. Even though nobody will go out and buy parts to build this tube-based R/C transmitter, there are useful descriptions of circuit design considerations, including the use of a center-loaded, half-wave antenna. Hams eat this stuff up...

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)...

Supersweep Hand-Launched Glider

Supersweep, October 1974 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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.

The Air Navy

The Air Navy, from April 1951 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThe U.S. Navy's relationship with model aviation used to be very significant, even to the extent that for many years the service sponsored the Academy of Model Aeronautics' (AMA) annual National Model Airplane (the Nats) contest. Navy bases served as the venue for the meets and a large number of Navy personnel provided assistance with organization, facilities preparation and management, promotion, event management, and awards ceremonies. The stated purpose was to foster the love of aviation in young men along with a familiarity with the Navy's environment so that when they came of age, enlistment - or commission - would be a natural progression...

Craftsman 7-Drawer Machinist's Toolbox

Craftsman 7-Drawer Machinist's Toolbox - Airplanes and RocketsEarly in 1982, fresh out of the USAF as an Air Traffic Control Radar Repairman, I was fortunate to land a job as an electronics technician at the Oceanic Division of Westinghouse in Annapolis, MD. It turned out being more of a high level electronics assembly job building printed circuit boards, chassis, wire harnesses, sonar transducers, and integrated systems, mostly for the U.S. Navy. A fairly extensive collection of high quality hand tools were required in order to get results which would pass rigorous Navy inspection standards. Snap-On was the supplier of choice because at the time they made extremely high quality (and expensive) small pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, wrenches, nuts drivers, etc. I don't know whether there are still roaming Snap-On tool trucks visiting businesses anymore, but at the time we got a weekly visit. Onboard was a tool refiguring workbench for sharpening cutters, repairing screwdriver tips, and other things. Restored components of the c1976 Craftsman 7−Drawer Machinist's Tool Chest. Craftsman 7−Drawer Machinist's Toolbox - top open. Cleaned and groomed felt surfaces...

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)...

The Nearly Effortless Flight of the Albatross

The Nearly Effortless Flight of the Albatross - Airplanes and RocketsThe July 2013 edition of IEEE's Spectrum magazine had a really good article on a high tech study that is being done on the manner in which an albatross manages to fly great distances and for long periods of time while rarely needing to flap its wings. As shown in the thumbnail (and in the article), an albatross performs a series of rapid climbs into very strong wind, turns, and dives leeward nearly to the water's surface, then repeats the process over and over as it makes its way to its destination. The process is called dynamic soaring. R/C soaring pilots have been doing the same sort of thing for a few years now. Obviously the albatross figured out how to fly like that long before mankind was able to mimic it, but the researchers in the article seem to not have knowledge of the R/C soaring technique. They are capturing albatrosses in their nests and attaching GPS-based sensors with data recorders to the birds' back feathers and retrieving the units when the birds return to their nests...

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...

RF Cascade Workbook 2018 by RF Cafe

Academy of Model Aeronautics Government Advocacy Coalition - Airplanes and Rockets

Model Aircraft Museum, AMA - Airplanes and Rockets

Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) - Airplanes and Rockets

Academy of Model Aeronautics

Tower Hobbies logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Tower Hobbies

Horizon Hobby logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Horizon Hobby

Sig Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Sig Mfg

Brodak Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Brodak Mfg