|
 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
• EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 July 22-28
• The Smallest
Air Force One
 Post 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...
 Website 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.
 "On September 9, the House of Representatives
passed H.R.2864: the
Countering CCP Drones Act. This would add future equipment made by DJI technologies
to the FCC's Covered List on the premise that it poses a risk to U.S. national security.
The Countering CCP Drones Act would essentially ban UAS and related tech produced
by DJI from operating on U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. This trails several
'inaccurate and unsubstantiated' claims against the company regarding sensitive
data sharing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This would not directly affect
customers, at least for now, though it is guaranteed to have a massive effect on
DJI's..."
 I had no idea that there were multiple versions
of the Ford Trimotor
(aka Tin Goose). This article from an 1962 edition of American Modeler
magazine provides a fairly in-depth look at the history of the airplane. If you
follow politics at all, you know that Halliburton is a name that became a household
word when George Bush chose Dick Cheney as his vice president. According to author
Joe Christy, SAFE-way airline, which operated Ford Trimotors, was started by Oklahoma
oilman Erle Halliburton, and was sold to TWA (Trans World Airline) in 1931. In an
incredible stroke of good fortune, Melanie and I were able to take a ride in a Ford
Trimotor in the summer of 2013, flying out of Erie International Airport (see my
Ford Trimotor video)...
 The
1955 Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) National Model Airplane Championships,
held at the Los Alamitos, California, Naval Air Station was by all measures a smashing
success - "the best run Nationals competition in history." Extensive coverage of
the event appeared in the Annual Edition of Air Trails magazine. Free flight
and control line model airplanes were there, but no radio control types attended;
the technology was not yet within reach of enough hobbyists to warrant inclusion.
A look at the photos makes evident the amazing quality and variation of models,
both scale and non-scale. Take a look at the F4U Corsair with the folding wings,
the Ford Trimotor, Fairchild C-119, and the Fokker DR-1 triplane. Speaking of quality
models, two of the feminine kind were on-hand to award trophies. Hillevi Rombin,
Miss Universe of 1955, and movie starlet Marla English, are pictured with two lucky
winners..
 Ummm... was this really a "space walk?"
If so, then I "sky walked" when I climbed to the top of my 6-foot wooden ladder
yesterday. "The world's first commercial space walk, performed by billionaire
Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, tested new technology and was practically
flawless. It wasn't a small step - more a clamber, really - but as billionaire entrepreneur
Jared Isaacman
climbed partway out of a SpaceX Dragon capsule located nearly 740 kilometers
above Earth on early Thursday morning, he made a giant leap into spaceflight history.
That's because Isaacman is a private citizen who is flying in a commercial spacecraft
on a voyage he paid for - not a government-agency...
 Here are plans for the
Boeing B&W 1916
Biplane that I electronically scanned from my purchased copy of the March 1965
Model Airplane News magazine. When I have more time, I will dig the magazine
out of storage and scan/OCR the rest of the article. For now you can at least review
the plans. Click on the images for larger versions. I have even large files for
them at the original 200 dpi resolution. Designed and built by Mr. Francis Reynolds.
Plans for this fine model were drawn by Mr. Ray Vinup. All copyrights (if any) are
hereby acknowledged. "The Boeing Model 1, also known as the B & W Seaplane,
was a United States single-engine biplane seaplane aircraft. It was the first Boeing
product and carried the initials..."
 When building my Enterprise-E control stunt
airplane, I knew that the amount of control surface throw available for both flaps
and elevator was extreme, but I wanted to have the reserve capability in case it
was needed. It was definitely NOT needed! Fortunately, because of the way the top
fuselage hatch is designed for removal there is easy access to the flap control
horn, and thereby the ability to move pushrod clevises around to decrease throws.
Even with doing that, however, the model is still very sensitive to control line
handle movements. My only solution was to obtain a
control line handle with
line spacing less than the 4-1/4" on the stock Sullivan handle. That spacing has
been a little too much for other models as well, so an alternate handle would be
nice anyway...
 I received a lot of feedback after first
posting this piece on how to straighten cupped
and/or bowed laminated countertops. That was a couple years ago. Since I continue
to see severely deformed countertops in Lowes and Home Depot, it is worth brining
attention to it again. You might be able to get a really good deal on the otherwise
unsellable laminated countertops, then use my easy method for nearly perfectly flattening
them. Al that is required is sawing a cross-hatch pattern part-way through the bottom
surface, and then screwing, gluing, and clamping them whilst being held flat. The
wood around the outside edge serves as the space normally placed between the top
of the lower cabinet base and the countertop. Tyr it. You'll like it!
 "Gotonomi,
a UAV satellite connectivity solutions provider, has announced the completion of
further successful flight trials and the opening of orders for production units
of all variants of its
UAV satcom terminals at Commercial UAV Expo 2024 in Las Vegas. The launch marks
a significant milestone, transitioning from pre-production flight development kits
to type-approved, commercial terminals, enabling scalable beyond visual line of
sight operations (BVLOS) for drone operators wishing to offer inspection, surveillance,
and delivery services. Following extensive verification testing, including flight
trials..."
 When I first saw this "U-Control
Model Plane" article in a 1952 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine,
I expected it to have been written by one of the Stanzel brothers. Long after their
entry into the model airplane manufacturing world, Joe and Victor created their
line of battery-powered, electric motor-driven control line models in 1958. It eventually
included a helicopter, a monoplane, and a flying saucer, amongst other craft. The
Stanzels, BTW, invented the Monoline control line system which was adopted by U-control
(aka control line) speed modelers because it created much less aerodynamic drag,
facilitating higher airspeeds. Maybe this article was a motivation for the Stanzels...
 Another of Melanie's family's relics is
this pine clothes chest.
After more than 100 years of use and abuse, this chest was in dire need of restoration.
Construction is very low density pine, with dovetailed corners. Finish was a clear
varnish with no stain. The bottom, back, and inside had no finish at all. Restoration
consisted of knocking apart and re-gluing most joints, sanding, and filling in the
multiple dings and scratches where they were really deep. Minor imperfections were
kept for the sake of character. Minwax dark walnut stain was used inside and out,
and allowed to dry for a week. Then, two coats of Deft satin clear were brushed
on with 320 sanding and 0000 steel wool between coats...
 "The SETI Institute, in collaboration with
the Berkeley SETI Research Center and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy
Research, has initiated a pioneering study using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)
in Western Australia. Led by Dr. Chenoa Tremblay of the SETI Institute and Prof.
Steven Tingay of Curtin University, this research marks the first
search for alien technology in galaxies beyond our own, specifically targeting
low radio frequencies (100 MHz). The MWA's extensive field of view (FOV) allowed
the research team to examine approximately 2,800 galaxies in a single observation,
with known distances for 1,300 of these galaxies..."
 This report of the
1962 (16th) British
Nationals appeared in the 1963 Annular edition of American Modeler
modeler, which I believe was published in January of 1963. Just as back in the day,
the U.S. Nationals were held on a military installation (U.S. Navy sponsorship),
the British Nats were held at Barkston Heath R.A.F. station. Although technically
it was an international event, it appears that Brits and Yanks were the only competitors
- or at least the only ones mentioned. See anyone you know?
 When
Dyna-Jet engine in new or like-new condition is listed for sale or auction on
eBay, it usually sells for north of $500. Sometimes buyers get lucky and win an
auction for less. This 1946 Popular Science magazine article entitled "Baby V-1
Flies for Fun" appeared just a year after Germany had surrendered unconditionally.
Only a year before that, Londoners ran for cover in underground shelters when V-1
"Buzz Bombs" were heard making their tell-tale 45 Hz "buzz" noise as they made
their way toward England. "V-1" was from the German Vergeltungswaffe 1 meaning
"Vengeance Weapon 1." The only reference to a "robomb" I see other than this
article is from a 1944 issue of Time magazines entitled, "Science: How the Robomb
Works." As Paul Harvey would famously say, "Now you know... the Rest of the story."
 SpaceX
and Blue Origin have been in the news for the last decade for their efforts (some
successful, some not) to
autonomously land a spacecraft vertically under its own power. Love it or hate
it, NASA has been doing that for nearly six decades. Granted, it was on celestial
bodies with lower gravitational acceleration than on Earth, but the earliest craft
(Surveyor 1, 1966) had relatively crude electronics aboard, including a Doppler
radar, flight computer, and video camera. The now legendary Apollo Guidance Computer
has been written about extensively, and is a testimony to the brilliance of the
scientists, engineers, managers, operators, and technicians who built and flew it.
Articles like this one in the May 1967 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine...
 I am not aware of the origin of this matrix,
but it is a very useful tool for determining whether certain
filler
materials and finish chemistries are compatible or, equally important, incompatible.
It was included in the July 2012 edition of the Bean Hill Flyers control-line club
newsletter. This might save somebody the grief and angst from applying a finish
over a base that will cause it to bubble, peel, blister, or not ever dry. One important
point this chart indicates is that you can apply butyrate dope over nitrate dope,
but you CANNOT apply nitrate dope over butyrate dope. There might be other instances
of one-way compatibilities, but if you are not sure, do a test first or avoid the
deadly combination altogether. You also need to verify compatibility of the various
rattle can...
 According to Guiness World Records, the
current holder of the record for the
fastest model car is the "Radio Controlled Bullet," by Nic Case, having achieved
a speed of 202.02 mph (325.12 km/h), in 2014. In 2019, Estonian Ando Rohtmets set
the tethered model car speed record of 215.92 mph (347.490 kmph). All
modern speed records are set using electric motor power, unlike these models reported
on in a 1948 issue of Popular Science magazine which used liquid fuel and
internal combustion engines (ICE). However, not all of those ICE powerplants had
pistons. Mr. Frank Brennan showed up with a DynaJet-powered model car, purportedly
fashioned after the Nazi V-1 "Buzz Bomb" (remember this was only a couple years
past...
 The
Eclipse is a gigantic radio-controlled
sailplane model with a 16-foot wingspan, geodesic ribs construction, and "V" tail
configuration. It is built up from balsa, plywood, spruce, and a fiberglass tail
boom. I remember first seeing the model on the cover of the October 1974 issue of
American Aircraft Modeler magazine, and really wanting to build one. Unfortunately,
I was only 16 years old at the time and was barely able to afford control line models,
let alone a huge RC sailplane. Of course with the cost of balsa today, it is no
more affordable now as then. It probably takes four rolls of Monokote to cover!
Here are plans for the Eclipse that I electronically scanned from my purchased copy
AAM. You might be able to scale up the image...
 The Estes
Saturn 1B rocket is another model that I really wanted to have as a kid,
but just didn't have the money. In those days, I launched everything that I built,
so I could not see spending a huge amount of my paper route money only to take the
risk of destruction due to the parachutes not deploying properly or maybe an engine
malfunction. I had launched enough rockets to know that the probability of something
going wrong was directly proportional to the cost and time spent building. Instead,
I stuck mostly with models that cost no more than about $3 (in 1960s-1970s dollars).
This Saturn 1B model has long been in my rocket building queue, but decade
passed before I felt justified spending the money and time to buy and build one.
The Saturn 1B was one of the Saturn V's predecessors and was used as the
launch vehicle for the first few Apollo missions...
 Jetex "rocket" motors were quite popular
during the 1940s through the 1970s. Their debut in the modeling world was in 1948,
per the Jetex.org website. Unlike Estes rocket engines that used combustion to generate
a high velocity ejection stream, Jetex fuel pellets merely "burned" at a constant
rate while the exhaust was forced through a small orifice in the engine's metal
housing (casing). Also unlike Estes engines, the Jetex casing was reusable and re-fuelable.
Half a dozen or so sizes and thrust levels eventually were produced. I had a couple
of the Jetex 50 engines that got strapped to Guillows balsa gliders and, to
some degree, were made to fly in jet-like fashion...
 Infographics are a big thing (literally)
in the business and science world, although they do seem to have passed their prime.
Well-done infographics typically have the form of a high aspect ratio drawing that
presents a detailed timeline or process flow of events or concepts. The progress
can run top to bottom or bottom to top, depending on the creator's intentions. This
particular infographic, produced by the BBC's "Great Turning
Points" series, outlines the major milestones in development of flying machines
beginning with the Wright Flyer in 1903 and progressing through both manned and
unmanned airplanes up through the U.S...
|
 This
Nufnut free flight model airplane article and plans came to being in response
to laments from would-be model airplane builders who tried and failed at their first
(and sometimes more) attempts to make and fly something even as simple as a rubber
powered model. The author decided to present detailed instructions on building and
covering an open frame stick and tissue model, being sure to detail areas that generally
cause the most trouble. The most difficult task for most beginners is covering the
airframe with tissue and then obtaining a warp-free structure after application
of dope. If you are new to the hobby and either have experienced such disappointments
or are considering getting into the fine hobby of model airplane building and flying
and seek sage advice on how to avoid discouraging pitfalls, then you have come to
the right place. Tufnut is a somewhat unique design with its solid balsa fuselage
that has a slot cut in it for containing the rubber band, rather than just using
a stick with the rubber hanging underneath...
 Here is the article and plans for the "Insect"
that I electronically scanned from my purchased copy of the April 1970 American
Aircraft Modeler magazine.
Rogallo Wings were
all the rage in the 1970s as hang gliding was really gaining in popularity, so the
modeling world joined in the fun. An article for the R/C Flexi-Flier, complete with
a G.I. Joe pilot, was published four years after this free flight model. Plans for
this fine model were drawn by Bill Warner. Because they spanned two pages, I had
to adjust the size and alignment a bit to get the halves to line up properly. They
were printed full-size in the magazine, so to get the right size when printing,
you will need to do some trial and error. There really is no need to even print
plans, because dimensions for the parasol components are shown, and the remaining
few pieces can be scaled accordingly...
 In the 1930s, Flying Aces magazine
ran a series highlighting aviation pioneers and heros called "They Had What It Takes."
The March 1937 issue featured
Wiley
Post. He was famous for being the first man to circumnavigate the globe alone,
but what really set him apart from other trail blazers was his having only one good
eye. Mr. Post lost use of his left eye due to a metal shaving being thrown
into it during a drilling procedure. He used the workman's compensation award to
buy a Curtiss Jenney biplane, thus beginning his flying career. The FAA will issue
special waivers for what is termed "monocular vision," when the corrected visual
acuity in the worst eye is less than 20/200. Stereo vision (stereopsis) is considered
lost at that point, but stereo vision is only effective a distances up to about
100 feet, so long distance depth perception is a matter of familiarity with how
objects of known size would appear at various distances...
 Peter Bowers was a well-known designer and
builder of both full-size and model airplanes. As an aeronautical engineer working
for Boeing in Seattle, he was well qualified for his hobby pursuits of homebuilt
airplanes and competition-class free flight airplanes. He was also an aviation photographer
and historian with many books and magazine articles to his credit. Bowers' most
famous creation is undoubtedly the Bowers Fly Baby monoplane, which won the Experimental
Aircraft Association (EAA) contest in 1962 for the best low-cost, folding-wing plane
that can be towed or trailered from home to and from the airport - the goal being
to avoid expensive hanger or tie-down fees. The Fly Baby was much in the fashion
of a large model as it was constructed almost entirely of wood...
 These are not your father's bombs; in fact,
they're your great-grandfather's bombs. Note that per the title "Bombs of
the World War," there was no "I" or "1" appended to it. That is because as we
learned in grammar class in elementary school while being instructed on creating
outlines, one does not assign a number "1" or a letter "a" or "A" if there will
be no number "2" or letter "b" or B." Since what we now refer to as World War I
was "the war to end all wars," there was no expectation that there would someday
be a World War II. Hence, up until the end of 1941, people referred to the
28 July, 1914 through 11 November, 1918 conflict simply as the "the World War" or
"the Great War." But I digress. Many of the bombs shown here were tossed out of
the cockpit by either the pilot or back seat bomber/gunner. BTW, when I saw that
the Whitehead Aircraft Torpedo supposedly had an 8,000 yard (24,000 feet, or 4.5
miles) range running on compressed air...
 Even when you are supremely talented as
both an artist, researcher, and writer, as was Douglas Rolfe, producing the infographics,
paintings, and articles like this 1950 Air Trails magazine piece for the "Air Progress: The Hawker Story" feature, requires an enormous
amount of time and effort. Unlike today where most of the information (accurate
or not) you want is available on the Internet, back in Rolfe's day, a library of
books and magazines was needed to assimilate so much information on a single subject
- in this case the lineage and evolution of the Hawker line of aircraft from its
beginnings in 1912 under the name of Sopwith. In 1950, Hawker's newest airplane
was the P-1050 jet (c1949), which followed Tempest (c1947) Typhoon (c1940), which
became famous during World War II. Hawker merged with Siddeley (Hawker Siddeley
Aircraft) in 1963. Their latest model is the Hawk (now BAE Systems), introduced
in 1976...
 he first-ever appearance of animated Peanuts
characters came in the form of television commercials for the
1960 Ford Falcon. I learned
about them in a book titled Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz. To me, Peanuts
represents a more innocent time in America, where neighborhood kids played together,
were moral in their actions, and even "crabby" kids like Lucy were not evil. Cops
and robbers, cowboys and Indians, pirates and naval mariners did battle with makeshift
weapons and only one ball team at a time won a trophy. My sisters and I rode in
basic cars like the Ford Falcon, without the benefit of seat belts, crawling up
onto the package shelf in the back to watch the world pass by, standing on our heads
in the back seat, and thinking it a privilege to get to ride up front on the rare
occasions when Mom was not in the car, too. It takes me back to my boyhood days
in the 1960s and 70s when similar activities were a part of life, without all the
computer-based activities...
 Our grandparents used to tell us how one
of the most disappointing aspects of growing older was having the lifelong familiar
family, friends, and places disappear. Now that I'm in my sixties, hard as that
is to believe, the scenario is unfolding before my eyes. Department stores like
Montgomery Ward, Woolworth's, Britt's, and Sears & Roebuck are in the dustbin
of history, as the saying goes. I really miss the garden and tool departments of
Sears. Nearer and dearer to my heart are the missing hobby products and distributors.
In the late 1960s when I first really was aware of radio control, a Kraft two-channel
receiver/servo "brick" system was my objet de désir for a simple sailplane. I had
to settle for a used three-channel OS Digital R/C system, and installed it in a
Mark's Model Windward glider. Tower Hobbies,
Hobby Lobby, Hobby Shack, Hobby People, and the like ran multi-page...
 Early 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...
 These tips for building lighter, more effective
model airplanes were submitted by Air Trails magazine readers in time for the 1960
Annual edition. They are all as valid and useful today as they were six decades
ago. Free flight in all forms - gliders, rubber power, and gas power - are still
very popular, so if you are involved in the sport, you might pick up a good idea
here. Even the suggestion for using a popsicle stick for a Jetex engine mounting
pad might still come in handy since they can be found on eBay (although with ever-increasing
difficulty). Believe it or not Pliobond is still sold, although by the Ruscoe Company
and not Goodyear. I added a touch of color to the original B&W make everything
a bit more interesting...
 If you're still using the "old" one-arm
escapements in your radio controlled model airplane, you're probably also still
using that "greasy kid stuff" in your hair as well. Just like the hip guy has switched
to Vitalis, the hip modeler has switched to multi-arm escapements that allow more
than just full left/right or full up/down throw on the rudder or elevator, respectively.
Today's equivalent would be advocating for the use of digital servos versus the
"old" analog servos. The more things change, the more they stay the same. This article
entitled, "3 and 4 Finger
R/C Escapements," appeared in a 1955 issue of Popular Electronics magazine.
 In my zeal to procure some of the items
I remember having or using as a kid in the 1960s and '70s, along with some of the
things Melanie and I had when we first got married back in 1983, I ran across this
Sears Electric Clipper Set
(#7934) on eBay. The seller was only asking about $10 for it, so here it is. As
you can see in the photos, it is in mint condition, and even the original box shows
only minor wear and tear from sitting in someone's closet for more than half a century.
I disassembled the clippers and did a thorough cleaning (not much there) and oiled
the moving parts with a bit of 3-in-1. Everything seems to be in great condition.
Even the power cord is supple and unscathed. One of the plastic blade attachments
was included, although the instruction sheet shows four types. Judging from other
similar clippers for sale on eBay, the set only came with one, and the other styles
must have been available for purchase separately. If you have any you can bear to
part with, please let me know...
 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)...
 Things were all so simple then; time has
rewritten every line - to paraphrase a popular song from the mid-1970's. That was
the era when this 1975 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine ran
the
Electric Flight Action column by Mitch Poling. Having just entered into the
radio control (R/C) phase of aeromodeling at the time, I was not too overly interested
in electric flight since my prior experience had been with glow fuel powered control
line models. Electric propulsion systems were overly heavy, overly large, and underly
(sic) powerful. Brushed motors with standard magnets, and usually without ball bearings
on the shaft lacked the power of today's brushless motors. Nickel cadmium (NiCad)
batteries have about a quarter the energy storage density as lithium types (Li-Ion
or Li-Po, so combined with the low efficiency of the motors, flight times were very
short. My first experience with an R/C e-powered model was a Great Plane Spectra
sailplane, which was a powered version of their 2-Meter Spirit glider. a while later
I tried a Carl Goldberg Mirage 550 e-powered model. Both were plagued with
brush and commutator problems. All of those issues have been solved with modern
brushless motors and Li-Po batteries - which have their own issues, primarily cost
and fire hazards. I wonder whether modern material and methods...
 "...the new World War has clamped down the
screens of censorship, hence we shall be lucky to get anything much in the way of
info and pictures on new equipment to be used by the warring nations." That appeared
in the December 1939 issue of Flying Aces magazines. Most people here in
America think of World War II beginning on December 7th, 1941, with the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor. In actuality, the war began much sooner with Hitler's and
Hirohito's invasions in Europe (and North Africa) and Asia (South China and South
Pacific), respectively. The accepted start date is September 1, 1939, following
Hitler's invasion of Poland. Since a December magazine issue typically went to press
in October or October, the war had only begun a month or two earlier. Of particular
interest here (to me, anyway) is the
Curtiss XP−42, obviously a modification of the P−40 Warhawk, but with a noticeably
different cowl. Its shape suggests an inline type engine, but reportedly it housed
a Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial...
 Here is novel idea from well-known free flight
modeler Bill Hannan and hobby shop owner Russ Barrera. It appeared in a 1970 issue
of American Aircraft Modeler magazine. The pair converted an
unused
transmitter case into a handy field box for use with free flight models. In
addition to adding a hinge and latch to the cover, the retractable antenna sports
a small wind sock for judging launch times and even a compass in place of the RF
power meter to note the direction of your model as it drifts off into the wild blue
yonder when the dethermalizer fails to trigger. Without the convenience of eBay,
finding an unused transmitter would have been a bit difficult for most free-flighters
back in the day...
 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...
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)...
 It'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...
 1934 was still riding the back of the high
voltage craze popularized by Nikola Tesla at the turn of the century. Super high
voltage spark gap transmitters were still being used in long distance communications
for special applications. William Haight was one of many people engaged in weather
manipulation - both its creation and destruction. Transportation, agriculture, and
recreation would greatly benefit from the ability to locally and temporarily control
weather. This story of Mr. Haight's high-voltage "electrodrome"
machine appeared in the May 1934 issue of Flying Aces magazine. Another
version of this electrodrome article by author Mel Wharton, entitled "Eliminating
the Peril of Fog," appeared in the April 1934 edition of Flying magazine.
There he says, "Repeated tests have shown that the operations of dispersing fog
is most effective at about 600,000 cycles - though work is done all the way on a
range from 500,000 to 1,500,000 cycles. The machine is capable of developing 500,000
volts, but only a fraction of this voltage is found necessary." A 4½ horsepower
gasoline engine-powered generator provides the voltage. A May 1935 issue of
Popular Mechanics magazine reports on Mr. Haight's electrodrome work...
 Now here's a term I had never heard before:
"desmodromic valve." I thought it was something that Cox made up by borrowing the
"drom" part of Thimble Drome. Not so. According to Wikipedia, "In general mechanical
terms, the word desmodromic is used to refer to mechanisms that have different controls
for their actuation in different directions." It describes the type of valve used
in the full-scale Mercedes-Benz W196 Racer. The Cox model uses their famous .049
glow fuel engine. There is an ocean of information available on Cox engines, cars,
helicopters, boats, and airplanes. The
Cox Mercedes-Benz
W196 was a scale model of the real Formula One car that ran in many European
Grand Prix races. The mechanical features were quite sophisticated, including a
flywheel with integrates fan for cooling the engine, spring-loaded suspension, and
an adjustable muffler for desired quietness/power tradeoff, and careful engineering
to assure compatibility of hot metal parts against molded plastic. The Cox Mercedes-Benz
Racer on occasionally shows up on eBay, but be prepared for a shock price tag compared
to the original $20 back in 1961 when this article appeared in American Modeler
magazine...
 As was the case with many magazines up through
about the 1970's, comics reflecting the theme of the publication was often found
within the pages of each issue. This 1960 edition of American Modeler magazine
is a good example. It contained no fewer than six
model
aviation themed comics, one related to a particular advertisement for the Fox
Glo−Master Battery and Plug, and five stand-alone comics. The Table of Contents
(TOC) page often had a "silent" comic with no dialog or caption. In fact the comic
that spanned both pages 42 and 43 is like typical TOC comic. The control line combat
scenario on page 49 reminds me of something you'd see on the old BattleBots show
(which I haven't seen in many years, but is evidently still running). Anyway, enjoy
them all!
 Beginning
in the mid 1960s, Sears catalogs contained some pretty nice equatorial mount, refractor
telescopes. The f15, 60 mm (2.3") "Discoverer" Model 6305 appeared in
the 1967 catalog for $99.98, which in 2019 money is the equivalent of $763.49 (per
the BLS CPI calculator). Then, in 1970 this f15.5, 90 mm (3.5")
Model 6345 was offered for $499.95, or the equivalent of $3,401.88
(per the CPI calculator). Yow, I'm guessing not many of those were sold, especially
as evidenced by the lack of available 6345 models that show up on astronomy forums
and on eBay. Although not mentioned in the description, there appears to be a motor
drive on the right ascension axis. Five oculars (0.975" ?) are included along with
a special rotatable prism that holds all five - pretty convenient if it works well.
Otherwise, it has the same set of accessories...
 People are paying amazing prices for a piece
of model aviation history. This 1968 era
Graupner Weltmeister
Cirrus sailplane kit recently sold at auction on eBay for $2,500. You might
think for that price the seller would pick up the shipping cost, but evidently not.
According the the BLS Inflation Calculator, that $2,500 in 2020 money is the equivalent
of $505 in 1968. The Graupner Weltmeister Cirrus (kit #4229) has a wingspan of 3000 mm
(3 meters). The box states, "True-to-scale R/C soarer for tow launching, slope
soaring and conversion to powered glider. Accommodates multi-channel or proportional
R/C equipment with 2 - 6 channels for rudder, elevator and aileron control. Wingspan
is 118 1/8" " The fuselage appears to be constructed of four sections of molded
ABS plastic. My guess is that packet of " A look at the kit contents shows lots
of metal parts, including an aluminum main former for the power pod assembly. Lots
of balsa and hardwood parts are required for the big wing and empennage components...
 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...
 The
evolution of radio control (R/C, or RC) systems has occurred at about the pace
of most other electromechanical systems from the early part of the last century
up through today. As with other technologies, credit for advancement is shared between
professionals and amateurs. Of course the first transmitters and receivers used
vacuum tubes for amplification and signal generation/detection; it wasn't until
the 1960s that transistorized versions became available for public purchase. Integrated
circuits for modulators and demodulators were introduced in the 1970s, synthesized
oscillators hit the scene in the 1980s, and then spread spectrum changed the landscape
in the mid 2000s. Actuators used to move control surfaces started out as rubber
band-powered escapements and servomotors. Both were all or nothing displacement
in neutral, left, or right. Galloping ghost actuators used constantly flapping control
surfaces that would dwell longer in the left or right, up or down position to effect
control. All were rather crude, but did the job. Proportional systems with feedback
servos permitted control displacement in synchronization with transmitter gimbal
stick position. Digital control eventually replaced analog, providing fine enough
increments that it responded
 With 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...
 There is no doubt that Du−Bro set the stage
for commercially produced radio controlled (R/C) helicopters with the
Whirlybird 500.
Its use of a top-mounted engine that relied on counter-torque to set the main rotor
blades spinning was unique. There were a few published articles on homebrew free-flight
helicopters that used the arrangement, and Cox even marketed a ready-to-fly model
that had a Cox .020 engine mounted on top called the Sky Copter (I owned one as
a kid in the late 1960s). To my knowledge all other R/C helicopter models used a
gear or belt drive from the engine to the main rotor shaft. It is amazing that this
quite top-heavy configuration flew at all. Du−Bro engineers deserve a lot of credit.
Note extensive use of common Du−Bro products like wheel collars, pushrods...
 G. Harry Stine was (and in some places
still is) a household word (ok, a letter and two words) amongst people who engage
in model rocketry. As a degreed physicist, he spent his professional years working
in both civilian and government aerospace projects. In his spare time, Mr. Stine
contributed mightily to the science, industry, and sport of model rocketry. His
monthly columns in American Aircraft Modeler magazine were read and appreciated
by enthusiasts hungry for a regular helping of the technical side of the craft,
served in layman's terms. A typical article written by him reports on some happenings
in the trade show and contest realms, while including a lesson in
model rocket design and flight... |
