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Mylar Trim for Models

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

Sikorsky's Helicopter

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

Criterion RV-6 Telescope for Sale

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

A Simple Monokote Lettering Technique

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

Sharpie Schooner by Midwest Products

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

Jetex-Powered Scale Russian & French Jet Models

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

Snow Skis on Herr Engineering J-3 Cub

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

Gemini VII Launch in December 4, 1965 TV Guide

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

Skydweller Solar Plane Flies in Mississippi

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

Air Trails Sketch Book

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

F-84G Thunderjet Article & Plans

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

Drones Perform Infrastructure Inspections

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

World Championships in Germany

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

Rocket (Jetex) Powered Dyna-Soar

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

Windmill Planes

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

Top 50 NASA Photos

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

Fan Forces Parachute to Ascend with Jumper

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

Wee -38 Lightning Article & Plans

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

The Space Race

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

Model Rocketry Takes off in Oregon

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

HAPS Aircraft for Stratospheric Comms

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

Championship 336 Cessna Skymaster

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

Fox 15x Engine

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

Airnocker Article & Plans

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

Rebinding Damaged Books

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

R&S Counter-UAS to Combat Autonomous Aerial Threats

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

Wind Flying

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

Aviation News Headlines <Archives>

• FCC Rules for 5 GHz Band Drone Operations

EAA Weighs in on MOSAIC

• Smithsonian Opens Hangar Doors to Pilots

Stuka Stunt Plans

Stuka Stunt Article & Plans, July 1961 American Modeler - Airplanes and Rockets

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.

Mini-ROD Article & Plans

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

Decade of Progress - Propellers

Decade of Progress - Propellers, December 1945 Flying Age Including Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsIt 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...

Rocket Trails: Boost/Glider on Upswing

Rocket Trails: Boost/Glider on Upswing (July/August 1963 American Modeler) - Airplanes and Rockets"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...

New Balloons Explore Roof of the Airways

New Balloons Explore Roof of the Airways, May 1948 Popular Science - Airplanes and RocketsAs 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...

Counted Cross Stitch Orbis Terrae Compendiosa Descriptio

Counted Cross Stitch Orbis Terrae Compendiosa Descriptio - Airplanes and RocketsBack 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...

Build Me a Plane

Build Me a Plane, December 1945 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Sopwith Camel - Manzano Laser Works

Sopwith Camel - Cox & Manzano Laser Works - Airplanes and RocketsMelanie 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...

Renaissance of the Home Built Airplane

Renaissance of the "Home Built" Airplane, June 1961 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsI 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...

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"...

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strips: January 16, 1944

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strips: January 16, 1944 Baltimore Morning Sun - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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...

Why Not Authentic, Prefabricated Husbands?

Why Not Authentic, Prefabricated Husbands?, April 1960 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWives 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...

Covering a Compound Curve with MonoKote

Covering a Compound Curve with MonoKote - Airplanes and RocketsI 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...

Rocket Battle at Denver

Rocket Battle at Denver, April 1962, American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsIt'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...

Revell Shows Production System - How Plastic Kits Are Made

Revell Shows Production System - How Plastic Kits Are Made, May 1957 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsFounded 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...

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)...

Sketchbook: Tips and Tricks

Sketchbook from March 1957 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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...

Luscombe Silvaire 3-View

Luscombe Silvaire 3-View, June 1959 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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...

3D-Printed Formers Sterling F4U-1 Corsair

3D-printed formers Sterling F4U-1 Corsair (Boyd Steffen) - Airplanes and RocketsAirplanes 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...

Maxey's Marvelous P-63 Kingcobra

Maxey's Marvelous P-63 Kingcobra Article & Plans, March 1962 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThose 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".

Facts About Microfilm

Facts About Microfilm, May 1954 Model Airplane News - Airplanes and RocketsMicrofilm-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...

Adventures in Jet Power Comic Book, GE, 1950

Adventures in Jet Power Comic Book, General Electric, 1950 - Airplanes and RocketsGeneral 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...

R/C Triplex: 3 Controls on 1 Channel

R/C Triplex: Three Controls on One Channel, November 1956 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThis "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...

Ever Hear of a "Submarine Library?"

Ever Hear of a "Submarine Library?", May 1956 Young Men • Hobbies • Aviation • Careers - Airplanes and RocketsAmazingly, 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...

Airtronics Aquila Product Review

Airtronics Aquila Product Review, May 1975 RC Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsIt 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...

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