|
 1963 was five years since America's first
communications satellite, Echo, was placed in orbit. Echo was a passive, spherical
reflector that merely provided a good reflective surface for bouncing radio signals
off of. By 1963, when this
Eavesdropping on Satellites article appeared in Popular Electronics
magazine, the space race was well underway and active communications satellites
were being launched at a rapid pace. Spotting and tracking satellites has long been
a popular pastime with two types of hobbyists: amateur astronomers using telescopes
and binoculars, and amateur radio operators using antennas and receivers...
 The other night Melanie and I were watching
an episode of the old Gilligan's Island television show titled "Wrongway Feldman,"
which was about a long-forgotten, famous aviator who took a wrong turn during a
race and ended up being stranded on the same island as seven famous castaways. The
"Spirit of the Bronx" airplane featured in the show was referred to by Wrongway
as a Krieder Reisner KR21. It is a right nice looking biplane. I immediately hit
the pause button and looked it up on Google. The KR-21, according to the EAA AirVenture
Museum's website, was manufactured in the 1929-1930 timespan, had a 22'-7" wingspan,
and a 125 hp Kinner B5 (R-440), 372 cubic inch, 5-cylinder radial...
 "After years of aircraft and infrastructure
development, the
electric vertical takeoff and landing industry faces a broadly self-imposed
deadline of 2025 for entering commercial service with a new generation of air taxis,
shuttles, and freight carriers. Many companies have said for years that they would
begin carrying passengers or cargo and ramping up mass production of aircraft by
2025. Today, however, meeting that goal seems like a lot to ask, given the challenging
investor climate and the long process for gaining FAA certification of new aircraft.
In many ways the field of eVTOL companies has developed in a manner similar to that
of the early car industry, which began with dozens of manufacturers..."
 We take for granted today that we are able
to legally use radio control systems without obtaining an
operator's license, but that has only been the case since the late 1970s. Prior
to that, a Citizens Radio Station License needed to be procured from the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). No examination was required, but a fee was charged.
I think mine cost something like $5. FCC Part 15 rules permitted license-free
operation in designated frequency bands then as it does now, with a limit on maximum
power output for both intentional and unintentional...
 "NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) and the historic Mount Wilson Observatory in California appear to be unscathed
by the Eaton fire burning through Pasadena and Altadena - for now. However, over
150 JPL employees have lost their homes, said the center's director Laurie Leshin
in a post on X on Friday morning. The center lies in the foothills of Pasadena,
within the Eaton fire's mandatory evacuation zone. The Eaton fire, which has burned
14,000 acres and 5,000 structures as of Friday afternoon, is one of several fires
raging in the L.A. region this week amid dangerously high winds and dry conditions..."
•
3 Drone Pilots Arrested for Interfering with LA Firefighters
• The Charge Toward
Fleetwide Unleaded Fuel
• Good News for
Experimental Aircraft Accident Totals
•
Missing Pilot Found After Fatal Plane Crash
• Last Call for
AOPA Foundation Scholarships
• EAA Evaluating
FAA Medical Policy Changes
 Airplanes & Rockets website visitor
David T. wrote asking about locating an article where the author reports on
having initially tried
aero-towing by a powered airplane with the tow line connected to the tail of
the tow plane. I have never seen that method tried, and this article demonstrates
why it is not commonplace. Disaster evidently resulted, so the author ended up connecting
the tow line to the wing hold-down bolts and success ensued. This is the only aero-tow
article I could find in the 1975 year range that David referenced, but it is not
what he was looking for. If you know of an article that contains the experience
he requested, please send me an e-mail and I will pass it along to David...
 American Modeler magazine has a rich history
rooted in the enthusiasm for model aircraft, covering topics such as building, flying,
engines, fuel, contests, advertisements, and product reviews. Its lineage can be
traced back to the publication Air Trails, which underwent a transformation
in 1955 to focus on scale modeling, broadening its scope to include aircraft, cars,
and trains. This evolution culminated in the December 1956 rebranding of Air
Trails as American Modeler. The first issue under this title was volume
47, number 3. Initially, the magazine was published monthly, catering to a wide
audience of hobbyists and enthusiasts. Albert L. "Al" Lewis, a pivotal figure in
the magazine's history, served as editor during its formative years. His tenure
began in the late 1950s and extended...
 The term "gas" when referring to
miniature 2-cycle internal combustion engines (ICE) for model airplanes, boats,
cars, and helicopters, has its origin in the early days of modeling. Similar to
full-size automotive gas engines, they ran on gasoline, and used a spark plug with
a high voltage power source and timing mechanism that was an integral part of the
engine. As with a lawn mower or outboard boat engine, timing of the spark relative
to the position of the piston in the cylinder is critical for optimum performance.
Tuning the system could be a real challenge if inferior gas was used, the spark
plug was worn or dirty, or the spark generator / timing was poorly...
 Today, computer software has replaced much
of the simulation and experimentation that used to be the sole domain of
wind and smoke tunnels.
The mathematical equations are so complex for high resolution, 3-dimensional calculations
that very powerful computers are required to run even relatively simple simulations.
While there are programs that can be purchased for about $1,000 that do a good job
for uncomplicated shapes, large, university and corporation scale computers are
needed for "serious" work like designing commercial and military aircraft, passenger...
 Often when I see photos of some of the early
radio control gear for model airplanes, I have a simultaneous reaction of aghastness
and marvel at the crudity and ingenuousness, respectively, of the electromechanical
devices - the same kind of reaction I have to stories about early surgical procedures
and equipment. In 1940, when this article appeared in the ARRL's QST magazine,
successful takeoffs and landings were considered notable events not so much because
of pilot ability, but because of the low reliability of available electronic and
mechanical gear. Vacuum tubes with attendant heavy, high voltage power supplies,
and heavy metal gears and shafts required large airframes to support all the weight
and bulk. Modern-day low-cost, readily available R/C models incorporate, depending
on your requirements, autopilot, total prefabrication of airframe, propulsion, and
guidance components. BTW, dig Mr. Bohnenblust's ride in that photo...
 After dropping off some stuff at the Erie
City Mission, Melanie and I walked through the display floor to see what was available.
We've gotten some good things there in the past, including a Queen Anne chair and
a china hutch. We've been looking for a used, full-size bed for the spare bedroom
to replace the twin bed that used to be our daughter's. Fortunately, the Erie City
Mission had recently acquired a turn-of-the-20th-century
rope bed that, according to lore, used to belong to the owner of a defunct local
brewery (Kohler?). Heavy pine is used for the entire framework. It was in fair shape,
with expected dings and scratches from 100+ years of use. Rather than undertake
a total restoration...
 The
1961 Academy of Model Aeronautics' (AMA's) National Model Airplane Championships
(aka "The Nats") were held that year at Willow Grove Naval Air Station just North
of Philadelphia. The U.S. military was concerned with encouraging young men to excel
in the field of aviation in order to help breed future pilots, mechanics, researchers,
and other aerospace related careers within the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy.
In fact, the U.S. Navy was a prime sponsor of the Nats for many years. In the
early 1970s, geniuses in the Pentagon decided that such activity was no longer a
good investment, so the AMA had to find other private and public venues for events.
The AMA's flagship publication, American Modeler magazine, provided coverage...
 If
you have been around the Airplanes and Rockets website for a while, you are probably
aware that my hobby activities have been funded by my profession in radio communications
(see RFCafe.com). Reading this, you likely
also know that each year the AMA holds national championships for all forms of model
aviation including radio control, control, and free flight. Airplanes, helicopters,
and theses day drones, are the primary focus, while rockets, cars, and boats are
sometimes featured. Various classes of contents are conducted, including Expert
and Standard, Senior and Junior, and others. What really caught my attention this
year and last year was the first name of the champion for the Junior class of control
line flying - Angstrom! Is that a great name or what? It sure beats Kirt. The name,
of course, is a unit of wavelength named in honor of
Anders Jonas Ångström.
Here is the origin of Ebernez.
 "Designed to operate as a high-altitude,
long-endurance surveillance and reconnaissance platform the aircraft - defined as
a
High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) - has been
designed by BAE Systems subsidiary Prismatic, a division of the company's FalconWorks
advanced research and development arm. Alongside reconnaissance, the aircraft has
the potential to be used in the delivery of communications networks including 4G
and 5G and could be used in a wide range of applications, such as disaster relief
and border protection, as a cost-effective alternative..."
 Once upon a time there was an organization
called the Boy Scouts of America, whose adult leadership sought to prepare generations
of young men to be brave, enterprising, purposeful, resolute, enduring, partnering,
assuring, reformed, enthusiastic, and devoted to himself, his community, and his
country. Its membership was exclusively biological male. The fact that I used the
term "biological male" is an indicator of what has gone tragically wrong with the
BSA in the last decade or so with wokeness and infiltration by ne're-do-well agents
of change. But, I digress. This aviation themed adventure article appeared in a
1938 issue of Boys' Life magazine, the official publication of the BSA.
Its arctic locale...
 The
Estes Astron Gyroc
model rocket, introduced in the late 1960s, is a fascinating example of ingenuity
in model rocketry. It was designed to demonstrate an innovative recovery method
- spin recovery - that set it apart from traditional parachute or streamer recovery
systems. The Gyroc became an instant hit among rocketeers due to its simplicity,
affordability, and the spectacle of its recovery mechanism in action. A newer version
called the "Tazz" is now being sold. It simplifies the building process. Development
History The Gyroc was developed during a period when Estes Industries sought to
expand the educational...
 While orbiting the Moon on
Christmas Eve, 1968, NASA astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell,
and William Anders made a live broadcast from from the
Apollo 8 command module, in which they showed video of the
lunar surface and the Earth as seen from one of the spacecraft's portals. That flight
produced the famous "Earthrise" photograph which is featured on a U.S. commemorative
stamp issued in May of 1969 - just three months before Apollo 11 landed on
the moon. On the ninth orbit, toward the end of the transmission, the three astronauts
each took a turn reading from the book of
Genesis, chapter 1, verses 1 through 10. They
finished with, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck,
a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."
From Melanie and
me here at AirplanesAndRockets.com, we wish you all a very
Merry Christmas and a
happy and prosperous New Year!
 The
Honest John rocket,
officially designated M31, represents one of the earliest tactical ballistic missile
systems deployed by the United States Army. Its inception stemmed from the necessity
for a reliable battlefield nuclear delivery system during the early years of the
Cold War. Development began in 1950 under the auspices of the U.S. Army Ordnance
Corps, with technical guidance provided by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which was
contracted to bring the concept to fruition. By 1953, the Honest John was operational,
making it the first surface-to-surface rocket in the U.S. arsenal designed to deliver
nuclear warheads. Development Timeline and Key Personnel The Honest John program's
roots trace back to increasing tensions in the post-World War II era, as the United
States sought systems capable of delivering nuclear payloads without the need for
long-range...
 Let's see... if this was the
14th
Nationals contest, then that means the first one was held in 1941-14+1 = 1928.
That date agrees somewhat with the Academy of Model Aeronautics' (AMA) website that
documents the complete history of model airplane comteptition. To wit: "Airplane
Model League of America (AMLA) Nationals, sponsored by American Boy magazine, set
the standard for future events. Held in Detroit from 1928 to 1930, the two-day event
featured the Mulvihill and Stout indoor and outdoor trophies, plus a scale static
contest and an awards banquet." Another article sets 1923 as the first National
Aeromodeling Championships, although the only event was Mulvihill. The AMA itself
was officially founded in 1936. According to a June 1976 Model Aviation magazine
article entitled, "What You Should Know About Balsa," balsa wood was not the most
popular structural material for model airplanes until about the time of this contest.
Pine and bamboo were often used before then.
 As with so many other aspects of technical
application, the state of the art of
rubber motors has advanced significantly
since the writing of this article - not that the information contained herein is
anywhere near obsolete (except trying to find Pirelli rubber). Rubber motor braiding
techniques, lubricants, the rubber length, width, thickness, modulus, composition,
has all been studied and characterized to the nth degree so most of the guesswork
is gone as far as the actual motor performance is concerned. Still all the other
variables in the airframe and propeller system (prop, bearing, gearing)...
 "Unknown
drone activity forced one of the U.S.'s most critical military installations to
shut down for several hours late Friday evening and Saturday morning, officials
confirmed. The incident prompted heightened security measures and temporarily
halted operations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Home to the 88th
Air Base Wing, Wright-Patterson is one of the largest and most strategically important
bases in the U.S., tasked with advanced research, intelligence, and operations.
Unauthorized drone activity in military airspace poses significant risks, from espionage
to safety hazards. In audio recordings by the Air Force Base air traffic control,
which were shared online, an operator can be heard saying they are diverting 'over
base' air traffic..."
 Lifeguard duty is the latest application
for radio-control systems and the combination of modern high-powered electric motors
and Li-Ion batteries. An Arizona-based company called Hydronalix has created a robotic
flotation device to deploy to reach swimmers in distress when a lifeguard can't
get there soon enough. The robot is called EMILY, which is an acronym for
Emergency Integrated Life-saving
Lanyard. EMILY weighs 25 pounds, can go up to 25 miles per hour and can be used
as a flotation device for up to six people. Its batteries will run the device for
about 15-20 minutes...
 The 1939 Thompson Trophy Air Races, held
in Cleveland, Ohio, was the final show for that series until after World War II.
Roscoe Turner was there in his Meteor LTR-14 racer. He had won top spot the
year before with a speed of 283 mph, and in 1939 at 282 mph. In a unique
turn in aviation career tacks, Turner conjured up a scheme where, based on equally
unique circumstances largely of his own design, adopted a lion as a mascot to sell
his services as a corporate products promoter. His first big success was with Gilmore
Oil, after which the lion was named. "Gilmore" flew around the country with Mr. Turner...
 The
Cessna 336 and
337 Skymaster hold a unique place in aviation history as distinctive twin-engine
aircraft with a push-pull configuration. Their design addressed the challenges of
asymmetric thrust inherent in traditional twin-engine aircraft, with both engines
mounted along the centerline - one in the nose as a tractor and the other in the
tail as a pusher. Development began in the late 1950s, led by Cessna engineers under
the leadership of company president Dwane Wallace. By February 1961, the first prototype
of the Cessna 336 took to the skies, featuring a fixed landing gear design. Production
of the 336 began in 1963, but it faced limitations in market success due to its
performance constraints and non-retractable gear...
|
 When deciding which type of covering material
to apply to a model airplane structure, it would be helpful to have a table of
covering density for comparison. Here
is such a table which shows, for instance, that 21st Century Fabric is the heaviest
type of covering you can use. MicroLite covering is the lightest weight. Not shown
are most doped or painted coverings because finished weights are so dependent on
substrate type (silk, Silkspan, tissue, etc.), paint or dope type, and number/thickness
of coats. To calculate the covering weight, multiply the density by the total surface
area of your model. Unfortunately, most of these coverings are no longer manufactured,
but a lot of it can still be found on eBay...
 On August 26, 2013, Melanie and I toured
the inside of this Consolidated PBY-5A Canso
(PBY-5 is the Catalina) while it was on display at the Erie International Airport.
It was on tour by a crew from Canada, which is appropriate since it was this particular
airplane was manufactured in Canada in 1944 by the Vickers company. World War II
ended before it could ever see combat reconnaissance duty. The PBY-5A has a wingspan
of 104 feet 0 inches and is powered by a pair of 1200 horsepower Pratt & Whitney
R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radial engines. Top speed is 179 mph. It sported six .303 Vickers
machine guns and could carry up to 2000 pounds of bombs and depth charges. Hopefully,
these photos will be of use to scale model researchers...
 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...
 If you have a vintage Cox .010 Pee Wee engine
sitting on the display shelf and you've been itching to get it in the air again,
Ken Willard's Flying Bandanna (not Banana) could be just the thing to get you there.
This article appeared in a 1968 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine.
Ken claims it only takes about 10 minutes to assemble, and as he says of the bandanna
'parachute,' it is "...a built-in wiping rag for your hands after each flight!"
I remember as a kid when my .049-powered plastic Cox control line models had finally
be demolished beyond repair (no glue at the time would hold the styrene plastic
together for long), I would take what was left of the fuselage and launch it into
free flight with the engine screaming. Sad to say, but especially during the early...
 Back when Melanie had more time (around 1984),
she made a lot of counted cross stitch pictures. This one remains her most ambitious
project ever - a large nautical map of the ancient world, fashioned after the works
of famed cartographer Gerard Mercator and titled with "Orbis Terrae
Compendiosa Descriptio," which is, loosely translated, Latin for "A Comprehensive
Description of the World." Melanie's work was done on 22-count fabric, and measures
approximately 13" by 8" (not including white border). Such a fine effort needed
a special frame, so I set about making a custom 23" by 17" frame out of teak wood
bought at World of Hardwoods in Baltimore. The fancy fluting was done on my Craftsman
radial arm saw with the molding head. It was a scary operation with the sharp teeth
flying while feeding that teak through it. Teak, as you might know, is used extensively
on boats because it weathers well. It is an oily type wood that starts out life
with a shiny golden patina, but turns to the familiar gray if left unprotected in
the sun...
 Model rocketry was a big deal in the 1960's
as America and Russia pursued the great Space Race. The U.S.S.R. had effectively
trumped us by launching the Sputnik a year before we put the Explorer 1 into
orbit. Yuri Gagarin made it into space before Alan Shepherd blasted of atop the
Mercury Redstone rocket in his Freedom 7 capsule for a couple orbits around
the earth. Boys (and a few girls) around the world proudly referred to themselves
as "rocketeers." Since the Academy of Model Aviation (AMA) usually allocated space
(no pun intended) for model rocket-relate news and evens, it is no surprise that
the sport was included in the "Model World on the International Scene" features. Single-channel
radio control ...
 U-Control, aka U/C, aka Control Line, aka C/L,
is still very popular today even with radio control available. It is a great model
of modeling for those of us with bad eyesight who have trouble with tracking airplanes
at a distance. With control line your model is never more than about 70 feet from
you and there is never a problem with knowing which direction the model is headed
and whether it is right-side-up or upside-down. In 1960 when this Annual issue of
Air Trails magazine was published, R/C was mostly a rich man's sport, or
at least an electronics man's sport. Free flight and control line dominate aeromodeling.
Monthly features like "U-Control Corner" ran in model aviation magazines of the
era, and offered many great tips...
 Slot car racing used to be a big deal back
before battery-powered radio control cars became inexpensive and readily available.
Many hobby shops, including one I used to frequent in Laurel, Maryland, had slot
car tracks set up for patrons to use. I think we paid something like a dollar for
half an hour. You could either bring your own car, or rent one from the hobby shop.
As with any activity, certain stereotypes are created and stick with slot car racers
and their creations. This set of comics from the September/October 1963 edition
of American Modeler magazine documents some of those things...
 This is the Sunday, January 23, 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. All I have are the Sunday editions, but it was a daily strip as well. From
the time of the Wright Brothers' successful flights at Kill Devil Hill, Americans
have been in love with aviation. In the early days, access to flight was limited
to those with know-how and access...
 These 4-level wooden bleacher plans are
the latest version. I was going to write up a hardware parts list, but never got
around to it. Both sections of the bleachers shown in the photo (built in fall of
2011) are still in service and are in excellent condition. Pressure treated lumber
was used for everything, and all the nuts, bolts, and washers are galvanized. Screws
for the planks are outdoor deck grade. Pressure treated landscaping timbers are
sitting on the ground between the soil and bleachers. My daughter sold the property
a couple years ago, so I don’t have access to it to take any other photos. My son-in-law
and I built both sections of bleachers in one weekend. Since many of the parts are
duplicates, we cut out and drilled the first of each type, then used them as templates
for the rest. If you have half a dozen people available to cut and drill, that will
speed the process considerably. We also built up the first seat/step frame, then
built the others on top of it to assure all were identical (using screws temporarily
so the bolts didn’t get in the way). Get the first one as perfect as possible. Prior
to erecting the entire assemblies, the ground area was leveled and the landscaping
timbers laid into position. We used long deck screws to hold them together to prevent
shifting during assembly. The completed bleachers will be as level as the foundation.
Adjustments can be made, if needed, with shims cut from the pressure treated wood.
Note that if the ground is wet/moist, the landscaping timbers will quickly begin
to bow upward as the wetter bottom expands...
 Here is another round of nifty model airplane
building ideas, aka "Sketchbook,"
submitted by readers of the Academy of Model Aviation's (AMA's) American Modeler
magazine. I'm not too keen on the "rubber mold" idea of using a thin layer of silicon
rubber, trimmed to the design outline with a razor knife - especially over an open
wing bay or between fuselage longerons. Controlling the depth of the cut is tricky,
especially in a layer of silicon that is not of uniform thickness. Mr. Itter
must have a steady hand. Using a length of brass tubing with the end filed or sanded
to a sharp edge is a handy trick for cutting holes I have used many times over the
years - probably after having first seen it in American Aircraft Modeler,
R/C Modeler, Flying Models, or Model Airplane News ...
 This "Test Your Knowledge" feature appeared
in the March 1967 issue of American Modeler magazine, immediately following
the "Wanted:
A & P Mechanics - Part II" article (I do not yet have
Part I). Way back in my younger day during the time I was taking flying lessons
and thought a career in flying was the only reasonable path for me, I planned to
earn a Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license. Destiny had other plans, since
when I signed up for the Delayed Enlistment program with the U.S. Air Force, no
aircraft engine mechanic positions were open, and I ended up in electronics, working
on air traffic control radar maintenance (fixing and aligning, not as an air traffic
controller). As you can see from the test, a masterful grasp on the theory of engine
operation and maintenance was (and still is) required. Back in those days,
only the most qualified people were selected to do the job - lives and fortunes
depended on it. Today, one of the biggest advantages you can have for getting an
aircraft mechanic job is not being a white male of European descent...
 Here is a list of many
classic modeling magazines
that are now or have been in print within the last decade or so. Unfortunately,
most of these magazines are now out of print. Some have disappeared altogether while
others have online-only editions. Fortunately, though, a few benevolent souls have
taken it upon themselves to scan hundreds of past issues and made them available
in PDF format at no charge to everyone. The Archive.org website's Wayback Machine™
has captured many years worth of the magazines' webpages, so all ...
 Like many little girls who were born in the
1960s, Melanie had a small collection of
Suzy Homemaker toy appliances. Old photographs from birthdays
and Christmases past document the times they were received. Melanie had the Suzy
Homemaker Oven / Stove and the Suzy Homemaker Clothes Iron. Since hers was long
gone my the time we got married in 1983, we decided to look for them on eBay. As
with just about everything ever made, we easily found them in nice condition. Neither
the oven nor the iron came with their original boxes because those are very expensive.
This page of Suzy Homemaker products appeared ...
 Axiom
Test Equipment, an electronic test equipment rentals and sales company headquartered
in North County San Diego, has published a blog post entitled "Keep
UAVs Flying High with Proper Testing." This blog is the first in a series of
four planned articles that will take a closer look at the global fascination with
UAVs and how they are used, whether for farming or for warfare, and some of the
best test tools that can be applied to ensuring the best UAV performance possible.
"Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), popularly known as drones, have been a part of
military operations for decades, often paving the way for an operation with their
remote intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR) capabilities. Those
familiar with military drones may think of million-dollar UAVs like the Predator
with comprehensive electronic weapons payloads, including radar and sophisticated
navigation and guidance systems. The military demand for fixed- and rotary-wing
UAVs has grown steadily over the past decade...
 According to this 1960 Air Trails magazine
"Starting
Control Line Combat" article, the contest event first appeared in the AMA (Academy
of Model Aeronautics) rulebook in 1950. Hard to believe that was 72 years ago as
of this writing. It's equally hard to believe it was only 8 years before I was born
- ugh. Control line combat remains a very popular sport today, and is one of the
relatively few aspects of the hobby which has not changed considerably. Engines
have gotten more powerful and reliable, and building materials have improved, but
the basic outline of the airframe is about the same. The story reports on combat
rounds having up to five planes flying at once, duking it out for air superiority.
Too bad there's not a video of it with all the flyers trying desperately to not
become entangled in each other's lines or even keeping out of each other's way.
There must have been a lot of smashed balsa after that event. Anyway, this article
provides a lot of detail concerning all aspects of model construction, engine and
fuel tank setup, and flying. Interesting fact: In the early days of control line
combat, prolonged inverted flight was permitted...
 I just made a short video of my
Blade 230 S SMART helicopter
in flight to demonstrate how easy it is to fly in the Stability Mode (I've not tried
to fly in the Agility Mode). Easy, that is, after a trial−and−error method of programming
the Spektrum DX6 G3 transmitter. The setting shown in the user's manual leaves
the heli way too unstable IMHO. In order to make it trainer-like, I cranked the
servo throws back to 50% (default 100) and turned up the GER setting to 150 (100
default). Also in Forward Programming I set the Stability to 150 (its highest setting).
After that, she hovers hands−off when there's no wind. I had
Blade 230 S V2
prior to this (sold it), and it flew fine in Stability Mode using the manual's settings,
so something's different with the SAFE version. I was about to give up on flying
it until I made the setting adjustments. I might be willing to sell the heli w/training
gear, two 850 mAh Smart batteries and Smart Charger (w/IC2−IC3 adapter) for
$310 (+shipping) if you're interested. Tx not included.
 Here is a report on the
1959 Nats,
aka the 28th National Model Airplane Championships, held at Los Alamitos Naval Air
Station, California. For those not familiar with the early Nats, the U.S. Navy used
to sponsor and host the entire show primarily because it was considered a good recruitment
tool for young men of a necessarily competitive nature. Their hopes were that those
guys would see really cool stuff at the base and anxiously anticipate the day when
they could join. Some time in the late 1960s, the attendance by youngsters was so
low that the Navy decided to pull its support. Bill Winter managed to talk them
into staying for a few more years after promising to work to bring youth participation
back up, but, alas, it did not last...
 Buhl Aircraft Company, founded in 1925 in
Detroit, Michigan, really had just two successful airplane designs - the CA−6 Airsedan
and the
LA−1
Bull Pup. The Buhl A−1 Autogyro was a novelty aircraft that never gained popularity.
It came out in 1931, a year before the company went out of business. This 1/2A size
Bull Pup construction by Charles Hollinger article and plans appeared in a 1950
issue of Air Trails magazine. The Bull Pup began life as a rubber powered model,
and Mr. Hollinger adapted it for powered free flight at a request from Air
Trails editors. Its 35" wingspan is a convenient size and makes for an economical
building project, even more so with today's balsa prices. A conversion to electric
power with three-channel R/C would be easily accomplished...
 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...
 One of the monthly columns in R/C Modeler
magazine, written by Chuck Cunningham, entitled "Cunningham on R/C," that reported
on the current state of radio control, which had only fairly recently evolved into
fully solid state, proportional control systems. Anyone involved in electronics
is painfully familiar with the weird kinds of issues that crop up in complex circuits
that operate in hostile environments. The March 1970 issue contained part of an
article authored by D. L. Klipstein, Director of Engineering, Measurement Control
Devices, entitled, "Murphy's
Law: The Contributions of Edsel Murphy to the Understanding of the Behaviour of
Inanimate Objects.*" Only a few of the items were printed in Cunningham's column,
but I managed to locate a copy of the full article ... |
