A scheme I have
considered for control line models is one of the entries in the "Sketch Book"
section of the February 1949 issue of Air Trails magazine. Mr. Joseph
Johnson shows how he used a moveable rudder on his scale airplane to increase
tension on the control lines when up elevator is commanded. A similar system
could be devised for stunt models which increases right rudder (for CCW circles,
left rudder for CW) as either up or down elevator is fed in. Another option I
have never tried is to have a
moveable
rudder controlled by a spring connected to a sliding bellcrank platform that
would increase outward rudder when line tension lessens, and decrease it when
the lines get tight. Such a system would be most useful for compensating for
wind gusts that slacken the control lines. Maybe some day I'll have the time to
experiment with that. A handful of other ideas are included...
Website visitor Bob wrote to ask that I
scan and post the construction article and plans for the
F-84G Thunderjet control
line model. It appeared in the July 1970 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine.
The unique feature of this model is that the power is supplied by the pilot. A fishing
pole and line is used to drag the airplane around the flying circle and a separate,
standard two-line elevator control is used to maneuver the model. Construction is
sheet balsa. Author Joe Wagner (well-known in the modeling world) claims that with
a bit of practice just about any aerobatic maneuver can be accomplished except for
the overhead routines like the figure eight...
"Drones
will be deployed for long distance inspection of infrastructure as well as site
security following new rule changes published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
The aviation regulator's new rules will enable drones to fly beyond the visual line
of sight (BVLOS) of remote pilots in so-called 'atypical' operations through its
new policy for atypical air environments (AAE). BVLOS flights have been taking place
in the UK for several years, but these flights have occurred primarily in trials
under strict restrictions..."
The 1956 Air Trails magazine Annual
Edition reported on the World Championships in Germany for the International Wakefield
Cup, F.A.I Free Flight, and Nordic A/2 Glider events. The three '55 World Championships
were held in September at the U.S. Air Force's Finthen Airfield, near Wiesbaden,
Germany. Competition was fierce amongst European and American contenders. It is
worthwhile to remember that 1955 was a mere eleven years after the end of World
War II, and that former foes were gathered together for a sporting contest.
There could easily have been men there who, without knowing it, were competing against
military adversaries they met on the battlefield or in occupied towns a decade earlier...
This
rocket
boost glider called the Dyna-Soar was powered by American Telasco's version
of the Jetex 50 engine. Jetex rocket engines were quite popular with model airplane,
boat, and car builders through the early 1970s, at which point the fuel supplies
began to disappear. Most Internet sources posit that Imperial Chemicals Industries
(ICI) ceased making the fuel pellets due to a combination of liability and regulation
issues. ICI, based in Scotland, manufactured the Jetex fuel pellets* from a measured
blend of guanidine nitrate, 2,4-dinitroresorcinol, potassium nitrate...
Leonardo da Vinci is usually credited with
producing the first illustration of a helicopter concept. It employed a rotating
helical corkscrew device at the top in order to enable the craft and occupant to
"screw his way aloft, in much the same manner as Archimedes designed his eponymous
helical screw device to lift water from a lower level to a higher level. Water,
being dense and cohesive with itself, was easily elevated, whilst air, not being
dense or cohesive, did not yield to the same technique. In fact, if the "aerial
screw" were able to spin rapidly enough and was of an efficient aerodynamic design,
it would work. Here is a 4-screw drone to prove it. These "Windmill
Planes" presented in the February 1939 issue of Popular Science magazine represent
the state of the art at the time. Surprisingly omitted is an example of Igor Sikorsky's
helicopter design, which he first flew successfully in September...
"On the occasion of the 50th anniversary
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which began its operations
on October 1, 1958, we offer this list of the
50 most memorable images from NASA's history. We recognize that any such ranking
is inherently subjective. The rationale for why any one image ranked two slots higher
than any other combines several factors, including our attempt to balance the list
between human spaceflight, satellite imaging, and planetary exploration. Many wonderful
images did not make the final cut - we couldn't convince the editors to give us
20 pages instead of 10. The list omits significant events from space history that
were not NASA achievements..."
This sort of cutting edge technology used
to be the domain of military operations, but nowadays it can be found in amusement
parks and even at backyard parties. The parachute training facility which appeared
in a 1937 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine was real whiz-bang stuff
at the time. Although Russia's system is featured here, I have to believe other
countries were doing the same sort of thing. Using a
high power fan to boost the paratrooper trainee in a simulated parachute descent
was an excellent method of introducing men to the sensations and reactions to control
inputs via shroud lines. The story noes not mention whether the fan was forceful
enough to simulate a free-fall experience. Just today a saw a news item showing
such recreational free-fall machine companies called Urban Air and iFall...
Since first starting with control line model
sin the late 1960s, I always intended to build a multi-engine model of some sort,
but didn't get around to it until around 2016 when I began construction on a Douglas
DC-3 (maiden flight occurred in 2023). With the plethora of ready-to-fly (RTF) and
almost RTF (ARF) models on the market today at very reasonable prices, there is
no real good excuse for not doing it; so I'll have to stick with my bad excuses.
But I digress. This simple twin
"Wee-38" Lightning which
appeared in the December 1959 issue of American Modeler magazine, uses
a pair of Cox .020 or .049 engines and solid balsa components. You could electrify
the model with equivalent brushless motors, ESCs, and a LiPo battery pack. It would
be nice if a series of ESCs would be marketed for twin motors, since unlike with
brushed...
The
Space Race was one of the most significant geopolitical and scientific competitions
of the 20th century, driven by the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet
Union during the Cold War. It spanned from the late 1940s through the 1970s, with
a focus on achieving superiority in space exploration, a domain viewed as critical
not only for scientific advancement but also for military and strategic dominance.
Rooted in rocket technology developed during World War II, the Space Race transformed
the world's understanding of science and technology, culminating in the most dramatic
achievement: the landing of humans on the Moon in 1969. This treatise explores the
key milestones, the countries and key players involved, technological developments,
the interplay between military...
This article appeared in the November 2024
issue of Astronomy magazine - not sure why. "Brothers is a place that has
somehow slipped outside the passage of time. Located in a sea of sagebrush in central
Oregon, this former stagecoach stopover once serviced horse-drawn migrants bound
for the Willamette Valley. Thanks to the nonprofit organization
OregonRocketry, Brothers has outlasted the surrounding ghost towns to find new
purpose as one of the preeminent high-power rocket launch sites in America. The
group has purchased land and established a site out here in coyote country for the
advancement of amateur rocketry and education of future aerospace engineers. They
have a waiver from the FAA that currently allows them to blast the things nearly
four miles into the air..."
"Japanese
operator SoftBank announced that the Sunglaider, its large-scale solar-powered uncrewed
aircraft system (UAS) designed for
High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric telecommunications, was
utilized in a field trial conducted by AeroVironment and the U.S. DoD in New Mexico,
the U.S. During the trial, carried out in early August, Sunglider succeeded in achieving
stratospheric flight, the Japanese operator said. With a wingspan of 78 meters and
the capability to carry payloads weighing up to 75kg, the Sunglider is larger than
other publicly announced HAPS UAS..."
The
Cessna
Skymaster (336/337) has always been my favorite twin-engined civilian lightplane.
A military version of it is designated as the O-2 Skymaster. For as long as I can
remember, I have threatened to build a control-line model of one. Well, that time
has finally arrived, and I began by ordering these plans from the AMA Plans Service.
It will be powered by a pair of 480-sized brushless motors, and throttle will be
controlled by a hand-held car/boat format transmitter, the one I use on my control-line
Douglas DC-3. I am modifying the fuselage construction to accommodate the motors,
and am adding formers to simplify the building process. Mr. Welch's original omitted
formers in the cabin area...
Fox model airplane engines had a reputation
for ruggedness and contest-winning performance, but were also notoriously difficult
to get started - at least without an electric starter. In 1961, when this full-page
advertisement appeared in American Modeler magazine, electric starters
were not in many modelers' field boxes, and particularly those owned by youngsters
whose modeling budget came from meager allowances and paper routes. Born in 1958,
I was 15 or 16 years old before being able to afford the luxury, and I remember
relentlessly flipping the propellers on my
Fox 15 and Fox 35 control line engines. Half the time when they...
If you have ever wanted to try your hand
(thumbs, to be more specific) at a floatplane, then this
1/2A size Aeronca
Champion which appeared in the March 1957 issue of Model Airplane News magazine,
is just the ticket. Although designed by Walt Mooney as a free flight ROW (rise-off-water)
model that easily converts between wheels and floats, modifications to 3 or 4 channel
radio control would be a snap, especially since the plans show separate construction
for the control surfaces along the hinge line. With about a 46" wingspan and lightweight
but strong construction, this model could easily have been designed with modern
electric power...
I did a quick Web search on how to
repair damaged book bindings, and as is typical, most of what is out there is
a rewritten regurgitation of other pages. Tape and glue are the order of the day
per those instructions, but that is really insufficient to effect a good repair
on books - particularly older volumes - which use string and fabric along the spine
to form a very rugged and durable binding for standing up to repeated use. When
you desire to restore a book to as close to its original condition as possible,
the more extensive method described in this 1965 Popular Mechanics magazine article
is needed. All the tools and materials required are described, as is instructions
for assembling a book...
"Rohde &
Schwarz has been at the forefront of addressing the evolving threats posed by advanced
drone technology to security, public safety, and critical infrastructure. As drones
become more sophisticated and complex, malicious drones equipped with advanced capabilities
present significant challenges. To counter these threats, Rohde & Schwarz has
developed cutting-edge
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) designed to detect, neutralize, and mitigate
emerging drone risks effectively. In a recent interview, Martin Woywod, Product
Manager for Counter-UAS Systems at Rohde & Schwarz, explained the urgency of
counter-drone technology in today's world..."
Airplanes and Rockets website visitor Lars
B. wrote from Sweden requesting that I scan this "Wind Flying" article
from the September 1972 edition of American Aircraft Modeler magazine.
It describes a method for replacing engines and motors with human power for preforming
some pretty impressive C/L aerobatics on windy days. Basically, you drag the model
airplane around on its control lines, which often required not just turning in a
circle while standing in one place, but walking around a small circle in order to
get more speed. If there is any wind, you need to put extra effort into the pulling
when moving into the wind. I can remember doing this as a teenager, only I did it
with the engine in place but not...
• FCC Rules for
5 GHz Band Drone Operations
•
EAA Weighs in on MOSAIC
• Smithsonian
Opens Hangar Doors to Pilots
• 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...
|
Congress
was breathing hard down the neck of NASA while Ranger 6 was being prepared
for its
surveillance mission to the lunar surface. In 1962, Ranger 3, the first
to carry a TV camera, went into orbit around the sun after missing the moon. Ranger 4
(dubbed "Brainless I") impacted the moon but did not send back any data. And Ranger 5
lost power after launch and missed the moon by about 450 miles. Time was running
out to collect data for use in fulfilling the challenge issues by President John
F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961, to "...commit itself to achieving the goal, before
this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the
Earth." That challenge was successfully met by the Apollo 11 mission partially
on July 21st, 1969 by landing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, and then
fully on July 24th when they (Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins) returned safely
to Earth. Ranger 6 unfortunately ended in failure on February 2nd, 1964, when
its TV camera did not return any images...
These couple
vintage model
aviation comics appeared in the May 1957 issue of the Academy of Model Aeronautics'
American Modeler magazine. The one on page 8 might need some explanation in order
"get it." Back in the era, aviation of all sorts - both model and full-size - was
still a novelty for most people. When either type of aircraft was seen close to
the ground where people could get up-close looks, a crowd would often gather. In
this comic, a huge group of people stopped to watch the model airplane fly, so the
modeler decided it was his civic duty to provide a show for the onlookers. Many
decades ago, comic strips had a very broad appeal with people. Daily newspapers
and magazines often carried a large variety of single pane comics and strip comics...
The Andrews Aircraft Model Company (AAMCo)
produced a radio control airplane, the
H−Ray, that was my first
successful RC model. An advertisement from a 1964 edition of RC Modeler includes
both the H-Ray (high wing) and the S−Ray (shoulder wing). I'm pretty sure that I
put an OS .20 R/C engine in it - probably the only one I had at the time. Advertisement
for the OS Digital 3-channel radio control system I bought second-hand from a man
down the street from where I lived as a teenager. I paid him $100 for it sometime
around 1974 or so. That is the equivalent of $532 in 2020 dollars according to the
BLS's Inflation Calculator. My second-hand OS Digital 3-channel radio control system
was installed in it, which is why I can still vividly remember running after it
with the transmitter held high above my head trying to regain control after it ran
out of range. My H-Ray spent a night in a corn field out at the original PGRC club
in along Route 301 in southern Maryland because of it. The range with that OS digital
system was about 600 feet under ideal conditions...
This article from the July 1973 issue of
American Aircraft Modeler magazine will be of great interest to the modern
e-power modeler who wants to get a feel for what the early pioneers in electric
powered aircraft we doing to forge the trail to today's highly powerful, brushless,
outrunner motors that use microprocessor-controlled electronic speed controls (ESCs).
Lithium-Polymer (Li-Po) and lithium ion (Li-Ion) batteries have almost completely
replaced the nickel cadmium (NiCad) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries back
in the day. American Aircraft Modeler ceased publication in March of 1975, and is
no longer in print by the copyright owner, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)...
There is currently a big shift from internal
combustion engines to electric motors for powering model vehicles of all sorts -
airplanes, helicopters, boats, and cars - and of all control modes - autonomous
(free flight), radio control, and control-line. The state of motor and battery technology
has passed the point where the weight and thrust available with electric power meets
or exceeds that of engines for most applications. I'm throwing this idea out to
companies like Winged Shadow Systems, who make some ingenuous peripheral products
like the How High altimeter and the Thermal Scout thermal detector, and the Sky
Limit altitude/time limit motor cutoffs. Surely those guys can design and affordably
market a dynamic, attitude-aware motor control for electric-powered control line
airplanes. I provide here a basic outline of the concept, what I title "A
Programmable Dynamic Attitude-Aware Motor Speed Control for Electric-Powered Aircraft©."
While its indented initial application is for control line aircraft, it is possible
to extend the usage to free flight and other modes of flight...
There are not too many control line float
planes around for good reason. Unless you have an amphibious plane that can take
off and land on water or a hard surface, it is hard to find a place where you can
stand in the water far enough from shore to ensure a compete flight circumference
of water. In most cases the water would be pretty deep. Even waist depth water can
make turning difficult. A sandbar would be ideal, or maybe you are fortunate enough
to have access to a shallow pond (natural or manmade). This
Macchi-Castoldia Schneider Cup Racer C/L model fits the bill as an amphibious
plane if you build the wheeled dolly included on the plans by Paul Palanek. the
article and plans appeared in the Air Trails 1958 Annual edition...
The May 1934 issue of Flying Aces
magazine contained another installment in the "Principles
of Model Building" series it ran for many months. This particular article introduces
formulas for calculating the area of various shapes ranging from a simple rectangle
to circles, parallelograms, triangles, trapezoids, and more. It also demonstrated
how to break irregular shapes into individual constituent shapes, calculate the
areas of each, and then add (or subtract) them for a total area. It is a relatively
simple procedure for anyone familiar with basic geometry, but many modelers are
not inclined toward the technical side of the physics and mathematics which define
govern flight. Calculation of area is necessary for determining wing loading, control
surface are ratios, volume (a bit more complicated, but easily an extension of area
calculation in three dimensions), etc. As a side note, while preparing the sketches
for posting here, I saw in Fig. 36 the definition of pi (π) and due to the
low original printing quality, the decimal point was barely visible so it appeared
to be at most a tiny random dot. The "1" is slanted so it looked like a division
line, so at first I though the author was giving π = 3 / 4 as a fractional estimate
of pi, which of course at 0.75 is way off of the standard estimate of 3.14. I therefore
inserted a prominent decimal point so the 3.14 would be obvious. BTW, a common fractional
estimate for pi is 22 / 7 = 3.145, which is only 0.001264 away from the actual value
of π to six decimal places (a mere 0.0402% error...
Airplanes and Rockets website visitor
Lieven M. requested that this article on the Blohm Voss 141-B (BV 141-B)
be scanned and posted from the August 1970 edition of American Aircraft Modeler
magazine. The BV 141-B, designed by Mr. Terry Aldrich, is a unique scale subject
in that it is a World War II German fighter-bomber featuring an asymmetrical
configuration. It looks sort of like a P-38 Lightning with the right boom missing.
The engine in on the left at the nose end of the single fuselage boom, and the pilot
compartment is on the right, on the wing. The horizontal stabilizer span is about
80% to the left of the vertical fin, and 20% to the right of it. Construction uses
sheet balsa for the wings, tail surfaces, and profile fuselage. Power is provided
by a single 049 engine...
Re-timing, cleaning up (air and fuel flow
passages), freeing up (sliding friction), lightening and balancing (removing unnecessary
material), and breaking in (initial running with rich fuel mixture while interfacing
metal parts fit themselves to each other) are all part of the effort necessary to
create winning engines for model racing events. This 1962 American Modeler
magazine article predates Schnuerle porting (in model engines), ABC (aluminum, brass,
chromium) cylinder liners, and modern metal alloys, but still the concepts are applicable
to today's engines. It purpose is to instruct on proper
engine break-in so that
it will have a long lifespan. Wankel lovers will appreciate the homemade engine
shown...
Sure, you can go online and find hundreds
or maybe thousands of instances of real-life
aircraft instrument images for your model airplane or helicopter, then scale
them to the right size and do a high definition color printout for gluing onto the
panel of your latest pride and joy. However, prior to just a couple decades ago,
the task was more difficult. You could fairly easily find instrument images in magazines
and books and then make copies on a printer or copying machine; some even had a
scaling function allowing you to change the size to fit your need. That was so for
about the last four to five decades, and often gaining access to a printer. Before
that, it was necessary to either be lucky enough to find printed images of the correct
size, or buy a set of printed instruments from a company that sold instruments sets
of various scales...
From what I can remember, this October 1972
edition of American Aircraft Modeler magazine is the first I received after
joining the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). I was thrilled to be having a monthly
modeling magazine delivered to my rural home because it was rare that a copy of
Flying Models or Model Airplane News would appear on the rack
in our local convenience store. Unlike today's age of instant and ubiquitous information,
getting ahold of desired reading material was not nearly as easy before the Internet.
Somehow, I managed to retain possession of that issue for nearly 40 years now. With
few exceptions, everything else from my childhood has vanished. I remember being
particularly interested in the
Charybdis because it satisfied the desire for a lot of different modeling interests
- helicopters, airplanes, and nitro-powered engines. In 1972 I was 14 years old
and didn't have a lot of walking around money - only what I scraped as profit from
my paper delivery route...
"The
fact that every part of this ship was built by the lowest bidder." That, according
to Gene Kranz (NASA Flight Director during the Gemini and Apollo missions), was
Alan Shepard's reply when asked what he thought about as he sat atop the
Mercury Redstone rocket*, waiting for liftoff. Shepard knew the boost vehicle,
the "Redstone," was originally designed as an expendable ballistic missile and not
for safely launching humans into space might have had something to do with it, too.
This 1957 vintage article (5 years prior to Shepard's flight), describes some the
electronics systems that were used in the program both onboard for stabilization
and on the ground for guidance. "A new type computer can solve in five minutes a
ballistic trajectory problem which would require a man more than a year to complete."
Today, a cellphone app can do it in less than a second...
It's hard to imagine back when only 14 years
had passed - to the month - since the Japanese surrendered to the U.S., that this
article with plans for a control line
Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony model
was written in the August 1959 edition of American Modeler magazine. The
Imperial Japanese Air Force, like the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), was made up
of highly skilled pilots and increasingly capable aircraft. The Japanese were a
notable more terrorizing enemy since many were willing to sacrifice their lives
in battle, whereas the Germans were more of the mindset of living to fight another
day. It is now 52 years hence since this article was written and very few of the
men who fought WWII - on all sides - are still alive to bear witness to the action.
As long as there are people who want to dominate the world, there will be wars...
The middle of the last century was a time
ripe with
opportunities
for people with a penchant for innovation, experimentation, designing, and building
high technology products. Aviation, aerospace, land and sea transportation, medicine,
manufacturing, chemistry, physics, astronomy, communications, electronics, mechanics,
nuclear technology, remote exploration of space and the sea, and many other realms
were pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge (or pushing back the frontiers of
ignorance, depending on your viewpoint) at an incredible rate. Both trade and hobby
magazines often featured articles encouraging participation as technicians and engineers
in a field related to hobby interests (Ham radio, model airplanes, boats, and cars,
etc.). Air Trails magazine ran many such pieces, including this 1954 example...
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.
For what was probably one of the first major
model aircraft contests following the end of World War II, the New York Daily
Mirror's "Model
Flying and Air Fair" drew a thousand contestants and a quarter of a million
spectators to it Grumman Airport*, Long Island, venue. That gives you a good idea
of how popular not just full-scale, but model airplanes were in the era. People
were still fascinated with the concept of human flight, and the vast majority of
people worldwide had never flown on an airplane of any sort. Note in the aerial
view photo of the airport the huge number of cars - it's so obvious that it's easy
to miss. Note Lew Andrews, who later went on to manufacture model airplanes under
the name of AAMCo, was the Plymouth International Stunt Champion. One thing that
occurred to me when examining the model photos is how the basic form of the control
line speed model has not changed much over the decades...
Airplanes and Rockets visitor Kevin B. requested
that I scan and post this article on the
"Big Twin" R/C outboard motorboat model. It appeared in the May 1957 edition
of American Modeler magazine. American Modeler was one of the
forerunners of today's Model Aviation (the official AMA publication), and was more
all-encompassing in regards to modeling as it included model boats, cars, rockets,
and trains. It also was known to occasionally have articles on full-size aircraft.
Anyway, the Big Twin is 32" long and is built of traditional model boating materials
like mahogany plywood and spruce. This model's claim to fame is the use of balsa
planking on the hull - which is much easier to form than spruce - and then a layer
of fiberglass is laid over it for strength and waterproofing. An Allyn Twin outboard
motor is specified for power...
It was in this May 1975 issue of R/C
Modeler magazine that I first saw the
Airtronics Aquila
sailplane (way too graceful to refer to it as merely a glider). Airtronics had
not introduced a kit yet, but they were selling a canopy and hardware kit along
with plans, so I ordered them and scratch built my first Aquila. I was 17 years
old then. It was covered to look like the one in the photo above (which would become
the kit box label photo). Not having lite ply for the fuselage, I used hard balsa.
Somehow I eventually managed to destroy Aquila #1, but by that time a kit was available,
so I bought one and also the ABS plastic fuselage. A standard Hi-Start was used
for launching. A few years ago I built a 105% Aquila version simply because I wanted
another Aquila and had never built a sailplane with a wingspan greater than 99".
I am now in the process of building an 80% scale Aquila...
This "Sketchbook" was
scanned from the March 1961 American Modeler magazine, page 60. 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. There is an interesting suggestion
for making fine adjustments on free flight models for wash−in and wash−out while
at the flying field, which could be useful when trimming for a contest.
The October 1950 issue of Air Trails
magazine did a duo-feature on Henri Delanne and his
Duo-Monoplane designs. This article reports on the life and accomplishments
of Delanne and his out-of-the-box concept of what an airplane should look like.
While not quite canards, they did have the wing far back on the fuselage, and larger
than usual horizontal stabilizer surfaces (essentially a second wing - almost a
biplane with sever staggering) and dual vertical fins. Flying surfaces were so close
to each other that airflow from the forward wing had to profoundly affect the rearward
wing. Wind tunnels, pioneered by Wilbur and Orville Wright, were available for study
of such configurations, but it would be very interesting to see on of Delannes Duo-Monoplanes
modeled on a modern software simulator using computational fluid dynamics algorithms...
These are some really great action photos
from the
23rd Annual National Modelplane Championships held in Chicago. Considering it
was from a time when auto-focus, auto-exposure, auto-f-stop, auto-shutter-speed,
and other modern features were not available on cameras, photographer John W.
Schneider did an incredible job of obtaining shots with one one chance of getting
each instance. Most events were held at Chicago's Glenview Naval Air Station, compliments
of the U.S. Navy. Some free flight events were held at the Chicagoland Airport,
while indoor flying took place in Chicago's 132nd Infantry Armory. The quality of
construction and finishing is apparent, even in the grainy, black and white photos.
Coverage of the event appeared in the November 1954 issue of Air Trails magazine.
Do you recognize any of the names and/or faces here?
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...
The spell checker sure gets a workout with
stories from these vintage magazines, specially ones from in the 1920s and 1930s.
Common words were sometimes spelled a bit differently than today, and other words
are rarely seen anymore. And then there is the mix of foreign words and names of
people and places relating to World War I, which had only ended ten to fifteen
years prior (1919). Such is the case here in this 1934 issue of Flying Aces
magazine in a piece called "Gliding in
Russia," and even more so in the fictional wartime stories like "The Ghost from
G−2." The "Iron Curtain" is a term adopted at the end of World War II to describe
the imaginary line through Europe that divided Russia's Communist world from the
Western Democracies; however, Iron Curtain was also used in World War I. Russia
had for a long time endeavored to keep its citizens from learning about the benefits
earned by peoples of free nations, including superior medical care, food, clothing,
appliances, transportation, housing, mental health, etc. At the same time it kept
outsiders from reporting on the internal situation of its territories. You can be
sure that stories like this one were orchestrated by the Bolsheviks of the Politburo...
Is that a way-cool-looking collection of
fuel-powered
model cars or what? They are fashioned after what full-size Indy (Indianapolis 500)
race cars of the era looked like. To be a national champion in the model race race
world back in the day (and to some extent today) required skill as a machinist with
an excellent knowledge of mechanics, internal combustion engines, and metallurgy.
A scan of photos of the winning cars makes that evident. There were no CNC (computer
numerical control) milling machines or lathes; the operator made every cut but hand-cranking
feeds and measuring lengths and diameters with calipers and dial indicators. Interest,
too, is that the engines were started by pushing them with a stick that had the
battery contacts for the glow plug at the end so the plug was lit by the stick.
Note that these model race cars ran in a circle on a tether (wire or string), so
the aerodynamics needed to keep the cars stable while constantly fighting the struggle
between centripetal (center-seeking) and centrifugal (center fleeing) forces...
Control line (CL) carrier flying is one of
those things I've always wanted to try, but have never gotten around to it. Unlike
with radio control (RC) modeling, CL has not changed much over the decades. A lot
of people have made the switch from glow fuel power to electric power, but the overall
methods and technology has been pretty consistent. CL carrier events are still,
it seems from my reading, dominated by glow fuel power, a three-line systems, and
some form of the old standard Martin MO−1 airplane model. Prior to the 1970s, before
all the major commercial and residential development took place all over the country,
control line flying could be found in many community and industrial area vacant
lots. There was plenty of room and opportunities to build and fly models were abundant
(if there were no neighbors complaining of the noise. Nowadays, you're lucky to
find a public control line flying area, and you almost never just happen to be driving
by someplace and see model aviation of any sort being carried out...
Ask any American what is his all-time favorite
World War II fighter aircraft and the answer will most likely be the P-51 Mustang.
It's sleek lines, rocket-like speed, and the guttural roar of its 12-cylinder engine
creates a demanding presence whether in a museum or on an airshow flight line. That
same person would also probably name the AT-6 Texan as his favorite trainer of the
era, and the B-25 Mitchell as his favorite bomber. What do all three have in common?
They were all designed and manufactured by North American Aviation. At the helm
of the company during the era was James Howard "Dutch" Kindelberger. This story
from a 1949 edition of The Saturday Evening Post magazine takes a look
at the man behind those legendary aircraft, and gives a singularly good example
of how management of a production facility should not panic and take to "throw it
at the wall and see if it sticks" approach...
Every special interest organization has
had the equivalent of a "Junior
Problem" as reported in this 1968 issue of American Aircraft Modeler
magazine. It refers to efforts required to attract younger participants - pre-teen
and teenagers - into a particular activity, and then how to keep them interested
once involved. A common scenario is where a kid becomes interested in model airplanes,
boats, cars, etc., and sometimes becomes very involved - even to the point of competition
- and then abandons the realm once he enters college, goes off to work, raises a
family, or is distracted by more important priorities. Often, though, once the critical
responsibilities lessen, he returns to his former interest, this time with more
knowledge and money to more fully enjoy the hobby. Personally, I have retained my
interest in all things aeronautical and astronautical throughout my six-plus decades.
At times that involved only reading and maybe building a scale plastic model or
attempting to introduce my kids...
A Christmas Story has long been
one of my favorite Christmas movies. A Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite
animated movie, and It's a Wonderful Life gets the #1 spot for a film,
but this runs a very close second. It first aired around Christmas of 1983, so I
was 25 at the time - a bit old for Christmas movies you might say... but you'd be
wrong. Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Melanie and I watch those
three movies, plus Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole
Christmas, and A Christmas Carol (the original with Alastair Sim).
A Christmas Story was adopted from a story that Jean Shepherd read on his
radio show on WOR, in New York, on December 25, 1972. A friend of mine who lived
there at the time happened to record the original broadcast on his reel-to-reel
tape deck, and a couple years ago he sent me a copy on CD. The movie, of course,
expounds on the story, but in this case it adds a lot. Jean Shepard narrates in
the background of the movie as Ralphie remembering his childhood...
Imagine if your path to flying an R/C helicopter
involved first designing, then building, and then troubleshooting the contraption.
That was the burden of pioneers. We have people like
S.S.P. Helicopter designer
Gene Rock to thank for being able to enjoy the state-of-the-art models that are
available today. This article from the August 1972 edition of American Aircraft
Modeler magazine describes the process of machining all the metal parts for
an Enya .45-powered craft. Mr. Rock even designed a very successful mechanical gyro
for keeping the tail under control. If you have ever tried flying an R/C heli without
any type of gyro (I have, on a DuBro Tristar), you will fully appreciate what a
pleasure it is to not have to manually counter torque changes (throttle) with tail
rotor stick input from the transmitter. Around 2008 I bought a Blade MCX2 coaxial
rotor helicopter for flying inside, and the gyro is so good on that thing that you
can put it in a full speed pirouette... |