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Chance of Space Debris Entering Airspace Calculated

Chances of Space Debris Entering Busy Airspace Calculated - RF Cafe"A study from Canada has found a 26% annual chance that space debris will re-enter the atmosphere and pass through a busy flight area. The chance of space debris hitting an aircraft is very low, but the research from a team at the University of British Columbia highlights that the potential for uncontrolled space debris to disrupt flights and create additional costs for airlines and passengers is not. The research is published in Scientific Reports. In 2022, a re-entering 20-tonne..."

Inside Britain's Newest Jet: Gloster E.1/44

Inside Britain's Newest Jet: Gloster E.1/44, October 1948 Popular Science - Airplanes and RocketsThe Gloster E.1/44, presented in this 1948 issue of Popular Science magazine, was a British experimental jet fighter developed in the 1940s as a potential single-engine counterpart to the twin-engine Gloster Meteor. Designed by the Gloster Aircraft Company to meet Air Ministry Specification E.1/44, it was powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet and featured a sleek, straight-wing design with a tricycle landing gear. Initially conceived as a simpler and more economical jet fighter for the Royal Air Force, the project faced numerous delays due to shifting priorities...

DIY Airplane Detector

DIY Airplane Detector, May 1942 Popular Science - RF CafeDuring World War II, Americans, Britains, Frenchmen, and other civilians were seriously engaged in helping to defend their homeland. Those who were not in the military gathered bottles, tin cans, tires, and clothing to use in the war effort. Others volunteered at the Red Cross, veterans' hospitals, and USO offices. Some stood guard at their nation's seashores and land borders, both as armed sentries and as troop and aircraft spotters. As part of the civil defense effort, listening devices were built to help detect the sound of approaching airplanes. In patriotic tradition, magazines like Popular Science published many articles to assist the population contribute. Here is a plan for a "Homemade Plane Detector." It used a horn "antenna" that...

AMA Relocation to Muncie, Indiana 1992

Academy of Models Aeronautics (AMA) Relocation to Muncie, Indiana 1992 - Airplanes and RocketsAs a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) since around 1971 (AMA # 92498), I have witnessed a lot of change in the organization as well as in the model industry. When I first joined as a teenager, AMA headquarters consisted of rented office space in a Washington, D.C., building, Richard Nixon was president, and the war in Viet Nam was on nightly news. AMA headquarters moved into a brand new building, which included museum space, on purchased property in Reston, Virginia, in 1983. A growing AMA membership and the desire to consolidate national competitions to a central location resulted in establishing residence in Muncie, Indiana, where the 25,000 square-foot Frank V. Ehling Complex celebrated its grand opening in 1992. Since then, an additional 25,000 square feet of space...

World's Radio Control Endurance Record

World's Radio Control Endurance Record, December 1956 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsI did not bother to look up what the world record endurance flight length is for an R/C glider as of this writing, but in December 1956 when this article appeared in the first edition of American Modeler magazine, a team of three modelers did 8 hours, 34 minutes and 21 seconds at Torrey Pines, California. That would be an amazing accomplishment with today's equipment, but these guys did it with a vacuum tube receiver and an escapement mechanism driven by a twisted rubber band - rudder-only! No elevator control, no flaps or speed brakes, no gyroscopic stabilization, no proportional rudder deflection. It was left, center, or right...

Cox PT-19 Trainer C/L Airplane

Cox PT-19 Trainer C/L Airplane - Airplanes and RocketsThis is the earliest known photo of me with a control line airplane - a Cox PT-19 Trainer. I'm guessing it was summer of 1969, when I would have been 12 to 13 years old (my birthday is August 18, so it could have been before or after). I remember that 1969 was the year because it was the year that Hurricane Camille tore up Biloxi, Mississippi (where I would many years later be stationed for electronics training in the USAF) and the rains even in Mayo, Maryland, where I lived, were torrential. It is the airplane with which I first learned to fly control line. There was another Cox control line plane that I had prior to the PT-19 Trainer, but I cannot recall...

Bill Gaylord's Guillow's R/C Electric Conversions

Bill Gaylord's Guillow's R/C Electric Conversions - Airplanes and RocketsMr. Bill Gaylord has been gracious enough to allow me to post photos and information about his fine Guillow's free-flight model airplanes that he converted to electric powered R/C. The level of craftsmanship is incredible both in the frame-up and the covering and finish. You can find lots of photos and details of the build on the RCGroups bulletin board. I do not see whether he has ever flown any of these models. My guess is that with the structural beefing up required to support the motor, battery, and R/C gear results in a high wing loading. I personally would never dare risk these models by trying to fly them! They would all spend their days as hanger queens - display only...

Development Highlights

Development Highlights, October 1950 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsIt is kind of amazing that as recently as 1950, aircraft manufacturers were still using radial engines on new aircraft. This 1950 issue of Air Trails magazine reports on the Navy's P2V-4 Neptune, the latest model of Lockheed's patrol bomber, which is powered by two 3,200 horse power Wright Turbo-Cyclone radials. In-line engine formats are definitely more streamlined, but from a maintenance perspective, being able to change out a single cylinder rather than an servicing the entire block was definitely handier. Having only ever ridden in one airplane having a radial engine (a Ford Trimotor), I can't say...

Eavesdropping on Satellites

Eavesdropping on Satellites, February 1963 Popular Electronics - Airplanes and Rockets1963 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...

"Wrongway Feldman's" Krieder Reisner KR21 on Gilligan's Island

"Wrongway Feldman's" Krieder Reisner KR21 on Gilligan's Island - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Is 2025 the Year of eVTOL?

Is 2025 the Year of eVTOL? - Airplanes and Rockets"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..."

License-Free Radio Control

License-Free Radio Control, May 1962 Radio Electronics - Airplanes and RocketsWe 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...

JPL & Mt. Wilson Observatory Closed Amid LA Fire

JPL & Mt. Wilson Observatory Closed Amid LA Fire - Airplanes and Rockets"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..."

Aerospace & Aviation News

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

Sailplane Aero-Tow

Sailplane Aero-Tow, American Aircraft Modeler - Final Issue (March 1975) - Airplanes and RocketsAirplanes & 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 History

American Modeler magazine history - Airplanes and RocketsAmerican 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...

Troubleshooting a Gas Motor

Trouble-Shooting a Gas Motor, October 1941 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

A Wind Tunnel You Can Make and Operate

A Wind Tunnel You Can Make and Operate, from April 1957 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsToday, 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...

New Radio Control Gear for Model Airplanes

New Radio Control Gear for Model Airplanes, August 1940 QST - Airplanes and RocketsOften 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...

Antique Rope Bed with Sacking Bottom

Antique Rope Bed with Sacking Bottom - Airplanes and RocketsAfter 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...

World's Largest Air-Model Contest

World's Largest Air-Model Contest, November 1961 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Angstrom Eberenz, AMA 2024 C/L Champion

Angstrom Eberenz, AMA 2024 Control Line Junior Champion - RF CafeIf 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.

PHASA-35 Solar Stratospheric Trials

PHASA-35 Solar Aircraft Stratospheric Trials - Airplanes and Rockets"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..."

Weather Hop

Weather Hop (July 1938 Boys' Life Article) - Airplanes and RocketsOnce 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...

Estes Astron Gyroc Model Rocket

Estes Astron Gyroc Model Rocket - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Honest John Rocket History

Honest John Rocket History, September 1968 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Craftsman 12" Wood Lathe

Craftsman 12" Wood Lathe (Model No. 113.228162) - Airplanes and RocketsMy introduction to using a wood lathe was my high school wood shop class in my Junior year (circa 1974-1975) at Southern Senior High in Harwood, MD. Mr. Charles Smith was the teacher. I have him to thank for imparting a lifelong love for woodworking. Back in those days, we respected teachers by addressing them Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Surprisingly, about a decade after graduating, I ran into Mr. Smith at AACC while taking a class toward my electrical engineering degree (he was not in my class). The wood shop at Robins AFB was well-equipped, and include a wood lathe. I used it to turn a couple lamps from blocks of oak provided by a Sgt. Eddie Nugent from my radar shop, who had cut down a tree a year or so earlier. One of the two, which incorporated a burnt-out thyratron tube from the S-band search radar, disappeared decades ago. I gave it to Melanie as a Christmas present before we got married (in 1983). The other oak lamp is still around today. After getting out of the USAF in 1982, I bought a Craftsman 12" wood lathe from the Sears store in Parole Plaza, in Annapolis, Maryland. When Melanie and I got married, I set it up in the basement work shop of our tiny Cade Cod house in Arnold, Maryland. You can also see in the photo my first Craftsman radial arm saw, also bought at the Parole Plaza Sears store. After four decades of moving from place to place many times, I still have a Craftsman radial arm saw...

American Modeler Comics of Yore

American Modeler Comics of Yore, Comics from 1950s through Mid 1970s Vintage American Modeler Magazines (page 10) - Airplanes and RocketsThese 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...

Dr. Ralph Brooke's "Whistler" Article & Plans

Dr. Ralph Brooke's "Whistler" Article & Plans, July/August 1963 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsDr. Ralph Brooke was a member of the 1963 U.S. International Team, which won the World Champion ships at Genk, Belgium. He custom designed "Whistler" full house radio control model airplane is featured in this 1963 issue of American Modeler magazine. The engine was a Veco .45, which was smaller than the .60 size used by many competitors of the day. The plans are well-drawn, but the wing portion is broken across the two sheets, and only the left half is shown. The wingspan is only 59", so it really wouldn't have been that much trouble to put at least the entire wing half on one sheet. That has always been a pet peeve of mine. Otherwise, the Whistler is a nice looking model and could easily be adapted to electric power ...

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)...

Vintage Electromechanical Dachshund Toy 240-B

Vintage Electromechanical Dachshund Toy 240-B (Supermodel Melanie) - Airplanes and RocketsMelanie and I have been trying to recall toys and games we had as kids and then searching for them on eBay to see what is available. If the price isn't too outrageous, we go ahead and by them. Melanie remembered having a battery-powered electromechanical toy dachshund that had a hand-held controller (not much in the way of radio control back in the 1960s). She finally managed to find one, so we bid on it and got it for a decent price (I don't recall exactly how much, but around $30 + shipping). It was advertised as not working, but I figured how hard can it be to fix something that simple? The dog, controller, and box looked to be be in excellent condition for its age (manufactured in the later 1950's from what I can find). The problem ended up being that a wire had broken off the motor. A little solder fixed that, and now it works as good as new. While apart for repair, I saw that the front and rear body halves are connected with a large spring, and the wheels and motor a on a freely rotating...

Mathematical Puzzles, 1976 Old Farmer's Almanac

Mathematical Puzzles, 1976 Old Farmer's Almanac - RF Cafe1976 is the year I was emancipated (aka graduated) from high school, and this issue of The Old Farmer's Almanac (OFA) happens to be from that year. For as long as I can remember, the OFA has included a set of Mathematical Puzzles in its annual publication. They range in difficulty from 1 (very easy) to 5 (sometimes quite difficult). Having been a faithful buyer and reader of the OFA for as long as I can remember, I have spent many hours toiling with some of the more challenging examples. In fact, there were a lot which I never did figure out and needed to look up the answers in the back (come to think of it, I experienced the same dilemma with my college engineering textbooks). Because quite a few of the Mathematical Puzzles are worthy of an engineer's cerebration, contemplation, and deliberation, all I have will be eventually posted here on RF Cafe. Enjoy!

Compact N-Gauge Train Layout

The Blattenbergers' Compact N-Gauge Train Layout - Airplanes and RocketsWhile living in Colorado Springs, CO, in the 1990s, our family decided to build a compact N-gauge model train layout that looked like the northwestern Nebraska landscape that we had driven through many time. It represents the old west that comes to mind from the Oregon Trail days, although that pre-dated the train routes of the day. An inexpensive Lionel N-gauge train set was purchased, along with a few extra sections of track. Since space was very limited, a 4' x 4' platform was used, and was cut out of 3/4" plywood in order to make it rugged enough to be moved around. Three sides were cut from the remaining 4' x 8' sheet. Unfortunately, digital cameras were not the norm then, so I didn't take a lot of photos throughout the process. Styrofoam sheets were cut and sanded to form the track underlayment, the hills, and tunnel, then gauze impregnated with a plaster mix was applied over top of it all. Trees and underbrush, the pond water, and faux grass...

The Gravity Plane

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

Rocket Trails

Rocket Trails, November/December 1963 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsIn the same manner that radio control model aircraft are today under scrutiny by government regulating agencies (DHS, FBI, et al), model rocketry suffered various forms of discrimination in its early days of widespread popularity. Per this 1963 article from American Modeler magazine, "The status of model rocketry under the law has often been a questionable one in several sections of the country. Our hobby has been variously labeled as fireworks, handling and discharging explosives, public nuisance (which covers a multitude of sins), disturbance of the peace, a hazard to aircraft in flight, dangerous to persons and property on the ground, and 'dangerous killer.' As the record shows it is none of these." The more things change, the more they stay the same; ignorance is NOT bliss...

Model Airplane, Helicopter, Boat, & Rocket Videos

Model Airplane, Helicopter, Boat, & Rocket Action Videos - Airplanes and RocketsHere is a list of model airplane, helicopter, rocket, and boat videos put together around 2008. As you might expect, by now many of the websites and/or the original content are gone. Where possible, I located missing material on the Archive.org website (the Wayback Machine). Links I couldn't find anywhere have been deleted. Many of the videos are ones I created for the Airplanes and Rockets website...

Jetco E-Shark 15 C/L Airplane

Jetco E-Shark 15 C/L Airplane (electric-powered) - Airplanes and RocketsI have been wanting to build another Jetco Shark 15 control line model airplane for a long time and finally decided to take the dive into the project. Having sold all of my glow fuel engine support equipment (power panel, fuel pump, electric starter, etc.) in exchange for electric power equipment, it would be necessary to modify the airframe to accommodate a brushless outrunner motor, an electronic speed controller (ESC), a motor timer, and a LiPo battery. I dubbed it the "E-Shark 15." Without a whole lot of engineering calculations, I settled on one of the two ElectriFly Rimfire .10 motors I purchased to power my Douglas DC−3 / C−47 twin engine control line models. A 30 A ESC with a 3-cell (3S), 1300 mAH LiPo completed the package ...

Airtronics Aquila Product Review in the December 1975 R/C Modeler

Airtronics Aquila Product Review, December 1975 R/C Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsIt was in the May 1975 issue of R/C Modeler magazine that I first saw the Airtronics Aquila sailplane (she's way too graceful to refer to her merely as 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. Back in the 1970s, there were still plenty of areas, even near small cities, to stretch out a Hi-Start ...

Fairchild 22 C-7-F (1934) 4-View

Fairchild 22 C-7-F (1934) 4-View, July 1968 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThis 4-view drawing of the Fairchild 22 C-7-F (1934) was scanned from page 38B and 38C of my purchased edition of the July 1968 American Aircraft Modeler (AAM) magazine. It is another example of Björn Karlström's fine scale drawings. In the pre-Internet days, this sort of detailed documentation was harder to come by, so AAM provided a great service by publishing these. Per Wikipedia: "The aircraft was designed by Kreider-Reisner during negotiations by Sherman Fairchild to take a major share in the company. Marketed as the Fairchild 22 Model C7 the aircraft was certified in March 1931. The Fairchild 22 was a mixed-construction braced parasol-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and a braced tail unit. It had two tandem open cockpits and was initially powered by a 80hp (60kW) Armstrong Siddeley Genet radial engine. After test flying the prototype the first production aircraft were re-engined with a 75hp (56kW) Michigan Rover inverted inline engine. The aircraft was fitted with both inline and radial piston engines...

Comet Curtiss JN4-D Jenny Biplane

Comet Curtiss JN4-D Jenny Biplane - Airplanes and RocketsMy father's side of the family hearkened from the Buffalo, New York area, but we lived in Mayo, Maryland, where my mother's family resided. Most summers my father's sister, Bonnie (my aunt) and her husband, Brian (my uncle) would load my grandparents and another uncle or two into their big cruiser and drive down for a week. It was always a great time. Every five years or so, my parents braved a trip with my siblings and me up to Buffalo. I loved it up there because of the cool weather. Sometime around 1972, we made the trek and while there, in-between going to Niagara Falls, Crystal Beach, and other nearby attractions, I built from a Comet kit the Curtiss JN4-D Jenny biplane shown below. My Uncle Brian cleared a spot in his basement for me to work. I left it for him as a decoration. The years passed... and passed... and passed...

The Nearly Effortless Flight of the Albatross

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

Sketchbook - Hints and Kinks by the Readers

Sketchbook, October 1961 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThe "Sketchbook" feature in American Modeler magazine presented "hints and kinks" furnished by readers came up with good ideas to help make building and operating model airplanes (primarily), car, and boats a little easier. Some of them are pretty good, and I have applied the principles in my own efforts over the years. October 1961, the date of this set of ideas, was a couple years before my time of building models. Being born in 1958, it would probably have been around 1966 or 1967 before I was building and flying Estes rockets and rubber powered airplanes. By 1969 I was flying Cox control line models, and it was maybe 1971 or 1972 before building my first control line model. When reading over these vintage Sketchbook ideas, I always pay attention to the names of the submitters to see whether any are recognizable as someone who would later become renowned in the modeling world. There is a good chance that the "E. R. Violett, Jr." with the control line fabric hinge technique is none other than Bob Violett...

Paul Harvey - Radio Control Modeler

Paul Harvey - Radio Control Modeler, May 1972 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWhilst looking through some old issues of American Aircraft Modeler magazine, I was quite surprised to find that none other than radio great Paul Harvey is (or was) a builder and flyer of radio controlled airplanes. The first feature on Paul Harvey appeared in the May 1972 edition in a monthly column titled, "On the Scene." (see below) Mr. Harvey then wrote a regular column titled "Paul Harvey Views." Understandably, the column only ran for a few months - probably because of his extremely busy schedule. I did a Google search to try to find information on Paul Harvey's modeling activities, but could not find anything at all. That is when I decided to go ahead and reprint this one article from the May 1974 edition of American Aircraft Modeler. I hope he won't mind...

Standard Aircraft Company Model "J"

Standard Aircraft Company Model "J" Drawings, January 1955 Model Airplane News - Airplanes and RocketsIf the Standard Aircraft Company's model Standard "J" looks a lot like the Curtiss JN−4 "Jenny," there's a good reason - it was manufactured to supplement the Army's urgent need for trainer planes. Its two-seater configuration provided the student-instructor accommodation not available in the high-powered, single-seat fighter and patrol aircraft. The January 1955 issue of Model Airplanes News magazine contained a two-page spread of some of the most highly detailed line drawings you will find of the Standard "J," inked by Willis L. Nye. Mr. Nye produced many such fine quality drawings for both model airplane and professional aeronautical magazines...

1974 National Miniature Aircraft Championships

Behind the Scenes at the 'Most' Nats (November 1974 American Aircraft Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsWere you or anyone you know - father, brother, son, uncle, nephew, grandfather, friend, enemy - attend the 1974 National Miniature Aircraft Championships (NATS) at Lake Charles, Louisiana? Why that location was chosen for a mid-summer event is beyond me, but the NATS were held there a few times. John Clemens was Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) president at the time. I had just become aware of the AMA a few years earlier at the ripe old age of about 13. After 63 years on Earth I still have never experienced a NATS - or the Toledo Show for that matter (which, alas, is no more). I have managed to visit the AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, twice, though, but that was nearly two decades ago shortly after they opened. ...but I digress. Here is a thorough accounting of the goings-on at the 1974 AMA NATS as presented in the November 1974 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine...

Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic Sample Test

Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic Sample Test, March 1967 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThis "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...

Air Progress, April 1960 American Modeler

Air Progress, April 1960 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsBy the time these aeroplanes arrived on the world's airfields, barely a decade had passed since Wilbur and Oliver Wright made their famous flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk. World War I broke out in the middle of 1914, and planners quickly realized the value of air power as soon as daring pilots proved the unmatched ability (by ground forces) ability to conduct surveillance and attacks well behind enemy lines. Avoiding ground fire was a relatively simple matter of flying high enough to keep out or range of bullets and rockets. However, it was not long before opposing forces found themselves battling each other high above the ground battle. Air-to-air combat had begun, proving the ruggedness of both man and machine. A time period of 1908 through 1919 is presented in this installment of "Air Progress" appearing in a 1960 issue of American Modeler magazine. Biplanes stilled ruled the day, with monoplanes being too fragile to hold up under the demands of high-G aerobatic maneuvering...



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