As reported in this 1950 issue of Air
Trails magazine, the
19th
annual National Championship Model Airplane Contest, held at Hensley Field Air
Station in Dallas, Texas, in 1950, unfolded against a backdrop of military readiness
as Marine and Navy air units prepared for the Korean War. Despite the gravity of
the situation, more than 500 ardent contestants from the United States, Canada,
and Mexico eagerly arrived at Hensley Field, ready to participate in the first-ever
National model meet in the Southwest. For many senior flyers, aged between 18 and
21, the competition held special significance, as they were either expecting draft
notices or had already decided to enlist...
Radio Measurements in Space
The first thing I learned (or re-learned)
in reading this article is that in 1967, "Hertz" had only recently been assigned
as the official unit of frequency. According to Wikipedia, International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) adopted it in in 1930, but it wasn't until 1960 that it was adopted
by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) (Conférence Générale des
Poids et Mesures). Hertz replace cycles per second (cps). The next thing that happened
was that I was reminded of how images such as the op-art tracing of
antenna oscillation that are routinely generated today by sophisticated
software, required huge amounts of setup time and trials to yield just a single
useful and meaningful image using actual hardware...
Dremel Model 381 Moto-Tool Kit & Instructions
This
Dremel Model
381 Moto-Tool Kit is the next generation after my Dremel Model 371 Moto-Tool
kit that my Dremel Model 370 Moto-Tool was part of. Somewhere along the line I disposed
of the plastic box that held the Moto-Tool and accessories, so I looked on eBay
for a replacement. After many years of waiting, the closest I came was this Dremel
318 Moto-Tool Kit. It appears to be identical to the Model 371, only it came with
the Dremel Moto-Tool Model 380. The Model 380 has ball bearings whereas the Model
370 uses brass bushings. This Dremel Model 381 Moto-Tool Kit appears to be in like-new
condition and looks like it has never been used. Scans of all the manual pages are
posted below in case you have been looking for them.
Cavalry of the Clouds
Arch Whitehouse's air adventure stories
with wily ballistics expert and ace pilot Kerry Keen (alter ego,
The Griffon) are one of my favorite reads in the vintage Flying Aces
magazines. While testing their amphibious Black Bullet over Long Island, aviator
Kerry Keen (the Griffon) and mechanic Barney O'Dare spot a stolen experimental aircraft
- a winged fortress capable of carrying tanks. When Barney vanishes mysteriously,
Keen discovers his partner has been entangled in a plot to steal "Avalin," a revolutionary
armor formula. The trail leads to kidnapped movie star Doreen Yardley, who unknowingly
received the formula- all while protecting Keen's masked identity...
The Boom in R/C Boats
This article entitled "The Boom in
R/C Boats" appeared in the June 1955 edition of Popular Electronics
magazine which, during the early years of its existence devoted quite a bit of print
space to radio control airplanes, boats and cars. As with all things electronics,
a huge surge in consumer interest was occurring with over-the-air communications.
Bill (William) Winter served as the editor of the Academy of Model Aeronautics'
(AMA's) American Modeler and American Aircraft Modeler magazines
from 1966 through 1974, but his efforts to promote all form of modeling - airplanes,
helicopters, cars, boats, trains, and rockets - covered many decades. His first
recorded article, "Building the Famous Udet Flamingo," (co-authored by Walter McBride),
was published in the March 1935 issue of Universal Model Airplane News
magazine...
More... About Stunt Theory
It would be interesting to do a side-by-side
comparison on what was considered engineered
control line
stunt model airplane design in 1957, when this article was written, to what
is today considered to be optimal design criteria. I am trying to get back into
control line stunt flying and have one model built currently, the Enterprise-E.
It has been flown a few times and is (was) extremely sensitive on the controls when
set up per the plans. A little bit of control handle movements resulted in a huge
amount of both elevator and flap deflection. Fortunately, access to the flap control
horn is available through the removable top fuselage hatch, so I was able to relocate
the pushrod from the bellcrank to the flap horn, and then from the flap horn...
Lite-Brite by Hasbro
When Melanie and I got married in 1983,
part of her dowry included some of the toys she had as a little girl. A
Hasbro Lite-Brite
was one of them. Our kids played with it when they were young, but somewhere along
the line during our many household moves, it disappeared. We probably donated it
to the Salvation Army at some point - a lot of our stuff has ended up there. About
a month ago we started watching for a good one on eBay that didn't cost too much.
Finally, there was a 1967-vintage Lite-Brite in like-new condition up for auction
that we got for around $45. It has a nice box...
Wild Bill Netzeband's Control Line Capers
Per "Wild Bill" Netzenband's report in this
1961 issue of American Modeler magazine covered the Vancouver Bi-Liners,
MAC highlights, Alan Nichols' success in Thompson Trophy Racer events, encouraging
clubs to adopt the affordable, and slow-flying contests. He addresses backlogged
club crest submissions, noting the impracticality of featuring all due to volume.
Alan Nichols debunks the myth that models wear out quickly, citing his year-old
Nobler and a five-year-old Fierce Arrow with original engine. Memories resurface
of McDonnell Aircraft's picnic air shows, where Phil Hamm's reliable metal jet stood
out. Southern California's new Control-Line Association, led by John Gudvangan and
others, seeks enthusiasts. Detroit's Metropolitan Speed Association unveils an $8,000
Rouge Park speed circle, aiming for a competitive...
Pilots Matter in Age of Autonomous Planes
This article entitled "Why Pilots Will Matter
in the Age of
Autonomous Planes" appeared in the June 2025 issue of IEEE's Spectrum
magazine. "Long after planes start flying themselves, humans will still be in the
loop. In August 2001, an anonymous guest posted on the forum at Airliners.net, a
popular aviation website. 'How Long Will Pilots Be Needed?' they wondered, observing
that '20 years or so down the road' technology could be so advanced that planes
would fly themselves. 'So would it really be useful for a person to go to college
now and be an airline pilot if a few years down the road they will be phased out
by technology?' Twenty-four years later, the basic technology required to make aircraft
fly themselves exists, as evidenced by the fact that most commercial flights are
flown largely on autopilot..."
Flyin' Jenny Comic Strip: February 8, 1942
This is the February 8, 1942, "Flyin' Jenny" comic strip. The Baltimore Sun newspaper, published
not far from where I grew up near Annapolis, Maryland, carried "Flyin' Jenny" from
the late 1930s until the strip ended in the mid 1940s, so I saved a couple dozen
from there. The first one I downloaded has a publication date of December 7, 1941
- that date "which will live in infamy," per President Roosevelt. Many Americans
were receiving word over the radio of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor while
reading this comic at the breakfast table. I expect that soon there will be World
War II themes. "Flyin' Jenny," whose real name was Virginia Dare (what's in
a name?), was a test pilot for Starcraft Aviation Factory who divided her time between
wringing out new airplane designs and chasing bad guys. She was the creation of
artist and storyteller Russell Keaton...
Peanuts Skediddler Collection
This is the complete set of
Peanuts Skediddlers,
sold by Mattel. Linus is extremely difficult to find, and when you do, he typically
sells for $200 or more. If you find a Linus Skediddler with the original box, expect
to pay $400. Over time, our (Melanie and me) Peanuts collection of memorabilia has
grow from the few items she had left over from her girlhood to complete sets. Everything
was gotten via eBay auctions. It took a lot of patience to be able to get good quality
items at an affordable price. Here is a bit of history I gathered on the Skediddlers.
Phenomenon: In the mid-to-late 1960s, Mattel capitalized on the explosive popularity
of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip by releasing the Skediddler - a line
of friction-powered toys. Unlike wind-up mechanisms, these toys relied on a simple
push-and-go design: sliding them across a surface activated internal gears, causing
the characters' limbs and heads to jerk in a whimsical "skedaddling"...
The Reds Aren't Stallin'!
This 1949 Air Trails magazine article
warns that the
Soviet
Union has surpassed the U.S. in military aircraft production by a 15-to-1 margin,
with advanced jet fighters, bombers, and long-range piston-engine planes already
operational. Soviet scientists have also conducted atomic tests and are close to
producing compact A-bombs. Intelligence reveals a Red Air Force of 15,000 first-line
aircraft, including 2,400 jets, some surpassing American designs. The Soviets broke
the sound barrier before the U.S. and have developed powerful turbojet engines,
some with innovative features like variable-pitch stators. German scientists and
captured technology accelerated Soviet progress, particularly in rocketry and jet
propulsion. Their aircraft feature advanced construction techniques, such as metal-plywood
sandwich wings, and superior armament...
Glider Winch Construction Article
A long time ago (circa
1977) I bought a used glider winch at an auction held by the Prince Georges Radio
Club, in Maryland. It cost me somewhere around $25, which was a lot for me in the
mid 1970s. The motor and control circuitry was contained in a plywood box, with
a jack for the foot switch and terminals to clamp jumper cable to from a car. In
looking at these plans for the
AAM Glider Winch shown
here from the April 1973 American Aircraft Modeler, it looks a lot like mine, only
mine was in a wooden box. It worked extremely well for my 99"
Windfree and 99"
Aquila sailplanes. Unfortunately,
I sold it shortly after getting married in 1983 (couldn't eat the winch). I would
love to have it back. Actually, what I would rather have at this point is a winch
that is powered by a cordless drill that would be lighter...
Weather Surveillance by Satellite
We take for granted most of the technology
that surrounds us. Unless you were alive 60 years ago at the dawn of microelectronics
and space flight, it would be difficult to imagine a world without cellphones, desktop
computers, color TVs, the Internet, and even
satellite-base weather forecasting. Everyone likes to make jokes about weathermen
being no better at predicting the weather than your grandmother's roomatiz[sic],
but the fact is that, especially for short-term (2-3 days) predictions, we get pretty
good information. As a model airplane flyer, I check the wind level forecast nearly
every day to see whether my model plane can handle it. AccuWeather's free hourly
forecast is usually pretty darn accurate for today's and tomorrow's wind...
Phineas Pinkham: Smoke Scream
In this 1937 "Smoke Scream" in a 1937 issue
of Flying Aces magazine, by Joe Archibald,
Lt. Phineas
Pinkham, the 9th Pursuit Squadron's resident troublemaker, stumbles into chaos
when he encounters an elephant named Hungha Tin and its Hindu mahout. After the
elephant drinks a bottle of arnica meant for a local's backache, it goes berserk,
wreaking havoc across the Allied camp. Meanwhile, Brigadier Scruggs confesses to
Pinkham that he sleepwalked and handed top-secret battle plans to an unknown spy.
Pinkham, framed by the mahout - who's actually a German agent - unknowingly smokes
a drugged cigarette and nearly flies a stolen Spad to the enemy. The vengeful elephant
interrupts his forced defection, allowing Pinkham to escape with Hauptmann von Spieler
as his prisoner. Back at base, Pinkham...
Control-Line Aerodynamics Made Painless
The Academy of Model Aeronautics is granted
tax-exempt status because part of its charter is for activity as an educational
organization. I think as time goes on, it gets harder for the AMA for fulfill that
part of its mission because presenting anything even vaguely resembling mathematics
or science to kids (or to most adults for that matter), is the kiss of death for
gaining or retaining interest. This article, "Control-Line
Aerodynamics Made Painless," was printed in the December 1967 edition of
American Modeler magazine, when graphs, charts, and equations were not eschewed
by modelers. It is awesome. On rare occasions a similar type article will appear
nowadays in Model Aviation magazine for topics like basic aerodynamics and battery
/ motor parameters. Nowadays, it seems, the most rigorous classroom material that
the AMA can manage to slip into schools is a box of gliders and a PowerPoint presentation...
Although originally designed and built for
free flight, this fairly large scale mode of the
Bristol
Scout monoplane could easily be adapted for control line or radio control flying.
With a wingspan of 46 inches and a robust airframe, it can withstand the rigors
of aerobatic flight. Replacing the glow fuel engine with a modern brushless motor
and LiPo batteries helps keep the vibration and therefore wear and tear to a minimum,
and also avoids getting messy fuel all over your nice airplane. It would also allow
you to lighten the airframe a bit to reduce the wing loading. Seeing the younger
boy looking in awe at the airplane reminds me of how I would have regarded it at
that age if given the opportunity even to hold it. Since these plans are no longer
available, you can click the one presented below to get the full resolution version.
It was only one page wide, so it is a bit fuzzy...
Mactuator: Magnetic Actuator for R/C
This "Mactuator," or
magnetic
actuator for radio controlled models, may be a form of the very first truly
digital servo - that is to say that a digital input consisting of ones and zeroes
determines the position of the control arm. Analog servos and their "digital" cousins
of the types employed by R/C modelers use the relative position and width of a pulse
in a train of pulses to determine what the position of the control arm will be.
The main difference between the two types is the refresh rate of analog versus digital
- about 20 milliseconds vs. 0.3 milliseconds, respectively. Most people
not familiar with hobby type servos would probably assume - and understandably so
- that a digital servo takes as a signal input a binary word of some length instructing
it where to position the control arm. For instance, the receiver might output a
10-bit word that represents 210 = 1024 discrete positions for the servo...
Toledo 1971 - World's Biggest RC Show
The
1971 Toledo R/C trade show as a major event in large part because
of the new generation of transistorized pulse proportional radio control systems
being introduced that were rapidly replacing legacy vacuum tube and some solid state
reed and escapement systems. A large selection of new model designers were also
offered to accommodate the lighter weight, smaller, and more highly functional radios.
Fast forward nearly half a century to what will soon be the 2019 Toledo Show and
you will find an incredible array of high technology electronics and airframes.
Most models will be factory-built, with balsa and plywood kits being mostly extremely
small or extremely large models. Glow fuel engines will barely have a presence,
having been replaced by large gasoline engines and brushless motors. Transmitters
are highly programmable and have no extendable antennas ...
Sites Are Great in Kansas City
Kansas City Radio Control Association (KCRC)
has been around for many decades. Its AMA club number of #390 was assigned in 1954. That
was 66 years ago as of this writing, but it was only 8 years old when this feature
article appeared in American Modeler magazine. Since at least 1962, the KCRC flying
field (now named "Charles W. Reed III Flying Field") has been located
just west of Lake Jocomo, in Kanas City. This article discusses not just the KCRC
flying site, but many of the others in the surrounding area. I count 11 on the included
map, including parks, schools, and parking lots. It is interesting to compare the
maps ...
A Mechanical Brain for Catching Thermals
On a whole, free flight fliers seem to have
always been way ahead of the aerodynamic knowledge curve than control line fliers
and radio control fliers - especially when it comes to competition. All modelers
are concerned with the basics of stable flight by building straight airframes with
the proper center of gravity, but when you have some real-time force being applied
to correct for imperfect trim, twisted wings, wind gusts, it is usually possible
to obtain acceptable flights. The centrifugal force of a control line plane flying
in circles, constrained by the counter poise (centripetal force) of the control
lines, and the movable elevators allows the pilot to keep the model on course. Radio
control with at least elevator and rudder and/or aileron can, with the input of
a skilled pilot, compensate for a host of aerodynamic perturbations that would otherwise
upset the flight path. Author Donald Foote in this "A Mechanical
Brain for Catching Thermals" article from the 1956 Annual edition of Air
Trails magazine does a great job of imparting knowledge on how to configure
a free flight model to seek out and exploit thermals. He explains the physics behind
a swept wing's ability to automatically turn toward rising air...
Rocket Trails: Boost/Glider on Upswing
"Red birds are much like our own." That
was written of a Ruskie publication reporting on a model rocketry contest in the
USSR. Of course, this story is from a 1963 edition of American Modeler.
Back then Communists (Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, etc.) were colloquially
referred to as "Reds". The main topic of the article, though , is the growing popularity
of rocket boost gliders. A few attempts have been made over the years to try rocket
boost R/C models, but without much success. Also covered is the obstacle being faced
by groups trying to recruit new rocketeers because of the "killer" reputation
homemade model rocket engines
had acquired from careless and/or ignorant handling of the explosive components.
Vernon Estes single-handedly changed the fate of the model rocket hobby by introducing
preloaded, solid propellant motors...
Contest Capers, March 1955 Air Trails
If you're anything like me, you have an appreciation
for the older comic strips. Getting the message being conveyed sometimes requires
a knowledge of the events of the era, but for the most part the humor and/or satire
comes through even when you assume it relates to current events. WWI and WWII timeframe
comics, for instance, often alluded to the evils of Fascist governments overseas,
while today they may be likened to the deeds of our own government. These "Contest
Caper" comics from a 1955 edition of Air Trails magazine are timeless...
1955 National Model Race Car Championships
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...
Zlin Akrobat: For the Tenderfoot Article & Plans
Website visitor Adrian C., of Moncton NB,
Canada, wrote to ask that I scan and post the article for a catapult-launched free
flight glider model of the
Zlin Akrobat. It appeared in the September 1971 edition of American Aircraft
Modeler. Written by well known and frequent contributor to the "For the Tenderfoot"
series in AAM, this version of contest-winning full-size Akrobat has an 11" wingspan
and the plans provide a high level of detail and realism for such a small model.
Its bright scale-like red and white covering scheme is particularly attractive.
I took the liberty of adding color to the plans...
Craftsman 7-Drawer Machinist's Toolbox
Early in 1982, fresh out of the USAF as
an Air Traffic Control Radar Repairman, I was fortunate to land a job as an electronics
technician at the Oceanic Division of Westinghouse in Annapolis, MD. It turned out
being more of a high level electronics assembly job building printed circuit boards,
chassis, wire harnesses, sonar transducers, and integrated systems, mostly for the
U.S. Navy. A fairly extensive collection of high quality hand tools were required
in order to get results which would pass rigorous Navy inspection standards. Snap-On
was the supplier of choice because at the time they made extremely high quality
(and expensive) small pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, wrenches, nuts drivers,
etc. I don't know whether there are still roaming Snap-On tool trucks visiting businesses
anymore, but at the time we got a weekly visit. Onboard was a tool refiguring workbench
for sharpening cutters, repairing screwdriver tips, and other things. Restored components
of the c1976
Craftsman 7−Drawer Machinist's Tool Chest. Craftsman 7−Drawer Machinist's Toolbox
- top open. Cleaned and groomed felt surfaces...
Douglas A-20 Boston / Havoc Bomber Article & Drawings
Here are detailed drawings for the
Douglas
A-20 Boston / Havoc Bomber that I electronically scanned from my purchased copy
of the November 1970 American Aircraft Modeler magazine. Per Wikipedia: "The Douglas
A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft,
night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed
to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was ordered by France for
their air force before the USAAC decided it would also meet their requirements."
Because the drawings span two pages, you will need to adjust the size and alignment
a bit to get halves to line up properly. From there, with some extra effort you
should be able to create plans for a model if plans can no longer be purchased or
you just enjoy drawing plans (I do). Line drawings for this fine model were created
by Mr. Björn Karlström...
Message from Apollo 8, Christmas Eve, 1968
While orbiting the Moon on Christmas Eve,
1968, NASA astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders made a live broadcast
from from the Apollo 8 command module, in which they
showed video of the lunar surface and the Earth as seen from one of the spacecraft's
portals. That flight produced the famous "Earthrise" photograph which is featured
on a U.S. commemorative stamp issued in May of 1969 - just three months before Apollo 11
landed on the moon. On the ninth orbit, toward the end of the transmission, the
three astronauts each took a turn reading from the book of
Genesis, chapter 1, verses 1 through 10. They
finished with, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck,
a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."
Du-Bro Whirlybird 505 Helicopter Review
There is no doubt that Du−Bro set the stage
for commercially produced radio controlled (R/C) helicopters with the
Whirlybird 500.
Its use of a top-mounted engine that relied on counter-torque to set the main rotor
blades spinning was unique. There were a few published articles on homebrew free-flight
helicopters that used the arrangement, and Cox even marketed a ready-to-fly model
that had a Cox .020 engine mounted on top called the Sky Copter (I owned one as
a kid in the late 1960s). To my knowledge all other R/C helicopter models used a
gear or belt drive from the engine to the main rotor shaft. It is amazing that this
quite top-heavy configuration flew at all. Du−Bro engineers deserve a lot of credit.
Note extensive use of common Du−Bro products like wheel collars, pushrods...
Ikarus Eco 8 Electric R/C Helicopter
My next venture into R/C helicopters after
the DuBro Tristar came about a decade later when I bought an
Ikarus ECO 8 electric
chopper from Hobby Lobby (circa 1998). It was pretty lame in performance (but then
so was I) with the stock motor and a very heavy NiCad battery pack. At least there
were no clutch problems to deal with as those which plagued the Tri-Star. This time
I had a heading hold gyro for the tail rotor and I was actually able to somewhat
fly the thing. The photo of me flying (kinda) my ECO 8 was taken in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, in August of 1998. After losing patience with the poor
performance of the brushed motor and NiCad battery pack, I sold it on an AOL
bulletin board to some guy in Florida. It had not suffered any damage beyond a
slight dent in the tail boom where ...
About Airplanes & Rockets
Kirt Blattenberger
Even during the busiest times of my life I have endeavored to maintain some form
of model building activity. This website has been created to help me chronicle my journey
through a lifelong involvement in model aviation, which
all began in Mayo,
Maryland...
Copyright 1996 - 2026
All trademarks, copyrights,
patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the Airplanes
and Rockets website are hereby acknowledged.