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Air Trails Sketch Book

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

F-84G Thunderjet Article & Plans

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

Drones Perform Infrastructure Inspections

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

World Championships in Germany

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

Rocket (Jetex) Powered Dyna-Soar

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

Windmill Planes

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

Top 50 NASA Photos

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

Fan Forces Parachute to Ascend with Jumper

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

Wee -38 Lightning Article & Plans

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

The Space Race

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

Model Rocketry Takes off in Oregon

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

HAPS Aircraft for Stratospheric Comms

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

Championship 336 Cessna Skymaster

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

Fox 15x Engine

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

Airnocker Article & Plans

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

Rebinding Damaged Books

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

R&S Counter-UAS to Combat Autonomous Aerial Threats

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

Wind Flying

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

Aviation News Headlines <Archives>

• FCC Rules for 5 GHz Band Drone Operations

EAA Weighs in on MOSAIC

• Smithsonian Opens Hangar Doors to Pilots

• EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 July 22-28

• The Smallest Air Force One

Model Boats More Popular Than Ever

Model Boats More Popular Than Ever, Model Annual 1956 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsPost 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...

Square Hare from Delaware Article and Plans

Square Hare from Delaware Article and Plans, September 1962 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsWebsite 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.

House Passes Bill Restricting DJI Drone Use

House Passes Bill Restricting DJI Drone Use - Airplanes and Rockets"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..."

Tin Goose - She Led the Golden Age

Tin Goose - She Led the Golden Age, February 1962 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsI 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)...

America's 1955 Modelplane Championships

America's Modelplane Championships, Model Annual 1956 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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..

Polaris Dawn's 1st Private Space Walk

Polaris Dawn's 1st Private Space Walk - RF CafeUmmm... 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...

Boeing B&W 1916 Biplane

Boeing B&W 1916 Biplane March 1965 Model Airplane News - Airplanes and RocketsHere 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..."

Adjustable Throw Control Line Handle

Adjustable Throw Control Line Handle - Airplanes and RocketsWhen 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...

How to Straighten Bowed and Cupped Laminated Countertops

How to Straighten Bowed and Cupped Laminated Countertops - Airplanes and RocketsI 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!

UAV SATCOM Terminal Flight Trials Succeed --- add to AAR

UAV SATCOM Terminal Flight Trials Succeed - RF Cafe"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..."

U-Control Model Plane

U-Control Model Plane, October 1952 Popular Mechanics - Airplanes and RocketsWhen 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...

Antique Clothes Chest Restoration

Antique Clothes Chest Restoration - Airplanes and RocketsAnother 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...

SETI Low-Frequency Search for Extraterrestrials

SETI Low-Frequency Search for Extraterrestrials"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..."

1962 British Nationals

British Nationals (1963 Annual Edition American Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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?

Baby V-1 Dyna-Jet Flies for Fun

Baby V-1 Dyna-Jet Flies for Fun, May 1946 Popular Science - Airplanes and RocketsWhen 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."

World's Toughest R/C Job - Guidance in Outer Space

World's Toughest R/C Job - Guidance in Outer Space, May 1967 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeSpaceX 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...

The Moon: We Look Before We Leap

The Moon: We Look Before We Leap - Ranger 6, January 24, 1964 Electronics Magazine - RF CafeCongress 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...

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...

Andrews Aircraft Model Company (AAMCo) H−Ray Kit

AAMCo Andrews Aircraft Models H-Ray - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Cordless Electric Flight Motors

Cordless Electric Flight Motors from American Aircraft Modeler - July 1973This 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)...

Dynamic Attitude-Aware Motor Speed Control for E-Powered Control Line Aircraft 

A Programmable Dynamic Attitude-Aware Motor Speed Control for Electric-Powered Control Line Aircraft - Airplanes and RocketsThere 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...

Macchi-Castoldia C/L Scale Schneider Cup Racer

Macchi-Castoldia Control Line Flying Scale Schneider Cup Racer, Annual 1958 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThere 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...

Principles of Model Building

Principles of Model Building, May 1934 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Blohm Voss 141-B Article & Plans

Blohm Voss 141-B Article & Plans, August 1970, American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsAirplanes 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...

Hot Engines!

Hot Engines! (January/February1963 American Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsRe-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...

Instruments for Scale Aircraft Models

Instruments for Scale Aircraft Models, Annual 1960 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsSure, 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...

Charybdis Plans & Article - October 1972 AAM

Charybdis Plans & Article, October 1972 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsFrom 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...

Electronics at Redstone Arsenal

Electronics at Redstone Arsenal, May 1957 Radio & TV News - RF Cafe"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...

Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony Plans

Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony Plans & Article, August 1959 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsIt'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...

Should You Go Into Engineering?

Should You Go Into Engineering?, November 1954 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Blade 230 S SMART Flight Video

Blade 230 S SMART Flight Video - Airplanes and RocketsI 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.

World's Largest Model Airplane Meet

World's Largest Model Meet, September 1949 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsFor 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...

Big Twin R/C Outboard Motorboat

Big Twin R/C Outboard Motorboat, May 1957 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsAirplanes 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...

Airtronics Aquila Product Review

Airtronics Aquila Product Review, May 1975 RC Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsIt was in this May 1975 issue of R/C Modeler magazine that I first saw the Airtronics Aquila sailplane (way too graceful to refer to it as merely a glider). Airtronics had not introduced a kit yet, but they were selling a canopy and hardware kit along with plans, so I ordered them and scratch built my first Aquila. I was 17 years old then. It was covered to look like the one in the photo above (which would become the kit box label photo). Not having lite ply for the fuselage, I used hard balsa. Somehow I eventually managed to destroy Aquila #1, but by that time a kit was available, so I bought one and also the ABS plastic fuselage. A standard Hi-Start was used for launching. A few years ago I built a 105% Aquila version simply because I wanted another Aquila and had never built a sailplane with a wingspan greater than 99". I am now in the process of building an 80% scale Aquila...

Sketchbook, March 1961 American Modeler

Sketchbook, March 1961 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsThis "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.

Delanne and His Duo-Monoplanes

Delanne and His Duo-Monoplanes, October 1950 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

1954 National Modelplane Championships

National Modelplane Championships, November 1954 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThese 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?

Mad Modelers' Slot Racer

Mad Modelers' Slot Racer, from September/October 1963 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsSlot 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...

Gliding in Russia - What the USSR Has Done to Develop Gliding

Gliding in Russia, May 1934 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

1955 National Model Race Car Championships

1955 National Model Race Car Championships!, Model Annual 1956 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsIs 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...

New Jersey Club Builds C/L Carrier Deck

Livingston (NJ) Club Builds Carrier Deck, September 1967 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsControl 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...

Merchant of Speed

Merchant of Speed, February 19, 1949 Saturday Evening Post - Airplanes and RocketsAsk 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...

The Key to the Junior Problem?

The Key to the Junior Problem?, September 1968 American Aircraft Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsEvery 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...

My Red Ryder BB Gun

My Red Ryder BB Gun (as seen in A Christmas Story) - Airplanes and RocketsA 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...

Build the S.S.P. Helicopter

S.S.P. Helicopter from the August 1972 American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsImagine 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...

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Even during the busiest times of my life I have endeavored to maintain some form of model building activity. This site has been created to help me chronicle my journey through a lifelong involvement in model aviation, which all began in Mayo, MD ...

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