Estes Rocket Kits Wanted - Airplanes and Rockets



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Du-Bro Tristar Helicopter Wanted - Airplanes and Rockets

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Lite-Brite by Hasbro

Lite-Brite by Hasbro - Airplanes and RocketsWhen 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

Wild Bill Netzeband's Control Line Capers, October 1961 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsPer "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

Why Pilots Matter in Age of Autonomous Planes - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strips: February 8, 1942 Baltimore Morning Sun - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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

Peanuts Skediddlers Collection - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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'!

The Reds Aren't Stallin'!, February 1949 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThis 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

American Aircraft Modeler Glider Winch Construction Article (April 1973 American Aircraft Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsA 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

Weather Surveillance by Satellite, March 1967 Electronics World - Airplanes and RocketsWe 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

Phineas Pinkham: Smoke Scream, March 1937 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsIn 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

Control-Line Aerodynamics Made Painless, December 1967 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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...

Aeronautical Antiques

Aeronautical Antiques, from April 1957 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsPeter Bowers first became know to me because of his Fly Baby homebuilt airplane. It won the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) design contest in 1962. Back in the middle and late 1970s, I was taking flying lessons and dreaming big about building my own aerobatic biplane. Being an avid woodworker, the Fly Baby appealed to me because it was constructed entirely of wood, except for a few critical metal fittings. My plan was to build the biplane version of the Fly Baby. Like so many other things, the aeroplane never got built. Peter Bowers was not only an aeronautical engineer and airplane designer but also an aviation historian and model airplane enthusiast...

FlightGear Open Source (Free) Flight Simulator

FlightGear Open Source Flight Simulator - Airplanes and Rockets"FlightGear" is an Open Source (aka Free) flight simulator program which I first wrote about in 2012. It has come a long way - and was pretty dran good, aven back then - and is now a viable competitor for Microsoft's Flight Simulator (MSFS). The leatest release as of this writing is 2024.1.1. The graphics are superb and easily on par with MSFS. FlightGear has a joystick interface, but I don't own a joystick, so my experience with it using keyboard inputs. VR headsets are also supported now. The basic download comes with a couple dozen aircraft, and there are many additional models available as separate downloads. FlightGear runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Thanks to all the folks who have spent their valuable time developing FlightGear! FlightGear website: "FlightGear is an open-source flight simulator. It supports a variety of popular platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) and is developed by skilled volunteers from around the world...

Sketchbook, October 1950 Air Trails

Sketchbook, October 1950 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThe October 1950 Air Trails magazine showcases modelers' innovations, including H.G. Oliver's Plexiglas skids for speed models and Don Nelson's booster battery setup. Ray Biernacki suggests keeping brushes soft with thinner fumes, while Richard Larson offers a footswitch for bench testing. Ted Jones improves dethermalizer safety, and Charles Francis simplifies its design. Willard Hafler's flying wing excels in speed and sport flying, and Leon Shulman repurposes a crankcase recess as a fuel tank. The magazine encourages readers to submit their own ideas, paying $2 per accepted sketch. These practical, cost-saving solutions highlight the creativity of mid-century model aviation enthusiasts, blending engineering ingenuity with accessible materials - a snapshot of hobbyist innovation in postwar America...

Bertrand Piccard's Big Hydrogen Adventure

Bertrand Piccard's Big Hydrogen Adventure - Airplanes and Rockets"IEEE Spectrum interviewed Bertrand Piccard at a pivotal moment in the hydrogen-powered aircraft project, with the plane, called Climate Impulse, about 40 percent built. Piccard spoke about the contributions of his corporate sponsors, including Airbus, to the Climate Impulse project and about why he's confident that hydrogen will eventually succeed as an aviation fuel. He'll fly around the world in a hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft. Few explorers have reached the heights, literally and figuratively, that Bertrand Piccard has. He is the quintessential modern explorer, for whom every big mission has a purpose, which generally boils down to environmental and climate-change awareness. In 1999, he was the first person to circumnavigate..."

Iron Curtain Engines - Da? Nyet?

Iron Curtain Engines - Da? Nyet? from August 1962 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsAmazingly, even during the Cold War years it was not uncommon to see aircraft modelers from the "Iron Curtain" countries participating in international contests. Even Commies like flying model airplanes. Because their societies and politics were so closed and guarded, getting information about their modeling supplies was darn near impossible except during events where inspection could be made. Being a generally friendly bunch of guys, the modelers would share their designs with the Free World, and vice versa. Then, in subsequent years the Commies would show up with equipment that was exact replicas of ours - copyrights and trademarks held no legal weight behind the Iron Curtain. Truth be know, most or all of the participants were probably KGB agents (or other Commie country equivalents) engaging...

Video Tour of Brodak Manufacturing & Distribution

Video Tour of Brodak Manufacturing & Distribution, Carmichaels, Pennsylvania - Airplanes and RocketsWhile talking to a lady working one of the tables at the 2016 Brodak Fly-In (July 14, 2016), she happened to mention that the Brodak Manufacturing & Distribution operations plant is located about a mile away, right behind Brodak's Hobby Shop in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. I made sure to stop by after first visiting the hobby shop. Brodak, unarguably the largest seller of control line models and flying supplies, has the advantage of being its own manufacturer for most of its products. Because of that, they are able to sell at the lowest prices possible for a proprietary line of goods. Control line model airplane kits, nuts and bolts and washers and other assembly hardware, flying lines and handles, landing gear, nitro fuel, dope, thinner, adjustable line leadouts, balsa, plywood...

Model Progress - 1961 NATS

Model Progress, November 1961 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThe 1961 AMA Nationals (NATS) showcased American excellence in model aviation as Joe Bilgri, William Bigge, and Carl Redlin dominated the World Indoor Championships in England, with Bilgri's record 37-minute flight securing individual honors. The event featured engineering marvels like Ken Spitulski's scratch-built radio-controlled freighter and Paul Williams' Twin Ringmaster, a dual-engine stunt plane. Pan-American Airways concluded its 14-year sponsorship of payload competitions, marking the end of an era. Veteran modelers like Carl Goldberg rubbed shoulders with rising talents, while unique designs such as Doug Joyce's canard-style "Lightning" demonstrated the hobby's creative spirit. The competition also included lighter moments like the Miss Model Aviation pageant and Testor's best-finish award...

Teleguided Missiles

Teleguided Missiles, February 1947 Radio-Craft - Airplanes and RocketsHere is yet another example of how hobbyists laid the groundwork for technical innovations that were eventually adapted for use and improved by professional organizations - the military, universities, corporations. Radio control of model airplanes was first successfully achieved by a pair of brothers, Dr. Bill Good and Dr. Walt Good (kind of like the Wrights), who experimented with what were at the time rather crude engines and electronic and electromechanical devices. The year was 1936, only eleven years before this article appeared in Radio−Craft magazine reporting on the U.S. Army Air Force's and Navy's use of radio-controlled drones, or as the title says, "Teleguided Missiles." Some systems were designed from the ground up to be missiles while others were systems installed in existing aircraft which had been decommissioned for normal human-piloted use. They were sort of a Kamikaze craft without the expendable airman inside...

Victor Aerosearch AeroGloss

Victor Aerosearch AeroGloss, September 1949 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsJust as with the Douglas Model Distributors ad appearing on the same page of the September 1949 issue of Air Trails magazine, you can see how marketing people knew how to get the attention of men and boys. Victor Aerosearch ("aerosearch" possibly being an allusion to "aeronautical research"?), maker of the very popular (at the time) AeroGloss hot fuel-proof dope, employed the same eye-catching technique. Of course both companies leveraged the dual meaning of the word "model" to their advantage. Some people like to say you only need to use an attractive model to get people to notice your product if the product is not attractive enough on its own to garner interest. Others say the girl serves two purposes - to get the attention of men in the business and to suggest that if you use this particular product, you will naturally draw the attention of girls who look like the one in the ad. Both arguments have merit, but I'm guessing the most prevalent one is the latter rather than the former.

1955 Air Force Model Airplane Championships

Air Force Modeling, Model Annual 1956 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsThe 1956 Annual edition of Air Trails magazine reports here on the 1955 Air Force Model Airplane Championships held at Travis Air Force Base, in California. Check out that B-29 control line model entry, and then see this B-29 model inherited by Boyd Steffe. Back in the good 'ole days, the U.S. armed forces spent taxpayer money supporting sporting events and hobby pursuits. It helped increase morale, esprit de corps, technical prowess, physical fitness, and very importantly, it promoted the service as a career and lifestyle. Both the Air Force and the Navy were heavily into model aviation by sponsoring competitions on bases worldwide. The Navy was a prime sponsor of the Academy of Model Aeronautics' Nationals competition for many years, using its exposure to young men as a recruitment effort. Today, sadly, such activity is looked upon by our Woke armed forces as White Privilege and money is instead applied toward gender change operations and lifelong medical and psychological support...

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)...

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 ...

Commies in Profile (Russian Air Force)

Commies in Profile (Russian Air Force), October 1950 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsIsn't it interesting how these days you almost never hear Communists referred to as Communists? Up until the last two decades or so, newspapers, magazines, television broadcasts, movies, et al, regularly used the word to describe countries and leaders thereof such as Russia and Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, and North Vietnam. I don't think it is because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings; rather, it is because the purveyors of the media are openly simpatico with the precepts, but don't want to bear the stigma of the title. In 1950 when this "Commies in Profile" article appeared in Air Trails magazine, no pretenses were made about who the bad guys were and calling the villain by name was popular. Russia had been our ally in World War II, but only because we had a common enemy - the Axis powers. Anyway, here is a collection of known aircraft in the Russian air force in the time between WWII and Korea. The similarity to many American, British, and German planes is obvious. The most interesting, IMHO, is the MIG Utka (duck) canard design...

Rathgeber's "Minimum" Article & Plans

Rathgeber's "Minimum" Article & Plans, March 1957 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsIf you have been looking for an unusual project that should build fairly quickly, cost very little, contain non-standard materials, and qualify for a vintage design contest, then Rathgeber's "Minimum" fits the bill. It is a 1/2A control line speed model with about an 8" wingspan that appeared in a 1957 issue of American Modeler magazine. It does not appear to have been intended for serious competition, but given the single-line control and extremely high thrust-to-weight ration and minimal drag design, it might have been a contender back in the day. Designer George Rathgeber does not give specifics on timed flights. My guess is that it was a handful to fly due to lack of tail feathers ...

Radio Control on the Citizens Band

Radio Control on the Citizens Band, March 1952 Radio and Television News - Airplanes and RocketsRadio control (R/C) of a model does not get much simpler than the transmitter and receiver circuits shown in the schematics of Figure 2. Of course the cleanness of the transmitted signal and the selectivity of the receiver of that signal leaves a lot to be desired. In 1952 when this article appeared in Radio & Television News magazine, the airwaves were not cluttered with wireless communications devices, but given that these radio systems were sharing the electromagnetic spectrum with Citizens Band (CB) radio, the chances of getting "shot down" from nearby operators was pretty high if you lived within a few miles of where CBers were communicating. More sophisticated R/C equipment was available from commercial manufacturers, but this system targeted the do-it-yourself types and those with limited hobby budgets...

Candid Camera at the 1959 NATS

Candid Camera at the NATS (September 1959 Model Aviation News Bulletin) - Airplanes and RocketsHere are a few more photos from the 1959 AMA Nationals, in continuation of coverage in the July and August issues of Model Aviation magazine. Some are behind-the-scenes shots rather than just flight line action. Vintage unbuilt kits of a lot of the airplanes you see in these pictures are selling for a small fortune today on eBay. BTW, this series of Model Aviation is completely different than and precedes the current incarnation of Model Aviation that followed the American Aircraft Modeler and American Modeler titles. Its size is just 8½" high by 5½" wide, and were typically only about 20 pages. The February 1959 issue has about twice as many pages because it also contains the 1950-1960 "Official Model Aircraft Regulations Governing Sporting Model Aviation in America." I have all 12 issue from 1959, and don't know if others are available...

Wisecrack-Ups

Wisecrack-Ups, March 1937 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsIt was May 6, 1937, just a couple months after this comic appeared in the March 1937 issue of Flying Aces' "Wisecrack-ups" feature, that the namesake of the alluded-to dirigible would suffer a fiery end to its service in ferrying passengers back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean. Prior to that, big plans were in the works for making fortunes on luxury travel in the relative safety of a large, inherently stable - and presumably safe - mode of transcontinental travel. Even a switch from highly flammable hydrogen to inert helium was not enough to assuage the flying public's concerns. Besides, helium was rather scarce and therefore expensive at the time. The other comic is rather funny, given the fuselages of both the aeroplane its presumptive passengers. Otherwise, a collection of puns, jokes, and humorous conversations are included. Some of the content's impact will be lost on a younger generation not familiar with the situational circumstances of the era. Enjoy!

Propellers

Propellers, December 1945 Flying Age Including Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsIn the mid-1940s, toward the end of World War II, Flying Aces magazine changed its name to Flying Age, while changing its focus from model aviation to aviation in general. Much to the consternation of many of its readers, that included no longer including the much-loved fictional stories of flying superstars like Kerry Keen, Dick Knight, Capt. Philip Strange, Battling Grogan and his Dragon Squadron, Crash Carringer, and of course Lt. Phineas Pinkham. The good aspect of the change is that Flying Age published a lot of stories about full-size aircraft and flying which were geared toward their audience of modelers who were interested in all aspects of aeronautics. This piece discussed primarily variable pitch, constant speed propellers being used on military, commercial, and civilian airplanes. You, like I, though that by now there would be similar propellers available for model aircraft use, but apart from a few homebuilts, no commercially made products are available (there was one for indoor electrics, but nothing for powerful engines / motors). Given the number of variable-pitch rotor heads for helicopters, it shouldn't be so hard to implement for airplane propellers...

Model Boat Record Breakers

When most people think about control line (CL) models, airplanes are what comes to mind. However, prior to the advent of miniature, reliable radio control (RC) systems, model boats and model cars also ran on control lines, as reported in a 1957 issue of American Modeler magazine. Most of the time they went in circles, just like model airplanes do; however, some hobbyists stretched out long sections of straight line in order to get maximum speeds from their craft. Unlike with model airplanes where an operator in the center of the circle exerted control of the elevator (and sometimes throttle), the control line boats and cars generally ran with no form of control. In fact, usually the models were tethered with a single line in the center of the circle and the operator handled the boat or car from the outside...

Cox Thimble-Drome Advertisement

Cox Thimble-Drome Advertisement, July 1957 edition of American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThis particular page is from page 47 of the July 1957 issue of American Modeler magazine. If you can find one of these older model Thimble-Drome (Cox) PeeWee .020's on eBay in the original packaging, it will typically end up selling for $75 or more. Thimble Drome is no longer in operation. Use the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator to see what items cost in today's dollars. For instance, that $3.95 PeeWee .020 would be $35.19 in 2018 money - a factor of nearly 10x ...

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)...

Temco TT-1, 4-View

Temco TT-1 4-View, May 1957 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsWalter M. Jefferies, Jr., was one of the premier illustrators for model aircraft magazines in the era that this 4-view drawing of the Temco TT−1 "Pinto" jet appeared in American Modeler magazine. The Pinto was designed to be a rugged military trainer. Temco (Texas Engineering & Manufacturing Company ) was in competition with Cessna Aircraft's T−37 "Tweet" ( an embarrassing name) which we all know by now based on its familiarity won the bid. Once you have heard the loud, extremely high pitched sound of the T−37 sitting on the tarmac, you'll never forget it. A primary difference between the two airplanes is that the Pinto was a tandem seating arrangement, while the Tweet was side-by-side. I would have given a month's pay when I was in the USAF to be able to get a ride in a T−37. Of course month's pay for a non-NCO airman back in the 1970's was a pittance, so it would have been a cheap ride...

Mathematical Puzzles from the 1980 OFA

Mathematical Puzzles, 1980 Old Farmer's Almanac - RF CafeEach autumn I used to anxiously await the appearance of the newest edition of The Old Farmer's Almanac on the store shelf. It is not that I was/am an avid farmer, just that I enjoy reading the anecdotes, tales, and interesting historical tidbits included amongst the pages along with tables of high and low tides, moon and sun rising and setting times, astronomical events, and weather patterns expected for the year that lay ahead. Most of all, I liked working the puzzles and riddles. Over the years the difficulty levels gradually got lower and lower (aka dumbed down), to the point where for the last decade or so I have not even bothered buying the OFA. Now it is full of numbnut stuff. Because quite a few of the Mathematical Puzzles from the older editions are worthy of an engineer's cerebration, contemplation, and deliberation, I am posting the ones I own here on RF Cafe. Answers to numbers 1 through 11...

Tiny Outboards Howl Like the Big Ones

Tiny Outboards Howl Like the Big Ones, July 1954 Popular Science - Airplanes and RocketsAhhhh, the days before electric powered everything. I will be the first to admit that the ease of operation, cleanliness, and quietness of an e-powered model is convenient and helps keep neighbors happy, but the undeniable fact is that from a motivational perspective, nothing in modeling compares to a screaming internal combustion engine (ICE) with blue smoke pouring out of the exhaust - especially when no muffler is installed. Go on, you can admit it, unless of course you have never partaken in that aspect of our hobby. When I was a kid, if I could hear even the slightest hint of a glow engine running, I'd be on my bicycle pedaling as fast as I could toward the source of the beautiful sound. Sometimes it was a kid down the road with his Cox tethered car, or on rare occasions a fellow model airplane flier. A man a couple blocks away flew R/C airplanes and helicopters, and my sudden presence every time he started up an engine probably made him cringe (although I did stay out at the street unless invited over). I would be content to sit on the side of the road and listen to the engine run and if lucky, get a whiff of the exhaust. I've told Melanie that if I ever lapse into unconsciousness and cannot otherwise be revived, fire up a Cox .049 in front of me or wave a spent Estes rocket engine under my nose. I there still is no response...

Academy of Model Aeronautics Government Advocacy Coalition - Airplanes and Rockets